Moving On Chapter 17 "Y'all go on in and check on Vin. I'll be there in a minute," said Josiah. After a slight hesitation the other men walked into Nathan's clinic and shut the door. Josiah walked down the stairs and walked around the side of the building. Not seeing Ezra, he stopped and thought for a moment. 'The livery,' he thought. A few minutes later he was standing inside the livery watching Ezra as the gambler brushed his horse down. "Yes?" Ezra asked. "Ezra, are you alright?" "I'm fine, Mister Sanchez. No need for you to worry yourself." Josiah sighed. "Ezra, I am worried about you. So are the others. I'm here... we're all here... if you need to talk. We know that you and Brad were close." Ezra set the brush down on a wooden stool and turned around to face Josiah. "Yes. Yes we were. He became like a brother to me when he married Isabella." Josiah nodded. "I understand." "As soon as Vin's awake, I'll be saying my goodbyes." Josiah sighed and closed his eyes. After a moment, he re-opened them. "I was hoping that you'd be stayin' here. But if you feel that you must leave...." Ezra nodded. "I do." With that said, Ezra walked out of the livery. THREE HOURS LATER The six peacekeepers were lounging around Nathan's clinic, waiting for the seventh to open his eyes. "He's wakin' up!" exclaimed JD. "'Bout time! Tryin' to laze around?" joked Buck. Vin gave him a weak smile. "How... long?" "About three and a half hours," answered Nathan. Vin's blue eyes were still clouded with pain but they were alert. Looking at the other empty bed, he asked, "Brad?" "He passed, Mister Tanner," replied Ezra. "Aw, hell, Ez. I'm sorry." "Things happen." Even though Ezra's voice sounded detached, they could all tell that he was hurting. After a moment, Ezra spoke. "Now that Mister Tanner has awoken, I'll be on my way in the morning." "What?" demanded Chris. "I will be heading back to New Orleans." "But I thought..." started JD. "We all did, Kid," Buck told JD. Speaking to Ezra, he said, "We all thought that you be stayin' here, now. Here where ya belong." Ezra shook his head. "It has always been my dream to open my own casino. And, I no longer belong here, Mister Wilmington." "Quit bein' so dramatic Ezra. I've already apologized," said Nathan. "I'm not being dramatic, Mister Jackson. I just feel that the time has come to move on. When I took this job, with you all, I never intended to stay as long as I have." "But it's home! We're family!" exclaimed a distraught JD. "In all families, Mister Dunne, a time comes when you have to go your own way. My time is now." "We're gonna miss ya Ez," Vin stated quietly. Ezra nodded and walked to the door, opening it. Turning around, he took one last look. They could tell that he wanted to say something but, instead, he walked out of the clinic. The next morning, at dawn, five of the peacekeepers walked outside just in time to see Ezra disappear from sight.
Moving On
Chapter 17
"Y'all go on in and check on Vin. I'll be there in a minute," said Josiah.
After a slight hesitation the other men walked into Nathan's clinic and shut the door. Josiah walked down the stairs and walked around the side of the building. Not seeing Ezra, he stopped and thought for a moment. 'The livery,' he thought.
A few minutes later he was standing inside the livery watching Ezra as the gambler brushed his horse down.
"Yes?" Ezra asked.
"Ezra, are you alright?"
"I'm fine, Mister Sanchez. No need for you to worry yourself."
Josiah sighed. "Ezra, I am worried about you. So are the others. I'm here... we're all here... if you need to talk. We know that you and Brad were close."
Ezra set the brush down on a wooden stool and turned around to face Josiah. "Yes. Yes we were. He became like a brother to me when he married Isabella."
Josiah nodded. "I understand."
"As soon as Vin's awake, I'll be saying my goodbyes."
Josiah sighed and closed his eyes. After a moment, he re-opened them. "I was hoping that you'd be stayin' here. But if you feel that you must leave...."
Ezra nodded. "I do." With that said, Ezra walked out of the livery.
THREE HOURS LATER
The six peacekeepers were lounging around Nathan's clinic, waiting for the seventh to open his eyes.
"He's wakin' up!" exclaimed JD.
"'Bout time! Tryin' to laze around?" joked Buck.
Vin gave him a weak smile. "How... long?"
"About three and a half hours," answered Nathan.
Vin's blue eyes were still clouded with pain but they were alert. Looking at the other empty bed, he asked, "Brad?"
"He passed, Mister Tanner," replied Ezra.
"Aw, hell, Ez. I'm sorry."
"Things happen." Even though Ezra's voice sounded detached, they could all tell that he was hurting. After a moment, Ezra spoke. "Now that Mister Tanner has awoken, I'll be on my way in the morning."
"What?" demanded Chris.
"I will be heading back to New Orleans."
"But I thought..." started JD.
"We all did, Kid," Buck told JD. Speaking to Ezra, he said, "We all thought that you be stayin' here, now. Here where ya belong."
Ezra shook his head. "It has always been my dream to open my own casino. And, I no longer belong here, Mister Wilmington."
"Quit bein' so dramatic Ezra. I've already apologized," said Nathan.
"I'm not being dramatic, Mister Jackson. I just feel that the time has come to move on. When I took this job, with you all, I never intended to stay as long as I have."
"But it's home! We're family!" exclaimed a distraught JD.
"In all families, Mister Dunne, a time comes when you have to go your own way. My time is now."
"We're gonna miss ya Ez," Vin stated quietly.
Ezra nodded and walked to the door, opening it. Turning around, he took one last look. They could tell that he wanted to say something but, instead, he walked out of the clinic.
The next morning, at dawn, five of the peacekeepers walked outside just in time to see Ezra disappear from sight.
THE END
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