In no time at all, Slim was dusting snow from Harper, while tucking him under the blankets right up close to the fire. Once Jess was as comfortable as possible, Slim had a peak at the bullet wound in his back.
Harper moaned and Slim moved down to his face. An easy, worried smile slipped across his mouth.
"Hey pard." Slim said softly. "You gave me quite a start back in the snow there…"
"S-slim?" his face screwed up in confusion and he moved.
It was slight, every so slight yet it sent him groaning and Slim frowning.
"Just rest easy Jess. You still got the bullet all caught up in your back and I gotta figure a way outta this one, so just rest easy."
Jess nodded slowly and Slim smiled accordingly as the eyes dropped shut and Harper was once more lost to the world of knowing. It was then that the frown fished its way back on Sherman's face and looked as though it was there to stay. The bullet was deep. It was in there very deep, and he had nothing more than his hunting knife and jackknife to use.
The snow was coming down hard and the nearest town was (some number of miles) away. Slim had to make a very quick and calculated decision. He would have to give it a wing himself.
The knife he choice to use was pushed into the hot coals of the fire. He walked to his pack getting the rest of what he desired and came slowly back to Jess. When he was ready, and the bloody hole in the back of a very close friend was looking up at him, there was a very brief pause of hesitation. The knife clutched in his hand, he shifted on his feet. Looking heaven ward into the snow drifting safely pass him, he sent up a small word of grace. There was no hesitation after that. The knife slipped in and out came a sharp groan from Harper, gasping in his unconsciousness.
When he went to squirming some, Slim planted a firm hand on his shoulder as he worked to get the bullet out. It was deep. Maybe too deep. Maybe he should have waited. He was rewarded for his pains when he felt the tip of the knife graze the offending metallic object.
With a rush of blood, a gasping cry from Jess, and a hurried sigh from Slim, the bullet slid out into Sherman's hand and the knife was quickly pulled away replaced with the rags Slim had sitting next to him. He pressed and Jess again cried in pain.
Slim shivered as he finished tying off the bandage. He covered up Harper as best he could and blew into his hands sitting back.
They were shaded from the wind and snow, hidden in a little cleft in the rock. It was cramped with them and the horses close, but it was dry, and at the moment it was the best Slim could offer to Jess.
Black coffee splashed into his cup and he wrapped his hands around it sitting back and watching Jess sleep. His mind started to wander and he scrubbed his face. Now just how had Jess gotten shot anyway? The answer was obvious but it did nothing to tell him why.
Sure Jess had some people who didn't like him, from his past but there was no one Slim knew of in Laramie that would do all this. And no one but Daisy and Mike knew they were coming up here to hunt. Unless of course someone had gotten the information from her…
Slim shook his head and glanced back at Jess groaning in his unrestful sleep. No that just didn't seem right. Not for something like this. But he chose to not rule it out.
His rifle was resting easy in his hands and he slipped up closer to the fire careful not to look directly at it. He had Jess to get home, Mike and Daisy to look in on, and he needed to make sure that everything there way was fine and dandy, just in case the shooter went to make sure Jess was really dead.
Sitting back against the rock wall, Slim looked at the snow falling rather quickly and sighed. Jess groaning and moving caused Slim's eyes to jerk over to him and he was on his feet in a second sitting next to Jess, gently pushing him back.
"Easy Jess…" He said softly. "Take it easy."
"W-what happened?" He groaned.
"Funny," Slim forced up a smile. "I was gonna ask you the same thing."
Jess shook his head exhausted. "D-don't remember."
A worried frown deepened itself across his face as Jess screwed up in pain and gave a short lived groan.
"Rest Jess…" Slim said softly pushing that smile back on. "You have a long day tomorrow."
There was a barely noticeable nod as Jess closed his eyes, dipping off faster than he'd awoke.