azombiewrites (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
azombiewrites) wrote2009-10-11 07:40 pm
azombiewrites) wrote2009-10-11 07:40 pm
The Magnificent Seven Fic - 'Blackmail' - 2/4
Title: Blackmail
Eleventh story in 'The Continuing Ezra Standish Saga'
Rating: PG
Warnings: Bad writing ahead!
Fandom: The Magnificent Seven
Genre: Hurt/Comfort
Summary: An old enemy of Chris's arrives in town to seek revenge against him. And to do it she takes a friend of Ezra's hostage to blackmail him into helping her seek revenge.
Main Characters: Ezra, and the rest of the seven, and some OC's
Disclaimers: The guys are owned by CBS, MGM, Trilogy Entertainment Group, and The Mirisch Corp.
Beta: Not betaed – written in the early days when I didn’t know what the words grammar and edit meant. *is ashamed but no longer care*
Notes: Eleventh story in the ‘Continuing Ezra Standish Saga’.
Spoilers: None.
Total Word Count: 33,041
Part Two
Ezra walked down the stairs into the quiet saloon to find his friends waiting for him. They knew that he would be up early and ready to go. He moved to the table and sat down in the empty chair. He was worried about how Chris's plan was going to go. He had too many questions. What if Christy had already killed Jean? What if she shot Chris straight away? What if Buck did not get there in time to help? But the one he worried about the most was if Jean was still okay.
JD moved a plate of food towards him, it consisted of eggs and beans but Ezra turned his nose up at it and pushed it back to him. He helped himself to some coffee and sat in silence. Buck was wearing the slicker that Vin had taken off Pete and Ezra had to admit to himself that at a distance they would not be able to tell that the rider behind them wasn't Pete.
"Are you alright to do this Ezra?" Chris asked him.
"I'm fine, I am concerned about Jean." he smiled knowing that it was a weak smile and that it would not fool any of them. His fever had improved but it hadn't left him. He took his guns out while he sat there and started to reload them as Christy had taken the bullets out before she gave him guns back. At least they would have the element of surprise there.
He did not move his head away as Nathan placed his palm against his forehead. "You still got a fever Ezra, not as bad as it was but it's still there." Under other circumstances, he would have forced Ezra back to bed but he had a job to do and this was probably why Ezra did not complain when he checked his temperature. But as soon as he got back, he would send him to bed and he will not have a choice in the matter.
"Guys could you let me have a word with Ezra for a moment please." Chris did not ask it as a question it was more of an order.
"Well make sure that the horses are ready." said Buck. They got up and walked out of the saloon looking over their shoulders at Chris and Ezra.
"Ezra before we go I just wanted to thank you for telling us about this." Ezra looked up at him not sure what it was that Chris was trying to say to him. "Usually you would have kept it to yourself and then tried to resolve the situation on your own. It shows that you are finally accepting that we trust you and are your friends."
"I wouldn't go too far in your assumption Mr Larabee." But Ezra smiled as he said this. He hadn't realised what he had done until Chris just told him. He had finally accepted them and would no longer try to push them away. Except maybe Mr Jackson when he tried to induce medical care upon his person.
Chris got up and slapped him on the back. "Let's go Ezra."
Ezra stood up and followed him out through the saloon doors. It is going to be another warm day thought Ezra as he looked up into the cloudless sky. Vin brought him out of his thoughts.
"You guys better hurry back as it's going to rain this afternoon." he was frowning up at the sky but turned when he heard Ezra laughing.
"Something wrong Ezra?"
"No Mr Tanner, you just reminded me of something, I will tell you about it when I come back." he hoped that they would all come back unharmed.
Chris and Ezra got up on their horses. "Follow us in about ten minutes Buck but if you hear shooting don't rush in. If were okay I'll wave to you and if you don't see me then come back for help. You got that?" Chris just about glared at him.
"Yeah I got that." he grimaced.
"The rest of you follow Buck but give him at least a thirty minute head start." Vin nodded in acknowledgement. Chris knew that he would do as he was told but he wasn't so sure about Buck but they didn't have anyone else who looked like the man who was told to stay with Ezra.
***
Chris and Ezra rode the two-hour journey in silence neither of them needing to say anything. Ezra had noticed the clouds starting to build up in the sky. Vin had been right as usual. He looked up towards the area that he knew Christy was holding Jean. They would be there within ten minutes. Christy looked down to see Ezra returning with Chris Larabee just like she knew he would. She motioned for her men to get out of sight and to take the woman with them. She wasn't even going to give them a chance to react to the situation, she was going to deal with Larabee straight away and then have some more fun with Ezra before she killed him and his lady friend. She hid behind a tree and waited.
Chris and Ezra rode into the area where Ezra had told him Christy and Jean would be but they saw no one. They got off the horses and drew their guns just in case. Chris and Ezra looked at each other and as they did Ezra saw Christy step out from behind a tree with her gun aimed at Chris's chest. Ezra fired his gun and stepped in front of Chris at the same time, he saw Christy go down and in the same moment, he felt the tearing pain of the bullet entering high in his right shoulder causing him to drop his gun. The force of the bullet pushed him back against Chris and they fell to the ground.
Chris struggled to get Ezra off him and he felt him trying to help, he hadn't lost consciousness yet. Chris could see Christy stand up and lift her gun towards him. Ezra's bullet had hit her left arm. Chris pulled his own gun but heard the sound of three other guns cocking. He looked to his left and saw three of the four men that Ezra had spoken of.
"Don't even think about it Larabee!" Christy yelled at him. He was supposed to be dead now. She walked over to them her left arm hanging useless at her side. She looked down at Chris and then at Ezra who was staring back at her with pain filled eyes. Christy brought her gun up and aimed it again at Chris. She thought that Ezra was now useless and not able to defend himself or Chris, she was about to pull the trigger when Ezra's boot kicked her arm but it caused the gun to go off and the second bullet entered Ezra's shoulder close to the first wound. He rolled off Chris leaving him open to Christy if she chose to fire again. She made the mistake of hesitating as she looked at Ezra's back seeing only one exit wound. The sound of another gunshot echoed through the air and Chris saw one of the other gunmen go down. He jumped up and grab Christy's gun arm and used his own that was still in his hand to fire on the other two while using her as a shield. He took one of them down and a second bullet from Buck's gun took down the third. He then took the gun from Christy's hand.
"Ezra!" he heard Jean yelling and looked over to see her struggling to get away from a man who had his gun pointed to her head.
"Drop your gun or she's dead." the man said calmly.
Chris quickly stood and pulled Christy in front of him. "Tell your man to let her go or I will kill you." he growled at her.
He was in a standoff that he did not believe that he was going to win. He wanted to look down at Ezra but he didn't dare take his eyes off the man that had Jean.
"And if he doesn't I will." Buck had stepped out from behind the tree that he was using as cover. He stood to the side but between Jean and Chris. He had arrived just after hearing the first gunshot because he had ignored Chris's orders and hurried his own pace so he would arrive not long after them. He had seen Ezra and Chris go down. He watched as Ezra tried to kick the gun out of the woman's hand and heard the gun go off again but he didn't know if Chris or Ezra had been shot. He took a quick glance at Ezra but it was enough to tell him that if they did not hurry he was going to bleed to death as the blood had already begun to form a puddle around his right shoulder and side.
"Then kill me because I am not going back to jail." Christy smiled but only Buck could see it as Chris was behind her.
"What about an exchange?" Chris didn't answer her. "Decide quickly Larabee or else Ezra is going to die if we stay in this situation much longer."
"I know what you’re capable of Christy, how do I know that you won't try and kill us anyway?" Chris asked her. He had not taken his eyes off Jean. She was watching Ezra's still form hoping for some kind of movement to let her know that he was still alive but so far, he had given no indication of life.
"I told you that I am not going back to jail but if I can manage that and stay alive at the same time then I will but it is up to you as you have a lot more to lose than I do."
"Do it Chris, we can go after her later. We need to look after Ezra." Buck kept his gun on the man holding Jean but he started to side step towards Ezra, he needed to know if he was still alive.
"You send Jean over and I'll send your boss at the same time. Got it?" Chris removed his gun from Christy's temple and moved her forward. Dave did the same with Jean who wanted to run to Ezra but kept her calm and her eyes on Christy as she walked towards her. Chris aimed his gun at Dave hopping that Jean would stay to the side and not get in his direct line of sight, he had to admire the women for keeping her calm as she did exactly what he wanted her to do.
Christy thought about grabbing Jean on the way past but knew that it would only result in her own death so she kept walking knowing that she could come back later and kill Larabee and Ezra for messing up her plans. She reached Dave and turned around and with her good arm, she tipped her hat to Chris and stepped backwards into the woods. Once she was in the cover of the trees, she turned and ran to the horses and rode off with all intentions of returning.
Once the exchange started Buck took his eyes off them as he knew that Chris's gun would not falter until they were out of sight and he hurried to Ezra's side. He didn't move him straight away as he was afraid that if he turned him over he would be dead and he couldn't face that thought at the moment. He could see the side of his face and how it had paled considerably, he could see the spots of blood that stood out on his face, the split on the now pale lip, the exit wound on his shoulder. Jean's hands pushing him away brought him out of his shocked state. Her efficient hands gently turned Ezra over revealing the two gunshot wounds that were close to each other in his right shoulder.
"Buck have you got any material in your saddlebags or anyone else?" She had seen Ezra go down and then take a second bullet. Her heart had dropped, it had taken all of her strength to stay in control. And now she was near breaking point but she had to keep herself together for Ezra's sake.
Chris knelt down beside them but did not stop his eyes from scanning the area just in case Christy came back. He knew that the others would be here soon especially after hearing the gunshots but until they did he would not allow himself to look at Ezra but he did not know how long he would be able to stop himself. "He still alive?"
"Yes at the moment." Jean didn't elaborate on the statement but instead yelled out to Buck to hurry. He came back with one of his own shirts and two of Ezra's. She took them from him and rolled them into balls and then placed them against the front of Ezra's shoulder and the back and pressed down hard. She did not fail to notice the lack of response from Ezra. "What about blankets Buck? We have to keep him warm in case the blood loss causes him to go into shock."
Chris listened to what Jean was saying and could not help himself as he took a quick sidelong glance at Ezra. He only looked for a second but took in everything, the paleness, the blood and most of all the lack of response to Jeans treatment. Buck returned with two blankets and placed them over Ezra's legs and waist keeping them away from Jean's hands. He then stepped back and waited.
"Buck I'm going to take a look around see if they are still here." Chris didn't wait for Buck's answer but he did notice that he had pulled his own gun out and stood over Jean and Ezra protecting them from anything else that may happen.
Jean continued to press down hard on Ezra's shoulder while not taking her eyes off his handsome face, his head was leaning against his left shoulder at an awkward angle. She could feel that the shirts were now soaked with Ezra's blood but she wasn't going to take her hands away until she felt confident that the blood flow had either stopped or slowed. She kept this up for five minutes but her arms began to tire with the force that she was placing on his shoulder.
"Buck I need you to take over my arms are getting tired and there needs to be more pressure." he didn't hesitate but instead of putting his gun away he placed it on the ground next to Jean. She used one of her hands to guide his and put them on top of the shirts. "Don't worry about hurting him as he is not feeling anything at the moment. She saw his look of concern and could see the worry in his eyes. "Press down as hard as you can, I think that the bleeding has nearly stopped but I will give you a few more minutes and then I will check the wounds."
Chris returned five minutes later to find Buck leaning over Ezra and Jean keeping guard over them. He knelt down next to him. "They're gone, I could see them riding away and I saw the others, they will be here in about five minutes." he took a deep breath before asking the question which he feared the answer to. "How's he doing?"
"He's been shot twice, one of the bullets went straight through but the other one is still in there, he's lost a lot of blood so far and will probably lose more and that may cause him to go into shock which could be just as bad." Jean tried to be calm but she could not help the small sob that escaped her mouth. Chris put his arm around her to comfort her, he could feel her shaking under his arm.
Jean moved forward and Buck allowed her to remove his hands from Ezra's shoulder, she then pulled his jacket to the side. After undoing the buttons of his vest and shirt she pulled them off his shoulder, then moved the blankets up further to cover his stomach to try to keep the cool air off him. The air had become chilled due to the storm that was moving in from the North.
The flow of blood had just about stopped but she knew that it would start again when they removed the bullet. She placed her hand on his chest feeling his pale clammy skin, she could also feel his rapid heartbeat. "He's going into shock." she told both Chris and Buck. "Help me roll him onto his side." Once they had done that she put the shirts back against the wounds and pulled his jacket over them, she then adjusted the blanket and pulled it up against his chin. Jean then had Buck press against the front and back of Ezra's shoulder again. "We'll wait for Nathan, he'll be able to do more for him."
***
Christy rode away from the disaster that she did not think would happen. She had planned everything and then Ezra had messed it up by being a hero and saving Larabee's life. She had aimed for the heart but because the gambler was shorter than him the bullet had entered higher in his shoulder as he moved across in front of him. And then did it a second time by trying to kick the gun out of her hand, which resulted in a second wound. Under other circumstances, she may have fallen for the man and tried to make him hers. She had enjoyed the kiss that she had given him and wanted to do it again after she killed Larabee but everything went wrong. Never mind she thought to herself, she would give them a few days to think that she had left the area and then she would go back for both of them.
***
Vin and the remaining hired gunmen pulled their horses to a halt as they heard the sound of gunshots shatter the silence the hung in the air. They only waited a moment to take note of which direction the sound came from and then urged their horses into a gallop each holding in their own fears as to the meaning of the gunshots. It took them a long agonising ten minutes before they reached the area where Ezra told them they would be and what they saw shook them to the core. They saw Chris, Buck and Jean leaning over someone that they assumed was Ezra, he was covered with a blanket and because Buck sat in the way they could not see if the blanket had been placed over his head. They quickly dismounted and ran over to them each releasing the breath that they had held when they saw Ezra's pale face against the green grass that covered the ground beneath him.
"Nathan, help him please." Nathan could hear the pleading in Jean's voice, he turned to JD who had already gone back for his saddlebags.
It was Nathan who removed Buck's hands this time and Chris helped him roll Ezra onto his back. He pulled the blanket and Ezra's clothing aside and wondered how Ezra managed to get himself shot twice. Chris answered his unvoiced question.
"He saved my life, twice." Chris knew what Nathan was thinking when he saw the two bullet wounds. "One of them is still in there."
Nathan took note of the amount of blood on the shirts that they had used to try to stop the bleeding and what had begun to soak into the soft ground. He noticed the pale colour that his skin and taken on and the way it was cool and clammy to the touch, he leant down and felt his rapid breathing against his own cheek. All of this told him that Ezra's body was in shock and he was already in a weakened state due to the fever that he still had. Nathan knew that if the shock was not dealt with correctly it could kill him. He would have to keep him warm which Jean had already started doing and make sure that he drank fluids whenever he woke up which was going to be hard because the shock would also cause him to be unconscious most of the time and that he could also just throw it back up again when they did manage to get him to drink something. At least the blood had stopped leaking from the wound and that was something he was grateful for.
Josiah could you go and get me some more blankets." Nathan took the bags from JD and took out the bandages that he would use to wrap the wounds. At the moment, his first thought was to deal with the shock that Ezra's body was suffering from and then he would deal with the wounds once they got back to town. He quickly placed some herbs and balm on the open wounds to try to stop any infection from developing. Josiah returned with some more blankets and placed them over Ezra. Nathan then had him lift Ezra up gently so he could bandage his shoulder. This took Nathan only five minutes to do.
"I can't do anymore here we have to get him back to town. He's in shock from the loss of blood." he didn't say anymore.
"You may have to find him some cover Nathan as it's going to be raining before were even half way home." Vin was looking up into the sky. It had begun to darken with the storms clouds that now filled the sky.
"Shit." Everyone who was looking at Vin turned to Nathan who did not usually use profanity so just that one simple word told them how serious Ezra was.
"Vin is there anywhere near here that we could go until the rain eases?" Chris asked him.
"What about Nettie's place, that's only an about hour from here." JD answered before Vin could. They all turned on him, he felt Buck slap him on the back and this caused him to smile as it meant he said something right because Buck would usually hit him on the back of the head when what he said was the wrong thing.
"Can we get there before the rain starts?" asked Nathan with the hope that he felt sounding in his voice.
"We might but I can't say for sure." Vin looked back up to the sky. He thought that the rain might hold off for that long, well he hoped it would for Ezra's sake.
Nathan stood up and started giving out orders. "Josiah I want you to take Ezra, I want him to stay wrapped in the blankets and your arms would be the longest here. I'll stay close in case he wakes up because he's going to need fluids and to make sure that he doesn't get to hot, we just have to maintain his body temperature. Vin you ride ahead and let Nettie know what's going on and she will get things ready for us." Vin rushed off to his horse and rode out hoping that when they reached Nettie’s farm behind him that Ezra would still be alive, the way Nathan was talking had made him worry that Ezra was not going to be okay.
"Okay, Josiah, go and get your horse." Nathan bent down and with Chris's help, they gently lifted Ezra off the ground. They could hear the sickly sound of his clothing separated from the blood that had soaked the ground underneath his body.
Josiah rode his horse back to Nathan and Chris who were both holding Ezra in their arms. Chris had him by his arms with Ezra's head leaning against his shoulder and Nathan had his legs. When he reached their side, Chris lifted Ezra up into Josiah's waiting arms and then he positioned Ezra into a more comfortable position and laid his head in the crook of his shoulder. When he had placed his hand against his forehead, he could feel that Ezra was cool and that this was the reason for the blankets. It made a strange change from the other times he had been hurt when a fever had usually begun to rage through his body. 'Ezra must have lost a lot of blood.' he thought to himself. He wrapped his arm around his waist and headed out after Vin.
"Jean you can ride Ezra's horse." Chris told her. She nodded and went and got Ezra's horse, she then caught up with Josiah as she was not going to leave Ezra's side. Jean rode close enough to Josiah that she was able to place her hand on Ezra's leg hoping that it would give both herself and Ezra some comfort even with the amount of blankets between her touch of affection and his leg. The others had also caught up and Nathan rode on Josiah's other side.
***
"Ouch, be more careful will you." Christy growled at Dave who was trying to take the bullet out of her arm. Her eyes had turned green when she saw Chris Larabee and they had not changed back yet so Dave tried to be careful. They had travelled for an hour and then stopped as Christy was beginning to find it difficult to stay on her horse, they also needed to find some kind of shelter as they could tell that it was going to rain. But the best thing they could find was a thick group of trees, which they hoped, would keep most of the rain off them.
"There it's out. I'll just clean it now and then bandage it." He saw her nod so he continued. "So are we going to go back after them?" he asked her.
"Of course we are. Both of them if Standish is still alive. We'll wait a few days so I can get my strength back and in the meantime I will just have to come up with another plan."
Dave watched as she smiled and thought that she really did have a smile that could scare men because at that moment he was scared of her.
***
They all rode in silence only hearing the occasional sound of thunder that reminded them of the rain that was threatening to fall down on them. They all hoped that it would hold off until they arrived at Nettie Well's farm as it was the last thing that Ezra needed at the moment. Every now and then one of the group thought that they felt a drop of rain on a hand, on a face or some other part of the body and feared the worse but at the time, it was only their imagination.
Chris, Buck and JD watched the area around them carefully watching for any sign that Christy was following them as Chris believed that she would not give up so easily. While they did this, they stole quick glances at Ezra who was still lying, unmoving within Josiah's strong arm, his pale face bouncing against his shoulder.
Jean and Nathan had stayed close to Ezra, Jean for support and comfort and to hold off the fear that she knew she would feel if she wasn't close to him and Nathan was there in case he woke up. Ezra had still given no sign of life since he was shot the second time. They had all believed what Chris had said about Ezra saving his life twice, they knew that he would risk or give his own life for any of them as they would also do the same for him or any other member of the group.
When they had first met him they believed him to be a liar and a cheat who only took care of himself and they knew that he was still a liar and a cheat but now for different reasons. Now he did it to protect other people, to protect his friends and he never thought of himself as number one anymore but one of a group of seven, all of whom needed help or protection at some time over the last eight months and these traits that had been taught to him by his mother were able to get them out of more than one dangerous situation.
Josiah was thinking of what Ezra had done trying to take his mind off what the result of his actions might be when he felt him finally move within his strong arm and he kept a firm hold in case he began to struggle. "Nathan." he felt him move again. "Nathan I think he's coming round." The soft moan that came from his mouth confirmed that he was waking up. Nathan moved closer to Ezra and the others turned to watch as he tried to bring him to a conscious state.
"Ezra can you hear me?" he leaned over and placed his hand against the side of Ezra's face still feeling the cool clammy skin. Ezra tried to move his head away from Nathan's touch but could not go far due to Josiah's large shoulder. Nathan removed his hand as it seemed to be causing him some sort of discomfort. "Ezra if you’re awake open your eyes for me." he waited a few moments and watched as Ezra frowned as if in concentration.
Ezra's body had shut down due to the shock that his body was suffering from trying to protect and heal itself but the constant motion of moving had begun to make him feel ill. He didn't want to come out of the darkness as there was no pain there but the need to throw up was stronger than the need for the comfort of the darkness. It was a struggle to leave it behind, he tried to say something to the person who was moving him about but all that happened was the own movement of his body which made him feel worse. He tried again but with the same result. He finally managed to make something come out of his mouth but it was a slight moan.
He was about to give up when he heard the familiar voice of Josiah talking to someone. He then heard Nathan's comforting voice and felt something against the side of his face, he tried to move away from it but couldn't and then the warm touch was gone. He tried to open his eyes when Nathan asked him to but he couldn't, they were too heavy, he tried harder but it was too much of a struggle so he tried his voice again.
"Stop." was all he could manage.
"Ezra I'm going to get you to drink some water for me. Okay." They continued to keep moving so they would not lose any time. The sky was black and they didn't need Vin to tell them that it was going to rain at any moment and they were still thirty minutes from the farm.
"Stop. Please." Ezra managed to say again.
Josiah pulled his horse to a stop as he finally understood what Ezra was asking of them. "What's wrong Ezra?" he asked him but Ezra did not answer him straight away as he was waiting to see if the bile that was in his throat was going to return to his stomach or not. After a few moments, he no longer felt the need to throw up but he still felt sick.
"I feel sick." he moaned as he pressed himself more into Josiah's shoulder who then strengthened his own grip giving Ezra the comfort that he was seeking.
"Ezra," Nathan put his hand on the blanket-covered shoulders, "I want you to drink some water."
"No, I feel sick." he no longer tried to open his eyes.
"Ezra you have to drink some fluids or you are going to get worse."
Ezra shook his head in indignation and pushed himself even further into Josiah's body away from Nathan. His stomach was beginning to feel better but he knew that if he drank water it would make him sick and then throws up and he wasn't going to do that in front of anyone. It happened in front of Jean on more than one occasion after that woman had hit him but he had no choice he couldn't stop it but he could now by refusing the water. When it had happened before he felt shamed, it had made him feel like a child when his mother used to degrade him for being sick particularly when it had stopped them from pulling a lucrative con.
Jean moved closer to him and placed her own hand against his face where Nathan had put his but Ezra tried to move away the hand as he didn't know who's touch it was. "Ezra will you please drink some water for me?" she asked him. She felt hurt by him shying away from her touch.
Ezra heard Jean's voice but it was distant as the darkness had begun to take him again. "No." he then fell into unconsciousness again. Josiah could no longer feel him pressing against him nor could he feel any warmth coming from the figure in his arms.
The others had watched and they saw Nathan's shoulders sag. "We’ll try again when he wakes up next time." They did not hear the confidence that his voice usually held. They began to move on again and twenty minutes later they all felt the rain begin to fall and this time it was not their imagination.
***
Nettie Wells looked up as she saw a rider coming in fast. She was about to go inside to get her rifle when she recognised the rider as Vin Tanner. She frowned wondering what he was doing out here when a storm was about to start and why he was in such a hurry. She waited until he stopped his horse in front of her before she said something but was interrupted before her first word had even been voiced.
"Nettie, Ezra's been hurt and we need to get him somewhere warm because it's too far to town and he will only get wet and that will make him sicker so JD thought about your place so they sent me ahead and they are following . . ."
"Slow down Vin, take your time." She could see the concern written all over his face and this meant that the gambler man must have been hurt pretty bad.
"There about twenty minutes behind me, we have to get things ready for Nathan, a bed and boiling water." he looked at Nettie knowing that she would not refuse him or Ezra.
"You go and put your horse in the barn and I'll start getting things ready." Vin started to walk his horse towards the barn. "Is he hurt bad Vin?"
"Nathan seems to think so." he didn't turn and look at Nettie but kept moving. It was going to be a long wait and he
was not looking forward to it. He didn't even know if Ezra was still alive.
***
"Christy you should sit down, you lost a lot of blood and you need to rest." Dave tried to tell her but he knew that she would not listen, not when she was in this state. They had stayed where they stopped the rain now falling from the sky above them. The trees gave them some protection and Dave had managed to start a fire that was strong enough to defend itself against the small amount of rain that did manage to filter through the roof that was made up of trees.
"What I need is to kill Larabee and then deal with Ezra." She wanted to kill Larabee outright but not Ezra, she had more things planned for that handsome man. She put her hand to her lips remembering how soft his lips had felt, she remembered the taste of his mouth, the feel of his tongue and she wanted more, a lot more. "We'll stay here until tomorrow night and then head into Four Corners when everyone is sleeping and then find them."
"What if he's dead?" he did not need to use a name to identify the person he was talking about.
"Then we will just have Larabee to deal with. One quick shot from an alley way should do it." she smiled and gently squeezed her injured arm enjoying the pain that it caused her.
Dave watched her and actually felt sorry for Larabee and hoped that the other man was dead.
***
Vin was standing on the porch of Nettie's small home looking into the distance through the rain hoping that they arrived soon. It had been raining for nearly ten minutes and everyone would be soaked to the bone by now. He had helped Nettie start a fire so that they would be able to get warm and she had gathered together some dry clothes, they had smelt of dust but they were clean.
"Can you see them yet?" Nettie had come out onto the porch and she put her hand on Vin's shoulder.
"No, they should be here by now." He was becoming very worried. The longer they took the more worried he become, he didn't know if they were taking their time because Ezra had died or if something had gone wrong. His thoughts clouded his mind and his vision. It was Nettie's voice that brought him back.
"There they are." she had seen a group of riders coming out of the trees in the distance. Vin made to run out into the rain but Nettie kept a firm grip on his shoulder, she didn't need another one getting wet. It took another five minutes until the horses were brought to a halt in front of the house. Nettie then let Vin go and watched him as he ran to his injured friend.
"Is he still alive?" there was almost a pleading sound in his voice.
"Yes." Josiah told him seeing the relief on his face. "Here take Ezra for me will you." He lifted Ezra down into Vin's arms and heard him moan as his injured shoulder was placed against Vin's chest.
Vin looked down into his friends face, Josiah's hat had covered most of his head and face but it had fallen off when he took him from Josiah's arms and now the rain was falling onto his face and his hair was beginning to cling to his scalp.
He suddenly felt Ezra shiver violently under the blankets.
"Get him inside Vin, quickly." Nathan yelled at him bringing him out of his unmovable state. He turned and ran as fast as he could onto the porch and Nettie then guided him to the room that she had prepared for them earlier. She ignored the rainwater that was dripping from both the blankets and the still form within them. Nathan and Jean followed them into the room both leaving more water trails behind them.
"Don't put him on the bed yet, we have to get rid of the blankets and wet clothes." Nettie told Vin as he was about to place Ezra on the bed. He looked at her with an expression that said 'Well where can I put him.'
"On the floor Vin." Nathan quickly moved to his side. "Could you ladies give Ezra a bit of privacy." he heard them leave as he unwrapped Ezra from the blankets and then removed his clothes. He could feel the coldness of his skin and it was still clammy, he placed his hand on Ezra's cold chest feeling the rapid heartbeat. He stood up and pulled the blankets back and then Vin helped him lift Ezra onto the bed. Nathan then placed the blankets over his cold body and pulled them up under his chin. "Vin go and ask Nettie for some more blankets."
"Nathan is he going . . ."
"Just do it Vin!" Nathan raised his voice, he didn't mean to. He was feeling hopeless. He wasn't able to get Ezra to drink fluids and now he was in a worse condition and he blamed himself for it.
Vin returned a few minutes later with more blankets and towel and while Nathan put the blankets on the bed, he began to wipe Ezra's face and hair dry. Nettie came into the room then and stood beside the bed and looked down at the man that she still had trouble trusting. He had once lent her money to save her farm but only under pressure by Vin and he had asked for interest back. He was thinking of making a profit instead of helping her but Casey kept insisting that he had changed, that he would have done it anyway.
"Nathan do you need some help with his wounds?" She had given the others some towels and warm clothes, Chris and Buck and stayed outside to take care of the horses but she left what they needed.
"All I am going to do is gently clean them and then leave him be." Nathan explained.
"You're not going to take the bullet out?" asked Vin.
"Vin he is suffering from shock, his body has shut down to try and heal itself, if I do anything it will just make it worse. He won't be able to take anything more until he improves, it could kill him. I need to get him warm and to get fluids into him and until that happens the bullet stays in there."
Vin nodded in understanding. "He's that bad?"
"Yes he is." Nathan wiped his hand across his face.
"Nathan why don't you go get out of those wet clothes, I'll watch him until you come back and then we'll clean his wounds." Nettie gently pushed him towards the door. When he stepped outside into the larger room, he felt the warmth of the fire and the eyes of everyone in the room upon him. He did not look back at them. They knew that his silence meant that they would have to continue to wait, their eyes returned to the floor. Jean came out of one of the other rooms in clothes that were too large for her. Nettie had left out an old dress as Vin had told her that there was a woman among the group but Jean had left the dress there and had taken a pair of brown trousers and a white shirt. She saw the forlorn look on Nathan's face and walked passed him into the room where Ezra was.
Vin looked up as Jean entered the room. He had finished drying Ezra's hair and was now drying his own. Jean came over and sat on the bed and wiped the strands of hair off Ezra's pale forehead feeling that his skin was still cool. She knew that Nathan would not do a lot about his wounds until he came out of shock. When he next wakes up, they will have to force him to drink some water. She put her hand under the heavy blankets and place it on his chest, his heartbeat was rapid, his skin cool. She felt him shiver beneath her hand and she quickly wiped away the tear before it fell. Nettie moved to her side and put a comforting hand on her shoulder.
***
The Judge quietly stepped into the saloon quickly using his eyes to scan the room for Ezra and any of the other hired lawmen. He now knew that they lied to him about Ezra helping Mary with a story, her reaction to the subject was enough to convince him. He saw the bartender look at him and then start to sneak away from the bar. "Not him as well."
"Uh?" an unruly man sitting at a table next him asked.
"I am not talking to you Sir." the Judge growled at him.
"Huh?" the man looked up at the Judge wondering why someone who had just walked into the saloon was talking to himself, it usually happened when they were on their way out.
The Judge just shook his head at the man and headed towards the bartender before he was able to sneak away. He reached the end of the bar just in time to stop him. He gave the man his most fearful look. "Where are Mr Standish and the others?"
"They rode out this morning." he squeaked as he pulled his shoulders up around his ears.
"When will they be back?" he growled at him as he realised that his expression had scared the man.
"Tonight maybe I don't really know." he started to draw back from the Judge. He was as bad as Larabee he thought to himself.
"Now if you do not answer my next question truthfully I am going to put you in jail. Do you understand?" he loved using that threat, it always got most people to talk, even Ezra.
The man nodded and pushed his glasses back onto his nose as they began to fall off. The last thing he wanted to do was go to jail and he knew the Judge would honour his threat.
"Has Mr Standish been in town the last two weeks?" he waited for the answer not taking his eyes off the man who had now begun to shake.
"No. Can I go now?" he didn't wait for an answer, he ran away just as he had done that time with Mr Standish after spiking the drinks for his mother.
"Well, well Mr Standish it looks like you are going to be in a bit of trouble when you get back."
"Huh?" the unruly man was now at the bar getting another bottle of whiskey. The Judge gave him a look and left the saloon.
***
Ezra was comfortable in his own world, he could hear voices around him but he ignored them, he felt their warm touch against his skin, which he also ignored, he felt the pain and it was a struggle to ignore it but he managed to. He was cold where he was and hoped that he would warm up soon as he hated the cold. He stayed this way for a while enjoying the dark and quiet but then he began to feel sick again. He didn't want to feel sick but his stomach seemed to have a mind of its own and it was telling him that it wanted to be sick. He ignored it but it rolled in protest, demanding that he wake so it could do what it wanted. He refused it as long as he could but it was stronger than he was. As he allowed the need to bring him out of the darkness, the light invaded his mind. He screwed his eyes tighter hoping to keep the light away as long as he could but it was no good he had to give in to the need and the light.
"My stomach wants to be sick." he croaked to anyone who was with him. He felt warm hands turning him onto his side and as before he hoped that there was a bucket because he was still not able to open his heavy eyelids. He allowed his stomach to do what it wanted and hoped that there was not too many people watching as he hated doing this in front of anyone. For something that protested, so much it didn't really do a lot. When he finished he was put onto his back and then hands helped him sit up. He felt something against his lips and turned his head away from it as he knew what it was.
"Ezra if you don't drink it for me I will force you to drink it." Nathan told him.
"It will make me sick and I don't like feeling sick." his voice was husky and he realised how dry his throat was but he still wasn't going to drink the water.
"I'm sorry Ezra." he felt someone place their hands against the side of his head and then someone else pinch his nose, his mouth automatically opened so he could continue to breath but instead of air entering his dry mouth it was water, a small amount at first and then his mouth was forced shut, he had no choice but to swallow it. He waited for his stomach to heave but it didn't. He felt his nose being pinched again and more water was poured into his mouth, the process was repeated four more times. His struggle had tired him and because his stomach did not protest against the invasion, he fell back into the welcoming darkness.
Chris had been standing to the side of the room never taking his eyes off Ezra's pale unmoving face, Vin had explained to him what Nathan had said about Ezra's body shutting down to heal it's self. He had watched as Nathan cleaned the wounds on his shoulder and then bandaged them, he had watched as Ezra did not respond to anything. They stayed in the room with him each not wanting to leave and after a while, they saw his face grimace as if in pain. Then they all heard the simple statement that he was going to be sick and they helped him onto his side. Nathan had asked Nettie to bring in a bucket for this reason. Once he was finished Nathan had Chris and Jean lift him up and he placed a cup against his mouth but he refused it as a child would refuse medicine.
But they were prepared for this as Nathan had told them what he wanted them to do. Chris sat behind Ezra and took his head between his hands while Jean pinched his nose so Nathan could force him to drink the water and they continued to do this until the cup was empty. Nettie had brought the bucket up onto the bed in case he was going to be sick again but he kept the water down. They laid him back down on the bed and pulled his covers back up.
Part One | Part Two | Part Three
Master Fan Fiction List
Eleventh story in 'The Continuing Ezra Standish Saga'
Rating: PG
Warnings: Bad writing ahead!
Fandom: The Magnificent Seven
Genre: Hurt/Comfort
Summary: An old enemy of Chris's arrives in town to seek revenge against him. And to do it she takes a friend of Ezra's hostage to blackmail him into helping her seek revenge.
Main Characters: Ezra, and the rest of the seven, and some OC's
Disclaimers: The guys are owned by CBS, MGM, Trilogy Entertainment Group, and The Mirisch Corp.
Beta: Not betaed – written in the early days when I didn’t know what the words grammar and edit meant. *is ashamed but no longer care*
Notes: Eleventh story in the ‘Continuing Ezra Standish Saga’.
Spoilers: None.
Total Word Count: 33,041
Part Two
Ezra walked down the stairs into the quiet saloon to find his friends waiting for him. They knew that he would be up early and ready to go. He moved to the table and sat down in the empty chair. He was worried about how Chris's plan was going to go. He had too many questions. What if Christy had already killed Jean? What if she shot Chris straight away? What if Buck did not get there in time to help? But the one he worried about the most was if Jean was still okay.
JD moved a plate of food towards him, it consisted of eggs and beans but Ezra turned his nose up at it and pushed it back to him. He helped himself to some coffee and sat in silence. Buck was wearing the slicker that Vin had taken off Pete and Ezra had to admit to himself that at a distance they would not be able to tell that the rider behind them wasn't Pete.
"Are you alright to do this Ezra?" Chris asked him.
"I'm fine, I am concerned about Jean." he smiled knowing that it was a weak smile and that it would not fool any of them. His fever had improved but it hadn't left him. He took his guns out while he sat there and started to reload them as Christy had taken the bullets out before she gave him guns back. At least they would have the element of surprise there.
He did not move his head away as Nathan placed his palm against his forehead. "You still got a fever Ezra, not as bad as it was but it's still there." Under other circumstances, he would have forced Ezra back to bed but he had a job to do and this was probably why Ezra did not complain when he checked his temperature. But as soon as he got back, he would send him to bed and he will not have a choice in the matter.
"Guys could you let me have a word with Ezra for a moment please." Chris did not ask it as a question it was more of an order.
"Well make sure that the horses are ready." said Buck. They got up and walked out of the saloon looking over their shoulders at Chris and Ezra.
"Ezra before we go I just wanted to thank you for telling us about this." Ezra looked up at him not sure what it was that Chris was trying to say to him. "Usually you would have kept it to yourself and then tried to resolve the situation on your own. It shows that you are finally accepting that we trust you and are your friends."
"I wouldn't go too far in your assumption Mr Larabee." But Ezra smiled as he said this. He hadn't realised what he had done until Chris just told him. He had finally accepted them and would no longer try to push them away. Except maybe Mr Jackson when he tried to induce medical care upon his person.
Chris got up and slapped him on the back. "Let's go Ezra."
Ezra stood up and followed him out through the saloon doors. It is going to be another warm day thought Ezra as he looked up into the cloudless sky. Vin brought him out of his thoughts.
"You guys better hurry back as it's going to rain this afternoon." he was frowning up at the sky but turned when he heard Ezra laughing.
"Something wrong Ezra?"
"No Mr Tanner, you just reminded me of something, I will tell you about it when I come back." he hoped that they would all come back unharmed.
Chris and Ezra got up on their horses. "Follow us in about ten minutes Buck but if you hear shooting don't rush in. If were okay I'll wave to you and if you don't see me then come back for help. You got that?" Chris just about glared at him.
"Yeah I got that." he grimaced.
"The rest of you follow Buck but give him at least a thirty minute head start." Vin nodded in acknowledgement. Chris knew that he would do as he was told but he wasn't so sure about Buck but they didn't have anyone else who looked like the man who was told to stay with Ezra.
***
Chris and Ezra rode the two-hour journey in silence neither of them needing to say anything. Ezra had noticed the clouds starting to build up in the sky. Vin had been right as usual. He looked up towards the area that he knew Christy was holding Jean. They would be there within ten minutes. Christy looked down to see Ezra returning with Chris Larabee just like she knew he would. She motioned for her men to get out of sight and to take the woman with them. She wasn't even going to give them a chance to react to the situation, she was going to deal with Larabee straight away and then have some more fun with Ezra before she killed him and his lady friend. She hid behind a tree and waited.
Chris and Ezra rode into the area where Ezra had told him Christy and Jean would be but they saw no one. They got off the horses and drew their guns just in case. Chris and Ezra looked at each other and as they did Ezra saw Christy step out from behind a tree with her gun aimed at Chris's chest. Ezra fired his gun and stepped in front of Chris at the same time, he saw Christy go down and in the same moment, he felt the tearing pain of the bullet entering high in his right shoulder causing him to drop his gun. The force of the bullet pushed him back against Chris and they fell to the ground.
Chris struggled to get Ezra off him and he felt him trying to help, he hadn't lost consciousness yet. Chris could see Christy stand up and lift her gun towards him. Ezra's bullet had hit her left arm. Chris pulled his own gun but heard the sound of three other guns cocking. He looked to his left and saw three of the four men that Ezra had spoken of.
"Don't even think about it Larabee!" Christy yelled at him. He was supposed to be dead now. She walked over to them her left arm hanging useless at her side. She looked down at Chris and then at Ezra who was staring back at her with pain filled eyes. Christy brought her gun up and aimed it again at Chris. She thought that Ezra was now useless and not able to defend himself or Chris, she was about to pull the trigger when Ezra's boot kicked her arm but it caused the gun to go off and the second bullet entered Ezra's shoulder close to the first wound. He rolled off Chris leaving him open to Christy if she chose to fire again. She made the mistake of hesitating as she looked at Ezra's back seeing only one exit wound. The sound of another gunshot echoed through the air and Chris saw one of the other gunmen go down. He jumped up and grab Christy's gun arm and used his own that was still in his hand to fire on the other two while using her as a shield. He took one of them down and a second bullet from Buck's gun took down the third. He then took the gun from Christy's hand.
"Ezra!" he heard Jean yelling and looked over to see her struggling to get away from a man who had his gun pointed to her head.
"Drop your gun or she's dead." the man said calmly.
Chris quickly stood and pulled Christy in front of him. "Tell your man to let her go or I will kill you." he growled at her.
He was in a standoff that he did not believe that he was going to win. He wanted to look down at Ezra but he didn't dare take his eyes off the man that had Jean.
"And if he doesn't I will." Buck had stepped out from behind the tree that he was using as cover. He stood to the side but between Jean and Chris. He had arrived just after hearing the first gunshot because he had ignored Chris's orders and hurried his own pace so he would arrive not long after them. He had seen Ezra and Chris go down. He watched as Ezra tried to kick the gun out of the woman's hand and heard the gun go off again but he didn't know if Chris or Ezra had been shot. He took a quick glance at Ezra but it was enough to tell him that if they did not hurry he was going to bleed to death as the blood had already begun to form a puddle around his right shoulder and side.
"Then kill me because I am not going back to jail." Christy smiled but only Buck could see it as Chris was behind her.
"What about an exchange?" Chris didn't answer her. "Decide quickly Larabee or else Ezra is going to die if we stay in this situation much longer."
"I know what you’re capable of Christy, how do I know that you won't try and kill us anyway?" Chris asked her. He had not taken his eyes off Jean. She was watching Ezra's still form hoping for some kind of movement to let her know that he was still alive but so far, he had given no indication of life.
"I told you that I am not going back to jail but if I can manage that and stay alive at the same time then I will but it is up to you as you have a lot more to lose than I do."
"Do it Chris, we can go after her later. We need to look after Ezra." Buck kept his gun on the man holding Jean but he started to side step towards Ezra, he needed to know if he was still alive.
"You send Jean over and I'll send your boss at the same time. Got it?" Chris removed his gun from Christy's temple and moved her forward. Dave did the same with Jean who wanted to run to Ezra but kept her calm and her eyes on Christy as she walked towards her. Chris aimed his gun at Dave hopping that Jean would stay to the side and not get in his direct line of sight, he had to admire the women for keeping her calm as she did exactly what he wanted her to do.
Christy thought about grabbing Jean on the way past but knew that it would only result in her own death so she kept walking knowing that she could come back later and kill Larabee and Ezra for messing up her plans. She reached Dave and turned around and with her good arm, she tipped her hat to Chris and stepped backwards into the woods. Once she was in the cover of the trees, she turned and ran to the horses and rode off with all intentions of returning.
Once the exchange started Buck took his eyes off them as he knew that Chris's gun would not falter until they were out of sight and he hurried to Ezra's side. He didn't move him straight away as he was afraid that if he turned him over he would be dead and he couldn't face that thought at the moment. He could see the side of his face and how it had paled considerably, he could see the spots of blood that stood out on his face, the split on the now pale lip, the exit wound on his shoulder. Jean's hands pushing him away brought him out of his shocked state. Her efficient hands gently turned Ezra over revealing the two gunshot wounds that were close to each other in his right shoulder.
"Buck have you got any material in your saddlebags or anyone else?" She had seen Ezra go down and then take a second bullet. Her heart had dropped, it had taken all of her strength to stay in control. And now she was near breaking point but she had to keep herself together for Ezra's sake.
Chris knelt down beside them but did not stop his eyes from scanning the area just in case Christy came back. He knew that the others would be here soon especially after hearing the gunshots but until they did he would not allow himself to look at Ezra but he did not know how long he would be able to stop himself. "He still alive?"
"Yes at the moment." Jean didn't elaborate on the statement but instead yelled out to Buck to hurry. He came back with one of his own shirts and two of Ezra's. She took them from him and rolled them into balls and then placed them against the front of Ezra's shoulder and the back and pressed down hard. She did not fail to notice the lack of response from Ezra. "What about blankets Buck? We have to keep him warm in case the blood loss causes him to go into shock."
Chris listened to what Jean was saying and could not help himself as he took a quick sidelong glance at Ezra. He only looked for a second but took in everything, the paleness, the blood and most of all the lack of response to Jeans treatment. Buck returned with two blankets and placed them over Ezra's legs and waist keeping them away from Jean's hands. He then stepped back and waited.
"Buck I'm going to take a look around see if they are still here." Chris didn't wait for Buck's answer but he did notice that he had pulled his own gun out and stood over Jean and Ezra protecting them from anything else that may happen.
Jean continued to press down hard on Ezra's shoulder while not taking her eyes off his handsome face, his head was leaning against his left shoulder at an awkward angle. She could feel that the shirts were now soaked with Ezra's blood but she wasn't going to take her hands away until she felt confident that the blood flow had either stopped or slowed. She kept this up for five minutes but her arms began to tire with the force that she was placing on his shoulder.
"Buck I need you to take over my arms are getting tired and there needs to be more pressure." he didn't hesitate but instead of putting his gun away he placed it on the ground next to Jean. She used one of her hands to guide his and put them on top of the shirts. "Don't worry about hurting him as he is not feeling anything at the moment. She saw his look of concern and could see the worry in his eyes. "Press down as hard as you can, I think that the bleeding has nearly stopped but I will give you a few more minutes and then I will check the wounds."
Chris returned five minutes later to find Buck leaning over Ezra and Jean keeping guard over them. He knelt down next to him. "They're gone, I could see them riding away and I saw the others, they will be here in about five minutes." he took a deep breath before asking the question which he feared the answer to. "How's he doing?"
"He's been shot twice, one of the bullets went straight through but the other one is still in there, he's lost a lot of blood so far and will probably lose more and that may cause him to go into shock which could be just as bad." Jean tried to be calm but she could not help the small sob that escaped her mouth. Chris put his arm around her to comfort her, he could feel her shaking under his arm.
Jean moved forward and Buck allowed her to remove his hands from Ezra's shoulder, she then pulled his jacket to the side. After undoing the buttons of his vest and shirt she pulled them off his shoulder, then moved the blankets up further to cover his stomach to try to keep the cool air off him. The air had become chilled due to the storm that was moving in from the North.
The flow of blood had just about stopped but she knew that it would start again when they removed the bullet. She placed her hand on his chest feeling his pale clammy skin, she could also feel his rapid heartbeat. "He's going into shock." she told both Chris and Buck. "Help me roll him onto his side." Once they had done that she put the shirts back against the wounds and pulled his jacket over them, she then adjusted the blanket and pulled it up against his chin. Jean then had Buck press against the front and back of Ezra's shoulder again. "We'll wait for Nathan, he'll be able to do more for him."
***
Christy rode away from the disaster that she did not think would happen. She had planned everything and then Ezra had messed it up by being a hero and saving Larabee's life. She had aimed for the heart but because the gambler was shorter than him the bullet had entered higher in his shoulder as he moved across in front of him. And then did it a second time by trying to kick the gun out of her hand, which resulted in a second wound. Under other circumstances, she may have fallen for the man and tried to make him hers. She had enjoyed the kiss that she had given him and wanted to do it again after she killed Larabee but everything went wrong. Never mind she thought to herself, she would give them a few days to think that she had left the area and then she would go back for both of them.
***
Vin and the remaining hired gunmen pulled their horses to a halt as they heard the sound of gunshots shatter the silence the hung in the air. They only waited a moment to take note of which direction the sound came from and then urged their horses into a gallop each holding in their own fears as to the meaning of the gunshots. It took them a long agonising ten minutes before they reached the area where Ezra told them they would be and what they saw shook them to the core. They saw Chris, Buck and Jean leaning over someone that they assumed was Ezra, he was covered with a blanket and because Buck sat in the way they could not see if the blanket had been placed over his head. They quickly dismounted and ran over to them each releasing the breath that they had held when they saw Ezra's pale face against the green grass that covered the ground beneath him.
"Nathan, help him please." Nathan could hear the pleading in Jean's voice, he turned to JD who had already gone back for his saddlebags.
It was Nathan who removed Buck's hands this time and Chris helped him roll Ezra onto his back. He pulled the blanket and Ezra's clothing aside and wondered how Ezra managed to get himself shot twice. Chris answered his unvoiced question.
"He saved my life, twice." Chris knew what Nathan was thinking when he saw the two bullet wounds. "One of them is still in there."
Nathan took note of the amount of blood on the shirts that they had used to try to stop the bleeding and what had begun to soak into the soft ground. He noticed the pale colour that his skin and taken on and the way it was cool and clammy to the touch, he leant down and felt his rapid breathing against his own cheek. All of this told him that Ezra's body was in shock and he was already in a weakened state due to the fever that he still had. Nathan knew that if the shock was not dealt with correctly it could kill him. He would have to keep him warm which Jean had already started doing and make sure that he drank fluids whenever he woke up which was going to be hard because the shock would also cause him to be unconscious most of the time and that he could also just throw it back up again when they did manage to get him to drink something. At least the blood had stopped leaking from the wound and that was something he was grateful for.
Josiah could you go and get me some more blankets." Nathan took the bags from JD and took out the bandages that he would use to wrap the wounds. At the moment, his first thought was to deal with the shock that Ezra's body was suffering from and then he would deal with the wounds once they got back to town. He quickly placed some herbs and balm on the open wounds to try to stop any infection from developing. Josiah returned with some more blankets and placed them over Ezra. Nathan then had him lift Ezra up gently so he could bandage his shoulder. This took Nathan only five minutes to do.
"I can't do anymore here we have to get him back to town. He's in shock from the loss of blood." he didn't say anymore.
"You may have to find him some cover Nathan as it's going to be raining before were even half way home." Vin was looking up into the sky. It had begun to darken with the storms clouds that now filled the sky.
"Shit." Everyone who was looking at Vin turned to Nathan who did not usually use profanity so just that one simple word told them how serious Ezra was.
"Vin is there anywhere near here that we could go until the rain eases?" Chris asked him.
"What about Nettie's place, that's only an about hour from here." JD answered before Vin could. They all turned on him, he felt Buck slap him on the back and this caused him to smile as it meant he said something right because Buck would usually hit him on the back of the head when what he said was the wrong thing.
"Can we get there before the rain starts?" asked Nathan with the hope that he felt sounding in his voice.
"We might but I can't say for sure." Vin looked back up to the sky. He thought that the rain might hold off for that long, well he hoped it would for Ezra's sake.
Nathan stood up and started giving out orders. "Josiah I want you to take Ezra, I want him to stay wrapped in the blankets and your arms would be the longest here. I'll stay close in case he wakes up because he's going to need fluids and to make sure that he doesn't get to hot, we just have to maintain his body temperature. Vin you ride ahead and let Nettie know what's going on and she will get things ready for us." Vin rushed off to his horse and rode out hoping that when they reached Nettie’s farm behind him that Ezra would still be alive, the way Nathan was talking had made him worry that Ezra was not going to be okay.
"Okay, Josiah, go and get your horse." Nathan bent down and with Chris's help, they gently lifted Ezra off the ground. They could hear the sickly sound of his clothing separated from the blood that had soaked the ground underneath his body.
Josiah rode his horse back to Nathan and Chris who were both holding Ezra in their arms. Chris had him by his arms with Ezra's head leaning against his shoulder and Nathan had his legs. When he reached their side, Chris lifted Ezra up into Josiah's waiting arms and then he positioned Ezra into a more comfortable position and laid his head in the crook of his shoulder. When he had placed his hand against his forehead, he could feel that Ezra was cool and that this was the reason for the blankets. It made a strange change from the other times he had been hurt when a fever had usually begun to rage through his body. 'Ezra must have lost a lot of blood.' he thought to himself. He wrapped his arm around his waist and headed out after Vin.
"Jean you can ride Ezra's horse." Chris told her. She nodded and went and got Ezra's horse, she then caught up with Josiah as she was not going to leave Ezra's side. Jean rode close enough to Josiah that she was able to place her hand on Ezra's leg hoping that it would give both herself and Ezra some comfort even with the amount of blankets between her touch of affection and his leg. The others had also caught up and Nathan rode on Josiah's other side.
***
"Ouch, be more careful will you." Christy growled at Dave who was trying to take the bullet out of her arm. Her eyes had turned green when she saw Chris Larabee and they had not changed back yet so Dave tried to be careful. They had travelled for an hour and then stopped as Christy was beginning to find it difficult to stay on her horse, they also needed to find some kind of shelter as they could tell that it was going to rain. But the best thing they could find was a thick group of trees, which they hoped, would keep most of the rain off them.
"There it's out. I'll just clean it now and then bandage it." He saw her nod so he continued. "So are we going to go back after them?" he asked her.
"Of course we are. Both of them if Standish is still alive. We'll wait a few days so I can get my strength back and in the meantime I will just have to come up with another plan."
Dave watched as she smiled and thought that she really did have a smile that could scare men because at that moment he was scared of her.
***
They all rode in silence only hearing the occasional sound of thunder that reminded them of the rain that was threatening to fall down on them. They all hoped that it would hold off until they arrived at Nettie Well's farm as it was the last thing that Ezra needed at the moment. Every now and then one of the group thought that they felt a drop of rain on a hand, on a face or some other part of the body and feared the worse but at the time, it was only their imagination.
Chris, Buck and JD watched the area around them carefully watching for any sign that Christy was following them as Chris believed that she would not give up so easily. While they did this, they stole quick glances at Ezra who was still lying, unmoving within Josiah's strong arm, his pale face bouncing against his shoulder.
Jean and Nathan had stayed close to Ezra, Jean for support and comfort and to hold off the fear that she knew she would feel if she wasn't close to him and Nathan was there in case he woke up. Ezra had still given no sign of life since he was shot the second time. They had all believed what Chris had said about Ezra saving his life twice, they knew that he would risk or give his own life for any of them as they would also do the same for him or any other member of the group.
When they had first met him they believed him to be a liar and a cheat who only took care of himself and they knew that he was still a liar and a cheat but now for different reasons. Now he did it to protect other people, to protect his friends and he never thought of himself as number one anymore but one of a group of seven, all of whom needed help or protection at some time over the last eight months and these traits that had been taught to him by his mother were able to get them out of more than one dangerous situation.
Josiah was thinking of what Ezra had done trying to take his mind off what the result of his actions might be when he felt him finally move within his strong arm and he kept a firm hold in case he began to struggle. "Nathan." he felt him move again. "Nathan I think he's coming round." The soft moan that came from his mouth confirmed that he was waking up. Nathan moved closer to Ezra and the others turned to watch as he tried to bring him to a conscious state.
"Ezra can you hear me?" he leaned over and placed his hand against the side of Ezra's face still feeling the cool clammy skin. Ezra tried to move his head away from Nathan's touch but could not go far due to Josiah's large shoulder. Nathan removed his hand as it seemed to be causing him some sort of discomfort. "Ezra if you’re awake open your eyes for me." he waited a few moments and watched as Ezra frowned as if in concentration.
Ezra's body had shut down due to the shock that his body was suffering from trying to protect and heal itself but the constant motion of moving had begun to make him feel ill. He didn't want to come out of the darkness as there was no pain there but the need to throw up was stronger than the need for the comfort of the darkness. It was a struggle to leave it behind, he tried to say something to the person who was moving him about but all that happened was the own movement of his body which made him feel worse. He tried again but with the same result. He finally managed to make something come out of his mouth but it was a slight moan.
He was about to give up when he heard the familiar voice of Josiah talking to someone. He then heard Nathan's comforting voice and felt something against the side of his face, he tried to move away from it but couldn't and then the warm touch was gone. He tried to open his eyes when Nathan asked him to but he couldn't, they were too heavy, he tried harder but it was too much of a struggle so he tried his voice again.
"Stop." was all he could manage.
"Ezra I'm going to get you to drink some water for me. Okay." They continued to keep moving so they would not lose any time. The sky was black and they didn't need Vin to tell them that it was going to rain at any moment and they were still thirty minutes from the farm.
"Stop. Please." Ezra managed to say again.
Josiah pulled his horse to a stop as he finally understood what Ezra was asking of them. "What's wrong Ezra?" he asked him but Ezra did not answer him straight away as he was waiting to see if the bile that was in his throat was going to return to his stomach or not. After a few moments, he no longer felt the need to throw up but he still felt sick.
"I feel sick." he moaned as he pressed himself more into Josiah's shoulder who then strengthened his own grip giving Ezra the comfort that he was seeking.
"Ezra," Nathan put his hand on the blanket-covered shoulders, "I want you to drink some water."
"No, I feel sick." he no longer tried to open his eyes.
"Ezra you have to drink some fluids or you are going to get worse."
Ezra shook his head in indignation and pushed himself even further into Josiah's body away from Nathan. His stomach was beginning to feel better but he knew that if he drank water it would make him sick and then throws up and he wasn't going to do that in front of anyone. It happened in front of Jean on more than one occasion after that woman had hit him but he had no choice he couldn't stop it but he could now by refusing the water. When it had happened before he felt shamed, it had made him feel like a child when his mother used to degrade him for being sick particularly when it had stopped them from pulling a lucrative con.
Jean moved closer to him and placed her own hand against his face where Nathan had put his but Ezra tried to move away the hand as he didn't know who's touch it was. "Ezra will you please drink some water for me?" she asked him. She felt hurt by him shying away from her touch.
Ezra heard Jean's voice but it was distant as the darkness had begun to take him again. "No." he then fell into unconsciousness again. Josiah could no longer feel him pressing against him nor could he feel any warmth coming from the figure in his arms.
The others had watched and they saw Nathan's shoulders sag. "We’ll try again when he wakes up next time." They did not hear the confidence that his voice usually held. They began to move on again and twenty minutes later they all felt the rain begin to fall and this time it was not their imagination.
***
Nettie Wells looked up as she saw a rider coming in fast. She was about to go inside to get her rifle when she recognised the rider as Vin Tanner. She frowned wondering what he was doing out here when a storm was about to start and why he was in such a hurry. She waited until he stopped his horse in front of her before she said something but was interrupted before her first word had even been voiced.
"Nettie, Ezra's been hurt and we need to get him somewhere warm because it's too far to town and he will only get wet and that will make him sicker so JD thought about your place so they sent me ahead and they are following . . ."
"Slow down Vin, take your time." She could see the concern written all over his face and this meant that the gambler man must have been hurt pretty bad.
"There about twenty minutes behind me, we have to get things ready for Nathan, a bed and boiling water." he looked at Nettie knowing that she would not refuse him or Ezra.
"You go and put your horse in the barn and I'll start getting things ready." Vin started to walk his horse towards the barn. "Is he hurt bad Vin?"
"Nathan seems to think so." he didn't turn and look at Nettie but kept moving. It was going to be a long wait and he
was not looking forward to it. He didn't even know if Ezra was still alive.
***
"Christy you should sit down, you lost a lot of blood and you need to rest." Dave tried to tell her but he knew that she would not listen, not when she was in this state. They had stayed where they stopped the rain now falling from the sky above them. The trees gave them some protection and Dave had managed to start a fire that was strong enough to defend itself against the small amount of rain that did manage to filter through the roof that was made up of trees.
"What I need is to kill Larabee and then deal with Ezra." She wanted to kill Larabee outright but not Ezra, she had more things planned for that handsome man. She put her hand to her lips remembering how soft his lips had felt, she remembered the taste of his mouth, the feel of his tongue and she wanted more, a lot more. "We'll stay here until tomorrow night and then head into Four Corners when everyone is sleeping and then find them."
"What if he's dead?" he did not need to use a name to identify the person he was talking about.
"Then we will just have Larabee to deal with. One quick shot from an alley way should do it." she smiled and gently squeezed her injured arm enjoying the pain that it caused her.
Dave watched her and actually felt sorry for Larabee and hoped that the other man was dead.
***
Vin was standing on the porch of Nettie's small home looking into the distance through the rain hoping that they arrived soon. It had been raining for nearly ten minutes and everyone would be soaked to the bone by now. He had helped Nettie start a fire so that they would be able to get warm and she had gathered together some dry clothes, they had smelt of dust but they were clean.
"Can you see them yet?" Nettie had come out onto the porch and she put her hand on Vin's shoulder.
"No, they should be here by now." He was becoming very worried. The longer they took the more worried he become, he didn't know if they were taking their time because Ezra had died or if something had gone wrong. His thoughts clouded his mind and his vision. It was Nettie's voice that brought him back.
"There they are." she had seen a group of riders coming out of the trees in the distance. Vin made to run out into the rain but Nettie kept a firm grip on his shoulder, she didn't need another one getting wet. It took another five minutes until the horses were brought to a halt in front of the house. Nettie then let Vin go and watched him as he ran to his injured friend.
"Is he still alive?" there was almost a pleading sound in his voice.
"Yes." Josiah told him seeing the relief on his face. "Here take Ezra for me will you." He lifted Ezra down into Vin's arms and heard him moan as his injured shoulder was placed against Vin's chest.
Vin looked down into his friends face, Josiah's hat had covered most of his head and face but it had fallen off when he took him from Josiah's arms and now the rain was falling onto his face and his hair was beginning to cling to his scalp.
He suddenly felt Ezra shiver violently under the blankets.
"Get him inside Vin, quickly." Nathan yelled at him bringing him out of his unmovable state. He turned and ran as fast as he could onto the porch and Nettie then guided him to the room that she had prepared for them earlier. She ignored the rainwater that was dripping from both the blankets and the still form within them. Nathan and Jean followed them into the room both leaving more water trails behind them.
"Don't put him on the bed yet, we have to get rid of the blankets and wet clothes." Nettie told Vin as he was about to place Ezra on the bed. He looked at her with an expression that said 'Well where can I put him.'
"On the floor Vin." Nathan quickly moved to his side. "Could you ladies give Ezra a bit of privacy." he heard them leave as he unwrapped Ezra from the blankets and then removed his clothes. He could feel the coldness of his skin and it was still clammy, he placed his hand on Ezra's cold chest feeling the rapid heartbeat. He stood up and pulled the blankets back and then Vin helped him lift Ezra onto the bed. Nathan then placed the blankets over his cold body and pulled them up under his chin. "Vin go and ask Nettie for some more blankets."
"Nathan is he going . . ."
"Just do it Vin!" Nathan raised his voice, he didn't mean to. He was feeling hopeless. He wasn't able to get Ezra to drink fluids and now he was in a worse condition and he blamed himself for it.
Vin returned a few minutes later with more blankets and towel and while Nathan put the blankets on the bed, he began to wipe Ezra's face and hair dry. Nettie came into the room then and stood beside the bed and looked down at the man that she still had trouble trusting. He had once lent her money to save her farm but only under pressure by Vin and he had asked for interest back. He was thinking of making a profit instead of helping her but Casey kept insisting that he had changed, that he would have done it anyway.
"Nathan do you need some help with his wounds?" She had given the others some towels and warm clothes, Chris and Buck and stayed outside to take care of the horses but she left what they needed.
"All I am going to do is gently clean them and then leave him be." Nathan explained.
"You're not going to take the bullet out?" asked Vin.
"Vin he is suffering from shock, his body has shut down to try and heal itself, if I do anything it will just make it worse. He won't be able to take anything more until he improves, it could kill him. I need to get him warm and to get fluids into him and until that happens the bullet stays in there."
Vin nodded in understanding. "He's that bad?"
"Yes he is." Nathan wiped his hand across his face.
"Nathan why don't you go get out of those wet clothes, I'll watch him until you come back and then we'll clean his wounds." Nettie gently pushed him towards the door. When he stepped outside into the larger room, he felt the warmth of the fire and the eyes of everyone in the room upon him. He did not look back at them. They knew that his silence meant that they would have to continue to wait, their eyes returned to the floor. Jean came out of one of the other rooms in clothes that were too large for her. Nettie had left out an old dress as Vin had told her that there was a woman among the group but Jean had left the dress there and had taken a pair of brown trousers and a white shirt. She saw the forlorn look on Nathan's face and walked passed him into the room where Ezra was.
Vin looked up as Jean entered the room. He had finished drying Ezra's hair and was now drying his own. Jean came over and sat on the bed and wiped the strands of hair off Ezra's pale forehead feeling that his skin was still cool. She knew that Nathan would not do a lot about his wounds until he came out of shock. When he next wakes up, they will have to force him to drink some water. She put her hand under the heavy blankets and place it on his chest, his heartbeat was rapid, his skin cool. She felt him shiver beneath her hand and she quickly wiped away the tear before it fell. Nettie moved to her side and put a comforting hand on her shoulder.
***
The Judge quietly stepped into the saloon quickly using his eyes to scan the room for Ezra and any of the other hired lawmen. He now knew that they lied to him about Ezra helping Mary with a story, her reaction to the subject was enough to convince him. He saw the bartender look at him and then start to sneak away from the bar. "Not him as well."
"Uh?" an unruly man sitting at a table next him asked.
"I am not talking to you Sir." the Judge growled at him.
"Huh?" the man looked up at the Judge wondering why someone who had just walked into the saloon was talking to himself, it usually happened when they were on their way out.
The Judge just shook his head at the man and headed towards the bartender before he was able to sneak away. He reached the end of the bar just in time to stop him. He gave the man his most fearful look. "Where are Mr Standish and the others?"
"They rode out this morning." he squeaked as he pulled his shoulders up around his ears.
"When will they be back?" he growled at him as he realised that his expression had scared the man.
"Tonight maybe I don't really know." he started to draw back from the Judge. He was as bad as Larabee he thought to himself.
"Now if you do not answer my next question truthfully I am going to put you in jail. Do you understand?" he loved using that threat, it always got most people to talk, even Ezra.
The man nodded and pushed his glasses back onto his nose as they began to fall off. The last thing he wanted to do was go to jail and he knew the Judge would honour his threat.
"Has Mr Standish been in town the last two weeks?" he waited for the answer not taking his eyes off the man who had now begun to shake.
"No. Can I go now?" he didn't wait for an answer, he ran away just as he had done that time with Mr Standish after spiking the drinks for his mother.
"Well, well Mr Standish it looks like you are going to be in a bit of trouble when you get back."
"Huh?" the unruly man was now at the bar getting another bottle of whiskey. The Judge gave him a look and left the saloon.
***
Ezra was comfortable in his own world, he could hear voices around him but he ignored them, he felt their warm touch against his skin, which he also ignored, he felt the pain and it was a struggle to ignore it but he managed to. He was cold where he was and hoped that he would warm up soon as he hated the cold. He stayed this way for a while enjoying the dark and quiet but then he began to feel sick again. He didn't want to feel sick but his stomach seemed to have a mind of its own and it was telling him that it wanted to be sick. He ignored it but it rolled in protest, demanding that he wake so it could do what it wanted. He refused it as long as he could but it was stronger than he was. As he allowed the need to bring him out of the darkness, the light invaded his mind. He screwed his eyes tighter hoping to keep the light away as long as he could but it was no good he had to give in to the need and the light.
"My stomach wants to be sick." he croaked to anyone who was with him. He felt warm hands turning him onto his side and as before he hoped that there was a bucket because he was still not able to open his heavy eyelids. He allowed his stomach to do what it wanted and hoped that there was not too many people watching as he hated doing this in front of anyone. For something that protested, so much it didn't really do a lot. When he finished he was put onto his back and then hands helped him sit up. He felt something against his lips and turned his head away from it as he knew what it was.
"Ezra if you don't drink it for me I will force you to drink it." Nathan told him.
"It will make me sick and I don't like feeling sick." his voice was husky and he realised how dry his throat was but he still wasn't going to drink the water.
"I'm sorry Ezra." he felt someone place their hands against the side of his head and then someone else pinch his nose, his mouth automatically opened so he could continue to breath but instead of air entering his dry mouth it was water, a small amount at first and then his mouth was forced shut, he had no choice but to swallow it. He waited for his stomach to heave but it didn't. He felt his nose being pinched again and more water was poured into his mouth, the process was repeated four more times. His struggle had tired him and because his stomach did not protest against the invasion, he fell back into the welcoming darkness.
Chris had been standing to the side of the room never taking his eyes off Ezra's pale unmoving face, Vin had explained to him what Nathan had said about Ezra's body shutting down to heal it's self. He had watched as Nathan cleaned the wounds on his shoulder and then bandaged them, he had watched as Ezra did not respond to anything. They stayed in the room with him each not wanting to leave and after a while, they saw his face grimace as if in pain. Then they all heard the simple statement that he was going to be sick and they helped him onto his side. Nathan had asked Nettie to bring in a bucket for this reason. Once he was finished Nathan had Chris and Jean lift him up and he placed a cup against his mouth but he refused it as a child would refuse medicine.
But they were prepared for this as Nathan had told them what he wanted them to do. Chris sat behind Ezra and took his head between his hands while Jean pinched his nose so Nathan could force him to drink the water and they continued to do this until the cup was empty. Nettie had brought the bucket up onto the bed in case he was going to be sick again but he kept the water down. They laid him back down on the bed and pulled his covers back up.
Part One | Part Two | Part Three
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