Chris wasn't sure how long they sat there on the floor, Vin asleep, resting against him. His breath still rasped in his throat and his fever stayed high, but he slept. Thank God. Chris heard someone come up the stairs and head for the clinic - Nathan must be back from the O'Briens. But Josiah opened the door and came in. He looked around a second before he spotted them on the floor, in the corner. He smiled.

"When Vin gets well, he's gonna be mighty embarrassed to be sleepin' that way." The young man was all but lost in the vast quilt, held securely in Chris' arms. The only parts of him visible were the top of his head, and the fingers of one hand holding an edge of the quilt.

"I know." Chris agreed. He spoke as loudly as he dared. "But it's the first sound sleep he's had in two days...it was all I could think of."

"Well, it does seem to have worked." Josiah closed the door. "I came by to check on you, see how you're doing. Would you like to get him back into bed?" Chris looked down at Vin, he could feel how relaxed he was in sleep, he didn't want to disrupt that.

"Naah, thank you Josiah. I'll think we'll just stay this way a little longer." He put his hand protectively on Vin's shoulder. Josiah considered them again. He came closer and sat on the edge of the bed.

"Powerful lot of trust he's showin' in you Chris."

"I know." Chris had to say again.

"You know, last night when Vin was here with Nettie, I think he was cryin'. I don't know if it was 'cause you weren't here or not... but it was pretty fierce from the look of him when I got back to town."

Chris felt bad that he'd left Vin so long last night. It wasn't more than a couple of hours; still, judging from how soundly Vin was sleeping now, the lack had put him through hell.

"You said that whatever's goin' on inside of him was like an infection, or a fever Josiah. I guess you were more right than you knew."

"The Good Lord didn't have to take me so literal..." M7*M7*M7

The cabin was bright, and a clean wind blew through the open windows and door. Vin pushed himself up off the colorful quilt that covered the top of his little bed. He could hear his mother, outside the door, talking with somebody. The light was so bright around her, Vin could barely make her out. She obviously saw him.

"You finally with us, sleepyhead?" Her voice tinkled like bells in his hearing. He felt the instant rush of how much she loved him. "Are you coming? We're waiting on you. Your Papa and I are out here waiting on you." M7*M7*M7

Nathan got back to town an hour or so before nightfall. Little Bart was doing fine, but some of the other children were showing signs of coming down with the same thing and he'd spent his time checking and dosing, talking, reassuring - and keeping 'Bel and Zeke from rifling through his possessions and climbing into his lap whenever his guard was down. It'd figure they'd be two that weren't sick. JD got into step beside his friend and they headed toward the clinic together.

"How're things goin' up there?" Nathan asked.

"Quiet, I guess Vin's been sleepin'. Josiah was there awhile, he said Vin was on the floor and Chris was holdin' him. Had him all wrapped up in the quilt. Said Vin was sleepin' pretty sound too..." JD finally asked what every one of them had been wondering. "Is he gonna make it Nathan?" The thought of Vin being sick enough that Chris would hold him, sick enough to let himself be held, was more disturbing than his physical symptoms.

"I don't know JD." Nathan said it with pure resignation. "He's got an abscess growing on the back of his throat. That's what quinsy is. It grows between your tonsils. I gotta wait for that abscess to get big enough, they call it 'mature' enough, so that I can drain it and get all that poison outta his system. Until then, his body is fightin' the infection like hell, which causes the fever, which is giving him hallucinations, which is settin' Chris to fussin'." He sighed as they walked up the stairs to the clinic. "...which is givin' me a headache."

He opened the door into the clinic - and both men stopped cold. Vin was back in bed, flat out on the mattress. His open eyes saw nothing, and he was pale and still as death. But what alarmed Nathan and JD even more was what they saw just next to the bed - sitting in the chair, with his head in his hands, Chris Larabee was crying.

M7*M7*M7

JD finally found Buck at Mrs. Potter's. He'd run all over town looking for him. He was with Ezra and Josiah, helping clean up a mess created by an attempted theft at the store. Well, Buck was doing most of the cleaning, Ezra was pointing out every piece of glass that Buck missed with the broom, and Josiah was assisting Mrs. Potter in reorganizing her shelves.

"Buck!" JD was breathless from his search. "Nathan wants you over to his clinic, NOW." Before he had the Buck to say why, Buck was out the door so fast the broom spun twice before falling to the floor. JD found himself the object of intense scrutiny from the three remaining people.

"What happened?" Josiah asked.

"Vin went sour, just all of a sudden..." Tears rolled down JD's face but he didn't want to cry in front of Mrs. Potter. "Nathan wants Buck there - for Chris - "

M*M7*M7

"He just went stiff in my arms, and it sounded like he was calling for his Ma..." Chris was doing his best to explain to Nathan what happened. But it happened so fast. "Then he just went limp and I couldn't get him to wake up..." Chris thought, I killed him, letting him sleep on the cold floor. He was mine to look out for and I killed him.

Nathan paid scant attention to Chris as he listened for Vin's heart and breathing. Both were there.

"It's all right Chris. He's still holdin' on..." He set the stethoscope aside. "Help me get these blankets back over him. We still gotta keep him warm. Chris - c'mon and help me." Chris dragged his sleeve across his eyes and went to the other side of the bed to help pull the blankets straight.

"These blankets ain't gonna be too heavy on him, are they? He's gonna be able to breathe?"

"Yeah, Chris. He'll be able to breathe." Nathan said. He'd never seen - and had never expected to see - Chris so distraught. He gave Buck a whole lot more credit now, that he'd seen Chris through the death of his family, if Vin's sickness was taking this toll on him. "He's holdin' on. He's a tough customer Chris, he's holdin' on."

"Yeah." Chris didn't take his eyes off Vin. Each shallow breath seemed to take so long, in and out, he expected each one to be the last one. He didn't even hear Buck coming up the steps at a run. Nathan heard though, and went out to meet him.

"Nathan - how's Vin? He still kickin'?" Buck was so alarmed himself, Nathan briefly wondered if he'd do Chris any good. "I came soon's JD told me...whatever you need Nathan - you just say the word."

"I need you to stay with Chris." Nathan said. It wasn't exactly what Buck was expecting. "Chris is takin' this mighty hard and I don't want him to be alone."

"What're you sayin' Nathan?" Buck refused to believe what he knew he was hearing.

"This is it Buck - this is where Vin lives or dies."