"The law is the law."
"Mining's not everyone's choice of hobbies, it just happens to be mine."
The dreams were tumultuous, he was struggling to get someplace but hard as he tried he could not, when a voice he recognized, but could not place said, "Yer through!" And shot him. Speed lurched awake, trying to sit up, but he could not, he fell back. His shoulder hurt badly. He looked around and slowly realized where he was.
Doc Danforth's place. He was more alert to the pain, his surroundings, and the fact that he was alive. He breathed a sigh of relief at these facts. it was quiet, where it had seemed noisy, he had been aware of both Alice and Addy and of Case Steelgrave. His head was clearing, and all of that was real, not a dream.
"Speed, you're awake," Alice said as she came through the door drying her hands on a towel. "You didn't sleep very long, and you need the sleep. How do you feel?" A question that perhaps was redundant seeing as how he was wounded.
"Like I been shot." He said, just above a whisper, "Like hell, excuse the expression, shoulder hurts like the dickens!" Yet it was good to see her, even if he could not sit up, he just did not have the strength. "Case was here?" He asked haltingly.
"He was. He wanted to tell you he had no part in this, he didn't do it and he was going to find out who did." Alice explained, "I was surprised that he came, he would be the first one people would suspect." She went on to say, "Addy and Leah went to get something for super from the Lickskillet and should be back any time now, Jonah went to the privy and should be back shortly."
Speed managed a smile. "Wonder what the plan is when I need to go?" He asked, almost in jest. "Anyone else hurt? Hannah, Tyrell, or that kid, Rip was it?" He remembered that they were all in the doorway when he was shot, that he knew for sure.
"Just rest, no one else was shot." She said, taking up his hand. "I'm sure Jonah will give you something for the pain."
Sit down, shut up, don't touch anythin'
With Weedy's help and Clara's careful packaging, Addy and the boy were able to get the food back to the doctor's house while Leah went to fetch some things for the night. Addy announced their arrival, and Jonah called down from upstairs that he was getting cleaned up, so she headed for the kitchen. There, she and Weedy set the food out, but she could tell that the boy was anxious to check on Speed.
"Why doncha go ask Mr. Speed an' Miss Alice if they're ready fer some grub?"
Weedy nodded eagerly, rushing to the room that Addy had pointed out, but then knocking tentatively on the door. "Marshal? Miss Alice? It's Weedy...Porter, can I come in?"
Alice smiled, still holding Speed's hand, "Of course you can, please Weedy do come in." Speed actually smiled, not that he had not smiled at Alice when he saw her and they talked.
"Hello Weedy," He managed, "You stayin' out of trouble, an' mindin' Miss Addy?" He knew that the boy got into mischief from time to time, nothing serious, just those things boys did at his age, but he was a good boy. "I get better, maybe you an' Miss Addy, and Miss Alice here, and me, we could go fishing." His breathing was coming haltingly, the pain was tolerable only so long. Yet he meant what he suggested, his recovery was going to take some time, and he would have the time to do whatever came to mind, at least for a while.
"We could, and pack a big picnic lunch, we could make a day of it. The stream that runs past our place is teaming with fish." Alice added with a smile because she knew that there would be time for such things before winter set in, just as soon as Speed was able.
"Hey, Marshal." Weedy waved uncertainly at Speed, but then slipped all the way into the room, finally breaking into a smile when he was assured that the man wasn't dead! "Yes, sir, I'm staying out of trouble!" Mostly because there hadn't been an opportunity not to, and for now he was on extra-good behavior since there was serious business afoot!
"Fishing?" The boy brightened and nodded eagerly. "I'd like that! Miss Addy doesn't go fishing much, and she really hates cleaning them, and then she burns them when she tries to cook them!" He laughed, but then became more serious. "I'm glad you're all right, sir."
"The law is the law."
"Mining's not everyone's choice of hobbies, it just happens to be mine."
"Yes sir, Master Weedy, it'll be a high time for sure." He smiled, but he went pale with the pain from the exertion. That would be with him for a while, that he knew, and accepted. It was grin and bare it. "You can count on it Weedy, be a grand time." He managed without struggling to much in his speech.
Alice saw the change, "Well, we managed to get a bowl of beef broth, Missus Lutz, Clara, saw to that. So, I'll lend a hand with that, Doctor Danforth, Jonah. I don't know why I'm calling folks we know by their married and professional names. Anyway, Clara sent it along with her well wishes, and Jonah can help get you sat up some so we can get you fed."
Speed smiled. "Calm down honey, take 'er slow. I'll pull through, and we just need time." He said, trying to comfort her. "Broth sounds good, afraid I'm just not up to much else right now, but I might need to use the privy, was Jonah able to lend a hand gettin' me out to it. None to spry at the moment."
"Of course I can help with that." Jonah smiled as he stepped into the room, giving Weedy a quick nod. "Addy is getting the food organized, so you can help with that, Miss Alice, then bring Speed's meal back here."
Now for the unpleasantries, although he understood that the process was embarrassing, not just in the actual process, but in the need for assistance in performing it.
"Weedy, you go along and help with the food." Kid didn't need to get involved in this! Once they were alone, Jonah pulled a plain white porcelain pot with a handle from under the dresser. "So, you can just do your business right here," he told Speed, "are you going to need help with anything?" At least men had a great advantage over the ladies at this, so long as it was just the bladder that needed attending!
"The law is the law."
"Mining's not everyone's choice of hobbies, it just happens to be mine."
"Oh, yeah," He said looking at the porcelain pot made for just this purpose. "I think I can roll up on my side, It'd the left that might object." With some effort he managed to roll onto his side, and complete the task at hand.
"Thaks Doc, been holdin' it a while." Speed said a bit sheepishly. "Just figured out how weak I am, need to rectify that, even though I know it'll be a process. Don't figure to up to full strength for a while, and Doc, Alice? She seem to be alright?"
Hard to tell how others really react to having a loved one wounded if there was no real display of emotion about it, other than comforting the one shot. It was something he had little reason to think about, though he probably should have. Now all that had to happen was for Jonah to toss the contents of the bowl outside, or whatever he intended to do with the contents. "Maybe you have a moment when to deal with that?"
Jonah respectfully turned his back as Speed did his business. "Hopefully by tomorrow you'll be able to get up and make it to the outhouse with a little assistance," he observed, "but right now, the injuries are fresh and you're under some mild sedation." Chances really were, that unless he took a turn for the worse during the night, he would at least be able to make it, slowly, to the outhouse, and to sit up by himself.
Then Speed asked about Alice, and Jonah shrugged, turning back to the bed. "She's' a very strong young woman, and she's very fond of you." He smiled as he draped a cloth over the chamber pot before picking it up. "I'm sure she'll be fine, and I know she'll be a firm task-master, she'll have you hale in no time!"
He chuckled as he picked up the pot to carry it outside, glancing at Weedy, who was waiting in the hall. "You can go back in now."
Nodding, Weedy stepped back into the room, but stopped at the foot of the bed. "Did it hurt much?" he asked Speed, feeling free to have such discussions now that there were no ladies present, "getting shot? Did it hurt? Did you know what had happened?"
"The law is the law."
"Mining's not everyone's choice of hobbies, it just happens to be mine."
Speed could not help but smile at the young man and his question, "You know, it did, and pretty much still does." He said feeling the pain just slightly at the moment. "But Doc Jonah, well he has something for the pain he gives me so it doesn't hurt near as much as it did. Fact is, he says I'll be to sit up tomorrow, as long as I do what I'm told, of course, Alice will see to that."
"So how's supper comin' along, heard you went with the ladies to the Lickskillet to see to it." He asked idle conversation with the boy would satisfy his curiosity some, and let him know that he could ask questions and that he would answer them.
"Shouldn't be but a minute," Weedy answered with a grin, reassured that Speed was going to be all right, "Miz Lutz got everything all ready over at the Lickskillet, so we don't have to worry about Miss Addy doing the cooking!" He moved closer to the bed. "There's soup for you, and maybe later, if you're feeling better, we have some pie, too!"
The boy would be just as happy to pass on the biscuits and stew and go right to the pie! But grown-ups were boring that way, and while he thought Speed might be an ally, right now the man was too weak to be of any help. But maybe later, Weedy could get him to convince Addy to skip supper altogether and get right to the pie!