Winter's Grasp Chapter 13

Beta's Saddletramp and Nakoosay

Jess's POV

Slim's face was soaked in sweat and from the way he squeezed his eyes shut I could almost feel the pain he was in as his head rolled back and forth in the throes of what I guessed to be fever. I got a glimpse of a big, nasty gash on the back of his head. The blood was a large amount, but head wounds bleed fiercely and usually look a lot worse than they are. Unfortunately, I had firsthand experiences that taught me that.

The blood had dried, clinging to his golden hair, staining it dark. I looked away from Slim's face just for a second to catch my breath. I drew a deep breath; my aching ribs protesting but the pain they gave me felt almost good. Other than the cut on his head and his fever, he looked okay. I couldn't see any visible marks, but any possible bruises and cuts might lay under his shirt and I wouldn't know about them until we got free.

Slim's head became still and I turned my head to him. I had yet to see Slim's blue eyes ever since he had been dropped on the floor and that had been some time ago. The lights were still on and a man was sitting in a chair by the door guarding us. Josh had gone into mine and Slim's room to sleep I guessed. I heard digging sounds outside and wondered what Josh's men were doing.

I stared at Slim. It made me feel better knowing that my friend was alive and apparently not too seriously hurt. I watched as his chest went up and down, up, and down and… Slim's chest didn't go back up. He wasn't breathing. He wasn't breathing! My own breath got faster and faster as I stared, praying for his chest to start going up and down again, willing Slim to breath.

Nothing. I yelled for Slim to wake up. Nothing. I yelled louder waking up the guard in the process.

"What's all the racket?"

"He's not breathing. You have to do something!"

"What's going on in here?" Josh had been awoken by the voices and he appeared from the bedroom. He had his gun in one hand and was running his other hand through his hair. The guard had come over to Slim and put his hand on Slim's chest.

"Boss, this one isn't breathing." The guard's words drew Josh's glare from me to Slim.

"Well Jessie that's too bad about that." I winced at being called Jessie. The name brought back a dreadful time in my past and even worse things I wanted to forget.

"There must be something you can do Josh." I said through gritted teeth.

"Why should I Jess? Huh? Give me one good solid reason to save your weakling friend. He should die! After all he killed one of my men who is now buried out in your yard. So, it's only fair that he should die too don't yah think?" Josh's tone of voice changed constantly ranging from calm, to maniacal, to hateful and sickening pleasure as if he enjoyed it all. I wasn't sure how to convince Josh to save Slim. How does someone negotiate with an insane person?

The most beautiful sound reached my ears as Slim suddenly gasped for air. He lay there gasping for a bit before it slowed back down, and his chest once again went up and down just like nothing had happened.

"Well, that was exciting wasn't it?"

If I had been free from the ropes and not as hurt as I was then I would have punched Josh. Slim had almost died or he did, but he came back thankfully.

"He needs a Doc, Josh."

"Unless you're a Doc now Jessie how could I do that?"

"Take him to the Doc in Laramie."

Josh laughed at my suggestion and came closer to me. He squatted down beside my head and said, with pure hatred in his eyes, "Beg for it."

He pulled back the hammer of his gun and swung it around till it was pointing at Slim's head. The barrel of the gun was inches from Slim's face. "Beg for your friend's life just like I begged for Charlotte to come back to me." For a second I saw just a glimpse of such deep sorrow, guilt, and hatred which was inside of Josh. It was all gone the next second except for the hate.

"You stole my money, you betrayed me, and you stole my woman from me! Beg for his life JESS HARPER. BEG FOR IT!"

TBC