Hit and run {private}

[Finnie]

Lorraine smiled at the bounty hunter as he laid back down, his face twisted in frustration as he tried to verbalize whatever he was thinking. She didn't blame him for not thinking of the words, of course. He had just woken up and he was severely injured. She was sure if the positions had been switched she would barely be able to speak, let alone make polite conversation. There was an admirable strength in the way he carried on and tried to act like he wasn't hurt.

"It's alright. And you're welcome." She gave his arm a little pat. He hadn't said thank you, but she could see it in his face. He was clearly uncomfortable with the situation. She didn't pin him as the kind of man who relied on others often. He was all grit and gristle. She had seen some men like him before who stopped into the store when they were passing through town, but her father usually took care of their needs so she rarely got a chance to talk to them. Her father said a gentle lady like herself shouldn't have to be exposed to men like that. Father much preferred she socialize with the young men who frequented their chapel on Sunday.

Sensing the man would probably prefer to be alone for a while she politely excused herself to go help her father clean up the shop. It was closing time, and soon she'd be expected to make dinner. The faster the shop got closed the sooner she could start, which meant the sooner they could all eat. Lorraine's had went to her stomach. With all the excitement, she didn't think she ate more than a slice of bread all day. In the morning she was too shaken up and then she was busy all day.

When she went back out into the main store her father passed her a broom and cloth.

"How's the invalid?" Her father asked as he counted the cash box.

"Good. He seems to be healing well, and there's no fever. He almost tore his stitches though." She gave a small laugh and shook her head, and began to sweep the floor. "He still needs a day or two to recover though. Could we put him up in the guest room?"

He father was quiet for a while. Lorraine bit her lip, but kept her eyes on her work. She knew her father wasn't very fond of strangers. But the man had saved her life- surely that gave him some credit. And he was nice enough, if not a little rough around the edges.

"I don't know Lorraine. We don't even know this man."

"Father, please. He has nowhere else to go." Lorraine argued lightly, trying to keep her voice quiet. It was rare that she ever argued with her father. Usually what he said goes, no questions. But she had to at least try for the man. "He couldn't hurt us or cause mischief with the state he's in. And I'm sure he's just as anxious to get out of the building. He doesn't seem very comfortable here."

Another moment of silence. She didn't dare mention that she had already offered the man the room. Her going over her father's head probably wouldn't go over well. But if he didn't agree she didn't know what she would tell the bounty hunter.

"Alright. But just for two days. We can take him to church on Sunday."

Lorraine looked up from her sweeping with a smile, happy that he had taken her suggestion. She couldn't stand the thought of her savior being tossed out into the street to fend for himself. She had to at least see to it that he got better, to pay him back for everything he had done for her.

 

[Zul'Zae'ju'Jin]

He looked to her for a long moment with quiet gratitude. He was so used to patching up his own wounds that it was very alien to be taken care of like this. He didn't like being burden on others or the need to rely on someone else for his own needs. It was always something he had been used to doing himself. The wilds seldom required anything less than being able to fend for yourself and knowing the dangers that lurked in the brush. He had seen men die from the snake they ignored or underestimated how much water they would need to take on a journey from one town to the next. He didn't want to be that man and given his upbringing he knew how to respect nature's wrath.

She left him to his thoughts and for that he was grateful as he laid there with nothing but the ceiling for a bouncing board. He was already itching to get moving but it was clear he couldn't do much as stand right now let alone walk out of their home and ride his mustang to the next target. He had to rest and that was something that he had never found entertaining or mind consuming. Least on the road he had distractions and thinking lines. Only difference here was that was afforded some company now and then.

He felt Lorraine was a sheltered sort or simply like the settled life that towns provided. He wondered what that was like, to live continuously in one place. He doubted he could spend the rest of his life bounty hunting. His foster father had said that he wouldn't be able to keep it up forever and Boone knew that in his heart. he didn't have to like that fact but he understood it. Bounty Hunting held rigours few other jobs did. There was a great deal of self reliance involved never mind the ability to hunt, track and everything else it entailed. It was a hard living. Sometimes he might have a string of bounties with good pay, other times he was baring able to pay for his horse's keep.

He would stay a little while, perhaps a day or so... Any longer and he knew he would feel like he was pushing his welcome. Not everyone liked Bounty hunters. It was not an honest living and it was often a dirty living but he hoped he was one of the better ones. He just had to hope no one was around this town to know his background. He might be white like them and he might sound like a white man but he had a Native's upbringing and for those that knew, that held him as an outcast of white man society. It was uncomfortable. Another reason he liked his profession. It held very little social interactions that resulted in needless and discriminating violence. Least he hunted those who had done wrong and had hurt people out of intent. Getting himself involved in petty brawls was out of his remit.

He breathed in deeply and let it out slowly. He just had to get past this bout of needing rest. He felt useless and he hated that feeling too. He was used to constantly moving, never being in one place at one time for too long. The events of Lorraine's rescue also was bothering him and he still couldn't quite pin the tail on it. They seemed familiar and he didn't know why that should be. He frowned as he lay there thinking.