Buck looked towards the door as Vin Tanner stepped through it. He stood up and motioned for the tracker to take his place. Vin smiled and gratefully accepted the seat.
“How’s he doing, Buck?” he asked softly.
Wilmington went to answer but a scratchy voice from the bed stopped him.
“I’m okay, Vin, how are you doing?” Larabee asked and turned his head to look at the two men.
“Better, Dr. Milano is gonna let me out of here tomorrow.”
“I thought she said she might let you out?” the ladies man asked.
“She just came to see me and everything is looking good.”
“Headaches gone?
“Headaches?” Larabee stared at his friend. Some things he remembered clearly, others seemed to have slipped his mind.
“From the concussion...”
“Concussion? What happened?”
They’d been told to expect some confusion on Chris’ part and they could both read it in the open eyes.
“Here, Chris, drink this,” Anne said as she held a glass in front of him. He smiled gratefully at the nurse as he sucked greedily on the water.
“Thanks, Anne,” he said as she eased it from his chapped lips. He turned back to his friends and repeated. “What happened?”
“Vin took a blow to the head...”
“Are you okay?” Larabee asked worriedly
“Yeah, ya know me, Chris. My head’s the one part they can’t do much damage to,” he said and smiled at his friend.
“Think the whole damn bunch of us has hard heads,” Wilmington observed.
“Good thing,” Larabee said and tried to move up in the bed. He winced as he felt a small pain in his abdomen, but ignored it as being another part of what Maguire did to him. “Where’d Ez go?”
“He went to call his mother,” Wilmington answered.
“His Mother? I thought she was in Monte Carlo with some Earl or another?” Tanner asked.
“She is,” the scoundrel laughed. “Earl Trunkette, but he ain’t no real Earl,” Wilmington said.
Tanner looked at the blond and saw the smile on his face. The oxygen mask had been replaced by the nasal canulas while he visited with his friends, but they knew the mask would go back on shortly as Larabee’s breathing sounded more labored. “What are you smiling about, Chris?”
“The card is there,” Larabee informed them.
“Card?” Tanner frowned, unable to grasp what his friend was talking about.
“Chris seems to think the Ace of Spades is back in Maude’s old deck of cards. That’s why Ez went to call her.”
“How do you know it’s there?” the sharpshooter asked.
“Let’s just say it’s where the card belongs,” Larabee told him
“Well it looks like we’re about to find out,” Wilmington said as Ezra Standish stepped into the room.
“Gentlemen, I have news to impart.”
“Spit it out, Ezra,” Wilmington said.
“I have you know I do not spit things out, Mr. Wilmington....”
“Just tell us if the damn card was there!” the ladies man snapped.
“Mr. Larabee was correct in his assumptions of where the card is.”
“Your mother has it?” the tracker asked.
“She certainly does. How did you know, Mr. Larabee?”
“I just knew, Ezra. I can’t explain why,” Chris swallowed with some difficulty as talking seemed to take up whatever air he managed to breathe in. He felt another coughing spurt coming on and tried to fight it, but as the first in a series of harsh, painful coughs escaped his throat, he knew it had only just begun. He wrapped his arms around his chest and cried out as his body reacted to the latest abuse. Again and again the horrid sounds tore from his throat. He knew the others were watching him, but his body was once more a mass of agony, with little hope of it letting up. He felt soft hands on his shoulder and a warm cloth washed over his face as he suffered through this latest torture. Again and again he coughed and didn’t register the canulas being removed and the oxygen mask placed back over his lower face. He felt the familiar lethargy coming over him and realized the morphine infusion pump must have delivered the dose of pain medication. Slowly his breathing eased and the coughing subsided. He breathed deeply from the mask, but winced as abused ribs protested it.
Anne reached for the cloth and once more washed it over the pale face. She smiled as he turned his gaze towards her.
“Th...anks,” Chris wheezed gratefully.
“You’re welcome. Feeling better?”
“Not really,” he answered honestly. He accepted the water she held before him and sighed as the cold eased the burning in his throat.
“Gentlemen, one of you has to leave. I’m sorry, but it is hospital policy,” Anne reminded the three men beside the bed.
“Mr. Wilmington, why don’t you and I seek out something substantial for our afternoon repast?”
Buck knew the conman was trying to give Vin some time alone with Larabee and he nodded imperceptibly. “I am gettin’ kind of hungry, but I ain’t eating at one of them fancy places that serve es-car-gots,” he said and saw the smile in Larabee’s tired eyes. “I’ll be back later, Chris. Vin, Nathan and Orrin should be here shortly and you let one of them take you back to your room.”
“Yes, Dad,” Tanner replied smoothly.
“Hey, Ez, if I’m Dad that must make you Mom?”
“Oh the joys of being a parent,” Standish said as he saw the smiles on the two injured men.
“Bye, Mom, Dad,” Larabee said as the two men left the room. His voice was still muffled by the mask covering his face, but his eyes were glazed as the morphine eased the pain in his body. He turned to see the smile on Vin’s face and was relieved to be alone with the one man who could read him so easily.
“Must’ve hurt like hell!” the sharpshooter stated of the latest attack.
“That and more,” Larabee answered as he shifted on the bed. He knew he had be honest about how he felt with Vin Tanner. Somehow this man would know if he was telling the truth no matter what he said.
“I could see that. I wish I could do more for you, Chris.”
“Just knowing you and the others are here is all I need right now, Vin.” The blond yawned tiredly as the morphine continued to ease the pain in his body.
“Why don’t you go on and get some sleep, Chris?”
“I don’t seem to have a c...choice.”
“Don’t fight it, Chris, you need to let yourself sleep and heal,” Anne told him.
Chris let his eyes close and frowned at the building ache in his lower back. He knew he should mention it to Anne, but exhaustion took over and he slipped into an uneasy sleep.
Anne checked the readouts and frowned at the increase in temperature again. She knew they’d have to keep an eye on it if it went any higher and she wondered if they’d missed something during the tests.
“Anne, what’s wrong?” Vin asked as he watched the nurse making notations in the chart.
“I’m not sure, Vin,” she answered. “His temperature is up a little. It could just be from the medications.”
“Or it could be something more serious?”
“As I said, I’m not sure. Dr. Barrett will be here shortly and he’ll probably order some tests.”
“Dammit!” Tanner swore as he looked at the sleeping man. ‘I’ll be here, Cowboy. No matter what it takes we’ll get you through this.’ He closed his eyes and pictured the seven saviors who helped save both their lives. ‘Ya got family all around ya, Larabee, so don’t go lettin’ ‘im down!’ He reached over the rail and gently placed his hand over his friend’s heart.
As if from a distance Chris heard his friend’s silent promise and knew Tanner would be there no matter what. He briefly wondered if his great, great grandfather had the same type of trusting relationship with Vin’s ancestor. He smiled inwardly as he realized the seven men from the past shared the same friendship as the seven men from the present. He sank into a deeper sleep and frowned as he felt himself lose touch with reality. The frown quickly left as he looked into what could only be the town of Four Corners as it stood in his ancestor’s day. He smiled as he saw a wagon drawing close to the town and several familiar figures were there. He knew they didn’t see him, but he could see what was happening. He watched as his great, great grandfather was helped from the wagon and knew instinctively this was something that occurred after his encounter with Robert Maguire. He stood on the landing above the street and listened to the conversation between the ghosts from his past.
********“Damn, Nathan, you know me...”
“I know you. I know Vin, I know...”
“What the hell did I do?” Tanner asked as he stepped up to the wagon.
“You say you’ll do everything I tell you and the minute you’re feeling a little better you forget those words,” Jackson snapped.
“Well, Brother, you might as well grin and bare it. We’re all the same. None of us like to be laid up. We like to move around, tend our own needs and make our own mistakes,” Sanchez laughed as he swatted the healer on the back.
“Alright, Chris, you can go to your own
room...”
“Thanks, Nathan,” Larabee’s cocky grin was back.
“Let me finish,” Jackson ordered. “You can go to your room after I check you over. I want to make sure everything’s okay and nothing’s opened up.”
“I guess that’s okay,” Larabee smiled as he slid to the edge of the wagon. He was still sore, but he was healing and he was bull-headed to do things on his own.
“Well, Gentlemen, even though this promises to be another glorious morning I need to partake of the soft mattress on my bed. Mr. Larabee, it’s good to have you back,” Standish turned and walked away.
“Well, Stud, me and JD best see what’s been happening at the jail” Wilmington said as he touched Larabee’s shoulder.
“I’ll see you later, Chris,” JD called as Buck pulled him towards the jail.
“I’m going to check on the church,” Sanchez told them as he walked away.
“I’ll help ya up ta Nathan’s, Chris,” Tanner said as he helped the gunslinger stand on shaky legs.**********
Chris smiled as the gunslinger looked towards him and he knew the other man could sense him there. ‘This is my destiny, Son, and you have yours. You’ve still got a painful fight ahead of you, but let your friends help you and you’ll do just fine. Remember what Vin Tanner told you. You’re a Larabee.........
“I’m a Larabee.”
Vin watched as the handsome face twisted in pain, but the green eyes remained closed. He placed his hand on Larabee’s arm and spoke softly to him. “Hey, Cowboy, it ain’t that bad is it?” he didn’t expect an answer as he watched Anne checking the output from the foley catheter.
Anne knew he was watching her as she measured the cloudy fluid in the bag. Things were worsening for her patient and she moved to put in a call for Dr. Barrett. She knew the doctor was supposed to be there half an hour ago, but was probably detained with another patient. She was putting in the call to make sure he knew it was urgent that he come to Larabee’s room. She moved back to the bed and looked into the worried blue eyes of the tracker. She turned her attention to the CVP line running into her patient’s jugular and made sure it was still secure.
“Anne, what’s really going on?”
“I don’t know yet, Vin,” she answered honestly. “I’ve put in a call to Dr. Barrett as a precaution.”
“Something’s wrong. I can feel it!” Tanner hissed as he felt his friend’s life slipping through his fingers.
“Don’t talk like that, Vin,” Anne warned. “You have to stay positive and make sure he doesn’t sense how upset this is really making you.”
“I know, Anne, but he’s been put through so much already. How can he fight...”
“Vin, I’ve heard your friends say you have a unique bond with Chris.” She almost laughed as she saw the frown on his face. “I’ve heard all of you talking and I won’t pretend to understand some of the things I’ve overheard, but I do know there’s something about the seven of you together. Something I should question, but don’t. Believe me, there are some strange things in this world and I’ve seen a lot of them. Chris needs the six of you to be strong for him...”
“Anne, what’s going on?”
The nurse looked towards the doctor as he entered the room. “Chris’ urine output is showing a marked decrease, plus it’s cloudy and his temperature has risen to 103.2.”
“Dammit!” Barrett swore as he looked at the man in the bed. He’d been through so much and he knew what they’d been worried about might be taking place now. “Mr. Tanner,” he said. When the younger man seemed not to have heard he repeated. “Mr. Tanner?”
“Huh, Yeah!” the sharpshooter shook himself and stared at the doctor. “What’s wrong with him, Doc?”
“I won’t know until we run some tests, Mr. Tanner. Right now I need you to return to your room.”
“I’m stayin’, Doc!”
“Mr. Tanner, I really don’t have time to argue about this and neither does your friend,” Barrett said and realized how harsh his words sounded. He knew time was of the essence for Chris Larabee and he wasn’t in the mood to argue. “Look, just return to your room and I promise to send word as soon as we’re done here!”
“I...”
“Vin, please, let me do what I do best!” the doctor said and saw the young man give in.
“You’ll take care of him?” Tanner asked softly, his voice edged with pain and worry.
“Yes, Vin,” the doctor said and watched as the young man placed his hand over Larabee’s heart once more. ‘Stay with me, Cowboy,’ he thought as he turned from the bed once more.
Anne followed him to the door and patted his arm as a second doctor hurried into the room. “Have faith, Vin,” she said as she closed the door and pulled the drapes to give the doctors and patient a sense of privacy.
“Derrick, you paged me?”
“Yes, Joe,” Barrett explained as the specialist from Nephrology entered the room. “This is the case I was telling you about.”
“Larabee?” Joe Mullen asked as he moved to the side of the bed. He’d been going over the chart and knew some of the background on this patient. The damage done to his body would greatly affect his major organs and their normal functions. He knew Derrick Barrett had been keeping a close watch on everything and he also realized things could be changing for the worst.
“Yeah. I think it’s time your department became involved.”
“What’s going on?”
“His urine output has dropped to fifty ml per hour,” he said as he lifted the chart. He looked up at the nurse as he opened the chart.
“Derrick, have you ordered any tests yet?”
“Not yet, Joe,” Barrett told him as he turned back to the nurse. “Anne, I want blood work and urinalysis done immediately.”
“You might want to order an ultrasound and abdominal X-rays,” Mullen suggested as a soft moan came from the man lying in the bed.
Chris felt hands touching him and knew he was waking up. The pain in his back was steadily growing worse and he frowned as he opened his eyes and looked at the friendly nurse standing beside the bed. “Anne,” he hissed as she placed a hand on his shoulder. “My b...back hu...rts,” he mumbled tiredly.
“Chris?”
Larabee turned to see two men standing beside him. He knew one of them was the doctor looking after him, but the other man was unknown to him. Barrett was the one who’d called his name and he waited for the man to continue.
“Where in your back does it hurt?”
“Lower back,” Larabee hissed as he tried to get comfortable.
“Alright, Chris, just relax and we’ll see about making you more comfortable,” Barrett explained.
“O...kay,” the blond agreed softly.
“Derrick, can I speak to you for a minute?”
“We’ll be right back, Chris.”
“N...no!”
“What’s wrong, Chris?” Derrick asked.
“Have...right to ...know...what’s go...ing on!” he stated simply.
“Yes, you do, Chris,” Joe agreed as he stood next to the bed. “My name is Joe Mullen and my department is Nephrology...”
“Ne...phro...ogy?”
“That’s correct. I specialize in...”
“Some...thing to do with kid...neys,” Larabee interrupted as he remembered something Nathan Jackson told him.
“Correct again.”
“Some...thing wrong with m...ine?” Larabee asked tiredly.
“That’s what we’re planning on finding out. We’re setting up some tests...”
“Ah, hell...should’ve known...wouldn’t end this ea...sy. What kind’ve tests?”
“Mostly bloodwork and urinalysis for now,” Barrett answered. “Anne, I want his IV fluids increased and start him on Lasix, IV.”
“Yes, Doctor,” Anne agreed as she watched her patient closely.
They watched as the patient slowly drifted back to sleep and the two doctors moved away from the bed as Anne injected the Lasix into Larabee’s IV.
“Derrick, I’m going to arrange a few things from my end. I’ll be in contact when I’ve arranged for a CT scan. We may want to think about a Radioisoptope scan and an IVP as well,” Mullen suggested.
“All right, Joe, I’ll make the arrangement for those.”
“Derrick, how are you holding up?” Mullen asked. He’d known Barrett for a lot of years and knew about the torture he’d endured in the early years of his life. He also knew how much Larabee’s torture was affecting the younger man.
“I’m okay, Joe. Chris has some wonderful friends who’ve been helping him with this...”
“He’ll need more than friends, Derrick.”
“I know that, Joe, but right now that’s the least of our worries.”
Mullen looked his friend and colleague in the eyes and frowned at the pain he saw there. He placed a hand on his shoulder and smiled. “You know my number, Derrick. Use it!”
Barrett smiled and placed a hand on Mullen’s. “I will, Joe and thanks.” He watched his friend leave and turned back to the bed. “Anne, keep me updated as to his urine output. I’ll be back as soon as we have the results of the urinalysis and bloodwork. Meanwhile change the foley catheter. Maybe that’s where the problem lies,” he said hopefully.
“I will, doctor,” she assured the man as she adjusted the flow of the IVs. As Barrett left the room Anne took the time to look at her patient once more. The lines of pain etched in his forehead told her he was still not deeply asleep. She walked to the door and opened it and the curtain. She walked back to the bed and picked up the cloth. She softly hummed a tune her mother sang to her as a child and smiled as her voice seemed to sooth her patient.
While her patient slept Anne quickly changed the catheter, knowing this was something everyone felt embarrassed about. At least if she did it while he slept he wouldn’t feel her hands on the most intimate part of his body.
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