Reluctantly my footsteps retreated to the bedroom and I glanced down at Slim. He was lying on his left side, curled up slightly and was working really hard to control the pain. Or so I gathered.

"What happened to fetching that doc?" He mumbled, and I swear I heard a taunt in his voice.

My face fell to a deeper frown and I walked around dropping in front of his face and tugging at his sleeve. His eyes cracked and he was smiling. I knew then that I hadn't miss heard the taunt.

"I can't leave you here alone…" I muttered not sure if I should smile or look angry.

"Sure you can." He mumbled. "It's been done loads of times. But I would prefer rather that you didn't go bother the good old doc."

"Slim―" I snapped my mouth closed and glared at him. "You know I have half a mind to drag your sorry little hid outside and tie you to a horse."

He smirked and shook his head wincing as he rolled onto his back. He rubbed his side with his right hand and I sat on the edge of my bed and tossed my hat off.

"At least explain to me what's wrong." I mumbled feeling that to be my only other avenue at the moment.

His eyebrows curved, his mouth became a winced out smile, and he moved his hand and looked at me.

"Jess Harper, for the great many years―"

"Four…" I interjected and he paused and bobbed his head.

"For the four years that I have known you, never once have you doubted me. Correct?"

My face got all rather perplexed and I was wondering if perhaps he was going out of his head. You know, maybe whatever was wrong with his side was starting to work its way up. I thought I should humor him, however, if I ever wanted to reach the truth so I pushed on a smile and crooked up my eyebrows.

"No Slim, in the four years that I have known you, you have never once let me down."

"That wasn't quite the question, but…"

He closed his eyes, rolling his head in a groan and I took off my gloves impatiently.

"Slim…"

"I'm coming to the point." He mumbled, and I thought that once again I would humor him a moment longer. I swallowed back my irritation and sat to listen.

"So listen to me now when I say it'll be fine." He looked at me and held a stare for a moment before his face turned up again and he groaned.

I didn't answer. Didn't see a need too. He was being ridiculous with his request and I knew that to argue with him would only out wind me, so instead of making some stupid comment about how he had just wasted close to five minutes I sunk to my knees on the floor next to him and gave his side a very testing push.

He bit off a small cry and moved away, before glaring at me.

"What the―" he snapped.

"I'm taking you to town." I said decisively and started to shove his boots on.

He made a fuss and grumbled the whole time but I got his boots and jacket before helping him outside. He didn't let me carry him that time and I didn't even try. The man was heading for a fall and I was starting to feel my own stubborn side kick in. Slim wasn't going to take to being mothered so I didn't dish it out, but I was there when he fell. I knew it was gonna happen but I thought I'd let the man fall, provided I was close enough to catch him.

When he fell, his eyes closed, sending me an apologetic look, or at least I chose to take it as one, and I allowed a small show of care to cross my face before hoisting his sorry self up onto Traveler and swung up after him.

Away we clopped into the setting sun and I wondered distantly where Daisy was. The thought was short however, for Slim was hanging loose and with each dip of the horse he'd groan or suck in a breath or make some remark about an over concerned Jess Harper.

I had to smile at the man. Even down he always tried to stay up, and it had gotten worse since I had showed. I wondered if perhaps he had picked some of it up from me, and I glanced at the back of his head. I surely did hope not, because I can be a terrible pain when it comes to falling. I mean I don't enjoy being stuck in a bed. I don't really like all the worry and mothering that comes with it. I don't like how often it seems to come, but then again I always understood it to be my own fault.

Head strong and obstinate I've always enjoyed a first rate adventure, and I kinda tend to run in head first without considering the consequences. Thus I normally come back in a sorry mess and have to go through some time of lying in bed and getting mothered. My other problem is fighting my way out of bed way too soon and normally end up having a relapse, which is even worse.

Of course I understood all this. It's a fault of mine and I don't think it'll ever change. The adventurous side of me is far too set to ever be tamed and I wouldn't want it too. I have come to think about things a little bit more now that I used too, and I'm not quite as crazy as Slim when I get all fired up an angry. Well not as bad, anymore, as I used to be.

Slim's weight finally fell back on me full force and I popped out of my deep thinking to glance at his face. His eyes are closed and I could tell by his breathing he was resting easy. Meaning he'd passed out and I was then in an even greater rush to get him to Laramie. I spurred on Traveler and glanced at the vast span of deep purple and pink finishing off the sunset.