When it became apparent that Vin was not going to die or wake up anytime soon, life got back to normal for the rest of the Seven. Nathan cleared everybody out of the clinic and set to work getting it straightened up. Buck and JD cleared away all the lamps, candles, and blankets. Ezra got a card game going at the saloon. Josiah finished putting in the new window frame at the church. Chris went to the laundress, paid his bill, picked up his laundry, and went to his room at the boardinghouse for a little more sleep. He found Mary at Vin's room. The door was open and she seemed to be just staring inside.

"Mary? Everything all right?"

"You wouldn't even know anyone lived here." She said. "No pictures, no rug, no curtains, even the blanket looks like it got left behind by the last person who slept here."

"Well, Vin ain't one much for knickknacks I guess. Don't like too much weighing him down. He probably wouldn't like all those things anyway." Chris was about to turn away and head to his room.

"No, he would like them."

Something in the way she said that, as though she knew, made Chris stay. "What d'you mean?" Chris followed Mary into the little room.

"One time he came into my home for a reading lesson, and I was late getting there. As I walked in I heard him talking to Billy about his grandparents' home, the Judge's home. Vin was asking Billy questions like 'do they have lace curtains on the windows and a rocking in front of the fire place?' He was asking what kind of rugs they have on the floor and what pictures they have on the walls. It just sounded so much to me like he wanted those things."

But Chris didn't think so.

"If Vin wanted 'em, he'd have 'em."

Mary shook her head. "No, it doesn't always work that way. Sometimes the thing we want most, we push away from. Because we don't know how to ask, or because we're afraid we won't get it." She looked over the blank walls and dirty window again. "Or because we don't think we deserve it... I really think Vin would like some nice things in here, a rug, a quilt..."

"Lace curtains?" Chris had to ask. He couldn't see Vin with lace curtains. "Well, if he ever wanted any of those things, I never noticed."

"Mr. Larabee, I'm beginning to think that unless your life is in danger, you don't notice anything." Mary said it lightly and they left the room. Chris shut the door and watched her walk away.

"Oh I notice, Mrs. Travis." He said when she was out of ear shot.

M7*M7*M7Vin became aware that he was awake. He heard voices, not too close to him, and felt air push past him in and out of the window above the bed. So, he knew he was still at Nathan's, the door was open, and Chris and Ezra were talking on the balcony. Not bad figurin' things out for a man who almost died. He turned onto his back in the bed and meant to have a drink of water out of one of the canteens. But when he opened his eyes, a voice exploded in his head.

"HEY ARE YOU AWAKE?"

Vin jumped and turned to the where the voice was coming from. A small boy stood next to the bed, too small for that voice to be coming out of.

"Hey." Vin said in answer. "Ain't you - -"

"I'M BART. I WAS SICK LIKE YOU WERE MY MA SAID."

"Oh." He had a big voice, Vin was surprised he wasn't blood relation to Mrs. O'Brien. "Is your Ma here now?" Will she come take you away?

"SHE'S DOWN AT THE STORE, TALKIN' TO MRS. POTTER. MY PA SAID THAT WHEN I'M ALL BETTER HE'LL TAKE ME FISHIN' ALL BY MYSELF JUST ME AND - -"

"Okay, okay..." Vin tried to wave him to be quiet. The sensation that voice was causing in his head was reminiscent of a hangover. "Maybe you could go find her?" Just as Bart was about to launch another attack, Ezra came to Vin's rescue.

"Why - Bart, is it not?" he asked, pulling Bart out of point blank range of Vin's ears. "I am so glad to see you up and about. I had heard that you were a bit under the weather as of late?"

"YEAH I GOT SICK AND I COULDN'T BREATHE AND MY PA SAT UP AND HELD ME ALL NIGHT AND MY MA SAID THAT'S WHY I GOT ALL BETTER."

"Fascinating, simply fascinating. You know there is someone here who would dearly love to hear your harrowing tale of malaise..." and Ezra led Bart out to the balcony to Chris. "Mr. Larabee, if you could entertain our stentorian friend here until one or more of his tribe come to retrieve him, I will help Mr. Tanner pick up what is left of his shattered ear drums."

Chris smiled. "Sure Ez'." He crouched down to be level with the boy. "How y'doin' Bart? I heard you were real sick."

"YEAH I GOT SICK AND I COULDN'T BREATHE AND..."

Ezra got inside and shut the door while on the bed Vin squeezed his eyes shut and moaned "Please God don't let him talk no more..."

With the door closed and the voice muffled to dull thunder he looked to see who had saved him. "I 'preciate Ezra...Lord, he started talkin', I thought I'd been shot."

"My pleasure Mr. Tanner. How do feel this morning?"

"I'm okay I guess. Feels good to sleep." Then Vin heard what Ezra had said. "Mornin'? It ain't mornin'. It was just noon."

"Well, no doubt it was just noon to you, however to the rest of us..." Ezra consulted his watch. "It is now 8am."

"No."

"Yes."

"But that means - -."

"That you slept nearly a full day." Ezra supplied. "Yes, we are all well aware of that fact. May I say that it has cheered more than one soul in this town that you are on your way to restored health."

It took Vin a second to track what Ezra was saying but then he grinned. "Thanks Ez'."

"Now, I am on my way out of here, I believe I'll take Bart to find his mother...hopefully somewhere he won't be shattering any fine china...is there anything you might require that I can obtain for you in my travels?"

"Clothes." Vin said immediately. He felt fine, he was planning on getting out of here.

"Come, come Mr. Tanner. While there are many perils I would gladly risk for your sake, I will neither tempt fate nor the possibility of Mr. Jackson dosing me with what his father so succinctly and appropriately referred to as 'boiled skunk.'"

As he talked, Ezra pulled pants and a shirt out from the bottom shelf of the cupboard.

"Placing your clothing into your hands is simply out of the question." Instead, he laid them on the chair next to the bed. "I trust I have made myself clear on this topic?"

"Perfectly Ezra...thanks."

Ezra grinned. "My pleasure." He turned to leave and as the door opened and closed, Vin got a blast from Bart O'Brien.

"MY BROTHER DAN'L - BIG DAN'L - HE TOOKED CARE OF ME 'CAUSE I'M HIS LITTLE BROTHER IS THAT YOUR LITTLE BROTHER IN THERE?"

And Ezra let the door close slowly enough that Vin heard the answer. "Yeah, that's my little brother."

M7*M7*M7

When Bart was on his way out of ear shot - across town - Chris went in to check Vin. He found him dressed in pants and his shirt untucked, barefoot, standing in front of a little stand up mirror, set at the appropriate angle on the table. He had Chris' shaving kit open in front of himself.

"What are you doing?" Chris asked.

"Need a shave."

"You ain't strong enough to be doin' that. I'll do it for you."

"You think I'm going to let you get a razor close to my face?" Vin asked him.

"You seen me shave."

"Yeah, and I seen your face..."

Chris scowled and Vin laughed and had to lean his hands on the table to support himself. Chris tried hard to keep a grin off his face.

"Lord, I liked him better when he was dying."

To Be Continued