Buck moaned and rolled slowly over onto his back, raising a shaky hand to his pounding head as he tried to remember what had happened. His hand came away covered with blood and suddenly it all came back to him. Delacourte... Uncle Matthew... kicking Ezra... a gun slammed against his own head... oh God... the son of a bitch's got Ezra!! Buck grabbed onto one of the chairs for support and struggled to his feet. He clutched the edge of the table as he was hit by a wave of dizziness that threatened to send him right back to the floor.
Wiping the blood from his eyes, he staggered to the door and out onto the landing. Blinking several times to try and clear his vision, Buck stared around the dark street and finally spotted Delacourte and Ezra just as they entered the alley Millie had dragged him into earlier.
Buck gripped the railing as he made his way slowly down the stairs... the incredible throbbing pain in his head had the world spinning wildly around him, making it nearly impossible for him to concentrate. He made it down to the street before he remembered his gun lying on the dresser. Buck turned and looked up at the clinic and shook his head... no way he could possibly make it back up there and to the livery before Delacourte and Maude escaped with Ezra. He stood weaving uncertainly... his gaze traveling from the saloon, where he could hear the shouts and crashing glass of the fight he knew the others were probably in the midst of... to the alley, where Ezra and his uncle had disappeared. Did he go for help or-
Suddenly the decision was made for him as he heard a muffled cry of pain echo down the alley. All thoughts of getting help fled with the realization that Ezra was being hurt and needed him now.
Buck immediately headed across the street, weaving and stumbling, his whole being focused on just one thing... getting to his Little One before it was too late.
Delacourte tightened his grip on Ezra's arm until he heard the smaller man moan softly. "You do realize that you're goin' to pay for that little show of defiance you put on in there. I can't have you bein' disrespectful and thinkin' you're goin' to get away with it." He felt Ezra tremble at the memory of his special brand of punishment and nodded his head in satisfaction.
Looking up, Delacourte spotted Maude bathed in the glow of the lantern that hung near the livery doors. She was holding the reins to the horses they'd been forced to rent earlier when they'd realized his coach would be much too slow and easy to follow. She stood there impatiently tapping her foot while keeping a nervous lookout for any of Ezra's friends. "Will you hurry up, MJ?! I've been waitin' here forever!"
Matthew could see she was dressed in her riding clothes and knew she'd have their saddle bags packed with only the absolute necessities to ensure their get away could be made as quickly as possible. After years of experience as a con woman which entailed numerous unscheduled hasty departures from towns all over the South, Maude had the art of making an escape down to a science.
Maude frowned when the two men stepped into the halo of light and she saw for the first time the condition of Ezra's face... and the intense fear that shown out of his green eyes. "Was that absolutely necessary?" She demanded as she used her lace handkerchief to dab at the blood still oozing down her son's pale face. Maude winced when she saw Ezra flinch away from her touch and again regretted the fact that she'd allowed herself to lose control and strike him earlier.
MJ slipped his gun back in the shoulder holster and then just stared at her for a moment before answering. "Oh, come now, sister dear... since when did you worry about what I did to your darlin' boy in the name of discipline? As long as he came back to you a perfect little gentleman, you always managed to overlook any evidence of my methods of whippin' him into shape." He chuckled at his little joke and jerked Ezra away from Maude's rare display of motherly concern. "Now, let's prepare him for the ride so we can get the hell out of here before any would-be rescuers show up. Did you manage to get into his room and get some clothes for him?"
Ezra shuddered as his uncle's hands began moving roughly over his body, unwrapping the bandages holding his injured arm in place.
"Yes, MJ... I told you I would, didn't I? Can't have him ridin' a horse in just his nightclothes." Maude stepped into the livery and quickly returned with a small pile of clothing.
Matthew felt the smaller man stiffen when he began unbuttoning his nightshirt, but was sure he'd delivered a sufficient amount of threats to keep him compliant. But Ezra took one look at the lascivious expression on his uncle's face and immediately tried to pull away when he attempted to remove the garment.
"No... pwease, Unca Maffew... don't... do d'at." Ezra stared anxiously up at his uncle as he tried to placate him. "I can do it mysewlf... jus' let me go in d' barwn an' I..."
Delacourte smirked nastily at the gambler and twisted his hand in the nightshirt as he again made a move to lift it over Ezra's head. "What's the matter, Little One... am I not good enough for you? Bet you let your precious Buck help you undress... isn't that right?"
Maude was startled by the disgusting look MJ was giving her son and moved to intervene on Ezra's behalf. Disciplining the boy was one thing, but this... this kind of behavior would not be tolerated... not even by her darlin' baby brother.
"Leave him alone, MJ..." Maude took Ezra's hand and tried to lead him into the livery, but Matthew shocked her by painfully gripping her arm and pulling her in close to him.
Delacourte's eyes were hard and cold as they bored into hers. "Don't you ever undermine my authority with him again. Do you hear me? You never gave a damn what happened to him before... so don't even try playing the doting mother now. Especially not with me. I know you... I know that all you care about is yourself... and money." He shoved Maude away, causing her to grab onto one of the horses to stay on her feet, and stared disgustedly at her as he continued. "You just concentrate on how rich you'll be once we get to New Orleans and put our plan into action... and let me worry about gettin' our little gold mine here in the right frame of mind to cooperate. And if I decide to have a little fun with him in the process... strictly as a reward for all my hard work, of course... you'll shut up and do exactly what you've always done... ignore what's happening to him and convince yourself everything's fine."
Maude stood trembling, straightening her clothes as she tried to recover some semblance of dignity. She stared at her brother, taking in the barely controlled rage glittering in his eyes... and then at her son. Ezra's eyes were filled with unshed tears and a desperate plea for her to finally care enough to help him.
Maude felt a brief pang of guilt, but her fear of her brother and her greed for the possible money to be made quickly overshadowed it. Ignoring the almost audible sound of Ezra's heart breaking, she turned away and moved off into the shadows of the livery where she wouldn't have to witness what was about to occur.
After all the times it had happened before, Ezra had still hoped that just this once his mother would not turn away from him. He took a step towards her retreating form and whispered softly, "Mama... pwease... I need y-"
Delacourte grabbed onto Ezra's broken arm and jerked him back around, forcing a startled scream of pain from the younger man. "Forget it, nephew... she doesn't care about you... never has and never will. No one does. Now stand here and let me get these damn clothes on you or I'll be forced to give you a little preview of what your life's goin' to be like from now on."
Ezra was terrified of what the look in his uncle's eyes meant and ignoring all the threats he'd made, began struggling frantically to get away from him. "No, Unca Maffew... w'et go of me!! W'eave m-me a'wone!!"
Buck heard Ezra's panicked cries as he staggered into the alley and felt a fresh surge of energy rush through him. His steps grew stronger and his head began to clear as he raced toward the sound of his Little One's voice.
Delacourte never knew what hit him when Buck plowed into him. The enraged gunman tore the abusive bastard off of Ezra and landed a punch to his jaw that sent him flying backwards into the horses.
The force of Buck slamming into his uncle threw Ezra backwards into the alley wall, leaving him stunned and gasping for air as he watched Buck charge after Matthew.
Buck grabbed Delacourte by his lapels and dragged him away from the horses, landing another crushing blow to the man's already bleeding mouth. "That's for Ezra, you son of a bitch... for every vicious, disgusting thing you've ever done to 'im." Buck's voice shook with the absolute fury that held him in its grip. He'd seen the man pulling at Ezra's nightshirt as he'd come charging down the alley and all he could think of was killing the filthy bastard.
Delacourte stumbled away from the gunslinger and struggled to get his wits about him before the younger man got his hands on him again.
Buck moved after the stunned man, wanting to finish him off while he still had the strength to do so. He shot a quick glance at Ezra to see if he was capable of going for help, but knew immediately that he was just too hurt and scared to listen. Turning back to Delacourte, his fury burning even brighter after seeing the expression on his Little One's face, Buck made his first... and maybe last mistake. In his concern for Ezra and his rage against Delacourte... Buck forgot about the gun.
Matthew kept his back to the peacekeeper as he fumbled in his coat for his weapon. Just as he felt the other man closing in on him again, his fingers closed around the handle of the gun and he whipped around and fired.
Buck's forward momentum was stopped instantly as the force of the bullet spun him around and sent him crashing into the wall beside Ezra. He stared first at Delacourte and then down at the bullet wound in his right shoulder. His eyes then turned slowly to Ezra, who was staring in horror at the blood pouring from Buck's wound... and managed to whisper, "I'm sorry, Little One" just before he collapsed in the dirt at the frightened gambler's feet.
Ezra's eyes widened as the shock of what had just happened tore through him. His breath began coming in short gasping pants and his fingers clenched into fists as his gaze shifted from Buck's body to his uncle.
Delacourte had been staring at the gunslinger, watching for any signs of life when suddenly he felt his nephew's eyes on him. He looked up and stared in amazement as he watched a transformation come over Ezra's face. The childlike innocence disappeared and was replaced by a look of total confusion and pain. Matthew watched as the younger man groaned and clutched at his head, his eyes wide and uncomprehending as he stared around the alley.
Ezra's tortured gaze landed on Buck, taking in the stillness of his friend and the blood that was soaking into the ground, and he slowly sank to his knees, his hands moving from his pounding head to tangle themselves in Buck's shirt. "Buck?"
Delacourte realized their plans were over when he heard his nephew speak... and knew what he had to do. He slowly raised his gun and aimed it at Ezra's head, shrugging his shoulders regretfully as he saw the younger man look up and stare at him in bewilderment. "Sorry, nephew... but you're one loose end I've left dangling way too long."
"Who... who are-" Ezra's brow furrowed as he tried to understand what was happening to him, but the throbbing pain in his head was making it impossible for him to think.
"Put the gun down, MJ... now." Maude's voice cut through the relative quiet of the alley, causing both men to jump as the tension between them was broken.
Ezra's head slowly turned in Maude's direction and the confusion in his eyes worsened as he saw her standing there with her derringer trained on the stranger who was threatening to shoot him. "M-Mother?" He began to sob weakly as it all became just too much for his mind to handle. Turning to the only person he knew was safe, Ezra slowly curled himself around Buck and closing his eyes... shut out the world.
JD was just crossing the street to the jail, two of the combatants from the saloon in front of him loudly professing their innocence, when he heard a gunshot come from the direction of the livery. He hesitated... looking first at the two men who seemed poised to run and then back at the saloon. Finally, JD lowered his gun and turned back the way he'd come. "Go on. Get outta here. Just don't let me see your faces in town again." He kept an eye on them until they were on their horses and headed out of town, and then he broke into a run.
Vin was near the door and looked up, startled, when JD burst into the saloon. "I heard gunfire... think it came from the livery."
Vin released the man he was about to deliver a punch to and ran for the door. "Tell Chris and the others and then go check on Ezra and Buck."
Delacourte stared in surprise at his sister. "Maude? You don't honestly think I'm goin' to believe that you could shoot me, do you? Now put that pea shooter away and get on your horse... we need to leave now." He turned his attention back to Ezra, assuming she would follow his orders.
"I said put the gun down, MJ... I've had enough of this plan of yours. You promised me no one would be hurt." Maude held the gun steady as she waited for her brother to put his gun away. "You heard, Ezra... his memory is obviously coming back. He's no use to us now."
Matthew glanced quickly at her and shook his head. "You don't understand, Maude. Ezra and I have a little bit of history that you know nothing about... and believe me, you want it to stay that way. If his returning memory includes certain events from that shared past of ours, I could end up in prison for life... or hanging from the end of a rope. Is that what you want?"
"Of course not... God, MJ... what have you done?" Maude's eyes widened in dismay as she saw him again level the gun at Ezra's head... and realized she was about to be forced to choose between her baby brother and her son. "Please, Matthew... don't make me do this."
"Sorry, Maude... I can't take the chance on him remembering." He never even looked at her as he continued, disgust ringing loudly in his words. "And just who the hell do you think you're impressing by this little show of motherly concern... those men who will be here any minute? I assure you... they'll never believe it. They'll just throw you in jail right along with me. Now let me finish so we can get out of here." His finger tightened on the trigger.
Maude had no idea what this incident was that Ezra might remember... and didn't really care. She just knew she couldn't let MJ kill him. Taking careful aim, she fired.
Vin had just reached the entrance to the alley when Maude's shot rang out. Ducking back against the building, the tracker glanced behind him at the saloon and was relieved to see the others running in his direction.
"Watch it... I just heard another shot!" Vin shouted a warning and waited til the others were safely out of the line of fire before taking a careful look around the corner. He watched as Chris did the same on the other side of the alleyway and nodded when he saw the gunslinger motion for him to wait.
Chris sent Nathan and Josiah down the street to try and circle around behind the buildings to the livery before turning back to Vin, and after giving him a nod to follow, slipped quietly around the corner and into the shadows.
Matthew yelped as Maude shot the gun out of his hand and stood gripping his bleeding fingers as he stared at her in utter disbelief. "You shot me!"
Maude glanced at Ezra and noticed that the gunshot hadn't even phased him... he was still huddled against Buck. "I warned you, MJ... it's not my fault you chose not to believe me. Now get on your damn horse and let's get out of here... I'm sure Mr. Larabee and his cohorts are closin' in on us as we speak, and I really don't want to go to jail." Maude had briefly considered staying behind to try and convince them she had merely wanted her son and had no idea anyone would be hurt... but realized they would be in no mood to listen to her after the incident in the clinic. She'd wait til things cooled off and then try contacting Ezra... she knew he'd understand once his memory came back. He'd always forgiven her before and she was sure he would again... after all... she was his mother.
Delacourte shot a frustrated look at Ezra and then one at his sister. Seeing she still held her derringer on him and hearing Vin's warning to the others, he realized he had no choice but to leave Ezra alive.
Grabbing up his weapon, MJ raced to his horse and threw himself into the saddle. "Get your damn ass up there if you're goin' with me."
Maude glared indignantly at him, but after hearing voices echoing down the alley, she quickly mounted and indicated to her brother that she was ready.
Matthew urged his horse into a gallop, firing at Nathan and Josiah as they came around the corner headed toward the livery, forcing them to dive for cover. Maude dug her heels into her mount and quickly followed after her brother... without even a backward glance at her son.
JD slipped into the alley behind Chris and Vin just as they saw the shadowy figures at the end of the alley mount their horses. "Buck and Ezra aren't in the clinic!" His hoarse whisper was filled with the fear he felt for his two missing brothers. With his heart beating rapidly, the youngest peacekeeper drew his Colts and followed closely on his leader's heels.
Upon seeing the horses gallop away from the livery and hearing the ensuing gunfire, the three men forgot about their own safety and rushed forward... their only thoughts now being for their friends and the fear of what they'd find at the end of the alley.
Vin almost stumbled over the prone forms of Buck and Ezra lying hidden in the shadows. "Chris! Over here!"
They could make out the rapidly spreading pool of blood beneath Buck's shoulder and knew the ladies man needed immediate help if they were going to keep him from bleeding to death. Vin ripped off his bandana and began applying pressure to the wound while Chris and JD continued on toward the livery.
Buck moaned and attempted to move away from the pain as Vin pushed down on his shoulder. "Easy there, Bucklin... it's Vin... you're gonna be okay... just hold still." The tracker tried to quiet the older man while checking on Ezra at the same time. He placed a hand on the gambler's back and was relieved to feel him jerk away from the touch as he pressed his body tighter against Buck. He couldn't tell if he was injured, but at least he knew he was alive.
Chris and JD rounded the corner into the next street just as Nathan and Josiah emerged from behind the barrels they'd used as protection against the flying bullets.
"It was Delacourte and Ezra's mother! We couldn't stop them!" Nathan shouted when he spotted the other two men.
Chris swore and told them to just forget it for now, Buck and Ezra needed to be taken care of first. They hurried back down the alley to Vin, who gladly let Nathan and JD take over Buck's care while he turned to help Chris and Josiah with Ezra.
"Ezra? Can you hear me?" Chris spoke softly to the gambler as they tried to ease him away from Buck in order to give Nathan more room to work. They did a quick check on him and were relieved to see that other than the cut and bruise under his eye, he seemed to be physically okay. Emotionally was another matter altogether.
Hearing Chris's familiar voice, Ezra finally opened his eyes and looked up at the others as they bent over him.
Vin winced at the confusion and pain that filled the Southerner's eyes. He knew instantly that their Little One was gone and the adult Ezra was returning. He also could see that it wasn't going to be an easy transition for their friend.
"Ya with us, Pard?" Vin rubbed his hand gently over Ezra's back as they sat him up. The gambler stared at him for a moment before nodding slowly, but they could tell that he was clearly at a loss as to what was happening to him.
Chris felt him shivering and knew they had to get him out of the cold before he got even sicker than he was. "Come on, Ezra... let's get you back to the clinic and into that nice warm bed." He and Vin managed to get the gambler on his feet, but couldn't get him to move away from Buck.
Ezra stared at the ladies man and tried to lower himself back down beside him.
"He's gonna be alright, Ezra... Nathan and Josiah'll bring 'im to the clinic just as soon as they get 'im patched up a bit." Vin kept his voice low and even as he and Chris kept a firm hold on the Southerner.
Their attempts to get Ezra to return to the clinic filtered through Buck's pain fogged brain and he slowly opened his eyes to stare up at them. "Ezra... do as they say... I'm... okay."
Ezra shook his head, his bewildered green gaze never leaving Buck's face, his eyes boring into the other man's as he seemed to search for answers to the multitude of questions that were painfully flooding his mind.
Buck saw Ezra shuddering with the cold and shock and, gritting his teeth, grabbed onto Nathan's arm and pulled himself up into a sitting position. The healer and JD both tried to push him back down, but Buck shook them off. "Damn it, Nathan... help me up." He nodded at Ezra. "Look at 'im... he ain't goin' nowhere without me an' he's gonna freeze to death if he stays out here much longer. You can finish workin' on me once we get 'im back to the clinic."
Nathan shook his head in exasperation, but knew Buck was right. Ezra was still obviously feeling the connection he'd made with the ladies man and wasn't about to leave his side. He and JD eased Buck up off the ground, steadying him when his legs threatened to give out.
Buck slipped his good arm around Ezra's shoulders and smiled when the gambler immediately wrapped his arm around his waist, supporting as much of the larger man's weight as he was able. Staring into Ezra's eyes, Buck nodded and pulled away from Nathan and Josiah. "Don't worry, fellas... we can manage just fine. Ain't that right, little brother?"
Ezra stared back at Buck, a slight frown furrowing his brow as a now distant memory tugged at his mind, then gave a small nod to the older man as they slowly began making their way down the alley toward the clinic.
The others followed closely behind the two men who staggered slightly as they hobbled along, ready to catch them if they should falter. But it never happened. Leaning heavily on each other, the two brothers made it every step of the way on their own.
Once they arrived at the clinic, Chris and Vin gently eased Ezra away from Buck and led him over to the cot while Nathan, JD and Josiah got the ladies man settled in the bed. Nathan worked quickly to stop the bleeding and soon had the wound cleaned and bandaged. "You're lucky, Buck... the bullet went through cleanly... don't look like no muscle damage. A few days of rest an' you'll be fine."
"What about his head, Nathan?" JD stared worriedly at the large gash surrounded by a dark purple bruise on Buck's temple.
Nathan reassured the young man that it was just a mild concussion and that it would take more than a little bump like that to do any damage to Buck's hard head. He'd hoped to get a rise out of the usually talkative gunman, but Buck's thoughts were focused totally on the man seated on the cot between Chris and Vin. His eyes had not left Ezra even once since they'd placed him in the bed and he'd just lain there quietly, enduring Nathan's ministrations without any of his usual complaints.
"Nathan... is he... is he gone?" Buck's voice was barely loud enough for them to make out his words, but the emotion in it practically screamed out the pain he was feeling in his heart.
Josiah rested a comforting hand on Buck's good shoulder and squeezed it gently. "Looks like it. He hasn't spoken yet, but you can see it in his eyes. It's our Ezra... and I don't think he has any idea what's happened to him."
Chris and Vin managed to get Ezra to lie down on the cot after reassuring him several times that Buck was going to be fine.
"Are ya cold, pard?" Vin had seen the gambler shiver, but wasn't sure if he was actually cold or just scared. He waited as Ezra seemed to think about the question and went to grab a couple of extra blankets when he finally nodded at him.
Chris helped Vin cover him up and then moved out of the way as Nathan came over and pulled a chair up beside the cot. He laid a gentle hand on Ezra's forehead and shook his head slightly when he felt the fever burning hotter than ever. Soaking a cloth in the basin of cold water, Nathan began bathing the smaller man's face and neck as he spoke softly to him.
"Ezra? Do ya know who I am?" Nathan saw the confusion in Ezra's eyes as he tried to remember, and waited patiently for the Southerner to answer him.
Finally, a look of relief washed over Ezra's face and he whispered, "Nathan?"
Nathan nodded and patted him on the shoulder. "Do ya know where ya are?"
Ezra gazed slowly around the room, pausing and frowning worriedly when his eyes landed on Buck. "The... the clinic?" When he saw Nathan nod again he looked back at the ladies man. "Buck... what happened... to Buck?"
Nathan reached out and gently turned Ezra's face back to him. "He's gonna be jus' fine. Do ya remember what happened t' 'im?"
A glimmer of fear appeared in the gambler's green eyes, but after an obvious struggle with his memory, he finally shook his head. "Can't... can't remember."
Nathan carefully ran his hands over Ezra while he questioned him, feeling for any new injuries he might have sustained. So far he was relieved to find only the cut on his face and a few new bruises on his arms.
Ezra stared in confusion when he began removing the splints and winced when Nathan put pressure on his arm. "Nathan?... how... how did I..."
The healer looked up, saw him staring at his arm and finished his question for him. "How did ya break your arm?" Seeing him nod, he continued. "Ya don't remember what happened to ya?"
Ezra's eyes filled with tears of frustration as he tried to sort out the images that were flashing through his mind. "I d-don't kn-" Suddenly one memory became clearer and he raised hopeful eyes to the healer's face. "I... fell? Um... in... in the s-saloon?"
Vin squatted down beside Ezra and reached out to hold his hand as it clutched nervously at the blankets. Ezra smiled gratefully at the tracker and wrapped his smooth fingers tightly around Vin's callused ones before turning back to Nathan.
Nathan replaced the splints on the gambler's arm and then focused his gaze on Ezra's face... almost dreading his reaction to his next question. "Do ya remember when ya fell, Ezra?"
Ezra frowned at him as he tried to pull the details of the accident out of his tangled memories. He remembered JD and Buck were there... kidding him about being late for patrol. That meant it had to have been early. "This mornin'? Was it... it was this mornin'... right?"
Nathan glanced at the others and then back at the Southerner, shaking his head sadly. "No, Ezra... not this mornin'..." he gently resumed wiping the sweat off the younger man's face as he broke the news to him. "It was a week ago, Ezra... this is Wednesday night... ya fell last Thursday mornin'."
They felt him start to shake and quickly tightened their hold on him. "Easy now, pard... you're gonna be okay... just hang on." Vin's heart broke when he saw the complete sense of bewilderment that began to wash over his friend.
Ezra stared up at them in disbelief, his wide green eyes flicking wildly from one to the other as he struggled to understand what they were saying. "No... no, I... couldn't have been- " His trembling increased and his voice shook as he fought against the rising panic he felt in his chest. "No, Nathan... it was this mornin'... I remember it... I... I know it... was..."
Buck had been watching intently as they questioned Ezra and now, at the panicked sound of his friend's voice, fought against JD and Josiah in an effort to get to him. Maybe it wasn't his Little One that was lying there anymore, but that didn't lessen the way Buck felt about him one bit.
They finally realized Buck wasn't about to listen to them and helped him up off the bed and across the room to Ezra.
Sinking weakly down onto the chair Vin pushed under him, Buck reached out and wrapped his hand around the Southerner's. "Ezra? It's gonna be okay, pard... I promise."
Ezra's eyes latched onto Buck's and he seemed to draw some measure of strength from the ladies man. His breathing slowed and his trembling seemed to ease somewhat. "Is it true, Buck? Was it really... has it really been... a week?"
Buck nodded slowly. "Yeah, Ezra... Nathan's tellin' ya the truth. You fell a week ago." He saw a shudder ripple through the smaller man and knew he was struggling to gain some kind of control over the fear and confusion that were threatening to overwhelm him.
Ezra turned his green eyes on Nathan, searching for answers to the questions he was almost afraid to ask. "Was I... was I unconscious... the whole time?"
Nathan hesitated... trying to find an explanation that would satisfy the gambler. "You were awake... ya jus' didn't know who ya were."
Ezra shook his head in denial, but looking at each of his friends, saw the truth of what Nathan was telling him in their faces. "Am-amnesia?"
The healer nodded and turning to the men surrounding the cot, asked one of them to fetch a cup of tea for Ezra. He could see how exhausted the Southerner was becoming and knew he needed to rest. Nathan wanted to try and end the questions for now and gently smoothed the sweat-soaked hair off Ezra's forehead as he spoke softly to him. "Yeah, but it's over now an' you're back here with us. Now how 'bout we let it go for tonight so's ya can get some sleep?"
Ezra looked at Buck and then back at Nathan and nodded weakly... he was more than ready to try and put an end to the painful memories that were crowding his mind. "I'm tired, Nathan."
"I'll bet ya are, Ezra... sit up here an' drink this tea down for me an' let me wrap your arm back up, then we'll let ya get some rest." Nathan waited while Chris and Vin helped Ezra sit up and was just moving in with the mug when Ezra weakly shrugged out of their grip.
"I'm perfectly capable of sitting up on my own... stop treating me like a child." Ezra was so exhausted that he never even noticed the reaction his statement had on the others. Every single one of them froze in place and exchanged a look of sadness and loss as the fact that their Little One was truly gone was brutally driven home by Ezra's softly uttered words.
"Sorry, Ezra... jus' tryin' t' help." Vin and Chris moved off the cot, but stayed near just in case the gambler needed them.
Ezra struggled to stay upright as he regretfully looked at Vin. "I am sorry, Mr. Tanner... I'm just-"
Vin smiled at the Southerner as he laid a gentle hand on his shoulder. "That's okay, Ezra... we know how ya hate bein' fussed over."
Ezra stared at Vin, confusion once again filling his eyes as some strange new emotions tugged at his heart. He looked down at the cot, his slender fingers plucking nervously at the covers, and whispered, "Perhaps a little fussin' wouldn't hurt."
Nathan offered Ezra the mug of tea and was pleasantly surprised when the gambler asked for his help with it. Maybe he had retained some of that new closeness he'd been shown after all.
The healer held the mug while Ezra slowly sipped the herbal brew and then gently secured his arm to his chest again. Nathan was a little worried when Ezra accepted the restraints being placed on him without comment, but decided it was just another sign of how exhausted he was.
Ezra was barely able to hold his eyes open when they finally got him laid back on the cot and covered up, and it was only a matter of minutes before he was fast asleep. They watched him for a few minutes to make sure he wasn't going to stir again, and then Nathan forced a grumbling Buck back into bed.
Now that Ezra was asleep and unable to hear them, the others gathered around Buck and began quietly questioning him about the incident in the alley.
"Who shot you? Delacourte?" Chris eased down on the bed beside Buck, careful not to jostle the injured gunman.
Buck nodded, a look of fury contorting his usually smiling face as he dropped the bomb he'd been holding back until Ezra wasn't listening. "Delacourte is Ezra's uncle Matthew."
Five mouths fell open at the same time as Buck's angry announcement struck them. "What?! His..." Chris groaned as it finally hit him. "MJ... Matthew..."
Buck nodded. "Yup... you got it. Matthew James Delacourte... Maude's baby brother."
"Damn it! We had that son of a bitch here within our reach and let him get away." Chris was seething at the chance they'd missed to administer a little vengeance for Ezra. "We'll get on their trail at first light. Vin-"
Nathan shook his head and glanced over at the cot where Ezra lay sleeping. "I think ya'd be best to jus' let 'em go."
JD stared at the healer in amazement. "Are you crazy, Nathan? We can't let them get away with this!"
The others seemed to share JD's opinion until Nathan patiently explained his reasoning. "Ya heard Ezra... he don't remember nothin' 'bout what happened in that alley. Ya go draggin' Maude an' her brother back here an' there'll be a trial... we'd never be able to shelter Ezra from all that. He's not strong enough t' go through that much fuss... an' I ain't sure he'd even survive findin' out how bad his mother really is or that that miserable bastard uncle of his is back in his life."
Vin stared at Nathan for a moment, thinking. "Nathan's right... an' Ezra's liable t' not believe what we're tellin' 'im 'bout his mother. You've seen how he is... still tryin' to get that love an' acceptance outta her. She'd prob'ly come up with some damn way of blamin' the whole thing on her brother, an' Ezra would end up hatin' us for talkin' against her."
Chris's anger and frustration increased as he was forced to agree with Vin and Nathan. "So we have to just let them get away with shootin' Buck and trying to kidnap Ezra."
Buck laid a hand on Chris's arm and shook his head. "We got no choice, pard... Ezra's gotta come first here. Nathan an' Vin are right... if we tried to force Ezra to choose between us an' his ma, it would probably tear 'im apart."
Josiah nodded in agreement. "That would definitely destroy any feelings of family he might retain from his time with us as Lit'l Ezra. We can't let that happen, Chris."
Chris raked a hand through his hair in exasperation and stared over at Ezra. They were right... he knew it... he just didn't want to except it. He wanted revenge for all the agony they'd put Ezra through as a child. "Fine. We drop it for now... for Ezra... but you can bet your ass I'll be watching for a chance to get at that son of a bitch again."
"We all will be, Chris... ya can count on it." Buck promised, wincing as he shifted about in the bed, trying to get comfortable.
Nathan saw him and immediately went to fetch a cup of tea. "Okay, that's enough for tonight... my patient here needs t' get some rest."
Buck tried to protest that he was fine, but lost the battle when he couldn't hold back a huge yawn. "Guess you're right, Nathan... but do I gotta drink that damn tea?"
"Hell, Buck... you're whinin' worse than the Little One ever did..." Vin regretted the words the minute they were out of his mouth. Buck had been doing pretty well up til then, but now his expression grew somber and he stared longingly over at Ezra. "Sorry, pard... shoulda thought 'fore I said that."
Buck shook his head. "Not your fault, Vin. It's just somethin' I'm gonna have to get used to." He took the tea from Nathan without any further protest and drank it down before curling up on his side and closing his eyes. Like Ezra, he was asleep soon after finishing the healing brew.
Chris stood beside Ezra's cot, staring down at him and wondering why he had never noticed before how very young he looked when he was sleeping. "They gonna be alright, Nathan?"
Nathan glanced at both of his patients and nodded slowly. "Yeah, I reckon so. Buck jus' needs a couple days rest to build hisself back up, an' Ezra's only got a few more bumps an' bruises. Emotionally, it might take a while longer."
"What about Ezra's memory, Nathan? How much are we gonna tell 'im?" Chris reached down and tucked the blankets a little tighter around Ezra's shoulders as he waited for the healer's answer.
Nathan shrugged. "I ain't rightly sure how t' handle that part of it. I guess we jus' tell 'im only what he asks directly about an' leave the rest to come back t' 'im on its own... or not at all. Ya saw how confused an' upset he got when we tol' 'im how long he'd been out of it. He ain't ready for too much information right yet... he might never be ready for it. We'll jus' have t' let him tell us how much he wants t' know." He stared at each one of them as he spoke. "If he asks ya a question, keep your answer short... tell 'im jus' enough to satisfy 'im."
Everyone expressed their agreement with Nathan's instructions, and then after receiving his assurances that he'd be fine there alone with the two injured men, headed back over to the saloon to make sure the brawl hadn't resumed after they'd left.