Homecoming

Chapter Eleven: Old Lives Revisited

I rode around looking for any sign. Hell, I even went to where they were going to be meeting and only found a small amount of blood.

I was stressed and finally just sat on the side of the road to try and think of a plan. Maybe Dutch had been right about holding back and making a plan. I raked my fingers through my hair.

"Maybe I got too excited, He's probably fine." I said to Suzie as she rubs her nose on my shoulder. the sun was starting to rise slowly. I took it as a sign to give in for the night and head back. But as I began to climb up something in the back of my mind made me turn around and look at the horizon.

As I did I saw the outline of a horse with someone laying on it's back. I squinted my eyes a bit to get a better look. "Athena..." I called out with a bit of hope. The horse looked towards me and began to trot towards me.

I ran up quickly seeing Arthur passed out. "Arthur." I call shaking his shoulder. I saw a bullet wound in his shoulder. "Honey, please wake up." I begged softly.

He grumbles a bit under his breath, "Etta... did you sneak out again?"

"Nows not the time Arthur, let's get you back to camp." I grabbed Athena's reigns and lead her back to camp.

________

"Pa!" I yell as soon as I knew I was in earshot of the camp. "I need help!"

Mary-Beth and Karen came running with Dutch close behind. "Arthur?" Mary-Beth asks as Arthur falls off of Athena on to his back on the ground.

"Arthur! My boy, what happened?" Dutch asks.

"Ah, Dutch, I told you it was a trap." Arthur groans. I hitched Athena and Suzie up as Swanson and Dutch carry Arthur to his tent.

I tried to enter the tent but Miss Grimshaw pushed me out. "Etta, go get some clean rags we can use." She ordered in a calm voice.

"Okay..." I peeked over her shoulder at Arthur who just gave me a small thumbs up. I hurried over near the food supplies looking for anything to use.

"Is Arthur okay?" Karen asks. She spots the clean rags right away that I was too stressed out to see.

"Uh... yeah... I just... I don't like even the idea of losing people."

"I don't think anyone does." She sighs.

"But I just got this family..."

I didn't realize I said that out loud but Karen smiles and pats my shoulder. "Go check on him."

I rushed back to Arthur's tent where Grimshaw was sitting next to him. "Oh good," She stands and pushes me down into the chair she had just been in. "I'm going to go see if I can get some food for him. You stay here and if he starts bleeding again you call."

"Okay... Thank you, Miss Grimshaw."

She leaves and closes the flaps of the big tent giving us two some privacy. Arthur is still conscious as I grabbed his hand and rubbed my thumb on the back of it. "You can go to sleep if ya want." I suggest to him.

He strains a bit and looks up at me, "But then I wouldn't be able to see your pretty face."

I smile and kissed his forehead, "I won't leave your side." I promised. He laid back still not going to sleep but just sitting in the comfortable silence. "Wanna get married?" I asked suddenly making him look back at me. Yeah.. I shocked myself with that too.

"You don't wanna marry an old ugly outlaw like me." He chuckles and squeezes my hand.

"Oh, Arthur you ain't old or ugly." I smile, "And I do. But if I asked too soon..."