•Tombstone• Brothers Under The Sun

Chapter 40

𝓢𝓱𝓮 𝓵𝓮𝓯𝓽 𝓗𝓮𝓷𝓻𝔂 𝓽𝓱𝓮𝓻𝓮, 𝓼𝓱𝓮 𝓵𝓮𝓯𝓽 𝓱𝓮𝓻 𝓹𝓪𝓼𝓽 𝓽𝓱𝓮𝓻𝓮. 𝓘𝓽 𝔀𝓪𝓼 𝓽𝓲𝓶𝓮 𝓽𝓸 𝓵𝓮𝓽 𝓰𝓸.

"What makes a man like Ringo, Doc?" Wyatt asked Doc as he lay weakly in bed.

Wyatt had paced around, something he seemed to do often since yesterday.

"What makes him do the things he does?" Wyatt turned to Doc.

"A man like Ringo..." Doc barely spoke, his voice low, "got a great empty hole right through the middle of him." Swallowing he went on, "He can never kill enough or steal enough... or inflict enough pain to ever fill it."

"What does he need?" Wyatt asked helplessly.

"Revenge." Doc said plainly.

"For what?"

"Bein' born."

Wyatt walked towards the bed and sat down at the edge.

"It all happened so fast with Curly Bill..." he looked away, "I didn't really have time to think about it, but I've had plenty of time to think about this."

Wyatt froze for a moment, he spoke the truth that he didn't want to believe. "I can't beat him, can I?"

Doc looked at his friend, sweat dripping from him, "No." he gasped out.

Wyatt stood up and turned away.

"Wait, I'm going with you." Doc tried to sit up but was pushed back to the bed by the coughing fit, that his body was thrusted into.

Leaning back on the pillow and holding his chest as he wheezed he gasped a sorry, "oh god Wyatt I'm sorry." His breath had been gone.

Wyatt nodded to his friend, feeling sorry for everything he out him through. "It's all right Doc."

Doc sighed and regained his breath, looking at the badge on his friends chest he whispered, "What's it like to wear one of those?"

Wyatt looked down at the silver star that hung on his vest. Clipping it off, he pulled it into Doc's weak hand, patting it closed he walked to the doorway of the room. Turning back once more, he saw his sick friend. Getting one last look at Doc before he would meet his fate on the hill, Doc spoke.

"Save her." Wyatt turned back to the room. "Save her for me."

Those words broke Wyatt as he walked out into the porch. Doc Holliday's words rang through his ears and repeated over and over. Save her.

The sun was starting to rise over the valley as Ringo pulled Elle down to the base of a tree in a wooded area. Her face, now covered in cuts, dirt and dried blood, was sore. Her leg, thigh now broken open from its stitches, dried and cracked with every forced movement as the men who held her captive, pushed her around like a rag doll. She leaned her head back on the tree as her wrists became raw from the ropes rubbing against them. Ellanora was exhausted. Her stomach growled for food and her mouth yearned for some fresh water. Her eyes were heavy but her gaze stayed fired on Ringo who pulled out a cigarette.

"What's your plan anyways." Elle asked out of curiosity.

Ringo pulled the cigarette from his mouth and walked towards the girl sitting under the tree. "Wyatt Earp will show up, and once he does I will end this once and for all." He leaned down and looked her straight in the eyes. "And once he's dead, you're next." Ringo pulled himself back up and walked back where he was before.