ON YOUR HORSES, BOYS

Part 9

The numb feeling that had consumed his upper body finally reached his legs. Larabee knew it was inevitable, but he'd hoped he could have lasted until Ezra had been taken care of and declared out of danger. He understood he was being overoptimistic, but he'd had little choice but to try. The gambler was in this mess because of him and there was no way he'd let him die because Nathan had been distracted. Now Chris lay across Buck Wilmington's legs, gripping his friend's arm as wave after wave of nausea threatened to spill the contents of his stomach all over the clinic floor. He tried to smother the urge by burying his nose and mouth in the crook of his arm, but he feared it was a battle he'd lose.

Somewhere above him he could hear Vin's voice. He sounded strange, concerned. No, actually he sounded downright pissed off. Chris knew the tracker's irritation was meant to gain his attention, but for the life of him he couldn't get his head around it. All he wanted was to make sure Ezra was going to be all right. The gambler couldn't protect himself now, which meant he had to. He had to be ready to stop the Nichols clan before they tried to seek retaliation. They'd gotten Hank, shot him down in the street, and Chris knew he and Ezra were heading for the same fate if the fanatical family had their way. He had to get back on his feet.

"Buck," he said with a gasp.

"Right here, pard."

"Get… me up."

"Can't do that, just be still."

Chris felt one hand on his shoulder and another prodding his side. He attempted to jerk away but didn't get far.

"Hold still," he heard Vin order. "I need to check this out."

"Leave it," he countermanded.

"Not happenin', you danged fool. You've gone and left it too long already. Why the devil didn't you say you'd been shot?" Yep, Vin was well and truly pissed.

"Ezra…"

"Is in good hands."

"Needed to give him a chance. He's in bad shape," he answered, panting now as his vision filled with bright white flares.

"So you thought you'd bleed to death just to help him out."

"Need to keep the Nichols away from him." Oh, but he was getting sicker by the second and it didn't help that the temperature in the room felt like it had fallen by twenty or thirty degrees. His serape had somehow been taken from him and his shirt was hanging open.

Buck felt Chris shiver and unconsciously began rubbing his arm.

"Did it ever enter that self-sacrificing brain of yours that we could handle the bad guys?" Vin griped as he fussed over his friend's wound. "Damn, this is not good. Nathan!"

Jackson turned from Ezra who had fallen into an unexpected stupor beneath him. "On my way." He looked up at JD as the young man stared at the gambler on the table. "If he tries to move, hold him down, if you can't, holler."

JD nodded.

The healer crossed the floor and knelt next to Vin. "What've you got?"

"It appears Ezra and Chris have shared a bullet." He moved his hand from the gunfighter's side to reveal the nasty looking wound. "He's been hidin' it from us; looks likes he's been bleeding real heavy."

Nathan leaned over and fingered the injury, noticing the blood caked around the opening. "How's he been hidin' it?" he asked, glancing back at Ezra, still amazed at the path the bullet had taken.

Buck picked up the sopping wet blanket scrap and showed it to the healer. "With this."

"That thing's filthy."

"Yeah, I don't think he was really thinkin' about that when he snatched it off the floor of the coach. It wasn't near this bad when I wrapped Ezra with it."

Nathan shook his head. These men had a death wish, plain and simple. He reached down, pulled at Chris' shirt and ran a hand beneath him. "No exit wound," he said to himself.

"Is that good or bad?" Buck asked.

"It ain't good either way," he answered, trying to turn Larabee's face towards him. "Chris?"

" 'm alright," the blonde mumbled.

"No you're not." And to make his point Jackson pushed down on the large hole in his side. "Does that feel alright to you?"

The gunfighter groaned, loudly, as he grabbed hold of Buck's arm again.

Nathan released the pressure and reached to steady him as he rode out the pain. "I'm sorry, Chris, but damn it, you gotta listen to me. You are not all right. We've got to see about gettin' that bullet out."

When he could open his eyes again, Chris turned a determined look on the men around him. "J-just get me up."

"We will. Right up onto that table so we can go after that slug. Now shut up and be still 'til I can get things ready."

Chris gathered a fistful of Buck's sleeve in his hand and clutched it to his brow as he struggled to speak. "I have… to get up. Those men'll come af –after…" His voice faded with a moan.

Buck felt the body propped against him shudder again. "Best you just do as Nathan says, Chris. We'll keep an eye out for the Nichols; we won't let them anywhere near Ezra."

Nathan stood, looked around the room and began organizing his thoughts as to how he could best take care of two patients. Ezra's feet desperately needed to be treated before infection set in and were no doubt causing tremendous pain. Chris was currently bleeding out all over his clinic floor and needed surgery now. He would have to delegate and hope for the best.

"Vin, help JD get Ezra onto that bed. Then I want you to try again to soak his feet in the water. When you've rinsed away as much of the glass as you can I want you to take those instruments lying on the bed stand and start pulling out what's left."

Tanner noticed the doubtful look on Dunne's face. "Don't worry, JD, if I have any trouble Nathan is right here to take over." He slid his arms beneath Ezra's back and raised him up.

The youth gave a look of better you than me and carefully took hold of the gambler's lower legs. Together they moved him onto the large bed in the corner of the room. Once they had him positioned on several pillows against the headboard, Vin leaned over and put a hand to his chest. He'd suddenly gone very still, too still, and for a moment the tracker feared the worst. He moved his hand to Ezra's nose and mouth and felt soft pants of breath. He'd finally passed out, good, maybe that would make what they had to do a little easier.

Nathan grabbed another clean cloth, folded it and placed it over the bloody hole in Chris' side. The gunfighter was visibly shaking now and leaning more heavily against Buck. Still he tried to push away the hands that were touching him.

"Leave… me," he ground out. "I can wait 'til…"

"No, Chris, you can't," Nathan answered back as he and Buck moved to either side of their friend and lifted him up.

The man went ashen the instant he left the floor. By the time he was stretched out on the table Ezra had just occupied he was white as a sheet. He swallowed hard and growled through the pain as he felt his gray shirt being taken away, his waistband loosened and someone putting a glass to his lips.

"Drink this, Chris, it'll ease the pain," Nathan said.

"No, you're not puttin' me to sleep."

"Listen to me; you don't wanna be awake for what I gotta do."

"No," he said, "g-get off. You're not keepin' me here." He tried to swing his numb legs over the side of the table but strong hands prevented him.

"Chris, stop fightin' me, I have to get that bullet out."

The blonde's voice grew dangerous. "I said no. It's not safe 'til we stop 'em… You're not druggin' me."

Buck saw the anxious look on the healer's face. "Nate, maybe we should let him have his way. He ain't gonna give in."

Jackson shook his head as Chris' fingers clawed at the wound in his side and for a moment he thought the gunfighter was going to dig the bullet out himself. He was just too stubborn for his own good.

"Let him try," Wilmington urged.

"Buck, if he moves while I'm diggin' around in there we could do him worse damage."

"W-won't… move," Chris replied.

Nathan deliberated the wisdom of what they were asking, but eventually gave in. He leaned over his patient and took hold of a bloodied hand. "Chris, are you sure?"

Green eyes, dulled with pain, softened as he nodded his consent.

"Alright, we'll try it your way, but I swear if you start moving around, one way or another I will put you out."

Chris squeezed his hand and fell back to the table. Buck caught a glimpse of uncertainty on his face as Nathan began gathering his instruments and considered suggesting his friend rethink his plan. But he knew, all too well, once the hard lines of determination had set on his face it was too late. The healer would be allowed to operate on his patient, but only under Chris' terms. Buck just hoped the gunfighter hadn't underestimated what was about to happen.

TBC

A/N: A big hug to Cassandra30 for her unwavering support, and a tip of the hat to her brother for verifying the ability of certain calibre guns to claim two victims with one shot! I knew it was possible, now I know why! You're both awesome!

Thank you to everyone who took the time to review!