•Tombstone• Brothers Under The Sun

Chapter 45

𝓢𝓱𝓮 𝔀𝓸𝓻𝓻𝓲𝓮𝓭 𝓽𝓸𝓸 𝓶𝓾𝓬𝓱. 𝓗𝓮 𝓭𝓲𝓭𝓷'𝓽 𝔀𝓸𝓻𝓻𝔂 𝓮𝓷𝓸𝓾𝓰𝓱.

The next morning was cold. Dew had formed on the grass as the cool air filled the valley. The hot days were ending as the colder days rushed in. The sun wasn't even up over the hills when Elle fluttered her eyes open. The barn was still a little dark, the horses were still sleeping, with just the sounds of the morning just beyond the wooden walls.

Pushing herself up, she saw that she was alone, the blanket cold next to her. Rubbing her eyes she looked to the doorway of the barn and saw Doc Holliday with his black boots and pants on, his white button up loosely on his body, only buttoned up half way. He was turned away from Elle, but she saw his profile. The little morning light that was visible, showed his red puffy eyes, the sweat dripping down his face, and his pale complexion.

Elle was cold, she shivered under her blanket as she watched Doc take a puff of his cigarette and cough as the air escaped his lungs.

"You shouldn't smoke that in here." Her voice was soft, Doc turned to her to see her smirking, "The hay will easily burn."

"So now you talk to me smoking in a barn." Doc smirked back at her, Elle shrugged her shoulders, "Last time you ignored me." He threw it to the ground and stepped on it.

Elle stood up, with the blanket wrapped around her. She pulled Doc into her arms and leaned on his chest. She could hear his heart beating, along with the raspy breathes he was taking in. His chest wheezed and she felt a part of her break.

"How you feelin?" She asked into his chest.

Doc sighed, coughed a few times, "Don't worry about me darling."

Elle pulled away and looked at him, "I'm always worried."

"You can't spend your life worrying about me darling." He whispered to her.

He leaned in and kissed her forehead. Elle leaned back into his chest and closed her eyes.

Days had past, the two worked alongside Emily and Kurt making the days go faster. They planned on leaving for California. They wouldn't mind the warmer weather and to see their friends Wyatt. Elle had become worried for Virgil, her friend who had been shot, she wanted to see him again.

So Ellanora ad Doc agreed they would take their time when going to California. Stop here and there, enjoy their time together. There was nothing holding them back.

They were young and free. They had no ties to anyone, no where to be. Nothing.

Doc suggested that to make money he would had to dust off his gambling skills, which made Elle hesitant. She was afraid she would become another Kate to him. But Doc reassured her that she wasn't in this for the money like Kate was. She was there because she loved him, as he loved her.

She was also afraid of the dealings they would get themselves into. What kind of trouble or mess would come out of what they were doing. Doc already had a nasty reputation for being a hard to beat cards man. Especially with his winning streaks across Arizona. People also might know who they were, they didn't know if they had a bounty on their heads or not.

All these things worried Elle. Doc told her they would figure it out on their way.

It was early one morning, Elle was on the hill with Emily, picking flowers with little Curtis. Elle looked down over the hill and saw Doc and Kurt working on a broken fence that needed some fixing.

Emily wore a bonnet over her head, as her classic blue dress blew in the wind like it always did. Curtis giggled as he saw a butterfly flutter around him. Elle smiled down at the child as Emily picked some flowers and nearby berries.

"Thank you for letting us stay." Elle said sitting next to Curtis on the grass.

Emily stood up straight, with a basket in hand and smiled. "It's not problem." She sat down next to her, "Eliza helped me give birth to Curtis. It's the least I can do for her family."

Elle softly smiled at the young girl. She owed so much to Emily. She was the reason she went back to Tombstone. Without Emily being there, outside the town with her husband, she would have never returned. She wouldn't have gone on the hunt for the cowboys. She wouldn't had married Doc Holliday. She had so much to express to Emily, how much she meant to her, but Emily already knew.

Curtis giggled on the grass as Emily pulled a flower and placed it on his head. He laughed and reached for it with his little hand.

A sound came from down in the field that made Elle look away from the child in front of her. Coughing. She saw Doc leaned against the fence, coughing. She watched for a moment and saw Kurt go and reach for him. In that moment Elle knew he was getting worse.

Elle rushed to her feet as she saw Doc fall into the dirt below him. She screamed his name and ran down the hill, making Emily grab Curtis and chase after her, leaving the basket of flowers on the hill. Kurt had caught him before he feel too hard into the ground.

Once Elle reached him, she fell to her knees and held his head in her lap. His eyes were closed and he was drenched in sweat. Blood spilled from his lips, painting his pale face red. Emily came up behind her as Elle tried to hold him up.

"Take him inside." Emily said rushing inside.

Kurt grabbed him under his armpits and Elle grabbed his legs. She had done this before. Back in Tombstone at the bar, but this felt different. She cared more deeply for him, he wasn't some egotistical drunk who was a smart ass. He was John Doc Holliday. The man who cared for Ellanora, after everything she had been through. He was the man who kept her sane.

Doc was everything to Elle, and she couldn't lose him too.