Part 5

The next two days passed in a haze of pain and worry for Chris Larabee. He’d wake up to find someone giving him medication and placing ice chips in his mouth.

He’d struggle through a bout of coughing until his chest and shoulder throbbed painfully. The pain medication they were giving him was doing little to help and for

once he was glad Vin Tanner was not awake to feel his own pain. He turned his head to the side and watched as the lean chest rose and fell in rhythm with the

machine forcing air into his lungs. He sighed heavily, realizing every waking moment was spent watching his friend. The blond prayed the sharpshooter would soon be

strong enough to be taken off the ventilator.

 

Chris turned his head as the nurse came towards him. He knew she was bringing the Ventolin and Atrovent for him to inhale. He hated the effect they had on his

body, yet he knew it was important to get the stuff out of his lungs. Midland explained that without it he was very apt to come down with pneumonia and he knew

from experience he didn’t want that. They were already thumping him on the back to loosen the crud and he knew Tanner would suffer the same thing once he was

allowed to wake up.

 

“Chris, it’s time for your medications.”

 

Larabee sighed and waited for the inevitable. He smiled as JD Dunne and Josiah Sanchez entered the ICU. Josiah stood beside his bed and waited for the nurse to

finish the treatments. Chris nodded his thanks as the first round of coughing came over him. He felt the ex-preacher’s strength in his gaze and knew the older man was

telling him he wasn’t alone. That he never had been and never would be. The blond smiled and turned his head to watch the two youngest members of The Firm.

One, standing tall and trying not to show his emotions, the other silent and still, breathing with the help of a machine. He felt Sanchez touch his left shoulder and

acknowledge the act of friendship. He closed his eyes and began to drift towards sleep once more.

 

JD moved to the sharpshooter’s bed and sighed heavily. No matter how many times he visited one of his friends in the hospital he didn’t get used to it. Buck kept

telling him he never would because to do so would be lose an integral part of oneself. He knew Vin wasn’t much older than he was, yet the sharpshooter had seen

and done more in his short life than JD could imagine. Swallowing the lump forming in his throat he forced words from his mouth. “Hey, Vin, Buck’s making

arrangements to have a belated Saint Patrick’s Day party at Buck’s Bar. Now you know we can’t do that until you and Chris are up and around. Dr. Midland told

us they’ll be letting you wake up and weaning you off the ventilator tomorrow. She says Chris will go to a regular room in the morning and maybe you can be moved

in with him the next day.” JD knew he was babbling, but he couldn’t stop himself. He reached out and touched the pale cheek, hoping to get some sense that the

tracker was still with them. He turned away from his friend and sent a silent prayer that they’d all be celebrating Saint Patrick’s day before long.

 

“Chris?”

 

Larabee opened his eyes and looked into Stacey Midland’s warm face. “Doc?” he mumbled tiredly.

 

“How are you feeling?” she asked as she checked the IV flow in his arm.

 

“I’m fine, Doc,” he said as he tried to struggle upwards in the bed. The pain of broken ribs and the agony in his shoulder belied his words.

 

“Sure you are,” she laughed. “We’re gonna be moving you into a double room in a few minutes. I don’t want you trying to help in any way. It’s important that we

keep the pressure off you shoulder and ribs.”

 

Larabee nodded and asked, “Vin?”

 

“We’ve slowed down on the sedatives and he should be waking up shortly.”

 

“I want to be here,” the blond hissed.

 

“That’s out of the question, Chris...”

 

“But...”

 

“No buts,” Midland interrupted. “Look, Vin won’t be alone. Buck and Nathan are gonna be here for him. You need to let someone else care for Vin for a change.”

 

“I...I...”

 

“You’re hurt, Chris,” the woman doctor told him. “Just because you’re being moved out of ICU doesn’t mean you’re cured. You’ve got to let yourself heal. You still

have a chest tube and will need to be monitored closely. Now, settle down and we’ll see about getting you out of here.”

 

Larabee sighed in defeat. He knew she was right, yet he hated not being there for his best friend. With a heavy heart he turned his head sideways and stared at the

man in the next bed. A man who was as close to him as any brother born of the same parents. He felt his bed being disconnected from the walls and pushed from the

room. ‘I’m here, Cowboy!’ he sent through their silent connection. He sank into the pillows and thought about the circumstances that led them to this point in time.

Sighing heavily he turned his head one last time as his bed was pushed out of the room.

 

‘N...no, no,’ he thought he shouted the word but it only echoed silently around in his mind.

 

“Come on, Vin, It’s time to wake up,” Jackson repeated. He watched as the younger man’s eyes moved swiftly under sealed eyelids.

 

Tanner felt as if he didn’t know his own body. He felt tubes running into his chest, his arms, and knew the uncomfortable sensation he felt below was caused by a

catheter invading his most intimate parts. ‘Shit!’ he swore as awareness crashed into him with the force of a tsunami. Pain slammed into his chest, thigh and head,

making it impossible for him to acknowledge the two men standing at his bedside. He struggled to breathe in, but found something lodged in his throat. ‘H...help!’ he

thought as he fought to keep from choking.

 

“Vin, listen to me! You’re in the hospital!,” Jackson told him. “Dr. Midland is here and she’s going to take that tube out of your throat , but she can’t do that until you

calm down!”

 

“Come on, Vin, look at me!” Wilmington ordered sharply, smiling as his harsh voice cut through the panic in the dazed blue eyes. “That’s it, Pard! You’re gonna be

fine.”

 

‘Buck,’ he thought and tried to smile around the tube in his mouth. The smile was quickly forgotten as his memory returned and visions of explosions and destruction

assaulted his senses. ‘Oh, God, Buck, Chris!’ he thought. ‘Where is he? Where’s Chris?’

 

Midland knew they had to get the young man calmed down and was about to talk to him when Wilmington’s voice seemed to calm the troubled man. She smiled as

she realized it wasn’t the voice, but the words the man said.

 

“Vin, listen to me! Are you worried about Chris?” The ladies man watched as the blue eyes blinked twice. He knew this system was one used before when Chris

was on a ventilator after they’d been shipwrecked. “Chris is doing fine, Vin. They moved him down to a double room this morning. You’ll probably be joining him

tomorrow if you let the docs look after you. Understand?”

 

‘Chris, okay?’ he thought as he blinked twice. His heart lurched as he remembered the pain on the blond face just before he passed out.

 

“Are you ready to get rid of this thing, Vin?” Midland asked, pointing to the tube in his throat. Once more the blue eyes blinked twice in rapid succession. She smiled

at her patient and continued with her explanation. “Alright, now you know the drill. Your throat is gonna be pretty sore and raw from the ventilator. I don’t want you

to try to talk,” she ordered as she removed the tape from his mouth.

 

The sharpshooter tensed as the tape was pulled from his skin. He knew what was coming and knew it wasn’t a pleasant sensation. His eyes met the doctor’s and she

nodded. He breathed out as she extracted the tube, gagging as it made it’s way up his throat. As soon as it was out his stomach heaved and whatever was still inside

came up in a sickly stream. He sat back against the pillow, breathing heavily as an oxygen mask was placed over his mouth and nose. He knew there were tears in

his eyes and didn’t try to hide them from the three people watching him. For once in his life he let his defenses down and let the pain wash over his body. His eyes

filled with panic as he felt the urge to cough and he knew beyond a doubt it was going to hurt. The first painful gasping cough tore weakly from his lungs and he tried

to sit forward. He closed his eyes and prayed for the torment to end. Two sets of hands eased him forward and he cried out weakly.

 

Buck turned worried eyes towards the doctor and the healer. He hated seeing anyone in pain, especially when it was one of the men he considered his close friends.

“Doc?” he asked.

 

“It’s okay, Buck. I know it’s painful to watch, but like Chris we need to get his lungs cleared. Believe it or not this is doing him good,” Midland smiled at the

longhaired man as they eased him back onto his pillows. She reached for the glass of ice chips and lifted the oxygen mask. “Vin,” she said and waited for him to open

his eyes. “I’ve got some ice chips here for you. They’ll help your throat feel better.”

 

Tanner opened his mouth and took the chips gratefully. He moved them around in his mouth until the tiny pellets melted. The amount of moisture was almost

nonexistent but he was grateful for the small respite it gave him. he opened his mouth as she offered him more and repeated the process. He struggled to force words

past his tortured throat, but all that came out was a raspy croak. “C...Ch...ris....rea...lly okay?”

 

“Yes, Vin, Chris is really okay. Now I told you not to try to talk. Give your throat some time to heal,” Midland warned. “Now, you’re hooked up to a morphine

infusion pump. It’s not gonna take care of all your pain, but hopefully it’ll make it a little more bearable. We can’t giver you too much because of the collapsed lung

and the smoke inhalation.”

 

Vin nodded slowly and lifted his hand towards his head. Strong hands stopped him and he looked at Jackson quizzically.

 

“You’ve had surgery, Vin.”

 

“S....surge...” he didn’t get to finish as Midland placed a finger in front of his lips.

 

“No talking,” she repeated. “I’ll explain everything the next time you wake up,” she told him as his eyelids dropped over the glazed blue eyes. She smiled at the two

men standing on opposite sides of the bed. “He’s doing better than we expected,” she assured them.

 

Wilmington returned her smile and spoke softly. “He’s gonna be mad,” he said.

 

“Why?” the doctor asked.

 

“They cut his locks. That’s one of his best attributes. I’ve heard the ladies comment on his hair and they made him promise never to cut it. You know,” he said as he

rubbed his moustached mischievously. “I might just be able to help him out.”

 

“Buck, whatever you got planned I want it known that I had nothing to do with it,” Jackson complained.

 

“Hell, Nate, never known you to be a coward. I know who’ll help me out,” he grinned as he left the room.

 

“Oh, hell, I don’t want to know what he’s got planned,” the medic said as he sat in the chair next to Tanner’s bed.

 

“I don’t know, Nathan. I think I’d like to be around to see what kind of underhanded prank Buck has planned.”

 

“Doc, Vin knows revenge. His and Chris really pulled one over on Buck in front of a crowded bar the last time Buck pulled one of his pranks. This could get ugly

real fast,” Jackson told her.

 

The smile on his face told her no one would be hurt, but sparks would fly. She shook her head as she left the room.

 

“Good afternoon, Mr. Larabee.”

 

Chris turned his head slightly and smiled weakly at the conman. Standish looked as if he hadn’t slept in a week and Chris realized that might be close to the truth.

Ezra tried to convey a non-caring attitude but the members of The Firm knew better than that. They knew the gambler’s aloofness was more from instinct than

anything else. Ezra Standish could bluster with the best, but he couldn’t put anything over on his new family.

 

“Ezra, How’s Vin?”

 

“He’s doing very well, Chris. They removed the ventilator and he was awake and lucid.” He helped Chris sit forward as a series of harsh coughs erupted from his

throat. “I think you and Mr. Tanner are in the same boat,” he explained as the blond finally relaxed and sat back against the pillow.

 

“Shit, Ezra,” Larabee hissed. He hated the thought of Vin Tanner coughing up the crud on his chest. He knew Vin’s lung collapsed just before their rescue and he

knew from experience how uncomfortable the young man was gonna be. He also knew the sharpshooter would be on crutches for a at least four weeks. He looked

down at his own immobilized shoulder and realized they’d be in the same boat in another way. He closed his eyes and waited for the room to stop spinning. He hated

when the coughing started, knowing he’d be unable to do anything till the urge went away. He opened his eyes once more and looked at the man seated beside his

bed. “Help me up.”

 

Standish’s eyebrows rose as he looked into the green eyes of the man on the bed. “May I inquire as to where you plan on going?”

 

“To see Vin,” Larabee hissed as he tried to sit forward.

 

“Have you forgotten about the medical machinery you're hooked up to. The IV would be easy. But the tube running into your chest and connected to that contraption

there would prove much too difficult. Much as I would love to have the recepticle of your chest fluid dangling from my grasp, I hesitate to disconnect all that tubing

from their origins.” The conman tried in vain to hide the grimace of distaste as his gaze rested on the bloody fluid contained within the drainage system hooked up to

Larabee's chest tube.

 

Larabee’s eyes narrowed as he glared at the younger man. He looked down at the tube running into his body and snapped. “Dammit, Ezra, I hate it when you’re

right.”

 

“I assure you, I shall endeavor to be wrong more often, but it will be a full time job. Now, since we can’t go visit our enigmatic sharpshooter why don’t you eat your

lunch. I must say it does look...”

 

“Healthy?” Larabee asked with a grin. The soft food diet he was on did little to aid his almost non-existent appetite. He lifted the spoon and tried the soup, grimacing

as the bland taste settled heavily in his stomach.

 

“I don’t envy you or our fallen Texan. It’s bad enough being laid up, but to be forced to partake of such...”

 

“Don’t say it, Ezra. There’s no words to describe what’s before me.”

 

Standish watched as the blond ate the food on his tray. He knew the meal was nearly as bad as they all let on, but it had become a running joke amongst the seven

members of the Firm. ‘Right down to the shimmering shit,’ he thought of the Texan’s name for the rubbery jell-o like substance with a smile. He watched as

Larabee’s eyes closed and moved the table out of the way. He sat back in his own chair and eyed the bed by the window. He knew sometime within the next twenty

four hours Vin Tanner would be residing in that bed. He sighed heavily as he thought of the nurses who would have to deal with the two men.

 

“Good morning, Vin.”

 

“Doc,” Tanner’s voice held an edge of pain as he tried to sit up more.

 

“Vin, just lie still. Dr. Marcus wants to take a look at you and make sure everything’s okay before we decide whether you spend another day here or we move you

down with Chris,” Midland explained.

 

“I...I’m fine,” the Texan hissed as a grimace of pain appeared on his pale face.

 

“We’ll let the doctors decide that shall we?”

 

“Doc...”

 

“Vin, don’t start. You’ve had major surgery and your lungs are still not clear. We need to be careful you don’t end up with pneumonia. Here comes Dr. Marcus.

He’ll check you over and if he okays it we’ll move you into the room with Chris this afternoon. Argue with me and I’ll...”

 

“Hell, Doc, I hate your threats. Can’t you just let me...”

 

“Keep it up, Vin, and I’ll show you just how much hell I can cause...”

 

“Having problems, Stacey?” Marcus asked as he joined her at the Texan’s bedside.

 

“Not at all, Carl. I think Vin knows by now that in here what I say goes. Right, Vin?”

 

Tanner looked from one doctor to the other and waited for the inevitable. He closed his eyes as the doctors hands touched his head.

 

Carl Marcus examined the site of the surgical incision on Tanner’s head. He smiled at Midland as he spoke to his patient. “It looks fine, Vin,” Marcus said a few

minutes later.

 

The Texan knew it didn’t look fine. He knew they’d shaved that part of his head and he hated the idea. Deep down he knew there really was no choice, that they did

it to save his life, but he still felt a slight tremor of anger. ‘Shit, Tanner, get a grip. It’ll grow back,’ he thought. He groaned as he realized Wilmington would never

let him live it down. ‘Try anything, Bucklin, and I swear I’ll get you for it.’ He felt Marcus’ hands move to the site where the tube entered his chest. He held his

breath as the doctor examined the area. The pain and nausea was almost overwhelming as he tried to move away from him.

 

“Easy, Vin, I’m almost done,” Marcus explained.

 

Midland watched the pale face grimace as her colleague did a thorough job of checking the young man out. She looked up as a tall nurse with ash brown hair entered

the ICU. She knew it was time for Tanner’s medications and she smiled sympathetically at him. “Vin?”

 

“Y...yeah,” the Texan answered tiredly.

 

“Julie’s here with your medications.”

 

“S...shit, Doc.”

 

“Sorry, Vin, but it has to be done,” Midland told him as Marcus finished his examination.

 

“Stacey, I think we can discharge Vin from...”

 

“The h...hospital,” Tanner interrupted, knowing full well there wasn’t a chance he was getting out today.

 

“ICU,” Marcus laughed. “I’ll see you in the morning, Vin. Take your meds and get some rest.”

 

“Vin, I’ll go make the arrangements to have you moved. Julie will give you your mask while I’m gone.”

 

“T...thanks, Doc,” Tanner turned to the nurse and smiled at her. He hated the treatments, but he couldn’t take it out on the staff of the hospital.

 

“Vin, this won’t take long” Julie’s voice was full of sympathy as she placed the new mask over his face. “I know it don’t seem like it, but it will make you feel better

in the long run.”

 

“Not too long a run I h...hope,” the handsome young man hissed painfully.

 

Julie watched as the blue eyes filled with pain and she knew he would soon be coughing up the mucus in his lungs. She knew from other treatments how

uncomfortable he would be, but there was no other way. To leave his lungs as they were would only make things worse, much worse in fact. She brushed the hair

from his eyes and watched as the first painful gasping cough surged past his lips. She helped him sit forward and rubbed his back as he tried to hold it back. She

knew he’d be unsuccessful and continued to watch his face. Once he calmed down she sat laid him back on the pillows and checked to see if the mask was finished.

There was no mist evident and she lifted it from his face. She reached for the cloth in the basin beside his bed and lifted the mask. She washed his face and smiled as

he looked at her gratefully.

 

“T...thanks,” he said as his eyelids grew heavy and he surrendered to sleep.

 

“You’re welcome,” she whispered as she left the sleeping man to his dreams.

 

Chris watched as the bed was moved into the room. He hated seeing all the extra equipment the sharpshooter was hooked to. He knew he had his own machines,

but Vin still looked so pale. His eyes were drawn to the shaved area of his friend’s head. He knew Tanner wasn’t vain, but he knew how much ribbing he’d get

about it. He smiled as he met the blue eyes, knowing they’d be room mates for the next week or so.

 

Tanner returned the smile, even as his body was assaulted with new pain. He looked at the nurse and two orderlies who were trying to help move him into his new

bed. He bit back a gasp as they moved him, clenching his fists tightly as fire erupted in his chest.

 

“All finished, Vin,” Sheila Murphy assured him as she smoothed the blankets over the trembling form. She left him alone for a few minutes and checked to make sure

the chest tube was working properly and hadn’t been jostled during the move. The bloody fluids were still evident and she moved to check the IV and the morphine

infusion pump. She knew he wasn’t getting a normal dose of the medication, but from treating these guys before she knew he wouldn’t complain. If anything these

two macho males would ask to have the medication lowered or completely removed. “I’m just gonna take your vitals and then you can get some rest,” she told her

patient. She wrapped the BP cuff around his arm and took the reading. She used the ear thermometer and noted he still had a slightly elevated temperature. She

listened to his chest and smiled at the blue eyes looking up at her. “Rest now, Vin. The call button is by your side. Just press it if you need anything.”

 

“Okay,” Tanner answered. He kept his eyes closed as he waited for the pain to recede. He felt the medication enter his system and waited for it to bring him a

modicum of relief. Through the haze of pain and tiredness he heard the nurse talking to his room mate. He heard her as she took Larabee’s vitals and gave him the

same speech she’d just given him. He kept his eyes closed as he heard her footsteps leave the room.

 

“Vin?”

 

The Texan opened his eyes and slowly turned his head. He bit his lip as pain lanced through his skull, hoping his friend didn’t see it. “Chris, are you okay?” he asked.

 

“I’m fine. You?”

 

“S...same,” Tanner said with a thin smile. The two men laughed in spite of the pain they were in. The two words were used by them no matter how bad things got.

Jackson threatened them more than once if they didn’t tell the truth he’d tell the doctors to ignore everything they said. “B...better not let Nathan hear us,” he laughed,

and groaned as a cough erupted from his throat.

 

“Vin?” Larabee asked worriedly as he watched the pain flash across the other man’s face.

 

“I...I’m okay, C...Cowboy,” Tanner tried to reassure his friend, but knew it wasn’t working when he sensed the green eyes on him. He fought back the cough and

turned to his friend once more. “S...sorry,” he muttered tiredly.

 

Before Chris could respond the door opened and five men walked into the room.

 

Jackson moved quickly to Tanner’s side and eased him forward on the bed. “Don’t fight it, Vin,” he warned and waited for the painful sounds to stop. He knew the

others were watching them, but he ignored them and glanced from one injured man to another. “You two need to stop fighting this. Don’t look at me like that, Chris.

You and Vin are cut from the same cloth. Shit, how many times have the doctors told you to cough up the gunk in your lungs? Neither one of you is getting outta here

until that stuff is cleared up!”

 

“N...not fighting i...it, Nate,” the tracker smiled weakly in spite of the pain in his chest.

 

“Yeah, right!” the medic snapped. “Look, just let it out, both of you,” he said as he looked from one patient to the other. “You’ll be outta here a lot faster if you do.”

 

“O...okay, Nathan,” Tanner let his eyes slide closed and listened as his friends talked quietly.

 

“How are you doing, Chris?” Jackson asked as he moved to the second bed.

 

“Hell, Nathan, if I answer with I’m fine you’re not gonna believe me...”

 

“Damn straight I’m not,” Nathan told him.

 

“I’d say you two better find a new line, Brother,” Sanchez laughed as he saw the chagrined look on Larabee’s face. The smile grew broader as he noted the same

look on the Texan’s face.

 

“I don’t think Nathan would believe anything these two have to say,” Wilmington grinned as he stood next to the blond’s bed.

 

“You’re one to talk, Buck,” Jackson said. “Look the lot of you need to tell the truth. It’ll make things a lot simpler. See, if a nurse asks, ‘How’s the pain, Vin?” then

the obvious thing would be to tell her the truth. But, no, Vin would answer, ‘It’s fine.’ Or Chris would say, ‘I’m okay.’” He stopped as he glimpsed the look each

man gave him. He could tell the six of them were fighting to keep the grins off their faces. He wanted to remain serious but couldn’t in the face of the soft hints of

laughter coming from the youngest member of the team. He glared at each man before giving into the smile he could feel blossoming on his own face. “There’s nothing

funny here,” the medic said as he tried to fight the contagious laughter.

 

“I assure you there is, Mr. Jackson. I don’t think I’ve ever heard you quote Mr. Larabee and Mr. Tanner in quite such a manner,” Standish said.

 

“Yeah, Nate, you should see your face,” Dunne laughed.

 

Jackson shook his head, “ you guys are hopeless,” he said as his gaze once more went from one man to another. It felt good to laugh. In the days since the explosion

that claimed so many lives there was little real mirth in the group. With the infectious laughter came a lessening of the pain caused by the thought of losing these two

men. He watched as two tired sets of eyes closed and signaled for the other men to leave. The relief was evident on his face as he moved to follow them. The Firm

would be whole again, it would take a while, but they would get there together. He sighed as the door closed behind him.

 

Vin knew Chris was awake even as the door closed behind their friends. He was tired, but he needed to be sure Larabee really was okay. He couldn’t quite

remember their rescue, but he did remember the pain on the blond’s face and the harsh sound of his breathing. The fear in the green eyes when Larabee saw the

blood he coughed up made him realize just how close they’d both come to dying. Again he felt someone watching him and turned towards his room mate. He sighed

heavily and smiled, the same smile was mirrored on his friend’s face. Neither man spoke, simply let their eyes say what they felt, and fell into a healing sleep.

 

THE END