Then she gave birth to her firstborn Son, and she wrapped Him snugly in cloth and laid Him in a feeding trough—because there was no room for them at the lodging place.”
–Luke 2:7 (HCSB)
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
All I had on my mind was that turkey dinner. I was about midway down the park when an arm grabbed me pulling me into the trees. I swung with the Greener and connected with something, but then I was struck on the head. As I fell, I saw several pairs of boots begin to kick at me. One took the rowel of his spur and began to kick with his heel at my side. I couldn’t do anything; I still held the Greener. In my groggy state I cocked a hammer and pulled the trigger–a blast came from the barrel. It was then I felt another hard object hit my head and I went down the last thing I thought about was pumpkin pie.
I came to lying on a table covered with a white sheet. It caused me to laugh which brought pain, but I recalled another time I woke in a fancy room with flowers and one of those canopies over the bed. I thought I was in the undertaker’s parlor. I groaned again.
“Well, he’s alive,” I half-heard a voice.
“Oh, Miles, what have you got yourself into this time,” came a sweet-sounding voice that I seemed to remember.
Molly came to my side to grasp my hand. I must have been in bad shape as I could barely make her out. One eye was shut and the other I had to squint. I tried to grin when I asked in a whisper, “I take it I missed the turkey dinner and pie.”
I heard someone grunt in the room; it must have been Doc. “The turkey and pie will keep,” came the soothing voice of Molly.
Two men stepped up to the side of the bed. “Any idea who jumped you, Miles?” It was Mateo asking. I tried to shake my head, but the pain was too bad. I lifted a hand and waved.
“I don’t even know what happened,” I replied. “Thirsty…”
A few seconds later, Molly had a glass of water at my lips. “Slow and easy, Mister,” she said trying to keep the tension down.
“If Lucas hadn’t come running, well, those men most likely would have kicked you to death. He heard the sound of the shotgun and came from the jail to investigate.”
Mateo added, “The blast from the shotgun must have scared them away,” he paused, and I tried to open my eye wider. “Did you happen to hit any of them with the shot?”
I vaguely recalled firing the shotgun, then everything went black. “Don’t know.”
I tried to lift myself up, but the pain shot through me. “Easy, don’t try to be moving!” ordered Doc. “If you need something ask. Miles, I don’t have to tell you, that you’re really beat up. It looks like a team of mules stomped on you. Bruises and lacerations cover your body, and you have a few broken ribs. I had to stitch up some of those cuts, they were pretty deep.”
“Spurs,” I muttered.
“What?” I heard the three of them exclaim at the same time.
Doc leaned down, looking at my barely opened eye. “You rest, sleep,” and he sorta chuckled, “and don’t be moving around. I’ll check on you later.”
I felt that they were leaving, but I held tightly to Molly’s hand. “Don’t go,” I pleaded.
Someone, Mateo, may have said, “Stay, I’ll tell the others that he’s come to.”
As I was drifting into unconsciousness again, my mind went to that dinner and pie…