Chapter 9

Back on the farm Victoria was gathering eggs, and Madison and Maria were attending the garden and Gloria was doing house work before she had to work at the hospital. Then a woman that works in the hospital, a nurse came riding up fast.

"Mom, someone's coming!" shouted Victoria from the chicken coop.

Gloria comes running out.

"Gloria, it's your da and brother, they've been shot, and now Haskell and the Sheriff and his deputies are at a standoff, we might need to go in now to work at the hospital, it's going to be bloody," said the woman.

"Okay, I'll ride back with you, girls you go inside and stay," said Gloria.

"But mom..." said Victoria.

"No, you stay and watch your sisters," said Gloria getting on the woman's horse with her.

They rode to town as fast as they could, when they reached the town Gloria jumped off the woman's horse and ran towards Black Elk and her father.

"Dad, are you guys alright?" asked Gloria.

"Yes, take your brother inside," said Luther Standing Bear.

"Come on brother," said Gloria.

"No, he stays put, you move him and I'll shoot both of you," angered Haskell.

"He's bleeding and needs my help, let me help him," Gloria said in a worried voice.

"He's savage, he doesn't need no help from a white lady," said Haskell.

"He's not a savage, he's my brother," said Gloria proudly.

"Your brother?" Haskell said in a confused voice.

"Yes, were half-breeds, and Luther is my father," said Gloria.

"Aw isn't that sweet Sheriff, she's protecting her brother, tell me something woman, what's it like not belonging to either side," laughed Haskell.

Haskell pointed his gun back at Black Elk, once again cocking his pistol. The Sheriff looked at his deputy again and nodded his head. The deputy pointed his gun towards Haskell's head and pulled the trigger, the deputy shot Haskell in the head, he was dead immediately. Then Haskell's men started shooting. Luther ran and pushed Black Elk and Gloria into a building and got down on the floor and stayed there until the shooting was done.

"Dad your bleeding!" shouted Gloria as glass was being shattered by flying bullets.

"Its just a scratch, the bullet did not actually go in the skin!" shouted Luther Standing Bear.

The stayed down until the gun fire stopped.

"Give it up, Haskell is dead, it's not worth it!" shouted the Sheriff.

"Alright, were coming out!" shouted the man.

"Dad, do you think they stopped?" asked Gloria.

"Stay down, I'll check," Luther getting up and walking towards the window.

"Its alright now, the Sheriff is handcuffing the men," said Luther Standing Bear.

"Alright come on brother, I'll take you to the hospital, you to dad," said Gloria helping her brother across the street to the hospital.

So they got to the hospital and one of the nurses were already preparing tables.

"Gloria lay him down over here, and your dad can sit on that tables over there, while the Sheriff brings some of them in," said one of the nurses.

So Gloria laid her brother down on the table and rolled her sleeves up, and got everything she needed. Her father was sitting there while the other nurse worked on his leg.

"Here we go again," smiled Black Elk.

"Yes, again, nurse could get me that bottle off the shelf and bring me a rag," said Gloria.

"Why do you need that?" asked Luther Standing Bear.

"To put him to sleep dad," worried Gloria.

"Why, you've never had to put him to sleep," said Luther Standing Bear getting up.

"No, dad, stay there," frightened Gloria.

"What's wrong," Luther Standing Bear limping towards her.

"Here you go Gloria," said the nurse.

"Thank you, now brother this is going to make you sleepy okay, so don't be afraid okay," said Gloria.

"Okay," worried Black Elk.

Gloria put the rag over his mouth and he fell asleep.

"Dad, please, go back and sit down, you need to stay off that leg, "said Gloria.

"Daughter," said Luther Standing Bear.

"The bullet is in too deep, that's why he's losing so much blood, I have to cut into him and dig in his body to get the bullet out, it went in pretty deep dad, that's why I had to put him to sleep," said Gloria.

"You worried that he will die," said Luther Standing Bear.

"Yes dad, he probably would have died if I had to cut into him more and make bleed more than what he already has, and who knows he may die as I am cutting into him and getting the bullet out, I am not sure dad, that's why I was tearing up when he said, "here we go again," said Gloria.

"He's a strong warrior, he will live," said Luther Standing Bear limping back to his table.

"I hope so dad," said Gloria.

So she started cutting into him, and digging around in the wound, there was blood all over Black Elk, the floor and on Gloria, she was digging around tissue and she finally saw the bullet, the nurse beside her put corsets to pry the skin back so Gloria could get the bullet out, the other nurse handed her some tweezers and she went in and pulled the bullet. Luther was sitting there watching the blood drip from the table onto the floor, so he started praying in his native tongue. The nurse brought her towels and she went over as the other nurse cleaned Black Elk up and stitched his wound back and cleaned it again. Gloria went to the wash tub and washed her hand.

"All we can do is wait now father," Gloria wiping her tears away.

Her and the other nurses walked to the other side of the room to assist the Sheriff and his deputies and the bad guys. The Sheriff looked at Luther sitting there looking at his son. Luther got up and walked towards Black Elk and started stroking his head. The Sheriff walks over to Luther and puts his hand on his shoulder.

"He's going to make it, he's a fighter he is," said the Sheriff.

"Yes, I know he is, thank you Sheriff," smiled Luther Standing Bear.

"Your welcome," Sheriff walking back to the outlaws.

"Dad, come on, you can stay with us, the kids would love to see you, he'll be alright here dad, he'll be safe here," said Gloria.

"Alright," said Luther Standing Bear.

So Gloria took her father to her house and their he stayed.