EPISODE XCIII - FLOPPY STEVE AND THE RENEGADE POSSUM




Corporal Orwig moved quickly to assist VanTedly getting Schrader back inside of the saloon.  They laid the pilot on top of the table where they'd been sitting.  Reed fumed silently as he followed them in.  The man behind the bar brought several towels and a large bowl of murky water he'd drawn from the pump outside.

"Thank you...", Reed said fishing for the bar keeps name.

"Slumpy", the man said, his accent not as pronounced as the sheriff's, "Jack Slumpy.  I'm the owner and proprietor.  I've sent someone for the doc.  He should be here soon."

"Thank you, Jack", Reed repeated.  He pushed through the small crowd around the table to where Schrader lay bleeding.

The pilot looked up grimacing in pain.  "Same damn place as last time, sir", he said through clenched teeth.  "How's it look?"

The clothing had been cut away from the wound and Reed could see the entry wound at the pilot's shoulder.  He gingerly slipped his hand beneath and found a point of exit.

"Went right through", he said, forcing a smile, "same as last time."

Schrader laid his head down and allowed Orwig to clean the wound as Reed turned on VanTedly.  "What the hell happened out there", he demanded.

VanTedly was still pale with shock and it took him a few seconds to reply to the commander's question.  "I was just going...you know", he said, embarrassed, "then these guys rode up on their horses and said I was peeing in their spot."

"What did you do then", Reed prodded.

"I kept going, sir", the ensign related, "it hurts if I stop."

Reed's serious expression prompted him to continue.

"Then Schrader said that it was a free country and I could pee anywhere that I wanted, as long as it didn't hurt anybody."

His haunted gaze drifted back to the pilot and he seemed lost in the memory.  His words were slow and thick as he described the rest of the encounter.

"I finished while Schrader argued with the horsemen, and I could tell that things were heating up, so I told him that we should just go back inside.  We both started walking back to the saloon, but then we heard one of them draw his gun."

"How many was there", the sheriff interrupted.

VanTedly thought for a second.  "Ten, I think.  They were all armed and when the one drew his weapon...", he shook his head in confusion, "well, it all just happened so fast."

"What happened?", Reed asked, his frustration evident.

"I'll tell ya'", Schrader said from the table.  He was sitting up on his own, and seemed to have staunched the flow of blood for the time.

"Well, we heard the gun come out and turned to see what was gonna come of it.  The guy was pointing it at me and said somethin' about puttin' a bullet in my smart mouth.  He pulled back the hammer and was about to shoot."  He shook his head with wonder.

"I started pullin' my gun, but I just knew I was a goner.  I heard a shot and thought it had my name on it, 'cept I realized I was wrong when the guy flipped over backwards, and I saw his brains fly out the back of his head."  He chuckled nervously.

"It all went to hell then.  I got my gun out and took a couple a' shots, think I winged one of 'em, but I was just lookin' for some cover.  I looked back, and that's when I saw VanTedly there.  He looked like a duck in water, just standin' there in the middle of it shootin' up a storm."  He looked at the Ensign with a new found respect.

"He nailed two more before they started shootin' back, and that's when I got clipped.  I was got behind that wood pile and took a couple more shots from there.  I wounded another one, and then VanTedly was next to me.  He didn't say nothin', just reloaded and started shootin' some more.  That's about when they turned tail and run", he finished quietly.

Reed stood stunned for a moment.  He slowly turned to regard the Ensign.  "Is this true?", he asked calmly.

VanTedly swallowed hard.  "Yes sir, but I thought they were really going to shoot Schrader."

"Woulda' too", Doody confirmed, "that was them hoodlums I was tellin' ya' about earlier."

"Well", Reed began awkwardly, "uh, I owe you my thanks, Ensign."

The sheriff's gaze shot to where Broski stood.  "Thought you said his name was Sue."

Broski could only shrug, still trying to swallow the pilot's story.

VanTedly seemed uncomfortable with the new attention he was receiving.  "It just happened, commander.  I don't really know how I did it, though."

"Nonetheless", Reed continued, placing a friendly hand on the ensign's shoulder, "I owe you one."  "Slumpy", he barked over the din, "how about a drink for the hero?"

"Uh, Commander", VanTedly said tentatively, loathe to break the celebratory mood, "there's something else."

Reed turned to meet his gaze, feeling the familiar clench in his stomach.

"Yes, Ensign?"

"As they were riding away, they said they'd be back and", he muttered apologetically, "we'd be sorry."