Lifesaver [Engl.]

19. A Medicine Man Without Medicine

Rango yawned and put up his hands tiredly. He stood outside the sheriff's office and enjoyed the morning sun, which had bathed the city in golden light.
But despite everything, he had had anything but a good night. He had kept thinking about Jake's conversation and that strange thing about the reappearance of the mayor hadn't left him alone.
He looked up when he saw a long shadow walking down the street.
"Good morning, Beans," Rango greeted and yawned again.
Beans looked at him questioningly. "Did you have a bad night?"
"I've been up all night," said Rango wearily. "The whole thing from yesterday didn't leave me alone."
Beans nodded. She didn't look the fittest either. She had spent the night in the hotel and had kept thinking about this thing with the mayor, too.
"Do you already have any idea what all this means?" she asked.
Rango shook his head. "No. I racked my brain about it all night, but I couldn't come to any conclusion."
"What if Jake was wrong and just made up the whole story?"
Rango raised his eyebrows. "I don't believe that. And besides, why should he come up with something like that? But I'll talk to him about it again. "
"When?"
"I wanted to go over now. Did you want to come along?"
Beans nodded. "Yes, I'm interested."
"I want to come with you."
Rango turned around. Priscilla stood next to him and looked at him with her big eyes.
"What?" Asked Rango with confusion. "That's out of the question, little sister!"
"Oh please!"
"No! I can't allow that," Rango said firmly and crossed his arms. "That's too dangerous."
"But Rango. Nothing had happened yesterday either. And as long as you are there, nothing can happen to me."
Rango shook his head. "Nevertheless. You stay out here."
"But you promised me."
"What did I promise?"
"That I can come with you next time."
"Yes, yes, yes. But I didn't mean today."
"Please!" she begged and looked at him with her big, round, yellow eyes, so that Rango's heart went soft.
He glanced at Beans for help. But the lizard girl made no move to remedy it. "That's how our city children are. They never forget anything."
Rango sighed. "Fine. But you always stay with us. No extra tours! And you don't ask anything. I don't want him to get upset."
The three made their way to the town hall.
When they stood in front of the door of the mayor's office, Rango turned again to his two companions. "So, take it easy. Whatever happens, you mustn't upset him."
Beans grimaced, but nodded.
Rango knocked gently on the door. "Jake? Jake, it's me! Are you awake?"
But nobody answered.
"Maybe he's still sleeping," Priscilla said.
"I can't imagine that," Rango said thoughtfully. "I'll take a look."
Gently he pressed the doorknob and pushed the door open slowly. Carefully, he peered into the room through the door crack.
In the next instant, Beans and Priscilla heard him gasp in shock. Rango pushed the door open and took a few steps into the room. "Jake, what's wrong?"
Immediately Beans guessed that something was wrong. She followed him quickly into the room and looked over his shoulder.
Jake was lying on the floor in an unnatural position. His torso was half straightened and his head was pressed against the wall. One could have got the impression that he wanted to ram the wall. He was breathing hard. What was noticeable was his cramped body and his muscles twitching nervously. But that wasn't the only thing that was strange. The mayor's desk had moved and some items had fallen off the shelves.
Rango was the first one who found back the voice. "Jake?"
Jake's breathing became harder and pressed his head closer to the wall. Rango approached him cautiously. "Jake, what's wrong?"
Suddenly Jake pulled his head away from the wall and looked at Rango with stressed eyes.
"Don't tell me what's going on!" he yelled hysterically.
Beans, who was a little further away, noticed something completely different.
"Jake? What have you done? " she asked and pointed at Jake's body.
Rango followed her pointer. Now he saw it, too. Red spots could be seen almost in the middle of the snake's body. As if Jake had scratched himself up. Rango walked over to take a closer look. But Jake hastily pulled his body away from him.
"Don't touch me!" he yelled.
"Jake, we just want to help you."
"Leave me with your help!" Jake began to gasp again and held his head. Rango's eyes widened. Jake also had red spots on the upper body.
Beans turned to Priscilla. "Priscilla, get the doctor. Hurry up!"
Immediately Priscilla ran out of the room, down the stairs to the street, and over to the saloon.
"I don't need a doctor!" Jake said vehemently.
But then he sank to the side. Rango and Beans hurried over to him quickly. Rango took the opportunity of Jake's mental absence and took a closer look at the red spots on the snakeskin. They were partially encrusted. Jake must have picked it up somehow that night. Beans suspected why.

"Inflamed ... some spots are partially ulcerated," Doc said in broken sentences. He still hadn't fully processed his alcoholic drunkenness.
"But why, Doc?" Rango asked, who was standing with Doc next to Jake.
"Well, while he was whipped, dirt and bacteria got into the wounds and caused inflammation."
Jake gasped and rubbed his body back on the floor.
"Jake, stop it," Rango said. "Otherwise you'll only make it worse."
"Have you noticed anything about him lately?" Doc asked. "Was he acting strange?"
Rango scratched his head. "He always behaves strangely."
"Was he fainting?"
Rango looked at the floor. "From time to time. But I didn't think anything about it."
Doc nodded. He didn't blame Rango. He looked back over at Jake, who was still nervous and restless in the room.
Rango looked questioningly at Doc. "How serious is it, Doc?"
The doctor looked concerned, which only frightened Rango.
In silence, the doctor took him aside and pulled him a little further so that Jake couldn't hear them.
"Mr. Rango. I don't have anything to hide from you, so I'm straight forward. Unfortunately, things are very bad for him."
Rango turned pale.
"The problem with reptiles is that they cannot get fever because of their cold-blooded body temperature. And precisely because they can't get a fever, the pathogens now have an easy time of it, so that the body can hardly defend itself."
Both turned around. Jake had straightened up and rubbed his body on the floor of the room. But doing so only hurt the itchy wounds even more.
"Jake, stop it!" Rango called and ran over to him.
"I want it to stop," Jake groaned, arching his body in waves.
Beans and Priscilla, who were standing in the doorway at some distance away, looked at Jake pityingly. They didn't know that from him. Otherwise, he was always strong and invulnerable. But even Beans felt sorry for him how he writhed on the floor.
Meanwhile, Rango had managed to grab Jake's head and caress him soothingly.
Jake slowly calmed down. Beans was amazed at how Rango could talk to Jake soothingly.
"Now stay calm," Rango continued. "Everything will be fine. Don't worry. Doc will give you something, then you'll be better."
"Uh ..." Doc scratched his head with embarrassment and looked around nervously. "Well..."
Rango looked up. "Uh, Doc, do you want to say something?"
"Well, you know, I'm embarrassed ... I mean ... There have been constant robberies of stagecoaches lately ..."
"Doc! Please get to the point."
"It's hard for me to say, but ... I'm sorry, but I'm out of antibiotics."
Rango looked at him aghast. "WHAT?! A doctor without antibiotics? Are you kidding me?"
"Well, I always have new deliveries sent to me by stagecoach. But unfortunately, the last two deliveries were robbed and all medicines were stolen..."
"All medicines?" Rango was stunned. "Does that mean you don't even have an alternative?"
Doc shrunk a few inches. "As I said, they were all stolen."
Rango clenched his fists. "How can you be a sheriff of a city with a doctor who has no medicines!"
Rango bumped his head against the wall several times, completely beside himself.
Beans hurried over to him. "Rango, calm down. He can't help it. Please calm down. Doc. How long will it take to get the medication?"
"Well, the last raid was two days ago. It will take a day or two before a new package is ready because of the weekend. Then until it arrives at the next branch ... then the paperwork ... including the delay of the stagecoach ... Well, I think one week at the latest."
"ONE WEEK?"
Rango thought he had misheard. "Doc! He won't survive one week. And certainly not in his weakened condition."
Rango grabbed Doc by the shirt.
"Mr. Rango, I'm terribly sorry," stuttered Doc. "But that's the way it is ..."
"Do something! You are a doctor!"
"Rango!" Beans shouted.
Rango let go of Doc and sank to his knees in despair. Beans put a comforting hand on his shoulder. Doc looked at him pityingly.
"There is still a possibility ..."
Rango looked up.
"I could get medication from a colleague who also has a doctor's office."
Rango jumped up. "Where?"
"Many miles away, almost half a day's journey from here. He has a practice in a small village..."
Rango ran. "I'll ride there at once."
"Mr. Rango, wait!" Doc cried after him. "You don't know exactly where to go."
"Then show me the route. I'll find the way."

It didn't take long and Rango had saddled his roadrunner and was ready to ride. Doc had brought him a map so that he knew where to ride.
"Here, Mr. Rango," Doc said and handled him the card. "And here is the authorization to collect the drugs."
He put an envelope in Rango's hand. "This is important. You must not lose that under any circumstances. Antibiotics cannot be bought without a doctor's approval. With this letter you are authorized to collect it on my behalf."
"Thanks, Doc," Rango said and pocked the envelope carefully. "And take good care of Jake."
"I will do my best. But I cannot promise anything."
"Good luck, Rango," Priscilla said.
"Thank you, little sister."
Rango's gaze fell on Beans, who hadn't said anything yet.
"Beans, I'm sorry that I now ..."
"Now ride off!" Beans said urgently.
Rango looked at her in amazement. She wasn't angry with him? But time was far too short to think about it now. Immediately he gave his roadrunner the spurs and rode off.
Some of the townspeople, including Elgin, Buford and Furgus, looked after him in amazement.
"Where's he going to ride so early in the morning?" Elgin wondered.
"Jake is ill," Priscilla said. "Unfortunately, Doc doesn't have any medication in the house, so Rango rides off to get the medication from the doctor next village."
The three exchanged questioning looks.
"I've the feeling, that our sheriff is getting over the top with his care," Elgin said.
"I don't know," Buford said and sucked on his cigarette. "Well, I wouldn't do that much for a killer."
Furgus had other worries. "If that goes well. I have such a strange feeling. "
"That's just last night's dinner," Buford said.