Little Sharpshooter

Little Sharpshooter Chap 6

Zhang said little as he looked over the girl. He mixed some powders together to create a paste for her leg. He stuck little needles all over her. She started to stir, but her fever was so high, she never fully woke. She cried out, mumbled incoherently, and sometimes called for her pa.

Trevor leaned against the door frame staying out of the way.

"Her Qi is no good. It will take time." Zhang bowed slightly before he sat in the chair beside the bed.

"Trevor, go see if you can take care of that horse. I don't care if he stays there, but he shouldn't be left with all that gear on. He probably needs water." Nana shooed him out of the room.

Trevor trudged out the door and was reluctant to approach the moody horse again. He brought hay and water over to make friends. He tried to pull the bridle off as the horse worked on the hay. The horse flung his head up above Trevor's.

"Come on now. I know you don't wanna eat with that bit in your mouth." He waited until the horse was busy eating again and then pulled the bridle over his ears real quick. The top of the bridle fell on the hay and the bit slipped out of the horse's mouth. But the reins were still tied around the saddle. He studied the horse, moving slowly to the side of the saddle. The horse didn't flinch while he undid the reins. Maybe he could undo the saddle too. It was going to be hard to take it off carefully with the saddlebags and shotgun holders on the back. The horse didn't step away when he undid the cinch. Trevor waited a moment before he slid the saddle and the blanket off the horse's back. The horse kept eating. He pulled the heavy saddle a short distance away.

Trevor glanced up at the window before he opened her saddlebag. He rummaged through it finding an old dirty sealed jar, a dress, and other random items. He thought he found something special when he caught the glint of gold in the sunlight. When he pulled it out, he sat back on his heels. A Texas Ranger badge. He polished it on his knee before putting it back in the bag.

Trevor pulled out a small book. With his heart racing, he looked through her journal searching for her name when he skimmed over the pages near the end. He read about the day her pa died. With a lump in his throat, he didn't read any further. He knew what the jar and the water bladder contained. Opening the front cover, it was addressed to Miranda and signed by her pa. Trevor rubbed his eyes and cleared his throat when he tucked it back in her bag. He lifted the saddle to carry it inside and felt something grow in his chest when he thought of her name. Miranda was without a ma and pa just like him.

The horse stood in his path. Trevor tried to go around. The horse stopped him again.

"I'm taking it to Miranda. I won't steal nothin'." Trevor stared the horse in the eye. "I mean it, you stubborn ol' mule." He stepped to the side. The horse stayed put but watched him the whole way as he carried the saddle up the stairs until he went in the door. Trevor set it down in the bedroom.

"Her name's Miranda," Trevor announced.

"Now how do ya know that? Are you a snoop too?" Nana asked.

Trevor had been going downhill all day. He spotted the leather of the gun holster on the floor.

"Look, Nana." He pointed where 'Miranda' was stamped in small letters on the leather.

"Aren't you smart! Why didn't I see that? Come with me, I need your help."

Zhang did his thing for two days. Miranda moaned and kept calling for her pa in her sleep. Trevor spooned a pungent tea in her mouth when Zhang was done using her as a pin cushion. He couldn't stop imagining what it must have been like for her to watch her pa die.

On the third day, Miranda was aware of the world around her for the first time. Trevor was apprehensive to go into the room while she was awake. He leaned against the wall near the door so he could eavesdrop.