**********

Ezra collapsed into his bunk and closed his eyes. Hell, he felt tired. Hell, he felt relieved. Hell, he felt happy. The gambler smiled. Everything was okay. Vin was going to make it. Nathan had made it clear that it wasn’t going to be easy, but Vin was going to make it. Yep, everything was just fine. Everything was... not finished. Laura Badden had to have had help, but from whom? And what about the two men that had been pursuing the group even before they had reached Milton? Vin hadn’t mentioned seeing sign of them after Milton, but then the tracker had been preoccupied with Mindez’s Depredates - and what of the Desperadoes? Had they turned and headed for home?

Ezra sighed. There was just too much to consider at the moment. After he had slept, he would mull over these things. Just now, the only thing he wanted to focus on was the fact that Vin had defied the odds and pulled through... just as Ezra had known he would. It had been a sure bet - a bet Ezra’s soul had been staked on.

**********

Chris Larabee strode into the Sheriff’s office. His jingling spurs announced his arrival. Instantly, he noted that the outer office was empty. Drawing his revolver he cautiously entered the jail area.

"You are too late, dog. She is gone!" Mindez laughed loudly.

Swiftly, Chris holstered his gun and began shouting at the gagged and bound deputy that lay on the ground inside the second cell. "Where the hell is she?! What the fuck happened!!"

The Seven’s leader scooped up the keys that had been thrown against the wall, unlocked the cell and ripped the gag from the deputy’s mouth.

"Thanks. I...."

"What the hell happened?"

"I was jumped. Didn’t see anyone."

"How long ago? HOW LONG AGO?!"

The deputy stared up into the enraged green eyes above him and realized instantly that the man in black didn’t give a rat’s ass for his welfare. "A couple of hours, I suppose. I was out for a while."

"Bastard!"

"Look, Mister. I didn’t ask to be knocked out and trussed up like this. She called me and I came in here. Next thing I know, someone hit me from behind. It might have been that soldier that visited her earlier."

"Soldier?!"

"Yeah. Some soldier… Hey! Hey, where the hell are you going?! Aren’t you going to untie me?! HEY!!" The deputy’s breath was wasted. Chris Larabee was gone. Badden had escaped and her victim was still alive.

The citizens of Tentafield paused and watched as the foreboding figure in black raced out of the sheriff’s office, flew down the street, his revolver drawn and disappeared in the doctor’s place.

Chris burst into the clinic only to be met by Buck’s gun.

"Damn it all, Chris. You scared the living..."

"Badden has escaped."

"What?!" Buck exploded. "How?"

"Some soldier helped her by the sound of it."

"A solider!! Jesus!"

Chris nodded. "We were set up. Right from the beginning. All of it. All of it was just to put us in the right place so that she could join us." Larabee glanced at Vin whose eyes were open. "We’re going to have to move him."

"Vin’s got a point, Chris. Besides, what’s the chance that she’s still in town? She and this soldier are probably half way to Australia by now."

"I don’t know." Chris had looked into Laura Badden’s eyes and he had seen the depravity that constituted her soul. This was not a woman who was going to give up easily.

Chris turned to Vin and reholstered his gun. "I’ll get one of the others down here to guard the waiting room and leave Buck in here with you."

"What the hell are you going to do?" Buck asked.

Larabee flicked his eyes to Buck and then back to Vin. "I’m going to...

Chris winked at his young friend. Yeah, there was color returning to the young man’s face, and fire in his veins, even if he still looked exhausted. To support this truth, Vin started blinking.

"Night, Vin," Buck grinned. Then turning to Chris, "He’s right, Chris, about both things. You’re tired...hell, you ain’t slept for almost as long as him. And she was after you. Just used Vin to get at you. If she’s still around …and I really doubt it... she’s likely to aim her bullets at you, pard."

Chris sighed deeply. "We should search the town first."

"Ain’t that easy, Chris. This ain’t our town. These people ain’t gonna take kindly to us bursting..."

"I COULDN’T GIVE A #%*&! WHAT THEY..." Chris’ voice faded out. "Hell, I am tired."

"Yeah, you are. Now why don’t you go up and get some sleep before you shoot someone."

Chris began nodding. He was so tired, he knew he wasn’t thinking straight.

"Chris go on and wake Josiah. He’s had more sleep than the rest of us. Get him to stand at your door..." Larabee’s face darkened. "...oh, come on, Chris! Just in case. No sense taking any chances. Once you and the rest of the boys have had a few hours sleep, we can tear the town apart looking for Badden and her soldier boyfriend!" Buck cried.

"Alright. But..."

"I can look after Vin. Don’t reckon she’s gonna bother with him any more anyway."

"You must be tired too, Buck," Chris remarked.

"I know I am, but no bastard in this room cares."

"Yeah, I am," the scoundrel conceded. "But I snatched forty winks earlier today. Now you go on."

"Yeah, you go on...and let me sleep."

"Two shots, if you need help," Chris ordered.

"I know the signal, Chris."

Chris and Buck finally turned and glanced down at the tracker. Buck was about to say something but paused. "I don’t reckon he’s actually awake," the scoundrel commented, leaning down close to Vin. "He’s talkin’ in his sleep."

"I’m going, Vin," Chris smirked. He knew what Vin was trying to tell him.

Vin closed his eyes and drifted off pleased that his friend had got the message.

**********

Nathan yawned, threw the blankets off, pulled his boots on and headed straight for the telegraph office. He had sent an important message before lying down and he hoped that Dr. Charles had responded by now.

"Good afternoon. You got a telegram for Jackson?" the healer inquired, striding into the small office.

The telegraph operator swallowed and nodded. "Yeah. Did you tell that fancy fella that I gave you the last message?"

Nathan smiled. "Yeah, I told him."

The nervous man across the counter picked up the two-page document. "It’s a long one. How’s that young fella doing? The one that got poisoned?"

"He’s much better, thanks."

Nathan unfolded the sheets and began reading as he headed for the door. He didn’t notice the telegram lying on the counter. The telegram addressed to Chris Larabee. The telegram from Mary describing the desperate situation Four Corners was in.

Nathan scrutinized the piece of paper as he descended the steps and stepped out into the street. Josiah spotted his absorbed friend and shook his head. Damn fool was going to get himself run over by a horse or carriage the way he was going. The preacher crossed the street and fell into step beside his friend. Twice he redirected Nathan out of the path of danger as they headed for the surgery. The healer continued to make thoughtful grunts as he poured over the contents of the document.

Finally, he raised his face. "Hi, Josiah."

"So, what’s that?"

"Message from Dr. Charles. Is everyone up and about?"

"Not sure. Why?"

"I want everyone to collect in the surgery in a few minutes. There are some things we all need to know."

"About Vin? He alright?"

"Yep... well, he will be. If we can keep the damn fool in bed."

Josiah smiled. "About as much a chance of that as J.D. changing his hat."

The preacher moved off, laughing happily at his own joke. Turning, the healer entered the surgery. As he came through the door, Buck reholstered the gun that had snapped into his fist seconds earlier.

"Buck," Nathan nodded. The healer glanced at his patient and then at the mass on the floor on the other side of the bed.

"He refused to leave," Buck explained. "Badden escaped and... well, he refused to leave. He’s afraid she might try to finish the job."

Nathan drew in a deep thoughtful breath. "Maybe," he agreed, glancing down at Chris who was lying on some blankets. "How long he been sleepin’?

"Couple of hours," Buck replied, standing and stretching his back.

"You need to get some sleep," Nathan ordered.

"Yeah, I know it. Now that you’re back, I will."

"Just hang on for a few minutes. I want to explain some things. And I want everyone here when I do."

**********

"Jane, they know you’ve escaped. Looks like they’re having a group meeting in the surgery. And the fella you poisoned... looks like he’s gonna make it."

"What?" Laura cried. Her eyes shadowed with anger. "He can’t, not with the amount of poison that I gave him. There is no way. They must be bluffing," she decided. "Maybe to bring me out into the open."

"Could be," Tom agreed. "So what do we do?"

Laura smiled. "Don’t worry. None of this changes anything. I know exactly what we have to do."

"Why haven’t they started searching for you?"

"Because I’m a woman. They don’t see me as a real threat."

**********

"I say we tear this place apart, plank by plank until we find her," Ezra stated.

"I agree. She still may come after Chris," J.D. claimed.

"Okay, boys," Nathan called. "I want to start." The seven men were crowded into the small surgery all waiting to hear what Nathan had to say. "I just wanted to explain to everyone exactly what Vin’s been through and...

"Hell, Doc. They all know. They was all here."

"Shut up and let the man speak," Chris ordered.

"That’s no way to be speakin’ to a sick man. Hell, Larabee, you’re likely to upset me and then there’s no tellin’ what might happen."

All of the men, including Nathan Jackson, who was annoyed that he had been interrupted, smiled. They were all so damned pleased to hear Vin sounding like himself.

"Like I was saying, I just want to explain to you all exactly what Vin’s body as been through and just what has to be done so he’ll make a full recovery." Nathan waited for Vin to interrupt, but the young man’s face had become serious. "The poison that Badden...."

"Who?

"Oh, you missed out on all of that, didn’t you? Jane’s name is actually Laura Badden," Nathan informed his patient quickly before turning back to the other men. "The poison that Badden gave Vin when we first arrived in Tentafield we got out of him when he was throwing up. But anything she gave him before we arrived here is still in Vin’s system."

"What do you mean?" Buck asked. This didn’t sound good.

"Most of the poison is being stored in Vin’s body."

"I don’t understand. I ain’t sick anymore. A bit tired, but I ain’t sick."

"You look like hell," J.D. commented.

"Thanks a whole hell of a lot, pard."

"Any time," the young sheriff grinned.

"Go on, Nathan," Chris urged, giving J.D. the Larabee glare that effectively told the youth and everyone else in the room that if they interrupted again they would regret it.

"Okay. It is probably easier if I show you," Nathan stated, picking up a large jar of water and holding it up for the others to see. "This is Vin. And this," the healer continued, picking up a cup of sand he had collected specially, "....is the poison that Badden gave him." Nathan tipped the cup of sand into the jar. The sand mixed with the water, the liquid clouding. "That is what Vin was like when the poison was mixing around in his body and making him sick." The other men all sat quietly. The healer paused. "How much poison did I put into the jar?"

"A cup," J.D. muttered.

"Yep. So how much is in there?"

"A cup." J.D. repeated.

"Now watch," the healer ordered, holding the container up. The sand was beginning to settle to the bottom of the jar. "See how the water is becoming clearer? There is less poison mixing around inside of Vin so he’s starting to feel better." The men began to nod. They were starting to understand what Nathan was trying to tell them. Before long, almost all of the sand had settled and the liquid in the jar appeared clear. "And now there is no sand swirling around in the water. But how much sand is in the jar?"

"Still a cup," Buck muttered.

"Exactly. Even though Vin is feeling better, the poison is still in him."

"Watch," Nathan ordered and tapped the jar. A small amount of sand inflated into the liquid. "The poison is dormant in your system, but if you start moving about, this is what is going to happen. The poison is gonna be reabsorbed by your body from where it’s being stored and you are going to feel tired. Then you’ll go to sleep. It’s while you are sleeping that your body will actively fight the poison and destroy it. Do you understand?"

Vin nodded, his eyes focused on the jar.

"Of course, that was just a little bit of movement. Maybe getting up and going to the privy on your own. If you move around more than that..." Nathan tipped the jar and an eighth of the sand lifted and began swirling in the water. "...and this will happen. That’s the headache and the nausea. There’s too much poison moving around for your body to cope with at once so it will just restore it all. It can’t fight that much at once." Nathan tipped the jar again, more than half of the sand lifting. "And that is you, not listening to me, getting out of that bed and thinking you’re well. Your body can’t fight such a large amount of poison so it will just hide it away inside you. Or in terms you’ll understand, Vin, that’s you throwing your guts up again and rolling around on the bed holding your head. Got it."

"All of which means you have got to listen to Nathan," Chris ordered.

"Yeah, I heard."

"We don’t want you getting sick again, Vin," J.D. added.

"You will need to remain in bed for as long as Mr. Jackson deems appropriate."

"No, Brother. We just know you real well."

"We know that you staying in that bed is gonna be difficult for you," Buck stated gently.

"But you are going to have to fight the urge to get up...."

"I ain’t stupid, damn it!! I.....Awww, hell. I’m getting sleepy again."

Nathan smiled. "Good. It means that you have done enough for your body to send some of the poison back into your blood stream where it can fight it. That’s why you’re feeling sleepy. While you’re asleep, your body will dissolve and break down the poison."

"I don’t know exactly, Vin. A couple of days, a week, afortnight. Maybe longer."

"Longer than a fortnight?" Chris asked, watching as Nathan tucked the blankets around his patient.

"Maybe as long as a month."

Chris grimaced. "Great." Just great.

"Ole Vin isn’t going to be able to stay in bed a month."

Chris glanced at Buck. The gunfighter’s face darkened. "Oh, yes he will. Even if it means that we take turns sitting in that chair beside him and make him stay there."

"And what about that bitch? As I said earlier, I say that we search this entire town," Ezra repeated. The fact that he had termed the woman, ‘that bitch’ sent several of his companions’ eyebrows skyward. Ezra was not normally so coarse.

"Badden was a real smart lady. I can’t see her hanging around. She knows that Chris will come after her," Josiah argued.

"We search the town," Chris ordered quietly. "All except you, Buck. You go and get some rest. I’ll stay with Vin. If she tries to finish what she started...I want to be here to deal with it, personally." No one was about to argue with that!

**********

"Mama. Why hasn’t Chris come back to look after us?" Billy Travis asked, watching as his mother bolted the door ready for the onslaught that would be arriving in the next hour.

Mary turned and glanced down at her son. "Mr. Larabee doesn’t know that we need him, Billy. As soon as he does, he’ll come back."

"Mr. Johnson said that Chris and the others aren’t ever coming back."

"That’s just silly," Mary stated, trying to control her temper.

"If Chris can’t come, maybe Vin or Buck or J.D. or one of the others could come back and scare those men away."

Mary picked her little boy up. "Billy, the moment that Chris knows that we need him, he and all of the Seven will come riding back here and scare those men off. I can promise you that." Unless something has happened to them. Unless one or more of them has been hurt. Unless...

**********

"Sorry, Mister. Ain’t seen no soldier and there’s no woman in here. You’re welcome to come in and have a look around if you want. Hell, if there was a woman in here, do you think I’d be standing here talking to you?!" John Badden claimed smiling at Josiah.

The big preacher glanced around the room behind the man. He could see two other men seated on upturned boxes playing cards. Outside of that, the shed appeared to be empty. "Well, if you happen to see a woman fitting the description I gave you, I’d appreciate you letting the sheriff know."

"She some sort of criminal?" John asked innocently.

"Nope. She’s a corpse if my friend catches up with her. Good day to you."

John watched the preacher go and closed the door. Laura and Andrew appeared from behind their brothers who had shielded them from Josiah’s roving eyes.

"It’s time to make our move," Laura grilled. She turned to Andrew. "Get out of that uniform and into some normal clothes. It seems they have realized that a solider helped me. Tom, go and hire us a distraction. Around seven to ten men should do it. And this is what I want you to tell them to do..."

**********