?Ya wan' me ta do wha?!? Johnny's voice rose into a near-shout with surprise and shock. Evan made urgent hushing motions, his eyes darting side to side as if someone could hear them through the thick walls of his sturdy adobe house. Beneath the thick mass of his black beard, Evan's face was pale, thin and drawn ? a complete contrast to the sturdy, blocky form that Johnny had expected to see. The air in the house was rank with a thick, too-sweet smell that reeked of corruption.
It had taken Johnny more than a few minutes to realize that the scent came from Evan. His gut still churned at the sickening sight Evan had shown him. One leg was black from ankle to thigh, rotting away while still attached, and the red streaks of blood poisoning extended up to his stomach. Now his friend repeated the statement which had caused his outburst, in a reedy voice devoid of most of its strength. ?I want ya ta marry Sarah. Look, ya seen m'leg. Doc won't treat me, being a dangerous rebel leader an' all th' way I am. Ain't no matter that I ain't caused any trouble in over a year, I'm still lumped in with them back in th' hills. This ain't something I'm getting better from, Johnny.?
Johnny's face had drawn from a frown at the suggestion to a lowering scowl when Evan said the doctor wouldn't do his job. That scowl twisted when Evan added the last sentence. ?Look, there's go' ta somethin' I can do ? fin' another doc, trick this'n inta seein' ya, somethin'.? But Evan was already shaking his head in denial, eyes fever-bright but not clouded by delusion. ?Ya know I'd take care'a Sarah fer ya if'n ya asked, bro ? ain' no call ta be marryin' her. B'sides, I'm already married ta my Si, an' I ain' givin' tha' up fer anythin'.?
?I've thought about it, Johnny, better believe I've thought about it. It's th' only way ta get her safe or I wouldn't even have suggested it. Why d'ya think I called ya, bro? Ya ain't been caught up in this rebellion nonsense, an' I trust ya with her, not ta take advantage.? Johnny started to voice a protest and Evan raised a shaky hand to cut it off. ?Ain't nobody here knows yer married, so soon's I'm gone ya get th' judge an' get th' papers makin' it look legal. Then ya can book back off-world fer th' two'a ya, have th' whole thing anulled first stop ya make.?
A profoundly unhappy look crossed Johnny's features, and he pushed to standing from the edge of Evan's bed where he had been sitting. Restlessly he paced around the room, rubbing metal-meshed fingers over the stubble on his cheeks with a harsh rasping sound. A frown line etched between his brows while he ran through the same factors that had led Evan to such a severe decision. Once he started to speak, and cut himself off before the first word left his mouth.
Evan watched Johnny patiently from his bed. His leg had stopped hurting when its nerves had died, and he was almost used to the fire of infection spreading through his abdominal cavity. Fevers had wracked him for days. Sarah tended him, held him when those fevers brought delirium, and now she waited outside. She knew what Evan was asking Johnny and had, reluctantly, agreed to the plan. Evan curled weak fingers into his blanket. This was the riskiest part, this chance that Johnny wouldn't agree to the scheme. But he thought he knew the younger man well enough to guess at his decision.
?All righ'. All righ, all righ', I'll do it. Bu' firs' stop off'a this rock we're gettin' th' whole thin' annulled, like it din' even happen. I'll take Sarah back ta RhyDin, make sure she's set up with a job, way ta keep herself goin' an' all. No worries.? Johnny sank back down onto the edge of the bed, the frown line still etched deep on his forehead, but his voice was soothing. ?I'll make sure everythin's taken care of fer ya, bro. Promise.? Taking the hand that was skin and bones in his own stronger grip, Johnny made it a vow.
When Evan just relaxed, closed his eyes and nodded, and sank back into the pillows, Johnny stood again. He strode out the door quickly while Sarah slipped back inside. There were faint tear-marks on her cheeks but no other signs of weeping, and one hand pressed lightly against her flat stomach while she took the seat that Johnny had abandoned on the bed. She waited until the door shut before she said, quietly, ?Is he going ta do it, love??
?He'll do it. Get ya safe out of here. Get ya both safe out of here.? Evan hadn't opened his eyes.
?Did ya tell him that?? Her fingers splayed over the worn muslin of her dress, then lifted to smooth back a sweat-soaked strand of hair from Evan's face. Her brown eyes were very, very dark while she studied the dying face of her husband.
?No. But he'll do it.?
It had taken Johnny more than a few minutes to realize that the scent came from Evan. His gut still churned at the sickening sight Evan had shown him. One leg was black from ankle to thigh, rotting away while still attached, and the red streaks of blood poisoning extended up to his stomach. Now his friend repeated the statement which had caused his outburst, in a reedy voice devoid of most of its strength. ?I want ya ta marry Sarah. Look, ya seen m'leg. Doc won't treat me, being a dangerous rebel leader an' all th' way I am. Ain't no matter that I ain't caused any trouble in over a year, I'm still lumped in with them back in th' hills. This ain't something I'm getting better from, Johnny.?
Johnny's face had drawn from a frown at the suggestion to a lowering scowl when Evan said the doctor wouldn't do his job. That scowl twisted when Evan added the last sentence. ?Look, there's go' ta somethin' I can do ? fin' another doc, trick this'n inta seein' ya, somethin'.? But Evan was already shaking his head in denial, eyes fever-bright but not clouded by delusion. ?Ya know I'd take care'a Sarah fer ya if'n ya asked, bro ? ain' no call ta be marryin' her. B'sides, I'm already married ta my Si, an' I ain' givin' tha' up fer anythin'.?
?I've thought about it, Johnny, better believe I've thought about it. It's th' only way ta get her safe or I wouldn't even have suggested it. Why d'ya think I called ya, bro? Ya ain't been caught up in this rebellion nonsense, an' I trust ya with her, not ta take advantage.? Johnny started to voice a protest and Evan raised a shaky hand to cut it off. ?Ain't nobody here knows yer married, so soon's I'm gone ya get th' judge an' get th' papers makin' it look legal. Then ya can book back off-world fer th' two'a ya, have th' whole thing anulled first stop ya make.?
A profoundly unhappy look crossed Johnny's features, and he pushed to standing from the edge of Evan's bed where he had been sitting. Restlessly he paced around the room, rubbing metal-meshed fingers over the stubble on his cheeks with a harsh rasping sound. A frown line etched between his brows while he ran through the same factors that had led Evan to such a severe decision. Once he started to speak, and cut himself off before the first word left his mouth.
Evan watched Johnny patiently from his bed. His leg had stopped hurting when its nerves had died, and he was almost used to the fire of infection spreading through his abdominal cavity. Fevers had wracked him for days. Sarah tended him, held him when those fevers brought delirium, and now she waited outside. She knew what Evan was asking Johnny and had, reluctantly, agreed to the plan. Evan curled weak fingers into his blanket. This was the riskiest part, this chance that Johnny wouldn't agree to the scheme. But he thought he knew the younger man well enough to guess at his decision.
?All righ'. All righ, all righ', I'll do it. Bu' firs' stop off'a this rock we're gettin' th' whole thin' annulled, like it din' even happen. I'll take Sarah back ta RhyDin, make sure she's set up with a job, way ta keep herself goin' an' all. No worries.? Johnny sank back down onto the edge of the bed, the frown line still etched deep on his forehead, but his voice was soothing. ?I'll make sure everythin's taken care of fer ya, bro. Promise.? Taking the hand that was skin and bones in his own stronger grip, Johnny made it a vow.
When Evan just relaxed, closed his eyes and nodded, and sank back into the pillows, Johnny stood again. He strode out the door quickly while Sarah slipped back inside. There were faint tear-marks on her cheeks but no other signs of weeping, and one hand pressed lightly against her flat stomach while she took the seat that Johnny had abandoned on the bed. She waited until the door shut before she said, quietly, ?Is he going ta do it, love??
?He'll do it. Get ya safe out of here. Get ya both safe out of here.? Evan hadn't opened his eyes.
?Did ya tell him that?? Her fingers splayed over the worn muslin of her dress, then lifted to smooth back a sweat-soaked strand of hair from Evan's face. Her brown eyes were very, very dark while she studied the dying face of her husband.
?No. But he'll do it.?