By Brigitta B.

Part Two

As Vin was lowered onto J.D.’s bed on the bottom level of the boarding house, Chris snapped out instructions to his helpers. The three men rushed to carry out the allocated jobs, both because they genuinely wanted to help and because Larabee’s tone had caused the hair to stand up on the back of their necks. Refusal would have been suicide.

Chris turned to Vin. “You still with me, Tanner?”

“Ain’t gone nowhere, cowboy,” Vin murmured softly, forcing his eyelids to rise. His head felt like it was going to explode, the throbbing belting against his skull and reverberating through his entire body. Nausea in his stomach was rising and falling in waves. His throat had the texture of sandpaper and his world continued to twirl intermittently, relief lasting only seconds before the rotation started all over again.

The injured man eyed his best friend through his blurred and spinning vision. “I look that bad, huh?” he snorted, noting the intense look of anxiety carved into Larabee’s features.

“No worse than usual,” Chris muttered, pulling the cloth away and again examining the wound. He shook his head. “Hell, you were lucky.”

“Didn’t realize there was more… than… one.” The final part of the sentence faded as a deep grimace set on Tanner’s ashen lips.

“Vin?” Chris asked, sliding his arm along and gripping his injured friend’s forearm. Again, Larabee searched his memory for anything he had seen Nathan do or say that could direct his actions. He watched horrified as the dazed blue eyes staring up at him closed. “Tanner, stay awake. Come, on. Look at me.” Larabee waited for a response. “Damn it, Vin. Look at me!”

“Why should I… be lookin’ at an… ugly mug like yours?” Vin demanded, pushing his eyes open a slither. He swallowed. It was becoming a real battle to stay awake. Head’s hurtin’ like hell, Chris.

There were no words exchanged, but Larabee understood. He released the breath he had been holding and nodded in sympathy. “Well, if you insist on stoping bullets with it, what do you expect?” He paused as two men re-entered the room with the supplies the gunfighter had requested.

“Is there anything we can do?” Yosemite asked, placing a basin of warm water on the dresser.

Chris shook his head. “No. Check the town for any strangers. If there’s anyone you don’t recognise, I want to know about them.”

The blacksmith nodded and backed out of the room with his companion. Chris gave Vin’s arm an extra squeeze of reassurance before guiding his friend’s hand up and placing it on top of the cloth to maintain pressure on the wound. Larabee then moved off to examine what had been delivered from Nathan’s clinic. “I’m going to clean the gash and put a few stitches into it. You'll need to drink some laudanum for me.”

Behind him, Vin grunted.

“Don’t start. I don’t have Nathan’s patience.”

“Or his good looks,” Vin whispered in a weaker voice. Pain and blood loss were calling him toward the relief unconsciousness would offer.

Larabee returned with the laudanum, started to lift his friend’s head, but ended up rolling Vin sideways as the contents of the injured tracker’s stomach was expelled with force.

“Ahh, hell,” Vin panted, weakly.

“Easy,” Chris supported “It‘s okay. I was expecting it.” Thankfully, most of the vomit ended up on the floor and not on the bed or injured man. It took a few moments for Chris to wipe Vin clean and then to get some laudanum into the rapidly deteriorating tracker. The tanned complexion was long gone, replaced by a colourless grey. “Okay?”

“Yeah,” Vin mumbled, faintly. Despite the soaring temperature of the day, the was starting to feel cold.

“Rest,” Chris ordered, firmly. Somehow he had to convince Vin he had everything under control, even if he didn't believe it himself.

Vin’s eyes closed immediately. Larabee drew in a deep breath and paused a few seconds to pick up Tanner‘s fist and hold it between his two hands. He wanted to assure his friend that everything was going to be alright, but he couldn’t say words that may be a lie. Not to the Vin. He owed Tanner more than that. Larabee felt Vin’s hand flex in his - Tanner’s way of passing on his thanks and his understanding of the situation.

Lowering Vin’s arm to the bed, Chris moved swiftly to the basin, scooped some water out to wash his hands and then dipped a clean cloth into the warm water before returning to his friend’s side. Carefully, he removed Vin’s hand along with the red saturated cloth and began to bathe the wound and clean Vin’s face of blood. With a rushed intake of breath, Tanner’s body became rigid and he locked his jaw to control his response to the blazing ache assaulting him.

“I’m going to have to swab it with alcohol to stop any infection,” Larabee warned.

Tanner swallowed. He knew the drill. This wasn’t the first time he’d been shot. Before Chris could do any more, Mary Travis appeared in the doorway out of breath and flustered. Larabee looked over at her and couldn't hide his relief. He had sent one of the townspeople to the creek for her. He couldn’t do this on his own, and with the rest of the boys out of town, Mary was the one person he felt comfortable asking for help.

“Thanks for coming so quickly. I need you to clean the wound with alcohol while I hold him still.”

Mary nodded, and after washing her hands thoroughly, she stepped up beside the bed to swab the wound. Chris placed his hands on Vin’s shoulders. “Here we go, cowboy,” he advised.

Mary moved swiftly. Tanner’s back arched only the once, but Chris held him down until Travis was finished. Throughout, Larabee continued to offer calm words of reassurance. Whether Vin could comprehend the words themselves through the blazing pain was debatable, but then, Chris understood that it wasn't the words that were important.

The ache stabbing through Vin’s skull was relentless and he began to waft in and out of consciousness, losing all sense of time. The one thing he was aware of was Chris. Chris was there and in that, Vin found a sense of security. No bounty hunter would get passed Larabee. As Vin faded in and out of awareness, he heard Chris and Mary talking.

And then

"He's as strong as hell. He'll make it." Anything else that was said was lost in the swirling colours and darkness that took turns consuming him.

The final things Vin was aware of were the blankets being tucked around his trembling frame and Chris’ voice, low and close to his ear. “Rest now. I’ve got your back.” Tanner had never been in any doubt of that. He tried to form the words ‘thank you’ but his idle tongue refused to move. He felt pressure along his arm and accepting he was safe, he ceased his battle to remain conscious and slipped painlessly into the dark void beyond.

******

Mary dried her hands. It had taken her an hour to clean up. She had mopped the floor, disposed of the soiled bandages, changed the sheets on the bed while Chris held Vin and collected extra blankets.

Chris had been fantastic. He had seemed to know exactly what he was doing and had kept Vin calm throughout, which was no mean feat.

Returning to the small room in the boarding house, she paused in the doorway and cleared her throat. Chris, who was seated silently beside the bed, glanced toward her, his hand lifting from his holster only once he recognised the woman.

“Do you need anything?”

Larabee shook his head.

“Any sign of fever?”

“Not yet. Mary…” Chris searched for the right words. “Thank you. I… thank you.”

The blond woman nodded and approached the bed. “You did an amazing job.”

“Necessity is an incredible teacher,” Chris murmured. “Would you mind sitting with him for a few minutes? I want to check around town.” Larabee placed Vin’s mare’s leg on the bed beside his friend. “You know how to use it, don’t you?” he asked the woman.

Mary swallowed and nodded.

“You shouldn’t need to,” Larabee added, noting the fear that shone from her eyes. “If something happens, try and wake him.” Chris had no doubt that half dead, blind in both eyes and with every bone broken in his body, Vin would still put up one hell of a fight.

Mary took Chris’ place on the chair and after watching the gunfighter go, the newspaper woman dropped her gaze to the pale man in the bed. She had never been this close to Vin before. He looked younger, she noted, but despite being unconscious, he maintained that look of wariness that permeated his every action.

Reaching out, she laid her hand on his brow, checking for fever. He was starting to feel clammy which was to be expected. Her attention was drawn to the bruising beginning to appear under his hair-line. Brushing a long strand to the side to examine the injury more carefully, Mary grimaced. There was quite an egg under the bandage. As she withdrew her hand, she discovered that Vin was staring up at her, puzzled.

Mary smiled. “Chris has hidden talents,” she whispered.

Tanner swallowed and released the mare’s leg he had gripped the moment he became aware of the fact that the person with him wasn’t Chris.

“Where is he?” While the question was low and hoarse, his voice was much stronger than Mary had expected. He had stopped trembling as well and the blanket was pulled down to his waist.

“He wanted to take a look around. To make sure there aren’t any more bounty hunters. How do you feel?”

“How long has it been?”

“Since you were shot? About an hour and a half. You should be resting.”

Vin winced and reached for his head, his fingers running along the bandage and over the huge egg.

“Your hair will hide the scar,” Mary smiled. “It only took a dozen stitches.” Mary placed her hand on his arm. “It could have been much worse. Relax. Chris will be back shortly.”

It was another five minutes before Larabee returned. Mary rose immediately, meeting him in the doorway. “He’s awake. I get the feeling he won’t rest until…” She smiled. Like everyone else in town, she recognised that these two men shared a very close bond. While trust was not easy for either, they appeared to have unquestioned faith in each other.

Larabee nodded. “Thanks.” Chris strode into the room and lowered himself into the chair, reaching for Vin's brow as he did so. “The town’s clear,” he informed his friend. “How’s the pain?”

“Okay. The bounty hunters?”

“Pushing up daisies.” Chris studied his friend. Vin was certainly pale and while his pupils were still badly dilated, he appeared very aware. “We’re damn lucky you’ve got a hard head, Tanner,” Chris chuckled, his relief showing.

Vin grinned and closed his eyes. "Not hard, cowboy. Just empty."

Larabee removed the mare’s leg from the bed and wriggled in the chair to get comfortable. He was going to be here for some time by the look of it. Clearly, if Vin was to rest, Chris would have to remain at his side. Larabee accepted that. There was a stirring in his heart where real affection had once lived. Vin trusted him so completely and not for the first time, he accepted that that was important to him.

******

Six hours after the shooting, Vin was sitting up with Chris’ assistance and sipping some water. Larabee lowered the injured tracker back to the pillows, careful to support his head. Vin had developed a slight fever earlier in the day, but it had passed relatively quickly, much to his best friend’s relief.

Picking up a damp cloth, Chris damped down Vin's shoulders and chest to try and keep him cool. The heat in the room was almost claustrophobic, which was why Larabee had spent hours fanning the injured man with a stay copy of the Clarion News he had found on the beside table. Despite his best efforts, Vin's naked chest and brow were covered with a fine layer of perspiration.

Tanner‘s lungs inflated fully and as he released the breath, he considered his own condition. Amazingly, the throb that had extended through his entire body was now limited to the left side of his skull. He was improving quickly, far quicker than either he or Chris had expected.

“You think you could eat anything?” Chris inquired, picking up newspaper and returning to his fanning.

Vin shook his head, regretting the movement immediately.

“Okay?” Chris checked, hovering above his friend.

“Yeah. Head feels like a rhino sat on it.”

“Rhino?” Chris asked curiously, retaking his seat.

“Saw one in a circus, once. It was wearing a pink tutu. Silliest thing I've ever seen. You can stop.”

Chris smiled and placed the newspaper on the floor. Vin was lucid which was more than he had been prepared to hope for after seeing his friend shot. The bullet graze appeared to have done only superficial damage.

Vin eyed Chris thoughtfully. There was something weighing on his mind and he felt it was important that they discussed it.

“What?” Larabee asked, reading the look on Tanner’s bruised and slightly swollen face.

“What the hell did you think you were doin’ walking out into the middle of that gunfight?”

Chris snorted. “Savin’ your worthless hide.”

“I never asked you to throw you life away, Chris,” Vin stated with consternation, anger and confusion evident.

Larabee sat back and crossed his arms over his chest. “Nope, you didn’t. But you didn‘t think I was going to let them ride out of here with my five hundred dollars, did you?”

Vin dismissed the attempt at levity. He needed to make sure Chris understood. It was imperative. “I never asked you to…”

“You didn’t need to,” Chris cut him off, impatiently. “You should be trying to get some sleep.”

Vin frowned. “This ain’t back to you havin’ a burr up your ass because you shot Eli Joe is it?”

Chris shook his head. “No.”

“Then…”

“I pick my fights carefully, Vin. Yours was worth fighting.”

Vin swallowed. “Chris…”

“What the hell do you want from me, Tanner?“ Larabee demanded, stretching his legs out and crossing his ankles.

“I want you to know that I don’t expect you to ride shotgun for the rest of my life. When the odds are…“

“If a couple of men from my past came hunting me and I’d gone down and they told you to walk away, would you?”

“That’s different,” Vin snapped, irritably. Chris wasn’t letting him finish what he wanted to say.

Chris’ eyes lit up and flashed with triumph. “Uh huh?”

Vin scowled as his still sluggish mind caught up with his mouth.

“Uh huh?” Chris repeated, waiting for an explanation. “Different in what way, exactly?”

“Damn you, Larabee.”

“More than likely,” Chris agreed with a smirk. Vin sighed. He had been out-mauvered. However, the comment allowed him some insight into Chris' actions. Tanner would fight to the death to protect his best friend… any of his friends. He would be a hypocrite if claimed not to accept Chris’ reasoning and if there was one thing Vin Tanner couldn’t tolerate, it was hypocrites.

“We’re both damned,” Vin murmured.

Chris patted his companion’s arm. “Afraid so, cowboy. Now, you get some rest. Mary will be bringing you some broth shortly.”

“Broth. Broth is only for sick and old people,” Vin complained.

“And for injured, complainin', ungrateful..."

"In your ass, Chris," Vin muttered, shutting his eyes.

Larabee smiled. He felt overwhelmed with relief. There was no sign of any brain injury and the one thing he did remember Nathan telling him was that when a patient’s sense of humour returned, recovery was well under way. Chris was sure that with some rest, Vin would be just fine.

The problem was, through the night as Vin slept, Chris found it was he who wasn’t fine. The day before, his emotions had moved quickly from shock to horror, to fear to anxiety, to worry to relief and now surprisingly, to a festering and building rage. Larabee didn’t know exactly what he was angry at. All of the feelings he had experienced when he had lost Sarah and Adam were resurfacing and he didn’t know why. He’d let Vin get close… get under his defences… and he couldn’t explain that either. He’d almost lost his friend and that angered, but more than anything else, it terrified him. He didn’t seem to have control of the multitude of different feelings zapping around his system as he sat in the dark, stewing over what had happened. With each passing moment his fury grew and it was directed at many. He was mad at himself, mad at the boys for not being there, mad at the bounty hunters and even mad at Vin… all, he knew, without reason, but he couldn’t deny the feelings.

Angry, confused and mentally and emotionally exhausted, Chris succumbed to sleep, sitting in the chair beside his best friend.

*********