hapter 11Buck woke up with a feeling that he was choking. Coughing and gasping for breath he tried to get up into a sitting position, when he heard somebody move next to him. Ike put a firm hand on his shoulder forcing him back into the bed. He tried to tell Ike he couldn't breath in that position, but no words came out of his mouth. All he managed was some croaking sound. Pain came from his chest and he saw red clouds before his eyes. Desperately he tried to get some air into his lungs. Finally he managed and he took a few ragged breaths. His head felt as if it had been split into two and he had to concentrate to see the worried face of Ike before him.
"What's happened?" he whispered, trying to get his memories straight.
"You was attacked by horse thieves," Jimmy had woke up and had joined Ike by his side.
Buck closed his eyes, hoping that the headache would subside, but nothing happened. He looked at his friends.
"I remember," he said slowly. "I thought he was going to kill me." He looked at Jimmy and Ike with a question in his eyes.
"Cody showed up just in time. He tried to stop them, but they managed to get away with our horses."
At the mention of his name the blond rider sat up.
"What's going on?"
"Buck's awake."
"Buck? How is he?"
"Shhh," Jimmy hushed at him as Buck's face twisted in pain, as he had to fight for breath again.
"That doesn't sound good," Cody whispered and the look in Ike's face told them he felt the same.
<Maybe we should get Rachel?> Ike signed.
"She needs the rest," Jimmy objected. "I'll get Teaspoon." Quickly he put on his pants and slipped out. Panting, Buck grabbed the arm of Ike.
"What about Wun-oan-te-mee? Is she OK?"
<She's sleeping. Noah brought back some cure from Ft. Laramie, and it appears to work."
"I - should see - to her," Buck managed to say between his breathes.
"Noah staying with her. Don't you worry, she'll be fine," Cody smiled at him.
Suddenly Buck was out of breath again and Ike grabbed Cody by the arm.
<We need to do something.> he signed desperately.
"What?" Cody whispered back, looking at Buck, who was fighting for breath, when the door opened and Jimmy arrived with Teaspoon at his heels.
"He just woke up, Teaspoon," he said as the stationmaster walked up to the boy.
"Buck?" he said as he looked at the boy, who appeared to be out of breath.
"Maybe we should ease the bandage," Jimmy suggested silently.
"I don't think so," Teaspoon replied, watching Buck closely. "Jimmy, Cody, go get the wagon ready! Now!"
The boys heard the urgency in Teaspoon's voice and together the rushed to the stable.
"Help me, Ike, we need to get him over into the wagon."
<Doc said he shouldn't be moved.> Ike hesitated.
"Well, we don't have the time to get Doc here," Teaspoon said crisply as he turned to Buck.
"Buck? We gonna lift you up. Think you'll be all right?"
Ike moved over to Buck's side and looked down at the pale face. It was obvious that Buck by now had trouble breathing, but at least he managed to nod. Buck opened his mouth in an effort to say something, but he didn't manage to get any words out.
"Take it easy, Buck, we're gonna get you to Doc. Just hang in there."
Jimmy rushed through the door, only clad in his trousers and boots.
"The wagon's ready, Teaspoon. What are you gonna do?"
"We need to get him over to Doc's. Give us a hand Jimmy."
With Ike and Jimmy's help they managed to get Buck tucked down in the wagon. He was still conscious but his breathing hadn't improved and suddenly Jimmy noticed what Teaspoon already had spotted, that Buck's lips had a strange shade of blue. Jimmy dragged Teaspoon aside and put his attention to it.
"I know, Jimmy," Teaspoon replied quietly, "but keep it to yourself."
"He's gonna be all right, ain't he?" Jimmy whispered back.
"Let's hope for the best." Teaspoon replied crisply. "You got everything Ike? Then we better go. Jimmy and Cody, you got a busy day tomorrow, so I suggest you hit the sack again. We'll be back as soon as we can."
Before they could leave, Rachel and Noah emerged from the house. When Rachel saw the wagon, she rushed over.
"What's wrong?" she asked panting, seeing Buck lying in the wagon. She bent over him and placed a hand on his forehead, seeing his condition. She looked desperately at Teaspoon.
"Ike and I are taking him over to Doc," Teaspoon said as Ike climbed up and seated himself next to Buck. Without further delays, Teaspoon urged the horses into a steady trot, not wanting to cause Buck more pain, but realising that time was of highest importance.
Buck watched the dark sky above him as he gasped for air. He knew he was breathing although it felt as if he couldn't get enough air. The pain caused him to wince at every intake and he thought he was gonna die. His head was hurting too, but with the pain in his chest, it felt as a minor problem. His disability to breathe properly scared him and he could feel himself getting seized by panic. He wanted to know what was wrong, but he wasn't able to get out a single word. He knew Ike was sitting next to him, he had seen his friend's worried face hovering over him now and then. By the look on Ike's face, he could tell something was serious wrong.
Ike looked out over the dark plains. The road to Sweetwater had never seen so long as it did right now. Buck's breathing seemed to get worse by the minute, and although Teaspoon had told him not go get his hopes up too high, he hoped that Doc would knew what to do to get Buck well. Buck couldn't die. Not like this. Buck had always been the fighter of the two, and to see him like this scared Ike. Especially since there was nothing he could do. He never really knew what it was that had urged him to enter into the fight that day when he had noticed the men scorning the Indian from the mission school, but he had never regretted it. When the fight was over, he had more or less expected that they would go their separate ways, but instead Buck had stayed by his side. He had tried to get rid of him at first, afraid of the friendship. Or rather the fear of the pain of losing a friend or a family member had prevented him to accept Buck as a friend. Stubbornly, Buck had remained a friend, much to Ike's surprise. And Buck had given him a way to communicate. He couldn't loose him know. He'd already known too many losses in his young life.
Finally Teaspoon held in the horses outside Doc's house. In an instant Ike was out, banging fiercely on the door. His efforts were answered by an open window on the second floor.
"What's goin' on? Who's out there?" Doc's face and the end of a rifle were shown in the window.
"It's Teaspoon Hunter, Doc!" Teaspoon called out. "We need your help, Buck's worse!"
The window closed and seconds later a half-dressed Doc opened the door for them.
"What's wrong?" he asked as Teaspoon carried the by now semiconscious Buck into the office.
"He's not breathing properly," Teaspoon replied, as Doc held up the light so that he could see the boy's face. Doc took one look and then pointed into the examination room.
"Get him onto the table in there," he ordered and proceeded to a cabinet filled with bottles and instruments. "Ike, get some water boiling, will you?" Doc continued as his experience hands roamed the inside of his cabinet. Teaspoon placed Buck on the high table and walked over to Doc.
"What's wrong, Doc?"
"I feared this might happen - when he broke a rib or more, they must have damaged his lung and it has collapsed."
"Collapsed?"
"Yes, that's why he has difficulty breathing."
"Can you do something?"
"I'll try, but there are a lot of things involved here. What kind of damage we're dealing with for one thing. If the rib has caused an open wound on the pleura or the lung itself, the lung might collapse or is collapsing completely---"
"Then what?" Teaspoon kept his voices down so that Buck wouldn't hear the conversation.
"I have to fix the wound, but that's all I can do."
"And the lung?"
"There is a good chance of surviving with only one lung, although he might have impaired strength."
"And if it isn't a wound?"
"He might have pulmonary haemorrhage."
"Pulm---what?"
"He might have blood in his lungs. Or he might be suffering from more than one of these."
"Is there any way to know?"
"I'll have to look," Doc said and moved a small tray with a bottles and objects over to the table. "The trouble is that he's already lost a considerable amount of blood."
"Doc, when you say 'have a look', do you mean what I think you mean?" Teaspoon asked gravely.
"I'll have to open him up, yes."
Teaspoon scratched his chin as Ike reappeared with the boiling water. Doc tucked up the sleeves on his shirt and ordered Ike to put the boiling the by the table. Ike looked at Teaspoon and raised an eyebrow over what was going on.
"I'll need your help," Doc stated and looked at the others.
"Doc, we don't know anything about --- this you're gonna do," Teaspoon objected.
"I need assistance, that's all. All you have to do is following my instructions." Doc had already begun to remove the bandages around Buck's chest as he examined the wound.
"Just tell us what to do, Doc," Teaspoon sighed and motioned to Ike to come closer.
"Ike, I want you to take this --" Doc held up something that looked like a strange cup made out of cotton. ---"and place it over his nose and mouth. Then I want you to take this bottle and drop two, three drops on the cotton when I tell you."
"What is it?" Teaspoon translated the worried hand movements of Ike.
"Ether. It will keep him asleep. Teaspoon, I need you to wash your hands, and hand me the instruments at my request." Doc looked at them. "I hope you aren't tired, gentlemen, cause this may take all the night."
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