NOTHING GOLD CAN STAY: RDR2

52. END IN RAIN: EPILOGUE PART FOUR

 "The planets seem to interfere in their curves

But nothing ever happens, no harm is done.

We may as well go patiently on with our life,

And look elsewhere than to stars and moon and sun

For the shocks and changes we need to keep us sane.

It is true the longest drought will end in rain."

—Robert Frost

I'd never seen so much gold in all my life.

John had thrown the bag back over his shoulder, promising to count it upon our return to Beecher's hope. There were more pressing matters at hand, matters of life or death for Sadie and Charles. We rushed them to the nearest doctor, John threw enough money at them to do their finest stitching. Charles would heal quickly, the bullet leaving little more than a triumphant story and a scar. Sadie's recovery would take a great deal longer, and it meant she was out of action for the foreseeable. Surprisingly, she didn't seem to mind.

"Give's me time to think about what's next." She said as the doctor wrapped her in bandages.

My own wounds were superficial, a black eye, a bruised rib. Nothing that a bit of ice and time wouldn't heal, which was a great comfort to me. I didn't think I could fit another scar on my body. John had carried Sadie on the back of his horse, we rode slowly enough not to hurt her, stopping often to give her time to gather her strength. She tried to play it down, but even she couldn't deny the intense pain that rocked through her body with each bout of uneven ground. We otherwise rode silently, still trying to process to the last couple of days in their entirety.

Dutch was out there, god knows where, god knows why. But he was out there, and he had shot Micah. Micah was dead, Joe was dead. and it was over, after all these years, we were free. As free as anyone else, that is. I worried about Arthur, about what the knowledge of Dutch's nearby presence had done to him, to know that the man who raised him had been within reaching distance and he'd missed him. I could only imagine the list of questions Arthur had, but there was no point. It was already done.

We arrived in Beecher's hope almost two full days later, Aine's poor legs were shaking with exhaustion and so were mine. Abigail ran from the house, clutching at her chest as we dismounted slowly. I could see her eyes roaming over each of us, checking for missing eyes or limbs, finally settling on John.

"It's over, Abigail." John said, helping Sadie down from the back of his horse. "It's all over."

A sob burst from Abigail's lips as she ran to him with open arms, leaping into his embrace. I reached for Sadie, escorting her past a befuddled duo of Jack and Uncle and into the house. She laid down on the sofa, settling into the soft cushions with a loud groan.

"Stay here." I said, pushing an extra pillow under her head.

"Where the hell else am I gonna go..." she mumbled, eyes closed as her body finally relaxed, finally allowing herself to feel the full extent of her injury.

I brought her water, blankets and clean clothes. I wanted to aid her in any way that I could, but there was nothing to be done except ride it out.

"So, you got Joe." She said, voice hoarse. "How did it feel?"

"I don't know." I admitted, kneeling down beside her head. "Did it change anything for you, killin' those O'Driscoll's?"

"Change? No." she said, shaking her head slowly. "But it felt good."