The Book
Chapter 9Doc was getting ready to try to catch a little sleep by his patient's bedside.
"I'll sit up with him Doc – you go get some rest," Rye volunteered.
Doc looked at him trying to figure him out. He was not a bad kid, just got led astray by dreams of riches planted in his head by another man, at least that is what he had put together from what he had heard so far. He could tell he was genuinely torn up about his brother and just wished that somehow he could make it right for both of them.
He went to the main room to sleep a little on the bed in the corner. Jed was already lying out on the floor in front of the fireplace. He was a more disagreeable type. Doc just knew he was going to be trouble.
It was the early hours of the morning before Rye came to get him. Zander had become more feverish and his breathing was harsh. The young man looked at him, tears in his eyes.
"He's not going to make it is he Doc?"
The physician removed his glasses and looked at the man.
"Probably not." he said, putting as much comfort in his voice as the words allowed.
Jed stuck his head around the door.
"What's up?"
"Zander ain't doin' so well."
"Well they'd probably hang him anyway. You and me need to get out of here Rye and get rid of the old man. You think he doesn't know how Zander got hurt? He'll bring the law after us."
Jed made a movement towards Doc, going to grab him by the arm, but at that moment Zander coughed and tried to speak. Rye pulled his gun from holster.
"You just get back in there and close the door behind you. As long as there's life in my brother, the old man stays alive."
"Your call but don't say I didn't warn you."
"Do you know what happened Doc?"
"Not really," his hands were reaching for Zander's wrist. "To me he's a sick boy who needs help. Pass me my stethoscope," he points to the instrument on a table by the window."
After he listened for a while, he looked up again. "You can tell me if you want to."
Rye thought about it for a while. It would be good to tell someone. He didn't want to be involved in the first place. What would Ma have said? She was the one who had tried to open their minds to the rest of the world, to teach them to read and write so they could understand more things than just the prairie where they grew up and worked. Things like that book the old man was reading. Rye had never heard of, let alone seen, oceans and sea creatures. Now it looked like he never would.
"I didn't wanna do it Doc. A man called Billups rode up to the farm one day. Me and Zander had been working to plant seed so we might get a decent crop in the summer. He said we was working too hard, life would never be no fun with just farming like that. He had a better way. He had watched Zander shoot rabbits and said he could tell he was a skilled man with a rifle. He could give him a job to earn some good money."
Doc didn't say anything, just listened, idly turning pages of his book.
"He said he could give us both a job, it would be easy money. Since Ma and Pa had died we had never had nothing easy. He said there was some money in a big box and it was ours for the taking."
"Where did Jed come in?"
"He kinda wondered up a few days later. Billups said we needed him."
"So what was this job?"
Doc wondered if Rye was goin to tell him. The boy stood there thinking, looking at his brother.
"We didn't know till we got there. Billups had us hold up the stage. It was Zander's job to shoot the Shotgun he did it too. Billups didn't want to harm the passengers, just wanted the box with the money. Only it all went wrong. The Shotgun didn't die right then, he still had some strength and managed to shoot Zander. Then the driver took a rifle and killed Billups. Us three left quickly – but Zander was hurt."
Doc looked at him, "So you held up a stage. That's a serious crime and if the Shotgun was killed, Zander would most likely be hung for murder."
"I almost think it better if he dies here. I don't know what to do Doc."
"Here sit by your brother." He pulled the chair up to the bed again,
"You know, Rye, the law can be fair. If you turn yourself in you would get a fair trial, things could be taken into consideration. It's likely you would go to prison for a while, but you are young, eventually you would serve your time and be a free man again."
The night dragged on, eventually morning light found its way through the window.
Zander came to for a brief while and spoke some words to his brother, then, as Doc watched, the young man took his final breath. Rye buried his face in his hands and Doc went up behind him to put his arm across his shoulders. Whatever he had done, Rye was going through one of the hardest times in his young life and somehow Adams felt for him. All he could do was offer his presence for comfort.
Doc was thinking this was the third or maybe the fourth day since he had left Dodge, he knew someone would come looking for him soon. After several minutes had passed, he at least had a plan in his head.
"Listen Rye, I have a good friend in Dodge City, he's a lawman, a United States Marshal. He's an honest and fair man. If you turn yourself over to him, he will see to it that you get a fair trial. He'll be riding out here any time now to look for me. We just have to keep Jed calm till then. It would probably be better if he thought Zander was still alive, that way we might all get out of here without more bloodshed."
Rye thought about it for a while then nodded his head.
"I couldn't live a life on the run anyway, I'll go along with that."
"You stay here, I'm going to go make some coffee, I'll bring you a cup."
In the main room of the cabin Jed was waking up. Doc couldn't help but notice the different attitude he had from Rye. This man had become belligerent and harsh, not much feeling there.
Doc looked at him. "Go find some more wood and I'll get this stove going." The man looked at him.
"You ain't here to give me orders."
"Please yourself, if you want some coffee we need wood for the stove. I need to stay here in case I'm needed."
Sullenly the man left and returned a few minutes later with an armful of stove wood that he dropped unceremoniously on the floor.
"Here's yer wood."
"You know you don't have to stay here if you don't want to."
"And leave you to blabber mouth to the law."
"You'll be well away from here before I get anywhere near a town that has any law."
"Well I ain't risking it. As soon as Zander is dead we can do away with you, and me and Rye can ride out of here, no one will know anything."
"Suit yourself," Doc told him.
He poured three cups of coffee and took two of them back to the bedroom. Jed followed closely behind. The physician didn't want him to get too close to the bed but Rye played the part well and was talking quietly to Zander – or at least that is what it seemed. Jed left.
They sat drinking coffee for a while.
"Tell me about your book Doc, it'll take my mind off of things."
He told him about the great submarine, Nautilus, and how captain Nemo sailed it through the seven seas. How Aronnax and his two colleagues finished up on board by accident and now Nemo would not let them leave in case they told anyone else of his existence. To begin with they enjoyed the adventure seeing sights they would never have experienced, but then while exploring under the south pole they became trapped and thought they would all die. Eventually Nemo worked his fantastic vessel free and they took off once more in search of other discoveries. After a while a ship appeared on the horizon. The vessel seemed determined to destroy the Nautilus and likewise Nemo wanted to destroy the vessel. All kinds of weapons were discharged and a great sea battle erupted.
It was about that time that Doc heard horses approaching and looking through the small window saw two familiar figures in the distance.
Jed had heard them too.
"Bring the old man out here Rye, I have a plan."
TBC