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.
Lou pulled a chair up to the side of Buck's cot and just sat and watched him, her eyes filled with tears. She looked at his broken body critically wondering how on earth anyone could survive the beating that he had received. He barely looked like himself anymore. His face was badly bruised and swollen, his eyes squeezed shut with the swelling, one side of his mouth swollen grotesquely where his lip was split and his jaw bruised. A large gash ran down own side of his head starting at his left temple and running into the back of his head. An inch further and the bullet would have killed him then he would have been dead as they had thought. His shoulders were both bruised, he had been kicked so hard that Lou could actually see almost footmarks on his chest and shoulders. Thick white bandages swathed his chest. One elbow swollen hideously, the lower parts of both arms bandaged tightly to rigid wooden boards right down to his finger tips. His legs seemed to be the only part of him that had escaped relatively unscathed but his left knee was bandaged heavily.
Knowing that he was only in this condition because of her didn't help her at all. Maybe if he didn't feel so much for her, he would have taken a little more time and actually thought out what would happen to him. She was determined that he would not die, if that meant that she had to stay with him around the clock then, she would stay with him until he was well. Stroking his sleek black hair back from his forehead, tears welled in her tired eyes as she spoke to him quietly.
"Buck, I'm so sorry. If things had been different, if Kid had been a different man, who knows maybe I could have given you what you want, what you deserve. But Buck, I love Kid. If what you feel for me is half of what I feel for Kid. I am so sorry that I can't return your feelings. I do love you. Just as I can never imagine life without you. But I love you like a brother Buck.' she paused placing a gentle kiss on his bruised cheek. 'One day, One day you will find a girl who loves you just as badly as you love her and you will both spend the rest of your lives in sweet passionate love.' Lou moved to kneel on the floor beside his cot, resting her head beside his, gently stroking his shoulder, wanting him to feel her touch, letting him know that she was there for him.
'She will be a special girl Buck, she will love both of your worlds, because they are part of you, she will not question either world or try to separate them they will just be you. The same way I love Kid, I know it's different, but he is just as troubled as your Indian heritage sometimes has you by his love of Virginia, and I love him so bad that if he goes back there to fight, I will follow him and help him in whatever way I can. You will find the other half of your whole, the woman who will follow you to the ends of the earth if she needs to, and when you do you will know.' she placed another kiss on his forehead. and continued to lean on the side of the cot, content to doze with her head on the bedside, her hand gently laying on his chest monitoring its slight rise and fall.
She had not noticed Kid and Rachel both walk into the room, so engrossed was she in her impassioned speech to Buck, but when they had heard her speaking they had stopped dead in their tracks not wanting to intrude on whatever it was that she was saying. As Kid listened to her impassioned words he was struck dumb by the love that he felt for the young woman who had stolen the hearts of every man at the station. He knew that he was lucky to be the object of her affection and then and there vowed that whatever he did, he would always cherish the love of the tiny woman in front of him.
He had suspected how Buck felt about Lou, in fact he had had suspicions for a long time, but Ike and Noah had filled them all in on what had happened on the prairie that morning, and not one of the riders could fault Buck for falling in love with Lou, if the truth be known they were falling in love with her and Buck was just the only one with enough guts to voice his emotions and face the consequences of his actions. They had made a vow that from that moment on, noone would ever mention it again, it had seemed that Buck and Lou had resolved the situation themselves and that was all they needed to know.
They had even told him of the kiss that Lou and Buck had shared and whilst it had concerned him a little, it had not thrown him into the same fits of jealous rage he was prone to where Jimmy was involved. Somehow Buck was different to the other boys, he didn't know how, he just was. Listening to Lou speak to Buck, Kid knew that he had nothing to worry about, and he bore Buck no ill feelings. He was almost certain that he owed Buck his life and after the others had told him of the adamant way that Buck had leapt to his defence and did not hesitate in riding to his rescue.
Truth be known Kid had been coming to talk to Lou about their future, he had decided in his own mind that if Lou wished to end their relationship and start seeing Buck Kid was prepared to step aside and let them get on with their lives. He could not say how relieved he was when he walked into the room and heard Lou speaking. Rachel hugged him tightly and led him into the kitchen to sit him down and dress his wounds, because in all the confusion with Buck, Kid's injuries had been forgotten.
When they reached the kitchen, she sat him down at the table and lifted his shirt, cleaning and dressing the angry red bulletwound on his side. Kid waited patiently as Rachel bandaged his chest and stood moving to the doorway so he could watch Lou and Buck his eyes soft with emotion
'I'm going to go and try to find Red Bear, watch over them for me' he turned to Rachel. She hugged him nodding slowly, knowing that this was something Kid felt he had to do.
Kid took one last look at Lou and Buck and walked from the room determined to find Buck's brother.
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