CHAPTER TWO
"You ate most of what was on your plate," the light-haired one of the former outlaw pair said.
"There's a lot to be said for feelin' safe and good food, Kid." Heyes sat in one of the two cushioned arm chairs, looking far spiffier after a nice bath and a good meal.
"These people have been pretty welcoming, that's for sure. And Dottie prepared two of your favorites."
"That's a weird coincidence. But the scrambled eggs with thyme, a little cheese, a little salt and a lot of pepper? It's like when she put her hand on my forehead, she also read my mind."
"Roasted tomatoes, too. They were incredible."
"I like steak and potatoes as much as the next guy," Heyes said as he smiled at his partner. If he'd been feeling better, Kid's meal would have been a pleasure to eat. But he hadn't been feeling so well, and what he was served hit the spot.
"Oh, it was good," Thaddeus said with a wide smile.
"I'm sure it was, Kid, but this plate of food was exactly what I needed. The eggs were light and fluffy and easy on my stomach. And yeah, those tomatoes. Roasted and a hint of salt. Good coffee."
"You could use a nap, couldn't ya?" Curry asked. He wouldn't step up to feel Heyes' head. Kid knew his partner better than anyone and it was obvious he still wasn't one hundred percent. He had not been in weeks.
"Oh, I'm takin' a nap. I see you have nothing left on your plate, Kid." Heyes leaned over, closer to Kid's plate and asked, "Did you lick it clean?"
"Knock it off! No, I didn't. It's not a bad idea, though."
Hannibal Heyes smiled at the dearest person in his life. "I agree." He blinked his eyes tiredly. "Lord, am I tired, Kid."
"All right, I can tell you're tired because you've called me Kid four times in the last three minutes. You're so damned tired, though, that no one but me could hear ya."
"Sorry, and you're right. We need to be extra aware of using our aliases. You know how it can get when we get too comfortable around people."
"Well, Joshua, how 'bout you get changed and get in bed. I'll sit in one of those nice chairs and read one of these books that Dottie, Ezra and Tommy left in the room. I wonder who Tommy is," Thaddeus said.
"I figure we'll find out, eventually." Heyes remained in his seat at the two-person table where they'd just enjoyed a late luncheon. His eyes drifted closed.
"Joshua," Heyes heard Kid say right up next to his ear. "Come on, get up," Kid said as he rubbed Heyes' neck warmly, "get changed and get in your bed."
"Okay. Let me go use the outhouse. I'll be right back."
Within five minutes, Hannibal Heyes, alias Joshua Smith, was in bed and asleep, though sleeping less comfortably than Kid Curry, alias Thaddeus Jones, liked. It was one of several manifestations of this illness that had hit Heyes while hunting mountain lions in Santa Fe for Oren Travis. He moaned, seemingly in pain, tossed and turned throughout most every rest he attempted. He frequently suffered terrible headaches, which he worked very hard to hide more than half of the time. Kid often wondered why he bothered to hide them, Heyes never had any luck hiding his hurts from him. He had an appetite, depending on the day and the food on offer. As much as Evie Travis tried, she stopped trying to make him anything other than a plate of scrambled eggs or a couple of pancakes with butter and maple syrup. He just didn't have it in him to eat without it being easy on his stomach and just plain something that he liked.
Kid eyed Heyes as he seemed to settle into sleep, a rare thing of late. He had lost weight, and he really couldn't afford to lose any more. The blond wiped his hand down his face. He was tired, too, but they'd only been in Four Corners for a couple of hours. He felt that Larabee and Standish seemed accommodating to their situation. Judge Travis must have a lot of faith in these men, he guessed it was only fair that they trust all three of them, and the Negro healer and these medicine men Travis mentioned, because something had to give. Heyes couldn't go on this way. He wouldn't survive for very long if this kept up much longer.
"Pssst."
Kid pulled his eyes from his sick friend. He turned toward the window at the door, his hand on his gun. He looked over to the other window and saw Dottie at one of them that looked out into the garden. Kid walked over and whispered, "He's sleeping."
"That's good. Could you come around back for a minute?"
"Sure." Kid made his way out the door, through the gate and then met Dottie in the garden. "It's really beautiful back here," he whispered.
"Let's step away from the window so that we don't disturb Joshua. Is it all right that I call you Thaddeus and Joshua?"
"Of course."
"I can't stay long. Jeremiah is napping, though he will be up before you or Joshua would wish. I don't like to leave him alone too long. Ben had to run some things to the Mortons. Jenny had her baby. Mostly I'm here to tell you that because Jenny had her baby, Nathan had to head out there and he'll spend the night. That's what he does when folks well out of town have babies, break bones or are real sick. He's such a good man, but he won't be able to see Joshua until tomorrow. But he will probably be back by ten. You can sleep in. Inez is going to make you breakfast. I think Chris and Mary are going to ask if you'd like to have dinner with them tonight."
"I don't know, Dottie. We had a pretty late meal."
"Don't let 'im fool you. Thaddeus could eat two breakfasts, two midday meals and two suppers and still think about having two desserts."
"What're you doing up?" Kid asked, frustrated.
Hannibal Heyes smiled at Dottie through the screen material. "My partner here is a worrier."
"Don't believe him. He's the worrier," Kid said, pointing his thumb toward the dark-haired reforming outlaw, through the window.
"No fighting, boys." She turned to Kid Curry. "Are you hungry?" Heyes snorted a laugh. "Stop that," the shop owner and Heyes and Curry's neighbor chastised. "I could bring you something from the bakery."
"Bring him something from the bakery. If you have something fruity, I think I could maybe eat a little dessert."
"That's great," Dottie said. "Some coffee?"
"That sounds perfect," Heyes said.
"I could smell, um, tell that Casey has a fresh pot on. I won't be long. Let me swing around and see what mischief my son is up to. You wouldn't think a seven-year-old could cause too much trouble, but you would be so, SO wrong."
The two handsome outlaws smiled. Heyes asked, "Um, Inez and Mary and Casey?"
"Good memory. Also, I like men who pay attention. There are some less-than-impressive men in this town. They think they have influence here, but none of them can hold a candle to any of the men who protect us in our town, nor do they have a chance against my handsome, decent, wonderful husband. Be careful, I like to talk."
"Except you have to check … "
"Yes, yes. My boy. But to answer your question, Mary is Mary Travis, Judge Travis' daughter-in-law. Ben and I weren't here when it happened, but about five years ago, her husband was killed, murdered. She and Chris are engaged. Lord knows what they're waiting for. Inez is Ezra's lady. She's from Mexico and she runs the better of the two saloons in town." Dottie started to walk to her back door. She spoke a little louder, "Casey is J.D.'s long-time girlfriend. He's one of The Seven. Do you know all of them?"
"Only from what we've read."
"Ha! Well, you'll meet them all. Be back in a jiffy." Kid looked with annoyance to Heyes as he walked past the window and joined his partner in their room.
"What are you doing up?" he asked.
"Did you hear what she said?" Heyes asked with a wistful look on his face.
"Yeah. Your mom."
"And cookies."
Kid smiled. "They were never ready in a jiffy."
"Nope. But we found plenty to keep us occupied while we waited." They smiled at one another. "So?"
"Don't know. Too tired to sleep?" he said as he put his pants on.
"Wouldn't surprise me. Do you think we should accept Larabee's supper invitation?"
"I dunno, Kid. Sorry. Thaddeus. I'd hate to offend them by falling asleep, or embarrass you," Heyes added as he buttoned his shirt. He had put the shirt on and pulled it closed over the undershirt he wore to sleep in when he went to the window. Both men wore thin silk undergarments in the summer, gifts from a shopkeeper they helped one time in Denver. They made sure to save funds to replace them when they wore out, which they were bound to do when they wore the same clothes as regularly as they were forced to do.
"I think they'd understand if you said you'd like to rest up after the couple of days of traveling we put in."
"You could go by yourself," Heyes said with a knowing smile.
"No. Thank. You. I'd rather have that silver tongue of yours right next to me when spending time with him. Standish seems a little less … "
"Scary?"
"I'm not scared of Larabee. Maybe a little scared that something might happen that would cause me to draw and then I'd be on his bad side for sure. We're not supposed to let anyone guess who we are. He knows, but the person standing next to him wouldn't until I show him who I am. Standish seems pretty easy going."
"Maybe. That could just be his accent. I think he's probably pretty slick. He's a professional. Looking forward to playing some poker with him."
"But not tonight."
Joshua saw Dottie walk by the window.
"Not tonight, Thaddeus," he said as he nodded toward the entrance to their room.
Kid ran to the door. "Let me get that."
"Why, thank you, kind sir," Dottie said as she walked in with a tray of food. "You didn't have to get dressed for me, Joshua," she added with a wink.
"Who says I wasn't dressed?" Heyes questioned as he leaned in to see what was on the tray. Kid moved the leftovers from their afternoon meal to make room for the new fare. Dottie set the new tray down.
"I do. Please sit. I don't want you falling down. If I can do my part to keep your appetite up, then I will feel like I've done something good."
"Does everyone know why we're here?" Kid asked. He eyed the pastry and the coffee and the one bowl overflowing with berries, the other looked like some kind of preserves. "Joshua, sit."
"Geez, you people are pushy." Heyes sat, grateful for the concern.
"Okay. I have to go back. Jeremiah doesn't sleep as long in the afternoon as he used to. So, here's what we have. The coffee is from Ezra's stash. It's good. Really good. Ben and I - translation … Ben - dug a really deep cellar behind the store. Deep and cold. The blackberries and the raspberries are fresh-picked, the strawberries were canned the day they were picked, but we keep them in the cool cellar."
"This is a bigger deal than I was expecting," Kid said.
Heyes looked to Dottie. "Translation: Thaddeus has died and gone to heaven."
The proprietress of the general store and the bakery said, "Be nice."
"That was nice," the blond half of the outlaw duo said.
Dottie laughed. "You two remind me of Ezra and Jeremiah when they really get going."
"Ezra the card sharp and Jeremiah the seven-year-old?"
"Joshua," Dottie warned.
"I'm just asking. It seems odd that you would let your little boy be too influenced by a gambler."
"Ezra is far more than what you see, or what you think of your typical gambler."
"I guess so, considering how much you talk about him. Does your husband know how you feel about Ezra?"
"Joshua!" Kid warned. The reprimand was clear in the tone.
"You know, I know you're trying to fool everyone that you're feeling better, but it's not going to work. And I would highly recommend you take a taste of that coffee and know what you'll be missing if you don't behave," Dottie warned. "Ezra is a very generous man, but everyone has their limits." Kid quickly added cream and sugar to his coffee, a luxury for them as they spent so much time on the trail trying to remain under the radar of the law and bounty hunters.
"Apologize to the lady, Joshua," Kid insisted as he savored his cup of coffee. Hannibal Heyes rubbed his head and then rested it on his hand, his arm seemingly struggling to hold it up.
"I am sorry, Dottie. I don't know what … "
"Oh, come on, Joshua," the friendly woman said as she walked up to the handsome man while he sat in the comfortable chair. She stood behind him and felt his forehead. "Warmer than earlier."
"That's why you couldn't sleep," Thaddeus challenged.
"I … " the former leader of the Devil's Hole Gang started, but he was interrupted by the yelling of a little boy.
"Brace yourselves," Dottie said.
"Maaah-maaaaah!"
"In here, sweetie."
"Mama, guess what?" Jeremiah Pike asked.
"What?" Dottie asked. Her little boy turned to face the two men.
"Hi," he said to the two strangers.
"Hi, there," Kid Curry said. He reached his hand out to the small child. "I'm Thaddeus. The man over there is my partner, Joshua." Jeremiah reached out and shook the man's hand, a big up once and down once from the little boy. Kid smiled. So did Heyes.
"How do you do. I'm Jeremiah Pike." The child walked over to Joshua and said, "Are you feeling all right? You look a little peaked." Kid snorted a laugh. Heyes gave him a dirty look. "May I shake your hand? Mr. Ezra says that manners are important in polite society."
"Mr. Ezra says that, does he?" the ill man asked as he shook the little boy's hand.
"Yep." Jeremiah turned to his mother. "Guess what?" he said to his mother once more.
"What, darling?"
"Billy's comin' back a coupla days early."
"He is? Joshua, how do you like your coffee? When's he coming back? Billy is Judge Travis's grandson," Dottie said as she felt Joshua's neck all around.
"Are you a nurse?" Heyes asked.
"I've got his coffee," Kid said. "This'll be a treat," he said to his partner.
"Don't," Joshua said to Kid. At the same time, he pushed Dottie's hand away. Kid looked over, and then he rushed over and kneeled in front of Heyes.
"What is it?"
"Just had one of those moments."
"Moments?" Dottie asked.
"Dottie, could you take Jeremiah away?" Kid asked in a whisper, not wanting to upset the little boy. "Nathan's not back until tomorrow?"
"No. But I'll leave Jeremiah with Ben and head over to get Mrs. Potter or Ezra. He's been through a lot, and Gloria is pretty good in Nathan's stead."
Kid turned and kneeled in front of Jeremiah. "Hey, pal. Could we talk later?"
"Yeah," the little boy said with a trembling voice. Dottie reached for her son's hand.
"Let's go my man." She reached for the tray and rushed her son from the room.
"Is Mr. Joshua okay? He doesn't look good. I hope Billy comes back even earlier than he thought he could. Maybe we can take a ride out with Chris to the fishing hole." The voice of the little boy faded as mother and son headed back to the store. Kid turned to his partner.
"You've got that flush thing?"
"Yeah," Heyes said as he sagged farther into the chair.
"No, let me get ya up and over to the bed."
"No, I think that's a bad idea."
"Sick to your stomach? Dizzy?"
"Mm-hmm."
"Headache gettin' bad."
"Yeah." Heyes moaned. "We must've just missed Billy Travis."
"Don't worry about that. Just sit there. Do you want me to close the curtains?"
"Think I need the air more than I need the dark."
"Could use both. We'll see how you're feeling in a while. Damned heat."
"'s not just the heat."
"I know, but it doesn't help," Kid said. He rested his hand on Heyes' shoulder. "Try to relax."
"Wish I could. It's so damned frustrating." Heyes held his head in his hand, resting his elbow on the arm of the chair.
Kid carried one of the dining chairs up close to Heyes' comfortable chair and sat in front of him, watching, willing him to feel better.
"That never works, you know. And you're kinda close if I have to throw up."
"Should I find something?"
Heyes didn't think he would vomit, but he might. And keeping the Kid occupied was surely the right thing to do.
"Maybe in where the pump is?" he suggested.
"I'll be right back."
He wasn't right back, and a little banging was going on back there.
"Everything okay?" Heyes called. He closed his eyes at the increased pain.
"Sorry!" he easily heard yelled from his friend.
"It's all right," the older of the two reforming outlaws said, hardly more than a whisper. Heyes kept his eyes closed, the need for sleep now pressing, suddenly feeling no capacity to fight it.
"Heyes. Heyes," Kid whispered as he tried to wake his partner. He knew he needed to watch that. They couldn't afford any more than Larabee and Standish to know who they were. He knelt in front of his best friend, rubbed his knee and called, "Joshua." It was loud enough that it should have woken Heyes, but it didn't. "Jesus, please don't die," he said as he leaned his forehead on Heyes' hand.
"He will not die." Kid jumped at Ezra's assurance. "We will figure this out. Mistah Jones, this is Gloria Potter. Could you step aside, please?" Dottie followed, saw the state that Hannibal Heyes was in, and covered her mouth in worry.
"Thank god I came to get you, Gloria. I only thought he looked poorly, I thought maybe there was a tea he could take to help him sleep. Is he passed out, Thaddeus?" Dottie asked. Ezra carried a valise, which he set on the floor beside the chair where Heyes sat. Gloria opened it and pulled out a small vial. The card sharp pulled up a chair for the owner of the mercantile. She sat, with the small bottle in her hand.
"Mr. Smith? Mr. Smith! All right. Mr. Jones, would you please go behind Mr. Smith and hold his head. When he smells this, he will try to pull away. Some do it so violently that they have been known to hurt their necks."
Kid did as he was told. But before he allowed her to go any further, he grasped Heyes around his neck, leaned up against him, cheek to cheek, and said, loudly, like Gloria did, and with a trembling voice, "Hey! Joshua!" He was purposeful in starting with 'Hey' in the hopes that his friend would hear the beginnings of his real name and snap out of whatever was happening here. He had fainted much like this at least two times before in the last couple of weeks. It scared the hell out of Kid … out of both of them. It scared him well more than any fright he might experience from the notorious gunman Chris Larabee. He leaned down and practically begged, "Joshua, come on. Please wake up." Ezra and Gloria watched, Dottie, too, farther away. Chris Larabee walked in.
"What happened?" he asked softly to Dottie. He had seen Ezra and Gloria rushing behind Dottie from Potter's Mercantile, then in front of the bank and Virginia's hotel, across the street to the Gem and finally around the corner of Ben and Dottie's properties, obviously heading to an emergency where Heyes and Curry were staying.
"He wasn't feeling well. I think he's fainted. Mr. Jones is trying to wake him. Gloria's going to try smelling salts if he doesn't wake on his own … "
"Mmnnng … " Heyes moaned.
"Good, Joshua. Come on. Wake up. Time to wake up," Kid insisted as he moved from behind his friend to kneel in front of him. He got right close, placed his hands on both of his partner's forearms. He rubbed them and said, "Come on." Heyes moaned again. "That's right. Ya got a bit of an audience here. I know you like to be awake for that." Heyes moaned some more. Kid reached his hand up and cupped his ailing friend's cheek. "Joshua, wake up. Come on."
"This is good. He's breathing well enough or he wouldn't be moaning," Gloria said softly to Chris and Dottie. "I think he'll come to now, without this," she said, raising the vial of the smelling salts. "Awful stuff. Better not to have to risk it." Ezra stood back, watching the interaction between the two men. This was more than just partners out on the trail, or partners in crime. These two men had a special relationship. It seemed a lot like the friendship he had built with a couple of his law enforcement partners. He looked over casually to Chris, who was already looking back at him. The glance they shared said everything about their commitment to help these two. Ezra nodded his head, back toward the center of town. Chris smirked, both acknowledging how lucky they felt that the important women in their lives were not present to witness that look. The debates those expressions would elicit would prevent any likelihood of sexual relations until they fessed up to what those looks meant.
"What're you two thinking?" Dottie asked.
"Nothin'," they both said, in unison and everything.
"Mm-hmm," the owner of the corner building they currently stood in said.
"That's good. Open your eyes. That's right. Hey … um, hey, almost there." Chris and Ezra shared another look. A full-on slip like that would be disastrous. Stressful situations like this could make it easy to forget.
"What?" Heyes mumbled. He started to move.
"No, no. You're fine. You wakin' up?" Kid asked.
Heyes opened his eyes, blinking as he came to. "Did I fall asleep?" he asked with a worried brow, looking Kid in the eyes.
"Not exactly, Joshua."
The man who moments ago had been out cold looked around. "Sorry," he said as he sat up straighter in the chair.
"No need for that, Mistah Smith. Has this happened often, these fainting spells?" Ezra asked.
"This is the third time," Kid said.
"Fourth, Thaddeus. One o' the days you 'n' the judge's ranch foreman checked all o' th' fencing at the far side of 'is grazing land," the silver-tongued though currently slurred-tongued man corrected his friend.
"Joshua," the noted fast draw said as he sat in the chair Gloria was sitting in not long ago. "Why didn't you say anything?"
"Evie knew. Figured she'd say somethin'."
"Probably didn't think it was her place," Chris said. "It was yours, though. I've been there with friends wanting to hide their hurts."
"Now, Mr. Larabee, Ezra hasn't been like that for a long time. Not since the Denver trip."
"Thank you for defending mah honor, dear lady," Ezra said as he took Gloria's hand and kissed it in a most gentlemanly fashion. "Now, if Mistah Larabee could refrain from interrupting our discovery, Mistah Smith, do you feel up to discussin' some of your symptoms now such that Ah could relay them to Nathan before he sees you tomorrah, or would you rather rest for the remainder of the day and wait for that discussion until then?"
"Joshua will rest. We have found that rest can keep this particular side effect of whatever this is in check," Kid said. "Thank you, though, for your concern. I think I can speak for both of us when I say your concern and, well, just wanting to help … it means a lot."
"Not only can you speak for both of us, but you do. Eloquently so," Heyes said as he grabbed his lifelong friend's hand and squeezed it. His speech was suddenly less slurred and much more like normal.
"Are you sure you're all right, young man?" Gloria asked.
"Yes, ma'am. This has only been a momentary thing."
"This one was longer," Kid Curry said.
"I'm sorry about that. And I guess we scared a few people." Heyes smiled, a little embarrassed. But his eyes grew wide as he sat straight up in the chair.
"Whoa, whoa. What're you doin'?" Kid asked as Ezra reached over and grasped the disoriented man's shoulder to help keep him seated and not toppled over onto the floor.
"I hope … I mean … was Jeremiah here when I fainted?"
"Aw." Dottie walked to Hannibal Heyes, leaned over, in front of Ezra, and gave the ailing man a huge hug. "No, we left before you got this bad. Thaddeus was very sweet with him," she added as she looked to Kid. "Thank you for that." She looked back to Heyes. "But Jeremiah was worried for you, and I have learned that just because a person is only seven years old, that doesn't mean that what they have to say should be ignored."
"Young Master Pike is an amazingly astute child," Ezra said.
"'m glad he wasn't here. I would like to let 'im know that I'm all right."
"Well, I think it might be best for you to be all right before you try to con Jeremiah Pike," Ezra said.
Heyes closed his eyes and sat still, breathing in and out. "Probably."
"Mr. Smith?" Gloria called. No response had Nathan Jackson's some time helper ask again, "Mr. Smith?" Gloria looked to Kid Curry. "Should I try the smelling salts?"
"No, no, no," Heyes answered. "I'm just tired."
"He's been takin' a good, long nap after these … I don't know, what're we calling these things?"
"Black out," Chris offered helpfully.
"Fade," Gloria suggested.
"Swoon," Ezra offered with a wry grin. Heyes appreciated the humor with a crooked grin. He didn't appreciate as much Kid's loud guffaw at the word choice.
"Well," Kid said as he finished laughing, the relief that he was actually conversing with his friend clear to all in the room, "ya went out like a burned-out wick, so I think faint is probably just fine."
"Jeremiah would say that you pooped out," Dottie said. She looked around the room. "He's still fascinated with poop. I keep hoping he'll get past this phase. It doesn't help that his father enjoys hearing him laugh when he says the word." She looked over to Heyes, who sat with his eyes closed once more. "I have dinner to get ready for my two poop-loving men, so I'm going to say good day to you all. Thaddeus, our house is behind the garden if you need anything. I will be in the shop for the next hour, then at home. Please come if you need anything. Please come," she said as she hugged him.
"Thank you, Dottie." She left the room.
"Gloria, thank you," Ezra said. "I think he will be fine."
"He is. He's usually just tired after one of these … fainting spells."
"Very well, if you are sure."
"I am," Kid said. "Thank you for coming. We appreciate it."
"I am not far away. If the store is closed, Dottie can find me, if I'm needed."
"Thank you, Mrs. Potter," Kid Curry said. Chris walked Gloria to the door, then returned to the one seated and two standing men.
"Sit … Thaddeus," Ezra said. "Sit in this other comfortable chair beside your partner." Ezra moved the dining chair around and sat on it, facing Kid Curry. "Sit down before you fall down."
"I'm fine," Kid said as he sat as instructed. "Joshua," he said as he patted Heyes' forearm.
"You could call him by his regular name when it's just us," Chris suggested as he also moved one of the dining chairs over to the group.
"No," Heyes said, blinking heavy eyelids. "We need to use … " he started, looking to both windows, noticing that it was decidedly darker outside than it had been last he looked. The sun was much lower now in the western sky. Their south and east-facing windows would allow their room to cool off much earlier than just about any other place they might have chosen for themselves to stay.
Kid clasped his partner's arm affectionately when he started to doze. "We have to use our aliases." He spoke softly, hoping to let his partner rest a while before he put him to bed. "We have experienced getting too close to people in the past and slipped with Heyes or Kid. We're lucky that we haven't had trouble with any of those folks."
"You made a good impression on them, they would not wish to jeopardize your potential amnesty and ultimate freedom," Ezra explained.
"I feel like we could easily get tripped up here with using our real names. You've all been so understanding, nice and welcoming." Kid shook his head. "We've talked about only using our aliases, even when it's just us, even out on the trail. But we always fall back on our real names."
"That's understandable. But try your best. We've got law partners who will pounce on hearing Kid Curry or Hannibal Heyes, and then we'll be in real trouble," Chris said.
"Well, our best option for having that not happen is to leave these two gentlemen for the evening. Ah assume we will not be seeing you in the saloon later?" Ezra asked.
"No. Even if he wakes up soon, he won't be up for much."
"He looks done in," Chris said.
"Yeah," Kid replied. "Hey, this coffee is cold now. How late is the bakery open?"
Ezra checked his watch. "About another hour. Ah will stop in and ask Casey for a pot to be brought over. Ah see you have something to eat. Would you like me to have her make a couple of sandwiches?"
"That would be great. Ask her to just come in with it, could you? I think I can get him in bed by then. Would be nice to let him sleep, if possible." Kid Curry said all of this in a soft voice, but not a whisper.
Ezra did speak in a whisper. "He is soothed by your voice," he noticed.
"Sure, when I'm not yellin' at 'im. We have had a lot of arguments this last year. More than ever. We've known each other since we were kids, but things were never like this."
"You are living through a most stressful time. Whatever is wrong with Joshua," Ezra said, using the alias, and looking to Chris to make sure he understood that he should do so as well, "it is likely that, though he doesn't present it on a regular basis when you and he are in dire situations, running from posses or bounty hunters or whatever else might be worrying you these days, he is feelin' it. Ah admit that mah own difficult medical concerns over these last years worried me more than having to worry for mah life and livelihood as you two have, but there were certainly times where the stresses of what it was that was causing me so much physical distress likely made things worse."
"Ez," Chris said. "I didn't know."
"You did. You might not have recognized it yourself, but how you reacted, your support throughout that time was often all that kept me sane. You and Vin." Ezra looked away, not wanting Chris Larabee to see the rest of the painful story in his eyes, except he knew that Chris already knew the remainder of it.
"You nearly left us, more than once."
"But Ah knew Ah would not have to. Ah made a commitment to our small burg. To you, even if that agreement was initially under duress." The former con man smiled at the former gunslinger. "But Thaddeus need not hear our entire history on his first night in Four Corners."
"No, but I would like to hear more. We both would. We figure that dime novel didn't tell it all, and it probably didn't get what it told correct."
"It merely skimmed the surface and enhanced our true selves, all at the same time," and with a wry smile, Ezra finished, "and thus, we are immediate legends."
Kid smiled. "More tomorrow, maybe? And coffee and sandwiches?"
"Coming soon. Casey is truly a lovely girl. She will talk your ear off, so please remind her that Joshua is ailing and needs his rest. Good evening." Both Chris and Ezra tipped their hats and left the room.
Kid Curry turned to Heyes. He patted his forearm. "Joshua, can you wake up?"
"I haven't really been asleep. I heard you all talking. It was weird. It felt good, listening to you and Standish not wanting to wake me."
"Okay, if you say so. How 'bout you get changed and ready for bed?"
"I can't hardly believe I'm saying this, but I could get in bed, happily, even though it's very early."
"Ezra is sending Casey from the bakery with a fresh pot of coffee and some sandwiches. Do you want to stay dressed or get in bed?"
"Let me hit the outhouse and then get changed. I could eat, though, so if I'm asleep when the food comes, wake me."
"After Casey leaves. Apparently, she likes to talk."
"So do I. So do you," Hannibal Heyes said, his smile warm as he looked at his dear companion.
"That's not my point."
"I know, Kid."
"Thaddeus."
"Good point. Help me up." Heyes got up, but he almost went down, Kid Curry the only thing stopping him from cracking his head on the small table they used for dining earlier.
"Whoa," Kid said. "Ya'all right?"
"Yeah, yeah," Heyes said as he waited to get his bearings. He patted his partner's stomach, an act of affection that he had begun to do well back in their youth, and said, "I'm okay. I'll be right back."
"You sure you're all right to walk there by yourself?"
"Yeah. I'm good, but I admit, this is all getting pretty old."
"I know. Maybe this healer can figure something out. Between him and Joe, and maybe the medicine men, they can all figure this out." Kid smiled at this man, this man who frustrated and annoyed and made him want to break up their partnership more than once. But he knew that would never be. Beyond all that frustration and annoyance and brooding about leaving their partnership behind, the one thing that worked overtime, took precedence over all else in their lives, was their commitment to each other. It dated back to when they were kids, and held true through separation and some pretty trying times. Theirs was a love between men that would hold forever. And as much as Heyes had talked of calling it quits, not with him but with life itself as he struggled these last many weeks with this mystery illness, Kid knew it was his job to keep this man who he loved, loved more than any other soul, alive for as long as it took to figure this all out. They would do it, they had to. Kid Curry didn't want to think of what it meant if they didn't.
"Did you really mean what you said yesterday?" Chris Larabee asked as he ate a late breakfast with Ezra Standish and Vin Tanner. Vin had returned from a quick visit out to Nettie Wells' place to work on another leak in the roof of her barn the previous day. It would be soon time to get some men together and get the old rancher a new roof. The weather would break in the next month or so. The time to organize that crew was upon him. Vin took Nettie to Eagle Bend to catch the train to Cortez and then arrived back early yesterday evening.
Ezra coughed his coffee back into his mug. He coughed again as Vin patted him hard on his back.
"Vin, Ah do still require mah back, if you do not mind," he stated as he winced and pulled away from his heavy-handed friend. The card sharp cleared his throat and added, "Chris, if you are askin' me to remembah every word spoken yesterday, then might Ah suggest that you requisition for me a much larger book in which to jot down notes of mah conversations? Ah assume you would not be quizzing me on conversations held with others throughout mah day?"
"Cut it out, Ezra. You know what I'm talking about," Chris said.
"What'd ya say ta make 'im mad this time?" Vin asked as he rubbed Ezra's back where he'd previously been hammering it. The southerner seemed happy with the soothing touch.
"Nothin'," Ezra said at the same time Chris said the same thing, not dropping the 'g'. The two friends looked at each other with affable grins.
"Ya may as well tell me. I'll git the story from one 'r the other of ya, eventually," Vin said as he enjoyed some of Ezra's delicious coffee. Chris looked at Ezra, waiting for his answer.
"Very well. Ah simply mentioned that Ah had similar troubles to what Ah suspect our Mistah Smith is sufferin', that during the longest period when Ah was felled by illness that the stresses of that time brought me to occasionally contemplate leavin' here."
"But ya didn't, and ya didn't because ya had people here who cared for ya. Maybe this Smith feller can feel that way once he sees what a good town can mean to a man." Vin's brilliant blue eyes grew wide as he stared at his friend. He looked at Ezra as Ezra suddenly found other things to look at in the saloon, things that were not the two men he shared breakfast with. "Ezra." The poker player with the accomplished poker face seemed intent to avoid looking at the man speaking. "Ezra," Vin demanded. The man in the handsome brocade vest turned to the tracker. "I don't think this Smith feller is thinkin' the same as you. He's here." Vin leaned into the table and continued, "I figure he was thinkin' about some other way out, some more permanent … " Vin stopped speaking as he stared worriedly at this friend. "Ez, you weren't talkin' 'bout your being sick. You were thinking about Fred and how long you've been heartsick about him bein' gone. You weren't thinkin' 'bout something permanent like that, were ya?"
Chris looked intently to his friend who had been in such pain, such depression, for so long, waiting for the answer. No answer fast enough had him demand an answer. "Ezra?"
Ezra looked away and then down to his coffee cup. He shook his head, looked up and answered honestly. "Perhaps, in a moment or two of weakness, Ah may have … " Ezra replied.
"When?" Chris and Vin questioned at the same time.
"This conversation is pointless. Ah no longer retain such thoughts."
"Ezra," Chris said, "it's important that if you ever feel like that, for any reason, that you come talk to us."
"Ah shall."
"No, I need your word, Ez. I need you to know that you never have to feel despair that would take you to that point, ever again. Promise me you'll come see us." Ezra stared at Chris, for a very long time. He then turned to Vin, whose expression told the gambler that he would have no chance to begin his day without providing the commitment his partners sought. The southerner knew that he was still far from being right in his head or in his heart about Fred no longer being with him. He knew that many a man – and likely some women – would never understand his feelings on this point. But he had friends here in this town, friends well removed from just his six law enforcement brethren, who did sympathize with his reaction. But foremost were the six men who he worked with. They had been loyal far beyond any point where he should have expected such support.
"Ah commit to you both that Ah will seek your counsel should Ah evah feel such pain again. That is an easy promise to make to you gentlemen. Ah feel unworthy of such friendship, and grateful for it, beyond words."
"Okay," Chris said.
"Sounds good, Ezra," Vin added. "And ya ain't unworthy. You understand?"
"He understands," Chris said. The two men waited, just to make sure Ezra grasped their point.
"Ah do."
And then with a smile and choosing to leave the painful conversation behind, for now, Vin added with a smile, "Yer up early. 'Fore noon. Got plans?"
"Ah wished to speak with Nathan before his examination of Mistah Smith. Ah remained awake for a long period contemplating his difficulties yesterday."
"He had trouble?"
"Yeah. Fainted. Was out for a while," Chris said.
"Damn. Think it was the travel?"
"It might have been a contributing factor." Ezra passed his coffee cup over to Chris for a refill.
"Where's Inez?" Vin asked.
Ezra sighed. "On her way to Las Cruces."
"Hell. Sorry, Ezra," the tracker said.
"It does not have to mean anything. Ah like to believe that she will wait as Ah … " Ezra waved his hand toward his head and then added, "… gather mahself. Ah suppose it would be a lot to ask."
"Not necessarily, Ezra. Maybe it's just easier for her not to see you in pain," Chris said.
"Maybe." Ezra stood up, then continued, "Ah believe Ah will wait outside for …." Before he could finish, gunfire was heard. "Hell," the professional poker player said as he stood and rushed to the door. Chris and Vin were with him as they got to the exit to the saloon.
"Where's everyone else?"
"Josiah might be at the church. Ah do not know."
"Damn," Hannibal Heyes said as he finished his breakfast in his room. They were surprised to see Dottie deliver their breakfast when they had been given the description of the Mexican saloon manager to look for to deliver their morning meal.
"Whaddya want to do?" Kid Curry asked.
"Let's go and at least make sure Dottie and her family are secure. We'll keep our guns in our holsters until we need 'em."
"You're not fast enough for that."
"Ha, ha," Heyes countered quickly. They stood, dropped their napkins and headed out the door, carefully looked up and down the avenue as they searched for any gunmen, then rushed over to Pike's store. Bullets ricocheted off the overhang for the boardwalk, shooting wood chips their way.
"Shit," Kid said as he grasped his partner's arm and cushioned their fall to the hard wood floor outside the grocery. They both landed hard enough to get the wind knocked out of them, but it was only momentary.
"Stay put, fellas," a man who they assumed was Ben Pike said to them through a window. "Joshua and Thaddeus?"
"That's us," Heyes said.
"Nice to meet ya. I'm Ben. My wife is mightily impressed with you fellas. She's a sucker for a pretty face." They could see he was holding a rifle and staying away from the open window. "If you boys are heading our way, don't worry, we'll be fine."
"Well, Ben, first, thanks for the compliment, but I think Dottie was mostly taken with me. My partner probably didn't impress quite as much."
"You're Joshua, right?"
More gunfire, not aimed their way, could be heard. "Yeah," Heyes said.
"Well, you're wrong. Dottie sat me down and she and Jeremiah told me all about both of you. Jeremiah was worried about you, Joshua. Thaddeus, he thought your gun was real nice, also your moustache. Dottie was taken with your manners, your hair, your hands, Joshua." Heyes and Kid looked at each other and laughed lightly. "She thought you were sweet, Thaddeus, for worrying so over Joshua and being so nice to our son. And Joshua, you know a sick man not afraid to show it is pretty irresistible to a woman."
"Hell," Heyes whispered. "How out of it was I yesterday?"
"Out of it," Kid answered, still clearly upset about the previous day's events.
"You boys all right out there?"
"Yeah. And I apologize for worrying your wife," Heyes said.
"You should apologize for her being distracted by another pretty face. I get enough of that with Ezra hanging around."
"I'd like to talk some more, Ben, but we're gonna head farther in town and see what we can do to stop all this nonsense," Heyes said.
"Let me suggest that you be very careful and do not get shot. Dottie won't be happy with me if you get shot. And don't ask why. You know why. Be careful. And thanks for coming to check on us."
"Let's meet proper in a little while," Kid said.
"You bet," Ben called from inside his store.
"Come on," Heyes said.
The two reforming outlaws made their way up the avenue. They met a couple coming out of the Gem Hotel. They turned them back inside and called for the bellhop to make sure everyone remained inside until the shooting stopped. The same encounter happened at the post office.
"Don't these people know to stay inside until they don't hear bullets flying anymore?" Kid asked.
"Think maybe they're too used to seven men protecting them too good," Heyes replied.
"Mistah Smith, Mistah Jones!" They looked across the street where they saw Ezra Standish up against the wall of the jail.
"Yeah!" Kid yelled, knowing that his partner would already be developing a headache with all of the gunplay going on, his own yelling would not help with the soon-to-be aching head.
"They are trying to make their way on foot through town. Ah believe they failed to account for all of the bullets they might need to accomplish their aim."
"And what exactly was that?" Heyes called back, followed by an audible groan.
"I'll call to him."
"Shit," Heyes said as he massaged his forehead.
"Ah believe they were here to emancipate someone from our jail."
"Did they get 'im?" Kid called.
"They did not."
"Was anyone covering the jail? Are they all right?"
"No one was covering the jail," Ezra replied.
"Well, why not?!" Heyes yelled, indignant. "Shit," he whispered.
"I don't know how someone so smart can be so dumb," Kid whispered to his partner.
"Thank you."
"Because we do not have anyone currently enjoying a stay in our jail."
A scream was heard. "Oh, hell," Ezra said. To Heyes and Curry, Ezra called, "Go back to your room. They are at the Clarion." And just like that, he ran north, following the boardwalk. They heard noise up above, across the street, and watched as a man shimmied down the corner of the building, stepped on the overhang to the mercantile, and jumped down, landing in a cloud of dust in front of the store. The man tipped his hat to them, and then ran in the same direction that Ezra did.
"Tanner," Heyes and Curry said in unison. "Guess we should help, might need it."
"Or," Kid challenged his friend, "we could go back to our room like Standish said." The blond looked at the darker one of the outlaw pair. "But we're not gonna do that, are we?"
"Nope."
"All right. But try to not make it obvious what we're doin'. We aren't known in this town."
"Oh, really? So, you think I should keep my gun in my holster until I need it. Hm. Where have I heard that before?"
"Shut up, Heyes."
"Smith. Or Joshua, to you."
"Let's go."
As they approached the Clarion newspaper, Heyes remained on the east side of the street, out in front of the cigar shop. Kid crossed over and joined Ezra out in front of the bathhouse, just next door to the newspaper office.
"This town needs more alleys," Kid said.
"Today it does," Ezra agreed.
"Do we know what's going on?"
"Chris is inside, negotiating." Ezra shook his head.
"That's bad."
"Most likely."
"Some guy with long hair came runnin' after you. Is he Tanner?"
"Yes."
"What happened to him?"
"He is taking the long route to the back of the Clarion. Ah would have explained that a series of actions would transpire to complete the goings-on here before he could achieve any success, but Ah believe he forgot that there is new construction … Ah, here we go. Remain quiet as we await our instructions from Mistah Larabee."
"Stand down, everyone," Chris called.
"What?" Ezra Standish and Kid Curry said to each other. Kid looked across the street and he could tell by body movements alone that Heyes didn't agree with this instruction, either.
"I'm lettin' 'em go. They got horses out behind the stage company's stables. They're gonna let Mary go once they get on their horses."
"And then you'll form a posse," Kid said softly.
"No posse," Chris said.
"What?" Ezra and Kid questioned again, only loud enough for each other to hear.
"What the hell is goin' on?" Ezra queried out loud.
"Everybody stand down."
At that moment, the distraction of one Vin Tanner happened as he came running down the avenue from the Ritz Hotel. Someone from across the way looked down the street, and then one of the two men who held Mary between the two of them followed that man's look left. His partner just started to turn. At that moment, a bullet struck him, high on his shoulder, on his shooting arm. He fell away from Mary. His associate, startled, tried to grab for Mary, to pull her closer, but Vin took his mare's leg and took one of the man's legs out of commission. He dropped to the ground, dropped his gun, and screamed at the pain of the hit. Ezra was on top of Mary in no time, pulling her away from the tangle of men on the ground, with Vin and Kid kicking away and picking up guns from the two men who had ruined a peaceful morning in Four Corners. Chris Larabee headed straight for Hannibal Heyes.
"What? Hey!" Kid started to call his partner's name. "Hey!" he yelled again. Ezra and Vin turned to see Chris charging across the street. Josiah finally showed up, just in time.
"Secure our prisoners, Josiah," Ezra said as he ran full speed across the street. "Chris! No!"
Hannibal Heyes was securing his weapon as he looked up and saw Chris storming his way. He heard 'Hey!' and 'Chris!' and 'No' all being yelled, but he was still feeling the adrenaline high of having shot someone. It was rare that he was in a position to have to make such an attempt, and the happening so rare that he could feel the energy of it thrumming through his veins.
"Chris, don't hit him!" Ezra yelled again. The former con man must have gotten through because Chris didn't hit him, but what he did do might not save him from the ire of one Jedediah 'Kid' Curry.
"What?" Heyes asked. He wasn't prepared to ask any more than that, he hadn't done anything to be worried about. Whatever that something was that had Chris Larabee coming at him as he was, he couldn't imagine, and it was too late, anyway. Chris pushed him, with all of his might, through the open door of the cigar shop. Heyes flew backwards, through the air, and landed on the stacked bags of tobacco that were stored along the wall, on top of a hard, solid oak table. Fortunately, his head did not suffer a hit, his upper back, neck and head landed against the firm-though-soft padding of the tobacco. His lower back wasn't so lucky. "Uhn," he grunted as the bags of tobacco followed him to the floor.
"Chris, no!" Ezra yelled. "No more!" he added as he and Vin pulled him away from the downed wanted man.
"Joshua. Damn it," Kid said as he fell to his knees and kept his hand soothingly on his friend's chest. Heyes tried to move, but he groaned with pain and stayed put. "Don't move," Kid said. He heard a deep, soothing voice behind him and saw a black man now standing beside Standish and Tanner as they held Larabee back. "Are you Jackson?"
"Yeah. I just got back." If Kid had been paying attention to anything other than his partner, and how much he wanted to hurt Chris Larabee, he would have noticed the fancy rig in which the healer rode back into town. "What happened?"
"That piece of garbage attacked him for saving that woman's life," Kid said, pointing first to Chris and then to a distraught Mary Travis. Mary looked to Chris and, if looks could kill, Kid Curry was pretty sure the newspaper publisher would take care of what he himself wanted to do. Nathan Jackson looked over to his partners in crime fighting. He shook his head and then said, "I'm Nathan Jackson. You're Joshua, right?"
"Yeah," Heyes answered through a hiss of pain.
"Did you hit your head?"
"Only on this fine tobacco," his answer short and to the point and seemingly only a distraction from his real, current pain.
"That's good. But you're hurtin'. Where'd you get hit?"
"Well, when Mr. Larabee … assaulted me, I flew through the air and landed perfectly just above my hip, on that nice piece of oak."
Ezra kneeled beside the three men on the ground. He spoke softly. "Nathan, maybe we should take Mistah Smith to his room and you can further examine him there," he suggested. "If it is what you and Ah believe it might be, he will need to remain unmoving for some days to come."
"What?" Heyes and Curry asked.
"There is no need to concern yourself. You will abide by Nathan's suggestion. Ah can vouch for the fact that you will recover well and faster if you follow his instructions."
"My, how things have changed."
"Mistah Wilmin'ton, might Ah ask, where have you been?"
"Just over ta Cortez. Again. Didn't expect to have a crowd greeting me. Howdy. Buck Wilmington," the former Texas Ranger said, introducing himself. "What'd ya do to make Chris mad?" That question had Kid Curry up and moving to Larabee in a flash.
"Thaddeus!" Heyes called as he tried to get up and stop his partner from doing something they would both regret.
"Stay down. Vin'll stop him," Nathan said to his new patient.
"No. He won't," Heyes groaned as he realized that the hit he took was going to be a problem.
"Then Vin and Buck will stop him," Ezra said calmly.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" Kid Curry yelled. He was ready to throw a punch. They seemed about the same height, likely similar weight. It would have been quite a fight, if Vin and Buck hadn't kept the men apart. But that short distance did not stop Kid from having his say. "His shot probably saved her life. Those two weren't going to care if she got in the way."
"He could have shot her!" Chris countered.
"No, he couldn't."
"How do you figure that? Aren't you … "
"Chris!" Ezra yelled.
"What?"
Ezra walked up to the leader of The Magnificent Seven, and his friend, and spoke so that only the four men in front of him – Chris, Vin, Buck and Kid Curry – could hear. "Is this any way to treat visitors to our fair town? One who came here specifically to request assistance from Nathan? He is lying on a hard floor, will need assistance to rise from it. He was passed out yesterday. He is sick and he is here for our help. He is not here to be hurting worse than he already is. What precisely were you thinking?"
"I was thinking that I didn't want someone shooting to kill when my … when Mary was right there."
"He wasn't shooting to kill. He doesn't shoot to kill. Ever. He hardly pulls his weapon other than to scare, sometimes in defense. He never wants to hurt. Anyone. Even them," Kid said, waving his arm to the two men who sat on the boardwalk in front of the Clarion. They'd been tended to, well enough, by Josiah and Gloria. "And the thing you should know about my partner is that he has a natural accuracy that would be the envy of anyone. Even … "
"Very well. We need not continue airing out your differences out here on the street. And we will want to get Joshua back to your room post haste."
"Post haste?" Kid asked as he walked away from Larabee and moved back to his friend.
"He means quickly, Thaddeus." Heyes looked to Nathan. "I'm not feelin' too good, Doc."
"I'm not a doctor," Nathan admitted.
"This week, you are to me." Nathan nodded his head. "What're you feeling?"
"Lots of pain. Some embarrassment."
"Never mind that," Kid said.
"Ezra?" Nathan asked.
"Yes, suh."
"Can you get Mabel turned around and get the carriage right up to the step here?"
"Ah certainly can. Vin and Chris would you move everyone. Indeed, ladies and gentlemen, please go on back to what you were doin'. The excitement is ovah for this day." To Vin he said, "Could you enlist the aid of some of our fellow citizens to clear the boulevard so that Ah might maneuver the carriage quickly?"
"Post haste-like?"
"Amusing." Ezra turned to Chris. "Ah would request that you make your presence scarce."
"What the hell? Why?" Chris asked.
Ezra walked up closer to the former gunslinger. "You are well aware that Ah have seen similar behavior from you, many times, in the past. This was a large blunder on your part."
"Ezra," Chris growled.
"Also, have you looked at Mary recently?" Chris turned to find Mary standing beside Gloria, both of them looking his way, the look on the newspaper publisher and town leader's face not a good one.
"Hell." Chris began to move towards her. Ezra reached for his arm. "She will not be pleased with you. You basically sucker-punched a man who came to her town for assistance. She was requested to be as helpful as she could be by a man who is a good friend of her fathah-in-law. Tread lightly."
"Yeah," he replied as he took his tall frame deliberately across the street to speak with the woman to whom he was engaged, but to whom he remained unmarried well over a year after that announcement.
Just minutes later, Ezra had the pony runabout positioned tight up against the boardwalk.
"Thaddeus, help me up."
"No," Kid, Nathan and Ezra said.
"Are you planning to carry me into the carriage?" Hannibal Heyes asked.
"We are, Mistah Smith."
"You're kidding. I can walk."
"But you shouldn't," Nathan said. He had asked Buck to remain close so that they could gently move his patient into the carriage."
"Yeah, you said that I needed the carriage but you never said I couldn't walk ten feet."
"Joshua, stop giving the man a hard time. Let's get this over with so that Mr. Jackson can take a look at you."
Heyes stared at Curry. He was going to concede that he should let them carry him the ten feet, but he decided to move to see whether the pain had lessened. He made the move.
"God," he said as he stopped moving and started panting.
"Joshua," Kid said as he kneeled beside his partner. Heyes touched Kid's forearm and squeezed.
"Mr. Gordon, do you have a bowl or a bucket we could have? Quickly?" Ezra asked. The shop owner found a bowl on the countertop displaying assorted packages and tins of chewing tobacco. He emptied the large, wooden bowl and handed it to Ezra.
"Keep it." Ezra smiled sadly, appreciatively.
"Thaddeus," he said as he handed over the bowl, just in time. Heyes expelled his breakfast, delicious coffee and a couple of pastries, a small amount of orange juice. He dry heaved for a bit, used the handkerchief Ezra handed him. He breathed carefully.
"You all right?" Kid asked.
"Yeah. I," he started, cleared his sore throat, accepted the glass of water from Mr. Gordon and took a small sip. He sat, waiting to make sure he had no more vomiting to come, then took another drink, rinsed his mouth and spit it out in the bowl, and finally took a real drink. "Thank you," he said to the man running the store.
"No worries. Ain't right, what Mr. Larabee did. You done the right thing, young man. Didn't deserve that. Yer gonna have a sore back."
"Already do." Heyes turned to Nathan. "I will let you carry me to that fancy carriage now."
"Good," Nathan said. "Are you ready to go? You think you're done throwing up, for now?"
"Ugh. You're hinting that there might be more?" Heyes asked.
"Might be."
"Don't worry about it, Joshua. That symptom does not always happen."
"Happen with what, Mr. Standish?"
"We are discussing your bodily fluids. Ah believe we may use our given names, Joshua."
"No doubt you are correct, Ezra. And let me apologize for being proddy with you yesterday."
"Already forgotten," the gambler replied with a smile.
"All right, if you boys are through makin' friends, I think we should get moving," Buck encouraged.
"Do you have a date, Buck?" Ezra asked.
"Might could," the ladies' man said with a dazzling smile.
"Everyone get a limb," Nathan ordered.
"Oh, great. I'm just a piece of meat, now," Heyes said.
"Just for a little while," Kid replied. He grasped Heyes on his upper arm and rubbed it warmly. Heyes lifted his hand and tapped his friend's hand affectionately.
Nathan said, "Just get in position but don't touch him yet." The healer observed everyone in their positions. All right. Now, put your hands where you're sure to get a good hold and as much of his weight as you can."
"Doesn't this seem a little overkill?" Heyes asked.
"Joshua, Ah assume that you are not yet aware of the injury you may have sustained heah. Ah am. And Ah can assure you, if the hit to your lower back, upper hip was as severe as it appeared, you will appreciate, indeed, require the assistance."
"He's tellin' ya to be quiet," Thaddeus warned.
"Does he require such translation often?" Buck asked the other mustachioed man.
"More than I like."
"Are you two through?" Nathan asked.
"Yes," was the reply from both men.
"Very easy," Nathan warned. Heyes rolled his eyes. "All right. Lift." And Heyes' eyes rolled to the back of his head.
"He's fainted."
"What the hell?" Kid asked.
"He hit his hip too hard. The pain was under control until we moved him. Let's get him over to his room." Nathan looked at Kid Curry. "He's all right. This happens sometimes with severe bruising of the kidneys. And that's besides being run down from his illness. Let's just get 'im to his room. I can look him over, start treating him for this newest hurt right quick. Then see what's going on with the rest."