The next twenty-four hours passed in a haze of tests and pain for Chris. Blood and urine samples were taken continuously and he was vaguely aware of his friends being in the room at different intervals. An ultrasound was performed, followed by a radioisotope scan. Chris never complained, but the look on his face when one of the nurses came to tell his nurse that someone else was ready for him was one of sheer misery. The last test performed the night before was called a Renal Biopsy and he still felt some discomfort from it.
Chris lay in the bed, his eyes closed, listening to Ezra and JD talk about the Ace of Spades and wondering how Chris knew where it was. He wanted to tell them, but he wasn’t sure he knew the answer and his energy level was almost nil. His body felt bloated and he remembered the doctors mentioning something about testing for kidney function. That’s where the new round of tests were coming from. He felt a sense of detachment from reality except reality would slam him back into the world of pain he’d been in since waking in Maguire’s chamber. He knew part of it was depression, brought on by his inability to do things for himself and he remembered Susan James telling him it was natural after suffering a devastating trauma.
Ezra knew Chris was awake, but he let JD continue with his questions, knowing Chris would talk to them when he felt like it. Right now the injuries and pain were clear on Larabee’s face, but the kid seemed oblivious to it. JD still had an air of innocence gifted to youth. He knew that wouldn’t last much longer as the young Bostonian continued to work in his chosen profession. Already the questions he asked had been answered in full and clear detail of real life and its effects on a man’s body and mind. Ezra remembered watching JD when he thought no one was there. How the kid’s eyes shone with unshed tears as he looked down at the injured blond when he was still hooked up to the ventilator. He listened as Chris’ breathing changed and his eyes slowly opened.
“Welcome back, Mr. Larabee.”
“Thanks, Ezra. What time is it?” Chris said as he tried to get comfortable in the bed. He smiled as Anne checked the leads attached to his body and Standish looked at his watch.
“It’s three in the afternoon,” the gambler answered.
“What day?”
“Thursday, July 22nd.”
“Hi Chris.”
Larabee turned towards the dark haired youth. “Hi, Kid.”
“How are you doing, Chris. Can I get you something?”
“A glass of water...”
“Ah, Chris,” Anne began. “Not right now. How about some ice chips?”
“O...kay,” Larabee answered. JD took the cup of ice and spooned some into Chris waiting mouth.
Chris sucked on the ice and waited for more. He was grateful when the spoon was returned and more ice eased the dryness in his mouth and throat. “Thanks, Kid,” he said as he lay back against the pillow. He looked at the door and smiled at the pale man standing there. “Vin. Did you get out of here?”
Tanner walked into the room greeted JD and Ezra and eased into the chair next to the bed. “Yeah, got sprung from here ‘bout an hour ago.”
“Then why are you still here?”
Tanner’s eyebrows rose as he looked at his friend in disbelief.
“We’ll be back shortly, Mr. Tanner,” Standish said as he led JD from the room. “You take care, Mr. Larabee.”
“Take it easy, Chris, I’ll come back later,” Dunne told him.
“Thanks, JD, Ez. See you guys later.” Chris turned his gaze back to his best friend. “Well?”
“Well what?”
“What are you still doing here?”
“Did you really think I’d leave with you still here? Besides, I won’t have a choice in a few minutes when Nathan finds me AWOL from my room.”
Larabee laughed and had it turn into a harsh cough. The attack lasted about a minute before he could get it under control. By the time he did he was out of breath and his chest felt as if it was on fire again. He felt Tanner’s hand on his shoulder and forced his eyes open again. He saw the pain he felt mirrored in the emotional blue eyes looking at him. “Th...anks, Vin.”
“You okay?”
“Yeah....think s...so...ask me ‘gain la...ter.”
“Chris, it’s time for your medication again,” Anne said as she placed the mask over his mouth and nose.
“T....trouble.”
“No, Chris, you’re no trouble,” Anne smiled as she reassured her patient.
“Not mean me...V...Vin in trou....ble.”
“Me? Why?’
“Busted...Nathan,” Larabee smiled in spite of how he felt.
“Oh, Hell, any chance I can hide?”
“Lots of st....uff to hide be...hind,” the blond smiled as Jackson entered the room.
“Hi, Chris.”
“Nathan,” Larabee greeted softly.
“Vin.”
“Hi, Nate,” Tanner said with a broad smile.
“Don’t turn that smile on me ‘cause it ain’t gonna work. You said you’d stay in your room...”
“No. I said I’d stay in the room. I just didn’t say which room...” Both men looked down at the patient as a soft, but tired laugh emanated from beneath the mask covering his face. “What’s so funny, Cowboy?”
“You...two. Go get some rest, Vin. I’m just gonna sleep anyway.”
“You sure?”
“Yeah. Only thing I can do,” he said tiredly as his eyes closed.
Nathan and Vin stood for a few moments, watching and listening as their friend continued to fight for his life. Both men knew Chris was not getting any better and wondered what was causing this new crisis.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Chris opened his eyes and knew it was late. The lights in his little ICU room were turned down as were the lights in the hallway. The soft clip of padded shoes sounded in the hallway and he watched as a white clothed figure walked past his door. He heard a sound on the other side of his room and turned his head. He tried to remember the woman’s name, but his fog enshrouded mind couldn’t quite grasp it. His body had gone beyond pain and he just felt numb. He knew this wouldn’t last and was probably the result of the medications he was being given.
Katherine turned from the monitor and walked back to the bed. She looked into the sea green eyes and knew this man hated what was happening to him. She could read a lot in a person’s eyes and these wonderful windows were laced in a pain she hated to see. She knew the results of the tests would be all in by morning and that Barrett and Mullen would have a decision to make concerning the next course of treatment.
“How are you, Mr. Larabee?” she asked.
Chris looked at the short, stocky, red head standing beside his bed. Her hazel eyes were filled with concern and he forced a smile to his face. “Thir...sty,” he answered and soon felt the mask lifted and the spoon placed before his mouth. He sucked on the small offering and nodded as she offered him more.
Katherine returned his smile and replaced the mask after she’d fed him the ice chips. She knew he was thirsty, but her orders were to give him only ice chips right now. She moved to the urine collection container and frowned as she saw less than 44ccs had been collected since she’d emptied it an hour ago. She watched his eyes close and knew he’d fallen back to sleep, and hoped the sigh she heard was a sign that his dreams were good ones. She returned to the monitors and equipment surrounding him as her patient seemed to relax on the bed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chris slept peacefully, wrapped in the arms of the woman he loved. His dreams were once more of things he held dear, of a love that was so deep it could never be taken from him. He lay in the bed, content in her arms as he listened to the soft snoring he often teased her about. He smiled as he remembered the smack on the arm she’d given him when he’d told Buck how she’d kept him awake on their wedding night not by making love to him, but by calling in the cows. He smiled as Buck’s musical laughter sounded and Sarah chased him around their small two bedroom apartment. The next day he would surprise her with a house. A home, a place they would call their own. He wasn’t rich, but he’d managed to save a fair sized nest egg and would present the results to his new wife the next day. He knew it was an exorbitant wedding gift, but it was also an investment in their future. A place where their love could grow and where they could raise their children in a loving and safe environment.
The dream advanced quickly and Chris frowned as he felt something hot surrounding him. His mouth opened in a silent scream of rage and despair as he stood before his house. He tried to run into the red and yellow flames but was caught and held in a vicelike grip. He fought against the strong hands, but was soon forced to the ground as the roof collapsed and sparks of fire and burning wood erupted all around him, showering him and Buck Wilmington in a blaze of heated debris. He screamed long and hard as he watched his hopes and dreams disappear before his eyes. His throat burned as a savage rage gave him the strength to pull away from his long time friend. He raced towards the house even as his shirt caught fire and Wilmington tackled him again. He heard sirens, but they were drowned out by the screams ringing in his ears.
“God, NO!” he screamed as he came fully awake and his chest grew tight. An iron fist hammered at his ribs and it felt as if his head had split in two as the nightmare finally released its horrified victim.
Anne had only just came in for her shift and was once again updating the chart on her patient when Larabee’s scream reached her ears. She hurried to the bed as his body shook and soft sobs escaped his throat. She had no idea what he’d been dreaming about, but the violent shivers running down the lean frame told her it was nothing good. She placed her hand on his shoulder and waited until he turned saddened, red-rimmed eyes on her. She reached for a cloth and gently washed away the evidence of his tears. She saw the gratitude in his eyes, but there was something else there that scared her. The pain she saw there now was not a physical pain, it was something she knew he kept hidden inside. His breathing was labored and she moved to get his medication ready. She looked towards the door as Buck Wilmington came towards the bed.
The ladies man had slipped out to grab a bite to eat and a coffee. He knew as soon as he entered the room something had happened to his friend. He hurried forward and placed a reassuring hand on his friend’s forehead, flicking back the soaked blond strands. “Hey, Chris, want to talk about it?”
“N...no,” Larabee answered as Anne replaced the mask over his face.
“Might help,” Buck suggested.
“Never does.”
“The fire?” Wilmington knew he was right by the look in the green eyes. His friend continued to have nightmares about the murder of Sarah and Adam and Buck knew they would never go away. They might fade, but they would never be far from his mind, whether he was awake or asleep. Buck knew his own dreams were vivid and painful, yet his friend’s must’ve been ten times as bad. He swallowed past the guilt he still felt over that horrifying night, but knew it would always be a weight on his shoulders.
Chris saw the guilt on the emotional face before him and lifted his left hand. He caught Wilmington’s arm and forced a smile to his face. “It’s okay, Buck.”
The scoundrel nodded and bit back the unshed tears. He wanted more than anything to wipe away the pain that night still caused his long time friend, but knew it would always be a part of them. They’d both decided long ago not to let it tear apart what they meant to each other. Buck knew a lot of people thought he resented Vin Tanner’s entrance into Larabee’s life, but the truth was he was grateful to the sharpshooter for helping Chris past the worst time of his life. He knew they’d be hearing from the doctors sometime today and he vowed to find out just how sick his friend was and what they planned to do to help him. He settled into the chair as Larabee’s eyes closed once more. He watched as the nurse cared for her patient and saw something in her eyes. He’d always been able to read the opposite sex, and something about this auburn haired beauty told him she saw past the battered body to what lay beneath. He wondered if Anne would be the one to help Chris love again.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Derrick Barrett and Joe Mullen looked at the reports spread out on the table before them. Most of the results confirmed a problem with Larabee’s kidney function and things were now at a critical level and immediate intervention was required.
“I don’t like the high BUN, creatinine, and potassium levels, Derrick,” Mullen explained.
“I know. There’s no other choice now is there?”
“I’m afraid not. If we don’t go ahead with the treatments it will only get worse,” Mullen said as he looked at the newest results of blood work and urine samples. “His output has dropped to 35ccs per hour and that’s dangerous.”
“When do you want to start?”
“Right now. I’ll call and make arrangements.”
“All right, Joe. I’ll go speak with his friends,” Barrett said as he shuffled the papers back into the already thick folder.
“I’ll join you as soon as I’ve made those calls.”
“Thanks, Joe,” Barrett said as he began the long walk to the waiting room. He knew the news he was about to give these men was not good and was grateful that his friend would be joining him.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`
Vin sat beside the bed and watched as his friend seemed to drift in and out of sleep. One minute he seemed to be waking up, but the next time he looked Larabee would be sleeping again. He knew the others were meeting with Derrick Barrett and he’d wanted to be there, but hated the idea of leaving his friend alone. Buck or one of the others would fill him in on what was going on. He smiled as he watched Anne tenderly caring for his friend. They changed the location of Larabee’s IVs earlier in the day and Vin could see bruises where the tiny catheters had originally been inserted. Now the new lines ran into the top of Chris’ hand and again just below the elbow. The sharpshooter rubbed his own injured shoulder and shifted stiffly in the chair.
“Vin, are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine,” he lied. Truth be told he was exhausted. The headaches he suffered from kept him from sleeping and his immobilized shoulder made it impossible to get comfortable in the strange hotel bed. “How’s he doing, Anne?”
Anne knew the young man was trying to change the subject, yet she could tell he was far from well. She picked up the warm cloth and gently washed her patient’s face as she answered. “Right now he’s a very sick man, Vin. The doctors will explain everything to your friends and then they’ll be coming here to set things up for Chris.”
“Set things up?” Tanner asked and turned back to his friend as Chris’ eyes shot open above the oxygen mask. Vin saw a spark of panic and placed his hand on Larabee’s shoulder. “Hey, Cowboy, you’re not alone.”
“V....Vin?”
“That’s right. How are you feeling?”
“Don’t kn...ow...every...thing ju...st hu...rts. Could as...ask you the same th...ing?”
“I’m fine.”
“Not fine...what’s wrong?”
Vin smiled as he realized even as sick as Chris was he could still read him. “Head and shoulder still hurt a mite, but it’s gettin’ better.”
“Still look l...like shit,” Larabee mumbled.
“Thanks, Pard, ya really know how to make a guy feel good.”
“Can’t look much worse’n me.”
Larabee’s voice had changed and Vin sensed the older man was feeling depressed and in pain. “Hey, Pard, ya don’t look that bad. Just ask Anne?”
“You’re looking just fine, Chris,” Anne said as she flicked back the unruly hair. “A little pale, but otherwise fine.”
“Bad a l...liar as he is,” Larabee said softly and coughed into the mask. “Shit!”
“Don’t fight it, Chris,” Anne warned.
“Ha...te...it,” Larabee wheezed between coughs.
“I know you do, but you have to start getting the mucus off your lungs,” Anne explained as she lifted the mask slightly and washed her patients lips. The attack lasted less than two minutes, but left her patient weak and in pain. She stepped back as Vin Tanner’s voice calmed the injured man.
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