Beth Warren arrived at the hospital later that day, in search of Heyes' room. Professor Homer had communicated with the Leutze clinic about the troubles their former patient faced. Beth found a young blonde man who could only be Kid Curry seated outside of a door she guessed must be Heyes'. The Kid was half asleep with a newspaper in his lap. He was far from fully recovered from his own exhaustion and his wound. Beth woke him in a soft voice, "Excuse me." The Kid woke up suddenly and resisted the urge to draw his gun as he normally did when woken suddenly on guard duty. "Are you – um – Thaddeus Jones?" Beth asked.

"Yes, ma'am," said the Kid, standing and tipping his brown cowboy hat carefully with his left hand. He looked at the visitor curiously. He was pretty sure that he knew who she was and he hoped that he was right.

"I'm glad to meet you. Your partner told me some good things about you. I'm Elizabeth Warren – I used to tutor him, at the clinic." Beth went on in a whisper. "I know who you are. He told me who he was and who you were. Don't worry. I won't cause you any problems. I just want to help."

The Kid looked at her intently and she looked back with frank appraisal. So this was the famous deadly gunman – and also her friend "Joshua's" best friend and little cousin. Whatever else he was, he was a very handsome man. She could also see that he was very tired right now and was staying faithfully on guard duty when he would rather have been comfortably asleep in a good bed.

"How is he?" she asked. "And how are you? I read the note you sent to the clinic. And I heard what Professor Homer told Dr. Leutze. Neither one of you was very specific. I'm worried."

The Kid looked around and made sure there was no one to overhear him. "I couldn't tell you too much in the note – someone else could have read it. I'm not hurt bad – bullet went right across the arm and the nurse bandaged it up for me just fine," the Kid said, uneasily, pointing at his bandaged arm in a sling. He wasn't at all sure of how much he could tell Miss Warren. She looked really upset at the thought of the bullets that had been flying. "My partner, well, that's another matter. He took a bullet in the hip, lost a lot of blood, and he already had pneumonia. The fever just won't break. Truth to tell, I'm worried, too."

Beth looked at the Kid's worried face with rising anxiety. "What on earth happened? What's this in the news about a gun fight? They said he was dead!"

Curry looked at Beth for a moment, wondering how much he could trust her. He spoke in a very soft voice, watching to make sure that no one came near to overhear him. "Teasdale gang, ma'am. One of the worst gangs in Wyoming. They were about to murder some customers in my place and Heyes, he wouldn't let that happen. Heyes just up and ordered them off and darned if they didn't do what he said. They didn't take to it real well, though. We rode out of there fast and those boys were on our trail pretty quick. Heyes' horse took him under too low a branch, knocked him into a mountain stream, got him real sick real fast. He couldn't ride much after that. We caught a train east. The Teasdales caught up to us on the train and we had us a little set to. I shot one of the Teasdales and Heyes shot one of them and threw them off the train - he shoots pretty good even sick. But they said they'd follow us to Leutze's place. Could show up any time. You tell those folks to be real careful! Call the police if they need 'em."

Beth's mouth opened in amazement. Her hard-working student was quite the hero – not just an outlaw, it seemed. At least, that was what his partner said. "You look like you could use some rest, too. Why don't you go get some sleep at Professor Homer's place and let me watch him for a while?"

"Frankly, ma'am, I don't know how my partner would feel about that. You had a big fight last spring, didn't you?" Curry wanted to trust this woman, but wasn't sure that he could.

"Yes, we had a disagreement. That was when he told me who he is. I don't exactly know a lot of outlaws, even reformed ones. But I've had a long time to think about it, and it seems to me that I was wrong to leave him. I'd like to help him in any way I can – if you and he will let me. And please call me Beth." Beth tried to be as humble as she could. She knew that westerners often saw eastern academics as arrogant and that was the last thing she wanted Kid Curry to think about her.

"That's up to my partner, M – Beth. We'll see what he says. When he's strong enough to talk – which he ain't right yet. And you can call me Jed, if you like. You can see him, I guess. But don't wake him if he's sleepin' – he's gotta get his rest. He's awful, awful sick." Curry opened his partner's hospital room door cautiously and looked in. Heyes was still asleep, his breath rasping terribly. Curry gestured Beth in, putting his finger to his lips.

Beth crept in, careful not to wake the sleeping man. She blinked back tears, fearing she might lose this man before he could even know that she had returned to him. Heyes twitched and called out wordlessly in a fever. Beth gently wiped his brow with a damp cloth that lay on his bedside table. Heyes' eyes rolled slowly opened. He tried to say something, but nothing audible came from his lips. Beth thought he might have been trying to say her name. "I'm back," she said softly. "I won't leave you ever, ever again – unless you want me to." His eyes met hers for so brief a moment that Beth was uncertain if he had even known her, much less understood what she had said. Heyes' eyelids drifted closed. His loud breathing was unsteady. Beth was terrified that he was failing, but then the steady rasping resumed. Beth crept out the door again.

"How is he?" asked the Kid, the fear plain in his voice.

"Not good. He opened his eyes for a second. Then he fell asleep again. He's still feverish. He's so weak!"

The Kid took no comfort from this. "Damn! Sorry, M - Beth. I keep waiting for him to get better. Being in a hospital ought to help. At least he ain't gettin' worse. I don't know. I just don't know."

Beth burst into tears. "Oh, Jed, he's so weak! I left him! How could I do it? I love him so much! I wrote to him and told him that! Did the letter get there?"

"It's alight," whispered the Kid. He held Beth and rocked her gently while she shook with tears. He just hoped his partner would live long enough to know that that the woman he loved truly loved him, too. The letter with her statement of love must have been the one that was ruined, but the Kid didn't tell Beth that. She had enough pain to deal with right now.

As Beth settled down some, the Kid asked Beth about her sick aunts and how it was that she was back in New York. She told him that her Aunt Sadie had died and that Beth's sister Barbara was caring for their Aunt Bertha at her home in West Virginia. So Beth was home again and back working at the clinic.

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Beth was back early the next morning and found Heyes' partner on duty again. He gave Miss Warren a warm smile. "The fever broke last night."

"Thank God!" breathed Beth. "Is he up to seeing me, do you think?"

The Kid smiled. "I do think so, Beth. I think it would do him good to see you."

Curry knocked gently on the door and used his partner's alias, since he had to raise his voice to be heard through the door. "Joshua, you got a visitor. You awake?" There was a pause.

"I am now." Heyes' raspy and slightly irritated voice came softly through the door. "Who is it?"

"Beth Warren. She really wants to see you. You up to seein' her?" Curry called back.

There was silence for a long moment. Beth was afraid that Heyes would refuse to see her. "Alright," he croaked at last.

Beth slipped in to see Heyes lying in the hospital bed. He was unshaven, his hair was in disarray, and it seemed to her that a network of new lines had appeared on his face in the months since they had parted so bitterly. He looked very tired and the tension in his jaw told her that he was in pain. His nose was red and drippy and he dabbed at it now and then with a very used handkerchief. He raised one eyebrow at her in question, but didn't say anything at first.

Beth found it hard to begin, "I was here yesterday – do you remember?" Heyes nodded, but didn't speak. Beth went on "I heard about what happened to you. Your partner sent a note to the clinic. I had to come. I – I was very upset to know you'd been hurt and to see how sick you are. And I'm sorry for how I hurt you myself. It was wrong for me to leave you. If I can do anything to make that up to you, I'd be very glad to do it. If you don't want to see me, I understand. But I'd so much rather have the chance to help. I want to stay with you – if you'll put up with me."

Heyes looked at her for a long moment and she could hear the rasp of his breath. He was still a very, very sick man. When he finally spoke, his voice was so hoarse that it hurt her to hear it, "Then maybe you can . . . understand how I feel about what I did - before. I just want to make things as right as I can, now." And hearing this, Beth did feel like she understood a bit better. When she had first found out who Heyes was, she had felt that he was lying to her and that he was still an outlaw who was just adding a BA to his qualifications for reasons she couldn't fathom. Now she understood that he really had left his old criminal ways behind and was trying to make up for the harm he had caused. When a gang had threatened peaceful people, Heyes had taken the side of the law rather than the outlaws. He had risked his life to save people. He really was on the right side, now.

"Yes, I think maybe I do see - some. If you'll let me be - your friend - again, that would make me very happy," Beth said.

Heyes smiled just a little. He croaked out, "Sure, Beth. I'd like that. Actually, I'd like that a whole lot."

"Really? After I left you?" Beth could hardly believe that this man was willing to just take up again as if nothing had happened."

Heyes gazed at her with sad eyes, knowing that what he had to say would hurt her, even as he invited her into his life again, "Honey, I've ridden off and left so many ladies behind . . . I wouldn't want to tell you how many. I never even turned and looked back at any of them. But you – you came back! That's all I ever wanted – that and for you not to turn us in. So, as long as you stay, I'm fine."

"Thank you! Um . . . what do you want me to call you? Hannibal?" Beth felt out of her depth with this man, trying to figure out what their relationship would be now.

Heyes chuckled hoarsely and his voice squeaked a bit as he struggled to speak. "Nobody ever calls me that – well, almost nobody. Women call me Heyes just like men do. I like it." He grinned at her. But then he had to cough a couple of times.

"How are you, Heyes?" Beth tried out his real name. She liked how he looked at her when she said it. Despite how sick he was, his eyes sparkled playfully.

"Oh fair to middl'n," said Heyes jauntily, but then he coughed hard and admitted, "Oh, who am I foolin'? I feel awful. I'm weak as a kitten, I've got a sore throat that would kill my horse, and this hip throbs so bad . . . But I guess I'm getting better." He stopped to cough a few times into his filthy handkerchief. "I'd better not talk anymore," he gasped. He coughed a few times into his handkerchief and took a gulp from a glass of water on the table beside his bed.

Beth looked at him with concern, but she doubted that his life was in danger. He was just very uncomfortable. "You do look pretty miserable. Couldn't you do with some morphine for that hip?"

"No!" Heyes said quickly. He almost choked and went into a coughing fit. When he could speak again he explained, "I can't do that – with that drug in me I might say the wrong thing to the wrong person. Could give the Kid away – I've done it before - the first time I got shot in the head. Don't dare take the chance again."

"Alright, my brave outlaw. You just try to rest and feel better." Beth drew close to Heyes and he could see that she intended to give him a kiss.

"I'm awful sick. Don't want you to catch it," Heyes sounded hoarser than ever.

"I don't care. You need a kiss and you're going to get one." Beth's eyes were sparkling at Heyes and he obliged her with pleasure. A moment later the Kid looked in, wondering if he should get Beth to leave before she tired Heyes out too much. The Kid blushed and shut the door. He had seen Heyes with a lot of women over the years, but he'd never seen his partner kiss anyone quite like that. Brought together at last, their passion for each other was frantically unleashed at last. Even as sick as he was, it didn't surprise the Kid that much that Heyes had found the energy to let Beth know exactly how he felt.

When Beth came out a few minutes later, flushed and smiling in pleasure and embarrassment, the Kid stopped her. "So Heyes is lettin' you stay and be his gal?"

"I guess so," Beth said. "He couldn't say much, with that throat."

The Kid chuckled. "There's more ways to talk than with your voice, ain't there?" said the Kid, who really did sound relieved. "He sure could use a good gal. He's never really had a close gal for long. It's awful hard when you're on the run. If you care about someone, you don't want to stick around and put them in danger. If you'd stand by him the way Cat stands by me . . ."

Beth looked the Kid in his beautiful blue eyes, "That's getting way ahead of things. I'll do my best. I have a lot to learn. If you could help me to understand what he needs, I'd be very grateful."

"I'd be happy to help you out, though I got to warn you, I'm not much of a talker," the Kid said, not for the first time. Beth smiled back at him.

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Later that day, Heyes felt a bump on his hospital bed. He opened his eyes and looked up to see Professor Homer sitting on the bed looking thoughtfully at him.

"So you're Hannibal Heyes. I'm not sure what to make of that," Heyes academic advisor and mentor said to him. For the first time, Homer saw a look of angry defiance in the eyes of his student. And perhaps behind that – fear.

"Well, Prof, what are you going to do about it?" Heyes said fiercely, struggling to speak through a painful throat. He had to stop and cough. "I'm helpless here, Professor Homer." He gasped, "I can't even walk. I know – I tried and I fell. A pair of nurses had to drag me back up here into the bed. I couldn't even help them. And they won't let me have my gun. So you can do whatever you like. If the Kid interferes, they can arrest him, too."

The Professor stared at his student in shock. "I've never seen you like this! What makes you think I'd turn you and the Kid in? What have I ever done to make you think I would destroy your lives like that? Haven't I always helped you all I could?"

Heyes coughed again and nodded, "Yes, and I'm grateful, Professor. But now you know that I was lying to you. I was lying to everyone. Now you know who I am – what I am. How can we just go on like I was an honest man?"

"I won't turn you in, Heyes, unless you prove that we really can't trust you. I've always trusted you to be a good student and a good man. I've always trusted you to work hard. And I still do – you've lived up to every expectation and much more. I promise – I won't turn on you unless you turn on me first. But you still look mad – what I am doing to hurt you?"

"You're sitting on my bed, damn it, Charlie! Every time you move a muscle, it shakes the bed and hurts this damn hip! Could you please go sit on a chair?" Heyes grinned as Professor Homer jumped up like he'd sat on a hot stove. He started to laugh at Heyes, who tried to resist laughing with him. Laughing hurt both his throat and his hip!

"Alright, Heyes. The Kid says the Teasdales could be getting to New York any time. They could find you here in the hospital. So you and the Kid come and live with Marie and me for a while. Alright?"

Heyes could not speak – he only nodded. It was hard to tell if the tears in Heyes' eyes were because he was coughing so hard or because he was so grateful to his man who just asserted that he would trust Hannibal Heyes as much as he had trusted Joshua Smith.

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That night they moved Heyes to Professor and Mrs. Homer's apartment under cover of darkness. Dr. Turner was just as glad to have the fugitive out of his care, although he loaded Heyes and his friends down with free medicine and exacting directions and advice. Heyes was getting better now, but he still required a lot of care.

The next day Dr. Leutze left the clinic early to see his former patient at Dr. Homer's place. Heyes might be nearly cured of aphasia, but Dr. Leutze remained his friend always. Leutze sat by Heyes' bed and looked sadly at the sick, wounded man. "I'll never forget the day you told me who you really are. Or, more accurately, when I learned what your name is – since you weren't speaking yet. It seems like the work of lifetime to learn all the parts of you, Heyes."

The reformed outlaw looked thoughtfully back at his mentor, stifling a cough. "It's taking me a while, too, Doc." said Heyes, his voice cracking from the effort to talk with such a painfully raw throat. "I never would have guessed I'd ever go to college."

Leutze chuckled. "Actually, the first time I saw you, I started to wonder if there might be a scholar hidden under that moth-eaten cowboy hat. But who among your college friends would ever have guessed that you'd face down a pair of outlaws and get shot into the bargain? While you might leave outlawry behind, heroism seems to follow you. Jim thinks you about hung the moon."

Heyes grinned at the familiar western phrase in that learned eastern mouth. "He's a good kid. A good man, I should say. With all he's been through, he never lets it get him down. When I was out west, I never realized how tough city boys could be. I wish he'd come see me." Heyes had to stop talking and take a drink of water.

The doctor smiled. "I'll let him know that. He was thinking that you might still be mad at him – for being mad at you." Heyes shook his head and took another drink of water. "You look tired, Heyes. I think I'd better let you alone now. But I'll be back to see you, soon."

"Thanks, Doc!" Heyes smiled at his friend and mentor as he left

"You take it easy, alright Heyes? I know how rapidly you get restless and impatient – just let yourself heal!" Heyes nodded and agreed that he would try.

As Leutze left Heyes' side, he passed Beth coming into the apartment with a bunch of red roses that she tried in vain to hide. Leutze stopped his employee, and friend. "Didn't I warn you about him? He's still not safe to know, but I think it's too late to warn you any longer."

Beth blushed. "I hope you don't mind, Doctor."

Leutze replied, "Of course not! That's your business, both of you. But that cowboy of yours is pretty tired and hoarse – take it easy on him. He's not that far out of the woods, you know."

Heyes, hearing her voice, called out, "Beth?" then he was caught up in a siege of coughing.

Beth went to sit by his bed. "Heyes, are you up to a visit? Dr. Leutze says you still aren't very well. I brought you something. But I can go, if you aren't up to a visit."

Heyes laughed hoarsely, "Don't you dare go away again! Are those what I think they are?"

Beth blushed even redder, and suddenly seemed very shy, "Yes, Heyes. I brought you roses. Red ones. I don't know what they mean out west, but I know what they mean here. The Kid asked me if I was your gal and I wasn't sure if I could say yes."

Heyes smiled encouragingly at her, his eyes bright, "I know what red roses mean. The word starts with an L, teacher. You can be my gal if you really want to."

"Please!" Beth felt a bit silly courting this wounded outlaw with flowers, but it seemed to be working.

Heyes looked serious. He struggled to speak – what he had to say was important to him. "Are you sure? You see what happens to me all the time. I try to go straight and then my dirty past catches up with me. Sometimes it brings a gun. Some things I can't leave behind. And I don't know if you understand that I don't want to change everything. I'm no choir boy, myself."

Beth looked serious as she considered this speech, but then she smiled and winked at Heyes, "Good thing, cause I don't want a choir boy. I want you, you wicked man."

Heyes smiled at her gladly. "Then you're my gal and I'm your man. As long as you can put up with me."

Beth smiled and blushed more. "You know I've loved you, Heyes, since the moment we met. But I never knew you loved me – until yesterday. That was kind of hard to miss even if you didn't say the word. When did you start to feel that way?"

Heyes felt a bit uncomfortable. He couldn't lie and say he had always loved Beth, because he hadn't and she knew it. He didn't want to hurt her pride as well as her heart. Then a light sprang up in his eyes. Beth, like any of Heyes friends, recognized that look – Heyes with a good idea. Or one that Heyes thought was good, anyway. He said with a self-conscious grin, "It has been coming on so gradually that I hardly know when it began."

Beth sought for the source of the quotation for a moment and then it came to her. "Oh Heyes, I didn't know you had read Pride and Prejudice! But you as Elizabeth Bennett and me as Mr. Darcy will never do – it has to be the other way around!"

"Alright, Elizabeth," laughed Heyes, "If I could give you a vast estate I'd have done it long ago, darling. There's only one thing I can give you. Come here and let me give you some! I can use the sweet distraction – this throat hurts worse than the hip, even."

Beth happily, but carefully, shared a kiss with her Heyes. She didn't want to hurt him while she was trying to comfort him. In the circle of his arms, she could feel how terribly tired and weak he was. Reluctantly she told him that she had to go. But they both knew she would be back every day from now on.

On her way out, Beth found the Kid sitting on the sofa where he would be sleeping. He was looking very blue.

Beth guessed maybe she knew why he was upset. She asked the Kid. "I've been wondering – how did those men – the Teasdales – how did they find you and Heyes? How did they know to come to New York and how did they know about Dr. Leutze?"

"I've been puzzling about that, Beth," said the Kid in a low voice. "I think I've got it figured. I'm afraid it's my fault. I never knew till now how much we all depended on Heyes and his plans. I sure have messed it up when it's all up to me. If the Teasdales found our trail from where Sheriff Wilde commenced to chase them, it wouldn't have been hard to follow. I was concentrating on keeping Heyes alive, not hiding our trail. And so they could have trailed us to Dead Elk easy – we had to go slow and the trail must have been real plain. Never was any new snow to cover our trail.

And then in Dead Elk, before we got on the train, I sent a bunch of telegrams – to a couple of sheriffs we know, to my gal, and to Dr. Leutze. I remember Heyes saying once that you could learn a lot from an underpaid unhappy telegrapher. And he said it from experience - we bribed more than one in our time! The one in Dead Elk, Colorado must have been underpaid – or scared. From what I sent that day, the Teasdales could have known where we was going and when and on what train. And one of the telegraphs was to Dr. Leutze saying to expect us. They might not even know who he was, but they knew his name. They knew we'd be awful scared to hear them say that name. They were right! And once they were on the train, a little cash to a conductor or a porter would have told them we was in the caboose – a real sick man wouldn't be hard to track. They saw him fall in the stream – they'd know he had to be sick. If they're still on our trail, we – and you – had better watch out."

The Kid sudden leaned his head into his hand and fought off tears. Beth was startled by the sudden grief of this strong man, so famous for his skill with a gun. "It was all my fault!" he gasped, "I gave away our trail! And I shot him!"

"What?" Beth was shocked. "What do you mean?"

"I mean I shot Heyes! I sure didn't mean to, but I did it. After I got it in the trigger arm, I fired at Grover Teasdale to save my damn fool life and I couldn't aim straight on that train shaking around all over. So I shot low and I got Heyes!" The Kid fought to get himself under control and Beth put her arm around his shoulders.

"He knows you didn't mean it, Jed. You couldn't just let that awful man kill you! And Heyes is going to be fine. You know he is. He's a tough man. Look at all the good friends he has. And he knows you're the best of the lot."