DISCLAIMER: The characters of The Magnificent Seven are owned by MGM, CBS and Trilogy. I am not profiting by their use in any way.
FEEDBACK: Yes, please, this is my first story.
"Vin!" Buck called as the others helped JD to stand. "Vin! Whatta ya doing?"
"He's right, Buck!" Vin spoke softly and went in the opposite direction from the others. "JD's right again. There is someone in the woods." Buck watched Vin as he disappeared among the trees. Josiah and Chris had turned and were trying to support JD as they headed back to the cabin but he stopped and pulled away from them.
"I can walk." JD insisted. "I'm fine. That doc can just sew this up and I'll walk outta there."
The men stayed close and listened to JD reason with himself. At the entrance to the cabin the aroma of the burning herbs filled the air and JD lost his resolve. He turned to run again. His friends caught him easily; he was so weak from the blood loss he couldn't think straight. Buck and Chris simply picked him up and carried him, struggling, past the curtain to the place where they had first found Ezra. Sheng-Li was there waiting and smoothed the fresh covering on the bed as they approached.
JD fought them with all his remaining strength. As they placed him on the bed he pulled free suddenly and drew his gun, holding it steady with both hands.
"Get back." He teetered on the edge of the bed. "Just get back."
Buck watched--devastated. "JD, don't do this. I'm sorry. I wasn't trying to trick you."
JD's face was flushed crimson and the gun looked too heavy for him. He was trembling and losing coherence. The men waited quietly, allowing his anger to subside. He dropped his sore arm, pulling it close to his body. Chris stepped forward and gripped JD's other wrist removing the gun. "Just lay back, JD. Rest."
Chris handed the gun to Josiah and then laid JD back on the bed. "Take it easy. Don't fight this." He kept his grip on JD's wrist, pinning it to the bed and held his hand over the kid's forehead as much to hold him still as to cool the fever. Josiah reached down and unbuckled JD's gun belt, removing it.
Sheng-Li watched the terrible fear in the young man with dismay. The patient would be very difficult to heal in this state of mind. The little doctor moved to Buck, grasped the lapels of his jacket and pulled his face close. "Why, please? Tell me why is he so frightened?"
Buck looked down at Sheng-Li. Didn't he know? "It's the needles. He doesn't want the needles stuck in him."
Sheng-Li was satisfied with this information. He released Buck and moved with a new energy. "We have other ways." He spoke quietly to his assistants, signaling them to a new course of action. He moved to communicate with JD, placing his hand solidly on JD's heaving chest. Chris moved back but continued to hold JD's arm pinned to the bed.
"I will not put the needles in you, sir." He turned JD's feverish face to meet his. "Please. I promise you. We will not put acupuncture needle in you."
JD locked eyes with the Chinese doctor. He was telling the truth. It felt like everyone else he trusted was lying to him but this man was telling the truth. JD watched Sheng-Li carefully. The doctor opened JD's jacket and unbuttoned the shirt he wore, working the clothing carefully down around his injured arm. He moved slowly and deliberately. His assistants moved smoothly along with him.
"The bullet went into your arm," Sheng-Li spoke directly to his patient. When Sheng-Li pressed on his arm at the bullet's point of entry JD hissed in pain. "And passed through it." Sheng-Li pretended that no one else existed except the black haired youth. JD responded to the respect he offered and worked to quiet himself, trying to listen over the pounding of his own heart. "Then it continued through your coat, into the side of your chest and is lodged there, by your rib."
Lean Wolf had to turn away from the others to hide his laughter. Xiaoting wrestled with the little gun and it's rigging. It would not listen to his commands. The Indians knew their Chinese friend would be engaged with the device for many days. Now was the time to suggest a trade for the thing.
"You can keep the little gun, Shou ting, and its resting place." Again Lean Wolf turned away to hide his mirth.
"No!" Xiaoting cried, frustrated. "It will not obey me. You can take it home with you."
"But what use would it be to us?" Lean Wolf teased him. "Trade it for something useful."
Xiaoting wanted badly to solve the riddle of the mechanism. It sang an elusive tune to him: he must understand it. "Yes!" He said tiptoeing into the cabin with the derringer clasped to his arm. "I will trade you for it!"
When he returned he held four of the delicately painted bowls that had traveled with Sheng-Li from China. The fan wey had many of these bowls. What did it matter if he used this porcelain or the local pottery? He handed them to Lean Wolf. The Indian wrapped them carefully in the pouch he carried and bowed to Xiaoting. He and Red Bear smiled at each other and bowed and then bowed again to their friend.
"Good luck, Shou ting!" They mounted their ponies, stringing along the horse Xiaoting and the doctor had borrowed. "Perhaps we will see you again at the hot springs!"
Xiaoting raised his arm to bid them farewell and the derringer slid toward his face. He swore at the rigging and tried to configure it again.
"If the bullet is not removed it will poison you."
"I know. I know that." JD tried to stay calm but his voice shook with exhaustion. "So, take it out then and s-sew it up."
The Chinese doctor took a cup from Ai-Ling and held it out for JD. "It would help things go more smoothly if you drink this first, sir." JD regarded the cup warily. "It is a careful mixture of herbs containing some opium. Very soothing."
Chris released JD's arm and stood with Buck and Josiah. The elderly fan wey had managed to communicate better than any of them. He helped JD sit up and drink the syrupy liquid. They took his coat and shirt off while he sat and then laid him carefully back on the bed.
"Why...didn't you just give this to Ezra...instead of the needles?"
Sheng-Li smiled. "Your friend's injuries far worse. More complex. To drink enough opium to stop his pain would make him ill." As he explained, Sheng-Li felt the pulse at JD's neck and looked into his eyes. "The needles will have no effect once removed." The assistants loosened the buttons on JD's pants, shifting them away from the puddle of blood pooling on the flat plane of his belly. They gently pulled off his boots. JD tried to listen to Sheng-Li as he began to clean the wound on his outer arm but he was already having difficulty staying awake.
Ai-Ling used warm water to wash the blood on JD side and chest. His gut sucked in at the touch. He tried to relax. Sheng-Li turned JD to his side and pulled his arm forward to expose the bullet wound in his chest. He held a cloth on it but did nothing else. As he waited for the opium to take effect he looked carefully at Buck.
The Chinese doctor was an excellent healer. He could see that the only additional painkiller necessary for his patient was the warmth of the tall man's friendship. Buck met Sheng-Li's gaze and the old man nodded almost imperceptibly. His eyes moved to the empty stool near the bed and back to Buck again.
Buck understood. He walked around the bed and sat in the stool. He reached out and grasped JD's hand. Chris nudged Josiah and they went out to the porch. JD had everything he needed.
"Buck." It was an effort for JD to keep his eyes open. "Buck, don't ever...ever try to...to force me...in to somethin' again."
"I'm sorry about this." Buck whispered as he leaned forward, their faces close. He watched carefully as JD tried to focus on him. "But c'mon, think about it, JD! Ya need me to force ya into things sometimes. What would you do without me, kid?" Buck could feel JD's body shudder with pain as he squeezed Buck's hand.
"Would ya ever even have realized what a beautiful little filly Miss Casey was if I hadn't of helped you out?"
A half smile lit JD's face for a moment and then his body relaxed. The opium was taking effect and he was nearly unconscious. Buck continued to grip his hand, massaging his fingers. Sheng-Li began to remove the bullet. He paused and nodded to Buck again: Keep talking to him.
"And what about Wick's Town, huh?" Buck's voice dropped to a whisper and he touched JD's burning cheek with the back of his hand. "Ya gotta face facts, kid. Ya caint live without me." Buck heard a quiet grunt of amusement from his friend but JD's face was motionless, he didn't have the strength left to smile.
Buck watched the kid sleep. "And what would I do without you, JD?"
Vin walked slowly through the forest carrying his sawed off shotgun before him. He heard the wind shifting, rattling the leaves. There was definitely someone out here, he could feel it. He stood poised with his shoulder against a wide tree. He waited and listened.
In the distance he saw Josiah and Chris come out to the cabin porch, talking. He could tell by the relaxed way they stood that JD was going to be okay. Vin agreed completely with JD. Those needles were horrible; stuck into Ezra every which way. But they did the job, which was the important thing.
Josiah and Chris looked around the yard and scanned the forest. Vin was amused. His camouflage was effective, even Larabee was deceived. He stayed motionless in the brush sensing the presence of the other man nearby. He glanced at his two friends again: Be with you in just a minute, boys.
From the small corral at the side of the cabin he saw the young Chinese man approach the forest. "Shou ting". Wasn't that the way Josiah had said it? Shou ting was distracted, talking to himself. Vin saw that he had Ezra's derringer rigging strapped to his arm and was trying to engage the mechanism. He had the little gun, too. Vin smiled. What had Lean Wolf gained in trade for that fine toy?
Xiaoting was becoming irate. He knew that Ezra wore the gun hidden in his sleeve so the mechanism must be engaged with a simple twist of the wrist. But there was nothing simple about it. He ripped the rigging off his arm and threw it down in disgust.
"Sha di yu!!"
"Shou ting!" Josiah jogged out to the yard with Chris following. "What's the trouble, son?"
"It's this ridiculous, idiotic device!" He picked up the rigging and shoved it back in place. He lifted his arm pointing it at Josiah.
"Hey!" Josiah instantly crouched and Chris jumped to the side. "Be careful! Don't point that at anyone! That's the weapon that caused JD a world of hurt."
Josiah walked over and strapped the rigging correctly onto Xiaoting's arm. He stood carefully next to Xiaoting and pointed out each piece of the equipment then directed the man's aim to the open woods. Xiaoting swung his arm up and suddenly the gun jerked into his hand.
"It worked!" With great happiness Xiaoting repeatedly pulled the trigger and three quick shots blasted into the woods.
"Nooo!" They heard a scream erupt from the brush. Bullets flew over them. The sound of a six-shooter was followed by two blasts from a shotgun. The men dropped to the ground amid the chaos, pulling Xiaoting down with them. Josiah and Chris lay silent in the tall grass, their guns trained on the woods. Xiaoting was horrified. He dropped the small gun and flicked the derringer rigging off of his arm like it was a poison spider.
"It's okay!" Vin called from the tree line. They lifted their heads and saw Vin in the woods. "It's okay, it's safe!" Vin was bent double, trying to catch his breath.
Chris and Josiah got up and walked to the tracker but Xiaoting stood and ran back to the cabin. "Shou ting!" Josiah called after him. "What's wrong?!"
"No more!" Xiaoting kept running. He was finished with guns. He felt he had turned down the wrong path in his life's journey. He promised himself to pay closer attention to his studies from now on. He would learn the ancient ways. They watched him disappear into the house.
"This fella here," Vin said breathing hard, "had a bone to pick with you boys." Vin pointed to the crumpled body of Ferris Coleman. Chris pushed the young man's body over and studied his face.
"Ain't never seen him before."
"Me neither. But he was taking real careful aim at ya. I was about to pick him off when Josiah's little friend started letting the bullets fly." Vin was as aggravated as a trapped bobcat. He leaned his back against a tree and held the heels of his hands tightly on his thighs. "Got a couple shots off at ya with that six-shooter before I got 'im."
Chris stood with his hands crossed over his chest and watched Vin quietly. Josiah squatted on his heels in the grass studying the body. He looked up at Vin, plucked a long stem from the weeds and commenced chewing.
Vin looked at the two men with exasperation. "He coulda killed ya, ya know!"
Chris and Josiah remained silent, as though waiting for something.
"What?" Vin demanded.
Josiah stood, scratched the back of his neck absently and looked at Chris. In reply, Chris simply shifted his weight and tilted his head slightly. They both looked at Vin.
"What?" Vin was spitting mad. "What!?"
"He shot ya, didn't he? Shou ting. He shot ya with Ezra's gun."
"Hell no, Chris. He didn't." Vin straightened his back against the tree and stared hard at the two men. They waited. "No! Dammit." Vin looked away from his friends but kept one hand tightly pressed on his thigh. "Just winged me is all. Just a damn scratch."
Josiah stepped over to Vin and hooked Vin's arm around his neck. Chris did the same pulling Vin's other hand from the wound on his leg. Blood bloomed on his sand colored pants. They walked back to the cabin slowly, allowing the tracker to regain his balance. Their long shadows preceded them and the setting sun warmed their backs.
"Don't worry, Vin. That doc is fast." Chris suppressed a smile. "He's probably got JD all sewed up by now."
"It ain't nothin' but a scratch, Chris. The doc can just wrap it up, maybe a couple of stitches. It don't need any special treatment."
Ezra breathed in the scent of burning incense. It reminded him of Li-Pong. Was she near or was he dreaming about her? He remembered her face in detail at first but it slipped away and was replaced by the reality of pain. His head ached and it hurt to breathe. He shifted his weight slightly. Ugh! That was worse. He waited a few breaths and tried to open his eyes.
He felt the light touch of fingers moving over his forehead and then gently plowing through his hair. It sent a tingling relay of sensation across his skin.
"Ezra?" Nathan's baritone voice was soft. "C'mon now, Ezra. Try and wake up."
Ezra felt a damp, cool cloth move over his face. The left side was pinched and sore. He opened his eyes. The afternoon sun threw a bright patch on the quilt that covered him and it shimmered in his hazy vision, throwing everything else into shadow. He closed his eyes again.
"I'll pull the drapes, Nathan." The legs of a chair lightly scraped the wooden floor as Chris stood and shortly, the room darkened. When the gunslinger returned to the bed he held Ezra's arm and shoulder firmly. Ezra could feel Nathan's hand on his other shoulder. The two men were pressing close.
"He's not fightin' us this time." Chris whispered.
"Ezra, try to open your eyes again." Nathan voice was hopeful.
"Nathan?" Ezra's damaged face smiled weakly. His eyelids barely lifted but he could see the familiar face hovering in front of him. "Nathan. It's good to see you."
Nathan chuckled warmly. "Ezra? You really are awake this time, aren't ya?"
"Yes, Mr. Jackson. I'm...awake. Are we not conversing?" The gambler was puzzled by Nathan's question. He felt the two men release him and breathe out gratefully.
"Yeah, we're conversin'." Nathan leaned in and laid his hand across Ezra's forehead. It was slightly warm. The heat from the fever had cooled but his skin was still flushed. The healer rocked his chair onto two legs and tried to hide his amusement.
"But you been doing all kinds of conversin', Ezra. I got to the hot springs three days ago. You been making noise the whole time, but we could tell that you weren't really with us."
What? Ezra was completely baffled. Three days? He turned to Chris and his eyes locked on to the man's concerned face. Then he looked around the unfamiliar whitewashed room. He recognized his boots standing near a chair. His maroon coat was draped over the arm and his derringer and rigging were on the seat.
Wait, Ezra. Wait as long as you can. "JD!" Images flashed and words sputtered in his head. "Chris, where is JD?" He tried to sit up but a bolt of pain prevented any movement.
"Shhhh, not yet." Nathan stood and laid his arm across Ezra's chest in a fluid and practiced way. Chris resumed his hold, too.
"JD is here, everyone is safe." They had been saying the same thing to the man for days but this time it seemed Ezra was really listening. "Lie still. Just rest." He maintained his gentle grip and watched as Ezra's breathing slowed.
The two men relaxed their holds again as Ai-Ling entered the room. She carried a tray of fresh bandages, poultice, and other supplies. Chris watched Ezra's expression carefully as Ai-Ling smiled at him, moving close. She placed the tray on a bedside table and turned and bowed deeply to the men. Ezra's eyes roamed the contours of her face.
"This is A-Ling, Ez." Nathan said. "She's been helpin' to heal ya."
Ezra blinked and let out a soft breath. "Thank you, Miss."
Chris' heart was flooded with grief. How many times had he imagined his own Sarah's face in a crowd, or thought he saw the hem of her skirt as it disappeared into a doorway? It's not her, Ezra.
Ai-Ling moved to Ezra's side and reached across him. She lifted the blanket that covered him and folded a small width of it, exposing his shoulders. Then she lifted it off his chest and folded the strip over again in a neat, almost ceremonial fashion. His torso was a canvas of colorful bruises painted in blues and greens. She continued to fold but when the strip of blanket was across his hips Ezra quietly gripped it, stopping her. She paused, looking at his hand for a moment, then turned to her tray without meeting his eyes.
Chris turned away. Nathan stood and moved to the room's only window. He held his hand tightly across his wide grin trying to surpress a chuckle. He listened to the sound of Ai-Ling's scissors as she cut through the soiled bandages that wrapped the bullet wound. This was the third or fourth time she had stripped the man, changed the bandage and bathed him. But it was the first time he had been cognizant enough to show any sign of modesty.
Through the window Nathan saw the others limping and laughing as they came up the path from the hot springs. Vin gripped Josiah's shoulder as he painfully dragged his injured leg. Like JD, he had been offered the opium. He and JD toasted the existence of the poppy each time they were offered another cup. JD paused on the path, worn out by the short walk. He was healing well but tired easily. As Nathan watched, Buck danced a circle around the kid pantomiming an old man with a cane.
This truly was a healing place. He was anxious to hear the gambler's telling of events. Things got so twisted when Ezra retold them. Nathan wanted to compare Ezra's story to Midday Sun's. She had come to visit and unfolded the tale so beautifully; just like lyrics in a song. The gambler had a good heart but he hid it well.
"Please, sirs." Ai-Ling's tender voice pulled Nathan from his reverie. He and Chris moved automatically to opposite sides of the bed and gripped Ezra's body, holding him firmly.
"Gentlemen?" Ezra regarded his two friends cynically. "Is this really necessary?"
Ai-Ling pressed on the infected wound to clean it. Ezra jerked suddenly in pain, his fingers splayed open then fisted the bed linens tightly. His head snapped back and his body arched, the blanket slipping to the floor at Ai-Ling's feet. She continued to press a poultice into the wound but scooped up the covering with her free hand and tucked it around her patient's hips. Ezra's eyes were squeezed shut. He fought to control his breathing and strained against the grip of his friends.
"Easy, Ezra." Chris began to massage the arm he held. "That wound looks better. It's getting a little easier each time she cleans it."
"For...whom?" Ezra gasped. Chris and Nathan were both smiling when Ezra managed to open his eyes again. They were glad to hear the gambler's sarcasm returning. His face was covered with a fresh sheen of sweat.
"It is so gratifying that you gentlemen are...sufficiently...entertained." He grunted as Ai-Ling tied off a new bandage. She untucked the blanket and then covered him with it as carefully and ceremoniously as she had exposed him.
She took a cup of liquid from her tray and displayed it in front of Ezra. "Best to drink this." She said, struggling with her English. "This J-D Vin fay-vrit."
The men laughed as they gently hoisted Ezra up to drink the syrupy concoction and then watched hopefully as his eyes roamed the room again, confused.
"Don't fret, Ezra. It'll take time to recollect it all." As Nathan dried the sweat on his friend's face Ezra locked eyes with him searching for answers. He was tired but he wanted to hear the familiar sound of his friends' voices. It was a comfort in this strange place.
"Please." His eyes closed as he spoke. "Tell me what happened."
"It's you that needs to tell it, Ezra. Ain't any rush. Sleep now. When you're ready to talk, we'll be here to listen."
Finis
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