Bart obeyed everything the doctor said that day, not wanting anything to interfere with his leaving the following morning. He was fidgety and in a better mood than he'd been all week. He ate everything that his brother and cousin put in front of him for breakfast and lunch when Bret told him that he'd better eat it all if he wanted to leave the next day, and when he obeyed, they deliberately overfilled his plate at supper.

Bart knew it, too. "This is too much food," he said.

Bret and Beau smiled. "Well you seemed to be so hungry today," said Bret.

Bart made a face. "I just decide to give up fighting you, that's all."

"To make sure we let you leave tomorrow!" said Beau.

Bret chuckled. "Well, brother Bart, if you want to leave, you'll eat it all!"

Bart said nothing. Bret had an unbelievable appetite and Bart's never measured up to his brother's, which had often been the subject of jokes over the years. Bret was taking advantage now and Bart knew it, but he knew that in this case, his brother was worried about his heath, so he let out his breath in a careful sigh and picked up his fork.

Beau's eyebrows shot up and he looked at Bret. Success!

Bart tried, but didn't manage to eat it all; there was enough food on his plate for two people and a dog. "If you want me to have another reason to need a doctor, then make me finish this. Otherwise, I can't eat another bite."

"What do you think, Bret?" said Beau, jokingly.

Bret looked at his brother's face, and frowned as if he was thinking. "I guess we can let it slide." He took Bart's dish and put it on the nightstand. "All right, time for little brothers to go to sleep," he said, fixing the covers over Bart.

Bart's eyebrows shot up. "Sleep? It's only six o'clock!"

"If you want to leave tomorrow, you need to rest tonight," said Bret.

"I've rested all day," said Bart. "I've rested for over a week! If I go to sleep now, I'll be awake by midnight." He threw his covers off and stood up before anyone could stop him.

"And where do you think you're going?" said Bret.

"To sit at the window. Is that all right with you?" Bart answered, sounding annoyed.

Bret sighed, before gesturing with his arm as if to say, 'go ahead'.

Bart went over to the window and opened it before sitting in the chair.

Bret looked at his brother, trying to figure out if he was mad, but Bart spoke before he had a chance to.

"Where are we going after this?" he asked.

Bret thought for a minute. "I think the most important question is how. Horseback would be foolish for you." He held his breath for a minute to see how Bart would react to that.

Bart nodded, which was a relief to Bret. Even he knew that someone with weak lungs shouldn't ride through the thinnest air in the country. "Don't wanna go by stage, either," Bart said.

Bret nodded, not blaming him.

"A train, then," said Beau. "Easy travel, and the horses can ride in the stable car."

Bart and Bret both nodded.

"Find out what's leaving tomorrow and to where," Bart asked.

"Maybe we should head towards northern California," said Bret. "Summer's coming and you shouldn't have to deal with the heat right now, Bart."

Bart nodded his agreement; California sounded good.

The night passed too slowly for Bart, thanks to his eagerness to get out of there the next day. When morning came and he opened his eyes, he found a train ticket hovering in front of his face. He took it and smiled at Beau, looking it over. "When do we leave?" he asked.

"The train pulls out at two," said Beau.

Bart suddenly noticed that his brother wasn't in the room. "Where's Bret?" he asked.

"Talking to the doctor," Beau answered. "And it's my turn when he gets back."

Bart was surprised to hear that. "What do you mean?"

"The doctor wants to make sure that we're fully educated, just in case," Beau told him.

Bart's right eyebrow went up. "In case of what?"

Beau sighed. "In case something happens. This was your heart, Bart, for goodness sake."

Before Bart could say anything else, Bret came back. He smiled and acted completely normal, but Bart knew his brother well and could detect the apprehension in his expression. "What did he say?"

Bret sighed. "To keep a good eye on you, what signs to look for that would tell us that something's wrong, things like that. He's going to talk to you last."

Bart felt a flutter of anxiety in his stomach.

Beau patted his arm before heading out of the room.

Bart was quiet, and Bret watched him just as quietly, waiting to see if Bart would speak again.

"Out of everything they could've done, why chloroform?" Bart finally asked, sounding exasperated "I mean, we're always getting hit on the head; why not this time? Not that I'd want another bump to add to my collection, but I'd be recovered by now and we'd be living our normal lives as usual…"

"Our 'normal lives' of waiting to get hit on the head again," Bret said with a grin. "I think we should keep a tally; I have a feeling that you hold the record out of the three of us."

Bart smiled slightly, though he still looked troubled. "I don't doubt it," he said. After another quiet moment, he sighed and pushed the covers back, obviously intending to get out of bed.

Bret automatically opened his mouth, to protest, before closing his mouth again. Today marked Bart's tenth day in the hospital, and Bret still got anxiety when his brother exerted himself. He wondered how long it would be before that stopped.

Bart headed over to the chair in front of the window and sat down, deliberately breathing through his nose so that Bret wouldn't see the effect that the walk had on his lungs. It wasn't too bad, considering that the distance wasn't far, but he knew that his brother was watching his every move.

Bret headed over to stand next to him, and they both stared out the window together until Beau came back in with the doctor.

Bart looked at them and heaved a big sigh without thinking first. It caught in his lungs and made him dizzy, but he somehow managed not to show it. Swallowing the impulse to cough was harder, and he failed at it.

Everyone looked at him, but Bart managed to halt it quick enough that they weren't too concerned.

"How are you feeling?" the doctor asked him.

"Perfectly fine," Bart exaggerated.

The doctor smiled, not fooled. "I'm sure." He checked Bart's pulse and listened to his heartbeat and lungs before he leaned against the wall next to the window and crossed his arms. "I'm letting you go today, but you need to listen to my instructions and obey them if you expect to continue recovering."

Bart nodded, willing to do what it took to get out of the hospital.

For what seemed like an hour, the doctor told Bart that he was absolutely forbidden to run or do too much walking, especially if the weather was hot. 'Too much' was key, as walking was good exercise for Bart in order to strengthen his lungs; he simply needed to know when to stop before he hurt himself. He made Bart promise that he would tell Bret or Beau if his chest started to feel heavy, if he couldn't breathe, or if his heart did anything strange.

"I told your brother and cousin that if they think something is wrong with you, to get you to a doctor right away," the doctor told Bart. "So you better tell the truth if something is wrong; don't try to minimize it in order to avoid attention. We're talking about your heart, son."

Bart silently nodded.

Finally, the doctor went over to the door and took down Bart's suit, which was hanging on it. He brought it over and Bret stood to take it. "I'll be back in fifteen minutes," he said. "Don't take him out of here before I return."

Bret nodded.

The doctor left, and as soon as he was out the door, Bart stood from the chair.

Beau reached out and grabbed his arms. "Slow down, cousin. That was another thing he told us; not to let you do anything too fast. Your heart has to get used to normal activity again."

Bart obeyed, slowly walking over to the bed and sitting on it, waiting for Bret to give him his clothes. "I can dress myself," he told him.

Bret nodded, wordlessly deciding to lend a hand anyway if he saw that his brother needed it.

Five or six minutes later, Bart had on his shirt, pants, and vest, but he stopped before buttoning it, breathing a little heavily.

Bret expected that to happen, and he wordlessly buttoned his brother's vest before deciding to undo the top button on Bart's shirt to help him breathe better. "You all right?" he asked, pulling Bart's undone tie from around his neck and putting it into his own pocket; his brother didn't need anything around his throat at a time like this.

Bart nodded, looking annoyed. He didn't expect to get breathless simply from getting dressed.

Beau was holding Bart's gray jacket, and sat beside him on the bed as they waited for his breathing to improve.

"I'm fine," Bart told them, reaching to take his jacket.

Beau slid it up his cousin's arms for him and Bret grabbed the lapels, settling it neatly while Bart made an annoyed face.

"I'm fine," he repeated.

"We know," Bret replied, humoring him as he brushed off the shoulders of his brother's jacket.

Bart said nothing else, and they awaited the return of the doctor, who came back a few minutes later.

"Well," said the doctor, looking at Bart. "You're looking much improved."

Bart smiled at that. "And ready to go."

The doctor nodded, before holding up a finger. "You remember what I told you, now. Don't forget."

Bart nodded. "I won't." With that, he stood and Bret handed him his hat. He put it on with a smile, and they walked out the door.

All three men stared at Bart as they walked slowly; aware that this would be the longest he'd walked since his chloroform overdose. They were on the first floor, thankfully, and it wasn't very far to the front desk.

"Release Mr. Maverick, please," said the doctor.

The nurse at the counter took out the necessary papers and slid them towards Bart with smile.

Bart took the pencil and signed them happily, giving them back and returning the smile.

"I hope you continue to feel better, Mr. Maverick," the nurse said.

"Thank you, I'm sure I will," Bart said, still smiling.

"Not when you see this bill you won't," Bret mumbled. He took money out of his wallet and handed it over, before they tipped their hats at the nurse and turned towards the door.

Bart stuck out his hand towards the doctor, who shook it. "Thanks, doc, for everything."

The doctor smiled. "That's what I'm here for," he said. "Take care of yourself."

Beau shook his hand next. "I'd say it was a pleasure, but..."

The doctor chuckled.

Bret shook his hand last. "Thanks for rethinking that five-minute-oxygen rule. It saved his life, I think."

The doctor nodded. "I think so too, and I'll keep it in mind for the future."

They all said goodbye, and the three Mavericks walked out of the hospital together for the first time in ten days.

TBC