As they shuffled along the boardwalk, Johan moving backwards with his arms scooped under Hector's shoulders and Clara doing an admirable job of following, supporting the young man's knees. The progress was slow, but soon enough they were around the corner and hopefully safe from the gun-play going on in the street. Keeping up with them, Addy was doing her best to stay alert to any danger. While she was fairly certain that they were out of harm's way, there was no telling in a situation like this what might happen or who might show up!
When they reached the new building, Addy darted ahead of the pair and their burden, opening the door for them. Inside, it was definitely unfinished, there were still some open studs (not counting the doctor), and equipment covered in protective tarps.
"Put him on the desk there..." Currently the only available flat surface. "And if you could get your hand back on that wound, Mrs. Lutz...I need to find some equipment." Equipment that was buried in crates somewhere...
As the pair did the difficult task of carrying an unconscious Hector out of harm's way then toward the unfinished hospital, Clara just had to remark.
"I am quite glad I am still not with child." She'd have never been able to do this. Course Addy could have then she figured.
Reaching the hospital (to be) Addy opened the door for them. In went the trio as Clara looked around, progress was steady but yes, this was definitely not ready for patients. No matter, she had confidence in Doctor Danforth.
Once Hector was placed down he directed her to get back to putting pressure on the wound, Clara nodded.
"Of course!"
And did as she told, what was a little more blood.
Brendan's first shot didn't go precisely where he'd wanted it to, but it accomplished his goal: letting the blonde waitress escape. The man he'd shot in the leg was down, badly injured if not dead, thanks to the newcomer with the Winchester. That left the three men firing at Guyer -- make that two thanks to Ralph -- and the one lone man who'd been trying to get to his horse.
Brendan cursed softly and moved out into the street a little bit. He wanted to avoid hitting the horses if at all possible, but with how spooked they were with the gunfire, it would be hard to get a clean shot at him without collateral damage. He'd let the man with the Winchester handle that for now.
He sprinted further down the street toward the saloon, paused to plant his feet and take a shot at one of the men near the saloon. His shot went wide, smacking into one of the posts that supported the overhang of the saloon. Brendan darted into the nearest side street and hunkered down by the side of a house to try to avoid any bullets that might come his way. He realized he'd been lucky with his first shot, especially for how out of practice he was with his firearms.
It was Anna who opened the door, she knew the young woman from her previous stops into the store, Anna had always given prompt pleasant service.
"Thank goodness, you are all right. I don't how you found your way here considering the maze of back streets but I'm glad you did."
"Somebody shot the man holding me so I ran for it," Constance explained, heart still racing from the terror of it all.
She went up Constance and smiled warmly, "The best place for you right now is inside. Mrs. Wilson always keeps a pot of coffee on the stove and I think you might need a cup."
Constance accompanied her inside then declared, "Not the time for drinking coffee. Mrs. Lutz is out there someplace. I need to see if I can help her."
Which meant get to one of the storefront windows and look for her employer. Hopefully Clara was not shot or god forbid, killed. She had a baby to raise and a husband. She'd already seen one poor gentleman murdered. Least the townsfolk were fighting back.
"I need to look out on the street!" she emphatically pointed out.
His best friend on the Evergreen ranch was now quite obviously dead, sprawled out on his back with a gaping chestwound. More and more locals were coming out of the woodwork to fire at them. The gunman had one thought on his mind, get the hell out of this town any way he could. However he stood by his already skittish horse (what with the gunshots going on) and decided mounting it might not be the best plan. Odds are he wouldn't get far when he'd be shot out of his saddle.
As he stood there mentally debating what might work,another shot rang out from the same direction as the rifleman who had dropped his partner. Instantly he felt a sharp pain, he'd been hit in the boot. God damn, it hurt like hell! There was hole in the shoe leather. No more thinking of riding out so he fell back with a noticeable limp to a horse trough and dropped down almost flat behind it. Maybe his other Evergreeners would get him out this mess.
Actually there were only two still firing away now. The third had fell straight forward and laid still on street a bullet having hit in back between his shoulder blades, he'd dropped his revolver a few feet from him.
Ralph had a hint of a smile, more like satisfaction as he realized he'd shot one of these bastards out of the fight. He noticed Speed give him a slight wave but just then a couple of bullets narrowly missed his head, that worked though. He lowered himself out of sight completely behind the barrel. Shit he only had a pair of rounds left in that six shooter of his. Best conserve them in case one of those peckerheads tried to rush him. Besides the locals had rifles in action now and they seemed to be doing a damned fine job making it miserable for these jaspers.
"The law is the law."
"Mining's not everyone's choice of hobbies, it just happens to be mine."
There was a lull. The two on the boardwalk might be reloading, or it was possibly a trick, but without exposing himself, Giuyer shouted to the two:
"This is Marshal Guyer, throw out them guns and come out hands held high. This is your only chance, I won't repeat it!" That was plain enough, but whether Guyer would stand by the offer was yet to be seen should the two men decide to fight it out.
"You got two minutes!" Guyer added, levering a shell into the Winchester as one ejected and fell to the street.
Morgan watched the wounded gunman make his way over to the horse trough and flop behind it. He had been reluctant to fire on the moving man because any misses might head down the street and catch some innocent party. Now, however, he was a perfectly good target behind his cover. Morgan shouldered the rifle again, then fired and levered several times...sending rounds smacking into the wood and water of the trough. After his third shot he paused, levering the rifle to reload.
"You're in a lot of trouble, amigo! I can keep putting holes in that trough until I get lucky or you can give up to the law...the choice is yours!" Morgan reached under his serape and tugged out some rounds to refill his rifle. His Winchester had a full twenty four inch barrel and a magazine to match. He didn't really need to reload, but habits either kept you alive or got you killed.
Inside the building, a ways off the main street, it was surprisingly quiet, and Jonah appreciated that, although after a few moments even the muted 'ping' of gunfire stopped.
It didn't take him long to find what he needed, and he was soon back with Clara and Hector. "I'll need some help extracting the bullet," he told her, fairly confident she'd be all right, and as a mother, she'd have to learn to deal with blood anyway! "I could use some of that hot water that you fetched for Marshal Guyer, but that's not possible right now."
He grinned at Clara, then set about cleaning around the wound before he started probing with the forceps, trying to find the bullet that would have to come out before he could deal with the collapsed lung. "I think he'll be fine," he murmured, as much to himself as to Clara.
Storyteller / Shared NPC
Colbert lay dead in a pool of blood, Vincent and Freeman were reloading when the marshal called out for them to surrender. that gave them pause.
"There's two Winchesters an' that's more firepower than we can muster, even with four pistols. We got no cover worth a damn. Colbert's had it." Freeman said, actually considering the offer.
Vincent looked at him as he snapped the loading gate shut on one of his two pistols. "I dunno Zeb. They'll hang us sure."
"Maybe, maybe not, we ain't killed nobody," Freeman replied. "They'll kill us sure we stay and fight."
"You ain't thinkin' we got us a chance in hell are ya?" Vincent wanted to know.
Zeb Freeman smiled, "You hear that other feller said? They'll keep shootin' til we're dead. Maybe we go to the pen, but shootin' and not killin' ain't a hangin' offense."
"Prison ain't livin' I know I been there." Del Vincent said bluntly.
"Yeah, well I been there too, an' it's better'n dead." They both fell silent.
----------------------------------------------------
"I ain't got all day, boys!" Speed shouted at them.
Vincent Freeman
Constance accompanied her inside then declared, "Not the time for drinking coffee. Mrs. Lutz is out there someplace. I need to see if I can help her."
Anna nodded. Giving Constance something to help calm her down was her initial priority but it was it was plain to see that wasn't needed at this time. "Clara is fine...I saw her with Doctor Danforth helping one of the men that had been shot."
"I need to look out on the street!" she emphatically pointed out.
"Yes, we should look. Follow me. We can see most of the street from the front left window."
Anna was hoping that when Constance saw that Clara was fine and helping the doctor, her fears would be alleviated.
@ [Wayfarer