FAMILY
HONOR
Author's Note: Thanks to Sameena for all her help with this story. You're the best!
Disclaimer: The characters of The Young Riders were created for television by Ed Spielman. The series aired on ABC TELEVISION from 1989 - 1992. This story is a sequel to my stories "Acceptance" and "Morning Sun" which took place six years after the Pony Express was disbanded.
The pain in his side was intense.
He saw flashes of light each time he moved. He heard mumbling voices, but couldn't
understand any of them. He felt like he should respond, but it was taking all
his strength no to scream out in pain.
"Is he dead?" Nicholas Jones asked dreading the reply.
"Not yet," Jeremiah answered.
"Is he gonna die?" Nicholas asked.
"Not if I can help it," Doc Burke answered. "Jeremiah, I think
I'll need to work on him here. Help me get him inside."
He turned to Nicholas, "Go clean off the table in the kitchen. Then get
a fire going and find something to use as bandages." Nicholas disappeared
into the house. Jeremiah went to where the doctor was checking Buck. There was
so much blood; Jeremiah was surprised Buck wasn't dead.
"Take his shoulders," the doctor said. "Be real careful. Try
to move him as gently as possible."
Jeremiah slipped his hands under Buck's arms and carefully picked him off the
ground. Doc Burke took Buck's legs; they carried him into the Jones' kitchen
and laid him on the table. Nicholas had a good fire going in the stove and was
putting anything that could possibly be used as a bandage on the floor next
to the table.
"Good boy," said Doc Burke. "Now get some water to boiling for
me, and find me a bottle of whiskey or something like it."
Nicholas reached into a cabinet and pulled out a bottle then he grabbed the
water bucket and headed out towards the well.
Buck could tell he was no longer on the ground. He wasn't sure where he was,
but he felt safer. Whoever these voices belonged to, they were friends. He decided
to try and open his eyes.
The first thing he saw was the boy returning with the water bucket. He gave
the bucket to an older man who in turn handed it to a young man standing by
the stove -- Buck knew him. It was his wife's brother. He tried to sit and was
greeted by a new wave of mind numbing pain. He couldn't stop the groan from
escaping his lips as he sank back onto the table.
"He's waking up," said Jeremiah. "That's good, isn't it Doc?"
"Yes and no," answered the doctor. "If he wakes up too much,
I'll have to try and give him something before I can start cutting that shot
out of him; other than that it's wonderful."
"What about the whiskey?" asked Jeremiah. "Wouldn't that help
stop the pain?"
"You ever seen him take a drink?" Doc Burke asked.
Jeremiah shook his head.
"Me either. And the last time I tried to get him to take any kind of pain
medicine he refused and told me he couldn't. I don't look forward to having
to cut on him without he's had something if he's awake, but I also don't figure
I'll get him to drink anything without a fight. Maybe, if we're lucky, we can
get finished before he wakes all the way up. Hold him down for me so I can get
started."
He turned to Nicholas, "You get me some of those bandages and put them
right here on the table then get one of them wet and hand it to me when I ask
for it."