Disclaimer I own very little, especially not CSI NY. But I wish I did.

Notes Thank you very much indeed for all the reviews, I love to receive them. Please continue! It's brilliant that you're enjoying reading this, and thanks to all who've let me know. Thanks to Canadian Cowgirl and Fatkat for the unlogged reviews, sorry I couldn't reply personally.

THANK YOU to everyone who nominated and voted for me in the fan fic awards, I won stuff! Wow! Thanks, I was so happy to win best Mac and Stella author, and that Falling Leaves came 2nd in two categories :D

Thanks to Marialisa for her thoughts. This is Hawkes's chapter. Enjoy!

Where Have All the Cowboys Gone?

Chapter 5: Whenever You're In Trouble

Hawkes:

An interesting place, Mr Hammerback's establishment, one I'm familiar with. Too familiar with it seems at times. I do what I can, but out here, caught between plains of sagebrush on one side, and mountains that almost graze the heavens on the other, life gets hard to hold onto. Getting the medicine the town needs sometimes sure isn't easy. Supplies don't come in as often as I like, and the nearest big town with anything even approaching an infirmary is more than a hundred miles away, and that's going by railroad. Which costs money that folk round here mostly just don't have. It's a cold day when we lose one of ourselves. Any young 'un especially, anyone who didn't have nearly enough time to realise all that life can hold.

My life's here now, in this town, with whoever it is that might need me. Don't regret for a minute waving goodbye to the city. Even though it's been tough at times; folks didn't take all that easily to someone like myself, but I've gained their trust and acceptance, mostly anyhow. Still a few old timers who don't take to skin a few shades darker than their own. But Sheriff Taylor's been a good man especially. I suspect he's had more than a few words for some of the harder to please folks, and not long after I'd settled myself here, the few outbreaks of muttering there'd been along Main Street, stopped when he passed by. A good man. One to whom the town owes more than it realises.

Not so keen on visiting me himself though, it's gotta be said. Remember the time well that Stella all but dragged him, whilst he protested up a storm, down the street to me after he'd gotten himself a bullet in the arm. There'd been some kind of a brawl outside the saloon one night; he'd stepped in to intervene, and ended up caught in the crossfire. Stella, I recall, was furious, and I'm not certain with who she was the most - Taylor for puttin' himself in harm's way, or the cowboy who pulled the trigger - both of 'em felt the force of her wrath. Cowboy still walks with a limp to this day. She succeeded anyhow in getting him to me, and I was able to patch him up without too much trouble. Taylor was a lucky man that time, a few centimetres to the right, and it would have been a different place he was headed.

Hammerback though. Interesting establishment, interesting man. Cares deeply for the dead, always sends them off with his thoughts even if no one else has bothered. Very intelligent man too, if a little eccentric. Flack doesn't always have a lot of patience for him however. They're the type to clash, I can see that. Flack's a doing sort of man, Hammerback, on the other hand's more a thinking sort of man. Thinks some mighty strange things though sometimes it has to be said. Provided me with some remarkable conversation starters over the years. Always a good way to open up with a patient; asking if they've heard the latest story from Mr Hammerback. There are some folks in town though who are a slight bit troubled by him. I have a few who've asked me to personally make sure they are good and deceased before he hammers them down.

Still, onto matters important. A very definitely deceased man. Here comes Danny with young Ross now to assist us. Adam Ross, I believe to be one of the most pleasant young men you could hope to find in a town like this. Always reliable, if a little over-zealous at times, but that's to be forgiven. Kid's got a real joy for life, and that's something I tip my hat to him for. I know both Taylor and Flack think pretty highly of him, even if he doesn't realise it, and he's proved his worth in a few matters of difficulty for them. Looks like he could do the same now; I'm almost certain what we have is potassium cyanide poisoning, but it's always good to have a second opinion, don't believe in being too proud.

"Hey there, Doc, Mr Flack, Danny, Mr Hammerback? How y'all doin'?"

It's infectious, the bounce he has in his step. He's almost dancing on the spot in front of us. Just hope Flack don't shoot him down accidentally, he's got something of a quick-fire tongue at times, and Ross is kind of sensitive.

I manage to get in there first though, "All good thanks, Ross. Glad you could join us. Could do with some of your knowledge here."

"Happy to help, Doc. Whatcha' got?"

Why is it the suit he wears always seems a size too large for him? I've a feelin' he'd rather be fitted out in some more casual wear, denim maybe. A suit don't necessarily suit him. But I have noticed recently he's taken to adding the same style of waistcoat to his ensemble that Taylor's often seen wearing. Kid's got a good character of a man to model himself on there. Part of me wonders if he'll continue at the drugstore for all of his time, or if he has ambitions higher than that. Seems happy enough there at the moment however, and I know Mr Novak and his daughter are mighty pleased with him and his work.

He's blossomed into a confident young man, entirely different from the mouse that came creepin' into Hattanville a few years back. Came knocking at my door, which happened to be the first he saw. Long past the stroke of midnight when I was knocked outta my bed. He'd spotted the lantern I keep burning on the porch, makes it easier for anyone taken ill over night to find me. Kid had walked all the way over from the next town, after departing the train a stop too soon, and being too scared to hop back onto the next one.

So there he was standing and kinda shuffling his feet when I pulled the door back, after barely hearing the knock. I remember exactly his words.

"Sorry… sorry, sir, but, do you, I mean, could you, if that is you don't mind, tell me if I'm in the right, er, town? That is, I'm a lookin' for Hattanville, and I ain't certain I've found it. Sorry for, uh, disturbin' you an' all…"

Kid was almost embarrassingly grateful when I asked him in and offered him up a blanket on the settle. Ended up staying a coupla' days whilst he found his feet in town. Now he boards with the Novaks and there's talk in town that he and Miss Novak might be walking out together. Seems like a happy match. One that's taken its course naturally, given him a lot more confidence. When he first arrived, I recall, he could barely speak to Miss Monroe without his cheeks turning redder than the sunset. And as for talking to Stella, think he'd have found it easier to go climb to the top of Mount Moran in a January blizzard. Still blushes and stammers a touch when he speaks to her now. He's braver though; he's assisted Miss Monroe out with delivering parcels round town, and Stella he helps by carrying crates and bottles up from her cellars. All things he's insisted on doing, neither lady would take advantage of him.

Lookin' at him now, as he checks over the body, you'd never credit the change in him. I'm happy to be able to ask him.

"So, tell us, what do you think, Ross? Potassium Cyanide? Hammerback and I thought it might be, but wanted your confirmation."

He nods enthusiastically, "'Preciate you askin' Doc. I think you're right, you got the smell there, real distinctive, recognise that anywhere. It's one we keep under tight lock and key in the drugstore, usually only Mr Novak touches any of the poisons, but he's let me handle a few under his close eye. Want me to call him over and ask him too, to make real sure?"

"No, don't think we need do that, your answer's good enough." That sets off a real glow of pride in his face. "Perhaps you'd care to stay and watch whilst Hammerback and I take a closer look at the man? You happy with that Flack?"

Flack shrugs, "Fine by me, you do what you feel. You, uh, wantin' me to be waitin' around here?"

He looks kind of pale, there's a greenish tinge round his cheeks, maybe something he ate disagreed with him. I'd offer him one of my remedies, but he's even more reluctant than Taylor to take anything with a hint of medicine about it, "You all right there, Flack? Looking a little seedy. No, you don't need to be waiting around. Anything I can do for you? ."

Some of the colour seems to return to him, "Nope. I'm dandy. Keep right on with what you're doin' and I'll stroll on down to Novak's place, ask him a little more about these poisons he keeps. Let me know when you're good and finished here."

"We'll be sure to."

He disappears with a great deal of haste, I could almost say in a cloud of dust, and we continue our examination. Danny's stayed along with us, so there are four of us in total, and the dead man, whose name we still don't know of course. Something that always bothers me. There've been a few over the years, poor souls who've come to us with not even so much as their name. We've buried them best we can, wooden cross up in the cemetery. The town keeps a small fund for burials such as that, folks put in a little when they can, same as Miss Monroe's orphan fund. Likely this'll be how this man ends up; no pallbearers, no mourners, back to the dust he came from.

First thing we do is take a good look at the knife he's got sticking out of his belly. As I thought, pushed in after death, and it would have taken considerable force to do so, unlikely to have been a woman's hand. I pull it out, and Hammerback seizes it straight away.

"The handle! Doctor, do you see what I see?"

"If you mean the carvings, then yes I do, not something you see often out here, bone carvings…"

"Quite so, exactly what I thought when I found the very same thing on a knife belonging to another dead man. One who has since disappeared."

Ross peers in for a closer look, and then turns to me with a look of high excitement in his eyes, "I've seen this too! Pardon me for interrupting you an' all, but… but I had a gentleman, well, I say gentleman, but really he weren't much of a gentleman round Miss Novak, he came into the store only yesterday afternoon. Bought some tooth cleaning powder, but spent a good long time makin' his mind up 'bout it. Mr Novak was gettin' impatient. Looked real… well, that is, I don't mean to be disrespectful…"

"Nothin' disrespectful about you." Danny saves him, "Me on the other hand, now I'm someone folks could, and do, call disrespectful at times, and I don't shoot 'em for it."

"Sounds like useful information to me, young fellow. Keep a hold of it, and we'll impart it to Taylor and Mr Flack." Hammerback adds, still brandishing the knife. Ross backs away a little, "I'll do that, sir."

I'm about to add my piece when we're all interrupted by the door swinging open. Flack's back in a mighty hurry, and he's not alone. Taylor, and Stan Gerrard are in front of him, and I can't tell who has the darkest look on their face.

It's Gerrard who gets his mouth open first, and soon as the words are out, I'm wishing it hadn't been, "Adam Ross?" He barely waits for the kid to open his mouth, before his grey bristles start shaking more than a porcupine shooting quills, "You boy, are in possibly the most serious trouble of your young life."

Ross backs away even further, and bumps up against the table, the arm of the body falls over the edge, brushing against him and he leaps back. Gerrard smiles and there's a real evil glint to it, "Ever heard o' hanging, boy? 'Cause going on what we've just discovered, it's somethin' you're going to be finding out about real soon. You're comin' right with us. The rest o' you, stir a step from in here, and I'll be making saddles from your hides."

Grabbing Ross by the arm, Gerrard marches him out, the click of his spurs on the floor sounding as loud as our heartbeats in the silence.

Hope you enjoyed Hawkes. Sorry this is a bit late up. Next chapter soon! Please review. Thank you, Lily x