Lifesaver [Engl.]

43. New ways

It was almost midnight when Beans arrived in the area. A campfire was burning not far away. Doc, who was sitting next to it, raised his head when he saw her approach. Beans came softly closer; always careful to avoid any noise. Behind the campfire lay the tall, curled up figure of Jake. She heard him breathing softly. Rango was crouched on the floor next to the snake.
A slight smile played around her mouth. The whole time he hadn't left Jake's side. Not even when Doc had removed the bullets that narrowly missed the rattlesnake's heart and damaged a part of the lungs.
She nodded gently to Doc and went over to Rango. She stopped right next to him and looked down at him with a warm look. He had closed his eyes and was sleeping. The doctor had put a thick bandage around his leg where the arrow had previously been. Silently she took the blanket which she had brought for him from her shoulders and placed it over Rango. Rango mumbled something in his sleep. She kneeled quietly next to him and caressed his shoulder gently. Then she stood up and was about to leave when she heard Rango mumble softly. She turned around. Rango had opened his eyes slightly.
"Beans."
He lifted quickly and hugged her. She smiled slightly when she felt how much he hugged her. As if he was looking for something that could give him inner support. She stroked his back comfortingly. The chameleon found it difficult to stand on his feet, as his leg was now free of the arrow, but it was still very painful. Slowly he calmed down again. Then he broke the hug and looked at her sadly.
"Has he still not woken up?" Beans asked softly.
Rango shook his head and looked at Jake. "No. Doc told me that he doesn't even know whether he'll make it."
Beans gently cupped his face. "Don't worry. Rattlesnakes are tough. That will not kill him so easily."
Despite her words, Rango had doubts. "Maybe," he mumbled quietly. "Still ... I don't want to leave him alone."
Beans nodded understandingly. "Okay. You can stay here. I'm waiting for you."
With these words she kissed him on the mouth. For a moment, Rango forgot his worries. As if she was giving him new courage to face life with her kiss.
Then she broke away from him and went away again.
Doc looked after her questioningly. Then he took a long swig from his cactus juice bottle and fell back into a dozy sleep.
As soon as Beans was gone, Rango turned back to Jake. The sight made him feel a wave of doubt again. Jake's chest rose and fell regularly. Even so, the chameleon feared that the heart might stop at any moment.
After looking at Jake like this for a while, he went back to him, leaned against him and listened to his steady breathing. Finally, he lay down. Carefully, he ran his hand over the rough, flaky skin.
"Please, you mustn't give up now, brother," he whispered. "You did it once before ... Please don't go."
Hot tears ran down his cheeks. Then he fell asleep.

It was still in the night. Jake opened his eyes. His head pounded. He took a deep breath. He realized that he had slept a long time. His upper body hurt. And the breathing was difficult for him. He tried to straighten up, but immediately he collapsed again. After breathing in and out calmly a few times, he immediately felt much better. Slowly his mind became clearer again. Still, he didn't know what had happened at first. Then he slowly remembered.
He was shot. Then he was ... Everything suddenly went black. Was he dead? He blinked. The surroundings were familiar to him. He was still in the Rocky Mountains. But why was he still here? Shouldn't he be somewhere else? Or was his spirit still in the desert? Was that how death really felt? Everything seemed so real to him, as if he had never been away. He raised his head again, clenching his teeth at the same time as he moved the fresh wounds. If he was dead, why did he still feel pain?
He paused when he heard a low murmur next to him. He tilted his head carefully to the side. This movement cost him a lot of effort. He was amazed when he saw the chameleon lying very close to him.
For a moment, Jake stared at the chameleon in disbelief. Only now, the Grim Reaper realized he wasn't dead. But if he wasn't dead then... Jake bit his lip. Had he known he would just faint, he would certainly not have uttered any last words. What should the chameleon expect from him now? Friendship?
Jake hissed in disgust. Never in his life would he get involved with a sheriff.
At that moment, Jake regretted saying goodbye to Rango like a friend. How could he now make it clear to the chameleon that they had nothing in common. But that was exactly what the chameleon seemed to think, otherwise he would not have dared to come as close as it he was doing now.
Jake growled. Up until now he had never let anyone get so close and this sheriff of all people ventured into the vicinity of the outlaw without caution.
Regaining control of his body, he raised his cannon and pointed it at Rango. Where was his dignity? In the past, he would have shot anyone instantly.
Suddenly Rango mumbled something in his sleep. "Jake," he whispered softly.
Jake paused. With a grim look, he lowered his weapon again.
For years he had been the Grim Reaper of the west. And now he spared a sheriff of all people. The greatest opponent of a gunslinger.
With great effort the rattlesnake rose and crawled a few yards away. He wanted to think. There was no way he wanted to make a decision that could change his whole criminal life. Maybe even for something better...

Rango shivered. It was cold that morning. He stretched once. His hand felt next to him. He winced when he realized that the place next to him was empty. Before he was really awake, he jumped up and fell back in a daze. He looked around searchingly. His heart jumped when he saw Jake standing some distance away. The rattlesnake had turned his back to him and his thoughts seemed to be far away. So far away, in fact, that he hadn't even noticed the waking chameleon.
"Jake!"
Jake turned around.
"Jake, you shouldn't move yet. You have to lie down again," Rango said, visibly relieved that the rattlesnake had finally woken up. He got up and ran over to Jake.
"STOP!" Jake yelled.
Rango stopped immediately.
"What do you want, Sheriff?" Jake asked in a dark tone.
Rango didn't know what to say and stared at Jake in surprise. Did he say something wrong?
"Uh ... sorry. I'm just glad you're awake again. I was afraid you were... "
"What do you care how I am?!" Jake hissed.
Rango was totally confused. "But Jake, I thought..."
"What did you think again?" Jake growled loudly. "Do I look like I would say hello to you? Hell, in what world do you live in?"
Rango was stunned and looked at Jake speechlessly.
Jake snorted and turned away. "We have nothing more to say to each other!"
"But Jake, I thought before that day..."
Jake bit his lip. That was exactly what he had feared. Jake looked like he was about to scream in anger. With his last words he had steered the chameleon into a totally different line of thought, which is why he tried to make his point of view clear again.
"Damn it!" Jake hissed. "Don't you get it?! That doesn't change the whole thing. We're done here! There's no reason why we should be friendly anymore. The truce is over. You'd better go now and leave me alone! I don't need anyone to take care of me anymore. I can handle myself again without you. So, go back into your life while I again... You better take care before I'm forced you kill."
Rango was frozen. "Why?"
"Why?" Jake repeated scornfully. "Because it's my duty to take care of someone like you! That's the law of nature. We only made an exception, but that's no longer necessary."
Rango stood frozen in front of him. He just couldn't believe what Jake was saying.
"But..."
"Get lost! Get out of here!"
For a moment it looked like Rango was really going to run away. But then he screwed up his eyes. "No! I don't go!"
Jake gasped.
"You're leaving immediately!" He shouted.
"No!", Rango replied and crossed his arms. "Jake, do you really think I want everything like before. That's nonsense. We're legends..."
"Don't come with that again!"
Jake turned away. Why did the chameleon have to keep reminding him?
"We can't be friends! Don't you understand that?! "
"No! I don't wanna understand. You just don't want to lose your reputation! Admit it. You know, you don't want that."
Jake growled menacingly. "If I don't want that; then why do I have the urge to kill you?"
"You would never dare!"
"I would not? I could. Even anytime."
"Would you really kill me? Like you did to Amos?"
"I would have no inhibitions about it!"
"If you don't have any problems, do it now. Get it over with!"
Rango screamed as Jake threw himself over him with a scream of rage. Rango fell to the floor and his legs were trapped under Jake's body. In vain, Rango tried to free himself. But Jake didn't give him a chance to escape. Despite the pain Jake made with his movements, which clogged his fresh wounds, he didn't stop pressing Rango to the floor. Now only Rango's upper body peeked out from under his body loops. With wide eyes, the chameleon saw how Jake bent down to him and presented his long fangs. Only a few millimeters separated him from the deadly venom. At that moment Jake pulled his head back a little and closed his mouth. He looked determinedly at Rango.
Rango held the gaze, even if a little shakily.
"Then do it," he said in a firm voice.
Jake didn't think about it for long, and pushed forward. But his teeth angrily bored into the dusty ground. His mouth was over Rango, wide open. Jake just had to close his mouth and his teeth would stab the chameleon.
Rango's hands clenched into fists. Above his upper body the wide, open jaws of the snake and to the right of him the greedy, deadly teeth.
Rango looked up where he could see Jake's right side of his face. The Grim Reaper had tightly closed his eyes. Couldn't he look his victim in the face? Or didn't he want to see it?
Seconds passed without the rattlesnake closing its mouth. The chameleon remained cramped on the ground and just waited for the redeeming blow. He closed his eyes.
Almost a minute passed. Everyone heard the breathing of the other one.
"Why don't you?" Rango asked softly.
He opened one eye. Jake still had his eyes closed and his mouth open.
"Why not?" Rango asked in a hoarse voice.
At that moment Jake shivered. He gasped once through his mouth. Rango began to tremble, too. Finally, the chameleon could not anymore and breathed heavily before slowly starting to cry, repeating the one question over and over. "Why not? Why not?"
Jake gasped for air. With a jerk he pulled his mouth back from the floor and spat out the dirt in disgust. With the last of his strength he was able to suppress a cry and pulled back a few meters. When Rango felt that he was free again, he quickly sat up and watched Jake go. He was breathing hard. He had never been so close to death like now.
He propped himself on the floor with trembling hands and let his tears flow. In contrast to Jake, who had quickly recovered and just stared into the distance, where the sun sent its first rays of morning into the sky.
Jake's mind was in chaos. As hard as it was for him, he couldn't do anything to this sheriff. His instincts warned him against it. It was just wrong. In spite of every gunslinger law. But here he had no chance.
Rango had stood up, albeit with trembling knees, and looked at Jake with a lost look. As much as they were rivals, it could never be the same again. Basically, they really had nothing more to say to each other. Their task was done. Their enemies were defeated. Without any problems, they could go their separate ways and live as they did before. But was that really the right way to go?
Quickly Rango wiped the tears from his face and approached Jake. He stopped right next to him and looked up at him.
"Jake?"
Jake didn't look at him, he just stared into nothing.
"Jake. I don't wanna fight against you. No more. I cannot."
Jake was silent while Rango continued: "I know we are both rivals by nature, but..."
With that, Rango took his revolver out of his holster and held it out to Jake. Then he slowly laid it on the floor. Jake only glanced sideways at it, then he looked back up into the distance.
"Please, Jake," Rango pleaded.
Jake lowered his gaze and his eyes wandered to Rango's revolver, which was lying next to him in the sand. Rango had dropped to his knees and looked up at him pleadingly. How much he implored his entreaty. But not an entreaty for grace, but for friendship.
For a moment it looked as if the rattlesnake would consent, but then at the last moment he turned away again. "I have to think about it."
Rango picked up his revolver in disappointment. Both kept silent for a while, until Jake broke the silence. "What happened to the city?"
"The city?" Rango's eyes widened in horror. "Oh no! I forgot about that!"