Vin tried hard not to cough. It hurt. It seemed to be connected to every sore muscle in his body because each one of them complained every time he coughed. It felt like his brain was coming loose, and he wasn't too fond of the taste it left in his mouth either. He tried hard not to cough.
He was disoriented, seemed he was just in the corner, hiding from his grandfather. But, no - - he was safe from his Grandpa. Who'd been there? Nothing hurt then, when he was comfortable and sleeping on the floor... No, he'd been in the bed. Somebody was with him when he was sleeping in the bed, sleeping being held. The heart beat, that kept him safe. It was his Pa, didn't he somehow figure that? His Pa had been here to look out for him while he was sleeping. Was he here now?
"Pa?" He felt his hand resting around someone's arm. His mind told him it wasn't his Pa, but he couldn't recollect who else might be there. Who else would be watching out for him? "Pa?"
M7*M7*M7As he wiped the latest mess off of Vin's mouth, Chris bent down even more to catch the brittle whisper, but he didn't understand what Vin was saying. He patted the hand that held his wrist.
"Hey Pard, you with me? I can't hear what you're saying..."
Vin opened his eyes and saw the familiar face that he couldn't remember just now. He only knew it wasn't his Pa.
"You want some water Vin?" Chris asked. "I'll help you drink it..." Vin nodded, then coughed again.
M7*M7*M7Ezra hurried up the stairs to tell Nathan that Buck and JD were gathering every lamp and jar of oil they could find, and Josiah was emptying his church of every candle. He stopped at the open door though, and watched the little scene taking place inside the dimly lit room. Nathan was at the cupboard, mixing powder from a jar into a cup. Chris sat on the floor right next to the bed, very close to Vin, gently wiping his face with a towel that quickly turned bloody. He was saying something very softly to Vin, who nodded slightly then proceeded to cough up what Ezra could only surmise were most of his internal organs.
Still gently, softly, Chris held the towel up for Vin to cough into, one hand lightly resting on his shoulder. He noticed that Chris looked pale and spent from lack of sleep, his hair fell into his eyes and he needed a shave. The man Ezra had once referred to as porcupine was wearing himself out to care for a sick friend.
When the coughing fit was over, Chris set the towel aside and turned for a clean one to wipe off the blood and pus, but they were just out of reach on the table behind him. He was about to ask Nathan when he saw the gambler in the open doorway.
"Ezra - would you hand me..." He pointed to the pile.
"Certainly..." Ezra hurried to the table and handed a few of them down. It was then that he got a good look at the front of Chris and what Vin had done to him. It made Ezra want to gag.
"Mr. Larabee, if you would be so good as to give me the key to your room, I'll gladly find you a suitable replacement for your current attire which, if I am not mistaken, would be enough to make even the strongest stomach falter."
Chris looked down at himself and smiled a little as he fished the key out of his pocket.
"I 'preciate it Ez..."
"Believe me Mr. Larabee, it is you who are doing me the favor...is he all right? That's quite a large amount of blood to be expectorating, is it not?" He looked to Chris for the answer, but Nathan spoke behind them.
"The abscess ruptured, it's gotta drain awhile. The blood's slowin' down. I still need those lamps and candles though, got t'see if I need to open it any more..."
The urge to gag hit Ezra again. "A highly unpleasant task no doubt. If I see any of our compatriots, I will hurry their steps..." He gripped the key so hard, it hurt. He wanted to do something else, something more, but he couldn't think of anything. "I shall return momentarily with your change of clothes Mr. Larabee..." and he was gone.
Nathan watched him go. "Buck told me Ezra took pretty good care of Vin last night." Nathan said. "Wouldn't really expect it of him." He looked over at Chris, who was holding a cup of water for Vin to drink, and thought 'Didn't expect it of you neither...' M7*M7*M7The water tasted good, but swallowing hurt worse now than it did before, and Vin coughed a little on the dragging sensation as it went down. Lord, his whole body was on fire and ice and gravel from the feel of it. Even his skin hurt. He thought he'd give anything to feel a breeze on him right now. It was dark and the flame in the oil lamp didn't even flicker. How long was he stuck here in this room? How many days? It was always dark when he opened his eyes...except when it was daylight...except when he found himself in hell. He took a few cautious breaths, testing to see how long he could go without coughing. Who was that sitting next to him?
"Chris?" He didn't know where the name came from, but it sounded right, and Chris bent down again to meet his eyes.
"How're you doin' Vin?"
"Hurts, everything hurts."
"Nathan'll give you something to make it stop."
"...'kay..." He didn't cough, so it didn't hurt so much, so he closed his eyes, and rested awhile knowing that he was safe, and Chris was looking out for him.
M7*M7*M7
Nettie came back with Buck, Ezra, and JD. They carried lamps, lamp oil, candles, towels, clean clothes, long johns, pillow cases - and hope. They came into the clinic and, under Nathan's direction, deposited their offerings on any available flat surface. Nettie had a stack of towels, but held onto them as she took the chair she'd declined earlier. Chris still sat on the floor next to the bed. He had a clean towel in his hand, ready for the next coughing spell.
"How is he?" she asked Chris. Vin was sleeping, it looked like anyway. His breathing sounded easier.
"Nathan said he's doing good. Abscess ruptured and it's draining. He wants to get a better look at it though." They spoke quietly. "He needs more light for that. Don't want to go poking around the back of a man's throat in the dark..."
Chris looked at Nettie, really looked at her, and saw the mixed expression of pain, relief, affection, worry, and strength on her face as she reached out to lightly lay her hand on Vin's cheek.
"Fever hasn't gone down though has it?"
"Not yet."
Chris saw it then, what Nettie had given up when she walked out the door earlier. He knew how it felt to not be there when someone you loved died, to lose someone you didn't have the Buck to say goodbye to. She'd risked that for him, for Chris. Realizing that, Chris was embarrassed, and touched. The woman was stronger - and softer - than he'd ever given her credit for.
"Nettie, you gonna be here awhile? I gotta change outta these clothes. Think I might take bath while I'm at it..." Chris knew he wasn't offering to Nettie what she'd given him; didn't seem like Vin was in danger of dying now.
"I'll be with him Chris. You go on, take care of yourself. I'll help Nathan get Vin cleaned up."
"Thank you Nettie."
It didn't surprise Chris anymore how stiff he was when he pushed himself up off the floor. The aches and pains, combined with the mess on his shirt, made a nice, hot bath sound pretty good right about now. Maybe something to eat and a quick nap on the cot - -
. Chris stopped dead. He'd heard the footsteps, but it still surprised him to turn and be faced with so many people. Nobody said anything for a moment, till Ezra broke the silence, stepping forward with the bundle of clothes for Chris, and the key to his room.
"Mr. Larabee, if you do not immediately and thoroughly cleanse yourself of the disgusting mess currently adorning your shirt, I shall find it necessary to take my life in my hands and douse you with the bucket of water I fortuitously find at my feet."
Chris grinned. "You could try Ezra, you could try." He was about to take the clothes from him when Buck intercepted.
"Ain't gonna do you no good Chris to get the clean clothes all dirty. Let me take 'em for you. C'mon, we'll get you all cleaned up." He let Chris lead the way out. "JD, you stick close, you hear? Keep an eye on things." Buck knew it wasn't necessary, but it made JD feel good.
"I will Buck." JD stood taller under the responsibility.
"Well, Mr. Jackson..." Ezra asked as the two men left the room. "Is there anything else you require immediately? I believe we have purged this town of every means of illumination, as well as every stick of firewood, blanket and pillow case we could lay our hands on. If there is any way of which we can be of further assistance -"
"I want you to hold him down while I see if I need to lance that abscess any more." Nathan said, and his statement left Ezra in mid-sentence, wondering how he could take back what he just said. Next to him, JD got busy with matches.
"I'll start lighting all these candles..." the kid said.
"I'll help you take care of him, Nathan." Nettie said. Ezra was about to bless her when Nathan spoke again.
"Naah, Miss Nettie. He gets violent. Wouldn't want you to get hurt. C'mon Ezra. This won't take but a minute."
Still, Ezra took a minute, trying to figure out how he'd placed himself in this predicament, before following Nathan to the bed.
M7*M7*M7
"Feels good to get some air." Chris said as they reached the bottom of the steps. "Awful close in that room."
"Yeah, even with the door and windows open, got no breeze in there." They made their way down the darkened boardwalk. "Y'know Chris, the bathhouse might be closed this time a' night."
"I think I still got time...if not, I'll just wash up at my room."
"I bet Mary'd let you take a bath at her place if you was to ask her real nice." Buck said. Chris shook his head, but a smile turned up the corners of his mouth.
"What's been going on in town?" he asked, to change the subject.
"Not much...Josiah said he'd take a turn around town, check on things. Other than that, the only real excitement was an attempted robbery at Miz Potter's..." Buck said it casually.
"What?" The news surprised Chris. "When? What happened? Gloria wasn't hurt, was she? Y'arrested them, didn't you? Why is JD up at the clinic when he should be guarding the prisoners?" He started to turn to head to the jail, but Buck stopped him.
"Hold on Chris, pull in them quills. Give me a minute to tell you..." Buck fished in his pockets and pulled out a piece of paper. "Ezra styled it so pretty, I had him write it down so's I could tell you proper." He took a step or two till he could read in the lamplight coming through a window. "It says here 'a...juvenile...miscreant..." Buck read slowly, sounding some of the words out. "...undertook...to...abscond...with a trifling amount of... confectionary... goods.'"
"What the hell?" Chris had to ask, and Buck grinned.
"Some poor little shaver tried to make off with a handful of licorice whips. So Miz Potter moved the jar up onto a shelf, and he tried to climb up to get it. Brought the jar, two shelves and all the goods crashing down onto the floor. His mother got to him before we could, and we figured she'd do a better job of settin' him on the straight n'narrow than we ever could."
"Oh." Chris relaxed, realizing it hadn't been a true robbery. "It wasn't one of the O'Brien's, was it?"
"Ha! No, guess maybe they're too sick to cause mischief." Buck told him.
"Another prayer answered." Chris said.
M7*M7*M7
Nettie moved out of the way, and Nathan and Ezra gently turned Vin onto his back. His eyes fluttered open and settled on the mass of candles burning on the table next to the bed.
"Fire." It was barely a whisper.
Ezra sat on the edge of the bed while Nathan turned to check his instruments.
"I assure you Mr. Tanner, that while we may appear to be in the grip of a wild conflagration, it is merely our own Mr. Dunne hastening to provide Mr. Jackson with as much illumination as possible for the express purpose of examining the current condition of your illness." Ezra's explanation was met by a confused silence and questioning eyes.
"Fire?" Vin tried again.
"No Vin, no fire. Just candles. You don't have to worry...about that...how does your throat feel at present?" Ezra hoped to get out of his enforced service; maybe Nathan wouldn't have to check at all.
"Hurts real bad." he said. "Wish it would stop hurting." Ezra saw Nathan examine a scalpel and shuddered for himself and for Vin.
"Well, soon perhaps. It may well hurt a little more at first, but I have every confidence that soon it will stop hurting."
"What?" Vin's voice rose with anxiety. He scanned the room and Ezra guessed he was looking for Chris. "Don't want it to hurt..." Ezra looked to Nettie for assistance. She came back to the bed and Vin saw her. "Nettie? Don't want it to hurt..."
"I'm sorry honey. It's gotta hurt just a little bit more just a little bit longer. Nathan's got to make sure all the infection is out." Vin stared at her, but Nettie could tell that he was understanding her. "Now you can't make a fuss Vin. You gotta let Nathan take of you. You can't fight him, y'understand? The easier you let him take care of you, the sooner it'll be over. All right?" But Vin didn't answer; he scanned the room again. Fear showed plainly on his face "Honey, I'll be honest. You ain't gonna like this. But it's got to be done."
As she attempted to persuade Vin, Ezra went to Nathan who was still checking his instruments against an old medical book. JD looked on.
"May I suggest to you that it might be unwise to undertake this procedure in the absence of Mr. Larabee?"
Nathan looked from Ezra to Vin and back again. "Tell me Ezra, do you think it would be wise to undertake to cut into the back of Vin's throat if Chris WAS in the room?"
Ezra had to agree. "Point taken." A thought occurred to him, but JD read his mind and beat him to it.
"I'll keep an eye out for Chris at the stairs." JD said and he was out the door. Ezra sighed, and unwillingly went back to the bed.
M7*M7*M7
Buck stayed with Chris while he took a bath, shaved, changed his clothes and had something to eat at the boardinghouse. He filled Chris in on his latest dalliance, paying close and exact attention to each and every detail. But underneath the conversation, Buck kept a close eye on Chris and how he seemed to be doing. He was tired, no doubt about that. Once they were back at the clinic, Buck'd make sure Chris got some sleep. Now that Vin was past the worst, Chris couldn't object to sleeping a little while. At least he was eating, slowly and without much interest, but he was eating.
"Real glad Vin's doin' better." Buck finally said, as his story ran down. Chris nodded. "Take him awhile to get back on his feet, I reckon."
"Be winter soon." Chris observed. "It'll give him a reason to sleep indoors anyway." He couldn't tell if he was full or just too tired to eat anymore. He stared down at the food without eating anymore.
"Y'about set?" Buck asked. Chris nodded again. "All right, c'mon let's head back." They stood up from the table and slowly made their way outside. They could see a lamp in the newspaper office as they walked toward Nathan's. Buck shook his head.
"Bet there's a lotta things Mary'd let you do at her place, if you was to ask her real nice."
To Be Continued