Lifesaver [Engl.]

42. Brother! My Brother!

It took them a while to find the place in the mountains where Jake was lying. When the bat tried to lower Rango to the ground, the animal lost its balance and crash-landed on the earth. Rango whined when he fell on his injured leg.
"Sorry, Sheriff," Ezekiel hurried to say.
But Rango paid no attention to him. Without hesitation, he limped over to Jake.
Rango stopped shortly before him. The rattlesnake lay on the ground with closed eyes, breathing heavily. Hesitantly, he went closer.
"Jake?"
The snake's breathing accelerated.
"Jake? I... I defeated him. He can't harm anyone of us now. Neither of us."
Jake opened his eyes slightly. "How did I know you could do it?" He asked in a weak voice.
"Didn't I promise you?"
Jake smiled slightly. "Yes, you did ... AH!"
The rattlesnake gritted its teeth, his face contorted with pain. The bullets which stuck in his injured skin caused him several waves of pain. Rango clenched his fists. Fear rose inside him. He didn't like the condition of the rattlesnake at all. Jake turned a few times until the pain finally subsided.
"Jake," the chameleon began quietly. "Are you okay?"
"Is that how I look so?" Jake hissed, muttering several curses that Rango luckily couldn't understand. "I've felt better like never before."
"But you... you will not now .."
Rango broke off when Jake gasped sharply. But the killer controlled himself again immediately and managed to breathe more calmly several times.
Rango didn't dare to say anything. Finally, it was Jake who broke the silence.
"And he's really dead?" the rattlesnake asked in a controlled voice.
Rango nodded hesitantly. "Yes."
Jake seemed to be relieved and lay a little more relaxed on the floor now. "Then hopefully he'll never come back."
Rango smiled slyly. "Uh ... yes. He definitely won't."
"Then you can live in peace again at least."
Rango winced. "Uh ... yes. But you, too."
Jake sighed. Rango was about to say something, but Jake got ahead of him.
"Did you mean that seriously earlier?"
Rango looked at him questioningly. "What?"
"What did you say? "Hands off from my brother?""
"Oh." With embarrassment, Rango looked at the floor. "Oh that. It just slipped out of my mind."
Jake raised his eyebrows, the muscles of his face trembling slightly. "Really?"
"Uh... yes. I mean... Are we not brothers then?"
Rango looked uncertainly at the rattlesnake. But Jake didn't look at him, just looked straight ahead. Then he closed his eyes a little.
Rango sighed softly. "I mean... figuratively, aren't we?"
A few seconds passed. Finally, Jake turned his head in Rango's direction and looked at him meaningfully.
"You are really strange. Don't you think that's a bit silly? A sheriff and a gunslinger? It's as different as fire and ice."
Rango swallowed. "But we're legends. We both of us. Do you remember? Back when we defeated the mayor?"
Jake's mind wandered back again.
"I tip my hat to you. One legend to another."
That was his own words. The only thing he'd said when he saw Rango's bullet on the ground. That was the moment, that he noticed that the chameleon was something unique. The little, insignificant chameleon had done what he could never have done himself. And that had impressed him very much. And he didn't say that to anyone else. And today the chameleon had shown again that he was more than just a pet, even more than a sheriff.
Rango walked silently closer to the rattlesnake. The fiery eyes were slightly clouded, as if they were about to lose their fire. The fear in them had disappeared, but at the same time their fire of life, too. Slowly the chameleon reached out and touched the snake's skin, warmed by the sun.
"Honestly," he began softly. "I would have loved to have you as my brother."
"Tz, no one has ever said that to me before," Jake breathed.
He blinked heavily. He struggled to keep his eyes open.
"AH..."
Rango winced when Jake convulsed again. But again, the snake did not manage to lose control and suppressed the pain. "Now at least we don't owe each other anything."
"What do you mean?", Rango asked anxiously.
"You saved me. Today I saved you. That means we're even. At least one thing I could do before I passed away."
Rango swallowed hard. "Don't say something like that. You will be fine again. We can do that again. Just like you did a few days ago... "
Rango broke off as he suppressed the tears. Jake had calmed down a bit and lay down again. "I'm getting a little tired."
"Jake, you mustn't lie down! You have to stay awake! Come on, I'll bring you back... "
"Leave it. You can't get me out of here on your own."
"Oh yes. If it worked the first time, you will do it this time, too. "
The chameleon struggled to slide his hands under Jake's neck and tried to lift him up. But of course, the snake was too heavy for him. And Jake just didn't have the strength to get up. Exhausted, the chameleon gave up. He stared in despair at the rattlesnake, which seemed to grow weaker with every passing second.
At that moment Rango felt completely lost. He feverishly searched for a solution, but couldn't think of anything to help Jake with. After a while, he looked down. His shoulders trembled slightly.
"I'm sorry, I didn't believe you when you said you saw the mayor," Rango said in a shaky voice. He felt so guilty about Jake's condition. "If I had done something sooner..."
Another smile slipped over the snake's mouth. "Maybe. Or maybe not. Sooner or later someone would have killed me anyway."
Rango's eyes grew wet. "But not today."
"Why so sad, little man?" Jake asked. "Why do you wonder? There's never a happy ending for a gunslinger."
Rango clenched his fists. Jake might be right, but he just didn't think it was fair. Not with Jake.
Jake sensed Rango's suspicion and disappointment. "You asked me why I fled to the town," Jake whispered softly. "The reason I fled to town was... because..."
"You knew that I would help you, didn't you?" Rango quickly finished Jake's sentence, as if he feared that speaking would only make the snake lose its strength.
"Kind of," Jake whispered. "You're not like everyone else."
Rango forced a smile. "We are legends. We both."
Jake coughed. "You will... now have to take my place... as a legend."
Rango's eyes widened in horror. "No! You don't mean that."
"Why not?" Jake whispered. His voice was hoarse. "You finished the fight and that's the most important thing ... t-thank you!"
Jake's breathing continued to flatten. He struggled to breathe. With the last of his strength he managed to push his cannon forward and stroked Rango's back with it. The chameleon trembled. "No! Please do not!"
Jake coughed and lowered his cannon. "Take care of the town."
Rango swallowed. "It's your town, too."
Jake smiled. "It's your town now."
"Our town," corrected Rango. His neck felt thick.
Jake took another deep breath. "Farewell ... brother."
With these words the snake went limp and closed its eyes.
"Jake?" Rango jumped forward.
"Jake!"
The chameleon shook the snake's head in panic. But Jake didn't wake up.
Rango shook his head in disbelief. Jake didn't respond at all.
Rango had tears in his eyes.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
With a cry of rage, he threw himself over the rattlesnake's head and began to cry violently.
"No! No no no no!"
He clenched his fists and pressed his forehead against Jake's face. He felt his soul was going to be torn apart.
Ezekiel, who had observed everything, sadly took off his pilot glasses. His bat felt the sadness of his master and let its wings hang and bowed its head.
Rango had dropped to his knees and was crying like never before in his life. Every breath ached and filled his body with a terrible feeling. He had won a fight and lost at the same time.
Ezekiel dared not say a word. Only when he heard a faint beating of his wings next to him, he looked up. Another bat landed next to him with Maybelle and Beans on it.
Maybelle let Beans persuade her to fly back into town. When they saw the shape of Jake and Rango from the air, Maybelle had immediately directed the bat to descend. Beans jumped down hastily and realized what had happened immediately.
Rango had sunk next to the motionless snake and she knew it was too late.
She walked slowly towards Rango. She put her hand gently on his shoulder. Rango winced briefly and turned to her. His eyes had filled with tears. He quickly averted his gaze from her again and lowered his gaze, still crying. Beans sighed sadly and didn't let her hand off his shoulder.
Ezekiel sniffed. Maybelle took him comfortably in her arms.
Nobody knew how much time had passed before steps came closer that had become aware of the wailing. Ezekiel, Maybelle, and Beans looked up to see all the townspeople and prairie dogs approaching. As soon as they realized what had happened, each one took off his hat one by one. Even Balthazar automatically took off his hat. Also Priscilla, who remembered Jake's words again.
"I don't know what's to come. But if then it will only be an end for me."
She closed her eyes and looked down.
An oppressive silence spread. Only Rango's soft weeping could be heard. Unlike Rango, nobody cried, only Priscilla pressed a few tears.
Beans patted Rango reassuringly on the back. But even that couldn't comfort him.
At that moment, Doc stepped forward and put his hand on the snake's carotid artery.
"What do you mean, Doc?" Buford asked Buford.
Doc shook his head. "This snake is ... unfortunately not dead yet."
Disappointed, everyone put their hats back on.