Either he was alive, or he was dead, but Case Steelgrave was committed to seeing him, and talking with him if that was possible. No man deserved what happened to him, law or not, whether he liked him or not, Guyer had his respect. He rode right to the front of Danforth's house and stepped down, trying his horse to the hitch rail.
He stood for a long moment, then stripped off his gunbelt buckled it, and hung it on over the saddle horn, then removed his frock coat and hung it over his gunbelt, following that with a deep breath he turned and walked to the door the sound of his jingle bobs on his spurs jangling with every step.
He paused once more then boldly knocked on the physician's door. All he could do now was hope for the best.
Sit down, shut up, don't touch anythin'
"I do believe that it is a hired man. Someone who would wait for a kill shot, it was not a quick turn of events, it was carried out by a man who would wait and take the best shot. Speed just happened to move."
The very thought that someone had been laying in wait for lord knows how long gave Addy the chills. "A hired gun ain't gonna quit 'till th' job's done, is he?" Another chilling thought.
The sudden knock on the door startled her, and she jumped to her feet, her hand going to the pistol at her side. "Wait here," she told Leah. Probably wasn't anything, after all, there were likely to be other patients, and trouble wouldn't bother knocking, right?
At the door, she grabbed the shotgun, keeping the barrel pointed down, but she was still ready as she cautiously opened the door.
"Case." She was surprised to see the man there, and looked past him, seeing that his gun rig was hanging on the saddle, and not spotting any immediate danger past him. Besides, weren't Leah's 'men' out there somewhere?
"Time, well, we'll have plenty of that to deal with." Speed said weakly. The effects of the laudanum were almost as bad as the wound itself, though he had not felt much pain, nor did he recall the ride to Danfoth's home and office. "Tired. Sore. really weak. He got me good."
"Fortunately, not good enough!" Johan smiled, allowing himself to relax a bit. "I know you are anxious to be at the end of this, to know what the outcome will be, we all are, but you'll need patience." Although that likely wasn't a mystery to Speed, nor Alice, for that matter. But he did understand their nervousness.
There was a knock on the door, and he stiffened, jumping to his feet, and moving to the bedroom door. "Miss Chappel is seeing to it." He trusted that the stage driver could handle whoever was at the door...
He stood, hat in hand looking at the stage driver holding his arms away from his side to show he was unarmed. Afternoon Addy, Been a while. I'm here to see the Marshall if I might." He was resolute that no matter what, he was not going to make a scene of this, nor cause any trouble. "I am unarmed, as you can plainly see. I had nothing to do with what has happened here, I want to say that to his face. No matter our differences, Addy, was he and I to face one another, as we have before, I would not be so low as to bushwack him. No man deserves that. If you'll let me pass, and tell the Doctor I'm here."
There was a knock on the door, and he stiffened, jumping to his feet, and moving to the bedroom door. "Miss Chappel is seeing to it." He trusted that the stage driver could handle whoever was at the door...
Sit down, shut up, don't touch anythin'
Addy frowned, nodding, but not yet stepping aside. Case seemed sincere, and he was certainly unarmed, but that didn't mean there wasn't some trickery going on, and with Speed injured in the exam room, and Leah in the kitchen, Addy didn't want to take any chances.
"I ain't sure how good Marshal Guyer's doin'," she commented, finally stepping back to let him into the entry, "nor if he's awake." That was the truth, she'd just assumed things were going, well, at least not bad, or they'd have heard. "Have a seat here, Case," she added, loudly enough that Leah would hear her in the kitchen and make her own decision on what she wanted to do. "I'll see what th' Doc has ta say."
Keeping an eye on Case, she cracked open the door to the room where Speed and the others were. "Case Steelegrave's here, wants ta see Speed."
Leah froze for a moment, then set her cup and saucer aside as she got to her feet, she had given the boys the slip, not wanting a scene out front of the Doctor's place. She rose to her feet and strode out of the kitchen, "Brother." She greeted.
"Little sister, "Case replied looking at her as he stood. "I'm not here for trouble, I'm here to speak with Guyer, tell him I had nothing to do with what happened. I got word and thought to take the chance to clear that up. No man deserves to be ambushed as I heard he was"
meanwhile...
Keeping an eye on Case, she cracked open the door to the room where Speed and the others were. "Case Steelegrave's here, wants ta see Speed."
Alice knew who Case was, though she had never seen him in person. Could this be an attempt to finish the job? Was he here to hurt any one of them? And her without her Henry rifle. She looked to the Doctor, then to the door and Addy, and back to Jonah Danforth.
"All right, then." Addy opened the door to the exam room wider, then handed Alice the shotgun before stepping back where she could watch the front door, her hand resting on the grip of her pistol. Glancing at Leah, she gave a smile and a nod. At least now they knew that Speed was still alive.
"You can talk to him for a moment," Jonah commented, "but I don't want him stressed. Miss Fletcher will tell you when it's been enough." He was certain that the young woman would be the best judge and fiercest advocate for Speed until he was feeling stronger.
"All right, then." Addy opened the door to the exam room wider, then handed Alice the shotgun before stepping back where she could watch the front door, her hand resting on the grip of her pistol. Glancing at Leah, she gave a smile and a nod. At least now they knew that Speed was still alive.
"Be no need of that shotgun, Addy." Case said as he walked through the door of the room seeing a pale, gaunt Speed Guyer.
"You can talk to him for a moment," Jonah commented, "but I don't want him stressed. Miss Fletcher will tell you when it's been enough." He was certain that the young woman would be the best judge and fiercest advocate for Speed until he was feeling stronger.
"Thank you, Doc, won't take too much time." He said, looking from Speed to Jonah and back. "You hear me alright."
"I can." Came a weak response.
"I want you to hear this from me, we've had our difference, and prob'ly still will. I didn't have anything to do with this, none of my boys had a hand in this, or I'd'a delivered the body to Pike or whoever." He held up a hand. " don't hire my killin' done. I plan to look into this. You rest, Marshal, get yer strength back." He stepped back.
"Thanks again, Doc. Ma'am." He nodded, and spoke to Alice. Then without another word, he turned on a heel and walked out, stopping next to Leah, "Not sure who done this, but I plan to find out. Watch yerself, Pa's not real happy with you. I need to get in the wind, been here too long."
"Let me walk out with you, by now my men have figured out where I am." Leah said and took his arm.
Sit down, shut up, don't touch anythin'
As Case and Leah headed for the porch, Addy kept her position at the doorway to the room where Speed was. She believed that Case wasn't up to anything more than he'd said, but she wasn't going to let down her guard until Case was well down the road.
"Can't say as I quite don't think there's somethin' more ta Case Steelegrave showin' up here," she commented, "but then, what he said, 'bout shootin' ya up front, an' you knowin' it was him...does seem more like what he'd do, were he ta do it."
"The law is the law."
"Mining's not everyone's choice of hobbies, it just happens to be mine."
"No, wasn't him." Speed said quietly, "Expect it was - quite the risk," He paused mid-sentence, "coming here like that, and not wearing his gun." Again he broke, then added, "Wasn't him, or his crowd."
Speed Guyer was weak as a toddler, the fact is, he was exhausted. It had been all he could do to speak after Case left. To know he could not have defended himself, had there been reason to, shocked him, and the pain returned as the laudanum wore off.
Alice stood, holding his hand, beside the bed, "Rest Speed, you just rest for now. I'll be here." She said, tears forming and escaping down her cheeks.
