DEADALIVE Chapter Four

Doc recoiled from the condition of both men. He was furious, but relieved they were still alive. Obviously, Mr. Jones had taken exception to having his cousin's death expedited. Thank God, someone for once, had disobeyed an order from Al. How could this be Al's answer to smallpox; take the sick out of town and dump them, alive or dead for local predators to feast on or feed them to pigs?

Using the moonlight they carefully loaded Heyes and Kid into the back of the wagon, which was laden with fresh straw. Heyes was still unconscious but Kid had come to, only to pass out when Doc and Jane had placed him in the wagon. It was for the best, as the ride over the rutted dirt road would have caused him unbearable pain. Jane located their belongings and placed them in the wagon. She quickly searched to make sure there was no evidence that either man had been there. She kicked dirt over the blood trail and took the bloody sheet and stuffed it deep into the straw.

"You know we can't take them back to town…" Doc started to say before Jane's look stopped him.

"You don't fucking say," Jane was shaking her head. "I thought that was pretty damn obvious."

The immediate dilemma was to find a safe place.

"There is a deserted cabin up in Spruce Gulch " Jane pointed to the east. "Been holed up there since Wild Bill…" Her voice choked with emotion "...well mostly, till I needed more medicine from town."

"You up for this? This won't be easy…"

Jane angrily cut Doc off as she bristled, "You telling me I can't handle it cuz I can barely take care of myself? Well Doc, fuck you! I'm about to prove all you fuckers wrong! And there ain't NOTHING in my life that's been easy."

"Didn't mean it that way Jane. I'll come out when I can, but I have to make sure Al's hired guns don't follow me out to finish the job."

Jane snorted, "Let those cocksuckers try something…"She patted the gun on her hip. "They won't have a prayer of needing your services."

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The cabin was as expected; littered with empty and full whiskey bottles. Jane shook the dirt out of the blankets and laid them over the sagging mattresses.

"Well I wasn't expecting no fucking company."

"I didn't say a word…" Doc said holding his hands up in surrender.

She helped Doc ease Heyes onto the bed. Then went out to retrieve Kid. In the light of the oil lamps Kid's injuries were even more horrific. Doc pulled his bloody clothes off and began examining his battered body while Jane retrieved fresh water. Jane pulled the cloth out of the water, wrung the extra out and with a surprising gentleness began cleaning the dirt and blood off Kid's face. Doc's fingers expertly ran down Kid's chest and sides. He silently counted one...two...three...four…maybe five broken ribs, and a large deep gash that ran from his temple into his scalp. There was the perfect impression of a boot heel on his severely bruised left hand and a couple fingers that were bent at unnatural angles.

Doc had cut some of Kid's hair away so he could stitch the head wound with black silk thread. He tried to work quickly before Kid regained consciousness, but he wasn't fast enough.

Kid screamed as they carefully tried to maneuver him so they could wrap his ribs. Doc's face went ashen, as his hands began to shake uncontrollably. Jane looked into Doc's face. She had never seen him like this.

"You okay Doc?" Jane was genuinely concerned and a little frightened.

Doc ran a quick hand through his hair as he pushed away from the bed, frantically looking around for what he needed. Jane supported Kid as Doc located an open whiskey bottle. It was the only cure that helped him through every sleepless night when the screams from the war played over and over again in his head.

"I can't take the screaming….I can't take the screaming." He mumbled as he took a long pull from the bottle. He closed his eyes and drew in a long ragged breath. Rifling through his bag he pulled out the ether and a clean cloth.

"Not too tight…he is going to have a hard enough time trying to breath. Don't want pneumonia to set in." Doc instructed Jane as they carefully wrapped an unconscious Kid's ribs.

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Doc had left hours ago promising to return with more laudanum and supplies the following day. With Jane's help, Doc had managed to get laudanum mixed with whiskey down both of them. She re-soaked the wet rag and placed it across Heyes' fevered brow. She wasn't sure if Smith was passed out or asleep. For now he lay quietly.

Jane pulled her chair close to Kid's bed. It was obvious the laudanum was losing its painkilling effect. In agony, Kid sucked in short quick breaths. His body shook with every rise and fall of his chest. Jane laid a hand on Kid, trying to still his body. Delirious with pain, he found Jane's hand and squeezed it with more strength than she thought possible. She squeezed back.

"Don't you die on me Thaddeus. I can't lose another fucking friend."

Jane openly wept as her mind flashed back to standing over Wild Bill's open casket, on that hot August day. She had shooed flies away from his handsome face as people filed by to pay their last respects. As for the gawkers, they were encouraged along with a pistol to their faces. One man had even pulled a knife out to cut a lock of Bill's long hair as a souvenir. Three men had to pull Jane off of him before she could scalp him with his own knife.

She held Kid's hand until his grip slowly loosened, then fell away.

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Jane saw Heyes' eyes slowly open. There was a light of comprehension this time. Before when he was seemingly conscious, his eyes were blank and distant. He would stare at Jane, unresponsive to her questions before he would slowly slide back into unconsciousness.

"You in there?" His eyes blinked rapidly as Jane waved her hand in front of Heyes' eyes. Where the hell was he? And who the hell was this crazy person? He closed his eyes trying to remember. It was unsettling and frightening as the pieces weren't falling into place. He heard a chair being dragged across the floor and opened his eyes as the strange person's face loomed close to his. The smell of alcohol stung his nose.

Kid? Where was Kid?

"If my recollection is any good, and there's fucking dispute that it ain't… I was thinking you were Joshua...but here's the dilemma. Thaddeus keeps asking for Heyes. Now it could be your middle name like my fucking middle is Jane which I would kindly like to be referred as, instead of Martha. Martha, that name makes me want to puke and go to fucking Montana and dig up my dead cocksucking parents to kill them all over again. Look can't even say it without having to wash my fucking mouth out with a drink." She took a long pull from the whiskey bottle and sloshed the liquid around in her mouth before she swallowed

Heyes continued to stare at Jane. Well two of Heyes' questions were answered. Female….and more importantly, Kid was alive

"Where?" Heyes asked, his voice no more than whisper. Jane obviously didn't hear the question as she continued on.

"And you've been calling Thaddeus, Kid, which I thought… as I said before sometimes my memory isn't as fucking keen as people think it should be. So is he like your fucking kid brother? Because by the looks of you two, either mother was whoring around or daddy was a goddamn liar. And if you ain't noticed you don't share the same last name."

"Where is he?" Heyes asked again as he struggled to rise. His throat was raw and dry. "Nice to meet you Jane...and you can call me Joshua. I'd be glad to discuss the Jones/Smith family tree...but right l now...I would appreciate a hand. I need to see my partner," Heyes said weakly. There was concern and pain on Heyes' flushed face.

As Jane dragged the chair back to the other bed, the chair caught momentary in the deep scratches in the wood floor.. She felt Heyes pull back when he saw his partner as a low moan escaped his lips. Jane felt him tense and resist as she tried to ease him into the chair.

Fear suddenly crossed Heyes' face.

"It's okay." Jane reassured him, as her hand tightened on his arm. "Doc gave him the shot, but I'm thinking that's the least of his fucking worries."

Satisfied, Heyes relented and allowed Jane to help him into the chair. Kid's face was almost unrecognizable. Heyes took in his partner's swollen and distorted features covered in multicolored bruises. A long head gash was stitched with silk thread and the soft tissue around his eyes were swollen giving him a monsterous look. Jane saw Heyes clench his teeth, as his jaw tightened with anger. Jane could feel a rage resonate from his body. His head dropped to his chest as he squeezed his eyes tightly shut, trying unsuccessfully to hold back tears. Heyes opened his eyes, sniffed loudly and wiped a quick hand across his face. He carefully laid a hand on Kid's arm.

"You know who?" Heyes asked Jane without taking his eyes off Kid.

"There are a lot of fuckers in Deadwood. But in pure meanness, it's either Cy or Al. And if I were to make a fucking educated guess it would be Swearengen. He owns that shithole Gem and controls half the town."

"Slicked back black hair… pinstripe suit…"

"That would be the prick himself and all his fucking glory."

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"Doc says you're going to feel better for a couple days before it grabs you by the fucking balls again. So you need to eat."

Jane helped Heyes to the table and pushed a plate of food in front of him. He was hungry but the blisters in his mouth were making eating difficult. He chewed a bite of beans slowly and carefully. Jane told Heyes the story of how and where she found them. But she didn't answer the one question Heyes was most curious...Why?

"Why Jane? You don't owe us...Hell, I just met you."

Jane suddenly looked uncomfortable. She lowered her head and took a bite of food.

"Well truth be told," She raised her head up as she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, "Fucking Thaddeus. He….well dammit… he was nice to me. I...I.." She took a long drink from the bottle "God dammit…I've got two fucking friends...or had two fucking friends until that cocksucker coward Jack McCall put a bullet in the back of my best friend's head. August second my fucking life ended." Tears stung her eyes. She turned away from Heyes, embarrassed. Emotion was a sign of weakness. She had learned that at a very early age from her dearly departed parents... with a strap… board...whatever was within their reach.

"Joanie...your partner… brother… friend… whatever he is...was easy to talk to and no denying easy on the eyes, although... not so fucking much now."

"Why aren't you afraid of me? You get the shot too?"

"Don't affect me. First come across it when I was a bullwhacker. People dying left and right and there I fucking was, not even getting a sweat. Doc thinks I can't get it because I'm a fucking drunk and I've pickled myself with alcohol "

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Kid was in darkness, not even sure if he was alive or dead until like a wave, a flood of pain washed over his body. It was so intense it felt like it could have lifted him from the bed. He gasped loudly. He felt pressure on his left arm then a familiar voice said, "It's okay. I'm here."

Kid slowly turned his head towards Heyes' voice. Heyes saw a glint of blue from Kid's right eye. He tried to reach a hand out towards his partner but even that small effort was too much.

"I don't feel so good." Kid mumbled through puffy split lips.

"Well you don't look so fucking good either!" Jane said loudly.

"Jane?"

"Yeah it's Jane who else talks so…. colorfully?"

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