September 4, 1900

Tombstone. 

This afternoon I walked over to the group in front of Kate’s and waved, hugging Jimmy as I saw him. I asked him who the stranger was in the street and he said his name was Mr. Kory. He asked if I wanted to go to the stables. He said he had something to tell me and I told him that miss Trin got shot again. 

“I made her rest today,” I told him. 

“She went to see Mr. Alex to get her bandage looked at.” 

“Again?!” he blinked. 

“Wait… Again?” 

“I was with her when she got shot yesterday....I ran got help.” 

“You saved her life!” I grinned and hugged him tight. 

We continued to go to the stables and I looked at him as he said, “Stay away from that ladder, it how I break my arm.” 

“Jimmy what is it? Can’t get much worse than Mr. Thomas AND ma gettin’ shot the last couple days,” I looked at him. “That too…” 

“That man, he is who shot Miss Trin and Mr Thomas,” he said and I blinked. I started to go out of the stables after the man but he grabbed me and stopped me. 

“He hurt ma!!” 

“Please don’t Natalie...I don't wont you gettin hurt too.” 

“Yeah you’re right. Let the grownups take care of it.” 

“I leant somtin tho..I not think it all his fault.” 

“What?” 

“He was abandon as kid, and then man who raise him beat him and make him mean...he no trust nobody.” 

“He still shot ma. And ma’s boyfriend.” 

“I know..I know...he went jail for it...but they let him go, what can we do?” 

“Ma says they go to court and then might go back again. I guess we just be careful around him.” 

“I talk to him..I think if he had right people round him, he be a good person..I dont think he like shootin people, he just dont know how to stop bein mean.” 

“Well you talk to him, I ain’t gonna,” I folded my arms. 

“I sayin I already did..I even try pay him not to shoot no more...but he not take my money.” 

“I don’t want him to hurt you too. He hurt enough of us.” 

“Yes for sure, but better things now…” 

Jimmy told me about Mr. Thomas’ new pet and we talked about how Mr. Thomas and Miss Trin were sore and how ma was stressed. I told him about Ma’s friend from Boston coming to help with something from work and then we talked about the clinic. I told him about doing Mr. Alex’s bandage on his hand and then I signed his cast, ‘Get better soon! BFF Nat.” He said it didn’t hurt too much and that maybe we could get the cast off. 

We went to find Miss Jess and asked how long Jimmy had to wear the cast. Miss Jess said it might be taken off tomorrow and we greeted Jamie as she came over. We talked for a while and I saw the Apache woman talking to the other guy offended her. 

I went over to the Apache woman and talked to her in Apache, since I had learned the language, but Miss Jess told me not to push her. She said he made fun of her and her language. I went over to Mr Rock and asked him if he was making fun of her and he said he was serious. I tried to understand what had happened but they were both talking different things and I decided I better stop going to the native village so much. We learned from Miss Bianca that he was saying a bad word and I headed off to the stable for a ride, not knowing where I was going to go, but I needed a new place to think.