Ch 14
Buck paid for his supplies and rode out of town. He rode for quite a few miles until he heard a horse off to the side. He looked over and just about fell. There was a palomino off to the side. He eased over not knowing if it was indeed Jimmy. The horse looked over at Buck and seemed to recognize him. Buck saw the man laying in the grass next to the horse. He knew it was Jimmy.
"Jimmy?"
Buck rolled him over on his back.
"Jimmy?"
He didn't respond. Buck looked him over. He pulled his coat to the side. He had a nasty looking gunshot wound to his shoulder and it looked like he had a graze to his side as well. Both were bleeding through his shirt. Buck went about building a fire. Once he had a good one going, he rolled Jimmy onto a blanket. He finally was able to get his coat off. He then took off his shirt. Jimmy had looked to have cleaned the wounds as best he could and wrapped them. They looked to be a few days old. Buck cleaned them again with the water from his canteen. The one to his side looked good. The wound to his shoulder looked bad. Buck leaned in close. The lead was still in there. It looked like Jimmy had tried to remove it himself but failed. Buck started heating his knife in the fire when Jimmy stirred.
"Jimmy? It's me, Buck."
"Buck?"
"Yeah it's me. What happened?"
"What are you doing here?"
"Looking for you."
"I'm glad you were." Whispered Jimmy.
"I have to get the lead out. It's infected."
"I tried. I couldn't. In my bags, I bought medicine."
"It's gonna hurt."
Jimmy closed his eyes. Buck sat on Jimmy's chest and arms to hold him in place. He reached over and got his knife. Jimmy yelled as Buck stuck the tip of his knife in his shoulder. Buck felt with his fingers until he found what he was looking for. He held the lead up to show Jimmy. He looked at him and weakly nodded. Buck cleaned the wound and put the powder on it that Jimmy had bought. Jimmy began trembling and soon passed out. Buck wrapped him up and put a blanket over him.
Jimmy woke to see Buck cooking some rabbits over the fire. He groaned as he tried to sit up some. Buck walked over and helped ease him up. He put his saddle behind him for support.
"You look somewhat better this morning." Said Buck.
"Don't feel it though."
"Want to tell me what happened. Why didn't you get help in town?"
"I'm in trouble, Buck. Bad."
"That why you were heading home?"
"I screwed up. I thought if I could get to Teaspoon, he might could help me. I thought better of it so I was going to go the other way. Reckon I fell."
"What did you do?"
"I turned in a fella for a bounty right after I left. Figured it was easy money so I thought I'd go after another one. The marshal said he'd pay me six hundred dollars for that man. I took the job."
"You became a hired gun."
"Sort of. It suited me with my past. People know my name. When I found the guy, I tried to take him in but there were a whole lot of men with him. He tried to run. Men started shooting, I shot back. I killed him but it wasn't him. It was his brother. I was hit. I ran."
"Jimmy, who was it?"
"Rick Johnson."
"The Rick Johnson?"
Jimmy swallowed and nodded.
"He is deadly Jimmy."
"Yeah, and now he's looking for me."
Jimmy closed his eyes. Buck waited just a moment.
"Why were you looking for me?" He asked with his eyes still closed.
"Lou's home."
Jimmy opened them and looked at Buck.
"Jimmy, she came home with your kids."
Jimmy looked at his hands. He closed his eyes.
"Buck, I can explain."
"You don't have to. Lou told us everything. Kid left her and didn't come back."
"He just left?"
"Right after she gave birth to your son."
Jimmy looked like he was going to pass out. He didn't say anything.
"You heard me. Your son. How could you sleep with her behind Kid's back all this time! I knew about y'all before she even married. How could you let her marry him?"
"I was scared for her and them. Trouble seems to follow me and it would only be a matter of time before it found them. I thought Kid would keep them safe."
"And yet you could still see her?"
Jimmy looked away. He frowned and shook his head.
"Like Cody said, I am a heartless bastard. Go home Buck. Thanks for helping me but go home. I can't go home knowing she is there with the trouble I got shadowing me."
"You are going home."
"I'm not. Go home."
Jimmy had started shaking so he laid his head back and closed his eyes. Buck watched as he fell asleep. He wanted to knock some sense into his head. He had to get him home. If he didn't, those men would find him and kill him.