DISCLAIMER: The Young Riders is the creation of Ed Spielman, and the property of Ogiens/Kane productions in association with MGM/UA television. This Story is created for entertainment purposes only, no infringement intended. Not to be copied without permission from the author.
Cody kicked the door to the doctor's office open with his foot, the badly bleeding Buck in his arms.
"McKinley! Wake up, you gotta help out here!" he called, frantic eyes searching for a bed to place his friend in.
A tired man in his early fifties came to the doorway, stating from a distance there was nothing he could do.
"Mr. Cody, this is strictly against regulations," he spoke calmly, walking up to the bed where Buck now lay, motionless and pale, blood covering his stomach and most of the chest.
"I don't care! No one will find out if you help me now!" Cody demanded, turning back to Buck.
"Hang in there, you hear me," he whispered, a slight feeling of relief as doctor McKinley finally approached the bed.
"Alright, but only because I owe you," he grunted, grabbing his glasses from his desk.
"Let's see what we've got here…"
Cody was pacing back and forth outside the doctor's office, Ben approaching carefully.
"What the hell happened, Ben?" Cody asked without looking up.
"Just a few drunken boys with a gun," came the answer from the old Indian.
"What did Buck ever do to deserve being shot like that, huh?" the blonde man asked, tears obvious in his eyes.
"It should have been me in there. He took the first bullet for me, the second was a revenge for that," Ben explained, still calm and silent.
"I'll have their hides! You know who they were?"
"No."
"You know everything in this Fort! I'm sure you can remember if you think real hard!" Cody spat, then calmed himself, sitting down on a chair by the door.
"We cannot do anything, they think he's dead, they'll make up a story about him attacking them. And we both know regulations say all prisoners shall be shot if they try to escape."
Cody nodded, sighing deeply.
"But it was a good trick you pulled there, saying he was dead. Thanks," he said after a few moments of silence.
"It was the only way to get him out of there, without any questions asked. And don't thank me, it wasn't all a lie. He's hurt bad, we both know that," Ben said, Cody nodding again.
"You sure scared the hell out of me!" he chuckled, right as the door opened and doc McKinley came out.
Cody watched Buck laying in his own bed in his own tent. They had decided to move him there, despite the risk it would hurt him worse. If he stayed at the doctor's office he would easily be found by the wrong person, and if it hadn't been for doc McKinley losing a game of cards with high stakes to Cody, just a few days earlier, he wouldn't have cared. But now things were as they were, the debt paid for and Buck in a safe place. Hopefully he'd also make it through the night.
"What do you do if someone comes in here to look for you?" Ben asked, Cody looking up with a startled face.
He had been far away, lost in his own memories of Buck and the other riders.
"That won't happen. I'll tell everyone to call for me and not enter. I'll say I have a 'visitor' from the bar, or something…"
"You can't fool them forever, Mr. Cody," Ben said with a nod.
"Oh, believe me, I can!" Cody smirked, then turned back to the pale face on the pillow.
"You think he'll make it?"
"Maybe. Maybe not. You heard McKinley, it wasn't an easy operation. And taking him here wasn't the best thing for him either. But it had to be done, and I won't argue about your decision. We will have to wait and see."
Cody sighed, leaning his elbows on the bed, letting his head fall heavily into his hands. It was close to dawn and still Buck hadn't moved a muscle since the shooting. Ben seated himself on a chair by the table in the middle of the tent, beginning to chant in a language unknown to Cody. He understood it was a prayer of some sort, decided it was best to not question it.
Outside the sun was just about to rise, the Fort silent for the first time all night.
Cody awoke with a start, leaning against the bedside, immediately looking up at Buck's face. He still hadn't moved, his skin whitish and feverishly warm. Cody turned around, realizing Ben was gone.
It was obviously daylight outside, and he thought it best to get some breakfast. He fist sat by the table and wrote a note saying "back soon" which he placed under a smaller rock outside the tent opening.
As he came back he realized right away there was a change, Buck stirring slightly, rambling names.
"Buck? Buck, come one, wake up," Cody begged, sitting himself down on the bedside again.
"Where's Gray Moon?" he asked, eyes still closed and voice thin.
"Who? Buck, be still, you need to rest," he pleaded, carefully holding his friend by the shoulders, preventing him from moving.
"Get her… Get Gray Moon and Wild Buck," he whispered, head falling to the side as he grimaced and winced at the pain coming from his abdomen.
"Buck, who are they? I'll get them, just tell me who they are and where I can find them," Cody promised, taking a damp cloth from a bowl on the bedside table and placed it on Buck's forehead.
"Hey, just tell me where they are."
Buck winced again, letting out a few heavy moans.
"Buck?"
The Kiowa remained still, again silent.
Cody thought the only place to look was in the Kiowa camp, right outside the Fort. He knew what his superior had said, but at the time he didn't care. He approached the gate guard and asked to enter the camp. The guard hesitantly opened the gate in the fence, allowing the scout inside, looked after him with a frown. What was he up to, and most important of all, did he have permission from the colonel? He realized he should've asked that before letting him in, but now it was already too late. He sighed, turning away from the camp and pretended he knew nothing of the scout walking around in there.
Cody looked around. There weren't at all as many Indians as he first thought, as most of them had been considered sick or dying and had therefor been moved away. He just wished Gray Moon and Wild Buck were still there, whoever they were.
He asked for a woman's attention, but she just stared at him before rushing past him with a startled look on her face. Cody moved on to another woman, who reacted in the same way, not daring to say a word. He sighed and walked over to a group of women a few paces away.
"Gray Moon?" he asked, the women breaking up and headed in their own direction.
"Come on, I'm not gonna hurt you!" he called after them, but they weren't listening.
He sighed again, not noticing one of the women grabbing her husband's hand and started talking to him in Kiowa. Red Bear followed Cody a few steps behind him, waiting until he was as far away from the guards as possible.
"Why are you asking for my brother's wife?" he spoke, startling Cody with his sudden words.
"Who are you?!" Cody breathed, collecting himself.
"I am the war chief of this tribe, my name is Red Bear. You are asking for Gray Moon," the Indian said, Cody nodding.
"Yeah, one of your warriors is asking for him," Cody said, again standing straight in front of the Indian called Red Bear.
"Her. Gray Moon is my brother's wife."
"Your brother?"
Cody was beginning to understand who Buck was talking about now, and that could only mean one thing.
"Buck's your brother?"
Red Bear nodded, wondering how his little brother knew this army soldier.
"Yes, Running Buck is my brother. Why do you want his wife? You said he was asking for her."
Cody nodded again, explaining what had happened to Buck as detailed as he could.
"Will he live?" Red Bear asked, tasting the words for a long time.
"I don't know. All I do know is that he's asking for Gray Moon and someone called Wild Buck," Cody explained, for some reason beginning to trust this Indian war chief.
"Wild Buck is his son," Red Bear said, feeling he shouldn't fear this bluecoat, not if he was a good friend of Running Buck's.
"Really?" Cody smiled, then returned to his errand.
"Where do I find them?"
"Come," Red Bear spoke, walking away toward his family's allotted spot in the camp.
Two women and a handful of children were to be found there, sitting around a small fire with a pot in the middle of the flames. Red Bear's wife rose as she saw them coming, Cody walking behind the chief, dirty eyes shot his direction by the other Indians in the camp.
She greeted her husband, and then reluctantly their guest. Cody saw immediately which boy was Buck's son. He had his father's dark, bottomless eyes, no doubt about it.
"Gray Moon. This man is a friend of your husband's. He has something to tell you," Red Bear spoke calmly, Gray Moon rising slowly.
Her weary eyes rested uncomfortably on Cody's face, the blonde man taking off his hat and began to explain what he was doing there.
"Is it bad?" she asked with a firm face, not allowing any emotion shine through.
Her voice was hard and dry, Cody noticed, and she was apparently very upset.
"Pretty bad. He asked for you this morning. You and your son. I don't know really how to do it, but I think you have to come with me. He seemed really anxious to see you," Cody said, holding the brim of his hat as he spoke, his face honest and innocent.
"I will come, but Wild Buck has to come too. I will not leave him here," Gray Moon spoke, still not showing any feelings, grabbing for her son's arm and hugged him against her body.
"I wasn't gonna suggest you did, if we can get you through, I'm sure we can get him through as well. The question is only how…"
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