SquidgeWorld Archive

"Heyes!"

Hannibal Heyes yanked back on the reigns pulling his horse up short when he heard Kid call out his name. He glanced over his shoulder and saw Curry on the ground on his back, propped up on his elbows, six-gun in hand.

"What happened?" He whipped his horse around and rode back the ten
yards that separated them.

"Rattler. Be careful. I don't know where he is."

Heyes dismounted, grabbed the reins of his horse and Curry's, who had strayed only a few feet from his thrown rider. "Which way did he go?"

"I'm not sure he went. He could be under me."

"What?"

"Spooked my horse and when I landed . . . I landed on him." Curry sucked in a huge breath then added. "He bit me."

"What? Jesus, Kid." Heyes made quick work of securing the horses' reins to a tree then carefully approached his unmoving partner. "You're sure it didn't run off?" Heyes stepped closer, eyes scanning the area for any sign of the creature.

"I don't know. It happened so fast." Curry gasped. He dropped his pistol then with one hand yanked at the bandana around his neck. "He got me in the thigh. Right through my pants, can't believe it."

Heyes swore under his breath, then he dropped to his knees beside Curry. "I gotta stop the poison. If he's still under you. . . well, at least we'll die together."

"Some comfort." Curry shifted, groaned. "Oh man, tiny little fangs but it sure hurts!"

Heyes took his knife out of his pocket, then used it to cut open Curry's pant leg. There were two red puncture marks midway up the thigh and the flesh around them was already beginning to swell. Without a word, Heyes wrapped the bandana around Curry's thigh above the wound. Tied it tight, but not enough to cut off the blood flow completely.

"Okay. Now for the hard part."

Curry groaned, lifted his elbows and let his shoulders fall flat against the cold earth. "Just do it, already. I can't believe how this thing hurts! Damn it!"

Don't think about it. Don't think about it. Just get it done. Sitting on his heels, Heyes touched the point of the knife to the first puncture mark then pressed down and pulled toward the second one opening up a line between the two. Something bumped his leg, then fingers curled around his ankle ? Kid desperate for something to hold on to.

Heyes dropped the knife, pinched the flesh on either side of the wound then sealed his mouth around the area. Curry flinched beneath him as he sucked on the raw flesh drawing blood and hopefully venom into his mouth. Heyes turned his head over his shoulder, spit then went back to do it again.

Curry's breathing was erratic, hard and uneven, likely more panic than pain but still it was hard for Heyes to see him suffer. "Take it easy. Almost done." He sucked in another mouth of blood, turned to spit and saw it... the rattlesnake.. just a few feet away, merrily watching the anguish it had caused. Slowly, Heyes brought his hand back to the butt of his gun, drew it from the holster, aimed and fired.

The shot startled Curry into sitting, blue eyes wide with a new level of panic. "What happened?"

"Got him," said Heyes. "Blew him to bits. Teach him to mess with my partner." He tried to make a joke of it, forced a smile but Curry wasn't buying. He flopped back down in the dirt, twisted to the left and met the resistance of Heyes holding on to his leg. "Little bit more. Just take it easy." Heyes went back to sucking on the wound. When Curry started to twist again, Heyes reached his hand out blindly to stop him. Meant to come down on his chest but hit a bit lower.

"Don't comment!" Curry snapped.

But how could he not! Hannibal Heyes, master of the smart remark? How could he possibly restrain himself? "For a second there I thought that big old rattler had snuck up inside your pants."

"You had to comment, didn't you? Are you done yet?"

"Yeah, I think so." Heyes sat back on his heels, a genuine smile on his lips this time. "Only you, buddy."

"Shut up, Heyes." Curry struggled to get up on his elbows again.

"Only you could get a hard from a snakebite." Heyes pulled off his own bandana, threaded it under Curry's thigh then tied it over the bleeding wound.

"It's not from the snakebite! It's from you, sticking your head in there and sucking on my thigh like that.. I mean, hell.. you're just inches away and . . . ow!"

"It's gotta be tight. The venom makes you bleed more than usual." He gave the ends of the bandana one more tug, which provoked another cry of pain from Curry.

"You don't have to enjoy it!"

"I'm not enjoying this," Heyes protested, voice rising into the upper register. "I am enjoying this, though." He gave Curry's groin a pat. "All it's missing are the fangs."

"You want fangs, I'll show you fangs." Curry made a grab for Heyes but the sudden pressure on his legs sent him back to the ground gasping in pain. "See what you made me do!" He muttered between gasps for breath.

"I'm sorry." Crawling on the ground, Heyes scooted around behind Kid, lifted his head and shoulders then resettled them in his lap. "You're supposed to rest quiet after a snake bite." He combed his fingers through Curry's tangled, sun-blonde hair.

"Well, now that you mention it, I do feel sorta faint. Probably would be best if I just laid here for a bit." He wriggled a little, settling his head in the valley formed by Heyes' crossed legs. He closed his eyes, concentrated on the feeling of those nimble fingers in his hair. Sighed when those same fingers trailed down the side of his face. "Thanks."

"No need," Heyes replied softly.

"No, really." Curry shifted again, turning his head to the side. "You didn't even hesitate. You just got right in there and sucked."

"You would have done the same for me."

"I would have. Yes, indeed. I'd suck you in a minute."

"Snakebite humor. Very funny."

"Who's talking about snakebites?" Curry brought his own hand up then let it fall on Heyes' thigh. "Seriously, Heyes. . . . " He drew in a long breath. "I don't feel so good."

"Let's get you a little more upright, huh? Keep that stuff from getting to your heart." Heyes got his hands under Curry's shoulders, lifted, then v'd his legs out. Scooting forward some, he was able to reposition Curry so most of his upper body was propped against Heyes' chest, head just below Heyes' chin. "Just lay back against me." He wrapped his arms around his friend, his lover and for a moment was quiet enough to feel the beating of his heart. It was racing still, Curry not the only one who had panicked. "You okay?"

Curry didn't answer.

He rubbed his hand up and down Curry's arm. "You're scaring me, here."

"Sorry. I'm just. . . listening to you breath. Give me a couple of a minutes and I think I can move."

"No hurry. Probably should bed down for the night anyway. How about we get off this trail and make camp"

"If you want."