Title: Pushing Through the Darkness to the Other Side
Challenge #84: Drugs
Fandom: The Magnificent Seven (tv)
Rating: G
Length: 500 words
Summary: There isn't much they can do other than wait and see.

"So you're saying there ain't nothing you can do?" JD wasn't crying, but Josiah could tell it was a close thing.

Chris, meanwhile, said nothing . To someone who didn't know him better, it might even look like he was unaffected by the news, but Josiah could see the tension in his stance and the way his hands hovered over his guns; solving things by shooting something or someone wasn't a possibility here and Chris didn't seem to be happy with that fact all that much.

"Nothing but wait and see and hope Buck and Ezra are able to meet up with the stage in Eagle Bend." Nathan sounded tired, horridly weary in both mind and body in the way that suggested there wasn't a chance of rest anywhere on the horizon. Or if there was, it would be for all the wrong reasons.

"So if they do then Vin'll be alright?"

Josiah stepped over to JD then, put his arm around those slumped shoulders in an attempt at comfort. "What I believe that Nathan is saying is that the quicker they're able to return with the medicine the better chance Vin will have of pulling through."

"And until then?" JD's voice shook, betraying how young he really was.

"We do what we can to keep his fever down and hope for the best," Nathan stated. "I got enough cloths, but if one of you can fetch some more water-"

"I'll do it," Chris said, grabbing the nearly empty bucket Nathan was holding and headed down the stairs without waiting for anyone to respond.

Nathan nodded, most likely having expected Chris' reaction, same as Josiah had. Chris had been itching to do something for a while now, ever since Vin fell ill. "I'm going to see what I can do to keep Vin comfortable in the meantime."

"What about us?" JD asked Josiah as Nathan went back inside. "Ain't there nothing left for us do?"

"What's left is the most powerful thing of all." Josiah gestured down the road to the church.

JD looked over at the church and then back into the clinic. "But, he's so sick. Y' really think we should leave?"

"I think Nathan don't need us underfoot and I think Vin'd appreciate us helping anyway we can." JD pursed his lips as he pondered Josiah's words. "Besides," Josiah added. "Buck and Ezra will be coming from that direction so we'll know the moment they enter town."

JD wavered, taking a step toward the stairs before pausing and calling out, "Nathan?"

"You go on, JD. Josiah. I know where to find you if anything changes." Nathan didn't quite shoo them off, but it was close.

"Come on, JD. Let's go see what kind of good word we can put in for Vin. I bet between the two of us we can come up with of a bunch of them. Don't you?" Josiah began to lead JD down the stairs.

"Yeah," JD said softly. "I think we can."