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Disclaimer: The Magnificent Seven and characters are the property of MGM Television, The Mirsch Corporation, Trilogy Entertainment Group and CBS. No profit has been made off of this work. No copyright infringement is intended.
Rain beat a heavy staccato on the wood shingles above his head while the blustery wind rattled the window sashes in their frames. It was hot and stuffy in the room but the direction of the driving rain meant the window had to stay shut or risk ruining his few precious possessions.
Two days earlier J.D.’d been caught in an early morning summer storm which had left him soaking wet and chilled to the bone. The sniffles and headache had begun yesterday afternoon with chills settling in overnight. Nathan had declared it a summer cold and as long as J.D. followed his orders for rest, he should make a full recovery.
So now here he was, stretched out on the bed with a pile of dime novels by his side and a recently filled oil lamp on the nightstand, left to his own devices. Thankfully, Nathan had finally relented and let him forego a stay in the clinic and recover in his rented room.
Headache pounding in his skull and type wavering before his eyes, J.D. closed the book. Gathering up his impressive collection of dime novels, he leaned over the side of the bed and placed the books in a neat pile.
After turning down the lamp and pulling the coverlet back, J.D. slid into the cool sheets. Shivering violently he groaned and pulled the blankets up around his ears and closed his eyes. I hate being sick.
~o~
Several hours later J.D. struggled to open his eyes when thought he’d heard whispered voices in the darkness. Who the heck is in the room? Turning onto his back J.D. strained to hear the voices again.
“Hush you mouth, Buck. You’ll wake him up,” growled a high pitched voice from somewhere at the end of the bed.
“Well shove over, Stud. There’s room for both of us up here,” came an equally high pitched retort.
Thinking this was some type of weird dream he peered toward the foot of the bed, and tried see in the limited light provided by the oil lamp. Holding his breath he waited as he felt movement on the bed and could have sworn something was walking over his feet. Had some animal gotten into his room while he was sleeping?
“Who’s there?” J.D. called when he heard whispering again. “Show yourself.”
“Great! Now he’s awake. Good job.”
Quick movements and what sounded suspiciously like fighting had J.D. turning up the lamp and cautiously glancing at the foot of the bed. There standing between his feet were Chris and Buck and they were only six inches tall.
Buck currently had Chris in a head lock and was trying to avoid his companion’s tiny flailing fists. Smiling up at J.D. he cried, “Hey there, Kiddo. How you feeling? Any better?”
J.D. knew he must look like a landed fish gasping for air, but he couldn’t quite wrap his mind around the miniatures of Chris and Buck wrestling around his blanket covered feet.
“Buck if you don’t let me go,” Chris groused as he pinched Buck’s posterior, causing the Ladies Man to yelp and release him. Finally free, Chris picked up his hat which had been knocked off in the scuffle, set it back on his head, and shot Buck a lethal glare before trudging up the bed toward J.D., Buck swaggering up behind him. Once they reached J.D.’s waist, Chris and Buck used the blanket to climb up.
Chris halted his trek when he stood on J.D.’s sternum. Taking a moment to catch his breath, Chris looked J.D. over with a critical eye and quipped, “You been following Nathan’s orders? You look downright peaked.”
“When do any of us follow Nathan’s orders to the letter, Stud?”
Waving Buck off, Chris continued, “Just so you know, Nathan sent us to keep an eye on you. Wasn’t too happy when you started the fever.”
Swallowing convulsively, J.D. squeaked, “I don’t have a fever.”
“You sure about that? Cause you sure look feverish to me.” Buck stepped forward and tapped J.D. on the cheek. “You feel feverish too.”
“Why are you so small?”
“I think he’s scattered his chickens,” Buck whispered as he joined Chris on J.D.’s chest once more.
“You think?”
J.D. scrubbed at his eyes and looked at his two friends again. Nope, still small and… Were those pointy ears? Squinting at the two men standing on his chest J.D. asked, “What exactly are you?”
“Excuse me?” Chris asked in his high pitched voice, “Are you delirious?”
“I may be,” J.D. mumbled as he poked Chris with a tentative finger. He’d used a little too much force because Chris lost his balance and tumbled off of J.D.’s chest, landing in a heap by his side.
“J.D. look at what you did,” Buck moaned and crawled over to peer over J.D.’s side down at his friend. “You okay down there?”
Chris glared up at Buck before pulling himself back up onto J.D.’s chest. Gaining his feet Chris stomped closer and growled, “Watch the finger.”
“How long have you two been elves?” J.D. asked as he pushed himself up onto his elbows.
Chris and Buck grabbed onto the blanket to keep from falling and once J.D. stopped moving they slowly stood back up.
“Were not elves, J.D. We’re Chris and Buck.” Buck crossed his arms and stared up into his friend’s gaze.
Frowning deeply, J.D. shook his head. “No. You’re six inches tall with pointy ears. You’re elves.”
Chris just snorted and shook his head and Buck let out a rolling belly laugh. J.D’s frown deepened further.
“You calling me a liar?”
“No. You’re feverish and delusional,” Chris retorted as he turned to his friend. “Hey we got anymore of Nathan’s willow bark tea? I think he needs some.”
“Over on the bureau. Gonna taste like piss.” Buck screwed up his face. “Better you than me, kid. Sorry.”
J.D. squinted down at his two friends. “How you gonna get it off the bureau? Fly? Show me your wings Larabee Elf.”
Crossing his arms and glaring, Chris growled softly, “I’m not an elf. Buck’s not an elf.”
“Could fool me.” Rising to a seated position J.D. scooped Buck and Chris into his cupped hands. “I’m going to take you to the others so they can see.”
“J.D. let me go!” Chris yelled and squirmed as J.D. held them so they couldn’t escape. “Are you off your rocker?”
Setting them on top of the bureau J.D. rifled through the bottom drawer until he found a jar he’d been saving. Looking at the holes punched in the top he smiled. “Perfect. Casey and I were going to collect lightning bugs the other night, but we never got around to it. You two’ll fit in here, no problem.”
“I think we need to get Nathan?” Buck cried out as J.D. dropped him into the jar.
As J.D. picked him up Chris snapped, “If you think for one second you’re gonna put me in that jar, you got another think coming.”
J.D. just laughed and screwed the top down. He watched in rapt fascination as Chris and Buck banged on the glass and screamed at the top of their lungs.
A loud banging on the door drew J.D.’s gaze away from the jar. “Who is it?”
“J.D., open the door, it’s me,” Buck yelled from what sounded like the hallway.
“No it’s not. Buck’s in the jar with Chris.”
“What’s he going on about?” Chris’s muffled voice sounded from outside.
“Just open the door and let us in.” Buck’s voice was sounding desperate now.
The banging on the door intensified. J.D. set the jar on the bureau top, smiled at his two little captives and moved toward the door, or tried to. Looking down at his feet, J.D. saw the blankets twisted around his legs and as he tried to untangle them he was knocked him off balance.
Looking up as he fell back he realized that somehow he was lying in his bed, the blankets tucked around him.
Pushing himself out of the blankets, J.D. turned the lamp flame up as high as it would go. He glanced around the room, looked under the bed, and checked every corner of the room. Nothing. Pulling the bottom drawer of the bureau open he found the jar he’d put there several days earlier. Hurrying to the door, he unlocked it, cautiously pulled it open, and looked out into the hall. It was empty.
Closing and securing the door, J.D. frowned in confusion. Sitting on the side of the bed J.D. looked at the cup sitting on the nightstand. Sniffing the contents and scowling, he moved to the window, opened it, and poured the medicine out.
Dropping the sash down, he turned back to the bed and climbed in. “Bad dreams,” he groaned as he lowered the flame on the lamp. “No one would ever believe me if I told them.” J.D. yawned and pulled the blankets up to his nose and closed his eyes.
The End.