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Ezra gazed at the dust covered unshaven faces that surrounded him. "Now fine sir we do not want to have to ask again. Where is that bounty hunter friend of yours, Mr. Tanner?" The man who spoke gripped the gamblers chin roughly. Standish's wrists were bound tightly behind his back. His over coat and suit coat had long been stripped from him, leaving him shivering in the winter night. He attempted to wiggle his fingers and wrists to loosen the ropes. Things were due to turn ugly. Ezra's ever present smile graced his clean shaven dimpled face again as he once again stated in his quiet slightly southern drawl he had no idea. This response earned him a vicious double blow to the abdomen. The air forcibly whooshed from his lungs and he doubled up fighting for breath. He should have hit the frozen ground but a set of unseen hands gripped his upper arms and kept him from falling to the earth. "I grow tired of asking. Where is Tanner?" The older man wrenched Ezra's head up by his shortly cropped brown hair.

A crooked smile etched the gamblers features, "And I'm tired of telling you," Ezra breathed, " I don't know who you're talking about." Ezra's answer won him twin blows to the jaw. His head snapped around spraying blood from his mouth as pain exploded inside his jaw, he could feel his molars rip and tear the soft tissue of his cheeks, blood filled his mouth and drooled from the corners of his lips. Ezra's ears rang and he felt himself slip to the ground. He could not get his eyes to focus readily. Hands hauled him back to his feet but his knees were like water and would not support his weight, as the world spun out of control, his captors held him up.

"I am getting tired of this." the interrogator said.

Through swollen cut lips with blood drooling from his mouth the gambler smiled, " You and me both."

Again the man grabbed the younger man's now bruised jaw, "Then tell me where he is."

The interrogator knew he would not get his answer, Ezra confirmed it when he smiled, closed his eyes and shook his head 'no.'

"Loosen his tongue."

The blows began to rain down on him. Standish crumpled to the earth, fists and feet pummeled his body. After one particular blow to the ribs he cried out as a rib or two gave way. Blood flowed freely from his nose and mouth. He tried to curl into a fetal position anything to protect his ribs and face but his back took blows just as easily. "O.k. lets see if he's willing to talk now." They hauled him to his feet, Ezra could not get his legs to respond to the simple order to stand. He was like an unstrung puppet.

"Now son where is Tanner?" Ezra's once crisp green gray eyes were blood shot and swollen, they rolled slightly back in his head. Seeing this the older man shook the gambler again, trying to revive him. "Where is he?" He hissed with frustration. Ezra's stomach lurched upward his nausea exploded and vomit shot from his swollen mouth covering his captor. "You dare not do that." With that he viciously back handed the gambler, Ezra's consciousness left him in a brilliant explosion of color, he never felt his head bang off the frozen ground of the alley.

"Leave him." The older man stared one last time at the once well dressed gambler. He should have been the easiest one to break. As a con man and gambler Ezra Standish should have held an allegiance to no one but himself but apparently he read the gambler wrong. The older man followed his men out of the darkened alley, leaving the gambler in a tied heap in the frozen night.

Ezra did not know how long he laid on the ground or where exactly he was or what happened. What he did know was that he hurt all over, his teeth chattered and he shivered uncontrollably. With every shake his ribs screamed in hot fiery protest. He tried to open his eyes but his lids felt like they were stuck together. He tried to move his hands but they would not respond. He figured out he was laying on his side. Ezra attempted to raise his head and was rewarded with a sharp blinding pain that almost threw him comfortably back into unconsciousness. He rolled onto his knees, resting his forehead on the cold solid mud hoping he wouldn't retch. Leaning heavily against the wooden building Ezra shimmied himself to his feet. His knees shook and threatened to fold unable to put his hands out for balance he used his shoulder as a guide as he stumbled down the alley. One foot in front of the other, one foot in front of the other, it was so cold, he hurt so bad.

Ezra could make out the street. He finally made it to main street and instinctively lurched to the saloon. He did not plan on going to the saloon, his mind was not working on a thinking upper intelligence level, but on instinct only, the saloon was a beacon or a den a place he knew a place of relative safety. If he met people on the board walk he did not register them nor did they make themselves known. Somewhere deep down in his mind he recognized the saloon and stepped through the door. The light was blinding he would have brought his hands up to shield his damaged eyes but they were still tied behind his back. The warmth blasted him like desert heat. He paused for a moment he made it to his destination but he was unable to plan on what to do next.

"Ezra?" Buck recognized the gambler, He sat at a table with Josiah and Chris. Josiah and Chris both swiveled in their seats to see what caused Buck to look so surprised. There standing in the saloon door way with his hands tied behind his back swayed Ezra. His usually clean white shirt and printed vest were awash with dirt, blood and vomit. His jacket was missing. One eye was black and swollen closed, blood ran freely from both nostrils abrasions adorned his flushed cheeks.

All three immediately jumped to their feet and hastily made their way over to him. Buck and Josiah each grabbed an arm and led him to a chair. Chris quickly and cleanly cut the ropes that bond his friends cut wrists. "Ease him down here," Buck said pulling out a chair with his free hand.

Josiah guided the gambler down, "Get us a Whiskey over here." Josiah shouted he then turned his attention to his friend, "Ezra...Ezra you hear me?" He held the gambler's head up and leaned him back in the chair.

"I'm gonna go get Nate." Buck said hurrying out the door.

Chris took the bandana out of his pocket and wiped the clinging vomit and blood from the gambler's swollen mouth. Ezra mumbled and tried to swipe Larabee's hand away.

The barmaid handed Josiah a double shot of whiskey and the bottle. "O.K. Ezra drink this." Chris held the gambler's head steady as Josiah gently forced the whiskey down. Ezra gagged and finally swallowed. Josiah forced the whole double shot down.

Ezra only vaguely realized what was going on. He could not make out the features or the voices around him but he some how knew he was in the saloon and therefore safe. His fogged mind did not register the distinctive tobacco smell of the saloon or the clatter of voices and glass mugs and shot glasses, he was not even aware of his own teeth chattering.

"He's freezing." Chris said as he felt the gambler's hands and forehead. Larabee grabbed a coat from a chair behind him. The owner was about to complain but look from Larabee stopped it, and draped it over Standish's shoulders. "Ezra what happened?" Larabee asked trying to get the swollen roving eyes to focus on his face.

Blood ran down the back of Ezra's throat from his nose some of it ran down his trachea triggering a cough. Pain ripped through his body as his ribs cried out in protest as the cough automatically caused muscle contractions, blood and saliva shot out, he instinctively tried to curl up and would have fallen out of his chair if Josiah and Chris did not hold on to him.

Nathan, Buck and J.D burst through the saloon doors, "Whoa what happened? Who did that to him?" J.D. asked as he laid eyes on beaten gambler.

Nate quickly and efficiently knelt beside his friend and ran his hands over Ezra. "Hold on Ezra your gonna be okay." Without looking up or stopping what he was doing he added, "He needs to be warmed up. Buck, you and J.D. draw up a hot bath in the back."

"Not a problem." Buck grabbed J.D. by the collar and hauled him to the back of the saloon.

"Chris we need to lay him down and wrap these ribs up he's got about 3 broken ones."

Larabee nodded tightly. Together Larabee and Josiah eased the gambler to buckling legs. He cried out hoarsely as his arms were raised to shoulder height. Without a word the giant Josiah effortlessly swung Ezra up and cradled him child like in his arms.

"That'll work" Chris chuckled. He lifted Ezra's neck up and rested his bloodied head against Josiah's shoulder.

Within twenty minutes they were warming him up in the hot water bath that J.D. and Buck had drawn up.

Nate kept the gambler from sliding under the water and drowning as Josiah gently washed his face. It was hard not to touch a tender spot. The once clean shaven face became distorted with swelling and abrasions. Every once in a while Ezra would fight and splash about mumbling, at times like these Buck and Chris would hold his arms as Nate tried to convince him that everything was all right. As the water started to cool off , Chris asked Buck and J.D. to make sure that a room was ready.

Ezra lived in a room above the saloon but they did not want to bring him back out into through the main floor. In a few minutes they had him settled under a quilt in a double bed in a back room of the saloon. Dolly, a working girl from the saloon, placed a porcelain pitcher of water on the night stand which stood next to the bed.

"He's going to be O.K. isn't he Mr. Larabee? Ezra's always been nice to me. I hope you find who did this to him and get even." Dolly was a pretty blonde haired girl and kept herself clean.

Buck put his arms brotherly around her slender shoulders and led her out the door, "He's gonna be fine." He shut the door behind her.

Once the five were alone in the room Buck gazed down at his friend and then turned the others, " What are we going to do?" Nate fixed the blankets up around Ezra's shoulders and placed an ice cold clothe over his swollen eye. Even in the soft light of the kerosene lamps he looked terrible.

"Well Ezra probably won't be able to help us for awhile and that's if he remembers who did this and why." Nate watched the slow rise and fall of his patients chest through the
quilt. His breath came in shallow rasps rattling softly somewhere in his throat.

"Why wouldn't he remember? How could he forget who did this?" J.D. asked incredulously.

Buck shook his head, "His head's been hit pretty hard, sometimes when that happens you loose your memory of what happened." To stress his point Buck gently eased Ezra's head to one side and carefully peeled back the wet cloth, revealing the bruising and swelling around the jaw and eye. Ezra groaned softly between cut and swollen lips and rolled his head to one side. "Easy Ezra you're gonna be okay."

"We wait. Whoever did this might come back to finish the job. Someone stays with him around the clock. The rest of us will keep our eyes and ears open." Larabee said pushing himself off the wall.

Ezra did not really want to wake up. He enjoyed a good night's rest. But as consciousness slowly ebbed its way up out of the well of blackness, pain began to register. What started out as a dull ache in his head became more and more intense, it was becoming arguably the worst headache of his life. He groaned and tried to raise his hand to his head this sparked a new infuriating pain through his side. "Oh no.." he moaned quietly trying desperately not to disturb his head or ribs again. Maybe he could slip back to sleep.

Then a voice penetrated the fog and pain. "Hey Ezra you in there?" At first Ezra did not recognize the voice. He was forced to open his eyes. It took along time for them to focus on the young smiling features.

"J.D.?" His voice was hoarse and barely a whisper his jaw burned with the movement.

The face disappeared briefly and then he heard, " Hey Buck Buck he's waking up."

Soon Buck Wilmington's face was peering down at him. He smiled, "Hey Ezra how are you feeling?" He watched Ezra closely his eyes were still glazed and half hooded. It was nearly four a.m. the sun was just beginning to crack over the horizon. The lamps still burned throwing long soft shadows in the room.

"What happened?" He ran his tongue over his loosened teeth and his lips.

"Here drink this." Buck carefully raised Ezra's head off the pillow and gently tipped water down his throat. The gambler grimaced and sighed a thanks when Buck eased his head back down on the pillow.

"You really don't remember what happened?" J. D. asked.

Ezra stared at the younger man confused and then at Buck. It slowly dawned on him that he was not in his own room certain things were in the wrong places. Why were Buck and J.D. in the room? Did he get drunk, no not likely, he did not drink to excess, normally. He tried to sit up but pain ripped through him. Buck easily laid him back.It felt as if lead ran through his veins.

"You got beat up pretty good last p.m. we were hoping you could tell us."

The gambler stared incredulously at the gunman. He couldn't believe it but the pain that tormented his body said it was true. "Did they knock out any teeth?" he asked running his tongue once again tentatively over his film covered teeth searching for any tell tale gaps. It hurt even to move his tongue.

Buck smiled. At least he had his sense of humor. "No your smile will be as engrossing as always for the young ladies." He paused for a moment and then added, "Once all the bruises and swelling go away."

Buck watched as Ezra slightly nodded his head, his half open eyes started to flutter closed he fought it for a while and muttered, "Why?"

"We don't know, but don't worry we'll find out." J.D. stated with the brashness of a young man. Again Ezra merely, almost imperceptibly , nodded . His eyes blinked closed he struggled to open them but eventually he lost and slipped back to sleep. J.D. looked up worriedly to Buck.

"He'll be ok just needs to sleep." Wilmington said settling back down in his chair leaning against the wall and propping his feet up on the bed.

Seven thirty that morning Buck and J.D. ate breakfast with Josiah and Chris they looked up casually as Nate walked down the stairs of the saloon and joined the group.

"How is he?" Chris asked as he spooned eggs onto his toast.

"Sleeping." Nate answered sitting down reaching for a biscuit.

Josiah looked over at Buck, "He say anything when he came too?"

Buck yawned and stretched he had been awake all night after breakfast he intended to catch some sleep himself. "No he doesn't remember what happened." Buck answered , " Oh and he wondered if they knocked out any teeth." This got a chuckle from the group. Ezra constantly worried about appearances. Image is everything, he had once told J.D.

"Did you guys find out anything?" J.D. asked.

Larabee swallowed his egg and shook his head no, "But we keep looking. Josiah you stay with him this morning just in case. The rest of us spread out and start asking questions."

They all nodded in agreement.

"When's Vin coming back?" Nathan asked pushing back from the table.

Chris shrugged and asked, "Anybody know where he went?"

Silence hung over the table until J.D. made an innocent observation, "Ezra knew."

No one spoke for a moment all action suspended. "What was that?" Buck asked sitting back down.

J.D. not understanding what was transpiring took another bite of his biscuit and spoke with his mouth full, "Ezra knew where he was going because he asked Vin to bring something, I don't know what, back from whereever it was he was going." J.D. took a swig of milk to wash his biscuit down and finally noticed the questioning looks that crossed the table. "What? What did I say?"

He got ignored as Nathan openly asked the question everyone was thinking, "Do you think that's what got Ezra beat up?"

Josiah ran his massive hand over his square jaw, "Could be but why?"

Silence hung over the table, "Who would be after Vin?" J.D. asked. This got everyone staring at him. "What?!" Buck shook his head, the kid had alot to learn.

Ezra did not feel any better when he woke up this time. It took a while for his eyes to focus crisply on the wood beamed ceiling. Eventually the room stopped spinning. He noticed the kerosene lights were off but the room was bright with sunlight. It was day. He smiled.

"Well at least your in a good mood." The voice shocked him and he jumped this earned him searing pain that caused him to groan. When he opened his eyes again he was surprised to see Josiah leaning over him laughing.

"Not funny dear sir." Ezra said. He followed Josiah's movements with his head, Josiah took a cold damp rag from a porcelain washbasin, wrung it out and rested it on the gambler's bruised forehead. "How long have you been here?" His voice sounded hoarse and tired.

"Since seven thirty or eight?" Josiah chuckled knowing full well what he was doing.

Ezra tried another tack, "What time is it now?"

"A little after noon." Josiah stood up a stretched.

Ezra felt a twinge of envy. He tried to stretch but rewarded his trouble with burning pain. Another ache suddenly came to the fore front, He attempted to sit up groaning as he wiggled onto his elbows.

"Whoa what are you doing?" Josiah asked as he saw that the gambler was trying to get up.

"I have got to relieve myself, and soon." Ezra said with a touch of urgency to his faint southern drawl.

"Oh okay." Josiah hastily tried to haul him up.

"Ow ow no wait wait." Ezra gripped the front of Josiah's shirt and slowly pulled himself up into a sitting position. He shook with exertion, his arms trembling, and leaned his head against his friend. "God that hurts." He breathed trying hard not to breathe hard.

"You okay?" Josiah asked. All he could see was the back of the gamblers neck and shoulders and even they were bruised.

"Yeah, let's go." Soon Ezra was sitting hunched on the edge of the bed holding onto Josiah for support. He brought his hand up to his face the world was spinning out of control, "Ohh, this is not good." Standish whispered fighting off a wave of nausea.

"You want to lay back down." Josiah asked

"God no, I made it this far." He paused for a moment. "Okay let's go." There was no gentle pain free way to get to his bare feet.

Josiah easily supported more than half of Ezra's weight. The gambler's knees threatened to buckle, his stomach threatened to empty itself violently.

"You hanging in there?" The preacher smiled but Ezra could not see it because he had his eyes closed and was leaning into the older man.

Just then Buck entered the room saw the two men and laughed, "Oh excuse me if you two want to be alone I can come back later."

With his forehead buried in Josiah's chest Ezra muttered, "Oh shut up Buck." Buck and Josiah laughed.

+ + + + + + +

Buck and Josiah propped Ezra up in bed. The quilt lay across his midsection. The tight bandages Nathan had tied around his ribs hid the dark purplish bruises that graced his upper torso.

"You comfortable?" Buck asked handing him a glass of water.

"Yeah." Ezra smiled half heartedly gingerly fingering his swollen left eye. It still did not focus very well.

"Do you remember anything from last night?" Josiah asked leaning against the wall, "and quit playing with your eye."

 Ezra tentatively pressed on the upper lid one last time, " No I don't, the last thing I recall is.." he thought for a moment then his face brightened, " playing black jack with that clown from Missouri. He gave up a hundred dollars."

Buck and Josiah looked at each other with raised eye brows. $100.00, not bad. "That was two nights ago. Do you remember where Vin went?" Buck asked pushing himself off the wall and sitting in the chair next to the bed.

 Ezra watched him for a second confused and then looked to Josiah finallyand shook his head, that earned him an increase in the ache in his head "No, should I?" Ezra felt so confused, he hurt so bad.

"We think that's why you got beat on. Someone's looking for Tanner and you're the only one who knows where he is." Buck said leaning back in the chair.

"Really? Me why would I know where Mr. Tanner went off too?" Ezra asked. He ran his hands tenderly over his injured eye. God his head hurt. He tried to sigh but it triggered pain in his ribs.

Josiah watched his friend quietly for a moment. Funny thing about people they never quite do what you expect of them. Standish held an allegiance to no one, he made it clear when he first got roped into working with Larabee and the others. Josiah did not hold it against the gambler it was Ezra's nature or so the preacher thought until now. Standish took a serious beating for something or someone.

+ + + + + + +

The sun had set in a brilliant array of colors. It was cooling off again, winter still held its grip on the night. The five men sat around an old wooden table eating dinner in a corner of the saloon.

"Think we should bring Ezra up some food?" J.D. asked between a bite of steak.

"Nah Dotty was up there and left a tray, said he was sleeping." Josiah answered slopping up gravy with a hunk of bread.

"Anyone find out anything?" Larabee asked gazing up from his plate. Everyone shook there head or muttered nah.

There was a creaking on the floor boards on the balcony that grabbed Buck's attention. He looked up and spotted the gambler walking unsteadily toward the stairs. "Well look who's up and moving around." Buck indicated with his chin.

Ezra had made it to the top of the broad wooden stair case. He gripped the railing and stalled swaying back and forth. He stood wearing only pants with the suspenders hanging down by his legs and a white shirt left uncharacteristically untucked. Standish hesitated, did he really want to go down those stairs, his legs shook with exertion, but he was hungry. The tray of food they had left him had cooled and crusted over. He wanted a decent meal. Gripping the hand rail, oblivious to the noise and commotion of the saloon, he carefully placed a bare foot down and started to descend the steps.

"Think someone ought to help him?" Buck asked smiling. Standish normally a smooth sly mover now picked his way down the steps like an old lady.

"No, he's either really hungry or this will teach him a lesson or both." Nathan remarked watching his limping friend.

"Hey Ezra it's gonna be breakfast by the time you get down here if you keep that pace up." Buck taunted laughing.

Standish did not take his mind from his task but smiled half heartedly, he would get even with Wilmington. Finally he reached the table to a soft round of applause, "Thank you, you're all so kind." The gambler gently eased himself into a chair, the loss of color in his face gave clear indication that his ribs protested.

Larabee smiled as the group joked and kidded the gambler, but his thoughts quickly turned inward as they often did. What if Standish did give up Tanner, if in fact it was the bounty hunter they were after, maybe that's why Ezra was not killed; what if it was someone who was just upset at being beaten at cards or one of Ezra's many victims of his cons. Larabee watched Standish, the gambler smiled easily, was a good friend and good in a pinch. Chris, over the past months had grown to respect the con man and trust him as with the rest of the group. But still Standish worked on the outer fringes of the law and someone may have finally decided to take their pound of flesh. Chris cursed silently. If Vin did not appear by tomorrow the they would start looking in earnest for the tracker.

The saloon was quickly filling with regular and new patrons. The group sat talking over dirty dinner plates and half drunk mugs of beer. Ezra had barely touched his food merely pushing it around his plate and his draft sat untouched on the table. His stomach really was not ready for a full meal.

"Ezra you gonna eat those potatoes?" J.D. asked. The gambler faced the younger man who sat with his back to the saloon door. The door opened letting in a swirl of cold air and kicking up a small pool of dust, behind it entered an older man. He caught Standish's attention. The man was well built, no stranger to hard work, but wore decidedly city clothes, he stood a half head taller than the gambler, more Josiah's height. He confidently made his way over to the bar. Ezra never took his eyes off the slightly graying gentleman, he knew that face from somewhere, but could not quite place it.

"Ezra the potatoes?" J.D. persisted. The gambler absently slid the plate to the younger man and slowly climbed to his feet, never glancing away from the stranger at the bar. Chris, Buck and Josiah noticed the gaze. They tried to follow the gambler's stare but alot of people stood at the bar.

"Ezra you see something?" Buck asked. Standish's right hand quietly and automatically slipped to where his holster and gun should have sat next to his hip. It closed on empty air. Ezra watched the man his heart racing and he began sweating.

The gentleman at the bar, unaware that he was under scrutiny spoke loudly to the barkeep, "I grow tired of waiting. I want service, now."

With that Ezra's expression changed, the questionable look had suddenly disappeared like a door slamming down and anger took its place.

Larabee saw it. A gun had somehow materialized in Ezra's hand. He tried to raise his arm but the broken ribs easily prevented him from bringing his gun hand up to shoulder level.

Josiah quickly stood up beside his friend and quickly realized it was his gun Ezra held.

Buck and Nathan stood also. "Don't do anything rash Ezra." Wilmington said half in jest, there was murder in the gamblers expression.

Standish ignored them and stepped around the table never removing his gaze from his quarry.

Just then the saloon doors opened and in stepped Vin Tanner. He spotted his group of friends before any of them saw him and casually made his way over to them.

The gentleman at the bar turned and recognized Vin.

"Get down Tanner!" Ezra spoke sharply. Standish tried to bring the gun up a second time but his muscles would not respond. The well dressed man at the bar drew his gun and aimed it first at Vin, who hit the floor in a short but spectacular dive. Without that target he confidently switched his attention and gun to Ezra.

"Well, well Mr. Standish you told me you did not know a Mr. Vincent Tanner, it seemed you lied." The man smiled stepping away from the bar keeping his back to the wall making his way discreetly toward the door.

"You didn't say please." Standish took a few steps forward following his adversary, the gun still held at his side.

"But I did and you persisted on having smart comments.You were not much help but were good practice for my left jab." The man smiled.

"I'm sure but my memory of the other night isn't very clear." Ezra stood between Vin and the potential assassin. The other five had drawn their own guns. The saloon had fallen deathly silent with half its patrons on the floor and others huddling over tables.

"There is no way out of here Mr...?" Larabee said with quiet confidence of a man who does not get ruffled easily.

"Hilock, Jeff Hilock." Mr. Hilock answered tipping his hand to his forehead as if he had a hat on. "And oh yes there is , you see if you don't I'll just shoot Mr. Standish here."

"What is it with you?" Ezra said exasperated. "Why me? Mr. Tanner what have you done to this man that has made these last few days so uncomfortable for me?"

Vin, now laying on his back, slid his mare's leg from its holster. "Brought his brother in for murder and he was hung for it."

"Hilock just put your gun down and walk out of here, you're not wanted for anything you could leave this whole mess behind." Buck said smiling in his easy manner.

"He hasn't done anything? Have you lost all your good sense? He nearly killed me.....I think." Ezra stammered.

"Tanner is going to pay and I'll shoot Mr. Standish here if I have too."

"Me? Leave me out of it?" Ezra spoke over his shoulder to Vin, "If he shoots me you'll never be able to make this up to me."

What happened that caused Mr. Hilock to decide to fire, no one knows, but suddenly his body position shifted, the tension in his arm changed and he squeezed the trigger.

Vin in the same moment grabbed the unsteady gambler by the suspender strap and hurled him out of the way, as the room erupted in gunfire.

Hilock crumbled to the saloon floor, his life ending in a sudden barrage of bullets.

Tanner slowly climbed to his feet with the aid of Josiah, "You ok vin?"

"Yeah." Tanner turned his attention to Ezra who lay curled on the floor, next to an over turned table, fighting for breath but trying not to breathe too deeply. "Hey Ezra you all right?" Vin knelt beside his friend trying to read Ezra's pale sweating face.

"Go away Mr. Tanner." It was said between clenched teeth.

Vin stared up at Josiah, the hulking preacher wrinkled up his face and shook his head, "Don't pay any attention to him, he's not been himself since yesterday." Josiah turned his attention to the gambler, "Okay, Ezra let's get you back on your feet and upstairs."

"No, I'm comfortable here." Ezra spoke softly, his ribs burned so bad it hurt to talk.

"I'm sure you are but come on, you can't stay here on the floor all night."

As Josiah and Vin eased him into a chair he cried out in pain, taking a decidedly forceful grip on the preacher's upper arm. It hurt to bend over and he could not sit up. He felt nauseous.

"OK on your feet." Together Vin and Josiah hauled him to his feet.

His legs refused to support his weight and the room spun. "I'm going to be sick." He no sooner got the words out that his stomach heaved spewing undigested food down the front of himself. Ezra's eyes rolled back in his head and he thankfully passed out. Once again Josiah carried him up stairs and together he and Vin cleaned the gambler up and put him to bed.

Ezra woke to the sound of snoring. Once he focused his eyes on the surrounding room he slowly realized that he still slept in the room above the saloon. He tenderly felt his eye. It still ached but it did not burn near as much as it did .....hHe was not sure what day it was. The sun shone brilliantly in the small room and the kerosene lights had been turned off. The last thing he clearly remembered was the saloon , Vin and gun fire. "What is going on?" he asked himself quietly not expecting an answer.

He got one, "You okay?"

Standish rolled his head in the direction of the voice realizing someone else was still snoring. Larabee smiled down at him, The gambler blinked and his stomach growled, "Who's snoring?" He licked his lips trying to work moisture back into his mouth. Chris poured a small glass of water and lifted Ezra's head up off the pillow, this small action resulted in fire storm of pain in his midsection. He shut his eyes and moaned.

"Here drink this you'll feel better." Chris said tilting water slowly in the gambler's mouth. Ezra swallowed, the dry tissue in his mouth greedily soaking up most of the fluid.

Chris laid his head back on the pillow, "That's enough for now we don't want you getting sick again." He watched Ezra, who kept his eyes closed trying to ride the last wave of pain out, for a moment. The once well groomed short, light brown hair was disheveled his face black and blue and half of it unsightly swollen. He took a heck of a beating to protect one of the group. It should not have surprised Larabee but it did and for that Chris felt guilty for doubting the con man's integrity.

"Vin's snoring, he's been sitting up here with you since the night he came back."

"Last night?" Standish asked. He rolled his head over to the other side of the room and noticed the tracker sleeping in a chair with a wool blanket across his legs and his feet propped up on the foot of the bed.

"Two nights ago." Larabee corrected. He sat down in a rocking chair beside the bed. He chuckled when he saw Ezra's surprised look. So much for his poker expressions.

Standish held up two fingers and whispered , "Two? Are you sure?" He wrinkled his brow the best he could which was not very much at all.

"Yeah you had a rough couple of nights and the day didn't go much better."

Ezra stared at him questioningly.

"Nathan had to set 2 ribs and you couldn't keep anything down." Larabee stated watching Ezra's expression. "Things leveled out for you early this morning."

Just then the door burst open and Buck in his normal flurry of activity busted in. "Hey how's he doing?" he asked Chris but then spied Ezra staring at him. Buck sat down on the bed and faced the gambler, "Well you're sure looking alot better. How you feeling?" He didn't give the gambler time to answer, "You sure did give us scare these last few nights. Didn't think you'd ever stop getting sick. Nate said it's probably due to the blows to the head you took." Buck noticed Ezra was staring at him with a confused expression, "You don't remember any of it." He paused, Ezra was about to shake his head no when Buck cut him short, "Just as well every time we had to clean you up or rewrap your ribs you fought quite a bit." Wilmington chuckled when he noticed Ezra's confused and partially embarrassed look.

"Don't listen to him Ezra, he's just sore because you split his lip the other night." Josiah butted in in his soft baritone voice as he slid into the room. He wiggled past Chris and stepped behind Buck standing next to Vin.

Tanner jumped awake rubbing his eyes and face tiredly, "Hey he awake, he okay?"The tracker climbed to his feet stretching his arms over his head and arching his back.

"He still looks like he got hit by a train. but at least he's in his right mind...I think." Buck said laughing knowing that he was making Ezra feel uneasy.

 Tanner smiled and stepped to the opposite side of the bed, "You feelin' okay?" Vin felt responsible for what had happened.

Ezra knew it and tried to reassure him, his head throbbed, his ribs burned, and his stomach ached so bad he was not sure if he was hungry or going to be sick, he had not felt this bad in a very long time. "I'm okay." A crooked smile crossed his bruised face, he felt terrible.

Tanner chuckled. Ezra might have the best poker face in the territories but this morning he couldn't hide the lie. Vin let it slide, Josiah had been right, the gambler blamed no one.

"Hey you hungry?" Buck asked, trying to break the ice.

Ezra thought for a moment, "I think so."

"Be right back." Wilmington eased gently off the bed so not to move it so much, broken ribs are very sensitive to movement.

As he headed out the door Chris stopped him with a hand to his shoulder, "Check it with Nate first we don't want a repeat of the last few nights." Wilmington merely nodded.

Fifteen minutes later Buck bound up the steps two at a time, Nathan and J.D. followed behind. Wilmington slowed down when he noticed Chris, Josiah and Vin standing outside the room.

"What's going on?" J.D. asked shifting the weight of the near empty tray.

"He's sleeping." Josiah said softly.

"That's good he needs his rest, J.D. just leave the food in there." The younger man complied silently, slipping in and out of the room, gently closing the door again behind himself as he left.

"He's breathing alot easier ." J.D said as the group headed down the stairs.

"That's real good to hear, I don't think we'll have to worry about keeping him off his feet for the next few days, he's as weak as a newborn, but we have to make sure he doesn't over do it when he starts feeling better." Nate said as they took seats around a breakfast table. Larabee merely nodded, "easy enough."

Nathan proved correct about his assessment of Standish's condition. Ezra slept most of the next two days waking only to eat and relieve himself, both activities required help.

Wilmington decided on the third day that the gambler had to be feeling better when he found Ezra searching the room on shaky legs for a deck of cards. "Nathan said you're suppose stay in bed." Buck entered the room leaving the door slightly ajar. He sat in the rocker propping his feet up on the unmade bed. He watched the gambler, who wore only pants with suspenders undone, pick carefully through the room.

Ezra, unable to bend over or raise his arms above his midsection, was forced to restrict his search to the night stand and window sills. "I don't care what Nathan says. I cannot remain cooped up in here any longer." He picked up folded shirt, having failed at finding cards he dropped it back down in tired anger and frustration, "Where in this God forsaken place can I find a deck of cards?" He threw a sidelong glance at the gunman.

Buck smiled, reaching inside his coat pocket he miraculously produced a poker deck.

"You are an angel my kind sir." Ezra said tentatively crossing the floor and reaching for the deck.

"Ehhehh," Wilmington said smiling wickedly, holding the deck up just out of the gambler's shaky reach. It was like keeping a man dying of thirst from a glass of water. "First, get back where you belong."

Standish hesitated thinking about arguing. Wilmington cut him off, "Ok. I'm out of here." He made the motion of standing up.

"No...Ok. leave but leave the cards." Ezra offered as a solution.

"Nope, I go the cards go." Buck countered in mock seriousness.

Standish thought quickly, "Ok, one game If I win I can keep the cards and you leave but tell Nathan nothing, If you win I stay in that that god forsaken bed another day without argument."

 Wilmington considered it. He had never really beaten Standish in a game of poker, unless it was prearranged. Buck figured with Ezra still recovering from his injuries and not quite as sharp as  usual, he  would have a chance at winning. "It's a bet."

With-in ten minutes Wilmington closed the door to the room, leaving Ezra and the deck of cards, and headed down the stairs to the main saloon. Ezra would have laughed if it didn't hurt so much.

+ + + + + + +

"Well good afternoon Mr. Standish, I didn't expect to see you up and about so soon? How are you feeling?" Mrs. Travis asked.

Ezra smiled his best smile, it was a good day, the warm afternoon sun shone down brilliantly highlighting her long blonde hair. Best of all he beat Buck and won his own freedom. "Just fine Mrs. Travis, Just fine."

She smiled. Mary had had serious reservations about the gambler. He was a con man always looking for an angle that would benefit himself. She had begun to change her opinion when Standish had joined a search to help find her young son and then put himself in danger to protect her boy from harm. All seven had participated but no one forced him to do it. How could she doubt the integrity of a man who helped protect her only child? As she walked past him on the board walk she noticed he stood barefoot.

+ + + + + + +

"Hello Mary." Mrs. Travis turned and smiled at Chris Larabee and Nathan.

"Hello Gentlemen." She placed the wicker basket that she had been carrying on J.D.'s sheriff desk. "Congratulations Nathan you did a good job." she said turning her back on the two men.

Nate glanced over at Chris confused, Larabee merely shrugged. "Congratulations for what?" he asked.

Mrs. Travis turned and faced the two men. "Well Ezra he looks pretty good considering what he's been through."

"Thank you ma'am," Nate said slowly afraid to ask a delicate question, "When did you see Ezra?"

"Just now outside the saloon."

At this both men stared at one another.

"I would suggest that he put on some footwear. It's not quite warm enough for bare feet," Mrs. Travis added as both men hurried out the door.

The End