Squaring the circle
Vin met Mary in the middle of the street carrying an untouched dinner tray back to the saloon.
"That Chris'?"
She nodded in reply "I left it an hour ago."
"He sick again, or not hungry?"
"No, still asleep."
"What?"
"Nathan says it's fine and he'll wake up soon enough. Try again later."
Vin ran lightly up the steps and hurried along the landing to Nathan's clinic and quietly opened the door. Nathan turned round from his desk.
Vin sat next to Chris. He looked okay, just asleep like Mary had said. No restless movements or mumbling.
"This is good right?"
Nathan nodded.
Vin stretched out in the chair, ankles crossed listening to Chris' soft breathing. Soft and quiet. No fussin'.
Some time later Chris' breathing hitched and he moved.Took a breath and opened his eyes and saw his babysitters.
"Starvin' "he muttered. "Time is it? "He yawned.
"Afternoon."
Chris rubbed his whiskery face. "Why didn't you wake me?"
"Cause maybe you're still recoverin'?"
"Well quit looking at me like that I ain't dying. Chris groaned as he sat up in bed.
"Not now... but. "Vin broke off as he glanced at Nathan.
"But what?"
"You're on the mend now don't matter…"
Nathan realised Vin wanted to talk to Chris alone and left saying he needed some fresh air.
"I'm sorry bout what I said back in the livery" Vin said as soon as Nathan shut the door.
Chris blinked "Old news now I reckon after getting caught and pissing off the warden and all."
"Don't change the subject." Vin warned.
"Well what do you want me to say, you were right I was wrong? I put you all at risk coming to rescue me…Nathan got shot."
"He's okay."
"Coulda been worse!"
"Was you nearly died!"
"You had to say it!"
"Shut up! We're all okay. Did you think we'd not look for you? You'd have gone looking for Buck."
"Yeah. But only as far as someone else's bed!"
"You'd look for me. Or any of the others." Vin pressed.
"Reckon. That's if you don't go round trying to kill yourself leaping off roofs and all!"
"Ya ain't never gonna let that go! You can't save everybody!" Vin replied angrily.
"Think I don't know that!"
"That came out wrong. What I mean is you can't stop us from doing what we do and we couldn't stop you! Most of the time we're fine. We get through when it ain't fine."
"I guess, "Chris relented.
"So tell me about how you killed the warden." Vin asked Chris, surprising him for the second time. He really was off his game…
"Why? Dead is dead." He replied calmly.
Vin shrugged, "Just tying up lose ends." He wanted to hear Chris say it.
"It's over let it go."
"Sorry I can't. Taking you long enough to get over everything as it is. Something's still going on. Unsettling you. You're no good to us until you get it sorted."
Chris sat silent and Vin was convinced he was going to be ignored. Was better than being punched again or shouted at. Meant Chris knew he needed help.
"I was in the Hole. They threw a rattler in just to be sure." were the words Chris eventually said.
"Sure of what?"
"To kill me. I knew their game, pushed and they didn't like it."
"So how'd you get to the warden and get out without bein' bit?"
Chris looked bleak for a moment remembering his frantic scurrying in the hole and abject fear of dying like that.
"Grabbed the sucker and stuck him in the warden's face. After that it was easy."
"God!" Vin exclaimed.
"I don't like snakes. "Chris said quietly but firmly.
Vin understood then, that it had been pure instinct and fighting for his life that Chris had done so. He realised that there was more to this. Chris had a reason for his statement. But this wasn't the time for that story and he hoped that one day Chris would tell him.
"So you can wrangle snakes now as well as busting broncos, cowboy?"
Chris laughed.
"You gotta have more lives than a cat Chris, to get to where you are now. Seems like you can't die so you gotta live. And you can't stand that. Settling here, the cabin it scares you. Might lose it, us again. Know I ain't stayed in one place so long myself. Gets me itchy."
Chris looked away, hands fiddling with the blanket.
"You might be right about that." he sighed. "But that don't give you the right to say what you did back in the livery."
"I know. I'd take it back I'fn you'd let me."
"We ain't good when we get mad at each other, huh? " Chris gave a crooked smile
"Nope. My bad tooth and little sleep had a little to do with that too..."
"Thing is…my life…the ranch was everything. Sarah and Adam..." Chris paused his mind far off remembering "...they made it about the best a man could ever hope for and I knew it, just didn't realise how much til I lost them. The horses, the land were hard work but I wouldn't; trade it…."
Vin waited for him to continue.
"Buck and I go back a few years, the war and all there's a tight bond too. But good in a tight spot- none better. Some times we needed to let off steam on buying trips. Left the wild women to Buck and just had a few whiskeys and late nights…a fight or two…but I always come back home to them. Buck loved that he was family too. So in a way you were half right. And I don't think when I get mad. So we'll call it quits and move on."
Chris stuck out his arm and Vin clasped it firmly.
"What are you doing?" he asked as Chris flipped the cover back and sat on the edge of the bed.
"What does it look like? Hand me my pants. I want to sit outside like a normal person for a change!"
"Nathan say you could?"
Chris glared at him "Just help me up and we'll sort him later."
"You know that he's right outside the door?"
"Then I'll already be upright and he can talk about it sooner rather than later!"
Vin gave up and helped.
Outside, Nathan stood along the open gallery above the livery and had heard the voices in the room behind him. First soft then rising in volume and anger and he had taken one step toward the door when he heard a laugh and normal tones carry on. It went quiet. He heard movement and shuffling. The door opened to reveal Chris at the door with Vin's arm round his waist lending support as always.
"Nathan." Chris smiled.
Nathan didn't trust himself to say anything other than "Uhuh" and watch as Chris lowered himself into the chair on the balcony. Vin grabbed the blanket folded on the back and flipped it open and over Chris's knees.
Chris glared at him, Vin stared back. Nathan watched the silent battle until Chris grunted and settled back in the chair, blanket intact.
"Saloon? "asked Vin.
"Coffee," nodded Chris "And dinner-I ain't been fed lately." he called out.
Nathan watched again as Chris gingerly stretched out his legs with a little wince and unconscious move of his hand to his bandaged side. He went back inside.
Chris grinned and watched Vin cross the street to the saloon. He nodded to Buck standing slouched against the pillar outside. Watching out for him as always. He sat back, glad to be outside and watch the world go by and decided he was glad to be alive despite several good attempts to the contrary.
END