The day went so well, even Vin forget how bad he'd been feeling before. That day seemed so long ago. His throat hurt now, but even that didn't matter. When they got back to town tomorrow, he'd ask Nathan for something to make it better. Today he felt good and he was having fun. When he and JD were done exploring every rock in the stream and on the bank, they changed into dry clothes and hunted up more fire wood. Chris and Buck could hear them far off, both laughing about something foolish.

As the day wore on, Buck and JD decided to finally go fishing. Vin said he was tired, and he'd stay at the campsite. Chris said he was going to stay there too, get some reading done. Vin sat cross-legged at the base of the tree, near the campfire, and was asleep in a few minutes. Chris shook his head. He'd never known anybody who could sleep so fast and so sound sitting upright. He told himself to remember: if Vin gets downhearted again, take him fishing.

M7*M7*M7

The boy sat quietly in the knot of the other boys playing in and around the sluggish creek. He didn't go into the water, he didn't want to get his clothes wet or dirty, he didn't want anybody to know what he'd been up to. He felt proud that he'd been allowed into this group of boys, and he stayed still, afraid to do anything that might get him thrown out again. He was almost happy sitting there, he almost felt like maybe he belonged - and because of that, he almost didn't hear his grandfather's angry footsteps behind him.

He ducked, but not enough, and the kick knocked him into the stump of a tree he was sitting near, and the clothes he'd tried so hard to keep clean and dry were mottled with the blood that ran out of his mouth. Then the hands reached for him and yanked him up by his collar and his hair.

"What th'hell you think you're doin', y'little shit? I say you could come out here? No good little shit. Get yer hide back to that barn and finish them chores 'fore I tan the hide right offa ya."

And as the boy turned to run for his life back to the barn, he saw in the eyes of the leader of the little knot of boys that he'd never be allowed back. Not looking where he was going, he fell and couldn't get to his feet fast enough.

"What th'hell you lookin' at? Stinkin' little shit. Keep movin'."

He felt the kick coming, and his pleas were as much to not get hurt again, as to not spoil the only chance he had of belonging somewhere...

"No - please - don't!"

M7*M7*M7

Vin came awake with a gasp for air, disoriented, trying to judge where the attack was coming from. But there was nothing, no one near him except Chris, across the fire from him. Chris tried to not let his consternation show on his face; he didn't want to make it any harder for Vin.

"You okay?" As though Vin had simply coughed.

"Yeah." No. His eyes swept the landscape, making sure he was safe, and Chris saw it - all the ease and happiness Vin'd had today was swept away, destroyed by one bad dream. He was gone back inside himself, back into that misery. He tucked his hands under his arms again, the first time he'd done that all day.

"Hands cold?" Chris asked. "Buck left his gloves in case." Vin didn't answer and Chris picked up the gloves and brought them to his friend. When he hunkered down to offer them, Vin turned away as though he was afraid.

"Won't help." He said.

Chris considered what he could do, what he wanted to do. Like an infection, Josiah said. Sometimes, if it was close enough to the surface, you could draw an infection out.

"Bad dream?" He asked, but Vin didn't answer. Chris took a deep breath - and a chance. "He can't hurt you no more Vin. " His voice was reassuring, not accusing.

"I know - 'cause he dead." Vin still kept turned away.

"Alive or dead Vin, he can't hurt you 'cause we wouldn't let him."

Vin let this sink in a moment. He wasn't convinced. "Nobody ever stopped him."

"Alive or dead Vin -" Chris put his hand on Vin's shoulder, but Vin didn't turn back. " - he don't get through me. I promise." When Vin didn't respond, Chris set the gloves next to him and went back to the fire.

Only when he was sure Chris was turned away did Vin venture a glance at him. 'Honest?' he needed to ask, but Chris turned back and Vin ducked his head.

"Here, this'll keep your hands warm."

Vin looked up only enough to see that Chris was offering him a cup of coffee. "Thanks." He took a sip and it burned his throat. He made a face of pain.

"Don't taste that bad." Chris said, as he sat at the tree near him. Vin shook his head.

"...throat hurts..."

"Bad? You want to go back to town?"

Vin considered it: go back to town and lay down in his empty room and be alone and in pain. Or stay here with Chris who promised to protect him from the living and the dead.

"Ain't that bad. It'll keep till we go back tomorrow."

"Well, you let me know if it gets worse."

"Yeah."

They sat there at the tree, at right angles to each other. Vin just didn't want to be alone, and Chris just wanted something to talk about that didn't involve nightmares and bad memories. Nothing came.

"Y'keep 'em away from me?" Vin said suddenly. "Buck and JD I mean? I know Buck's been havin' fun takin' care a' me, and JD just about turned hisself inside out to make me feel better...I ain't tryin' to be mean...I just couldn't take that now..."

"You want to go back to town?" Chris tried again. "Have Nathan take a look at you? Y'don't want to be foolin' with a sore throat..."

Vin tried a few times to say something he didn't want to say, but needed to say. "I don't want t'be alone." He was ashamed enough to be having bad dreams in front anybody else, much less Chris, he hated to admit that they frightened him. "I don't sleep..."

Chris wasn't embarrassed by this, though he could see that Vin was. "You won't be alone, Vin. I promise I'll stay with you."

M7*M7*M

Vin didn't remember it ever being so hard to roll up his bedding. Something just wasn't right but he couldn't figure out what it was. He looked over his shoulder - there was the two other blankets folded up out of the way. Chris already had his done. Vin was only rolling up the one blanket in his bedroll. He sighed, and started over.

Chris saddled the two horses, then picked up their canteens. "I'll go tell Buck and JD we're going." He told Vin. "Get some more water."

Vin tipped his head up once to show he heard, but kept at that bedroll. Chris watched him a few seconds more. Not that he believed in ghosts, but he wouldn't be surprised to see Vin's grandfather shimmering out there in the forest. "I'll send JD back."

"...'kay..."

M7*M7*M7

Buck and JD weren't having any luck fishing.

"All that damn fossil huntin'..." Buck scolded. "We could have us a whole bucket load of fish by now 'cept you 'n Vin had to scare 'em all down to the Pacific Ocean..."

"For one thing Buck, the Pacific Ocean ain't down, it's West. For another thing, I doubt seriously that this here creek goes anywhere near any ocean. And thirdly, any fish that lives in this stream couldn't live in an ocean 'cause -"

"You're just gettin' way too talkative JD. You gotta spend less time around Ezra... stop readin' them 'cyclopedias... Chris..." Chris had come up behind them. "How's Vin?"

"We're heading back...JD - you go help Vin get his bedroll together?"

"Yeah, sure Chris." JD hurried to his feet. "What is it?"

"He ain't feeling well is all. Gettin' a sore throat. Figure Nathan better have a look at it."

"Sure." JD said again and headed off. Buck got their fishing gear together as he studied the look on Chris' face.

"What is it really?"

"Sore throat." Chris was about to crouch down to fill the canteens but Buck grabbed his arm.

"What is it - really?" Concern - bordering on anger - filled his voice. "Tell me."

Chris shook his head. "He's back where he was this whole past week. Turned inside himself. He was sleepin', had a bad dream. Woke up and had that hunted look in his eyes. Hands cold again. Not talkin', not lookin' up."

"What the hell kinda dream did he have?"

"...think it was his grandfather..."

"Damn..." Buck was truly angry now. "Son of a bitch is dead and still beatin' on that boy. He really got a sore throat? Or is that just an excuse to go back?"

"No, he's really got one. Bein' out in the rain last week, in the creek today, better to have Nathan look at him before it gets worse."

M7*M7*M7

The two of them went back to the campsite. Buck saw right away that Chris wasn't exaggerating. JD was nowhere near him, and Vin stood away as though shy of him. He'd given up on the bedroll and let the kid do it for him. JD was just tying it onto the saddle. Buck knew without being told that hovering wouldn't ease the situation.

"We'll head back now." Chris said.

"We'll catch up after we strike camp." Buck told him. Vin waited till JD was a good way away from his horse before he swung up. Buck walked closer, not right up to Vin, but close enough that Vin knew he was talking to him. "It'll be okay." and Buck wasn't talking about the sore throat.

M7*M7*M7