"Come on Kid, you gotta eat more than that," Heyes told his partner who was sitting propped up in his bed.
Kid shook his head. "I just ain't hungry, Heyes. Maybe tomorrow."
"The pain medicine makes a person not want to eat. It's hard on the stomach, especially when the stomach's already empty. Liquids is what he needs most," Dr. Heiser explained.
"How about just one more bite of potatoes?" Heyes asked, but Kid just shook his head lowly.
"You want some pain medicine Kid?"
Again Kid shook his head. "Maybe later. I want to stay awake a while. I never knew sleeping could make a person so tired."
Dr. Heiser smiled. "Sleeps the best thing for you right now."
"I got the line shack all cleaned up and ready for him," Heyes told the doctor. "Gonna stock some food in it tomorrow."
"Well, being as you're awake, let's get the bandage changed for the night," Dr. Heiser said to his patient.
"I gotta be awake for that?" Kid asked.
"No, but being awake gives me a better idea of how much it's hurting you. That then tells me how much medicine to be giving you."
Kid nodded, but turned his attention to his partner. "Heyes, is Mr. Skyler mad about what happened?"
'No, not at all. In fact, he's being real nice about it. He's giving us use of the line shack, but he's also letting me stay on but work less, so I can take care of you better."
"Tell him I'll fix that fence when I'm up and about again."
Heyes smiled. "I'm sure he needs that fence fixed before that, Kid. It'll get done without your help."
"Am I fired?"
"Nope, just laid off till you can work again."
"So we're losing all my wages and some of yours?"
"Kid, we both got some money saved. We'll be fine and we can build it back up when you're working again."
"I'm sorry, Heyes."
"Enough lamenting for now," Dr. Heiser said. "Heyes, I want you to watch me clean and change the bandage. It'll be your job when the pair of you move outta my little Ritz Hotel you got going on in here."
Heyes and Kid grinned at each other while Dr. Heiser pulled the sheet and blanket off Kid's left leg.
"Get yourself down here to this end of the bed, Heyes and keep a careful eye on what I'm doing."
Heyes moved down to the foot of the bed and stood beside the crusty old doctor who proceeded to explain everything he was doing, how to do it, and why each step was important. Heyes found himself realizing and appreciating just how knowledgeable the old doctor really was.
"You see that little bit of red bordering the wound?" Dr. Heiser asked Heyes.
"Yeah."
"When it's that color and the wound' still new like this, that's normal. If it starts spreading out, getting darker, or seeping anything, then you need to let me know right away. Same as if he develops a fever. I got to be told right away, cause those are signs of an infection developing."
"Okay," Heyes replied.
"Pain's gonna be a normal symptom till the wound closes. If it keeps up much after that, or the leg looks like it's swelling up, you let me know right away."
"I will."
"Now, you see how bruised and swollen it is down to the ankle and up to the knee?"
"Yeah."
That's normal too for now. But if the swelling don't go down in a week or so, or you start seeing red streaks in the skin, you let me know."
"You think you ought to be writing all this stuff down, Heyes?" Kid asked.
"I'm counting on you to help me remember, Kid."
Kid smiled but winced suddenly when Dr. Heiser touched the center of the stitched skin."
"Okay Heyes, you tell me, was that normal or something you should be reporting?"
"Being as it's only day two, I think that's normal," Heyes replied.
"Good to see you're paying attention."
"Paying attention at my expense," Kid grumbled.
"You'll be thanking me later, boy," Dr. Heiser replied and reached for the bowl of water and alcohol sitting on the nearby table. He then picked up a clean cloth and dipped it in the solution.
"You clean the wound with one part water and three parts alcohol. If you keep the bowl covered, you can use the same solution for the morning and evening dressing changes, but not for more than one day. You understand?"
"One part water and three parts alcohol," Heyes replied.
"Then you can drink what ever is left over in the bowl," Kid joked.
"Where did you get your degree?" Dr. Heiser asked without looking up from his work.
Kid frowned. "Sorry," he told the doctor but winked at his partner who grinned back at Kid.
"Once you've washed it, you can dry off the leg, but don't dry off what's right on the wound. Let that seep in or get absorbed by the dressing."
"Okay," Heyes said, returning his attention back to the doctor.
"Now we just bandage it back up. Tie it off secure, but not so tight it's gonna cut off his circulation. It's a bandage, not a tourniquet."
"Tight, but not too tight," Heyes repeated.
"And as long as there's any swelling, prop the leg up on pillows so that fluid in there has some place to run to."
"Where's it go?" Kid asked.
"Back in to the rest of your body where it belongs," the doctor replied.
"When can I start walking on it?" Kid asked.
"You didn't listen to a word I told you yesterday, did you boy?"
"Well Doc, he was pretty doped up on medicine," Heyes reminded the doctor.
"You don't put no weight on that leg for at least three weeks."
Kid's eyes widened. "Three weeks? How am I gonna get around? How am I gonna get to the privy?"
"You ain't. Simple as that. You'll be in a wheelchair when you leave here. You're friend here can help you get from the bed to the wheelchair, can help you stand up for privy calls beside your bed. You'll have a bedpan for other such matters. I don't want so much as a toe on that bad leg touching the floor. You understand?"
The expression on Kid's face made Heyes laugh out loud. "Oh, he understand, doctor."
Kid dropped his head down on the pillow, aghast at the thought of a bed pan. "Last time I try breaking a wild horse," Kid grumbled.
"That will be true if you lose that leg," Dr. Heiser replied and Kid shook his head and sighed heavily.
"I think I'm ready for that pain medicine now," Kid grumbled.
An hour later Kid was again fast asleep from the medication Dr. Heiser gave him. Heyes was sitting in the chair next to Kid's bed but was getting a bit restless just reading.
"Doc, you mind if I go out for a couple of hours?"
"In need of a bit of drinking are you?"
Heyes smiled. "Something like that."
"I'm locking the door at eleven. You ain't back by then, you ain't getting in."
Heyes nodded. "I'll be back in time," he replied.
The saloon was sparsely populated with no more than twenty customers when Heyes walked in and stepped up to the bar to order a beer. Glancing around while he waited for the beer, Heyes saw a single poker game and he counted only six players. When the beer arrived, he paid, then picked up his glass and ambled over to the poker table.
"In need of another player?" he asked.
"Sure, Heyes, sit down," said one of the players who worked at another ranch, but knew Heyes and Kid from their routine weekly visits to the saloon.
"How are you, Matt?" Heyes asked as he eased himself into the empty chair.
"Good. I hear Kid got hurt?"
Heyes nodded as the cards began to be dealt. "He's gonna be out of circulation for a spell, but Doc thinks he'll be fine eventually."
"Busted arm, I heard."
Heyes nodded. "And the bronc gashed his leg pretty bad" Heyes replied, picking up his cards to assess his hand.
"You two gonna gab or play?" another player asked and both Heyes and Matt smiled.
"We're gonna play," Matt replied.
After almost an hour of cards, Heyes was ahead by a few dollars but another player decided it was time to call and end to his losing streak and exited the game.
"Need another player?" a tall, lean, man with a Latino accent asked as he approached the table.
"It appears that we are in need of a player," Heyes replied while signaling the bartender for another beer. As he turned back to the table, Heyes caught sight of the stranger.
"Names Heyes," he said as an introduction.
The stranger nodded. "Jim."
"Well, hope you're ready to be separated from your money Jim," Heyes said and winked at Matt.
Heyes soon discovered that Jim was a very good card player. Heyes himself was becoming very good, but still made the occasional error and soon found it was he that was being separated from his money.
"Haven't seen you around here before," Heyes said to Jim, making idle conversation.
"Likely not," was Jim's simple reply.
The vagueness only increased Heyes' curiosity and his eyes looked up over his cards toward Matt who just shrugged his shoulders.
"You a...You don't look like a ranch hand...A rancher, maybe?"
"Maybe."
Heyes laughed. "Not to talkative or friendly, are you?"
"I sat down to play poker, gentlemen, not to socialize."
Heyes gave Matt a raised eyebrow look. "Didn't mean to pry," Heyes replied.
Heyes played for another hour, focusing all his attention on the game. He carefully studied Jim as they played and observed that the crow's feet around Jim's eyes tightened just a bit when his hand was questionable. By the end of the hour, Heyes was the highest wining player.
Jim tossed his losing hand on the table and looked at Heyes. "You're either reading my face or counting cards," Jim said dryly.
"Are you accusing me of cheating?" Heyes asked.
Jim shook his head. "No. I've seen no evidence of cheating. I'm...surmising. Which is it?"
Heyes laughed a bit nervously. "I thought you said you didn't sit down to socialize or converse," Heyes replied.
A slight, but admirable smile appeared on Jim's face and he gave Heyes a conceding nod..
Heyes began to gather his money. "Well it's getting late, gentlemen. I guess I'd better be calling it a night."
"If you're heading out, I guess I better, too," Matt said.
Stopping the game became the general consensus of the table and each man began gathering his money.
"Mr. Heyes," Jim said as the players began leaving the saloon.
Heyes stopped and turned back to the only man still seated at the table.
"A...proposition for you," Jim said.
Heyes smiled. "What kind of proposition?"
"A wager."
Heyes looked at Matt and smiled, letting him know he would not be leaving just yet.
"Good luck, Heyes," Matt said and left the saloon.
"Sit," Jim said, nodding toward a chair.
Heyes smiled again and twirled his hat in his hands. "First tell me the wager."
"You shuffle a deck of cards and deal out twenty five cards. I will make five pat hands."
Heyes thought about the odds and decided they were in his favor.
"How much are we betting?"
"All the money in your pocket. I will match it."
Heyes had about sixty dollars in his pocket, having left the bulk of his and Kid's money in the line shack. A little voice in his head was telling him this man knew something that he didn't. The little voice also told him that something was likely that the odds were in were in the other man's favor. But Heyes decided to take the risk, if only to learn the probabilities of the trick. So Heyes sat down at the table and picked up the deck of cards.
"Money on the table first," Jim said.
"Tell me your name, first," Heyes said, knowing he was about to be snookered and wanting to know exactly who this artist was.
The man gave Heyes an intense look as he considered the risks of identifying himself.
"Santana," he replied and watched for a hint of recognition, but saw none which both pleased and insulted him at the same time.
Heyes smiled and puled his money from his pocket and laid it on the table.
"Now your money, Jim Santana," Heyes said with sly smile.
"I'm pretty confident that I'm just giving my money away to you," Heyes said. "But learning a new trick might just pay off in the long run."
Santana smiled. "I like you, Heyes. A man willing to learn from his mistakes."
Heyes laughed and dealt out the cards.
Ten minutes later Santana gathered the money from the table. Straightening the bills in his hand, Santana pulled ten dollars from the stack and slid it across the table to Heyes.
"Don't want you to go home empty handed," he said.
Heyes smiled and picked up the money. Then he sat back in his chair. "So, just what is your line of work, Jim?" Heyes asked.
A sly smile crossed Santana's face. "All in due time Mr. Heyes. All in due time."