Josiah stepped out from the saloon, anxious for some fresh air and the chance to stretch his legs. He hadn't dared to step away from his sentry position at the base of the stairs for fear there might be another escape attempt. It had been agreed that no one would sit watch in Ezra's room. The space was comfortable but on the small side, and they didn't want Ezra to feel they were crowding him – or worse, guarding him. It was only when Nathan came by after his well deserved rest to check on his patient that Josiah felt it was safe to walk away.

He hadn't realized how late it had gotten. Dusk was starting to settle over the town and the shadows darkened the main street. He scanned the area and quickly saw exactly what he had expected to. Chris was once again stationed outside the jail. He seemed to have taken up permanent residency there in the past few days. It was as good a place as any to keep and eye on the various comings and goings Josiah supposed. And it made sense to assume that Chris wasn't about to let himself overlook anything in his town again.

"Any sign of our missing friends?"

Chris shook his head as Josiah approached. "Not yet. Figured they'd be here by now. May have to send JD for them tomorrow morning." He stood up and stepped into the street and the two men started a slow patrol around the town. "Any changes on your watch?"

"He was asleep each time I poked my head in. Or at least was pretending to be."

"Wouldn't have thought you'd be one of the people he'd be avoiding."

With a shrug, Josiah sighed softly. "Who knows what he's thinking right now. All that's happened in the past few days, he likely doesn't know who he can trust anymore."

"I doubt he trusts any of us. Why would he?"

"Just as likely he figures we don't trust him. Soon as he is alert enough one of us needs to have a talk with him."

The stern look he gave told Chris exactly who it was that should be taking point involved in that chat. "You really think he'd listen to me? Believe a word I said?"

"You're the one he's been trying to convince ever since he came here."

That stopped him in his tracks. The thought had never occurred to him. "No."

"Oh yes. Think about it. A man like Ezra wouldn't get a lot of second chances in his life. I imagine he's been run out of more towns than you and I have even been in. You may well be the first person who ever made that kind of offer to him, and something deep inside of him makes him need to show you it was the right call. Don't try to figure it out – I doubt he can even understand why himself. Doesn't mean he's going to give up all his ways, but I think he needs to prove that you made the right call. Whether that's proving it to you or to himself, I honestly can't say."

The pair started walking again, now in silence. Distracted by their thoughts, they didn't even notice riders approaching until the horses were close enough to be heard.

"Well, better late than never. What took you two so long?"

Vin brought Peso to a stop near the men and slipped off. "We planned to leave earlier, but Mrs. Friesen wanted to feed us, and only a fool would pass up one of her meals. Lord, Chris, that woman can cook." He began walking toward the livery and the others followed along.

"How is he?" Buck had remained mounted and was looking down the street toward the church.

"Not there anymore." Concern darkened the features of both men until Josiah clarified his comment. "We ended up moving him back to his room this morning. Or rather Chris and Nathan did after he tried to bolt."

That stopped Vin in his tracks. "Tried to what? He was barely awake when we left, and now he's ready to run?"

"No, not even close. Fell on his ass in the effort. Relax. He didn't do any real damage to himself, and we got him settled back in his place to try to make him feel more at home."

"What the hell did you say to him Chris?"

"Didn't say a damned thing Vin. It sure as hell wasn't my idea."

"No." Buck spoke quietly. "It was mine. I drove him out to begin all this, and he likely figures that's still what people want. You guys have to set him straight on that. Tell him I'm moving on, so he don't have to go anywhere."

Chris had just about had enough of all of this. It was bad enough things went south as fast as they did in the first place. Now, when there should have been some vague sense of hope with Ezra getting better, folks were still fighting and talking stupid. He was done with it. Time to take his town and his team back.

"Nobody is going anywhere. Not you, not Ezra. Nobody. Understood? Tomorrow I am going to sit him down and talk all this out. Make him see that this is done with."

"Doesn't work that way Chris. This time around Ezra is the one who gets to say when this is done." Vin looked over to Buck. "Like I was saying to you earlier, he gets to decide who stays or leaves. Nobody else has the right to make any of those calls but him. All we get to do is hope to God he makes the right ones."

7-7-7-7-7-7-7

Nathan could hear the voices from the street below. It was good to have everyone back, even if they were fighting amongst themselves. That was probably going to be the case for a while, until things got settled better. When and if that could happen was likely to be up to just one person. He glanced back at Ezra.

"You might be able to fool the others, but I know you're awake Ezra."

Reluctantly, the Southerner opened his eyes. "My apologies. I am not feeling particularly sociable at this time."

"I can understand that. You in pain? Never mind. Stupid question. Let me ask you this – you in any more pain than you were before you took your walk?"

"No."

One word answers were actually the smart move at this point, but so totally out of character that Nathan had to wonder if the answer was the truth, or simply a ploy to get him to leave. Presuming the second option was more likely, he slid the chair over to the bed and resumed his examination. As expected, Ezra balked.

"I said I am feeling fine."

"No, you said you weren't in more pain. But you're still hurt, and I aim to make sure you didn't make things worse. So we can fight about it, or you can just let me do what I came here for."

"And you will leave after?"

He hesitated. "I'd rather not, but if you're going to insist, I'll at least move outside to give you some peace."

Taking Ezra's silence as acceptance, Nathan began checking the stitches and splints. "You got lucky this morning. Could have really messed yourself up trying to leave like that." Not unexpectedly, there was no response. Fine. He'd do the talking for both of them.

"We've all been trying to sort out why that was. Must have been some powerful motivation to get you moving when it woulda hurt like hell to do it."

Still no answer. "My first figuring was that it had to do with that pride of yours. The way you dress, way you talk. You got quite an image you've set for yourself, and you sure wouldn't want anyone to see you not at your best."

He would have given a week's pay to hear Ezra challenge him on that. How could he have ever predicted he'd be missing those smart-assed showy speeches and attitude? He was tempted to get in a few deeper digs in the hopes of riling him up enough to get into the conversation, but at this juncture it was far too likely the comments would be taken to heart in the worst possible way. Maybe his best bet was just the straight-forward approach. If nothing else, it would catch Ezra off guard.

He finished checking the injuries and when he had satisfied himself that everything was as it should be he leaned back in the seat. This was harder than he'd expected, and he wasn't completely sure it was going to come out the way he intended, but he had to make the effort, and there was no time like the present.

"You need to hear me out on this Ezra. I don't have your way with words – don't know anybody who does. So you need to bear with me while I get this out right. Guess it isn't a shock to you if I say you haven't exactly been my favourite person here in town. We got off to a bad start. What you said back then about not riding with me – well it wasn't a surprise, but it still vexed me. No point in pretending otherwise."

Ezra shifted slightly in the bed as if trying to pull away from the discussion. Nathan spoke again quickly before the wrong opinions were formed.

"The thing of it is though, when it was all said and done, you did something I gotta say I never saw coming. You changed. Not a big coming-to-Jesus kinda change, but a change. Asked if I'd be willing to ride with you. Coulda knocked me down just by breathing on me, though I tried not to let it show.

Didn't really stop there though. Since we've all been here, working together, I can't say there has been a time you've disrespected me. Well, least not anymore than you have the others, what with your fancy talk and all. Truth be told, you've moved a lot further than I have. Be'cause, sticking with the truth here, I guess I've got every bit as much prejudice in me as I've been accusing you of."

He paused as he saw Ezra shift again but remain silent.

"I see or hear a white man from the south and my gut just turns over. Before he's said enough for me to know what he's about, I know I can't trust him. Won't trust him. I can give you the excuses for it, and they'd all be sound ones. But they don't give me the right to make judgements based on where a man was born, any more than he'd have the right to do that about me based on my colour. Man can't do anything about those things."

"You had more reason than that." Hallelujah – a response.

"Maybe. But like I said, you've been trying to change, and making a decent showing of it in some ways. I haven't exactly been too open to seeing any of that, and too quick to judge based on those first impressions. Ain't especially pleased to have to say it, but it's gospel."

"The realities of my basic nature are sufficient to substantiate your conclusions Mr. Jackson. You need not apologize for being an astute judge of character."

Nathan tried to hide his frustration. The man gave new definition to stubborn. "This isn't about that Ezra. What I'm trying to say here is I was wrong to assume you were the one lying. That you were the one at fault in all of this. Yeah, you're right. You have a few traits that I find less than honourable, and I can't say as I'd trust you to be holding onto my money for me, or that I don't have my doubts about you and your cards. But one thing I should have realized is that you have a code. Different from mine - hell, different from most people – but it is yours and you stick by it. I don't see that a man who proclaims himself to be a southern gentleman and means it the way you do would be attacking a lady. Not your style. And you are all about style."

Ezra made a half-hearted attempt to smile but found the effort to be more than he was up to yet. "I will assume that somewhere in all of that you intended to be reiterating your apology, and you meant it with all the sincerity you could offer. The effort is appreciated, but unnecessary. What transpired was no more than I have become accustomed to, and no less than I deserve."

Before there was a chance to respond Ezra closed his eyes and shifted himself as much as he was able to, signalling he was done with the discussion. Pushing the matter now would be a pure waste of time and energy, and a exercise in futility. There was nothing left to do but leave the man to his rest.

"This isn't done Ezra. You got a bunch more people waiting to have their say, and sooner or later one of them is going to break through to you."

7-7-7-7-7-7-7

The sight that greeted him as he made his way downstairs was exactly what he'd been expecting. Amidst the usual crowd of drinkers and card players, four men sat waiting at their usual table, with a spot left open for him to join them. JD wasn't there, but only because he was coming back from the bar laden down with a couple more pitchers of beer for the group, and a glass for Nathan.

"Maybe one of you can get through to him, 'cause I was pretty much just wasting my breath up there." He nodded his thanks to JD for the glass that was set in front of him as he reached for a pitcher. Josiah's hand landed on it first, but he poured it out for the others.

No one spoke for several minutes, each lost to their own thoughts on what to do next. Chris was keeping half an eye focused on Buck, expecting at any moment his friend was going to start up again with talk of leaving town to make things right. It was a stupid decision but convincing him of that wasn't going to be the easiest task he'd ever taken on.

Normalcy. All he wanted was some kind of sign that things might have a chance of getting back to what passed for normal around here. He looked around him and it dawned on him some of that had already started. For one thing, they were all under the same roof again. Granted, Ezra wasn't down here with them, but it was the closest the seven men had been in weeks. Definitely a step in the right direction. He also noticed that despite the fairly full house in the saloon at the moment, one table sat empty. The card players who had taken over Ezra's spot had relinquished it again. They had shifted a few tables over, leaving the gambler's preferred location vacant, waiting for the rightful owner to reclaim his post. It was a small beginning, but it was a beginning.

"You manage to track down his ma?" Vin's question roused Chris from his contemplations.

"Yeah. Sent a telegram back to the last contact we had. Mary helped me figure out how to tell the woman her son was half beat to death. At least we were able to let her know he's mending and the folks who did this paid for it."

"Some of them anyway." Buck muttered without even realizing he was speaking aloud.

Vin chose for the moment to ignore the comment and continued talking to Chris. "You hear back?"

Taking a healthy swig of his beer first, Chris nodded. "Strange. Thanked me for letting her know and said to tell her 'darling boy' she'd try to come to see him as soon as it was convenient."

Buck looked up. "Convenient?"

"That's what she said. She didn't even ask me to keep her informed."

"I do have the impression from what we have learned in recent days that Maude Standish is a unique and intriguing woman."

"Could be Josiah, but I can't help feel she's nothing but trouble as well."

Conversation ebbed again and the table fell silent. No one else in the saloon dared to approach, reading the mood all to easily. One by one, tables around them emptied as the hour grew later. Closing time was approaching, but the job of asking the group to leave was a task for which no one wanted to volunteer.

It was Nathan who finally started the exodus, standing slowly and stretching himself out. "Been a long day, and I have a feeling tomorrow might be just as bad. I know you all want to talk to him, but you need to take it slow. What happened today set him back some, and I won't have anybody making things even worse by getting him riled." He was speaking to the group, but his gaze shifted between Chris and Buck. It was the latter who spoke first.

"I won't be bothering him. If and when he wants to deal with me, I'll let him set the time."

"Two of you are going to have to talk, no matter who starts it up. But for now, Nathan's right. Rest of you need to stay away until I can set him straight on how this is going to play out."

Vin didn't care for the sound of that. He'd been looking forward to seeing the improvement and making sure Ezra was doing as well as they claimed. "You can't order him to stay. Thought we talked about this."

Chris stood to leave as well, and the others did the same. "Not what I meant. I just want to make sure he understands how we all feel about all of this. Josiah seems to think I am the right man for the job. Not sure I agree, but don't see much choice."

He wasn't sure he agreed either, but Vin looked at Josiah, who simply nodded his reply. Knowing there wasn't anything he could do to change things he gave Chris a long look. "Don't mess this up Chris. I don't imagine he'll give us another chance."

M7-M7-M7-M7-M7-M7-M7

tbc