With the ground panning out in all directions and his horse mostly taking to his own path, Slim swayed on his mount trying to make sense of the ground below him. It was cold and his fingers were stiff. There was no real good place to stop and he couldn't seem to keep his brain focused on one thing long enough to really try to find a spot to stop either. It was a bad position to be in and searching for his lost partner in this weather was a bad idea. After all he had no real clue where Jess was as his mind left him little room to think about anything else other than his aching head.

What he needed to do was turn around and head for home, it was the safest and smartest idea, yet the thought of giving up scared him. Really there was only one thing that could have happened to Jess that made sense to Slim and it didn't really make sense.

Why would the shooter take Jess? It was the only logical explanation to what had happened to him, yet Slim couldn't understand why he would do that. Trying to kill him, then coming and taking him was crazy… Yet that apparently was what happened so…

Slim couldn't give up because there was surely nothing good about the person coming and taking Jess. Harper had to be in big trouble and Slim just couldn't… But his head hurt so bad, he was slowly losing the energy he had and if he wasn't careful he would freeze to death. Back down the mountain he needed to go.

But Jess…

His head dipped too far forward and into a large pile of snow he fell. It puffed up all around him and landed gently, as Slim with a groan, turned his head and fell asleep.

….

With the sun shining too cozily through the frosted cabin window, Jess found it in his best interests to leave. He wasn't well, but was most certainly feeling better. At least he could think straight… well mostly straight, and so when the old man left to tend to his horse Jess Slowly sat up.

It was perhaps one of the worst decisions he had ever made. With a very heavy groan he laid back down struggling to catch his breath. That had hurt, and by his face you could gather as much. It finally smoothed out, and he perhaps regained some of his color before he tried it again. However, his previous break had been much longer than Jess had known and as he was finally grasping a victory at being able to sit… well not really sit but…. Roll, perhaps, over, the door opened with wind and snow and the old man spotted Jess almost instantly. Over to him he hurried laying him back and his face was a perplexed frown.

"Jess, my boy, whatha trying to get up for? Just lay back take it easy."

And so he helped Jess lay down again running a hand over his head and Jess winced and groaned and hurrying to get him some water. That pushed down his throat, Tilbit moved to take off his coat and hat.

"Slim…" Jess muttered again catching his breath and forcing his eyes to focus. "Please…"

The old man turned with a frown and he came back over taking his seat on the stool and caught Jess' hand.

"I must… get… get back to Slim…" From the look the old man was giving him Jess gather he wasn't quite getting through. "You sent him home…I think… but he will come… please…?"

"But Jess, my boy…"

Jess shook his head frustrated closing his eyes and meekly tugged his hand away, it didn't come.

"I don't know who you are…" Jess snapped as must of a snap as he could make. "And my partner…"

"Jess… But I'm you father don't you remember?"

Harper's eyes came wide at that and in shock he looked at the man. He said he was his what?

Jefferson's troubled eyes became soft and understanding.

"Of course you did leave a long time ago. I was much younger then…" he smiled. "We have a lot to catch up on boy." He went to stroking his head but Jess pulled away.

"My father is dead…" Jess muttered.

"Dead?" that same troubled look crossed Jefferson's face before again it was replaced his happy understanding. "Is that what you thought boy? That I was dead? All these years keeping away because you thought I was dead?" he chuckled softly. "Why boy―"

"I'm not your boy…" Jess grumbled and again jerked away, however, that time it was slightly too feisty and his eyes pressed in pain as he moaned and the old man went back to stroking his head.

"It's alright Jess. Me and you, we'll figure it out."

Frustrated Jess shook his head, but his last jerk had cost him dearly and there was nothing more that he could to but gently toss his head around trying to avoid Jefferson's hand.

….

The fire crack and the wind turned the braches. His horse whinnied and Slim snapped awake. In and out the fire went as his eyes tried to focus on it.

"Ohh…" he moaned as he sat up. His head disappeared behind his hands and for some moments all you could hear from him was very heavy breathing.

Again his horse whinnied and Slim side looking about.

"I'm coming," he whispered.

It hurt. By golly did his head hurt. The earth took a dip and a turn, the room grew fuzzy. The fire was so nice and warm. It had cost him so much to struggle with making it he only wanted to rest…

Alamos' nose nudged him, not too hard, but it wasn't too soft and Slim snapped awake again.

"Alright boy." He sighed and drug himself to his feet again.