The Wolf and the Lamb

Old Friends

Colter

My eyes slowly opened, a brunette woman with kind eyes was looking over me. "Mary-Beth" I coughed. She was surprised for a moment before smiling, "Nice to see you awake darlin" she replied. I tried to sit up, only to be stopped by a large hand on my shoulder, "Maybe best not to push yourself" A familiar voice spoke, "I got it from here Mary-Beth, go see if Abigail needs you" Arthur said as he moved to my side. I managed a smile as Arthur looked down at me. "Hi Arthur" I whispered. He smiled and touched my head, "You're a sight I never thought I'd see" he replied. 

The room was moderately roomy, the women, Jack, and John also stayed in here. Arthur stayed with me for a bit, then John started talking. Before I was taken, John had left. I remember feeling betrayed, hurt. Yet now, here he was. "Like old times huh? Where one is the other follows". John's voice was rough, soothing almost. I looked over to where he laid, with bandages covering the right side of his body, his head and his right cheek and jaw. I smiled for a moment before the memory of him leaving in the night returned. "John Marston" I glared. He tried to put on a smile but winced in pain, "Serves you right" I spat. 

"You just got here, what'd I do" He complained. Arthur cut in, "I wouldn't do that Marston" he threatened. "I propped myself up that best that I could and looked at him, "You fucking left Marston, and now you think that you can waltz right in here and it be all okay!" I yelled. The women looked on now at the commotion before them, Jack moved to his mother's side as she shot daggers into the back of my head. "Leave him alone" She stated as she walked over to his bed side. Abigail Roberts never did like me.

I scoffed and returned to my original position. Arthur shook his head, and the room was silence for a few moments. "I been back for a while now, that's over, I'm here now" John complained. I ignored him, he moved on his cot and huffed. "She just got here again Marston, just like everyone, she's going to need some time"

Days passed like this, Arthur would stop by, John and I would bicker, Abigail argued with me and belittled John. Dutch often visited, and during those times Abigail payed attention to John only. We had been there a few days, I was feeling better. My bullet wound still hurt, but it was healing. I ate as often as Pearson was brought food, which Dutch made sure was enough. Eventually I got tired of laying in the room, tired of listening to Abigail's voice as she yelled. "You're a rotten man John Marston" she yelled as she stormed out. 

I slowly sat up and swung my feet over the side of the cot. My side ached. I looked over at John who's eyes widened at the sight of my malnourished figure. "What happened to you" he whispered. His voice was kind almost. I stood, wobbly, and moved to the chair that Abigail had previously sat in, "A lot" I whispered back. He reached out and touched my arm, nothing more than a bone. "I shouldn't have left" He said looking away from me, "if I hadn't then maybe you wouldn't have been in that mess." I gave a small laugh, wincing at the pain it caused, "John, even if you had stayed, I still would have been taken".

John looked at me and sighed, "No, Arthur told me how you reacted. He said you were angry, distant. If I had stayed, you wouldn't have been out there alone." he whispered. I looked at him, his head still down, avoiding my eyes. "I'm still angry John...We were a team, closest friends, but you just up and left in the night and never said a word." I said, tears threatening to spill over. "I know" he replied, "It killed me to leave you, Arthur, Hosea... I wanted to talk to you all, but I knew if I did then I wouldn't go. I wanted out, so I tried. But I just came right back." he spoke, a twinge of anger at the end.

I opened my mouth to reply, but as I did Dutch walked in. "Let's go, we're movin out" His bellowed. I turned and he smiled at me. Walking over he held out a hand, to which I took and stood. "I'm glad to see you're up and movin" Dutch said touching my shoulder lightly. Dutch was the closest thing to a father I ever got, and I saw him as such. I knew he saw me as his own as well. I smiled and nodded, "What about John" I asked "Since we're leavin". Dutch turned to John, "We'll get you down outta this cold soon son." John nodded and Dutch held onto my hand intertwining it with his arm as we walked out. 

Outside, the snow was bright. Familiar faces passed by and smiled or nodded at my presence. Javier, Lenny, and Pearson were finishing up one of the wagons. Lenny waved with a smile as they noticed me. Arthur, Hosea, Karen, and Mary-Beth were hitching the horses up to the wagons. Abigail sat little Jack in the back of a wagon, shot me a glare, and climbed in after him. Tilly and Miss Grimshaw followed suit. Everyone was moving, working, and within an hour of so we were packed and ready to leave. Dutch waved over Micah and a large Indian man, "Charles, Micah, get John and load him in the wagon please" Dutch asked, but his tone made it clear there were no options for them. 

Everyone was in the wagons, our stuff packed, and we began our decent down the snowy mountains.