Saving Arthur Morgan | rdr2

Chapter 29

"My cure?" He asks slowly.

"Yes..I have a lot of explaining but just trust me." I assure him.

He shakes his head. "You disappear for weeks and expect me to just...trust ya? Where the hell have you been?" He stands, hands on his hips. He's scowling at me..but all I want to do is kiss him and make the pain go away..

"I-I...it's hard to explain.." I stumble over my words and he seems aggravated now.

"Well you best be explainin..I looked for you..not a goddamn word or anything to tell us...me that you was okay." He shakes his head slowly, brows furrowed.

"I'm sorry...truly. If I could change it, I would." Tears sting my eyes. "You'd think I'm crazy though, if I told you."

"What I think is crazy.." he laughs but it's sounds so cold and harsh. "Crazy is runnin' off.. not knowin' if I did somethin..I even thought-" he stops himself.

"Thought what?"

"I thought you got sick..I thought maybe ya ran off that day when the wolves attacked and died."

"Arthur..please. Forgive me." I beg.

"I do..but I don't know what the hell happened and until I do..I can't trust you again."

I reach for him but he pulls away. "Your mare, she ran off in the direction you ran in. Blood trails stopped at the foot of the mountain, I thought you ran off.. the way that wolf got ahold of ya.." he sighs, he's stressed talking about it. "I thought you may have died or..maybe had my sickness. I don't know what the hell I thought." He sits on his cot again. "But I do know..you came at the worst time. But I'll have to talk with ya later.. I'm glad that you're back. Bout time we start makin sense of all this." I nod at his words, a smile crosses my lips. He looks at me with saddened eyes. "I missed you." He finally says.

"God only knows that I missed you..that's why I came back. To save you." He eyes me with suspicion.

"What's the cure? How'd you even know I was sick?"

"Uh..maybe we should go for a ride, I'll explain." He nods, standing.

"Sure."

"Ahh. Miss Monroe, you're back." Chills shot up my body at the voice. I turn to see an uneasy looking Dutch.

"Yes..I came back for Arthur." I smile which makes him glare.

"You weren't apart go the gang when ya left..but now that you're back, you are now. So next time you think it's clever to run off, you won't be so welcomed when you try to return." With that, he tips his hat at Arthur, then takes off towards the ominous looking cave.

"He sure don't like you." Arthur says beside me. He looks like he's ready to pounce though, anger in his eyes and body language.

"Yeah. Seems that way."

__________

We rode to a peaceful spot a few miles from camp, Arthur jumps off and helps me down as well.

"So what did you want to tell me?" He asks, sitting below a tree off the little dirt road.

I sit down beside him, staring into his eyes. The yellow-green flecks dance around the pupil but now the whites of his eyes are bloodshot..

"I left because I had to. I can't exactly explain why. But I will say, I kept up with what was happening with you." He nods his head, raising his eyebrows in disbelief. "I brought you some medicine, a doctor up north gave them to me, it cures tuberculosis." I dig the pills out of my satchel, showing him.

He looks at them, just staring. "Those little things?" He asks.

"Yes Arthur. It says to swallow two, twice a day." I read the label.

He furrows dark brows in confusion. "Now..how the hell did you come up with these?"

"A doctor.. it's helped so many people already. But right now, no one knows about them."

I take two of the capsules out of the first round of antibiotics, handing them to him. He stares at them, no expression now.

"I promise. It will cure you." I assure him. He lifts blue eyes to meet mine, then glance back down.

He finally takes a ragged deep breath then looks at me angrily. "Ahh I better not regret this.." he growls, throwing them into his mouth and swallowing.

"You won't." I smile so big it hurts. "Now you have to take these two bottles until they're empty. Oh..I'm so happy you trust me-"

"Hey..I didn't say I fully trust you now..I just know I'm dying so what harm can you really do..?"

I deflated at his bluntness. My shoulders sag, frowning at him.

"Don't look at me like that.." he looks away guiltily.

"Like what?"

"Like I killed your dog or something.. I ain't mad..I'm just..I don't rightly know."

"You've been through hell, don't worry about me."

He scoffs. "That's all I've done is worry about you.. when we was shipwrecked..I prayed to God for once, hoping I'd see you again. Guess God has a sense of humor bringing you back now." He smiles but quickly wipes it away.

"I'm back for you. I came back only for you." I confess. "Arthur I-"

"There you are." A slow growl of a voice startles us both. It's Micah.. I absolutely can't stand this dude.
"We was wondering where ya went, black lung." He smirks at Arthur.

"Won't you go on and be a pest somewhere else.." Arthur stands slowly, groaning from the aches and pains in his body.

"Oh I'm only messin' with ya. Dutch is needing you back for some..." He looks passed Arthur's shoulder at me. "Some business." He quiets down now.

"Well..I guess we'll be headin' back. Miss Monroe, I'll escort you back to camp." Arthur helps me up, squeezing my hand as to say I'm sorry for the interruption.

"What do you see in him?" Arthur and I both give him a warning look which causes him to shrug his shoulder with a smile. "After all, everyone knows who's getting your corn ground, Arthur." Micah chuckles, turning his horse back onto the trail.

"Shut your damn mouth Micah." Arthur threatens causing Micah to halt, slowly turning in his saddle.

"Calm down cowpoke. I'm only teasin." He chuckles menacingly as he spurs his horse on..

Arthur helps me onto the saddle, following. "Damn bastard.. he's been aggravating the hell out of me the passed few days.. weren't for Dutch.." he trails off, I hug his middle now that I'm behind him. He tenses but quickly relaxes as he clicks his tongue for Persephone to go.

"Don't worry..once you're all better and this is over, we'll leave." He makes a 'hmm' sound deep in his chest. I'm trying to convince myself as well..

"It'd be an honor to run off with you, Bella...If I don't die before then.."