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azombiewritesTitle: Prisoners
Rating: PG
Fandom: The Magnificent Seven
Main Characters: Ezra and Josiah
Summary: Ezra and Josiah are on their way back to Four Corners when they are taken prisoner by a family who think the lawmen have stolen their gold.
Disclaimers: The guys are owned by CBS, MGM, Trilogy Entertainment Group, and The Mirisch Corp.
Spoilers: None
Status: Complete
Total Word Count: 23,633
Josiah stepped quietly into the kitchen, he watched as Guy worked over a large pot on the stove. Josiah felt his anger leave his own troubled heart at the sight of the slumped shoulders, the young man was carrying a heavy burden on his own shoulders and Guy didn't need him adding to it, even after what he had done to Ezra. He moved forward and sat down on one of the chairs at the table. Guy either didn't hear him or ignored his presence.
"How's your father?" Josiah asked him to start up a conversation, he knew how Bert was, he had checked in on him on his way to the kitchen.
"He's sleeping." Guy didn't turn around. "Ezra?"
"He's seems to be worse." Josiah sighed and rubbed his face with his hands.
"I'm sorry, I wish there was something I could do to help him . . .”
"I think you've done enough!" Josiah growled at him.
"I'm sorry." Guy repeated when he turned to face him.
Josiah could see the honesty on his face, he was about to apologise himself when he heard a shuffling noise heading towards the kitchen. Thinking that it was Ezra he turned around, he was ready to give him a mouthful but smiled slightly to see Bert making his way towards them.
"Pop! What are you doing? You should be in bed!" Guy closed the space between them quickly and grabbed his arm. "Come on, I'm taking you back to bed."
"I'm fine Guy." He pushed his son away from him and looked up into eyes that would have mirrored his own except for the guilt that they held. "We need to talk Guy, to sort this out once and for all."
"There is nothing to sort out pop, this is my fault, and everything is my fault." Guy turned away from him and walked back to the kitchen.
Josiah wanted to give them some privacy so he pushed himself away from the table and stood.
"Josiah, stay, you might be able to help." Bert motioned for him to sit back down.
Josiah forced a smile to his face and did as he was told.
"None of this is your fault, you can't blame yourself for your mother's death and as for Ezra, you were thinking about our welfare even if you went about it the wrong way." Bert sat down at the table and grimaced at the pain in his shoulder.
Josiah's admiration for the man was growing by the minute. "How did she die?"
"I shot her." Guy said bluntly.
"There's more to it than that Guy!" Bert began to relay the story of what happened to his wife and his three son's mother. "A group of men showed up here two years ago, they heard about the gold that we had found here, it wasn't much but these men were greedy. They didn't ask questions or threaten us. They shot Ben, and then took his mother. Robbie and I tried to stop them. We all knew what they were going to do to her. The man that had Martha turned his gun on Robbie . . .”
"I thought he was going to kill him like I thought he had killed Ben, I aimed for him and pulled the trigger but mother kicked his shin, their positions changed and the bullet struck her instead." Guy finished for his father. "There was nothing I could do. She died in pop's arms."
"The men that did it rode off with the gold. Ben was okay with time, Guy saved Robbie's life but he won't realise it." Bert looked at his son.
"But I killed her, I didn't save her!" Guy retorted.
"But you had all intentions of saving her." Josiah told him. "It wasn't your fault, you couldn't have known what your mother was going to do, and the only thing that must have been on your mind was to save your brother. If you didn't pull that trigger, you all could have died, and they would have succeeded in doing to your mother what they wanted to do."
Guy shook his head in denial.
"Ezra's like that." Josiah told Bert. "Blames himself for everything, even if he had nothing to do with it."
"But he didn't kill his own mother." Guy moved to the table and sat down between the larger man and his father.
Josiah couldn't stop the laughter. He put his hand up when he received confused expressions from the other two men. "I'm sorry but if you knew Ezra's mother . . . we all wanted to shoot her and if Ezra did it, no one would blame him."
"Doesn't sound like he had a good family life." Bert commented.
"He had a mother but never a family, not until he met us." Josiah told him then turned to Guy. "You've always had a family Guy, what you did that day ... any man would have done the same thing to save their family. What happened was an accident, you didn't do it intentionally. That's what you need to tell yourself. Your mother would not have blamed you."
"That's what I told him." Bert put his hand on his son's arm and was grateful when his son put his own hand on top of it. "None of us blame you for it and I know your mother wouldn't either."
Guy nodded towards his father, he lifted his head and looked into his eyes, and he longer saw the disappointed that he thought he always saw.
Josiah smiled when he saw the understanding and acceptance pass between the two men.
"Did Hollow tell you where the gold is?" Josiah changed the subject, the two men can continue the conversation when they were on their own, and that way they could say the things they weren't saying now in front of him.
"Yeah, not that it's going to mean much to us if your friend dies." Guy answered.
"He'll make it, Ezra's a fighter." But Josiah wasn't sure, he had never seen Ezra so sick before, hell, he'd never seen him sick.
"I noticed he puts up a pretty good fight even when he's sick." Guy smiled at him.
"He's had the sort of life style where he had to learn to survive, always depends on himself, even now that he has six friends to help him. He doesn't seem to be able to shake this independence that he has, but then he wouldn't be Ezra if he did." Josiah chuckled. "Stubborn as a two headed mule."
"He means a lot to you doesn't he?" Bert noticed the emotion that passed through Josiah's eyes every time he mentioned his friend.
"Ezra's a good friend." Josiah looked towards the open doorway of the room Ezra was in, he could see the foot of the bed but not Ezra. He had curled up into a ball and continued to sleep. "To all of us."
"But he's more than that to you isn't he?" Bert knew how he felt, it was the same way he felt about his own sons.
"I think of him as a son as well as a friend." Josiah admitted to him.
"And Ezra, what does he think?"
"His father died when he was five and from recent events I don't think he got on very well with him, something happened, he won't talk about it to any of us. He wouldn't let me be a father figure to him but he's come round, as long as I don't lay it on to thick he's okay with it."
"He's lucky to have someone like you Josiah, I'm sure he's grateful even if he doesn't tell you." Bert assured him.
"I know he is. He has his own way of telling me that." Josiah looked over his shoulder when the sound of coughing reached his ears. He stood up without saying another word and went back into the bedroom.
Josiah rushed to Ezra's side, he had curled himself up even further into a smaller ball, and a grimace covered his own face when he saw the pain that Ezra was in. He gently rubbed his back through the blanket even though he knew it wouldn't ease the pain that the coughing brought to him. When the coughing fit ended he lifted his head and forced him to drink more water.
"Ezra?" He hoped for a response but he didn't get one.
Josiah laid his head back down onto the damp pillow, he felt Ezra's forehead to find that his temperature hadn't improved at all. It actually seemed to be worse. He realised how hot he must be feeling so he pulled the blanket down to his waist. His fingers gently ran across some of the developing bruises on his chest. He thought about what Bert had said, the way that he felt about Ezra. He was right, he did care for him more than the others did, he didn't know why he thought of him like a wayward son, the feeling had developed over the months, he had wanted to take Ezra under his wing and protect him like a father should.
Ezra had never had anyone that he could be close to. He had never been given a reason to allow people to get close enough to see the real man, he'd always been hurt in some form or another and it had caused him to keep people at arm’s length, but that had changed with the small group of friends that he was now a part of. Josiah wondered if he would ever allow someone else to get close like they had at any other point in his future life. He didn't think that they had managed to change that part of Ezra, they had to earn his trust and friendship, it had taken a long time and a lot of patience, and he didn't think that anyone else would go to that sort of trouble over him, Ezra made it too difficult for people.
But they had seen something in him that no one else ever had, and that was the real Ezra Standish, the man that had stayed hidden underneath an uncaring false charade that his mother had nurtured and encouraged. Josiah had noticed that he cared about others in a way that he wanted to be cared. This had shown itself in the way he cared about children, he also proved to be very loyal and trustworthy, he just never had a reason to allow these attributes to come to the surface before but the other five men and himself and shown Ezra what he was capable of.
Josiah smiled down at the young man, he had a face that was so full of innocence when he slept but when he was awake he was unreadable. You never knew what he was thinking unless he wanted you to know. Everything was always hidden behind his poker face, the only time he was unable to hide the way he felt was when he was in this condition, being ill from a fever that he'd develop from an injury would allow them to see the real man, his emotions were visible for everyone to see. He'd have no control over them, but once his body began to heal the mask would be put back into place.
The ex-preacher wiped the loose hair from Ezra's forehead then moved to the chair that Guy had brought in earlier, he settled into it, it was going to be a long night, especially for Ezra.
*************
Chris and the others rode in silence. Words weren't needed to convey how they were feeling. They had ridden out of their makeshift camp as the sun rose from behind the distant mountains. It was now setting. They were yet to find any trace of Josiah and Ezra and their hopes were sinking as low as the setting sun. They didn't stop for meals, each man ate while they sat in the saddle, and they only stopped occasionally to give the horses a rest.
Chris couldn't understand why this always happened, why couldn't Ezra have an easy life, spend his days in health instead of recovering from an injury. The man had caused him to lose years off his own life through the worry that he had caused him through no fault of his own. He didn't everything right, he protected himself, he carried more guns than the rest of them, he had a quick mind that usually got him out of trouble before he was required to defend himself with his weapons. But fate always interfered and before anyone could do anything to stop it, an injury was inflicted on the usually jovial gambler.
"Chris." Buck pulled his friend from his thoughts.
"What?" Chris didn't look at him. He continued using his eyes to scan the area to his right.
"There are riders up ahead." Buck told him.
Chris turned his head to look in the direction Buck was pointing, he could see three riders, one was slumped in his saddle and for a moment his heart felt a cold grip squeeze it but then he realised that it wasn't Ezra, the other two riders weren't familiar either but maybe they had seen Josiah and Ezra. He pulled his horse to a stop and waited for the three men to reach them.
Robbie saw the men that had come to a stop before them; he knew who they were. Sanchez hadn't told his brother what these men looked like but even at this distance he could see the concern and fear that lined their faces. As they got closer their expressions change, they turned into cold stares.
"Nathan Jackson?" Robbie spoke the name he had been given.
Each of the lawmen hid the dread that filled them.
"That's me." Nathan nudged his horse closer to the front.
"Josiah told us you'd be looking for him and Ezra." Robbie told him.
"Where are they? Are they all right?" Chris stared at Robbie. He was ignoring the injured man who was only just managing to stay on his horse.
"Josiah's fine . . .” Ben began.
"What happened to Ezra?" Chris growled at him.
"He's sick . . .” Ben was interrupted a second time.
"Ezra doesn't get sick." Nathan eyed him suspiciously.
"He's sick now, very sick." Ben continued.
"What's wrong with him?" Nathan asked him.
"He's got a very high fever and a bad cough." Robbie explained, he didn't mention the beating that he had taken, the look on these men's faces told him that they wouldn't be happy about that piece of information.
"Where are they?" Chris demanded.
"Keep going along this trail, it's just over a day’s ride, you'll see a burnt out tree, turn left and keep going until you get to the base of the hill. If it's night time, you'll see the light from the cabin." Robbie told him.
Chris nudged his horse forward and rode past them, he didn't ask any more questions, and Josiah can tell him about the injured man.
"Chris, what about this guy, he's hurt." Nathan called to his back.
"This guy is fine." Robbie did the same as Chris. He rode on without saying anything else.
"He needs some help!" Nathan snapped at him.
Robbie reached Nathan's horse. "Your friend needs help. This man beat him so I suggest you get going and let us take care of this one."
"I thought you said Ezra was sick!" Buck growled at him.
"He is, but it didn't stop Bill here from beating him." Robbie eyed Buck and Nathan.
They didn't need to be told anything else, they rode off and caught up with Chris, and they would wait until they had ridden a few miles then tell him what the young man had said. If they told him sooner he might turn around and try inflict a beating himself.
*************
Josiah hadn't slept for the last twenty-four hours, he couldn't, it wasn't just the sound of Ezra's coughing that kept him from the rest that he needed, it was also the worry and concern that he was feeling. Ezra didn't improve as the hours passed. His fever was still high, his breathing was still a struggle and the coughing bouts were still frequent, his sleep was restless but he wasn't lucid when he was awake. He continued to get him to drink whenever he could but he hadn't been able to get him to eat anything solid.
"How is he?" Bert asked as he entered the room. "Josiah?"
Josiah had heard him but he couldn't pull his eyes from Ezra's flushed features. "No better."
"Why don't you get some rest, I'll watch him for a while." Bert knew he wouldn't be able to convince him to leave Ezra's bedside. "Or at least go and eat something, you’re not looking very well yourself."
"I'm fine Bert. You’re the one who should be getting some rest." Josiah finally looked up at him.
"Don't worry about me." Bert sat down on the bed next to Ezra's side. He leant over and felt his forehead with his free arm, the right one was still in a sling. "Your friends should be here soon."
"That's if your sons met them on the trail." Josiah reminded him.
"I'm sure they did."
"Bert, I . . .” Josiah looked at him then back at Ezra.
"I'm sure he'll be fine Josiah, why don't you get some more water, see if we can bring his fever down some." Bert suggested. He knew how Josiah was feeling.
Josiah nodded and left Bert alone with Ezra. Bert moved to the chair and sat facing the young man. He listened to his ragged breathing.
"Ezra Standish, can you hear me, even if you can't I'm going to tell you something and you better listen. You mean a lot to Josiah and I don't want you to hurt him like this anymore, you have to start fighting whatever it is that's wrong with you. Josiah told me that you can be stubborn. So where is that stubborn streak now? Prove to me that he wasn't lying." He put his hand back onto Ezra's face. "He needs you. Don't leave him or your friends, not now that you've found them." Bert hoped that by some miracle his words would bring him back but they didn't, nothing changed.
"Trying to appeal to his guilty side Bert." Josiah smiled from his position in the doorway. He held a large bowl of cool water in his hands. Guy had just refilled the large bucket with water from the well.
"Something like that Josiah." Bert smiled at him. "Bring that over here." Bert pulled the blanket down to Ezra's hips and tried to push the sleeping form onto his back but he lacked the strength to do so.
Josiah saw what Bert was trying to do. He put the bowl on the floor and pushed Ezra onto his back, Ezra struggled to roll back over but soon settled again when he realised he wasn't able to move. Josiah held him down with his hands.
"Now, soak the material and wash him down. It won't get rid of his fever but the coolness of the water might help him in some way." Bert instructed him but it was also a lie. "I know it helped Ben that time when he got shot. But do it carefully, the cool water against his hot skin won't be good, you have start slowly."
Josiah did as he was told. He pushed the large cloth into the bowl of water and waited until it had soaked up as much water as it could. He then lifted it quickly and laid it onto Ezra's arm first then made his way across to his chest, he ignored the dripping water that had fallen onto the floor and sheet. He begun to rub Ezra down, the heat from his body drew the coolness from the water, but Josiah continued to wash the sweat from his upper body. He soaked the cloth again and repeated the process with Ezra's face. He made sure that he took care when he ran the cloth over the cuts and bruises that adorned his face.
"Keep going Josiah." Bert knew it wouldn't make any difference, cold water did nothing to help a fever, but he knew that Josiah needed to do something. He wanted to feel as though he was helping Ezra in some way instead of sitting and watching him slip slowly away from him.
*************
Guy stepped into the falsely lit room, he could see Josiah sitting in the chair, but he was bent over, his arms were crossed and lying on the bed, his head rested on top of them. He moved closer to the bed and looked down at Ezra, he was still the same. He didn't want to disturb either of them so he made his way to his own bed in the corner of the room. He lay down but couldn't sleep. He rolled onto his side and continued to watch the two men in front of him. He'd only been there for a few minutes when Ezra began to cough, he rushed to his side to try to help him before he woke Josiah but he didn't succeed. Josiah jerked awake before he even reached the bed. He stood back and watched as the older man comforted his friend. Ezra soon became quite and Josiah laid him back down.
"Josiah why don't you get some sleep, I can take care of him." Guy spoke from behind.
Josiah didn't realise there was someone else in the room with them, he turned in his seat to look at Guy.
"It's okay, I can do that." He saw the dejected look on Guy's and knew that he needed to do something. He was about to give in to him when he heard noises from outside the cabin. Footsteps bounded onto the porch and a fist was slammed against the door continuously. "Sounds like Chris." Josiah smiled. "Why don't you go and let them in."
*************
Chris could see the light from the cabin just like the young man had told him, he could tell the area was clear of any mishaps, such as trees, so he urged his horse into a gallop, he heard the others follow his lead. He didn't slow down until he reached the cabin. He ran up the stairs and pounded on the door. He wanted to walk straight in and find Ezra but he waited, more out of fear than anything else. The door opened to reveal a man who looked like the two they had met on the way here but he was older.
"He's in there." The man pointed to an open doorway.
Chris promptly forgot about him and ran to the room, he entered to find Josiah looking at him with a weak smile on his face, and he looked fine except for the small cut above his right eyebrow. He looked down at the form in the bed, Ezra's back was to him but even the limited view told him that Ezra wasn't fine. He moved forward and around the bed.
"Aw hell Josiah, what's wrong with him?" Chris bent down in front of Ezra. He didn't have to touch him to know a fever was flowing through him. He also saw the cuts and bruises that stood out on his pale skin.
"I'll tell you later Chris. In the meantime let Nathan have a look at him please." Josiah pulled Chris up to his feet and away from the bed.
Nathan sat on the bed and pushed Ezra onto his back, the blanket was still pulled down to his waist so he was able to see the damage that had been done to his ribs and chest. He put his hand against his forehead. The fever was at a dangerous level.
"Buck, get me some water and a cup." He began to undo the bandage that was wrapped around Ezra's ribs.
"From the beginning Josiah."
"He didn't tell me he was sick, it started out as a slight fever and he had a cough, I looked for a place for him to spend the night, both got worse as the day went on. We finally found this cabin, Bert lets us stay in the barn, the fever got even worse, he had a bad headache and he felt sick, the fever broke by the next day but then things happened and the fever came back, the cough got worse, he's got some broken ribs too, which don't help when he coughs. He's been like this for about a day and a half."
"What things?" Chris demanded as he watched Nathan press against Ezra's ribs.
"Me for one thing." Guy spoke up, he had entered the room behind the three men, and he was going to take responsibility for what he had done.
"What did you do?" Chris turned on him, his eyes were cold and he was ready to kill.
"I thought they stole our gold." Guy looked at Josiah who was shaking his head, he ignored him. "You met my brothers and the man that was with them." He didn't wait for Chris to agree with him. "I had that man nearly drown your friend to get Josiah to talk, he wouldn't so later he beat him."
Chris pulled his gun and walked towards the man who had hurt his friend, even if hadn't done it by his own hands.
"Chris!" Josiah called out to him and when he didn't answer him he moved forward and pulled his gun arm down. "Leave him alone!"
"What?!" Chris was shocked.
"You don't know the whole story, he had his reasons for what he did, you'll understand when I tell you, but not now, leave him and we'll talk later." Josiah pushed him away from Guy. "Guy go and make sure your father's okay and don't come back in here until I call you. Okay."
"You'll let us know how Ezra is?" Guy asked him.
"Yes I will." He pushed him towards the door. "Go on."
"He's got two broken and two cracked ribs." Nathan informed them. "The cut on his head isn't bad, but he may have had a slight concussion. Did he sleep a lot afterwards Josiah?"
"Yeah but he didn't complain about being sick after it." Josiah answered him.
"Did he throw up at any time?"
"No."
"What about his breathing?" Nathan asked him but he didn't receive an answer. "Josiah?"
"I'm sorry Nathan. I should have remembered all of this."
"It's okay Josiah." Chris told him as he moved closer.
"He's had trouble breathing, especially after he drowned. I think he actually stopped breathing. That guy kicked him a couple of times, got him going again, he coughed up water then." Josiah shivered when he remembered the site of Ezra struggling for breath. "And then after he kicked him when he tried to beat him."
"Tried?" Chris raised his eyebrows.
"Yeah." Josiah smiled. "Ezra was sick but he still managed to break the guy's knee."
Nathan leant over and placed his ear against Ezra's chest. "He's not congested which is a good sign, I think he's just picked up a sickness from somewhere, probably that town you went to, and these injuries have just made everything worse. I think it's the broken ribs that are causing his breathing problems. They're restricting the movement of his left lung. The coughing wouldn't help, if it's been as severe as you say Josiah then it would only be causing him more problems."
"Is he going to be okay?" Josiah asked him.
"If I can get the fever down, he should be."
He pulled some pouches out of his saddlebags and began to mix some herbs with the water in the cup that he had taken from Buck. He lifted Ezra's head and put the cup to his lips, he poured a small amount in at first to see if he was going to swallow it. He did but he also began to cough. Nathan allowed Ezra to roll onto his side. He could see how much pain he was in. When the coughing stopped he rolled him back over and managed to get him to drink the rest of the liquid without any more bouts of coughing. He then rewrapped his ribs. He used a bandage from his saddlebag to strap his left arm to his chest to help support the damaged ribs.
"Have you been getting him to drink water Josiah?" Nathan gently rolled Ezra onto his side and pulled the blanket up to his chin. He wiped his forehead then stood up.
"Yes, every time his coughing woke him I made him drink some."
"Good, I'll keep giving him something for his fever and the pain. Apart from that we'll just have to wait."
Josiah nodded and went and sat back down in the chair that faced Ezra's sleeping form. "Nathan." He looked up at him. "Can you go and check on Bert, he's the boy’s father, he was shot, and he seems okay but if you could make sure. He's in the other room."
"Sure Josiah, I'll come back when I'm done and then you’re going to get some rest, you look like you haven't slept in days."
"He's going to get some rest now." Chris headed straight for the larger man. "Buck."
Each of them grabbed an arm and they pulled him from the chair and pushed him towards one of the other beds. Josiah protested but they wouldn't listen to him. His body was also succumbing to the exhaustion that he felt, now that his mind knew that Nathan and the others were here to help Ezra he could no longer fight the sleep that wanted to take him. He allowed them to push him onto the bed and he was asleep minutes after his head hit the pillow.
Chris pulled a blanket up over him then moved to the empty chair and took up his vigil of Ezra's sick form. Buck sat on the corner of the bed at Ezra's feet.
Nathan returned to the room to find Chris supporting Ezra while he coughed violently into his shoulder, he quickly moved forward and sat down on the bed next to them, he looked into Ezra's face to find his eyes open and looking back at him.
"Ezra?" He put his hand on his cheek. "Ezra, it's Nathan."
Ezra didn't respond to him, he continued to look through him. He waved his hand in front of his face but still didn't get a response.
"Lay him down Chris." Nathan ordered him.
Chris did as he was told and watched as Nathan checked Ezra's temperature and breathing. He then forced the gambler to drink more of the herbal fluids to help with his fever.
"How sick is he Nathan?" Buck asked him.
"He's very sick Buck." Nathan told him.
"Is there anything you can do for him?" Chris changed his direction of sight to take in Ezra's inert form.
"Nothing more than I'm doing now." Nathan sighed and followed Chris' gaze down to Ezra, his eyes were now closed.
*************
They waited and watched through the late hours of the night and into the early hours of the day. Nathan continued to force Ezra to drink the herbal mixture each time he woke to a bout of coughing. His fever had stayed at a dangerous level during those hours and was yet to come down. Josiah continued to sleep undisturbed in the other bed, he was oblivious to the sounds of Ezra's illness. Chris and Buck took turns sitting in the chair next Ezra, each of them lost in their own thoughts but both men had the same fear; that Ezra wasn't going to pull through. After everything that had happened it seemed strange that they may lose him to an illness and not an injury inflicted by a bullet.
Nathan was sitting on the bed at Ezra's side when he saw the green eyes reveal themselves to him. He stopped wiping his face with the damp cloth and leaned down closer to his face.
"Ezra, it's Nathan." He waited a few minutes and just when he thought that Ezra wasn't going to reply to him he spoke.
"Josiah?" Ezra's voice was weak, it was barely a whisper. "Josiah?"
"He's sleeping Ezra. But we're here, me, Chris and Buck." He wiped his face with the cloth but Ezra didn't look at him.
"Josiah, where's Josiah?" Ezra's eyes began a frantic search.
"Chris wake Josiah up." Nathan urged him. "He's coming Ezra, Josiah will be here in a minute."
"Josiah?" Ezra continued as though he hadn't heard Nathan. "Josiah . . .” he began to cough.
Chris moved to the other bed and roughly shook Josiah awake.
"What . . . , is it Ezra?" Josiah asked as he tried to pull himself from his deep slumber.
"He's asking for you, he's not responding to us so Nathan wants you." Chris explained.
Josiah didn't need any more encouragement; he got off the bed and moved to Ezra's side, he sat on the bed after Nathan made room for him.
"Ezra, it's Josiah, I'm here. Ezra, you still with me son." Josiah rubbed Ezra's temple to try to get his attention.
"I'm here." Ezra grimaced.
"You make sure you stay here Ezra, I don't want you going anywhere." Josiah told him.
Ezra nodded and closed his eyes.
Nathan sat on the other side of the bed and felt Ezra's forehead. "His fever has come down a bit, not much but it's a start."
"Good." Chris felt some sort of relief. But he knew Josiah would be feeling more, he'd spent nearly a week with Ezra while he was ill. "Josiah, maybe you can tell us what happened and why you don't blame that man for what he did."
Josiah tore his eyes from Ezra's face and looked at Chris, he began to tell him what happened over the last four days, and he made sure that he included what had nearly torn the family apart two years ago.
"I can't hold him responsible Chris, Guy's been angry for a long time, when he thought we took his gold his mind probably went back to that time, he's only just beginning to forgive himself."
"It would be a hard thing to live with." Nathan agreed.
"He was going to take Hollow to town and turn himself him but I stopped him, he's suffered enough as it is."
"If that's what you want Josiah." Chris did understand, he knew what it was like to feel responsible for someone's death, especially when they were family.
"Josiah!" Ezra called out to him.
Everyone turned to Ezra.
"I'm here Ezra, I'm here."
Ezra reached out with his hand when another bout of coughing took control of him. Josiah grabbed the hand that moved frantically around the air in front him.
"Josiah." Ezra called again when the coughing stopped.
"I'm here Ezra, look at me." He wiped Ezra's forehead until he opened his eyes. "See, I'm here with you."
Ezra gripped his hand tighter.
"Go back to sleep Ezra."
"Hurts."
"I know it does Ezra but it'll ease, Nathan's here to help you."
"Nathan?" Ezra's brow frowned in confusion.
"Yeah, Chris and Buck too." Josiah told him.
"Nathan?" Ezra repeated.
"Yeah, now do as your told and go back to sleep." Josiah said more firmly, he waited until Ezra closed his eyes and began to rub his temple, his breathing eventually evened out as he went back to sleep.
Josiah turned away from him to look at three very amused faces.
"What?" He was confused himself.
"So what were you two up to when we weren't around?" Buck winked at him.
"Let's just say that I think the father figure bond got a bit stronger." He smiled back at them.
"And Ezra allowed that?" Chris asked him seriously.
"I don't think he's even aware that it happened." Josiah told them then turned back to Ezra.
*************
Ezra had never felt such pain before, it wrapped itself around his chest and travelled down his left side, it had taken a strong hold of him and he didn't think that it was ever going to let go. His mind was confused and each thought that tried to surface within the thick cloud that surrounded it was pulled back down without revealing itself to him. He was totally unaware of what was happening around him. He felt something brush against his face and he instinctively moved away from it, this movement caused a sound to escape from his lips, he knew it was his own voice, the southern accent echoed in his mind.
He felt a hand against the back of his head as it lifted him up, he struggled against it, but the hand held him firmly in its grip. He heard another voice speak to him and he found it to be calming, he listened and did as it told him. He first tasted the foul liquid that was poured into his mouth but the relief that he felt as it ran down his sore throat stopped him from refusing it. He felt his chest tighten and then he began to cough, he could feel the pain in his chest and side as he did so. Hands lifted him again then wrapped around him, the grip was comforting but it did nothing to ease his pain. When the coughing finally stopped, whoever held him laid him back down.
He pulled his eyes open and looked up into the face of the man who had held him.
"Josiah?"
"How you feeling Ezra?"
"What a stupid question." He tried to smile but couldn't manage it.
"Sorry." Josiah smiled back at him. "Your fever finally came down. It hasn't left you yet though."
"Fever?"
"You've been sick Ezra." Nathan explained as he came forward.
"Where did you come . . . from?" Ezra asked him, the surprise he felt showed on his pale sickly features.
"Been here a couple of days Ezra, you gave us a scare, didn't think you were going to make it there for a while." Nathan sat on the bed. "I know it's a stupid question Ezra but I need you to tell me how your feeling."
"Long version . . . or short?" Ezra shifted his body to try to make himself more comfortable.
"Short." Nathan agreed.
"Terrible."
"That's too short. Have you got a headache?"
"Yes."
"Your chest still hurt?"
Ezra raised his eyebrows at him.
"Okay. Do you feel nauseas"?"
Ezra shook his head no.
"Are you hungry?"
Ezra gave him a look of disgust.
"That's not going to work. Josiah, keep him awake, I'll go and get some of that broth that Guy made."
Ezra watched Nathan disappear through the open door. He turned his aching head back towards Josiah.
"What happened?"
"What's the last thing you remember Ezra?" Josiah pulled the chair closer to the bed and sat down in it.
"We were in the shed, then that . . .” Ezra's eyes opened wide.
"It's okay Ezra, Bert stopped him, your okay now, but you did get pretty sick there for a while."
"Bert? Aw hell, I have no . . . idea do I." Ezra coughed and covered his mouth, it eased quickly.
"I'll go over everything with you later Ezra, you just need to eat then get some more rest."
Ezra nodded and closed his eyes but he felt a hand on his face, he opened his eyes once more.
"Eat first Ezra, and then sleep, you have to do it in the right order." Josiah smiled down at him.
*************
Ezra could hear the voices that tried to speak quietly, they weren't succeeding, and the sounds reverberated within his skull, his headache made the sounds seem louder than they were. There was that movement against his face again, he moved away from it but the hand followed him, he tried to lift his arm to push it away but he couldn't move it. He frowned and regretted it, someone called to him. He tried to ignore the voice but the hand that was on his face slapped him, it wasn't hard but it was enough to try to force him to wake up fully. He used his other hand to push the offending force away but someone grabbed his hand. The hand began to tap against his check. He had no other choice but to open his eyes so the hand would leave him alone.
"Ezra? Come on, wake up." Nathan spoke to him as he used his hand against his cheek. "Wake up Ezra."
A pair of green eyes opened and looked up at him, they were confused at first but then they focused on him.
"Nathan, leave me alone." Ezra turned his head away from him.
"Come on Ezra, I want you to eat something." Nathan explained to him.
"Not now!" Ezra growled at him.
"Ezra!" Nathan turned his head back to look at him. "You're going to eat now!"
"It's too early." Ezra had no idea what time it was, he didn't even know what day it was.
"He sounds like he's as stubborn as a three headed mule Josiah." Bert looked over at the larger man.
"I think your right there." Josiah motioned to Nathan to let him have a go. "Ezra!"
"Go away." Ezra muttered as he tried to roll over and go back to sleep.
"Ezra Standish! You look at me now!" Josiah growled at him.
"Aw hell." Ezra gave up and looked over his shoulder at Josiah.
"You do as your told, you hear me?"
"I hear you, will you go away if I do."
"No but you’re going to eat anyway." Josiah motioned to Nathan who brought a bowl of broth to him.
"We're going to sit you up Ezra. It'll hurt but only for a minute." Nathan told him.
"A minute's too long." Ezra gave him a foul look.
"Ezra." Chris called to him from the doorway. "Are you giving them any trouble?"
"Mr Larabee, have you come to accompany us on our tedious expedition back to our humble abode?"
"I asked first." Chris retorted but winced at the painful expression on Ezra's face when Nathan and Josiah sat him up.
"I consider myself to be a person of a pleasant nature who is always willing to lend a hand to his fellow associates." Ezra defended himself.
"So in other words yes, your giving them trouble." Chris came forward. "Just like always."
"Nathan, I've got that rope you wanted!" Guy called out as he entered the cabin.
"Rope?" Ezra looked at Nathan.
"Your fever broke yesterday Ezra but your still sick, you need a lot of rest until your better and I'm not going to let you get up when we're not looking so you can wonder around outside in the cold and get that fever back." Nathan's tone him that he wasn't going to listen to any arguments.
"But I'm not sick." Ezra innocently told him.
He couldn't help but smile at the groans that sounded from his friends.
"You've got your hands full with this one Josiah." Bert laughed.
"Ezra, this is Bert, it's his cabin that you've been spending so much time in."
"Thank you for your hospitality."
"You're welcome. And I'm sorry about what my son's did." Bert apologised.
Ezra looked across at Josiah, confusion covered his handsome face.
"I'll tell you later. Right now you’re going to eat."
"How much time?" Ezra asked.
"Nearly two weeks." Josiah told him as he took the warm bowl from Nathan.
"How much longer?"
"If you eat like your told to, I'd say another week, if you don't eat, it'll be at least two." Nathan warned him.
"What about the others, they'd be worried about me?" Ezra tried to get out of it. "I have to get back so they'll know I'm alright."
"I sent Buck back. They know what's going on." Chris told him.
"But there isn't a saloon near here." Ezra protested.
"I believe Chris has some money that he's willing to depart with." Nathan smiled at Chris but got a cold stare in return.
Ezra quickly looked Chris over from his head to his boots. "He hasn't got any money."
"Enough!" Josiah was beginning to think that he was trying to force feed a twelve year old. "You're going to eat this then you’re going to sleep."
"Josiah, has anyone told you that you'd make a lousy parent?" Ezra looked serious for a moment but then smiled at him.
"Probably the same people who'd claim that you would make a lousy son." Josiah retaliated.
"Um, guys, I think we better leave them to it." Nathan began to push everyone out of the room.
"Is he always like that." Bert was amused at the sight before him. He thought his sons were bad.
"Always." Chris answered. "But at least now there's humour behind his words and not the malice that he use
to use to keep us away."
"Well I for one can understand where he's coming from." Guy spoke up in Ezra's defence.
"What are you talking about? Josiah's just trying to help him." Bert argued with his son.
"Push him more like it, if Ezra doesn't want to eat then he shouldn't force him." Guy told him.
"Ezra's sick, he needs to eat, you don't know what you’re talking about . . .”
"Chris." Nathan nudged his side. "I think outside would be safer." He looked over his shoulder at the closed door then to the two men in front of him.
"I think your right." Chris followed him out of the cabin into the quiet freedom of nature.
The End
Part One | Part Two | Part Three
Master Fan Fiction List
Rating: PG
Fandom: The Magnificent Seven
Main Characters: Ezra and Josiah
Summary: Ezra and Josiah are on their way back to Four Corners when they are taken prisoner by a family who think the lawmen have stolen their gold.
Disclaimers: The guys are owned by CBS, MGM, Trilogy Entertainment Group, and The Mirisch Corp.
Spoilers: None
Status: Complete
Total Word Count: 23,633
Josiah stepped quietly into the kitchen, he watched as Guy worked over a large pot on the stove. Josiah felt his anger leave his own troubled heart at the sight of the slumped shoulders, the young man was carrying a heavy burden on his own shoulders and Guy didn't need him adding to it, even after what he had done to Ezra. He moved forward and sat down on one of the chairs at the table. Guy either didn't hear him or ignored his presence.
"How's your father?" Josiah asked him to start up a conversation, he knew how Bert was, he had checked in on him on his way to the kitchen.
"He's sleeping." Guy didn't turn around. "Ezra?"
"He's seems to be worse." Josiah sighed and rubbed his face with his hands.
"I'm sorry, I wish there was something I could do to help him . . .”
"I think you've done enough!" Josiah growled at him.
"I'm sorry." Guy repeated when he turned to face him.
Josiah could see the honesty on his face, he was about to apologise himself when he heard a shuffling noise heading towards the kitchen. Thinking that it was Ezra he turned around, he was ready to give him a mouthful but smiled slightly to see Bert making his way towards them.
"Pop! What are you doing? You should be in bed!" Guy closed the space between them quickly and grabbed his arm. "Come on, I'm taking you back to bed."
"I'm fine Guy." He pushed his son away from him and looked up into eyes that would have mirrored his own except for the guilt that they held. "We need to talk Guy, to sort this out once and for all."
"There is nothing to sort out pop, this is my fault, and everything is my fault." Guy turned away from him and walked back to the kitchen.
Josiah wanted to give them some privacy so he pushed himself away from the table and stood.
"Josiah, stay, you might be able to help." Bert motioned for him to sit back down.
Josiah forced a smile to his face and did as he was told.
"None of this is your fault, you can't blame yourself for your mother's death and as for Ezra, you were thinking about our welfare even if you went about it the wrong way." Bert sat down at the table and grimaced at the pain in his shoulder.
Josiah's admiration for the man was growing by the minute. "How did she die?"
"I shot her." Guy said bluntly.
"There's more to it than that Guy!" Bert began to relay the story of what happened to his wife and his three son's mother. "A group of men showed up here two years ago, they heard about the gold that we had found here, it wasn't much but these men were greedy. They didn't ask questions or threaten us. They shot Ben, and then took his mother. Robbie and I tried to stop them. We all knew what they were going to do to her. The man that had Martha turned his gun on Robbie . . .”
"I thought he was going to kill him like I thought he had killed Ben, I aimed for him and pulled the trigger but mother kicked his shin, their positions changed and the bullet struck her instead." Guy finished for his father. "There was nothing I could do. She died in pop's arms."
"The men that did it rode off with the gold. Ben was okay with time, Guy saved Robbie's life but he won't realise it." Bert looked at his son.
"But I killed her, I didn't save her!" Guy retorted.
"But you had all intentions of saving her." Josiah told him. "It wasn't your fault, you couldn't have known what your mother was going to do, and the only thing that must have been on your mind was to save your brother. If you didn't pull that trigger, you all could have died, and they would have succeeded in doing to your mother what they wanted to do."
Guy shook his head in denial.
"Ezra's like that." Josiah told Bert. "Blames himself for everything, even if he had nothing to do with it."
"But he didn't kill his own mother." Guy moved to the table and sat down between the larger man and his father.
Josiah couldn't stop the laughter. He put his hand up when he received confused expressions from the other two men. "I'm sorry but if you knew Ezra's mother . . . we all wanted to shoot her and if Ezra did it, no one would blame him."
"Doesn't sound like he had a good family life." Bert commented.
"He had a mother but never a family, not until he met us." Josiah told him then turned to Guy. "You've always had a family Guy, what you did that day ... any man would have done the same thing to save their family. What happened was an accident, you didn't do it intentionally. That's what you need to tell yourself. Your mother would not have blamed you."
"That's what I told him." Bert put his hand on his son's arm and was grateful when his son put his own hand on top of it. "None of us blame you for it and I know your mother wouldn't either."
Guy nodded towards his father, he lifted his head and looked into his eyes, and he longer saw the disappointed that he thought he always saw.
Josiah smiled when he saw the understanding and acceptance pass between the two men.
"Did Hollow tell you where the gold is?" Josiah changed the subject, the two men can continue the conversation when they were on their own, and that way they could say the things they weren't saying now in front of him.
"Yeah, not that it's going to mean much to us if your friend dies." Guy answered.
"He'll make it, Ezra's a fighter." But Josiah wasn't sure, he had never seen Ezra so sick before, hell, he'd never seen him sick.
"I noticed he puts up a pretty good fight even when he's sick." Guy smiled at him.
"He's had the sort of life style where he had to learn to survive, always depends on himself, even now that he has six friends to help him. He doesn't seem to be able to shake this independence that he has, but then he wouldn't be Ezra if he did." Josiah chuckled. "Stubborn as a two headed mule."
"He means a lot to you doesn't he?" Bert noticed the emotion that passed through Josiah's eyes every time he mentioned his friend.
"Ezra's a good friend." Josiah looked towards the open doorway of the room Ezra was in, he could see the foot of the bed but not Ezra. He had curled up into a ball and continued to sleep. "To all of us."
"But he's more than that to you isn't he?" Bert knew how he felt, it was the same way he felt about his own sons.
"I think of him as a son as well as a friend." Josiah admitted to him.
"And Ezra, what does he think?"
"His father died when he was five and from recent events I don't think he got on very well with him, something happened, he won't talk about it to any of us. He wouldn't let me be a father figure to him but he's come round, as long as I don't lay it on to thick he's okay with it."
"He's lucky to have someone like you Josiah, I'm sure he's grateful even if he doesn't tell you." Bert assured him.
"I know he is. He has his own way of telling me that." Josiah looked over his shoulder when the sound of coughing reached his ears. He stood up without saying another word and went back into the bedroom.
Josiah rushed to Ezra's side, he had curled himself up even further into a smaller ball, and a grimace covered his own face when he saw the pain that Ezra was in. He gently rubbed his back through the blanket even though he knew it wouldn't ease the pain that the coughing brought to him. When the coughing fit ended he lifted his head and forced him to drink more water.
"Ezra?" He hoped for a response but he didn't get one.
Josiah laid his head back down onto the damp pillow, he felt Ezra's forehead to find that his temperature hadn't improved at all. It actually seemed to be worse. He realised how hot he must be feeling so he pulled the blanket down to his waist. His fingers gently ran across some of the developing bruises on his chest. He thought about what Bert had said, the way that he felt about Ezra. He was right, he did care for him more than the others did, he didn't know why he thought of him like a wayward son, the feeling had developed over the months, he had wanted to take Ezra under his wing and protect him like a father should.
Ezra had never had anyone that he could be close to. He had never been given a reason to allow people to get close enough to see the real man, he'd always been hurt in some form or another and it had caused him to keep people at arm’s length, but that had changed with the small group of friends that he was now a part of. Josiah wondered if he would ever allow someone else to get close like they had at any other point in his future life. He didn't think that they had managed to change that part of Ezra, they had to earn his trust and friendship, it had taken a long time and a lot of patience, and he didn't think that anyone else would go to that sort of trouble over him, Ezra made it too difficult for people.
But they had seen something in him that no one else ever had, and that was the real Ezra Standish, the man that had stayed hidden underneath an uncaring false charade that his mother had nurtured and encouraged. Josiah had noticed that he cared about others in a way that he wanted to be cared. This had shown itself in the way he cared about children, he also proved to be very loyal and trustworthy, he just never had a reason to allow these attributes to come to the surface before but the other five men and himself and shown Ezra what he was capable of.
Josiah smiled down at the young man, he had a face that was so full of innocence when he slept but when he was awake he was unreadable. You never knew what he was thinking unless he wanted you to know. Everything was always hidden behind his poker face, the only time he was unable to hide the way he felt was when he was in this condition, being ill from a fever that he'd develop from an injury would allow them to see the real man, his emotions were visible for everyone to see. He'd have no control over them, but once his body began to heal the mask would be put back into place.
The ex-preacher wiped the loose hair from Ezra's forehead then moved to the chair that Guy had brought in earlier, he settled into it, it was going to be a long night, especially for Ezra.
*************
Chris and the others rode in silence. Words weren't needed to convey how they were feeling. They had ridden out of their makeshift camp as the sun rose from behind the distant mountains. It was now setting. They were yet to find any trace of Josiah and Ezra and their hopes were sinking as low as the setting sun. They didn't stop for meals, each man ate while they sat in the saddle, and they only stopped occasionally to give the horses a rest.
Chris couldn't understand why this always happened, why couldn't Ezra have an easy life, spend his days in health instead of recovering from an injury. The man had caused him to lose years off his own life through the worry that he had caused him through no fault of his own. He didn't everything right, he protected himself, he carried more guns than the rest of them, he had a quick mind that usually got him out of trouble before he was required to defend himself with his weapons. But fate always interfered and before anyone could do anything to stop it, an injury was inflicted on the usually jovial gambler.
"Chris." Buck pulled his friend from his thoughts.
"What?" Chris didn't look at him. He continued using his eyes to scan the area to his right.
"There are riders up ahead." Buck told him.
Chris turned his head to look in the direction Buck was pointing, he could see three riders, one was slumped in his saddle and for a moment his heart felt a cold grip squeeze it but then he realised that it wasn't Ezra, the other two riders weren't familiar either but maybe they had seen Josiah and Ezra. He pulled his horse to a stop and waited for the three men to reach them.
Robbie saw the men that had come to a stop before them; he knew who they were. Sanchez hadn't told his brother what these men looked like but even at this distance he could see the concern and fear that lined their faces. As they got closer their expressions change, they turned into cold stares.
"Nathan Jackson?" Robbie spoke the name he had been given.
Each of the lawmen hid the dread that filled them.
"That's me." Nathan nudged his horse closer to the front.
"Josiah told us you'd be looking for him and Ezra." Robbie told him.
"Where are they? Are they all right?" Chris stared at Robbie. He was ignoring the injured man who was only just managing to stay on his horse.
"Josiah's fine . . .” Ben began.
"What happened to Ezra?" Chris growled at him.
"He's sick . . .” Ben was interrupted a second time.
"Ezra doesn't get sick." Nathan eyed him suspiciously.
"He's sick now, very sick." Ben continued.
"What's wrong with him?" Nathan asked him.
"He's got a very high fever and a bad cough." Robbie explained, he didn't mention the beating that he had taken, the look on these men's faces told him that they wouldn't be happy about that piece of information.
"Where are they?" Chris demanded.
"Keep going along this trail, it's just over a day’s ride, you'll see a burnt out tree, turn left and keep going until you get to the base of the hill. If it's night time, you'll see the light from the cabin." Robbie told him.
Chris nudged his horse forward and rode past them, he didn't ask any more questions, and Josiah can tell him about the injured man.
"Chris, what about this guy, he's hurt." Nathan called to his back.
"This guy is fine." Robbie did the same as Chris. He rode on without saying anything else.
"He needs some help!" Nathan snapped at him.
Robbie reached Nathan's horse. "Your friend needs help. This man beat him so I suggest you get going and let us take care of this one."
"I thought you said Ezra was sick!" Buck growled at him.
"He is, but it didn't stop Bill here from beating him." Robbie eyed Buck and Nathan.
They didn't need to be told anything else, they rode off and caught up with Chris, and they would wait until they had ridden a few miles then tell him what the young man had said. If they told him sooner he might turn around and try inflict a beating himself.
*************
Josiah hadn't slept for the last twenty-four hours, he couldn't, it wasn't just the sound of Ezra's coughing that kept him from the rest that he needed, it was also the worry and concern that he was feeling. Ezra didn't improve as the hours passed. His fever was still high, his breathing was still a struggle and the coughing bouts were still frequent, his sleep was restless but he wasn't lucid when he was awake. He continued to get him to drink whenever he could but he hadn't been able to get him to eat anything solid.
"How is he?" Bert asked as he entered the room. "Josiah?"
Josiah had heard him but he couldn't pull his eyes from Ezra's flushed features. "No better."
"Why don't you get some rest, I'll watch him for a while." Bert knew he wouldn't be able to convince him to leave Ezra's bedside. "Or at least go and eat something, you’re not looking very well yourself."
"I'm fine Bert. You’re the one who should be getting some rest." Josiah finally looked up at him.
"Don't worry about me." Bert sat down on the bed next to Ezra's side. He leant over and felt his forehead with his free arm, the right one was still in a sling. "Your friends should be here soon."
"That's if your sons met them on the trail." Josiah reminded him.
"I'm sure they did."
"Bert, I . . .” Josiah looked at him then back at Ezra.
"I'm sure he'll be fine Josiah, why don't you get some more water, see if we can bring his fever down some." Bert suggested. He knew how Josiah was feeling.
Josiah nodded and left Bert alone with Ezra. Bert moved to the chair and sat facing the young man. He listened to his ragged breathing.
"Ezra Standish, can you hear me, even if you can't I'm going to tell you something and you better listen. You mean a lot to Josiah and I don't want you to hurt him like this anymore, you have to start fighting whatever it is that's wrong with you. Josiah told me that you can be stubborn. So where is that stubborn streak now? Prove to me that he wasn't lying." He put his hand back onto Ezra's face. "He needs you. Don't leave him or your friends, not now that you've found them." Bert hoped that by some miracle his words would bring him back but they didn't, nothing changed.
"Trying to appeal to his guilty side Bert." Josiah smiled from his position in the doorway. He held a large bowl of cool water in his hands. Guy had just refilled the large bucket with water from the well.
"Something like that Josiah." Bert smiled at him. "Bring that over here." Bert pulled the blanket down to Ezra's hips and tried to push the sleeping form onto his back but he lacked the strength to do so.
Josiah saw what Bert was trying to do. He put the bowl on the floor and pushed Ezra onto his back, Ezra struggled to roll back over but soon settled again when he realised he wasn't able to move. Josiah held him down with his hands.
"Now, soak the material and wash him down. It won't get rid of his fever but the coolness of the water might help him in some way." Bert instructed him but it was also a lie. "I know it helped Ben that time when he got shot. But do it carefully, the cool water against his hot skin won't be good, you have start slowly."
Josiah did as he was told. He pushed the large cloth into the bowl of water and waited until it had soaked up as much water as it could. He then lifted it quickly and laid it onto Ezra's arm first then made his way across to his chest, he ignored the dripping water that had fallen onto the floor and sheet. He begun to rub Ezra down, the heat from his body drew the coolness from the water, but Josiah continued to wash the sweat from his upper body. He soaked the cloth again and repeated the process with Ezra's face. He made sure that he took care when he ran the cloth over the cuts and bruises that adorned his face.
"Keep going Josiah." Bert knew it wouldn't make any difference, cold water did nothing to help a fever, but he knew that Josiah needed to do something. He wanted to feel as though he was helping Ezra in some way instead of sitting and watching him slip slowly away from him.
*************
Guy stepped into the falsely lit room, he could see Josiah sitting in the chair, but he was bent over, his arms were crossed and lying on the bed, his head rested on top of them. He moved closer to the bed and looked down at Ezra, he was still the same. He didn't want to disturb either of them so he made his way to his own bed in the corner of the room. He lay down but couldn't sleep. He rolled onto his side and continued to watch the two men in front of him. He'd only been there for a few minutes when Ezra began to cough, he rushed to his side to try to help him before he woke Josiah but he didn't succeed. Josiah jerked awake before he even reached the bed. He stood back and watched as the older man comforted his friend. Ezra soon became quite and Josiah laid him back down.
"Josiah why don't you get some sleep, I can take care of him." Guy spoke from behind.
Josiah didn't realise there was someone else in the room with them, he turned in his seat to look at Guy.
"It's okay, I can do that." He saw the dejected look on Guy's and knew that he needed to do something. He was about to give in to him when he heard noises from outside the cabin. Footsteps bounded onto the porch and a fist was slammed against the door continuously. "Sounds like Chris." Josiah smiled. "Why don't you go and let them in."
*************
Chris could see the light from the cabin just like the young man had told him, he could tell the area was clear of any mishaps, such as trees, so he urged his horse into a gallop, he heard the others follow his lead. He didn't slow down until he reached the cabin. He ran up the stairs and pounded on the door. He wanted to walk straight in and find Ezra but he waited, more out of fear than anything else. The door opened to reveal a man who looked like the two they had met on the way here but he was older.
"He's in there." The man pointed to an open doorway.
Chris promptly forgot about him and ran to the room, he entered to find Josiah looking at him with a weak smile on his face, and he looked fine except for the small cut above his right eyebrow. He looked down at the form in the bed, Ezra's back was to him but even the limited view told him that Ezra wasn't fine. He moved forward and around the bed.
"Aw hell Josiah, what's wrong with him?" Chris bent down in front of Ezra. He didn't have to touch him to know a fever was flowing through him. He also saw the cuts and bruises that stood out on his pale skin.
"I'll tell you later Chris. In the meantime let Nathan have a look at him please." Josiah pulled Chris up to his feet and away from the bed.
Nathan sat on the bed and pushed Ezra onto his back, the blanket was still pulled down to his waist so he was able to see the damage that had been done to his ribs and chest. He put his hand against his forehead. The fever was at a dangerous level.
"Buck, get me some water and a cup." He began to undo the bandage that was wrapped around Ezra's ribs.
"From the beginning Josiah."
"He didn't tell me he was sick, it started out as a slight fever and he had a cough, I looked for a place for him to spend the night, both got worse as the day went on. We finally found this cabin, Bert lets us stay in the barn, the fever got even worse, he had a bad headache and he felt sick, the fever broke by the next day but then things happened and the fever came back, the cough got worse, he's got some broken ribs too, which don't help when he coughs. He's been like this for about a day and a half."
"What things?" Chris demanded as he watched Nathan press against Ezra's ribs.
"Me for one thing." Guy spoke up, he had entered the room behind the three men, and he was going to take responsibility for what he had done.
"What did you do?" Chris turned on him, his eyes were cold and he was ready to kill.
"I thought they stole our gold." Guy looked at Josiah who was shaking his head, he ignored him. "You met my brothers and the man that was with them." He didn't wait for Chris to agree with him. "I had that man nearly drown your friend to get Josiah to talk, he wouldn't so later he beat him."
Chris pulled his gun and walked towards the man who had hurt his friend, even if hadn't done it by his own hands.
"Chris!" Josiah called out to him and when he didn't answer him he moved forward and pulled his gun arm down. "Leave him alone!"
"What?!" Chris was shocked.
"You don't know the whole story, he had his reasons for what he did, you'll understand when I tell you, but not now, leave him and we'll talk later." Josiah pushed him away from Guy. "Guy go and make sure your father's okay and don't come back in here until I call you. Okay."
"You'll let us know how Ezra is?" Guy asked him.
"Yes I will." He pushed him towards the door. "Go on."
"He's got two broken and two cracked ribs." Nathan informed them. "The cut on his head isn't bad, but he may have had a slight concussion. Did he sleep a lot afterwards Josiah?"
"Yeah but he didn't complain about being sick after it." Josiah answered him.
"Did he throw up at any time?"
"No."
"What about his breathing?" Nathan asked him but he didn't receive an answer. "Josiah?"
"I'm sorry Nathan. I should have remembered all of this."
"It's okay Josiah." Chris told him as he moved closer.
"He's had trouble breathing, especially after he drowned. I think he actually stopped breathing. That guy kicked him a couple of times, got him going again, he coughed up water then." Josiah shivered when he remembered the site of Ezra struggling for breath. "And then after he kicked him when he tried to beat him."
"Tried?" Chris raised his eyebrows.
"Yeah." Josiah smiled. "Ezra was sick but he still managed to break the guy's knee."
Nathan leant over and placed his ear against Ezra's chest. "He's not congested which is a good sign, I think he's just picked up a sickness from somewhere, probably that town you went to, and these injuries have just made everything worse. I think it's the broken ribs that are causing his breathing problems. They're restricting the movement of his left lung. The coughing wouldn't help, if it's been as severe as you say Josiah then it would only be causing him more problems."
"Is he going to be okay?" Josiah asked him.
"If I can get the fever down, he should be."
He pulled some pouches out of his saddlebags and began to mix some herbs with the water in the cup that he had taken from Buck. He lifted Ezra's head and put the cup to his lips, he poured a small amount in at first to see if he was going to swallow it. He did but he also began to cough. Nathan allowed Ezra to roll onto his side. He could see how much pain he was in. When the coughing stopped he rolled him back over and managed to get him to drink the rest of the liquid without any more bouts of coughing. He then rewrapped his ribs. He used a bandage from his saddlebag to strap his left arm to his chest to help support the damaged ribs.
"Have you been getting him to drink water Josiah?" Nathan gently rolled Ezra onto his side and pulled the blanket up to his chin. He wiped his forehead then stood up.
"Yes, every time his coughing woke him I made him drink some."
"Good, I'll keep giving him something for his fever and the pain. Apart from that we'll just have to wait."
Josiah nodded and went and sat back down in the chair that faced Ezra's sleeping form. "Nathan." He looked up at him. "Can you go and check on Bert, he's the boy’s father, he was shot, and he seems okay but if you could make sure. He's in the other room."
"Sure Josiah, I'll come back when I'm done and then you’re going to get some rest, you look like you haven't slept in days."
"He's going to get some rest now." Chris headed straight for the larger man. "Buck."
Each of them grabbed an arm and they pulled him from the chair and pushed him towards one of the other beds. Josiah protested but they wouldn't listen to him. His body was also succumbing to the exhaustion that he felt, now that his mind knew that Nathan and the others were here to help Ezra he could no longer fight the sleep that wanted to take him. He allowed them to push him onto the bed and he was asleep minutes after his head hit the pillow.
Chris pulled a blanket up over him then moved to the empty chair and took up his vigil of Ezra's sick form. Buck sat on the corner of the bed at Ezra's feet.
Nathan returned to the room to find Chris supporting Ezra while he coughed violently into his shoulder, he quickly moved forward and sat down on the bed next to them, he looked into Ezra's face to find his eyes open and looking back at him.
"Ezra?" He put his hand on his cheek. "Ezra, it's Nathan."
Ezra didn't respond to him, he continued to look through him. He waved his hand in front of his face but still didn't get a response.
"Lay him down Chris." Nathan ordered him.
Chris did as he was told and watched as Nathan checked Ezra's temperature and breathing. He then forced the gambler to drink more of the herbal fluids to help with his fever.
"How sick is he Nathan?" Buck asked him.
"He's very sick Buck." Nathan told him.
"Is there anything you can do for him?" Chris changed his direction of sight to take in Ezra's inert form.
"Nothing more than I'm doing now." Nathan sighed and followed Chris' gaze down to Ezra, his eyes were now closed.
*************
They waited and watched through the late hours of the night and into the early hours of the day. Nathan continued to force Ezra to drink the herbal mixture each time he woke to a bout of coughing. His fever had stayed at a dangerous level during those hours and was yet to come down. Josiah continued to sleep undisturbed in the other bed, he was oblivious to the sounds of Ezra's illness. Chris and Buck took turns sitting in the chair next Ezra, each of them lost in their own thoughts but both men had the same fear; that Ezra wasn't going to pull through. After everything that had happened it seemed strange that they may lose him to an illness and not an injury inflicted by a bullet.
Nathan was sitting on the bed at Ezra's side when he saw the green eyes reveal themselves to him. He stopped wiping his face with the damp cloth and leaned down closer to his face.
"Ezra, it's Nathan." He waited a few minutes and just when he thought that Ezra wasn't going to reply to him he spoke.
"Josiah?" Ezra's voice was weak, it was barely a whisper. "Josiah?"
"He's sleeping Ezra. But we're here, me, Chris and Buck." He wiped his face with the cloth but Ezra didn't look at him.
"Josiah, where's Josiah?" Ezra's eyes began a frantic search.
"Chris wake Josiah up." Nathan urged him. "He's coming Ezra, Josiah will be here in a minute."
"Josiah?" Ezra continued as though he hadn't heard Nathan. "Josiah . . .” he began to cough.
Chris moved to the other bed and roughly shook Josiah awake.
"What . . . , is it Ezra?" Josiah asked as he tried to pull himself from his deep slumber.
"He's asking for you, he's not responding to us so Nathan wants you." Chris explained.
Josiah didn't need any more encouragement; he got off the bed and moved to Ezra's side, he sat on the bed after Nathan made room for him.
"Ezra, it's Josiah, I'm here. Ezra, you still with me son." Josiah rubbed Ezra's temple to try to get his attention.
"I'm here." Ezra grimaced.
"You make sure you stay here Ezra, I don't want you going anywhere." Josiah told him.
Ezra nodded and closed his eyes.
Nathan sat on the other side of the bed and felt Ezra's forehead. "His fever has come down a bit, not much but it's a start."
"Good." Chris felt some sort of relief. But he knew Josiah would be feeling more, he'd spent nearly a week with Ezra while he was ill. "Josiah, maybe you can tell us what happened and why you don't blame that man for what he did."
Josiah tore his eyes from Ezra's face and looked at Chris, he began to tell him what happened over the last four days, and he made sure that he included what had nearly torn the family apart two years ago.
"I can't hold him responsible Chris, Guy's been angry for a long time, when he thought we took his gold his mind probably went back to that time, he's only just beginning to forgive himself."
"It would be a hard thing to live with." Nathan agreed.
"He was going to take Hollow to town and turn himself him but I stopped him, he's suffered enough as it is."
"If that's what you want Josiah." Chris did understand, he knew what it was like to feel responsible for someone's death, especially when they were family.
"Josiah!" Ezra called out to him.
Everyone turned to Ezra.
"I'm here Ezra, I'm here."
Ezra reached out with his hand when another bout of coughing took control of him. Josiah grabbed the hand that moved frantically around the air in front him.
"Josiah." Ezra called again when the coughing stopped.
"I'm here Ezra, look at me." He wiped Ezra's forehead until he opened his eyes. "See, I'm here with you."
Ezra gripped his hand tighter.
"Go back to sleep Ezra."
"Hurts."
"I know it does Ezra but it'll ease, Nathan's here to help you."
"Nathan?" Ezra's brow frowned in confusion.
"Yeah, Chris and Buck too." Josiah told him.
"Nathan?" Ezra repeated.
"Yeah, now do as your told and go back to sleep." Josiah said more firmly, he waited until Ezra closed his eyes and began to rub his temple, his breathing eventually evened out as he went back to sleep.
Josiah turned away from him to look at three very amused faces.
"What?" He was confused himself.
"So what were you two up to when we weren't around?" Buck winked at him.
"Let's just say that I think the father figure bond got a bit stronger." He smiled back at them.
"And Ezra allowed that?" Chris asked him seriously.
"I don't think he's even aware that it happened." Josiah told them then turned back to Ezra.
*************
Ezra had never felt such pain before, it wrapped itself around his chest and travelled down his left side, it had taken a strong hold of him and he didn't think that it was ever going to let go. His mind was confused and each thought that tried to surface within the thick cloud that surrounded it was pulled back down without revealing itself to him. He was totally unaware of what was happening around him. He felt something brush against his face and he instinctively moved away from it, this movement caused a sound to escape from his lips, he knew it was his own voice, the southern accent echoed in his mind.
He felt a hand against the back of his head as it lifted him up, he struggled against it, but the hand held him firmly in its grip. He heard another voice speak to him and he found it to be calming, he listened and did as it told him. He first tasted the foul liquid that was poured into his mouth but the relief that he felt as it ran down his sore throat stopped him from refusing it. He felt his chest tighten and then he began to cough, he could feel the pain in his chest and side as he did so. Hands lifted him again then wrapped around him, the grip was comforting but it did nothing to ease his pain. When the coughing finally stopped, whoever held him laid him back down.
He pulled his eyes open and looked up into the face of the man who had held him.
"Josiah?"
"How you feeling Ezra?"
"What a stupid question." He tried to smile but couldn't manage it.
"Sorry." Josiah smiled back at him. "Your fever finally came down. It hasn't left you yet though."
"Fever?"
"You've been sick Ezra." Nathan explained as he came forward.
"Where did you come . . . from?" Ezra asked him, the surprise he felt showed on his pale sickly features.
"Been here a couple of days Ezra, you gave us a scare, didn't think you were going to make it there for a while." Nathan sat on the bed. "I know it's a stupid question Ezra but I need you to tell me how your feeling."
"Long version . . . or short?" Ezra shifted his body to try to make himself more comfortable.
"Short." Nathan agreed.
"Terrible."
"That's too short. Have you got a headache?"
"Yes."
"Your chest still hurt?"
Ezra raised his eyebrows at him.
"Okay. Do you feel nauseas"?"
Ezra shook his head no.
"Are you hungry?"
Ezra gave him a look of disgust.
"That's not going to work. Josiah, keep him awake, I'll go and get some of that broth that Guy made."
Ezra watched Nathan disappear through the open door. He turned his aching head back towards Josiah.
"What happened?"
"What's the last thing you remember Ezra?" Josiah pulled the chair closer to the bed and sat down in it.
"We were in the shed, then that . . .” Ezra's eyes opened wide.
"It's okay Ezra, Bert stopped him, your okay now, but you did get pretty sick there for a while."
"Bert? Aw hell, I have no . . . idea do I." Ezra coughed and covered his mouth, it eased quickly.
"I'll go over everything with you later Ezra, you just need to eat then get some more rest."
Ezra nodded and closed his eyes but he felt a hand on his face, he opened his eyes once more.
"Eat first Ezra, and then sleep, you have to do it in the right order." Josiah smiled down at him.
*************
Ezra could hear the voices that tried to speak quietly, they weren't succeeding, and the sounds reverberated within his skull, his headache made the sounds seem louder than they were. There was that movement against his face again, he moved away from it but the hand followed him, he tried to lift his arm to push it away but he couldn't move it. He frowned and regretted it, someone called to him. He tried to ignore the voice but the hand that was on his face slapped him, it wasn't hard but it was enough to try to force him to wake up fully. He used his other hand to push the offending force away but someone grabbed his hand. The hand began to tap against his check. He had no other choice but to open his eyes so the hand would leave him alone.
"Ezra? Come on, wake up." Nathan spoke to him as he used his hand against his cheek. "Wake up Ezra."
A pair of green eyes opened and looked up at him, they were confused at first but then they focused on him.
"Nathan, leave me alone." Ezra turned his head away from him.
"Come on Ezra, I want you to eat something." Nathan explained to him.
"Not now!" Ezra growled at him.
"Ezra!" Nathan turned his head back to look at him. "You're going to eat now!"
"It's too early." Ezra had no idea what time it was, he didn't even know what day it was.
"He sounds like he's as stubborn as a three headed mule Josiah." Bert looked over at the larger man.
"I think your right there." Josiah motioned to Nathan to let him have a go. "Ezra!"
"Go away." Ezra muttered as he tried to roll over and go back to sleep.
"Ezra Standish! You look at me now!" Josiah growled at him.
"Aw hell." Ezra gave up and looked over his shoulder at Josiah.
"You do as your told, you hear me?"
"I hear you, will you go away if I do."
"No but you’re going to eat anyway." Josiah motioned to Nathan who brought a bowl of broth to him.
"We're going to sit you up Ezra. It'll hurt but only for a minute." Nathan told him.
"A minute's too long." Ezra gave him a foul look.
"Ezra." Chris called to him from the doorway. "Are you giving them any trouble?"
"Mr Larabee, have you come to accompany us on our tedious expedition back to our humble abode?"
"I asked first." Chris retorted but winced at the painful expression on Ezra's face when Nathan and Josiah sat him up.
"I consider myself to be a person of a pleasant nature who is always willing to lend a hand to his fellow associates." Ezra defended himself.
"So in other words yes, your giving them trouble." Chris came forward. "Just like always."
"Nathan, I've got that rope you wanted!" Guy called out as he entered the cabin.
"Rope?" Ezra looked at Nathan.
"Your fever broke yesterday Ezra but your still sick, you need a lot of rest until your better and I'm not going to let you get up when we're not looking so you can wonder around outside in the cold and get that fever back." Nathan's tone him that he wasn't going to listen to any arguments.
"But I'm not sick." Ezra innocently told him.
He couldn't help but smile at the groans that sounded from his friends.
"You've got your hands full with this one Josiah." Bert laughed.
"Ezra, this is Bert, it's his cabin that you've been spending so much time in."
"Thank you for your hospitality."
"You're welcome. And I'm sorry about what my son's did." Bert apologised.
Ezra looked across at Josiah, confusion covered his handsome face.
"I'll tell you later. Right now you’re going to eat."
"How much time?" Ezra asked.
"Nearly two weeks." Josiah told him as he took the warm bowl from Nathan.
"How much longer?"
"If you eat like your told to, I'd say another week, if you don't eat, it'll be at least two." Nathan warned him.
"What about the others, they'd be worried about me?" Ezra tried to get out of it. "I have to get back so they'll know I'm alright."
"I sent Buck back. They know what's going on." Chris told him.
"But there isn't a saloon near here." Ezra protested.
"I believe Chris has some money that he's willing to depart with." Nathan smiled at Chris but got a cold stare in return.
Ezra quickly looked Chris over from his head to his boots. "He hasn't got any money."
"Enough!" Josiah was beginning to think that he was trying to force feed a twelve year old. "You're going to eat this then you’re going to sleep."
"Josiah, has anyone told you that you'd make a lousy parent?" Ezra looked serious for a moment but then smiled at him.
"Probably the same people who'd claim that you would make a lousy son." Josiah retaliated.
"Um, guys, I think we better leave them to it." Nathan began to push everyone out of the room.
"Is he always like that." Bert was amused at the sight before him. He thought his sons were bad.
"Always." Chris answered. "But at least now there's humour behind his words and not the malice that he use
to use to keep us away."
"Well I for one can understand where he's coming from." Guy spoke up in Ezra's defence.
"What are you talking about? Josiah's just trying to help him." Bert argued with his son.
"Push him more like it, if Ezra doesn't want to eat then he shouldn't force him." Guy told him.
"Ezra's sick, he needs to eat, you don't know what you’re talking about . . .”
"Chris." Nathan nudged his side. "I think outside would be safer." He looked over his shoulder at the closed door then to the two men in front of him.
"I think your right." Chris followed him out of the cabin into the quiet freedom of nature.
The End
Part One | Part Two | Part Three
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