Next morning Lorne Nolan sat at his kitchen table, bewildered over his own incapability to sort of, put his foot down or draw the line or whatever. Last night when Joshua and Thaddeus had told them their real names were Hannibal Heyes and Kid Curry, he had almost fallen backwards in his chair. Just the thought that they, his wife and him, had hosted two of the most notorious outlaws in the west for weeks, and not knowing were mindblowing.
He rubbed his hands together, looking absentmindedly out the window. He couldn't help but to let out a little silent chuckle. He knew his wife had a real sore spot for both of the men, and he doubted that this knowing about their real identity would do much difference. They were in fact really good men, he had to admit, well liked all over their small town. He had on several occasions seen the towns younger women cast wistful glances in their directions, well...even the middle-aged women too, married or not married didn't seem to matter.
He looked up as his wife Millie entered, a cautious smile upon her plump lips as she went over to the stove and started to cook coffee right away.
Lorne could see that she struggled with the same thoughts as he did, so he rose and went over to her, putting his arms around her delicate shoulders. She shook her head slowly, closing her eyes.
"How could we know, huh..?" Lorne started, trying to find the right words to justify the simple truth that had been displayed before them last night, "how could we know?"
Millie turned around and frowned sternly at her husband, taking his face in her hands.
"Lorne, both of them seemes to be such nice young men..and to us they will always be Joshua and Thaddeus " she sighed a little buying herself time to find the right words, "what they have done in the past..well " she shook her head and laughed a little, " I just can't picture them robbing banks and trains.. I just can't !"
Lorne brushed his hand over her hair as she turned to watch the coffee pot.
"Neither can I love " he took her hand and held it on front of him, "don't you worry, Darling...we are not helping any outlaws..we are helping Joshua and Thaddeus, right ? ..and Chyenne !"
He said those words mostly to calm himself down. He knew that helping outlaws was nearly as bad a crime as being an actual outlaw. They hugged dearly in a faint try to convince themselfs they were doing the right thing.
"Chyenne.." Mille softly said, " she's soo ..soo lovely. And she obviously has known for some time." Millie smiled a prude smile, "It just takes one look in her eyes to see how she feels about Joshua "
Lorne chuckled deep down in his throat." That's an understatement." he let her go to be able to pick his medical bag up from the floor next to the table, " Joshua has it as bad as she does!"
Both of them laughed softly, looking at each other, nodding. They would do whatever they could to help.
Lorne started to rummage through his bag, one tool after another laid out on the table. "The one thing I really need is my syringe " he glanced at Millie as she poured herself a cup, " Have you gotten all the other things?"
Millie nodded, looking like she was counting it all in her head.
"I got the make up..I borrowed reading glasses and a fake beard from miss Mona...she won't tell or ask questions " Millie gave her husband a completive nod, then she took a sip from her cup, "Was there anything else?"
Lorne shook his head as his face grimaced with uncertainty, "I don't think so."
Then Millie remembered."Oh yeah...Mona also told me two new scruffy looking dudes came back in later last night, having been there earlier, and sat in the saloon almost the whole night...playing poker!"
Lorne gave her a proud stare as he started to put his things back in his bag." Most likely the Canton boys." he snapped his bag shut, "We better get over to the boardinghouse, time is of the essence "
* * * *
When Lorne and Millie knocked on the door to the boardinghouse and then opened to step inside, Heyes, Curry and Chyenne was already awake and up, sitting by the table having breakfast.
Millie graced Chyenne with a smile and walked over to her. The wounds and bruises now only vaguely visible, she clearly had good healing abilities. Her hair, the long and dark mass of soft strands, flowed down her back and on her chest, freely. Millie sat down beside her.
"Are you okay with all of this, my child?" she put a small bag on the table in front of her. As she opened it, Chyenne could see it contained the wonderous paraphernalia of all the make up Millie had managed to gather.
"Yeah.." Chyenne said, her eyes seeking Heyes', getting a comforting glance back, " I'm quite fine with it"
"I'd hate to make that beautiful face into the gruesome dead sight that we're about to, though.." Millie confessed, "I'd rather do a completely different make up on you, Darling!"
As she said those last words, she gave Heyes a knowing glance. The meaning of it dawn on him, and he gulped down the bisquit he just had put in his mouth. He looked with bulging eyes at Chyenne. Had she grasped the hidden meaning, too?
No..she hadn't he realized, as she just casual shook her head and laughed softly at Millie.
"I've never used make up...never ever " she examined some of the items closely, "What's this?" she held one of them up.
"That my dear is a special pen to make your eyes look more ..well, just more, bigger..you sort of frame them with that pen..but we can also use it to make you look considerably less attractive" she watched as Chyenne put it down and took the next item, holding it up.
"This?" her eyes sparkled as she said it.
"A lipstick my dear.." Millie said with a soft giggle, looking at Heyes, "Try kissing Joshua after putting it on and see how he looks"
A chuckle erupted from both Lorne and Curry as they saw the surprised look on Heyes' face.
Chyenne saw the nervous stare from him and reassured him with a small shake of her head.
"Naaww...I won't do that, not today anyway! We have more important things to do." she gave the items back to Millie and leaned over the table to Curry. "First we gotta make Thad here twenty years older..is that really possible, Millie?"
"Sure it is" the older woman said confident and stood up, walking over to where he sat.
Curry fidgeted in his seat, looking first to his left, then to his right, trying to get eyecontact with Millie.
She smiled wholeheartedly as she saw his doubt.
Was he, Kid Curry, gonna have make up all over his face like a frilly saloongirl? He closed his eyes, imagining the hysterical fun, Wheat and the boys would make of him, if they would ever to find out.
Heyes folded his arms over his chest and leaned back a little in his chair. If Kid could have, he would have wiped the smug grin of Heyes' face in an instant.
Chyenne stood up smiling, as she admired Millies work on Curry.
Taking a handfull of hairwax, she started to slick his hair back. Combing through it to straighten out the numerous curls, then she added powder to his sideburns to get a grayish look, but also adding some streaks of black, using charcoal.
Then she signed to Heyes to sit straight up on his chair as she went over to him, starting the same procedure on him.
Lorne helped by pulling out two pairs of trousers from one of the bags they had with them, and two larger shirts.
When Millie were done, they started to get the boys dressed and added a few more pounds to their appearences by wrapping layers of towels around them, then straightening a few lumps here and there, making it look good.
Adding the fake beard to Heyes' face, made him look like a totally different person.
The spectacles were handed to Curry and he put them on, then looking himself in the mirror. Amazing, he did not even recognize himself, and when looking at Heyes he was totaly blown away by the fact that what he had in front of him was no Hannibal Heyes at all, but in fact an older, fatter gentleman...with a long beard.
Patting his stomach with a grin, Heyes looked at Millie."Not even Wheat and the boys would recognise us now.." he squinted his eyes at her when seeing her react as he refered to their gang members..former gangmembers."You'd love them Millie..and they would just adore you and your cooking.." he added with a laugh.
A hearty laugh spread among all of them as they saw Millie blush as she imagined the thought of having a bunch of outlaws hanging around the dinner table, waiting to be fed.
Then Lorne turned a bit grave as he looked over at Chyenne.
"Boys..we have to go now. I've spoken to Mr.Brock our undertaker, and he's agreed to take a few hours spontane vacation from his business today. We have to put Chyenne through some heavy make up and then put her in a casket" he put his hand on the doorknob opening the door, "Now, you Thad, do your part and see to it that they know she is over at the mortuary...Joshua, you come by as soon as your done!"
Heyes and Curry nodded in unison as they walked out, Heyes' eyes lingering at Chyenne for as long as she was in view.
* * * *
Lorne looked into her eyes, looking for a tiniest sign of doubt or fear, but couldn't see anything. She was as calm as she had ever been. Lorne was in every sense of the word, amazed of Chyennes courage in this situation.
"Are you ready? " he asked, looking into the face of a woman that had been dead for about two weeks. It was spooky, really.
After the painstaking make up done by Millie, she looked more or less like a corpse. Lorne was in fact pretty darn proud..his wife had showed skills he never knew she possesed.
"I'm ready" Chyenne stated and glanced towards the casket she was about to climb into.
"Really? You know I have to ask you this more than once?" Lorne realized he must seem a lot more nervous than she did. But he had to ask....
"Really I am." she said smiling at him as she laid her hand on his, "I trust you Lorne..you are a good man, a good friend, but above all, a very good doctor."
"But this time I will.." he said gloomy, but were cut off.
"I know...okay, I know.." she brushed her delicate hand over his bristled chin, her smile fading slowly, "Now...let's make it a good show, huh?"
How could he refuse her? He knew now, as he felt a knot forming in his chest, just how deep Heyes' feelings was for her. Knowing she had been a pest and a spitfire just lesser than a year ago, he was amazed just how much she must have changed...how much his love for her had changed her.
Well, he'd seen it on Joshua...uhm,Heyes too. Possible even more clearer. How she had changed him.
His eyes dwelling a little longer on her, than necessary, and on her body, he felt a little twinge of envy towards Heyes. But he had Millie, his wonderful wife..and he was way too old to have these thoughts in the first place. A minimal hint of a blush, swept over his face as he watched her climb up and into the casket, that was placed in the middle of the mortuary office on a robust table.
At first, last night, he had been almost at the breaking point, before he had found the sedative he needed. Curare is not so usual to have in store, but he had about a month ago made a unusual deal with a tribe up north, during one trip up there to participate in a medical convention, and after hours of looking through his storages of medicine, he had eventually found it.
He tapped the syringe a little, getting rid of the small bubbles inside of the liquid, then he pushed with caution, making a tiny drop show at the end of the needle.
"Ready?" he asked for at least the third time, looking down on her in the casket. A small shiver traveled up his spine as the sight of her was spooky.
She didn't answer, she just nodded softly, blinking at him.
Quick and with vast experience, he gave her the injection. His eyes not leaving hers for even a second.
"Sleep well, my dear" he gave her a small caress on her hand, " It'll take at least six hours before you wake up again.."
Curry felt totally awkward in his temporary outfit as he walked slowly over to the saloon. Having talked to a few trusted residents of their small town, they had gotten their suspicions confirmed...the Canton boys was still over there.
Adding a small limp to his character, Curry took the two steps up on the sidewalk with difficulty.
Before he walked through the swing doors , he turned his head seeing Heyes stepping inside the mortuary. It had been scary how much these alterations had changed their looks. Curry chuckled slightly. Even though he knew it was Heyes...it just wasn't him!
Pushing the swingdoors to the side, he stepped inside the saloon.
The air in the saloon was as stagnant and thick of the usual saloon smells as any other day. Whiskey, beer and stale cigars. Panning around the place silently, his gaze finally stopped on the table in the middle of the saloon. On the table stood several bottles of whiskey, all of them half empty, or half full, depending on your view of things. On two of the four chairs that stood haphazardly round the table, sat two scruffy looking individuals, their feets slumped up on the other two chairs. The odor round this particular table seemed somewhat noxious, and the stench made Curry wrinkle his nose as he stopped beside them.
He gave them a once over, reminding himself, that during all those years they were leading the life of the outlaws, running Devils Hole gang, they never, ever smelled or looked this scruffy or bad. There had been times, yes..he had to admit it, when water and soap had been lacking for several days...sometimes even weeks, but it had never been THIS bad.
He was amazed how much difference two days could make, cause he could not recall them smelling this bad the first and only time he had talked to them .
The skinny one raised his head, as he finally had grasped that someone was standing almost right beside him. His eyes was glossy from being hungover, or maybe he was still drunk...it was hard to tell.
The chubby one was leaning over the table in an odd way, probably asleep, cause an odd sound emerged from him. It was like a mix of a gurgle and an attempted snoring.
Curry cleared his throat.
"Ya'.." skinny growled and straightened himself a little, but not too much," WHAT?"
He reached for one of the bottles, putting it to his mouth, downing what was left in there.
Curry had tried his best to memorize what he was going to say, but the baffling sight of these two, made him loose one or two lines in the process. But seeing their state and smelling their hideous odor, made him pretty sure that improvisation wasn't all that bad either.
"Let me introduce myself..." he started with an accent worthy of an englishman, "My name's Wilfred Talbot.."
"Soo...who cares?" Skinny one blurted out, slamming the now emptied bottle on the table, making his friend next to him almost jump from his chair with scare. Chubby sat wagging on the chair, his eyes having a hard time getting used to the daylight that was now.
"I'm the local undertaker Mr Brock's assistant.." Curry sighed inwardly as he looked at them. Would they have any clue...or would he be forced to tell them all the details before getting their attention?
"Undertaker?" the chubby one frowned, his whole forehead covered in wrinkles.
"Yes, sir...you've been around town now for two days...word get's around" Curry tried his best to not fail with the accent. "Eventually even WE get to hear what's being said in here.." he made a sweeping motion with his arm, and then he added a dissatisfied facial expression.
Skinny one sat up more straight in his chair now, scratching the stubble on his chin.
"Undertaker? " he echoed.
"Yes...sir!" Curry said once more, the tone of his voice telling them he really was a man working with and handling the dead.
"What ya' want with us?" chubby asked, still having a hard time getting his eyes to adjust to the daylight.
Curry added a feign sigh, hoping it would add to his appearence as quite edgy as he stood there almost towering over them.
"A few days ago, a local farmer made a gruesome discovery on his land...he brought her in the other day, just to get a decent funeral for her.." Curry looked more closely at them as he said that.
"HER?" both said in unison, now paying him full attention.
"Yes...what a waste on such a beauty." he said, then correcting himself, "..well, she's not one now, being dead an all, but you can tell she was a real knock out when alive..." he looked down on purpose as pretending being ashamed of saying what he did.
Both men stood up glaring at him, trying to get their balance straight, their eyes huge like bowls.
"We heard you was asking about a lady, and as there is no other around fitting your description...she might be the one you are looking for, " he snarled, trying to act distinguished, " but unfortunately...she's dead!"
The two men started to mumble to each other, some small growls could be heard between the silently spoken words, and the skinny one took the opportunity to smack the chubby one over the hat, as he obviously had said something wrong or just plain stupid.
"Take us there " he said and slammed his own hat on, shoving his partner in front of him" Now !"
Starting to enjoying this charade a little, Curry with glee, took the lead and led them out of there, heading for the mortuary.