A Healing Touch-6

Chris Larabee sat on the landing overlooking the street. Nathan Jackson was seated in a chair opposite him. Both men were under orders not to move from the spot they'd been deposited in. They were both watching the children playing below. Tommy Wilson's battered features were quickly returning to normal, a slight bruise the only sign of the trauma he endured at the hands of his father.

Chris and Josiah explained to the child that his father was dead and would not be coming back and the boy's heart seemed to have lightened tremendously. He didn't show any signs of remorse and for this Chris was glad. A child deserved to live without fear and now Tommy Wilson had that chance. The child was content and settled in with Gloria Potter. The woman was treating him as one of her own and the child was regaining a zest for life only seen in small children who knew there was nothing for them to fear.

In the week since the shooting happened the child grew closer and closer to Chris Larabee and the gunslinger realized his own feelings ran deep for the boy. He gazed at the wire JD passed him earlier in the day. It was from Sarah Wilson and Chris knew his time with the child was growing short. The woman was leaving immediately to come for her child. Chris could tell by the wording that she loved Tommy and was relieved the child was safe. She would be arriving in Four Corners in two weeks. He sighed as his shoulders slumped, knowing how hard it was going to be to say goodbye to another boy. In this case the child was going home to a happy family and not lost to life forever.

"You look tired, Chris," Jackson observed, as he sat straighter in his chair. He knew what the wire said and he knew how hard this was on the blond.

"Tired, Nathan, yeah, I am."

The healer's eyebrows shot up as he heard the dejected admission. He knew Larabee's tiredness had little if anything to do with his body. This tiredness was more from the mind. The gunslinger had grown close to the boy and now he would have to say goodbye to him once his mother arrived. "When are you gonna tell him?" the former slave asked.

"This evening when he comes to the clinic." The boy was becoming a frequent visitor to the clinic, spending as much time as he could with Chris. The blond enjoyed every minute of it and wouldn't trade it for anything. He smiled as Tommy hurried up the stairs towards him.

"Hi, Chris. Hi Nathan," he said breathlessly. "Did you see how far I threw the ball?"

"I did, Tommy. I don't think I've ever seen anyone throw one that far. You really gave Buck a workout. I think he's still running." Larabee ruffled the boy's hair.

"Ah, Chris, I hate that."

"Hate what?" the gunslinger asked.

"Hate when ya mess my hair."

"Why's that," Larabee asked curiously.

"'Cause when ya do it Mrs. Potter says she's gotta fix it. I hate it when she combs it."

Larabee leaned closer to the child and whispered. "To tell you the truth, Tommy, I hate having my hair brushed too."

"Brushin' hair is for the girls," Tommy grinned at his friends.

"Tommy?"

"It sounds like Mrs. Potter's looking for you," Jackson said.

"Ah, Chris, she says I need to take a bath," the boys speech improved over the few days since he began speaking again. "I don't have to, do I? I mean baths are for girls. Men don't take baths and we men gotta stick together. Right, Chris?"

"We men do have to stick together, Tommy, but in this case Mrs. Potter's right. If she says you need a bath then you'd better do as she says."

"Ah, Chris, baths ain't good for boys," the child said as he dropped his eyes.

"Tommy, do you like Mrs. Potter?"

"Course I do."

"Do you think she'd do anything that was bad for you?"

"Nah, Chris, she wouldn't hurt no one. She's a real nice lady."

"Tommy?"

Larabee heard footsteps on the stairs and knew the woman was on her way up. "You be good for her, Tommy, and I'll see you later, okay?"

"Okay, Chris," the boy agreed as he walked towards the woman.

"There you are, Tommy. Didn't you hear me calling you?"

"Yes. Ma'am," Tommy answered, a smile forming on his face. "I was just hiding."

"Hiding from me? Why?"

"Cause I didn't want no bath."

"But he's going to now. Aren't you, Tommy?"

"Yes, Chris," he wrapped his arms around Larabee's neck and whispered softly. "I like baths, Chris, but don't tell nobody, okay?"

"I won't Tommy. Now you go with Mrs. Potter." He smiled as the child followed the woman down the stairs.

"You're good with him, Chris," Jackson said softly.

"He's a good boy, Nathan."

"Yes he is, and you're a good man for taking him under your wing."

"I've only done what any of you would do."

"The difference is Tommy wouldn't talk to anyone but you."

Larabee leaned his head back against the chair. His body was tired as well now. He levered himself up from the chair and gritted his teeth against the twinge of pain from the wound in his chest.

"Chris, maybe you should wait until one of the others come to help you?"

"I'm just going in to lie down, Nathan. It's not that far."

"Chris, this is your first day out of bed."

"I'll be careful, Nathan," Larabee grinned as he walked slowly into the clinic. Once inside the door he let it slide closed and leaned heavily into it. His mind wondered back to a similar scene with Adam. One where the boy didn't want to take a bath and Sarah was searching for him. Chris talked to Adam in much the same way he just talked to Tommy. The similarities between the boys went beyond just the age. The two seemed to share the same joy for games and, he laughed as he thought, baths.

He staggered towards the bed and lowered himself onto it. He eased out of his boots and lay back. He slowly drifted towards sleep, a vision of two little boys vying for attention in his dreams. A sleepy smile covered his face as he realized he was seeing scenes that meant more to him than life itself.

When Vin looked in fifteen minutes later he knew his friend was asleep. He silently walked across the floor and eased his legs up on the bed, covering the sleeping man with a blanket.

M7M7M7M7M7M7M7M7M7

It was three weeks later that seven men, two women, and one slightly nervous little boy watched as the private stage came slowly down the center of town. Tommy's uncle hired the coach as soon as he heard the boy was found. Sarah Wilson would be traveling with an escort also hired by the boy's wealthy uncle. They'd wired Four Corners and informed them they would be arriving as soon as arrangements were made.

Tommy clung to the black clad leg with both arms. He was excited about seeing his mother again, but he didn't want to say goodbye to these people, especially Chris Larabee. A soft sob escaped from him and he felt the peacekeeper lower himself to his knees.

"It's okay, Tommy."

"I'll miss you, Chris," the boy let the tears fall as he wrapped his arms around the dark clad form and clung to the gunslinger's neck.

"I'll miss you too, Tommy, but remember what we talked about?"

The boy released his hold and swiped at the tears streaming from his eyes. "You said I had to be strong. That my Ma needs me," he sobbed.

"That's right. Your Ma's been real worried about you, Son. She's been looking for you everywhere since you disappeared. She loves you very much."

"I know," the small voice whispered as he watched the stage come to a stop. "My Ma never hurt me. Only my P...pa did."

"Well your Pa won't hurt you anymore, Tommy. When you go home you won't have to worry about anyone hurting you anymore. You'll be able to go to school and play with lots of other children."

"Will I have to take baths?"

"I'm afraid so."

"I guess that's the only bad thing," the child grinned and turned towards the stage.

Larabee heard the soft gasp and felt the excitement emanating from the boy he'd grown to care for.

"Ma!" the boy's voice cried out as he ran towards the woman who stepped from the stage.

There was no doubt in his mind who the woman was. Her hair was the same color as Tommy's and hung in curls down her back. She was approximately five and a half feet tall and very slim. Chris watched as she picked up the child, fighting back the jealousy he felt building in his mind. He knew it was wrong, knew the boy was where he belonged, yet he felt he was losing a child all over again. He turned away and started towards the saloon, ignoring the six men standing with him. This hurt more than he ever imagined. In the month since the boy ran into his path they'd forged a bond far beyond any he ever thought possible. A small voice stopped him in his tracks and he turned back to find the child hurrying towards him, dragging the pretty woman with him.

"Chris, this is my Ma. She wants to meet you."

Larabee smiled and tipped his hat. "Ma'am," he said softly.

"I want to thank you, Mr. Larabee. You don't know how much Tommy means to me!"

"Actually, Ma'am, I do," he told her. "He's a good boy and you should be proud of him."

"I am. Tommy, why don't you go say goodbye to the others," she suggested and waited for the boy to move out of earshot. She held the steady gaze of the gunslinger and spoke softly. "I was so scared when his f...father took him away, Mr. Larabee," she explained as tears formed in her dark eyes. "Do you have any children of your own?" She saw the troubled look come into the sad green eyes and knew she'd hit on something he wanted to keep to himself. "You don't have to answer that. I can tell you did and I can tell you lost them. I won't ask you how or why. I'll just assure you that Tommy is well loved and he'll be safe and happy with me. I won't let anything happen to him. He's my life, Mr. Larabee. Do you understand that?"

"I do, Ma'am. More than you'll ever know. You just make sure you tell him you love him and thank God for every minute you get to spend with him," Larabee said, turning away so she wouldn't see the pain those words caused him.

"Are you going to say goodbye to him?"

Larabee nodded and walked to the group of people saying goodbye to the boy. He waited for the others to finish and knelt once more in front of him. In the background he could see Yosemite helping the driver change the horses. He knew the family needed to leave immediately if they expected to make the connection with the train that would take them back to Boston. This was goodbye, one he knew would be hard on him, but at least he knew the child was alive and would be well loved and cared for.

"Tommy!"

The boy sniffed, fighting back the tears forming in his eyes. He wanted to be strong and show Chris he was a man. His small body shook with his effort and finally, with a great hiccupping gasp he wrapped his arms around the lean gunslinger and let the tears fall.

"I...I'm g...gonna miss you so m...much, C...Chris," he sobbed,

Larabee held him close and ran his hand through the thick head of hair. He could smell the soap Gloria Potter used on him when she bathed him earlier and he pressed his lips to the boy's forehead. "I'm gonna miss you too, Tommy, but someday we'll see each other again. Until then your Ma needs you to take care of her. Are you man enough for the job?"

"I...I am!" the boy exclaimed, his arms once more encircling the gunslinger's lean form.

"I knew you were, Son. I never doubted it for a minute."

Sarah Wilson wiped the moisture from her eyes, knowing in her heart the man holding her son would make a perfect father if given the chance. She looked towards the coach as the driver climbed back onto the seat. She wished she had more time to spend with the man who meant so much to her son, but they needed to make the train. She had a job starting at the end of the month and it was a chance she wanted to take. A new life for her and Tommy, one in which she could support them both with ease. Her brother was more than generous, but she needed to prove to herself that she could care for her son.

"Tommy, we have to go," Sarah whispered.

Larabee stood away from the boy, fighting the urge to lift him into his arms and keep the child with him. He knew Tommy needed his mother and he wouldn't stand in the way. "You're the man in your family now, Son, so you've got a big job ahead of you. Now let's get rid of them tears and show your Ma just how big a man she's got."

Tommy's head came up and his hands swiped at the tears. His tiny chest pushed out and a proud look came over the small face. The soft eyes looked up at the tall man standing in front of him and he spoke in a little boy's voice. "I'll take care of my Ma, Chris, if you'll take care of Vin and the rest of your family. They need you to lead them. I love you, Chris, I wish you were my Pa." The child turned and ran towards the stage before Larabee could find his voice.

Men and women alike heard the admiration in the boy's voice and fought back their own emotions. They watched as the black clad man turned away from the coach.

As the coach headed out of town Chris turned on his heels and headed for the saloon. He knew the others were following him and right now he was glad of their company. The boy's declaration was one he hadn't expected, yet, although it hurt, it also told the gunslinger he'd done his best with the child. The last week of fishing and riding were perfect and Chris felt what it was like to be a father again. In his heart and mind Sarah and Adam were clear once more and he knew that their memories would never fade again. He smiled as he realized beyond a doubt that Tommy Wilson was his own healing touch. The child's words were just what he needed to hear.

He entered the saloon and moved to the back table. He sat down and watched as the others entered one after the other. Each man taking a seat around him. He met their eyes before coming to rest on the ladies man.

"Are you alright, Chris?"

"I am now, Buck," he said and knew it was true. He really was alright and as long as he held his family close in his heart, both the ones that were far away from him and the ones that were near, he would never be alone again.

THE END!!