If I Die Rock Creek, Nebraska-1865 Jagged bolts of lightning danced across the darkened sky as deafening claps of thunder roared overhead. The wind howled, shattering windows, and sending sharp projectiles of glass and wood shooting into the air. Icy rain pelted the ground below, scattering the citizenry, and forcing them to seek shelter wherever they could find it. Shrieks of terror filled the night as first one tornado, then three more, wreaked havoc on the bustling frontier town, causing massive destruction in their wake, and doing irrevocable damage to the lives of all who lived in it. When the wind stopped howling, the rain ceased falling, and the sun broke through the dark clouds, those townsfolk who were left among the living, crawled out from their shelters to survey the devastation Mother Earth had caused on their homes and businesses. Very few buildings remained standing; and those that were had severe damage to them. The streets were lined with the unfortunate souls who had not made it to shelter in time to escape the deadly storm. Parents, spouses, children, and siblings from nearly every family lost their lives that fateful night. The Pony Express family was not exempt from tragedy; they had lost two of their members, and a third lay near death. Teaspoon Hunter, patriarch of the bunch, was struck by lightning while helping an elderly woman seek shelter, and was killed instantly. Rachel Dunne, housekeeper and confidante for the PX, died from injuries she sustained when the roof of the small house she lived in, collapsed on her. Both were terrible losses to the PX family. Although they grieved for the man who had become like a father to all of them, as well as the woman who had been their friend; their collective thoughts lay heavily on the gravely injured Louise Mccloud. None of them were exactly clear on how she had sustained her injuries. What they did know is that some time during the night, Lou had returned to town from an overnight ride. Tompkins had found her crumpled beside the porch of his mercantile, and had brought her to the makeshift hospital that Doctor Banes had setup in the hotel. Doc Banes had told them that she had sustained multiple cuts and abrasions, broken ribs, and a broken ankle. Her most serious injury was the one she had taken to her head. He had cleaned and stitched it up, but he would not know the extent of the damage it had caused Lou, until she woke up. She had not stirred or moaned during the whole time he was examining her and caring for any of her injuries. Solemnly he told the anxious riders that only time and Lou’s will to survive would determine whether she lived or died. “If I die young, bury me in satin, Lay me down on a bed of roses…” Lou’s last words, spoken softly to him, as they sat together under an oak tree near the swimming hole a few days earlier, haunted Jimmy Hickok’s sleep deprived brain. They had been enjoying a quiet day together, the remains of a picnic lunch spread out before them, when their topic of conversation turned toward a solemn one. While he had thought the words beautiful when Lou had spoken them, he remembered how he had quickly changed the subject of conversation to a much lighter one, and Lou had let him. Jimmy was not a religious man, nor did he believe in omens, but he could not help wondering if something was conspiring against him to make sure that he never found happiness. He certainly had never been lucky in love thus far, due partly to his own stupidity, but also due to the women he had attracted. One of those relationships had nearly gotten him hanged for murder; the other had almost gotten one of his friends killed, and nearly ripped apart the close bonds his PX family shared due to her lies and manipulations. Lou’s own love life had not fared any better. Her relationship with the Kid, their fellow rider, and Jimmy’s best friend, had ended badly, and both parties had held on to their hurt for some time, before eventually they reconciled their differences, and decided that they were better off as friends, instead of lovers. Through his friends’ breakup, Jimmy had been there for Lou when she needed him the most, and against his will, he had fallen in love with her. He had denied his new feelings for a long time, not wanting to risk wrecking his friendship with her. It seemed that Lou was just as unwilling to lose his friendship, as he was to lose hers, because it was only recently that they had finally confessed their true feelings for one another. Now, as he sat waiting for Fate to decide whether Lou lived or died, Jimmy regretted all the time he had wasted on self-loathing, when he could have been spending it with Lou. After the fiasco with Rosemary Burke had gotten Noah almost killed, he had left Rock Creek, vowing never to return. He had wandered from place to place, not stopping anywhere for too long, and doing a variety of jobs to keep him supplied with money. He had even served as a scout for the Union Army for awhile, but had ended it, when he had helped an injured Kid escape imprisonment from the battalion he was scouting for. He had tended to Kid until he was able to travel, and then the two of them had headed for Rock Creek. His PX family had welcomed him back with open arms, and seeing Lou again had changed his decision to leave town again. As long as his PX family wanted him around, Jimmy would stay in Rock Creek. Jimmy was still lost in his thoughts when he heard a soft knock on the door before it opened. He glanced over his shoulder as Kid entered the room. His friend carried a tray of food into the room and set it on the dresser. He knew without looking at it that it held more broth for him to feed to Lou, and a plate of food for him as well. “How is she doing?” Kid asked as he stepped toward the bed. “Have there been any changes?” “No,” Jimmy sighed. “I feel her slipping away from me Kid and I don’t know what to do to stop it.” Kid placed a hand on his shoulder. “Don’t give up on her, Jimmy. Lou’s always had to do things in her own time. She never liked being rushed. I am sure that as soon as she is ready to, Lou will wake up.” Kid’s words gave him hope. Made him want to believe that Lou was just biding her time until she was ready to wake up and rejoin the land of the living. “I won’t give up on her.” Jimmy vowed. “Because I know she would not give up on me if it was me laying in that bed and not her.” “That’s right.” Kid agreed. “Try to eat some of that food I brought for you, and get some shuteye too, Jimmy. You won’t be any good to Lou sick. If you need anything at all, please come and get one of us. We want to help out in any way we can.” “I will.” Jimmy said, and then added, “Thanks, Kid.” Kid nodded before he left the room. Jimmy rose from his chair and went over to the dresser where Kid had left the tray of food. He really was not hungry, but heeded Kid’s words, and picked up half of the cheese sandwich and bit into it. He chewed the bite, swallowed, and then forced himself to take another one, and then another, until he had finished it. He washed it all down with a long swallow of sweet tea, before he carried the bowl of broth over to the bed and settled down into his chair beside it. Gently, he spooned some of the fragrant mixture into Lou’s mouth, blotting the moisture away that leaked out with a napkin. As he fed her, he spoke about nonsensical things, hoping that hearing his voice would somehow lead her out of her slumber and into wakefulness. When he was finished feeding her, he set the bowl aside, and not able to fight his own weariness any longer, Jimmy settled back into his chair, leaned his head against the back and closed his eyes. Jimmy awoke with a start. He glanced sleepily around the room, trying to determine what had awakened him, but found nothing. He shifted his frame in the chair to get a little more comfortable, before closing his eyes again, as sleep beckoned to him. “Mmph...” Jimmy’s eyes popped open. This time he knew what had awakened him. He ran a hand over his face as he leaned over the bed and with the aid of the moonlight streaming in through the solitary window in the room, watched as Lou’s eyes fluttered open. “Lou?” Pain filled doe eyes shifted slowly to look up at him and Jimmy felt his heart soar. “Hurt….head…hurts.” The words were not more than a whisper from a throat that had not been used for too long, but Jimmy heard them nevertheless. He poured some water into a glass and helped her to sip some of it. “I know, Sweetheart, but it will go away soon enough.” Jimmy told her softly, knowing he should go find Doctor Banes and tell him that Lou was awake at last, but was unwilling to leave her side just yet. “Wh…what happened?” Lou asked him hoarsely. “There was a storm...you were caught in it.” “I remember…tornadoes.” “That’s right.” “Others?” “Everyone’s fine.” Jimmy lied, deciding that now was not the time to tell Lou that they had lost Teaspoon and Rachel. Lou sighed, relief evident in her facial features, “I’m glad.” Jimmy smiled, moved by how concerned she was for everyone else, instead of moaning about her own injuries. “I need to go get Doc Banes so that he can examine you, Lou.” “Alright,” Lou said sleepily. Jimmy rose from his chair, taking a few moments to stretch his frame, before he leaned over Lou and kissed her on her forehead, and then on her lips, as she shifted her head upward in an attempt to find his mouth with her own. “I love you, Lou.” “I know,” she replied, yawning. Jimmy smiled as he left the room, his heart soaring now that Lou was awake and coherent. Without Doctor Banes telling him, he knew that Lou had now taken a positive turn in her recovery, and that was all that mattered to him. Drop me a note and let me know what you thought!