Busted Gulch vol 7

A Hard Knock Life (baileygaines)

A Hard Knock Life

Buck and Bruce here? I should have known.

Trouble really does come wherever I go.

I didn't know they were twins, but I guess that means,

There'll be plenty of smirks to go 'round in BG.

Buck carried Bruce into the house of the doc,

I took one look at Bruce and my heart almost stopped.

Buck set Bruce aside, then turned to me.

"What's going on, Annie?"

I sat down and sighed and then I said,

"I'm here because Neil is dead."

"Neil? Dead? How...why?"

"It's Burt Carson's fault...I hate that guy!

Neil and I stayed with the railroad but he got into fights

When he got laid up, I had to find some way to fill my nights.

I started entertaining and...doing other things,

I'm popular with men, but I still don't have a ring.

One night Neil got into a very bad fight,

And...he didn't come home that night.

Things just got worse after Neil died

I worked at Miss Hannigan's and swallowed my pride.

I'm not that sweet girl you knew before,

But I'm not in that profession anymore.

I want to try my hand at reporting the news.

Maybe here in BG, I'll get rid of my blues."

"News, eh?" Buck looked at me.

"Then you should talk to CG.

She runs the Times, and I'm sure she would be

Glad to give you a trial...maybe?"

I went to hug Buck, but he shook his head. "No.

Annie...things are different. I've got a girl, you know."

I followed his gaze and my eyes opened wide.

"Buck, that's Shamus McGinty's wife!

She's also...um...a woman like me."

Buck's surprise at my words was easy to see.

"She is? Well...I didn't know.

But it doesn't change anything, so..."

Buck seemed lost in thought, so I tried to deduce

If there was anything that could be done for Bruce.

He was covered in soot and covered in dirt,

I tried not to wince as I took off his shirt.

Bruises covered his body and I thought that he had

Broken some bones...this looked bad.