Teaspoon looked to the hands that went into the air at his latest request. Seldom did they all volunteer like this but when it was one of their own they were taking care of, he found he had to beat them off with a stick. He figured he needed at least two of them, no good having them outnumbered, even if the people who'd outnumber them were bound.
"Alright, Cody and Kid; you two go."
Teaspoon knew there would be protests but he also knew that there was too much potential for things to go wrong with any of the others going. If Lou went, there was always the possibility that the Franklin brothers would find out she wasn't what she pretended to be. If Ike went, he would be taunted mercilessly and if Ike didn't snap from that, then whoever was riding with them would. The Franklin's killed the Casey's for helping fugitive slaves so that meant that sending someone not white would probably lead to trouble. Teaspoon had experienced firsthand how loudmouthed the brothers could be and he needed to make sure they made it to Beatrice alive. If it weren't for the badge on his shirt, he wouldn't care one way or the other. But being marshal meant that he couldn't very well deputize and send men to transfer these prisoners that he was certain would end up killing the people they were supposed to transport. As it was, enough negative talk about Susan or Jimmy or the Casey family and the Franklin boys could still find their way to a hole in the ground before they made it to Gage County.
With no further ceremony, he and his chosen riders made their way to the jail to ready the prisoners for transfer.
"I'm surprised Jimmy didn't want to do this," Kid remarked as they approached the door.
Cody nodded in agreement, "Would have given him an excuse."
Teaspoon just shook his head a moment. He understood the boys' confusion but he more clearly understood Jimmy's reasoning for staying with his little girl. She needed him more than he could ever need revenge.
"For starters," he addressed both riders, "Being a daddy means you think of someone besides yourself and put their needs first and for another thing, if he'd wanted an excuse, he could've just killed them all when it was just him and them alone. We wouldn't've been none the wiser."
Teaspoon found a certain satisfaction in saying the last half of his comment within ear shot of the two men who could have easily become victims of the legendary Wild Bill Hickok.
Once the men were bound and loaded on the buckboard with Cody driving and Kid riding Katy alongside, Teaspoon waved a goodbye not sure if he was really hoping the prisoners would arrive safely or not.
A few miles out of town Morgan, the elder of the Franklin brothers and the one depicted in the most frightening manner in Susan's artwork cleared his throat.
"That man that brought us in, I didn't catch his name."
"Knowing him," said Cody, "He probably didn't throw it at you. It's Hickok, James Butler Hickok." Cody made certain to emphasize every syllable in the infamous name.
Morgan's eyes grew wide in recognition.
"Wild Bill? Why didn't he kill us?"
"You complaining?" asked Cody, "'Cause if you are, Kid and I can take care of that right here."
"No," Morgan was quick to answer, "Just didn't think Wild Bill would take a man in alive."
"I guess I can see where you'd be confused since you know him so well," Cody let the contempt and sarcasm drip from his words.
Morgan stammered and Cody decided to just keep talking.
"Don't get me wrong, if you two were facing off in the street, he'd drop you like a sack of manure. But Hickok won't go looking for that kind of fight, enough of 'em come to him, and he won't ambush someone because it wouldn't be a fair fight," Cody paused a moment, and then resumed speaking, "I don't know what the gossip is these days about him but James Hickok is an honorable man."
There was silence for a while before Morgan decided to speak again.
"Quite a show you're putting on for us. You think we're going to confess to something?"
"I don't know what show you're referring to," Cody answered easily, "And don't care one way or another if you confess or not. I know what you did and I know you're going to hang for it."
Morgan laughed but there was unease in his demeanor.
"You don't know nothing but what some idiot told you and I don't even think she told anyone anything. Seen cornered raccoons was tamer than she is."
Kid was pondering how badly this man needed at least one additional hole in his head and then spoke up.
"Must just be the effect you have on a person," he said trying to hide his disdain under an affable smile, "I can see how you might make a body upset enough to lose control."
Kid's resting of his hand on his sidearm did not go undetected by either Franklin and silence reigned most of the rest of the trip. Even when the group stopped to briefly rest and water the horses and allow Cody and Kid to stretch their legs a bit, there was no talk from the Franklin brothers.
As the two leaned under a tree for a few minutes just feeling good to not be on the trail for a bit, Kid smiled deviously at his companion.
"So," he began in a teasing tone, "Should I tell Jimmy you're sweet on him? He might just be flattered. Or he might feed you one of those Colts."
"If we weren't in the middle of an important job, I'd stop you from saying anything for a good while."
Kid laughed at Cody's exaggerated reaction, Cody knew he was teasing and was just playing along.
"Really, you didn't say anything we all don't think." Kid continued with a more serious tone, "He drives me crazy sometimes and I can count on one hand the number of times I've really agreed with him but, well, you know."
"Sure," replied Cody with a glint in his eye, "Have you told Lou about these feelings you been having?"
Kid rolled his eyes but couldn't say much, he had started it after all.
They decided they ought to hit the trail once more and were both thankful that the Franklin brothers were keeping quiet as they went along. A thought occurred to Kid and he turned his head to Cody.
"Say," he began, "I was wondering, I mean none of us have said anything about it but, well, take the other night as an example, Susan helped clean up that gunshot wound on Jimmy's side."
"I know it seems peculiar," agreed Cody, "But then he sort of seems to understand her like no one else. She seemed to do better with being able to help."
"Yeah, I guess you're right. You'd think something like that would make her more scared," Kid mused a bit more on the subject, "Have you noticed she's taken over changing his bandages?"
Cody nodded. He had thought it strange too but then Susan wasn't like other children. They'd gotten used to her monotone voice and often expressionless face and she could talk mostly like anyone else but there was no denying that the guidelines of raising her had to be a little different. There seemed an almost uneasy quiet growing between the pair as neither one wanted to say out loud that Susan would just live by different rules. It wasn't that either felt there was anything really wrong with Susan or the way she was or even how Jimmy had to deal with her, they just didn't want Morgan and Clete hearing anything that might give their lawyer any ammunition against Susan. The less he knew about her, the less he'd be able to prepare for his questioning which would mostly be an effort to discredit her.
Then Cody thought of something else he wanted to ask Kid about, something it might be just fine and dandy for the Franklin's to hear.
"What do you think about him teaching her to shoot?"
Kid smiled in a half laugh.
"To be honest, when I saw her out there with him scowling over that gun that was almost as big as she is, you could've knocked me over."
"She's a good shot though."
"Yeah," Kid agreed, "Of course with James Hickok teaching, you'd expect that. What you don't expect is him handing over one of his guns to someone without being in a pretty tough spot."
By this time Morgan was fully attentive to the conversation and trying, though thoroughly tied up, to motion to Clete not to talk. He still wasn't sold on these stories they told. It didn't sound like the girl he remembered at all. The one he remembered never spoke, only screamed like a banshee. He was sure if Clete opened his mouth, he'd get them hung more surely than that wild little idiot child ever could. But still, he wondered if they could seriously mean that Wild Bill Hickok had taught this creature to shoot one of his famous Colts.
"I forget sometimes," Cody went on, "That she's small for her age. Eleven's not that young to learn to shoot. I know a lot of girls might not get to, or even want to, learn but you know Hickok, he'd make sure she could defend herself."
"Besides," added Kid, "She'd been asking him to teach her ever since he came home with that hole in his side. I wasn't sure about teaching a girl to use the gun at first but I knew better than to say anything out loud."
"I'll bet you did," laughed Cody, "You say anything like that and getting shot by Hickok'd be a relief compared to what Lou'd do to you."
"The more I thought about it, him teaching her that, the more I thought it was kind of sweet. I mean, what else is a gunfighter going to teach his child?"
At this, Morgan could not stay silent anymore.
"His child? Well, see, I knew you guys were making this up. You just made the mistake. You had us thinking about a different girl, not some child of Wild Bill Hickok."
"No mistake at all," Cody piped up, "Hickok adopted her. Never seen a man take so natural to fatherhood. He sure is protective though."
Kid nodded in agreement.
"You notice how he lights up when she calls him daddy?"
"Sure do," Cody smiled as he spoke, he could actually feel the fear in the men behind him, "I'd hate to be the man who brought hurt to her."
"Especially after that scene at Tompkins' store," Kid added.
Morgan's attempts at keeping his brother quiet finally failed.
"What scene?" the younger Franklin brother asked.
Cody took it upon himself to relate the whole story of how Jimmy had nearly killed the storekeeper with his bare hands over a misunderstanding.
"Everything's fine now but it got iffy there for a bit; it took four men to drag Hickok off of him."
Kid smiled to himself at Cody's dramatic retelling and leaving out that one of the men who pulled Jimmy off Tompkins was Jesse, so really just a boy.
"Morgan," Clete whined to his brother but Morgan just hushed him and told him to stay quiet.
There was no more talking the rest of the trip. The brothers were starting to get too scared, even Morgan who was trying to tell himself that all of the talk about Susan was a bluff, and Kid and Cody were getting tired. It wasn't a great distance from Rock Creek to Beatrice but with the wagon it was slower going than if they'd been riding flat out and the two of them were starting to get sick of the ride when Beatrice, Nebraska finally came into view.
Teaspoon heard the door to his office open and looked up from the newspaper he was pretending to read and was surprised to see Susan walking all alone through the doorway.
"Well, hey there sweetheart, does your daddy know where you are?"
"Yes, he is resting. I asked before he fell asleep."
Teaspoon raised an eyebrow at the child.
"He's resting? How did you manage that?"
"I told him he would not get better if he worked so hard," she said flatly, "He said he was fine but I told him the skin near the hole is getting red and hot and he needed to rest."
"Well, you are a good nurse to him. Sounds like he was starting to get an infection."
She nodded, "Yes, I told Buck because he has medicine that helps."
Teaspoon watched as Susan sat down with her pad of paper and a pencil and began to draw. He was always fascinated by the peace that overtook her when she drew; almost as if she channeled something of the divine. Perhaps she did, far be it from Teaspoon to understand all of the mysteries of the world. He thought about asking her the reason for her visit but then he knew that if she wanted to talk, she would in her own time so he just rocked onto the back two legs of his chair and folded his hands across his stomach. He wondered at the power of this child to turn a hot headed young man into a responsible family man. He wondered how Kid and Cody were faring and he wondered what Rachel was thinking about fixing for their supper.
He had nearly started to doze off when he heard the soft voice address him. She had been sitting across the room but had walked closer to him while he was lost in his wondering.
"Teaspoon I am scared."
Those four words, spoken so softly and in that unemotional way that was common only to her, brought his eyes open, his feet and chair legs to the ground and his arms open to her. She took up the invitation immediately. Teaspoon knew she still didn't always like to be touched and yet she craved the contact sometimes. He wondered what that kind of conflict felt like. For his part, he loved the times when she would crawl on his lap and allow a hug, or even give him one. It was like having a grandchild and that was an idea he liked very much.
"What's scaring you?" he asked softly.
"Daddy is hurt. I do not like that. He is getting sick."
"Now, little girl, you are taking right good care of that daddy of yours. You said Buck gave him medicine, and you made him get some sleep. I'll just be willing to bet that when he wakes up, he'll be near to all better."
Susan was quiet but seemed to try to make herself even smaller in his arms.
"What else is bothering you?"
"I am scared of the trial. It is hard to talk to people I do not know and there will be so many. And I will have to see the bad men and I do not know if they will believe me."
"Why wouldn't they believe you, honey?"
"I do not talk like other people and I do not act like other people. And when I cannot talk or cannot find words, people think I am stupid. No one believes stupid people."
"Did you tell Jimmy how you feel?"
"Yes, he said that he would make sure they believe me. He is never scared."
Teaspoon couldn't help the chuckle that escaped him.
"Why do you laugh?"
"I'm sorry," he said gently, "I ain't laughing at you. It's just, I know he does get scared. He gets scared plenty."
"I do not believe you. He is always so sure of everything. He cannot be scared."
"He can and he is. Mostly he gets scared that something bad might happen to someone he loves but I've seen him scared for himself once or twice too."
The girl stayed silent but shook her head as if she still didn't believe him.
"I don't suppose he's told you too many stories about himself."
"No," she answered, "Cody tells stories but not about Daddy."
"I would guess not and I'm sure no one told you how he was almost hanged."
She shook her head and turned to him wide-eyed. He sighed and started in with the tale.
"Seems your daddy thought he was in love and the woman he thought he was in love with wasn't a very nice lady. She and this man she traveled with had a scheme they used. She would marry a man and then they would kill the husband, usually making it look like an accident. Then the woman would be a widow and get all the man's money and the two would move on," he paused for breath, "Once she met your daddy who already had his reputation starting at that point, she saw that she could shoot her husband and frame Jimmy for it. She made him believe that she was being hurt by her husband so he'd come out to rescue her. All the evidence pointed to Jimmy and there wasn't nothing we could do to save him. He was found guilty of murder and the judge said he was to hang. We sent Lou and Kid off because we heard that these two might not be what they claimed to be. Still Jimmy had to march onto the gallows and the rope was around his neck. We couldn't take it and the boys all drew on Sam-he was the marshal in Sweetwater then-and shortly after, Kid and Lou rode in and had proof Jimmy was innocent. He acted like he knew all along we was going to save him but I saw the fear in his eyes. He really thought he was going to die that day."
"You would not let him die."
"I wasn't sure for a minute if I was going to have a choice. If my boys hadn't stepped up, things would have been different. But, like I said, he's usually not scared for himself as much as for those he loves. But don't think for a minute that he don't get scared."
"Why does he not tell me he is scared?"
"He probably thinks that if you know he's scared that it'll make you more scared. But I know that it helps sometimes to know you're not the only one frightened. He's human. He makes mistakes, he gets scared, angry, every other feeling out there."
"There is so much he does not tell me. I do not understand."
Teaspoon pressed a kiss to the top of the child's head.
"You have no idea how much more he tells you than most fathers would tell their young 'uns. But I think in this case, he can't admit to himself how scared he is. He wants to be a strength for you."
"I am still scared."
"I know," and it seemed he was speaking to himself or to an invisible someone else in the room, "I know you are. I am too. Somehow we will keep you safe. I promise you that."
"You will promise? Daddy promises a lot. You will promise too?"
Teaspoon picked the girl up and set her on the desk so he could look at her.
"You see this badge?" he saw her nod at him, "This means that I made a promise to everyone in Rock Creek to keep them safe. That's my job. But I would protect you without the badge. You understand?"
"Yes"
"You feel better?"
Again the girl nodded an answer.
"Well, good, then I guess my work here is done. How 'bout you go on home and see how your daddy's doing?"
As he watched her leave, he added one more thing to his wonderings; he wondered how any of them were going to keep their promises to her.
Susan sat next to Jimmy as he slept. She went back and forth between comfort and panic as she watched his chest steadily rise and fall. It felt good to know that she wasn't the only person who felt fear. Sometimes it seemed everyone else was so calm while she worried herself to near madness. To know that even Jimmy, her rescuer, her guardian, her protector, even he felt fear was comforting in its way. But there was a panic bubbling as well. He was always so certain of things, so calm and collected. If he felt fear, then there was credibility to her own fears. She had always reasoned that if she was the only one afraid then maybe there was no basis for her fear. It didn't entirely stop her from being afraid but she at least felt a security that she was surrounded by leveler heads. Now she wasn't sure.
She thought of the story Teaspoon had told her and couldn't help reaching out and placing her small hand on his neck. It terrified her that there had once been a noose right there, a bit of rope that would have ceased that reassuring rise and fall forever. She would have eventually died in that barn; scared, hurt and alone for there would have been no Jimmy to save her. If she was lucky, she would have been left to die in solitude for there was no way to know that anyone who would have come along wouldn't have been worse than the bad men. She had been lucky that the man who had, in fact, come to see about the gunshots was a man she could trust.
She gently peeled the blankets back hoping the cooler air in the room wouldn't wake the sleeping man. He was bare to the waist as she had just replaced his bandages before convincing him to lie down and she placed her hand over the wound. It was now the same temperature as the rest of his body and she was grateful for that. She would have to thank Buck for the medicine he gave her. It was some tree bark but she wasn't sure exactly what and what it was mattered less to her than the fact that it worked. She brought the blankets up to cover him again but paused halfway up to place her hand over his breastbone to feel that constant beating within. Sometimes feeling that rhythm was all that could bring her comfort and today was one of those times. She didn't know how he would manage the things he promised and she was starting to gain an awareness that he didn't always know that either but he hadn't ever let her down and she was starting to develop a faith that he never would. As long as that heart beat within that chest, she knew his promises would not be broken and she would be safe.
Her hand lingered a while longer allowing the steady pulse to soothe her worried mind. She did not notice when his eyes opened and he surveyed his surroundings but she felt it when his hand settled on hers.
"Hey there Princess, I hate admitting when someone else is right but it seems I did need that rest. Maybe I should listen to you more often."
So, the Franklin brothers, who I hate intensely (can I get a boo! Hiss!) are in Beatrice...I would imagine Jimmy and Susan will head there soon. I know there wasn't a lot happening in this chapter but I felt the exploration into Susan was needed...and I liked Cody and Kid scaring the franklins...they are yucky people! Surprised I had the chance to do much writing today for today is my little baby's 14th birthday. I am so, so, so, so OLD! And I don't know when he got bigger than me and I'm not sure I like it. I remember when he was a baby with little blonde curls and features so pretty that people would gasp when they saw him and if I didn't dress him in very specifically boy clothes they would have to ask if he was a boy or girl. Now he's another brooding teenaged boy filled with angst. Who towers over me. And grows so fast he needs new shoes every couple months. Oh my! Well, I hope this chapter was at least enjoyable. Please let me know.-J
PS. As you can tell, I opted not to have the brothers try to run so Kid and Cody could shoot them. I felt it to be too much of a deus ex machina for my sensibilities. Part of the point of this story is to show how hard it would be for an autistic in that time period and taking the coward's way out in the chapter would not have accomplished that. I hate that she has to go to trial but I know she does.-J
