M7*M7*M7
"Mom - please - please - what am I supposed to do? Chris is dead. What am I supposed to do?" Despite the panic and horror, Vin's mind worked hard to reason out a plan. 'He's bleeding, doesn't mean he's dead.' The thought demanded of him. It almost sounded like his Mom's voice, younger than he remembered sounding though.
"There's so much blood." he said, to himself or to the voice, he wasn't sure.
'It's his blood, not yours. It won't kill you.'
"I'm all by myself..." and the voice answered inside his head, sounding so close and so real.
'The others are coming.'
In surprise and relief, Vin pushed himself up. The others were coming. Chris said so, and even if he hadn't Vin would know it was true anyway. The others were coming. He wasn't alone.
But Chris was alone, hurt and in danger, and nothing would stop Vin now from going to his side. A cloud passed from in front of the sun then and for the first time, Vin noticed something under the cornshuck bed. Boots. He'd looked under that bed before he knew, yet there now were his boots. How had he missed them before? It didn't matter. He grabbed them and pulled them on, then buttoned his shirt and tucked it in as he got to his feet.
This time he didn't even stop to consider that he had no weapon. He flung the door open and made his way to the still figure forty feet away, running along the path already broken through the snow. Chris still lay unmoving, on his back in the snow. From the growing stain beneath his head, whatever had been done to him was still bleeding. His gun lay near his outstretched hand - and Vin saw a large bloody rock resting in the snow not much further away. 'Long distance attack.' he thought. 'Least it wasn't a bullet.'
Not stopping to check for a pulse, in a few motions he had the revolver tucked in his jeans and Chris in a fireman's carry across his shoulders. The added weight drove him deeper into the snow and he wondered if he'd make it ten feet, much less forty. But he marched on determinedly, doggedly, keeping his eyes on the cabin coming closer inch by inch - and every other sense alert on the woods around him.
Just twenty more feet, just ten... Vin panted with the exertion, swaying slightly under his burden. Five feet, five, five, five... he didn't count any lower, afraid he'd jinx himself, and only barely got Chris dumped onto the bed. He slammed the door and threw the bolt - small comfort he knew - and set about to help Larabee. Every muscle seemed to tremble with enervation.
The pillow case went first, torn open and apart to press against the gaping wound behind his ear. "Same place they got me..." Vin thought. "Musta used a sharper rock on him...Chris? Can you hear me?" He pressed the makeshift bandage as hard as he could with both hands. "Chris - you've gotta wake up." The fabric soaked through and Vin added another layer before barking. "Dammit Larabee, I'm being heroic here, least you could do is wake up so I'll have a witness!"
That had a small effect. Chris grumbled and moaned, and peeled one eye open to the scene above him. Clumsily, he reached for Vin's right arm and attempted to pull it away from himself.
"Stop that you fool. I'm trying to help you here. I need both hands to stop this bleeding..." but Chris shook his head - tried to anyway - and put more force behind the pull.
"No matter what -" he gasped "Keep your gunhand clear..." then he stared at Vin, waiting for him to acknowledge his words. Vin was scared to answer, scared to think what it meant. Chris was telling him how to stay alive.
"Yes Boss..." Vin tried to be lighthearted, but Chris increased the grip on his arm.
"No matter what - you stay alive."
Vin pulled his right hand free and laid it on the butt of the gun in his jeans. "I intend to."
M7*M7*M7
"What?!" Nathan knew his lack of sleep was affecting his hearing when Chris Larabee said he wanted to help Vin get out of the hospital AMA - against medical advice. He knew his brain was seriously affected when Nettie agreed with this.
"Nathan - you know better than any of these men what it did to Vin to be locked onto the Psych Unit. You saw him at his worst - times when they wouldn't even let me see him. I can't put him through that again Nathan. I can't and I won't. You signed him into the hospital this time - you can sign him out."
"Nettie - the man has had major surgery - on his spine." How could Nettie be pushing for this? How could Chris? "He needs to be in the hospital. He needs -."
"He's off the IV and the catheter Nathan. You tell me what he needs that I don't have at my house and I'll get it."
Chris stood back and watched the two of them wrangle. He sent up a silent prayer of thanks that it'd been as easy as getting Nettie riled into protective mode. People thought Chris was tough as nails - just try getting between Nettie Wells and her objective. Once the paperwork was out of the way, all that was needed was to get Nettie home, setting everything up, and Chris could take Vin out - and in the opposite direction. He knew there'd be hell to pay at first, but once Vin - his Vin - was back, he'd take him to Nettie's to recuperate anyway. So it was only a small deception. But an important one.
"Chris -" Nathan had turned to him to try one last time to get someone to see reason. "How can you be agreeing to this?" Chris decided to tell the truth.
"He's scared here Nathan. And as long as he's scared, he'll hide. We've seen it before haven't we? When he's been hurt or tired or scared and he hides behind the wall of 'nothing's wrong.' Only now he can't say that nothing is wrong, so he's hiding behind a wall of saying he's not our Vin. I want my Vin back. And I will do whatever I have to, to get him back." Nathan gave up with an exaggerated sigh.
"I'll get Becky on the phone. She's not going to be happy. See if I can find Lyn... Damn stubborn fools, all of you..." He turned away with a dismissive gesture and went off to call Vin's surgeon. Nettie turned an appraising stare on Chris, hands on her hips. Chris knew he couldn't simulate an innocent e xpression if his life depended on it, so he returned the look.
"You tell me what you've got planned and you tell me now." But Chris hesitated. "That boy is my flesh and blood." she reminded him. "I've seen him through hell and worse, and we both know it wasn't because I'm the shy retiring sort. You think Josiah Sanchez can get 'Old Testament'? You haven't seen anything."
It was the deadly serious tone of her voice that sent the chill down Chris' spine. He felt like a teenager in front of her, caught sneaking in after curfew. One wrong move and he'd be gone without so much as a puff of smoke. He decided the truth might still work.
"I own a cabin, an old shack really, that I've been fixing up. No phones, no electricity, no television, no police, no psychiatrist. Nothing that's going to freak him out. I figure if I can get him somewhere, alone, maybe we can talk. Maybe he'll feel safe enough again to come out of hiding..." Nettie didn't answer, didn't budge, didn't even blink an eye, and Chris began to feel some desperation creep in.
"I know Vin's your blood, I know he and Casey are the most important people in the world to you. He adores you Nettie - no matter how lost he is right now, he still loves you." Chris had to swallow a couple of time before he went on, and he dropped his eyes. "He's important to me too Nettie. Maybe I haven't seen him through hell, but I've sure pulled him back from the edge a time or two, same as he's done for me. He needs to feel safe Nettie - you know that better'n anybody. You can go in there and hug Vin, and tell him you love him, that everything will be OK, but I can't do that. Vin'd kill himself laughing and I'd die of embarrassment. I can't tell him Nettie, I have to show him."
Then time ticked off in loud, long seconds as Chris waited.
"He'll need clothes." Nettie finally said, taking Chris by surprise. He thought for sure she'd fight him.
"I got clothes for him in the truck, and supplies. Mary packed it all for me when I went home." Chris spoke slowly, deliberately, not wanting his anxiety and impatience to explode.
"Got enough food? Blankets? How long do you think you'll be out there?"
"Got enough for a few days anyway Nettie. I can't help feeling it won't take long once we get to the mountains. I can't explain it. Just feels like that's where he needs to be." Nettie nodded her agreement.
"He's always been alive out there, since he was little...do the others know?"
"No, just me and Vin." Chris told her. "The less people who know, the less people who have to lie to the authorities."
She nodded again, and sighed. "Well, let's get this on this road...you bring in his clothes, I want to have a chat with him before you leave. All right?" Chris smiled at her, and couldn't help reaching out to take her hand.
"Thank you Nettie. You don't know what this means to me..." and she returned the gentle squeeze.
"I know what'll mean to him." she said. "That boy loves you too."
M7*M7*M7
Sitting on the edge of the bunk, Vin noticed his hands were shaking before he realized they were covered in blood. He had to take several deep breaths to keep his stomach where it belonged while he tied the makeshift bandage around Chris' head. The gash behind his ear had finally stopped bleeding, and Vin was down to the last length of pillow case long enough to circle a few times before tying it off.
"You with me Boss? C'mon. Open your eyes. Talk to me." His voice shook as much as his hands. Chris was only mumbling now, odd things Vin couldn't quite understand. After a head wound, that was definitely not a good thing. "Chris?" he raised his voice. "Come on. Wake up!"
"Had to kill him..." Chris muttered. He didn't open his eyes.
"Kill who?" Vin kept his voice loud. He couldn't remember what to do for a concussion. He had the quilt, afghan and poncho over Chris. Was he supposed to raise his feet? Maybe he should raise his head? "Chris? Who did you kill?" His hands left blood prints on Chris' face when he patted his cheek, trying to rouse him.
"...know you wanted him alive..."
"You're not talking about that bat are you?" Vin wondered out loud. "I know they had to kill the bat after it bit me..." That couldn't be what Chris meant. "WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT CHRIS?"
That finally got Chris to open his eyes. "Y'never had anybody stick up for you, did you? I said I'd go with you to clear your name, y'still didn't believe me." His voice was soft, and deceptively lucid. "The way you were goin' after Eli Joe by yourself - didn't think any one of us would go with, did you? I had to kill him Vin. We can still clear your name. I had to kill him."
"Okay, you had to kill him. I understand." It was daylight outside, but still dim inside, and Vin lit the candle to hold close to Chris' face. The way Chris was talking, he had some serious brain injury going on, Vin wanted to check his eyes. "Keep talking to me Chris." His pupils were equal, and responded to the light. That was a good sign, but Vin knew he had to keep him conscious. The others would be here soon, Nathan would know what to do. He blew out the candle and set it on the floor. "DAMMIT LARABEE." when Chris closed his eyes again. "OPEN YOUR EYES."
"Tired."
"Too bad - keep talking. Need you to stay awake...I'm waiting."
"Ugghh."
"That ain't talking Chris - even for you. C'mon. Tell me some more about that Eli you killed. Tell me again how I got shot in the back." He waited a few seconds, maybe ten or fifteen. "Please Chris. Stay with me. You gotta stay with me. God Chris - please. You know what happened to me when Mom died - I can't lose you too."
M7*M7*M7
