Yeehaw!
When the Cactus Blooms
29. Mighty Fine Shootin'
At the sound of a gunshot McCoy stiffened and felt Scotty do the same behind him. They had been tied together back to back. McCoy had a single chair, a small table, his bed and a dresser, so they hadn’t even been sat down before Marcus had the rope started around them.
McCoy forced himself to breath slowly and bite back his panic. No other shots followed so perhaps it had simply been a warning shot, or a shot to announce Harri— no, Khan’s presence. He wondered how many people he had with him.
Marcus had left after tying them up, leaving them in the care of another. A sallow faced man, he had given them one look then ignored them. His hand held his gun and McCoy certainly didn’t want that pointing their way.
“It’ll be ok lad,” Scotty whispered to him. “Jim’ll sort it all out.”
“We have to get out of here,” McCoy whispered back. Can you get your hands free?”
Scotty’s back moved against McCoy’s and he could nearly swear Scotty was holding back a laugh.
“Say the word Len.”
McCoy could hear the grin in his voice. Carefully they turned until Scotty was hidden from the guard. After a few minutes McCoy felt the ropes loosen around himself.
“Ok,” Scotty whispered, sounding pleased. “Let’s get this guy taken care of, then I'll finish getting your ropes off.”
“Hey!” McCoy said loudly to the guard. “Khan pay well for this?”
The guard looked at him.
“No, probably not. Ugly fella like you probably has to pay him to be in his gang,” McCoy continued. “Probably why you get stuck with guarding us. What are we going to do? I’m a doctor.”
“Shut up!” the guard snarled.
“Oh, we must be getting close to home,” McCoy grinned. “Not good enough for anything else, so you have to guard a doctor.” McCoy guffawed.
The guard’s face turned red and he stalked over to McCoy, gun lifting as he pointed at the middle of McCoy’s forehead.
“Shut up!” he demanded.
Before the gun could touch his skin, Scotty struck, hitting the man across the forearm. The hit was hard and the gun dropped. A few tense minutes followed as Scotty and the guard both tried to win the gun. With a loud crack noise, the guard lay still.
McCoy lifted his hands for Scotty to untie.
“Now what?” Scotty asked. McCoy stood rubbing his wrists as Scotty tied the guard’s hands behind his back.
“We’ve got to help.” McCoy turned to his dresser and opened the bottom drawer. He lifted out his gun belt with an unhappy face. “I’ll get to the stables and get Pepper. She’s fastest. I’ll get Pike.”
“No,” Scotty said, grabbing his arm. “I’ll go for Pike. You may be needed here if things take a turn.”
McCoy hesitated, but he heard in his mind again the gunshot and what had sounded like a scream. He took in a deep breath, before reluctantly nodding.
He had crept to the stables with Scotty, but they couldn’t hide the sound of hoof steps as Pepper flew through the open doors. Then Scotty was gone, racing down the drive and away for the sheriff. McCoy could hear voices calling commands as he crept through the shadows to the back door of the house. He didn’t see anyone, so he took that to mean everyone, including Khan’s people were in the front.
He opened the door silently, and made his way through the house. From the front door he could see something was wrong. He couldn’t be certain, but he thought he could see his medical bag sitting next to someone lying on the porch.
The gunshot they had heard! It had been at someone!
McCoy rushed forward and out the front door. Jim was lying on his back, unconscious, and Christine was working feverishly at a dark, wet spot on Jim’s shoulder.
“Leo!” Christine looked at him wide eyed as he dropped next to her.
“Did it go through?” he asked, snapping into a tone of voice he had not used for many years. He pushed a hand underneath Jim. Christine shook her head.
“Hmm, Dr. McCoy. And how did you escape? I take it that was Scotty on the horse?” Khan’s tone was mocking.
“Shut up!” McCoy yelled at him, not even looking up from Jim. He needed to work fast. His hands were flying, Christine handing him what he needed before he could ask.
“Uhura, go get some water and clean towels,” McCoy ordered.
“No.” Khan’s voice was cold and Uhura stopped moving, halfway out of her chair.
“Dammit man! I’m not letting my friend die!” McCoy yelled. Jim’s shirt was a loss. McCoy ripped it out of his way.
“I suppose that would be a black mark on my new ownership,” Khan conceded. “And it will be so much more delightful knowing James T. Kirk is out there somewhere, loathing me.”
“Go Uhura!” McCoy ordered again. This time the woman ran into the house.
A piece of metal clanged on the porch as McCoy dug the bullet from Jim. McCoy let out a breath of relief, then fell back to working on saving Jim. Christine had been quick with putting pressure on the place after the shot. McCoy shot her a grim smile, and began stitching.
“What happened?”
Jim’s voice was groggy, but to McCoy it was music after sitting with the wounded man for two nights.
“Here, drink first.” McCoy slid a hand behind Jim and helped him sit up carefully. Then he passed him a cup.
Jim drank slowly, looking around as he did. McCoy rubbed a hand across his chin self consciously; he hadn’t shaved the past few days, too caught up putting Jim on the mend.
“What’s the last thing you remember?” McCoy asked, as he pulled the cup gently from Jim.
Jim’s face scrunched with thinking.
“Spock heard someone in the dark.”
“That was two days ago kid,” McCoy said gently. “Khan— John Harrison, tried to take the ranch. He shot you.”
Jim’s head quickly turned here and there to see what the injury was.
“Stop that,” McCoy said, exasperated. “It was your shoulder. You had a bit of fever, but there’s no infection. Luckily it was an excellent shot and didn’t hurt anything major,” McCoy continued as Jim ran the fingers from his other hand across the injured spot.
“And Khan took the ranch?” Jim sounded sad. “Of course.”
“No,” McCoy answered. “It’s still yours. Khan’s locked up, waiting to be sent to the city.”
“How in the hell did we win?” Jim asked, mouth hanging open.
McCoy’s smile spread slowly on his face.
“Scotty rode for Pike, he brought back his deputies and others came to help when they heard what was happening to us.”
“I’ll be damned,” Jim said in surprise.
“I’ll get you some lunch,” McCoy said. “You need to eat, get your strength built back up. And Jim?” McCoy stopped at the door.
“Yeah?”
“I'm glad you made it.”
“I remember something else,” Jim said.
“Yes?” McCoy turned his whole body to face Jim.
“Yeah. Sulu says you and Scotty are too loud at night, so could you try to keep it down?
McCoy’s face must have instantly turned red, because Jim grinned.
“I saved your life, you know!”
“And I’m very grateful. Thank you Bones.”
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