Thanks to the few who have been reading - I hope you'll leave some feedback. 3
James was awake when Wyatt got back to the doctor's office. Doc and Dr. Taylor had made sure everyone ate something for dinner.
"McClay definitely needs to stay here tonight," Taylor said. "And I advise you to leave Anderson here, too. But I think your brother could be moved to the hotel, provided you're able to look after him."
"I would," Wyatt said, "but we might be leaving town without him tomorrow, anyway. We need to get Jackson to Denver, and I don't think James should be riding right now."
"Certainly not. His stitches won't hold. He'd probably develop an infection along the way."
"Right... So, I think we might as well leave him where he is."
"Wyatt," James said, sounding like he was about to argue.
"Don't worry," Wyatt interrupted him. "Jackson got a little scratched up, himself. Doc and I can handle him the rest of the way. We'll meet up with you again on the way back to Dodge."
James looked a little disappointed. "I guess that does make sense."
"And that way, you'll be on hand when the circuit judge comes through and you can tell him what happened on the road."
"We could stay a little longer," Doc said. He looked a little apprehensive.
"I'd rather not delay, but we can talk about it more at the hotel. We should get over there and get some rest. That is, if Doctor Taylor can manage here."
"Fortunately," Taylor said, "I know a woman who sometimes serves as a sort of night nurse. She is very capable. I'll send for her so I can get some sleep, too."
"I'll tie those two outlaws to their cots as a precaution," Wyatt decided.
"There's really no need in McClay's case. He couldn't threaten a kitten in his state. But I won't object to your restraining Anderson."
Wyatt agreed. When Anderson's mobility was no longer a concern, Wyatt said good night to James, assuring him that they wouldn't leave without checking in on him the next day.
"I left our things at the livery," Wyatt told Doc outside Taylor's office. "Let's get what we'll need for tonight."
Doc nodded and followed Wyatt's lead. The stablemaster was about to close up for the night when they arrived. He waited while they gathered their things.
"See this?" Wyatt said, holding up his saddlebag so Doc could clearly see the bullet hole in the lamplight.
Doc raised an eyebrow. "Isn't that a daisy? Is there an exit wound?"
Wyatt shook his head. "It's even stranger than that. I'll show you at the hotel."
They said little more until they had checked into their room. This time, Doc made no argument about lodging separately.
Wyatt dropped his things on one of the room's two beds and opened his saddlebag. He pulled out the Bible that Reverend Wright had given him and showed Doc what he had observed earlier. "It went in the front cover and then from Genesis on back. Guess where it stopped."
Looking at the deep hole in the Good Book, Doc guessed, "The Revelation?"
Wyatt nodded and opened it up. The first page of the last book of the Bible was the first one unharmed by the bullet, which was still embedded in the pages.
"Well, I may be damned and I've never been very superstitious... nor have I been religious of late," Doc said, eyeing the damaged Bible, "but that is almighty uncanny. That's all I care to say on the matter."
"I thought so, too. If the Bible hadn't stopped the bullet, my horse might have been killed. Without my horse, I might not have been able to turn the tide of the skirmish."
"'And all for the want of a horseshoe nail,'" Doc said dryly.
Wyatt recognized the last line of the proverb which was thought to refer to Richard the Third. He wished he had something clever to say back.
"Do you think it means anything?"
Wyatt shrugged. "I figure it doesn't hurt to give a little credit to Providence."
"I suppose not. How does it go? 'The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him...'"
A little surprised that Doc had committed the passage to memory, Wyatt glanced at the words on the page and picked up where his friend left off. "...to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass..."
Doc jumped back in. "'...and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John.'"
It was more than a little uncanny. Was God sending another message to another man named John? Don't be silly. "Well... it's a good thing we're not superstitious."
"Indeed. Yet withal... nor do I entirely discredit coincidence."
So, he thinks there could be something more to it.
"Don't let your heart be troubled, Wyatt. I reckon if the Lord has something to say, He'll find His own way to make it good and plain for ya. In the meantime, you ought to get some rest."
"Right." It seemed time to drop the subject. "I guess I'll have to buy a replacement for the reverend..."
"Why, he'll probably want to keep that one as a relic. It's evidence of a miracle, you know."
Wyatt snorted. "Next I suppose they'll make a saint of me."
"We're all saints, Wyatt." Doc suddenly looked uncomfortable. "Those who believe, anyway... I'm sure that's what he'd tell you." His voice waned at the end.
Clearly, all the religious talk was disturbing Doc. Wyatt put the Bible back in the saddlebag. "Let's get to bed."
Doc was duly impressed by the bullet in the Bible. He had heard of such things happening during the war - a soldier saved by the scripture in his breast pocket. This situation might not be quite as impressive, but the bullet stopping after going completely through 65 out of 66 books was indeed uncanny.
Wyatt's no angel, and I wouldn't call myself the Lord's servant, Doc thought to himself as they prepared for bed. It doesn't mean anything. Probably.
Wyatt put the lamp out once Doc was in bed.
Doc stared at the ceiling a while before closing his eyes and trying to sleep. But his lungs were not inclined to let that happen. They seemed to ache a little with fatigue, and now and then a cough shook his frame.
He could tell that Wyatt was still awake some half hour later. His friend was changing position every few minutes and breathing irregularly.
"Wyatt. Am I keeping you awake?"
"No," Wyatt answered, sounding a little husky. "I thought maybe I was keeping you awake."
"My lungs are doing that. What's your affliction?"
After a pause, Wyatt said, "Feeling badly for James, I guess."
"I feel bad for James too, but it could have been much worse, you know."
"I know." He didn't sound reassured.
"Anyway, Doctor Taylor said his field dressing was good, and after he got to work on him, he was very optimistic. It'll be all right - you'll see."
"Yeah, I'm sure it will."
"But, if you're still concerned tomorrow, I don't mind lingering in this town an extra day or two. I'll leave it up to you."
They fell silent and Doc thought he could hear a coyote's howl somewhere in the distance. He coughed; then it was quiet again. So quiet he knew Wyatt still wasn't able to sleep. Doc sighed. "It seems like neither of us is going to sleep tonight."
"That's not good for traveling."
"Anything I can do to help?"
"Probably not. But..."
Doc waited while the silence stretched out. He had learned that intervening at a time like this might make the other person shelve whatever they had been going to say and not speak their true thoughts.
"...you said if I read to you, it might have helped you sleep. Do you still think so?"
Doc's mouth twitched with the slightest smile. "I do. Like a creek, as you may recall."
Wyatt got out of bed and lit the lamp on the table between their beds. "I didn't bring any books besides the Bible, and James's things are still at the livery..."
"That's all right." Doc tried not to show on his face how pleased he felt that Wyatt was being so fraternal with him.
"I'll just take up on the second verse," Wyatt said as he settled on his bed with the Bible. He cleared his throat and read the second verse in the book of Revelation, and then the third: "Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand."
The time has been "at hand" for over eighteen hundred years now... did we miss it? Doc wondered, smirking to himself. He thought better than to say it out loud.
Gradually, he began nodding off, until he heard his name.
"I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation..."
That's me, Doc mused sleepily. Your brother and companion in tribulation. He smiled, sighed, and nestled into his pillow.
Wyatt felt uneasy asking if Doc would like to be read to. Grown men didn't generally read to each other to help lull them to sleep. Even with James, it would be a little unusual. But Doc seemed almost enthusiastic about the suggestion, even repeating that Wyatt's voice was "like a creek."
So, still somewhat self-conscious, Wyatt began to read. The book of Revelation was a book of prophecy, and Wyatt found it intriguing, though he wasn't sure he believed in it. He read steadily until Doc's breathing seemed to even out and became a little heavier.
"...I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death." Wyatt looked over at Doc, leaning forward so he could see his friend's face around the table. "Doc?" He waited a moment, then ventured a little louder, "John?"
There was no answer, so Wyatt set the Bible aside and put out the lamp. "Good night, John."
Doc's steady breathing finally ushered Wyatt into the realm of sleep. He remained asleep until the room was filled with light. His first thought was that he had forgotten to draw the curtains the night before.
He sat up and looked over at Doc, who was still asleep. Doc had flung off the bedclothes during the night, and now appeared to be shivering.
Wyatt got out of bed and stepped across the floor to carefully pull the sheet and blanket up over Doc's thin frame.
Doc coughed in his sleep and Wyatt reached out to caress his face.
What am I doing? he wondered in the split second before Doc's eyes fluttered open. Shit.
Doc stared at him blankly.
Wyatt slowly lowered his hand to Doc's shoulder, hoping he was too sleepy to have noticed the more intimate touch. "Morning, Doc."
Doc blinked a few times. "Morning." He looked over at the window, glanced down at the hand on his shoulder, and then looked back up at Wyatt. "Did you sleep?"
"I dropped off a little after you did."
"That's good. What time is it?"
Wyatt took the opportunity to withdraw his hand and found his watch. "Almost eight. We should go to breakfast."
"Mm."
There's no way he didn't find that strange. Next time he might say something. I need to stop being so damned absentminded, Wyatt scolded himself as he pulled on his clothes.
Mercifully, Doc didn't comment on any of Wyatt's actions. Things seemed natural again when they left the hotel room together.
"For Want of a Nail
For want of a nail the shoe was lost.
For want of a shoe the horse was lost.
For want of a horse the rider was lost.
For want of a rider the message was lost.
For want of a message the battle was lost.
For want of a battle the kingdom was lost.
And all for the want of a horseshoe nail."
Exact origins of this little verse is unknown, but Shakespeare's Richard the third yelling "A horse, a horse! My kingdom for a horse!" after losing his horse in battle caused a strong association between the two works.
Scripture quoted is from the book of Revelation (Apocalypse) chapter 1, verses 1, 3, 9, and 18 (KJV). I'm using the King James Version because it's been around since 1611. It's quite likely that it is the version Doc would be familiar with. I'm sure you remember Johnny Ringo translating a portion of this book at the beginning of Tombstone, along with Wyatt declaring "Hell's coming with me!" implying that he himself is Death. I always figured that meant that Doc is Hell. xD