Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Dukes of Hazzard Characters or any of the Magnificent Seven characters.

Warning: Again, this hasn't been beta-ed. I apologise in advance for all the grammatical and spelling errors.

Four hours later…

Hank rung out another rag and wiped Joe's brow and face. A fever was raging through Joe's body and Hank was doing what he could to relieve his cousin. During Nathan's administrations, Hank saw the damage done to Joe. It was more than he could bear, running out to the balcony to take himself away from the painful scene. He was glad he managed to convince Dixie to stay away until Joe was ready for visitors. He had silently thanked the ladies's man when he led Dixie away and kept her company. Hank had only managed a couple of deep breaths before he was drawn back inside, not able to stay away from his cousin in his time of need. He forced himself to watch as Nathan, slowly and painfully, wiped away the dirt on Joe, so that he could see what he was dealing with. It was the leg wound that was the most trouble. It had been left open to long and was allowed to do the most damage. The herbs Nathan used had help to draw out some of the infection, but in the end, carbolic acid was needed. Nathan didn't like using it unless it was absolutely necessary, because prolonged exposure to the chemical could burn the skin, but Nathan needed to ensure the infection doesn't spread. Josiah and Hank had to hold Joe down as he poured some carbolic acid on a piece of lint and pressed it to the wound. Joe buckled in pain, but he was too weak to do much else, which worried Hank. "The fever's making him weak. We need to keep it under control because the fever is as dangerous as the infection." Nathan had told them.

That was what Hank has been doing since Nathan told him it was all up to Joe now. Nathan was the only one with him now. He was asleep in his cot, but before he laid down, he made sure Hank knew he could wake him up at any time. "I need you to be okay, Joe." Hank said as he laid a rag on Joe's forehead. He picked up Joe's hand and cupped it in his both of his, "We still have too much to do. Remember what we planned. We're going to search the entire west for the two best mustangs and then we'll find the purest mares and we'll start breeding the best horses in the west. That dream's ours, cousin, and I can't keep chasin' it without you." Joe turned his head in the direction of his cousin, as if he could hear him. "That's it, Joe. I know you can hear me. You keep fightin' and I'll be right here when you wake up." A soft knock came from the door and Hank quickly dried his eyes and tucked Joe's hand under the covers. Dixie slid into the room and closed the door. Her eyes were drawn to her cousin in the bed, they were red from all the crying.

"I needed to see him."

"Of course you did." Hank walked up to her and pulled her into his arms, before leading her over to the seat he had just occupied. "He's going to be okay." Hank said it for both their benefits. Dixie bush aside Joe's curls, then rested her hand over his chest.

"He's warm."

"He has a fever." Hank told her.

"Buck told me what happened." Hank frowned, clearly unhappy, but she quickly continued, "Don't be angry at him, he told me so you wouldn't have to." Hank nodded, he couldn't believe that these men were the same men who had arrested him and Joe a few days ago. These men weren't the arrogant, stubborn and callous men he thought they were. They were honourable, loyal and more considerate than any men he had met outside his family. "He also told me they're all dead."

"That's right."

"Am I an awful person to think they deserved to die?"

"No, that makes you human, Dixie."

"Buck's waiting to walk me back to the hotel. I just needed to see Joe for myself." Dixie told him. "I sent a telegram to Michael after you got back to tell him everything."

"Thank you. He must be worried sick."

"He trusts you to take care of us." Dixie leaned over and kissed Joe on the cheek, then walked over to Hank and did the same. "Don't stay up all night. You'll do him no good if you collapse." She ordered before leaving. Hank sat back down to watch over his cousin.


The night was long. Joe started tossing restlessly, kicking the covers off the bed and calling out to his cousin. "Hank! Don't come…want to kill you." Joe called out as his tossing became more violent. Hank held Joe's hands and arms to his side to stop him from hurting himself, careful of Joe's sprained wrist.

"Joe! It's okay. I'm okay. The gang's all dead." Hank called to Joe, but it didn't seem to penetrate the fever fuelled nightmare. "Joe!"

Nathan shot up from his sleep at the stern voice. He looked at the bed and saw Hank struggling with Joe. "What's happening, Hank?"

"He's having a nightmare. I can't wake him." Hank looked at Nathan, desperate for help.

"It's the fever." Nathan grabbed a cloth and soaked it in the bowl. He wiped at his brow and neck, hoping the cool water will ease the stress. "Talk to him, Hank. He needs to calm down, otherwise the fever will keep climbing." Nathan continue wiping Joe down.

"Joe, listen to me. It's Hank. You're okay. No one can hurt you anymore." The cold towel coupled with Hank's soothing words were starting to take effect. "That's it, Joe. I'm right here." Nathan smiled at how soothing Hank's voice was. He was amazed at the contrast between the man he first met and this man talking to his sick cousin. Hank let Joe's arms go and placed a hand on Joe's cheek. "I always tell you that I look out for you because Uncle Joseph made me promise to watch your back. The truth is I made that promise long before he asked me to. When dad brought me over to meet you, you were so little, I knew right then that you would need someone to watch over you and I was the person for the job. But you want to know something?" Hank smiled as he thought about the truth of what he was about to say, "I need you to watch my back as well. I learned to rely on you, Joe, so you need to get better. You hear me?" He chuckled when Joe seemed to turn his head further into his hand, finding comfort and warmth there. He was resting peacefully now. The nightmares had left him.

"Good job, Hank. I don't think anything I could've given him would've been as effective as your words." Nathan marvelled.

Hank took his hand back and sat back in his chair in relief. "I think I just lost a few years."

Nathan chuckled, "You should try taking care of six accident prone peacekeepers. I'm lucky I'm still alive." Hank laughed at that.

"Get some rest. I think Joe will be fine for the night."

"I hope so."


The next morning…

Hank brushed at the annoying hand fingering his hair. He had fallen asleep sometime during the night with his head on his forearms, on the bed. The annoying hand stopped, then started again. Hank brushed at it again, but it wouldn't stop this time. He pushed off the bed, frustrated, "What the…" Joe was looking at him, smiling. "Joe!"

" 'Bout time you woke up." Joe voice was still raw.

Hank turned around to find the healer, "Nathan…"

"He went to get me…some broth."

Hank frowned, "How long have you been awake?" He put a hand to Joe's head, then smiled, "You're fever's broken."

"I know. Nathan said so." Joe swallowed, then closed his eyes. "Wanted you to sleep a bit more, then I got bored."

Hank chuckled, shaking his head. He got up and stretched out the knots in his muscle. "You look much better."

"Feel it too."

Hank sat back down and looked down at his hands, trying to gather his thoughts. "I'm sorry I weren't there to stop all this from happening."

Joe sighed, he knew this was coming. Nobody blamed himself more than Hank. "Hank…"

"No, I shouldn't've left you here alone."

"You didn't. Nathan was here." Joe argued.

"Yeah, but I should've been here. It's my job to protect you. Uncle Joseph trusted me to look out for you and I…"

To Hank's surprise, Joe pushed himself up to his elbow, with strength he shouldn't have. "Dang it, Hank! I ain't a kid and you can't be here for me every minute of every day. None of this was your fault. Those men did this, not you!" Joe dropped back onto his pillow, breathing hard and gripping the quilt in his fist as he tried to ride out the pain.

Hank remained silent and waited. He should've known Joe would react this way. He hated it when Hank took the responsibility for him. "Do you need Nathan?" Hank asked softly when Joe's breathing didn't ease. He was relieved when Nathan came back in with a tray of food. He took one look at Joe and immediately put down the tray.

"What happened?" Nathan pulled aside the cover on his left leg to make sure it wasn't bleeding again.

"I'm okay, Nathan." Joe finally managed to get out. "Hank's fault." Hank was about to say something when Joe glared at him, "You even attempt to agree with that and I'll throw you out the window." Hank chuckled at his cousin, while Nathan looked between the two in confusion.

"I'm going to change his bandages. Why don't you help Joe sit up?" Nathan suggested, giving up on trying to work out what was happening with these two. "There are extra pillows in the cupboard." Hank pulled out the pillows and put them on his chair before helping Joe sit up. He could see how much energy the quick outburst had costed his cousin.

"Don't help." Hank told his cousin as he sat on the edge of the bed and pulled Joe up by the shoulders. Joe rested his forehead against Hank's shoulder. Hank was being as gentle as he could, but even then, the pain in Joe's torso was agonising. Hank reached behind him and grabbed the pillows, organising them behind Joe. Once he was done, Hank placed a hand on the back of Joe's head, waiting patiently for his cousin. "Tell me when you're ready." Hank whispered in Joe's ear.

Nathan smiled at the cousins. He found it strange that the people he knew that had such a strong connection with each other, weren't even brothers. "Okay," he heard Hank whisper. Nathan didn't even hear Joe say or do anything to indicate he was ready, but Hank knew. Another one of them silent communications. He already had two in this town. He watched as Hank wrapped his left arm around Joe's waist and his right hand at the back of Joe's neck. Gently he lowered Joe back against the pillows, bearing his entire weight. "Okay?" Joe closed his eyes and nodded. Hank could see Joe trembling from the pain. He ran his fingers through Joe's hair. "Relax." Nathan could see the immediate effect it had. Joe's features soften and soon he was asleep again.

"Hmmm…think that would work on Vin?" Nathan hoped. He wished all his patients were this easy.

Hank laughed, "You could always try, but I doubt it. Vin doesn't look like he lets anyone touch his hair."

"Ya got that right." Nathan laughed.

"Anyway, that only works on Joe. His ma always did it to put him to sleep, guess it's just something he got use to over time."

Nathan nodded, "A conditioned response. He learnt that it meant to go to sleep and after a long period of time it became a natural response. You're right, it wouldn't work on Vin…damn!"

Hank grinned at the healer's expression and relaxed into his chair. "So how did y'all become the peacekeepers for this town?"

Nathan finished off checking the wrap around Joe's ribs and the wounds there before washing his hands in a basin. Picking up a plate from the tray he brought in, he handed it to Hank. "Eat up." Hank took, it suddenly realising how hungry he was. He hadn't eaten anything since the night before yesterday. "A gang wanted to lynch me because I couldn't save the man they carried in. He was beyond saving before they even got him into town. When he died, they blamed me. Said I killed him. Only Mary Travis, she's a journalist, was willing to speak up for me. The whole town was too afraid to be seen helping a darkie." Hank nodded, not agreeing, just understanding. He's fought in the war and has seen how black men were treated or heard stories. "Chris and Vin saved my life." Nathan smiled, "Amongst all the shooting, Vin managed to shoot clean through the rope, just in time. They ran the men out of town, J.D was gonna shoot one of them, but Chris grabbed him, telling him you never shoot a man in the back." Hank listened with interest as Nathan continued the story. Laughing at how Buck climbed out a window because he thought Vin was an angry husband slamming on the door. He put in a mental reminder to keep Dixie away from him. He learnt that Nathan and Josiah were old friends. Ezra only joined the group for the money but has now become an irreplaceable member of this crew. J.D was the last to join and Buck has taken him under his wing. All of them have. Nathan didn't get into too much detail with these men's past and Hank guessed that they all had a past. He wasn't worried, they have long past proven themselves to him and he would trust them all with his life. Heck, he already trusted them with Joe's and that's something he would never have done in the past.

"So how about you?" Nathan asked, "I know you have four brothers."

Hank was about to answer when Vin came in. He tipped his hat at Hank, then turned to Nathan, "Accident out at the Jefferson Farm. His son fell off the roof of their barn tryin' ta fix it. Mr Jefferson rode back here to fetch ya."

As Vin was talkin', Nathan was packing his medical bag. "I'll get Inez to bring up more broth, this one's cold. Try to get him to drink and eat when he wakes up. I'll be back as soon as I can." He reassured Hank, then left the room. Vin sat down in the extra chair.

"How's he doin'?"

"Good. Fever broke this morning. Nathan says he'll be fine." Hank answered. The room went silent. Vin could tell Hank wanted to ask him about his past.

"I was framed." Vin answered the unasked question.

Hank shook his head, "You don't have to…"

"You trusted me with Joe. I can trust ya with this." Vin told him, "I was a bounty hunter. I was after a man named Eli Joe. Got really close to getting him a few times. He killed a farmer, Jesse Kincaid and made it look like I did it to get me off his tail. Been wanted ever since." Hank couldn't imagine living a life like Vin's, where he needed to look over his shoulder every minute. "Never used to stay in one place for long. It only takes one man to recognise you and you're dead."

"But you've been here for a year." Hank stated.

"That's right. I got me six men who watch ma back. Don't need to run no more." Vin smiled.

"Ever tried looking for this…Eli Joe? Get him to confess." Hank asked, it's what he would do.

Vin smiled sadly, "He's dead. Chris killed him, along with ma chances of clearin' ma name."

"I'm guessing you don't hold that against him."

Vin shook his head, "It was either me or him. Chris didn't have a choice. Like I told him then, can't clear ma name if'a I'm dead." He tipped his head to the side and looked at Hank, curiously. "How'd you know?"

"I make it a habit to go to the Sheriff's office and look at the wanted posters before I go out of town. I didn't recognise you at first, then I noticed that Buck only introduced you as Vin. Everyone else had a full name but you. Then when you asked me to trust ya to find Joe, I recognised ya."

"$500 bounty is a lot of money to ignore."

"By then, it didn't matter. I knew I could trust you. Anyway, Joe and I aren't bounty hunters, we don't hurt nobody unless they hurt our family first. We don't go lookin' for men wanted for murder." Hank looked over at Joe. "I try to protect him from any of that, from getting in trouble, getting hurt, anything, but he's a trouble magnet. It's always been a joke between us. He gets into trouble and I get him out." Hank took a deep breath, trying to stop the tears from coming, "I couldn't this time." He pushed himself out of the chair and walked over to the window, leaning against the window sill.

Vin gave him a minute to get his emotions together before talking. "He's alive."

Hank turned around and looked at Vin. "Not because of me. If you and Chris didn't stop me in the livery, we'd both be dead. I let my anger get the better of me and it almost got Joe killed."

"You remind me of Chris. Stubborn," Hank smirked, "protective, and wears guilt like he wears a shirt. He thinks anything that happens to me and the rest of us are his fault. He blames himself for not being there, even if he couldn't'a known. I'm guessin' Joe will tell you where ta shove your guilt."

A short laugh burst out of Hank, not expecting the last bit, "He already did."

"So why don't ya?" Vin drawled.

Hank turned back to the window, "Every time I close my eyes. I can hear Joe screamin' for me. That…" Hank clenched his fists, "scum, tortured my cousin. I can't help but think if I was there…if I was there, I could've done somethin' to stop the pain." Hank's voice was strained, forcing the words out.

"Ya can't keep thinkin' like that. It'll drive you crazy." Hank turned at the new voice. Larabee. "Trust me, I know."

Vin looked up at Chris, "Trouble, Cowboy?"

"Nah, just came to see how he is. Dixie's on her way up. She's just gone to the Saloon to get the broth Inez prepared for Joe." Chris explained, "My wife and son died in a fire. I almost drunk myself to death because I kept thinkin' I should've been there to protect them." Hank couldn't believe Chris was telling him something so personal and painful. Vin smiled at Chris, proud that Chris would revisit his nightmare to help Hank, "They're gone now and no amount of blame and guilt are bringin'em back. Joe's still here."

Everything fell into perspective for Hank right then. It was over and Joe was alive, that was all that mattered. It could've been worse, Joe could've had the same fate as Chris's wife and child, but he didn't and Hank should be thankful for that not angry that he should've done more. He couldn't've done more.

Dixie arrived at the clinic with Dieter and the room was getting crowded. Vin and Chris left the room but not before Hank thanked Chris for what he told him. "I'll remember this lesson." He told him. Chris nodded and left.