By Suzy
Chapter One
They both knew that the horses were tiring rapidly, if they were ridden this hard for much longer it would kill them, but they had no choice. The rider pursuing them would show no mercy, so, they could not afford to stop. They slowed both horses just enough so that they could formulate a plan.
'Lou, it's only about 10 miles to Sweetwater. We can swap horses, you go directly to the Way station and warn the others, I'll keep him busy for a while. He'll be tracking Lightning, that should give you time to get help.' Buck had formulated the only plan he could imagine working.
'What about you?' her huge brown eyes mirrored her concern for Buck
'I'll be fine, it's you they're after not me.' He spoke confidently not wanting to worry her
They quickly stopped and as they were swapping mounts, Lou pulled Buck into a tight embrace. 'Good Luck' She murmured. They mounted up and both spurred their horses into action rapidly travelling in different directions.
About two hours later, Buck rode into a deserted way station, the horse Lou had been riding was grazing happily beside the bunkhouse. Dismounting, he entered the bunkhouse and found a note on the table indicating that the other riders had gone into town. A feeling of dread sweeping over him, he ran from the bunkhouse and quickly tracking his own horse's tracks, he started looking for Lou.
Hopelessly following the tracks, about 6 miles from the way station, he found Lou a crumpled heap on the side of the trail. Praying that her pursuer had not found her, he jumped from Lightning and knelt at her side. She was laying facedown, her hair and the ground around it covered in her blood. One arm twisted grotesquely behind her. Her always pale skin, was now so pale Buck could see almost every vein in her face. Quickly ascertaining that her shoulder was dislocated, he did what he could for her before he turned her over and checked her for other injuries. Struggling with his own emotion, he quickly and efficiently popped her shoulder back into place. Lifting her into his arms, he carried her the short distance to the horse. Laying her across the horse's back, he quickly mounted and gathered her into his arms, carefully cradling her injured arm between them. Riding as quickly as he dared, he rode back to the waystation.
Their home was still deserted when he returned, so he laid her in her bunk and left to fetch the necessary herbs and some water. Returning to her side, he sat beside her on the bunk and checked the wound on her forehead deciding to make her comfortable before cleaning the dried and caked blood and mud from the gash. He lifted her long enough to carefully slip her coat and her shirt from her shoulders, her long johns the only thing protecting her modesty. Tenderly resting her back against the pillow he unbuckled her gun belt and slipped it and her boots and trousers from her legs. Drawing her blankets up to her chest, he knew that he had made her as comfortable as he could he decided that he could not delay any more. He collected the bowl of water and wash cloth he had left on the table and dipping the cloth into the water began to wash the dirt, blood and trail grime from her face and neck.
A short time later, he was still sitting on the side of the bunk, occasionally stroking her hair almost willing her to wake, when he heard horses and a wagon approaching. Crossing to the bunkhouse window, he was relieved to see that it was Rachel and the rest of the riders returning from town. Knowing that Kid would furious at him for letting Lou get hurt he stepped outside and ran to the side of the wagon to speak to Rachel. After filling her in on the days events, he helped her from the wagon and followed her to the bunkhouse. The others sensing that something was wrong, wrapped their reins around the hitching rail and climbed the steps to the porch. Buck waited at the bunkhouse door to try and pacify the others.
'Where's Lou, Buck?' Kid demanded.
'We had a little problem Kid' Buck stayed calm.
'Buck, where is she?' Jimmy demanded.
'She's in the bunkhouse' Buck spoke, 'But she's been hurt.' Holding his ground against both of Lou's protectors, he spoke as they tried to barrel their way through the door. 'Let Rachel check her out first, Someone needs to ride for the doctor.' he looked despairingly into the face of his fellow riders
'I'll go' Cody spoke already untying his horse from the hitching rail.
The door opened behind Buck and Rachel emerged, a grim look on her face. She looked into the worried expectant eyes of all the boys before she spoke. 'She's hit her head pretty badly, we'll have to wait and see how she is when she wakes up.
'Has someone gone for Doc Barnes?' At their nods she continued 'What happened?' they all looked at Buck.
'I don't know, Lou was witness to something in Blue Creek, I don't know what. But someone was chasing us. We split up, I took Lightning so they would follow me, when she hadn't arrived here when I did I went looking for her. I found her on the trail like that.' he explained the bare facts.
Rachel stepped aside from the door to allow the boys access to the Bunkhouse and their tiny friend. Kid was the first to reach her side and knelt there his worried eyes drinking in the sight of the woman he loved. He took her hand in his and placed a gentle kiss on her grazed knuckles. Jimmy stood behind him and watched silently his eyes tear glazed. He knew that Lou and Kid were deeply in love and he had no right to feel pain at Lou's injuries the way he did. Buck hung back from the others remaining on the porch, feeling responsible for Lou's pain and suffering. Rachel saw Buck's reluctance to enter the room and sensed the emotional turmoil he was suffering, but was hesitant to acknowledge his weakness in front of the others.
Almost as if she could sense them watching her, Lou stirred. She turned her head, a low moan escaping her lips. Her pain clouded brown eyes opened slowly, trying to cope with the intense pain.
'Lou, Lou' Kid spoke gently. 'We're here darling.' He rested on the edge of the bed looking deeply into eyes he had thought he might never see again.
Lou laid there motionless for several moments confused by the people she saw by her bedside.
'Where am I?' she spoke her voice husky.
'You have had a fall Lou, you're in the bunkhouse' Kid explained quietly, something was not right with Lou. She didn't seem to be herself, he couldn't quite understand the reluctant look in her eyes.
'Why are you calling me Lou, My name is Louise, and why am I wearing these awful clothes?'
'Honey you wear these clothes every day. Don't you remember?' Jimmy spoke.
'Why am I here?' she tried to crawl further back toward the wall, the pain in her shoulder hampering her movements, desperate to escape from these people she didn't know, who quite frankly frightened her
'What have you done with my fiance?' she trembled. Buck and Jimmy looked at each other stunned, Rachel tears in her eyes moved towards the bed to try to calm her tiny young friend.
'Where is he?' Lou cried growing more hysterical by the moment. She screamed for him frantically "Buck!!!'
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