Chapter 28
While J.D.
stood guard outside the tipi, Buck and Ezra sat with Mapiya while she was busy
tending to Chris. He had not woken
since last night and Mapiya had expressed her concern at his unresponsiveness
to her ministrations.
Buck did not like
the way Chris laid so silently on the pallet.
Mapiya had wrapped an old Buffalo hide around his body. She said that he was shivering violently and
had spoken one word, cold, after losing consciousness again. Buck gently brushed a strand of blonde hair
away from Chris’ forehead.
As he did, he
felt the cold and clamminess of his skin.
“What cha’ trying to do to us, Chris?” he asked softly. “Ya know I got three more gray hairs from
this and that ain’t somethin’ the ladies gonna go for on this stud. Why don’t cha’ wake and open those cold
green eyes for me, huh?” But there was
no acknowledgement from Chris that he had heard him. Buck sighed dejectedly and looked to Ezra who sat not far from
their leader.
Ezra watched
as Chris Larabee lay so silent and looking almost lifeless. Although Chris was never a man for a lot of
words, Ezra still felt that this was definitely out of character. Even though the rest thought of him as
selfish and uncaring, Ezra knew that they were so wrong. He cared, especially about his friends and
people who had not only saved his life more than once, but people who had
redeemed his soul and Chris Larabee was one of them.
Had he not
met Chris and his valiant associates in their quest to save some natives from
being victimized by a very demented and barbarous ghost of the Confederacy, he
would not have ever known this revelation.
He most likely would have been found either dead from some gunman’s
bullet at some card table or in prison for a very long time. Yes.
This man had redeemed his soul and his future. There is nothing that he
would not do for this man.
He felt eyes
upon his back and turned to find Buck Wilmington staring at him with eyes of
pain. Ezra knew just by looking at the
tall lawman that he was also suffering as much as was Chris Larabee, their
ailing leader. He knew that the friendship of one Buck Wilmington and one Chris
Larabee had stood the test of time, anger, love, hate, revenge and a whole lot
of other sorted emotions. But through
it all, Buck stayed loyal to Chris. As
they said once, “To the end.” Ezra was
hoping that this was not “the end”, so to speak. He did not think the tall lawman would survive it as he had
survived many other trials and tribulations with the unfaltering character that
was Chris Larabee.
“Buck,
listen. I am sure that Mr. Larabee will
survive his ordeal, as he as done many times before."
“I hope ya
right, Ezra. Ya know Chris was always
chasing after death, trying to follow it to the end just so that he could be
with his family. But then one day he
found people whom he could call friends.
People who had to protect and trust.
I think that was what turned him away from following that path that
would someday lead to me buryin’ ‘im under six feet of dirt. I just hope he ain’t lost his way again,
Ezra. Cause if he has…”
Ezra knew
Buck did not have to finish his sentence.
He knew what the inevitable would be if Chris had lost his way again.
The man was strong as a pillar when it came to gun battles. But when it came to dealing with emotions
and other pain, he was a pliable piece of clay with the ability to be pulled
into other directions.
Ezra knew if
he had no memory of what he would lose, he would not fight and give up this
life. But then Ezra’s eyes came to rest
on Mapiya, the brown-eyed Native that had captured Larabee’s heart. No.
Chris did have something to live for and it came in a most beautiful
package.
Ezra leaned
in close until he was near Chris’ ear and whispered, “Mr. Larabee, although we
have not been friends for long, I can assure you that you would do irrevocable
damage to your friends’ and Mapiya’s heart.
You have much in your life that any man would live for. You will not
die, is that understood.” He did not
know if Chris heard him, if he could only hope that some part of it
registered.
What Ezra did
not see was the look on Buck Wilmington’s face as he caught what was said. Buck decided he would not acknowledge that
he had heard Ezra’s little discussion.
He did not want to embarrass the gambler about being such a softy or
ruin his reputation for being such a stoic cynic and realist. He turned his
back to hide the smile that had slowly crept across his face. Yeah.
He and Ezra were going to have a little discussion of their own once
this was over. His smile grew broader
as he thought of how many drinks he was going to get from blackmailing the
young man.
Suddenly a
soft sound was heard in the tipi.
Mapiya, Buck and Ezra all focused their eyes on the still form of Chris
Larabee. They all held their breath, hoping that what they had heard were not
their imaginations or some hopeful wishing.
Chris
consciousness slowly swam its way up from the darkness towards the light. Although he felt safer in the darkness,
there were sounds that kept invading his peace that seemed to have some
important meaning to him. He could not
remember why he hurt so much or why his head felt as if it was too sizes too
big. He also noticed that the heat he
had felt earlier was gone and now he felt as if was placed in a block of
ice. He tried to raise his right hand
to his face and felt hands grabbing his, preventing him from doing so. At the touch he became frightened and
started to panic, not remembering where he was and what was wrong with him. His
hands flew out to prevent the unknown hands from touching, fighting them off.
“Come on,
Stud. You don’t want this pretty filly here
to get mad, now do you?” said a man’s voice that he thought was familiar.
Buck and
Mapiya tried to keep Chris from hurting himself. Although there was not much fight in him, it still took all they
strength to subdue the gunslinger. He
kept trying to loosen their hold.
“Chris,
listen. You need to lie still,
Pard. We need you to get better so we
can go back to that saloon I told you about with those pretty girls. I got one all picked out for you,” Buck said
jokingly, taking a hold of Chris’ hands and pushing them down by Chris’ side.
Chris heard
the words, but he did not understand them.
Buck? Buck was his friend,
wasn’t he? Flashes of a memory blazed
across his mind. A tall man with a
mustache, blue eyes and a smile that would light a darkened sky was shown to
him. The man was laughing and holding a
young boy on his lap. Adam was his
son? More pictures were coming at him. A woman, walking towards the man and the
boy, carrying food on a plate. She
smiled at them. So much happiness could
be seen in her face. Sarah was his
wife? Then the pain came. A pain, that was more mental than physical,
cut into his soul like a knife. He
remembered who Adam and Sarah were. He
remembered that he loved them and he remembered that they were murdered. He also remembered that Buck, that tall
stranger was the man that had once put his life back together after that tragic
day.
Chris moaned
as he remembered. He fought against the hands again. He was frightened.
Frightened that the people that had killed his family were trying to
hurt him and Buck too. He struggled to
get up, but was gently pushed back against the pallet. He was tiring fast and he could not get
loose from the hands that held him down.
He was afraid that he would not be able to save his friend from the
danger he thought existed. He would fail him, like he had failed his
family.
“No! Not again!
Not…again!” came Chris’ frantic screams. “Please. Please let me go. I…ha…have to save him.”
Buck and the
others did not understand what was going on.
All they knew was that Chris was in pain. Buck looked up into Mapiya’s face. He saw that she was trying to keep Chris from hurting himself and
at the same time trying to hold back tears that threatened to form. She almost looked at if she was in pain
herself. But Buck knew it was because
of Chris’ pain and not one of her own.
Buck quickly
turned to Ezra, fear forming a lump in this throat which made him strive to
find his voice. “Ezra,” his managed to squeak out. Ezra, who had moved closer to the trio to see if his assistance
was needed, waited patiently for the tall lawman to finish his sentence.
“I need ya…I
need ya to go get Nathan and Vin. Tell
‘em that I think Chris really needs them.”
“I will do so
expediently, Mr. Wilmington,” said Ezra, standing up and walking out of the
tipi.
Mapiya, who
was quiet during the whole time, began crying openly. She did not care who saw the tears that she was shedding for the
man she loved. He was in pain, and his
pain was her pain. She could not stand
to watch him as he struggled to overcome the pain that now invaded his
body. She glanced at Buck, hoping he
would know what to do. But Buck, like
her, was just as lost.
“Ezra’s gone
to get Nathan and Vin. They’ll know
what to do,” said Buck, trying to ease her worries.
Mapiya only
nodded. She needed her love to be
better so that they could start their new journey together into life. She put her love’s hand into hers and held
on tight, hoping it would create a lifeline to him. Buck sat next to her, helping her restrain Chris, deep in his own
thoughts of what Chris’ future might be.
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Once Ezra was
outside, he met up with J.D. J.D. had
heard the commotion inside the tipi, but knew his responsibility was to
guarding the others and warning them of anything that could present a danger to
them. When Ezra emerged from the tipi,
J.D. had a bad feeling about what was going on in the tipi.
“Ezra?” He looked at Ezra face and so that something
had spooked him.
“Listen, I
need to go find Nathan and Vin,” Ezra replied hurriedly, trying to walk pass
him. J.D. quickly grabbed his arm,
preventing him from going any further.
“What
happened?” he asked. His heart was
beating a mile a minute in his chest.
If Ezra was this upset, it could not be good.
“J.D., let
go. I need to find Nathan and Vin
fast!”
“But what’s
going? Is Chris…?”
“No, my dear
boy. He has not departed our fair
company. But unless I go find Nathan
and Vin, he may,” replied Ezra, matter-of-factly. He was getting impatient from answering the young man’s question.
He had an errand to perform and he would perform it without haste.
“Sorry,
Ez. I just…” J.D. lowered his head in
resignation and releasing Ezra’s arm.
Ezra now felt
guilty at being so brusque with the young Easterner. “I know, J.D.” he said squeezing the young man’s shoulder. “We’re all worried about Mr. Larabee. It’s
just it doesn’t look good right now and I need to be on my way to find help.”
“Okay, Ezra.”
“And you my
dear sir, keep a diligent watch over our friends, understand?” Ezra cocked his eyes at J.D. confirming that
he understood.
“You got it!”
answered J.D. standing straighter in front of the tipi.
“Very good,
my young man. Now, have you seen our
enigmatic tracker of late?”
“Yeah. He was walking over towards that brave’s
tipi,…what’s his name Ok…something.”
“ó'kôhóme.”
“Yeah, that’s
it. Who is he?”
“The chief’s
son. And if what Mr. Tanner told us
earlier is true, then he is in danger.”
J.D. glanced
at Ezra in confusion. “Huh? How ya figure that, Ezra?”
“My dear naïve young man. Mr.
Tanner has decided to walk into the verbal Lion’s Den and I think he’s about to
be eaten,” said Ezra, starting to quickly walk over to the tent where Nathan
was. “I’m getting Nathan and as soon as that is done, I will find our Tracker
before he becomes dinner.” J.D. watched
in amazement and shock as Ezra walked towards the tipi that held their own
medicine man.
When he
reached the tipi, he stopped suddenly, not knowing how to proceed. He did not want to create an incident in an
already aggravated situation. But he
also needed to find out if his friend had not suffered any harm from the
suspected felon in question. He had
finally made his decision and was about to pull the flap open, when without
warning the flap of the tipi came open and out stepped the person he had come
to save.
Vin Tanner
was to say the least, a little surprised at Ezra’s appearance at the flap. In
fact, he was surprised to see Ezra at all since he was suppose to be protecting
Chris from any treachery made by ó'kôhóme or one of his men. Unless there was something wrong with Chris.
Ezra watched
as Vin’s face turned to one of shock, then confusion and then to fear. He saw slowly that the young tracker was
coming to some conclusions that were not good.
Although Chris was not much better, he was not much worst and he was not
dead.
Ezra quickly
said, “I don’t mean to alarm you, Mr. Tanner, but I came because I feared that
you might have come to some grievance by the chief’s son.”
“So, Chris is
alright then?”
“Yes and
no. Our valorous leader awoke for a
minute, but unfortunately it was in one of delirium, I’m afraid. How did your meeting with the chief’s son
go? Was it enlightening?”
“No, Ezra, it
wasn’t. In fact, he wasn’t there. Only
his wife and of course, she says she knows nothin’ of what I’m talkin’ about.
But I think she’s lyin’.”
“And how do
you come to that conclusion, Mr. Tanner.”
“Let’s just
say I can sense things like that, Ezra.
She was lyin’ and lyin’ badly, as a matter of fact.” He then motioned for Ezra to follow him back
to Chief Aenohe’s tipi.
“So what is
the next step in the plan, Vin?” asked Ezra, concerned that maybe Vin was
making too many assumptions based on his feelings for Chris Larabee and
ó'kôhóme.
“Let’s get
back ta Chris first. I wan’na see how’s
he doin’,” he said, nudging Ezra in the shoulder, urging him forward.
As they
walked, Ezra wanted to talk to him about his impetuous actions towards
ó'kôhóme.
“Mr. Tanner,
if I may be so impertinent as to say that I think you are playing with fire and
my get burned.”
“Huh?”
“With
ó'kôhóme. You’ve already told us that
you may suspect him as someone who has played a diabolical part in Mr.
Larabee’s illness. Do you think that he
would just stop there? What if you push
him just a tad bit too far?”
“Ez,
listen. I’ve got this handled.”
“I don’t
think so, my young friend. I think you
will not only get yourself killed, but us as well.” Ezra stopped walking at that statement. Vin turned towards him to stare at him in bewilderment.
“What are you
sayin, Ezra? Ya think I would endanger
everyone based on suspicions?”
“No, my dear
tracker. I do not. What I do think is that you are going about
this the wrong way.”
Vin eyed Ezra
curiously. “And,…”
“And I have a
plan that I think will spare us from being roasted by your native friends,”
replied Ezra casually.
“Well, let’s
hear it.”
“I suggest we
wait until we among the others of group.
They will all have a part to play in this little adventure,” said Ezra,
giving Vin one of his charming smiles.
Vin returned
the smile, but then his face turned serious. “It better be good, Ezra. We messin’ with Chris’ life, ya know.”
“My dear
companion. We are messing, as you say,
with all our lives.” Ezra then placed
his arm around Vin’s shoulders and led him hurriedly back towards the tipi
where Chris and their friends were waiting.
*************************************************************************************************************
Josiah was
sent a message from Mapiya by a young Cheyenne boy named Se'tovaotse. It amazed Josiah that the boy spoke English
as well as Mapiya and her father. When
he asked the boy who had taught him, he had said that Mapiya teaches all the
children in the tribe. She said it
would better prepare them when they would have to deal with the white men of
this land. Josiah could only agree. Mapiya was a very wise woman, indeed. As they walked, Josiah asked the boy many
questions and found that he was eager to speak the white man’s language to the
white holy man.
“So, what
does your name mean?” asked Se’tovaotse, tentatively.
“Josiah?”
The boy only
nodded.
“Josiah is a
name of the Bible.”
“Bi…bill?”
“Yes,” said
Josiah, smiling gently at the boy. “The
Bible. The Bible is the white man’s book of our laws for how a man should live,
treat his neighbor and honor his God.”
“Ahhh.”
“And Josiah
was the name of a very famous King of Judah.
But in Hebrew, Josiah really is pronounced YahWeh, which is another name
for God.”
“You are a
Ma'heo'o?”
“Ma'heo'o? Oh, I see.
No. I am only a man. It was name of the white man’s book of laws. It’s hard to explain.”
“But it is a
name of Ma'heo'o?” asked the little Cheyenne boy with wide eyes.
“Sort of.
Tell me what does your name mean?”
“In your
tongue, it means Smoke Appears.”
“And you are
called that because…”
“Because I can
not be seen unless I want to be seen.”
“You are one
of kind, Se’tovaotse,” replied Josiah, ruffling the young Cheyenne’s hair and
smiling gently at him.
“I take that
as good, Jo…Josiah. But now, I must
take you to your friends or I will have not have done what I am asked by
Mapiya,” said Se’tovaotse, smiling back at Josiah.
They then
walked quickly towards the home of Chief Aenohe.
Josiah gazed
at the young Cheyenne boy, wonderment showing on his face at this little boy’s
statement.
When Josiah
entered the tipi of Chief Aenohe, after his goodbye and thanks to Se’tovaotse,
he found Nathan and Mapiya working feverishly on the ill Chris Larabee. Buck,
J.D. and Ezra were sitting around the fire, talking in hush tones as Vin sat
stoically and still next to Chris, looking calmly on as Nathan and Mapiya tried
to get the liquid into his friend’s mouth.
Nathan looked
up from his ministrations and nodded to Josiah. Josiah walked over and knelt down by his side, as he watched
Nathan holding up Chris’ head, while Mapiya was spooning water into Chris’
mouth.
“How’s he
doing, Nate?”
“Well, the
good news is that he ain’t no worst.
The bad news is that he ain’t no better either. Did ya find out anything from the medicine
man?”
“I think I
did.”
At this
statement, Vin finally moved and his cold blue eyes turned up to Josiah.
“What did ya
find out?” asked Vin in a soft drawl.
“From what I
gathered, which was not easy without an interpreter, Ma'emestahke says that he has
heard of this type of sickness once before.
From what I understood, he thinks Chris has been poisoned, but he does
not know by whom.”
“Damn! I knew Chris was in trouble here!” shouted
Buck.
“But why?”
asked J.D., his voice raising in fear.
“Chris ain’t done nothin’ ta hurt these people!”
“Mr.
Wilmington, Mr. Dunne, please lower your voices. Remember there is an ill person here,” said Ezra trying to calm
their growing anger, although Ezra had his own angry demon to deal with. “And
let’s not forget our hostess.” He
nodded towards Mapiya.
“You do not
have to…fear me, Eh..zara. I would do
no bad to Emo'ôhtavo vo'e. I care…for
him.”
“We know
that, my dear,” replied Ezra eyeing the others. “You have already demonstrated how much you love him. But we must find out who has done this and
why.” It was part of Ezra’s plan to
enlist the aid of Mapiya in the investigation.
He saw it as their best option considering who she was and how familiar
she was her people. These people would
not talk to a white man. But they would
probably open up to one of their own, especially one so respected by their
people. He had scratched Chief Aenohe
off the list because he would have to be the judge of the evidence they would
find and did not want to put him in a position that could make him loose face
among his people.
He had told
Vin of his plan to use Mapiya. Of
course, at first, Vin had expressed his objections to the plan. In fact, he had in no uncertain terms told
Ezra to go straight to hell. Although
if this plan did not work, that was probably where he would end up. He did not really want to use the young
maiden’s love for Larabee to betray one of her own people. But he knew if they did not Mr. Larabee’s
life expectancy would become shorter.
Once he had brought this fact out to Vin, Vin agreed to the plan reluctantly.
Mapiya broke
his reverie. “I…understand. I will
help. But I am…how you
say,…Náóétsétáno?” She turned to Vin for help, her brown eyes pleading with
him.
“She says
she’s worried.”
“Worried
about what, Vin?” asked Nathan, now concerned also.
Vin spoke in
Cheyenne to Mapiya, relaying Nathan’s question. Mapiya replied hesitantly to him in Cheyenne. She did not want them to get the wrong
impression of her loyalty.
“She says
she’s worried about her people. She
fears if it is one of her people that has done this, then it might cause
trouble among the tribe.”
Josiah spoke
up first, “Tell her Vin that we don’t want to cause problems for her
people. We’re only looking for justice
and to get Chris well.”
“She says she
knows Chris is…”
“I heard her,
Vin,” interrupted Josiah quickly. “She says she knows that Chris is
afraid. Afraid of what, though?”
“Ée'tóhtahe
évaveto.”
“Afraid of
the past?” Vin asked. He was confused.
“Why was Chris afraid of the past?” he thought to himself. Then it came to him. Chris was afraid of what was in his
memories. Vin knew Chris was afraid
that the person he was before was not something that he could live with. Vin knew that feeling very well when he
thought about the memories of his bounty hunting days and when he had to leave
his feelings behind and not become judge or jury when taking in a wanted
man. But he had dealt with it. And Chris needed to deal with it also or
otherwise the life he planned for him and Mapiya would always be haunted by his
past.
Vin then
turned to Mapiya and grabbed both her hands.
He said in Cheyenne, as gently as he could, “Mapiya, he needs to
remember. He has to remember. He can’t
have a life with you if he tries to run from it. We’ve all had nightmares that we wish we could forget. But you and I both know, that there is good
and bad in living and one must go on.”
“What did you
tell her, Vin?”
“I told her,
J.D., that Chris has to deal with the past in order to live.”
“And you are
right, brother. Chris must be strong
here,” said Josiah pointing to his chest. “And, if he is strong here, then he
can fight anything.”
The others
nodded in agreement.
“I will help
you. I know he is strong…here,” she
answered, putting her hand over Chris’ heart.
“I will look for the one who has done this bad thing.”
“And will you
do justice?” asked Buck, scrutinizing her face for the truth. Vin turned
glaring eyes on him. Vin knew he wanted
justice for what was done to Chris and right now it seemed to be clouding what
was important to Vin. That was getting
Chris well again. Justice was second to
Vin’s goals at this moment.
Mapiya saw
the look in Buck’s eyes. She knew that
look all too well. It haunted her brother’s
eyes for too long and put hatred in his heart towards all white men. She did
not want that to happen to these men.
Too many men were filled with so much bad feelings and nothing good ever
came from it. “I will. But it will be Cheyenne Justice. Not the white man’s,” she replied looking
into each of the men’s eyes to gage their reactions.
No one
objected or said a word. Mapiya took this as a sign of agreement. “Then it will be done.” Mapiya then stood up and started to walk
towards the exit. Before she did, she
turned to Vin and said, “Come. We have
much to do, Vin Tanner.”
The others
turned to look at her in surprised when she said “we”. But Vin was not. He got steadily to his feet and walked to where Mapiya stood
waiting patiently.
“Take care of
‘im, Nate. We’ll be back later. And
with some answers.”
At that, they both exited the tipi, leaving the others to watch and care
for Chris Larabee.
Chris slowly
awoke from his seemingly long sleep.
What he did not remember is that he was not asleep, but unconscious and
ill. To Chris, it seemed he had just
taken a long nap from being on a drinking binge. As he approached closer to consciousness, he realized that the
pain felt like he had been on a drinking binge. His head felt as if it was two sizes too big and his stomach was
doing somersaults. His ears felt as if
they were stuffed with cotton. He could hear voices but they sounded far in the
distance. He cautiously tried to open his eyes, although it seemed a hard task
at first, they did pry themselves open.
He looked out of his half-opened lids and saw fuzzy images, wavering in
and out of darkness. He tried to say something but realized that his throat was
parched and it only came out a hoarse whisper.
Nathan had
heard a slight sound coming from where Chris Larabee lay. He crawled closer to the gunslinger, afraid
that there was something happening to his patient that was not good. When he
got close, he saw that Chris green eyes were staring upward, unfocused and
glazed, but they were open.
“Hey,
ya’ll. Chris is awake.”
At that
statement, the others came closer to their leader, hope rising in their hearts
that this was a sign that things were changing for the better.
“Hey,
Chris. How ya doin’ there, Pard?” asked
Buck, wiping the plastered blonde hair away from the man’s face.
Chris said
nothing. He could not make the words
and what he wanted to say only came out as a croak.
“Take it
easy, Chris,” said Nathan, taking a wet cloth and wiping the man’s
forehead. After that was done, he
turned to J.D. and said, “Get me some water, J.D., quickly.”
J.D. crawled
over the water skin and went to complete the task that Nathan had
requested. He came back, carrying a
wooden cup of water, his hands shaking so much that he was spilling most of
what he poured.
“J.D., be
careful!” exclaimed Buck. “We don’t
want ta get the man soak and wet, now do we?”
Buck was trying to calm the young man down. He knew he was excited about Chris waking up.
“Sorry,
Nathan.” J.D. handed the cup smoothly over to Nathan and turned to see Buck
with a smile on his face. He could see
that Buck was happy about the turn of events as so were they all.
“Here,
Chris.” Nathan helped Chris sit up and
take a sip of the life giving liquid.
Chris felt the
cool water ease the dryness in his throat and the emptiness in his belly. It felt so good and when he tried to drink
even more, he was displeased when Nathan took the cup away.
“Not too much
just yet, Chris. We have ta see how
your stomach handles it first. Ya
haven’t had anythin’ ta drink or eat in awhile.”
“Thank
you…,” They saw the confusion on Chris’
face as he tried to remember something.
“Nathan. My name is Nathan.”
“Nathan. Thank you.”
Chris then scanned the area as if looking for something or someone.
“Whatcha
lookin’ for, Chris?” asked J.D. innocently.
“Mapiya? Where is she?” He was starting to panic.
If these men had done something to his beloved, he would not know what
he would do. He tried to rise from his
sick pallet, but Nathan and Josiah quickly pushed him back.
“She’ll be
back, Chris,” said the tall gray-haired white man. “She and Vin went on an errand.”
“She and
Vin? Is she alright?” These men were beginning to frighten
him. He did not know what had become of
Mapiya but he knew she would never leave his side unless something terrible had
happened. And Vin Tanner, well, he had
come to trust the man, with his life and Mapiya’s. Maybe there was another reason for their absence.
“They’re
fine, Pard. We were all worried about you.”
“Worried
about me?” asked Chris confused. The
past few days were only jagged images and feelings of pain. “Why?
What’s wrong with me?”
“Nothin’ ta
worry yourself about, Chris. We’re here
ta take care of ya,” said Nathan, bringing the cup to his mouth again. He
figured that since Chris had held down the water, he could have some more.
Chris sat up
slowly reaching for the cup this time and held it, as Nathan helped him keep it
steady as he drank a long draught of the water. Once Chris had enough, he gently moved the cup away from and
Nathan took it and put it on the floor of the tipi next to the bed.
“Thank you
again, Nathan for your kindness.”
Nathan felt
unaccustomed to hearing Chris speaking to him as if he was a stranger. “You’re welcome,
Chris.”
“Huh?” asked
Buck, now confused.
“Oh,
yeah. Emo…oh…tavo?”
“No,
Buck. He said Emo'ôhtavo vo'e,”
interjected Ezra. He smiled at Buck,
feeling smug in his translation.
“Thanks,
Ezra. Next time I’ll let ya know when I
want you to translate for me, okay?” said Buck, his voice low with anger. He was peeved at Ezra’s attempt at showing
off. But he also knew it was not the
time to loose his control on his anger.
Chris was looking at them and he could see suspicion crossing the
chiseled features. He knew that Chris
was trying to figure out if they were really friends as they claim to be or if
this was some ploy into tricking him into believing him. He just could not comprehend Chris Larabee
not trusting his own men. But this was
not the Chris Larabee that he knew.
This was someone else with Chris’ face and body. But the mind and heart belonged to a
Cheyenne.
Chris watched
as the tall man with the mustache and the young man in the red jacket threw
words at each other that he knew was not as companionable as it seemed to
be. They claimed that they were his
friends, like Vin Tanner, but he still had no memory of them. When he slept, he had dreamed, but the
dreams were flitting and intangible.
Once he had awoken, he could not remember the dreams. He only knew that when he did awake he was
more confused and unsteady.
“Listen,
Emo'ôhtavo vo'e. I need ya ta take it
easy right now. You’ve been real sick and
ya probably don’t feel so good right now.
I got somethin’ I want ya ta drink and then I want ya ta try and
sleep. By the time ya wake up, Mapiya
will be back. Okay?”
Chris face
became hard and he glared at the one named Nathan. He tried to see if there was any deception, but he could see none
at the present time. The man looked as
if he was really concerned and only wanted to help. And Chris had to admit, he did feel weak as a newborn. But he could not show weakness to these
men. It was not in his nature.
“I’m fine,
Nathan,” Chris replied.
They all
started chuckling at the comment, which made Chris glared in confusion even
harder. He did not know what he had
said that was so funny.
They saw the
confusion on his face. He heard the one
Josiah say, “Well, some things never change.”
“Did I say
something funny?”
“No,
Pard. We just glad ta have ya back
among the living is all,” replied the one named Buck, his smile even wider than
before.
Chris did not
know why, but he was starting to like this smiling white man.
“Very well,
Nathan. I will do what you have asked.”
At that, the
others then started laughing again.
“What did I
say?” Chris asked Nathan.
“Don’t worry
about it, Emo'ôhtavo vo'e. It’s nothin’. Just the boys bein’ the boys is all,”
answered Nathan, turning around to scowl at the others. He then grabbed a cup that was not far from
the fire and held it out to Chris.
“Now, here. Drink this. It’s a tea that will help with the pain and
the fever.”
Chris took
the cup into his hands. It was warm to
the touch, but not hot. He sipped at
the liquid, making a face as it slid down his throat. “Ugh! What the hell is this stuff?!” he yelled as
the noxious liquid landed in his stomach.
“It’ll help,
Chris. Believe me,” said Nathan trying
to pacify the ill man, while at the same time trying to stifle the giggles that
he heard behind him.
After two
more sips of the liquid and two more disgusting looks from Nathan at the
audience in back, Chris finally pushed the cup away and he lay back down upon
his bed. He did feel sleepy and the tea
seemed to calm his head and stomach somewhat.
As his eyes started to drift close, he opened them wide one last time
and said, “Wake me as soon as Mapiya comes back. Promise me.” He watched
Nathan nod as sleep finally overtook him to a peaceful darkness.
Once Chris
was breathing regularly and seemed settled, Nathan turned to the others. He motioned them for quiet, although they
were still giggling from hearing Chris’ comments on Nathan’s tea. Nathan
understood their excitement and knew that their hopes looked as if they were
coming true since some of the old Chris personality had shown through a couple
of times. But Chris still needed the
rest and the less excited he got, the less his strength would be taxed by
physical exertion and Nathan had hoped that it would be enough to sustain him
until the cure could be found. He then
went to the pot of stew that Mapiya had been cooking and started serving the
others. They needed to keep their
strength up also. He already had one
patient too many and he did not need anymore.
They all ate
in silence, hoping and praying that Mapiya and Vin would be back with some
answers soon.
The Dog Clan,
her father’s clan, was of course different.
When she had brought Vin to talk to them, they were eager in trying to discover
who would try to harm one who was to become one of their own. Kovaahe, who was
one of the up and coming Dog Men voiced loudly what he would do if he found the
person who had done such a shameful thing.
A Cheyenne warrior, who called himself a human being, would never think
to do something like Mapiya had suggested someone had accomplished. It would shame their ancestors, their
people and their family. It would be an act without honor. It would be better for
that person to die under the arrows of their enemies than to be branded a
coward. For only a coward would strike
their enemy in such a way.
As Mapiya and
Vin sat in the ceremonial tipi of the Dog Men, or Dog Soldiers as they were
called by the white man and talked to them, he found that he liked them and
admired them. They had a courage that
Vin had not seen since his time among the Comanche. They had a love of life and honor that would make any individual
proud to be part of them and among them.
He knew these men did not live by deceit or cowardice. But he also knew that they were still human
beings and all human beings were flawed.
It was just how great was the flaw that would make a man do the things
that someone had done to Chris.
Vin was
broken from his reverie when he heard a question come from the one known as
Kovaahe or Young Man, as his name meant. “Who do you suspect?” he asked Vin and
Mapiya. Mapiya quickly turned to Vin
and both their eyes locked in comprehension.
Vin then turned to Kovaahe and said, “No one.”
Kovaahe only
nodded his head in understanding, but he knew there was something that these
two were keeping from them. “I will
seek that which you look for,” he stated simply. Then he turned to his other comrades and told them what they
should do.
“Thank you,
Kovaahe,” said Mapiya meekly. “We will
wait for your words.”
“Yes, thank
you, Kovaahe,” replied Vin in Cheyenne.
“Do not thank
me yet, white man. If we find what you
seek, you may not be so glad.” Kovaahe
then motioned for Vin and Mapiya to leave the ceremonial tipi of the Dog Men.
Mapiya and
Vin nodded and walked outside.
Once outside,
Mapiya turned quickly to Vin. “Who?”
was all she asked.
“Who?”
repeated Vin, now confused.
“Yes, Vin
Tanner. Who?”
Now Vin
understood. Mapiya was asking him whom
it was he suspected. He should have
known that Mapiya was one that could not be fooled easily. But Vin knew to
disclose his thoughts would also probably loose him Mapiya’s help. Instead of being truthful with her, he said,
“I don’t know…”
“Please, Vin,
no lie. No lie to me. The eyes show much.”
Vin gazed
into her brown eyes. He did not want to
lie to her, but he did not want to hurt her either. “Mapiya,” he said as he grabbed both of her hands into his. “I didn’t want to hurt ya.”
Mapiya was
baffled by Vin’s statement. Hurt
her? Why would he have to hurt her? He
was her beloved’s friend and so far he had done nothing that she would think
would harm her. She did not grasp what
he was trying to say. But slowly
something was forming in her mind. The
night her brother had came into their tipi and had threatened the life of her
love. Did he suspect her brother for
this wrong?
“Tell me,
Vin. Speak truth.”
“Mapiya, I
believe it was your brother.”
“The night he
came…,”
“Yes. The night he came and tried to kill Chris.”
“But it could
not be. He was…angry. He is angry. Éháesenove.”
“Angry,
yes. Bad tempered, yes. But I think he would have killed Chris if ya
had come.”
Mapiya looked
at him sadly. Tears were forming in her
eyes. She did not want to believe that
her own brother would be the cause of so much pain. She thought her brother understood how she felt that night. Now she saw that he had never understood.
She did not know how hateful he had become since the death of their
brother. But she could see that it
would be the arrow that would kill her family.
“I love my
brother, Netse Ôhvo'komaestse.” It was
the second time since coming to the camp that Mapiya had called him that.
“And I love
Emo'ôhtavo vo'e. If what you say is
truth, then…I must follow the path of…justice. It is what I am born to
do.” She stood there thinking about
what was to come. There was no other
way. Justice needed to be served if
honor was to hold true. She said softly, “There is a way to find out if my
brother has done this.”
“And how
would ya do that?”
“Do not worry
how. I will find out.”
“Even against
your own brother?” asked Vin, now doubtful. Even though he knew Mapiya loved
Chris, he did not think that she could do anything to hurt her own brother.
“Yes, Netse
Ôhvo'komaestse. It is our law and if my
brother has done this, then he has broken our law. If you understand us, as you say you do, then you understand that
to us there can be no other way. Honor
is everything to us. It and the laws of
our ancestors are all that we have since the white man came and took everything
else from us. We would die before we
let anyone take that from us. ”
Vin did
understand this. It was the same as
when he lived with the Comanches. These
people strongly believed that the only way to achieve a harmony with God and
the spirits was to obey the laws set down by their forefathers. To do otherwise, was unthinkable and curse
them and all their descendants.
“Go to your
friend. I feel that he needs you. I will be there…soon,” she said walking away
towards the other side of the camp.
Vin wanted to
call after her. To tell her that he
would go with her to protect her. But
he knew she would not accept that. She
was a proud woman and this was her people. He knew that if anything happened to
Mapiya, Chris would not be able to live with it. But he also knew that if they did not find a cure to the illness
that affected Chris, he would not live anyway.
He hoped that whatever spirits existed for the Cheyenne woman watched
over her. He asked his own spirits to
do the same as he walked back towards the tipi that housed his friends.
Mapiya did
not tell Vin how she would find out the information. She did not know what the outcome would be or if she would be
successful. She did not want to crush
his hopes should she fail and what she had to do, no stranger could do.
When she
reached the tipi of her brother, ó'kôhóme and his wife, Nemene'hehe, she paused
for a moment before she flap. She had
come up with a plan and she hoped it would work, otherwise they would be at an
end. She then threw the flap aside and
walked in.
The tipi was
musty and the fire had only glowering embers, which made the tipi dark inside.
Nemene'hehe was not a great housekeeper or nurturer. She knew the only reason that ó'kôhóme had took her as his wife
was due to his ego. Nemene'hehe was one of the most wanted women of the
Cheyenne people. Although she was
originally from the Northern Cheyenne, she was much known to both groups as the
most desirable woman among all the Cheyenne. Her father was a medicine man of
the tribe and it was known that Nemene'hehe had inherited his skills with
plants and herbs. But she was not the most
wanted woman of the Cheyenne for her skills.
It was because of her beauty and ó'kôhóme’s pride that he paid five
horses for her and gave her father much valuable items for her. He did love Nemene'hehe, Mapiya knew this
was true. She and her brother had
talked of Nemene'hehe giving him many children. But she was still a terrible housekeeper and Mapiya always
wondered what kind of mother she would make.
But it was not her place to judge Nemene'hehe. Her only interest in Nemene'hehe at this moment was questions and
she knew she would have the answers.
Nemene'hehe
was lying on a pallet, asleep. In the
middle of the day when the people were expected to get the day’s work done
before darkness fell. But Nemene'hehe
cared nothing for those things. She was
as a spoiled child. Her father had doted
on her too much, her being his only child and his wife now long dead, he had
spoiled her and made her lazy. She
expected to be waited on hand and foot by others, like she was by her father’s
other wives, but that was gone once ó'kôhóme brought her home to his
people. Everybody was expected to work
and do what was expected of each individual. Nemene'hehe was no exception to
the rule, although she found ways to avoid her responsibility completely and
her brother did nothing to make her. A
woman, wife to any other Cheyenne, who had acted the way she did would have
been beaten as a terrible wife, but not her.
Her brother would never lay a hand on Nemene'hehe, nor let anyone else
lay a hand on her.
Mapiya gently
shook Nemene'hehe from her deep sleep. The
young girl, with doe-brown eyes, woke suddenly, staring at the person who had
awoken her. Her platted braids looked
to have been done recently as they were very clean and neat. Mapiya knew she did not do them
herself. Most likely she had one of the
woman who fawned over her so much to do them for her. Some of the younger women were in awe of Nemene'hehe status as
the wife of leader of a clan. But her
status did not impress Mapiya or the older women. They were only impressed by what a person did with their
life. Not to whom they were married.
“Nemene'hehe,
we must talk, sister,” said Mapiya sitting down next to Nemene'hehe.
Nemene'hehe
glared at her with wary eyes. She knew
her sister-in-law did not like her very much.
In fact, she believed that she was jealous of her because she was
married and she was not. Now, with her
soon-to-be husband on his deathbed, her only chance to become a wife to someone
was so slowly slipping by. And now she
was here to make trouble for her husband and her home.
“I am sorry
to hear about your soon-to-be husband, sister.
Fate has a way of working things out,” replied Nemene'hehe, forcing a
gentle smile to her face.
“Thank you
for your kind words, sister. It is the
reason why I am here.”
Nemene'hehe
looked at her surprised, but Mapiya saw something else there. It was fear and Mapiya knew it very
well. She had seen it in the faces of
people when they thought a secret that they held had been discovered.
Nemene'hehe
quickly composed herself and said, “And what reason would that be, sister? You know I am very busy here getting my home
ready for my husband’s return.” To make
clear of that fact, she started to stir up the fire, adding more wood to the
glowing embers.
“The truth,
sister.” Mapiya had put an emphasis on
the word “sister”. She knew that
Nemene'hehe thought she despised her.
She really had really no bad thoughts about Nemene'hehe. She just did not understand her ways. But if she had anything to do with
Emo'ôhtavo vo'e’s illness, then there would be no place to hide for
Nemene'hehe, or her brother.
“I do not
know what truth you seek, sister,” answered Nemene'hehe coyly. “I am too busy
taking care of your brother,” she replied calmly waving her hand in expression
of what encompassed the tipi.
Mapiya
smiled. She must think that she was so
naïve as not to see through her twisted tongue. But Mapiya was not ignorant.
She had inherited her mother’s wisdom and could easily read people.
Nemene'hehe was not being honest. But
Nemene'hehe did not know that she had Mapiya to contend with.
“You and I
need to talk, sister. You need to
understand how I feel about Emo'ôhtavo vo'e.
You also need to understand how I feel about deception and the taking of
another life, especially another Cheyenne.
I am sure you know of the laws of our people. I and my father are the upholders of that law and the tribal
leaders who fulfill justice of those laws.”
With that
statement, Mapiya grabbed Nemene'hehe by her braids and forcibly dragged her
closer to the fire. Nemene'hehe fought tooth and nail as she was dragged by
Mapiya, screaming obscenities about her mother and her ancestors. She even
tried to kick Mapiya away from her, but Mapiya was much stronger than her, hard
work did build muscle, something that Nemene'hehe had never done a day in her
life.
Once Mapiya
had her next to the fire, she withdrew her hunting knife which she carried in
the right leg of her boot and held it to Nemene'hehe’s neck. Nemene'hehe froze
in place, not moving or screaming anymore. She was busy looking at the steel
blade that glinted in the firelight near her throat.
“Mapiya? What
is this?” asked Nemene'hehe , trying not to tremble. But her voice had betrayed her fear to Mapiya as it came out a
squeal.
Mapiya
brought her mouth close to Nemene'hehe’s left ear and whispered, “Now. You and I will seek the truth together,
sister. Pray to the spirits that they
deem you not false or I will be the hand to deliver justice.”
Nemene'hehe
eyes grew wide in fright. She knew
Mapiya had the strength to do what needed to be done and would without
hesitation end Nemene'hehe’s life here.
“Please
forgive me, sister,” Nemene'hehe said quickly.
“I did not know it would bring harm to him. I love your brother and I would do anything for him. He is my life. Surely you can understand?” she pleaded.
Mapiya eyes
grew bright with anger and hate. This
woman and her brother had conspired to kill her beloved. She had hoped that Vin
Tanner’s suspicion was not true. But
here was the truth before and she could not take any other path. The one that
fate had destined for her and the one the spirits spoke of in her dreams was
here now.
She returned
her attention to the woman she now held in her grasp. She could easily end this
wicked woman’s life, but something in her stayed her hand. It was up to the people to judge and exact
punishment on her and her brother. It
was not up to her. Her mission was to
save Emo'ôhtavo vo'e. She would let
anything keep her from that end.
“Tell me what
you did. All of it!” demanded Mapiya,
pushing the knife closer to Nemene'hehe’s throat.
As the words
spilled out of Nemene'hehe, Mapiya listened intently. Mapiya knew to save Emo'ôhtavo vo'e it would not be any easy
task. She had to get the information
that Nemene'hehe was telling her to her beloved’s friends and her father.
But what
Mapiya did not see was the outline of shadow that stood in front of the tipi
flap, kneeling next to the opening.
Someone was listening to Nemene'hehe as she told everything to Mapiya.
Mo'ôhtaveo'kome
stood up from his hiding position and walked quickly away towards the direction
he saw ó'kôhóme take early that day.
Mo'ôhtaveo'kome decided that ó'kôhóme should know of the goings on in
his household. He, himself, cared
nothing for the white Cheyenne or the white strangers that had come to their
camp. He and ó'kôhóme had the same
thoughts when it came to these white strangers. He would warn ó'kôhóme and then maybe his clan would join
ó'kôhóme’s in bringing the people back to the way things were before the whites
came. It was a good plan. Good enough to make the people see the
trouble these white strangers had brought to the people. Then Chief Aenohe’s words would not sway the
people anymore.
As Vin walked
through the Cheyenne camp towards the tipi where his friends were housed, he
felt a nagging sensation that sent chills down his back. Although he kept his eyes forward, he spied
several warriors standing aloft, watching him with eyes that shown a hatred
that he had seen long ago among another tribe.
Among these warriors were the Chief’s son, ó'kôhóme, whispering to the
one known as Mo'ôhtaveo'kome, and Vin knew that they were conspiring about
something. The smell of trouble permeated the air, and Vin’s hackles rose at
the sense of it. He knew it would not
be long before this trouble would come to the feet of the people he thought of
as his family. Vin kept his back
straight as he continued to walk, knowing to show fear among these people would
mean his death and the death of his friends.
When Vin had
finally arrived to the tipi that housed his friends, he quickly duck inside,
closing the flap silently behind him.
He found Chris in a restless sleep. Nathan and the others were sitting
quietly around the fire, having a mid-day meal, each in his own solace. It was a grim sight indeed, especially for
Vin since he had not brought back what he had promised.
Nathan turned
around and looked up from his bowl to see Vin standing just inside the
tipi. Vin made no move to them and said
not a word. Nathan saw in the
appearance on his face that he failed in his task to bring back some
answers. But there was something else
there also. It was more related to
anger and fear. Anger and fear of what,
Nathan had no idea but he knew it was not a good sign.
Buck and the
others finally noticed Vin’s presence too and although each had a question to
ask, they knew Vin would speak with them as soon as he was ready. They did not wish to bombard him with their
anxious queries since they could see from his stance that he did not bring good
news.
Vin
acknowledged them as he stepped further into the tipi, and then went to kneel
next to the one person who understood him the most. His eyes took in Chris’ unhealthy pallor, the sweat-drenched body
and the darken rings around his eyes. He looked to have lost much more than his
memories, as Vin took inventory of how thin he was. Chris was in the midst of
dreaming and Vin could see that it was not a good one. He watched his friend twist and turn on his
blanket pallet, moans escaping from him between bouts of coughing. Vin reached over and pushed a strand of
sweat-soaked blonde hair from away from his eyes. He needed to see those green eyes glaring at him again. He needed
to know that Chris had not given up on him or life. He had come so far and so long to find him, he could not think of
losing him to death’s dominion. Not
while Chris could not even remember who they were. Chris was more than a friend to him. He was a brother and Vin not
having a real brother, did not wish to loose the one brother he did have. They were bonded, through blood, pain and
love and he swore that even death would not be able to break that bond.
Chris, in his
troubled nightmare of fire and death, felt the light touch of skin as it
crossed his forehead, bringing him slowly to consciousness. He tried to wake up, but for some reason his
body was responding sluggishly and this irked him even more. Chris Larabee was
a man that was always in control, whether it was of his mind or his body. He had lost the control over his mind, not
remembering who he was, but he refused to loose control over his body as
well. Struggling against the darkness
that kept him, his brain sent signals to his body, commanding that his eyes
open and for him to wake. As his lids
rose and his eyes came into focus, he could see the smiling face that housed
the bluest eyes he had ever seen.
“Glad ya
awake, Cowboy,” said Vin, in his soft Texan drawl.
“I keep
tellin’ ya, I ain’t no cowboy,” rasped Chris, he voice so low after so long a
time of not being used.
Vin laughed
silently. It was good to hear that the
old Chris Larabee was still in there somewhere.
“Don’t I know
it. How ya feelin’?”
Chris brushed
a strand of sticky wet blonde hair away from his face. “I feel like shit. My head feels like
someone tried to take it apart. Where’s
Mapiya?” he replied, not knowing how long he had been laying there.
Vin so the
confusion on his face and said, “She had ta take care of somethin’. She’ll be back later. Ya been sick for about
almost three days. I reckon ya been
feelin’ it’s a might longer than that.
Ya thirsty?”
Chris could only
nod slowly at that. His head hurt too
much to move and it felt like someone with a hammer was on the inside of his
head. He could feel his pulse beating
at his temples with every breath he took. He tried to still the pain by not
breathing too deeply, but that plan failed miserably and he knew he would just
have to deal with it.
Vin lifted a
cup that was lying near Chris. He then
gently lifted Chris up a little so that he could take a drink from the
cup. Chris felt the cool liquid coarse
down his dry throat. He did not realize
how thirsty he really was. He had just
got to almost quenching his thirst, when Vin took the cup away.
Chris glared
at him in dismay. “Don’t give me that
glare, Cowboy. Ya ain’t had nothin’ ta
eat in ‘bout two days and I don’t want ta be cleanin’ up what ya just got
down. Iffen ya don’t keep it down, then
Nathan’s goin ta be over here faster than a rat’s tail plyin’ ya with one of
his teas.”
“Damn,
Vin. That’s the most I’ve heard ya say
in months,” came a voice from behind them.
Chris peered
over Vin’s shoulder to find the one called Buck Wilmington, leaning over them
with a huge grin on his face.
“Don’t go
scarin’ the man, Bucklin. He just woke
up and puttin’ up with your ugly face ain’t gonna make him any better,” replied
Vin, smirking and then winking at Chris.
Chris stared
at him in wonderment. These men were
very strange indeed.
“Aw, Chris
don’t mind my face. He’s seen worst,
let me tell ya. Right, Chris?” asked
Buck, looking over to the blonde on the pallet. Buck missed his long time friend. He wished he would remember the times they had together, lazy
days and rowdy nights all. And then
there was Sarah and Adam Larabee. Had
his friend forgotten them too? Chris
had sworn that day at the burning home of the Larabees that he would never
forget what had happened and that he would hunt down the killers of his wife
and son. Did he forget his vow? Did he
forget them?
Chris knew
this man was suppose to be one of his friends, but his memory showed him only
fragments that were jumbled. In his
mind’s eye, he saw a vision of this good-natured man holding a young boy and it
seemed to him that the place they were in was one that he should know. He looked up into the tall, smiling,
lawman’s face, his face scrunching up in an effort to remember.
Buck could
see the confusion on Chris’ face. It
was if he was floundering, trying to remember.
“Hey, Chris. What cha thinkin’
‘bout there, Pard?” He said kneeling down closer to the blonde gunslinger.
“Don’t
rightly know. Everything seems kinda fuzzy in my mind.”
“Hey, there,
Chris, ya better not strain ya brain unless you want Nathan messin’ with it,”
said Buck jokingly.
“I know you,
don’t I?”
At this
question, Buck’s face turned serious. Buck answered softly, “You should,
son. We’ve had 12 long years of
memories together.”
“You knew me
then?”
“I not only
knew you, Pard, but I saved ya life a couple of times there too,” replied Buck,
his heart soaring with hope.
“There is something
that I remember about you and a boy. I thought it was only a dream. You were holding the boy and you were both
laughing and playing, at what I could not see, but you both seemed so happy.”
Buck quickly
looked down at his hands at that statement.
He knew Chris was remembering their time with Sarah and Adam and
although they were Chris’ family, he had always felt like they were his
too. A part of him had also died, when
Chris lost them. Buck steeled himself and raised his eyes to face his friend. “That ain’t no dream there, Chris. There was a boy. His name was Adam.”
Adam. That name turned around and around in Chris’
mind. Adam. Yes. That was the name he
remembered from his dreams. “Adam,” he whispered mostly to himself. “He was my
son, wasn’t he?”
Buck nodded,
but his heart was grieving for he knew once Chris had discovered the full truth
he would be back in that place that Buck had dragged him out of years ago.
“Where is he
now?”
Buck heart
suddenly felt as if it had stopped. It was the one question that Buck had been
trying to avoid. He could not tell this man what had happened to his son. He did not think Chris was able to handle
this bit of information yet. He was
still too weak from the poison and he did not know what his frame of mind would
be should he tell him what happened to his son and wife. Buck looked to Vin, imploring him to help
him, to tell him what he should do.
Vin looked
between Buck and Chris. Vin realized
that Chris had forgotten all that he had told him about his past and the death
of his wife and son. It seemed strange
to Vin that he should so quickly forget what he had told him days ago and only
certain pieces of his past. Vin knew he had to talk to Nathan as soon as possible
about this discovery.
It also seemed
that certain parts of his memory were trying to surface but there were still
missing pieces, like an incomplete puzzle.
Seeing Buck again had triggered something deep within Chris’ mind, but
Chris still did not understand the significance of it. Maybe Buck was the thing
that would bring Chris back to them since he was the part of the missing links
to Chris’ memory.
But as Vin
pondered this theory, he realized there were still a problem. Chris was dying,
that was a matter of fact. Unless they
could find the cure to the poison that was slowly killing him, regaining his
memory was a moot point. He also had a
feeling that Chris’ memory lost was more than just physical. He remembered the last time he told Chris of
his family’s death and how immediately after he fell ill. This bothered Vin deeply. What if Chris did not want to remember
because he had given up? Would it then
be useless to try and bring his memory back when he did not want to remember?
Then there was Chris’ death wish after the death of his wife and son. Buck had told him what type of man Chris was
after the death of his family. How it
ate at his heart until there was no space for love, fear or happiness. Only anger, hate and the need to die had
survived. He did not want Chris to go back
to that again. And there was the possibility of it happening again.
He slid a
glance towards Buck’s direction. He
knew Buck was asking him on what he should do.
He had never lied to Chris in all the time of their friendship. He did not want to do that now.
But fate
being what it was took the decision away from them. Chris was about to say
something else when he realized how tired he was. He could not think straight
and the words he wanted to speak were far from reach. His eyes seemed to feel much heavier than they were and he could
see a darkness encroaching around the outer of edges of his vision.
Buck and Vin
knew Chris was losing consciousness as they saw his eyes were starting to glaze
over and they saw how difficult it was becoming for him to keep them
opened. They knew he was weak from the
poison and it was sapping what little strength he used to converse with them.
“Why don’t
cha rest,” said Vin, eyeing Chris with concern. He hoped that Mapiya had found better news than he had. His guilt
and concern for Chris was eating away at his soul. He needed an answer and he needed now. He rapidly losing Chris to the poison and he was at his wits end
trying to come up with a way to save his friend.
Chris noticed
the look of concern and guilt in Vin’s eyes.
He did not understand why it should be there. Chris knew it was not Vin’s fault for his current situation. If it was anybody’s fault, he believed it
was his own for not being more careful. But there was something else besides
concern and guilt in the face of this young man. Chris saw something that he thought he would never see in this
man’s face. It was fear. Fear of what, Chris did not know. He knew
that Vin had told him about their friendship and how they had met, but for some
reason he felt there was something more than just friendship between them. Something that made their relationship
closer to kin than just friends, that told him that this man would deeply mourn
his passing out of this life. It was as
if there was some connection that gave him the ability to understand the young
man’s mood and emotions and it pushed beyond the boundaries of friendship. And, although, Buck claimed to have known
him for a much longer time, to him it seemed that his friendship with the young
tracker was much stronger. It baffled
him completely. He knew he needed to
remember and he needed to find out what was the connection between him and
these men if he was ever to be whole again.
“Vin, is
something wrong?” Chris asked, unsure of how the young man would respond to his
probing, as the darkness was slowly obscuring his vision.
“Nothin’ that
I can’t handle, Cowboy. Go on back to sleep.
Ya look like ya need it.”
“I wish…you
would stop calling me…that,” said Chris slightly annoyed and still trying to
fight off the tiredness he felt in his body.
Vin smiled,
knowing that he had hit a nerve in the old Larabee exterior. “Sure, Pard. I’ll let it go for now, but later…” Vin smiled mischievously. Chris glared, although it looked more glassy
than fiery, but a soft smile still managed to creep to his face.
“I guess…I
don’t…have a choice,” Chris answered as his eyes closed and blackness finally
took over.
“No, you
don’t,” said Vin softly as he watched the green eyes close.
Buck said
nothing as he watched what little of his old friend disappeared behind closed
eyelids.
Nathan
quickly inched over to the three, after hearing the conversation that had taken
place and touched the side of Chris’ neck, checking for his pulse.
“He’s out,”
he proclaimed at which the others all sighed their relief.
“Nathan, we
need ta talk,” stated Vin without hesitation.
“Well, he’ll
be out for a while. Come and get
yourself somethin’ to eat. We can talk while you get some nourishment in ya. I
can see by those bony arms of yours that ya probably haven’t eaten anythin’ to
keep ya strength up like I told ya to,” he nagged.
“But Nathan,
. . .”
“Don’t but
Nathan me, Vin Tanner. Just do like I
says. I don’t know why you boys always have ta give me trouble when it comes to
ya health. I ain’t got no supplies here
ta be…”
“Whoa,
there,” chuckled Buck, interrupting Nathan’s triad. He knew Vin was not going to win this argument. “Vin, now you
know you ain’t gonna win no argument with Nate here. So you just might as well fight a rattler.”
“I’ll eat,
Nathan. While we talk. But we gotta talk now! It concerns Chris.”
At that
statement, the others made room for Vin besides the fire, J.D. grabbed a bowl
and put some food in it and handed to Vin, as he crawled to sit down between
Ezra and Nathan. Buck took his previous
position between J.D. and Josiah, almost knocking J.D. to the over trying to
squeeze in between.
“Hey, Buck!
Watch it!”
“Hush now,
Junior. I wan’na hear what Vin has to
tell us.”
“Please Mr.
Tanner, do continue with your narration of the outcome of your excursion among
our native hosts,” said Ezra.
“Huh?” asked
J.D.
“He says for
Vin to finish telling us what he found from his trip with Mapiya among the
Cheyenne,” offered Josiah.
“Well, it
ain’t good, boys,” and Vin started to tell them what he and Mapiya had
unearthed during their talks among the people. He also went on to explain that
Mapiya said she had an idea of how to get the information they needed to save
Chris and his feelings concerning the Chief’s son and his men. He also explained to Nathan about how Chris
memory was selective and when it came to his past concerning Sarah and Adam, it
was as if he did not want to remember.
Once he was done, the others could only look on in grim determination.
“Sounds like
ta me that Chris’ ailment is more than just physical.”
“I believe
that you are correct, Mr. Jackson. It
seems that the tragedy that has claimed his family is not something Mr. Larabee
feels he wishes to remember, thus making it impossible for him retain any
information concerning them that is imparted to him.”
“What?” asked
J.D., his face showing exasperation.
“I believe
that Ezra is trying to say that Chris can’t remember anything pertaining to his
family due to their tragic death and it has nothing to do with his physical
wound. In other words, he doesn’t want
to remember.”
“But how can
that be? Chris not wantin’ ta
remember?”
“J.D., you
got ta understand,” started Buck. “When Chris lost his family in that fire, it
tore half the soul out of that man. He
wanted to die right then and there. But
I convinced him through hell and damnation that he needed to live, to find the
ones who had did this. But I think when
he lost the trail of that hired gun he was looking for; it was the last
straw. I think he lost it, J.D.”
“I think
you’re right, Buck,” added Josiah. “The
physical blow to the head and then the mental blow to his mind. It probably was hard to take for man like
Larabee who’s always in control.”
“But I think
we have a bigger issue to resolve here.
If what you say is true concerning Mr. Larabee’s future in law, then we
are in preverbal hell, as the saying goes.”
“I don’t know
about that, Ezra. But I do know Chris
ain’t gonna last much longer without that cure,” piped in Nathan. He had checked Chris over early and he
noticed that his pulse was not good, nor was his color.
“So what do
you suggest we do, Mr. Jackson?”
“I don’t
know. Vin did Mapiya say when she would
be back?”
“Nope. She just said that she would back soon. Told me ta go ta care of my friend.”
“That was
some advice she gave ya there,” put in Buck.
“Yeah. It was.
She really loves him, Buck.”
“I know,
Pard. I cin see it. I cin also see that Chris is happy with
her.”
“But this is
all well and good, but if Chris does not live it is a moot point as far as I
can see.”
“Thanks for
that uplifting statement, Ezra,” said Josiah, glancing at him angrily. He knew Ezra was just pointing out the
obvious, but he did not want the others giving up on Larabee or on hope that
they would find the cure.
“We ain’t
gonna give up on Chris!” exclaimed Vin.
“Vin, none of
us are saying that we going to give up on Chris,” replied Josiah, trying to
calm the young tracker down.
“Well, ain’t
that was Ezra’s gettin’ at? Chris
wouldn’t give up on any of us and I ain’t ‘bout ta give up on ‘im.”
“You’re
right, Vin. We ain’t, are we guys?”
said J.D., looking to the others of his group.
He was not giving up on his hero, no matter what and he wanted to the
others to agree.
“No,
J.D. We ain’t.” put in Buck. The look he gave the others told them
everything they needed to know. Buck
was not about to let his oldest friend die without trying to fight to save his
life. “We’re gonna do whatever we
can.” He then nodded over to Vin
determinedly.
Vin nodded
back. Yes, they were in it together and
they would help Larabee beat this.
“So, what is
the next step in the plan, Mr. Tanner, as I assume you have one?”
“I do,
Ezra. This is what we gonna do,” and
Vin started to explain to them the plan he had come up with while they were
talking. He just hoped that nothing
went wrong. One slight mistake could
cost not only Chris, but also all of their lives.
As Mapiya
walked briskly towards the tipi that held her love, carrying her precious
burden between her hands as her mind went over what she had just heard from her
brother’s wife, Nemene'hehe. Her heart
was beating rapidly with fear and disgust. Her stomach turned as her thoughts
flitted through her mind. She was sick
with the thoughts of her discovery. She
almost heaved at the thought that her own brother had conspired to kill her
beloved, and based on the talk among the men and women of the tribe, he was
also plotting to create dissention among the tribe. This would put her father at a disadvantage, as she well knew. ó'kôhóme
was placing doubt in the people’s mind about their father’s ability to lead the
tribe. Her heart grew heavy with this knowledge and she did not know how she
would tell her father of her brother’s treachery. She only now realized how
deeply her brother’s hatred for the white men had taken a hold of his soul. The
only good thing that came from her meeting with her brother’s wife was within
her hands.
When she
reached her home, she hesitated a minute before going in. How would she tell
Emo'ôhtavo vo'e? Or should she even
tell him of her brother’s deceit? Would
he hate her because of her brother? No,
he was different from other men. He
would not hold her brother’s actions against her. He had told her that he loved her and she believed him. She believed him with every fiber in her
being. She knew they were meant for
each other. Did not the Great Spirits
bring him to her, showed her the way of things? No. There was no doubt in
her mind about their love. And now he
would survive and in that one accomplishment they would survive the hatred that
now stood between them.
Steadying
herself, Mapiya pulled the flap away and ducked inside. The sun was slowly setting on another day
and she had been with Nemene'hehe for a long time now. Mapiya had questioned the stupid girl
thoroughly, making sure that she had found out everything there was to know
from her. She had also threatened her
with death, if she should breathe one word of their conversation to her husband,
her brother ó'kôhóme. Nemene'hehe had taken Mapiya’s threat to heart. She knew that Mapiya would carry through
with her promise. Nemene'hehe had saw the fire in Mapiya’s eyes and knew that
even the Great Spirits could not save her if Mapiya wanted her dead.
When her mind
turned back to the task at hand, she quickly looked around the dimmed interior
of the tipi. She saw that Emo'ôhtavo
vo'e’s friends were all now gathered within her home. Most of them were talking quietly around the fire, while Nathan
and Josiah were working on making some type of liquid that Mapiya had never
seen before. The one person that froze
her in her tracks was Vin Tanner. He
was sitting cross-legged next to Emo'ôhtavo vo'e talking softly to him. Although Emo'ôhtavo vo'e looked as if he was
asleep, she saw from time to time his eyes opened a little to look at the young
man and reply. But after a little
while, they slowly closed again and Emo'ôhtavo vo'e was silent. They others had finally noticed her presence
and nodded towards her. She
acknowledged their greetings and quickly sat down next to Vin and Emo'ôhtavo
vo'e.
Vin Tanner
turned to her just then and she found herself confronted by his saddened blue
eyes. She knew he had thought that
their plan had failed. But it had not. She smiled at him softly, trying to give him
courage to be strong for his friend.
Vin smiled weakly back at her.
“I hope you have better news than I,” he said in Cheyenne.
“How is he?”
she asked him in English, her eyes turning towards Chris, touching his face
softly.
“I guess he’s
a little out of it. He woke up a few
times. In fact he was awake a couple of seconds ago, but I guess the fever’s
getting ta ‘im. Nathan says it’s way
down from before, but he still got a ways ta go.”
“Éónêšeotse
(He is hurting).”
“Yes, he is very
sick, Mapiya. And I don’t know what ta do about it. I’ve failed ‘im,” stated Vin simply and he lowered his head in
shame.
Mapiya placed
her hand gently on the side of his face, bringing his head up and looking into
his blue eyes deeply. “No, Netse Ôhvo'komaestse
(White Eagle). You have not. We, have not.”
Vin gaped at
her not understanding what she meant.
“We have
not,” repeated Mapiya, seeing that he did not comprehend the meaning behind her
words. “I have the truth. But first I must be with Emo'ôhtavo
vo'e. Go. Eat and rest. It has been a hard day for you and your
friend will need your strength. I will
come to you and tell you all,” she said removing her hand and shooing him away.
Vin smiled at
her then. His heart was soaring with
hope. Hope that Mapiya had found the
answers they needed. He then got up
from his position next to Chris and went towards the fire and his other
friends.
Once he was
gone, Mapiya returned her attention to Emo'ôhtavo vo'e. She thought he still slept, but she found
herself staring into green eyes bright with fever. “Emo'ôhtavo vo'e, do you see me?”
Chris eyes
were open, but it was if he did not see what was in front of him. Mapiya knew it was the fever and the
sickness, but she still knelt down closer to him to give him a better
look. “Emo'ôhtavo vo'e, I am here. Do you see me?”
Chris heard
his Cheyenne named being called as if it was far away. He thought he was talking to Vin Tanner just
a minute ago, but his mind seemed to wander for a bit and his eyes could not
focus. As his eyes became clearer and
he could see his surroundings, he noticed a woman’s face in front of him. It was Mapiya. He thought she was a dream since only a little while ago he saw
her in the exact same position next to him earlier. It seemed the only place
that he saw her nowadays was in his dreams and he thought this was one of them.
He wet his dry and cracked lips with his tongue, although there was little
moisture there also, and said in a low whisper, “Mapiya? Am I dreaming again?”
Mapiya
noticed that he seemed a little confused and she noticed how dry his throat
appeared to be. She took her hand and delicately touched his face, loving the
way her skin felt against him. “No, my love.
No dream, I am here. Are you
thirsty?”
Chris could
only nod as Mapiya grabbed a cup from the side of the pallet, raised him up
slightly and let him take his fill of the water. To Chris it felt like heaven as the cool liquid went down his
parched mouth and throat. He believed he could not get enough of it. But finally he did. With his thirst gone,
Chris had signaled that he had enough by turning his head. Mapiya removed the cup and placed it down
next to the pallet again. She lowered
Chris back onto the pallet carefully, all the while making sure she did not
create more pain for him.
When that was
done, Chris coughed once as the water threatened to rise back into his throat,
but slowly the nausea subsided. As soon as he felt he could speak without being
sick, he said, “Oh, Mapiya, there…has been so many things…running through my
head, it’s been so strange. I see so
many p…pictures in my head, and…when I think I am on the edge of knowing
what…what they are, I loose it again. I
don’t know what to do.”
Mapiya knew
that Emo'ôhtavo vo'e’s memory was trying to return, but something in his mind
was keeping it at bay. She could not
worry about it now since the most important thing was to get him well
first. Then they would deal with his
lost memories.
“It will be
better, my love. I promise,” she said
moving in closer and kissing him on his forehead. His forehead was still hot to the touch, but not so much as
before.
As she was
about to move away to sit back on her legs, his hands reached up and grabbed
her face gently, pulling it back down towards him. He then kissed her lightly on the lips, making Mapiya shiver
inside with want. Oh, how she wanted
this man as her own. To be his wife and
have his children would be the making of her dream. She kissed him back, hungrily now with a passion that could not
be quenched. Chris also felt the same
as Mapiya and had put every ounce of his soul into that kissed. Once they were done, Mapiya then wrapped her
arms around him, hugging him hard, shaking in his arms. Chris thought that she might be cold, but
then he finally realized that she was crying.
“Mapiya, what
is wrong?” he asked, pushing her up some so that he could see her face.
Mapiya took
one of the sleeves of her dress and wiped away the salty tears from her
face. She did not know how to answer
him. She was afraid and she was
saddened. White Eagle had understood
what she was feeling, although for different reasons. She was afraid that once Emo'ôhtavo vo'e found out that it was
her kin that was behind his illness, then he would hate her for her brother’s
actions. She could not live with
that. She loved him more than life
itself and to loose him would be to destroy her heart.
Chris on the
other hand was baffled by Mapiya’s actions.
He knew not what would make her cry so and he only wanted to comfort
her, but he did not know how since he did not know the why of it. “Please, Mapiya. Help me to understand. I
don’t know what to do.”
“It is
nothing, my love. I…I…just miss you.”
Chris smiled
lightly. He did not think that he could
have been so lucky as to find a woman who loved him so much. “I have also missed you, Mapiya. Émo'onahe
(You are beautiful), Mapiya. Here,” he
said raising his index finger and pointing to her heart. “And, here,” He then
moved his finger to point to his own heart.
Mapiya
blushed at his words, her heart pounding within her small chest. She truly loved this man. The Great Spirits had shown her the way of
it, had shown her that he was the one.
She would fight for him. She
would die for him. She hugged him
again, this time laughing with joy.
Chris kissed
her again, knowing that his strength was slowly leaving him and knowing that
this might be the last time that he would hold his love in his arms.
When they
parted, Mapiya could see how Emo'ôhtavo vo'e’s eyes were slowly drooping
close. “Nemehotâtse (I love you). Rest.
I will be here.”
“Nemehotâtse,”
said Chris as his eyes closed upon the face of his love and he was swallowed up
by the darkness of sleep.
Once Mapiya
was sure that he was asleep, she then turned to the others. She found that they had been watching the
whole conversation, all except of course White Eagle, and when they realized
that she saw them, they quickly returned to stare at the fire and the meals in
front of them.
Mapiya stood
up, still slightly bent over and moved over to where the others sat. She took a place next to White Eagle since
he was the one she had felt most comfortable with. She took in their faces, one by one, and saw worry and concern
about their friend in them. Emo'ôhtavo vo'e was very lucky to have friends like
these. She hoped the parcel that was
still held in her hand would make her job easier in the telling of the truth.
“How is he?”
asked Nathan, now curious since he was concern at how Chris was deteriorating
so fast.
“He is
asleep, Healer,” said Mapiya, lowering her eyes to the fire. She felt embarrassed by the fact that they
had saw her display of affection to Emo'ôhtavo vo'e. It was not the deed itself, but the fact she did not want them to
think badly of her.
Vin knew what
Mapiya was thinking. It was not proper
for a young maiden to show openly affection to a man until they were actually
betrothed. It did not mean that it was
never done, it was just that it was never done openly until one was wed. He took her hand in his and smiled, letting
her know that everything was alright.
Mapiya understood his gesture and took it for what it was, words of comfort.
“I do not
know words to tell,” started Mapiya.
She then turned towards Vin, her eyes pleading for him to help her.
Vin said,
“Tell me and I will translate to the others.”
Mapiya nodded
happily. She was glad that the words
would be spoken in the tongue that White Eagle and his friends could understand.
“I have spoken to my brother’s wife, Nemene'hehe. My brother’s treachery is deep and I am afraid it will cost us
all in some way.”
Vin then
translated this to the others.
“What kind of
treachery is she speakin’ about, Vin?” asked Buck concerned.
Mapiya understood some of it. She held her hand up before Vin was about to
ask her in Cheyenne. “My brother…My
brother is the one who is hurting, Emo'ôhtavo vo'e.”
Vin was not
surprised and it showed on his face.
“I am so
sorry, White Eagle.”
Vin only
nodded in silence. He was not here to
judge her or her brother. He was here
to help his friend.
“What did she
say?” questioned J.D.
Vin sat
pondering whether to answer that question or not. He knew the others would not take the news well. Hell, he was not taking it well himself, but
he had his suspicions before Mapiya’s announcement, so it was not a shock to
him. Vin sighed softly and said,
“Listen, don’t get riled up, okay. And
don’t blame her. She had nothin’ ta do
with it.”
“Vin, you are
being very evasive, my friend. It seems
the news you are about to depart does not bode well for Chris.”
“She says
that her brother is the one who has done harm to Chris.”
Exclamations
from the others came quickly.
“What?! Why?!
Chris ain’t done no harm ta them!” exclaimed J.D.
“You cannot
be serious, Mr. Tanner,” stated Ezra shocked.
“How can the
Chief let this happen after all he told us about his relationship with Chris?”
asked Buck, angry.
“Is she
sure?” asked Josiah, calmly.
“How was it done?”
queried Nathan, glancing over to where Chris lay.
“Calm down
the lot of ya. Keep your voices down,
will ya. Ya might wake up Chris. Why don’t we let her finish speakin’ first,”
said Vin logically. He then turned to
Mapiya and suggested that she continue.
Mapiya took a
deep breath and hoped that at the end of all of this, she and Emo'ôhtavo vo'e
would find happiness and put this behind them.
“It is a…you
call plant? Deadly,” she said in
English so that the others could understand.
“Do you know
what kind of plant? Is there a cure?”
asked Nathan. He was concerned that
Chris was getting weaker each hour. He
did not know how long blonde gunslinger was going to last.
“The
plant,…the Šé'šenovotsétaneo'o.”
“What?” asked
Buck.
“I think what
she’s tryin’ ta say is that it’s somethin’ the Comanches use. What I don’t
understand is how ya brother got a hold of it,” answered Vin, still looking for
Mapiya to continue.
“We trade
with Šé'šenovotsétaneo'o. We are
friends.”
“What’s the
name of the plant?” asked Nathan.
“What’s it called?”
“I not know,”
she answered slowly. “Nemene'hehe know
not.”
“Then we’re
back to where we started,” said Buck, disappointed. He was barely holding his anger at bay.
Mapiya said
something to Vin in Cheyenne.
“She says do
not lose hope, Buck.”
Vin turned to
Mapiya and asked her in Cheyenne, “But how can he not?”
Mapiya
answered him back in Cheyenne, “Because I have the answer,” and she held out
the hand that still held the small leather pouch.
Vin stared at
the pouch, then he looked to Mapiya and then back at the pouch. “Shit! This is…”
“The answer,
White Eagle. The answer to my prayers
and the answer to yours,” she said in Cheyenne smiling broadly.
“Why she
smiling like that, Vin?” asked Josiah. “And what is that she’s holding?”
“The cure,
Josiah. The cure,” said Vin smiling
also.
The others
looked on incredulously at Mapiya, Vin and the pouch. They could not believe their good fortune.
“Well, I’ll
be damned!” yelled Buck.
“Hallelujah,
Brothers,” said Josiah.
“Remarkable,
Mr. Tanner,” declared Ezra, a small smile crossing his face.
“Well, hand
it over!” exclaimed Nathan, almost falling across the fire to grab the pouch.
“Hold up,
Nathan!” intervened Vin. “Do ya know
how it should be given ta ‘im?” He
cocked his eyes at Nathan waiting for his answer.
“No,” finally
came Nathan’s reply.
“Thought
so.” He then turned to Mapiya and said
in Cheyenne, “Do you know how we are to give it to him?”
“Heehe'e.”
“Good. Tell me and I will tell Nathan.”
Mapiya
explained to Vin what must be done with the contents of the pouch. He then translated the instructions to
Nathan, who still looked at them doubtfully.
“Ya sure this
is gonna work, Vin?”
“I trust her
Nathan. Besides what else can we
do? If we don’t do somethin’ fast,
Chris is gonna die. Ya said so yourself, ya don’t know what’s wrong.”
Nathan
agreed. He had tried everything he knew
and nothing was working. The fever
abated but was not completely gone.
“Listen. Nathan, ya and Mapiya get that medicine
ready for Chris. Josiah, you need ta
help ‘em. Buck, Ezra, and J.D. will stay here and keep watch,” said Vin
standing up as if getting ready to leave.
“And what
will you be doing while all this is happening, Mr. Tanner?”
“Well, Ez, I
think it’s time me and Mapiya’s brother had that talk,” he said, a gleam in his
eyes that Ezra had not seen in a while now.
“I do not
think it prudent that you should sojourn to have this conversation with this
man alone.”
Mapiya
understood a little, but it was enough to make her heart jump into her
throat. She jumped up from her sitting
position to grab White Eagle’s arm. She
needed to prevent him from confronting her brother. As far as she was concerned, she did not think White Eagle
understood just how dangerous her brother had become. “No! You must not go!”
“Mapiya, calm
down,” said Vin, gently grabbing her arm to remove it from his person.
“You must
not! Ehavêseva'e!”
“What did she
say, Vin?” asked Buck.
“Nothin’.”
“No. Bad!
Bad!”
“Why does she
think it’s bad, Vin?”
“Don’t know,
J.D.”
“Truth, Netse
Ôhvo'komaestse. Say truth!”
“Mr. Tanner,
I believe the young lady has just called you a liar.”
Vin sighed
heavily. He was trying to prevent the
others from coming to harm. He knew
that ó'kôhóme was dangerous. But he
figured the others would not be able to handle this type of situation.
“Mr. Tanner?”
“Listen, her
brother is stirrin’ up trouble among the other warriors. I have ta do somethin’
about it.”
“And you
think talkin’ ta this ó'kôhóme will prevent trouble, Brother Vin?”
“Well, let’s
say I was gonna use a little Comanche persuasion.”
“You been
hangin’ around, Ezra too long, Pard.”
“I know what
I’m doin’, Buck.”
“I’m sure ya
do, Vin. But, and I hate ta say this, but
I’m in agreement with Ezra on this one.”
Ezra rolled
his eyes at the comment, but knew what Buck was getting at.
“Mr.
Wilmington is correct in his assumption, Mr. Tanner. You cannot approach these natives alone.”
“I cin see I
won’t be able ta get out of here like I wuz plannin’.” He stood in thought for a moment. “Okay,” he relented. “Josiah, you come with me. Ezra, you help out Nathan and Mapiya.”
“It will be
my pleasure, sir,” said Ezra, giving him the usually two-finger salute.
“Vin, you and
Josiah watch ya backs now, ya hear?”
“I hear,
Bucklin. Come on Josiah. It’s gettin’
late.”
“You do not
know where he is,” stated Mapiya. She
had understood most of the conversation, but said nothing until she was sure
she had their attention.
“And you’re
not gonna tell me, right?”
“I will tell
White Eagle.”
Vin sighed in
relief.
“But,…”
“Uh, oh,”
thought Vin. “Here it comes.”
“But what?”
“You must
promise no fight.” Mapiya stared at him
long and hard. She knew she was asking
a lot from him, but she also knew it would be dangerous for him to confront her
brother before she could speak with their father.
“Well, she
got you pegged right, Vin,” chuckled Buck.
“Shut up,
Buck. All right, Mapiya, I
promise. But I can’t promise I’ll keep it
in the mornin’.”
Mapiya nodded
gratefully. It was all she wanted. Before morning, her father would know of her
brother’s deeds.
“Let’s get
goin’, Josiah, before she makes me promise somethin’ else I might regret.” Vin turned and walked out of the tipi with
Josiah following.
When they
were gone, Nathan looked at Mapiya and the others. “I just hope them boys don’t get into any trouble.” He then went back to preparing the necessary
things he needed to create the cure for Chris’ illness.
The others only
smiled shamelessly as they went to different parts of the tipi to the tasks
that they were assigned to do.
Vin and
Josiah found that they did not need Mapiya directions in order to find her
brother. The man had not wandered far
from his sister’s home. They found him
off to the side, with four other warriors.
Two of the warriors were from the Wolf Clan and the others were of the
Buffalo Clan.
One of the
Buffalo Clan warriors, Vin recognized as the one that had brought him in when
they discovered him on the hilltop above the encampment. Vin remembered his name was Mo'ôhtaveo'kome. It meant Black Coyote and Vin could see that
the name suited him well. The
Cheyenne’s eyes were of a deep brown, the kind of eyes that Vin often found
looking at him some nights when he was camping in the wilderness seeking
solitude. The eyes of a coyote, fearing
the unknown that he could not resolve through his untamed nature.
The Cheyenne
were standing arrogantly, staring directly at the tipi, talking in low tones as
if they were afraid someone might overhear their conversation. Vin did not like what he was seeing. They were differently up to something, but
what he could not tell. Vin then turned
to Josiah, giving him a look that said for him to watch his back. Josiah nodded slightly, understanding Vin’s
signal of caution and they then started walking towards the group of warriors.
As they got
closer, Vin scrutinized ó'kôhóme thoroughly.
He was tall, even for a Cheyenne, although Vin had met some of his
height in his time with the Comanche.
His brown eyes glanced mischievously at Vin and Josiah, holding a dark
secret within the warrior’s soul.
He and the
other warriors were watching them, waiting for them to make the next move. Vin was not a man to mince words or delay
the inevitable. He walked up to
ó'kôhóme and stood face to face with the young warrior. He stared into his brown eyes, challenging
him to look away.
“Nétónêšéve?
(What are you doing?), asked Vin, his voice low and dripping with anger.
Násáatónêšévéhe,
vé'ho'e.( I'm not doing anything, white man.), replied ó'kôhóme, a leering
smile encompassed his face. He knew this
man had probably found out his plan through his meddling sister. He also knew this man would not do anything,
knowing the Cheyenne tradition, until his sister had spoken to their father and
the council. ó'kôhóme was not worried.
He and his new found friends would soon have his father removed as chief
once his full plan came to fruition and that would put an end to the White
Cheyenne who would try to be his brother and the planned marriage of his
sister.
“Áahtomónêstse!(Listen!) Navoohta. (I see it,),” said
Vin, staring hard into his brown eyes.
“I can see everything. Nátóxetano (I know the difference between right
and wrong). Do you?” switching back and forth from Cheyenne to English, knowing
that ó'kôhóme could understand when he wanted to.
“Heehe'e, vé'ho'e.
(Yes, white man),” replied ó'kôhóme, pushing Vin away forcibly and walking away
towards his men. He would not give this
ignorant white man the satisfaction of being treated as a human being.
Vin was about
to go after him, but Josiah held him fast where he was by the arm. Josiah had watched the confrontation and he
had also understood most of what was said.
He also knew that ó'kôhóme currently had the upper hand and that this
was not the right time for Vin to confront him out in the open. They had to wait until they had all the
evidence that would persuade the Chief and the Tribal Council to their way of
thinking.
“Let ‘im, go,
Vin. Let’s leave it for now. We have more important things to worry
about,” said Josiah, his eyes watching Vin for signs that he understood.
“Like what?”
exclaimed Vin, turning towards him, showing his annoyance at being
stopped. He wanted this man badly. This man had caused nothing but hurt and
anguish for his friend.
“Like Chris,”
stated Josiah, matter-of-factly.
This had
caught Vin off guard. He was not
prepared to hear this statement from Josiah.
He was too busy letting his anger take control. But with that said, Vin’s anger slowly
dissipated, but it was not completely gone.
He knew that Josiah was right and he glanced at him guiltily, knowing
that his justice would have to wait. He
then turned his blue eyes back towards the tipi.
“I just hope
Mapiya knows what she’s doin’. I think
that one…” he said turning and nodding his head towards the way ó'kôhóme had
left, “He’s going to be trouble.”
Josiah could
only bow his head in agreement. “Come
on, let’s see how our brothers are doing and then we can talk with Mapiya.”
Vin nodded curtly and let Josiah lead him back towards the tipi they had
just left.
Nathan and
Mapiya had just given Chris the powder mixed with boiling water that was in the
pouch a little while ago. It was not
easy. Chris fever had started to rise
again and the man in his delirium fought against them as they tried to get the
hot liquid down his throat. They were
lucky in that he had one lucid moment when it realized it was Nathan and Mapiya
and finally gave in.
Nathan turned
to Mapiya after Chris was settled back onto the pallet and asked, “Mapiya, how
long will it take for the medicine to work?”
Mapiya looked
at him gravely. She was not sure of the
answer. Her brother’s wife only told of
the cure, but even she did not know all the information that came with it.
“I know not,
Nathan. But we hope, yes?”
“Yeah,
Mapiya. That we do. We hope that it won’t take long to get Chris
back on his feet again,” he said smiling, his fear lifting a little from his
heart. He did not know what they would
do if they lost Chris. He knew that it
would probably tear the seven apart. He
remembered how they were back in Four Corners with Chris gone for so long. He could not contemplate what would happened
if they lost him for good.
At that
moment, Josiah and Vin entered the tipi.
The look on their faces said that things did not go well with ó'kôhóme. Nathan could see the anger in Vin’s eyes and
it worried him. Vin was not the type to
express this type of emotion often and if he did, Nathan knew it meant trouble. Josiah was standing behind him, seemingly
aloof, but Nathan knew better. He knew the big preacher was playing guardian
over Vin and not because someone might hurt him. In fact, Nathan knew it was the other way around.
Nathan looked
determinedly at Vin and Josiah and said, “So, I assume things did not go the
way ya planned with her brother, huh?”
Vin only
rolled his eyes in exasperation. Josiah
nodded solemnly.
“It seems her
brother don’t cotton to Chris nor Vin.”
“And how do
you know that, Josiah?” asked JD.
“Let’s just
say he was not looking forward to seeing me and Vin there.”
Nathan
searched Vin’s eyes for some confirmation, but there was none. What Nathan did find was something that
troubled him greatly. As he watched Vin
move closer to the fire, he saw that young tracker was not well. He was sweating profusely and that was not
good. Nathan’s concern of earlier that
Vin was not taking care of himself became more prominent as he looked the young
man over. It was not long ago that the man was starving and pushing his
physical well being towards the extreme.
Add in the fact that he was dragged by horses once he had reached the
Cheyenne encampment, Nathan knew that Vin was as bad off as Chris.
“Vin, why
don’t ya come and sit down over here so I can take a look at ya?” asked Nathan.
“I’m
fine. How’s Chris doin’?”
“First of all,
you’re not fine, Vin. I can see you’re hurtin’. Secondly, he’s doin’ as well as
can be expected. Now sit ya scrawny ass
down here so that I can look you over.
Ya probably done pulled those deep cuts apart. I should of put stitches in them in the first place instead of
listenin’ to ya talk me out of it back at the other camp.”
“Nathan, I
said I was fine!” exclaimed Vin, trying to move away from Nathan’s worried
stare and halt his triad of words.
“Vin! Ya listen to me. I got Chris to worry about right now and I don’t need ya gettin’
sick too, ya understand?”
Vin blue eyes
turned again to look over at where Chris lay.
It was the reason why his soul was in pain. It did not matter that his body was in anguish. The only thing that mattered to the long
hair tracker was the return of his closest friend.
Vin then
searched into Nathan’s brown eyes and realized that the man was only concerned
for him, but Vin Tanner was not ready to give in. If he did, he was afraid that he would not get back up. It took all of his strength to get him this
far without falling flat on his face.
Ezra knew
what Vin was doing. He was trying to
save Chris and protect them all at the same time. But he could not do it alone.
He needed help, which Ezra knew that the young tracker was too stubborn
to admit, but he was going to have it anyway, whether he liked it or not.
“Mr. Tanner,
I think it would serve to Mr. Larabee’s best interests if you let our resident
physician examine you and tend to your wounds.”
“And how do
ya figure that, Ez?”
“Well, Mr.
Tanner, it would be detrimental to our duty if you, being our only expert on
these natives, were, let’s say, became seriously ill. What do you think would happen to Mr. Larabee then? How would we
manage without your expertise? You cannot handle everything yourself, you
know.”
“No, I don’t,
Ezra. I’ve been handlin’ it and I’ll
continue to handle it.”
“I don’t
think you are, as you say, handling it at all, Mr. Tanner.”
“Listen,
Vin. Chris needs all of us. You can’t do this alone,” piped in Buck.
Vin knew he
was being roped in and was waiting for them to have him tethered and tied. What they did not know was that Vin blamed
himself for Chris’ fate. He felt if he
had stopped Chris from leaving on that faithful day in Four Corners, they would
not be here now with Chris so close to death.
But
unbeknownst to Vin, the gambler did understand what the man was feeling. Ezra
believed that the young tracker was wasting energy on something he had no
control over. Larabee was not the type
of man that would take orders from someone else. Ezra knew this and he also knew that Vin, deep down his heart,
knew it also.
Vin sought
the eyes of the gambler and ladies man and saw the truth of each of their
words. He could not find fault in their
reckoning. He could not do this
alone. His body was aching and the open
cuts and wounds he received from the Cheyenne warriors burned with a vengeance.
His legs felt like they would collapse any minute. He had been without a full night’s sleep for days and his eyes
were sore and gritty. His body ached as much as his heart did and he did not
know if either would survive if the soul of Chris Larabee passed from this
world into the next.
Nathan stood,
moving ever so softly, closer to the young man. The healer could tell the young tracker was in pain and he knew
that the pain would continue until everything was right again with the blond
gunslinger.
“Come on,
Vin,” said Nathan gently, grabbing Vin’s arm and leading him to the pallet he
had once occupied. “Vin, I need ya to
sit down here. Mapiya, bring me some
water and some cloths.”
Mapiya walked
away from the fire she was tending and went to grab the water and cloths that
Nathan had requested. When she came back
to them, she knelt down next to them and helped Nathan unwrap the bloody and
dirty bandages. They saw that they were
red and puffy. On the outer edges of
some of them, they were starting to turn a sickly color. Nathan knew that scruffy looking tracker had
waited too long in letting them tend to him and now there was definitely some
signs that infection was setting in.
Mapiya also
knew what the signs of infection were, although her people had a different name
for it.
“The poison
is in his body.”
“Yes, it is
Mapiya. That’s why I need you to put
this powder in a bowl and mix it with some water. We need to make a paste to draw the poison out.”
Mapiya nodded
and went to do what Nathan requested.
When the
mixture was ready, Mapiya walked to them, kneeling down next to Vin, determined
to help with the healing of her lover’s friend.
Vin watched
with lowered eyes, as Mapiya gently kneaded the paste into his wounds, brushing
his heated flesh with her cool brown hands.
As the medicine entered the cuts and he felt the burning slowly cease,
his brown eyes gazed on her angel-like form.
He saw what
attracted Chris to her. Her gentleness
and kindness was beyond words and Vin fell in love with Mapiya.
Of course,
the kind of love he felt for her was not the same. His love was of a memory of another woman of the people. A woman he had fell in love with and had
married. But of course that was long
ago and in another place and time.
He just hoped
that the love between the young Cheyenne woman and Chris was strong enough to
survive the prejudices that had eventually took his wife away from him.
Mapiya once
finished with her task of applying the medicine, finally looked up to see the
eyes of White Eagle staring at her. She
felt the warmth and friendship that was sent to her through those eyes, just
like windows showing through with the light of the sun.
She knew that
White Eagle although soft spoken carried the storm of compassion within his
breast. That his love and friendship
for Emo'ôhtavo vo'e was boundless and there was nothing he would not do for his
friend. The problem was, she was afraid
that he would cause himself serious harm in order to save his friend. And that she knew, Emo'ôhtavo vo'e would not
approve. Mapiya decided it was her
duty to make sure that White Eagle did nothing that her love would not favor.
“White Eagle
feels…feels lost without his friend?”
“Ya cin say
that,” came Vin’s soft reply.
“But
Emo'ôhtavo vo'e, he lost without his friend.”
Vin lifted his
eyes towards her face, seeing it filled with sorrow and sadness.
“Ya think
so?”
“I know so,
White Eagle. He and you cannot survive
without the other. The eagle needs the
storm’s winds to climb above. Without
it, he will destroy part of his soul.”
The young
tracker gaped at her in confusion. He knew how the people, especially the ones
who were very wise were sometimes a mystery to understand. But this time even he was out of his
element.
As he was
about to speak further to her, a moan came the person that held both their
concerns.
Nathan, Vin
and Mapiya quickly turned to where Chris Larabee lay. He was twisting and turning on the pallet, clutching his
stomach. He seemed to them to be in
excruciating pain.
Each one of
them tossed away their own planned next actions and crawled rapidly over to the
place of the White Cheyenne who was drowning in his own feverish agony.
Vin grabbed
Chris’ flaying arms as they tried to fight his invisible enemies. All the while Chris moaning in Cheyenne
words of his inner battle.
Nathan did
not understand the words coming from his blond friend’s mouth as he spurted
them in painful throws of anger.
He flicked a
glance at Vin and Mapiya and knew they had understood what was being said, but
both had decided to keep him in the dark.
His main
concern right now, though was the fact that Chris was in pain and he did not
know he would get the man to talk coherent enough to him for him to determine
what was the cause.
“Vin, Mapiya,
do ya two know what he’s sayin’?”
Mapiya kept
silent, she knew what her love was rambling about, but felt it was not her
place to say.
Vin gently
grabbed his friend’s sweaty hand and squeezed it carefully.
“He’s
sayin’…he’s sayin’ that he is Cheyenne.
That he is not a white man, but he is one of the people. That he has given his honor and his life for
the people. That he…that he loves
Mapiya and their marriage is destined to be.
I think…I think in his dreams he’s fightin’ with the Cheyenne for his right
to wed Mapiya as a Cheyenne warrior.”
“It sounds
more like a nightmare for him to me,” stated Buck from behind them.
They all
turned to find Buck, J.D., Ezra and Josiah kneeling near them, trying to see
what was going on.
“I think it
is, brother. For him, that is.”
“So what do
we do?” asked JD, fearing that something had gone wrong in their plans to save
Chris.
“Well, I gave
him the medicine as Mapiya instructed.
We just don’t know how long it’s gonna take to work. What he’s sufferin’ now, I don’t know if the
medicine will cure. I think these
nightmares or dreams of whatever ya want to call it is because of his head
injury and his mind tryin’ to right itself.”
“Ya really
think so, Nathan?”
“Yeah,
Vin. I think Chris is fightin’ with who
he was and what he is now.”
“So that
means he’s getting’ better, right?”
“I don’t
know, Vin. I really don’t have any
experience when it comes to these types of things. We just gonna have to wait and see.”
Suddenly, a
Cheyenne warrior who Mapiya knew named Taa'evâhtamehnêstse, or NightWalker,
came running into the tipi. He spoke
words in Cheyenne hastily to Mapiya.
Mapiya nodded that she understood and with her acknowledgement the
warrior disappeared through the flap to the night outside.
Mapiya brown
eyes slid cautiously to glance over at Vin and saw the look of comprehension on
his face. She knew he had heard every
word that the Cheyenne warrior had brought her.
Josiah,
although not as well in translating the Cheyenne language as Vin was still
proficient enough to understand there was trouble happening outside the tipi.
“So, what
news, pray-tell did our native soldier bring, Mr. Tanner?”
“I think we
got trouble, boys.”
“What kind of
trouble would that be, my dear compatriot?”
“Well, Ez, it
seems Mapiya’s brother has just decided to challenge his father’s right to lead
the tribe.”
“Can he do
that?” asked JD. “I didn’t think he
could do that.”
“It would
seem that he can and has, Mr. Dunne.
And, may I presume that this will cause difficulty in our present
situation?”
“You can
presume anything you like, Ezra. My
guess is that we’re in deep trouble right about now,” stated Josiah,
matter-of-factly.
“And I would
say, Josiah, that your guess would be correct,” interjected Nathan.
“Yep. It seems that there will be a council
meeting tonight on whether or not the marriage of a white man to a Cheyenne
wise woman is looked on favorably by the Holy Spirits or if it will become a
bad omen for the tribe and its people,” explained Vin.
“And how will
that be determined?”
“Challenge is
my…father’s. Challenge is mine,”
answered Mapiya.
“What she’s
tryin’ to say is that she and her father would have to stand in front of the
council and be judged. But there is one
thing ya left out, Mapiya. The challenge
is Chris’ too.”
“So they
gonna place judgement on Chris too?” asked Buck, concerned for both Chris and
themselves.
“It is
the…way. It is…our way,” said Mapiya,
grabbing the now slightly stirring blond’s hand with hers. “But they must fight me first! I shall…I shall let no Cheyenne bring
harm…to him. This is my oath to you.”
Vin and the
others did not doubt her sincerity.
They had watched this woman protect Chris not only from any harmful
actions of her brother, but from her people as well. They knew that Mapiya would die first before letting anything
happen to the man she so dearly loved.
“When must
you and your father speak to the council, little sister?” asked Josiah.
“By the rise
of the moon tonight.”
“But Chris
ain’t well enough. How he gonna do
that? This man can’t even walk!”
“He won’t
have to, Nate,” voiced Vin thoughtfully.
The others
turned their eyes upon him, waiting for him to explain further.
“I’m goin’
for ‘im. I’m his friend, and as far as
me and Chris are concerned, his brother too.
No offense, Buck. I knowed you
and Chris been friends long before I got ‘ere, but I can speak the language and
understand their ways better than ya.”
“No offense
taken, Pard. If it helps Chris, I’m all
for it.”
“Are you sure
about this, brother?” questioned Josiah worriedly. “I have a feeling that the chief’s son is not an honest or
righteous man.”
“I know he
ain’t, Josiah. But what other choice do
we have?” He looked at each of them and
they all agreed that it was the only way.
“I will stand
besides you, White Eagle. Our strength
together will…stand against…my brother. Móéšêto'sêhestsevévêšêhéhe!”
“What did she
say?” asked Buck.
“She says
something about her brother growing horns?” translated Josiah.
“It’s an old
Cheyenne saying. He is about to grow
horns means he’s crazy,” corrected Vin.
“Not as crazy
as we are, Pard. Not as crazy as we
are,” laughed Buck, trying to lighten the mood.
“You mean not
as crazy as you, Buck.”
“Yeah. That too, JD.”
“Well, let me
and Mapiya get Chris settled. I think
we got about four hours before moonrise, so I think the rest of you should get
some sleep before then.”
The others
started moving slowly towards their sleeping areas. Vin had other plans. He
sat stodgily next to Chris Larabee.
Nathan glared at him from the other side of the blond, but Vin ignored
it completely.
“I ain’t
leavin’, Nathan. So ya just might as
well try Larabee’s glare on someone else.”
“Vin,”
“No,
Nate! I’m not leavin’ ‘im.”
Mapiya saw
that Nathan was losing the argument this time.
She knew it was time for her to intervene.
“Please,
White Eagle. You must rest. It will be long…and it will be…hard. He will need your strength to help him,…and
me.”
Vin gazed
into those saddened brown eyes and knew he was caught like a deer in a bear
trap. “Kay, Mapiya. I will sleep. But you must promise to wake me in time. Otherwise no deal.”
Mapiya nodded
vigorously at his proposal. “I will,
White Eagle.”
“Vin. Call me Vin.”
“Vin. Vin Tanner.”
“Just Vin.”
“Vin.”
“Thank god!”
exclaimed Nathan. “I thought I might
have to resort to Josiah again.”
Vin angrily
threw a glance at him, but immediately laid down upon his pallet and closed his
eyes, ignoring the fussing of Nathan as he diligently went about administering
to the sick blond gunslinger.
“You thank
Ma'heo'o?”
“Yes, my
child. White men do believe in God.”
“Then you are
good men.”
At that all
of them, except Vin who was sound asleep started chuckling and laughing at her
comment.
“I wouldn’t
really say that, pretty lady.”
“I know she
ain’t talkin’ about you, Buck!”
“I would have
to agree with your assessment, Mr. Dunne.”
“Shut up, JD
and go to sleep!”
“You first,
Buck!”
“Ya don’t
want me to shoot you, JD. And you
better not be sidin’ with Ezra. I got him already set up for a notch on my
gun.”
“Should I be
frightened, Mr. Wilmington? Especially
knowing how all your skills are literally below your waist and not around it.”
“Boys! Boys!
Now ya don’t want to rile me right now.
I got my hands full and I ain’t in the mood. So unless ya want me to get
some of my nice tea remedies and shove them down ya throats, ya best go to
sleep!”
“Already am,
Nathan,” Buck replied sleepily.
“Me, too,
Nathan!” piped up JD.
“My eyes are
currently receiving their acquiescence.”
It was
finally quiet and Nathan sighed in relief.
They all needed their strength this night and he wanted to make sure
that they were ready for anything.
As he continued
to try and help his friend get settled down for the night, he saw Mapiya
nestled down next to the other side of Chris, moving her body close to
him. Slowly but surely, Chris seemed to
calm down, his body stopped his frantic movements and in its own accord moved
closer to where Mapiya lay. Nathan watched in amazement at how she had worked
such a miracle on the sick blond that took all his healer’s efforts and had
still failed.
“Sleep,
Na…than. You rest. I be here.
I watch,” and with that she shooed him away.
“Thank you,”
he whispered softly to her, as he moved back to his own bedding. He thought to himself as he drifted off to
sleep. “Yep. Chris was a lucky man.”
TBC
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