Stagecoach Western Write 9 of 15

9.

The good news came from the Doctor on Bucks’s condition.

“He will live.” Doctor Bone told all of us. It has been two hours and outside the skies were darkening.

“Bloody wrong time to rain on this God-forsaken land.” Doctor Bone cussed at the weather. It hardly rains in there. It does in the two rainy seasons a winter one in December and January, and a summer one in July through early September. “I do wish it would snow but one can only wish in his lifetime.”

The joy of the rain was shattered when Mrs Mallory called out on new pain. The doctor attended to her with Ms Dallas in wait. The worse news was soon to come.

“The lady is in labor pain. She will need to deliver the baby or die. I need to open her up.”

“Doctor, is that safe?” Mr. Hatfield asked. He looked concerned as if it was his lover delivering their child. The doctor nodded and then replied,

“I had heard of it, read it, but no, I have not done it before.” That reply drew a hush to everyone. Neither of them had seen a child being born. I had but it was a calf.

“Jugs, Doctor. Are you mad?” Mr. Hatfield called out. “I can’t allow it.”

“Then shoot me and watch her die.” Doctor Bone snapped back. “I am sober and will feel the pain when you shoot me but that will not compare to her pain.”

“Doctor, when did you become so…” Mr. Hitch was to question.

“What is life? It is the flash of a firefly in the night. It is the breath of a buffalo in the wintertime. It is the little shadow which runs across the grass and loses itself in the sunset. It’s an old saying by the native Indians. I don’t know who he was but he was a strong medicine man." The doctor replied.

“Are you telling me that life is so meaningless, Doctor?” Mr. Hitch laughed.

“No, Mr. Hitch. You are the one that did see it. In those words, life is brief and yet when you feel it. Its so intense that you need to live it no matter how brief. I became a doctor because of that breath of life.” Doctor Bone came to his senses and then crouched down t do his lifetime ambition.

Save lives.

Space was given to the lady due to deliver

“Apaches!” The call came from the Marshall. I rushed to look and saw the riders approaching the Outpost. They are armed not only with rifles but also with bushes lighted with fire. They intended to burn the Outpost. All of us rushed to the windows and waited.

We dare not shoot then.

We have limited bullets.

And the sky was darkening.

So were our lives.

“Shoot!” We all did.

First, it was Greenwood, then Hitch and Hatfield with the Marshall and myself. We were out of bullets.

“Darned, I used up my bullets.” Hatfield had reloaded the last two bullets for himself and Mrs. Mallory. “I guess it is us or them.”

Everyone reached for a weapon but the choices were limited. I then saw Ms. Dallas at my side. She was all covered in blood on the chest to the arms.

“The baby is dead. So is the mother. She will be soon enough.” Ms. Dallas was the kind of lady I liked; straight and tough to the bone. I saw the Doctor standing up and he had tears in his eyes.

“Mrs. Mallory….” Mr. Hatfield rushed to ask.

“She is dying. I did all I could.” Doctor Bone replied. “She was too weak. And the baby was before its time.”

“Was it a boy or a girl?” Mr. Hatfield asked.

“It was a girl.” Doctor Bone replied. “Why?”

“She will want to know. So will Lieutenant Mallory.”

“Well, you tell him when you meet them at Hell.” Marshall Wilcox prepared to open the door to rush out. I stopped him there.

“Don’t be a fool, Marshall. You will be shot before….” My words trailed off when I saw the flames at the roof. The Apaches had lit the roof with the torches of bushes.

“Fire!” I called out. Everyone scrambled for other things to fight the fire. It was then the Apache stormed into the Outpost. He was one but he was armed. He leveled his rifle to shoot at us but Ms. Dallas had recovered her gun. She shot the Apache in the chest. And then another just outside the doorway. I grabbed the rifle fell from the first Apache and rushed out. I was still with my irons and in my anger at the waist level. You do not earn the name of Ringo Kid if you can’t shoot from any direction. I took down one more Apache before the others retreated. I dropped the empty rifle and grabbed another. I did not fire that rifle and retreated to the Outpost. Everyone except the dying Mrs. Mallory was fighting the blaze then.

Our prayers were answered when the rain came. We were soaked when the rain seeped through. I had the rifle in my hand and the other was retrieved by the Marshall. He gave me the eye and I nodded. I handed the rifle to him.

After all, I was still a criminal.

Our joy of victory when the Doctor announced that Mrs. Mallory had died with her baby. It was a sad moment and Mr. Hatfield took it very deep into his heart. I wanted to ask but declined. Everyone has the right to their own feelings and maybe the sight of Mrs. Mallory reminded him of someone.

We sat it out in the rain and into the night. The next day was another day for us.

And the Apaches will be waiting.

“Doctor, you killed her.” It was Mr. Hatfield confronting the Doctor. “I am calling you out to avenge her death.”

The left hook of the Marshall landed hard on Mr. Hatfield’s jaw and floored the later

“There will be killing today. We will wait for the Apaches to do that.” The Marshall made his point there.