The Lonely TrailEzra was not looking forward to the 4 day ride back to Four Corners, from Tucson. The ride to Tucson, with Mr. Williams, had been bad enough, but he had volunteered to do the Judge the favor, in hopes of getting into a good poker game in Tucson. Unfortunately he had gotten a telegram from Mr. Larabee, asking him to get back to Four Corners right away. So now he was heading out of Tucson, as the sun rose, he wanted to get some distance before the sun got too hot, he was going to be all alone for the return trip. The ride to Tucson had been pleasant, the weather fairly cool, but now it was hot again and he didn't look forward to crossing the barren desert all alone, in the heat, but what choice did he have?
He took his pocket watch out and looked at it, 6am. "What am I doing up at this ungodly hour?" He asked himself. "At least I have you, my good friend Chaucer, for this trip." He patted the horses neck and nudged him to go a little faster. The sun was coming up over the horizon like a giant's eye opening to look out on the world, but soon enough, the sun would seem more like an inferno in the sky, beating down on him. He sighed, 'why did he volunteer for this?' he wondered. His back was to Tucson, his shoulders slumped inside his red jacket, which he would have to shed soon.
He traveled for several hours before shedding his jacket, the sun was already hot and the day had just begun, he began to have a very bad feeling about this trip, he shouldn't have done it alone, if anything happened to him, there would be no one to help him. "Well, Chaucer this is going to be a long trip." The horse bayed in response, at least he had his horse to talk to, he normally liked to be alone, but not now, not out in the middle of the desert. There was nothing for miles around, except rocks, small creatures, and cactus. He reached up and wiped the sweat from his brow, he would be grateful for the cool evening. He took a swig from his canteen, he would need to conserve, he had two canteen's full of water, but unless he found some along the way, it would have to last him for 4 days. At least he had his flask and a bottle of whiskey, he would use that at night, to steal himself from the cold, it still amazed him that it could get so cold at night, after getting so hot during the day.
As the hours passed, he felt more and more lonely, there emptiness of the desert gave him a chill. He had his sleeves rolled up and had removed his tie, so he could undo some of the buttons on his shirt, he was very hot and his shirt was plastered to his back from sweat. He decided to stop for lunch, dismounting Chaucer and sitting in the shade of a cactus tree, not that it provided much relief from the heat. His lunch consisted of some jerky and another swig of water, at least he would have beans for dinner, along with his whiskey, he just hoped he would be able to find fire wood, otherwise he would get very cold.
After lunch Ezra fell asleep under the cactus tree, the heat and getting up so early in the morning had made him sleepy. Chaucer wondered around the area, looking for anything to munch on, while his master and friend slept. The sun continued to beat down as it made it's westerly trek across the sky, to it's final destination beyond the western horizon. Ezra finally woke a few hours later, feeling very hot and sweaty, he groaned at the thought of 3 more days of this heat. "Chaucer? Where are you my friend?" He watched as Chaucer trotted back to him, waiting for his master to mount him.
Ezra continued his journey home, using his handkerchief to try and keep the sweat from his face and neck, but it was a losing battle, he would be glad when the sun went down. He began watching for any wood that he could use for a fire later, picking them up as he found them, he knew he would need a fire, after being this hot during the day, getting too cold tonight, could be bad for his health. At least he had his bed roll and whiskey, to help warm him, he was amassing a good amount of wood however, so he wasn't too worried about tonight.
He knew he would have to stop soon, twilight was falling around him and it was getting harder to see, at least the moon was almost full, so it would provide some light, in the darkness of the desert. He found a nice, soft area to stop for the night and got a fire going, putting the beans on to warm up. He laid his bedroll out on the ground and sat down, very grateful for the coolness that the night brought, but he knew it would get very cold soon, so he sat closer to the fire and wrapped the blanket around him. He had already put his jacket back on and was taking a few swigs of whiskey, between mouthfuls of beans. He really didn't like beans that much, but when you were traveling like this, beans and jerky were about all that could be carried.
He threw a couple more pieces of wood onto the fire, watching the flames flare from the fuel they had been fed, then he laid down on his bedroll, gazing up at the star filled sky, a wave of loneliness and fear? Was it fear he felt? He thought so, but wasn't sure why, other than being afraid of being alone in the desert. He slowly drifted to sleep, his thoughts of Four Corners and the family he now had there, soothing him to sleep. He slept deeply, but woke in the middle of the night, shivering from the cold, he sat up to see the fire was almost out, so he tossed some wood onto the fire and got it going again. He laid back down and looked at the stars again, feeling very small in this huge, dark world, he hadn't felt this lonely in a very long time. He fell back to sleep again, hoping that the next 3 days would pass quickly, he wanted to be back home as soon as possible.
He woke in the morning feeling refreshed and ready for the day ahead, but he knew it would be another hot, lonely ride. He had a sip of whiskey, to warm his body from the last bits of cold the night had left in him, then made sure his fire was out and put his bedroll back on Chaucer. He looked at his pocket watch, it was only 7am, he groaned, "If I keep this up, I'll never be able to sleep late again." He said aloud, as he climbed onto his friends back. "Lets go Chaucer, before it gets too hot." He nudged Chaucer into a steady trot and began moving through the dim light of dawn, watching the sun rise before him, knowing what it would bring him later.
Ezra had been traveling for several hours, feeling the sun get hotter and hotter. He watched as the cliffs and buttes in front of him, got larger as he got closer, they were the only thing that broke the flat, barren desert and he welcomed them, knowing they would bring some shade, at least for a while. He had to move slower now, the closer he got to the cliffs, the rockier the terrain, he had to be careful of Chaucer's footing, he didn't need his horse coming up lame, not out here.
He was beginning to feel sleepy, from the heat and he had to fight to keep his eyes open. Suddenly Chaucer reared up, frightened by a rattlesnake. Ezra was not ready for it, he fought to hold on to the saddle, but failed and he fell backwards off of Chaucer. His head and side hit the rocks that were peppering the ground, very hard and he felt the darkness overtaking him, he knew it was a bad thing to lose consciousness out here in the sun, so he fought against it. It was a losing battle, his head was pounding and there was a sharp pain in his side, where the broken ribs were. He finally lost his battle for consciousness, letting the darkness take him, he just wished there was coolness with it, but there wasn't.
Ezra lay unconscious on the rocks, their hardness pressing against his broken ribs, but right now he didn't feel the pain, he didn't feel anything. His hat was laying a few inches away, covered with dust, his face and arms exposed to the brutal sun, which beat down on him mercilessly, sapping all the fluids out of his body. He remained unconscious for over an hour, when he finally began to wake, the sun was directly overhead. He tried to sit up, but his head swam and he felt nauseous, not to mention extremely thirsty. He had almost screamed at the pain that shot through his side as he tried to sit up, "Aw Hell, I have acquired some broken ribs." He whispered softly, gritting his teeth against the pain. His exposed skin was tight and hot, he had a serious sunburn going on and his lips were dry and cracked, he needed something to drink, desperately.
His craving for water made him careless and he drank most of one canteen, all in one try, some of the water spilling from his hungry mouth, to wet his chin and shirt. His stomach threatened to send it back up, but he fought it, laying back down until his stomach settled, then tried again to get up. He discovered that there was pain in his hip as well, he had hit the rocks hard and it had taken it's toll on his body, he was never more afraid of dying, especially alone in the middle of the empty desert. He tried to look around for Chaucer, he needed to get out of the sun, it was drying his body of it's vital fluids, but the pain in his body made it hard, his head pounded and he felt a chill run through him, 'how could that be?' he wondered, as hot as he was, how could he have a chill, unless he had a fever. He groaned at the thought, a fever was the last thing he needed.
With great effort, Ezra managed to get to his feet, leaning on a large boulder for support. His head swam, the dizziness almost sending him back to the ground. He reached his hand up to the side of his head and it came away bloody, "Wonderful, just what I needed out here." He sighed and tried to figure out how he was ever going to get back on Chaucer, the pain in his hip alone would make riding difficult. He took a few tentative steps towards Chaucer, reaching out to him, so he could use him for support, "My old friend, what am I to do now?" He held on to the saddle for dear life, not wanting to fall down and possibly hurt himself further.
Since it was his left side that was injured, he would have to try and mount Chaucer from the other side, so he slowly made his way around Chaucer, keeping one hand on him for support. He stood for a moment and took some deep breaths, trying to prepare himself for the pain that this was going to cause him. He took one last deep breath, then just did what he had to do, trying to do it in one quick movement, to spare as much pain as possible. He grabbed the saddle horn with his right hand, lifting his right foot into the stirrup and then quickly and smoothly lifted up and swung his left leg over Chaucer. He cried out at the pain that shot through his hip and ribs, then closed his eyes and tried to ride out the pain.
After sitting there for a few minutes, he got Chaucer moving, slowly. All of his efforts, combined with the relentless sun, had made him thirsty and weak, he didn't know how long he could stand to be on Chaucer in the sun. His only goal right now was to find shade, then he would just spend the night there and hope he was better in the morning. After traveling for a few hours, he finally found some shade by a couple of huge boulders, his body was screaming at him in pain and lack of moisture, but he pushed himself to get a few things done, before he collapsed, like gathering wood for a fire, getting his bedroll off of Chaucer and trying to fix something to eat, but his stomach rolled at the thought, so he decided against that. He wanted desperately to drink some water, but he knew that he only had the one canteen left now, due to his stupidity earlier.
He carefully dismounted Chaucer, a wave of dizziness came over him and he held tight to his saddlebags. Then once he felt better, he opened the bag and took out his extra blanket and the bottle of whiskey, know it would help ease his pain a little. He took his bedroll of and laid it out on the ground, in the shade, then carefully gathered some wood, he would wait a while to start the fire, when it was cooler. He sat down carefully, then took a large swig of whiskey, the wetness tasted good and he knew the liquid would take some of the pain away. He looked around, the cliffs and buttes that he saw earlier, were much closer now and he could see all the layers of beautiful colors in them, the slowly setting sun setting them ablaze with color. He felt himself drifting to sleep, he tried to fight it, but could not.
When Ezra woke again, he was shivering badly, it was dark, but the last fringes of light from the sun had the western horizon a light blue. He carefully sat up, to try and start a fire, his skin was so hot, it could have ignited the wood itself, and he was sweating, even though it was cold, he was sweating. He knew he had a fever, there was no way his skin could be that hot and he be so utterly cold. It took a few minutes and a lot of pain, but he got the fire going, moving closer to it to try and get warm. He put both of his blankets over him, but he still felt so cold, like he was sitting in the middle of snow. He saw Chaucer standing nearby, content and munching on some weeds, he wished he felt as happy and content as Chaucer did, but it would be a long time before he did, if ever.
He looked around, the moon was rising and it was full and bright, lighting up the landscape with an erie light. He could see the cliffs and buttes in the distance, the moons glow making them look like giant monolith's rising from the dark to touch the diamond filled sky, if he weren't in so much pain and discomfort, he would think the view before him to be beautiful. He made sure the wood he had was close by, within reach, then took a few swigs of his whiskey and laid back down, he felt so weak and sore. His eyes gazed at the stars overhead, their light reflecting in his shiny eyes and making them sparkle even more. As he lay there, in the desert, an overwhelming sense of loneliness and fear came over him, he was completely alone out here, at the mercy of nature, and he was injured, he felt that he would be lucky if he lived to get back to Four Corners, to home.
A tear fell down the side of his face, he truly feared he would not live for another 2 days, he was in bad shape his hip and ribs hurt terribly and his head was pounding constantly. He knew in the morning, he would have to do something about his injuries, what he didn't know, but he had to try and make it easier to travel. As he lay there, the images of the people he cared about, back in Four Corners, went through his mind. Chris Larabee, the unwilling leader of a group of miscreants, Buck Wilmington, always the ladies man, Vin Tanner, the quiet tracker, Nathan Jackson, healer of both body and soul, Josiah Sanchez, a healer of the soul, that was trying to heal his own, JD Dunn, the young, enthusiastic member of the group, Mary Travis, a strong, independent woman that he admired, Inez Ricios, also strong and independent, not to mention incredibly beautiful, he would miss them all if he didn't make it back.
He finally managed to get back to sleep, but his heart felt empty and his soul felt alone. He wished he had never volunteered for this trip, his desire to get into a good poker game, may finally have cost him his life. He woke several times during the night, as pain shot through his side, from the broken ribs, it was going to be a very long painful night, and he could not stop the shivering in his body, no matter how hard he tried, it amazed him that just a few hours ago, he was so hot that he thought he would die, now he was so cold that he thought he was going to freeze to death, amazing what a difference a few hours and a little sun, can make. He would not wake again until morning, at which time he would make a discovery that would terrify him.
When Ezra woke in the morning, his fever seemed worse, his vision was blurry and his head hurt worse than ever. He made an effort to sit up, but almost passed out from the effort. He moved back, so that he was resting against the boulder, then put his hand to the side of his head, there was still blood there. He took his handkerchief and wet it with a little water, attempting to clean the blood from the wound, but it hurt very bad and he wanted to stop. He knew that it had to be done, or it could cause problems, but when he pulled the handkerchief away, there was not only blood on it, but dirt and a yellow substance. This caused his heart to stop beating for an instant, he knew what that meant, the wound was infected.
The thought of his head wound being infected, terrified him, what if it affected his mind? What if he couldn't function enough to get home? What would happen to him then? He knew what had to be done, he needed to clean the wound with whiskey, then bandage it somehow, he was certain that the pain from the whiskey in the wound would cause him to pass out, but there was no choice, if he didn't do it, he would die, he still could anyway, but he would fight to live. He took the whiskey bottle from his saddlebag, then pulled a shirt out, dreading the idea of tearing it up for a bandage, but he had nothing else. He made sure that he was sitting in such a way that when he passed out, he wouldn't fall onto his injured side, getting dirt back in the wound would defeat the purpose. He ripped his shirt into shreds of cloth, then folded one into a small square, soaking it with whiskey, then he took a deep breath and put the cloth to his wound. He cried out at the pain and watched as blackness filled his vision as he blacked out, the boulder kept him in a seated position, all he could do now was wait until he regained consciousness.
Ezra's fevered mind began to dream, the dreams were disjointed, one moment he would be sitting in the saloon, playing poker with some of his compatriots, the next he would be alone in the saloon and Inez would come up to him, sit on his lap and begin kissing him, her hands running through his hair as she deepened the kiss and his hands would instinctively wrap around her. Then he would be out on a job with the guys, then back with Inez, his subconscious began to wonder if the fact that he kept coming back to Inez, meant he had feelings for her that he was denying, he tried to tell himself it was just the fever, but he had doubts. Finally his mind settled down and he slept a dreamless sleep, that lasted for hours, because he had gotten so little sleep during the night.
When he did wake again, his head hurt a little less, but the sun was beating down on him with great force, the area that he was in had been shaded when he found it, but this early in the day, it was in the blazing sun. He took the handkerchief with the water on it and put it to the wound, there was still blood, but no more dirt and only a small amount of the yellow substance. He took the cloth with whiskey on it, which was mostly dry now, but would still give his wound some of the effects of the alcohol, and placed it gently over the wound, then took another strip of cloth and wrapped it around his head, holding the other cloth in place, he then wrapped another piece around, tying it tightly, he wanted to protect the wound as much as possible. He then took the remaining strips of cloth and used them to wrap his ribs, removing his jacket, vest, and shirt to wrap the strips around his chest, then put the shirt back on, leaving the vest and jacket off, he could feel the heat of the day, even through his fever. Then he tried to stand, using the boulder for support, he got to his feet, then reached down to pick up his bedroll, blankets, and saddlebags. When he stood back up, he became very dizzy. He need to get moving, the day was getting hotter and he would not survive out here for much longer.
Ezra gently put his hat on his head, making sure it wasn't pressing against his wound, then carefully mounted Chaucer, being careful of his hip and ribs. He swayed a bit at first, but held onto the saddle horn and closed his eyes until the dizziness passed. Before he got going, he took a mouthful of water, he was going to run out before he got back to Four Corners, he hoped he could find some along the way. "Lets go old friend," he nudged Chaucer into a gentle walk, the jerking of the horse causing him pain, but he fought to push it aside. He took in the terrain around him, the buttes and cliffs were close, he would reach them in a few hours, if he kept the current pace up, he hoped he could, but the blazing sun was making him sweat even more and he had limited resources to replenish those fluids he was losing.
As he traveled, he began to drift in and out of sleep, waking when he started to fall off of Chaucer, he knew if he feel off again, he would not be getting back on. As each hour passed, the sun took it's toll on him, dehydrating him and weakening him further, his head was pounding and his vision was blurry. His skin had never felt so hot and dry, his heart felt like it was beating as fast as a hummingbirds wings, and with the chills he was getting, he knew he had a pretty high fever. He had enjoyed a short time in the shade, as he passed through the cliffs and buttes, wishing he could enjoy their beauty, but he could hardly stay awake, much less concentrate on the layers of color in the rocks around him.
He needed to find water, his lips were dry and cracked and he tasted blood when he licked them, so they were bleeding slightly. His throat was also parched, feeling like the hot, dry desert that he was riding through, the waves of loneliness washed over him again, he would give anything to see another human being right now. He knew that it was this loneliness that had caused him to have the dreams about Inez last night, he had an overwhelming need for companionship and comfort, dreaming of her had given him that, to some extent. He knew the fever that raged in his body, had something to do with it too, but he wasn't complaining, it had been the only pleasant thing to happen to him in days.
He continued his long, lonely journey, his emerald, fevered eyes, watching the landscape for any sign of water, he had just drank the last of what he had 20 minutes ago, not wanting to finish it, but unable to help himself. Hope grew in him as he saw a windmill, just up ahead, spinning lazily in the hot breeze, there was a water trough underneath it, but was there water in it? He saw no sign of a homestead, which was a bit strange, but he would not look a gift horse in the mouth. As soon as he was to the windmill, he carefully dismounted Chaucer, letting his reins fall to the ground. He walked to the windmill, there was water in the trough, but it had a layer of scum on it, he hoped the water underneath was drinkable. He took both of his canteen's off of Chaucer and took the caps off, then plunged them deep into the water, hoping the deeper he went, the better chance of the water being drinkable. He filled the canteen's, put them back on Chaucer, then went back to the trough and took a small amount of water in his hand and tasted it, the cool, smooth liquid soothed his parched lips and throat and it tasted like a piece of heaven, not bad, so he now had enough water to get home.
Ezra traveled for a few more hours, then stopped for the night, grateful for the water he had and the cool air of the evening. He sat on his bedroll and started a fire, then watched the sun go down, the changing colors it threw across the sky. He let the scene relax him and calm his fears, but the loneliness was always stronger at night and he found himself hoping to dream of Inez again tonight, she was bringing him comfort and she didn't even know it. He sat close to the fire and bundled up in his blankets again, trying to stave off the chills that racked his body, but it was no use, the fever in him was not to be denied. When he did drift to sleep, his dreams were again of Inez, there just seemed to be something about her that soothed his loneliness and his mind sought her out.
The dream began the way the last one had, Ezra was at the poker table, but alone, just like now. Inez came up to him and sat on his lap, taking the shot glass from his hands, then taking his face in her hands and moving her lips to his, touching them with a feather touch. Ezra put his arms around her and held her tight, moaning at the soft touch on his lips, then she would begin to kiss him deeper, moving her fingers into his hair and running them through it. One of his hand slid up her back, to her neck, while the other hand continued to hold her tightly. The hand at her neck, pulled her closer, making the kiss even deeper, as her hands began to run up and down his arms, sending chills through his body. He began to work on her mouth with his tongue, tasting and feeling every sweet inch of her mouth, then she shared her tongue with his, doing a passionate dance in their mouths. Inez's arms came around to hold him tightly, as the kiss lingered, but they heard a noise outside and quickly ended the intimate moment, both staring into each others sparkling eyes for a moment, then as Inez stood, Ezra heard himself say, "Thank you Inez, I needed that right now." She just smiled and walked away, the sound had actually been a coyote howling in the distance as he slept.
Ezra jerked awake, it was still dark and the stars twinkled in the sky overhead, he felt like he could still feel Inez's lips pressed to his, her warm body against his, it had felt so real. He pulled the blankets tighter around him, throwing another piece of wood on the fire, which still didn't help the chill in his body, that felt like it went to the bone. "Lord, I know I don't talk to you much, hell, hardly at all, but now I am asking you for my life, let me live to get back to Four Corners, back to the people that I care about." He closed his eyes again and let sleep retake him, his head hurt, he knew he hadn't gotten all of the infection out of the wound and he just hoped he could last to make it home.
Back in Four Corners, Inez woke with a start, she had been dreaming of Ezra, which in itself was strange, but she also had a bad feeling that something was wrong, that Ezra was in danger, or worse, injured. She would have to speak to Senor Larabee in the morning, to see if Ezra was overdue. She settled back down, the feelings did not leave her though and she wondered why she was feeling this way, she didn't think she had any feelings for him, except as a friend, but maybe she was wrong, the dream had certainly been passionate, sharing a long, deep kiss with him, so maybe she did have feelings. She would wait until Ezra was back, then try to sort out the mixture of feelings running through her, in the dream, the kiss had been the most wonderful she had ever experienced and she couldn't help wondering if that was how his kiss really felt. She drifted back to sleep, but it was a restless sleep.
Ezra's face and body were covered in sweat, his fever growing worse, and he thrashed about in his sleep, causing pain in his hip and ribs, that he didn't seem to feel, his body was on fire, but he felt so very cold. His mind was beginning to see things that weren't there, he looked around and saw the demons of his past, dancing around him, he was afraid and alone. Then suddenly Inez was there, trying to comfort him, he let her hold him, wiping his face with a cool cloth, she was an angel sent from heaven, too bad none of it was real, because he was again, amazed at her beauty, and it wasn't just skin deep, it went all the way to the core of her soul. He had gotten to know her, since she began working at the saloon, she was intelligent, witty and caring, there weren't many women like her and he felt lucky to know her.
When Ezra woke the next day, it was already hot, the sun beat down mercilessly, he looked at his pocket watch, it was already after 11am, he had slept late, he knew he would not make it back to Four Corners today, he was already behind schedule, because of the accident and the fact that he had to travel slower and stop more often. He pushed the blankets off of him, his body was still bathed in sweat and he desperately wanted a bath, he carefully sat up, anticipating the wave of nausea that would hit him, along with dizziness. His head was pounding again, he knew he should change the bandage on his head, but he had nothing to replace it with. He took several long pulls from his canteen, savoring every sweet drop of the liquid, which was cool right now, from the cold of the night.
Ezra decided he had to do something about the wound on his head, if nothing else, turn the cloth covering it, around. He carefully untied the cloth around his head, then removed the square cloth covering the wound. The blood on it was a combination of red, from the fresh blood, it still hadn't stopped bleeding, and brown, from the old blood, there was still more of the yellow substance, so the infection was not gone, but he knew that, by the fever in his body and the wild, yet soothing dreams he had. He poured a small amount of whiskey on the cloth, so the alcohol would get into the wound to clean it, but not so much that he would pass out from the pain. He placed the cloth back against the wound, hissing at the pain that went through his head from the whiskey, then put the strips of cloth back around his head, tying then securely.
He needed to get going, to get back to Four Corners as soon as possible, his wound needed proper treatment and his ribs needed to be wrapped in a more professional manner. His hip ached, he knew it wasn't broken or anything, but it must be badly bruised. He carefully stood up, reaching for Chaucer for support, "Well, my old friend, it looks like we won't be getting home today." Chaucer just bayed in response, Ezra found himself wishing he were Chaucer, he didn't seem to be bothered by any of this. He put his saddlebags and bedroll back on Chaucer, placed his hat carefully on his head, then mounted Chaucer, feeling the pain in his body as he did.
Back in Four Corners, Inez had been up early, unable to sleep, worried about the bad feelings she had. As soon as she was dressed, she sought out Senor Larabee, she needed to know when Ezra was expected, perhaps she could even get one of them to go looking for him. She found Chris sitting outside the saloon, a hot cup of coffee in his hand, his feet propped up. "Senor Larabee, can I talk to you?"

"Certainly Inez, what can I do for you?"

"When is Senor Standish due back?"

"Later today, unless he was delayed, then maybe morning, why?"

"I had a dream about him last night, now I have a very bad feeling in my stomach, I really think something has happened to him."

"Really? Anything specific?"

"No, it's just a feeling, I've never felt anything like it."

Chris smiled, he could see the deep concern in her eyes, she had feelings for Ezra, but she didn't seem to realize it, or was denying it. "Well, if he doesn't show by the end of the day tomorrow, we will go looking, is that good enough?"

"Yes Senor Larabee, thank you."

"Your welcome Inez, you really shouldn't deny those feelings that are so obvious in your eyes."

"Obvious? My eyes are giving me away?"

"Yes, but don't be embarrassed, I think it's great, he needs a good woman, like you."

Inez blushed, "Thank you Chris, for being so kind, but it is I who would be the lucky one, if he has feelings for me, deep down he is an amazing man, kind, gentle, intelligent, and very caring."

"Yes, I know, he thinks he hides that from us, but we know better."

"Good day, I will see you later."

"Good day Inez"

Ezra began his journey again, the sun taking it's toll on him again this day, his skin was badly sunburned on his arms and face, it felt tight. The rest of his body felt hot and dry, the fever in him making him weak. It would be another long day and he didn't know if he would last.
Ezra continued to travel, despite what the relentless sun was doing to him, beating down on him and weakening him even more. He fought to stay conscious, just wanting to get home. He wanted to find some shade, to rest a bit, but right now, there wasn't even any cactus, except those little things that came out of the ground in little patches. He squinted against the glare of the sun, it seemed hotter than ever, he had rolled his sleeves up to above his elbows, and unbuttoned his shirt all the way, trying to stay cool.
Even the fever in his body, could not prevent the heat from penetrating him and he finally lost the battle to stay conscious, falling off of Chaucer and landing on a patch of cactus, with his left thigh, he also broke a couple more ribs, that had been cracked the first time and bruised his hip even worse. Landing in the cactus had caused him to get cactus needles in his thigh, causing a tremendous amount of pain, which he wouldn't feel until he regained consciousness.
Back in Four Corners, Inez's bad feelings got worse, she began to fear that she would never see the handsome gambler again, hearing his smooth, southern drawl wash over her, making her feel calm and warm, or look into those sparkling green gems, that were his eyes, they hid so much when he was playing poker, but at other times, she could see straight into his soul, knowing everything he was feeling. She had thought she saw something in those eyes when he looked at her, but thought it was her imagination, now she wasn't so sure. She didn't know if she could wait another day to find out if he was all right, her fear grew with ever hour that passed and he hadn't ridden back into town. She would not get any sleep tonight, worrying about him.
Ezra on the other hand, would remain unconscious for a long time, as the sun set and night fell. He regained consciousness sometime during the night, tears fell from his eyes, as even more pain assaulted his senses and he feared he would not make it home. He didn't want to go any more, he just wanted to curl up and die right there, not wanting to move, he had no strength left. He decided to wait and see what the morning brought, he hated to give up now, he was less than a days ride from Four Corners, in fact, probably no more than half a days ride. He determined not to give up, in the morning he would try and get the cactus needles out of his thigh, then get moving, he wanted to get home, wanted to live, but it was so hard. He had trouble concentrating and his mind wandered often, thinking of things in his past, thinking of the dreams he had about Inez. He also determined that if he got back to Four Corners, he would tell Inez how he felt about her, had felt about her from the moment he first saw her. He finally drifted back to sleep, at the moment he felt too weak to even move himself from the cactus, it had done it's damage now anyway.
When Ezra woke again, it was still dark, but the sun was coming up, lighting up the eastern horizon with gold's and pinks. He decided to try and get moving while it was early and still cool, maybe he could get back to Four Corners before the heat became too unbearable. He sat up, the pain in his body made him dizzy, his vision was swirling for a moment, then it cleared. He looked at his thigh, it had quite a few cactus needles in it, he had to get them out, before he could get moving, so he began to remove them, each causing him tremendous pain as he pulled it out, there were a few that were too short, they had broken off, he hoped Nathan could get them out, when he got home, if he got home. Each of the wounds began to bleed slightly after he removed the needle. He had nothing to bandage the wounds with, so he made sure he cleaned them good, with water, getting his trousers wet, but they would be dry soon enough.
He drank some whiskey, then prepared himself for the pain that would come, as he mounted Chaucer, it would be great, especially with the additional injuries he now had, he was afraid that he wouldn't be able to lift his leg over Chaucer, with how bad his hip hurt. He limped over to Chaucer, holding on to him for support, then took a deep breath and mounted, crying out softly at the pain, but didn't lose consciousness, thank God. He got Chaucer moving at a slow pace, but a steady pace, it was so much easier in the cooler air, but he could still feel the fever raging inside him, making him sweat.
It was slow going, but he was making progress, as the sun began to rise higher, he began to feel a little more at home, the scenery was familiar as he got to within a few hours of home, having covered that area during many of their jobs. It began to get hot again though and it was draining him, along with the loss of blood from the wounds on his leg, which had begun bleeding heavier as he rode. He prayed to God to let him last the few more hours that it would take to get home. He grabbed his canteen and poured some more water on the wounds, to keep them clean, hissing at the pain it caused.
In Four Corners, Inez was pacing on the boardwalk in front of the saloon, waiting for Ezra to ride into town, waiting for the man she found that she had feelings for, but had been denying it. She hoped he was all right, she found that she needed to tell him how she felt, hoped he would feel the same way. As each hour passed she got more worried, the other men watched her with concern, they had never seen her like that, Buck realized that he now had no chance with her, it was obvious that she cared for Ezra.
It was about 2 o'clock in the afternoon when Inez saw a horse in the distance, the other men were all in the saloon, so they didn't see it, but she did. The rider looked like he was in trouble, he was slumped over and as he got closer, Inez could tell that it was Chaucer, which meant something was wrong with Ezra. She didn't bother to get the others, they would know soon enough, she headed in his direction. She stopped just short of Ezra, shock covering her beautiful face, at his appearance. Then he fell off of Chaucer, she tried to catch him and ease him to the ground, holding him in her arms. "Ezra"
Inez's heart broke as she took in Ezra's appearance, he was so sunburned and she could feel the heat radiating off his body, his face was a mask of pain as he struggled to stay conscious, "Ezra, what happened to you?"

"Inez?" He was confused now, his mind unable to focus and concentrate, he could feel the darkness trying to overtake him, but he fought it.

"Yes Ezra, just hang on, the others will be here in a moment." She could see his leg was bleeding, the bandage on his head was obvious, she also felt bandages under his shirt, around his chest. She couldn't imagine what could have happened to him. It only took a moment for the others to reach her side, Nathan in the lead with his bag.

"Inez, did he say anything?" Chris asked, wanting to know what happened to one of his men, his friends.

"No, just my name, then he lost consciousness." She was caressing the top of his head, trying to comfort and soothe him, even his head was hot with fever, she was very worried that he might die.

"We need to get him to my clinic, he's in pretty bad shape." Nathan was worried, Ezra had a bad fever and several injuries that appeared to have been there for several days. He had removed the bandage from his head and cringed inwardly, knowing the wound was infected.

Inez was brushing Ezra's damp hair back of his forehead, he was so handsome, she really hadn't ever seen a man as incredibly handsome as Ezra and he was so strong and intelligent on top of that. She heard Josiah's words invading her thoughts.

"Inez? If you will allow me, I will carry Ezra up to the clinic." He was worried about Inez, she seemed lethargic, as if she was in shock or something, he would have to speak to her later and make sure she was all right.

"Yes Senor Sanchez, I am sorry."

"Don't worry Inez, he will be all right, he's a fighter."

"I know, he has to live, so I can tell him how I feel"

"You'll get the chance Inez." Chris said.

Josiah gently lifted the smaller man into his big, strong arms, then headed for the clinic, all eyes were on him as the townsfolk worried about one of their protectors. Nathan got the door open and Josiah gently laid Ezra on the bed, brushing his forehead with his big hand, "Come on Brother Ezra, hang on."
Back outside, the other men were all standing around in silence, not knowing quite what to do, or think. "JD, take Chaucer to the livery, tell the attendant to give him special treatment, and charge it to me."

"Sure Chris, think Ezra's going to be OK?" JD had never seen Ezra in such bad shape, it scared him.

"I hope so JD, I really do." Chris headed for the clinic, to wait outside, hoping it wouldn't be long before Nathan came out to tell them something. He was worried about Inez, she seemed so distraught.
Inside the clinic, Nathan began to remove Ezra's clothes, so he could get a look at him, to see the full extent of his injuries. As he removed each article of clothing, he found an injury, he had several broken ribs, his side was black and blue, his hip was badly bruised, and then there was the cactus needles. It looked like Ezra had managed to get most of them out, but some were short and he was going to have some trouble getting those out, it was going to cause Ezra a lot of pain. What he was most worried about was the infected wound on his head and the effects the sun and heat had on his body. He turned to Josiah, "I need lots of cool water and towels, and ask Mary to come up, I don't want Inez to help me, she's too emotionally involve."

"Sure Brother Nathan, I will be right back." All eyes turned to Josiah as he came out the door, knowing what they wanted. "Nathan is still working on him, it's pretty bad, but he doesn't have an answer yet, as to whether Ezra will be all right."

"Can I go in?" Inez asked.

"Not yet, he asked me to get cool water and cloth's, he wants Mary to assist him." He saw the hurt look on Inez's face, "It's nothing personal Inez, he just thinks your too emotionally involved."

"I understand, thank you." She wanted to see him, wanted to hold him and take his pain away, 'why hadn't these feeling shown up sooner' she wondered, maybe they had, just not with such intensity. She began to pace, her mind racing with so many thoughts that she thought she would get dizzy, she needed him to know how she felt about him.

Josiah had gone to tell Mary, of Ezra's condition first, before getting the water and towels. As soon as she heard, she headed for Nathan's, wanting to do all she could to help. She considered Ezra a friend, she admired the way he tried to change, not really changing at all, just letting his true self show, the heart of gold under that emotionless, gamblers exterior. She got to the top of the stairs and saw all the men standing around, Inez was pacing and she could see, love in her eyes? Was that what she saw? Yes, and great concern. "Gentlemen, Inez, how is he?"

"We don't know Mary, Nathan wants you to go in and help him." Chris said.

"All right, I will let you know how he is, as soon as I can."

"Thank you Mary."

"Sure Inez." She opened the door and walked in, seeing Nathan bent over the motionless form of Ezra Standish. As she walked towards the bed, she took in his appearance, her heart sinking at how he looked. His skin was very red, from sunburn, his face was slack, but covered with sweat from the fever in his body. She saw bandages on his head, chest and leg. She wasn't sure what Nathan needed her for, it looked like he had Ezra pretty well taken care of. "Nathan, you asked for me?"

"Yes Mrs. Travis, I need you to help me when I take the cactus needles out of Ezra's leg, it's going to hurt a lot and I need him held still. "

"Sure Nathan, how bad is he?"

"Not good, he's got a high fever, the wound on his head is infected, he could die at any time, until that infection is gone, I have put some herbs on it, all we can do now is wait."

"I am ready to help any way I can."

"Good, Josiah is bringing cool water and towels, when he gets here with them, we need to wipe Ezra's body down with them, to try and bring his fever down and cool his skin."

"All right Nathan, I can do that." She moved to the other side of the bed as Nathan removed the bandage covering Ezra's thigh, she couldn't help noticing what a beautiful thigh he had, she was a woman afterall. She pulled her thoughts back to the task at hand, putting her hands on that thigh, to hold it still while Nathan pulled the needles out, there were 4 or 5 that were just under the skin. She tried to prepare herself for Ezra's reaction to the pain, as Nathan gently cut the skin, to get to the first needle, but nothing could prepare her, his leg jerked under her grasp, he was very strong and it was hard to hold him still. She wanted to cry as Ezra cried out in pain, not waking, however.

"Try to hold him as still as you can Mary, would you rather I get one of the other men to do it?"

"No, I have him now, I just didn't realize how strong he is."

"Yeah, even in his condition, he's got strength in these legs."

It took close to an hour to get all the needles out of his leg, Nathan had to cut his skin for each one, but the cuts were small and not that deep, they bled but would heal quickly. By the time they were done, Mary was practically in tears, from all the pain Ezra had to endure, he had cried out each and every time and she had begun to caress his face, trying to soothe him. Now he was quiet and motionless, the fever in his body making he entire body covered with sweat.
Outside, Inez was in tears, hearing Ezra cry out now and again, for almost an hour. She wanted to run in there and hold him, but she couldn't and it was making her crazy. She wanted to know what they were doing to him, to make him cry out like that, she knew it had to be something that couldn't be helped, but what? Then the door opened and Nathan stepped out, Josiah had taken some water and towels in just after Ezra cried out the first time. "Nathan, how is he?"

"Inez, he's not good, I won't lie to you, he has a high fever and the wound on his head is infected, until that infection is gone, he could die at any time, his body has been through a lot, we got the rest of the cactus needles out of his thigh, but as you probably heard, it caused him a lot of pain."

"Can I see him, please?" Inez pleaded.

"All right, you can help Mary wipe him down, we have to try and get his fever down and his body cooled off."

"Thank you Nathan." Inez hurried into the clinic.

"What are his chances Nathan?" Chris asked.

"If he survives the night, then his chances will be good, but it's going to be a rough night, someone will have to stay with him."

"I think you can count on Inez wanting to stay." Chris replied.

"Yeah, I had no idea she felt that way about him."

"I don't think she did either, until recently." Josiah said.

"Shall we go to the saloon, all we can do now is wait." Nathan knew Ezra was in good hands, Mary and Inez would take good care of him.
It was a long night for Mary and Inez, neither got any sleep, as they took care of Ezra. They wiped down as much of his body as they could, but did not want to see anything they shouldn't, so it was mainly his upper body that they wiped with the cool, wet cloth. Both women were amazed at how muscular Ezra was, considering that he didn't engage in menial labor, they wondered how he stayed like that. Ezra's fever was causing him to have severe nightmares, Inez caressed his face and stroked his hair, trying to soothe him, but it really didn't help much, they hoped his fever broke soon, or Ezra could be in trouble. Inez was having trouble, seeing Ezra like this was breaking her heart and she cried, especially when she replaced the bandage on his thigh, it was bloody and his thigh looked raw and painful.

"Inez, why don't you go get some rest, he will be all right for now."

"Thank you Mary, but I don't think I could sleep."

"Why don't you lay down over there, that way you will we be close, so perhaps you can get some sleep, and Inez, I am happy for you, Ezra is a wonderful man and I am sure his feelings for you will be the same."

"Thanks Mary, I hope your right."

"I am" She smiled at Inez, neither of them had smiled all night, because trying to tend to Ezra was so heartbreaking, his pain and nightmares tore at both their hearts, Nathan had checked in a few times, just checking his injuries, especially the head wound, which seemed to be improving. Mary watched Inez lay down and she was asleep almost immediately, she turned back to Ezra, preparing to wipe him down again, she couldn't believe how hot his skin was and his arms, face, and neck were all very red from sunburn, there were even blisters in a few places. "Come on Ezra, stay with us, you have someone that loves you now." She ran the cloth over his face, gently, wiping away the sweat, he really was very handsome, Inez was very lucky.
In the morning, Nathan came to check on Ezra, Inez was still asleep and Mary was sitting next to Ezra. "How is he Mary?"

"His fever has come down, but it's not gone, he had some very bad nightmares last night, we changed the bandage on his leg and he's quiet right now."

"Thank you Mary, why don't you get some rest, I will watch him now, I need to check that head wound again."

"All right Nathan, Inez has been asleep for a while, she was so tired, but didn't want to sleep, as soon as she laid down though, she was asleep."

"Good, she needs it." He watched Mary leave, then turned his attention to his patient. He could see that Ezra still had a fever, the blankets were pulled up to his chin, and he was very still. That worried him, he had hoped that Ezra would have regained consciousness by now, but his body had been through a lot and he doubted that Ezra got much sleep, after he got these wounds. He took the bandage off of his head, checking for infection, the herbs seemed to have worked, the infection seemed better, but his body still needed to rid itself of the toxins, caused by the infection. He also changed the bandage on his leg again, the wounds were still seeping blood a little and he didn't want that to get infected too. "Hang in there Ezra, you made it through the night, that was the biggest obstacle."
Inez finally woke, she had slept most of the morning, her thoughts immediately went to Ezra, wondering how he was. She sat up and looked around, Nathan was at the back of the room, doing something, she couldn't tell what. Ezra was in the bed, the blankets pulled up to his chin, he was still motionless, so he still had not wakened, that worried her. She stood up and walked to Ezra, she wanted to sit with him. Her movements got Nathan's attention and she saw him turn around and look at her, he looked worried too. "Nathan, how is he?" She asked as she sat down, reaching under the blanket and taking his hand.

"His fever is down, but he hasn't regained consciousness yet, that has me worried." He stood and moved over next to Inez, looking down as Ezra. "How are you feeling Inez?"

"I am fine, I was just tired, what do you think is wrong Nathan?"

"I'm not sure, it could be the head wound, or the fluids his body lost."

"What can we do?"

"Not much but wait, his body is trying to heal itself, he should wake, when he's ready."

"Thank you Nathan."

"Sure Inez, I'm going for breakfast, can I get you anything?"

"No thanks." She watched him leave, she had been waiting for her opportunity to be alone with Ezra. "Ezra, it's Inez, please wake up, I need to tell you how I feel about you, I need to tell you that I love you." She leaned over and gently kissed his lips, they were warm and soft.
Ezra had thought he would go insane if he had one more nightmare, they were making him crazy. Then they finally ended, he had felt the gentle touch of whoever was with him, Inez he thought, all night, it had helped some, but now the only thing he felt was a hand, holding his, again he felt it was Inez. He could hear muffled voices, but couldn't bring himself up from the darkness enough to hear what they were saying, then he felt someone kiss his lips, he knew it was Inez, it had to be. He wanted to return the kiss and hold her in his arms, but he couldn't move and couldn't wake up. He was so frustrated, his mind was ready to wake, but his body wasn't, so he remained in the darkness, alone with his thoughts, just like he had been in the desert. He felt the familiar wave of loneliness wash over his soul, but it didn't last, as the warmth of the hand holding his, brought him back to the knowledge that he wasn't alone.
Inez caressed Ezra cheek with her hand, brushing his hair back off the bandage that went around his head, she couldn't believe how incredibly handsome he was, she hadn't thought it was possible for a man to be that handsome. She felt her heart begin to ache with the feelings she had for him, they grew every day and she couldn't wait to tell him how much she loved him. She pulled the blankets down, so she could check his bandages, the ones around his chest were fine, they were just supporting his broken ribs, but the ones on his thigh needed changing, so she got some fresh bandages off the shelf and changed them, she again marveled at how muscular and trim he was, very puzzled at how he stayed like that. She pulled the covers back up, tucking them around his chin, she heard Ezra moan, she hoped that meant he was waking.

"Inez?" He said so softly she almost didn't hear.

"Yes Ezra, take it easy, you've been through a lot."

"You saved my life." Was all he said, then was out again.

'What did he mean by that?' she wondered, how had she saved his life? She didn't know about the dreams, that got him through the nights, but she would, when Ezra was well enough to tell her. She felt a tear run down her cheek, she just knew he felt the same way about her as she did about him. "I don't know what you meant by that Ezra, but I didn't do anything." She kissed him gently again, then just sat holding his hand.
It was another day before Ezra finally became conscious for any length of time, his fever was down, but not gone and his mind was still a bit fuzzy, but he still remembered the dreams of Inez and how they had brought his feelings for her, to the front of his mind, he needed to tell her He knew she had been with him most of the time, holding his hand, caressing his face, but he had been so out of it, that he didn't remember anything that was said. Now he was awake, Nathan was trying to get him to take some broth, he really didn't want it, but he didn't have the strength to fight Nathan about it, so he drank it.

"You get some more rest Ezra, you need all you can get."

"Thank you Mr. Jackson, where is Inez? I need to talk to her."

"In the saloon I think, I told her it would be a while before you woke, I can go and get her."

"Please, I would be grateful."

"Sure Ezra, I will send her up." Nathan left the clinic, he knew what Ezra wanted to see her about, so he would give them the privacy they needed. He found Inez behind the bar and walked up to her. "Inez, Ezra is awake and asking to see you, I told him I would send you up, don't tire him out."

"I won't Nathan, thank you." She left the saloon quickly, heading straight for the clinic, she couldn't wait to see Ezra and tell him how she felt. She opened the door and stepped slowly in, seeing Ezra's eyes closed, she was afraid he had gone to sleep again, but as she got closer, his beautiful green eyes opened. "Ezra, how are you feeling?"

"Better Inez, thank you."

"Yesterday you thanked me for saving your life, what did you mean?"

"I dreamed of you, at night, it got me through and took away the loneliness I felt out there."

"You dreamed about me? Ezra that's amazing, I dreamed about you too, I knew there was something wrong with you, it made me realize something."

"What's that Darlin?"

"That I love you." She took his hand, holding it tight as she spoke, seeing the love in his eyes, she knew he felt the same and her heart felt like it would explode with joy.

"Inez, my Darlin, I love you too, I always have, since the day you walked into my life, I have just been ignoring it, because I didn't see how a woman like you, would have feelings for a scoundrel like me." He squeezed her hand, then brought it up and gently kissed the back.

"Ezra, your not a scoundrel, well, maybe a little, but that's one of the things I love about you, your a very wonderful man, you just hide it from everyone, but I have seen it." She leaned in, bringing her face to his, gazing deeply into his eyes, letting him see into her soul.
Ezra brought his hand up to her neck, letting his thumb caress her skin, then pulled her down, kissing her deeply, letting the kiss consume his soul, feeling just how much she loved him, in the kiss. He felt Inez bring her hands to his chest, being careful of his ribs, as he deepened the kiss more, wanting to hold her and kiss her as long as possible, he had been holding this all back for so long.
Inez felt her heart melt as Ezra kissed her, the kiss was even more wonderful than she had imagined, she had fantasized many times about what it would be like to kiss those lips of his, especially when he ran his tongue over his bottom lip, that drove her crazy. Now that tongue was entwined with hers, as they continued to let their love flow into each other. Inez finally pulled away, not wanting to tire Ezra. "You rest now Ezra, we have the rest of our lives to explore our feelings, you need to get your strength back." She said that, but the strength she had felt in him, as he kissed her, made her doubt he needed to regain much.

"All right Inez, but you will be here when I wake?"

"I wouldn't be anywhere else." She gently kissed his mouth, then moved to the chair, next to the bed and sat down, holding his hand. The two of them would spend much time exploring their feelings, their love growing with each new day.

THE END!!!

Enid