"Thaddeus? THADDEUS!" Heyes said a little louder and kicked his partner’s leg.

Kid Curry rolled over groggily and for a moment wasn’t sure where he was. He had not slept well the last few nights and sat up wearily looking around the small cabin he had laid his bedroll in the middle of.

"Here I thought you could use this," his partner Hannibal Heyes said crouching down next to him with a steaming cup of coffee.

Kid took it grateful having to steady himself to sit up causing his partner to frown.

"Thanks Joshua," Kid said making a point to use his friend’s alias. He was glad Heyes had made a point of emphasizing his or he might have slipped. "Rough night."

"Yea we heard," Doctor Chauncy Beauragard said from the small mirror he was using to shave. "You would think young man you would have a little consideration of others and keep that cough down when people are trying to sleep.

"Yea Thaddeus what were you thinking," Heyes said sarcastically in a loud voice and then dropped the level so only his cousin could hear. "You feeling all right?"

"I’m fine Heyes," Kid said softly using two hands to hold the cup and leaning against the leg of the table.

"Okay," Heyes said knowing better than to fuss and getting up moved to walk away.

Kid frowned annoyed with himself. Heyes was only trying to help. He knew better than anyone how bad Kid was at inactivity and being trapped in the small miner’s cabin with five other men and his partner waiting for the snow to melt was a recipe for disaster.

Poker had helped. Ever since their cache had been stolen the two ex-outlaws had been systematically winning back their share against the other men.

It passed the time and made knowing they were trapped with a thief a little easier to stomach.

"Joshua?" Kid called after him. "Thanks."

Heyes looked back and smiled some of the worry leaving his eyes and Kid was once more grateful he was trapped with the one person who could make such exile palpable.

"Christmas day after next," Clarence Boles, the miner who owned the cabin said from the stove where he was mixing flapjacks. "You boys got anything special planned?" he laughed at his own questionable wit and was promptly ignored by the others.

"I don’t know if I can stand another month with you all," Ralph Marsden, the town undertaker said shaking his head, "I’m starting to look forward to losing!"

"Hey maybe we could shoot something special for Christmas supper," young wide-eyed Billy Boggs said looking around. "Maybe a buck or even a wild turkey."

"Could put out some feed and see if we can attract something," Jason Holloway said from the fireplace he was leaning against.

Caught up in a plan that would break up the day the group quickly decided it was worth a try if for no other reason than the diversion possibilities.

"Why don’t you stay here, no need for all of us to go," Heyes said lightly as Kid pulled his jacket off the hook.

"Because I want something other than beans and bacon for Christmas dinner," Kid said and coughed so hard his body shook.

"I can shoot too," Heyes said indignant.

"Yup, probably the only one out of this group," Kid agreed.

"Then why do you need to go?"

"Cause you don’t shoot as good as me," Kid said grumpily too proud to admit how good staying behind sounded.

"Stubborn," Heyes muttered going out the door.

Kid followed slower. A path had been cleared from the initial snowfall to allow them to reach the necessary and stretch their legs. Kid had dug most of it in an effort to relieve the boredom and stepping outside now he realized just how rotten he felt.

But pushing his discomfort aside he moved away from the other group and after a few minutes walking was out of sight.

Relieved he leaned against the first tree and gave into a fit of coughing that doubled him over painfully.

"Great," he sniffed. "I’ll scare any game away for 20 miles."

He was wrong. The bird startled by him took off terrified across his path. Kid reached for his gun slowed by his illness, but still deadly quick and fired.

The turkey fell dead at the direct hit.

His gun going off caused him to be surrounded by the rest of the men from the cabin who lauded him with praise and cheerfully carried the trophy back triumphant.

Kid didn’t care. Every part of his body was aching now and all he could manage was one foot in front of the other in the hopes he could make the cabin before his lungs gave out.

Heyes had come up behind him and mercifully said nothing, but neither did he move ahead and leave him.

***************************

Heyes watched his partner sink down into the chair by the fire and rolled his eyes. How did a man live to be that stubborn. You’d think my calm even temper would have rubbed off on him Heyes sighed pulling off his coat and noticing his partner, though sitting by the fire, had not.

Sitting down across from him Heyes pulled out his gun and began cleaning it as around him the others prepared for their daily poker game. He and Kid were up nearly $25,000 from $500 and with at least another month to go the odds were in their favor of leaving with close to what should have been theirs.

"You playing Jones?" Ralph asked squinting at him like he might a body he was sizing up for one of his boxes.

"Yea," Kid said coughed and getting up slowly joined the other men at the table.

Heyes looked up and cast another worried glance over at his partner. Kid’s coughing seemed to be getting worse and the couple times he had managed eye contact his friend had looked like he was seriously hurting.

"Damn fool should lay down," Heyes said shaking his head and then looked up.

Kid had slumped against Billy who had reacted with annoyance pulling away.

As Heyes watched in horror his cousin slipped to the floor unconscious.

"Hey! Hey what’s the matter with you?" Heyes said rushing over to his cousin and trying to revive him.

When the storage room was suggested the group eagerly helped him move his partner though Heyes realized the cold room was hardly the best place to take him.

"Clarence that old pot belly in the corner over there, that work?" Heyes asked after kicking out Doc Beauragard and his prophecies of doom.

"Smokes some, but yea. I have to use it sometimes when the freeze sets in and it gets too cold."

"Gets too cold, what is this?" Heyes mumbled later as he fumbled with his stove thinking about the Doctor’s stethoscope. "Hurry up and wake up Kid I got things to tell you."

"Brought you some wood," Billy said coming over and casting a pitiful glance at Kid. "He still breathing?"

"Yea he’s still breathing!" Heyes yelled. "He’s just got a cold!"

"Doc says its Pneumonia," Billy said sympathetically.

Heyes remembered his encounter with the good doctor and his stethoscope.

"Doc says a lot of things Billy."

"Anything I can get you?"

"You can help me move him up here," Heyes said indicating the make shift cot he had created on the sacks of flour. "That floor is too cold."

Together they lifted Kid’s limp body up and Heyes once more tucked in every blanket he could confiscate.

"Thanks Billy."

"Sure thing Mr. Smith, sure hope he makes it."

"He’s going to make it," Heyes growled and practically shut the door on the younger man.

"Everyone wants to drum business for Marsden," he grumbled pulling up a chair next to his cousin relieved the warmth from the stove was beginning to permeate the room. "You’ve been sick before, heck remember that first time? Everyone said you were a goner, but I knew you weren’t." Pulling the blanket up a little higher on the still form he continued as if he could hear him. "Was Christmas then too wasn’t it? What is it about you and the holidays?" He frowned. "What were you 7? 8? You never would have got sick if you hadn’t have come after me. You sure were annoying as a child. Wonder I ever put up with you. I mean you Ma said you couldn’t come sledding with us. She said you were sick. And I told you not to come after me, but…"

He stopped and was suddenly 9 years old again.

**************************

"He’s following us again!" Michael Parsons said rolling his eyes and the four little boys turned back exasperated to watch the small blond figuring trying to maneuver the drifts of snow threatening to swamp him.

"Jed I told you to stay home!" 9 year old Hannibal Heyes said disgusted.

"You said I could come if I kept up," 7 year old Jedediah Curry said with fierce determination just before disappearing in a misjudged snow drift.

"You call this keeping up?" Heyes hissed pulling him out as his older friends laughed and started walking away.

"Please Han I ain’t never seen a sled as fine as that! I gotta have a ride!"

"You’re sick!"

"No I ain’t!"

"Your Ma says you are and if she catches you out here your Pa is gonna whoop you fierce. Now go home. I’ll tell you all about it when I get back," turning Heyes had ever intention of catching up to the others without looking back.

Unfortunately Jedediah just had a way of making you look back.

"It’s not gonna work Jed," Heyes said shifting from one foot to the other impatient, but a little concerned as his cousin tried to fight a fit of coughing.

"I’m not sick."

"I don’t care! Now go home."

Jed turned and stumbled and Heyes frowned. Something was wrong. Jed was little, but he was agile.

Heyes stuffed his hands in his pocket and watched the small figure walk a few more steps and fall again, this time seemingly for no reason.

"You okay?" he asked trying not to sound interested.

"Yea, I’m fine," Jed answered with a longer cough, but he sounded scared.

Heyes let him stumble one more time and then reached him in several strides.

"Jed I swear if you are doing this to make me let you come…" he stopped and looked at the boy’s face. It was red and pale all at the same time. He looked sick, sick bad.

"You gotta go home," Heyes said with certainty.

Jed didn’t argue and tried to walk, but let out a little cry as his legs gave out.

"I’m sorry Han, go on, I’ll make it," he sounded like he wanted to cry and Heyes realized how embarrassed he was to appear sick in front of the older cousin he adored and his big friends.

"Han are you coming?" Michael yelled.

"Jed is sick."

"Well then tell him to go home!" the older boy said.

"He can’t, he’s too sick. Give me your sled."

The child looked at him like he had lost his mind.

"We’re going sledding!"

"I need it to get him home."

"Look Hannibal this is new. My grandpa sent it and I ain’t letting you wreck it dragging your baby cousin…"

The boy fell surprised and touching his nose looked shocked realizing it was bloody.

"Now I’m taking the sled to get Jed home. I’ll bring it right back, but if anyone tries to stop me I’ll flatten them too," Heyes said standing in front of his cousin arms up ready to fight.

He was outnumbered and the boys were older, but not one made a move to stop him. The same dark dangerous look that would quell entire outlaw gangs 20 years later was all ready in place. No one took on Hannibal Heyes when he looked like that.

"Come on Jed lets get you home," he said softly pulling the small boy onto the sled and then seeing him shiver pulled off his coat and wrapped him in it. "Hang on were gonna go fast."

And reaching the hill over looking their farms Heyes climbed on back of the sled and wrapping his arms around Jed pushed off.

"See Jed you got to ride if first after all!" Heyes said.

But his cousin didn’t open his eyes.

**************************

"Is Jedediah home?" Heyes said quietly from the doorway two days later.

His aunt looked up and wiped the tears from her eyes. "Hannibal! What are you doing here! It must be three in the morning."

"Don’t know ma’am, haven’t got a watch, had one, but me and Jed tried to make a…"

"Hannibal?" his uncle said surprised coming in behind him with a cord of wood. "Who brought you here?"

"No one, I walked," Heyes said shrugging off the look of amazement on their faces.

"Are you trying to get the grippe like Jedediah?" his uncle said shaking his head as his aunt pulled him over by the fire.

"No sir, but its Christmas. I ain’t seen Jed in days and Ma said I might not be able to see him for a long time and I got a present for him."

He looked past them and realized his blond cousin was tucked in his parent’s bed.

"How come he’s down here? Why isn’t he in his bed?"

"Jedediah is very sick Hannibal," his aunt said and he thought she was going to cry again.

"Well he’ll be better today, its Christmas," Heyes said trying to make these grown ups understand. He had run out of patience waiting for his cousin. Jed, despite being little, was the best friend he had. Jed was game for anything. Things were just more fun with him along.

"I’ll go let his parents know he’s here," Shaun Curry said pulling on his coat as Heyes walked over to the bed the grown ups forgotten.

"Jed? It’s me Han! I brought your present! You got mine?"

He looked down at the pale face with its eyes closed. He was kind of tired too and he was realizing how cold he was now that he had stopped walking.

Pulling off his shoes and jacket he slid in under the comforter next to his friend in a conspiratory manner.

"I think Pa got me a knife Jed! You shake any of your presents? Wait till you see what I got you, best present ever! You sure are lucky to have a cousin like me. What kind of pie did your Ma make for supper? She sure makes the best pie. My ma made that cake with the charms in it. I hope I don’t get the marrying ring, I want the fortune charm. I ever tell you I’m gonna be rich one day? Well I am. You can be rich with me if you want. More fun being rich with someone I figger. Did you give your Ma that comb yet? She’s gonna like it, just don’t tell her we won it in that crap game or she’ll pull a fit. I wrapped my Pa’s cigar, a real nickel cigar, he sure is gonna be impressed! I’ll pay you back that 2 cents you loaned me for it don’t worry."

He yawned, "Jed you are gonna wake up for Christmas right? You want me to open your present I got you for you? Okay I’ll open it. Reaching down he pulled a strange shaped object out of his coat pocket all wrapped up in brown paper and string.

"See it’s a sling shot! I made it for you! And since you got it as a present your Ma can’t say your too little for it! You got real good aim Jed, but your gonna be the best now you got your own. Here I’ll put it in your hand so you’ll have it when you wake up."

Carefully the boy tucked the handle in his cousin’s hand. This done he yawned sleepily and curled up next to him.

"Night Jed, in the morning you can give me my present. Maybe if we say you’re still sick they’ll let us have pie for breakfast."

And he drifted off to sleep.

***************************

"Haven’t got a present for you this time partner," Heyes said his voice breaking a little as he watched his friend and then spotting something across the room smiled slightly and pulling out his knife got to work.

***************************

"Heyes?" Kid coughed painfully and blinked trying to get his bearings. Where was he?

Looking over he realized his partner was asleep beside him his face lined and weary.

Confused he tried to sit up and looking down realized he had something in his hand.

"What the?" he said and then as the memory returned he grinned suddenly feeling better.

Heyes stirred, "Hey your awake! How you feel?"

"Better," Kid grinned. "Did I miss Christmas again?"

"Nah," Heyes smiled his eyes dancing with relief. "I made them hold off until you were better."

"I bet they loved that."

"Didn’t have any other choice, I hid the turkey."

Kid laughed and Heyes winced at having made him as it turned into a cough.

"Only fair, your turkey," Heyes smiled helping him take a sip of water.

"You mean yours," Kid said meeting his eyes.

Heyes looked away acting confused.

"Heyes that was a heck of shot and I wondered how the hell I had made it until I saw you cleaning your gun when we got back."

"You think too much," Heyes said gruffly. "You hungry."

"A little."

"Good I’ll be right back with some dinner."

The ex outlaw leader got up and headed for the door when his friend calling his name made him look back.

"Heyes?" and Kid held up the slingshot.

Heyes grinned embarrassed. "Had a lot of time sitting here waiting for you to wake up, besides you liked it that one Christmas."

Kid broke into a grin that reached his eyes, "Yea I guess I did, I ever tell you thank you for that?"

"I’m pretty sure you did."

"What did I get you that year?"

"Better," Heyes said simply going out the door. "You got better."