CHAPTER SIX
A lone man took his horse into the town at an easy walk. Ben Pike saw him and nodded as he drank his coffee at the chair outside the bakery, the oil lamp in the window casting enough light for each man to see one another. After the man passed by, Ben looked over to the livery. Robert Merton nodded and started out from his hiding spot in the wreckage of the staircase that used to lead up to Nathan Jackson's clinic. He walked across the street and headed into the Gem hotel. The rancher had become a valued member of the group of citizens who made themselves available to The Seven when needed. This day it was especially important that they capture Frank Grant before he started shooting up the town. Families were visiting for the circus. The number of targets was significantly higher than in a normal day out west in the growing town of Four Corners. Robert could see that the man was heading straight for the jail. There seemed little doubt of who this stranger was. The rancher knew that Chris would have his eye on this person from his place at the saloon. Robert ran for the back entrance of the hotel, took off down the back alley past the undertaker, the Chinese laundry and the post office. He slowed down and stopped at the corner. The barber's shop was closed and there was no light left on, a fortunate circumstance that made it easier to hide in plain sight from a newcomer to town. He stayed close to the wall of the building that shared the barber shop in the rear and the hardware store out front, keeping himself hidden in the deep shadow of the alley and waited for a sign from Chris, who noticed his friend at the wall and waved his hand faintly to indicate that he should stay put. For now.
Back at the bakery, Vin and Nathan made the turn. Nathan took his horse over to the livery as Vin stopped to speak with Ben.
"Gotta thing happening," he said to Vin.
"Frank Grant?" the tracker asked.
"Yeah. How'd you know?"
"He held us up on the trail. Smith and Jones recognized him as a former felon in Wyoming."
"Scruffy, dark hair, dark leather jacket? Horse near black, white blaze?" Ben asked.
"Yeah. Look, Ezra, Smith and Jones are following. Make sure they get in their room. We'll handle this."
"Be careful."
Vin left his horse in front of Pike's store. He left his buckskin coat behind as well, hoping that the darkness now enveloping the town would keep Grant from recognizing him until he was right on top of him ... or recognize the Mare's Leg he kept held along his leg, slightly to the rear. He let his hat hang down his back and tied his hair back with a ready strip of leather he gathered that was tied to his saddle. And he hoped that this would be over before it even started.
The men at the jail looked to the door as it opened to reveal Frank Grant. Grant walked over the threshold, closed the door, and pulled his gun.
"Take your guns and put them on the floor, then kick them to me," Grant said. He looked to the cells. "Where's Mason Grant?"
"Gone," Buck said.
"Gone? Whaddya mean, gone? Guns. Now. Tip of your fingers. Now." He kept his voice level, not wanting to raise it and bring others to the jailhouse.
Buck, J.D. and Dave all recognized a man at the end of his tether. They all removed their guns and put them on the floor. J.D. kicked them over. Grant kicked them all the way to the far corner, to the left of the side door.
"Where is he?"
J.D. answered. "Prison wagon picked him up almost four hours ago." It wasn't the truth; the transport had only left Four Corners about an hour and a half beforehand.
"Hell. Stay put," he said as he backed up to the door near the weapons, the door that Chanu used to leave a badly injured Vin Tanner nearly four years before. "Where'd they take him?"
"He's goin' to Yuma," Buck said, "but the driver said they have room for three others so they have three more stops to make on their way." This was also not true. There was one stop in a direct line to Yuma. The guard said they would be hauling straight there after the quick stop for another soon-to-be resident of the Yuma Territorial Prison. They planned to go as far as they could tonight. They would sleep at a regular stop-over out in the wilderness which they were well-familiar with. They would get an early start tomorrow and arrive in Yuma by five o'clock. There was little chance that Frank Grant would find them and the wagon had a special mechanism installed on the back that would work out any tracks left behind that appeared new. Only the best tracker, a Vin Tanner-like tracker, would not be fooled by the cutting-edge technology on the newer prison wagon.
"Stay where ya are. I ain't afraid to shoot any if ya." Grant opened the side door, found no way to go right, and Chris Larabee greeting him as he turned left, gun in hand. Grant had his gun aimed at about the tall blond's chest. Chris dove as he fired, knowing in the stance of the man before him that he would be firing his weapon. Both men were hit by bullets, neither a kill shot. Chris landed hard on the boardwalk of the jail. Frank Grant ran to the right. Vin fired at the man who shot his best friend, but any good light was waning and he clipped the building but did not hit the fleeing man. Grant ran down the alley between Gloria Potter's mercantile and the bank. He rushed toward the corrals for the livery stable. He grabbed a rope bridle hanging from a post and forced it on one of the horses, jumped on the rental horse, and barreled through the fence. He made the turn and saw Robert Merton standing before him. Not knowing or caring who the man was who stood in the way of his freedom, Grant made no effort to avoid hitting the rancher with the powerful animal. Robert fired his handgun, aiming for a shoulder. He couldn't know other than by the grunt from the man riding bareback out of town that he'd been successful in hitting him as he dove toward the grain exchange. He just managed to avoid getting hit by the large rental horse, though his body crashed hard into the wall of the building. Grant headed for the road as he took the horse behind the church in order to pick up the road out of town. Ben ran across the street as he heard the horse heading away, and then switched to go check on the rancher.
Nathan ran to Chris. "Stay down," he instructed.
"Grant," the leader of Four Corners' lawmen said as he hissed at the burn of the bullet.
"Vin and Robert will take care of it. Ben's down there." Buck, J.D. and Dave came out the door, fitting their guns in place. Andrew and Marty joined them.
"Where's Ezra?"
Nathan told all of the men surrounding them, "Grant headed down the next alley. Reckon he's aiming to steal a horse."
"Let's go," Buck said. J.D. and Dave headed down the alley, the others stayed in shadow and moved down toward the livery.
"Ezra and Joshua are comin' back on the runabout," Nathan warned. "Thaddeus is riding with them because neither one is ready for a fight. Frank Grant stopped us on the trail. Andrew, stay with me until I get Chris looked at?"
"Sure." The foreman at the Merton ranch was also really good at taking care of any injuries or illnesses either at the ranch or on cattle drives.
Chris tried to get up. He said, "We have to get them before they get to … aaah!" he cried as Nathan removed the bloody shirt. "Hell, Nate!"
"Stay down. This is a deep groove, very close to a rib. You can't get up, you'll bleed all over the place."
"Shit," the former gunslinger said as he lay back down. "Damn it."
"Don't worry. Vin, Robert and Ben will take care of it."
J.D. and Dave Landon reached the corrals and watched helplessly as Grant rode away. They joined up with Robert, who was making his way, slowly, to his feet.
"You all right?" J.D. asked.
"Yeah. He got away?"
"He rode behind the church, heading south."
Vin said, "Git yer horses, we're headin' after 'em." Buck and Marty joined everyone as they heard Vin's order.
"Kind o' late to try to keep up with him, in the dark," Buck suggested. An ear-splitting whistle was heard not far down the road from the church. The horse Grant rode out of town came charging back in. Everyone scattered, moving out of the way as the large equine barreled into his corral, stopped just before one of his stablemates and shoved his muzzle into a net of oats.
"Wasn't that one of Ezra's whistles?" Josiah asked as he and Heidegger joined the large crowd of men.
The men turned right and heard Mabel and the pony runabout rushing into the edge of town.
"Nathan! Nathan Jackson!" Kid Curry yelled as he stopped the carriage at the edge of the building, between the room he and his partner were staying in, and the bakery. He was steering it standing up as Heyes and Ezra seemed folded in on each other.
"What happened?" Vin asked as he rode up on Peso.
"'m fine," Heyes said weakly. He favored his left arm but had his head tilted a bit right.
"You're shot. You're not fine," Kid said.
"Help me get 'im down?" he asked the tracker.
"I'm heading out after Grant."
"No need. He's dead. Can someone get Mr. Jackson?" Kid asked.
"No need to call me that," Nathan said. "Let's get Joshua down and inside. J.D., can you get some light going in there?"
"Sure thing, Nate."
"Here's the key," Kid said as he tossed it to the sheriff. The young easterner caught it and ran to the room.
"You been shot?" Nathan asked Heyes as Vin jumped down from his horse and ran around the carriage to check on Ezra.
"You said Grant is dead?" Ben asked.
"'m fine. Just tired." Heyes winced slightly as he leaned his head a little more to the right, as though trying to protect his ear.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" Kid asked.
"Grant? Where is he?" Buck asked.
"They both get shot?" Vin asked. "There's blood at his ear."
"No," Kid replied.
"Looks like you got skimmed here on your arm, Joshua," Nathan said.
"Nate, Ezra ain't comin' to," Vin said.
"What happened to Grant?" Chris asked.
"What are you doin'?" Nathan asked, annoyed to see Chris walk this far.
"Sorry, Nathan. Like a block wall," Andrew said.
"It's all right. He'll be comfortable enough on the ground if he keels over. Thaddeus, take Joshua inside, make him sit, get him a drink. I'll be in shortly."
"All right. Come on," Kid said, annoyed with his partner most, but getting a little tired of everyone talking over each other.
"Grant?" Chris asked again.
Kid Curry was getting aggravated as he was the only one who knew the story about Grant, but his worry for Heyes … hell, his worry for Standish trumped Grant at the moment.
"About four, five hundred feet down. Neck's broke," Kid said. "I'll tell ya the rest after these two get looked at," he added as he walked his partner inside the room.
"I'm gonna go tell Dot that it's over. Be back in a little while. I'll put some coffee on."
"Thanks, Ben," Chris said. "Buck and J.D., can you go get Grant's body?" he asked as J.D. returned.
"Yeah. Let's see if we can get a blanket and a horse from Tiny and get this done," Buck suggested.
"All right."
"Come on back here when you're done," Chris said. The two men who could have been born brothers walked over to the livery across the street. "Dave, Marty, Robert, Andrew, Mr. Heidegger … "
"Rolf."
"Rolf?" Chris asked.
"Yes."
"How come I never knew that?"
"Now you do," the hotel owner said with a smile.
"Rolf, everyone. Thank you for your help. Go on home to your families."
"You vill let us know how Mr. Standish and Mr. Smith are?"
"We will."
"I vill send Lisette over with some strudel."
"You don't have to do that," Chris said.
"It vould be my pleasure."
"All right. Thank you … Rolf."
"Good night."
Good nights were offered all around.
"Nate?" Chris asked.
"Yeah, he's comin' around. His ear is bleeding. I don't see any sign of bullets or bruising," Nathan answered. "Ezra, come on. Wake up."
Ezra finally opened his eyes, looked at Nathan as the healer asked his patient to stay awake and said, "Aw, hell." Loudly.
"What is it?" Vin asked as he stepped onto the carriage. His worry was clear to all around. Vin felt that he still owed Ezra an apology for the unkind words he spoke the other day on their ride back from Nettie Wells' ranch. He'd been working up a poem to tell his friend how sorry he was, to tell him how much their friendship meant to him. It was nearly complete. But he was torn away from thinking about it as his tired friend started looking around, nearly smacking heads with the tracker. Vin couldn't see Ezra's face, but he watched as Nathan followed Ezra's agitated glances. Nathan looked in each direction that Ezra did, then asked his friend what was wrong. The card sharp turned to the opposite direction, facing Vin, right close, a look of concentration on his face. Vin asked again. "What's wrong, Ez?"
"Ah cannot hear, Vin," the card sharp said, this time voiced in a more normal tone. "Mah own fault," he added, hardly audible.
"What's that mean?" Nathan asked.
"Please, would you step aside, Vin," Ezra said, just more than a whisper.
"Let me help ya down."
"Fine, but quickly," he insisted as he nearly planted his face in a nearby rose bush. He pressed his hand on the tree behind, and threw up between the white tea rose and the larger yellow Lady Banks rose behind it. Ezra Standish would know about these roses, he helped plant them, at the request of one Christopher Larabee, in memory of his deceased wife, Sarah. Vin stood right next to him, his left arm around his shoulder and his right ready to steady him once he finished vomiting. When he was done, Ezra turned and nearly went to his knees. Vin's worry, projected on the outside, reflected little of the torment he felt on the inside. Had he missed his chance to read this poem that told his friend everything about how much he regretted his words? He knew that Ezra would not need to hear the words to understand the depth of their meaning. But through the years they'd known one another, it was Ezra, always Ezra, encouraging him to write, encouraging what only Ezra Standish ever called his 'art'. Was this hearing loss permanent? Vin's regret at this moment was profound. Vin caught Ezra as he collapsed and, between he and the healer, they walked the man who had become far more than just a professional poker player or a lawman, but a cherished member of this community, the love of Inez Rocios' life, whether she would admit it or not, and Vin's dear friend, into the room, to the bed that he had been using when he couldn't - or wouldn't - face going back to his room above the saloon and potentially confronting the woman he loved but somehow with whom he could not figure out how to live.
"All right. You have coffee and strudel," Dottie Pike said as she stood with Lisette Heidegger watching these nine fine looking men in the room behind Dottie and Ben's bakery. They were sad that they had no reason to remain. Dottie sighed. "Okay. I guess I have to get back to my husband and son." Kid lowered his head and grinned. He wished that Heyes was awake for this. He raised his eyes and saw Buck Wilmington and Vin Tanner also smiling.
"Yes, I must return to my husband as vell," Lisette offered sadly in her thick German accent.
"Good night, ladies," Buck said. He walked them to the door. Then he walked over to Kid Curry. "Dottie is not afraid to show her appreciation."
"If I didn't see the complete love and affection she and Ben shared, I would worry for Ben," Kid said as he went to the table and poured himself another cup of coffee. He grabbed another piece of strudel while he was there. Buck picked up the bottle of Kentucky bourbon and poured a second glass, to go with his next bite of strudel.
"Mm. This is good."
"I now know how you can keep slim with all this incredible baking that goes on in this town. Does a day go by when you all aren't forced to do something extreme?"
"It's not usually like this. We get our share of miscreants, as Ezra would call 'em, criminal types, outlaws." Kid nodded in understanding, not letting on that he knew more than Buck could ever think about outlaws. "But the town really is becoming something. We don't have a rash of crime here, despite what it's been like since you and your partner arrived," Buck said.
"We are sorry for the welcome," Josiah said. "I'm sure all this activity wasn't what Joshua was expecting."
"It's not, but at least we can't say we've been bored waiting for the doctors to show up," Kid said, the faintest smile showing, though his worry for Heyes was clear to every other man in the room.
Nathan and J.D. walked up to the trio. "The doctors are not going to be happy that the person they want to examine and the person they got fixed up are both down," the healer said.
"I'm sure that's true. I wanted things to calm down with what he's been dealing with these last weeks before arriving, but he's hardly had a day when he hasn't been recovering from something that happened here. No offense intended to the town," Kid said. "It's just not what we had planned."
"Hey, Mr. Jones."
"Call me Thaddeus," Kid said to J.D. Dunne.
"Okay. And you should call me J.D. I was wondering, I mean, your partner seems familiar. I was over helping Nate and the longer I looked at him, he just seemed familiar to me."
"I don't know, J.D. I think Joshua just has one of those faces. Friendly. Easy smile, when he's feelin' good. Makes you want to think you know him."
"I guess that could be it." J.D. seemed easily mollified. Kid sighed … internally. "Well, I ain't needed and I'm tired." J.D. continued. "I'm going to make it an early night. Good night, everyone."
'Good night' and 'thank you' and 'take it easy, Kid' was heard as J.D. left the room.
"I, too, am calling it a night," Josiah said.
"How about I walk you to your place," Buck said as he and Josiah stepped through the door.
"You know that my place is … right there," they heard Josiah's voice project through the cool air of the high desert. The windows that faced the garden had been shut, and the curtains drawn, when the two injured men were brought in. The window near the door remained opened just a little, but plenty wide open enough for Josiah's booming voice and Buck's easy laugh to be heard by all inside the room. Kid walked over and closed the window as well as the curtain. He then walked over and sat in one of the two upholstered chairs near the fireplace. Chris rested bonelessly in the other chair, a bit of Nathan's pain-relieving tea combined with a couple of shots of bourbon putting him in a most relaxed mood. Nathan checked him over again, cleaned the path that Grant's bullet took and determined that some stiches would be the best, fastest way for the deep groove to heal. A clean bandage and he'd been told to head to his room at the boarding house, but he was feeling comfortable in the room, warmed by the wood stove and the care the citizens showed them by bringing them good coffee and tasty treats when no one was in any kind of a mood for a heavy meal.
"You all right?" Kid asked.
"I was just going to ask you the same question. You seemed to be getting a little riled up out there, before."
"Yeah. Sorry about that. I was satisfied that Grant was dead, didn't care much about him at all after that. I was, I guess you could say, overly focused on getting my partner to recognize that he needed help and that he, oh, hell … it doesn't matter. He'll get looked at tomorrow and then again the next day. We're both kind of hoping for a miracle. Or magic. Or something. I know it's a lot to ask."
"Maybe. But you know, Ezra struggled for years. Years. He comes off as sophisticated and gentlemanly, well-educated, smart, confident. And he is all of those things. But his life has not been exactly charmed. It's not my place to go into detail on all of that. But his past was hard practice for his present in a lot of ways, both good and bad. His troubles with his health were the parts we saw. We learned the rest, some from him, some in spite of him. We understood better how all that illness might have resulted from the life he lived before. I didn't help his stress level that first year he was here, gave him a hard time. I regret that, how I acted, how I treated him. What I'm saying is that being as honest about … Joshua's history," Chris went on, pausing to make sure that he remembered to use Heyes' alias, "and his present will help the doctors figure things out better."
"Well, as you know, that could be," he looked around to see if anyone was nearby, then added, "risky."
"I know. But these men who are coming, they are all good men. Good doctors. They are decent and have only their patients' best interests at heart. I really don't think they would hold your pasts against you. I don't know your friend … "
Kid interrupted. "Joe is a good man. He has a past, just like us, just like Lom Trevors." Kid looked to Heyes then added, "We've gotta get this figured out. He looks … he's starting to worry me."
"I'm sorry that the town has offered up some trouble since you've been here. I'm real sorry about what I did. Nathan still wants to kill me about that."
The healer walked up to the two men. He'd been watching them from across the room as they conversed, not wanting to interrupt, but it was time for Chris to get to his bed. Nathan could use a good night's sleep, too.
"I don't want to kill you. I don't even want to hurt you anymore. And that's only because I've seen you two able to talk to each other in a decent way." He looked to Kid. "Vin's gonna use those chairs to sleep on tonight."
"You think … " Kid started, but Nathan interrupted.
"I think you and Joshua need good rest. Vin will keep an eye on everything. Besides, you couldn't get him to leave Ezra's side tonight for any damn thing." The black man looked to Chris. "Ezra got lucky."
"Yeah, I know he did. Guess Vin'll be heading to Ezra's room in the morning."
"Ezra's room?" Kid asked, curious.
"Yeah. When Ez is out of town or in the clinic, he offers his room to Vin. Me, too, for that matter. Vin still keeps that wagon," the healer added, looking to Chris. "He's said he'd get rid of it many times and sleep like a normal person. Those are his words," Nathan added with a smile.
"You know," Chris said as he saw the former buffalo hunter heading their way, a relieved smile on his face, "he's not wanted anymore," he turned to Kid. "It's a long story. And he's been here for four years. Think maybe it's time to make a permanent place to live."
"Been ponderin' it," Vin said.
"You're going to have to admit that when Ezra's awake," Nathan said.
"Think I'll hold off on that. Be a nice surprise for him."
"We ain't lookin' to give him a heart attack, Vin," Chris joked.
"I'll make sure he has somethin' soft to land on," the former slave said. Kid laughed, louder than he'd planned.
"Shit," he said. "Sorry."
"Don't worry. They're both out," Nathan assured everyone.
"Can you say what happened to them? I know Joshua was shot," Chris confirmed.
"It was a graze. But they both seemed to have something affect their ears. I think Ezra's gonna have to stop that whistle, at least control it better. I think it really messed him up, his equilibrium, it really knocked him out." Nathan turned to Kid. "Joshua has something going on with his right ear. Have you seen anything like that before?"
"Well, he's been knocked out before. One time he took a real bad hit to the back of his head, and then within a week or so he was shot in the head, up here," Kid said as he pointed on the left side of his forehead, high up near the hairline. "He was shot after a poker game that we joined while hunting mountain lions for Jake Carlson, Judge Travis' friend. Five men got shot, he was the only one who survived. That was a little over a year ago."
"Damned lucky," Chris said.
"Hits to the head don't have to mean anything permanent happened," Nathan replied.
"Ezra's a good example of that," Vin agreed, his smile lessening somewhat.
"All right. Chris, get up." Chris stared at the healer. "Guess I should re-phrase that. Let me help you up." Chris continued to stare at Nathan.
"I'll get 'im on the left, you get 'im on the right," Vin said. Chris didn't try getting up on his own and allowed his friends to assist in getting him to his feet.
"Good night," Chris and Nathan said, which Kid returned.
"I'll be back," came from the tracker.
Chris sat outside the jail the next morning, despite Nathan's advice to rest. Mary walked up to him.
"Are you all right? I heard what happened," she said worriedly. She and Chris had not spent much time together since the man she was engaged to assaulted Heyes. She was not ready, not until she realized what she might have lost during yesterday's violence.
He stood with a grunt. "I'm fine. I'll heal."
"I wondered ... would you want to come over tonight for dinner?" The pretty town leader looked into the eyes of the law enforcement leader and asked, "I know you're hurt, but, would you want to stay the night?" They seemed the only citizens of Four Corners up, the early morning a time of day that both Chris and Mary relished. It was likely one of the things that brought them together. They would often spend time walking along the boardwalk, heading in the same direction at the same time of the day.
Chris smiled. "I'd like that." He looked away briefly and then said, "I am sorry about what I did. And now that I've been with these two longer, I realize that they are good men. Joshua maybe still isn't well enough to be wielding a gun … "
Mary gave him 'the look' that said he was wrong, and then smiled, "Wielding?"
Chris smiled right back. "Seven o'clock?"
"Sure." They kissed and then went on with their day.
Two days later found Hannibal Heyes sitting in the chair nearest the stove while all of the doctors, Joe Martin and Nathan stood near, sat on or leaned against the bed at the windows that faced the garden. Kid Curry watched his partner and could see that he was about at the end of his rope. And Ezra was watching both men. He rose, stepped over to the doctors, spoke briefly to the group, and then walked over to Heyes and Curry.
"Come with me, gentlemen."
Heyes was up on his feet faster than Kid had seen him move in quite a long time. It almost looked like the old Heyes, the pre-illness Heyes. The reforming outlaws followed the former conman out the door. Ezra sat on the bench as Heyes and Curry took the two seats that would be a permanent fixture while the visitors used the room behind the bakery.
"Ah understand that Dottie is ponderin' leavin' these seats here all of the time. Ah think it is a nice idea. What do you think?"
"Sure, it's nice," Kid said. Heyes didn't answer as he stared down the avenue.
"This was one of the first trees we planted in the town almost four years ago." It had grown to a good size, providing a canopy of shade in the early morning and the late afternoon to make the location perfect for the full sun in the middle of the summer that made the small rose garden thrive. Ezra was sure that if he quizzed Hannibal Heyes about what flowers were in this garden he would have no idea whatsoever, his thoughts were so focused on the deliberations going on in his room.
"I'm gonna go get us some coffee and something to eat," Kid said. No answer from his partner and a worried look from Ezra, and then a nod of the card sharp's head toward the bakery had Kid heading for refreshments. Ezra moved to the seat closer to Heyes.
"Joshua," he said. Heyes kept his eyes on the main road of the town, but Ezra knew his thoughts were so far away. "Joshua," he said again, this time tapping his arm. Heyes turned to Ezra, his eyes screaming every awful possible outcome. Their conversation the other day, about whether Curry would be welcome here in Four Corners if there was no hope that they would continue their life together, was what the former conman saw, utmost in the handsome visage. "You are thinking wrongly if you believe that those men are in there discussin' anything other than providing you with the answer you seek. Please do not despair. And do not frighten your partner. He needs you as much as you need him."
Heyes smiled, not a true one. He nodded his head and said, "I know. I just … I've always been able to fool others, but never him," he said as he waved his hand in the direction of the front of the building. "I never wanted to."
Ezra felt for the man. He might not have had someone as close to him as a brother as long as Heyes and Curry had each other, but he had a brother, once, and he now had six who would be brothers. Who were brothers. He was broken hearted when Daniel died, and then found the only way to go on was to block out that time in his life. It was made easy by Maude pretending Daniel never existed. It was easy to forget that time because to remember was just too painful. He would be equally broken hearted should he be in the position of losing any of these men who had become so important in his life. So dear.
"Ah think you should remember to invest in what you know, and what you know is that Thaddeus wants his brother. No, Ah know you are cousins, maybe," he said with a smile, remembering how the two of them weren't really sure of the relation but were certainly happy with the possibility. "But in your heart, you are brothers. You should do what brothers do. They stick together, through thick and thin." Ezra breathed in, blinked rapidly to keep himself on track. His goal was to convince Hannibal Heyes of what he had, not to reminisce on what he himself had long ago and lost. Best to think about the here and now. It was good advice for the man sitting beside him. "Today you are alive. You will be tomorrow as well. Live for now, and keep hopeful for the future. Ah do not believe it is wise to bet against those men inside that room."
"You don't, huh?"
"Ah do not."
Heyes smiled and then reached his hand over to the professional poker player's shoulder. "You're a good man, Ezra Standish."
Ezra laughed, then rubbed his thumb against his bottom lip. "Some would say so. Others, not so much."
"Eh, what do they know?" Heyes asked.
"Precisely. Ah, what have we here?"
"Hi, Ezra."
"Miss Casey. How are you this fine day?"
"I'm good. And it is a nice day."
"Casey and I are going to set this all up on the table behind you two," Kid said.
"And we shall move our chairs to the side to make access to these delectations easier for one and all."
"I don't know, Casey. Seems to me there's just enough here for the four of us."
Casey giggled. "That's silly. This is for all of you. Also, Doc Wharton asked if we could arrange for sandwiches and some salads for your meeting."
"Our meeting?" Heyes asked as he looked to his partner for clarification.
"News to me, too, Joshua."
"Ah as well. It sounds as though they have somethin' to report if they wish us all together for a meal. Did we miss someone come out and place the order?"
"Nathan came over while I was putting together your coffee and pastries," Casey answered. "He told us that you and Joshua didn't even see him walk by."
"Everything all right?" Thaddeus.
Heyes stood up. He grabbed his partner's forearm and said, "It's good. Let's grab a cup of coffee and something to eat and take a short walk." They fixed their coffees, took something to eat and left the area.
"I've gotta get back. Everything okay?"
"We are fine, Miss Casey. Thank you."
"You're welcome." The young girl who had won the young sheriff's heart did not leave. "Ezra?"
"Yes?"
"Is, I mean, is Joshua … is he … "
"He is not well."
"I know that, but … Thaddeus is so sad. Is Joshua going to die?"
"No."
"You seem pretty sure."
"Casey, Ah feel certain that right will prevail. Ah do not have the knowledge of these doctors to tell me so. Ah just, how is it that they say? Ah feel in mah bones"
"I hope you're right. I've gotta go."
"Goodbye, Casey."
Ezra watched as Heyes and Curry had walked by the assorted rose bushes and then turned left to walk along the outside of the Pike's prolific gardens. Ezra knew that the walk would now take them out to the edges of the town center. From there the men would be able to see the mountains in the distance and, closer in, some of the rancher Robert Merton's near town stockades. They would likely spend some time at a bench that Ezra took them to when he was feeling better from his gunshot wound. It was a pretty vista, especially on a clear day, blue skies surrounding the red and white rock and the mix of various pine and deciduous trees. The color was just hinting at the beauty soon to come in October.
The former conman knew that the two men would return soon. As much as Heyes worried about what his future held, and worried even more for what was in Curry's future, there was no doubt that whatever the news, Hannibal Heyes would live his life to its fullest, no matter the news.
"This was a delicious lunch," Doc Wharton said.
"All of these fresh vegetables. It's a dream," Dr. Rutherford said. "This garden is wonderful. And that there are so many gardens in this town. You all are very fortunate."
"Missus Potter is an amazing gardener. She has been an inspiration to many," Ezra said as he took a bite of his roasted chicken with fresh tomatoes and cucumbers. "Not that the sandwiches that Dottie comes up with are not wonderful, but it is a delight to enjoy a repast that does not demand bread in some constellation or anothah."
"I have to agree, Mr. Standish," Joe Martin said. "This is a delicious dish."
"Indeed. And if Ah am to call you Joe, you should call me Ezra."
"I will. Thanks." But by this point, the professional poker player had lost interest in this conversation and wanted nothing more than to go see what was going on with Hannibal Heyes. He excused himself and walked, with his plate of food, over to his new acquaintance.
"You have taken nary a bite of this wonderful food prepared for our luncheon. The doctors will be interrogating you anew."
"I've been trying to get him to eat. It's not working," Kid said.
"I'm not hungry."
"Ah doubt that. Ah know for a fact, since you have not been out of mah sight most of the day, that you have had a taste or two of a pastry, and that you handed the remainder to Thaddeus."
Heyes turned to the gambler. "Were you following us?"
"Ah watched you as you and your partner walked along the Pike's garden fence." Heyes turned to look out the window. "You must be hungry."
"I wouldn't eat now even if I was hungry. My philosophy has always been if you can avoid embarrassing yourself, that you should."
"Ah must admit to agreeing with your philosophy. Tell you what: when these men give us a diagnosis for what ails you, and a positive prognosis for resolving your health troubles, Ah will treat you and your partner to an excellent meal of your choosing at the restaurant at Herr Heidegger's hotel. The cuisine is excellent, be it German, American or Mexican."
Heyes didn't reply, but Kid did. "We'll take you up on that, Ezra, because I got a feeling what we're going to hear is good news."
Nathan walked up to the three men. "The doctors are ready if you are, Joshua."
"Yeah. Let's get this done."
Everyone made themselves comfortable. Even though Heyes once more sat in one of the most comfortable chairs in the room – more chairs had been brought in for all in attendance to sit for this part of the afternoon – he hardly looked comfortable. Chris Larabee leaned over to Vin Tanner and said, "Best that Joshua didn't eat because he looks ready to vomit."
"Feel bad for 'im," the tracker said.
"Me, too."
Vin lowered his voice and said, "You know that J.D.'s been grumbling about Smith being familiar to him?"
"Yeah, I've heard. I need to talk to him."
"Why do you need to talk to him?"
"Because he's a man sent by the judge for help. He didn't come here to be talked about, to stress over what people are thinking, what they're saying." Chris nudged his friend. "Looks like Dr. Foster is ready to start."
"All right, I think I've met all of you. I'm Dr. Foster. I know that you are here because Mr. Smith has said that you all have been so helpful to him and he felt comfortable for you to hear what we have to say about Joshua's illness. But I am going to check, one more time, Joshua, you are certain that you wish for everyone here to know your business? It is perfectly fine for you to change your mind."
Heyes looked to the doctor, who along with Doctors Adams, Rutherford, Wharton and his friend Joe Martin, had spent time yesterday and today examining him, asking him questions, asking his partner questions, talking together after all of that, and asked, "Is there any reason why I should … " Heyes paused, looked down, blinked his eyes to ward off the tears that he only through great will was able to fend off, then continued, "should I ask these men to leave?"
Dr. Jonathan Foster might normally have been able to put his inscrutable face in place for this presentation. But he was speaking in a room with some people who meant something to him. His time spent with Ezra, Nathan and Vin in Denver was some of the most meaningful of his life as a doctor. The collaboration with other doctors then with whom he gathered now? They had hoped to have similar success. Once the examination and investigation started, there was no guarantee that there would be consensus to continue. Hannibal Heyes and Kid Curry. That revelation was unexpected. But the Hippocratic Oath meant everything to these doctors, these good men with whom he gathered to determine whether they could help someone, a man who, as well as his partner, was known in some quarters as a "very good bad man." Over the last two days, these doctors learned a lot about Heyes and Curry, even though many of the people they spoke with did not know of the secret identities of the men in their midst. They learned of good and kind men, men who were good company. Men who were doing the hardest thing, to survive in the Wild West without getting noticed, trying to find work where there often was only the hardest work left. It was a lifestyle that could wear on a person. The too-frequent knocks to the head, the gunshot to the head, being forced to move on well before he was healed enough to do so? These all explained so much. That they still waited over a year for their promised amnesty certainly added to all of the aforementioned stresses. He knew he needed to relieve Hannibal Heyes' stress on the results of their findings, immediately.
"No, I don't think you should." Just as Dr. Foster said that, gunfire was heard.
"Everyone stay. I'll check on it," Vin said. Dr. Foster watched as the only person in the room who didn't know the real identities of Smith and Jones departed. The doctors also knew that Nathan was unaware of that truth. Chris watched Vin leave, knowing that Buck and Josiah and J.D. and some of the other men in town who could, would also help to check what the gunfire was. Most often, gunfire these days was someone drinking too much and firing their weapon in the air, a dangerous venture that required investigation. But Chris wondered if this wasn't meant to be, that maybe they should keep the number of people who knew the real identities of Smith and Jones to these doctors, Joe Martin, himself and Ezra. He looked over to the gambler, who sat not all that far away. Their eyes met, Ezra nodded. They both were thinking the same thing. Ezra moved to take the seat vacated by Vin.
Heyes let out a tremble at Dr. Foster's words, just the faintest trembling sigh, though it was unlikely everyone in the room didn't hear it. Didn't absolutely feel it. He watched as Tanner left the room, wondering what he was rushing off to. He hadn't heard the gunshots. At that moment, he felt Kid Curry's hand, the hand of his dearest friend, capture the back of his head. He lowered his hand to Heyes' neck, and then lowered both of his arms around Heyes from the back, where he was the only man standing in the room, and leaned in for a hug. He held tightly, but for a moment, because he didn't want to cause his lifelong friend to break down in sobs in front of these men. Joe Martin sat beside Heyes. Heyes and Curry had saved his life, long ago. They hadn't done this by saving him from a shooting, or a beating or from any other physical danger. They saved him by looking the other way, by allowing a man who killed someone but who they knew was a better man than that act might say, to get away with murder. That he killed a very bad man may have made all the difference, but the cold-blooded nature of the killing had left the outlaw duo stunned and flat-footed in what to do about it. Many years distant from the event proved that they'd done the right thing. Joe had helped them a couple of times now, this one the third time he was willing to come to their aid. A reluctant association was now an abiding, trusting friendship.
Heyes looked across the room and saw Ezra Standish and Chris Larabee looking his way. The happiness he felt down to his soul that these men took such joy in this news warmed his heart.
"All right," he said, finally able to speak once more. "I guess the question is, what does that mean?" Kid kept his hand on his friend's shoulder, knowing that they both felt a deadly bullet had been dodged with this doctor's words.
"Well, much like we suggested to Ezra a while back, some of what will help you will demand a change in diet. But we'll get to that later. Here are our findings."
For the next half of an hour, Hannibal Heyes and Kid Curry and their new friends in Four Corners heard from the doctors and Joe about tinnitus and stress, head injuries, reading in too low of a light and until he developed a headache, something that Kid Curry had mentioned and Hannibal Heyes reluctantly fessed up to. Not resting when a headache comes on, not resting after a serious injury, not sleeping enough, not healing well from all injuries or illnesses, eating poorly, not eating enough, drinking too much coffee, drinking too much alcohol, eating too few vegetables, hardly eating any fruit.
But mostly they talked about tinnitus, head injuries and stress.
Dr. Harrison Rutherford continued the explanation. "You will need to adjust your lifestyle. The dangers that are inherent in an itinerant life, injuries sustained, particularly in and about your head, and the stresses that all of this brings to your life? Your chances of permanently avoiding the ringing in your ears, the equilibrium issues, the stresses compounding these things and bringing on these extended episodes of severe illness … you are inherently, deeply predisposed to having this come upon you over and over. How long these incidents might last? That is impossible to predict. The damage that may have been caused by repeated head injury is, at this point in our knowledge, very hard to say. We do not feel that you have suffered severe enough brain injury that it should be debilitating in any way, if you can make the changes needed to avoid repeat occurrences. Learning to manage your stress is critical. We do not believe this is something easily done on the road. We recommend that you settle your life, settle down somewhere."
Heyes had heeded the advice he received from Ezra and Chris. He told these doctors who he and the Kid were. The doctors had to realize what they were asking when they suggested for two wanted outlaws to settle down when they had not yet achieved their amnesty. A lack of understanding that point must have been obvious in both Heyes and Kid's faces.
"We understand how this explanation, the advice we are suggesting might conflict with how you are able to live your lives just now," Dr. John Adams, no relation to the Founding Father, said. "We suggested that only the doctors, Mr. Standish and Mr. Larabee and Joe be in this meeting for a reason. I admit to being relieved that Mr. Tanner had to leave." They all laughed at the face he made when he said it, the irony of a doctor being relieved to hear guns out in the street. "I know you wished for the Pikes, Mrs. Travis, a few others to be here, but we believe it best that the fewer people who know who you are, for real, the better. We are going to recommend, and we believe we have the agreement that we need to make the offer, that you gentlemen stay on here for a while."
"Joshua and Thaddeus, that's not only for as long as it takes for you to recover," Joe Martin said. Joe had been with them enough since the reforming outlaws started their attempt at amnesty that he learned well to always use their aliases, even though everyone in the room knew who the two men really were. Joe also knew that all of those other times that he'd treated Heyes were just a lead-up to the terrible situation his old friends found themselves in today.
"Joe, we can't stay here," Thaddeus said as he rubbed Heyes' shoulder affectionately. "It's too dangerous. It's dangerous for us, but it's far too dangerous for the people who live here."
"We've come to care about too many people here," Heyes added. He looked to Ezra and Chris. "You may not think it now, but when you first saw us, Chris, it was clear in your eyes that our presence here meant nothing but trouble for the people of this town who you were hired to protect. You were right."
"Joshua," Chris started. Chris Larabee could not believe how he was feeling at this moment. He regretted his initial reaction to these two men being foisted upon him by Oren Travis, he regretted attacking Heyes, he regretted that he had, from his actions, made these men think that they couldn't, at minimum, remain in his town for as long as it took to get the famous outlaw back to good health. As he learned more about these two, as he saw and felt the decency of men whose lives went off track, much like his own had after Sarah and Adam's deaths … he had work to do. He, and his partner in crime, one Ezra P. Standish, had work to do to convince these famous outlaws that they could stay, that they would not be jeopardizing the safety of the townspeople. They could do this.
"No. We've been through this, many times. So many times. We don't want people we care about endangered by our presence. It's why we don't stay anywhere very long. Judge Travis' friends, the Wades and the Carlsons both asked us to stay on." Heyes looked to the doctors. "Yes, for my health," he continued, looking at his partner, "we should have stayed. But for their health, we had to go. We can't risk staying anywhere too long."
"Joshua, we are asking you to remain with us in Four Corners," Ezra said. "We have the ability to protect you."
"You don't," Heyes countered.
"Hey … um, Joshua, maybe they do," Kid challenged his dearest friend, the near-slip this time seen for what it was by all in the room.
"We cannot do this," Joshua said to his partner. "We have always said that if we get too close, we'll make mistakes. And if we stay too long, we run the risk of getting people we care about hurt. Or worse."
"Joshua, we have a suggestion. Only Chris and Ah are aware of the details. We will only tell you. As you see, we arranged for Nathan to be called out on an emergency. It will appear quite real, Ah assure you, though no citizens were injured in the arrangement of this ruse. Only Chris and Ah will remain aware of who you are. And we have a place for you to stay so that you can make occasional visits to town but not remain here so that you do not appear to be regulars to those makin' their way through town."
"And I will come to check in on you every few weeks to make sure the instructions we leave for you and Nathan are working their magic," Doc Wharton said. Heyes looked briefly to Chris, acknowledging the word choice that he used just days before. "My roundtrip here has been made infinitely easier with the train spur up to Durango."
Heyes rubbed his head. He looked up, the headache he was experiencing now obvious. "It's a lot of stress trying to talk yourself out of a good situation, isn't it?" Dr. Rutherford asked. "So why don't you stop doing it? Take a ride out of town, the two of you, with Chris and Ezra. Listen to what they have to say. And then make a final decision based on their suggestion."
Heyes took a look around the room. Why were these men not listening? To be fair, he wasn't sure he had it in him to fight all of these men, not right this minute, not with his head pounding, his heart breaking for his partner because saying no meant there would be a seemingly permanent debilitation that would put added stress on the Kid … up until that point where Heyes' body finally gave in and gave up the ghost, and his soul knowing that a decision to stay could cause pain, serious injury, or worse to people he and Kid had grown fond of. Don't get too close. They messed up on that one, this time, in a very big way.
Kid leaned down and whispered in his partner's ear. It was a long, one-sided conversation, except that Hannibal Heyes was unable to hide what his face was telling everyone. And that was that his partner was telling him, read by all in the room, that it didn't hurt to listen. What could it possibly hurt to listen? He was saying other things, things that brought a slight smile, here and there, slight only because Hannibal Heyes had very little to feel especially happy about. The expression turned on a dime as Kid Curry spoke to the dearest person to him on this Earth: first thoughtful, melancholy was prime, reluctance with the shaking of his head. It was impossible for Kid not to know what his partner was thinking throughout his speech, his head shaking was impossible for the blond not to feel, he was leaned up right close, Kid's lips often touching Heyes' ear. Then there was the frustrated sighs, the thrumming frustration evident to every man witnessing the intimate conversation. The end of the conversation was a long stretch of Kid talking and Heyes sitting as still as a hawk awaiting its prey.
The answer from Heyes. "All right." Kid sighed and leaned his head tight up against his partner's, who leaned close as well. And Kid was not the only one who sighed at the answer. Those sighs were followed by nods of heads and smiles at the decision made.
"Why don't we leave Joshua and Thaddeus, for now. Ah know Ah could use a drink," Ezra said.
"Nathan said you're allowed to drink?" Chris asked.
"Very funny. Indeed, he did. And these doctors have contradicted Nathan about riding out of town. That, combined with Joshua's good news? It is a banner day."
The doctors and Joe walked up to Heyes and Curry. Dr. Wharton asked, "We'll see you at supper?"
"Sure, Doc," Kid replied, his hand still resting on Heyes' shoulder. Doc Wharton rushed up behind Chris and Ezra, who stood aside in the room and said, "I have pretty good hearing, young man. If Nathan said no horses, I suggest you not ride horses. Take a carriage. I saw that nice rig Nathan's using these days. I'm sure he would be happy to allow you to borrow it," Doc Wharton added as he patted Ezra's back and then walked toward the saloon with the other doctors to procure a libation.
Everyone left the room, except Ezra. "I'll meet you there, Chris."
"All right."
Ezra smiled at the partners. "You two certainly know how to build the drama."
"Believe me when I say I feel like I've climbed a mountain," Kid said as he took the chair next to his partner.
"Sorry, Kid. I mean, Thaddeus," he corrected as he rubbed his head again.
"Ah feel that we will be wasting the effort to head out tomorrah to show you what Chris and Ah have planned, but it is a nice enough trip," Ezra said. "The fact is, you might as well just say yes to remainin' here, Mistah Smith."
"That's not how it's ever worked for us, Mistah Standish. I don't see how it could possibly work now."
"Well, your confidence in mah confidence skills is woefully lacking, Ah see. So, let us not worry on that today. Chris and Ah will have you convinced tomorrah." Ezra looked to Heyes. "You, mah friend, need a nap. We will see you at supper. Seven o'clock at Herr Heidegger's restaurant."
"We'll be there," Kid said. He watched as Ezra left. He walked over and locked the door, and closed the lace sheer and the curtain at the window near the door. And then he walked over to the bourbon and the glasses and sat back down in his chair. "It's just one drink, and I think you need it."
"I need it," Heyes agreed. Kid passed him the glass. "It wasn't the worst news."
"Heyes, it was great news. The bad news was how do we make it happen."
"Ezra and Chris seem to think they have the answer."
"Maybe they do."
"Don't get your hopes up, Kid. You know how many times we've wanted to stay somewhere, wondered if we could do it without drawing undue attention, drawing undesirables to come and try to get that reward?"
"So maybe this time will be the charm."
"Maybe. Though this would be the fifteenth time instead of just the third."
"I know. Come on, finish your drink, change your clothes and get in bed. We've got more than four hours before we need to get up and get dressed for dinner."
"You're taking a nap?" Heyes asked, reaching out to rub his partner's forearm as he headed to close the sheer curtains at the garden side of their room, but left the heavier curtains that would block the heat or cold or light, open. There had been a nice breeze all day so they had no worries that drawing the curtains would make the room stuffy. And both men had taken to changing their clothes within the room where the tub was positioned, since the traffic in and out of their temporary home made changing in the room a risky affair; they couldn't keep the room locked all of the time, considering all of the coming and going of the healer, at minimum.
"I'm pretty tired, Joshua," Kid said with a smile.
"I am beyond tired, Thaddeus." Heyes smiled back at his friend. At the same moment, they walked up to each other and hugged, greater than any hug they had shared since their childhood. "God," Heyes said.
"I know. But honestly? Thank God." Kid could feel Heyes' cheek grow wider up against his own. He could imagine that dimple. He knew what was coming.
"That's more for you than for me."
"Maybe," Kid said as he stepped away.
"Guys?"
"Dottie?" Kid called back. To Heyes he whispered, "Do you think she heard all of that?" Heyes shrugged as though it did not matter. It was Dottie; he knew that it didn't.
"Just wanted to let you know that Ezra asked me to make sure you woke up in time to get ready. Dinner's at seven. What time do you want to get up?"
Kid went to the window. "You don't have to do that."
"I don't know. I was told you two would sleep twenty-four hours if given the chance. You look like you could use twenty-four hours."
"Gee, thanks," Heyes said as he joined the conversation.
"You know what I mean. I think you are the picture of gorgeous, but that doesn't mean you don't need proper rest." The handsome pair looked at each other.
"I'm not sure what she sees in you," the dark-haired man said.
"I think you might be coming off better looking than you actually are because you're standing in darker light," the lighter-haired one countered.
"You two are just too much." Heyes and Curry were sure they heard a sigh. "Ezra said there was news, but I couldn't get any detail from him. I don't need detail from you, just … I hope it was good news."
"It was pretty good news, Dottie. Thank you for your concern," Heyes said.
"Well, I'm sure you're still soaking it in, whatever the doctors told you." Her eyes blinked away the sudden moisture. "So, would six-fifteen be enough time?"
"I think that would work," Kid said. "Will you and Ben be joining us?"
"We will."
"Then why don't you come and pick us up. Is quarter to seven all right for you?" Kid asked.
"We'll be here." Dottie turned to Heyes. "I'm glad you got pretty good news," she said with a hopeful smile.
"Thank you. I'm sure my partner would say that it was great news. I'm still, as you said, soaking it all in."
"You made my night by saying one of you thought it was great news. Thaddeus, it will be our job, maybe starting tomorrow, to convince Joshua of how great it is."
"You've got a deal, Dottie. See you later."
"Six-fifteen. Bye."
"Let's get in bed before someone else comes along," Kid said.