The Ocean’s City

I felt like I was going in and out of sleep when the doctor put a spoonful of something sweet under my tongue. It was thick, and I almost wanted to spit it out, but as fast as the thought crossed my mind, my tongue decided it needed the sweetness.

“That should help her from passing out. Molasses always does the trick. Now let’s see that wound… oh, it’s nothing too big. We will clean it up. You will need to make sure she doesn’t sleep in case she suffers from the bang of the head.”

I focused on the doctor speaking to distract myself from being nauseous. Large breaths moved through my lungs, giving me mixed feelings about whether I was recovering or if I would vomit.

The doctors poured something cold, and the sting of pain surged from the nerves at the top of my head.

“It’s alright. It will be over soon.” I looked up at Dalton, who kneeled before me, holding me upright. His eyes glistened, and I wanted to count his thick eyelashes. His face was full of concern, but also there was anger.

Ian seemed to me more pissed. “What the hell are you doing here?”

It shocked me to see anyone other than me talk back to him.

Dalton shot a glare in his brother’s direction. “Watch your tone.”

The doctor interrupted the tension momentarily as he stated he was finished and gave off a list of orders. Ian seemed to fume as he walked to the doctor and waved his hand over his eyes. It was like the doctor broke from character. His face became more professional, and he stood up taller.

“Or what? You don’t have that much power here.” Ian turned back to Dalton and threatened.

The doctor walked over and lifted my chin to look into my eyes. “Hmmmm… I don’t like her dilation.” He spoke more like a regular doctor than one from the Wild West. My eyes scrunched in confusion as he turned my head. “It’s as clean as it’s going to get. A stitch or two would be best, but it isn’t necessary.”

“Thank you, doctor,” He stated, quickly waving his eyes over the man again and his shoulders hunched.

“My pleasure. Now ya holler if ya need me.”

“What just happened?” I asked, scooting to the edge of the chair, wanting to know the answer.

“Can you not?” Dalton snapped at his brother as he waved a hand from me to the doctor.

Ian didn’t seem phased. “You’re not supposed to be here. You almost got Silvestia killed.”

“That’s because you weren’t supposed to be here!”

“Unlike you, brother, I have a free range of the realms.”

Dalton’s expression turned violent as he gave me one hard look before returning to his brother. “let’s take this outside.”

“I’m not dying for your rebel acts.”

“Well, let’s not increase the sentence, shall we?” Dalton was barely containing his anger. Then I realized there was no paranormal twitching of lights or the building shaking at his rage. Maybe it was because time was frozen, but something told me it was more because of Ian.

Could Ian be my way out? After I get Dannie, of course.

Ian gave a slow nod, finally breaking eye contact. “I’ll go unfreeze time.”

He left the room in silence. Then Hutson let out a huge sigh and followed his younger brother. Why was Ian so different from the first time I met him? Was it because he had more control here?

Dalton sat crouched next to me, trying to contain his temper. He stared at the floor before speaking. “I hope you have a very fucking good reason as to why you didn’t follow my orders?”

My heart plummeted as his eyes sank into mine. I could practically see steam running off of him.

“W-w- I was trying to find Willie.”

His face fell in realization. He had forgotten all about Willie. I felt desperation reading his expression. We needed Willie.

A hoarse sneeze covered the room, and all eerie silence died out as the doctor hurried to his sneezing patient to hand him his meds.

There were gunshots dying out and men shouting as the stampede of hooves roared farther and farther away.

“That’s right! Not in my town!” The familiar shout of the sheriff echoed through the town, causing folks to cheer.