He calls out my name as I walk into the saloon.
"Vin!"
"Howdy."
He's at it again, I see. Drunker'n a skunk. Knew I'd find
'im here like this. JD told me.
I seen him like this before, too, lots of times. I remember
when he got real drunk over that woman. Though for the life of me I can't see why. He said
they knew each other years ago, but how could a man hook up with such a liar? I can't see
it. A man oughta be more careful.
The other really bad time, he was battlin' other demons.
Demons he didn't want to talk about. Damn near tore my head off about it, too, when I
tried to help. I ain't sure, but that could be why he's drunk tonight. Battlin' demons
again. Like we all are, I guess.
I don't really mind, kind of, because drinkin's what a man
does out here. But he's paid to protect the town, and I'd like to know I can count on 'im
to watch my back. To be fair, he's my friend, and he ain't never let me down yet so I
trust him. But I don't want there to be a first time, you know?
I try to look out for him when he gets like this. We all do,
because we like him and we respect him. Oh, he's difficult and when he wants to be, he's
damned stubborn, and make no mistake. But he still needs us as much as we need him,
whether he knows it or not.
So I do what I always do. Cart 'im off to his bed, makin'
sure he don't get his sorry ass shot by some hotshot. And I already took his gun away from
him. Like I said, he can get pretty difficult and stubborn when he wants to and sometimes,
when he's drunk, he really seems to want to.
He likes me, though, at least right now, so he's doin' what
I'm askin': puttin' one foot in front of the other till he gets to his bed. That's good
because I don't want to hafta carry him again.
Why does it seem farther away tonight than other nights?
There! At least he's in bed now, so I know he won't get into
trouble. Damn, he looks so peaceful when he's asleep. Or in this case, passed out. Guess
the demons are asleep for now.
Maybe I'm bein' too hard on 'im. He's been through a lot and
a man's entitled to deal with it any way that suits 'im. Though I still wish he didn't
drink nearly so much as he does. I'd bet he drinks more'n all the other guys put together.
A man can't carry on like that forever.
"G'night, Vin."
Guess he wasn't as out of it as I thought.
"G'night, Josiah."
The End
