Chapter 10 - Retribution…
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Ezra took Rebecca's hand placing it on his arm slowly walking down the church stairs. From there, the newly married couple strolled across the street to the saloon. The rest of the wedding party followed behind them.
The reception had already begun as they entered the tavern doors. The minute the wedding party arrived the band Ezra had hired began to play a waltz, their guests filling the small dance floor.
Smiling, he took Rebecca's hand. "Shall we, darlin?"
"I would love to."
Holding out her arms, Ezra put her left hand on his shoulder taking her right in his. As they glided across the floor, he whispered, "All I can think about right now is making love to you over and over until we fall asleep in each other's arms."
Feeling her face flush with her new husband's suggestion, she had to smile realizing he could be a bold little rascal sometimes. He spun her around and around making Rebecca laugh with the sheer joy of being together.
Turning to Vin, Sarah said, "Shall we give the waltz a try, my sweet?
Shifting his feet, he gazed at her for a moment before saying, "I don't know Sarah…don't know the first thing about the waltz. I wouldn't wanna embarrass you."
Looking into his blue eyes she softly kissed his cheek. "That would never happen. I'll show you how to do the dance. Why don't you give it a try…for me?"
Gazing into her eyes, he kissed her back as she held up her hands waiting for him. Taking a couple of deep breaths, he nodded. "Always for you darlin."
"This is going to be a piece of cake, sweetie. Let me lead."
Vin smiled. This might be more fun than he thought.
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For almost an hour, Ezra and Rebecca continued to enjoy dancing and socializing with their guests. It was turning into a wonderful evening.
As they took another turn across the floor, JD mentioned that it was probably time to consider cutting their three-tiered wedding cake. While taking a turn they stopped by the table. Looking at the cake, Rebecca said, "Before we do cut it for everyone, I probably should go change my clothes. I don't want to ruin my wedding dress."
Ezra gave her a hug. "You go take care of that darlin, but don't be long as we have a cake to cut and then more dancing to partake in."
Smiling, she said, "I won't be long." As she turned to leave for the hotel, Sarah stopped her.
"Your clothes are over here Rebecca. Inez had them moved from the hotel to a prepared room upstairs."
"That was very kind of her. Need to thank her. Show me which room sister."
Following Mary and Sarah, they opened the first door on the 2nd landing going inside. Her travel clothes were placed on the bed and a full-length mirror stood in one corner.
Walking past the mirror, she paused for a moment staring at her image in it. For the first time since the wedding she looked at herself… she didn't appear any different than she had earlier, yet she felt different. Looking at her left hand, she looked at the simple gold band she now wore. The simple act of putting on the ring had changed her entire life.
No longer was she just Rebecca Dannon. Now she was Mrs. Ezra Standish, Rebecca Standish, wife, future mother, - if God was good to them - companion, lover and friend. It amazed her that one simple gold band could change her so much.
Turning to Mary and Sarah, she asked, "Could ya'll give me a minute alone? I need…" her words trailed off.
Mary offered her friend a sympathetic look. She knew that look.
"I understand. Come on Sarah; let's give your sister a moment to collect herself,"
"Why? What's wrong? I don't understand," Sarah protested.
Gently pushing her to the door, she said, "One day you will. Come on,"
Sighing deeply, Rebecca removed her veil carefully folding the long lace train. Placing it on the bed, she closed her eyes relishing in the quiet of the room. The band could still be heard playing down stairs, but the closed door muffled it. Tomorrow she and Ezra would be leaving for New Orleans. She smiled as she thought of having Ezra all to herself for three weeks. It would be heaven for both of them.
A loud creak caught her attention making her open her eyes. Turning toward the sound, the window in the corner unlocked as a filthy man crawled inside.
Rebecca started to scream as he lunged forward grabbing her by the neck. Clapping a hand over her mouth, he growled, "Sorry little missy can't have you screamin. Don't want those seven men down there intrudin. We got things to do you and me. That new husband of yorn and his friends took my brother away from me, so now I'm gonna take somethin of his."
Rebecca struggled against the man, but he tightened his arm around her neck. "Oh no little missy you ain't goin nowhere. Sides, I want ta see what it is 'bout you that gambler likes so much."
He ran his free hand inside the front of her dress, groping one her breasts. "Might as well quit fightin me cause it ain't gonna get you nothin."
Stopping her struggle for a moment the stranger made the mistake of loosening his grip long enough for Rebecca to pull free. Grabbing the hand he had around her throat she bit down hard, the taste of blood flooding her mouth, gagging her.
Cursing, the stranger dropped his hold on her.
Flinging herself at the door trying to reach the handle the stranger rammed her from behind making her hit the door with a sickening crunch. It took her a moment to catch her breath as she stumbled backward away from her attacker.
Locking the door, the stranger turned on her again. Outside in the hall, Mary and Sarah began to bang hard on the door…begging for her to answer.
As she moved away from him, she realized there was only one other exit available to her…the open window. Taking a deep breath, she screamed her new husband's name hoping she could be heard above the music below.
EEEEEZZZZZZRRRRRAAAAA!
Lunging at her once again to shut her up, he smashed the butt of his gun against the side of her head.
Rebecca crumpled to the floor in a heap.
As blood seeped from the wound on her head, he dipped his fingers into it.
Approaching the mirror, he scrawled a message for the southerner. Grinning to himself, he grabbed the unconscious woman tossing her across one shoulder. Climbing back through the window, he disappeared into the growing dark .
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Downstairs, Ezra motioned for the band to stop playing for a moment. Tapping his glass to get everyone's attention, he said, "Would everyone please raise their glass as I would like to make a toast to my beautiful new wife, Rebecca."
Just as he raised it, a terrified scream rent the air above him. It was just one word…his name.
EEEEEZZZZZZRRRRRAAAAA!
The champagne flute slipped from his fingers, shattering into a million pieces, but he never saw it hit the floor. He was already halfway up the stairs, taking them two at a time.
Upon reaching the 2nd floor landing, he caught sight of Sarah and Mary pounding frantically on the door. Buck and Josiah had followed closely behind him. Moving the women out of the way, together they smashed into the door, sending wood splinters everywhere.
The scene that met their eyes was chaotic. A couple of chairs were overturned, items from the dresser lay scattered and broken across the floor, and the bed had been shoved out of place. Ezra's eyes went straight to the full-length mirror standing in the corner. It had a message scrawled on its surface 'Revenge for Cole!' It was written in blood. It had to be her blood…Rebecca's blood…blood that was also spilled on the floor trailing across to the window.
Tearing the curtains aside, he peered below into the night. Whoever had taken her had disappeared into the darkness. More blood splattered the window ledge.
"My God...Rebecca!" he shouted. Covering his face with his hands, he slumped to the floor.
Chris could feel his gut twisting inside of him. He knew the extreme pain of losing a loved one and had no intention of seeing it happen to a friend. Squatting beside him, he put a hand on one shoulder. "Ezra…times a wasting. We need to go…we need to catch the bastard that took your wife."
Staring at him, his eyes had become haunted. "Why Chris?" he whispered, "Why would someone take Rebecca? She's never harmed a soul."
"I don't know, but we need to find her. Pull yourself together…be strong for her. I know what it's like to lose someone and I don't want to see it happen to you."
Vin had been quietly examining the blood on the floor and windowsill; he noticed something glittering near the door. Stooping to pick it up, the tracker saw it was a broken silver necklace with an amethyst stone.
Approaching Ezra, he bent down beside him, "Ezra, come on pard, let's get going. We gotta find your wife!"
Ezra glanced from Chris to Vin. "Can you find her Vin?"
"Yeah, I'm sure I can, but we gotta leave now while the trails hot. The quicker we get goin, the quicker we'll find her."
Taking a deep breath, the southerner got to his feet.
Vin put a hand to his shoulder. "Found this by the door. It's Rebecca's ain't it?"
Taking the necklace, he nodded, "Yes…it's her favorite." Clutching the chain in his hand for a moment he put it in his vest pocket.
Looking at his friends. "Let's go find my wife." He strode out the door, his six friends behind him.
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Twenty minutes later, the seven were assembled outside the livery. Ezra had mounted Gambler sitting silently waiting for the others to ready themselves. He hadn't said a word since leaving the scene in the saloon.
Chris glanced at him seeing the anger and guilt seething just below the surface. He knew that look. He had worn it every day for over a year after Sarah and Adam's deaths. He was even more determined now that Ezra wouldn't suffer the same fate.
Vin stood beside his horse adjusting the cinch-strap on his saddle, when Sarah walked up. The look in her eyes nearly broke his heart.
"I know you can find my sister. I have complete faith in you."
Putting his arms around her, he held Sarah to his chest. He could hear her quietly crying. Speaking softly against her hair, he said, "I'm gonna find her Sarah...for you...for Ezra...for everyone who loves her. I won't stop darlin until I find your sister and make this man pay for what he did." Lifting her face, he brushed the tears from her cheeks. "I promise."
Sarah gave him a kiss as she stepped away. "I know you will." She answered him softly.
Vin touched her face briefly before mounting his horse.
Mary put an arm around one of Sarah's shoulders. She smiled sadly at Chris, "Bring Rebecca home."
Chris nodded. "We will Mary." Turning his horse's head he said to the other men, "Let's ride!"
The seven galloped out of town, disappearing in a cloud of dust.
Keeping her arm around Sarah, she said, "Let's go back to my place. We'll be more comfortable there." The two women walked to the newspaper office realizing all they could do now was wait for their return.
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Rebecca opened her eyes to an upside down nightmare. For several minutes she didn't know where she was, or what had happened to her. It took a moment before it all came rushing back to her. She had been attacked, hit in her head as a blinding pain blanketed her into complete darkness. Now she was riding across the back of a horse…going who knows where.
A terrible, throbbing pain overwhelmed her temple making it hard to keep her eyes open. She could feel nausea rising up from her stomach as her body swayed along behind the horse's saddle.
Her kidnapper eventually slowed from a fast trot to a slower gait. Gathering all her remaining strength, she waited for the right moment to escape. Although her hands were tied, he had neglected to bind her feet and legs leaving them free.
With every ounce of strength she could find, Rebecca kicked her legs pitching herself from the animal's back hitting the ground with a thud. Struggling to her feet, she ran as fast as she could away from the man.
Caught unawares, he yelled after her. Turning in her direction, she could hear him charging up from behind, but she continued to run. Suddenly something struck her in the middle of her back sending her crashing to the ground.
Gasping for air, she struggled once again to get onto her feet, but the stranger jumped from his horse landing on her, knocking out what little air she had left.
"Where the hell do you think you're goin missy? You and I ain't had our fun yet."
"Get off me you bastard!" she screamed.
Straddling Rebecca, her kidnapper gave a sickening laugh, "Oh you ain't goin nowhere just yet, missy."
Pulling a large knife from his belt, he stuck it in the neckline of her dress ripping part of it away, "Let's see what that gambler likes so much about you."
"Nnnnooooo!" Rebecca wailed struggling wildly to remove the man. With what effort she could muster, she managed to pull her tied hands free of his grip and struck him hard on the side of his head, knocking him off of her.
Sobbing, she desperately tried to crawl away from him, but the stranger reached out seizing one of her ankles. Kicking with her free foot, she connected with the man's forehead.
Shaking his head in disgust, he growled, "Damn you little bitch! You're gonna pay for that!" Jumping to his feet, he scrambled after her. Knocking her down again, he began to beat her unmercifully.
Rebecca slipped into an unconscious limbo as blood oozed from her lip, nose and a cut above her right eye. Grabbing her by the arms, he hauled her limp body back to his horse, dumping her across the front of his saddle.
"Damned if you ain't more troublin then yer worth," he growled, "but that's okay. Once I screw you, I planned on killing you anyway. That'll be my final revenge on that southerner." Jumping onto his horse, he trotted off down the road.
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Vin peered at the multiple scuffmarks left in the dirt. There had been quite a struggle here…maybe two hours ago from all the signs. They were closing in on whoever took Rebecca, but he was troubled. More blood continued to mark the trail he followed.
"Lord, help me find Rebecca and return her to Ezra," Vin whispered.
Since leaving town, Ezra had watched every move Vin made. It was obvious he was concerned about something. He decided he needed to know what it was. Sliding off his horse, he approached the quiet tracker crouching next to him.
"Vin, somethin's wrong isn't it? Don't spare me. Tell me what you see."
Getting to his feet, Vin looked at him. "Well, we ain't too far behind 'em, but looks like there was a fight of some kind here. I don't like the signs I'm seeing because Rebecca is still bleedin… it's gotta be takin a toll on her. If we pick up our pace maybe we can find her quicker. Come on."
Mounting their horses, the group moved forward again. Although he had never been a religious man, Ezra had been keeping a constant prayer to God going in his mind. He patted his vest pocket, touching Rebecca's necklace for strength. "God, please let me find Rebecca safe and sound." It had become his litany.
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For the second time, Rebecca tried to open her eyes, but this time she struggled. Her eyes were badly swollen especially her right one, barely able to see anything through that one. It had been dark for some time and her kidnapper had finally made camp. The man sat in front of a roaring fire drinking. Through her left eye, he seemed to be taking swig after swig…occasionally staring in her direction.
Slowly, so she wouldn't attract his attention, she lifted her hands touching her face. The bastard had really worked her over. She could feel a cut above her swollen right eye, blood oozed from her lip and nose. Her head throbbed and she felt the same nauseous feeling she had earlier. Blackness crept around the edges of her vision threatening to take her under again. It would be so easy to just close them and just go back under.
Watching her kidnapper, she was certain what was coming next. He was drinking himself into the right mood before raping and killing her. Of that she had no doubt.
The one thing she was completely certain of…he was never going to touch her again. The place where he had tossed her did work out to her advantage. The shadows kept her from being seen clearly by the drunkard.
Moving her hands quietly around the dirt, she searched for anything that could be used as a weapon. Finally, her hands closed over a large piece of tree limb. When he came near her again she would be ready. She shifted slightly so she could swing her club effectively when the time came.
The stranger downed another shot from the bottle he held. Staring into the flames, his anger and hatred at the loss of his brother only grew stronger. His bloodshot eyes glared at the spot where he had dumped Standish's woman. It was time to make the arrogant gambler pay. Unsteadily, he got to his feet staggering toward her.
Seeing he was lurching in her direction, Rebecca steeled herself for the coming fight, positioning her makeshift club.
Stopped in front of her, he staggering to stay upright from the alcohol he had imbibed. "Wake up, bitch! Time to have some fun." Pulling his bowie knife from his belt, he grabbing the front of her wedding dress slicing into it.
With all the strength she had left, Rebecca swung her club upward, connecting with her kidnappers head. Scrambling to her feet, she planted her feet, ready to take another hit.
Yowling in pain, he pivoted on his heel slashing at Rebecca with his knife. Moving away from the man, she tried to avoid his assault, but the knife dug into her left side making her scream in agony knocking her down.
Towering over her, he hissed, "I'm gonna torture the life outta you girly! When they find you, that bastard gambler ain't even gonna recognize what's left of you!"
Glaring through a haze of pain, Rebecca hissed at her attacker. "You are never gonna touch me again!" Gripping the club, she swung the limb in an upward arch between the man's legs, connecting solidly with his groin.
The stranger howled in pain stumbled backwards away from her. Forcing herself to stand, she hit the doubled over man again with her weapon. The blow knocked him backward over a fallen tree. She stood waiting for him to attack her again, but all she heard was a strange gurgling sound.
Bleeding and barely able to stand, Rebecca staggered toward the man's horse, clutching her injured side. Her barely conscious mind spotted the man's dropped knife. Picking it up, she managed to slice the ropes freeing her hands.
Using it once more, she cut off a piece of her dress stuffing it in her side, trying to apply some pressure. Stripping off another piece, she wrapped it around her waist, binding the bandage to her.
Leaning against the horse, she tried to climb onto its back, but her strength was beginning to fail. Leading it to a nearby stump, she managed to grip the pommel crawling onto the animal. Urging the horse forward, she left the scene unaware that her attacker would never bother her again.
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Even though it was completely dark, Vin continued to follow the signs he was finding on the ground. They were closing in on Rebecca and her kidnapper. Stopping his horse, the tracker motioned the others to dismount, pushing through the underbrush following the final signs he needed.
Pulling his gun before crouching down, he stared through the trees ahead. A large fire was blazing, but he couldn't see anyone near it. Cocking his mare's leg, Vin plunged into the clearing with Ezra and the others following closely behind.
Dropping his gun to his side, he approached a fallen tree that lay on the other side. Ezra came up beside him staring in fascinated horror. A strange man wearing dirty clothing was impaled on a tree branch jutting on the other side.
Looking at Vin, he asked, "Is this the bastard that took my wife?"
The tracker nodded. "Yeah…yeah I believe it is." He inspected his boots before adding, "The marks I can see on them are the same ones I've been following…so yeah, it's him."
"Good…saves me the trouble of killing you, you son-of-a-bitch," he added with some emphasis. Kicking the tree limb breaking it off, his body fell to the ground with a thud. Suddenly, he pulled his gun aiming directing at the dead body.
Cocking it, the southerner started to fire, but Chris stepping in. "Ezra, he's dead. This won't help us find Rebecca!"
The gambler jerked his hand away from Chris. Taking a deep breath to calm his anger, he began to look around. "Where is Rebecca? Rebecca! Rebecca! Where are you?"
The others spread out looking for his wife.
JD suddenly called out from one side. "Hey everyone, there's blood over here on this tree stump."
Vin approached quickly, inspecting what JD found, "This blood is fresh. Maybe an hour or less." Turning he said, "Looks like Rebecca took his horse…headed off in that direction. If we move fast I think we can catch her."
Ezra touched Vin's shoulder, "Vin…is she…do you…"
Vin sighed. "Don't rightly know what kinda shape she's in pard, but let's not panic, okay? She was able to get on his horse…let's take that as a good sign."
Nodding, Ezra followed his friends back to their horses leaving the kidnapper where he fell. Now it was a race to find Rebecca.
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Holding onto the saddle horn with all her remaining strength, she felt faint having trouble staying upright. Between her head wound and the slash in her side, her blood loss was considerable and she knew it. With no guidance, the horse began to wander as she slowly slipped away. Finally, stopping altogether.
As the veil of darkness dropped over her, Rebecca's last thought was of Ezra. 'I'm sorry my love, but I can't...'
Losing her fight to stay conscious, she tumbled to the ground. The horse move quietly to some nearby scrub grass and began to feed.
Rebecca lay sprawled where she fell.
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Vin's tracking abilities caused the men to move faster. He didn't relay his thoughts to anyone, but was concerned the trail he was following was becoming erratic. It seemed to meander instead of keeping to a straight line. To him he knew something must be wrong.
'Rebecca must be in a bad way,' he thought, 'She ain't givin the horse much guidance.'
The full moon had come up playing hide and seek with some wispy clouds. The next time it showed its face the light it cast put a silvery glow around the scenery. Rounding a curve in the road, the men heard the soft whinny of a horse.
Straining his eyes, Vin saw a patch of white lying ahead in the road and it wasn't moving. Spurring his horse forward, Vin closed the distance with Ezra close behind.
It didn't take long for the tracker to realize it was a body. They had found Rebecca.
Horrified, Ezra flung himself from Gambler running the last few feet to where she lay. Collapsing beside her, he shouted the same words over and over. "No! No! No! Oh God No!"
Gently, he turned her over. His heart pounded so hard he almost couldn't breathe. The beautiful young woman that had walked down the aisle to him hours earlier had disappeared. Her face had been brutalized so badly that she was almost unrecognizable. Burying his face in her hair, he could hear she was still breathing, but was unconscious.
Kneeling down beside Ezra, Nathan gently shook him. "Turn loose of your wife, Ezra so I can have a look at her. Come on now. Let me have her."
Staring with eyes, blinded by tears he finally removed his arms. "Help her Nathan…please! I can't lose her! Not now!"
The healer took Rebecca from him stretching her out on the ground. The other's gathered around them trying to lend as much support as possible.
Chris put a hand on the gambler's shoulder, hoping it would help. Rebecca was his friend too and the terrible violence that had been visited upon her broke his heart. While he and Ezra had never been close, this terrible incident made him empathize with him. The feelings that must be running through him right now were all too familiar.
Nathan continued to examine Rebecca. While she had lost a lot of blood, most of her injuries didn't appear life threatening. What he found the most concerning was the wounds to her head and to her side.
"We need to get her back to town. There's only so much I can do here."
Ezra gathered his wife into his arms and carried her to his horse. Nathan held her while he mounted, then very gently put her into the gambler's arms.
"Don't leave me Rebecca," he whispered into her hair, "this world would hold no joy for me without you."
The others mounted as the sad group made its way back to Four Corners.
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Dawn was breaking over the rooftops as the group arrived back in town. Pulling up at the livery Buck was the first one off his horse. Taking Rebecca into his arms he held her while Ezra slid from his horse.
Tears welled in the big man's eyes as he looked at the damage that had been done to her. "This wasn't the kind of night I envisioned for you, darlin," he whispered.
Taking her back into his arms, the southerner headed to the hotel. Chris and Josiah took care of stabling all the horses. JD went to the clinic to collect some medical items for Nathan that he needed.
Vin walked slowly toward the newspaper office to let them know they were home. The last thing in the world he wanted Sarah to know was that her sister was injured. The thought of giving that information to her was killing him.
Ezra carried Rebecca to his room, laying her down on the bed. He stepped to one side so Nathan could continue to exam her. His eyes never left her face.
Sarah, holding Vin's hand appeared suddenly in the doorway, fear and anguish covering her face. Kneeling beside the bed, she looked up at Nathan, "Oh God, Nathan…how bad is she?"
"I don't know just yet, Miss Sarah. She's lost a lot of blood…currently she's unconscious. She might be in a coma. I wish I knew what to do 'bout that," Nathan sighed heavily, "God! I'm not a doctor, but I do the best I can to help folks. This is new to me. I can stitch her wounds, clean and bind them, but I don't know the first thing about someone in a coma."
Everyone, but Mary, Sarah and Ezra left the room as Nathan prepared himself to take care of the things he could help with.
Removing the ruined remains of Rebecca's wedding dress, Mary and Sarah helped Nathan clean her wounds while he examined the damage done to her. Her poor body had been sorely abused leaving it covered in bruises. The most shocking of which, was located in the middle of her back. It was the perfect shape of a man's boot.
While Nathan continued his examination, Ezra stood silently in a corner. He had quietly watched the proceedings unable to understand why this had happened. One question nagged at his thoughts until he finally asked, "I have to know something Nathan. Please don't spare me. Did that bastard defile my wife?"
The healer shook his head. "No…he didn't appear to get that far. A lot was done to her, but she wasn't raped. All of her undergarment were intact…there was no blood present there.
Nathan finished stitching the gash in Rebecca side. With Mary's help, he wrapped a clean bandage around the wound, "I've put something on this that will make it seep…then draw out any infection. The bandages will need to be changed when it gets soaked…same with the bandage on her head. Also try to put cold compresses on her eyes to bring down the swelling."
Nodding, Ezra continued to stare at what had been done to her. He felt tears well in his eyes, "I wish I knew why all this happened? Who was that man? Why did he take her? And who the Hell was Cole?"
Mary gave a big sigh. "After you left to rescue Rebecca, I dug through some of my old newspaper stories…to see if I could find out. Cole, I discovered, was one of the gunmen killed in the last big bank robbery we had eight months ago. Her kidnapper could have been his brother. I guess this was his twisted way of seeking revenge."
This was Ezra's worse nightmare come true, "Are you telling me that Rebecca suffered because of something we did? It happened before she was even in this town."
Mary nodded, "I'm sorry, Ezra. I debated whether or not to tell you, because what purpose would it have served?"
Pulled his rocker up next to the bed he sat down. Gazing down at his love, so far removed from him in her unconscious state. All he could do now was wait and pray that she would soon wake up.
Sarah and Mary left Ezra with Rebecca. The last one to leave was Nathan. Standing next to the gambler, he said, "Before I go Ezra, I wanted you to know I'll keep checkin in on her. If you need me for any reason…come get me."
Looking up at the healer, Nathan could see how much anguish he was fighting against.
"Thank you Nathan. I will certainly contact you."
Placing a hand on the gambler's shoulder for a moment he quietly slipped from the room.
Ezra turned his gaze back to Rebecca. Taking a deep breath, he wondered if he would ever see her open those beautiful light blue eyes again.