Lou ran out of the house as soon as she had a chance, Jimmy right behind her. She kneeled by her husband, taking his head and cradling it on her lap. She looked questioningly at Jimmy, who was examining Kid, but he just shrugged. "I can’t tell, Lou." He said as he continued his examination.
Lou looked up when she heard the house door open. Jed’s face appeared at the entrance, looking scared and confused.
Lou lay Kid’s head softly on the ground and went to her son. "Are you alright?" she asked.
The boy nodded. "Mary and Emma are scared." He said. "How’s daddy?"
"He will be okay." Lou promised, even though she had no indication he is going to be okay.
Jimmy came to stand by them. "I’d better go get the doctor, Lou. I don’t want to move him, so stay by his side." He turned to get his horse from the stable.
"Ride safe." Lou called after him. They didn’t know who the men were and didn’t know whom they should be aware of. She returned to her husband side, after she sent Jed inside to sit with the girls. "Please wake up, Kid." she cried. "Please…"
Jimmy went straight for the doctor’s. He pounded his fist on the door, calling for the doctor. The doctor’s wife opened the door. "He ain’t here." She said, angry for the intrusion. "He went to send a telegraph."
Jimmy didn’t even thank her and just ran across the street to the telegraph office. "Doc, the marshal is hurt badly." Jimmy said, out of breath.
"What are you talking about, son?" the doctor asked.
"The marshal… at his home… been shot." Jimmy tried again, still trying to get his breathing under control.
"I’ll get me horse." The doctor said, and wasting no time ran back to his office.
Before Jimmy could follow, the clerk called him. "Mrs. McCloud asked me if Shuster got any mail or sent anything out…"
Jimmy looked at him, trying to figure what’s the importance with this, now that his friend could be dying.
"He go a telegraph from those layers, saying his wife inheritance of three-thousand dollars will be given to him, when he’d get to their office."
Jimmy pondered that for only a second, before a little smile formed on his lips. This might be the break they needed for Buck, he thought. "Thank you." He said. "I’ll make sure to tell Mrs. McCloud about it."
"And tell her I hope her husband will be okay." The clerk called after Jimmy that ran out to mount his horse and get back to his friends.
Lou was still by Kid’s side when Jimmy came back with the doctor. They both quickly dismounted and ran to her side. Kid’s shirt was already open, showing his bleeding wound under Lou’s pressing hands. "Please help him, doctor. He’s losing so much blood." She cried.
"Can we move him, doctor?" Jimmy asked.
"Yes. Help me get him inside."
"No." Lou suddenly cried. "The children…"
"Go and get them into their room." Jimmy instructed her.
Lou did as he told her, not quite able to think for herself. She couldn’t remember ever feeling like that. She saw him getting shot at numerous times before, when they were riding for the express and now when he was the marshal, and it frightened ever time. But nothing like what it did to her now. She was scared this was the end, this was the final time. She ran into the house, taking Emma in one arm and Mary’s hand in the other. Jed followed her silently, sensing now was not the time to ask any questions.
She put the kid in the girls’ room, leaving Jed in charge and ran to the bedroom, where Jimmy and the doctor were now lying Kid on the bed. He let out a moan, but didn’t wake. The doctor removed Kid’s shirt, trying to move him as little as possible. Jimmy watched Lou carefully, hoping she would gather her wits together and help the doctor. She knew more than he did about fixing up wounded people and he really wished to get away from that room, but he had to make sure first she could handle it.
Lou wiped the tears from her eyes and sat at Kid’s head, caressing his curls. "He’s going to be alright, Doc. Isn’t he?"
The doctor looked at her. "I just started, ma’am. Can you please boil some water for me?"
Lou looked at Jimmy, begging him with her eyes.
"I’ll be right back." He said, leaving the room and heading for the kitchen.
Lou stayed sitting on the bed, her husband’s head in her lap. "Don’t you die on me." She whispered. "Don’t leave me like that."
When Jimmy brought the water the doctor cleaned the wound. "The bullet is still inside." He said. "I have to take it out or it will cause an infection."
Lou nodded. "Can I help?" she asked, trying with all her might to be strong again and help out.
"Marshal, I will need you to hold him down, in case he wakes up" the doctor told Jimmy. "And I need you, ma’am, to help clean the wound as I look for the bullet."
Lou nodded and got in position next to the doctor. She took a cloth in her hand and cleaned the blood that continued to gush from the wound as the doctor pried for the bullet inside the hole it made in Kid’s stomach.
Kid stayed still throughout the whole procedure, which made Lou even more worried. Throughout the whole thing, up until when the doctor pulled the bullet out, a part of her prayed for him to wake up, while another part wished for him to stay unconscious, so he won’t suffer.
But now, she became worried. What if he will never wake up? She thought as tears welled up in her eyes again.
The doctor finished bandaging Kid and motioned Jimmy to follow him out. Before the young man could ask any question, the doctor held his hand to stop him. "I don’t know." The doctor answered the unquestioned question. "He lost a lot of blood and the fact that he hasn’t woke up yet is not a good sign. However," the doctor continued, "he is a young and strong man. I’ve seen him pull through much more difficult situations. He needs a lot of rest, even we he will eventually wake up. Don’t let him back in town for at least a month. I’ll come to check on him tomorrow, but in the mean time I want you to make him feel as comfortable as possible."
Jimmy nodded his acknowledgment and the doctor left. Jimmy checked on Lou and found her sitting next to her husband, holding his hand in hers, speaking her love for him. He silently closed the door behind him and went to check on the children. He found them on Mary’s bed, cuddled together. Emma was sleeping with her head on Jed’s thigh, while he stroked her hair. Jimmy smiled at the way she sucked her thumb in her mouth, looking so innocent and angelic. Jed and Marry looked at him when he walked in, their faces watery with tears. Mary climbed off the bed and ran into her uncle’s open arms. "Don’t worry, sweetheart." Jimmy tried to ease her mind a bit. "Your father is going to be alright."
"Is mama with him?" Jed asked from the bed.
Jimmy looked at him and nodded. "The doctor just left. He said your father is strong and that he will pull through this." Jimmy saw the boy’s intelligent eyes, a combination of both his parents’ wisdom and knew the he needed more than that. "Your father has been shot," He admitted, "But the doctor said he believes he will be okay. We just have to be patient."
"Can I see him?" Jed asked, satisfied with Jimmy’s honesty, but still wanting to see for himself.
Jimmy nodded. "But be quiet." He added just before Jed disappeared behind the door.
Jed peeked into the room, his eyes adjusting to the darkness. He saw the silhouette of his mother, holding what he knew was his father’s head. He walked in, trying to be as quiet as he could. Lou noticed him and smiled weakly, motioning him to come closer. "Did you eat supper?" she asked.
Jed shook his head. "Not yet. But I ain’t hungry."
Lou could see the tears in Jed’s eyes and she collected them with her finger as they rolled down his cheeks. "Everything will be alright. You’ll see." She said in a shivering voice.
"Why hasn’t he woke up yet?" the boy asked.
"He’s been shot, and he hit his head on the stair. But he will wake up. He’s just resting after the last few days." Lou tried to sound hopeful.
"Mama…" Jed had one other thing on his mind. "Is daddy coming back to live with us here now?"
Lou looked at her son, obviously surprised. "What made you ask that?"
"I know daddy slept in his office the night we left for Uncle Jimmy and the night before. I know you had a fight."
Lou felt renewed tears in her eyes. "Daddy’s going to stay with us." Lou promised. "Once he wakes up we’ll tell him how much we all love him and he will stay with us."
"Didn’t he want to?" Jed asked. "Is that why he hadn’t come for my party?"
Lou caressed her son’s cheek and took his hand in hers. She smiled as she realised that she was probably watching the image of Kid when he was that age. "Your father and I had a little disagreement, but everything’s going to be fine now."
"Was it a bout that Indian friend of yours?"
Lou nodded. "Remember when dad and I told you about your uncles?"
"Uncle Jimmy and Uncle Cody." Jed said.
"Yes. But remember we told you about there were others you haven’t met?"
"Like Uncle Ike and Uncle Noah?" Jed asked.
"And Uncle Buck." Lou said. "He was the one you saw at the jail."
"Did he kill Mrs. Shuster?" Jed asked.
Lou shook her head. "We don’t know yet who killed her, but it wasn’t Buck. Do you know what framing someone means?" Lou asked, trying to explain everything to the seven years old young man.
Jed shook his head.
"It’s when someone is doing something and then say someone else did it." Lou said, always the teacher, she thought.
"So someone else killed her and said Uncle Buck did it?" Jed asked. "So why did daddy put him in jail if he didn’t do it?"
Lou looked at her son sadly. It was time to stand by her husband, she decided, not against him. "We didn’t know it wasn’t him. We needed a proof."
"So now you know who did it?" Jed asked.
"Not yet." Lou said, turning around as she heard someone opening the door. Jimmy stood at the door shyly. "I thought I’d make the kids something to eat…" he said.
Lou nodded. "Jed, why won’t you help your uncle, so he can find the things he needs." She said, pushing Jed gently toward the opening.
A couple of hours later, after Jimmy put the kids to sleep, he knocked on the door to Kid and Lou’s bedroom. When he received no answer, he opened the door. Lou was still sitting by Kid’s head, her head hanging low, obviously asleep. He touched her shoulder gently, wanting to help her into a more comfortable position. She stirred and opened her eyes, immediately looking for a change in her husband’s state. "He hasn’t woke up yet." She stated.
Jimmy shook his head. "We have to wait." He told her, his hand still on her shoulder. "Why don’t you get some sleep, Lou. I’ll watch him."
Lou shook her head furiously. "I can’t, Jimmy. I owe him at least that much. I’ve sinned against him but not trusting him more and not knowing him better. I hated him, Jimmy. For all he did to Buck – what I thought he did. I have to tell him how sorry I am." She said, tears rolling down her cheeks. "I have to see if he still loves me…"
"He does." Jimmy assured her, but it seemed she didn’t hear him.
"Cause if he doesn’t, I don’t know what I’ll…"
"He does." Jimmy said again, more firmly now, lifting her chin with his fingers so he could look her in the eyes. "He still loves you. He told me so."
Lou’s eyes brightened some. "He did?" she asked, her voice trembling.
Jimmy nodded. "When we came here we had a talk about everything that has happened and he told me how sorry he was for not being with you lately as much as he should and as much as he wanted. He told me about you not living together anymore and he said how much he missed waking up with you in his arms."
"Oh, Jimmy…" Lou sighed. "If only he wakes up…"
"He will." Jimmy told her. "But I want you to be able to see that. And if you keep on sitting here like that you will fall asleep eventually and miss it. You go and lie for awhile in the other room." He said. "I’ll stay here with him."
Lou nodded and rose to her feet. She kissed Kid’s forehead and then his lips. She hugged Jimmy and whispered a thank you in his ear before she left the room.
When she woke up in the morning, it took her a few seconds to remember where she was and everything that happened the day before. She rushed out of bed and across the hall to Kid. He was still unconscious and she fell to her knees but the bed, sobbing in her hands. When she finally relaxed a bit, she looked around but saw no sign of Jimmy. She walked to the kitchen where she found him making breakfast. "Sleep well?" he asked, not mentioning her breakdown of only several minutes before.
She touched his arm, wanting him to look at her. "I want you to do something for me, Jimmy." She said.
"Anything, Lou." He waited for her to name it. He’d fly to the moon if she only asked him.
"I want you to go look for Buck." She said.
"What?" He exclaimed. "We have no idea where he is right now, and I don’t want to leave you here alone."
"I’m not alone, Jimmy." She said.
"Lou…" Jimmy started, frustrated. "You are alone her with the children and Kid like that. What if these men came here again?"
"It’s very important to me, Jimmy. And I know Kid would like to know about Buck when he wakes up."
"Lou," Jimmy took her hand and led sat her on a chair by the table. "He might not make it."
"Don’t say that!" Lou yelled at him. "Kid didn’t do this for nothing. "Buck has to make it!"
"I didn’t talk about Buck." He said in a low tone.
Lou felt the tears well in her eyes. "Don’t you ever say that, James Hickok. He has to make it. I have to see his blue eyes once again, to tell him how much I love him." She was sobbing now, and Jimmy could do nothing by take her in his arms and promise to go look for Buck.
"I’d better go check on Kid." Lou said when she calmed down and the sobbing subsided.
Jimmy nodded. "Is there any food I can take with me?" he asked.
Lou pointed at one of the cupboards. "Take what you need." She said as she walked upstairs.
She entered the room and noted nothing has changed. She sat on the bed, taking her husbands hand in hers. "Please wake up, Kid." she whispered. "Jimmy is going away now and I’m scared of being here alone."
A sharp noise woke her up a couple of hours later. She cursed herself for falling asleep and quickly checked on Kid. No change. In the kitchen, she found Jed collecting the pieces of what was once a glass, while her daughters were giggling as they watched him. She made them something to eat and sent them outside to play. Feeling it has been too long since she left him, she returned to the bedroom.
She gasped and rushed to the bed as Kid tried to rise into a sitting position. Her hand on his shoulder, she forced him to lie on his back. "You need to rest." She whispered.
"Water." He mouthed and she let him sip some from the glass that waited for him to wake.
Lou felt no words were enough to express her emotions at the moment and so she just sat by his head, caressing his curls and lightly kissing his forehead and his brows.
"How are the kids?" he asked after a few minutes.
"They’re fine. We’re all fine, Kid. You too. We were just waiting for you to wake up. The children miss you."
"What about these men?" he asked.
"Some of them are dead." She said. "Three ran away."
"Who?" he asked.
"We could only identify the dead ones, but I couldn’t recognize them. I don’t think they live here."
"What about Shuster?" Kid asked.
"He wasn’t one of the dead, Kid."
Kid nodded and immediately regretted it as a major headache hit him.
"The doctor should be here later today." Lou said as she noticed his discomfort.
"How bad is it?" Kid asked.
"The doctor said the wound will heal just fine if there won’t be an infection. He wasn’t sure about you because you hit your head on the step."
"Is Jimmy okay?"
Lou nodded. "He went to look for Buck. I told him you’d like to know how is he."
"He’s not going to find him." Kid stated.
"I was worried about you." Lou changed the subject, eager to tell the Kid what’s been on her mind since he told her the truth about Buck. "I was worried I won’t have the chance to tell you that I love you."
"I know…" Kid whispered, wishing in his heart she kissed him, since he had no strength to pull himself up by himself.
"I’m sorry for not trusting you more." She continued. "I want things between us to return to the way they were. I wouldn’t mind it if you decide to work long hours and only come home late at night, as long as you will come home eventually, come to me…"
Kid could wait no longer. "Kiss me…" he whispered, cutting her in the middle of her speech.
"What?" Lou didn’t quite hear what he was saying, her mind on the rest of her thoughts she didn’t yet verbalize.
"Kiss me." Kid requested again.
Lou smiled and kissed his forehead.
Kid closed his eyes and closed his lips together, trying to explain better what he meant. Lou giggled and kissed his nose.
"Lou…" he growled, but was soon shut as her lips met his.
On to Chapter Nine
Main Page