He said he was fine!
Chris' collapse took them by surprise. Josiah and Buck had taken Nathan upstairs. JD and Ezra had rushed off for water and to order food for everybody. Vin had been keeping an eye on Chris. It was as if once he knew Nathan was upstairs it was okay to let go. And dammit the man kept saying he was fine. Sure he'd looked a bit battered and bruised and scrawny under all that beard, but Vin wasn't prepared for the heat he felt when he grabbed Chris as he slid off his horse. He yelled for Buck, Vin needed help getting him up the stairs.
Josiah was getting Nathan settled and preparing some fever tea by the time Buck and Vin came in with Chris. They placed him on the second cot. Taking a moment to catch their breath, they then began to check what was wrong with Chris.
"Lord, look at that! Why didn't the fool say something?" recoiled Buck as they pulled open Chris' shirt and then removed it. Simmons' doctoring needed repairing and then they saw the bruises on his torso and back and legs. As Buck washed Chris' face hoping to reduce the fever he felt a raised bump on his forehead and parting his friend's blonde hair, he found a reddened laceration and bruising.
"Dammit stud, what else are we gonna find?!" growled Buck.
"Well, I ain't undressing him!"
"He'd do it for you!"
"Yeah, but this is now and you've known him longer, Bucklin'"
But they weren't really arguing, their banter diverting the concern they felt for Chris, as they removed his gun belt, socks and jeans.
"There ain't hardly a place he ain't been hit, Buck," cursed Vin as more bruising was revealed on the too thin body. None of them had thought about the shackles on his ankles or heavy cuffs on his wrists. Chris must have been in pain from the rubbing and had said nothing.
Nathan was feverish so they couldn't really ask him what to do. But all of them had experience with cuts and bruises and other injuries so they didn't moan about what to do they just got on with finding a solution.
They fed Chris water with some laudanum so he didn't fight them too much and set to cleaning and bandaging his wounds.
Nasty as it was, they cut the thick stitches and purged the wound of infection, dosing it well and bandaging it tight. They figured to let it drain open for a while until Nathan could hopefully re-stitch it. Buck and Josiah's brawn held Chris down in case he came to while Vin's steady hands did the work. The slash had begun to heal at the thinner ends, but the rest had become inflamed, rubbing against the harsh prison shirt and all.
Buck washed the head wound and put some of Nathan's salve on it then bandaged it while Vin fed Chris some more healing tea. Between them they gently moved Chris so they could place warm bags along the worst of the bruises on his lower back. They salved and wrapped his chafed ankles in bandages.
Vin looked up as they rolled Chris against extra pillows, to see Josiah watching them.
"He's gonna be fine," Vin drawled with a tight smile.
Josiah nodded but Buck added "Well, you know Chris- his version of "fine" is a little bit flexible but he always pulls through. Hang in there stud. We gotcha home rest up and don't worry about a thing."
Vin looked at Buck, he was just as worried, though his words said otherwise.
They took turns staying with the injured men, allowing the others to get some much needed rest.
By mid morning the next day Vin hurriedly returned to see how things were in the healers room. Nathan was sitting up not as feverish and happy to have company.
"How's things?"
"Better thanks, Vin. Chris needs a bit more time though." Nathan replied, wiggling his fingers and trying to move his arm a little.
"Reckon so," agreed Vin as he sat next to Chris, his hand already reaching for the cloth in the bowl to help reduce Chris's fever. "Easy now," he soothed as Chris mumbled and shifted restlessly, fighting demons in his sleep.
"How bad is he? Damn I wish I could see!" Nathan said angrily.
"I heard all about you tryin' to get outta bed earlier!" Vin quipped as he stood up and fetched more tea for Nathan and tried to get more down Chris.
"He's had a hell of a time in that prison. When I got to him he'd killed the Sheriff and the Warden. You shoulda seen that hole! Musta been hard in there, thinkin' about how someone else's words says you're guilty and there ain't a thing you can do about it. I've been there- it ain't pretty. Just waiting to see if you're goin' to live or die without provin' it! That doctor said Chris bucked the system hard the moment he got in there."
"I know what's it's like not to have freedom, Vin," said Nathan softly.
"Sorry, Nate I didn't think…" said Vin aware of Nathan's life in slavery.
"It's okay …"
"No, it ain't. But it will be, just as soon as you two get better and get off your lazy backsides!"
"Humph, all in good time," Nathan yawned.
Gradually Chris stilled and relaxed. When Vin checked Chris's side there was only a little blood and muck this time. Buck came in as he was fetching clean bandages and Nathan's wash that he liked to clean wounds with.
"Need a hand wrestling with the grizzly?"
"I'm guessin' you've done this before."
"A time or two," Buck admitted as he pulled the blanket down, revealing Chris's torso. Chris drew in a sharp breath as they gently lifted him forward to unwrap the old bandages and replace the pad over the wound.
"Chris?"
"Inmate 78!" Chris said, his eyes half open and fever bright.
"That who did this to you?"
"I did!" he panted with effort.
Vin paused in the middle of cleaning the wound to look at Buck and then back at Chris. Buck shrugged. As they wrapped the pad in place Chris grew more combative, struggling.
"No, get away!"
"It's alright pard, you're safe." Buck assured him.
"Lawless. Somethin' goin' on. All wrong. Look out…rattler!"
"Just rest Chris." said Vin
"Inmate…." Chris muttered.
"No, Chris. Not any more, trust me," Vin pleaded as he wiped Chris's face with a wet cloth.
Later that night Chris's fever broke and without fuss they changed the bedding, and washed him down. Before settling him, Nathan was allowed up briefly to check Chris's wound, it was better. Nathan was impressed with the care Chris had received from the others. They did listen to him after all! Tomorrow in good light he vowed he'd put a few new stitches in. As ever they fed Chris more broth and tea and left him to rest. Vin took the opportunity to finally rid his friend of the beard, shaving him carefully. Chris looked like Chris once more and Vin felt better knowing that. Things were returning to normal.
The next morning found Chris waking up, wondering who'd filled his mouth with the bottom of Mrs Tomlinson's birdcage and, how soon he could get to the privy.
He squinted up at the ceiling and then across to see if he had company.
"We home?" Chris croaked, recognising Nathan's room.
"Yup. Thought you wasn't ever gonna wake up today." said Vin noting from the slight movement and change in breathing that he was awake at last.
"Guess I needed it." Chris rasped.
"Here, drink this," offered Vin, a cup of water in his hand.
"No more! I gotta…" Chris flipped the cover back, determined not to think about water or else he'd burst. "Where's my clothes!" he gasped as his side throbbed and he felt light headed from sitting up too fast.
"Hey! Not so quick! Have this. " Vin said picking up a glass receptacle, ignoring the question deliberately as Chris covered himself again and lay back down for a second- his whole body aching. Maybe standing up wasn't such a good idea just yet.
"Not gonna be big enough," Chris gasped with a slight grin eyeing the shaped glass bottle.
Vin snorted "Awake two seconds an' you're already pushing it! Nathan says to use it. Neither of us are up to toting your sorry ass up and down them stairs to the privy."
"Where is he anyway?"
"Getting a bit of fresh air."
"Trying to say something about me Vin?"
"Nope. You want this or not?"
"Yes, dammit!"
He took the bottle and waited for Vin to leave for a few moments of privacy. Much as he liked Vin, he was glad it was Nathan who reappeared to retrieve the bottle and hold it up to the light with his free hand.
"I's checking, cause of the bruising to your back, worried about your kidneys. Water's still a bit pink."
"I could have told you that, Nathan! I know when I'm pissing blood…" retorted Chris, slightly embarrassed at the personal tasks the others must have had to do while he was ill.
Nathan set the flask aside for the moment and washed his hands, his right arm still painful and stiff. He sat on the chair next to Chris with a little groan.
"Can I have my clothes back now?"
"Chris- you just woke up! Let me look you over and we'll make a deal. How's the headache?" Nathan asked tiredly.
"What headache? " Chris said as Nathan undid the bandage and peered at the knot on his head.
Nathan sighed. "The one you'll probably have on and off for another day or so. That's some hit you took there."
"Warden's baton."
"Ouch. Mind if I check your other injuries?"
Chris shook his head and lay back down gladly – although he wouldn't let Nathan know that -and pulled the blanket free.
"How do you feel?"
"Just great Nathan…"
"Don't sass back at me. Now, you hungry?"
Chris shook his aching head, the mere thought of food made his gut spasm.
"Hmm, you should eat, you're down to the bone- ain't right. Maybe you ate something bad…"
Chris snorted "Yeah, reckon that's it alright…"
Nathan unwrapped the cloth round the knife wound, sniffed and looked carefully at it. It wasn't leaking pus no more and the ends had healed up fine. He reckoned he could get away with only a few stitches for the middle part.
He carefully stood up, went to the door and spoke to Vin, still waiting on the landing outside.
"Need an extra hand, if you're free."
"Sure everything alright?" Vin said coming inside, following Nathan to the back to wash his hands.
"I'm fine. What are you eating?" asked Chris as Vin sucked noisily and moved something from one side of his mouth to the other.
"Just some candy…" Vin replied as he sat next to Chris, placing items on a small table directed by Nathan.
"Okay, just a few stitches here. This is gonna hurt a bit," Nathan warned and set to.
Chris laughed loudly surprising them both. Couldn't hurt as much as in Jericho that was for sure.
"What's so funny?" Vin asked.
"Nothing."
"I swear, I don't know you two at all sometimes," muttered Nathan, his arm already aching from fiddling with the first knot as Vin leant over and cut the end. Suddenly Vin choked then recovered and looked up to find both Nathan and Chris staring at him.
"Wha'?"
"Either spit it out or crunch and swallow, Vin. I ain't in the mood to go round fishing down your throat jus' because of your sweet tooth!" Nathan said.
Frowning, Vin crunched, only to gasp in pain. Hurriedly he spat the candy into his palm, and stuck a finger in his mouth.
"Now what?"
"Ow, felt like I busted a tooth or somethin'." He got up and put the candy in the bin, rinsed his mouth out and washed his hands again because Nathan liked them to. He came back, one hand pressing against the side of his face.
"Can I carry on now?" asked Nathan bemused.
"Sure. Stitch away doc."
Once that was over Nathan urged Chris to rest and although he muttered darkly saying he wanted to get up, the next time Nathan looked over- Chris was asleep. Vin got Nathan to lie down for a while too. "Me an' the boys'll keep an eye out. Don't worry."
Chris's body over-ruled his mind and he caught up on some badly needed healing sleep. Over the next day or so he told them what had happened- avoiding telling them exactly how long he'd been in the Warden's hole and all.
He finally got his wish and was glad to sit out on the porch bundled up in his clothes and blankets.
He began to get annoyed at everyone asking how he was and how much he needed fattening up and how awful the whole thing was. It was what it was.
Eating large plates of food wasn't going to solve anything overnight. Besides he just threw most of it up later anyway. It was a waste of food and his energy. If they found out they got mad at him. If he only ate the little he wanted, they got upset. He couldn't win. Chris was glad he was home but he was getting irritated and angry at himself and the world. He started to push people away; sooner or later someone was going to get hurt.