The ride to Hillsdale was uneventful. Heyes never moved and Kid was worried sick. They didn't even meet anybody on the trail. It was evening when they reached the town's livery. "Alright Patch. Take that thing off and go on." Clint dismounted to wait his return.
Five minutes later, Patch was in the sheriff's office. "Sheriff?"
"Yeah," came the reply from the desk. Sheriff Rivers was deep into paperwork.
"I got some outlaws outside I want to turn in."
"Oh yeah? And just who is it you got out there?"
"Hannibal Heyes and Kid Curry."
Outside, Kid was hurriedly trying to get his hands loose. He'd been trying the whole way, but Patch had used three separate cords to tie them with. He was taking no chances. And it didn't help that Kid now had a gunshot wound as well. Before he could manage to break free, the sheriff and Patch walked out.
"Well, butter my butt and call me a biscuit," Sheriff Rivers exclaimed. "If it ain't the infamous Curry and Heyes!" Then noticing Heyes slung over the saddle like a ragdoll, asked, "What's wrong with him? He dead?"
"I don't know," Patch answered. "Could be. He's been shot a couple of times. All I know is, I want our, MY, reward money."
"Well, you'll have to wait a little while. We have to get somebody down here from Wyoming to make sure that IS Heyes and Curry. Let me get these two in a cell, then we'll do some paperwork to show you was the one done brought 'em in. Then you can check back with me in a few days and I should have an answer."
Patch wasn't happy with the situation, but he had no choice but to comply. Heyes was untied and carried into the cell with Kid being led in immediately after. "Sheriff, you've got to let my partner see a doctor. He's in pretty bad shape."
"You don't look too good yourself boy. Well,...let me get this guy taken care of and I'll see about the doctor. As far as I've heard, neither of you never shot nobody so I don't suppose you deserve to die." The sheriff walked back to his desk and, getting Patch to sign a paper, showed him out. He then left himself, leaving his deputy on watch.
Kid turned to Heyes. He looked like death warmed over. Kid shook him gently with his good arm. "Heyes? Heyes, c'mon, please wake up." Still no movement from his partner. Kid had no way of knowing, but Heyes had went into hypovolemic shock from his blood loss. At least he was still breathing. Kid turned his attention to his own injury. Stupid Weaver. Couldn't they ever catch a break.
Kid's musings were interrupted a few minutes later by the sheriff and doctor coming in the cell. "Mr. Curry?" Sheriff Rivers inquired.
"No sir. The name's Jones. Thaddeus Jones. This here is Joshua Smith. We tried to tell that fellow and his partner that we weren't those outlaws. Speaking of those two, they're outlaws themselves. Part of the Weaver gang."
"You mean that bunch that robs all the stagecoaches?"
"Yessir, that's them."
"Well, I'll take care of them shortly. And I've sent my deputy to telegraph Wyoming so if you're telling the truth about who you are, you should be out of here in a day or two. Right now, let's get you two taken care of. This is Doc Howard."
Kid inwardly groaned at the mention of Wyoming, but there was nothing he could do about it at the moment. "Check my partner first Doc. He's the worst off."
The doctor went over to Heyes and started examining him. "How many times he been shot!" Doc Howard asked, surprised Heyes was still breathing.
"Got grazed on one shoulder, shot in the other, and in the leg."
"Some people can be so ruthless. How long he been unconscious?"
"At least three hours, maybe more."
"Well, he's definitely suffering from exsanguination."
Kid's brow furrowed. "And what might that be?"
"Loss of blood. Have you been able to remove the bullets?"
"I got the one in his leg out. It was just in under the skin."
"Sheriff, this one needs to be moved to my office. He's going to need alot of rest, and I mean a LOT. His body needs to build it's blood supply back up before I can remove the bullet in his shoulder. Until then, I'll have to watch him closely for infections. Mr. Jones needs to come too so I can remove the bullet from his arm."
The sheriff didn't like the idea of his prisoners leaving their cell, but he could understand the need for it. "Alright Doc. But my deputy and I will have to take turns at guarding Smith. I can't take a chance on one of them escaping."
"Fair enough."
"We'll take Mr. Smith over to your office, then I'll come back to get Mr. Jones after he's settled."
Sheriff Rivers and his deputy, Parker, carried Heyes down to the doctor's office and put him in a bed in the back. The doctor set down to examining him closer. Deputy Parker sat down just inside Heyes' door for guard duty while the sheriff went to get Kid.
**************00000000
As Sheriff Rivers and Curry entered the office, Doc Howard emerged from Heyes' room.
"Is he gonna be alright Doc?" Kid asked nervously.
"Well, truthfully, its hard to say right now. I have no way of knowing how much blood he's actually lost, but if his soaked shirt and makeshift bandage are any indication, its quite a bit. The wound on his leg is doing okay for now. Infection will definitely be a worry. Right now, I'd like for him to wake up. I've made him as comfortable as I can. Deputy Parker is inside with him and will let me know if he wakes. Now, let's get you fixed up."
The doc set to work removing the bullet from Kid's arm. It took a few agonizing minutes for him to find it, but at last he got lucky. Dropping the offending metal in a bedside pan, he then bandaged Kid's arm up and the sheriff took him back to the jail. Kid didn't like being separated from an injured Heyes, but the sheriff promised to keep him informed.
'At least the sheriff seems to be a decent man,' Kid thought as he laid down on the bunk.
ASJ ASJ ASJ ASJ ******************************************ASJ ASJ ASJ ASJ ASJ ASJ
By the next morning, Heyes had started to finally wake up.
"Kid, hey Kid," Heyes mumbled.
Deputy Parker listened for a minute.
"Kid, what happened? Where are you?"
Parker decided to answer him. "Uh, if you mean Mr. Jones, he's over in the jail. You're in the doctor's office. You've been shot up pretty bad." Parker went to the door and knocked to get the doctor's attention.
"Am I under arrest?" Heyes asked groggily.
"Yessir, I'm afraid so. I'm Deputy Parker."
The doc entered the room. "Ah, Mr. Smith! Glad to see you awake."
Parker whispered to the doctor, "I think you mean Mr. HEYES. He's been asking for 'Kid'."
"Well, until you know without a doubt, we'll stick to Mr. Smith."
At that moment, the sheriff walked in to relieve Parker. "He's finally awake I see."
"Yeah. Sheriff, can I speak to you a moment," Parker said motioning to the corner of the room.
"Could you talk out in the waiting area. I'd like to check Mr. Smith over."
"Sure thing Doc. C'mon Parker."
"Now, Mr. Smith. I'm Doc Howard. Do you remember what happened to you?"
"Nice to meet you Doc. Call me Joshua. I recall being shot about ten times if that's what you mean." Heyes attempted a half-hearted grin.
"Well Joshua, it was only three times, but I'm sure to you it seems like alot more. I've stitched up the wound in your leg and one of your shoulders was only lightly grazed so it didn't need sewing up. The other shoulder, however, will have to wait to have the bullet removed. You've lost a good amount of blood and your body needs to replenish itself before I can remove it. I'm afraid you'll be laid up here for quite a while."
Heyes groaned at that news. "Can I see my partner? The deputy, Parker was it, said he was in jail."
"I'll ask the sheriff about it. Right now, I want you to drink this tea. Its blood root tea. Supposed to be real good for a person's blood, according to the indians. I'll be back in a moment to check on you."
Heyes brought the cup the doctor had handed him to his lips. It smelled pure rotten. Against his better judgment, he decided to drink it. He immediately wished he hadn't. "Good Lord! A cowpie would taste better than this."
Out in the waiting area, Deputy Parker had told the sheriff what Heyes had said upon awakening.
"That's pretty interesting. We'll have to keep a good eye on both of them."
The doc showed up. "Sheriff, he's asking to see his partner. I told him I'd ask you."
"Well...its not something I'm real keen on, but I suppose a short visit will be okay."
ASJ ASJ ASJ ASJ ASJ ASJ ASJ ASJ ASJ ASJ *******************************
"How you doing partner?" Kid Curry sat down beside Heyes' bed. Sheriff Rivers stood right outside the door to give the two a little privacy.
"Doc says I'm gonna be laid up for a while. Feel pretty weak. And this mess in this cup makes me want to vomit."
Kid knew Heyes must be feeling pretty rough to admit it. "Yeah. He said you'd lost alot of blood."
"What's wrong with your arm?
"Well, right after you passed out on your horse, I got hit."
"You okay?"
"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. Just a little sore."
"They know who we are?" Heyes asked indicating the lawman on the other side of the door.
"Honestly, I don't know. I told them the 'Smith and Jones' story, but I'm not sure if they bought it. They sent a telegraph to Wyoming."
"Well that's just great. Kid, if you see your chance to escape, take it. I'd just slow you down. I don't even think I could get out of bed right now."
"Shut up with that talk Heyes. You know I won't leave you, especially now." Kid didn't want to tell Heyes the part the doctor had said about his recovery being iffy.
"You can always come back to get me when I got some strength back."
"NO Heyes. Now I don't want to hear no more of that."
At that point, the sheriff walked in. "Sorry boys. Time's up. Let's go Mr. Jones."
Kid and Heyes exchanged a look that said, 'they know', and Kid got up to leave.
"Take care Joshua."
"You too, Thaddeus."
ASJ ASJ ASJ ASJ ASJ ASJ ASJ ASJ ASJ *************************************
That evening, Patch returned to the sheriff's office to check on their reward money. "Howdy Sheriff. Heard anything yet on getting our, MY, money?"
The sheriff, who had just returned from guard duty at the doc's, rose to meet his visitor. Then, remembering what Kid had said about the Weaver gang when he was brought in, said, "Uh, yeah. The news is, 'you're under arrest'."
"What do ya mean? I ain't done nothing!"
"You run with the Weaver gang don't you?" Sheriff Rivers now had his gun trained on Patch's chest.
At that, Patch, who wasn't known for his way with words, didn't know what to say except, "Nuh uh."
That said it all for the lawman. "Let's go. Back to that cell." He promptly locked Patch in the cell across from Kid. Kid saw him and gave him a cocky smile.
"What are you smiling at Curry?"
"Its Jones, actually."
"Your partner dead yet Curry?" Patch hit an already raw nerve.
"No, not that that's any of your business," Kid growled with an icy stare that would've froze over Hades. Patch decided not to prod him anymore.
"Where's the rest of your gang?" Sheriff Rivers asked.
"Don't know what you're talking about." Patch said defiantly.
"If you cooperate, you may get a lighter sentence."
"They're camped outside of town."
By nightfall, the whole Weaver gang was behind bars, much to Curry's delight.