Chapter Ten
No Pants
Abby dreaded going to the cook. She was well aware that her leg needed attention. It was painfully swollen, and the edges of the cuts were white with saturation of the water, but inside of the welts was an angry red color. The bruise hurt like hell, and she was sure one would be able to see the imprint of the steer's hoof, but the biggest trepidation she held was seeing Ray.
When she reined in her horse and labored to get off, she let out a grunt of pain. She checked Smoky's coat and saw that he also needed attention from the injuries. She washed out and dressed the animal before attending to her own needs.
Slowly, and with dread, Abby approached the wagon. Jedidiah was bent over Ray, washing away the blood from a head wound. He was still unconscious, but other than that, he looked well enough. He could have been merely sleeping. Still, she had a small quiver of fear in her breast for him.
The cook/nurse was so busy at this task that he didn't appear to have heard Abby arrive. Slowly, as to not startle him, Abby walked toward him. She made enough noise to let him know he had company, but not enough to spook the man.
"You need any help?" she finally asked.
"Naw. But I am purty busy rite now, kid."
"Want me to come back?"
"Mite be best. Ya alright?"
"Ya. I got a leg wound, but nothin' that won't wait."
"You got hurt, too?" Jedidiah said, looking up. In one swift glance, he took it all in: the ripped jeans; the big, angry x; and the bruising. "Sit yourn ass down an' wait."
Without a word, Abby did as told. She watched as the man continued to doctor Ray's head and then wrapped a poultice to his injury.
"He gonna be okay?" she finally asked when he seemed to finish his doctoring.
"I think so. I don' like that he ain't awake yet, but he should be kickin' soon. I hate ta be the one ter tell 'em tha' he lost anothern horse."
"Oh, God. Me, too." Her white face made the cook aware of how awful that thought was to her.
As soon as Jedidiah sat down to look at her leg, he said, "No bullshittin'. What happened? Who ya make angry?"
Abby didn't say anything. She gave a slight shrug as an answer.
"Kid? Talk to me."
Finally, she said, "I can't say. It was dark, and who could see?"
"You don' know who laid ya out?"
"It was crazy out there, cookie! Cattle and horns were everywhere ya looked! I can't blame a cowboy if he were aimin' at a steer, and I got in the way."
Jedidiah studied Abby with an intensity that made her uncomfortable.
At last he said, "Well, I mite believe that if'n it jus happened once, but... twice? I cain't say that I believe this was a accident. He mus have ya runnin' scared or ya really like 'em fer ya ter keep quiet. Ole' Joe'd have 'em fired afore ya could say scram! Now, take off yourn jeans."
"Uh... what?"
"I cain't properly medicate and treat yer injuries if'n you don' take 'em off, kid."
"I don't really need medicine, Jedidiah."
"Bullshit. Stop being so damn bashful and take 'em off. Now, kid! I'm tired, and I still gotta cook breakfast. Asides from that, I need ter rest."
As fast as lightening, Abby removed her jeans and covered herself with the discarded clothing.
Jedidiah whistled. "Damn, kid! I don' know how ya took yer pants off'n so quick with a leg as bad as that!"
When Abby got over the fright of being discovered, she looked down and realized why the man didn't recognize womanly legs when he saw them. Her leg looked atrocious. It was twice the size as normal and already resembled a horribly colored rainbow of blues, blacks, purples, greens, and yellows. Her other leg looked normal, but anyone who viewed them would only see her injured one. Abby let out a sigh of relief.
Jedidiah whistled again. "Well, sit. This ain't gonna feel good, kid, but it has ta be done."
"Wh – what ya gonna do, Cookie?"
"Got ter clean it out. Then I got a poultice I'll wrap around that bruise. It mite hep with the swellin' and the pain. Otherwise, you ain't a sleepin tonight!"
Abby gritted her teeth and tried not to act like a girl when Jedidiah sanitized out her cuts. He poured some type of antiseptic into it that made her nearly scream. Then he rubbed a salve in that did little to quash the liquid fire, and wrapped it up. He added a pasty poultice and wrapped that around her bruise.
"I hate ter tell ya, but you ain't a gettin' them jeans back on over that leg. After ya eat, yer gonna lie down and try ter sleep. If'n you cain't, come see me. I'll give ya a lit'l juice to hep."
"Juice?"
Jedidiah grinned. A lit'l whiskey. It'll make ya ferget all about yer pain."
"Oh, okay."
Just then, Ray began to groan. Abby jumped, and Jedidiah narrowed his eyes when he looked at the big red-headed teen.
Abby hobbled to her feet and tried to hurry away. The cook grabbed her arm and stopped her.
"Kid, tha' who done that ter ya?"
"Uh," Abby swallowed, "I don't know, Jedidiah."
"Yer as white as snow an' yer a shakin. I think ya do." When Abby didn't say anything, the cook said, "I ain't gonna let him hurt ya none. Asides, he ain't in the shape ter."
Abby nodded. As soon as the cook released her, she hobbled away. She used her jeans a make-shift barrier to protect her modesty from curious eyes.
An hour later, breakfast was ready. Abby had unpacked her bedding. She'd put it down on top of her rain gear, but it was still damp. Her leg was throbbing. It felt like her heart had transposed positions, and it beat like she'd just run for miles. She was never going to get rest today. On top of that, she was starving, but she'd be damned if she was going to parade, nearly naked, in front of a bunch of men just for food!
She settled onto her bed and draped a blanket over her non-injured leg. She'd just have to deal with her hunger. She noticed men beginning to line up behind the food wagon. Her stomach complained, but she just patted it consolingly.
When the line had died down, she noticed Diablo coming her way. She noted he had two plates.
"Hungry?" she asked when he was by her.
"Si! Are you?" he said with a smile and handed her a plate.
"Thanks, Diablo!"
"Cookie said to give this grub to ya. He didn' figure you'd been up in line."
"I'lll have to tell him I appreciate it! Thank ya, I am really hungry!"
Just as she took her first bite of the meaty stew, she noticed the twelve missing steers rejoining the herd. Very weary cowboys thundered after them. It wasn't long before the hands were looking for a place to sit with their breakfast after caring for their mounts.
"So where were they?" Diablo asked.
"They were purt near on the other side of the world," Jim stated, disgusted.
"They shore had run a long time," Jackson agreed.
"The good thing wuz at leas' they were together," Jim added.
"Men, ya did amazin'. I'm glad ter have ya on ma team," Cole congratulated. He came near Abby with his plate.
"They didn' have no chance ter escape us," Jackson said happily.
"Easiest herdin' job I ever done," Jim agreed. Then he muttered, "Once we found 'em."
"They were tired," Cole agreed conversationally. "All most as tired as I feel."
"Here here," the men agreed.
Cole looked at Abby. "How's that leg?"
"All right," she stated.
Her injured appendage was spilling out from under the blanket.
"Looks like Cookie got ya all fixed up," Jackson said.
"Looks purty mean, little Buddy," Cole said. "That swellin's somethin'."
"The poor kid cain't even put his pants on," Jim noticed. "Ya knowed that's bad when the kid cain't wear no pants."
The men chuckled because the kid was infamous for his modesty. With almost perfect timing, Abby pulled the blanket over her leg self-consciously.
Cole watched her hand as it fluttered nervously. She noticed him watching and didn't know what to do with herself, so she ended up clasping her hands together over her covered leg.
"How's Ray?" Jackson asked.
"He was comin' to when I left them," Abby revealed.
All heads swiveled to watch her.
"He doin' okay?" asked Jim.
"He seemed to be," she replied.
Then men finished eating in relative silence. Then they took their plates back, washed them, and turned them over to the wagon. Cole came back and resumed his spot. Abby was nervous. She knew he was going to question her.