Ezra Standish was once again laughing at the antics between JD Dunne,
and Buck Wilmington. The three men were out of Four Corners for the day
in the neighboring town, Eagle Bend. They were now heading back, after
a fruitful day of gambling and drinking. The men had then decided their
leader, Chris Larabee, would not take kindly to them staying gone any longer
then they had, so they decided to head back. Ezra was laughing at something
JD had said, when all of a sudden his horse reared violently
sending him flying backwards, unexpectedly.
Buck looked down and saw the rattlesnake bite Ezra's horse, which caused
the animal to rear. Buck pulled out his gun and shot the snake dead. He
turned to see Ezra as he tumbled backwards. Straight into a large boulder
on the ground, slamming his temple against it. JD and Buck were both off
their horses and at Ezra's side in a minute.
JD turned to see Ezra's horse collapse, and begin to convulse, an affect
of the poison from the snake's bite. He closed his eyes, pulled out his
gun, and shot, putting the horse out of its misery. He turned his attention
back to Ezra.
Buck looked at Ezra's wound and saw it bleeding badly. His friend was
deathly pale, and this made Buck himself pale. Silently JD put pressure
on Ezra's temple with his bare hand, and together the two men placed Ezra
on Buck's horse, and he mounted. JD mounted his horse, and the two raced
for Four Corners. Ezra's life demanded it.
+ + + + + + +
"Nathan?!" JD called as he dismounted his horse before it stopped. He
raced into the Saloon where he about collided with Nathan
Jackson, and Chris as they exited. Chris glanced at JD's hands and
felt his heart sink. One of them was hurt bad.
"What happened?" Nathan asked as he continued outside. There he saw
Buck easing Ezra down, his body shaking with the effort and fear racking
his body.
"Ezra's horse was bit by a rattlesnake, and reared. Ezra hit a boulder
with his head, and he was bleeding bad. He's been knocked out since he
fell," JD said. Nathan frowned at this. He ushered Buck and the others
to his clinic. There Chris and JD stood aside, as Buck and Nathan placed
Ezra's too limp body on the clinic bed. Nathan then ushered the men outside.
He needed to examine Ezra and he didn't need the men underfoot.
Chris scowled as he walked out. There he, JD, and Buck were joined by
Josiah Sanchez and Vin Tanner as they rushed up the stairs.
"We heard Ezra was hurt," Vin said in his soft drawl. Chris nodded.
He met Vin's eyes, and saw fear there. Fear he himself felt, and was surprised
at. The men sat back to wait for Nathan.
+ + + + + + +
JD looked down at his hands. Ezra's blood was embedded in the pores,
dry now. He felt his body shake when he realized he friend could very well
die. JD shook his head violently. No, Ezra is strong. He has always had
the best odds of us all, he thought. Ezra wasn't going to die. Buck looked
dazed into the street of Four Corners. He was only slightly aware of Mary
Travis as she joined the men.
Mary looked at the five men as they waited to hear about Ezra. She had
heard several different accounts of what had happened, and became worried
for the gambler she had come to care for. She looked at each man as they
waited.
Chris sat silently, his fingers steepled in front of his eyes, which
were very distant, lost in his own thoughts. Buck stared into the
street his hands leaning over the rail, Ezra's dried blood on them.
Mary looked to watch JD stare at his hands in disbelief, blood on them
as well, and then out into oblivion, continually shaking his head. He was
in deep thought. Vin leaned against a railing near Chris, his own eyes
distant, and sad. Josiah stood near JD rubbing his cross, his blue eyes
closed, as he silently mumbled a prayer.
The men and Mary came to attention as Nathan exited. But there hopes
dashed as soon as they saw Nathan's face. He looked at each of them before
speaking.
"He's hit his temple. It's bad. He's in a comatose state. It's worse
the being knocked out. I don't think he will wake up," he said
sadly, looking from the people to his hands.
JD closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the wall of the
clinic. He felt tears threaten as he thought of losing his friend
forever. Buck gripped the railing he had been leaning on tightly, closing
his eyes also. Vin looked stricken. He couldn't believe Ezra wasn't gonna
wake up. He looked away closing his blue eyes, feeling his world begin
to shatter. Josiah tried to be strong and placed a hand on Mary's shoulder
as she pressed a hand to her mouth her tears spilling over on to her cheeks.
Chris scowled and quickly headed down the stairs, straight for the Saloon.
Chris walked in and ordered a bottle of strong whiskey, and went to
Ezra's usual table with it and a shot glass. They both remained untouched
as he thought about Ezra. He couldn't get drunk. The man would have looked
at it disdainfully. Chris sighed and placed his head in his hands, willing
himself not to cry. Like the others they had come to respect Ezra, and
learned to call him friend, even brother. And now they were going to lose
him. How could any of them cope with that?
Nathan checked on Ezra some the next day. He looked down at Ezra, and
was glad at least his breathing was good. Nathan really didn't want to
leave Ezra's side, so he began to straighten up the clinic. He soon came
across his medical tools, and ran his finger over them. Ezra had given
them to him. He thought back to the day fondly.
"Mr. Jackson? May I ask when is your birthday?" Ezra said in his smooth
Southern drawl. He was smiling, his gold tooth catching the light. Nathan
looked at him quizzically.
"Why?" Nathan asked. Ezra smiled wider, and Nathan noticed finally his
hands were behind his back. "What you got there?" Nathan tried to see,
but Ezra diverted.
"You will see soon enough, but first tell me when your birthday is,"
Ezra said continuing to smile. He was having a good time seeing Nathan's
curiosity.
"I am not really sure. Don't know if I have one. I know the year I was
born, but not the day or month. Why?" Nathan asked again.
"Well perhaps we can mark this day as your official birthday," Ezra
said. He finally showed Nathan what he had. It was a medical bag, one a
lot like he had seen in the General Store in Jericho when they had been
looking for Chris. Ezra handed it to Nathan.
"What?" Nathan asked confused.
"It is a birthday present. I noticed you admiring the fine medical bag
and tools in Jericho's General Store, and decided they would
be of better use in your hands, then in that store collecting dust,"
Ezra said. Nathan smiled at him, and opened the case. Sure enough inside
where they very tools he had admired, and wished for the whole time he
had been in Jericho. Nathan looked up and smiled at Ezra, as the Southerner
returned it turning and heading to the Saloon.
+ + + + + + +
Nathan closed his eyes, and felt tears slowly fall. He never had the
chance to get Ezra a gift for his birthday, which was coming up soon. He
then realized his friend may not make it to that birthday. This realization
brought Nathan to the seat behind him as he put his head in his hands,
and sobbed for his friend.
+ + + + + + +
Vin stepped back from the post at Nettie Wells' ranch and ran a hand
over his sweaty brow. He had been slamming a nail into the same spot for
ten minutes. He thought back to another day much like this, but Ezra had
been there.
Vin stepped back from the post he had been nailing. He looked over where
Ezra was sitting, his hat on the toe of his boot, drinking
from his silver whiskey flask. Vin sighed.
"A man never drowned himself in his own sweat Ezra," he said.
"A gentleman does not debase himself by engaging in menial labor," he
threw back. Vin shook his head and looked at Nettie, and
smiled slightly. That was Ezra for you.
+ + + + + + +
Vin sighed as he thought of the memory. He went to nail the beam again,
and hit his hand instead.
"Dammit?!" he yelled, and threw the hammer down, and began to beat his
fist and kick against the fence, until he fell to the ground exhausted,
and felt tears pricking behind his eyes. One of the men he felt he could
never trust, had become one of his closest friends. And he never even had
a chance to tell him.
Nettie watched, crying, as Vin took out his frustrations over the situation
with Ezra. She had always liked Ezra even though he had
refused to debase himself helping to repair her fence. She always felt
he had a sense of wanting to belong, but never quite opening up enough
to do it. He had begun to in Four Corners, but the possibility of him living
to see its worth was slim. Nettie wiped her cheeks and walked back in to
the house were she saw Casey cooking dinner and crying also. Nettie wrapped
her arms around her niece, and let her cry.
+ + + + + + +
Josiah shut his bible and sighed. He had been praying for Ezra's condition
and wondered what he could do to bring the man out of it. Nothing,
he thought. There is nothing I can do to bring him out of it.
Josiah kneeled down in front of the cross and looked at it, and remembered
the day he had begun to respect Ezra a lot more.
Ezra walked into the church, Josiah following him yelling away.
"You have no decency Ezra! None at all!" he was saying. Ezra whirled
around.
"Decency? How can I know decency? All I know is what I know, and that
is why my life is the way it is. You are so glorified Josiah that you can
judge me?" Ezra said, his eyes flashing angrily.
"I am not trying to judge you..." Josiah began his tone softer. Ezra
scoffed.
"It sounds like it to me. I am not trying to say the things I do are
correct. But they are all I know, and therefore follow them, until
influences from people, such as our comrades, begins to sink into my
thick skull, you are going to have to deal with me," he said, and walked
out. Josiah watched the younger man leave and smiled. He had gained more
respect for Ezra as he realized the man wanted acceptance, but would not
take it from them, until he proved he deserved it to himself.
Josiah leaned back and cried. His friend was dying, and there was not
a damn thing he could do about it.
+ + + + + + +
Chris walked into Nathan's clinic and walked back out slowly. Mary was
sitting with Nathan and Ezra.
Mary scanned Ezra's face with her eyes, and felt tears threaten. She
seemed to cry less and less, ever since the men had arrived. But a recent
event flitted into her mind, causing her to smile. Ezra had made her smile
a great deal that day, and had given her the best advice she could ever
think of.
Mary walked into the Clarion, and glanced curiously at a strange package
on her desk. She ran a finger of the beautiful wrapping.
"Open it," a smooth drawl said from behind her. Mary turned around to
see Ezra smiling at her in the doorway. Mary looked at him quizzically.
"It will not explode Mrs. Travis. Open it," he said stepping into the
newspaper office and setting his hat on the desk, picking up the
package and handing it to her. She smiled slightly and took it, setting
it back on the desk. She untied the ribbon and slowly lifted the box's
lid. She gasped. Nestled in the tissue paper was a mint green dress, with
a fine lace over it. She looked at Ezra confused.
"Why..?" she began. Ezra smiled his gold tooth glinting in the light.
"You wear too much black. I noticed one day you had very beautiful green
eyes, and when I saw this dress it reminded me of them. I wanted you to
have it," he said. Mary's eyes scanned his face. He smiled at her again.
"No obligations Mrs. Travis. Just a gift, from one friend to another,"
he began. "You wear far too much black. I know you have been mourning your
husband's passing, but that time is over, and you need to begin to move
on with your life. Think of the dress as a new beginning, a new future
to look forward to, with you choosing what happens."
Ezra picked up his hat and placed it on his head. He tipped his head
at her and left. Mary watched the Southern man go, and then looked down
again at the dress. She smiled and took it into her room, placing it gently
in a drawer of her dresser. Someday she would wear it, and when she did,
she would immediately go see the man who gave it to her.
Mary brushed a lock of hair off of Ezra's forehead, and placed a hand
on the man's bare chest. She could feel his heartbeat under her hand, and
she began to cry. She began to feel different about Ezra from that day
forward. She always had different memories of him, good and bad, but the
good were flooding her mind as she watched the Southerner balance on the
edge of death. Nathan slowly walked out of the clinic and saw Chris.
"How is he?" Chris asked huskily. Nathan sighed and shook his head.
"No different," he said softly. Together the men walked to the Saloon.
There they met Buck, and Vin, who had returned from Nettie's.
The four men sat at Ezra's usual table silent for awhile, all lost in
their own thoughts.
+ + + + + + +
JD sat in the Sheriff's office remembering Ezra. He remembered when
he had met him. Hell when he had met them all. They had been waiting for
the gambler before they headed to a Seminole village to protect it from
renegade Confederates.
"And I can shoot," JD said as he sat side-saddle on his horse. As he
shot the horse spooked and he fell off.
"And he can fly!" a Southern man dressed finely, on a chestnut colored
horse came riding up far too close to JD. JD stumbled backwards into the
water trough, and came up sputtering.
"And he can swim too," a man with a mustache said. JD scoffed slamming
his wet hat against his leg, and stalked off. He'd prove to them he could
do it.
JD smiled at the memory. Another memory began to filter into his brain,
one which had left him injured.
"Hey, HEY!" JD yelled, the knife protruding from his shoulder. He saw
Vin and Ezra on the plank boards, and shot his gun into the air to get
their attention.
+ + + + + + +
Ezra turned around and saw JD lying injured at the end of the plank
boards and ran to him, Vin close behind.
"They got her," JD was saying. Vin grabbed JD's gun.
"I got your gun kid," he said. Ezra put JD's good arm over his shoulders
and helped him up.
"Come on," he said, his voice a little shaky. He helped JD find Nathan.
Ezra tapped his fingers against the post as he, Vin, and Josiah waited
to hear if JD would be fine.
"Yeah he's gonna be okay, just needs to take it easy for a couple of
days," Nathan said. Ezra sighed in relief, as Buck walked in.
"What happened?" he asked as he saw JD.
"Long story," Ezra drawled.
"Where's Chris?" Vin asked. Buck smiled.
"With the gang, on his way to rob the bank," he said. Ezra frowned.
"What?" Nathan said.
"Long story," Buck said. Vin and Ezra both sighed.
"Come on we've gotta find Olivia," Vin said. The men headed outside.
JD sat back and smiled. Ezra had been genuinely worried about the younger
man. He would never admit it but the others had come to mean something
to the Southerner who felt like an outsider. He got up and headed for the
Saloon, knowing the others would be there. Josiah had joined the others
when JD had gotten there.
"Have a seat JD," Vin said pushing one out for the man. They had left
Ezra's usual seat empty.
"I think we should talk about some of the memories we have of Ezra,"
Josiah suddenly said after a few awkward moments of silence. Chris nodded.
"I remember one in particular," he said smiling at Vin. Vin knew what
he was talking about and smiled also. They began to tell their tale.
"If we go in there all spit and vinegar there's a good chance she'll
get hurt," Chris was saying. Vin nodded and looked up.
"What we need is some sort of distraction," he said smiling. Chris looked
up to see what Vin was looking at and saw Ezra with the
working girls, walking up and down the steps a book on his head, talking
about being a lady. When he saw the men, he knocked the book off his head,
confused.
"Walks awful graceful don't he?" Vin said. Chris smiled, practically
reading the man's thoughts. Ezra looked back at the women
and then at them shrugging in confusion.
"Hey Ezra we got a job for you," Chris said. They got the man to the
sheriff's office with one of the town's women. They had been explaining
what they wanted Ezra to do.
"You want me to what?! Gentlemen have you taken leave of your senses?"
he asked. Vin shook his head smiling.
"We want you to put on that dress and create a distraction while we
rescue Mrs. Travis," Chris said. Ezra backed away from the men and ran
into Buck, who was smiling. Ezra sighed and knew he had no choice.
"No cracks," he growled as the woman they had brought with began to
apply make-up to him.
"Mr. Standish you have such lovely skin," she said innocently, just
as an off hand comment. The other men started laughing, and Ezra sighed.
He was never going to live this down.
The men laughed at their tale. Ezra having to wear that dress had definitely
been one of the funniest things they had done so far. But he had taken
it gracefully, and got through it. Though he did get some ribbing from
the other men.
Nathan sat back and remembered how he hadn't really liked Ezra when
they met but he had come to like him in their first escapade together,
even though there were times he had wanted to strangle the man.
"What about you Mr. Jackson? Think you can ride with an ole' Southern
boy?" Ezra asked smiling at Nathan after he had mounted his horse as the
men prepared to leave the Seminole village.
"I think I'll stay here and get these people settled," Nathan said looking
around. Ezra understood and tipped his hat to Nathan. He
spurred his horse and left.
Nathan remembered that day and knew they had come to respect one another
just from that exchange. It had been a bumpy road since then, but one Nathan
had been glad to travel.
+ + + + + + +
Mary sat back as she watched Ezra's breathing. More memories flitted
into her mind. So many things had happened to the men through the months,
and they had all changed Ezra in some way. She never thought he would have
respect for her, but a memory of when she realized she had ran through
her brain.
Ezra placed the stand on the grass, after exiting Guy Royal's house
with it.
"That belongs to the Tacketts," Mary said, making a check on her list.
Ezra checked the bruise that marred his handsome features as he responded
before looking at her.
"What are the chances you even find them?" he asked.
"Well I know they moved up North. I'll find them," she said looking
at him smiling. Ezra returned the smile.
"I'll bet you will," he returned as he walked away. Mary watched him
smiling, as he went to get the next thing from the house.
Mary smiled and wiped a tear form her face. She was exhausted but did
not want to leave the man's side. She curled up and leaned against him
gently, not wanting to hurt him, and was soon asleep.
The next day Nathan and Chris walked in to see Mary still asleep at
Ezra's side, her arm around his waist as if to protect him. Chris touched
her shoulder and opened her red-rimmed eyes. It was obvious she had been
crying. They turned their attention to Ezra, as he stirred a bit, a frown
marring his features and then he settled again. Mary looked at Nathan.
"He's probably dreaming. He is in a sense in a very deep sleep. I read
some people dream the entire time they are comatose," he said softly. Chris
nodded and sat behind Mary, his hand on her arm. They drew strength from
each other, and Chris's mind filtered back to a recent memory he and Ezra
shared.
Ezra walked outside as he heard a rider coming. He looked up and gasped
as Chris practically fell off of his horse. He was dead drunk.
Ezra scowled, but helped the man up and to his room. He took the black
duster off Chris, when suddenly the man's hands where around his throat.
From the glazed look in Chris's eyes, he did not know who he was strangling.
Ezra fought against his hands and shuddered at his words.
"You killed them you bastard!" Chris was saying. Ezra managed to wrench
himself away. He scowled deeper at the man.
"Chris snap out of it!" he demanded.. Chris began mumbling again.
"You killed them," he said. Suddenly Chris began sobbing, and fell back
against his bed. He was whimpering like a small child. Ezra walked over
to him and sat down touching his arm lightly.
"Your healing is beginning my friend," Ezra whispered. He decided to
not leave Chris, and removed the man's gun belt. Chris was fast asleep.
Ezra pulled a chair over and propped his feet on the bed, and watched the
man. He felt his own heart breaking when he saw his friend's shoulders
shake when he whimpered as so many memories flooded his mind. He wanted
to help Chris, but only if he allowed him too. Ezra then promptly fell
into a dreamless slumber.
Ezra was up the next day before Chris, and was watching him as he stirred.
Memories of the night before flooded Chris's brain as he looked over to
see the gambler at his bedside.
"Ezra, I.. " he began. Ezra held up his hand to stop him.
"I understand Chris, but next time you get drunk, try not to strangle
me," he said smirking. Chris smiled. He watched Ezra get up to leave. Before
he left Ezra and Chris's eyes met. Blue-green to Green, and an understanding
passed. Ezra walked out, understanding the man of Chris Larabee a little
more. Chris sat back respecting the man of Ezra Standish a little more
as well.
Chris sighed as he heard the clinic door open. He turned to see the
men quietly shuffle in. They all gathered around Ezra, forming an unbroken
chain around their friend.
Buck looked down at the man and sighed softly. Ezra had been his closest
competition for the ladies in town. He remembered a fight the two had recently
over a woman who had no interest in Buck, and interest in Ezra. Ezra wanted
nothing to do with her, his eye had seemed to be taken by a certain blonde
widow of late, he would never admit to. But Buck did not realize this,
and thus saw Ezra as competition.
"Buck what are you doing?" Ezra asked as the man scowled at him when
Annie Johnson had left them.
"I want that young woman and I can't have her if you do," Buck snarled.
Ezra sighed. He had never seen Buck like this and found it amusing, but
he didn't want the woman. He was suddenly taking an interest in Mary Travis.
Buck needed to know his intents toward Annie were non-existent.
"Then have her Buck. I do not. She seems to have an interest in me,
but I have none in her," Ezra said. Buck watched him and knew he was telling
the truth.
"You my friend are in love," Ezra said as Buck turned to walk away.
Buck whirled back around a panicked look on his face. Ezra smiled slightly.
"So are you," Buck returned when a memory of a certain dress came across
Buck's mind. He had been there when Ezra had bought that green dress for
Mary Travis. Due to his fairer complexion, Ezra blushed noticeably. Buck
smiled, and the two watched each other. Their secrets were safe. For now.
Buck smiled again and looked at his friend. If he didn't wake up, he
would never have the chance to tell Mary how he felt. If he does die. I'll
tell her Ezra. I promise she will know how you felt, he silently vowed
to his friend.
Ezra's face scrunched up in a large frown, and Nathan came forward to
him. He frowned as well and shook his head at them.
Mary, and the men watched in stunned shock as Ezra's breathing slowed,
and finally stopped. Mary hung her head down, and let the tears fall. Vin
hung his head also, and also cried for the first time in his adult life.
Chris placed a hand on Mary's shoulder, and tried hard not to cry but failed,
as tears spilled down his cheeks. JD took off his hat, and covered his
eyes with his hand, but his shoulders were shaking, indicating his grief.
Nathan stood in shock and made eye contact with Josiah, who had the most
lost expression on his face. Buck cursed softly and covered his eyes with
his hand, willing no tears, and failing as he choked back a sob, at his
friend's loss.
Nathan's ears perked when he heard Ezra take a shallow breath. He leaned
forward and place his fingers at the base of the man's throat and felt
his pulse as strong as before.
Chris looked up, and saw Nathan smiling. Mary looked up also, as did
the others, and she choked back a sob of relief when she saw the steady
rise and fall of Ezra's chest. She placed her hand over his heart to feel
his heartbeat and breathing, when she looked up, and directly into his
eyes.
"Mrs. Travis?" he said very weakly. Mary smiled at him, tears of joy
falling down her cheeks. Ezra shakily raised his hand and brushed one of
them away, but he was so tired his hand fell to her lap. She took his hand
in her own and rubbed it lovingly.
"Mary," he said again softly. Chris leaned forward to touch his arm.
"We're here too buddy," he said softly. Ezra finally managed to focus
on the other men.
"How do you feel?" Vin asked wiping a tear away.
"My head hurts like hell," Ezra whispered. He felt like his voice couldn't
go any higher in volume than that. The others laughed.
"What happened?" he asked.
"You don't remember?" Nathan asked.
"All I remember is my horse rearing and falling backwards. My head connected
with something very hard, and everything went black," he said his voice
getting stronger.
"A snake bit your horse, we had to put her down. You flew in to a boulder
and hit your temple. We almost lost you," Buck said stepping forward. Ezra
frowned. So it wasn't a dream after all, he thought. Mary noticed the frown
but said nothing as the Southerner smiled at her.
"Didn't all of my fine companions know, you can't get rid of me that
easily," he said smiling. The others laughed, but Nathan ushered them all,
but Mary, out so Ezra could rest. Mary had asked to stay to speak with
him alone.
"I was worried you wouldn't make it, and that I wouldn't...," she began.
Ezra leaned up slightly, the bed sheets falling to his waist.
Mary frowned wondering if it was a good idea for him to move.
"What?" he asked softly. He wanted to be able to look Mary in the eye
when she said what she had to say.
"I wouldn't be able to tell you how I feel," she whispered. Ezra felt
his heart flutter, but waited.
"How do you feel?" he finally asked. Instead of saying, Mary leaned
forward and placed a gentle kiss on his lips, and leaned back.
Ezra smiled at her blush. He felt as if his life was right now.
"Get some rest, Mr. Standish," Mary said softly. Ezra nodded and
he kissed her hand, and allowed her to help him lie back down. He was vaguely
aware of her pulling the covers over his chest, because he fell asleep
so fast. Mary walked to the door and looked at him smiling. Yes it was
time for her to stop mourning, and look to the future. Mary left the clinic,
hope floating through her.
+ + + + + + +
Ezra entered the Saloon a few days later, and looked around surprised.
The men had cleared the place out except for a few patrons, and they were
having a party. For him. He smiled.
"We figured you not dying was a good enough reason to celebrate," Vin
said smiling at the man. Ezra smiled back.
"Why thank you Mr. Tanner, but since when do we need a reason for a
party?" he asked. He saw Buck's smiled widen as he looked at the door.
Ezra turned around and felt like someone had hit him.
In the doorway stood Mary Travis. Wearing the same pale green dress
he had bought her a few months ago. She walked towards the men smiling.
Ezra's eyes never left her.
"Why Mary you look lovely," Josiah complimented her. Her smiled widened
and nodded at him. She looked at Ezra and smiled.
"It's good to see you up Mr. Standish," she said, her eyes twinkling.
Ezra was at a loss. He didn't expect to ever see her actually
wearing the dress, but he had hoped he would.
"Thank you Mrs. Travis. Mr. Sanchez is correct, you do look lovely,
and it would appear I was right," he said collecting himself.
Buck finally snapped.
"Dammit Ezra! Just kiss her already!" he exclaimed. The other men laughed,
Buck having already told them where Ezra's heart lay. Ezra ignored them,
and silently asked Mary's permission, which she gave, and Ezra kissed her
softly. The men cheered.
+ + + + + + +
Later that evening, while the party still roared. Ezra had escaped to
stand out on the plank boards in front of the Saloon, his
eyes wandering. He suddenly saw the very people who had been responsible
for bringing him back. He had wanted to die, feeling his life worthless,
but four special people convinced him otherwise.
Ezra smiled at his father who tipped his hat toward him. Ezra couldn't
help but smile as he watched Adam Larabee wave happily at him. Sarah Larabee
smiled at him, and walked forward.
"Take care of him Ezra," she said about Chris. "Take care of them all."
Ezra nodded. He felt someone beside him a moment later, and looked to see
Mary. He smiled at her, and put his arm around her.
"You coming back in?" she whispered. Ezra nodded.
"In a moment. I will meet you there," he said placing a kiss on her
forehead. She smiled and headed back inside. Ezra looked over to the fourth
person.
Stephen Travis smiled at the man. He had known when he met Ezra's spirit
as it contemplated whether or not the man should live, and knew how he
felt about Mary. He assured Ezra he wanted Mary to be happy, and knew this
man held the key.
"She's yours now. Make her happy," he had said. Ezra smiled at them.
They all waved at him, and turned. Stephen placed a hand on Sarah's back
steering her towards the edge of town, Adam's hand in hers. Ezra's father
had stayed back a moment.
"You have a second chance at life son. Make the most of it, and never
forget I love you, and we will always be here for you," he said, his voice
like a breeze. Ezra nodded, and his father joined the other three spirits.
Ezra watched as they slowly disappeared, never to be seen again.
Ezra knew though that they were always there and always would be. Forever
watching, forever protecting the ones they loved most. Ezra smiled and
turned around, heading back inside. Back to his family and future.
The End
