The pain in Ella's chest seemed to grow with every heavy step Doc took. She gritted her teeth against it as it grew, blooming like a strange flower within her breast and her blouse and corset became soaked with blood, aided by the fact her clothing was already wet.

"Put me down!" she finally cried, feeling she could not bear it a second longer.

Doc obeyed as soon as he was out of the water and laid her on dry ground. Ella became acutely aware that she couldn't really feel the many large rocks and small pebbles lying beneath her; perhaps the water had numbed her skin too much. She wondered what would happen now… was the bullet wound bad… if she closed her eyes and gave in to the sudden urge to sleep that now nestled at the back of her mind would she ever wake up…?

She tried to think, to understand what had happened. Joey had run after her, she'd heard a crack of gunfire as he grabbed hold of her and spun her away from the bank, putting himself between Doc and her. Joey had pulled her close, she'd smelt a distasteful stale odor of decay upon him, of infection, and also the familiar scent that was his alone that had still clung to his jacket, his hair. One of his arms had pulled her close and then the biting pain had plunged through her and then again as Joey had stabbed her, his aim had been put off by the bullet that tore through his back and burst from his chest, entering her own. His strike would have been fatal if it hadn't been for Doc… but he'd fired too late, not having the reflexes to counter Joey's quick movements and not anticipating that Joey would cling to Ella…. But Doc had shot her all the same. If the pain hadn't been so great she would have groaned with displeasure at the circumstances.

Doc quickly removed his jacket and wrapped it around her as her teeth began to chatter from the combination of the cold water that had soaked her through, the chill biting wind and the shock. She closed her eyes tightly, trying to regain control back of her body and use her voice.

"Is it bad?" she finally managed, her lips still trembling.

Doc pulled her make-shift blanket down a little and again studied the small wound on her chest. He shook his head. "I can't tell" he said truthfully through gritted teeth, his eyes pained.

"It feels bad" she said, trying once more to control her shivering.

"Ella." Doc's voice was etched in forced calmness. "Look at me."

Ella obeyed and Doc studied her briefly. "What kind of pain do you feel?" Ella could tell it was taking all of his strength to keep his composure and not give in to thinking upon the events that had just taken place, events he had been part of…

Ella focused her attention upon the pain, closing her eyes for a moment as she concentrated. She took in a breath and the pain hit her in a wave, feeling like hundreds of little needles prickling within her chest. She re-opened her eyes and looked up into Doc's face.

"It hurts when I breathe" she said, realizing that her voice sounded strangled and whispery.

"I need to get you inside" Doc said, his panicked tone starting to break through once more. "I need to get that bullet out."

Ella took in an involuntary deep breath at the words, she knew any digging for bullets was going to hurt and she was scared. Her eyes were drawn back towards the river, her mind not wanting to dwell upon what would soon happen. Many people seemed to have suddenly gathered around the bank. Her attention was caught by the drunken vaqueros she had threatened in the cantina, Gordo and many other familiar faces from the village. They were not at the bank for her, their concern lay with the body floating in the water.

A great cry went up that seemed to echo around the small village. "Le cuelgan! Cuelgue el asesino!"

This statement was met with harsh cries of agreement. "El asesino no está muerta! Cuelgue el diablo!"

Ella gave a small cough; the taste of blood was strong upon her tongue, the sensation made her feel slightly sick and suddenly dazed and fuzzy. She shook herself inwardly, regaining her mind and thoughts back from the morbid imaginings that lay waiting in the corners of her mind.

"What's happenin'?" she managed, swallowing back the blood. "What are they doin'?" She paused again. "Is he dead?"

Doc hesitated before turning. He saw that the villagers were wading into the water towards Joey, who still breathed, albeit barely.

Doc turned back to Ella. "No, he ain't dead, he's as good as." His words were bitter sounding.

Gordo, the fat butcher was the first to reach Joey.

"You rascal!" he cried, full of emotion and anger, grabbing one of Joey's arms and beginning to pull him with rough jerks out of the water. "You killed Maria! I wanted to marry her!"

Ella grabbed onto Doc's arm. "Maria!" She glanced at Doc her eyes pooling with tears. "Help me up!" she demanded.

"Ella, Maria is in the house, she's okay. I'll take you there."

Ella shook her head, unsure what it exactly was she wanted, but the mention of her friend's name and of hearing Joey was still alive sent a wave of power pumping through her veins. It made her feel suddenly stronger and the pain lessen; although it still throbbed harshly she no longer thought it to be of great importance, if it had eased a little surely it meant it was not as bad as she first thought. Finally Doc relented to her vain struggles to move and he helped her sit up. She watched on as Gordo continued to violently pull Joey out of the water by his arms, dragging the young outlaw up onto the hard stone bank.

"What are they doing?" she whispered. Her own pains seemed suddenly numbed as she watched the villagers crowd around a barely conscious Joey, who only gave low groans of protest as the blood ebbed out of his fresh wounds and the destruction the passage of the bullet had caused to his insides slowly worked the final death knell upon him.

Ella saw one of the vaqueros running towards them, a heavy rope in his hands. He wasted no time in wrapping it around a nearby house beam and trying one end into a make-shift noose. Ella felt the hair on the back of her neck stand on end. Again she clutched at Doc. "Help me up."

Doc hesitated.

"Help me up!" she demanded, and Doc pulled her to her feet. She winced as her muscles were forced to work once again.

"Ella." Doc had grabbed hold of her, his pale blue eyes finding her gaze, pleading with her to listen. "I don't know how bad that wound is, please let me tend t' it."

"I feel okay" Ella half lied. She didn't feel herself and yet she felt she could move if she needed to.

"Gordo!" She finally forced the word out but her voice wasn't loud enough over the din of chatter and shouting. Ella pushed herself away from Doc and took a few stumbled steps forward.

"Ella please!" Doc cried again, not wanting to force her to do his bidding, but the situation was becoming desperate. "Leave him be, let them do what they want, he was done for anyway!"

Ella scrambled at the crowd, half pushing, half falling against people to create a path through. Finally she gained enough space to force herself into the thick. Gordo was once again trying to grab Joey's arms and pull him along the rough ground. Joey frowned in displeasure, his face wet from water or sweat, and he vainly tried to fight off the people around him, his last attempt at trying to save himself. Ella flew forward, her steps feeling staggered and unsure. She pushed as harshly as she could against Gordo and stumbled, falling leadenly on to her knees beside Joey.

"Don't touch him!" She pushed the words out with all the strength she had and it came out as a shrill shout, too panicked and high to hold any sway. The crowd stared at her in disbelief - they'd seen what this boy had done to Maria, his own mother and to the girl now trying to protect him, driven a knife into her gut. How could she even begin to think of his welfare in this moment, how could anyone have pity for such a monster of a man… The fascination of the situation caused the mob to be still and allow the young girl the silence she wanted.

Ella grasped Joey's hand in her own, trying to push back the new wave of pain that threatened to engulf her. She wasn't entirely sure why she'd run to him, why she would not allow the men around her to end his life, even though it was already over… all she knew was that she couldn't allow them to further his pain, Maria would despair if she knew Joey had been debased further by a lynch hanging and she couldn't bear to see a dying man, a man that was suffering immensely from his wounds, suffer any more than he now had to. It was enough that he was dying and he knew he had nearly destroyed everything around him… his destination was certain after all was said and done. Even the damned deserved some comfort at the end.

Joey's eyes opened and rolled a little as he tried to regain his sight from a blur of colours. Her face swam into view, the outlines merging into each other and he found he could not focus upon her eyes; they were feathered, blurred and distorted. He was suddenly annoyed that he couldn't her eyes, the colour was etched into his memory but he wanted to see them.

She smiled at him, or at least he thought she had smiled, he couldn't be sure. Joey could feel her hand wrapped tightly about his… but he'd used his dagger on her, had meant to kill her before he himself died… why was she now by his side… she was so close he could feel her breathing.

The strange emotion slowly crept through him… it was a strange feeling to be forgiven… really forgiven for something so terrible, perhaps she was truly a fool… but it didn't matter now, none of it mattered, it was over…

"Joey." She breathed his name and he again fixed his unfocusing gaze upon her, noticing for the first time the fact her blouse seemed to be red and had been ripped, exposing the corset beneath. Weakly he reached out and lightly touched the material, then the skin, his action almost akin to concern, his brow furrowing in confusion. "I'm here" she continued, her tone sounded consoling and warm. Feebly his palm lingered upon her breast, feeling the shallow breaths she took as pain racked through her body, the fast pace of her heart beat repeating it's all too familiar rhythm under his touch.

He felt tired and allowed his hand to fall away from her, his eyes to flutter closed, he wanted to sleep, he wanted the people about him to stop being so noisy and for her to stop talking, her breathless whispers irritated him and yet he found he could not or would not pull his hand away from hers when she sought it, her fingers curling around his own… He felt his lips curve slightly into a smile, no in all truth he wanted her to stay, to talk to him, to be by his side until the end. He thought he felt the warm flutter of soft lips pressing against his, not a full kiss and yet it seemed to have more meaning than any other they had shared. But his mind was so far gone he was unsure if he had imagined it, if it was just his last little fantasy. He took a breath and allowed it to come out as a strange half contented sigh.

Ella suddenly felt Joey's weight being shifted and he was again being dragged away. She clutched onto his hand, refusing for a brief moment to let go, the action resulting in her being dragged a few feet as Gordo and the crowd made their way towards the make-shift noose.

"No!" she managed.

"Usted chica estúpida! Permítale ir!" Gordo shouted, trying to shake her off Joey's hand. "Let go!"

Within a moment Doc was pulling Ella backwards and away from Joey's hand. She opened her mouth to scream but found that only a strange sigh escaped her lips. She watched in speechless horror as they dragged Joey's body across the dusty street, his spurs leaving deep gouges in the soft sandy ground.

Ella breaths were harsh and the pain beat renewed and maddening within her mind, making her feel as if she would lose her senses at any moment.

"They can't do this!" she said, her words nearly swallowed by the cheers being sent up by the crowd. "We have to stop them!" She clutched at Doc. "He's already killed!" He's too hurt." She panted for breath as her legs began to shake beneath her. "He's already killed" she repeated, and let tears pool in her eyes, dispelling them with harsh blinks so they ran down her cheeks.

"We can't stop them Ella; you know lynch justice as well as I do, likely to get ourselves in trouble if we try to stop it!" He shook her gently and made her look at him. "I have to look at the wound, do you hear?" He held her fast with his hands and eyes. "You're what's important, not him!"

Ella shook her head sadly, it was over and Doc was right. Nothing could be done and she was in pain, it seemed to have come back two fold. Her legs suddenly felt like cold water had been poured into them.

"I don't think I can walk" she said softly.

Doc didn't hesitate; he picked her up into his arms and turned, making his way at a quick trot towards Maria's. Ella watched over his shoulder as the noose was placed around Joey's neck and with another great cheer they hoisted his body upwards. Perhaps Joey's life had already departed as his body gave no indication of what was happening to it, it remained still and lifeless as the villagers rejoiced and laughed. Drink was soon being given out in celebration and a dance would soon to be in progress at the celebration of the death of Joey Garza, 'El bandido chico diablo'.