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azombiewritesTitle: Wrongfully Accused
Eighteenth story in 'The Continuing Ezra Standish Saga'
Rating: PG
Warnings: Bad writing ahead!
Fandom: The Magnificent Seven
Genre: Hurt/Comfort
Summary: Ezra is wrongfully accused of murder and the victim's family want to see him hang, even if they have to do it themselves.
Main Characters: Ezra, and the rest of the seven.
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: Eighteenth story in the ‘Continuing Ezra Standish Saga’.
Spoilers: None.
Total Word Count: 24,711
Ezra woke to the sound of voices and his mind instantly filled with confusion. He frowned in concentration, trying to remember what had happened. It all came back to him, being shot, talking to Doctor Campbell and then forgiving his father. He remembered the emotions that finally erupted, causing the dark void to finally shatter. The light started to fill his soul once more. He could still feel the sadness that was there but it wasn't the heavy depression that he had felt for two weeks. He actually felt better than he had in a while, he thought he could laugh and smile again without having to force himself to.
He listened as the voices invaded his mind once more. He recognised one of the voices. 'No that can't be right, Chris said he wasn't arriving for another two days.' He thought to himself. He opened his eyes and saw the brick wall of the cell that he was in, he turned his head so it faced the rest of the room. He saw Judge Travis talking to Chris and Buck. They hadn't noticed that he had woken up so he closed his eyes again and listened to the conversation.
"We haven't even been able to find Grace Lockwell." Chris growled.
"She has to show up for the trial, if she doesn't I will rule it as a mistrial and then you can take Ezra home." The Judge explained.
"That's going to be difficult." Buck told him. "Her father threatened that if Ezra wasn't found guilty and hung for shooting his son he would do it himself."
"We have to hold a proper trial so Ezra can be proven innocent. That way this guy will let him go." Chris continued.
"I'll get Glason to give notice to Lockwell that the trial will be held tomorrow and to make sure that his daughter is there. Does the Doctor have any idea when Ezra is going to wake up?"
"No and he won't wake him, he said that Ezra needs the rest, emotional exhaustion was the term that he used." Chris muttered. "Nathan's going to kill us if he finds out that Ezra hasn't eaten for two days."
Ezra had to strain his ears to hear what he had said, he listened as the conversation ended and heard the sound of footsteps as someone come into the cell towards him. He felt a hand on his forehead and the finger that began to rub his temple. He opened his eyes to find Chris's blue eyes staring back at him.
"How are you feeling Ezra?" Chris asked the question and held his breath while he waited for the answer.
"Better." Ezra genuinely smiled at him. "A lot better."
"BUCK!" Chris yelled, he didn't take his eyes off Ezra's smiling face. "Did you hear that, he feels better!"
"Chris do you have to yell in my ear?" Ezra growled at him.
"Sorry Ezra." Chris wiped the hair from his forehead. "We're glad to have you back."
"Ezra!" Buck came running into the cell.
"Isn't it obvious." Ezra glared at him.
"Yep, it's you alright." Buck couldn't stop himself as he slapped Ezra's leg a little too hard.
Ezra winced and then looked around Chris towards the Judge. "Have I been asleep for two days?"
"Yeah, you have." Buck answered him.
"What did Doctor Campbell give me?"
"He only gave you something to help you sleep Ezra, you slept for two days on your own." Chris smiled down at him, he was glad to see him awake.
"I haven't eaten for two days." He watched as Chris nodded. "Nathan's going to kill you and Buck." Ezra smiled and the humour reached his eyes.
________________________________________
Nathan knew that something was wrong, he could sense it, and he had hoped that it was just the worrying that he had been doing about Ezra but something continued to gnaw at his stomach. He pushed his chair out and stood up, hesitated and then sat back down again. His eyes moved from the other men who sat at the table to the doors of the saloon. He was expecting bad news to come through those doors at any moment. He started to get up again but sat down in the chair that was beginning to protest loudly at the indecision of the person using it.
"What's wrong Nathan?" JD asked. He could feel the tension and worry that Nathan was giving off and couldn't help but feel it himself.
"Nothin'." His kind brown eyes moved back to the door, he blinked against the afternoon sunlight that shone its way into the saloon before finally moving over the building towards it's expected sunset.
"Ezra's fine Nathan, stop worrying." Vin knew he had hit the mark when the concern expression turned to him.
"I've just got this feeling, you know, like when you get it." He stood up again but froze in his stance when he saw the telegraph operator enter into the saloon.
The clerk stood just inside the doors and could feel their movement as they swung behind him. He saw Nathan and the expression that he held, he smiled quickly so he would know that it wasn't bad news and saw the instant relief on the healer's face and moved towards him.
"Telegram from Mr Larabee." He smiled then tipped his hat, he didn't wait for their reactions, and he knew what it would be. They would feel what he felt at the news but their feelings would be much stronger than his were. He liked Mr Standish, the man had a way about him that you could only admire but these men were his friends and they worried about him.
"Well, how good is it?" Vin asked Nathan as he sat down, he knew by the clerk's smile that it was good news.
"Are you gonna read it Nathan?" JD leaned forward and tried to take the folded piece of paper from his trembling hand, he succeeded in removing it from Nathan's weak grip.
JD read it quickly, his smile growing with every word. "Asked question. Stop. Answer. Stop. Better, a lot better. Stop. Staying for another week. Stop. Will let you know when we start heading back. Stop. Chris."
"Well guys, I think that this calls for a celebration. Don't you?" Vin's smile mirrored JD's but he frowned when he saw that Nathan wasn't sharing in their joy. "Nathan?"
"I'm sorry but that nagging feeling is still here." He pointed to his stomach.
"Chris wouldn't lie to us Nathan." Vin assured him.
"I know that, it's just . . ," Nathan shook his head and rubbed his face with his left hand. "I got the feeling that he's not telling us everything." The healer stood up from his chair. "I'm going to tell Josiah the good . . . "
"No!" JD startled both of them with his anger. "If Josiah can't be bothered to check up on how Ezra's doing then he can stay in the dark." His angry gaze caused the two men to admire the adult that JD was becoming.
"Were not going to chase him, if he wants to know how Ezra is, he can come and ask us."
Nathan sat back down in his chair and nodded at JD. "So what sort of celebration were you going to pay for Vin?" Nathan asked him, he smiled when Vin spat out the mouthful of whisky that he had begun to swallow.
________________________________________
After sending a telegram to Nathan, Chris rode with Sheriff Glason to the Lockwell farm, he wanted to make sure that the man understood that his daughter had to be at the trial tomorrow. The small farm was only thirty minutes outside of town but it had felt like he had been riding for hours, Glason was terrible company, he wouldn't stop talking. He spoke about the arrests that he had made and Chris knew that the man was trying to convince him that he wasn't the coward that he thought he was, he wasn't succeeding.
Chris shut his voice out of his mind and looked around at the sight before him, he had been to depressed himself lately to take in the scenery, he looked up towards the sky to see the clouds that were trying to gather together so they could block out the sun's light and warmth. The worry that he had felt for Ezra had controlled all of his thoughts much like Ezra's father had controlled the southerner's. Ezra still hadn't told any of them what his father had actually done and he wasn't sure that he ever would but he knew that Ezra had dealt with it and that he would now continue to improve until he was back to his old self.
"We’re here." Glason informed Chris. "Larabee! Were here."
Chris's eyes had already seen the farm minutes before, he couldn't help but see the smoke coming from one of the two small chimneys on the roof of the small run down building. He had been checking the area carefully to make sure there wasn't any trouble waiting for them. It was something that Glason obviously didn't do.
"Hank Lockwell!" Glason yelled out.
Chris grimaced at the man, he should have made him stay in town.
"Lockwell, are you in there!"
Chris watched as the front door to the house opened and Lockwell stepped out, two even larger men, who also wore beards followed him onto the porch. Chris was beginning to wonder if this family knew what a razor was. Each one held a rifle in his hand and they were pointed directly at Chris, they didn't seem to think that the Sheriff was a threat to them. Chris agreed.
"What do you want?" Lockwell demanded.
"Judge Travis arrived in town this morning. He wanted me to let you know that he will be holding the trial tomorrow morning starting at ten in the Court House. He also wants me to tell you to make sure that Grace is there to testify, if she isn't he'll judge it as a mistrial." Glason explained to him.
"She'll be there. Grace will tell the truth, she'll tell the Judge that man killed my son in cold blood and then we can watch him hang!" Lockwell turned his back on them and walked back into the house. The two men stayed where they were and waited for Chris and the Sheriff to leave.
"He never was one to mince words." Glason told Chris as they rode away.
________________________________________
Doctor Campbell only allowed Ezra to give him an empty bowl, he refused to take anything else, and he didn't stop glaring at his patient until he had eaten its entire contents. The Doctor enjoyed the looks that Ezra gave him each time he told him to eat more. He remembered what Buck had told him about having to force Ezra to eat but knew the reason for him not wanting to eat was because of his lack of appetite due to not eating rather than the depression that he was no longer in. He took the bowl from him and looked into the smiling face, his green eyes were no longer haunted but instead held a mischievous glint that showed his true age.
"Are you feeling better Ezra?" Campbell sat further onto the bed and leaned his back against the wall, mimicking Ezra's position. He decided to take the opportunity to make sure that his mood was still improving and hopefully to get Ezra to talk some more about his father. He watched as Ezra's mouth opened but Buck's voice spoke for him. He smiled at the foul look that was sent to the older man who was also sitting on the crowded bed.
"He's doing a lot better thanks Doc and in more ways than one." Buck answered for him as he slapped Ezra on the shoulder causing him to slump slightly forward.
"Buck!" Ezra grimaced at him more in embarrassment than in pain.
"You want to answer my question Ezra." Campbell reminded him as he leaned around his patient and pulled open the blanket that was wrapped around his thin body to check the wound that seemed to be healing as well as his emotional wounds but like his mood, he needed to check it to make sure.
"There's still pain but . . . " Ezra started to tell him.
"I'm not really talking about that Ezra." The Doctor smiled up at him. "I want to know how your feeling."
"I feel a lot better but . . . " Ezra shifted his eyes away from Campbell's.
"But what?" Campbell asked patiently.
Buck put his arm around Ezra's shoulders, giving him the comfort and support he now knew he wanted and accepted without any sort of hesitation, he felt Ezra shrug beneath his arm.
"Chris and Buck told me what's been going on with Josiah." Campbell told him. "You're scared Ezra, I know that. You've finally started to get yourself back together but you’re afraid that you’re going to go back into that void again when you see him."
Ezra nodded, he smiled slightly, and this man seemed to know exactly what he was thinking and what to say to make him feel better. "I didn't realise that it was my father that caused all of this until you made me realise it. I always told myself that I wouldn't let him hurt me again, that I wouldn't let what he did bother me. Josiah brought it all back and I couldn't think of anything else, I got angry and I pushed him away but it hurt that he stopped pushing back." Ezra took a deep breath. "Buck, Chris and the others didn't give up on me, they kept pushing at me until they tore my walls down. But Josiah stopped and I have always associated that with people not caring about me." He wiped the tears that fell from his eyes. "I'm worried about going back to Four Corners." He hung his head. "I don't know what to do about Josiah." Ezra looked up at Buck and his eyes darted to Campbell. "What if he's still the same? What if I go back to feeling the same way? What if he makes me feel angry again."
"Ezra, just tell him why you pushed him away. Tell him that your father hurt you and that Josiah brought all that hurt back and you had no control over what it did to you." He placed his hand on Ezra's shoulder. "And we both know that's true. Unless you accept a painful memory you have no control over it, that's why it controlled you Ezra."
"Do you think that he'll understand? I don't want to lose him as a friend, he's helped me get through a lot of things."
"I know he'll understand Ezra, as long as you tell him how you feel." Campbell smiled at him. "Besides, from what Buck has told me a JD Dunne is taking care of him."
Ezra laughed and Buck was overjoyed to hear the sound. "JD has grown up quite a bit, mostly because of what I have done." He felt Buck squeeze his shoulders. "I think he's lost his innocence."
"Ezra, the day that boy gets rid of that stupid hat and buys himself a decent one will be the day he loses his innocence." Buck assured him.
Chris could hear Ezra's laughter from outside the jailhouse, it was a sound that he never thought he would hear again. It terrified him every time he looked into those green eyes to see only emptiness instead of that glint that made it very hard to get angry at him. Six months ago, that glint caused him to lose his temper on more than one occasion but now he couldn't even get himself angry over the look. He stepped into the building to find all three men sitting on the bed. Ezra and Buck were laughing but the Doctor held only a look of confusion, this caused Chris to smile.
"Chris?" Campbell had seen him enter the room and thought that he could enlighten him on the situation of JD and his bowler hat. "Perhaps you could explain JD's hat to me as these two . . . " He watched as Chris burst into laughter and threw his own hands up in defeat.
Chris walked into the cell and knelt down so he could look up into Ezra's eyes, he could see the humor that they held. "I sent Nathan and the others a telegram to let them know how your going. I also told them that we'll be staying in town for another week." He watched as the green eyes darkened. "Don't worry Ezra, it'll all be over tomorrow and then when the Doc here says you can leave, we'll go home."
Ezra nodded, he liked the sound of that word. Home. Four Corners had become his home and these me had become his family. Both were things that he had longed for all his life but he never really thought that he would find them but he had found them and he was never going to let them go. He just hoped that Josiah would still be there for him when he got back.
"Why don't you get some rest Ezra." Campbell ordered him.
"I have been resting for more than two days now." Ezra argued as he tried unsuccessfully to stifle a yawn.
"Why don't we partake in a game of chance instead?"
"Rest. Now!" Campbell got up off the bed and violently motioned to Buck and Chris to leave the cell.
"You'll need it Ezra, the Judge is coming round to see you later and you know what he's like." Chris smiled back at him as he left the cell. He could feel his heart swell with the knowledge that Ezra was back.
"Good Lord." Ezra muttered as he made himself comfortable, he didn't think that he was going to sleep but he fell into a dreamless slumber within minutes.
________________________________________
Ezra could feel someone's hand wiping his forehead, the touch was different from what his friend's did, and he thought that it was Doctor Campbell. He allowed his eyes to slowly open and he looked up into Judge Travis's face. He jerked awake quickly, he had never expected this man to show him any type of concern.
"How are you feeling Mr Standish?" The Judge asked him as he saw the uncertainty in the green eyes. Chris and Buck had told him everything that had happened to the gambler and he felt a deep sympathy towards him. He wanted to help him in every way he could.
"I'm fine Judge, thank you for asking." Ezra tried to smile at him but he was confused as to why he was at his bedside.
"Don't lie to me Ezra. I know what happened, what's been happening." The Judge's voice held a challenging tone.
Ezra sighed, it seems that everyone knew what he was going through. It had bothered him once to even allow people to know how he was feeling but not anymore. He knew that Chris wouldn't have told the Judge if he thought that the man wouldn't have cared in some way.
"I'm feeling a lot better. Physically and emotionally." Ezra answered truthfully.
"Good. I'm glad to hear that." He waited for a moment. "Are you up to talking about what happened with Lockwell? The man that you killed. Chris already told me but I want to hear it from you."
Ezra pushed himself up into a sitting position, his arms shaking with the effort. He looked over the Judge's shoulder at Chris and Buck who were watching him carefully. They must have been worried about how he would react to the Judge's show of concern. He saw Chris smile at him encouragingly and then looked back at the Judge. It only took him five minutes to explain what had happened.
"Grace Lockwell took the gun from her brother's hand and then accused you of shooting him down." The Judge confirmed.
"Yeah." Ezra was already beginning to tire, he laid back down on the bed and closed his eyes. "I don't remember much after that."
"That's okay Ezra." He began to wipe the loose hair from the southerner's forehead as he fell back to sleep. "You don't need to remember anything else." He watched Ezra for a few minutes then stood up and went back into outer area of the cell to speak to Chris and Buck.
"It's going to be Ezra's word against Grace Lockwell's but the final decision will be mine. Ezra has nothing to worry about." Travis assured them.
"As long as she shows up, if she doesn't Lockwell is going to go after Ezra." Chris growled, the cold threatening expression that he held told the Judge and Buck that Lockwell was a dead man if Ezra was harmed in anyway.
________________________________________
Judge Travis pulled his silver pocket watch out once more to confirm the time, he smiled slightly in remembrance of his son who had given him the watch as a present six months before he had been murdered. It was now eleven, the trial was supposed to start at ten but Grace Lockwell or any other members of her family were yet to show. He looked across the near empty room at Chris. He sat alone, his blue eyes darting around the room looking for anything that may confirm the dreaded feeling that he felt in his stomach, he looked towards the Judge and found that his expression also showed the concern he felt.
Doctor Campell had stated with all seriousness that Ezra was not well enough for the trial so he had stayed in the jail house with Buck and Glason. Chris gave him a look that told him he couldn't sit here anymore and that he was going to go back to the jailhouse. The Judge easily understood Chris's expression and nodded in acknowledgement. Chris stood and pushed the heavy chair away from him and turned to leave but before he even reached the doorway to the outside world, gunshots sounded shattering the silence of the courthouse. Chris knew the shots had come from the direction of the jailhouse. He pushed the doors open and burst out into the morning sunlight. His eyes quickly adjusted and he looked towards the jailhouse to see an unconscious Ezra being dragged from the building.
________________________________________
Buck was sitting in a chair that faced Ezra's back, the gambler had fallen asleep again after eating some breakfast and now lay on his right side, his left hand resting on the pillow in front of his face. He had noticed that some of the colour had finally returned to Ezra's face causing the paleness to leave him. He continued to stand up on a regular basis causing him to strain his back when he leant over to look at the slack handsome features to make sure that he was still asleep, he was worried that the irritating sounds of Glason's nervous pacing was going to wake him up. He was about to stand up again when he heard someone bang on the front door. As he began to turn around he saw Ezra move and heard him groan, he hesitated a moment to make sure that he wasn't going to wake. It was a mistake that he was going to regret.
Glason moved to the door and looked through the small opening that allowed him to see anyone who was at the doorway without having to open it first. What he saw scared him. Grace Lockwell's terrified eyes stared back at him.
"Sheriff you have to let me in." She turned her head to look behind her and then back again. "I'm sorry but I lied and now my father wants to force me into continuing the lie." She banged on the door a second time.
"Please you have to help me, let me in."
Glason didn't even stop to think that it all might have been a trick. He heard Buck yell out to him not to open the door but it was too late. Lockwell and his two remaining sons forced the door open and pushed the sheriff out of the way. One of them kept his rifle on Glason while Lockwell and his eldest son moved towards the cell.
Buck had turned just in time to see Glason opening the door, his verbal warning was too late, and he watched as the Lockwell's entered the jailhouse and as Hank Lockwell walked to the cell. Buck didn't draw his gun, he knew that it would only get himself killed and he would be no help to Ezra if that happened. He was sickened by the expression that Lockwell held and his fear for Ezra grew.
"Get out!" Lockwell growled to Buck but the man who stood before him showed his defiance. "If you don't I will shoot him now!"
Buck slowly backed out of the cell where the other bearded man took his gun. He watched as Lockwell leaned over Ezra's sleeping form and pull the blanket back. He had to hold his anger back as he heard Ezra scream out in pain when Lockwell hit his injured side with his gun.
Ezra had been feeling nothing but a darkened peace until lights flashed across his vision and pain exploded in his side. He didn't have time to register what was happening when he was roughly dragged from the bed but the voice that yelled into his ear told him everything he needed to know and it also made him want to survive what this man had planned for him. He now wanted to live, he wasn't going to let Chris down, not after what he and all the others had done for him.
"You killed my son and now you’re going to hang!" Lockwell yelled at Ezra as he dragged him from the bed and out into the area that led to the front door. He past his son who had his rifle aimed at Buck to stop him from interfering. "You get into the cell, you too Glason!" He ordered them.
Ezra struggled to get his feet under him while the man that had him within his grasp was distracted. When he knew his legs were taking his weight he brought his right fist up, forcing it into the man's large stomach but the punch was weak due to his lack of strength and it only caused the man to become more angry. Lockwell lashed out at the smaller man, slamming his gun against the left side of his victim's head. Ezra was unconscious before he even hit the floor, he didn't feel the kick as it struck his right side with enough force to crack one of his ribs.
Glason watched the man that was holding a rifle on him look away to see what was happening, he pulled his gun and fired, his bullet missed his mark and the younger son fired in return, his aim was more accurate and the bullet tore through Glason's right shoulder knocking him to the ground. The man came forward and dragged the injured Sheriff into the cell with Buck, locking them in so they won't be able to stop them from hanging the man who had killed his brother.
Buck hit his fist against the bars in anger when he saw the two brothers lift Ezra by his arms and then drag him out of the front door. Hank Lockwell stopped in the doorway and turned back to him. "The next time you see your friend he'll be hanging by a rope." He followed his sons out of the jail and towards his daughter and the horses that were waiting for them in the alley.
________________________________________
Chris looked to his left to see one of Glason's Deputies running towards the jailhouse, he caught his eye and motioned for him to go into the jail. The tall thin man nodded his head and carefully moved towards the building. The front door was wide open and he managed to get inside without being caught.
The hardened gunslinger aimed his gun towards Hank Lockwell and used his cold voice to stop the three men in their tracks. "Put Ezra down or I'll kill your father!" Chris yelled at them, he knew that it was only a threat but his voice and threatening look would tell them otherwise. "NOW!"
The two brothers stopped and looked behind them towards their father, each of them still holding Ezra's inert form between them.
"Keep moving, he won't shoot me while we have his friend." Lockwell called to both his sons and Chris.
They seemed to believe this so they obeyed their father but the sound of a gunshot and their father's screams stopped them, they turned around to see him lying on the ground clutching his leg as he tried to stop the blood flowing from the bullet in his left leg.
"If you don't put Ezra down the next bullet will kill him!" Chris warned them for the last time.
The eldest son easily gathered Ezra's smaller body up under his left arm while his brother aimed a rifle at the southerner's head. "You shoot my father again and your friend is dead."
"Either way your father is going to end up dead!" Buck surprised them. The Deputy had released him from the cell quickly and after taking his gun, he had run outside just in time to see Chris shoot Hank Lockwell. He ran to the injured man and placed his gun against his temple before yelling out to the men who had Ezra.
"Shoot him Larry!" Grace yelled out from the alley's opening. "He killed our brother."
"Do you want to see your other two sons die as well?" Chris asked Lockwell as he moved forward. "Because I won't hesitate in shooting them if they hurt Ezra anymore than he already is." He couldn't see Ezra's face, his chin was resting against his chest but he could see the blood that continued to escape from the wound on the side of his head.
Lockwell knew that he was in a difficult situation, he was losing a lot of blood from his injury and also knew that if his sons shot the man then these other two would shoot them. He would lose his children, only Grace would be left but he was a man who needed his sons. He had thought that it would be a simple process of taking the man and hanging him in a place where it would take a while for him to be found but he hadn't expected Glason to react, he had always considered him to be a coward.
"Put your guns down boys and let him go." Lockwell sigh in defeat, all he wanted was to avenge his son's death.
"You can't do that!" Grace yelled as she ran to her father. "Your just as stupid as Sam was."
"Don't speak of your brother like that Grace!" He yelled at her.
"Why not? He was stupid. He couldn't even shoot straight, he couldn't even kill that man." Grace hadn't even realised what she said.
"Sam shot him? You said that you did it." Lockwell was shocked.
"I lied. I didn't want people to know how useless he was."
"Grace, you almost caused me to kill an innocent man because you lied." Lockwell stared at his sons. "Let him go and take care of your ungrateful sister!"
Chris rushed forward and took Ezra from the arms of the large man and lifted him into his own, he ignored the look of regret. "Where's Doc Campbell's surgery.
"Chris." Doctor Campbell called from behind him. "Bring him this way!" He looked at George Lockwell.
"Bring your father as well." He began to walk towards his surgery with everyone following him. He saw Deputy Johnson half-carrying Glason and indicated for him to follow them.
________________________________________
Chris and Buck didn't argue with Doctor Campbell when he told them that he would first have to remove the bullets from the other two men before he was able to take care of Ezra. He had allowed them to take Ezra to his room above the surgery where they did their best to stop the head wound from bleeding any further and then settled in to wait for the Doctor to return.
It was another two hours before Campbell entered his bedroom to find Chris and Buck sitting on the bed with Ezra. They each held a hand and Chris was wiping Ezra's sweating face with a damp cloth.
"Has he regained consciousness at all?" He asked them as he came forward.
"No, he hasn't even moved." Chris pointed to his side. "There's bruising too. Buck said that Lockwell kicked him."
Campbell used his hand to ask Buck to get off the bed. He sat down next to Ezra and gently lifted each eyelid to check his pupils. "There even so there might not be a concussion, I'll have to wait until he wakes up to make sure." He then moved to Ezra's side and pressed against his ribs. "There's one cracked." His fingers carefully probed the head wound. "It looks more serious than it actually is."
Campbell took his time to clean and bandage Ezra's head wound. He then had Chris sit Ezra up so he could wrap a bandage around his waist to support his ribs and cover the gunshot wound. Once that was done, there was nothing else he could except wait for him to wake up.
________________________________________
Ezra grimaced as the pain tore through his skull, he tried to lift his hand to his head but someone took it and pulled it back down to his side. He could hear the voices that tried to break through his pain filled and confused mind, he didn't recognise any of them. He felt a hand on his forehead and the caring touch that stroked his temple.
"Father?" Ezra muttered as he struggled to remember what had happened and why his head hurt so much.
"No Ezra, it's Chris. Can you hear me?" Chris asked as the worry began to fill his mind.
"Chris?" Ezra forced his eyes open but they quickly closed again, it was another few seconds before the eyelids lifted again to reveal green eyes that held nothing but confusion.
"Ezra?" Campbell sat down on the bed and looked into the eyes that turned towards him. "Can you tell me your name?"
Ezra thought for a moment. "Ezra. Ezra Standish." The words were whispered as though he was unsure about what he was saying.
"Do you know who I am?" Campbell asked him again.
It was a very two long minutes before he answered. "Doctor Campbell."
"And this?" He gently took Ezra's face and turned his head towards Chris and Buck.
Ezra smiled. "My friends, Chris and Buck." His eyelids fluttered closed again and he fell back into a peaceful sleep.
"Had me worried for a minute there." Campbell admitted. "But he should be fine, he knows who he is and who we are. He must have been confused when he first woke up. He'll just need plenty of rest now." He placed a cool damp cloth on Ezra's forehead and turned to Chris and Buck. "So you want to tell me what happened?"
Chris and Buck let out sighs of relief at the Doctors words and began to explain the reason for Ezra getting hurt.
________________________________________
John Campbell followed Buck into the living area of his small but well furnished house, both were carrying trays of food. Plates full of solid food for themselves and a bowl of beef broth for Ezra. Campbell knew that his stomach wouldn't take anything heavier, it would only cause him to vomit.
"What do you think you’re doing?" The Doctor demanded to know when Buck moved out of his line of vision to reveal Ezra sitting in one the large comfortable chairs.
"He even sounds like Nathan." Ezra smiled at Chris.
"And I'm starting to think that this Nathan has a point!" It was the first time that Campbell had showed any anger, this was the third time he had found Ezra out of his bed and on the first two occasions, it had been a struggle to get him back into it.
"Yep, just like him." Chris smiled back at Ezra, he couldn't help but enjoy the moment. It was more or less like old times.
"Let me put it this way Mr Standish, if I have to use Laudanum to make you stay in bed, I will!" Campbell was finding it very hard to keep his composure. Ezra Standish had a way of aggravating a person to the point of wanting to hit him but for some reason you just couldn't do it.
"It would be a better alternative to Nathan's rope." Ezra continued to smile, it felt good to feel the dimples form on his cheeks once more.
"You're supposed to be resting in bed." The Doctor tried to stay angry but he couldn't.
"The only time that you can't get Ezra out of a bed is when he's woken up before he's ready." Buck explained. "It's something that I suggest you never do, wake him up that is, he nearly killed me once with that peashooter of his."
"Please remind me to send Nathan a letter of congratulations. I don't know how he does it." Campbell shook his head and finally put the tray of food on what he had called a coffee table. He walked to where Ezra was sitting and placed his hand on his forehead, there was no fever, and he felt the pulse in his neck as it beat strongly against his fingers.
Buck pulled the cloths from the trays and everyone but Ezra's mouths watered, Campbell saw the green complexion and smiled. He lifted the small bowl and picked up a spoon and walked towards Ezra.
"You don't expect me to eat that do you?"
"Not until I get a bucket." Campbell growled down at him.
________________________________________
Chris and Buck's smiles turned to muttered moans as they listened to Doctor Campbell making his demands. They knew that he was only worried about Ezra but it brought back their own fear that Nathan was going to kill them when they got back to Four Corners.
"Make sure you get plenty of rest Ezra, don't go too far, rest every couple of hours . . ." Campbell was ignoring the look of frustration on the younger man's face.
"Just like Nathan." Chris whispered to Buck.
"And make sure you eat, your still too thin Ezra and . . . "
"Think we should rescue him?" Buck asked as he saw Ezra's pleading look as it was thrown to them but it was quickly replaced with an expression that told them he was going to make them pay for not helping him.
Ezra decided that he had to do something to stop Campbell from talking, he was worse than Nathan. He stepped forward and took the Doctor into his embrace and gave him a fierce hug. "Thank you John, for everything." Ezra stepped back and wiped the tear that fell from his eye.
"Your very welcome Ezra." He smiled at him.
"I wouldn't have been able to go on if you didn't help me." He spoke softly as he hung his head, he felt the Doctor's gentle touch on his chin as he lifted his head back.
"You're a good man Ezra with good friends who care about you." His smile grew. "So go and enjoy the rest of your life, forget about the past and concentrate on the future."
"Can I keep in touch?" Ezra hoped that he would say yes.
"I would be disappointed if you didn't." Campbell assured him while he returned the hug, he squeezed his arms around him tightly. "Now get going before someone else decides to shoot you." He pushed him away from him and towards his friends.
Ezra mounted his horse and tipped his hat to the man who had saved his life, he turned his horse back into the direction of Four Corners and smiled as he heard the Doctor call out to them.
"Chris, Buck, you make sure he eats, if you don't you'll have me to answer to, not just Nathan and don't tire him out, he needs to rest."
Chris waved behind his head to indicate that he had heard him. "Just like Nathan." Chris smiled.
________________________________________
It was a few minutes before Ezra realised that his two friends had stopped, he pulled his own mount to a standstill and turned in his saddle towards Chris and Buck. The afternoon sun shone brightly behind them and Ezra had to squint his eyes against its brightness.
"Is there something wrong?" Ezra saw the look that passed between the two men, he had to hide his amusement because he knew exactly what they were thinking.
"Um . . . " Chris didn't want to admit it, he wasn't afraid of anything but he knew that Nathan could get angry and was a force to be reckoned with and it wasn't as if he could fight him back in self defence. "You tell him Buck."
"Were worried about how Nathan is going to react to you being hurt when we promised to look after you." Buck had no problem admitting what was troubling them.
"Why don't you let me take care of Nathan." Ezra hid his smile. "Give me a five minute head start and I will explain to him what happened and that it wasn't your fault."
Buck and Chris smiled in relief. "Thanks Ezra that would be great."
"It's the least that I could do for the two men who helped save my life." Ezra put on a look of innocence. "If the Judge hadn't asked you to pick up that parcel then this wouldn't have happened and I wouldn't have met Doctor Campbell." Ezra watched as Chris nearly hid his surprise but Buck's expression faltered. "Five minutes and then follow me to the saloon, Nathan will be fine." He turned his horse around and allowed the smile to spread across his handsome face as he rode into Four Corners.
Ezra looked towards the church as he passed it but he didn't see Josiah, he hoped that he was with the others at the saloon. He knew they would be together waiting for him because Chris had sent them a telegram the day before. He dismounted his horse in front of the saloon and looked back at the direction he had come, he could see Chris and Buck following him. Ezra stepped up to the porch and placed his poker face into position as he pushed his way through the saloon doors. They hadn't even stopped swinging when he heard JD's voice.
"Ezra!" JD came forward but frowned at the expression that the gambler held, he looked almost the same as he had when he left nearly two weeks ago. It had all been a waste of time.
Ezra winced as a pain that didn't exist tore through his side, he gripped it as he made his way to the table that seated his friends, even Josiah, and he hid his eyes from them because his eyes didn't have that pain filled look that had been in them for so long. Nathan practically threw his chair away as he stood up quickly and came to his side.
"Nathan, please do not allow those two to take me on another journey." Ezra groaned as he slowly slid himself into the chair that Vin had pulled out for him. He could see the worried looks. He took off his hat and made sure that Nathan saw the healing wound.
"What the hell happened to you?" Nathan was angry.
"If you mean apart from being shot, hit on the head and kicked in the side while in Chris and Buck's care." Ezra shrugged. "Nothing really."
"Where are they?" Nathan growled, his eyes held a threat that Ezra had never seen before.
"They should be coming down the street now." Ezra looked over his left shoulder towards the door and quietly moaned as he lifted his hand to his head. "Is there any food around, I haven't eaten since yesterday."
"They’re dead!" Nathan stormed out of the saloon, nearly breaking one the swinging doors off its hinges
"Ezra, I thought you were getting better." JD was heartbroken.
Ezra stood up with an agility that the others didn't expect from an injured man, their looks of worry changed to confusion, he wrapped an arm around JD's shoulders. "I owe you my life JD. I know it was your idea that I get a change of scenery." He saw the look of confusion that came over his young friend's face. "I was sitting on balcony when you gentlemen were having your meeting. JD, thank you for speaking up for me." He allowed the smile to cross his face and he winked at JD. "Now I believe we have a show to watch."
"What the hell did you do to him!" Nathan's voice reached into the saloon.
"Aw hell Ezra, you didn't." Vin groaned as he stood up from his chair.
"I certainly did." Ezra's smile grew even more.
Vin could see that the smile reached his eyes. "Well then, what are we standing around in here for when all the fun is out there." He came forward and placed his own arm across Ezra's shoulder. "Shall we?" Vin gestured to the door in much the same way as Ezra would.
Together the three men began to walk out of the saloon but before they reached the doors, Ezra stopped and turned around. "Josiah, will you be joining us." Ezra didn't allow his smile to lesson.
"Don't mind if I do." Josiah smiled back at him as he stood up from his chair, he knew that Ezra had gone through a changing experience, he could see it in his eyes. He had been able to sort himself out thanks to JD and was looking forward to Ezra's return. He had every intention of talking to him and repairing their friendship but he could see that the friendship had already begun to heal, he decided that he was still going to talk to him about what had happened between them.
"EZRA!" Chris's voice screamed into the saloon.
"Gentlemen I do believe that I am in need of some protection." Ezra smiled thinking that they would help him.
"You're on your own Ezra." Vin gladly stepped aside as Chris stepped into the saloon with Buck and Nathan behind him.
"JD?"
"Sorry Ezra, they’re bigger than me." JD smiled, things had worked out after all.
"Josiah?"
"I'd be glad to help out a friend Ezra." He stepped up to him and stood beside him.
"Ezra what did you think you were doing scaring me like that!" Nathan had become pretty good at acting himself. He stepped forward intending to give Ezra the reprimand that he deserved when Josiah stepped in front of the gambler.
Nathan looked at him then at Ezra as he leaned to his left to look around Josiah at the healer and his other friends, his dimpled smile stopping any anger that they held.
"It's good to have you back Ezra." Nathan smiled as he came forward.
Josiah stepped aside and watched as Nathan took the southerner into his embrace and stood by as each man showed the joy that they felt to have him back home. Ezra returned the affection that each man gave him and when they were done, he looked towards Josiah, he didn't hesitate, and he stepped towards him and hugged the larger man who returned the embrace.
"I'm sorry Josiah, I shouldn't have . . . "
"It's okay Ezra, I shouldn't have let you push me away." Josiah interrupted him. "I'm your friend Ezra and I always will be. I know you don't need a father figure right now."
"You be what you want Josiah. I've forgiven my father, I'm not angry at him anymore." Ezra didn't break the embrace but held on.
Josiah looked over the top of Ezra's head towards Chris and Buck, their body language telling him that they would explain later.
"Ezra!" Nathan pulled him from Josiah's grip. "I want you to go and get some rest."
"Nathan. I don't need any rest, I'm not . . . " Ezra argued.
"From what I saw of you when you walked in here, you need to rest." Nathan began to drag him towards his room.
"Aw hell Nathan." Ezra tried to pull away from him but Chris grabbed his other arm and helped the healer to seek his revenge.
The remaining members of the family started to laugh as they watched Ezra struggling against the two men who dragged him towards his room.
"There's a sight I thought I would never see again." Vin commented and heard the others agree with him.
"If you boys want to sit down, I'll tell you how it happened when Nathan comes back."
________________________________________
Josiah stepped into the darkening room and closed the door quietly, he stepped towards the bed and looked down at his friend who was sleeping on his stomach, his head facing the door. He sat down carefully but the movement caused Ezra to wake.
"Josiah." Ezra blinked up at the man who sat next to him.
"Yes it's me." He placed his hand against the back of Ezra's head and begun to rub his temple. "Go back to sleep son." He watched as Ezra smiled at the affectionate term before he drifted back to sleep.
The End
Part One | Part Two | Part Three
Master Fan Fiction List
Eighteenth story in 'The Continuing Ezra Standish Saga'
Rating: PG
Warnings: Bad writing ahead!
Fandom: The Magnificent Seven
Genre: Hurt/Comfort
Summary: Ezra is wrongfully accused of murder and the victim's family want to see him hang, even if they have to do it themselves.
Main Characters: Ezra, and the rest of the seven.
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: Eighteenth story in the ‘Continuing Ezra Standish Saga’.
Spoilers: None.
Total Word Count: 24,711
Ezra woke to the sound of voices and his mind instantly filled with confusion. He frowned in concentration, trying to remember what had happened. It all came back to him, being shot, talking to Doctor Campbell and then forgiving his father. He remembered the emotions that finally erupted, causing the dark void to finally shatter. The light started to fill his soul once more. He could still feel the sadness that was there but it wasn't the heavy depression that he had felt for two weeks. He actually felt better than he had in a while, he thought he could laugh and smile again without having to force himself to.
He listened as the voices invaded his mind once more. He recognised one of the voices. 'No that can't be right, Chris said he wasn't arriving for another two days.' He thought to himself. He opened his eyes and saw the brick wall of the cell that he was in, he turned his head so it faced the rest of the room. He saw Judge Travis talking to Chris and Buck. They hadn't noticed that he had woken up so he closed his eyes again and listened to the conversation.
"We haven't even been able to find Grace Lockwell." Chris growled.
"She has to show up for the trial, if she doesn't I will rule it as a mistrial and then you can take Ezra home." The Judge explained.
"That's going to be difficult." Buck told him. "Her father threatened that if Ezra wasn't found guilty and hung for shooting his son he would do it himself."
"We have to hold a proper trial so Ezra can be proven innocent. That way this guy will let him go." Chris continued.
"I'll get Glason to give notice to Lockwell that the trial will be held tomorrow and to make sure that his daughter is there. Does the Doctor have any idea when Ezra is going to wake up?"
"No and he won't wake him, he said that Ezra needs the rest, emotional exhaustion was the term that he used." Chris muttered. "Nathan's going to kill us if he finds out that Ezra hasn't eaten for two days."
Ezra had to strain his ears to hear what he had said, he listened as the conversation ended and heard the sound of footsteps as someone come into the cell towards him. He felt a hand on his forehead and the finger that began to rub his temple. He opened his eyes to find Chris's blue eyes staring back at him.
"How are you feeling Ezra?" Chris asked the question and held his breath while he waited for the answer.
"Better." Ezra genuinely smiled at him. "A lot better."
"BUCK!" Chris yelled, he didn't take his eyes off Ezra's smiling face. "Did you hear that, he feels better!"
"Chris do you have to yell in my ear?" Ezra growled at him.
"Sorry Ezra." Chris wiped the hair from his forehead. "We're glad to have you back."
"Ezra!" Buck came running into the cell.
"Isn't it obvious." Ezra glared at him.
"Yep, it's you alright." Buck couldn't stop himself as he slapped Ezra's leg a little too hard.
Ezra winced and then looked around Chris towards the Judge. "Have I been asleep for two days?"
"Yeah, you have." Buck answered him.
"What did Doctor Campbell give me?"
"He only gave you something to help you sleep Ezra, you slept for two days on your own." Chris smiled down at him, he was glad to see him awake.
"I haven't eaten for two days." He watched as Chris nodded. "Nathan's going to kill you and Buck." Ezra smiled and the humour reached his eyes.
________________________________________
Nathan knew that something was wrong, he could sense it, and he had hoped that it was just the worrying that he had been doing about Ezra but something continued to gnaw at his stomach. He pushed his chair out and stood up, hesitated and then sat back down again. His eyes moved from the other men who sat at the table to the doors of the saloon. He was expecting bad news to come through those doors at any moment. He started to get up again but sat down in the chair that was beginning to protest loudly at the indecision of the person using it.
"What's wrong Nathan?" JD asked. He could feel the tension and worry that Nathan was giving off and couldn't help but feel it himself.
"Nothin'." His kind brown eyes moved back to the door, he blinked against the afternoon sunlight that shone its way into the saloon before finally moving over the building towards it's expected sunset.
"Ezra's fine Nathan, stop worrying." Vin knew he had hit the mark when the concern expression turned to him.
"I've just got this feeling, you know, like when you get it." He stood up again but froze in his stance when he saw the telegraph operator enter into the saloon.
The clerk stood just inside the doors and could feel their movement as they swung behind him. He saw Nathan and the expression that he held, he smiled quickly so he would know that it wasn't bad news and saw the instant relief on the healer's face and moved towards him.
"Telegram from Mr Larabee." He smiled then tipped his hat, he didn't wait for their reactions, and he knew what it would be. They would feel what he felt at the news but their feelings would be much stronger than his were. He liked Mr Standish, the man had a way about him that you could only admire but these men were his friends and they worried about him.
"Well, how good is it?" Vin asked Nathan as he sat down, he knew by the clerk's smile that it was good news.
"Are you gonna read it Nathan?" JD leaned forward and tried to take the folded piece of paper from his trembling hand, he succeeded in removing it from Nathan's weak grip.
JD read it quickly, his smile growing with every word. "Asked question. Stop. Answer. Stop. Better, a lot better. Stop. Staying for another week. Stop. Will let you know when we start heading back. Stop. Chris."
"Well guys, I think that this calls for a celebration. Don't you?" Vin's smile mirrored JD's but he frowned when he saw that Nathan wasn't sharing in their joy. "Nathan?"
"I'm sorry but that nagging feeling is still here." He pointed to his stomach.
"Chris wouldn't lie to us Nathan." Vin assured him.
"I know that, it's just . . ," Nathan shook his head and rubbed his face with his left hand. "I got the feeling that he's not telling us everything." The healer stood up from his chair. "I'm going to tell Josiah the good . . . "
"No!" JD startled both of them with his anger. "If Josiah can't be bothered to check up on how Ezra's doing then he can stay in the dark." His angry gaze caused the two men to admire the adult that JD was becoming.
"Were not going to chase him, if he wants to know how Ezra is, he can come and ask us."
Nathan sat back down in his chair and nodded at JD. "So what sort of celebration were you going to pay for Vin?" Nathan asked him, he smiled when Vin spat out the mouthful of whisky that he had begun to swallow.
________________________________________
After sending a telegram to Nathan, Chris rode with Sheriff Glason to the Lockwell farm, he wanted to make sure that the man understood that his daughter had to be at the trial tomorrow. The small farm was only thirty minutes outside of town but it had felt like he had been riding for hours, Glason was terrible company, he wouldn't stop talking. He spoke about the arrests that he had made and Chris knew that the man was trying to convince him that he wasn't the coward that he thought he was, he wasn't succeeding.
Chris shut his voice out of his mind and looked around at the sight before him, he had been to depressed himself lately to take in the scenery, he looked up towards the sky to see the clouds that were trying to gather together so they could block out the sun's light and warmth. The worry that he had felt for Ezra had controlled all of his thoughts much like Ezra's father had controlled the southerner's. Ezra still hadn't told any of them what his father had actually done and he wasn't sure that he ever would but he knew that Ezra had dealt with it and that he would now continue to improve until he was back to his old self.
"We’re here." Glason informed Chris. "Larabee! Were here."
Chris's eyes had already seen the farm minutes before, he couldn't help but see the smoke coming from one of the two small chimneys on the roof of the small run down building. He had been checking the area carefully to make sure there wasn't any trouble waiting for them. It was something that Glason obviously didn't do.
"Hank Lockwell!" Glason yelled out.
Chris grimaced at the man, he should have made him stay in town.
"Lockwell, are you in there!"
Chris watched as the front door to the house opened and Lockwell stepped out, two even larger men, who also wore beards followed him onto the porch. Chris was beginning to wonder if this family knew what a razor was. Each one held a rifle in his hand and they were pointed directly at Chris, they didn't seem to think that the Sheriff was a threat to them. Chris agreed.
"What do you want?" Lockwell demanded.
"Judge Travis arrived in town this morning. He wanted me to let you know that he will be holding the trial tomorrow morning starting at ten in the Court House. He also wants me to tell you to make sure that Grace is there to testify, if she isn't he'll judge it as a mistrial." Glason explained to him.
"She'll be there. Grace will tell the truth, she'll tell the Judge that man killed my son in cold blood and then we can watch him hang!" Lockwell turned his back on them and walked back into the house. The two men stayed where they were and waited for Chris and the Sheriff to leave.
"He never was one to mince words." Glason told Chris as they rode away.
________________________________________
Doctor Campbell only allowed Ezra to give him an empty bowl, he refused to take anything else, and he didn't stop glaring at his patient until he had eaten its entire contents. The Doctor enjoyed the looks that Ezra gave him each time he told him to eat more. He remembered what Buck had told him about having to force Ezra to eat but knew the reason for him not wanting to eat was because of his lack of appetite due to not eating rather than the depression that he was no longer in. He took the bowl from him and looked into the smiling face, his green eyes were no longer haunted but instead held a mischievous glint that showed his true age.
"Are you feeling better Ezra?" Campbell sat further onto the bed and leaned his back against the wall, mimicking Ezra's position. He decided to take the opportunity to make sure that his mood was still improving and hopefully to get Ezra to talk some more about his father. He watched as Ezra's mouth opened but Buck's voice spoke for him. He smiled at the foul look that was sent to the older man who was also sitting on the crowded bed.
"He's doing a lot better thanks Doc and in more ways than one." Buck answered for him as he slapped Ezra on the shoulder causing him to slump slightly forward.
"Buck!" Ezra grimaced at him more in embarrassment than in pain.
"You want to answer my question Ezra." Campbell reminded him as he leaned around his patient and pulled open the blanket that was wrapped around his thin body to check the wound that seemed to be healing as well as his emotional wounds but like his mood, he needed to check it to make sure.
"There's still pain but . . . " Ezra started to tell him.
"I'm not really talking about that Ezra." The Doctor smiled up at him. "I want to know how your feeling."
"I feel a lot better but . . . " Ezra shifted his eyes away from Campbell's.
"But what?" Campbell asked patiently.
Buck put his arm around Ezra's shoulders, giving him the comfort and support he now knew he wanted and accepted without any sort of hesitation, he felt Ezra shrug beneath his arm.
"Chris and Buck told me what's been going on with Josiah." Campbell told him. "You're scared Ezra, I know that. You've finally started to get yourself back together but you’re afraid that you’re going to go back into that void again when you see him."
Ezra nodded, he smiled slightly, and this man seemed to know exactly what he was thinking and what to say to make him feel better. "I didn't realise that it was my father that caused all of this until you made me realise it. I always told myself that I wouldn't let him hurt me again, that I wouldn't let what he did bother me. Josiah brought it all back and I couldn't think of anything else, I got angry and I pushed him away but it hurt that he stopped pushing back." Ezra took a deep breath. "Buck, Chris and the others didn't give up on me, they kept pushing at me until they tore my walls down. But Josiah stopped and I have always associated that with people not caring about me." He wiped the tears that fell from his eyes. "I'm worried about going back to Four Corners." He hung his head. "I don't know what to do about Josiah." Ezra looked up at Buck and his eyes darted to Campbell. "What if he's still the same? What if I go back to feeling the same way? What if he makes me feel angry again."
"Ezra, just tell him why you pushed him away. Tell him that your father hurt you and that Josiah brought all that hurt back and you had no control over what it did to you." He placed his hand on Ezra's shoulder. "And we both know that's true. Unless you accept a painful memory you have no control over it, that's why it controlled you Ezra."
"Do you think that he'll understand? I don't want to lose him as a friend, he's helped me get through a lot of things."
"I know he'll understand Ezra, as long as you tell him how you feel." Campbell smiled at him. "Besides, from what Buck has told me a JD Dunne is taking care of him."
Ezra laughed and Buck was overjoyed to hear the sound. "JD has grown up quite a bit, mostly because of what I have done." He felt Buck squeeze his shoulders. "I think he's lost his innocence."
"Ezra, the day that boy gets rid of that stupid hat and buys himself a decent one will be the day he loses his innocence." Buck assured him.
Chris could hear Ezra's laughter from outside the jailhouse, it was a sound that he never thought he would hear again. It terrified him every time he looked into those green eyes to see only emptiness instead of that glint that made it very hard to get angry at him. Six months ago, that glint caused him to lose his temper on more than one occasion but now he couldn't even get himself angry over the look. He stepped into the building to find all three men sitting on the bed. Ezra and Buck were laughing but the Doctor held only a look of confusion, this caused Chris to smile.
"Chris?" Campbell had seen him enter the room and thought that he could enlighten him on the situation of JD and his bowler hat. "Perhaps you could explain JD's hat to me as these two . . . " He watched as Chris burst into laughter and threw his own hands up in defeat.
Chris walked into the cell and knelt down so he could look up into Ezra's eyes, he could see the humor that they held. "I sent Nathan and the others a telegram to let them know how your going. I also told them that we'll be staying in town for another week." He watched as the green eyes darkened. "Don't worry Ezra, it'll all be over tomorrow and then when the Doc here says you can leave, we'll go home."
Ezra nodded, he liked the sound of that word. Home. Four Corners had become his home and these me had become his family. Both were things that he had longed for all his life but he never really thought that he would find them but he had found them and he was never going to let them go. He just hoped that Josiah would still be there for him when he got back.
"Why don't you get some rest Ezra." Campbell ordered him.
"I have been resting for more than two days now." Ezra argued as he tried unsuccessfully to stifle a yawn.
"Why don't we partake in a game of chance instead?"
"Rest. Now!" Campbell got up off the bed and violently motioned to Buck and Chris to leave the cell.
"You'll need it Ezra, the Judge is coming round to see you later and you know what he's like." Chris smiled back at him as he left the cell. He could feel his heart swell with the knowledge that Ezra was back.
"Good Lord." Ezra muttered as he made himself comfortable, he didn't think that he was going to sleep but he fell into a dreamless slumber within minutes.
________________________________________
Ezra could feel someone's hand wiping his forehead, the touch was different from what his friend's did, and he thought that it was Doctor Campbell. He allowed his eyes to slowly open and he looked up into Judge Travis's face. He jerked awake quickly, he had never expected this man to show him any type of concern.
"How are you feeling Mr Standish?" The Judge asked him as he saw the uncertainty in the green eyes. Chris and Buck had told him everything that had happened to the gambler and he felt a deep sympathy towards him. He wanted to help him in every way he could.
"I'm fine Judge, thank you for asking." Ezra tried to smile at him but he was confused as to why he was at his bedside.
"Don't lie to me Ezra. I know what happened, what's been happening." The Judge's voice held a challenging tone.
Ezra sighed, it seems that everyone knew what he was going through. It had bothered him once to even allow people to know how he was feeling but not anymore. He knew that Chris wouldn't have told the Judge if he thought that the man wouldn't have cared in some way.
"I'm feeling a lot better. Physically and emotionally." Ezra answered truthfully.
"Good. I'm glad to hear that." He waited for a moment. "Are you up to talking about what happened with Lockwell? The man that you killed. Chris already told me but I want to hear it from you."
Ezra pushed himself up into a sitting position, his arms shaking with the effort. He looked over the Judge's shoulder at Chris and Buck who were watching him carefully. They must have been worried about how he would react to the Judge's show of concern. He saw Chris smile at him encouragingly and then looked back at the Judge. It only took him five minutes to explain what had happened.
"Grace Lockwell took the gun from her brother's hand and then accused you of shooting him down." The Judge confirmed.
"Yeah." Ezra was already beginning to tire, he laid back down on the bed and closed his eyes. "I don't remember much after that."
"That's okay Ezra." He began to wipe the loose hair from the southerner's forehead as he fell back to sleep. "You don't need to remember anything else." He watched Ezra for a few minutes then stood up and went back into outer area of the cell to speak to Chris and Buck.
"It's going to be Ezra's word against Grace Lockwell's but the final decision will be mine. Ezra has nothing to worry about." Travis assured them.
"As long as she shows up, if she doesn't Lockwell is going to go after Ezra." Chris growled, the cold threatening expression that he held told the Judge and Buck that Lockwell was a dead man if Ezra was harmed in anyway.
________________________________________
Judge Travis pulled his silver pocket watch out once more to confirm the time, he smiled slightly in remembrance of his son who had given him the watch as a present six months before he had been murdered. It was now eleven, the trial was supposed to start at ten but Grace Lockwell or any other members of her family were yet to show. He looked across the near empty room at Chris. He sat alone, his blue eyes darting around the room looking for anything that may confirm the dreaded feeling that he felt in his stomach, he looked towards the Judge and found that his expression also showed the concern he felt.
Doctor Campell had stated with all seriousness that Ezra was not well enough for the trial so he had stayed in the jail house with Buck and Glason. Chris gave him a look that told him he couldn't sit here anymore and that he was going to go back to the jailhouse. The Judge easily understood Chris's expression and nodded in acknowledgement. Chris stood and pushed the heavy chair away from him and turned to leave but before he even reached the doorway to the outside world, gunshots sounded shattering the silence of the courthouse. Chris knew the shots had come from the direction of the jailhouse. He pushed the doors open and burst out into the morning sunlight. His eyes quickly adjusted and he looked towards the jailhouse to see an unconscious Ezra being dragged from the building.
________________________________________
Buck was sitting in a chair that faced Ezra's back, the gambler had fallen asleep again after eating some breakfast and now lay on his right side, his left hand resting on the pillow in front of his face. He had noticed that some of the colour had finally returned to Ezra's face causing the paleness to leave him. He continued to stand up on a regular basis causing him to strain his back when he leant over to look at the slack handsome features to make sure that he was still asleep, he was worried that the irritating sounds of Glason's nervous pacing was going to wake him up. He was about to stand up again when he heard someone bang on the front door. As he began to turn around he saw Ezra move and heard him groan, he hesitated a moment to make sure that he wasn't going to wake. It was a mistake that he was going to regret.
Glason moved to the door and looked through the small opening that allowed him to see anyone who was at the doorway without having to open it first. What he saw scared him. Grace Lockwell's terrified eyes stared back at him.
"Sheriff you have to let me in." She turned her head to look behind her and then back again. "I'm sorry but I lied and now my father wants to force me into continuing the lie." She banged on the door a second time.
"Please you have to help me, let me in."
Glason didn't even stop to think that it all might have been a trick. He heard Buck yell out to him not to open the door but it was too late. Lockwell and his two remaining sons forced the door open and pushed the sheriff out of the way. One of them kept his rifle on Glason while Lockwell and his eldest son moved towards the cell.
Buck had turned just in time to see Glason opening the door, his verbal warning was too late, and he watched as the Lockwell's entered the jailhouse and as Hank Lockwell walked to the cell. Buck didn't draw his gun, he knew that it would only get himself killed and he would be no help to Ezra if that happened. He was sickened by the expression that Lockwell held and his fear for Ezra grew.
"Get out!" Lockwell growled to Buck but the man who stood before him showed his defiance. "If you don't I will shoot him now!"
Buck slowly backed out of the cell where the other bearded man took his gun. He watched as Lockwell leaned over Ezra's sleeping form and pull the blanket back. He had to hold his anger back as he heard Ezra scream out in pain when Lockwell hit his injured side with his gun.
Ezra had been feeling nothing but a darkened peace until lights flashed across his vision and pain exploded in his side. He didn't have time to register what was happening when he was roughly dragged from the bed but the voice that yelled into his ear told him everything he needed to know and it also made him want to survive what this man had planned for him. He now wanted to live, he wasn't going to let Chris down, not after what he and all the others had done for him.
"You killed my son and now you’re going to hang!" Lockwell yelled at Ezra as he dragged him from the bed and out into the area that led to the front door. He past his son who had his rifle aimed at Buck to stop him from interfering. "You get into the cell, you too Glason!" He ordered them.
Ezra struggled to get his feet under him while the man that had him within his grasp was distracted. When he knew his legs were taking his weight he brought his right fist up, forcing it into the man's large stomach but the punch was weak due to his lack of strength and it only caused the man to become more angry. Lockwell lashed out at the smaller man, slamming his gun against the left side of his victim's head. Ezra was unconscious before he even hit the floor, he didn't feel the kick as it struck his right side with enough force to crack one of his ribs.
Glason watched the man that was holding a rifle on him look away to see what was happening, he pulled his gun and fired, his bullet missed his mark and the younger son fired in return, his aim was more accurate and the bullet tore through Glason's right shoulder knocking him to the ground. The man came forward and dragged the injured Sheriff into the cell with Buck, locking them in so they won't be able to stop them from hanging the man who had killed his brother.
Buck hit his fist against the bars in anger when he saw the two brothers lift Ezra by his arms and then drag him out of the front door. Hank Lockwell stopped in the doorway and turned back to him. "The next time you see your friend he'll be hanging by a rope." He followed his sons out of the jail and towards his daughter and the horses that were waiting for them in the alley.
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Chris looked to his left to see one of Glason's Deputies running towards the jailhouse, he caught his eye and motioned for him to go into the jail. The tall thin man nodded his head and carefully moved towards the building. The front door was wide open and he managed to get inside without being caught.
The hardened gunslinger aimed his gun towards Hank Lockwell and used his cold voice to stop the three men in their tracks. "Put Ezra down or I'll kill your father!" Chris yelled at them, he knew that it was only a threat but his voice and threatening look would tell them otherwise. "NOW!"
The two brothers stopped and looked behind them towards their father, each of them still holding Ezra's inert form between them.
"Keep moving, he won't shoot me while we have his friend." Lockwell called to both his sons and Chris.
They seemed to believe this so they obeyed their father but the sound of a gunshot and their father's screams stopped them, they turned around to see him lying on the ground clutching his leg as he tried to stop the blood flowing from the bullet in his left leg.
"If you don't put Ezra down the next bullet will kill him!" Chris warned them for the last time.
The eldest son easily gathered Ezra's smaller body up under his left arm while his brother aimed a rifle at the southerner's head. "You shoot my father again and your friend is dead."
"Either way your father is going to end up dead!" Buck surprised them. The Deputy had released him from the cell quickly and after taking his gun, he had run outside just in time to see Chris shoot Hank Lockwell. He ran to the injured man and placed his gun against his temple before yelling out to the men who had Ezra.
"Shoot him Larry!" Grace yelled out from the alley's opening. "He killed our brother."
"Do you want to see your other two sons die as well?" Chris asked Lockwell as he moved forward. "Because I won't hesitate in shooting them if they hurt Ezra anymore than he already is." He couldn't see Ezra's face, his chin was resting against his chest but he could see the blood that continued to escape from the wound on the side of his head.
Lockwell knew that he was in a difficult situation, he was losing a lot of blood from his injury and also knew that if his sons shot the man then these other two would shoot them. He would lose his children, only Grace would be left but he was a man who needed his sons. He had thought that it would be a simple process of taking the man and hanging him in a place where it would take a while for him to be found but he hadn't expected Glason to react, he had always considered him to be a coward.
"Put your guns down boys and let him go." Lockwell sigh in defeat, all he wanted was to avenge his son's death.
"You can't do that!" Grace yelled as she ran to her father. "Your just as stupid as Sam was."
"Don't speak of your brother like that Grace!" He yelled at her.
"Why not? He was stupid. He couldn't even shoot straight, he couldn't even kill that man." Grace hadn't even realised what she said.
"Sam shot him? You said that you did it." Lockwell was shocked.
"I lied. I didn't want people to know how useless he was."
"Grace, you almost caused me to kill an innocent man because you lied." Lockwell stared at his sons. "Let him go and take care of your ungrateful sister!"
Chris rushed forward and took Ezra from the arms of the large man and lifted him into his own, he ignored the look of regret. "Where's Doc Campbell's surgery.
"Chris." Doctor Campbell called from behind him. "Bring him this way!" He looked at George Lockwell.
"Bring your father as well." He began to walk towards his surgery with everyone following him. He saw Deputy Johnson half-carrying Glason and indicated for him to follow them.
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Chris and Buck didn't argue with Doctor Campbell when he told them that he would first have to remove the bullets from the other two men before he was able to take care of Ezra. He had allowed them to take Ezra to his room above the surgery where they did their best to stop the head wound from bleeding any further and then settled in to wait for the Doctor to return.
It was another two hours before Campbell entered his bedroom to find Chris and Buck sitting on the bed with Ezra. They each held a hand and Chris was wiping Ezra's sweating face with a damp cloth.
"Has he regained consciousness at all?" He asked them as he came forward.
"No, he hasn't even moved." Chris pointed to his side. "There's bruising too. Buck said that Lockwell kicked him."
Campbell used his hand to ask Buck to get off the bed. He sat down next to Ezra and gently lifted each eyelid to check his pupils. "There even so there might not be a concussion, I'll have to wait until he wakes up to make sure." He then moved to Ezra's side and pressed against his ribs. "There's one cracked." His fingers carefully probed the head wound. "It looks more serious than it actually is."
Campbell took his time to clean and bandage Ezra's head wound. He then had Chris sit Ezra up so he could wrap a bandage around his waist to support his ribs and cover the gunshot wound. Once that was done, there was nothing else he could except wait for him to wake up.
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Ezra grimaced as the pain tore through his skull, he tried to lift his hand to his head but someone took it and pulled it back down to his side. He could hear the voices that tried to break through his pain filled and confused mind, he didn't recognise any of them. He felt a hand on his forehead and the caring touch that stroked his temple.
"Father?" Ezra muttered as he struggled to remember what had happened and why his head hurt so much.
"No Ezra, it's Chris. Can you hear me?" Chris asked as the worry began to fill his mind.
"Chris?" Ezra forced his eyes open but they quickly closed again, it was another few seconds before the eyelids lifted again to reveal green eyes that held nothing but confusion.
"Ezra?" Campbell sat down on the bed and looked into the eyes that turned towards him. "Can you tell me your name?"
Ezra thought for a moment. "Ezra. Ezra Standish." The words were whispered as though he was unsure about what he was saying.
"Do you know who I am?" Campbell asked him again.
It was a very two long minutes before he answered. "Doctor Campbell."
"And this?" He gently took Ezra's face and turned his head towards Chris and Buck.
Ezra smiled. "My friends, Chris and Buck." His eyelids fluttered closed again and he fell back into a peaceful sleep.
"Had me worried for a minute there." Campbell admitted. "But he should be fine, he knows who he is and who we are. He must have been confused when he first woke up. He'll just need plenty of rest now." He placed a cool damp cloth on Ezra's forehead and turned to Chris and Buck. "So you want to tell me what happened?"
Chris and Buck let out sighs of relief at the Doctors words and began to explain the reason for Ezra getting hurt.
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John Campbell followed Buck into the living area of his small but well furnished house, both were carrying trays of food. Plates full of solid food for themselves and a bowl of beef broth for Ezra. Campbell knew that his stomach wouldn't take anything heavier, it would only cause him to vomit.
"What do you think you’re doing?" The Doctor demanded to know when Buck moved out of his line of vision to reveal Ezra sitting in one the large comfortable chairs.
"He even sounds like Nathan." Ezra smiled at Chris.
"And I'm starting to think that this Nathan has a point!" It was the first time that Campbell had showed any anger, this was the third time he had found Ezra out of his bed and on the first two occasions, it had been a struggle to get him back into it.
"Yep, just like him." Chris smiled back at Ezra, he couldn't help but enjoy the moment. It was more or less like old times.
"Let me put it this way Mr Standish, if I have to use Laudanum to make you stay in bed, I will!" Campbell was finding it very hard to keep his composure. Ezra Standish had a way of aggravating a person to the point of wanting to hit him but for some reason you just couldn't do it.
"It would be a better alternative to Nathan's rope." Ezra continued to smile, it felt good to feel the dimples form on his cheeks once more.
"You're supposed to be resting in bed." The Doctor tried to stay angry but he couldn't.
"The only time that you can't get Ezra out of a bed is when he's woken up before he's ready." Buck explained. "It's something that I suggest you never do, wake him up that is, he nearly killed me once with that peashooter of his."
"Please remind me to send Nathan a letter of congratulations. I don't know how he does it." Campbell shook his head and finally put the tray of food on what he had called a coffee table. He walked to where Ezra was sitting and placed his hand on his forehead, there was no fever, and he felt the pulse in his neck as it beat strongly against his fingers.
Buck pulled the cloths from the trays and everyone but Ezra's mouths watered, Campbell saw the green complexion and smiled. He lifted the small bowl and picked up a spoon and walked towards Ezra.
"You don't expect me to eat that do you?"
"Not until I get a bucket." Campbell growled down at him.
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Chris and Buck's smiles turned to muttered moans as they listened to Doctor Campbell making his demands. They knew that he was only worried about Ezra but it brought back their own fear that Nathan was going to kill them when they got back to Four Corners.
"Make sure you get plenty of rest Ezra, don't go too far, rest every couple of hours . . ." Campbell was ignoring the look of frustration on the younger man's face.
"Just like Nathan." Chris whispered to Buck.
"And make sure you eat, your still too thin Ezra and . . . "
"Think we should rescue him?" Buck asked as he saw Ezra's pleading look as it was thrown to them but it was quickly replaced with an expression that told them he was going to make them pay for not helping him.
Ezra decided that he had to do something to stop Campbell from talking, he was worse than Nathan. He stepped forward and took the Doctor into his embrace and gave him a fierce hug. "Thank you John, for everything." Ezra stepped back and wiped the tear that fell from his eye.
"Your very welcome Ezra." He smiled at him.
"I wouldn't have been able to go on if you didn't help me." He spoke softly as he hung his head, he felt the Doctor's gentle touch on his chin as he lifted his head back.
"You're a good man Ezra with good friends who care about you." His smile grew. "So go and enjoy the rest of your life, forget about the past and concentrate on the future."
"Can I keep in touch?" Ezra hoped that he would say yes.
"I would be disappointed if you didn't." Campbell assured him while he returned the hug, he squeezed his arms around him tightly. "Now get going before someone else decides to shoot you." He pushed him away from him and towards his friends.
Ezra mounted his horse and tipped his hat to the man who had saved his life, he turned his horse back into the direction of Four Corners and smiled as he heard the Doctor call out to them.
"Chris, Buck, you make sure he eats, if you don't you'll have me to answer to, not just Nathan and don't tire him out, he needs to rest."
Chris waved behind his head to indicate that he had heard him. "Just like Nathan." Chris smiled.
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It was a few minutes before Ezra realised that his two friends had stopped, he pulled his own mount to a standstill and turned in his saddle towards Chris and Buck. The afternoon sun shone brightly behind them and Ezra had to squint his eyes against its brightness.
"Is there something wrong?" Ezra saw the look that passed between the two men, he had to hide his amusement because he knew exactly what they were thinking.
"Um . . . " Chris didn't want to admit it, he wasn't afraid of anything but he knew that Nathan could get angry and was a force to be reckoned with and it wasn't as if he could fight him back in self defence. "You tell him Buck."
"Were worried about how Nathan is going to react to you being hurt when we promised to look after you." Buck had no problem admitting what was troubling them.
"Why don't you let me take care of Nathan." Ezra hid his smile. "Give me a five minute head start and I will explain to him what happened and that it wasn't your fault."
Buck and Chris smiled in relief. "Thanks Ezra that would be great."
"It's the least that I could do for the two men who helped save my life." Ezra put on a look of innocence. "If the Judge hadn't asked you to pick up that parcel then this wouldn't have happened and I wouldn't have met Doctor Campbell." Ezra watched as Chris nearly hid his surprise but Buck's expression faltered. "Five minutes and then follow me to the saloon, Nathan will be fine." He turned his horse around and allowed the smile to spread across his handsome face as he rode into Four Corners.
Ezra looked towards the church as he passed it but he didn't see Josiah, he hoped that he was with the others at the saloon. He knew they would be together waiting for him because Chris had sent them a telegram the day before. He dismounted his horse in front of the saloon and looked back at the direction he had come, he could see Chris and Buck following him. Ezra stepped up to the porch and placed his poker face into position as he pushed his way through the saloon doors. They hadn't even stopped swinging when he heard JD's voice.
"Ezra!" JD came forward but frowned at the expression that the gambler held, he looked almost the same as he had when he left nearly two weeks ago. It had all been a waste of time.
Ezra winced as a pain that didn't exist tore through his side, he gripped it as he made his way to the table that seated his friends, even Josiah, and he hid his eyes from them because his eyes didn't have that pain filled look that had been in them for so long. Nathan practically threw his chair away as he stood up quickly and came to his side.
"Nathan, please do not allow those two to take me on another journey." Ezra groaned as he slowly slid himself into the chair that Vin had pulled out for him. He could see the worried looks. He took off his hat and made sure that Nathan saw the healing wound.
"What the hell happened to you?" Nathan was angry.
"If you mean apart from being shot, hit on the head and kicked in the side while in Chris and Buck's care." Ezra shrugged. "Nothing really."
"Where are they?" Nathan growled, his eyes held a threat that Ezra had never seen before.
"They should be coming down the street now." Ezra looked over his left shoulder towards the door and quietly moaned as he lifted his hand to his head. "Is there any food around, I haven't eaten since yesterday."
"They’re dead!" Nathan stormed out of the saloon, nearly breaking one the swinging doors off its hinges
"Ezra, I thought you were getting better." JD was heartbroken.
Ezra stood up with an agility that the others didn't expect from an injured man, their looks of worry changed to confusion, he wrapped an arm around JD's shoulders. "I owe you my life JD. I know it was your idea that I get a change of scenery." He saw the look of confusion that came over his young friend's face. "I was sitting on balcony when you gentlemen were having your meeting. JD, thank you for speaking up for me." He allowed the smile to cross his face and he winked at JD. "Now I believe we have a show to watch."
"What the hell did you do to him!" Nathan's voice reached into the saloon.
"Aw hell Ezra, you didn't." Vin groaned as he stood up from his chair.
"I certainly did." Ezra's smile grew even more.
Vin could see that the smile reached his eyes. "Well then, what are we standing around in here for when all the fun is out there." He came forward and placed his own arm across Ezra's shoulder. "Shall we?" Vin gestured to the door in much the same way as Ezra would.
Together the three men began to walk out of the saloon but before they reached the doors, Ezra stopped and turned around. "Josiah, will you be joining us." Ezra didn't allow his smile to lesson.
"Don't mind if I do." Josiah smiled back at him as he stood up from his chair, he knew that Ezra had gone through a changing experience, he could see it in his eyes. He had been able to sort himself out thanks to JD and was looking forward to Ezra's return. He had every intention of talking to him and repairing their friendship but he could see that the friendship had already begun to heal, he decided that he was still going to talk to him about what had happened between them.
"EZRA!" Chris's voice screamed into the saloon.
"Gentlemen I do believe that I am in need of some protection." Ezra smiled thinking that they would help him.
"You're on your own Ezra." Vin gladly stepped aside as Chris stepped into the saloon with Buck and Nathan behind him.
"JD?"
"Sorry Ezra, they’re bigger than me." JD smiled, things had worked out after all.
"Josiah?"
"I'd be glad to help out a friend Ezra." He stepped up to him and stood beside him.
"Ezra what did you think you were doing scaring me like that!" Nathan had become pretty good at acting himself. He stepped forward intending to give Ezra the reprimand that he deserved when Josiah stepped in front of the gambler.
Nathan looked at him then at Ezra as he leaned to his left to look around Josiah at the healer and his other friends, his dimpled smile stopping any anger that they held.
"It's good to have you back Ezra." Nathan smiled as he came forward.
Josiah stepped aside and watched as Nathan took the southerner into his embrace and stood by as each man showed the joy that they felt to have him back home. Ezra returned the affection that each man gave him and when they were done, he looked towards Josiah, he didn't hesitate, and he stepped towards him and hugged the larger man who returned the embrace.
"I'm sorry Josiah, I shouldn't have . . . "
"It's okay Ezra, I shouldn't have let you push me away." Josiah interrupted him. "I'm your friend Ezra and I always will be. I know you don't need a father figure right now."
"You be what you want Josiah. I've forgiven my father, I'm not angry at him anymore." Ezra didn't break the embrace but held on.
Josiah looked over the top of Ezra's head towards Chris and Buck, their body language telling him that they would explain later.
"Ezra!" Nathan pulled him from Josiah's grip. "I want you to go and get some rest."
"Nathan. I don't need any rest, I'm not . . . " Ezra argued.
"From what I saw of you when you walked in here, you need to rest." Nathan began to drag him towards his room.
"Aw hell Nathan." Ezra tried to pull away from him but Chris grabbed his other arm and helped the healer to seek his revenge.
The remaining members of the family started to laugh as they watched Ezra struggling against the two men who dragged him towards his room.
"There's a sight I thought I would never see again." Vin commented and heard the others agree with him.
"If you boys want to sit down, I'll tell you how it happened when Nathan comes back."
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Josiah stepped into the darkening room and closed the door quietly, he stepped towards the bed and looked down at his friend who was sleeping on his stomach, his head facing the door. He sat down carefully but the movement caused Ezra to wake.
"Josiah." Ezra blinked up at the man who sat next to him.
"Yes it's me." He placed his hand against the back of Ezra's head and begun to rub his temple. "Go back to sleep son." He watched as Ezra smiled at the affectionate term before he drifted back to sleep.
The End
Part One | Part Two | Part Three
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