M7 Fic: Drunk Anarchy - Chapter 2 (of 4)
There be even more drunken storytelling in this chapter...
CHAPTER TWO: BILLY RUFUS IN THE MIDDLE
Billy's lips had thinned out, pale and pressed together, like he was remembering something that went beyond a good story. His skin, normally ruddy, had paled as well-the black circles under his eyes seeming to deepen. For the first time, Hank realized just how sickly and upset his brother looked. Perhaps he wasn't just drinking early in the morning. Maybe he'd been drinking all night and just hadn't stopped.
A little worried, he reached out and softly touched Billy's arm, patting it gently like their dad used to do when they'd been upset. "You alright there, Billy Rufus?"
Billy sniffed sadly. "I don't wants this to be my fault. I don't. I keeps thinkin'…if I hadn't of told everyone they was here…"
"Billy….having a big mouth don't make you evil. It makes you stupid, but not evil."
Billy's lips twitched, and he glanced at Hank. "You mean that?"
"Yeah."
"Hank!" Billy exploded out of the chair and into Hank, wrapping his arms around him and hanging on so tightly, Hank thought his ribs would break. Weakly, he tried to tap Billy's back, making weak "hush now" noises, and "there there."
After a while, Billy finally let go, sighed, and sat back on his own stool. There was drool and spittle on the front of Hank's jacket, a noxious yellowish color, and Billy looked appropriately rueful.
"Sorry, sorry, Henry Beau," he said, reaching over the bar and grabbing a rag. He attempted to dab at Hank's jacket, smearing the substance. "Sorry."
"It happens," Hank said, grabbing the rag from Billy Rufus and pushing the other man away. "Not like you treed the town."
Billy nodded. "No."
Hank frowned. "Gotta say, though, I wouldn't've expected Stevie B to go so crazy as to wreck the town either." He dabbed at his own jacket, frowning that he seemed to only be able to smear the guck further.
"Well, it weren't really him. Not just him, anyway. It were the men he hired to help him."
Hank frowned again, deeply this time. He looked up from his jacket. "Men he hired?"
"Yeah. Besides his ranch hands and some of his usual cowboys, he called on his old army buddies, just like you said. He'd friends who was in the army with him. And they came-several dozen of them in rag tag confederate uniforms and armed to the teeth with rifles and stuff. Led by this crazy guy on a big white horse-Stevie called him Captain…something. Tee-rell, maybe? Captain Crazy'd be a better name. Anyways, they comes into town 'round midnight after Maddie arrived, and lines up on the street, and this asshole starts blowing a bugle to wake everyone up. Some of the others go round, lighting all the lamps and even a fire or two, so's everyone can see what they're up to.
"I came down, as bleary eyed as anyone, to see them pushing Scruffy in front of them, hands bound behind his back, sporting a hell of a black eye. Cardsharp, who'd come back and was still playing in a corner of the saloon, was standing next to me and, s'funny this, but I swears he said, 'Oh hell, not again.'"
Hank lifted his eyebrows. "He knew the Captain?"
"Nah. But I gets the impression he'd run into mens like these who couldn't leave the war behind before." Billy finished off his bottle and reached over the bar to get another one. Hank watched the slightly precarious maneuver carefully, ready to catch something, or his brother, should it fall. Billy was soon upright again, pulling the top out of the new bottle and offering it to his brother.
"Drink?"
"Why not," Hank said, proffering the shot glass he'd grabbed.
As Billy poured, he started talking again. "Well, this is where it gets really nuts. Stevie B gets off his horse and starts yelling to everyone listening. 'I've got the town surrounded!' he yells. 'No one leaves without my 'spress permission, you hear?' Well, hell, this don't go down to well, and the sheriff comes out, all bluster and says: 'Stevie B, whatcha talkin' bout? Can't surround the town. 'Gainst the law.' But Stevie just shakes his head and says, 'Not against the law, Sheriff. I'm protectin' whazz mine.' Well, the Sheriff says, 'Whatcha mean?' And Stevie says, 'I'm here to stop my cousin Maddie from takin' way my mine.' And Sheriff says, 'But ain't it Matilda's mine? As she's Henry Norman's wee daughter?' Stevie B shakes his head. 'No sir,' he says, 'it's mine. Was my daddy's before it was Henry's and I'm supposed to get it. She can't have it and I ain't letting her leaves this town to get it. Everyone else can leave, but not her, and not her four friends. Or her son.' Then he says, 'I don't aim to harm her, Sheriff. Not gonna harm anyone. Not unless she tries to leave. But if she don't, then no one gets hurt.' Sheriff says, 'Well, so longs as no one gets hurt, guess that's okay then.'"
Hank's eyebrows shot up. "Seriously? Sheriff said it was okay?"
"Well, he kinda had a lot o' guns pointed at him at the time, so I guess he was just being dippy-you know-matical."
Hank snorted.
"So, everyone's 'bout to go back to bed when Maddie herself comes stormin' down, Scary right next to her. Cardsharp sighs next to me and goes outside, and I saws him unbuckling his holster as he went. I don't sees the Jerk anywhere. Figure he's somewhere with the kid.
"She starts screamin' how he has no right to do this. That he can't keep her from her birthright. He just yells back about how she can't swan into town after twenty years and think she deserves anything. After a while, it got sorta boring, so I went and got a drink, and served some others who looked thirsty. Then…" Billy slammed the table. "Boom!"
Hank jumped at the slam. "Boom?"
"Boom! Then more! Boom, boom, boom! Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom!"
"Things exploded?"
"No! Why'd you think that?"
"Cause you said, 'boom'!"
"Gun shots, ya ninny. Booms from guns!"
"Wouldn't…I don't know, maybe, 'bang'?"
Billy glared at him. "Who's telling this story, Henry Beau?"
"Point."
"So, gunshots everywhere. I get down behind the bar, and peek my head out of the side, trying to see what's happening. Suddenly, boom! Oh…wait, I see what you mean." Billy screwed up his face. "Okay, that time, it was the boom of the bar doors being thrown back. Maybe…um…crash? Crash-boom!" Billy grinned, thrusting his fists in the air like he'd won something.
Hank just nodded. "Meaning?"
"Meaning that Scruffy is suddenly hurtling through the doors, and in his arms is Maddie's kid! The skid 'cross the floor, banging into my bar, my customers scattering, and shots following them, bang, bang, bang! Ruinin' my bar! The mirror! My gorgeous mirror!" He gestures towards the shattered glass behind the bar. "Gone! And holes, and sawdust, and…and dust and holes! I tries to yell at them to get out, but Scruffy's ignoring me. Then I see the kid's bleedin', and bleedin' bad, all over my floor! He was wailing in pain, crying the way only li'l kids can, and then Cardsharp is stumbling inside, firing away, getting behind the edge of the door so he's can keep shooting outside. Maddie barrels in next, with Scary covering her, and Cardsharp's covering them both n' and nuts…it's just nuts! It's so loud and I don't know what's happening! It's all crazy!" He swung his arms out, and one of the empty bottles on the bar went flying, shattering against the floor and causing them both to jump.
Billy stared at it a moment, and then giggled like a loon. Grabbing the still alive bottle, he sloshed the remaining amber liquid down his throat, wiped his arm on his sleeve and threw it on the ground next to the other, shattering it as well. That done, he looked back at Hank, eyes wide and hands up and spread, like he's trying to calm Hank down.
"Then, just as fast, it all stops." Billy exhaled, as if feeling that relief all over again. "Afters, I hears yelling, but it takes a while for my ears to start workin' again, you know? Plus, I'm covered in shattered glass and sawdust and it's hard. I mean, look around-half of what you sees 'round you in damage is from that night." Hank frowned and started to look around, but Billy grabbed his arm. "But I starts to make sense of the yelling pretty soon, since Maddie has shushed her boy, gripping him in her arms. I gets then that it's Stevie B who yellin' from outside, and all three of her protectors-'cept the Jerk-are lined up next to the doors and windows, just listening. Stevie sayin', 'this is just a taste,' he sez. He sez, 'you tries to leave this town, Maddie Norman, you ain't gonna make it. Captain Crazy n' his men'll kill ya. But,' he sez, 'iffin you stays here withouts leaving 'til Friday, then we is gonna go, and you're free to go. I don't want kill ya, but I will if you try to leave. My men'll be outside town, watchin'."
"Think I saw their campsites," Hank said, nodding sloppily, and realized he was getting a little bleary eyed from what he'd had to drink.
"Yeah, but…but see?" Billy said, letting Hank's arm go. "That's all it was. Stevie didn't wanta kill her or her boy. But…" And he sniffed, wiping his nose on a sleeve. "It was too late already." He sniffed again, and tears ran down his face. "Still can't believe it happened."
"The blood…the boy?"
"They bundled him upstairs to one o' my rooms, still crying. Maddie was besides herself. The doctor was called fer, and he was up there so long. No one knew what to think. And, oh man…Scruffy. Maddie was so angry at him, and, normally I don't feels sorry for anyones, but I felt sorry for him."
"Why?"
"'Cause she laid into him. Into all of 'em, but mostly him, 'bout how if her kid dies, it's their fault. And then he, Scary and the Jerk…who showed up after all the shootin' was done, no idea if he even helped, probably not, such a jerk, all sat at that table." He pointed to the table in the corner. "Mopin'. I took 'em some beers, cause, even though they didn't order him, thought they needed them. Plus, I was sorta hoping one of 'em might apologize and pay for the bar damages, you know? They didn't. Scary just glared, Scruffy didn't look up, and the Jerk's moustache was moving, so I didn't look at him too long."
Hank snorted.
"Anyways, Scruffy was sayin' how it was his fault. The kid got hurt 'cause o' him. Scary tells him, 'not yer fault.' Then Jerk sez it was his fault, 'cause he was supposed to be watchin' the kid, but the kid slipped out. I note that Scary didn't tell him it wasn't his fault. Bettin' it was."
"Why? What exactly happened?"
"Well, near as could gleans from the talk later on, the kid snuck through the soldiery types to get to Scruffy, whiles Stevie B, Captain Crazy, Maddie and Scary were all arguin'. Guess he was tryin' to rescue Scruffy, who was all tied up and beaten n' stuff. Guess Captain Crazy was saying Scruffy'd be a hostage, and the l'il kid didn't like that. So he sneaks up, cuts Scruffy's bonds, 'cept one of the soldiers saw 'im and that's when all the shooting started. Least, that's what I was told."
"Wow. Brave kid."
"Yeah. Still a cock-blocker though."
Hank huffed a laugh, shaking his head and reaching over the bar to grab a new bottle. He knew he'd need more to survive this story. Billy didn't say a word, just let his brother pour him a new shot and downed it.
"Anyways," Billy continued, "Back to that night. So, Scruffy, Scary n' the Jerk jest started drinkin' after all their blame-talkin', and then the Doc comes down and tells 'em he'll be back in the morning to check on the kid and the other feller."
"Other feller?"
"Oh, yeah. Forgot 'bout that. Cardsharp got winged. He was fine though-came down later to get a drink, his arm in a sling, complaining a bit 'bout Scary owin' him a new jacket. Again, 'parently. Looked peaked, but not dead. Scary ignored his whingin' and went upstairs to watch over Maddie n' her boy. In the end, they all booked rooms. From that night, 'til they left, they stayed here. I think Scary actually gave me a little extra when all was said n' done, though I haven't really looked. I think they knew I was the one that ratted 'em out to Stevie in the first place." Billy shrugged, sighing heavily and looking at his ruined bar again.
"So, what happened then? Was the kid alright?"
Billy's face crumpled even more, if it was possible, and he took another drink before answering.
"No. No, he weren't. Next morning, we hears from the Doc that the boy was failing. Then he tells us all again that afternoon, that it's worse. By evenin'…Scary came down and told us the boy was on his deathbed. By dawn…by Wednesday dawn…boy was dead." He sniffed, and a fat tear ran down his face. "Scruffy went to get the coffin. Doc must've already told Benny to make the coffin so's it was ready, and they both came back with it, Benny all in black with those weeper things his people wear. Ah, Hank, you shoulda seen it. It was so small, broke my heart. I mean, I didn't like the kid, but…he was still jes a kid, you know?" Sniffing, Billy started to blubber a little. "I sees 'em bring the little kid down in the coffin, Maddie in tears, Scruffy lookin' like hell, even Scary's got this look on his face that…hell, just made him even scarier. Like he'd raze the town if someone jes gave him a match." He shuddered, and wiped his tears on his filthy sleeve. "Anyways, I gets asked to help take the boy out of town, 'cause I gots my wagon."
"Out of town?"
"Maddie wanted her boy buried with her father." Billy sniffed, then sneezed, sending spittle all over Hank's jacket, adding to the yellow gunk, but Billy didn't notice this time, being too busy wiping his tears on his dirty sleeves. "Did I tell ya, he looked so small in that coffin! All pale and sad. I felt so bad for Maddie. She was hiding her face behinds a veil, but I could tell she was in real pain."
"Sorry," Hank said, scraping his sleeve against the underside of the bar to get the worst off. "Sounds awful."
"Terrible awful. Terrible, terrible. And it didn’t end there."
Billy wiped his face on a cloth hanging over one of the beer handles and put it back. Sniffing he looked down at his empty glass.
"See, alls of us go out to the edge of town, Maddie, me, Benny and Scruffy on my wagon, and Scary n' the Jerk on horses. Cardsharp stayed behind to, his words-man liked big words-'recuperate in quiet contemplation.' Heh." Billy smiled wanly then. "Funny what's you remembers clearly, you know? Man had a mouth on 'im, yessir."
"Can imagine. So, what'd Steve do? He let ya through that army of his?"
"I think he might've, when he saw the coffin, but Captain Crazy went…well, crazy. He's suddenly there, yellin, 'don't! It's a trick! They's foolin' with us!" and then Maddie's all 'you bastard! You killed my son!' and Stevie's all 'stop yellin'! and Scary gets in between 'em all and sez nothing, but he's the kinda fella that says a lot with a stare, you know? And all the soldiers, there suddenly all right there too, surrounding us…I was afeared for my life, honest. Don't know how many there were, but felt like hundreds. Never seen so many men in one place!"
"Ground's pretty torn up on the edge o' town."
"Not surprised. Gonna be scarred for a while, I reckon." He sneezed again, and this time used the cloth to wipe his nose before putting it back. Hank shuddered slightly, wondering just how clean his glass really was as Billy continued.
"Anyways, while Scary is starin' the Captain down, Stevie goes and looks at the coffin. Captain demands it be opened, and though Stevie don't look like he likes the idea, Scruffy opens it to show the boy. He's there, all gray and dead and Maddie starts cryin' again. Then, crazyman again! Captain brings out a knife like he's gonna stab the kid! Maddie screams, Benny's shocked, Scary's grabbing his arm and everyone's about to jump in when Stevie yells at 'em all to stop. Captain argues - sez he don't believe the boy's dead, wants to stab 'im to be sure. Thinks it's a trick still. Maddie's spitting like a rattler now, screaming and caterwauling, but Stevie gets between 'em and sez 'no one's stabbin' my kin!' He shoves the Captain back."
"Wow."
"Yeah. Captain Crazy didn't like it much, but he weren't the boss, so he backs off. Then Stevie sez to Maddie. 'A couple o' yer men can takes the boy to Leadstown to bury him, but you's gotta stay.' Maddie wails, but Scary talks to her-I mean, there's tons o' guns on 'em by now, on all of us. Not kidding, I soiled my pants at least twice during all that. Scary ain't stupid and I hears him telling her not to be-and finally she agrees. So, the wagon goes on, with Benny and Scruffy driving it, and the rest of us left behind, on this side of Crazyman's army."
"Wait, Scruffy left? One of her protectors? He left with the boy's body?"
"Scruffy seemed to need to go, I think. 'Cause of that whole blamin' himself for the kid's death thing."
"Oh, right. Yeah, makes sense. Poor feller."
"Poor me! I was terrified something awful during all that. And then, walking with my pants in that state…"
"Walking?"
"They took my wagon, 'member? So Scary, me, Maddie and the Jerk all had ta go back into town on foot. Uncomfortable walk that was, and not just 'cause o' my pants. Maddie's still cryin', n' I'm still shakin', and Scary's looking like he wants to be onna pale horse ridin' through those soldiers. But, after a while, when we're back in town, I notice the Jerk's got a tiny smile on his face. I knew then that sometin' was abrewin'. I just didn’t know what."
_________________________________________
To Be Continued in Chapter Three
CHAPTER TWO: BILLY RUFUS IN THE MIDDLE
Billy's lips had thinned out, pale and pressed together, like he was remembering something that went beyond a good story. His skin, normally ruddy, had paled as well-the black circles under his eyes seeming to deepen. For the first time, Hank realized just how sickly and upset his brother looked. Perhaps he wasn't just drinking early in the morning. Maybe he'd been drinking all night and just hadn't stopped.
A little worried, he reached out and softly touched Billy's arm, patting it gently like their dad used to do when they'd been upset. "You alright there, Billy Rufus?"
Billy sniffed sadly. "I don't wants this to be my fault. I don't. I keeps thinkin'…if I hadn't of told everyone they was here…"
"Billy….having a big mouth don't make you evil. It makes you stupid, but not evil."
Billy's lips twitched, and he glanced at Hank. "You mean that?"
"Yeah."
"Hank!" Billy exploded out of the chair and into Hank, wrapping his arms around him and hanging on so tightly, Hank thought his ribs would break. Weakly, he tried to tap Billy's back, making weak "hush now" noises, and "there there."
After a while, Billy finally let go, sighed, and sat back on his own stool. There was drool and spittle on the front of Hank's jacket, a noxious yellowish color, and Billy looked appropriately rueful.
"Sorry, sorry, Henry Beau," he said, reaching over the bar and grabbing a rag. He attempted to dab at Hank's jacket, smearing the substance. "Sorry."
"It happens," Hank said, grabbing the rag from Billy Rufus and pushing the other man away. "Not like you treed the town."
Billy nodded. "No."
Hank frowned. "Gotta say, though, I wouldn't've expected Stevie B to go so crazy as to wreck the town either." He dabbed at his own jacket, frowning that he seemed to only be able to smear the guck further.
"Well, it weren't really him. Not just him, anyway. It were the men he hired to help him."
Hank frowned again, deeply this time. He looked up from his jacket. "Men he hired?"
"Yeah. Besides his ranch hands and some of his usual cowboys, he called on his old army buddies, just like you said. He'd friends who was in the army with him. And they came-several dozen of them in rag tag confederate uniforms and armed to the teeth with rifles and stuff. Led by this crazy guy on a big white horse-Stevie called him Captain…something. Tee-rell, maybe? Captain Crazy'd be a better name. Anyways, they comes into town 'round midnight after Maddie arrived, and lines up on the street, and this asshole starts blowing a bugle to wake everyone up. Some of the others go round, lighting all the lamps and even a fire or two, so's everyone can see what they're up to.
"I came down, as bleary eyed as anyone, to see them pushing Scruffy in front of them, hands bound behind his back, sporting a hell of a black eye. Cardsharp, who'd come back and was still playing in a corner of the saloon, was standing next to me and, s'funny this, but I swears he said, 'Oh hell, not again.'"
Hank lifted his eyebrows. "He knew the Captain?"
"Nah. But I gets the impression he'd run into mens like these who couldn't leave the war behind before." Billy finished off his bottle and reached over the bar to get another one. Hank watched the slightly precarious maneuver carefully, ready to catch something, or his brother, should it fall. Billy was soon upright again, pulling the top out of the new bottle and offering it to his brother.
"Drink?"
"Why not," Hank said, proffering the shot glass he'd grabbed.
As Billy poured, he started talking again. "Well, this is where it gets really nuts. Stevie B gets off his horse and starts yelling to everyone listening. 'I've got the town surrounded!' he yells. 'No one leaves without my 'spress permission, you hear?' Well, hell, this don't go down to well, and the sheriff comes out, all bluster and says: 'Stevie B, whatcha talkin' bout? Can't surround the town. 'Gainst the law.' But Stevie just shakes his head and says, 'Not against the law, Sheriff. I'm protectin' whazz mine.' Well, the Sheriff says, 'Whatcha mean?' And Stevie says, 'I'm here to stop my cousin Maddie from takin' way my mine.' And Sheriff says, 'But ain't it Matilda's mine? As she's Henry Norman's wee daughter?' Stevie B shakes his head. 'No sir,' he says, 'it's mine. Was my daddy's before it was Henry's and I'm supposed to get it. She can't have it and I ain't letting her leaves this town to get it. Everyone else can leave, but not her, and not her four friends. Or her son.' Then he says, 'I don't aim to harm her, Sheriff. Not gonna harm anyone. Not unless she tries to leave. But if she don't, then no one gets hurt.' Sheriff says, 'Well, so longs as no one gets hurt, guess that's okay then.'"
Hank's eyebrows shot up. "Seriously? Sheriff said it was okay?"
"Well, he kinda had a lot o' guns pointed at him at the time, so I guess he was just being dippy-you know-matical."
Hank snorted.
"So, everyone's 'bout to go back to bed when Maddie herself comes stormin' down, Scary right next to her. Cardsharp sighs next to me and goes outside, and I saws him unbuckling his holster as he went. I don't sees the Jerk anywhere. Figure he's somewhere with the kid.
"She starts screamin' how he has no right to do this. That he can't keep her from her birthright. He just yells back about how she can't swan into town after twenty years and think she deserves anything. After a while, it got sorta boring, so I went and got a drink, and served some others who looked thirsty. Then…" Billy slammed the table. "Boom!"
Hank jumped at the slam. "Boom?"
"Boom! Then more! Boom, boom, boom! Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom!"
"Things exploded?"
"No! Why'd you think that?"
"Cause you said, 'boom'!"
"Gun shots, ya ninny. Booms from guns!"
"Wouldn't…I don't know, maybe, 'bang'?"
Billy glared at him. "Who's telling this story, Henry Beau?"
"Point."
"So, gunshots everywhere. I get down behind the bar, and peek my head out of the side, trying to see what's happening. Suddenly, boom! Oh…wait, I see what you mean." Billy screwed up his face. "Okay, that time, it was the boom of the bar doors being thrown back. Maybe…um…crash? Crash-boom!" Billy grinned, thrusting his fists in the air like he'd won something.
Hank just nodded. "Meaning?"
"Meaning that Scruffy is suddenly hurtling through the doors, and in his arms is Maddie's kid! The skid 'cross the floor, banging into my bar, my customers scattering, and shots following them, bang, bang, bang! Ruinin' my bar! The mirror! My gorgeous mirror!" He gestures towards the shattered glass behind the bar. "Gone! And holes, and sawdust, and…and dust and holes! I tries to yell at them to get out, but Scruffy's ignoring me. Then I see the kid's bleedin', and bleedin' bad, all over my floor! He was wailing in pain, crying the way only li'l kids can, and then Cardsharp is stumbling inside, firing away, getting behind the edge of the door so he's can keep shooting outside. Maddie barrels in next, with Scary covering her, and Cardsharp's covering them both n' and nuts…it's just nuts! It's so loud and I don't know what's happening! It's all crazy!" He swung his arms out, and one of the empty bottles on the bar went flying, shattering against the floor and causing them both to jump.
Billy stared at it a moment, and then giggled like a loon. Grabbing the still alive bottle, he sloshed the remaining amber liquid down his throat, wiped his arm on his sleeve and threw it on the ground next to the other, shattering it as well. That done, he looked back at Hank, eyes wide and hands up and spread, like he's trying to calm Hank down.
"Then, just as fast, it all stops." Billy exhaled, as if feeling that relief all over again. "Afters, I hears yelling, but it takes a while for my ears to start workin' again, you know? Plus, I'm covered in shattered glass and sawdust and it's hard. I mean, look around-half of what you sees 'round you in damage is from that night." Hank frowned and started to look around, but Billy grabbed his arm. "But I starts to make sense of the yelling pretty soon, since Maddie has shushed her boy, gripping him in her arms. I gets then that it's Stevie B who yellin' from outside, and all three of her protectors-'cept the Jerk-are lined up next to the doors and windows, just listening. Stevie sayin', 'this is just a taste,' he sez. He sez, 'you tries to leave this town, Maddie Norman, you ain't gonna make it. Captain Crazy n' his men'll kill ya. But,' he sez, 'iffin you stays here withouts leaving 'til Friday, then we is gonna go, and you're free to go. I don't want kill ya, but I will if you try to leave. My men'll be outside town, watchin'."
"Think I saw their campsites," Hank said, nodding sloppily, and realized he was getting a little bleary eyed from what he'd had to drink.
"Yeah, but…but see?" Billy said, letting Hank's arm go. "That's all it was. Stevie didn't wanta kill her or her boy. But…" And he sniffed, wiping his nose on a sleeve. "It was too late already." He sniffed again, and tears ran down his face. "Still can't believe it happened."
"The blood…the boy?"
"They bundled him upstairs to one o' my rooms, still crying. Maddie was besides herself. The doctor was called fer, and he was up there so long. No one knew what to think. And, oh man…Scruffy. Maddie was so angry at him, and, normally I don't feels sorry for anyones, but I felt sorry for him."
"Why?"
"'Cause she laid into him. Into all of 'em, but mostly him, 'bout how if her kid dies, it's their fault. And then he, Scary and the Jerk…who showed up after all the shootin' was done, no idea if he even helped, probably not, such a jerk, all sat at that table." He pointed to the table in the corner. "Mopin'. I took 'em some beers, cause, even though they didn't order him, thought they needed them. Plus, I was sorta hoping one of 'em might apologize and pay for the bar damages, you know? They didn't. Scary just glared, Scruffy didn't look up, and the Jerk's moustache was moving, so I didn't look at him too long."
Hank snorted.
"Anyways, Scruffy was sayin' how it was his fault. The kid got hurt 'cause o' him. Scary tells him, 'not yer fault.' Then Jerk sez it was his fault, 'cause he was supposed to be watchin' the kid, but the kid slipped out. I note that Scary didn't tell him it wasn't his fault. Bettin' it was."
"Why? What exactly happened?"
"Well, near as could gleans from the talk later on, the kid snuck through the soldiery types to get to Scruffy, whiles Stevie B, Captain Crazy, Maddie and Scary were all arguin'. Guess he was tryin' to rescue Scruffy, who was all tied up and beaten n' stuff. Guess Captain Crazy was saying Scruffy'd be a hostage, and the l'il kid didn't like that. So he sneaks up, cuts Scruffy's bonds, 'cept one of the soldiers saw 'im and that's when all the shooting started. Least, that's what I was told."
"Wow. Brave kid."
"Yeah. Still a cock-blocker though."
Hank huffed a laugh, shaking his head and reaching over the bar to grab a new bottle. He knew he'd need more to survive this story. Billy didn't say a word, just let his brother pour him a new shot and downed it.
"Anyways," Billy continued, "Back to that night. So, Scruffy, Scary n' the Jerk jest started drinkin' after all their blame-talkin', and then the Doc comes down and tells 'em he'll be back in the morning to check on the kid and the other feller."
"Other feller?"
"Oh, yeah. Forgot 'bout that. Cardsharp got winged. He was fine though-came down later to get a drink, his arm in a sling, complaining a bit 'bout Scary owin' him a new jacket. Again, 'parently. Looked peaked, but not dead. Scary ignored his whingin' and went upstairs to watch over Maddie n' her boy. In the end, they all booked rooms. From that night, 'til they left, they stayed here. I think Scary actually gave me a little extra when all was said n' done, though I haven't really looked. I think they knew I was the one that ratted 'em out to Stevie in the first place." Billy shrugged, sighing heavily and looking at his ruined bar again.
"So, what happened then? Was the kid alright?"
Billy's face crumpled even more, if it was possible, and he took another drink before answering.
"No. No, he weren't. Next morning, we hears from the Doc that the boy was failing. Then he tells us all again that afternoon, that it's worse. By evenin'…Scary came down and told us the boy was on his deathbed. By dawn…by Wednesday dawn…boy was dead." He sniffed, and a fat tear ran down his face. "Scruffy went to get the coffin. Doc must've already told Benny to make the coffin so's it was ready, and they both came back with it, Benny all in black with those weeper things his people wear. Ah, Hank, you shoulda seen it. It was so small, broke my heart. I mean, I didn't like the kid, but…he was still jes a kid, you know?" Sniffing, Billy started to blubber a little. "I sees 'em bring the little kid down in the coffin, Maddie in tears, Scruffy lookin' like hell, even Scary's got this look on his face that…hell, just made him even scarier. Like he'd raze the town if someone jes gave him a match." He shuddered, and wiped his tears on his filthy sleeve. "Anyways, I gets asked to help take the boy out of town, 'cause I gots my wagon."
"Out of town?"
"Maddie wanted her boy buried with her father." Billy sniffed, then sneezed, sending spittle all over Hank's jacket, adding to the yellow gunk, but Billy didn't notice this time, being too busy wiping his tears on his dirty sleeves. "Did I tell ya, he looked so small in that coffin! All pale and sad. I felt so bad for Maddie. She was hiding her face behinds a veil, but I could tell she was in real pain."
"Sorry," Hank said, scraping his sleeve against the underside of the bar to get the worst off. "Sounds awful."
"Terrible awful. Terrible, terrible. And it didn’t end there."
Billy wiped his face on a cloth hanging over one of the beer handles and put it back. Sniffing he looked down at his empty glass.
"See, alls of us go out to the edge of town, Maddie, me, Benny and Scruffy on my wagon, and Scary n' the Jerk on horses. Cardsharp stayed behind to, his words-man liked big words-'recuperate in quiet contemplation.' Heh." Billy smiled wanly then. "Funny what's you remembers clearly, you know? Man had a mouth on 'im, yessir."
"Can imagine. So, what'd Steve do? He let ya through that army of his?"
"I think he might've, when he saw the coffin, but Captain Crazy went…well, crazy. He's suddenly there, yellin, 'don't! It's a trick! They's foolin' with us!" and then Maddie's all 'you bastard! You killed my son!' and Stevie's all 'stop yellin'! and Scary gets in between 'em all and sez nothing, but he's the kinda fella that says a lot with a stare, you know? And all the soldiers, there suddenly all right there too, surrounding us…I was afeared for my life, honest. Don't know how many there were, but felt like hundreds. Never seen so many men in one place!"
"Ground's pretty torn up on the edge o' town."
"Not surprised. Gonna be scarred for a while, I reckon." He sneezed again, and this time used the cloth to wipe his nose before putting it back. Hank shuddered slightly, wondering just how clean his glass really was as Billy continued.
"Anyways, while Scary is starin' the Captain down, Stevie goes and looks at the coffin. Captain demands it be opened, and though Stevie don't look like he likes the idea, Scruffy opens it to show the boy. He's there, all gray and dead and Maddie starts cryin' again. Then, crazyman again! Captain brings out a knife like he's gonna stab the kid! Maddie screams, Benny's shocked, Scary's grabbing his arm and everyone's about to jump in when Stevie yells at 'em all to stop. Captain argues - sez he don't believe the boy's dead, wants to stab 'im to be sure. Thinks it's a trick still. Maddie's spitting like a rattler now, screaming and caterwauling, but Stevie gets between 'em and sez 'no one's stabbin' my kin!' He shoves the Captain back."
"Wow."
"Yeah. Captain Crazy didn't like it much, but he weren't the boss, so he backs off. Then Stevie sez to Maddie. 'A couple o' yer men can takes the boy to Leadstown to bury him, but you's gotta stay.' Maddie wails, but Scary talks to her-I mean, there's tons o' guns on 'em by now, on all of us. Not kidding, I soiled my pants at least twice during all that. Scary ain't stupid and I hears him telling her not to be-and finally she agrees. So, the wagon goes on, with Benny and Scruffy driving it, and the rest of us left behind, on this side of Crazyman's army."
"Wait, Scruffy left? One of her protectors? He left with the boy's body?"
"Scruffy seemed to need to go, I think. 'Cause of that whole blamin' himself for the kid's death thing."
"Oh, right. Yeah, makes sense. Poor feller."
"Poor me! I was terrified something awful during all that. And then, walking with my pants in that state…"
"Walking?"
"They took my wagon, 'member? So Scary, me, Maddie and the Jerk all had ta go back into town on foot. Uncomfortable walk that was, and not just 'cause o' my pants. Maddie's still cryin', n' I'm still shakin', and Scary's looking like he wants to be onna pale horse ridin' through those soldiers. But, after a while, when we're back in town, I notice the Jerk's got a tiny smile on his face. I knew then that sometin' was abrewin'. I just didn’t know what."
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To Be Continued in Chapter Three