PART 12
Buck stood and went to open the door hearing the ruckus of the others coming up the stairs. Chris and Josiah carried Ezra between them and gently laid him on the empty cot across the room.
Ezra laid oblivious to the going-ons and the healer's ministrations. "Damn, son you're a mess," Nathan quietly chided the unconscious gambler as he removed the sweat-soaked bandages. "Okay, Josiah, I need you to clean that bullet wound good so I can stitch it up." Josiah moved without question and gathered up a bowl of clean water and some rags.
"What about his leg, Nate, Vin asked." He knew that Ezra had been favoring his right leg. Nathan produced a knife and sliced up the right pant leg. The thigh was swollen and an ugly shade of purple. Nathan pressed gently on the purpled flesh on his thigh and up the side of his torso. I just think it's bruised bad," Nathan conjectured. "We need to elevate it and get some cool compresses on it." The healer straightened and rubbed his chin. "I can't be fer sure there's no internal bleedin' but it looks favorable." Nathan figured Ezra would already be dead if anything was wrong inside.
Buck sat down the day's events finally catching up with him. He couldn't remember ever feeling so dog-tired. He couldn't help blaming himself as he took in the gambler's appearance. He wondered if Ezra would leave town when he was able? Buck straightened his lips pressed in a firm. He clasped his hands and rested them on his knees contemplating his challenging friend. No matter what it took he would find a way to keep Ezra a part of them.
Chris moved away from the group around Ezra's bed and slumped into the nearest chair. Glimpses of Ezra appeared and disappeared in the spaces between the other men as they shifted around him.
The ache in his right arm radiated tendrils of pain across his chest. He pulled at the buttons of his shirt with one hand until soft nimble fingers intervened.
Edith's fingers quickly worked the buttons around and helped him remove his shirt. The bullet had gouged a deep furrow on his outer bicep. He grunted as Edith cleaned the wound.
"This will need a few stitches," she explained dropping a bloody cloth into a pail.
"Ma'am, Nathan's busy. Can you do it?" Chris asked, he didn't want Nathan's attention anywhere but on their injured gambler.
She regarded Chris thoughtfully for a moment. "Yes, Mr. Larabee," she said warmly. "I can do it." She positioned Chris's hand to grip the little wooden arm of the chair and without hesitation began to repair the wound.
M7M7M7M7M7
Chris flexed his repaired arm and smiled warmly at Edith who was helping Inez clean up the bloody rags and get more water. Nathan was now cleaning and stitching up the lashes on Ezra's back. The gambler was starting to regain consciousness and squirming slightly under Josiah and Vin's hold.
"Hang on now!" Nathan commanded. "Almost there." Nathan tied off several stitches in Ezra's back. Josiah held the gambler's shoulders watching as his features twisted with his nightmare.
JD stood behind the overturned wagon. He held a gun in each hand and fired directly into the bright sun. Ezra squinted into the glare. He was desperate to clear his vision but could not keep his eyes open. He heard close gunfire and saw the shot hit JD square in the back. JD burst into flames and then shattered as if made of glass. "NO!" Ezra screamed and reached out to catch the falling glass. It rained down, slicing into his skin. "JD!"
"JD is right here, Ezra." The preacher's baritone voice was filled with compassion as he tried to reach the gambler. "Ya gotta stop fightin' us now."
"Ezra?" Chris stood behind Josiah studying the gambler's expressions. He had watched the progress of a bad dream pervert his friend's features. Now they seemed distorted purely by pain.
"Ezra, wake up," Chris demanded. Josiah and Nathan carefully turned Ezra over as Chris knelt. "Ez, wake up. C'mon, pard. Open your eyes." Chris said gently as he smoothed back Ezra's sweat-soaked curls.
The five men watched as Ezra tilted his head toward Chris and his eyes fluttered open. He licked his dry lips and swallowed hard. Nathan responded by producing a cup of his tea, laced with laudanum. They lifted his head and he drank it without complaint.
Ezra looked slowly around at the other men and a sudden terror seized him. "JD!?"
"Here, Ez. I'm right here." JD spoke before anyone else could answer Ezra's plea. He stood next to Buck, trembling with the effort of walking across the room. Edith and Inez supported him on either side. Inez had wrapped a quilt around his waist and held it securely. As they helped JD sit on the edge of Ezra's bed Buck winced at a kick from Inez.
"I'm sorry but we couldn't stop him," She said to Nathan then glared at Buck. "Someone untied him."
"Glad you made it back, Ezra," JD reached out and grasped the gambler's hand affectionately.
Ezra blinked and studied JD hopefully. He tightened his grip on the warm flesh of JD's hand. "Mr. Dunne…" Ezra whispered, "It's good to see you."
"You, too," JD's trembling increased and he drew in a hard breath. Still, he managed a genuine smile. "Ezra, you look terrible."
"Course he does, kid," Buck laughed. "That's 'cause he don't have a fancy outfit like that one yer wearin'. Maybe you could lend it to him?"
Soft chuckles filled the room.
Tears ran down Ezra's face. "JD, I'm so sorry…"
"Ez, you have nothing to be sorry about. You saved Mrs. Travis and I don't need a protector." JD looked pointedly at Buck and the others. "I expect to be treated the same. We all take the same risks," JD railed and glared at the men he most respected in the world. "I'm a lawman same as you all, right?" JD asked. Everyone nodded. "Yes, JD you are," Chris added.
JD's face softened returning his boyish façade. He returned his attention to the injured gambler. "I should have been paying better attention. You and Vin are always tellin' me to be aware of my surroundings especially during a gunfight…I guess I need to work on that."
Ezra smiled, realizing the young sheriff harbored no ill will against him, something he found hard to believe but was learning to accept. He slowly glanced at the others wondering if any blame resided in the other lawmen he'd also come to respect. Relief diminished some of his pain as he saw no fault directed towards him.
"I trust you with my life, Ez," JD firmly added.
"We all do, Ez," Buck softly added, bowing his head a moment. Ezra's brow furrowed in doubt. Buck raised his head and stared dead into Ezra's eyes and firmly declared, "I do trust you, Ez just need to think first before allowing emotions to take control." He didn't want Ez to doubt his sincerity. "I need to apologize for striking you and especially for what I was thinking you might have done."
"There's no need, you were just worried about young Mr. Dunne, completely understandable," Ezra murmured averting his eyes from Buck's regretful gaze.
"Bullshit," Chris calmly exclaimed causing Ezra's eyebrows to raise. "You saved Mary, any one of us would of done the same thing. You have nothing to be sorry for and I want you to understand something. You belong here, with us. Stop thinking you're anything less. I'm done with it…you understand?"
Ezra fought to keep the smile from his face. "Yes, completely."
"And that goes for me too, if I ever do anything that stupid again, you have my permission to shoot me with that pea shooter of yours," Buck interjected.
"Really?"
"Hell, I probably wouldn't even feel it."
Chris raised a sandy brow at his oldest friend a corner of his mouth quirking into a smile at the idea.
"That might be amusing," Ezra weakly stated.
"No it wouldn't cause I'd have to dig the damn bullet out," Nathan good-naturely announced.
This brought some much-needed laughter into the room easing the tension and lifting the mood.
Ezra's face softened as he fought the effect of Nathan's tea and his weakened condition. He did have friends, people who had done whatever they could to retrieve him. People who cared. The feelings were overwhelming and Ezra was grateful for Nathan's tea as he fell away into a dreamless sleep.
"He's going to be okay, right Nathan?" Chris asked as the healer pulled the blanket up to Ezra's chin.
"Yeah, he's just going to need lots of rest."
"Looks like you're going to be pulling double duty for awhile Bucklin," Chris suddenly exclaimed.
Buck winced but shook his head in agreement. It was the least he could do.
"Ez might have forgiven us, but I'd be watching our backs for payback," Vin added with a smirk.
Attention turned as Judge Orrin Travis entered the clinic. Chris respectfully stood to face the magistrate. He had sent a telegram earlier to the judge after arresting Bryce Rosen and also letting him know about JD.
The lines on Travis's face deepened with his growing frown. "There seems to have been a lot going on lately."
"Boy howdy, you got that right judge," Buck blurted out then was shushed by everyone as Ezra stirred.
JD had returned to his bed and propped himself up on an elbow with the Judge's entrance.
"First off, Sheriff Dunne it's good to see you on the mend. Second, what in the hell happened to Mr. Standish and your jail appears to be missing a prisoner."
Orrin glared at Larabee knowing it was having little effect on the deadly gunslinger.
Edith shifted to move forward prepared to admit what she had done. As her grief subsided her guilt over taking a life grew. She couldn't believe what she had done, but if she was honest with herself she didn't regret it.
Josiah suddenly stepped in front of her barely shaking his head and bringing a figure to his lips. They had all discussed what they would say to the Judge. None of them wanted the widow to go to jail – it was a righteous lie.
"Judge, sorry to say our prisoner was killed during an exchange," Chris said, eyeing Edith Berman to see if the widow was willing to allow them to lie for her. He knew that Orrin would be forced to send her to jail even if he knew it wouldn't be right.
The judge's eyebrow quirked up. "Exchange?"
"Yeah, judge the father of the man we held grabbed Ez here and wanted to trade," Buck added. "We just couldn't let that stand."
"We tried to make the trade but things went sideways and well Bryce Rosen was killed," Vin added. He figured if Chris was going to lie to the Judge they all would lie to the Judge.
"I see," Orrin replied eyeing the mustached cowboy and walking over to where Nathan was tending to the gambler. Ezra was a mess, bruises covered his torso as well as several lashes across his body. His right leg was swollen and pain radiated throughout his weakened body. "I suppose there were extenuating circumstances." Orrin glanced over at Edith Berman who started picking up old rags off the table. Orrin sensed there was more to the story than what his hired lawmen were telling him but he also knew they would do anything to protect each other and maybe also a citizen of this town. "Well, I guess justice has been served. Mrs. Berman, please accept my condolences on the death of your husband."
Edith timidly smiled at the magistrate afraid to say anything.
"I guess I'll have more time to spend with my grandson," Travis said straightening his vest. "Nathan keep me informed on Mr. Dunne and Mr. Standish's condition."
Nathan nodded his acknowledgment as the Judge turned and walked out.
"Mr. Larabee, Why…." Edith began.
"Mrs. Berman as long as you can live with it, we can live with it." Edith thought of her husband the kindest, gentlest man she had ever known. She looked toward the two injured lawmen and everything they had sacrificed to protect her and the people of this town. How only a few outlaws could cause so much suffering was beyond her comprehension.
Edit smiled at the hard-edged gunslinger. "Mr. Larabee I don't think that'll be a problem."
The End