The wild, wild West (Arthur Morgan x f!reader)

CHAPTER 29 - Home

I stumbled through the high gras, the pain in my back growing almost unbearable with every passing minute. Gritting my teeth, I forced myself to take another step, another, another, another. I needed to get back to camp, otherwise I was done.

I had gained my consciousness back after a few minutes, only to realize that I had been abandoned. Arthur and Micah were nowhere to be seen, along with Smith and the lawmen that had followed us. It had taken me some time to muster the strength to stand and I had to fight back the tears of pain that threatened to spill from my eyes.

I had tried to stop the bleeding with Arthurs coat that was now tightly wrapped around my waist. It felt wet against my skin and left red stains as it was soaked in blood. I felt dizzy.

Something brown peaked trough the trees, I recognized a path only a few meters ahead. I gave me a spark of new hope. Fighting the sleepiness and pain, I made my way over and sank to my knees just on the dry earth of the way. Everything went blurry, I could only feel the dirt under my hands and the harsh breeze that caught my hair and played with it.

The faint sounds of hooves broke my trance, coming closer every second. I could see the rider approaching, his horse calmly trotting along the path. His attention settled on me quickly, I probably was hard to miss.

The horse stopped in front of me, the man on its back jumped down and crouched in front of me. „Lady? Do you hear me? Oh dear lord..."

I nodded slowly without looking at him. When I opened my mouth, only a hoarse whisper came out. „Can you take me to... Valentine?"

„Sure, sure. Oh lord, what happened?"

I needed a good story, quickly. I put a disoriented look on my face and finally gazed up to him. „I...I can't remember. I think I...got robbed." One of my hands pressed against my forehead. I managed a sob. „I need to get to Valentine to see...my husband..."

The stranger extended one hand to help me up. I gratefully accepted it, a low grunt of pain escaped my throat when I straightened my back.

„Oh god, are you hurt?" His expression changed to an even more worried one instantly.

„Bastards shot me in the back.", I mumbled and bit my lip when I realized my words. „I'm sorry, I'm just so scared...", I continued my lie. A dry sob left my quivering lips. It was hard to focus on playing my role with the throbbing ache in my back.

„I'm terribly sorry, Misses. Do you think you need a doctor?", he asked, but I shook my head.

„No...No. My husband's knows... knows a few things about medicine. He'll take care of me. Please, Mister. Just...just get me to Valentine."

He nodded and stumbled over to his horse. I couldn't really get on myself, he had to practically lift me on its back. We took off, I clung to the stranger. At this point, I wasn't even scared anymore that he might take advantage of my vulnerability and kidnapp or rob me.

Going to an actual doctor would be a literal death sentence. Setting foot into Strawberry would be pure insanity after the shooting and any other town wouldn't take to kindly to my appearance either. I wondered if there would be a time when the streets of Saint Denis or Blackwater wouldn't be littered with drawings of my face and mindblowing high sums written underneath it.

While I faded in and out of consciousness, I pictured them again. Right now, with the dirt and blood obscuring my face, I was no one. Just a scared, little housewife that feared for her husband, incapable of handling the pistol that pressed against my thing. The cold of the metal seeped through the fabric of my trousers into my skin. My coat hid the weapon from the stranger.

What happened to Smith? To Arthur? Did they get shot too? My head was spinning and panic rose in my chest. My neck felt to tight to breath, I felt like I was choking. I had lost him, lost Smith. Before I could act on my fear, the clouded world got enveloped in a thick layer of fog.

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The way to Valentine went by in a blur, the scenes fused into shaky pictures in my head. Rocky, muddy roads and tall pine trees, the gorge, wet wooden planks under bare hooves, vague voices mumbling greetings, a familiar path, a gentle hand on my shoulder.

„We're here."

I raised my head slowly, blinking wildly to clear my vision. „Good..." My voice trailed off.

„Tell me where you live, so I can get you there.", he encouraged.

Now I could see that he was standing next to his horse, facing me. One hand rested on my shoulder. I shook my head.

„I'll go b' m'self. Th'nk you s' much, Sr..."

My voice became slurred, I was barely able to sit up. I slipped off the horses back and nearly dropped to the ground when my legs gave in under my weight. Fuck, fuck, fuck. This was bad, bad, very bad.

„No, Miss, I'll..."

I interrupted him by slapping the horses rear, scaring the horse.

„'m sorry...", I mumbled before I took of in the opposite direction.

He couldn't follow me unless he wanted to loose his horse. Apparently, the horse was more important, as I had hoped. He ran after the animal and left me alone in the dust of the dry road.

I took a few unsure steps and had to hold on to a house wall to keep myself upright. I wouldn't make it much longer, I was aware of that. A quick pet to my back showed me that the blood was dry and the bleeding had stopped. Good. I couldn't die now, I had come to far.

Although I felt lightheaded, I remembered my pockets. There had to be some kind of food and definitely some water. A lot of other outlaws carried whiskey for that occasion.

My fingers closed around something promising, I pulled out a small bottle of water. I gulped it down and dropped it back.

Back to camp now. If only I could have stolen that guys horse. Riding would be so much easier. I knew there was another way to camp, one that wasn't as populated as the one along the railroad. I had to leave the town in the direction of the canyon and follow the tracks on the other side. But as soon as I let go of the wall, my head began spinning again. So I just stood there, felt my chest growing tight again. My breath grew ragged with panic while my legs grew weaker.

„Y/N!"

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-1158 words