In your eyes

Chapter 6: I hope so...

"Come on Dutch! I'm coming with you." I complain and can not help but let out a cough.
"No you ain't, Miss Collins. You're still sick." He says with a strict tone in his voice.
"But..." I start.
"No buts!" He says and stares harshly at me. I sigh with a roll of my eyes. We are in one of the cabins along with Bill, Javier and Charles to get some warmth up by the fire that's burning in the stove.
The door opens and Arthur enters with a bitter look.
"Oh Arthur! What a timing!" I say with a wide smile and walk up to him, trying to put my arm over his shoulder but he's much taller than me.
He looks at me like I'm the weirdest ever.
"Okay? What's this?" He asks confused and looks down at me who's tiptoeing to get a little taller.
"Tell Dutch I'm perfectly fine and are able to come with you on the train robbery." I say, trying to convince him with my smile. Dutch shakes his head hopelessly while Arthur changes his look from confused to an are-you-serious look.
"You ain't coming. Yesterday Charles and I had to wait for you when we were out hunting because you ain't could walk those hundred meters in the snow without coughing to death." He says with his eyebrows raised and a strict look in his eyes. Disappointed I look at him before taking my arm of his tall shoulders.
"Fine. Then I will sit here watching Pearson fart while he skin those deers." I mutter and cross my arms.
The men laughs and Arthur puts a hand on my shoulder.
"Next time you can come." He says softly with a smile. I look up at him and nod slowly.
"Yeah I certainly hope so. Well, gentlemen I have work to do, pinching my nose." I say and start walking out the door.
"Don't get killed." I yell over my shoulder before walking out in the cold again.
The snow is not longer knee high as it was a week ago. It's finally thawing. But that doesn't make me missing the warmth any less.
I enter another cabin and are quick to close the door to not let the cold in. In the cabin are John, Abigail and little Jack.
"Hi Rachel." Abigail says with a warm smile and hugs me.
"How are you holding up Abigail?" I ask when we let go. She sighs.
"Well, the usual. Always waiting for something new to happen, I guess." She says. I nod with a sympathetic smile and turn my eyes at John.
"You look well." I say jokingly. Marston is covered in bandages and blankets so he's really not well.
"Thank you for your observation Collins." He scoffs with half a smile.
"No problem." I laugh.
"When are we going to get out of the snow, aunt Rachel?" Jack asks with his soft voice. He's sitting at one of the chairs near the stove with a book in his knee. I kneel down in front of his worried form.
"As soon as we can. Uncle Dutch are working on it, kiddo." I say with a smile and pat his knee. He looks at me right into my eyes with his bright ones.
"I don't like the snow." He says quietly.
"Me neither. It's really cold. But I promise you that we are soon going to be out of here." I say seriously.
"Really? You promise?" Jack looks so happy and so full of hope that it almost hurts in me.
"I promise, kid." I say with a smile and ruffle his hair. I know we will get out of here sometime. But I can't help but feel a little guilty of saying that anyway. What if something screws up? Like it did in Blackwater? I wasn't there on that ferry job, but I know things got really bad.
"Thank you aunt Rachel!" He says happily and hug me with his tiny arms.
I pay his small back and let go of him.
I look up at Abigail with a little worried look. She seems to understand me and smiles a little.
"See you later." I say before walking out to my own cabin stuck in my own thoughts.
That little talk with Jack made me realise that he are the one who can actually get a whole new future, without all this. And I want to do everything to make him get a better life. I feel this urge to protect him. He's just a kid, he didn't want this.
With a deep sigh I rest my head in my hands and look down at my snowy boots.
Where is this going to end?