They easily located the clinic and Larabee introduced them as friends of Vin's come to relieve the doctor of the grievous burden of caring for the most obstreperous patient possible. Forbes was somewhat taken aback by this. He had expected to have at least another day with Vin and had been caught somewhat off-guard by their early arrival. He had intended to devote the last day to really unsettling his victim psychologically to ensure his silence, and if that appeared unsuccessful, perhaps to take more drastic measures.
"I think Mr Tanner is sleeping at the moment," he said hastily. "Perhaps you could come back in say an hour or so. That'll give me time to rouse him, as the pain-killer I gave him has made him very sleepy, and to check his wound and redress it. I've been a little concerned about infection and ..."
However, the black-clad man pushed past him, saying, "Nate here'll want to have a look for himself." He did not say that he himself could simply not wait to assure himself that Vin was okay.
Then, to the doctor's considerable surprise, the black man actually went straight to the bed, peeled back the covers and began to remove the bandage from Vin's wound.
"Please don't touch ..." Forbes started.
However, Larabee interrupted him. "It's okay, doc," the black-clad gunslinger reassured him. "Nate's our healer back in Four Corners so he knows what he's doing. How's it look, Nate?"
"Looks good, Chris. See! No sign of infection."
However, Larabee was not looking at the wound. His eyes were fixed on the pale and beautiful face in its frame of disordered auburn curls. For a moment, he had an inexplicable urge to gather the tracker into his arms and to kiss him awake.
The thought frankly terrified him. He quickly stepped back. 'Shit!' he thought in panic. "What the hell has Tanner done to me? I can't behave like this. I just can't!'
Meanwhile Forbes had begun to hastily renew his options.
One does not pass medical examinations without possessing considerable intelligence, and whatever critical judgements one could have passed on Forbes, to say he was a fool would have been totally erroneous. No, Forbes was anything but that and he recognized that Vin was not like his usual run of victims. For one thing, he was probably at least five years older and might perhaps not submit so tamely to blackmail as the youths he normally molested had done. Accordingly, Forbes had wondered whether he should take additional precautions.
Of course, he possessed the drugs and the medical knowledge to silence Tanner permanently, but he still drew back from taking another's life. He told himself he was foolish to harbour such scruples, but then justified his squeamishness by recognising that, if Vin died of such a seemingly minor wound, questions might well be asked. Of course, he could have ensured the wound became infected, but that was impossible now the damned Nigger healer had turned up and had checked it. He had never suspected white men would accept a Negro in such a role or he would have definitely have tried to keep the man out of the clinic.
Okay, away from the obviously odd community of Four Corners, men might disregard Jackson, but that would not be the case with his companion. Nobody could ever ignore that cold-eyed gunslinger, even if he was not some sort of peacekeeper.
Then the inspiration had hit him. He smiled with smug satisfaction at his own genius. He would use the nature of the men against them. He rightly suspected that Jackson had probably had a hard time gaining recognition of his abilities in a white man's world and so would probably lap up any compliments from a genuine doctor.
His mind made up. "Mr Larabee, I wonder if you would mind if I spoke privately to Dr Jackson about Mr Tanner's treatment?"
"Ya go right ahead, doc. I think I'd better go and see about hirin' a wagon. I don't reckon Vin's up to ridin' yet ... though he'll claim he is," he added grinning. "We can leave it in the next town."
Once the gunslinger had departed, and with a great display of diffidence, Forbes began to speak. "Dr Jackson, I wondered if ... I thought I should ... Dr Jackson, I think I ..." he babbled, breaking off in apparent confusion.
"I'm afraid, it's plain Mr Jackson," Nathan said.
"Nonsense! From what your other friends said the only thing you lack is an official piece of paper. No, the title is clearly well merited."
Nathan could not help the feelings of gratitude and pride at this endorsement. He was normally only too aware of what he saw as his shortcomings as a medical man and was pleased to have the confirmation that his friends had such faith in him. However, he knew that Forbes had clearly something more on his mind than relaying the others' kind comments, welcome though they were. He was clearly quite agitated. "Please tell me what it is that is causing you concern."
"I would like to, but ... but it is difficult. Normally I would not discuss a patient with another person, but I think ... I think I should."
"Dr Forbes, I am Vin's doctor and so I am sure that you would be quite correct to do so. Anyway, the wound appears to be healing nicely."
"Yes, but I'm afraid that that is not what is concerning me. He has been a most ... ah shall we say reluctant patient."
"That's Vin. He's always like that that. I've had to threaten to tie him down more than once to get cooperation."
"Unfortunately, I actually had to resort to restraints and he did not take that well."
"No, I can imagine."
"But I doubt you can imagine why he acts like that."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, I'm not sure how to put this delicately, as I find the whole business rather distasteful. I know I should not judge another, but ... but it's so unnatural to my way of thinking."
"What on earth do you mean?"
"Dr Jackson, have you ever had to treat Mr Tanner for an injury in that particular area of the body?"
"No," Nathan replied totally bemused.
"But you will have seen him naked?"
"Yes, well kind of. Vin would be the shyest man I've had to treat. He absolutely detests having to disrobe in another's presence."
"Not all others," Forbes stated grimly.
"I beg your pardon?"
"There's no way to put such a thing nicely. Mr Tanner had marks on his body that clearly suggest he engages in the sins attributed to Sodom."
Nathan's jaw dropped. He was stunned by the revelation. "You don't mean ... You can't!"
"I'm afraid I do. You see he's got himself well covered now, and I imagine you only exposed the wound itself in your examination, but I had strapped him facedown and the bruising in the anal area told its own story."
"But I just can't imagine who he'd let do such a thing. That's assuming it was voluntary, which I would doubt."
"Is there no-one to whom he is especially close?"
"Only Chris Larabee."
The doctor smiled inwardly. So that was the Chris the boy had meant. He had assumed the name to be an abbreviation of Christine. If Vin was known to have a particularly close male friend it could well suit Forbes' purposes. "And could it not have been him?" he asked.
"I doubt it!" Nathan exclaimed, looking astounded at the suggestion. He then added, by way of explanation, "Chris has been married."
"But he's not now?"
"No, his wife died a few years back."
The doctor nodded wisely. "Well, unfortunately I believe some men are catholic in their sexual tastes, however abhorrent we may find such a notion, and Tanner is a very pretty boy."
"But I can't imagine Chris ..."
"However, you could imagine Tanner?" Forbes questioned, seizing the opening that Nathan's words provided.
Jackson was starting to get a bit flustered. He found the subject a difficult one to discuss, especially since it involved friends of his, and the conversation seemed to be getting away on him. Forbes seemed to be so sure of himself. "No! Well, I-I suppose possibly. He lived with the Indians for some time and I believe they don't condemn such practices."
"Ah, that probably explains it then. Mr Larabee may not be involved at all. Tanner may have friends among the heathens that satisfy his unnatural cravings."
Nathan nodded absently, his mind whirling. However, he collected himself enough to ask, "Has he ... um ... sustained some serious injury from the intercourse?"
"No, just the bruising, I think, although I did not attempt an internal examination."
"Why did you decide to tell me about it?"
"That's the second awkward thing. You see he was furious at me for discovering his secret and he said he supposed that I'd strapped him down and given him a sedative to ... ah .... Well, I won't use the obscenity he did, but the accusation was to take him myself."
"He doesn't say much under normal circumstances, but he can be nasty when he's receiving medical treatment."
"Yes, that was only too obvious and I must confess I am worried lest he might decide to make some accusations about me by way of revenge. My career could be ruined by such a dreadful thing. And, worse, my poor wife and family would be devastated."
"I think you can rest easy on that score, Dr Forbes. Under normal circumstances Vin is the least vindictive of men and I cannot imagine him saying such a thing."
"But the trouble is he seems to react badly to painkilling drugs and it may be that he's even got confused in his mind and might think that I really ... that I really ... It's nonsense, of course, but he seemed rather disorientated at times."
"Look, don't worry. I'm sure he won't say a thing and, if he did, I am forewarned and so ready to speak up in your defence. I'm just sorry that he has caused you this worry. I'd like to thank you for all you've done for him."
"The thanks are mine, Dr Jackson. You've taken a weight off my mind."
Meanwhile, Larabee at hired a wagon and was busy securing a fractious Peso behind it. He tossed the stable lad some coins in payment. "Thank ya, boy."
"That's all right, mister, just look after yer friend. He'll need ya."
It was the second time that the boy had made an unexpected comment, but Larabee was too preoccupied to question it. His mind was too full with his problem.
As he guided the horse down the street to the clinic, reaffirmed his sresolution to distance himself from Vin. It was clearly the only solution. He had no idea how the scruffy tracker had gained such a hold on his heart, but he did not like it. He knew only too well that to love was to give hostages to fortune. The deaths of his wife and son had nearly destroyed him as well. He was not going to risk his heart again and especially not with Tanner.
That would just compound his problems. Hell, what would the others think if they found out that Chris Larabee was in love with a male? He knew that 'funny cowboys' were a source of derisive amusement for Buck Wilmington, but he suspected that the ladies' man would take a more serious attitude if he was confronted with the fact that two of his friends were of that ilk.
Indeed, he suspected that the only one of the others who might accept such a situation with any degree of equanimity would be Ezra Standish, who seemed to be quite amoral on most issues. The man's indifference to the usually accepted social mores did not sit comfortably with Larabee. Even though he might act outside these himself as the occasion required, he still had a basic respect for them. So the thought of having such a man on his side served to make him even more determined to avoid the whole question.
No, he was just going to have to be strong and keep his distance from Vin. Hopefully, the tracker would take the hint from his less approachable behaviour and would abandon any hopes he had in that direction. Then, over time, they could gradually revert to their old friendship. Well, not quite that. Friendship yes, but definitely not as close as it had been. That had clearly been asking for trouble.
He returned to the clinic to find a beaming Jackson clutching a large medical tome that Forbes was insisting was an inadvertent duplicate of one he already owned. "No, Dr Jackson, no payment is necessary. I am just pleased that the book will be useful to somebody."
"We'd better be off, Nate," Larabee said. "We don't want the others getting' too far ahead of us. It's goin' to take us a bit of time to catch-up with them with this wagon."
Nathan agreed reluctantly. He rarely had the good fortune to meet another medical man and he had never met such an amicable one before. He was vastly impressed with Doctor John Forbes.
Vin was still out to it and was totally unaware of being carried out and lain on the tray of the wagon. Indeed, they were an hour into their journey before he stirred.
"W-Where ..." he started, his eyes as yet unfocussed.
"Hello, Tanner," Larabee said, drawing the horse to a halt and turning to the sharpshooter. "'Bout time ya woke up. I wondered if ya were goin' to sleep all the way to Four Corners."
"Chris?" Vin questioned, fearing the man to be just a product of his imagination. He had longed so much for the gunslinger.
"Yeah, it's me, cowboy."
"D-Did ya kill him?" he questioned hopefully, still half asleep.
"Did I kill who?" Chris asked bemused.
"That damned doctor."
"Now, why would ..." Chris started, only to be interrupted by an irate healer.
"Vin Tanner, you damn well stop right there!" he scolded. "We both know your low opinion of doctors and frankly find you rude and ungrateful. Dr Forbes deserves your gratitude not this stupidity! And neither of us wants to hear your unjustified complaints. Keep quiet unless you've got something nice to say about him."
"But ..."
However, apart from feeling Vin was being unreasonable, Larabee was set on his path of emotional detachment from the tracker, and so he backed the healer. "No! Nate's right, Vin, ya just go back to sleep and try to wake up in a more pleasant frame of mind."
Vin swallowed and bit his lip. He was torn. He wanted the bastard dead, but knew that was going to be difficult as he was in no shape to face the man yet. Those damned drugs had made him feel so ill. He was sure it was the drugs. The wound had been deep and had bled profusely, but he had had far worse. Further, although when he first woke he had asked Chris whether he had killed the man, he realized upon reflection that he had been lucky Chris had not asked why. That bastard Forbes was right. Nobody would believe a scruffy, illiterate tracker over a respected, educated man ... not even his supposed friends.
He lay back despondently, trying to think what his best course of action would be. The trouble was he seemed to be in a no-win situation. If he returned to Greytown and killed the bastard he would hang for sure. Nobody would believe his side of things, even if he somehow managed to stand up in a court of law, in front of all the people that would be there, and admit that another man had taken him. Worse, Chris and the others would probably think that he really was a murderer and that he had been lying about Tascosa all along. He hated the thought of losing his friends' regard.
Lost in his depressing thoughts, Vin was even quieter and more withdrawn than usual. Nathan was pleased, as he really did not feel like conversing with the tracker. It also suited Larabee, who was making a point of talking to Nathan instead of Vin as part of his new policy of detachment.
They found the others had stopped to wait for them some ten miles south of the town. By that time, having been badly jolted as the wagon moved over the only partially formed road, Vin was eyeing Peso longingly. However, he did not ask to ride. He felt too sore from the doctor's less than gentle attentions.
The others greeted Vin enthusiastically, but knowing his taciturn nature and aware that he was still not recovered from his injuries, were not surprised at receiving little more than a bare acknowledgement of their greetings. Indeed, knowing of old that it was useless to expect any sense out of Vin if one asked after his health, his standard response of "I'm fine" being so familiar to them all, Buck turned to Nathan and said, "How is he, Nate?"
"On this occasion, it would have been safe to ask Vin that because his usual answer would have been spot on," Nathan replied. "Dr Forbes has done an excellent job of caring for him and his wound is well on the way to healing."
Ezra had eyed Vin carefully and was not happy with the accuracy of the prognosis. He felt a strong sense of unease on seeing the tracker's pale countenance and dulled eyes. "If you will pardon my saying so, Mr Tanner does not appear to be particularly well," he said carefully.
"Oh, he's still a bit affected by the medication Dr Forbes administered. It's nothing to worry about. It'll wear off soon," Jackson replied airily.
"I trust you are correct," Ezra replied, feeling anything but reassured. He was very surprised by the healer's apparent lack of concern. Normally Jackson tended to err on the side of excessive caution in his experience.
Another three hours on and they neared the next town. "I'd like to leave the wagon here," Larabee said to Jackson. "It's slowin' us down and Vin's awake now. Do ya think he'll be okay to ride?"
"Yes, I'm surprised he hasn't been nagging us about it. He'll be fine. As I said earlier, his wound is well on the way to healing."
Ezra was listening to the conversation. "That being the case, why do you consider Dr Forbes had him so heavily sedated?" he inquired. The question had been nagging at him since they had rendezvoused.
"The good doctor probably got sick of his complaints. I've been tempted to do that myself at times," Nathan replied, only half in jest.
The gunslinger swivelled around to look at the tracker. "Vin, ya'll be happy to know yer allowed on that flea-bitten nag of yers. Buck, you and JD take the wagon in to the livery and make arrangements for it being returned to Greytown." As he spoke, he climbed down to untie Peso.
Vin made no comment. To have demurred would have been to draw attention to himself and to encourage unwelcome questions. He got awkwardly to his feet, moved somewhat shakily to the back of the wagon and mounted his horse from the wagon tray, with his face carefully schooled to mask the discomfort he felt.
However, the gambler was not fooled. "Mr Larabee, do you consider that is wise? Mr Tanner appears ..." Ezra started.
However, Larabee interrupted him. "He's okay. He'll have been mollycoddled enough these last few days."
More than three quarters of an hour had elapsed before Wilmington and Dunne rejoined the group.
Chris had made a point of being too busy supervising the prisoners to have anything to do with the tracker. As a result, he had not noticed anything amiss with Vin, but Buck immediately noticed how pale Tanner was and how he was shifting awkwardly in the saddle.
Knowing how much Vin hated having attention brought to any infirmity, he hesitated to say anything, but fully expected Nathan to speak up. However, the normally solicitous healer seemed to be paying absolutely no heed to Vin. Usually if any of the group was injured or ill he literally hovered over them, questioning as to how they felt and plying them with noxious potions, but he seemed to be acting right out of character.
Feeling someone should do something, Buck rode up alongside the tracker. "Are ya feelin' okay, Vin?" he asked quietly.
To his surprise, he caught Vin off guard. The normally preternaturally alert tracker actually started at his voice, but quickly recovered himself, and hurriedly replied, "Y-Yeah, 'm fine, Buck."
However, for Vin not to have noted his approach boded no good, so Wilmington persisted, "Are ya sure? I can get Nate if ya want him"
"N-No! Th-Thank ya, Buck, but I'm okay. I'm just ... just a little sore and he'd only make me swallow some of that damned dishwater he carries iffen he knew."
In truth, his thigh was fine, but he felt physically sick and was fighting back nausea because each jolt hurt him both physically and emotionally as he recalled the doctor's unwanted, assiduous attentions to another currently exceptionally tender part of his anatomy. His confusion as to his best course of action, coupled with the hostility Jackson and Larabee were exhibiting towards him, just added to his distress.
Buck continued to keep a wary eye on the tracker, while willing the healer to notice him, but Jackson never even glanced in his direction.
When Larabee finally called a halt for the night, Buck decided he had to speak up. "Nate, I reckon ya need to take look at Vin. He's makin' heavy weather of it."
"Dr Forbes made a fine job with his wound so he shouldn't be," Nathan responded, in what Buck considered a very offhand manner.
"Maybe he shouldn't be, but he is. Ya ought to check him out," Wilmington urged.
"Has he asked for me?"
"Course he ain't!" an exasperated Buck responded testily. "What in hell are ya thinkin' of, Nate? It's Vin, we're talkin' about. Ya know he never asks for anythin' and he hates people fussin' over him."
"Only too well. I wonder sometimes why I bother."
"Come on, Nate, he needs ya."
"All right. Where is he?"
"In the trees to the north of the camp."
"You don't mean I have to search for him surely?"
"Nope, he's just sittin' there. Didn't want any supper. JD and I both tried to talk him into it. Just said he wasn't hungry."
Nathan climbed reluctantly to his feet and made his way across the camp. Fortunately, he located Vin with no difficulty.
The tracker glanced up apprehensively at his approach, but seeing Jackson lowered his head again. He wondered whether Jackson, who never seemed to know when to let a matter drop, had come to continue his earlier scolding.
"What's wrong, Vin?" Nathan asked, not unkindly, squatting down beside the huddled figure. "Buck was a bit worried about you."
"I'm fine," Vin replied still keeping his head down.
"And so you should be after the good care Dr Forbes gave you."
"Good care?" Vin echoed incredulously, his head shooting up in surprise. "I wouldn't call what that old bastard did good care."
Thinking that Vin was referring to the restraints and sleeping draughts, and angered by the adjective the tracker had employed, Jackson retorted stonily, "No doubt you deserved whatever he did to you."
"How can ya say that? Ya don't damn well know what he did," Vin protested.
"He told me you wouldn't cooperate so he had to strap you down to treat you. Hell, I've come close to that myself."
There was no alternative, Vin knew he would have to try to explain what Forbes had done. "But he ... he ... aw hell, Nate, he did somethin' else. After he tied me ..."
"I know what you accused him of doing," Nathan interrupted crushingly, "and I had hoped you'd given up on that."
"Huh?" Vin stared at him in confusion.
"He told me about your ridiculous allegations. How you've got the hide to say such things about a man like that I don't know. I mean you're in the man's debt for God's sake! I can't believe you'd make up such stories just because he wasn't as tolerant of your bad behaviour as I am ... or, at least, as I was because after this episode that's going to change. Mark my words, Tanner!"
Vin was taken completely aback by the viciousness of Nathan's verbal attack. He could hardly believe that the healer would take a complete stranger's word before his. While he struggled to muster a response, the healer continued, "Do you know, that good man that he is, even though he was deeply shocked, Dr Forbes was kind enough to suggest that the drugs he used might have confused you about what had happened."
"B-But I can prove it, Nate. There'll be marks."
"Not made by him! Don't worry he told me about that too. I don't know who it was and frankly the whole topic disgusts me so I don't want to know. The only thing that concerns me is poor Dr Forbes' reputation. So I don't want to hear another word on this topic from you. If I do, I'll see that everybody gets the real story about you."
"Please, Nate, iffen ya would just listen to me, I ..." the tracker pleaded, reaching out a beseeching hand to clutch the healer's sleeve.
However, Jackson shook him off and lurched to his feet. "Stop lying, Vin! I've had all I'm going to take from you." With that he turned on his heel and stalked off.
Jackson had no sooner reentered the camp that Buck was at his side. "How is he, Nate?"
"He's all right. He's just sulking because Chris and I were not prepared to listen to his complaints about Dr Forbes earlier on."
Buck frowned in puzzlement. Sulking did not sound like Vin, but he knew Vin was always an exceptionally difficult patient and he supposed the healer knew what he was talking about and would have spotted anything seriously wrong with the tracker.
They resumed the journey the next day and eventually reached Four Corners without incident.
The ladies' man and the gambler breathed private sighs of relief. Both had spent much of the journey observing their fellow peacekeepers and wondering just what the hell was going on. Vin had ridden uncomplainingly, but clearly in some degree of discomfort, while the two men normally most concerned for his welfare seemed to be studiously ignoring him.
Unfortunately, because both were taking pains not to upset the tracker, who hated having attention called to him, they were both very circumspect in their activities and so neither had realized he was sharing a watchdog role with the other. Accordingly, they did not discuss their concerns and so both failed to realize they were not alone in these.
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