Josiah sat next to the bed while Vin slept. It wasn't so much that Vin needed looking after, they were periodically involved in a card game, until the weariness of recovery overtook Vin, sometimes unawares. Then Josiah would take the cards out of Vin's hands, lay both sets down on the table, and wait for the next instance of wakefulness.
Vin slept peacefully enough, none of the hallucinations that Nathan had told Josiah about. He stayed dressed - once he had his clothes on, Vin wouldn't take them off for anything or anyone. Shaving that morning had put him out for two hours. Ten minutes of cards and conversation tended to put him out twenty minutes or so at a time. Sometimes Josiah read, sometimes he just watched Vin sleeping, trying to figure out how a boy who had survived so much misery could grow into a man who had so much compassion for others.
"How is he doing today Mr. Sanchez?" A quiet voice in the doorway asked. Josiah turned, surprised. Mrs. O'Brien stood hesitantly, not quite in the room, not quite outside. "Don't want t'wake him, poor boy needs all the sleep he can get more'n likely. Tuckered my chickens out somethin' awful."
"Please, Mrs. O'Brien, come in. You won't disturb him. He's been sleeping on and off all morning." Josiah stood up and held the second chair for her. "How are your children doing?" he asked as she took the seat. "I'm guessin' Bart's okay, he was up here already today, bringing the morning in like thunder."
"Ha!" Mrs. O'Brien laughed once then stopped herself before she woke Vin. "Little chicken like him, never once thought he'd even have half a voice like that. Seems he was always that way though, he just never talked much around us. A boy blessed with a voice like that, he's meant to do something in the world." Her eyes turned to Vin. "I thought for sure Bart was lost to us the other day, the way his breathin' was. Did somethin' I never do - demanded the Lord tell me why he'd take a poor boy who'd lost so much already. Said he came to me for a reason, and that reason sure wasn't just to lose him so soon...then he was cryin' 'n fussin' and his Pa just picked him up and held him. Held him all night long. Bart slept all that time. When he woke up, we was his family, pure and simple. Never seen the like."
Just as Josiah was about to say he'd seen something near to it just recently, Vin stirred on the bed. His eyes opened, showing first delight at seeing Mrs. O'Brien, then registering concern.
"Bart - -?" He wanted to be sure the kid was nowhere near his hearing.
"He's just fine honey. He's with his Pa. Came near to dyin' that boy did and he's the one bounced back the soonest. Never seen the like...how're you doin' honey? Heard we came close t' losin' you at time or two. Still sound pretty wore out. How's your throat doin'?"
"I'm still here, guess that's all that matters...don't remember much."
"That's probably just as well honey. Bein' sick ain't somethin' y'want to remember. You need anything honey? I'm just in town with Bart and my Tom. Abby's watchin' the chickens left at home. We're goin' to be headin' back soon, but you let me know if there's anything you need I can get you."
"No, thank you Ma'am. I'm just real glad you stopped by...don't recollect bein' too agreeable last time y' seen me."
"Oh, don't you fret about that honey. All the chickens I got, and the time the Good Lord's given me with my Tom all these years, take more'n a little fuss to rattle me. Don't you think one more thing about it."
"Okay..."
She stood up and felt once of Vin's face to establish for herself that his fever was gone.
"You'll be just fine honey. Same as Bart, you'll be just fine."
Josiah escorted her out of the clinic and down the stairs to where her husband was waiting. In his arms he held Bart, asleep and quiet.
M7*M7*M7
Josiah expected Vin to be halfway out of bed when he got back to the room; he'd tried every time he could when he was near dead. Instead, he found the young tracker still in bed, one arm crooked over his eyes.
"Y'all right there son?" He waited for an answer. After a moment or two, Vin nodded.
"Tired a' bein' stuck in this room day and night. Got no air, got no sunlight... gettin' tired of it."
"Want to sit on the balcony? Got a nice breeze out there."
Vin considered it, but shook his head. Too many people walking past. Too much noise and dust, too many smells and not enough quiet.
"Have t'go way further than that to be all right."
"Where would you like to go?" Josiah asked, and the tone of his voice made Vin lower his arm and look at him. He sounded like he might just take Vin wherever he wanted to go.
"Out, outside. Near a creek. In the air. Anywhere that ain't here no more."
Josiah looked at him, and Vin knew the wheels were turning. Just a little bit more and he'd be swayed, Vin just knew it. With a sigh and a look that meant he was caving in, Josiah turned to set Vin's boots on the floor next to the bed.
Just then Chris came into the room. He saw the guilty looks and the boots too close to Vin.
"You fellas up to something?" he asked. Josiah was prepared to lie. But Vin just said it.
"Gettin' outta here."
"Are you now?" Chris answered him. Vin wasn't saying it, but Chris could tell he meant to go farther than the balcony.
"You can't stop me."
"I don't have to stop you Vin. You can't even play a hand of cards without fallin' asleep. Never mind saddlin' your horse, you'd never make it as far as the livery."
"I can do it...I can try." Arguing didn't seem much good when he was still practically flat on his back in bed.
"You stay in bed Vin. Tomorrow maybe you can get out of here, or the next day. Or whenever Nathan says you can...." Chris waited, but the only answer Vin gave him was a scowl. "Now I'm heading over to the dry goods store, I expect you to stay here. You wear yourself out it'll just take longer to get better. You want that?" Still no answer, only scowling.
"I'll take care of him Chris. He won't move an inch out of this room." Josiah promised. "You go on, take care of your business. He'll be here, cross my heart." He promised again, making the gesture with his right hand. Now Vin turned his scowl on Josiah.
"All right, I'll see you later." Chris headed out of the clinic. As soon as the door was shut, Josiah turned and whispered.
"Get your boots on Vin. We'll light out as soon as he's clear."
Vin hadn't been part of something so childishly devious in a long time and the prospect of outwitting Chris was as appealing as the prospect of fresh air and sunlight. It took a few minutes to sit up and pull his boots on over his stocking feet, and another minute or two to stand and make his way over to the door with Josiah's help. Vin's heart pounded with exertion and excitement. Josiah opened the door to see if the coast was clear.
There stood Chris Larabee, arms folded across his chest, leveling his most devastating glare at the preacher.
"I read that medical book of Nathan's, Josiah. Your heart ain't on that side."
Beside Josiah, Vin sagged, all the excitement and expectation gone in an instant. Josiah felt it, the physical and the emotional blow. He met Chris' glare evenly.
"A man don't like to be caged." he said.
Chris looked at Josiah, who stood determined, then at Vin who was staring at the floor, rapidly getting too worn out to argue with Chris. Bed was the best place for him.
"Vin?" and Vin looked up, and Chris saw something dying in his eyes. He could stay in this room and recover all the physical health he'd lost, and lose everything else. Or he could be home, outside in the wind and the sunshine and sleeping on the hard ground, and gain it all back. Gain maybe more than any of them knew he'd lost. The glare softened.
"Tell me where you want to go."
Vin didn't even have to think. "Fishin'."
M7*M7*M7
Five men met that afternoon for supper and a friendly card game.
"Gee, you think Vin is gonna be all right out there?" JD asked Buck, looking out the door of the saloon. It was still broad daylight, but the shadows had shifted, growing long down the dusty street, signaling that the afternoon was waning.
"Oh sure. Chris'll keep an eye on him. Sent along more blankets and food than they'll need. Figure the fresh air'll do 'em both some good."
"I agree." Ezra said as he dealt the cards. "Mr. Tanner regaining his health inside four walls is as unlikely as my regaining mine in the wilderness."
"Ain't just his physical health, either." Josiah put in. "I think that's just a symptom of a battle goin' on in his soul..."
"I know what you mean about his soul." Nathan said. "Somethin's been eatin' away at him ever since he found little Daniel at the creek...still, the physical is the one I worry the most about. A man can hang on a long time with a dying spirit...can't live that long with blood poisoning."
"Tell you what Nathan, later on, when it's dark, you 'n me can sneak on down to their campsite and have a look." Buck offered. "If either one of 'em looks poorly, we can drag 'em on back to town."
"I may just take you up on that..."
"All right, where is he?" Nettie's voice rang from the swinging doors. She was not happy. "He ain't at the clinic, he ain't at the boarding house, and his horse ain't at the livery. You fellas mind tellin' me where Vin Tanner IS?"
"Why are you all lookin' at me?" Buck demanded, as all eyes turned on him. "Josiah's the one convinced Chris to take Vin on this little adventure, not me."
Nettie turned her frown on the preacher.
"All you had to do was watch him until I got back...you seen how that boy's been sleepin' the past day and a half. He ain't fit to be ridin' anywhere, much less to the back of nowhere."
Josiah stood to calm her. "Now Miss Nettie, Nathan here wouldn't have let Vin leave - not one of us would've let Vin leave if he was truly in any danger." He spoke gently. "You ever tried coaxing a wild thing to health while it was caged? Can't be done. It'll die tryin' to escape, just kill itself body and soul...you wouldn't want that for Vin now, would you?"
She had to agree. "No, can't say as I would."
"Chris is with him, and they left a while ago. By now they're at the campsite, with a good fire goin' and Vin no doubt stretched out asleep in front of it."
M7*M7*M7
"Chris?"
"Yep?"
"Think your horse mighta got a pebble in his hoof."
Chris looked down briefly at his horse's hooves.
"No..." he called back to Vin behind him. "Seems all right to me."
"Okay."
…a few minutes later…
"Chris?"
"Yep?"
"You sure this is the right way to the campin' spot? Seems to be takin' an awful long time."
"Yep, this is the exact way."
"Okay."
…a few minutes later…
"Chris?"
"Yep?"
"You ain't gettin' tired 'r anythin', are you? I know y'ain't had a lot sleep the past couple nights...y'know, you're gettin' on in years now, lack a' sleep ain't no little thing no more..."
Chris finally reined in his horse and turned back to Vin.
"Are you tired?"
"No." Vin said, hastily pulling himself upright. His exhaustion showed in his face. "I ain't tired."
Chris gave him a long, decided stare.
"What time was it you tried to sneak outta the clinic?" Chris asked.
"Now Chris, 'sneak' ain't exactly the word I'd -"
"What time?"
"Guess it was around noon or so."
"And what time did you finally leave the clinic?"
"Well you made me sit at that table and have something to eat." Vin reminded him.
"What time?"
"Around one or so..."
"And that was because?" Chris asked, though he knew the answer.
"That was 'cause I fell asleep at the table after I was eatin'..." Vin didn't meet Chris' eyes.
"And what time did we finally leave the livery stable?"
"Well now that was just 'cause you had to go get all those supplies -"
"What time?"
"Seems it was around three..."
"And that was because?" But Vin mumbled his answer. "I'm sorry - I didn't hear you?"
Vin raised his head and his voice. "That was 'cause I fell asleep waitin' for you to saddle the damn horses."
"You tired?" Chris asked again.
"No. I ain't tired." Vin was lying, and anger burned in his eyes and his voice. Chris knew he could turn them right around and head back to town, and there wouldn't be one thing Vin could do about it.
Except waste his strength on being angry at Chris instead of getting better. Probably sneak out sometime when no one was around, and go off on his own with no one to watch his back.
"We should be there in ten or fifteen minutes Vin, you reckon I can make it that far? Old guy like me? Or you think I should rest?"
Vin considered the choice he was being given. He knew Chris would drag him back to town if he thought Vin was pushing himself too hard. So he knew that Chris was giving him a way to ask for what he needed without really asking it.
"Think maybe you oughta rest, a minute or two anyway."
"And d'you think I can rest sittin' on horseback, or should I get down and rest on that fallen log over there?"
"Reckon you can sit your horse."
Chris smiled, wondering how far he could push this.
"What about water? Am I thirsty?"
"No, you ain't thirsty." Vin was too tired to enjoy this.
"Am I warm enough?" Chris pushed just too far and Vin glared at him. Chris only laughed. "You'll have to do better than that Tanner if you're tryin' to scare me. I seen scarier faces on JD..."
M7*M7*M7
Vin was relieved to get to the campsite - and still a little too pissed off to show it. He dismounted thankfully, tied his horse, and began the slow process of taking the saddle and blanket off. Chris kept an eye on him while he did the same, but he didn't offer any help. He could see the struggle Vin was having just releasing the cinch, but if Vin didn't ask, Chris wouldn't offer. Vin'd been sickly and helpless too long to suit either of them. The sooner he felt like he was on his own feet again, the sooner he'd get well.
Still, Chris worked slower than he normally would have, so that it wouldn't seem Vin was too far behind.
"Damn stupid cinch." Vin muttered to himself. "Don't use the damn thing a couple days and it gets ornery...Larabee probably just put it on too tight, damn stupid cinch..."
It finally gave and Vin lifted the saddle and blanket and carried them to where he would set up his bedroll. The effort left him breathless and sweating, he could feel his underused muscles trembling long after he'd set the burden down. Chris was already unrolling his bedroll, and Vin stared at it a minute.
"That's my blanket." he said, confused. He glanced at his own bedroll, still tied to his saddle. But that was his blanket, his 'sieve' Buck called it, on Chris' bedroll.
"I know."
"What're you doin' with my blanket?"
"I filched it the other day. Figured I'd be more likely to get a decent one to replace it than you would. Didn't get the chance though."
"I want it back." That wasn't Vin's recent anger talking. "You got enough other blankets we brought from town, I want mine back."
He spoke in a quiet voice, one that Chris didn't remember ever hearing him use. The low, threatening tone of a man an inch away from violence, holding himself back as long as he could.
"...'course..." Chris said it casually. He folded the blanket over on itself a couple of times and handed it to Vin, then turned back to his bedroll. Vin bundled the blanket into his arms and watched Chris turn away again. Just a blanket. Every autumn he told himself that he had to get a new one pretty soon, and he never did. He watched the holes and worn spots get bigger, felt a little more cold creep in, but he never replaced it.
He kept the blanket in his arms and walked away, out of the campsite and down to the creek.
M7*M7*M7
Chris went down to him a little while later. Vin stood, staring out at the rushing water. He had the blanket under one arm now, leaning a little off of the side he favored, thumb hooked into his holster. Chris stood next to him, not saying anything, wondering what Vin saw out there. Vin finally looked at him, stared at him a little while.
"Ain't y'gonna ask why you're standing here when you're so tired y'oughtta be asleep already?" he asked.
"Well, it had crossed my mind." Chris said.
"Just got to thinking, almost everything I been through these couple weeks had something to do with this creek...finding Daniel, fossil huntin' with JD, comin' back - - that night...here I am again."
"I hadn't thought of that." They stood a little while longer, not saying anything.
"Did I really almost die?" Vin asked.
"There was a couple minutes there I thought you had died."
"And you took care of me..." A statement, not a question. Chris was going to say how everybody took care of Vin, but he got the feeling that would somehow denigrate what Vin was asking. So he nodded.
"Yeah."
Vin nodded too, but didn't answer. He looked down at the blanket.
"Reckon it was why I couldn't roll up my bedroll that day. You just plum went and confused me, switching blankets like that." He wanted to say it lightly, not like he was accusing Chris, but he didn't know how it sounded. "Guess I was sicker then than I knew...reckon you're about wore out now, oughtta go back to the camp and rest 'fore you fall down."
"Reckon so."
Chris let Vin lead the way back to camp. He'd laid out Vin's bedroll with extra blankets, finished taking care of the horses, built a fire and had supper cooking. Vin set himself down on his bedroll, Chris did the same. The forest whispered around them.
"We gonna takes bets who shows up first and when?" Vin asked.
"Nathan and Buck." Chris answered immediately. "Nightfall."
"Josiah and Nettie." Vin countered. "While it's still daylight." They laughed at least, and Vin felt better. He still held the blanket. "Reckon you can keep an eye on things while I take a doze? Wouldn't want you gettin' dotty and wanderin' off..."
"I'll do my best." Chris gravely assured him.
"Happens y'know, old guy like you..."
Vin stretched out, crossing his feet, and resting his head on his saddle. He tipped his hat over his eyes and tucked the old blanket a little more securely under his arm. He couldn't see it, but he could feel Chris glare at him.
"Have to do better than that..." he said to himself.
To be continued