Blood Rage

11. The end of the nightmare

"It's a good thing, that he didn't bite you," Doc said while he was inspecting Rango's cut wound on his arm. The sheriff had spent the rest of the night in the hospital and caught up on some sleep so that he had woken up in the noon.
"I'm glad that Beans didn't see it... ouch!"
"That's right, you crazy guy!" Beans said who appeared from behind and had given him a slap on his head. "Never do that again! I was scared!"
Rango rubbed his head. "Sorry, Beans. How are the others?"
Doc finished his work. "Oh, while you were sleeping, they had left the house. After I had analyzed the drug from the unused needles, I could give them something against it."
"And where are they now?"
"Where else?"

Rango already heard the noise outside from the saloon. Carefully the chameleon peeked over the swing doors and looked into the room.
Like he had thought. Bill sat at the counter, not far away from Kinski. The rabbit gave the impression that he was dozing.
Stump and Chorizo sat around a table and played carts, whereby everyone guessed that his playmate was cheating.
"Bill!" Rango cried and opened the door.
"Wow," Bill turned around. "So, what have we got here? Or am I seeing it right? Nice to see you still life-sized."
Rango narrowed his eyes. Still the same rough guy, Rango thought with a disappointed sigh.
"It's hardly surprising, you leave your bed as thought nothing had happened."
"Is anything happened?" the Gila monster asked and grinned.
The sheriff growled and had hoped for a little "thanks" from that bully.
"Sit down, Sheriff." Bill pointed on a free barstool next to him, who stood between him and Kinski.
Rango sighed again, but he followed the instructions.
Shortly after the chameleon had taken his place, his glance wandered to Kinski, who had leaned his chin on his elbows.
"Are you okay?" Rango asked.
"Mm," Kinski mumbled back. "Just a little sleepy."
"After sleep," Bill joked, but Rango guessed that it was because of the blood loss.
Meanwhile, Bill had given Rango a glass of cactus juice.
With acidulous gesture, Rango took it. But maybe it was Bill's way to say "thank you".
Thoughtfully Rango stroked over the edge of the glass.
"One thing's for sure," Rango began. "That's the last time that I did something like that."
Bill emptied his own glass. "Of course. Why should such a creature come back here?"
At this moment, a dark figure appeared in the door and threw its wings in the air.
With fear, everyone turned around.
"Did we scare you?" the city boy Cletus laughed. He stood on the shoulders of his friend Dutch and had swung a black cape.
With a loud growl, Bill threw something at them, so that the boys ran away laughingly.
"Never do this again!" he shouted.
"Yes, never again," Rango muttered and felt for his quick pulse. The cut on his arm was still aching, and he hoped that he never had to do this again. Never again.

- The End -