I hope it's clear that I'm repeating some of the scenes to show difference in point of view. If you pay attention to little things, even an adjective here or there, or a look that one character sees but the other misses, you'll get the subtler nuances of the growing relationship between Doc and Wyatt. I just hope it's not too tedious.
PLEASE NOTE: For anyone who had uncomfortable church experiences, I apologize for the possible triggers in this chapter. Maybe you can project on Wyatt a bit. Like therapy at his expense. xD
"It's a fool's errand, Wyatt."
"How bad can McClay and the others be?" Wyatt said.
"Optimist."
"Pessimist."
"Let's see what James has to say."
Wyatt sighed. Searching for something to call James that would follow the pattern, he muttered, "The pacifist." Strictly speaking, that wasn't true. After all, James had fought in the war.
They kept arguing until they located James outside the Dodge House and filled him in. To Wyatt's annoyance, James was fully on Doc's side.
While they went back and forth, James's wife Bessie showed up. "What are you boys arguing about?" she asked.
Instead of pausing to introduce her, James said, "It's that transport job I told you about."
As Wyatt was about to take introductions into his own hands, Doc beat him to it. "Doctor John Holliday." He smiled at Bessie.
"Nellie Ketchum Earp," she answered, extending her hand. "But you may call me Bessie, Doc."
He shook her hand. "I'm right proud to know you, ma'am."
"Sorry... I should have introduced you," James muttered.
"No worry," Doc said smoothly. "Since we have a bit of a party, shall we find a place to sit and talk?"
So, they went into the Dodge House and continued discussing the details and difficulties of the transport plan, with Bessie eagerly participating.
Finally, fed up with all of the disagreement, Wyatt asked, "What do I have to do to get you to go for it? I'll call you cowards."
Doc narrowed his eyes. "You wouldn't dare." His tone was so affronted, he sounded as if he might order Wyatt to the street to shoot it out.
"Wyatt," James said, folding his arms across his chest, "if I thought we had a prayer, I'd back you. But there's too much that could go wrong. Nothing short of you joining the Union Church would get me to go along with you."
"Joining the church!" Wyatt cried. "Why, you haven't darkened the door of a church yourself in years!"
"So, I guess we're not going." James smiled in triumph and went back to cutting up his porkchop.
Bessie sighed a little and had a rueful sort of smile. "Well, that's that."
This was an illogical and unfair turn to the conversation, as far as Wyatt was concerned. "It's a ridiculous suggestion. You're just mule-stubborn. Join the church." He shook his head.
They ate in silence for a minute or so. Then Doc said, "You know... today is Sunday. There'll be a service this evening, won't there?"
"Forget it." Wyatt was more irritable than ever. He stared at his plate.
"Again," said James, "I thought you were on my side."
"I am," said Doc. "But seeing him join that church would be a daisy."
After a pause, James laughed. "I guess it would at that."
That was the last straw. Wyatt dropped his fork. "Joke's on you," he said, pushing his chair back. "I'm going to join that church. And we're transporting that prisoner."
"Wait... Wyatt, they may not even take you. I mean... that business with Frankie..."
"You're livin' in sin," Doc drawled dramatically.
"Oh, shut up," Wyatt snapped. "They take Catholics, Presbyterians, Methodists... I don't see why they'll turn away a repentant sinner as long as he doesn't bring his wicked ways with him." He didn't have to be sincere. He just had to get the church to accept him. How hard could it be?
"You might be right at that. Fact is, if they were particular, they wouldn't have much membership at all."
"But this is ridiculous..." James said.
Bessie cut in. "Oh, let him join the dang church if he wants to, Jim. We should probably all go. It'd do us good."
"Not I," Doc said quickly.
Looking at James, Wyatt said, "You should go, so you know I'm not lying about it after."
"Ridiculous," James repeated. Then he sighed. "Fine. Bessie and I will accompany you. But I don't see this working."
It'll work. I'll make it work. "Sure you're not going, Doc?"
Doc looked like he was staring through the basket of rolls on the table, stroking his mustache in thought.
Wyatt wondered what his mind was so busy with. He'd have given a lot to know. "Doc?"
Doc looked up. "Hm?"
"You sure you don't want to go to the church?"
He shook his head.
"But if I do join, you agree to go to Denver?"
After a moment, Doc dipped his chin once in agreement.
"Good."
Full of determination, Wyatt went to the church right after supper. He was early, and he didn't know if anyone would be there. The door was unlocked, so he let himself in.
There was just a little foyer and then the sanctuary. Rows of stools sat before a wooden pulpit. There was a man sitting in the front row, and his right hand appeared to be holding a pencil and resting on an open copy book on the stool next to him. The man lifted his head and looked back when Wyatt entered. He was a young man, probably near Wyatt's age. He smiled.
"Hello. Come on in. Are you here for the service?"
Suddenly worrying that he might be struck dead for entering the church in such a degenerate state, Wyatt removed his hat and walked self-consciously up toward the other man. He thought he remembered seeing him in town before. "Are you... you're not Reverend Wright, are you?"
The man smiled. "That's right. And you're Wyatt Earp, aren't you?"
"Yes, sir." Wyatt stopped at the end of the row. "Sorry for staring, I just... didn't figure on you being so young."
The smile returned. "Oh, I understand. Many preachers undergo a lot of training at seminary and tend to shepherd a church closer to home when they start out. I was drawn out here and realized my calling after. They had to send some ministers out here to ordain me." He gestured toward the stool on the other side of his copy book. "Won't you sit down?"
"Uh, sure." Wyatt took the seat.
"So, what brings you here, Mister Earp?"
Wyatt swallowed. He hadn't quite planned out what to say, and now that he was face to face with a man of God, he didn't feel like lying. "Well, um... what's a person have to do to join this church?"
"Not much. He would have to share a profession of faith, attend a few services and sign our membership book. We really aren't very strict here. Many people who attend haven't officially become members, and that's quite all right. Everyone is welcome here, whether they join the church or not."
"Well, you see..." This was uncomfortable for Wyatt, to say the least. "The fact is, my brother sort of put me up to something. We had a disagreement, and he said he'd see things my way if I joined the church."
"Oh. How unexpected. Is he a member?"
"No... to be honest, I think he decided on this because he was sure I wouldn't do it."
"I see." Wright actually looked amused.
"Anyway, I sort of need to be a member tonight. Otherwise, I miss my chance on our bargain."
"Hm. Do you think he would be satisfied if I told him you were in the process of becoming a member, and that I'd hold you to completing it in the next few weeks?"
"Maybe."
"Would you follow through? I would have to be sure in order to vouch for you."
That was a good point. Wyatt could see himself trying to weasel out of it. Again, he didn't want to lie to a preacher. I can always quit later, right? He took a deep breath and nodded. "Yeah, I will."
"Good. I must say, I'm excited for you."
Wyatt glanced up at the cheery preacher, a little unsettled. He's going to be so disappointed when I sink back into the mires of sin... He cleared his throat. "Uh, my brother and his wife should be attending tonight so we can get this thing settled."
Someone opened the door at the back of the church, and Wyatt glanced at them. The few parishioners were beginning to arrive.
"I can't wait to meet them," Wright said, his disarming smile back in place. He stood and patted Wyatt's shoulder. "It's wonderful to have you here." He moved to the aisle and went to greet the newcomers.
Wyatt was half surprised that things had gone so... well. This might actually work. But then I have to keep coming a while to make the membership sitck. What have I gotten myself into?
Wyatt, James, and Bessie lingered after the church service. The sermon had been on Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the fiery furnace. Wyatt felt as if he were in the furnace himself, sweltering in his suit. Several of the churchgoers had removed their jackets and fanned themselves with whatever papers they had on them - old bills of sale and the like. Wyatt used his hat.
Now that the sermon was over, he felt a little more comfortable. He had attended church off and on as a boy, and he remembered the feel of it, what one was supposed to say, and generally how to talk and think about church matters. If the children can endure the fiery furnace, I can get through a couple of weeks of church attendance, he told himself firmly.
When Rev. Wright finally saw off the last attendee, who was most definitely a saloon girl who had wept frequently throughout the service, he turned back to the Earps with a gracious smile. He introduced himself to James and Bessie, and cheerfully discussed the terms of the deal the brothers had made.
James seemed as surprised at the preacher's enthusiasm as Wyatt had been. Rather numbly, he agreed to Wright's proposal.
"Excellent," Wright said. "Wyatt, would you please tell me about your faith in the Lord?"
Shit, not in front of James and his wife. Wyatt shifted his weight uneasily.
Mercifully, Bessie reached over and patted his arm. "We'll wait for you outside," she said. She took James by the arm and led him from the sanctuary.
"Let's sit," Wright said, leading the way back to the nearest row of stools.
"Sure..." Wyatt sat and stared at the floor. He tried to remember what it had been like when he really believed in this stuff. "Well, I uh... I prayed the sinner's prayer when I was a boy. Eight or ten I suppose."
"And by 'the sinner's prayer' you mean..."
Dang it, he's not making this easy. "Confession of sin, belief in the death, burial and resurrection of Christ. A heaven to be won and a hell to be shunned."
Wright nodded in Wyatt's peripheral vision. "And how would you say your faith has progressed since then? Did you continue to trust in God?"
Wyatt had not wanted to get into all this. Not one bit. He had not wanted images of his first wife to come to mind. Images of lowering her casket into a grave. "For a time, I did. You might say I lost my way a bit." He looked furtively at the preacher. "Can a person still be a church member if they're not sure they can live up to the measure of discipleship?"
"Certainly. I believe at least half of our regulars are from below the deadline, Wyatt - Is it all right if I call you Wyatt?"
We've already gotten more familiar in an hour than I do with most men in a year... why not? "Uh, sure."
"Like I told you earlier, everyone is welcome. After all, Jesus didn't recruit his disciples because they were good, upstanding citizens. They were simply men who were willing to drop what they were doing and follow Him just as they were at that moment."
"Hm. I guess I hadn't thought about it like that."
"I hope I can give you lots to think about."
"So... is that all, then?" Wyatt looked up hopefully.
"For now." Wright was smiling again. He held out his hand. "I'm so glad you came, brother Wyatt."
Feeling awkward all over again, Wyatt shook the preacher's hand. He walked outside with him to find James and Bessie waiting. With Bat Masterson and Doc Holliday.
What the hell?
What indeed? Doc said he wasn't going to the church, and what does Bat have to do with anything?! xD You'll see next time.
