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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Silver Moon" data-source="post: 2859814" data-attributes="member: 8530">Chapter Thirty-seven, “Shootout Aftermath”, Saturday, May 27th, 1882, 10:45 P.M.As Doctor Eaton left the wounded man and the others went to find a wagon, Kate knelt down next to the man and pulled out her bandages, looking very busy staunching the wound. Mollie Caudell was still with her, mostly blocking her from sight. She quickly grabbed the belt-buckle and ripped it off saying quietly to Mollie, "Don't ask how I knew to do that."The disguise strips away to reveal a human with major burns on his head and arms. The entire right side of the man's face is an ugly purple and black burn scar and his right eye appears to be destroyed as well. He has no hair on that side of his head either, just more scars. Both of the man's arms are badly burned although the hands have either been healed or were magically protected at the time of the fire.Kate screamed and shuffled away from the burned man. In her minds eye she saw the burning men running from the ranch where the Cowboy Gang had held Nanuet and Chester. Could someone really have survived that? She had only intended to reveal an identity, but that was not what this man had been hiding.Minerva continues to do what healing that she can. When there is no more that she can do, she moves from one dead man to the other, praying over them and discreetly checking them for artifacts and identity. She notices Kate and gives her a grim smile in acknowledgment before continuing with her task.While the Doctor, Priestess and others help with the wounded Seawell has himself, Caudell, Seagram, and von Zeppelin cover the area with their guns to make sure that nobody else draws weapons. Helen Barker urges the crowd to disperse. Pleasants, Lacey and Shaw pick up all of the fallen and dropped weapons lying on the street. The newspaperman Chumbley is running about taking notes on what transpired. The four men most wounded men, including the one with the older burns, have now been lifted up and hauled off in carts over to Doc Eaton's Office. He heads over there to operate, accompanied by Roger and Buck Fly. Minerva exhausts her healing spells taking care of many of the less severely wounded. The only magical item that she comes across in her travels is the belt buckle that Kate had removed and dropped in her shock over seeing the burnt man.   Town undertaker Richard Lester has arrived to take away the bodies of Niles Hoover, Nick Karp and the cowboy who Minerva shot who is identified by his friends as Philemon Grove. Inside, it has taken a considerable amount of time but Nanuet's spell has worked to force the bullet out of Marshall Berg's body and restore the damage that is caused. When a few of the Indian prisoners begin to comment about Nanuet helping whites Neil Cassidy draws a gun despite his badly wounded arm and threatens to shoot the next one of them who speaks. Berg remains unconscious but Nanuet determines that he will live. The spell has physically drained Nanuet. Helen reenters the Marshall's Office and asks, "How is he?""He'll live" Nanuet says as he wipes his hand across his brow, then looks for something to sit on. "I'm pretty tired from that healing spell, but I'm not done yet. I still have some more healing I can do, who else needs to be healed?"  Helen points to Chester and Neil and says "Both of these men do. Thank you Nanuet, we're all in your debt."  Nanuet casts his last two cure moderate wounds spells on Neil and Chester which is about all the strength he has left. She then notices that Travis Calhoun is sitting in a chair, white as a ghost and shaking. "Were you hit?" she asks. He shakes his head no. She says, "You need to get yourself a drink and then to bed, you're in shock." She helps him outside and seeing Peter Lovelace from the Rio Grande. She yells, "Peter, help Travis out. See that he gets home safely."Kate had continued to move through the wounded and help where she could with bandages and experienced hands. She choked back tears as they took the body of Niles Hoover away. Not more than two hours ago she had been speaking to him, so proud of his stand. And she was still proud that he had backed up his words, but she mourned the price.  She went inside the Marshall's office and looked at Neil Cassidy's arm, cleaning the wound and carefully wrapping it.  Minerva finishes the grim task of taking care of the dead and wearily walks into the Marshall's office to check on Nanuet.He sees Minerva enter the office and smiles wearily in relief. "You're OK, thank the Gods.”  She then lowers her voice and tells him “Niles Hoover isn't so lucky, I didn't get here in time to save both him and Berg" he says as he hangs his head. "Let's go check on the... ummm... house" Nanuet says looking to Minerva for a supportive arm.Kate went over to sit with Chester, checking his bandaged wound. "You've got to stop getting in these situations, Deputy," she said, trying to be light. "Nanuet will take care of you, there's nothing more I can do." A few minutes later her father and brother came into the Marshall's office looking for her. "Thank you, Papa," she said quietly. "I... Maman and Phil are still at the Lucky Lady. Someone will have to tell Job Kane about Niles if he doesn't....." She stopped and hid her face, unable to go on.  Neil Cassidy looks up and asks "What about Niles?"She lifted her face and met his eyes. "The doctor was too late, there was nothing.... I'm so sorry. He stood up for what he believed in, and he died for it."  Chester exclaims, "What? No, that can't be... Damn."    A somber feeling of gloom falls over the Marshall's Office. Neil then kicks the floor and exclaims, "This was my fault. I volunteered us for this. He'd still be alive if not for me."  "No," Kate said firmly. "It's no one's fault but the one who pulled the trigger. Niles wanted to back up his words and show that mob that they couldn't run this town. Every moment was a chance for someone to do something different, to change things, but none of us can see the future. And we cannot live blaming ourselves for that."Minerva places her arm across Nanuet’s back for support and wraps his arm across her shoulder. She looks around the grief stricken room and nods her sympathy, knowing that now is not the time for empty words of comfort. "Come, Nanuet. You must rest." He leans heavily on her barely able to stand as she leads him out the door and down the street.  Chester tries to get up, but his leg gives way, sending him to the floor. Nanuet help him up. "Thanks. And thanks for saving Mitch. He got hit bad. Kate, did Niles have family? I never asked him. Neil, it isn't your fault. I could have told you to go home, but instead I deputized you." Clarisse pushes her way into the room, tears streaming down her face. "Where's Chet? Is he alright?" She sees him and runs over to him and hugs him tightly. "Oh, Chet. I heard there was trouble here and then we heard guns and someone said people were killed. And I thought... I thought..." She buries her head in his shoulder and sobs.  Chester holds her tightly. "It's OK. It's OK. I got wounded, but I'll be better soon." He looks up at Helen with a grim look. "What about Adair and his gang? How many did we get?"Helen replies, "Dick Lester took three bodies away, including Niles. Mitch didn't want us to kill anybody....I'm afraid one of the dead was my fault, Adair's main gambler Nick Karp. I got distracted by him shooting Mitch so my aim was a bit off." Neil Cassidy just nods upon hearing that, his having played poker with Helen enough to know when she's lying. She says, "The other dead guy was Phil Grove, works out at the Thayer Ranch. Janet Fly said that he was the one who shot Niles." She looks to Chester and Neil and says, "I guess the aim was a bit off for one of you too. But the smoke was pretty thick then so don't worry about it."  Stanley Barker arrives to make sure that his wife is alright. Helen says "I'm fine, but the Marshall got hurt pretty bad. Nanuet saved him." Emery Shaw and Judge Lacey come inside with the weapons they had gathered. Helen takes the weapons and locks them up, also helping Eduardo unload and secure the other weapons. When they are done she asks Shaw and Lacey to help bring Marshall Berg over to her house saying, "We shouldn't leave him alone until he recovers. Stanley will help keep an eye on him." They leave with the Marshall.   Helen then looks to Neil and says "You handled yourself well out there Deputy Cassidy. How about continuing to wear the badge at least until the Marshall is back on his feet." He replies, "I'd be honored to, but I don't actually have a badge yet." She smiles and says, "That's easily fixed." She takes one of Berg's keys and opens a desk drawer, removing a badge that the tosses over to him. She then says, "I guess that's it then. I'll stay here with Eddie tonight to watch the prisoners. Neil, Chet, patrol the town for the next hour or two to make sure there won't be any more flare ups, then go get some sleep. We'll see you both in the morning."  Chester says to Helen and Eduardo, "Keep your eyes peeled. Who knows if someone else will try again." He pats them on the arm as he leaves. "Clarisse, I'll stop by after I check around. Let me walk you home first." Chester reloads his guns, keeping all chambers loaded. After dropping Clarisse home, he walks a circuit around town, paying close attention to Cassidy's Lumberyard, the Barker's Photographic Studio, and the Lucky Lady. Once he's done with the patrol, he'll check with Stanley Barker about Berg's condition.Neil turns to Kate and Nanuet and says, "Somebody needs to go tell Harry Rote about Niles. He'll probably take it hard, they've been friends for years, long before they arrived here in Promise City.""I'll do it," Kate said wearily. She got to her feet and smoothed her ruined skirt oblivious to the blood spattered on it as well as caked on her hands and under her fingernails. Without speaking her father and brother flanked her on the walk back. They entered the Lucky Lady together and the few people still there stared. Amelie's eyes quickly ran over each, seeing her husband and son were both fine, she zeroed in on her daughter. "Jacqueline, are you well?" "It's not mine mother. Excuse me. Harry, Job, can I see you in the kitchen?"  She preceded the men into the kitchen and waited until she had their attention. "You heard the gunfire. The mob was made up of men from the Palace and a few other miners or cowboys. The Marshalls shot to disarm, the crowd wasn't so kind." She wanted to look away but forced herself to meet Harry's eyes. "Niles was very brave. He stood his ground and.... He was shot twice. There was nothing the Doctor could do. I'm so sorry," she finished as her voice broke.Harry breaks down and cries. Job pauses and then says, "We need to get word to Ruby and Jake".  Kate put her arms around Harry in mute sympathy, knowing words could do nothing. It was a few moments before she answered Job, saying, "They went to Tucson, but beyond that I don't know how to find them."  Job says, "Well, there's nothing more we can do about it tonight. Come on Harry, let me help you upstairs." Kate sees Maria standing in the corner crying. As Job took Harry away Kate went to Maria and put her arms around her. "I'm sorry, dear. So sorry."  Kate brings Maria upstairs and gets her tucked into bed. Nanuet walks back to the cottage with Minerva's assistance. He looks as though there are several moments when he wants to speak, but each time he stops himself. He slips through the door and inside the modest cottage, glad to be in a place of comfort away from the prying eyes of Promise City. "We must check on my cousin, and unlock his handcuffs, allow him to at least be free in our home."Nakomo appears to have been resting but sits up as best he can with the restraint upon hearing others in the house. As Nanuet enters the room he says in their native tongue "I heard a lot of noise, white man's weapons, what has happened?"Nanuet shakes his head and wipes a tear from his face. "A terrible thing has just happened Nakomo. A mob of men demanded the others in the jail for their own brand of justice. The lawmen and their allies stood their ground, but at least three men were killed and many others wounded. I have a feeling that this is only the beginning." Nanuet takes the keys and unlocks his cousin. "There, you are free to do as you wish here within the cottage. I know it is far from freedom, but if you were to leave the building you would be putting your life at risk."Minerva tends to the exhausted Nanuet, getting him a plate of food and settling him in front of the fire. She offers food and drink to Nakomo as well before she makes herself comfortable with a glass of wine. She speaks with Nakomo explaining to him what happened and asking him to give her his word of honor that he will, under no circumstances leave the house. They discuss the situation until very late before they settle down, spending the night at Minerva's.Kate heads back downstairs. Job has sent the few remaining customers home and locked up. He asks Thom to walk Kate back to her house.  When they walk by the intersection of Main and Fremont Streets it is surprisingly calm. She sees Neil Cassidy on patrol a block to the south but nobody else is out on the streets. A block to the north the Palace Saloon also looks to have closed up for the night. Kate arrives back at her home.Back at home, Kate spent several minutes looking in a Ginnie as the girl slept curled up in her bed. Earlier she had wondered if there might be violence against her home but had convinced herself that she was borrowing trouble. Now she wasn't so sure.   In her own room she cast her last cantrip to clean the blood off herself. Once she was ready she climbed into her own bed, pulled her knees up to her chest and cried the tears she had held back in public. It was a long time before sleep came. When Chester arrives at the Barker home Stanley is setting out linens on the couch for himself to sleep on, having put the Marshall in the bedroom. Berg is still sleeping soundly but appear to be breathing comfortably. Stanley says, "I'm hoping he'll sleep straight through the night, that would be the best thing for him. And that you so very much Chester for helping to keep my wife safe." Chester resumes his patrol. The only one he sees in his travels is Chumbley, who is scurrying about from place to place gathering information for his newspaper.  Chester visits Clarisse. They sit together in the parlor, until he falls asleep. She continues to hold him, until she drops off as well.</blockquote>

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