10 Pound Bag Ch. 071-075

**** Chapter Seventy-One - Pawnee Territory ****

I was headed east toward Fort Atkinson. I wasn't trying to make in a day; I'd much rather overnight and arrive early in the day, with time to get my bearings tomorrow before knocking on the door. So I was riding easy in the saddle. My mood transferred to all of my mounts, and my hound, as well. It was mid-May and the weather was spring pleasant. We were all just ambling along. It was like we didn't have a care in the world or anyplace we needed to be.

I reflected back on my conversation that morning with Petalesharo. He had been highly amused by the antics of his young charges, particularly their complete and total failure to perform their duty. Apparently they had failed to waken themselves for the raid on my camp and, when he woke them, they were stumbling and only semi-coherent. Ah, the effects of whiskey on the uninitiated.

Pete had let the boys plan and execute the raid. In their silly state they had forgotten a couple of important things. Primarily, they forgot about Brin, but they also forgot that I knew that they were coming. Brin gave them a proper wake-up call. We shared a good laugh over that. Pete said was running the boys today to teach them the error of drinking whiskey when on a mission. That made me smile and reminded me of the same sort of lesson being taught to us in the Marines. Gawd, that had been an awful day!

As we parted, Petalesharo asked about the "light of the sun" that the boys were talking about. I simply smiled and said,. "Magic." Then I turned and headed out.

I was keeping an eye out for rabbits, chickens, or pheasants to supplement my dinner. The chicken I was served the night before had been pretty amazing and given me some new ideas. The trail I was following was in and out of the brush along the Platte; it was great territory to hunt small game. I kept my shotgun in my right hand, resting over the pommel with one barrel cocked and half my mind focused on my surroundings. The other half was off day-dreaming somewhere.

So, just like a big old twentieth-century American, feeling all secure and safe in his surroundings, I rode right into an ambush. I needed to find better ways to meet new people.

I rounded a little blind bend in the trail and came face to face with two fellas standing on the trail in front of me. They didn't look like nice people at that very moment, not with the guy on the left aiming a musket directly at me and the fella on the right barking demands in a language I didn't understand. I heard a low growl from Brin and knew someone was behind me as well. So much for the idea of ambling along in the sunshine.

Pete had given me a totem, or something to that effect. Basically, it was a small strip of leather with a few feathers hanging off of it and some symbols painted on it. He said it would let other Pawnee know that I was a friend as I passed through their lands. So I showed that totem to the loudmouth on the right hoping to calm the waters and it didn't seem to help. Apparently these weren't friends of the Pawnee.

Loudmouth barked a command and the guy on the left shot me. Well, he tried to shoot me. The hammer fell and the spark jumped but the powder merely fizzled in the pan. Trying to shoot me wasn't very polite, so I returned the favor. My weapon didn't malfunction and a twelve gauge at fifteen feet will cut you in half even if it is just bird shot. The gelding jumped in surprise and I just rolled out of the saddle and off his back, cocking the second barrel as I went, and going to a knee as I landed. I could hear Brin getting busy behind me and it didn't sound pleasant; there was some serious screaming going on back there.

Loudmouth was shouting and bringing his musket to bear, so I gave him the other barrel shooting from the hip. I didn't think I got him fully but I got enough of him to toss him spinning like a rag doll. I dropped the shotgun and unlimbered my .45 from the shoulder holster. Something was still going on back with Brin and I needed to help.

I circled around the horses to find Brin dragging a screaming guy across the ground with a firm lock somewhere in the groin area. Brin was shaking his head back and forth and shaking the man like an oversized chew toy. It was a memory for the ages. Screaming guy had help coming in the form of some guy with a spear who was running up to skewer Brin, I put an end to that with my pistol. Spear guy took a double-tap and I took a musket ball in the shoulder.

I hate being shot and I really hate being shot from behind but that's what I got for slowing down. A big old musket ball right in the left shoulder.

The shot spun me and I went with it, it didn't hurt yet so I shot the guy who had shot me. I shot him right in the face. Evidently, I like to shoot people in the face.

Brin's screamer guy finally shut up and the pain was starting to hit me, my left arm was completely useless all of a sudden. I looked around and saw Loudmouth crawling across the ground towards his musket so I staggered over to him; things weren't working so well for me, I must have taken a hit I didn't realize.

I stood swaying over Loudmouth trying to decide if I should just kill him, Brin was suddenly there with a growl and Loudmouth stayed still. Petalesharo was holding me steady so I wouldn't fall.

Pete was here?

I was surprised. Pete was here with his guys.

The cavalry had arrived.

**** Chapter Seventy-Two -- A Feverish Interlude ****

I awoke in what appeared to be a small lodge house.

This I knew because as a kid we had toured replica native villages on school trips. We had to write up papers on them in our fifth grade year, I was a highly competitive over-achiever as the second son. I made Mom take me back to the village so I could get everything right for that paper. The entire over-achieving thing went away when my parents divorced during my sixth-grade year.

Childhood complaints be damned, I was now in 1822 and in a lodge house somewhere in eastern Nebraska.

And I had no clothes.

I really like clothes, particularly when I wake up in a strange lodge house. It's not that I have a problem with nudity, I just like that security in a strange place.

Brin was there.

He was nude also.

Brin was always nude so it wasn't quite the same.

I couldn't hold a thought.,

My shoulder and my side were on fire, I think I had lost a lot of blood. I think I had an infection. My packs were there, I dug in and found my first aid kit. I ate down a low-dose codeine from a sampler pack, some horse penicillin followed right behind.

I rolled over and someone was offering me water, I drank it and lay down to explore the dream world again.

**** Chapter Seventy-Three -- A Feverish Interlude--II ****

Left. Right. Left.

Left. Right. Left.

Whoomph. Whoomph. Whoomph.

Fucking mortars, I hate fucking mortars.

Where is that fucking air support, worthless ass fly boys.

Phelan get down you idiot, that's a tornado

whoomph. Right. whoomph.

Aw fuck Phelan is down, shooter!!

What the fuck is a tornado doing here? Mortars during a tornado?

Where the fuck is Phelan's face, I can't find his face.

They shot off his face Doc I can't find his face.

Fuck, they shot me in the back again Doc. I found the guy, shot him in the face. That'll teach him to shoot Phelan's face off.

Magic pills Doc, I need some magic pills. They shot me in the back again. Why does everybody keep shooting me in the back?

Buggy!! Pass that hootch over here, it's thirsty in here buddy and you're always hogging all the hootch. Give a brother a go, I couldn't find Phelan's face man, I need a drink.

Thanks Doc, say when did you get so pretty Doc.....

**** Chapter Seventy-Four -- A Feverish Interlude--III ****

Mama, I don't feel well mama.

Left. Right. Left.

Christ on a crutch mama, they shot me in the back again.

Everything hurts Doc got any more magic pills, grunt super candy Doc.

Pete!

Pete buddy when did you get here?

Oh look Brin, my good buddy Brin.

"Brin have son?", Pete asked.

"Yes, sure Brin have sons. I told you we can trade."

My words still wouldn't come out straight, those fucking mortars were still thumping all around.

"My sister, she take care of you. She good?" Pete asked.

I looked around with foggy vision. Oh, that's why Doc was so much prettier.

"Yes, she is very good", I slurred out.

"Thank you, good trade." Pete stated and left.

The magic pills were working again, Doc gave me some more hootch and Buggy grinned at me from the corner of the room.

What was Buggy doing here?

I slept.

**** Chapter Seventy-Five -- Stranger in a strange land ****

The fucking rooster was crowing.

Why is there always a rooster crowing wherever I go?

Oh fucking fuck why did I hurt so much?

That's what I felt and basically what I thought, way too many complaints and time to just shift to "Life fucking sucks and then someone shoots you in the back again." That last little part was mine. I tried to stretch and realized that the left side of my back wasn't interested. Shot in the back again I remembered.

Brin was lying next to me, good dog. I remembered he took a bad guy out, yup he could sleep next to me now if he wanted. There was a woman sleeping on the other side of me; more realistically there was a body with a black shiny mane of hair sleeping next to me. It was hard to make out details with all that hair in the way. There was something at the back of my mind blowing emergency sirens, I needed to remember what it was.

My bladder was also throwing out emergency warnings, I needed to get up and find somewhere to pee. Getting up to go was a different matter, the left side of my body immediately told me to fuck off and my head was hitting the stomach eject button instantly as pain rolled through my body. I focused on not screaming or puking, my vision swam blue and Doc grabbed me. I was shaking, sweating and grinding my teeth through the pain, the magic pills showed up again and Doc fed them to me one by one. I couldn't focus well but I needed to piss, Doc grabbed my penis in a silk soft hand and pushed on my bladder harshly.

Evacuating my bladder was pure relief, I didn't care if Doc did have a hold of my dick I just needed to void. I finished and started to collapse backwards but Doc held my head and gave me some more hootch to drink, it was fine and filling and I slept soon after.

Doc sure was looking awfully pretty these days.

**** ****

Hunger dreams. Vivid dreams of a tray with In-N-Out burgers being held just out of my reach. I followed it up to the surface of consciousness and burst through to being awake. I was hungry! I felt like I hadn't eaten in days, I wanted some meat more than anything.

I managed to scoot myself to a semi-sitting position and looked for my packs.

Fuck, why were my packs with my food in them all the way over there now? I knew I had some food in there and I'd have to find a way to get myself over there. Where the hell was Doc when you needed help? Who the fuck was Doc anyway, was that just another fever dream construct of mine? I wasn't sure about the when, where, or what of anything right now. I was hungry and more than a bit woozy still; food and more sleep would put me right.

I was just starting to get the whole one knee/one arm crawling down with a little help from Brin when a Banshee launched her attack from across the room. Bereft of weapons and low on HP I had no choice but to simply cower back before her fury. I was really fucking happy I didn't speak her language.

Pete was there now and she turned her ire upon him. I remembered he had something to do with this and spying my shotgun across the room started crawling for that. Brin wasn't helping me crawl any longer and my useless canine companion must have found a door somewhere to escape. I just wanted something to eat and a place to hide. I was concerned that the banshee would track me down by following the blood trail I was leaving behind me.

I had finally resorted to a modified low crawl when Pete exclaimed something loudly and suddenly there were a cute pair of feet with a loud voice attached obstructing my way.

I noticed Pete trying to make an escape so I hollered out, "Pete, I'm fucking hungry!"

The screeching increased in volume and Pete slunk back into the room.

I was unceremoniously rolled onto a blanket and drug back over to my prison. Incredibly cruel treatment for an invalid prisoner, I wasn't even provided proper hearing protection to lessen the aural assault; where was silent Matilda when I needed her?

Brin crept back in and laid at my side, I simply glared at him; had he not abandoned me we could have made it to the glorious food stored in my packs. Instead I was still starving and the Banshee was poking and prodding my tender wounds.

Pete was helping by rolling me over onto the right side so that the Banshee could continue my torture, we were face to face and he had to escape so I asked him, "Pete, who is this woman?"

Well Pete looked out to the distance like he was checking the weather through the roof so I asked louder, "Pete, who is this woman?"

"Your wife", he said and left at a sprint.

**** ****

Pete's sudden departure off balanced everything and I flopped back down onto my back. Naturally my wounds loved that sort of treatment and started singing to me at the top of their lungs. Banshee was screaming out the door at Pete's shrinking back and I was still starving.

"Food, please?", I asked.

Doc Banshee merely looked at me and shook her head. I couldn't tell if she didn't care, didn't understand English or was deaf, she definitely wasn't a mute.

She used the blanket and flopped me over onto my front and continued to redress my wounds. I kept my mouth shut and starved in silence, using the time between winces to plot Pete's demise. By the time she finished I had settled on modifying my drone by adding a diesel motor and then yo-yoing Pete a thousand feet off the ground.

Doc Banshee was finally satisfied that the proper level of torture had been achieved for the day and I was fed and then washed. The big bowl of meat stew went a long way towards making up for the torture I had endured and the warm wipe down was just down right pleasant.

Pete still had some explaining to do but Doc was alright by me at that point.

Really pretty girl when she wasn't in banshee mode.

I'd have to think about this when my brain worked again.