DaisyMaeDuke

Troy sighed. "Somethin with my blood....they say I'm real sick...but they're lying. They just like t prick people."

Hank looked at the doc. "Best place for this boy is in bed...I have an extra wagon out back if you'd like to borrow it." said the doc. "Is it safe to move him?" asked Hank not wanting to harm Joe more than he already had. "Should be...just keep him warm..." Frank paced off to..though both he and Jesse knew that he would never count ten before he fired.

Troy looked down nodding picking a berry and popping it into his mouth.

"They can't hold me down...I run away."

The doctor covered him with blankets. "He swallowed a lot of water. But mostly he's exhausted. And you'll have to watch...bein wet for so long...he might catch cold." Hank nodded looking at him.

Troy bit his lip. "They keep prickin me...I don't like it."

The doctor listened to his heart with a skilled ear. Hank just watched worriedly.

Quickly the doctor crossed to the table and started to examine him. Hank looked on worriedly, trembling ever so slightly.

The doctor opened the door. "What in the world..." Hank pushed past him carrying Joe in and putting him on the table. "No time for small talk. He needs help...he pre-near drowned!"

"But...you can race cars..." not understanding how someone so sick could be a Nascar driver.

Hank held hin close, not tightly for fear he'd hurt him, but securely as they raced to the doc's office in town. Upon getting there, Hank slid off of the horse taking Joe with him and cradling his younger cousin in his arms ran to the doc's door kicking it for a knock. "Doc! Doc!"

Troy frowned trying to keep the tough look on his face though his bottom lip trembled. "Did it hurt?"

"Ladies first," smirked Frank, his gun pointed right at her, debating whether to play along or just kill her now. Hank held Joe a little tighter, seeing how cold and listless he was and gave a slight kick, urging the horse to go faster, afraid Joe might not last if they walked the whole way. "I gotcha Joe..." he whispered as the horse sped along the dusty road.

"Did they hafta prick ya?" asked Troy looking at him.

Troy bit his lip. "Ya had trouble breathin?"

Troy cocked his head. "Like what?"

Troy looked at him surprised by the witty comeback coming from a grown up. "Why stick with me?! No one else wants t'! Cept doctors..."

"Make like a tree an' leave!" said Troy sticking out his tongue at him.

Troy frowned and threw a blackberry at him.

Hank forced himself to not think about Loraine. There would be time to deal with the hurt later. All that was important right now was Joe.

Troy had foraged his way through ome more bushes and now was well hidden under a blackberry bush, contentedly eating the berries closest to him.

"Okay Joe...I'm gonna lift ya..." Carefully he lifted Joe off the ground and carried him to his horse sitting him on the saddle and climbing up behind him so that Joe could lean against him. Holding Joe close so that he was jarred as little as posible he shook the reins he held in one hand and urged the horse into a fast walk.

Luke nodded hobbling into the truck.

Frank smirked. "You should have kept your mouth shut." He cocked his gun. Hank edged near Joe. "Joe... Joe I got a horse...it'll be a hard ride....unless ya can lean against me...but you need a doc"

Hank just sat near him rubbing his back, thankful Joe couldnt see the tears pouring from his eyes. Frank's gun pointed right at her. "Well...look who's back... so where's your boyfriend...we'll finish ya together."