8. Chapter 8 (1/2)

sorry for the delay, folks. i've had a few general periods of ill health and, frankly, i find it hard to write jd. apologies to those who love him, but i find the character annoying. i would like to thank everyone who has kindly commented on the story. i do love getting feedback. now, on with the show.

"nathan. nathan! please! put me down. i fear if you continue this em

ace, we may have to marry!"

laughing joyfully, nathan released his friend and stood back to survey his domain with the air of man well satisfied with life. once he was a proper doctor and had moved into the accommodation upstairs, which knowing ezra was very comfortable, he could ask rain for her hand. any children they had wouldn't have far to go to school, in any case. suddenly he sobered as a thought struck him and turned back to the younger man. looking into the happy emerald eyes, he said earnestly, "ez, i can't tell you how sorry i am about what i said and thought about you when i heard about that telegram. after all this time and what we've been through, i should have known you better than to think you'd betray me like that. can you forgive me?"

his happiness dimming a little at the reminder of nathan's ongoing struggle to have faith in him, ezra gave the healer a small smile and replied, "all is forgiven, nathan. what's a misunderstanding between friends? now, i think we should try out the new recovery ward and install josiah as the first patient, don't you?"

"lord, 'siah! in all my excitement, i forgot you was sick. why didn't y'all say something? come with me," scolded the healer, hurrying over to where josiah was sitting on the desk and leaning against chris wearily.

"i want a bath, nathan. i can make it to the bath house," protested the big man as he was hauled to his feet by nathan who ducked under his arm and started to help him towards the back room.

"ya ain't goin' to the bath house; it's too damn cold n' your lungs are too weak. i got me a perfectly good tub out the back, so you just sit in one of them comfy new chairs and i'll heat up some water for ya," soothed nathan, amused at how excited he was to try out his new clinic.

"wood box 's full," drawled vin, moving with ezra to take down the tub. "where do you want the tub?"

seeing that nathan was busy marvelling at the pump that

ought water in from the well out the back, ezra answered, "just set it down by the stove, so 'siah won't catch a chill. not as far to haul the water either."

setting a large, low sided galvanised bucket of water on the stovetop, nathan exclaimed happily, "lookit the size of the stove! i can heat a load of water on here, hell i could cook a meal for ten on here."

"it is also large enough to heat the entire room," agreed ezra proudly, looking around the room. "the surgery should be cold, of course, but there's a smaller wood burner in the consultation room to keep it at a decent temperature in the cold months."

after filling the tub, the men helped josiah to undress and get into the bath. whilst he was soaking, ezra washed his hair and then shaved him, all the while chattering about how he'd ordered all the goods and had local men come in and do the work. once josiah had been dried off and dressed in a clean nightshirt, he was tucked into the bed closest to the stove.

with a contented sigh, the ex-preacher grinned up at ezra as the smaller man fussed about the covers. unable to help himself, he dragged his boy down on the bed and engulfed him in an enormous hug, murmuring, "i'm so proud of you, son. this is a mighty fine thing you've done for nathan, the town and all of us."

embarrassed but pleased, ezra returned the hug unable to form the words for what he was feeling. finally, he patted josiah on the back and pulled away. clearing his throat, he said, "i couldn't have done it without my uncle hamish. without his influence, i may very well have turned out to be just like maude and without his generous legacy i would never have had the funds to do anything on this scale. i'm just pleased that his good deeds will continue even after his passing. uncle hamish was such a kind man, always helping others…"

josiah pulled ezra back into his chest as the southerner choked up at the thought of his uncle. laying a large hand on the back of the gambler's neck, he used the other to rub his boy's back soothingly.

vin leaned against chris' arm, causing the gunslinger to glance down at the younger man. surprised to see tear tracks on the tanned cheeks, chris put his arm around the tracker in a half hug of support earning him a lopsided smile of gratitude, even as vin swiped tears from his now blushing cheeks. knowing his emotions were still raw from his talk with the gambler the night before, vin decided to empty the tub as a means of distracting himself.

after the tub had been hauled out the back by chris and vin, who emptied the water in the plot that ezra had designated the herb garden, it was

ought back in for nathan to dry, polish and hang back on the wall.

by this time, josiah had drunk his tea and fallen asleep, with nathan sitting gleefully in the chair next to him reading on of his new medical texts. ezra seemed to have vanished.

"where's ez?"

looking up from his book with great reluctance, nathan looked at the tracker and told him, "livery."

touching his hat

im in both thanks and farewell, vin turned to chris and tilted his head towards the door. nodding, the black clad man followed his younger

other out.

meanwhile, buck had gone looking for jd and had been everywhere. the jail, the saloon, the restaurant, the livery, the boy's room at the boarding house, hell even the church, but he'd been unable to find him. finally, he went back to the livery to check that jd hadn't doubled back and taken his horse. finding barclay in his stall, buck stopped and stroked the inquisitive horse's velvety muzzle and wondered where else his young friend could be. four corners wasn't that big and he'd checked all the likely places.

it was still, cool and quiet in the large building, the only sounds coming from the shifting of the horses. a faint noise attracted his attention and he turned to watch a beam of light catch the dust sifting from the hayloft, turning it to a sparkling gold shower. acting on a hunch, he clambered up the ladder and was greeting by the sight of jd huddled into a ball of misery amongst the hay bales.

"awww jd," whispered buck, his big heart lurching at the forlorn sight in front of him.

having heard someone climbing the ladder, jd hurriedly swiped the evidence of his crying from his face with a sleeve. knowing that it would still be obvious, he pulled his legs to his chest and hid his hot face on his knees. hearing buck's whisper, he couldn't help a sobbed out

eath and then he was engulfed in the warm em

ace of the man he thought of as his older

other. turning into the

oad chest, he buried his face in buck's rough coat and wrapped his arms around the narrow waist.

they sat like that for a long moment before a muffled voice whispered, "what am i gonna do, buck?"