DEAD/ALIVE Chapter Five
CHEZ AMI BROTHEL
Joanie waited that night and into the next day for Kid to return. Disappointment replaced excitement with every customer that walked through the door. She finally told the girls if they needed her, she would be in her office. After undressing, she slipped on a robe and started to pull back the covers…
As if sleep would come, she thought bitterly.
Instead she went to the cabinet and withdrew a bottle of whiskey. Pouring herself a drink, she slowly stroked the cool surface of the glass. She remembered the feeling of their first touch when their hands met. Joanie angrily pushed the image from her mind as she cursed herself for being so foolish. She picked up the glass and threw it against the wall. After all the men who had passed through her life, how could she have possibly thought Thaddeus would be any different? She was ashamed and mentally berated herself for being so weak. Without bothering to get another glass, she picked up the bottle and raised it to her lips.
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Sitting vigil beside Kid, Heyes' body suddenly felt like it was on fire, then as quickly, turned to ice.
Doc had been right.
Two days had passed and the disease had returned with a vengeance. His head pounded in pain with every beat of his heart. Jane immediately saw Heyes' distress when she walked in from outside. She quickly hurried over to him before he collapsed out of the chair and helped him back into bed. With a gentle hand she raised his head and spooned the bitter laudanum and whiskey into his mouth, then lowered it onto the freshly clean bedding. She gathered the blankets from the foot of the bed and covered him to his chin. Jane saw gratitude and also fear in Heyes' eyes.
He knew what was coming.
She wet the cloth and placed it across his forehead before she moved the chair to his bedside. Jane took her hat off and hung it on the chair as she settled in for the night.
The next morning after adding more wood to the fire, Jane took a private moment to sit outside on the dilapidated porch. She slowly settled into the old wooden rocker not sure if this would be the last time it could bear her weight. She reached into her deerskin jacket and felt the final letter Wild Bill Hickok had written to his newly wed wife. Jane had promised Bill she would deliver the letter in person if something were to happen to him.
Well the fucking bullet from Jack McCall's gun was the "something" that happened to him Jane thought bitterly. If the town's folk had only let her kill the cocksucker with the meat cleaver, maybe she would have felt less pain for the loss of her friend.
"I sure do fucking miss you Bill." She raised her ever present bottle to the sky and with the other hand wiped her mouth and tears away.
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One week later...
Kid sat on the edge of his bed, bare-chested except for the white bandages around his ribs. For additional support he crossed his right arm across his chest and held onto his side. His head hung down as he tried to get his breathing under control. The pain was making it difficult to breath. Perspiration shone on his pale face. Even with Jane's help it had been a painful struggle to the edge of the bed.
"No...Jane...No. Don't touch me. Please don't touch me." To be touched meant instant pain and he wasn't ready to be touched again.
"You know I got to change those bandages and bedding. Doc says I've been too easy on you boys. Need to get you up and moving."
With his head still down Kid said "Fuck Doc."
Jane froze and stared at Kid wide-eyed before she burst out laughing. Tears rolled down her face. She finally managed to catch her breath and say, "Well welcome Brother Thaddeus to my fucking 'colorful' family."
Kid raised his head and gave her a small smile and a wink.
"Sis."
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Kid woke with a groan. As a daily ritual, he would slowly move his good hand lightly over his face; his fingers feeling for pain and swelling. His fingers pressed and prodded, encouraged by the progress made each day. The swelling around his left eye had gone down considerably and he was relieved that there didn't appear to be any long term damage to his sight. Kid waited until he could handle the pain and throbbing of his broken left hand and ribs before he made an effort to try and rise from bed. It was a slow process as he struggled to an upright position. He pushed to the edge of bed and checked on Heyes'. He lay sleeping, his mouth slightly open, softly snoring. Jane was busy rummaging through a wooden box, removing the items one by one and laying them on the table.
"Yours or Joshua's?" Jane asked as she held up the Colt .45. It had a cherry handle grip with a blue steel finish. Kid stared at it, surprised. He thought his gun was gone. Jane knew by Kid's expression it was his.
"Them dumb fuckers threw everything in the bushes with you. Your guns, saddlebags even left your money. Al only hires beef-headed fuckers, so they don't realize what a dumb fuck he is."
Kid slowly made his way to the table and took a seat. Jane passed the gun to him.
"That's a beauty" Jane said with admiration.
A small smile crossed his face as he held the gun in his hand. It felt so comfortable and familiar
"We've been through a lot."
"Oh, before I forget...I'm telling you up front...you may be a little light on some money."
Kid cut her off, "It's yours."
"No. No," Jane insisted. "I only took what I spent for you two. Didn't even spend a fucking dime of your money on my medicine."
"Jane, Joshua and I can't give you enough or do enough to pay you back for what you've done for us."
Jane showed Kid everything she had collected on the side of the road, carefully putting everything back in the wooden box, before she took two bowls and ladled some steaming stew into them. She pushed one bowl towards Kid.
"Not sure…, " Kid started to protest, but stopped when he saw Jane's look.
"If you two don't start eating more...Look how your fucking clothes are hanging off you. If you keep this up I'm putting you out in the damn garden to scare those black demon birds away."
As they sat together and made small talk, Jane told Kid of her upcoming trip to Ohio to deliver Wild Bill's final letter to his wife. She had promised she would hand deliver it if anything happened to him.
"She's a fucking bitch. Hate the woman. I think Bill was deep in the cups when he married her. Hell, she was eleven years older than Bill. A fucking spinster. But a promise is a promise."
"Joshua and I need to start making plans…"
"I weren't fucking telling you about that trip so you would rush…"
"I know Jane but we need to start planning. Guess getting two horses and saddles might be at the top of the list. Sure going to miss our horses."
"Nothing better than a good fucking horse. Even taught mine to lay down for easy mounting...You know when I've overindulged, which I seem to do with some frequency," she said with a laugh. "Can't say I can find them for you two, but next time I'm in that fucking town I'll look around. Hell, Al and that fat fuck Dan could be riding them around without a care in the world. What colors? I'm assuming you're not crazy enough to ride mares?"
"No, not that crazy," Kid laughed. "A red dun with a white star, strip and snip and a black. I don't figure we'll ever see them again."
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The rash covering Heyes' body and face had turned to abscesses that filled with fluid and pus. Jane diligently cleaned the abscesses, and on the occasions when Heyes lay quiet, she wet the rag with alcohol. She worried that once they hardened, there could be permanent disfigurement. Jane couldn't allow that.
"Dammit Joshua. If you keep fussing I could be prone to lop an ear off."
Heyes stopped squirming and sat ramrod straight in the chair, watching in horror as the straight razor came closer and closer to his face. Kid, slowly made his way to the door and turned to give his partner one last look. Their eyes met briefly before Kid stepped outside. Heyes was on his own.
"I don't think this is a good idea, Jane" He mumbled through the shaving cream. His eyes were pleading with her.
Jane paused to eye Heyes, "Are you saying you don't fucking trust me?"
"No...No, of course not but…"
"But what?"
Resigned, Heyes said, "Nevermind." He squeezed his eyes tightly shut and held his breath, as he waited for the warm flow of blood to start running down his face. He was pleasantly surprised and relieved to find Jane's touch gentle as she maneuvered the sharp razor carefully and expertly around the sores on his face.
When she was done, Heyes cautiously opened one eye, then the other. Jane was beaming proudly at him. She gave him a quick snort, "Look at you...all afeared…like I'd hurt you. Here wipe your face off," Jane said as she tossed him a dampened towel.
She rummaged through a wooden crate on the floor and withdrew a small cream colored tin with Pratt's Healing Ointment written in bright red letters across the top. Jane opened it and carefully picked the horse hair out of the salve. Heyes gave her a questioning look.
"It's good on fucking horses too. Man and dumb beast."
Jane gently applied the salve to Heyes' face. "This will help with the scarring. You don't want fucking Thaddeus getting all the whores."
Heyes laughed, "Appreciate that Jane."
Jane saw the humor leave Heyes' eyes replaced with seriousness.
"Jane…"
By his tone Jane knew where the conversation was headed.
"Shut the fuck up Joshua." Heyes could hear the discomfort in her voice.
"Can I…"
"Shut the fuck up."
Undaunted, Heyes continued, "Thank you...Now I'll shut the fuck up," he said with a smile.
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All three were sitting at the table when they heard the approach of a single rider. Jane stood up and pushed the torn curtain aside.
Doc.
She met Doc as he opened the door.
"Fuck you Doc!"
Both Kid and Heyes raised their heads from their plates. There was an amused look on each of their faces.
"I want to show you something," she said as she roughing grabbed Doc Cochrane by the arm and dragged him into the cabin.
"Look at these fucking boys! They look fucking alive or dead, Doc? Well, they look fucking alive to me. You alive, Thaddeus?"
"Yes…" Kid caught himself before he said Ma'am.
"Joshua?"
"Yep"
Jane stood straight; arms folded. She glared at Doc. "I'm thinking you owe me a fucking apology."
"Jane…"
Jane's eyes narrowed. "A fucking apology... in front of witnesses."
Doc knew there was no winning. "I apologize to Calamity Jane Canary on the ninth day of September 1876 for …" Doc threw his hands up in frustration, "What in the hell am I apologizing for?"
"Your fucking doubt."
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Jane couldn't hide her excitement as she entered the cabin.
"Appears you boys luck is changing. Guess what I saw? Two fuckers riding a red dun and a black horse...headed this way. I thought about getting them back for you. The temptation was strong to crawl their humps… I haven't had me a good fight...Shit... can't remember when...But I figured you might want the satisfaction yourselves. If you hurry down there and wait I'm sure they will ride right into your fucking arms."
The two men pulled their horses to an abrupt stop as two men stepped out from behind the tree, guns leveled.
"You need to get off those horses."
The two men quickly dismounted and turned towards Heyes' and Kid with their hands held high.
"Mister we don't have any money," said the older man.
The other man nodded his head. "None."
"It's not money we want..Would you say it's stealing if we take back what's rightfully ours?" Heyes asked as he looked at Kid for clarification.
"Nope," Kid said, shaking his head. His gun never wavered in his hand.
"Mister, horse stealing is a hanging offense."
"Yes, it is...Glad you pointed that out...Thaddeus, you see a tree branch strong enough to throw a couple ropes over to accommodate these two gentlemen?"
"We're not…" the older man started to protest.
"Gentlemen?" Heyes, said cutting him off, "Because I know you weren't going to say horse thieves."
"You can't prove these are your horses!" The younger man spoke up.
"Above the right hock on that red dun is a horizontal scar. He got it when he slipped on a rock crossing a creek. If you pull up the saddle blanket he has three white spots where the hair didn't come back right. On his right shoulder there is a small indentation from a mare thinking he was getting a little too fresh. Shall I go on?"
The men started nervously looking around.
"Kid, would you like to identify your horse?"
"Nope...don't need to...I'm figuring this is all the identification I need," Kid said, as he cocked his gun."...and I really, really miss my horse."
Heyes leaned towards the two men and whispered, " He REALLY does...Almost embarrassing the way he feels about that horse. You gentlemen know a good horse is like…," Heyes pushed his hat back and stroked his chin, searching for the right words. "Well, first it's like a good chair...You know all worn in and familiar. Your saddle and backside fit just right. New ones just jostle...you know...your man parts around. Plus you get used to each other and each other's quirks. So you men have a decision to make...Go ahead, talk amongst yourselves if need be."
"Don't take too long," Kid warned, "My finger is cramping on this trigger and I'm not as generous with my time as my friend."
"Mister we ain't no horse thieves. We was given these horses for work"
"By?"
"I'd rather not say."
"Let me guess…saloon owner. Dark haired…oily looking fellow with an unforgiving temper"
The men looked more nervous.
"Well just because he gave them to you don't mean he came by them proper. And we are taking our rightful property back. If you would like to dispute this, I suggest you take it up with…"
"No!" Both men said in unison, looking genuinely frightened.
The older man said, "I think me and my friend here have had enough of Deadwood to last a lifetime. Here," he said, as both men lowered their hands and handed their reins to Heyes.
"Get your long guns, ropes, bedrolls and saddlebags off and we will be parting ways. We got no claim to what's not ours." Heyes said, but paused before digging into his pants pocket for some money.
"Here." Heyes said, "We've had dealings with your former employer…"
Both men's eyes quickly looked at Kid's healing bruises and bandaged hand.
"...so I'm feeling kind of sorry for you. Should be enough to buy yourself and your friend a couple of horses."
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Although sunny, there was a sharp coldness to the mid-October air. They were a couple months away from winter with no plans. Kid sat alone, seemily lost in thought. Heyes took a seat beside his partner on the downed log without a word. They sat several minutes in silence. Without looking at his partner, Kid said," Are we going to let them get away with this?"
"I think so...for now…." Heyes said reluctantly.
Heyes saw Kid's jaw tighten. "Seems like we have a lot of unfinished business."
"We do." Heyes agreed, "But neither one of us is in any kind of condition to finish what needs to be done. If we decide to, you know there is no point in sending the telegram to our special friend. We can't do it being honest, law-bidding men."
"After all those years…" Kid said, shaking his head.
"I told you before it was your decision and I meant it. Winter will be here soon...So would like to hear my plan?"
Kid turned to Heyes with a surprised look on his face. "Really, you have a plan?"
"Thought maybe we could escort Jane to Ohio. Give us more time to heal. More time to think."
Kid looked at Heyes, "She specifically asked…for our help?"
Heyes snorted, " Of course not. Ain't in Jane's nature to ask. Figured it's the least we could do. Don't know how to repay her for…our lives."
Kid nodded in agreement.
"Where is she? Gone to town for some "medicine"? Heyes smiled.
"Can't say… but she took the wagon. Must be getting a lot of "medicine", Kid said with a laugh.
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Joanie was surprised to hear Jane's voice. She hadn't seen her in over a month and had assumed she had left the area.
Without knocking, Jane barged into Joanie's room. She found Joanie seated at the table. There were papers strewn about and a half empty whiskey glass.
"Jane", There was a coldness and weariness in Joanie's voice.
The girls had warned Jane that Joanie hadn't been right for weeks. She seemed tired and irritable, spending an unusual amount of time in her room. They were afraid Joanie was ill, which frightened the girls that had left the Bella Union with her. There would be little choice but to return to Cy Toliver if the business failed and endure his wrath for disloyalty.
"Well ain't you a sight Miss Stubbs. You ailing?"
"Why would you ask that?"
"Cuz you look like shit."
Although dressed to perfection and not a hair out of place, there were dark circles around her eyes that held a deep sadness. She looked like she hadn't had a good night's sleep in weeks.
"Good to see you too," Joanie said, her voice thick with sarcasm. She looked apologetically at Jane. "I'm sorry Jane...I am glad to see you."
"Just saying if you were ailing...I've become a first rate fucking nurse. Just ask Joshua and Thaddeus."
"Thaddeus?!" Joanie's voice was no more than a hoarse whisper as her eyes widened in disbelief. Joanie's mind and heart were racing, "Jane what are you talking about?!"
Once Jane told her how they had come under her care, Joanie felt enormous guilt. She had known Thaddeus was different, but she had doubted him. After weeks of no communication, she had reluctantly put him in with all the other men that passed through her life.
"He asked for you on more than one occasion...I thought you would like to know that."
Joanie smiled through tears and wrapped her arms around Jane, hugging her tightly.
"Please take me to him. Take me with you."
"Already picked up my supplies from Bullock and the fucking Jew. You're more than welcome to ride shotgun."
Joanie quickly grabbed a heavy shawl, scarf and hat, as she hurried out of the room. She briefly spoke to one of the girls and pressed some money into her hand before hurrying out the door Jane was holding open for her. As Jane turned, she ran into a well dressed moustached man, turning into the brothel.
"What the fuck?!" growled Jane.
"I'm sorry, Sir…"
"SIR?! Who the fuck are you calling sir?! Jane said as she took a threatening step towards the man. Her fists were clenched by her side.
Joanie had quickly returned before the altercation could escalate into physical violence.
"Jane please." Joanie pleaded, "Please..wait in the wagon. I'll just be a minute." She tightened her grip on Jane's arm. After a hard stare to the man, Jane relented and headed towards the wagon, mumbling and cussing to herself.
"My apologies." The man said tipping his hat to Joanie, "I meant no offense. And you are?"
"Joanie Stubbs, proprietor."
"Francis Wolcott."
"Pleased to make your acquaintance." Joanie said but her attention was on the wagon.
Wolcott could sense her impatience, "My apologies, I appear to be keeping you from an appointment."
Joanie felt her cheeks redden.
"I'm sure we will be meeting again", Walcott said with a cordial nod.
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"You're not listening..," Heyes said with a touch of irritation. "Where are you…" Kid walked by Heyes, as if he wasn't there. His pace started to quicken.
He thought it was her. Kid caught his breath. Seated next to Jane was Joanie; dressed in all her finery, looking more beautiful than ever. She hadn't waited for the wagon to come to a complete stop before she jumped off, gathered up her long dress, and ran towards Kid. She couldn't hold back her tears of joy.
"Thaddeus! "
There was no hesitation as she fell into his open arms. He pulled her close, hugging her tightly as he ignored the pain from his still healing ribs. With his good hand, he softly reached under her chin and tilted it up. When they parted from their long, passionate kiss, Joanie took a deep breath. She hadn't realized she had been holding her breath.
"I thought...I didn't know what to think…I'm sorry... .I'm so sorry. I should have trusted…" Kid put a finger on her lips to quiet her apologies. He gave her a smile that told her there was nothing to forgive.
Joanie stepped back and looked at the remains of Kid's injuries. Her eyes and face were filled with intense pain as her hand lightly moved over his still healing wounds. Joanie's finger traced the fresh scar on his temple. Kid took her hand and softly kissed her fingers.
"I'm okay" He reassured her.
Heyes stared at his partner and the lovely woman who obviously was well acquainted with Kid. His face conveyed his confusion. He didn't remember meeting her and he was pretty sure if he did, he wouldn't have forgotten.
"Joshua! Stop gawking and help me unload this wagon . And you lovebirds need to get a fucking room." Jane yelled over her shoulder as she carried two heavy burlap sacks into the cabin."
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