References are made to the episode "Sins of the Past".
This does have some questionable language, but I wouldn't rate it more than PG13.
Half an hour later, Nathan was scrubbing his hands in hot soapy water. Josiah was doing the same, since he was the one chosen to help Nathan with the surgery. Nathan had decided to make the incision to drain the abscess the length of it, three inches. He also decided to place Vin propped at an angle in order to have the abscess drain outward away from the body instead of chancing further infection by contaminating the surrounding blood and tissue. Because of this, Vin was lying mostly on his left front side, his right front propped up by several pillows from Nettie's bed. Vin had stirred once during the preparations, but he hadn't regained consciousness. That high fever still worried Nathan. If he didn't get that abscess drained, keep the poison out of Vin's blood, and get the fever down soon, Vin might develop complications Nathan didn't want to think about much less voice out loud. Josiah and the women would not worry the others about the possible complications Nathan had mentioned earlier. Nathan felt lucky that Chris and Ezra hadn't heard, and he saw no reason to dwell on the fact that Vin's heart and even his mind might not be the same if the fever was not brought down soon. First things first.
First, eliminate the abscess and get the fever down. Then, when Vin woke up, they would deal with any complications. No use causing negative thoughts. There was hope in the air, and Nathan wanted Vin to feel it. Like Josiah, Nathan had a powerful spiritual faith. That faith had given him comfort and strength whenever he'd needed it in the past. Now was no different.
Everything was ready. Nathan drew on all his spiritual and physical strength. It was up to him now. Vin would live or die based on what Nathan did next. Instead of fear, there was a fierce confidence. Nathan had witnessed and felt too much suffering in his life. Healing others, ending even a stranger's suffering, was just one of the ways Nathan used to help create a better world for himself and others. Vin wasn't a stranger though. He was Nathan's friend, his brother, and Nathan was damn well going to fix Vin. There was no alternative.
He nodded to Josiah and Chris as he wiped his hands on the clean cloth Nettie handed him. "I need this room cleared except for Josiah, Buck, and Chris. Josiah's helpin' me, an' I need Buck and Chris in case Vin wakes up or has another fit. I ain't got no chloroform to keep him comfortable through this."
"What about the morphine? Couldn't that keep him from reactin' to the pain?" Chris had asked, but everyone else was thinking the same thing. Surely, Nathan would give Vin the painkiller?
"Too dangerous. Any kind of surgery is dangerous, but you use a strong drug like morphine, Vin might not ever wake up. This won't take too long, an' he shouldn't wake up during it. I just want to make sure everythin' is covered just in case."
You're the doctor, Mr. Jackson. Shall we adjourn to the porch ladies, Mr. Dunne?" Sometimes Nathan was thankful for Ezra's southern charm and breeding. His polite formality and intelligent vocabulary made it hard for others to argue with him when he chose to adopt his 'aristocratic do as I command attitude'. Ezra took Nettie's arm through his and led Mary, JD, and Casey out to the porch. There was plenty of room, and Ezra had already received his instructions from Nathan earlier. There was a bowl of fruit, some bread and cheese, and a pot of coffee, but Ezra doubted if anyone would be eating and passing the time with small talk. Too much depended on what happened in the next hour for anyone to relax.
As JD closed the door to the makeshift operating room, Nathan picked up his scalpel. It, along with his other surgical equipment, had been a gift from a broad-minded Civil War physician who had seen the potential in Nathan. When his own son had died, the surgeon had given his son's surgical instruments to Nathan. Leaning over, and just to be certain, he gently traced the abscess under the skin with his fingers as he followed with his eyes. Then he quickly made the incision over the abscess. The smell was horrible as he inserted his fingers into incision to spread it apart. He inserted one finger into the abscess to break up any small pockets and drained the pus from the infected area. Josiah gathered most of the greenish liquid onto the cloth he held under the now re-opened wound. Chris handed Nathan the bottle of carbolic acid, and the healer poured it straight into the abscess. The carbolic acid cleansed the area as it chased the infected liquid, pus, and debris from the abscess into the pan and onto the fresh cloths Buck had handed to Josiah. Nathan and Josiah kept repeating the same process until Nathan felt he had completely flushed the abscess of all its impurities. It must have been four times and used two bottles of the carbolic until Nathan declared he was satisfied that he had removed all of the infection from Vin's body. Except for once, when Nathan had inserted his finger into the incision and Vin moaned, the tracker had made no other sound or movement.
Quickly handing Buck the pan filled with the filthy liquid and cloths, Josiah reached for the other pan containing the carbolic acid Chris had just poured from the third bottle. He joined Nathan in cleansing their hands once more. Nathan then took the gauze he'd had soaking in carbolic acid, and packed it into the space left by the abscess. This would provide the drain that would allow the cavity to heal from the bottom outwards. Nathan would replace that periodically over the next 48 hours just to be sure that all the infection had been drained. He left the skin open to hasten the healing and indicated to Chris and Josiah that he was ready to bandage the wound. As they lifted Vin up, Nathan applied another gauze soaked in carbolic acid over the wound and bandaged it. If he had gotten all of it, and none of the infection had gotten into the blood stream, Nathan doubted the abscess would return. He felt confident the surgery had been successful.
"That's it. We get him back to bed and keep packin' the wound with carbolic, an' I think we have this thing whipped. All we got to do is wait for the fever to break and Vin to wake up." For the first time that day, Nathan graced the men in the room with his smile. It literally lit up the room.
Buck let out a loud whoop that had Ezra and the others at the door in a heartbeat. As Nathan supervised Josiah and Chris move Vin back to Netties's bed, Buck told the others the good news, "Nathan says Vin's gonna be ok!" The rest began to chatter happily as they once again gathered at the door.
"When will he wake up?"
"How long before he's up?"
"Was it an abscess?"
"Thank you Nathan!"
They were all speaking at one time and no one knew who was saying what. Nathan held up his hand signaling the others to be quiet. "Let him be. The fever should break quickly now the abscess has been drained. If we can keep it clean in the next 48 hours an' the abscess don't come back, Vin should be ok. I don't think he's had the fever long enough to cause any damage to his heart or his mind, but we'll know more when he comes to. Ya'll go on now, an' I'll stay with him til the fever shows it's breakin'. Shouldn't be long now."
"Me and Casey'll sit with Vin. You go rest and eat somethin' Nathan." Nathan started to protest, but JD was right. JD and Casey'd had it somewhat easy this day, and Nathan was tired. So were the others.
"All right, but if he so much as twitches. . ."
"One of us'll come and get you, ok?"
"Just keep the wet cloths on his forehead and the back of his neck to cool him off."
"We will Nathan. We can do this," JD promised as he pushed the older group out of the room. Casey actually winked at Chris as she took the wet cloth from his hand. The gunslinger looked at the girl and then burst into the biggest grin she'd ever seen from Chris Larabee.
"I guess we been told Nathan. I don't know about you boys, but I am hungry enough to eat a bear."
"That's good son, cause I think Mary an' me have cooked a bear."
The lighthearted feeling carried into the next room as everyone started the cleanup in order to prepare for dinner. Before he left the room, Chris patted JD on the back, "Thanks, JD. You done good, real good, son. If it weren't for you, Vin might not have made it. You're a good man in a crisis." He left, but not before he saw the look of pride on JD's face. Yeah, the kid wasn't much of a kid any more. He was going to be one hell of man; a man Chris trusted with his life and the life of his family. Family, Chris had always liked what that word meant.
It had been one of the longest days Chris could remember. By the time the abscess had been drained, it was four in the afternoon. Everyone had helped clean up and then sat down for the best stew Chris had tasted in years. They were all sitting around on the porch and in the doorway of the house talking quietly. JD and Casey had just been run out of Vin's room by Nettie as Nathan had come in to check on his patient. They joined the others outside, a bowl of stew steaming in their hands.
"He awake yet?"
"Nah, Nathan is just checking on him, but he don't feel as hot as he was." JD answered Buck and shoveled the spoonful of stew he'd been cooling off into his mouth. "He said the fever was breakin' cause Vin was sweatin' and all."
Chris smiled at Mary. "You two feel like a ride into town? I'm stayin' with Nathan here tonight to help with Vin. The rest of you," he didn't get far when the others protested. It seemed no one wanted to leave until they were sure Vin was really going to be all right, but Chris knew that they all couldn't stay at Nettie's.
"Might I offer a compromise?" Ezra was back to his formal self. Why don't I remain here with Mr. Jackson, Mrs. Wells, and you? Then the others can go back into town this evening. They can come back tomorrow rested and relieve us. Surely Mr. Tanner should be awake by then? I will, of course, ride into town posthaste if anything unexpected happens to our friend."
No one could find any fault with that, and Mary did have to get Billy from Mrs. Potter. She and Billy would be worried about Vin and would want to know what had happened. Mary rose to help Casey finish packing. She could leave Billy in Casey's care and ride out in the morning with one of the men. She planned to have Buck and Josiah pack some clothes for the ones staying at the house. She had no doubt that Nathan and Chris would stay with Vin until they were convinced of his successful recovery. She breathed a small prayer of thanks as she helped Casey pack.
"You think he will wake up soon?"
"Nathan said he might sleep for a while, and it would help to get his strength back if he did. He isn't in a lot of pain now, and the fever is breaking. I think we'd know if something were wrong, don't you?" Mary smiled at the girl. She felt comfortable leaving now because Nathan had relaxed. That indicated to her that although Vin had a while before he was completely well, Nathan still felt he would recover fully. His confident air had passed to Chris, then Ezra, then the rest of them.
They left an hour later just as the sun was fading in the sky. Josiah and Buck were tired, but they kept up a humorous banter that included everyone until they reached town. They saw the ladies and Billy safely home and explained everything to the worried Mrs. Potter's satisfaction. Then Buck, Josiah, and JD walked into the saloon for a much-needed drink. Their presence seemed to calm the nervous townspeople who had been wary since the robbery. It was as if they felt the sense of foreboding had dissipated as the group returned from Nettie Wells' place with the news of what had happened to Vin Tanner. The people had been fiercely loyal to these men since they had returned to save them from losing their town. They belonged here with them.
It was well past midnight when Vin finally started to show signs of regaining consciousness. Nathan was changing the carbolic-soaked gauze in the abscessed area. Vin's fever had finally broken completely two hours before, and he had been sleeping comfortably. Chris was holding Vin, leaning Vin against him as he had earlier when Nathan examined his friend for the abscess. Ezra was helping steady Vin by draping the tracker's arms over Chris's shoulders while Nathan wrapped the last of the bandages around Vin's midsection.
"You're holdin' my hands again, Chris," came the muffled voice from Chris's shoulder where his head rested. Vin felt the rumbling laughter in Chris before he heard it.
"No I'm not," came the cheerful reply. "Ezra's holdin' your hands this time. I'm huggin' ya."
"Aw hell. Can't you people leave me be for just a little while?" Vin coughed as his dried throat protested this much use.
Nathan and Ezra joined Chris in laughing at Vin. The fever had done nothing to harm their friend's mental faculties. It hadn't done much for his disposition either, but they were so relieved he was back to his petulant, 'I can take care of myself attitude,' that they couldn't help but laugh. Once he found out what had happened to him, he was probably going to die of embarrassment, so they might as well enjoy what little time he had left by laughing as much as they could at his expense. Nettie was standing at the door, holding a bowl of warm broth.
"You boys don't sound like you're worried about waking your patient much."
"Where am I?" The voice was stronger as Vin realized he was naked in Nettie's bed. He had no idea what had happened, but he knew he felt like hell. Well, he actually felt better than hell cause the terrible pain in his back was now just a dull throbbing.
Nathan and Chris settled Vin against the pillows and let Nettie sit in the chair next to the bed. Ezra helped him drink a glass of water while Nettie prepared to give Vin the nourishing broth. He eyed her warily as she brought a spoonful to his mouth.
"Don't give me that look, boy. You couldn't fight a chicken for its feathers right now. Now open your mouth and eat this."
The others left Vin to Nettie. They didn't want to get in the line of fire. They all looked at each other on the safe side of the door as the old woman proceeded to tell Vin Tanner what his stubbornness had nearly caused. They barely contained their laughter as they heard Vin's contrite, "Yes, ma'am." He was in for it now, and they were going to listen and enjoy every word of it. Nettie was letting him have it with both barrels.
"I would hazard a guess that our Mr. Tanner is going to wish he'd never left the safety of Josiah's church."
"You got that right, Ezra," Nathan was wiping the tears of laughter from his face. "It'll be a long time 'fore Vin will take a bullet for any of us again, or at least he'll howl with pain until we shut him up."
"Serves him right. He scared the hell outta all of us," Chris voice sounded harsh but that was because he was trying to laugh and talk at the same time. It felt good to laugh like this. "I don't know about you two, but I'm gonna go lie down until Nettie's ready for one of us to relieve her." Ezra and Nathan nodded their agreement, and both returned to the pallets they had been resting on earlier. It was Chris's turn to relieve Ezra when Nettie'd heard them helping Nathan change the bandages on the wound. She had kept the broth hot on the stove for when she heard Vin wake up, so she'd been ready. The worry just poured out of her as she scolded Vin for the scare he'd given everyone. She was determined that he would start depending on his family and quit that relying solely upon himself. And she wasn't going to let up until he saw the sense she was making.
When she'd come from Vin's room having forced him to eat all of the broth and listen to every scolding word, she was satisfied that at least she'd made her point. Nettie went so far as to wink at Chris when he got up to sit with Vin for the rest of the night. Nathan didn't want Vin moving around any until he was certain the abscess was gone, so they were taking shifts to stay with him and help him move if he became uncomfortable.
Vin pretended to be asleep when the door opened. He didn't know if Nettie had come back to scold him again, and he didn't feel up to another round right this minute. He'd lost the first one and figured he'd better get strong soon if he was going to get out of Nettie's with his backside in tact. Truth be told, he kind of liked Nettie fussing over him, he'd just rather be fully clothed when she did it. A man just couldn't get up and walk away from a woman like Nettie when she was breathing fire, and he certainly couldn't do it if he were naked. He had to talk someone into giving him his clothes.
"She sure tore a piece outta you," was the comment from Chris.
Vin's eyes opened, and he stared into Larabee's. He hadn't understood how close he'd been to dying until he saw Chris's eyes. He looked exhausted, but here he was to sit with Vin. Vin sometimes wondered what he had done to deserve friends like these. He nodded to Chris, and in that one look conveyed his thanks to his friend. No words were really necessary, but Vin felt like talking.
"What she said, is it true? Did I really almost die from some kind of infection? I didn't feel bad, well except my back hurt. I thought it was supposed to."
"Did it ever dawn on you that if it was natural, it woulda hurt in the front too? You coulda asked Nathan, but no you were too worried about bein' a bother. We really need to work on your conversation skills, Vin. You know, you open your mouth an' sound comes out?"
"Real funny, Chris," Vin smiled in spite of himself. He guessed if this was all Chris was going to fuss, he'd take it and be thankful. "The others, Nettie said they were all here?"
"Nathan and Ezra still are, but you know that. We sent the others back to rest."
"They all gonna come in an' take turns at me like you an' Nettie?"
"If you're lucky they are. I heard JD say somethin' about shootin' you," Chris smiled at his friend's dismayed look and relented a bit. "If you give him that look, he might not. Depends on how much of your ears you have left after Nettie." He knew he'd hit a nerve at the dismayed look Vin gave him. "She got you good. What she threaten you with?"
"Said she make sure no one gave me any of my clothes til Nathan said I was fit," Vin muttered looking at the blanket. Then he hit Chris with those pleading blue eyes, "Gimme my underclothes at least, Chris. It's embarassin' her comin' in here sittin' down an' me with nothing on under these here sheets."
"I guess you don't wanna know who helped me take your wet clothes off you then," He was laughing at the look of horror that passed over Vin's face.
"Ah hell, ain't never gonna be able to look anyone in the eye agin, 'specially Nettie! Why'd you let her help? Quit laughin'; I wouldn't laugh at you."
"Yes, you would, and you're laughing now. So behave, or I'll tell Nettie and let her come sit with you some more."
Vin grinned and closed his eyes. "Thanks, cowboy," Vin yawned. Before he drifted back to sleep, he looked Chris right in the eye. "Did I say anythin' stupid while I was feverish?"
"You talked some, but nothin' anyone understood," Chris wasn't about to have Vin worried over some of the secrets he had revealed. He understood that when Vin wanted to talk to someone about the demons he was carrying around inside his head, he would do it. Until then, he'd wait. They had time now, and Vin didn't need any guilt he felt to keep him from concentrating on his recovery. Satisfied with Chris's answer, Vin drifted back to sleep. Chris made himself comfortable in the chair, propped his feet up on the end of Vin's bed, and relaxed. Damn, but he was tired. It was the last thought he had until Nathan came in early in the morning to check on his conscious patient.
Nathan walked in to find a weak but fever free Vin. "You look like somethin' the cat drug in." He was smiling widely at the tracker. "You ready for me to check that wound agin'?"
"Like I have a choice?" Vin actually smiled at Nathan. He figured the only way out of this place was to cooperate fully. He was stubborn, not stupid. "You think I can put some pants on?"
Chris laughed, "Good try, Vin, but Nathan here is as scared of Nettie as I am. She said no clothes till Nathan said you were healed. I can go get her for you if you want to ask her again?"
"That's right Mr. Tanner. She's sitting on the porch imbibing her morning coffee. Why it will only take me," Ezra didn't finish because he started laughing again at the look of panic that crossed Vin's face.
"Tell him I ain't well enough to face her again, Nathan."
"Why Mr. Jackson, Mr. Larabee, I do believe our Mr. Tanner is admitting cowardice in the face of the enemy."
"Shut up, Ezra. Please?" Vin sighed. He thought the recovery from the gunshot was difficult the first time round, and he didn't see this letting up any time soon. "Ya'll go ahead and laugh. Just remember this could be you lyin' here."
"But it ain't, an' you need to let me change that dressing again. We got to get you cleaned up for your visitors later," Nathan started laying out the bandages and carbolic acid. "You in pain any more?"
"It hurts some, kinda like a dull throbbin', but nothin' like it was. It itches it more than anything. Is that good or bad?"
"It's good, an if you do as you're told for the next couple a days, I might let you sit out on the porch come Sunday mornin'."
"But that's a whole week Nathan!" Vin was tired of cooperating until he saw Chris nod in Nettie's direction.
"It's not a whole week, it's six days. You forgot today's Tuesday," Chris thought he'd point out the fact that Vin had lost a day due to his condition.
Nathan confirmed what Chris had said, "Yeah, you passed out yesterday mornin' and didn't come to makin' any sense till midnight last night."
Vin looked at all three men and shut up. He didn't feel like taking them on all at once, nor did he feel like stirring them up enough for them to sick Nettie on him. He was just too tired, so he let Nathan poke and prod him until he was exhausted. Once he got his strength back, he'd get someone to give him his clothes and then he was out of there. He drifted off to sleep before Nathan was finished. This pattern continued throughout the rest of the day and into the night as Vin woke long enough to talk for a few minutes to his friends and eat the chicken soup that Nettie kept forcing down him. Nathan finally declared the abscess gone when he removed the final packing of carbolic gauze from the cavity 48 hours after he had opened and drained it.
By Thursday morning it was healing nicely from the inside out, and Nathan finally stitched the wound shut with needle and thread both boiled then soaked in carbolic acid. He wasn't taking any chances, but he finally relented and allowed Vin to at least have his underwear. He'd gotten tired of Vin asking for it every time he woke up. Sometimes he wondered if the tracker was just too modest, but if wearing something decent made Vin cooperate more, then Nathan was all for it. He just made certain that someone was with Vin at all times and that the rest of his clothes were hidden well out of sight. Nathan wasn't stupid either, and he knew the way Vin's mind worked. It was something he had discussed with Chris, Ezra, and Nettie that first night. Nettie was right, so they had kept their friend as confined and helpless as possible until Nathan was satisfied that he was on the road to a full recovery. Vin was still too weak to run around, so he wasn't that antsy about moving around too much, but it was felt that someone should still be there with him until he regained enough strength to walk from the bed to the front porch.
Sunday afternoon saw a weak but healthier looking man sitting on the front porch of Nettie's nursing a cup of hot coffee. It had been so long since they'd let him have more than soup and bread and milk or water. A simple cup of coffee was heaven, like what drinking a fine bottle of brandy would be to Ezra. The others had all shown up for an early lunch at Nettie's. Mary had even brought Billy with them. It had been decided that Vin could return to town later that week with his promise that he would follow all of Nathan's orders. Since his strength was returning slowly, Vin had agreed to the conditions. Now, he was just happy to be out once more in the sunshine, the wind blowing softly on his face. To think that he'd nearly died trying to deliver a stupid telegram. Hell, he must have already been part delirious when he had grabbed it from Bill. The telegram, what had happened to Nettie's telegram?
Chris watched with growing concern as the look of contentment on Vin's face changed to worry. No one else had noticed until Chris spoke up. He didn't want Vin overdoing it, and he was apprehensive that the tracker had done too much too soon. He wasn't going through that again. "What's wrong, Vin?"
Everyone turned to stare at the tracker making him uncomfortable. He felt like a rabbit in a trap. "I just remembered Nettie's telegram. Did I ever give it to her?"
Chris visibly relaxed, "As a matter of fact, I don't know." He was relieved it was only the missing telegram that had caused Vin's discomfort. They could always find out from Bill what it was about; the man never forgot what a telegram said. "I don't even know if you gave it to Ezra or not when he asked you for it."
Ezra joined in then, "You wouldn't relinquish it to me, and I had no idea where you had hidden it away. You will forgive me, Mrs. Wells, but I completely forgot about your telegram. Do you remember where you had placed it, Mr. Tanner?"
"It was in the inside pocket of my jacket, probably lost for sure now," Vin was beginning to fret over his failure to get Nettie's telegram delivered. If it had been important, he'd let her down, and that made him angry. He had no one to blame but himself.
Before he could apologize, Nettie broke in from the doorway. She'd overheard the last part of the conversation from the window as she had been showing Billy where the forks and knives were in her kitchen. Billy had been helping JD and Casey set the table for lunch. "Don't fret none over that silly telegram. I found it when I was hangin' your coat up Monday night. Wasn't anything important, so I didn't mention it."
"So's everything ok?" Vin wasn't easily diverted, and he wanted to be certain Nettie wasn't just telling him this to make him feel better.
"Right as rain, boy," she laughed as she walked out onto the porch. "Just a note from an old school friend. Seems her married daughter and her husband are comin' through this way on a wagon train. They're gonna try to stop an' see me. She just wanted to let me know."
The hair on the back of Chris's neck stood on end for a second, but the uneasy feeling ended as quickly as it had begun. For some reason, the mention of this wagon train put him on edge. It quickly disappeared as Vin and the others relaxed and Nettie ushered everyone into the house for lunch. Vin offered Nettie his arm as Ezra gallantly held the door for them. Josiah and Nathan waited until Chris had escorted Mary inside. They both paused and exchanged satisfied smiles.
"Just like a family havin' Sunday dinner, ain't it, Josiah?"
"Amen to that Brother Nathan, amen to that! We got a lot to be thankful for, don't we?" With that, they walked in to join their family.
FINI
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