By Suzy
Copyright 1999
Rachel had never seen Jimmy like this before, if she didn't know better she would say he was teetering towards hysteria, that frightened her more than Kid's deathly pallor and continuing unconsciousness. It seemed like hours but it was actually minutes later when Doc Barnes fought his way through the milling townsfolk to kneel in the dirt at Kid's side. After a cursory examination, he asked Jimmy to bring Kid to his surgery where he could tend to his patient.
Jimmy stood and carried his best friend to the surgery, depositing him gently face down on the examination table in the Doctor's surgery.
'Jimmy, can you wait outside please?' the doctor asked firmly, knowing that his work would be easier without the hot tempered young man watching his every move.
'I won't leave him Doc.' Jimmy spoke the pain in his eyes tangible.
'You're not leaving him, you're waiting outside, please I need this room as sterile as possible.' he urged knowing that Jimmy would do what was best for his friend.
Jimmy nodded his head and regretfully left the room, he closed the door behind him and turned to find Rachel, Buck and Teaspoon waiting for him in the outer room.
'We came as soon as we heard,' Teaspoon spoke. 'How is he?' he asked softly
Jimmy shrugged his shoulders in answer reluctant to speak, fearing that his voice would betray the emotions roiling in him, his eyes downcast watching the scuffed toes of his boots.
'Buck, go back to the station and get Lou, she should be here, I'll try to find who owned the wagon. Rachel will you stay here with Jimmy please?' Buck didn't speak he just turned on his heel, trying to decide how to tell Lou that her young husband may be dying, Rachel nodded the tears already streaking her cheeks flowing freely.
Jimmy waited until the others had left the room, before he looked up, the pain in his eyes when he looked at her almost more than Rachel could bear. Wordlessly she opened her arms to him and the usually stoic almost distant Jimmy sank into her arms, sobbing his fear against her shoulder.
'What if he dies Rachel?' he spoke as he tried to regain some of his composure.
Rachel clasped Jimmy's face in her hands, looking intently into his pained teary eyes 'He's not going to die, there has been too much death here recently, we won't let him die, he and Lou are going to have long and happy lives, together,' she spoke a wistful smile in her teary eyes's she spoke trying to convince herself as much as Jimmy.
'You don't understand Rachel.' he walked to the other side of the room and turned to try to explain his jumbled thoughts.
'I've said some things to him that weren't very kind, things that I didn't really mean, things that I said only because I was trying to hurt him.' he paused 'If he doesn't make it' he swallowed convulsively 'he'll die thinking that I hated him, that God forbid I wanted him dead.' he paused.
'He knows that you didn't mean those things Jimmy' Rachel started.
'You don't understand, he will have died saving the life of a person who he thinks hated him and everything he stands for. How my hatred of what he stands for must have tormented him.' he spoke sadly and turned his back on Rachel and moved to gaze out the window at the once again nearly deserted street.
'Jimmy, you have both said things in anger, and while you may not believe me, Kid knows that, he has always known that, he could no more turn his back on you than he could on Louise. You must know that deep down, you must. He loves you Jimmy. That's why he did what he did.' She walked behind him and slid her arms under his, to give him a comforting hug, trying to sooth the tormented soul of the young man in front of her.
'He's like a brother to me Rachel, noone could fill the void that would be left if he's gone. I don't think I could stand that pain.' Jimmy murmured almost to himself, they were both distracted as the door to the surgery opened.
'How is he doc?' Jimmy spun to confront the bloodstained doctor as he slipped through the door.
'I'm doing the best that I can Jimmy, he's lost a lot of blood, but he's strong he should pull through. Has anybody gone to get his wife?' he spoke the volumes of worry in his eyes belying the truth of his words.
'Buck went to find her.'
Buck strode quickly to the Way station, dreading the task of telling Lou that her beloved Kid was injured, he himself was still trying to come to terms with the loss of two of his family and shaking his head wryly he didn't think he could take the loss of another friend, especially if that friend was Kid. He went to the two main waystation buildings and saw no sign of Lou, entering the stable he could hear her softly singing as she brushed Lightning. His eyes filling with involuntary tears he called her name and prepared to tell her of her husbands accident.
"Lou, I need you to come with me?' Buck asked softly.
Lou heard the tremor in his voice and turned immediately concerned 'What is it Buck?'
"Lou there is no easy way to tell you this.' Lou searched his face intently, seeing his normally golden tanned skin pale frightened her badly.
'It's Kid and Jimmy Lou' he murmured knowing that he was doing this badly and causing her more heartache than necessary wasn't making it any easier for him.
'What Buck, tell me what is it?' tears overflowed from her velvet eyes, knowing that her worst fears had been realised.
"It's Kid Lou, he's at Doc Barnes and the Doctor said to come and get you.' Buck finished.
Lou didn't wait to hear any more, she dropped the brush she was still holding on grasping her skirts in both hands she ran from the barn and straight down the main street of Rock Creek to the small Doctor's surgery. Taken by surprise, Buck ran after her but only caught up with her after she had burst through the door with enough force to slam the door against the wall.
Her eyes full of fear and fury she saw Jimmy on the other side of the room and stalked up to him, hitting him in the chest with both hands, she raged at him with all her pain and fury evident in her voice.
'Dammit Jimmy, What did you do to him?'
On to Chapter Two
