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azombiewritesTitle: 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 Four
Christy made her way into the room to find Ezra struggling to sit up. "Why don't you just make yourself comfortable there Ezra while we have a bit of fun." Christy smiled. She had him alone and all to herself.
Ezra's head spun around a little too quickly and he felt the dizziness threaten to take him. But it passed. "Good lord." he groaned.
"He's not going to help you Ezra." Ezra could not help notice that her eyes were green.
Ezra did not bother to call out as he knew that there was no one in the house, Christy would not have been able to get to this room if there was. He watched as she moved closer to the bed, she had her gun drawn and was pointing it at him. He noticed that she was favouring her left arm. He collapsed back onto the bed as the struggle to get out of it had weakened him even more that he was, he would be too weak to even fight these women. Christy reached the side of the bed and sat down.
Using her injured arm, she slapped Ezra across the side of the face snapping his head back against the bed head.
"That was to show you that I can still use this arm." she transferred the gun to her left arm, the pain making her enjoy herself even more.
Ezra winced at both the pain that he felt as his head hit against the wood and the nausea that had returned to his stomach. "What are you going to do?" Ezra thought that if he could stall her long enough the others might realise that he was in here on his own and they would send someone in to see how he was. He just hoped that it wasn't Jean. He didn't want her hurt.
"I told you Ezra, I'm going to have some fun. I have a decision to make." she smiled at the confusion on Ezra's face. She was really enjoying herself now. Ezra was still sitting up so she did not have to lean to far forward and as she moved closer to him Christy place her gun against his side. "If you do anything stupid I will shoot you." she whispered in his ear and then gently kissed it feeling how soft his skin was against her lips.
Ezra looked into her eyes as she drew her head back and knew that she would do what she said. He could see it in her eyes, she felt no fear, just by looking into her eyes he was able to see into her soul and he knew that she had become crazy and now he was alone with her and he was too weak to defend himself. She leaned forward again this time moving closer to his face, she ran her tongue along his dry lips. Ezra turned his head away from her but she gripped his jaw in her hand as she had done before and roughly turned his handsome face back to her.
Christy squeezed Ezra's jaw harder enjoying the grimace that crossed his features she continued to put pressure on Ezra's jaw forcing his mouth to open. Her kisses were soft at first but then she began to be more forceful, she felt Ezra's lips soften from the moisture of her own mouth. She used her tongue to explore his mouth, running her tongue along his teeth, feeling the gold tooth. She could also feel him struggle against her grip so she pressed the gun harder against his ribs feeling him try to move away from that as well. She nibble against the healing split in his lip and bit into it causing the healing scab to break open and it began to bleed slightly. She started to suck on it tasting the blood.
Ezra was finally able to bring his arms up, the weakness he felt making it difficult and he tried to push her off him but he didn't have the strength, so he tried to move his head away but she had just pressed the gun harder into his ribs causing another pain to join the others. He felt her tongue in his mouth, pressing against his own and he felt the pain as she bit his lip again, hated this, he felt so helpless that this woman could do this to him and he couldn't stop her. Ezra decided to use his own teeth and bit her back.
Christy gave out a little cry and sat back drawing her face away from Ezra's. She put her hand against her mouth and when she looked at it, she saw the blood. 'Just like in my dream.' she used her thumb to wipe the blood from Ezra's mouth. He winced as she pressed against his lip. "Well Ezra I would say that I enjoyed that very much. Now why don't we try it the other way and see if I enjoy that more."
"Try what?" he asked her. He was trying to stall her again. He could hear the shouts coming from outside as the other hired gunmen and two women tried to stop the fire and he began to wonder if they would come back in time. He could not allow himself to think that this woman was going to kill him while his friends were outside.
"Patience Ezra, I will show you in a minute." she slowly pulled the blankets down to his waist and ran her fingers along his chest admiring the strong muscles that had developed there. Ezra shivered against the cold and the touch. "Are my hands cold Ezra?" she asked him but Ezra didn't answer her. Christy's fingers crept up towards the bandage that was wrapped around Ezra's shoulder. She pressed gently at first and heard Ezra's quick intake of breath. "Does that hurt?"
"Why don't you just do it and get it over with." Ezra growled at her. God he hated this, why did he have to be so weak, he was unable to defend himself.
"Your friends are taking a long time to put out that fire don't you think?" she waited for a response but did not get one.
"Dave should start picking them off one by one." She watched as Ezra's expression turned from anger to fear for his friends. "Except for Larabee that is because he is mine. And he will come in here when he hears you start screaming." she watched as Ezra's face changed again. "Has anybody told you have wonderful facial expressions?"
"Huh?" Ezra was really beginning to become confused now, she seemed to be changing all the time. First screaming then facial expression’s
"I said . . Oh never mind, it's not like we have a future together or anything like that." she pressed harder into his shoulder. This was the other thing that she needs to do before she made a decision.
Ezra clenched his teeth against the pain and knew there was going to be a lot more. He lifted his arm up to try and push her away but Christy easily pushed his arm back down. She pressed even harder and enjoyed the pain that now crossed Ezra face, distorting his handsome features. His teeth were clenched and his eyes were squeezed shut against the pain. Christy let up on the pressure a bit, but only a bit. He opened his eyes and she could see the pain in them. She pressed her fingers into the two wounds and Ezra could not keep the scream from escaping. Christy laughed. It was going to be hard to make her decision.
***
Chris stopped what he was doing and turned around, he thought he heard a scream. He turned to see Vin looking in the direction of the house as well. "Shit, Ezra." he dropped his bucket and started to run towards the house but halted in his tracks when he heard the gunshot and felt its breath against his face.
"It came from the front of the house." Vin told him as he ran back into the barn, which was not longer threatening to burn down.
"Christy must be in there with Ezra." Chris growled. He felt stupid for not realising that this was a set up. There may be only one or two gunmen but he had them pinned down. The only thing they could do was draw the person's fire and hope that they showed themselves. They heard another scream come from the house.
"Chris you have to do something!" Jean said to him.
"I am going to draw their fire, if they show themselves shoot them." Chris got up and went to the door, he took and deep breathe and then began to run to the back of the house. He heard a gunshot and expected the bullet to hit him
but it didn't so he continued to run. He reached the back of the house and made his way to the door. He opened it quietly and stepped inside. He kept his gun in front of him as he opened the door to the bedroom that Ezra was in. He thought that he would have the element of surprise but Christy was waiting for him. She was sitting on the bed next to Ezra with her gun pressed against his left temple.
"Well Mr Larabee, so nice of you to join us." Christy smiled at Chris. Once Ezra had screamed out in pain, she knew that it would only be a matter of minutes before he came in looking for Ezra. "I'm sorry Ezra can't welcome you, he's a bit indisposed at the moment." She nudged Ezra's head to the side but it fell back against her gun. "He's unconscious, couldn't take the pain I guess."
"What did you do to him?" Chris could see that Ezra's shoulder was bleeding again, he could see the blood soaking the bandage and the bed sheet beneath his shoulder. He decided at that instant that he was not going to kill her, that the punishment that would best suit her would be to go back to jail. He smiled his coldest smile.
"Perhaps I can show you." she used her free hand and pressed her fingers into Ezra's shoulder for the third time. He jerked awake the scream held behind clenched teeth.
"Let him go!" Chris yelled at her.
Christy's fingers continued to apply pressure against Ezra's shoulder but she released her grip just as she thought he was about to pass out again. "Ezra dear we have a guest." she took a handful of hair and pulled his head back. Ezra cried out as the jerk caused the pain to flash through his shoulder.
"I said let him go!" Chris told her again but he was wasting his time as she seemed to have no intention of stopping what she was doing. He had to do something or else she would end up killing him and he couldn't allow that to happen. "If you don't let him go I will shoot you." he warned her.
"Shoot me all you want Larabee, it will only mean that Ezra here," she pulled his head back as far as it would go before he hit the bed head, "will die with me."
"I didn't say I was going to kill you." Chris explained his intentions in more detail. "I am going to let you live so you can go back to jail."
Ezra felt the grip loosen so he pulled his head away from Christy's hand. He could feel the darkness threatening to take him away but he had to hold it off so he could help Chris. He looked at Chris trying to show him the confidence that he knew he didn't have but if he could make Chris see it then he would think that he could help him and he wouldn't hesitate to try to stop her before she killed either of them. He winced as he felt the gun press harder against his head. "Chris would you just shoot her." he muttered. Ezra felt the fist as it slammed into his shoulder and he cried out. He tried to double over but Christy just pushed him back against the bed causing his head to hit the bed head.
Ezra blacked out again, his head falling against his shoulder.
"Sorry." Christy apologised.
Chris stepped towards her raising his gun to her chest. Christy knew that if she made him mad enough that he would kill her, she wasn't going to go back to jail. And she was going to take one of them with her. It would have to be Ezra because if she turned her gun towards Chris then she would give him the opportunity to shoot and he would have plenty of time to aim.
"It's me you really want to leave him alone." Chris growled at her.
"But I seem to be having more fun with Ezra." she smiled and tried to prove her point by squeezing Ezra's shoulder but she did not get the same sort of response. Ezra rolled his head and groaned at the touch. She was disappointed. "Well I was. He's not doing too well is he?" she asked Chris.
Chris was scared for Ezra, he had to do something and he had to do it now. Christy did not have her gun actually pressed against Ezra's skull anymore, there was a gap and he noticed that when Ezra's head rolled it moved away from the gun so if it went off the bullet would miss, he hoped. "Looks like Ezra is doing okay to me, he's very stubborn you know."
"We will just see about that." She hit Ezra in the shoulder again and he grimaced at the pain and rolled his head again. Chris grimaced with him but also pulled the trigger at the same time, the bullet hitting Christy in the right shoulder slamming her against the wall. But her reflexes also took control and her gun also fired, Chris watched in horror as Ezra was flung onto his side and the blood flowed from his head wound.
***
Vin had watched as Chris made it to the back of the house, he hoped that he could get to Ezra and take care of the woman that they were afraid was with Ezra. He turned his attention back to the front of the house. Whoever had been there was no longer firing but he couldn't be sure, if the man was biding his time or if they had shot him. They did not have enough cover to leave the building to find out, he couldn't risk himself or one of the others being shot. That was until he heard the two gunshots coming from the house.
"Vin do something!" Jean yelled at him. She was upset and angry, Ezra couldn't die, she had been angry at him and walked out of the room, and she didn't want that to be their last moment together. She did not want him to die thinking that she was angry.
"We'll split into two groups, Nathan, Josiah, JD you head to the back of the house while Buck and I got to the front. Jean, Nettie once we reach the house then you can follow but not before." Vin told everyone, he was worried sick himself now. Two gunshots could either mean Chris and Ezra were dead or Christy and one of them were dead. He didn't wait any longer to find out. "Let's go." he ran out of the barn with the other four gunmen following and then they split up. He ran to the front of the house with Buck following, he expected to hear the gunshot as he ran but there was none. He reached the house with Buck close behind to find Dave lying on the porch with a bullet in his arm and his head bleeding. The bullet must have knocked him to the ground where he hit his head. They then ran into the house and went straight to the room, he heard the others coming through the back door. Vin and Buck stepped into the room.
"Where's Nathan!" Chris yelled at them. He was holding Ezra in his arms rocking him back and forth. "Someone get Nathan!"
Nathan had heard Chris yelling for him and he ran to the bedroom with Josiah and JD running behind him. He ran into the room straight into the backs of Vin and Buck, he pushed them aside. He could see Chris sitting on the bed with Ezra in his arms. He could see how limp Ezra was, the blood was flowing freely from a head wound. He quickly moved the bed and tried to take Ezra from Chris.
"Chris let me take him." Chris held on. "Please let him go."
"I killed him Nathan." He whispered.
"Chris let me check him." Nathan turned to Vin and Buck, they moved to the bed. Buck pulled Chris away and Vin helped Nathan lay Ezra back down on the bed. He could see the whiteness of Ezra's face, the blood standing out against the paleness of his skin. He quietly stepped back and waited to see if what Chris had said was true.
Jean and Nettie came into the room to see the same sight that everyone else had seen. Nettie stood back with the others while Jean ran to the bed. She grabbed Ezra's left hand and used her right hand to wipe the already damp hair from his forehead, she feel that his skin was cool. She looked up at Nathan and waited for an answer with everyone else.
Nathan was feeling for a pulse in Ezra's neck, he could feel one but it was rapid and weak. Because he hadn't fully recovered from the shock, his body found it easy to shut itself down again. He grabbed one of the bandages from the table beside the bed and pressed it against the bleeding wound and looked up at Jean and then the others.
"There is a pulse but it's weak and rapid." He looked back at Ezra and said no more. Chris sighed with relief but the worry and guilt did not lessen any.
The five gunmen knew what that meant, another waiting game for both Ezra and themselves. They were going to go through the same thing as they had after Nathan had taken out the bullet. Ezra had gone into shock again and it was going to be touch and go again, as to whether he was going to get through it.
Josiah took JD's arm and led him towards Christy. "JD why don't we take this woman into the other room."
"There's another one on the porch." Vin told him.
Josiah nodded. He and JD lifted Christy and took her into the main room. While JD tied her hands, he brought the other man in and together they roughly took care of their wounds. Once they had done that and were satisfied they were not going to die they returned to the room to see how Ezra was doing.
Nathan had finally managed to stop the bleeding, he wasn't sure if Ezra would make it this time, he had lost a lot of blood through these injuries and a body could only loose so much. Once he had cleaned the wound he gathered the things he would need to stitch it as the graze was deep, although it was not as bad as the last gunshot wound to the head that he had received a few months ago it was bad enough on top of what he had already suffered from.
Once he had finished stitching the wound, he took care of Ezra's shoulder. The bleeding had already stopped so it was only a matter of cleaning it again and putting a new bandage around the shoulder. When he finished he sat down on the side of the bed. Jean stayed on Ezra's other side and the rest of the men found their own places in the room. Nettie went and made plenty of coffee. The waiting game had begun again.
Nathan had pulled the blankets up to Ezra's chin to try to keep in any warmth that he had left in his body and he knew that it would not be much. Ezra's breathing had become rapid and his heartbeat was still fast. It was just like before, he continued to wait with the others in the room. They had heard Christy scream out to them a few times but they ignored her. She couldn't have been in such bad shape as she had used many profanities. She also continued to threaten to kill Chris and Ezra if he wasn't already dead.
After a couple of hours, Ezra developed a fever and he went downhill from there. Between the shock and the fever, Ezra's body was finding it hard to fight. He had become colder and his pulse weaker. This time they all knew he was going to die. Chris was not coping at all. He was going into his own state of shock, he had killed his friend. He sat in the corner watching Ezra thinking that it would only be a matter of time before his friend died because of a something he did. He wouldn't be able to go on knowing that he had caused another death. He would climb into the bottle again and stay there until it had taken him as well.
Nathan held onto Ezra's wrist feeling his weak pulse waiting for the final heartbeat. He could feel the heat of the fever and the cool clamminess of his skin. There was nothing more he could for him and he hated himself for that. He should have been able to keep him alive. He didn't think that it would be much longer now.
***
Ezra was back in the dark place again but this time there was something different, it was still cold and he still felt sick but there was something . . . It wasn't just his mind that was there, his body was also there now. He could no longer feel any sort of pain but he felt scared, he didn't know what was going on. He could hear people whispering around him and he knew that it wasn't any of his friends. Ezra felt as though he was being pulled somewhere but he didn't want to go, he sat down where he was and pulled his knees up under his chin and ignored the voices. He thought he saw something out of the corner of his eye but when he looked there was nothing there. He was really becoming scared now.
The whispers were becoming louder and he heard his name being called, he didn't know who was calling him, he didn't want to go with them, he wanted to go home. 'Nathan.' he began to call. 'Chris'. He stood up again and started to walk around the darkness. 'Jean'! he yelled. 'Buck'! There was no answer. '!Anybody, you guys can't leave me here!' He yelled out. 'I'm not going to let you leave me here, my mother always did that and I am not going to let it happen with you.' He screamed into the darkness. 'I won't let you!' Ezra allowed his stubbornness to come through and fight for him. He wasn't going to be left alone in this darkness.
***
Another few hours had passed and it had begun to darken in the room. Nettie had brought in some more lamps so there was plenty of light in the room. She kept glancing at Ezra on her way around the room noticing how his face seemed to be paler than the pillow. Nathan was still sitting on the bed with Ezra and Jean was also still on the other side, neither had moved. She offered food but everyone had refused.
Nathan thought he was imagining things, he had to be. He looked across at Jean to see if she felt it too. The smile on her face said she did. "Ezra's pulse just got stronger." He placed his hand on his forehead still feeling the heat of the fever but also thought that his skin was not as clammy as it had been. "I think he's coming out of the shock." He laughed, he couldn't help himself.
"So he's going to be okay?" Chris asked not wanting to be happy about what Nathan had said unless he was sure about it.
"The shock is what I was worried about and he's coming out of it so he's going to be okay."
"What about the fever and the head wound?" Chris wanted to believe him.
"The fever would be from the head wound, it will eventually leave him as well, and the injury to the head will give him a bad concussion so he is going to throw up a lot again." He smiled. Even though he was still worried about the fever and head wound, he thought that Ezra would be alright. He had to be. The blood loss and shock had been the worst of it.
"You're sure?" Chris still doubted him.
"Chris he's going to be fine now." Jean smiled at him. Chris smiled back, Jean wouldn't have smiled if she thought that Ezra was still in danger.
***
Ezra could tell that the darkness was fading, it seemed to be getting lighter around him. The voices suddenly stopped and new ones replaced them, familiar ones. People that he knew, friends that he knew he now had. Friends that would do anything for him as he would for them. Maybe he was pushing that, they certainly wouldn't help him pull a con unless it was to help someone. The light continued to grow stronger and the voices louder. He tried his own.
"Nathan." It came out as a hoarse whisper.
"I'm here Ezra. You’re going to be okay now. Do you hear me Ezra?" The darkness was coming back.
"Nathan I don't want to go back, don't let them take me." Ezra muttered as he fell back to sleep.
He sat in the darkness again expecting to hear the voices calling for him but they didn't. He did though feel the pain and the sickness calling him. He wasn't scared anymore as he knew he would not feel these things if he was dead. He didn't know how long he spent in the darkness again before the light and voices came back. He tried moving this time and before he could try his voice, he felt his head lifted and the water that was poured into his mouth. He then felt the bile coming back up in protest. More water filled his mouth and when it stayed down his head was placed back on the pillow. He went back into the darkness.
***
The tension had left the room once they knew Ezra was going to be okay, it was only going to be a matter of time. It was decided that Josiah, Vin and JD would take the prisoners back to town and inform Judge Travis what had happened. Nathan had still been sitting with Ezra when he heard him whisper his name and then something about not wanting to go back.
"Nathan don't you find it strange that every time he is awake he doesn't want you doing anything to him but when he's waking up your usually the first person he asks for?" asked Chris.
"Yeah I did." Nathan was glad of that, it's what made it easier for him to deal with Ezra when he was awake.
"Maybe he thinks of you as a motherly figure." Buck laughed.
"I'll tell him you said that when he is more coherent." Stated Nathan seriously.
Buck stopped laughing, now he was worried. "You wouldn't?"
Nathan saw Ezra move and he grabbed the cup of water and then lifted his head and poured the water into his mouth. He knew that Ezra would be too weak to fight him. Jean was ready with the bucket in case he threw up which he promptly did and Nathan then poured more water into his mouth and waited a moment. When nothing happened, he laid his head back down.
When Ezra next woke, he was able to open his eyes and he looked around the room to find most of his friends sleeping. Chris and Nathan were the only ones awake. Even Jean was asleep. "Ezra?" He looked up at Nathan and tried to focus but his vision was a bit blurry. "How many fingers do you see?" Nathan asked him as he held up one finger.
"Two." Answered Ezra.
"Want to bet on that Ezra. You lose and you have to drink some water, I loose and you have to drink some water."
"Nathan, humour does not work with you." grimaced Ezra.
"Either way Ezra you are going to drink some water." Ezra didn't argue with him.
After another few hours had, passed Ezra's fever had broken and he slept through the rest of the night until late morning. Jean had sent Nathan and Chris out of the room to get some rest and something to eat. Ezra stretched himself trying to get some of the stiffness out of his muscles but stopped when his shoulder and skull both screamed in protest.
"So Ezra, do you think that there will ever be a time where we can spend some time together without you getting hurt?" she asked him as she helped him drink some water.
Ezra was about to answer her when Buck stuck his head around the corner. "Good your awake, you have a visitor." He smiled his most wicked smile not realising at the time that it was going to affect him and the others as well as Ezra.
"Who?" Ezra asked. He wasn't sure if he could stay awake long enough to talk to anyone and he had no idea who it would be.
"Me." Said Judge Travis as he pushed Buck out of the way and made his way into the room.
"Good lord." groaned Ezra.
"No two ways about it Mr Standish." The Judge answered Ezra's comment and smiled at the man lying on the bed who had seemed to have paled even more after he entered the room. He saw the bandage that was wrapped around both his shoulder and his forehead. He stepped closer to the bed. "Now do you have an explanation for me in regards to leaving town when I told you not to."
Ezra's wall flew up around himself, this man had managed to get him to talk once but he wasn't going to allow him do it again. Ezra didn't know why but he continued to treat the Judge the same way as he had before. He had finally allowed his friends to get closer to him but he was not ready to allow anyone else to break through his wall yet, especially the man who had threatened to put him in jail if he left town. Ezra felt his eyelids becoming heavy again, he needed to sleep and the last thing he wanted was to argue with the Judge.
"No." Was his simple reply. He made his way back down into the bed as though he wanted to get away from the Judge. He grimaced at the pain that it caused to his shoulder.
"We are not going to start that again are we Ezra?" The Judge had begun to think that maybe he should have waited a bit longer before speaking to Ezra. When Josiah had approached him in the Clarion, he told him what had happened to Ezra and that he had been near death on two occasions due to his wounds. The Judge had doubted him until he walked out onto the porch and saw Vin and JD taking the two prisoners into the jail. The woman had been screaming at JD and throwing abuse at him, threatening that she would come back and finish the job that she had started. She seemed quite mad to him. He had ridden back to the Well's property with them so he could see Ezra for himself and then get some answers from him as to why he had not been in town. He was shocked at the sight of Ezra as he lay in the bed when he entered the room but he hid it behind a smile.
Ezra watched the Judge as he stood by his bedside. The Judge was staring at him, taking in his appearance and his wounds. Ezra turned and looked at Jean as a way out of this predicament. He had told her what had happen with the Judge and the ultimatum he had given him. He turned back to the Judge.
"Yes we are. But I'm too tired to go through this now." Ezra told him and waited for Jean to rescue him as he knew the Judge would continue to question him.
Jean had seen the pleading look in Ezra's green eyes and knew what he wanted. She placed her hand on his arm and squeezed it gently reassuring him that she was here for him. She stood up and made her way around to the other side of the bed.
"Judge Travis." She smiled up at him. "Can you do this later? Ezra is really tired and he needs his rest." She took his arm and began to lead him out of the room. The Judge turned back though and looked Ezra in the eye seeing him flinch back from his stare.
"I'm not going anywhere Mr Standish and when you are capable of it we are going to have a chat." He smiled and then allowed Jean to walk him out of the room and into the main room where the others were waiting. She returned to find Ezra asleep.
The six hired gunmen looked at the Judge waiting to find out if Ezra had managed to talk his way out of things like he usually did. They knew it would be harder to do with the Judge but they would not put it past him. Neither of them spoke and a heavy silence filled the room.
"Well?" The Judge asked them.
"Well what?" Buck asked back and regretted it instantly when the Judge turned his glare in his direction.
"I would like an explanation as to why you gentlemen allowed Mr Standish to leave town." He looked at each man in turn grateful that they finally stood by their friend but they were still going to pay for disobeying his orders and he knew the perfect punishment for all of them, including Ezra. He just wanted to hear what they had to say before he told them what he was going to do. He was looking forward to their reactions.
"I was the one who allowed him to leave." Chris spoke up.
"Why?"
"Because I owed it to him, he needed some time to get himself back together and to talk to someone." Chris explained knowing that the Judge would not accept it.
"And whose decision was it to cover his absence?"
"We all agreed to do that." Vin told him. He wasn't going to let Chris take all the blame for what happened.
"Well then I believe you that you have partnered Mr Standish in his crime and therefore should also be punished for that crime." He watched as they all stared at him to shocked to make any arguments at this time but he was sure they would start once they knew what they had to do. "I will of course finish speaking with Mr Standish and then I will inform you gentlemen of what it is I want you to do." He smiled and walked back into the bedroom leaving them to question each as to what it was he had in mind.
He entered the bedroom thinking that Ezra would still be awake but found him to be sleeping heavily on his left side facing the woman who was sitting with him. He quietly moved over to the chair and sat down. He glanced at the woman beside him and could see the concern that lined her beautiful face.
Jean turned to the Judge when she realised he was watching her. She smiled at him. "I'm sorry I rushed you out like that Judge Travis but Ezra did need to rest, he's been through quite a lot and he is going to need plenty of time and rest to recover." She nodded at Ezra to emphasis her point.
"And I will make sure that he get's that time and rest . . ." He left the statement hanging in the air waiting for her to tell him her name. In all the confusion that had happened, no one had told him who this woman was.
"Jean. I'm the reason that Ezra left Four Corners. I sent him a telegram asking for his help. He was the only person who could help me, I asked him not to tell the others as the situation was embarrassing for me." She lied.
"My Dear, I am a Judge, it is my job to know when people are lying." He held up a hand to stop her protests. "It's quite alright." He reassured her. "I am actually glad that Mr Standish now has friends who will defend him like this. It's the first time it has happened as far as I know." He looked at Ezra's slack face as his slept. "And I am sure that he will be grateful for what everyone has tried to do for him."
Jean smiled and turned back to watch Ezra. "I am sure that he is." She agreed with him.
They both sat back in their chairs and watched Ezra sleep. Jean knew that the Judge was right about his friends, they had backed him all the way and will take whatever punishment the Judge gave them, she just hoped that he would not put Ezra in jail like he said he would. The Judge watched Ezra closely noticing that his sleep was calm and hoped that his nightmares had finally left him. He watched and waited for Ezra to wake up.
***
Ezra woke with a moan escaping his lips as he tried to stretch his body to get the cramps that had started to form out of his muscles. He stopped and waited for the pain in his shoulder to subside. He opened his eyes and blinked at the darkness, he must have slept into the night. He looked around the room but could not make out any figures in the darkness. If someone was there, they must have been asleep. He took the opportunity to get out the bed that he had spent the last few days in. He couldn't see any clothes in the dark so he would wrap a blanket around himself. He tried sitting up first and had to wait a few moments for the dizziness to pass, he then carefully swung his legs out of the bed and waited another couple of minutes. He kept expecting someone to come in and force him back into the bed, well if they did, they would get a mouthful for their troubles. He pulled the blanket around himself and stood up then quickly grabbed the bedpost so he wouldn't fall. Once the nausea had passed, he took a deep breath and headed to the door.
Everyone looked up from their dinner when they heard the bedroom door open and watched as Ezra made his way to an unoccupied chair but Nathan was up and taking his arm before he could get to it. Ezra shrugged him off and continued to the chair and sat down heavily wincing at the pain in his shoulder. He leaned back and closed his eyes for a moment knowing that everyone else's eyes were on him. After a couple of minutes he brought his head forward and looked around the room at everyone and Nathan who was standing over him.
"Is any of that food for me." Ezra asked as he realised he was feeling hungry. Jean smiled and got up and went to the kitchen to get him a plate. When she returned to the room, she couldn't help but laugh at the sight of Ezra slapping Nathan's arm away.
"Ezra let me help you back to the bedroom and I'll get some food for you." Nathan was trying to grab Ezra's arm but he was not having any success. He scowled around the room at the others but they were not ready to help him, they could see the expression on Ezra's face. He wasn't intending on going anywhere yet.
"I've spent too much time in that bed." Ezra growled. He looked at the Judge and wondered why he had that big smile on his face. "Something funny Judge Travis?"
"Not yet." The Judge answered him. He smiled even more as Ezra frowned at him. The colour was beginning to return to the pale face that he had watched sleep. It was now time for the punishment. He was going to really enjoy this.
"Now how about that explanation that you were going to give me yesterday."
"Yesterday?" Ezra's face showed the confusion that he felt.
"You have been asleep since yesterday morning Ezra." Nathan explained to him.
"Yesterday?" Ezra repeated. Jean came over then and placed a plate of food in his hand. He looked down and saw the soft vegetables and looked up at her.
"No meat yet Ezra." She smiled at him. Jean was going to enjoy herself to as the Judge had told her what he had planned for Ezra and his friends. Ezra knew that smile.
"Is there something going on that I don't know about?" He asked her but Jean just smiled back down at him so he looked around the room for an answer, the frown on his handsome features showing that he was quickly returning to his normal self.
"Don't look at us Ezra, we don't know either. They have been walking around all day with those smiles." Buck answered his questioning look.
"I am waiting Ezra." The Judge informed him.
Ezra looked back at him then around the room at the others again asking for their help and then back down at his plate. He wasn't hungry anymore so he put the plate down. The Judge saw this and hesitated a moment but thought that it would be best to get it out of the way. He was sure that Ezra would see the funny side of it afterwards.
"I told him to go." Chris was looking at Ezra but spoke to the Judge.
"No you didn't, I went by my own choice." Ezra argued.
"Only after I told Chris to talk you into going." Stated Buck. Ezra, Chris and the Judge looked at him, all with a look of confusion on their faces.
"Yeah well don't forget that I gave you the idea Buck." JD chided him. Their stares turned to JD.
"I must confess that Ezra talked to me about it to and I told him that it would be a good idea to leave for a while." Josiah spoke to the group. No one bothered to look at him but instead looked at Vin and Nathan waiting for their comments.
"I saddled his horse for him." Vin didn't know what else to say. They looked at Nathan.
Nathan just shrugged. He tried to think of something but couldn't. "I . . I can't remember what I did but I'm sure I would have done something. I just can't think of what it was."
"They didn't do anything. It was my idea. Chris tried to stop me but I was intent on leaving." Ezra told the Judge. He suddenly felt good inside as his friends tried to take the blame for him. He never had that happen to him before. His mother didn't even back him up when he needed her to. She had even blamed him for things to get herself out of trouble and he had to spend the time in the town's jail.
"I hope you realise what these men are doing for you Ezra." He watched as Ezra nodded to his question, he was looking smug. The Judge was about to change that. "So you are not going to try and talk your way out of it?" He asked.
"No." Ezra looked at him challenging him to do what he said he was going to do.
"Well then I have no other choice but to arrest you." The Judge held the expression that was trying so hard to crack. Jean laughing in the corner was not helping him.
"What?" Chris asked. Ezra did not say anything as he knew that the Judge would do it.
"House arrest." The Judge finally smiled. "Three weeks in Nathan's clinic."
Ezra finally said something. "Nathan's room! You can't do that!" Ezra was shocked. He couldn't spend three weeks stuck in Nathan's room, he would go crazy. "I won't stay there!" He growled at the Judge.
Judge Travis looked around at the other hired gunmen watching as they quickly shut their mouths. "And you gentlemen are going to make sure that he does stay there for the three weeks."
"What!" They all said at once, then looked at Ezra.
"But Judge you can't do that, I mean, do you know what Ezra is like. He's grouchier than a mountain cat with a sore tooth. He'll drive us crazy." Buck took on a serious tone. "You can't make us do that Judge."
"What do you mean drive you crazy?" Asked Ezra. "Do you know what you are like, all of you?"
"We ain't any worse than you are Ezra." JD told him.
"I am a perfect gentleman under those circumstances." Ezra growled at him. They all turned to Jean and Judge Travis who were both laughing at their argument. Ezra sighed he thought that it was a joke. "Real funny joke."
"Oh it is not a joke Mr Standish, you are going to spend three weeks under house arrest in Nathan's clinic and the others are going to guard you. They will not leave you alone for a minute."
"Good Lord." Groaned Chris. Ezra shot a look at the man who had stolen his line. Chris shrugged at him.
***
Christy paced up and down in the small area of her cell. Dave was watching from the cot in the cell next to hers. They were told that they were going to be tried in another town because the two men that they had tried to kill were from this town and might not get a fair trial because of that. She stopped at the bars that separated them. "We are going to get away from here Dave, I swear it." She continued to pace and then stopped again. "We are going to escape and then come back and kill them. Both of them." She yelled at him. "They are both dead if it's the last thing I do." Christy had all intentions of escaping the rope and the bars that kept her from the world. "Especially Ezra Standish."
The End
Part One | Part Two | Part Three | Part Four
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 Four
Christy made her way into the room to find Ezra struggling to sit up. "Why don't you just make yourself comfortable there Ezra while we have a bit of fun." Christy smiled. She had him alone and all to herself.
Ezra's head spun around a little too quickly and he felt the dizziness threaten to take him. But it passed. "Good lord." he groaned.
"He's not going to help you Ezra." Ezra could not help notice that her eyes were green.
Ezra did not bother to call out as he knew that there was no one in the house, Christy would not have been able to get to this room if there was. He watched as she moved closer to the bed, she had her gun drawn and was pointing it at him. He noticed that she was favouring her left arm. He collapsed back onto the bed as the struggle to get out of it had weakened him even more that he was, he would be too weak to even fight these women. Christy reached the side of the bed and sat down.
Using her injured arm, she slapped Ezra across the side of the face snapping his head back against the bed head.
"That was to show you that I can still use this arm." she transferred the gun to her left arm, the pain making her enjoy herself even more.
Ezra winced at both the pain that he felt as his head hit against the wood and the nausea that had returned to his stomach. "What are you going to do?" Ezra thought that if he could stall her long enough the others might realise that he was in here on his own and they would send someone in to see how he was. He just hoped that it wasn't Jean. He didn't want her hurt.
"I told you Ezra, I'm going to have some fun. I have a decision to make." she smiled at the confusion on Ezra's face. She was really enjoying herself now. Ezra was still sitting up so she did not have to lean to far forward and as she moved closer to him Christy place her gun against his side. "If you do anything stupid I will shoot you." she whispered in his ear and then gently kissed it feeling how soft his skin was against her lips.
Ezra looked into her eyes as she drew her head back and knew that she would do what she said. He could see it in her eyes, she felt no fear, just by looking into her eyes he was able to see into her soul and he knew that she had become crazy and now he was alone with her and he was too weak to defend himself. She leaned forward again this time moving closer to his face, she ran her tongue along his dry lips. Ezra turned his head away from her but she gripped his jaw in her hand as she had done before and roughly turned his handsome face back to her.
Christy squeezed Ezra's jaw harder enjoying the grimace that crossed his features she continued to put pressure on Ezra's jaw forcing his mouth to open. Her kisses were soft at first but then she began to be more forceful, she felt Ezra's lips soften from the moisture of her own mouth. She used her tongue to explore his mouth, running her tongue along his teeth, feeling the gold tooth. She could also feel him struggle against her grip so she pressed the gun harder against his ribs feeling him try to move away from that as well. She nibble against the healing split in his lip and bit into it causing the healing scab to break open and it began to bleed slightly. She started to suck on it tasting the blood.
Ezra was finally able to bring his arms up, the weakness he felt making it difficult and he tried to push her off him but he didn't have the strength, so he tried to move his head away but she had just pressed the gun harder into his ribs causing another pain to join the others. He felt her tongue in his mouth, pressing against his own and he felt the pain as she bit his lip again, hated this, he felt so helpless that this woman could do this to him and he couldn't stop her. Ezra decided to use his own teeth and bit her back.
Christy gave out a little cry and sat back drawing her face away from Ezra's. She put her hand against her mouth and when she looked at it, she saw the blood. 'Just like in my dream.' she used her thumb to wipe the blood from Ezra's mouth. He winced as she pressed against his lip. "Well Ezra I would say that I enjoyed that very much. Now why don't we try it the other way and see if I enjoy that more."
"Try what?" he asked her. He was trying to stall her again. He could hear the shouts coming from outside as the other hired gunmen and two women tried to stop the fire and he began to wonder if they would come back in time. He could not allow himself to think that this woman was going to kill him while his friends were outside.
"Patience Ezra, I will show you in a minute." she slowly pulled the blankets down to his waist and ran her fingers along his chest admiring the strong muscles that had developed there. Ezra shivered against the cold and the touch. "Are my hands cold Ezra?" she asked him but Ezra didn't answer her. Christy's fingers crept up towards the bandage that was wrapped around Ezra's shoulder. She pressed gently at first and heard Ezra's quick intake of breath. "Does that hurt?"
"Why don't you just do it and get it over with." Ezra growled at her. God he hated this, why did he have to be so weak, he was unable to defend himself.
"Your friends are taking a long time to put out that fire don't you think?" she waited for a response but did not get one.
"Dave should start picking them off one by one." She watched as Ezra's expression turned from anger to fear for his friends. "Except for Larabee that is because he is mine. And he will come in here when he hears you start screaming." she watched as Ezra's face changed again. "Has anybody told you have wonderful facial expressions?"
"Huh?" Ezra was really beginning to become confused now, she seemed to be changing all the time. First screaming then facial expression’s
"I said . . Oh never mind, it's not like we have a future together or anything like that." she pressed harder into his shoulder. This was the other thing that she needs to do before she made a decision.
Ezra clenched his teeth against the pain and knew there was going to be a lot more. He lifted his arm up to try and push her away but Christy easily pushed his arm back down. She pressed even harder and enjoyed the pain that now crossed Ezra face, distorting his handsome features. His teeth were clenched and his eyes were squeezed shut against the pain. Christy let up on the pressure a bit, but only a bit. He opened his eyes and she could see the pain in them. She pressed her fingers into the two wounds and Ezra could not keep the scream from escaping. Christy laughed. It was going to be hard to make her decision.
***
Chris stopped what he was doing and turned around, he thought he heard a scream. He turned to see Vin looking in the direction of the house as well. "Shit, Ezra." he dropped his bucket and started to run towards the house but halted in his tracks when he heard the gunshot and felt its breath against his face.
"It came from the front of the house." Vin told him as he ran back into the barn, which was not longer threatening to burn down.
"Christy must be in there with Ezra." Chris growled. He felt stupid for not realising that this was a set up. There may be only one or two gunmen but he had them pinned down. The only thing they could do was draw the person's fire and hope that they showed themselves. They heard another scream come from the house.
"Chris you have to do something!" Jean said to him.
"I am going to draw their fire, if they show themselves shoot them." Chris got up and went to the door, he took and deep breathe and then began to run to the back of the house. He heard a gunshot and expected the bullet to hit him
but it didn't so he continued to run. He reached the back of the house and made his way to the door. He opened it quietly and stepped inside. He kept his gun in front of him as he opened the door to the bedroom that Ezra was in. He thought that he would have the element of surprise but Christy was waiting for him. She was sitting on the bed next to Ezra with her gun pressed against his left temple.
"Well Mr Larabee, so nice of you to join us." Christy smiled at Chris. Once Ezra had screamed out in pain, she knew that it would only be a matter of minutes before he came in looking for Ezra. "I'm sorry Ezra can't welcome you, he's a bit indisposed at the moment." She nudged Ezra's head to the side but it fell back against her gun. "He's unconscious, couldn't take the pain I guess."
"What did you do to him?" Chris could see that Ezra's shoulder was bleeding again, he could see the blood soaking the bandage and the bed sheet beneath his shoulder. He decided at that instant that he was not going to kill her, that the punishment that would best suit her would be to go back to jail. He smiled his coldest smile.
"Perhaps I can show you." she used her free hand and pressed her fingers into Ezra's shoulder for the third time. He jerked awake the scream held behind clenched teeth.
"Let him go!" Chris yelled at her.
Christy's fingers continued to apply pressure against Ezra's shoulder but she released her grip just as she thought he was about to pass out again. "Ezra dear we have a guest." she took a handful of hair and pulled his head back. Ezra cried out as the jerk caused the pain to flash through his shoulder.
"I said let him go!" Chris told her again but he was wasting his time as she seemed to have no intention of stopping what she was doing. He had to do something or else she would end up killing him and he couldn't allow that to happen. "If you don't let him go I will shoot you." he warned her.
"Shoot me all you want Larabee, it will only mean that Ezra here," she pulled his head back as far as it would go before he hit the bed head, "will die with me."
"I didn't say I was going to kill you." Chris explained his intentions in more detail. "I am going to let you live so you can go back to jail."
Ezra felt the grip loosen so he pulled his head away from Christy's hand. He could feel the darkness threatening to take him away but he had to hold it off so he could help Chris. He looked at Chris trying to show him the confidence that he knew he didn't have but if he could make Chris see it then he would think that he could help him and he wouldn't hesitate to try to stop her before she killed either of them. He winced as he felt the gun press harder against his head. "Chris would you just shoot her." he muttered. Ezra felt the fist as it slammed into his shoulder and he cried out. He tried to double over but Christy just pushed him back against the bed causing his head to hit the bed head.
Ezra blacked out again, his head falling against his shoulder.
"Sorry." Christy apologised.
Chris stepped towards her raising his gun to her chest. Christy knew that if she made him mad enough that he would kill her, she wasn't going to go back to jail. And she was going to take one of them with her. It would have to be Ezra because if she turned her gun towards Chris then she would give him the opportunity to shoot and he would have plenty of time to aim.
"It's me you really want to leave him alone." Chris growled at her.
"But I seem to be having more fun with Ezra." she smiled and tried to prove her point by squeezing Ezra's shoulder but she did not get the same sort of response. Ezra rolled his head and groaned at the touch. She was disappointed. "Well I was. He's not doing too well is he?" she asked Chris.
Chris was scared for Ezra, he had to do something and he had to do it now. Christy did not have her gun actually pressed against Ezra's skull anymore, there was a gap and he noticed that when Ezra's head rolled it moved away from the gun so if it went off the bullet would miss, he hoped. "Looks like Ezra is doing okay to me, he's very stubborn you know."
"We will just see about that." She hit Ezra in the shoulder again and he grimaced at the pain and rolled his head again. Chris grimaced with him but also pulled the trigger at the same time, the bullet hitting Christy in the right shoulder slamming her against the wall. But her reflexes also took control and her gun also fired, Chris watched in horror as Ezra was flung onto his side and the blood flowed from his head wound.
***
Vin had watched as Chris made it to the back of the house, he hoped that he could get to Ezra and take care of the woman that they were afraid was with Ezra. He turned his attention back to the front of the house. Whoever had been there was no longer firing but he couldn't be sure, if the man was biding his time or if they had shot him. They did not have enough cover to leave the building to find out, he couldn't risk himself or one of the others being shot. That was until he heard the two gunshots coming from the house.
"Vin do something!" Jean yelled at him. She was upset and angry, Ezra couldn't die, she had been angry at him and walked out of the room, and she didn't want that to be their last moment together. She did not want him to die thinking that she was angry.
"We'll split into two groups, Nathan, Josiah, JD you head to the back of the house while Buck and I got to the front. Jean, Nettie once we reach the house then you can follow but not before." Vin told everyone, he was worried sick himself now. Two gunshots could either mean Chris and Ezra were dead or Christy and one of them were dead. He didn't wait any longer to find out. "Let's go." he ran out of the barn with the other four gunmen following and then they split up. He ran to the front of the house with Buck following, he expected to hear the gunshot as he ran but there was none. He reached the house with Buck close behind to find Dave lying on the porch with a bullet in his arm and his head bleeding. The bullet must have knocked him to the ground where he hit his head. They then ran into the house and went straight to the room, he heard the others coming through the back door. Vin and Buck stepped into the room.
"Where's Nathan!" Chris yelled at them. He was holding Ezra in his arms rocking him back and forth. "Someone get Nathan!"
Nathan had heard Chris yelling for him and he ran to the bedroom with Josiah and JD running behind him. He ran into the room straight into the backs of Vin and Buck, he pushed them aside. He could see Chris sitting on the bed with Ezra in his arms. He could see how limp Ezra was, the blood was flowing freely from a head wound. He quickly moved the bed and tried to take Ezra from Chris.
"Chris let me take him." Chris held on. "Please let him go."
"I killed him Nathan." He whispered.
"Chris let me check him." Nathan turned to Vin and Buck, they moved to the bed. Buck pulled Chris away and Vin helped Nathan lay Ezra back down on the bed. He could see the whiteness of Ezra's face, the blood standing out against the paleness of his skin. He quietly stepped back and waited to see if what Chris had said was true.
Jean and Nettie came into the room to see the same sight that everyone else had seen. Nettie stood back with the others while Jean ran to the bed. She grabbed Ezra's left hand and used her right hand to wipe the already damp hair from his forehead, she feel that his skin was cool. She looked up at Nathan and waited for an answer with everyone else.
Nathan was feeling for a pulse in Ezra's neck, he could feel one but it was rapid and weak. Because he hadn't fully recovered from the shock, his body found it easy to shut itself down again. He grabbed one of the bandages from the table beside the bed and pressed it against the bleeding wound and looked up at Jean and then the others.
"There is a pulse but it's weak and rapid." He looked back at Ezra and said no more. Chris sighed with relief but the worry and guilt did not lessen any.
The five gunmen knew what that meant, another waiting game for both Ezra and themselves. They were going to go through the same thing as they had after Nathan had taken out the bullet. Ezra had gone into shock again and it was going to be touch and go again, as to whether he was going to get through it.
Josiah took JD's arm and led him towards Christy. "JD why don't we take this woman into the other room."
"There's another one on the porch." Vin told him.
Josiah nodded. He and JD lifted Christy and took her into the main room. While JD tied her hands, he brought the other man in and together they roughly took care of their wounds. Once they had done that and were satisfied they were not going to die they returned to the room to see how Ezra was doing.
Nathan had finally managed to stop the bleeding, he wasn't sure if Ezra would make it this time, he had lost a lot of blood through these injuries and a body could only loose so much. Once he had cleaned the wound he gathered the things he would need to stitch it as the graze was deep, although it was not as bad as the last gunshot wound to the head that he had received a few months ago it was bad enough on top of what he had already suffered from.
Once he had finished stitching the wound, he took care of Ezra's shoulder. The bleeding had already stopped so it was only a matter of cleaning it again and putting a new bandage around the shoulder. When he finished he sat down on the side of the bed. Jean stayed on Ezra's other side and the rest of the men found their own places in the room. Nettie went and made plenty of coffee. The waiting game had begun again.
Nathan had pulled the blankets up to Ezra's chin to try to keep in any warmth that he had left in his body and he knew that it would not be much. Ezra's breathing had become rapid and his heartbeat was still fast. It was just like before, he continued to wait with the others in the room. They had heard Christy scream out to them a few times but they ignored her. She couldn't have been in such bad shape as she had used many profanities. She also continued to threaten to kill Chris and Ezra if he wasn't already dead.
After a couple of hours, Ezra developed a fever and he went downhill from there. Between the shock and the fever, Ezra's body was finding it hard to fight. He had become colder and his pulse weaker. This time they all knew he was going to die. Chris was not coping at all. He was going into his own state of shock, he had killed his friend. He sat in the corner watching Ezra thinking that it would only be a matter of time before his friend died because of a something he did. He wouldn't be able to go on knowing that he had caused another death. He would climb into the bottle again and stay there until it had taken him as well.
Nathan held onto Ezra's wrist feeling his weak pulse waiting for the final heartbeat. He could feel the heat of the fever and the cool clamminess of his skin. There was nothing more he could for him and he hated himself for that. He should have been able to keep him alive. He didn't think that it would be much longer now.
***
Ezra was back in the dark place again but this time there was something different, it was still cold and he still felt sick but there was something . . . It wasn't just his mind that was there, his body was also there now. He could no longer feel any sort of pain but he felt scared, he didn't know what was going on. He could hear people whispering around him and he knew that it wasn't any of his friends. Ezra felt as though he was being pulled somewhere but he didn't want to go, he sat down where he was and pulled his knees up under his chin and ignored the voices. He thought he saw something out of the corner of his eye but when he looked there was nothing there. He was really becoming scared now.
The whispers were becoming louder and he heard his name being called, he didn't know who was calling him, he didn't want to go with them, he wanted to go home. 'Nathan.' he began to call. 'Chris'. He stood up again and started to walk around the darkness. 'Jean'! he yelled. 'Buck'! There was no answer. '!Anybody, you guys can't leave me here!' He yelled out. 'I'm not going to let you leave me here, my mother always did that and I am not going to let it happen with you.' He screamed into the darkness. 'I won't let you!' Ezra allowed his stubbornness to come through and fight for him. He wasn't going to be left alone in this darkness.
***
Another few hours had passed and it had begun to darken in the room. Nettie had brought in some more lamps so there was plenty of light in the room. She kept glancing at Ezra on her way around the room noticing how his face seemed to be paler than the pillow. Nathan was still sitting on the bed with Ezra and Jean was also still on the other side, neither had moved. She offered food but everyone had refused.
Nathan thought he was imagining things, he had to be. He looked across at Jean to see if she felt it too. The smile on her face said she did. "Ezra's pulse just got stronger." He placed his hand on his forehead still feeling the heat of the fever but also thought that his skin was not as clammy as it had been. "I think he's coming out of the shock." He laughed, he couldn't help himself.
"So he's going to be okay?" Chris asked not wanting to be happy about what Nathan had said unless he was sure about it.
"The shock is what I was worried about and he's coming out of it so he's going to be okay."
"What about the fever and the head wound?" Chris wanted to believe him.
"The fever would be from the head wound, it will eventually leave him as well, and the injury to the head will give him a bad concussion so he is going to throw up a lot again." He smiled. Even though he was still worried about the fever and head wound, he thought that Ezra would be alright. He had to be. The blood loss and shock had been the worst of it.
"You're sure?" Chris still doubted him.
"Chris he's going to be fine now." Jean smiled at him. Chris smiled back, Jean wouldn't have smiled if she thought that Ezra was still in danger.
***
Ezra could tell that the darkness was fading, it seemed to be getting lighter around him. The voices suddenly stopped and new ones replaced them, familiar ones. People that he knew, friends that he knew he now had. Friends that would do anything for him as he would for them. Maybe he was pushing that, they certainly wouldn't help him pull a con unless it was to help someone. The light continued to grow stronger and the voices louder. He tried his own.
"Nathan." It came out as a hoarse whisper.
"I'm here Ezra. You’re going to be okay now. Do you hear me Ezra?" The darkness was coming back.
"Nathan I don't want to go back, don't let them take me." Ezra muttered as he fell back to sleep.
He sat in the darkness again expecting to hear the voices calling for him but they didn't. He did though feel the pain and the sickness calling him. He wasn't scared anymore as he knew he would not feel these things if he was dead. He didn't know how long he spent in the darkness again before the light and voices came back. He tried moving this time and before he could try his voice, he felt his head lifted and the water that was poured into his mouth. He then felt the bile coming back up in protest. More water filled his mouth and when it stayed down his head was placed back on the pillow. He went back into the darkness.
***
The tension had left the room once they knew Ezra was going to be okay, it was only going to be a matter of time. It was decided that Josiah, Vin and JD would take the prisoners back to town and inform Judge Travis what had happened. Nathan had still been sitting with Ezra when he heard him whisper his name and then something about not wanting to go back.
"Nathan don't you find it strange that every time he is awake he doesn't want you doing anything to him but when he's waking up your usually the first person he asks for?" asked Chris.
"Yeah I did." Nathan was glad of that, it's what made it easier for him to deal with Ezra when he was awake.
"Maybe he thinks of you as a motherly figure." Buck laughed.
"I'll tell him you said that when he is more coherent." Stated Nathan seriously.
Buck stopped laughing, now he was worried. "You wouldn't?"
Nathan saw Ezra move and he grabbed the cup of water and then lifted his head and poured the water into his mouth. He knew that Ezra would be too weak to fight him. Jean was ready with the bucket in case he threw up which he promptly did and Nathan then poured more water into his mouth and waited a moment. When nothing happened, he laid his head back down.
When Ezra next woke, he was able to open his eyes and he looked around the room to find most of his friends sleeping. Chris and Nathan were the only ones awake. Even Jean was asleep. "Ezra?" He looked up at Nathan and tried to focus but his vision was a bit blurry. "How many fingers do you see?" Nathan asked him as he held up one finger.
"Two." Answered Ezra.
"Want to bet on that Ezra. You lose and you have to drink some water, I loose and you have to drink some water."
"Nathan, humour does not work with you." grimaced Ezra.
"Either way Ezra you are going to drink some water." Ezra didn't argue with him.
After another few hours had, passed Ezra's fever had broken and he slept through the rest of the night until late morning. Jean had sent Nathan and Chris out of the room to get some rest and something to eat. Ezra stretched himself trying to get some of the stiffness out of his muscles but stopped when his shoulder and skull both screamed in protest.
"So Ezra, do you think that there will ever be a time where we can spend some time together without you getting hurt?" she asked him as she helped him drink some water.
Ezra was about to answer her when Buck stuck his head around the corner. "Good your awake, you have a visitor." He smiled his most wicked smile not realising at the time that it was going to affect him and the others as well as Ezra.
"Who?" Ezra asked. He wasn't sure if he could stay awake long enough to talk to anyone and he had no idea who it would be.
"Me." Said Judge Travis as he pushed Buck out of the way and made his way into the room.
"Good lord." groaned Ezra.
"No two ways about it Mr Standish." The Judge answered Ezra's comment and smiled at the man lying on the bed who had seemed to have paled even more after he entered the room. He saw the bandage that was wrapped around both his shoulder and his forehead. He stepped closer to the bed. "Now do you have an explanation for me in regards to leaving town when I told you not to."
Ezra's wall flew up around himself, this man had managed to get him to talk once but he wasn't going to allow him do it again. Ezra didn't know why but he continued to treat the Judge the same way as he had before. He had finally allowed his friends to get closer to him but he was not ready to allow anyone else to break through his wall yet, especially the man who had threatened to put him in jail if he left town. Ezra felt his eyelids becoming heavy again, he needed to sleep and the last thing he wanted was to argue with the Judge.
"No." Was his simple reply. He made his way back down into the bed as though he wanted to get away from the Judge. He grimaced at the pain that it caused to his shoulder.
"We are not going to start that again are we Ezra?" The Judge had begun to think that maybe he should have waited a bit longer before speaking to Ezra. When Josiah had approached him in the Clarion, he told him what had happened to Ezra and that he had been near death on two occasions due to his wounds. The Judge had doubted him until he walked out onto the porch and saw Vin and JD taking the two prisoners into the jail. The woman had been screaming at JD and throwing abuse at him, threatening that she would come back and finish the job that she had started. She seemed quite mad to him. He had ridden back to the Well's property with them so he could see Ezra for himself and then get some answers from him as to why he had not been in town. He was shocked at the sight of Ezra as he lay in the bed when he entered the room but he hid it behind a smile.
Ezra watched the Judge as he stood by his bedside. The Judge was staring at him, taking in his appearance and his wounds. Ezra turned and looked at Jean as a way out of this predicament. He had told her what had happen with the Judge and the ultimatum he had given him. He turned back to the Judge.
"Yes we are. But I'm too tired to go through this now." Ezra told him and waited for Jean to rescue him as he knew the Judge would continue to question him.
Jean had seen the pleading look in Ezra's green eyes and knew what he wanted. She placed her hand on his arm and squeezed it gently reassuring him that she was here for him. She stood up and made her way around to the other side of the bed.
"Judge Travis." She smiled up at him. "Can you do this later? Ezra is really tired and he needs his rest." She took his arm and began to lead him out of the room. The Judge turned back though and looked Ezra in the eye seeing him flinch back from his stare.
"I'm not going anywhere Mr Standish and when you are capable of it we are going to have a chat." He smiled and then allowed Jean to walk him out of the room and into the main room where the others were waiting. She returned to find Ezra asleep.
The six hired gunmen looked at the Judge waiting to find out if Ezra had managed to talk his way out of things like he usually did. They knew it would be harder to do with the Judge but they would not put it past him. Neither of them spoke and a heavy silence filled the room.
"Well?" The Judge asked them.
"Well what?" Buck asked back and regretted it instantly when the Judge turned his glare in his direction.
"I would like an explanation as to why you gentlemen allowed Mr Standish to leave town." He looked at each man in turn grateful that they finally stood by their friend but they were still going to pay for disobeying his orders and he knew the perfect punishment for all of them, including Ezra. He just wanted to hear what they had to say before he told them what he was going to do. He was looking forward to their reactions.
"I was the one who allowed him to leave." Chris spoke up.
"Why?"
"Because I owed it to him, he needed some time to get himself back together and to talk to someone." Chris explained knowing that the Judge would not accept it.
"And whose decision was it to cover his absence?"
"We all agreed to do that." Vin told him. He wasn't going to let Chris take all the blame for what happened.
"Well then I believe you that you have partnered Mr Standish in his crime and therefore should also be punished for that crime." He watched as they all stared at him to shocked to make any arguments at this time but he was sure they would start once they knew what they had to do. "I will of course finish speaking with Mr Standish and then I will inform you gentlemen of what it is I want you to do." He smiled and walked back into the bedroom leaving them to question each as to what it was he had in mind.
He entered the bedroom thinking that Ezra would still be awake but found him to be sleeping heavily on his left side facing the woman who was sitting with him. He quietly moved over to the chair and sat down. He glanced at the woman beside him and could see the concern that lined her beautiful face.
Jean turned to the Judge when she realised he was watching her. She smiled at him. "I'm sorry I rushed you out like that Judge Travis but Ezra did need to rest, he's been through quite a lot and he is going to need plenty of time and rest to recover." She nodded at Ezra to emphasis her point.
"And I will make sure that he get's that time and rest . . ." He left the statement hanging in the air waiting for her to tell him her name. In all the confusion that had happened, no one had told him who this woman was.
"Jean. I'm the reason that Ezra left Four Corners. I sent him a telegram asking for his help. He was the only person who could help me, I asked him not to tell the others as the situation was embarrassing for me." She lied.
"My Dear, I am a Judge, it is my job to know when people are lying." He held up a hand to stop her protests. "It's quite alright." He reassured her. "I am actually glad that Mr Standish now has friends who will defend him like this. It's the first time it has happened as far as I know." He looked at Ezra's slack face as his slept. "And I am sure that he will be grateful for what everyone has tried to do for him."
Jean smiled and turned back to watch Ezra. "I am sure that he is." She agreed with him.
They both sat back in their chairs and watched Ezra sleep. Jean knew that the Judge was right about his friends, they had backed him all the way and will take whatever punishment the Judge gave them, she just hoped that he would not put Ezra in jail like he said he would. The Judge watched Ezra closely noticing that his sleep was calm and hoped that his nightmares had finally left him. He watched and waited for Ezra to wake up.
***
Ezra woke with a moan escaping his lips as he tried to stretch his body to get the cramps that had started to form out of his muscles. He stopped and waited for the pain in his shoulder to subside. He opened his eyes and blinked at the darkness, he must have slept into the night. He looked around the room but could not make out any figures in the darkness. If someone was there, they must have been asleep. He took the opportunity to get out the bed that he had spent the last few days in. He couldn't see any clothes in the dark so he would wrap a blanket around himself. He tried sitting up first and had to wait a few moments for the dizziness to pass, he then carefully swung his legs out of the bed and waited another couple of minutes. He kept expecting someone to come in and force him back into the bed, well if they did, they would get a mouthful for their troubles. He pulled the blanket around himself and stood up then quickly grabbed the bedpost so he wouldn't fall. Once the nausea had passed, he took a deep breath and headed to the door.
Everyone looked up from their dinner when they heard the bedroom door open and watched as Ezra made his way to an unoccupied chair but Nathan was up and taking his arm before he could get to it. Ezra shrugged him off and continued to the chair and sat down heavily wincing at the pain in his shoulder. He leaned back and closed his eyes for a moment knowing that everyone else's eyes were on him. After a couple of minutes he brought his head forward and looked around the room at everyone and Nathan who was standing over him.
"Is any of that food for me." Ezra asked as he realised he was feeling hungry. Jean smiled and got up and went to the kitchen to get him a plate. When she returned to the room, she couldn't help but laugh at the sight of Ezra slapping Nathan's arm away.
"Ezra let me help you back to the bedroom and I'll get some food for you." Nathan was trying to grab Ezra's arm but he was not having any success. He scowled around the room at the others but they were not ready to help him, they could see the expression on Ezra's face. He wasn't intending on going anywhere yet.
"I've spent too much time in that bed." Ezra growled. He looked at the Judge and wondered why he had that big smile on his face. "Something funny Judge Travis?"
"Not yet." The Judge answered him. He smiled even more as Ezra frowned at him. The colour was beginning to return to the pale face that he had watched sleep. It was now time for the punishment. He was going to really enjoy this.
"Now how about that explanation that you were going to give me yesterday."
"Yesterday?" Ezra's face showed the confusion that he felt.
"You have been asleep since yesterday morning Ezra." Nathan explained to him.
"Yesterday?" Ezra repeated. Jean came over then and placed a plate of food in his hand. He looked down and saw the soft vegetables and looked up at her.
"No meat yet Ezra." She smiled at him. Jean was going to enjoy herself to as the Judge had told her what he had planned for Ezra and his friends. Ezra knew that smile.
"Is there something going on that I don't know about?" He asked her but Jean just smiled back down at him so he looked around the room for an answer, the frown on his handsome features showing that he was quickly returning to his normal self.
"Don't look at us Ezra, we don't know either. They have been walking around all day with those smiles." Buck answered his questioning look.
"I am waiting Ezra." The Judge informed him.
Ezra looked back at him then around the room at the others again asking for their help and then back down at his plate. He wasn't hungry anymore so he put the plate down. The Judge saw this and hesitated a moment but thought that it would be best to get it out of the way. He was sure that Ezra would see the funny side of it afterwards.
"I told him to go." Chris was looking at Ezra but spoke to the Judge.
"No you didn't, I went by my own choice." Ezra argued.
"Only after I told Chris to talk you into going." Stated Buck. Ezra, Chris and the Judge looked at him, all with a look of confusion on their faces.
"Yeah well don't forget that I gave you the idea Buck." JD chided him. Their stares turned to JD.
"I must confess that Ezra talked to me about it to and I told him that it would be a good idea to leave for a while." Josiah spoke to the group. No one bothered to look at him but instead looked at Vin and Nathan waiting for their comments.
"I saddled his horse for him." Vin didn't know what else to say. They looked at Nathan.
Nathan just shrugged. He tried to think of something but couldn't. "I . . I can't remember what I did but I'm sure I would have done something. I just can't think of what it was."
"They didn't do anything. It was my idea. Chris tried to stop me but I was intent on leaving." Ezra told the Judge. He suddenly felt good inside as his friends tried to take the blame for him. He never had that happen to him before. His mother didn't even back him up when he needed her to. She had even blamed him for things to get herself out of trouble and he had to spend the time in the town's jail.
"I hope you realise what these men are doing for you Ezra." He watched as Ezra nodded to his question, he was looking smug. The Judge was about to change that. "So you are not going to try and talk your way out of it?" He asked.
"No." Ezra looked at him challenging him to do what he said he was going to do.
"Well then I have no other choice but to arrest you." The Judge held the expression that was trying so hard to crack. Jean laughing in the corner was not helping him.
"What?" Chris asked. Ezra did not say anything as he knew that the Judge would do it.
"House arrest." The Judge finally smiled. "Three weeks in Nathan's clinic."
Ezra finally said something. "Nathan's room! You can't do that!" Ezra was shocked. He couldn't spend three weeks stuck in Nathan's room, he would go crazy. "I won't stay there!" He growled at the Judge.
Judge Travis looked around at the other hired gunmen watching as they quickly shut their mouths. "And you gentlemen are going to make sure that he does stay there for the three weeks."
"What!" They all said at once, then looked at Ezra.
"But Judge you can't do that, I mean, do you know what Ezra is like. He's grouchier than a mountain cat with a sore tooth. He'll drive us crazy." Buck took on a serious tone. "You can't make us do that Judge."
"What do you mean drive you crazy?" Asked Ezra. "Do you know what you are like, all of you?"
"We ain't any worse than you are Ezra." JD told him.
"I am a perfect gentleman under those circumstances." Ezra growled at him. They all turned to Jean and Judge Travis who were both laughing at their argument. Ezra sighed he thought that it was a joke. "Real funny joke."
"Oh it is not a joke Mr Standish, you are going to spend three weeks under house arrest in Nathan's clinic and the others are going to guard you. They will not leave you alone for a minute."
"Good Lord." Groaned Chris. Ezra shot a look at the man who had stolen his line. Chris shrugged at him.
***
Christy paced up and down in the small area of her cell. Dave was watching from the cot in the cell next to hers. They were told that they were going to be tried in another town because the two men that they had tried to kill were from this town and might not get a fair trial because of that. She stopped at the bars that separated them. "We are going to get away from here Dave, I swear it." She continued to pace and then stopped again. "We are going to escape and then come back and kill them. Both of them." She yelled at him. "They are both dead if it's the last thing I do." Christy had all intentions of escaping the rope and the bars that kept her from the world. "Especially Ezra Standish."
The End
Part One | Part Two | Part Three | Part Four
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