CHAPTER THREE - As I Recall With My Stomach
He was falling fast, before suddenly, he came to a dead stop, a painful sensation in his ankle jolting him awake.
He floated, watching as the upside-down residents of Cattletongue stopped their daily ramble and looked up to point and stare at him.
Then, he began back upwards, heavy seizing at his legs as he looked up, seeing his brother grimacing down towards him, clawing hand over hand, grabbing handfuls of Jesse's pants to pull him back up over the railing.
Jesse smiled slightly as his eyesight blurred out, spit dribbling from his mouth and up his cheek as he blacked out, his body finally failing him at length.
Frank pulled hard, finally letting out his pent breath with a grunt when he grabbed a hold of the waist of Jesse's pants and hauled his body fully up and over into his arms.
Jesse collapsed against his chest, his head at Frank's shoulder as he turned on his heel and headed back towards the window. Bob and Cole Younger had their heads out the window, but moved when they saw Frank coming back.
"Grab his shoulders." Frank manipulated Jesse's body so that he slid back inside the window shoulders-first and sideways, gripped quickly by Bob and Cole as Frank pushed the rest of him inside, successfully missing the nail once again.
With Jesse's boots dragging across the floor, the Younger brothers hauled Jesse towards the bed, laying him back down in the disheveled covers.
"Go. Get out," Frank said stone-faced as he pushed his strong body back through the window, ignoring it as he ripped a long gash down his arm on that damn loose nail. Everyone just looked at him, not moving. "I said get out of the room!" He practically yelled, forcing the Younger's brothers legs to kick into action as they hurried out of the room. As Velvet began to as well, he turned and grabbed her shoulder, startling her.
"Bring back some whiskey and bandages." She could only nod as he pushed her out the door, closing it behind her.
He turned as Jesse coughed from the bed behind him, his breath jumping as he tried to breathe, a trickle of blood bubbling up and rolling down from the corner of his mouth, his eyebrows squeezing in every direction as he writhed.
Cursing under his breath, Frank took two long steps towards him and knelt next to the bed, bringing up his hand to wipe the blood away from Jesse's face, smearing it some before he wiped it on his pants.
Then he put it on Jesse's forehead, feeling fire beneath his palm.
He turned quickly as he heard the door open, seeing Velvet come back carrying a large thing of cloth and a bottle of whiskey. Then he gave her orders once again. "You got any ice?"
"I'd have to go down to the butcher."
"Do it-"
"But I don't have any-"
"Take this." Frank reached into his back pocket and pulled out his fat, long wallet, throwing it at her. "Use it all if you have to. Take Cole, Bob and Clel with you. And make sure you crush it up."
She nodded quickly and put the things down at the end of the bed, going back out the door and downstairs, leaving the door open.
Frank palmed back Jesse's hair from his head, looking into his tightened face, feeling Jesse's breath lighten.
Moving towards the end of the bed, he started taking Jesse's boots off, then moving back up to pull off his suspenders, having to lift his torso from the bed.
Jesse's body shook as his eyes opened suddenly, rolling to meet Franks with a look of distance in them. He coughed wetly as a wash of new blood came pouring down his chin, his breath barely a whisper now.
Frank felt the hot pressure of tears push forward in his eyes as he pulled Jesse up against his chest, cursing. "...ah shit Jesse..." he put a hand to the back of Jesse's head and cradled him against his shoulder, feeling the warm plume of staining blood soak up in the shoulder of his shirt. One of Jesse's shaking, fisted hands moved up to rest against Frank's chest while his other wrapped around his shoulder, his legs folding around beneath him as he moved.
"...Frank..." he whispered through blood, his lips so close to Frank's ear he could hear the gurgling of the blood in the back of his throat.
Frank strengthened himself with a deep, asserting inhale and gently began to rock Jesse's body back and forth. Jesse's head slid against the side of his face as he passed out again, the blood from Jesse's mouth dribbling down the collar of Frank's shirt and down his chest, sticky and hot. But Frank ignored it, gently rocking, waiting for eternity for the boys to come back with the ice.
After a long time of hearing nothing but Jesse's shallow breathing, there was a knock at the door and Bob, Cole, and Clel came in packing two large, heavy buckets, filled with crushed ice. Velvet tailed them, a wooden chair from downstairs in her hands and bumping against her breasts as she walked.
"Set it by me." Frank directed, reluctant to push out his arms, feeling Jesse's deadweight arm slid from the shoulder and fall, all of his body completely limp.
They did as he instructed without a word, Velvet bringing the chair to put behind Frank in case he wanted to sit down, but he didn't notice it right off.
"Uh, Frank?" Bob said gently, only getting a flinch from Frank to show that he was listening, but wouldn't turn in his direction.
"He's, uh, bleedin' down your shirt."
"I know." Frank said as a breath, careful to cradle Jesse's head against his shoulder as long as he could while he tried to lay him back out onto the bed. Then he flinched as he watched Jesse's head slide and fall with a soft sound into the flat pillows, exposing the thick, blackened red line that was nestled beneath his chin, the burn from the godsend faulty noose.
"Everyone out." He said, and they did so, closing the door behind them with one last look.
Turning to check the two buckets of crushed ice, Frank reached into his back pocket and pulled out his knife, moving up to thumb it beneath Jesse's suspenders and cut them loose, catching them before they could hit anything. He then fisted the split collar of Jesse's shirt and pulled, hearing a soft clatter of buttons go flying to the floor. Pulling his shirt away from his chest, he let it fan out against the bed as he turned towards the ice, shoving his hands into the bottom and pulling them back out with all the ice he could, hurrying as he carried it over Jesse's shaking chest and slowly let it down. Some of the ice came down dusted pink from the cut on Frank's arm, blood spattering.
He worked armful after armful, covering Jesse's entire chest, waiting as Jesse's thick eyebrows announced that he was coming back again.
His eyes flashed open as the coldness hit him, trying to suddenly sit up against the biting pain, his arm snapping out to grab hold of Frank's sleeve. "What the..." his words were finally intelligible as he tried to rise from the bed, only to be pushed down by Frank's arm across his shoulders.
"Stay down," Frank warned, only having to push slightly at Jesse's weakened frame, though he still fought.
Jesse turned his head to him, his eyes narrowed and his jaw clenched as he was forced back, his body stiff. "Godammnit Frank...what the hell?"
"It'll draw the fever down from your head. I read it in a book." Frank assured him.
"It's cold." Jesse stared at him, fighting against the pain.
"Deal with it." Frank said dryly. Waiting as Jesse collapsed back into the straw mattress. Jesse's eyes began to slowly close, growing heavy.
Frank looked into his eyes for a long while silently as he slowly passed out again. Then, as his limp arm lost grip and tumbled down his arm, it was caught by Frank's hand and he felt a tear run loose down his cheek.
He turned his eyes away from his brother soon after he'd passed out, noticing that when he lifted his restrictive arm from Jesse's chest, a thin, line of blood was left. Roughly wiping the tears away from his face with the heel of his hand and sniffing back grief, he leaned over and pulled the roll of bandages and bottle of whiskey in close to him, not letting go of Jesse's limp hand.
Working silently, he tore a piece of cloth from the roll and blotted up his blood from Jesse's chest; then, tearing off a wholly longer piece, wrapped it about the entire length of his forearm, tucking in the end to secure it.
Once finished, he put the remaining roll on the side of the bed and put the whiskey bottle between his knees, unscrewing the top, and taking a heavy, burning swallow.
Drinking to Jesse's recovery.
He was falling fast, before suddenly, he came to a dead stop, a painful sensation in his ankle jolting him awake.
He floated, watching as the upside-down residents of Cattletongue stopped their daily ramble and looked up to point and stare at him.
Then, he began back upwards, heavy seizing at his legs as he looked up, seeing his brother grimacing down towards him, clawing hand over hand, grabbing handfuls of Jesse's pants to pull him back up over the railing.
Jesse smiled slightly as his eyesight blurred out, spit dribbling from his mouth and up his cheek as he blacked out, his body finally failing him at length.
Frank pulled hard, finally letting out his pent breath with a grunt when he grabbed a hold of the waist of Jesse's pants and hauled his body fully up and over into his arms.
Jesse collapsed against his chest, his head at Frank's shoulder as he turned on his heel and headed back towards the window. Bob and Cole Younger had their heads out the window, but moved when they saw Frank coming back.
"Grab his shoulders." Frank manipulated Jesse's body so that he slid back inside the window shoulders-first and sideways, gripped quickly by Bob and Cole as Frank pushed the rest of him inside, successfully missing the nail once again.
With Jesse's boots dragging across the floor, the Younger brothers hauled Jesse towards the bed, laying him back down in the disheveled covers.
"Go. Get out," Frank said stone-faced as he pushed his strong body back through the window, ignoring it as he ripped a long gash down his arm on that damn loose nail. Everyone just looked at him, not moving. "I said get out of the room!" He practically yelled, forcing the Younger's brothers legs to kick into action as they hurried out of the room. As Velvet began to as well, he turned and grabbed her shoulder, startling her.
"Bring back some whiskey and bandages." She could only nod as he pushed her out the door, closing it behind her.
He turned as Jesse coughed from the bed behind him, his breath jumping as he tried to breathe, a trickle of blood bubbling up and rolling down from the corner of his mouth, his eyebrows squeezing in every direction as he writhed.
Cursing under his breath, Frank took two long steps towards him and knelt next to the bed, bringing up his hand to wipe the blood away from Jesse's face, smearing it some before he wiped it on his pants.
Then he put it on Jesse's forehead, feeling fire beneath his palm.
He turned quickly as he heard the door open, seeing Velvet come back carrying a large thing of cloth and a bottle of whiskey. Then he gave her orders once again. "You got any ice?"
"I'd have to go down to the butcher."
"Do it-"
"But I don't have any-"
"Take this." Frank reached into his back pocket and pulled out his fat, long wallet, throwing it at her. "Use it all if you have to. Take Cole, Bob and Clel with you. And make sure you crush it up."
She nodded quickly and put the things down at the end of the bed, going back out the door and downstairs, leaving the door open.
Frank palmed back Jesse's hair from his head, looking into his tightened face, feeling Jesse's breath lighten.
Moving towards the end of the bed, he started taking Jesse's boots off, then moving back up to pull off his suspenders, having to lift his torso from the bed.
Jesse's body shook as his eyes opened suddenly, rolling to meet Franks with a look of distance in them. He coughed wetly as a wash of new blood came pouring down his chin, his breath barely a whisper now.
Frank felt the hot pressure of tears push forward in his eyes as he pulled Jesse up against his chest, cursing. "...ah shit Jesse..." he put a hand to the back of Jesse's head and cradled him against his shoulder, feeling the warm plume of staining blood soak up in the shoulder of his shirt. One of Jesse's shaking, fisted hands moved up to rest against Frank's chest while his other wrapped around his shoulder, his legs folding around beneath him as he moved.
"...Frank..." he whispered through blood, his lips so close to Frank's ear he could hear the gurgling of the blood in the back of his throat.
Frank strengthened himself with a deep, asserting inhale and gently began to rock Jesse's body back and forth. Jesse's head slid against the side of his face as he passed out again, the blood from Jesse's mouth dribbling down the collar of Frank's shirt and down his chest, sticky and hot. But Frank ignored it, gently rocking, waiting for eternity for the boys to come back with the ice.
After a long time of hearing nothing but Jesse's shallow breathing, there was a knock at the door and Bob, Cole, and Clel came in packing two large, heavy buckets, filled with crushed ice. Velvet tailed them, a wooden chair from downstairs in her hands and bumping against her breasts as she walked.
"Set it by me." Frank directed, reluctant to push out his arms, feeling Jesse's deadweight arm slid from the shoulder and fall, all of his body completely limp.
They did as he instructed without a word, Velvet bringing the chair to put behind Frank in case he wanted to sit down, but he didn't notice it right off.
"Uh, Frank?" Bob said gently, only getting a flinch from Frank to show that he was listening, but wouldn't turn in his direction.
"He's, uh, bleedin' down your shirt."
"I know." Frank said as a breath, careful to cradle Jesse's head against his shoulder as long as he could while he tried to lay him back out onto the bed. Then he flinched as he watched Jesse's head slide and fall with a soft sound into the flat pillows, exposing the thick, blackened red line that was nestled beneath his chin, the burn from the godsend faulty noose.
"Everyone out." He said, and they did so, closing the door behind them with one last look.
Turning to check the two buckets of crushed ice, Frank reached into his back pocket and pulled out his knife, moving up to thumb it beneath Jesse's suspenders and cut them loose, catching them before they could hit anything. He then fisted the split collar of Jesse's shirt and pulled, hearing a soft clatter of buttons go flying to the floor. Pulling his shirt away from his chest, he let it fan out against the bed as he turned towards the ice, shoving his hands into the bottom and pulling them back out with all the ice he could, hurrying as he carried it over Jesse's shaking chest and slowly let it down. Some of the ice came down dusted pink from the cut on Frank's arm, blood spattering.
He worked armful after armful, covering Jesse's entire chest, waiting as Jesse's thick eyebrows announced that he was coming back again.
His eyes flashed open as the coldness hit him, trying to suddenly sit up against the biting pain, his arm snapping out to grab hold of Frank's sleeve. "What the..." his words were finally intelligible as he tried to rise from the bed, only to be pushed down by Frank's arm across his shoulders.
"Stay down," Frank warned, only having to push slightly at Jesse's weakened frame, though he still fought.
Jesse turned his head to him, his eyes narrowed and his jaw clenched as he was forced back, his body stiff. "Godammnit Frank...what the hell?"
"It'll draw the fever down from your head. I read it in a book." Frank assured him.
"It's cold." Jesse stared at him, fighting against the pain.
"Deal with it." Frank said dryly. Waiting as Jesse collapsed back into the straw mattress. Jesse's eyes began to slowly close, growing heavy.
Frank looked into his eyes for a long while silently as he slowly passed out again. Then, as his limp arm lost grip and tumbled down his arm, it was caught by Frank's hand and he felt a tear run loose down his cheek.
He turned his eyes away from his brother soon after he'd passed out, noticing that when he lifted his restrictive arm from Jesse's chest, a thin, line of blood was left. Roughly wiping the tears away from his face with the heel of his hand and sniffing back grief, he leaned over and pulled the roll of bandages and bottle of whiskey in close to him, not letting go of Jesse's limp hand.
Working silently, he tore a piece of cloth from the roll and blotted up his blood from Jesse's chest; then, tearing off a wholly longer piece, wrapped it about the entire length of his forearm, tucking in the end to secure it.
Once finished, he put the remaining roll on the side of the bed and put the whiskey bottle between his knees, unscrewing the top, and taking a heavy, burning swallow.
Drinking to Jesse's recovery.