By Suzy
Copyright 1999
None of them had been prepared for Buck's fury. They all realised that the loss of Ike and Noah had deeply scarred the young Indian but they hadn't reckoned on the always calm Buck losing his temper in such a violent manner. Teaspoon looked at Buck where he sat beside Rachel on the railing and shook his head in disbelief. Buck had always been the calm sensible one, he was always the one to see both sides of the argument and usually stop the others from fighting.
It almost seemed as if he had taken over Kid's role as Lou's protector. Teaspoon felt for the pain that Buck felt but no matter what his thoughts were it was not right of him to take his pain out on the others who were hurting just as badly. All of them knew the feelings that Jimmy and Lou shared and the constant turmoil it had seemed to throw them and the Kid into, but the three of them seemed to have settled down, not a person alive could misinterpret the devotion Kid and Lou held for each other. They had found their soul mate and even Jimmy could see that they were two halves of the one whole.
Buck's eyes liquid, he stood and looked at Teaspoon for guidance. Seeing the sympathetic gaze the older man directed his way, he smiled weakly 'I need to be alone' he spoke and walked briskly from the verandah 'I'm sorry' he muttered as he left.
The others sat in silence watching Buck stride angrily away, heading down the main street of Rock Creek towards the other end of town. "He doesn't mean it Jimmy' Rachel spoke 'Yes he does' Jimmy stated flatly 'And he's probably right.'
'I'm going to go and sit with Lou' Rachel spoke softly shaking her heads at the whole situation 'What do you want me to tell her?'
'She's going to Sweetwater within the next couple of days' Teaspoon explained.
Rachel nodded and walked up the stairs opening the door of the unnaturally darkened room she sat beside the bed to wait for her young friend to wake.
Buck walked the length of the township of Rock Creek, trying to sort out his confused emotions. Still raw from Ike's unfortunate but heroic death and Noah's murder, but now Kid's life had been spared but his promising future had been stolen from him. Lou, the innocent victim in all of this, was probably the person closest to him at the way station and he refused to let her be used, even indirectly, by any of the other boys. He saw the way Jimmy still looked at the young bride and that unconsciously he was sure that his intentions were less than honourable. Buck found himself outside the doctors surgery, entering the doctors offices he walked in to sit by his friends side, waiting silently for him to regain consciousness and talk to him.
Rachel sat silently at Lou's bedside, gazing blankly at the picture of Lou and Kid that they kept on their bedside table. The picture had been taken on their wedding day, the love that they shared was almost a tangible force in the picture, neither of them had eyes for anyone else, almost as if to them on that day they were the only ones on earth. So engrossed was she in her study of the photo that, when Lou spoke she was startled.
'Has my life been a lie Rachel?' she murmured softly.
'Please don't ever think that honey' she moved to sit on the side of the bed and take Lou's hand in her own. 'Sometimes proud stubborn honourable men like Kid are just too honourable for their own good. They don't like to burden the woman in their lives when they are somehow weakened.' Rachel tried to explain
'He told me he has never loved me' Lou spoke her liquid eyes overflowing.
'He knows that you won't leave him, he's trying to hurt you into running away.' Rachel answered her. 'I haven't even told him that we are going to have a baby.' Lou sobbed.
'Lou honey that's wonderful' Rachel smiled through her tears.
'What if he was telling the truth' for the first time she truly doubted Kid's love she searched Rachel's face.
'Lou you listen to me.' Rachel took both her hands in her own 'That boy loves you deeply, he's proud Lou, he doesn't want you to see him this way. You're going to have to do something very difficult, but in the long run it will be better for both of you.'
'What Rachel?' she sat up in the bed and listened intently.
'Tomorrow Jimmy is going to take you to Sweetwater, we'll send word for you when Doc Barnes thinks that it is okay for you to return.' Rachel watched as the teary Lou shook her head determinedly.
'I can't leave him here alone Rachel' she stated 'Lou' Rachel tried to reason with her 'You can't stay here, your presence will only upset him and he needs to heal, he can't do that if he is worrying about you. We will look after him I promise you.' Rachel saw the acceptance on the young girls face and knew that she had won, in the short term at least. Now all they had to do was help Kid get well and they could return to being the happy family they never really had a chance to be.
On to Chapter Eight
