Chapter Text
Winter’s Refuge
Chapter Two Hundred Forty-Four
HEYES
I looked around the dimly lit railcar for Dennis but didn’t see him. “Where is he?”
Dr. Nigel pointed to a dark corner in back of the piano, which was covered with a large quilt. “There. I wasn’t sure what to do. I can’t talk to him like you can, Heyes. I got the slate, but he wouldn’t look up to see it.”
“How did this happen?” asked Dr. Oliver, as we set the breakfast trays on a side table.
Dr. Nigel explained as we heard a cry from Denny. It didn’t sound human, more like a scared animal. “When he woke up, he started to look for you, Heyes. When he didn’t find you in your bedroom or the water closet, he became frantic. I wrote ‘How can I help you?’ on the slate but he wouldn’t look at it.
“He went to the lamps and started to turn them all the way up. When I looked away for a minute, he was gone. I was afraid he had left the railcar, but I saw his foot sticking out from back there.”
He was deep in a corner of the railcar behind the piano and some boxes. I’m not even sure how he got back there. He must have pulled some of the boxes on top of him. I walked to the far side of the piano and pulled the quilt cover off of it so I could see him better. It worked; I could see most of Dennis huddled in the corner. Startled, he turned big blue eyes on me. I sat on the piano bench and slid closer to him. Leaning over, I could just touch his shoulder. I signed, “You safe. No hide.”
He moved toward me but he was not looking at me. From his knees, he ran his hand over the keys of the piano and made a face. “Wrong,” he signed.
It took me a minute to realize he meant some of the keys were broken. He could not stop looking at the piano. His fear pushed to the back of his thoughts; he reached out and touched a leg of the piano. I helped him maneuver up to sit onto the bench next to me. He stared at the keys before placing his hands over them and banged on them, starting to smile. I know he couldn’t hear the music, but he was happy.
He looked at me and forced a word out, “Paapaa,” as he hit the piano keys hard and randomly. His word wasn’t clear but I understood the memory he had recalled.
Dr Oliver and his father had been watching us, but I could tell they didn’t get what he was trying to say. “Dennis said Papa. I think his pa must have played the piano,” I said as he continued to whack the keys.
“Of course,” Dr. Oliver said. “At least he’s out of the corner.”
I tapped Dennis on the shoulder and smiled and pointed to the piano. In return I got a full smile that reminded me of the Kid. Showing him the breakfast trays me and Dr. Oliver had brought, I pushed him a little to get off the bench and toward it. He did it willingly. But then he reached back and grabbed my hand. “Heees,” he said, as he pulled me along with him.
All that day, it was hard to stop him from sitting on the piano bench and rocking slightly. And he continued to bang miscellaneous keys on the piano giving all of us headaches, and he never let me get too far away from him.
My headache was made worse as my worries about the Kid grew. We did not hear any updates. Dr. Oliver said he had sent a telegram that told them we were leaving Chicago.
LOM
We waited in Dr. Arden’s lobby - me, Chrissy, Angie, and Maday. The worried-filled air felt heavy and hard to breathe. Chrissy was reciting Black Beauty in a monotone from memory, not reading the open book on her lap. Her eyes were focused on a black spot on the wall and I knew she had escaped to her mind’s safe place. I didn’t know how to help her.
Martha came out once and asked Maday to get something for Dr. Aiden. He ran out of the door, relieved to have something to do to help. He returned out of breath and looked around, not sure if he should disturb the surgery. But Martha must have heard the door open and appeared in the hallway.
“Thank you,” she said.
“Your pa?” Maday started, but she turned her back on him and went back to the surgery room. Maday returned to his seat next to Angie with a resigned look on his face.
I tried to sit and forced my hands to stay in my lap. I couldn’t stay seated. I paced, trying not to meet the eyes of anyone in the room. There was no clock in the room and I didn’t want to look at my watch, but it seemed time moved at a snail’s pace. There was a knock on the door and the Kid’s ward, Steven, entered balancing a tray of coffee mugs and sandwiches. “Mr. Knight sent…” he started.
Taking the tray, I quickly set it on a side table by the door and pushed him outside. “Shh!” I put my fingers to my lips until I was sure the door had closed behind me.
“Mr. Curry?” he asked.
“Still in surgery. You need something, Steven?” I asked. My voice was stern from a lack of sleep and worry.
“Well, Mrs. Josephs wanted Mrs. Curry and Mrs. Heyes to know that Charlie and Alex are fine. She said Hortencia is helping too; she’s doing all the cooking. I brought Stephanie to the Birde’s house to help with the kids,” he said. “Oh, and Ribs got a telegram at the ranch that Sam is on his way. Any news on Mr. Heyes?”
“We received a telegram that their train passed Chicago. It must be an express or something,” I told him. “Everything alright at Phoenix?”
Steven nodded. “Juan, Mr. Josephs, Vince, and I got things under control. Ribs is helping, too, since Mr. Josephs closed his boot shop for a few days. Great Uncle does the books. Rocky’s kept the blacksmith shop open. It’s tearing him up. He wants to be here so bad. He’s still on probation and can only leave Phoenix with Mr. Curry or Mr. Heyes. He’s taking his frustration out on all those extra horseshoes he’s making. Mr. Curry’s our hero, you know.”
“The Kid is a hero to a lot of people. And he’s a fighter, too. I’m praying he’s fighting his hardest right now,” I answered. I thought about all the people the Kid had helped around here. Every town needs a bigger than life hero and the Kid is that for Three Birds. But if you asked him, he would just say he just tries to be a good neighbor like his pa was.
“Marshal Trevors?”
I heard Steven call my name. I must have been daydreaming. “Sorry, what was that you were saying?” I asked.
“Mrs. Josephs told me to keep riding between Three Birds and Phoenix and the Birde home and carry news and see where I can help out. Is that alright with you?” he asked.
I smiled at his earnestness. Everyone waiting wanted to do something and he had found his place. “I think that’s a great idea, Steven. Maybe take some of Mr. Knight’s cooking to both places. From what I saw when I went over there, he’s making enough for the whole town.”
Steven laughed. “When I was over there a few minutes ago, two drifters walked in and sat down at a table and tried to order. Mr. Knight roared at them that they’ll eat whatever he’s cooking.”
My lawman senses were alerted. “What did they look like? Are they still there?”
“I’m sure they are. They looked real happy when they found out the meals were free,” Steven answered. “I’ll check in with Mr. Knight to see what’s available for me to deliver.” He started towards the diner.
“Steven, go in the back door.”
Startled by my tone, he stopped and looked at me. Nodding, he said, “Yes, Marshal.”
I knew Frank had gone to the Birde house, but Maday was sitting inside the doc’s waiting room. Next to me and the Kid, he’s the best with a gun, even better than Frank.
I went back into the waiting room and motioned Maday to come out with me. He’s a dichotomy, a California rancher who went to a sophisticated pharmacy school in Philadelphia. The western upbringing is dominant.
“Marshal, you need me?” Maday asked as we step away from the door. It amazed me that so many townspeople have gathered in the street waiting for news on the Kid.
I pulled him down the street to get some privacy and noticed movement in the sheriff’s office. I picked up the pace and quickly turned the door handle. Frank was sitting at his desk cleaning his gun.
“We’ve got a problem,” I started. I told them about the drifters. “I’m sure that knowledge that the Kid kas been shot has gotten out. I don’t have a good feeling about these men.”
“Give me five to get my gun,” Maday said solemnly. “Do we make a direct entrance?”
Frank thought for a moment. “The marshal and I will go in the front door and talk to them. Maday, you stop them if they try to get out the back door.”
Nodding, I added, “They might really just be drifters who wandered into a free meal.”
“But you don’t think so, do you?” Maday asked.
ASJ*****ASJ
Frank and I saw the two drifters as soon as we entered the diner. Frank’s demeanor changed immediately. “They’re wanted,” he whispered. I recognized them from their wanted posters too..
That changed my approach to them. When they saw us, they tried to look casual, but their eyes flashed to the exit behind us. I blocked that doorway as Frank approached them. I slipped the leather loop off of my gun and watched intently.
“Gentlemen,” Frank said. “Or should I say Stewart Brothers, Barry and Cyril, you’re under arrest.”
Both men went for their guns as did Frank. I’m not as fast as the Kid, but I’m no slouch drawing a gun. Still, Barry Stewart was faster and aimed his gun at me, not Frank. Frank didn’t even have his gun out of his holster. A shot rang out and Barry’s gun flew out of his hand. A second shot hit Cyril’s gun and he dropped it on the floor. Frank kicked it away. Gun still drawn, Maday walked from the kitchen. He’s usually got a smile on his face, but now he’s snarling. “You heard the sheriff, you’re under arrest. Let’s go.”
I realized Maday is a scary man when he’s angry. So did the Stewart Brothers. They were locked up in less than fifteen minutes. But I wasn’t finished with them. While Frank went back through his wanted posters to see if they were part of a gang, I pulled a chair up on the outside of their cells and started asking questions.
“What brought you boys to Three Birds?” I asked.
After a quick look at his brother, Cyril grinned and told me, “We heard there was free food.”
“Let me introduce myself, I’m U.S. Marshal Lom Trevors. “You can both be charged with attempted murder of a marshal.” I saw a flash of fear in Cyril’s eyes. “So let me ask again, why are you in Three Birds?”
“Found it! They’re part of Jude Angel’s gang,” Frank announced from his desk.
I heard Maday come and stand at my back. Cyril wiggled on his cot but Maday kept his eyes focused on him. He broke that easy. “Jude said that now that Kid Curry is dead, Three Birds would be easy pickings. We was sent here to scout it out.”
“Thank you, boys. Don’t get any ideas on escaping from the jail in this town. We have some ‘special’ cells that nobody escapes from unless it’s to go to the undertaker.”
I stood and took my chair back into Frank’s office. After one more long glare, Maday followed me.
Frank had heard me. After closing the wooden door that separated the cells from his office, he said, “Got to move all those people and kids next door to my brother’s house. He’s in the state capital but I have his keys. Then it will only take about fifteen minutes to get those two cells in my basement ready for these fellows. If Jude Angel and his gang ride in here, they won’t find a trace of them.”