JENNA: * The rider lurches, clearly not too steady in her seat, and appears torn for a moment between stopping and urging the bird to go faster. In the end, it comes to a halt on its own, craning its head around as if to check and see if its rider has fallen off. She hasn't, but she's staring blankly at Shane, apparently having forgotten the bird entirely. "What.." she begins, but she's unable to decide what she wants the rest of the question to be, so she falls silent.

JUSTIN: * Shane has to tug hard on the reigns to get his peco to slow, the beast apparently content to bowl through the slowpokes in front of it had things gone its way. He trots up beside her, looking wholly dishevelled, and whatever emotions he's suffering from are hidden by looking plain ragged. Several questions come to his mind, but he realizes that he probably knows the answers to them. What and why seem irrelevant in that case, so he settles for the less obvious. "You didn't even say goodbye? Did I anger you that much?"

JENNA: * Jo, clearly not expecting that particular question, flinches away from him, attempting to steer her peco a little farther away. It doesn't seem much interested, however, exchanging greetings with its feathered companion. "Why.. are you here?" Jo asks finally, asking the question with some difficulty. "If it's to shout some more, get on with it, so I can get moving."

JUSTIN: * Shane frowns, some guilt breaking through the convenient mask of weariness. "That's not why..." Though it had occurred to him up until about five minutes ago. He grips the front of his saddle in his hands, feeling a brief wave of dizziness when he tries to think. His jaw moves as his teeth grind, like there's some kind of struggle inside of him. Finally, he opens his mouth to continue his response. "You can't go on without me. I'm not going to let you."

JENNA: * Jo's expression becomes, if possible, even blanker, and her mouth opens once, confusion creeping onto her face. "I thought.." she begins, then falls silent again, brow furrowing. "Why?" she asks finally, as though his statement makes no sense to her whatsoever.

JUSTIN: * Shane's brow furrows, too, though not from confusion. He grips his saddle a bit harder, and stares down at it. "Because..." That isn't a very good start, he tells himself, and pries his eyes up to look at her. "Because I'm not going to let you leave with your last memory of me being what it is. There were a lot of angry words said, and any truth that might be in them, well..." He looks down. "It's only one side of the coin, anyway."

JENNA: * Jo watches him for a long moment, forehead still creased with confusion as she lets his words slowly process. It takes her a lot of effort not to sway in the saddle as she lets her spine relax. "I thought you didn't want to come," she says finally, renewing her grip on her peco's reins and looking very tired.

JUSTIN: * Shane rubs at his face, eyes closing to help manage his thoughts. "I can't say I'm in love with what we do, Jo, but given the choice between wandering on my own or wandering with you..." He breathes out slowly. "We've been through a lot. Maybe that means more to me than it does to you, I don't know -- I just know I can't let it go that easily." He lowers his hands, regripping the reigns of his peco, and slides her a wary look.

JENNA: * Jo continues staring at him for a moment, and this time she does sway, though she catches herself before she loses her balance. "Oh," is all she says at first, unable to formulate more than that in response to this unexpected honesty. "That's.." She lowers her gaze, struggling to answer in turn. "I didn't really.. want to go on alone," she says finally.

JUSTIN: * Shane is quiet for a moment, apparently unsure of how to follow up such a gush of honesty. He feels a little weak, as though it took physical energy to get that out. "I..." He looks up at her again, face red. "Well, I guess we know where we stand on that, then. And..." This next admission will take another burst of willpower, as part of him still doesn't want to give her any points in their earlier arguments. "I'm... sorry. For not consulting you before taking that job." He looks away, rubbing an arm across his nose.

JENNA: * Jo reddens in turn, glancing at him sideways and shaking her head. "I could have.. handled it better." Slightly annoyed at the admission and keenly embarrassed, she tries to think of a way to change the subject, but her mind only fumbles in awkward directions. She sways again, the effort breaking her tenuous grip on her balance.

JUSTIN: * Shane looks back over to her, noticing her swaying consciously for the first time. "Oh, Jo --- Jo, your injuries." He bites his lip, hoping that bringing them up won't cause her to suddenly flip on him. It's certainly been a sore point every other time. "Please, can we stop so I can redress them?"

JENNA: "What.." She looks at him for a moment, puzzled, and shakes her head. "They're fine, I.." She trails off, however, noticing the throb of her arm for the first time in several hours. The scratches across her collarbone are also stinging mercilessly, and she shakes her head again. "Maybe.. that'd be a good idea."

JUSTIN: * Shane slides down out of his saddle, taking the reigns of his peco and then reaching up to take a grip on the harness of hers. "Good... good, come this way. Let's just get off the road." He starts leading both birds toward a grassy clearing at the side of the roadway, keeping a careful eye on Jo as he goes.

JENNA: * Once she's admitted the injuries could be a problem, Jo is unusually docile, letting him lead the birds off the road, while she concentrates on staying upright in the saddle. She reaches her bad hand up to rub at her eyes, lowering it again when it twinges, echoing her quiet, "Ow," from earlier in the day. Then she rubs her eyes with her other hand, sighing.

JUSTIN: * Shane finds a lone, scraggly tree next to the clearing, and slips the reigns away from Jo's weak grasp to tie her peco along with his. "I'll need to use some of the supplies from your pack. I don't have much left in mine that will be of any use for treating your wounds." He unslings his pack and tosses it into the middle of the clearing anyway, and steps around Jo's peco to look up at her. "Let me help you dismount."

JENNA: * Jo looks down at him, nodding her assent at the suggestion of using her pack, and barely processing the second statement until she sees him standing beside her. "I --" she begins, about to protest that she can manage that on her own, when another wave of weary dizziness strikes her, and she almost loses her balance, snatching at the peco with both arms before the bad one arrests the motion.

JUSTIN: * Shane gasps in worried fright, reaching up to help halt Jo's dangerous swaying. "Jo, be careful!" After saying this, he remembers it isn't her fault, and furrows his brow. "Are you all right? Can you get your leg over the peco?" If not for his concern about Jo, he might be concerned about touching her hip and thigh. In the current situation, it is preferable to her falling and breaking her neck.

JENNA: * Jo nods slowly, making an attempt to do so. She isn't entirely sure what he means by helping her dismount, but she's relatively sure that he'll do whatever he needs to once she starts moving. She reaches her good arm down, searching for something to lean against, and finds his shoulder convenient. She glances at him questioningly.

JUSTIN: * Shane nods encouragingly. "That's right, I'll support you. Just take your time." He moves the arm nearest her to hold against her back, giving her something to comfortably put the majority of her weight against. His other hand is up and at the ready, in case she needs something else to grab hold of.

JENNA: * Jo doesn't answer, pausing to consider her options -- a task made more difficult by increasing waves of dizziness and a rapidly mounting headache. She concludes this would be easier with both hands, but it's abundantly clear that won't be happening. She shifts again, trying to finish the process of moving her leg over the peco's back (it's being terribly patient through the ordeal), but her foot catches, and she automatically tries to catch herself with the arm that doesn't work. She gives a hiss of pain, teetering, then loses her balance completely, uttering a thin, embarrassed yelp.

JUSTIN: * Shane jerks in closer to her as she slips, eyes widening as he suddenly finds her body filling his arms. He's alarmed at the suddeness, but he clings tightly around her body to keep from dropping her. Without waiting to see if she's all right, he rushes her over to the middle of the clearing, laying her gently onto her back and looking terribly worried. He mutters quietly, easing the pack off of her shoulders without agitating her wounds. "Jo, stay with me."

JENNA: "I'm fine," Jo says dazedly, a chill washing over her as she moves away from his warmth, momentary though it was. "Just dizzy." This is true, even if it isn't the only symptom she's feeling. She tries to shift her arm and sighs, reaching over to pluck at the bandages. "This stinks," she mutters, mostly to herself, gaze drifting to what she can see of her injuries.

JUSTIN: * Shane smiles -- for her benefit, as he certainly doesn't feel like it personally. "You've had worse. You just aggrivated the injuries, that's all." He starts by looking at her arm, being the most banged up and easily accessible. Slowly unwinding the bandages, he grimaces at what he sees underneath. There are clear signs of the work that Elise and her mother did, and he shakes his head. "You'd be healing up proper if you'd let me help in the first place." He's mostly just talking to help her keep her wits about her.

JENNA: * Jo flushes, turning her head away. "I just .." She trails off, as her answer ("I didn't want to go in the house") would sound particularly pathetic. "I'm fine.." she insists, more out of habit than anything, as she does not feel fine in the least. "It's .. not that bad." She doesn't sound terribly certain of this, however.

JUSTIN: "It's bad enough, Jo." Shane eases the sleeve of her shirt up, finishing unwrapping the wound and settling it with great care against her stomach while he fishes out some new wrappings. "It should really be cleaned again, but for now you'll have to make do with new bandages." He starts to rewrap the wound, biting at his lip while he concentrates.

JENNA: * She doesn't answer, jaw set against the pain as he works on her arm. In an effort to distract herself, she stares off at the waving grass, but eventually her gaze drifts back to his hands, still at work with the bandages, then up to his face. From there, however, it jerks back to her wound, following the work morbid fascination.

JUSTIN: * Working methodically, Shane gets her arm properly bound quickly. He's disatisfied with the job, considering he couldn't properly clean it, but there isn't anything he can do about it. That frustrates him to no end. He sighs, settling her arm at her side and moving to inspect the gashes at her collar. With even greater caution than is required, he eases her shirt slowly away from her neck and shoulder, looking unnecessarily nervous. The fabric won't stretch far, however, and he can only see part of the bandaging. "This... could be difficult."

JENNA: * Jo blinks, then straightens slightly, coming suddenly alert when she realizes what he's talking about. "Oh.. yeah.." She reddens, looking distinctly uncomfortable, then frowns. "If it was the other one, I could just unlace it a bit, but ..." She sucks in a deep breath, looking at him sideways. "Just.. .. just don't look until I say it's okay.. I think I can get it off on my own." She only goes redder as she says this. "Or just leave it alone," she concludes weakly.

JUSTIN: * Shane shakes his head firmly, giving her a very serious look. His face is red, too, but he can't let embarrassment get in the way of tending her wounds. "We can't leave it alone, you know that." He swallows a lump in his throat, moving to help Jo sit upright, and averting his gaze from her.

JENNA: * Jo straightens away from him once she's sure she's got her balance, then she carefully starts to work the tunic off, biting down on pain as she works the short sleeve off her injured arm. The other side goes more smoothly, and once it's off she tucks it over herself somewhat like a blanket, leaving the wound exposed for treatment. "All right," she says finally, face still hot, and gaze fixed on the grass again.

JUSTIN: * Shane gives her a brief half-look, as if doubting the truth of her words, then eases over her to inspect the wounds. Some part of him feels extremely guilty, knowing it was his choices that lead to her being injured in the first place -- in spite of all his arguments trying to prove that it wasn't his fault. "They don't look quite as bad as the arm, at least..." He picks up the bandaging and begins to replace what's there.

JENNA: * Jo nods, letting him work in silent for a moment, then manages to turn her gaze back in his direction with a tired smile. "He hit the arm first.. the back claws were sort of a glancing blow." She lifts her head to stare skyward, giving a low sigh. "That really scared the crap out of me," she remarks.

JUSTIN: * Shane pauses to rub at his arm, frowning down at her face, and then the wounds he's bandaging. "I'm sorry... I should have paid more attention to what was going on. I wasn't even sure you stayed..." He shakes his head, tightening the bandages as carefully as he can and tying them up.

JENNA: "It doesn't matter.. you had two to deal with. I survived, anyway." She shrugs, automatically tightening her hold on her tunic. "I didn't see if the sheep were all right, though.." She almost reaches her bad arm up to scratch her cheek, lowering it when it twinges.

JUSTIN: * Shane instinctively moves a hand to stay her arm, sighing softly when it turns out to be unnecessary. "I don't think any sheep were killed... one may have been injured, I didn't get to see." He smiles slightly, finishing up his work with the bandages. "Just proves that two trained combatants are worth far more than ten untrained peasants in a fight." He pats her shoulder gently, moving back and turning away. "That will have to do for now. I'd really like if you would go back to town... we could get your wounds properly redressed, maybe see a doctor."

JENNA: "I don't really.." She falls silent, beginning the laborious process of putting her shirt back on. She bites her lip. pushing her injured arm into the sleeve, and sighs as she finishes the process, leaning slowly back in the grass. "I.. just want to sleep." From the sound of her voice, it seems to be the truth, groggy and very weary.

JUSTIN: "Jo..." Shane looks back to her when he's certain she's finished, his face clearly showing his doubt and concern. "With the state you're in, I think you should get properly treated before you start thinking about rest..." He moves closer to her, staring down at her face. "I don't know just how extensive the damage is. I don't want to risk you going into shock, or worse."

JENNA: * She looks up at him, expression tired. "All right," she manages to get out, but before she can do much more than shift slightly, her eyes drift closed. Her body makes a last-ditch effort to move, however, before relaxing into the grass, limply unconscious.

JUSTIN: * Considering her answer, Shane is a bit annoyed when she lies back down again. "Jo, come on..." When he takes her good arm and attempts to give her a tug, however, the dead weight tells him she isn't playing around. "Jo?!" He leans over her to check her breathing, and closes his eyes tight in anger and worry at the situation. He gathers their things quickly and loads them onto his peco, then scoops her up and very carefully -- through much trial and error -- gets her to sit in her saddle, using one hand to hold her steady. Taking the reigns of both birds in his free hand, he turns and begins the walk back toward the town, keeping his eyes on Jo the entire time.

JENNA: * Jo doesn't wake through all this, managing to remain totally unconscious through the entire trip back to town. The cluster of men at the gate has thinned only a little, and they look up in surprise at the approach of the pair -- particularly confused by the unusual manner in which they arrive.

JUSTIN: * Shane almost forgets to look when they reach the edge of town, so intent on making sure Jo doesn't fall, or show any signs of pain -- and just as eager to see her wake up. When he does look, his dire expression immediately livens with the same urgency he displayed when he left. "Where is the town doctor?" He asks loudly.

JENNA: * The men look surprised, and the first glances back at a newcomer, scratching his head. "Hey, Shep, is he back from his rounds..?" The man he's addressing frowns, scratching his cheek, then nods. "I think I saw him get back in this morning, actually -- he's just up the road a piece." The man points along the street that leads to the inn where Shane and Jo briefly stopped. "Just past the inn, I think. 'Round there."

JUSTIN: * Shane nods and quickly leads the pecos in that direction, gripping at Jo's back a little more firmly with growing anxiety. Once he's past the inn, he looks around and then heads for whichever building seems the most like a doctor's office. He lets the reigns go, reaching up to slide Jo from her saddle and cradle her in his arms, then runs up the steps to knock loudly on the door with his boot.

JENNA: * The response to his action is quick, surprised, and a little annoyed. The door jerks open, revealing a middle-aged man of average height with hair just beginning to go gray at the temples. "For heaven's sake, it's not locked -- ah." He peers at Jo consideringly for a moment, adjusting his glasses with a frown, then he waves for Shane to follow him inside.

JUSTIN: * Shane does so without comment, eyes darting around for any logical place to rest his friend. Not seeing anything immediate, he steps to the side and waits for the doctor to show him where to go. Assuming this is the doctor. "This is the right place, then? You're the town doctor?"

JENNA: * The man nods absently. "Bring her here -- are you two the ones that dealt with those lizards?" he asks, indicating a low bed for Jo to rest on. "Seems like I can't leave town without something happening ..."

JUSTIN: * Shane moves to lay Jo on the bed, making sure she looks comfortable and safe before he even thinks about answering. "Yes, it was us." He sits himself on the floor next to her bed, not even thinking about it. "Has everyone heard about that already?"

JENNA: "Small town," the man says comfortably, pulling a stool over and unwrapping the bandage from Jo's arm. She stirs faintly, but he pays her little heed. "I heard from Elise and a couple others -- seemed to think you might be coming back. Guess they were right." He frowns at the wounds and sighs. "Do me a favor, would you? Go boil some water -- my assistant's out on family business."

JUSTIN: * Shane hops up immediately, moving to the hall and almost running in the direction of what looks to be the kitchen area. Glad to see his guess is correct, he grabs a pot from where it hangs above the stove and rushes it to the sink to fill with water. He places the filled pot on a burner and gets a fire going inside the stove, waiting with great impatience for the water to boil.

JENNA: * The doctor appears shortly afterward, moving to one of several cabinets for more bandages, as well as what appears to be needle and thread. "This really should have been done last night, but .. understandably .. they probably weren't much on the idea." He gathers some cloth as well. "Bring that out when it's ready, if you would." Then he leaves the room.

JUSTIN: * Shane certainly can't argue with that. It takes at least another minute for the fire to heat up enough to get the water boiling, and he waits until it is going good before removing it from the burner. He grabs a plate and rushes back to the room, setting the plate down near the doctor and placing the pot on top of it. He returns to his seat by Jo, staring at her face with a great deal of aggitation clear in his features. "If she'd been even the slightest bit less stubborn, her injuries would be at least half as bad as they are." If she'd been too agreeable, she would have left him behind completely, though. This thought causes a frown.

JENNA: * The doctor doesn't respond immediately, reaching instead for the cloth and dropping it into the water before he sets about cleaning the wound. "Well, what's done is done -- now we repair the damage." When the wounds are cleaned to his satisfaction, he reaches for needle and thread, beginning the next part of his task. Jo, though unconscious, does stir as he begins, making a pained sound in her sleep.

JUSTIN: * Shane places a hand against her forehead, frowning deeper at the sound, and the look on her unconscious face. He doesn't move his eyes from her own closed ones, though, offering her the same courtesy he did before, curious though he may be about how the doctor is handling the wounds.

JENNA: * The stitching takes some time, and the doctor frowns a bit as if he's not entirely satisfied with the work. "No way for these to knit nicely.. there'll be some scarring." He glances at the bandages showing from beneath her shirt. "Now, let's see here." He removes the shirt carefully, evidently unmoved by the features that seem to cause Shane so much discomfort, and lays it across her while he works with the other wounds. "Well, these won't be so bad. He cleans them as well, earning little more than an irritable murmur from the sleeping woman.

JUSTIN: * Shane chances a peek here and there, and is relieved when the doctor has had the good grace to cover Jo up while he works. He glances at her face with every murmur -- practically with every change in breath -- and simply refuses to stop frowning. After a while, he finally manages to find his voice again to ask a question that's been nagging him the entire time. "How long do you think she'll stay unconscious?"

JENNA: "Hopefully not too long," the man replies, replacing the bandages -- apparently these wounds required no stitching. "Shouldn't be more than a day or two at most, unless there's something else wrong with her. Probably just overworked." He looks at her tunic again and frowns, rubbing his chin. "You got any kind of shirt it'd be easier to get on her? I'd let her put her own clothes back on when she wakes, but as we don't know when that'll be ..."

JUSTIN: * Shane pulls back, looking around him uselessly before standing to his feet. "I'll look in her pack, see what she has." He steps outside to find the pecos wandering aimlessly in the street, and decides to shack them properly at the inn's stable before taking the packs and heading back to the doctor's house. He sets his off to the side without a glance, and pulls Jo's open to sift through. "What about this?" He asks, pulling out a sleeveless shirt he's never actually seen her in before, assumedly something for warmer weather.

JENNA: * The doctor glances at it and shrugs. "Might do, I suppose.." He takes the shirt , then turns back to Jo to attempt to get it on her without too much trouble. "Not much to do now, I suppose. There's another bed, if you want to stay here with her 'til she wakes. Try not to let her move around too much." When he's finally got her dressed, he turns to and her other tunic to Shane. "And call me if you need anything."

JUSTIN: * Shane takes the tunic and sets it aside with his pack, intending to wash it later. "I will. Thank you very much for your help." He bows briefly to the doctor, and then wipes at the sweat he didn't even realize was covering his face. For the moment, he just sits himself back on the floor by Jo where he can keep the closest eye and ear on her.

JENNA: * Jo sleeps through a full day and well into the next, lost in dreams that seem to leave her very agitated. Though her movements are abortive, her murmuring increases during this episodes, and once or twice she says something sensible -- though on one or two of these occasions it happens to be Shane's name. When she finally wakes, it's with a very faint groan, and she opens her eyes, completely lost in her surroundings. She tries to stir and sit up, but she finds shortly that she's unable to do so.

JUSTIN: * Shane's been by her side constantly, even sleeping the first night leaning against her low bed. He's hardly had time to think about it, his thoughts being on her the entire time, eyes and ears devoted to monitoring her condition. The only breaks he's taken so far have been to wash her clothing (except for the pants she's wearing -- he's not that brave), and to eat. When she shows sudden signs of waking, Shane leaps up to his feet from where he's sitting beside her, just about throwing his book across the room in his rush to stand over her. "Jo?! Jo, can you hear me? Are you awake?" He leans over her, getting down on his knees, and places his hand against her good shoulder to ease her back down. "Don't try to move yet, okay? I'm going to call for the doctor." He scampers out the door, yelling for the man's attention.

JENNA: * Jo's response to this sudden rush of activity is first a blank stare, then another low groan, and she reaches her hand up to press against her eyes, fending off a headache. The doctor makes his way in with much less excitement than Shane, taking the other's chair to have a look at his patient. "Well, that's good," he says. "Another day and I might have had to get worried. Feeling all right?" Jo eyes him warily as he checks over her vitals, then she nods. "I'm fine," she says, and this time she might actually be correct.

JUSTIN: * Shane wants to rush to her side again, but a wave of embarrassment mingles with his concern, and he instead hovers back in the middle of the room to watch. He holds his hands clasped in front of him, squeezing them together as an outlet for his excitement. "Careful -- she always says that. I wouldn't take her word for it without double-checking." He quirks a brief grin, but it's hard to do when he's still fighting off his worry.

JENNA: * Jo fixes Shane with a half-hearted glare, but the doctor gives a faint, amuse snort as he finishes checking her over. "Well, she seems to be telling the truth this time. I'll be back to change her bandages in a few hours -- have a couple rounds to make." He stands, straightening his shirt, and starts for the door. "My assistant will be here if you need anything," he remarks to them both. After he's gone, Jo gives a faint sigh, having figured out where they probably are and what might have happened.

JUSTIN: * Shane inches awkwardly in her direction, not knowing what sort of response he can expect from her. "You're sure you're all right? The injuries aside, I mean -- headache, nausea? You must be hungry, you've been out a day and a half at least." He steals the doctor's chair and sits down rigidly.

JENNA: * Jo looks at him silently for a moment, slowly trying to formulate a response following this bombardment. "I said I'm fine," she begins, too groggy to give the statement any irritation. "I'm thirsty," she adds, after a moment, then decides to concede his point. "Hungry, too." Her gaze drifts to the ceiling, then sideways back to him. "What happened?" she asks, though she's pretty sure she can guess the answer.

JUSTIN: * Shane's already halfway out of his chair when her question stops him, and he sits back down on the edge of the seat. "You passed out, Jo. I got you back to town with a little help from your peco." He rubs his nose, looking down at the floor. "The doctor cleaned your wounds, and stiched your arm. He said there will be some... scarring." He looks uncomfortable relating this fact, even though he knows it bothers him more than her.

JENNA: * Jo glances down at her arm, lifting it to have a look at the bandaging. She seems a little surprised, but after a moment she manages a slight shrug. "Long as it still works," she says. She glances up at him, arching an eyebrow and forcing an amused smile. "Badge of honor in the guild," she offers in an effort to make him feel better, then she relaxes again. "Water?"

JUSTIN: * Shane springs up again, as if the energy from his first attempt had been looping inside of him and waiting to leap out again. "Right -- don't move around, okay? I'll be right back." He walks quickly out of the room, then breaks into a jog when he's out of her sight. Once in the kitchen, he quickly goes in search of a glass or mug, and fills her up a glass of cold water. While he's there, he notices a block of cheese sitting on the counter and slices her several pieces to carry back with him.

JENNA: * Contrary as usual, Jo makes an attempt to move as soon as he's out of sight, but it meets with as little success as her first did, and she settles back again, disgruntled. She attempts to clear her expression when he returns, feeling a fresh wave of hunger at the sight of the food and drink.

JUSTIN: * Shane carefully sets the cheese and water down on the chair, moving it closer to the bed to use as a makeshift table. "Let me help you up." He moves to sit down by her head, feeling another wash of embarrassment as he reaches beneath her good arm to help her upright.

JENNA: * She doesn't answer, letting him help her up and prop her back against the pillows. "Sorry," she grumbles, highly annoyed at her own weakness. She does try her best not to sound sullen about it, aware that the bulk of the trouble is her own damn fault to begin with.

JUSTIN: * Once she's settled, Shane grabs the glass of water and holds it out to her, ready to help her drink, too, if she needs the assistance. "Sorry for what?" He asks, sounding sullen in her stead. He's still convinced it's his fault, after all. "Only thing you should be sorry for is worrying me." He bites his tongue, shaking his head wearily as he scoops up the cheese slices in his other hand. The last thing she likely wants is for him to start waxing sentimental. "You'll be back on your feet soon enough."

JENNA: * Jo reaches for the water, shaking her head, and drains it practically in one gulp, setting it in her lap with a long breath. "Sorry for that, then." She looks at the empty glass for a moment, then back at Shane. "Can I have some more water?" she says, offering it back.

JUSTIN: * Shane takes the glass and smiles absently. "Of course. Eat your cheese." He sets the slices down on her lap, getting to his feet and retracing his steps back to the kitchen. When he returns, it's with two glasses and a pitcher of water, and he grins a little as he sets them all down on the chair, then begins to pour her another helping.

JENNA: * In the meantime, Jo's begun to partake of the cheese, though she reaches quickly for the glass when it's offered to her. Polishing it off, she returns to eating, then looks around the room with some trepidation. "I hope I don't have to stay here long.." She slumps back, looking at her lap again.

JUSTIN: "You won't." Shane drops onto the floor, leaning back on his hands and watching her. "Just until you're feeling better. But I suspect that will be up to the doctor as much as you." He gives her a stern look, lifting a finger to point accusingly. "If you take it easy for once and listen to someone else's advice, you'll heal up that much faster."

JENNA: * Jo grunts noncommittally, looking almost plaintive as she considers staying in bed for several more days. The thought is appalling, making her that much more determined to heal and get back on her feet as fast as she can. "How long was I out?" she asks finally, keeping after her food.

JUSTIN: "Day and a half, two days... something like that." Shane steers his watch away from her, before she has an opportunity to feel uncomfortable. "I've kept busy, more or less." It's half true, anyway. Or at least partly. "I washed your clothes. Well, except for the ones you're wearing."

JENNA: * Jo nods slowly. "Then at least I'll be ready to go." This seems to cheer her very slightly. "Are the pecos doing all right?" She doesn't seem to care much about the answer, mostly wanting something to occupy her mind besides the fact that she's stuck in a bed for the near future. "Though I guess they don't have much to worry about ..."

JUSTIN: * Shane smiles, rubbing at the back of his neck. "Well, I can't say I've been looking after them personally." He feels mildly guilty about that -- he completely forgot about them in favor of Jo. "But I stabled them at the inn, and paid to have them fed and groomed." He sighs quietly, flopping onto his back and settling his arms beneath his head. "Some birds have it so easy."

JENNA: * Jo snorts faintly. "Glad I'm not one ... I'd hate to be the one carrying people around all the time." She sighs, mind drifting off again. She hadn't really had a plan in mind the last disastrous time she ran off, but she'd had a direction. "Haven't been to Al De Baran in a while," she remarks, then looks surprised she said it out loud, reddening slightly.

JUSTIN: "Al De Baran?" Shane echoes her, lifting his head to have a look at her face. Clear curiousity is on his own. "What's in Al De Baran?"

JENNA: * She scratches her cheek, gaze drifting away. "It's where I was born.. I don't go there much. But there might be a couple easy jobs .. before we did any hard traveling again."

JUSTIN: * Shane cocks his head to the side, watching her with even more curiousity now. He puzzles over what to say for a moment, fairly certain that if he pries too much, it will only agitate her. "I see... always thinking about the next job, eh?" He smiles a little. "I guess one of us has to." His hand comes up to scratch at his cheek. "You were born there? Do you know much about your biological parents?"

JENNA: * Jo frowns slightly, looking thoughtful. "I just .. don't like to be idle," she explains, then straightens slightly, folding her hands in her lap. "I don't know much about them, really ... my mother was part of some noble house or other, and my father was a traveler from somewhere or other, so I'm told. I don't know the details, but obviously things got a little out of hand."

JUSTIN: * Shane's eyebrows arch noticably, and he sits himself upright. "A noble house? But wouldn't that make /you/ a noble?" His legs cross under him, and he watches her with new awe and interest.

JENNA: "No, that makes me the bastard child of a noble house," she corrects him, grinning. "And the subject of great scandal if anyone were to find out about me -- so obviously the options were to either kill me or give me away." She pauses, eating the last of her cheese. "Happily, they chose the latter."

JUSTIN: "Oh, but that's not fair at all!" Shane hops to his feet, apparently getting into this story. "You can't choose your own father. You still have a noble birthright!" His energy peeters off, noting by the way Jo recalls the story, she must not care as much as he does. "It doesn't bother you...?"

JENNA: * Jo shakes her head, grinning at him again. "I made my own way. When I was a kid, the others used to bother me about it ... but I only had to beat them up a few times before they stopped. Then I moved, and that was that. I don't have any idea who I was born to, but my parents are in Prontera." She leans back again, comfortably.

JUSTIN: * Shane returns to the floor slowly, curling his legs under himself again. "But when was the last time you talked to your parents in Prontera, Jo?" He curls his fingers into the carpet, not sure if he should continue prodding her for personal information.

JENNA: * She shrugs slightly. "I'll be back through there again sometime." That appears to be all she wants to say on the matter. "Anyway, I brought it up because there are plenty of rich people there and plenty of things they'd want guarded ... even if they really aren't in any danger at all. So it makes a simple job to sit by a vault all night while some paranoid nobleman hires extra staff."

JUSTIN: * Shane scratches his head, staring off to the side absently. "Right..." He continues to stare quietly for a moment, then shrugs, shaking his head and getting back to his feet. "Anyway, we'll worry about that when we get there, okay? Nothing to be done about it now." He poors himself a glass of water, and refills hers while he's at it. "Do you want a proper meal? I doubt that cheese will hold you for long."

JENNA: * Jo nods. "Yeah.. guess I'm still hungry." She reaches for her glass, taking a drink of water before setting it down again, then she flexes her injured arm experimentally. It still hurts, but less than it did before. She gives a slightly satisfied nod and lets it drop again.

JUSTIN: * Shane nods, taking a sip of his own water before setting it down again and turning to leave the room. He's not sure he should start digging into the doctor's food anymore than he has, so he instead heads out to the inn, to order a meal and bring it back to her.

JENNA: * In the meantime, the doctor returns, noting Jo's improvement and changing her bandages -- which gives her a first look at how her injuries are doing. She doesn't seem bothered, listening patiently as the doctor recommends an exercise regimen to get her body back and functioning faster. To her irritation, he recommends staying put for a week before traveling.

JUSTIN: * It's not long after this talk that Shane comes waddling back into the room, balancing a couple plates on his arm and holding a large mug of something hot in his other hand. He blinks at the sight of the doctor, and then hurries over to clear a spot on the chair for his load. "What did I miss?"

JENNA: "Not much, just letting her know a few things she can do to recover faster." Jo gives the man a mutinous stare, which he returns with a bland look. "Don't overdo it, if you want to cut your time down," he tells her, then stands, nodding to Shane, and leaves the room with an air of amusement. Jo heaves an irritable sigh and slumps back against the pillows.

JUSTIN: * Shane sits down on the edge of her bed by her feet, turning to look at her with a raised eyebrow. "Well, you do want to speed your recovery, don't you? How long did he say until you're ready to leave?"

JENNA: "A week," she growls, staring at the ceiling, then she shakes her head stubbornly. "It won't take that long." If nothing else, it's clear, because she won't let it. She turns her gaze back to him, however, then spies the food nearby and sighs. "I'm hungry," she says finally, frustration giving way to more immediate needs.

JUSTIN: * Shane tuts quietly, getting to his feet again and stretching. "That's certainly longer than I thought it would be..." He smirks, looking down at her and her newfound grumpiness with a little amusement. "But I should hardly be surprised, after everything you did." He reaches over the plates of food and grabs some rice between his fingertips, ferrying it to his mouth quickly. "Just don't do anything foolish. The doctor knows more than either of us."

JENNA: * She utters a low grumbling noise, reaching for her plate with some effort. "It's just riding.. doesn't take a lot of effort." She falls short of her goal and scowls slightly, trying to shift herself into a better position. "Damn lizards."

JUSTIN: * Shane snorts, pulling another chair around and seating himself, using her bed as a footrest. "I don't think it's the effort that's the problem, it's the movement. All that jostling around. I don't need to remind you that you fainted last time, do I?"

JENNA: * Jo glares at him a moment, then kicks him from under the covers. "Give me my plate!" she demands, deciding the effort is futile from her current position. She then sinks back, sighing. "It won't be as bad this time," she mutters. "I'll be careful."

JUSTIN: * Shane scoops up her plate, leaning over to rub his shin where her foot connected, and shoots her a mockingly hurt expression. "What does the proper young lady say when she wants something?" He holds the plate just out of her reach.

JENNA: * Jo tries to reach for it in spite of knowing it's well out of range, then she turns a glare toward him. "Do you /want/ me to hurt you?" she says, though it seems plain she isn't actually angry about it.

JUSTIN: * Shane turns her a stern look right back. "You could have said it three times and with less effort, by now." He moves the plate until it touches her fingertips. "Now come on, I know there's an ounce of politeness in there somewhere."

JENNA: * Jo gives him a hard look, then huffs a sigh, rolling her eyes. "/Please?/" Her expression becomes, while not sullen, almost pouty, and she drops her hands into her lap with a look that says that better be good enough.

JUSTIN: * Shane stares at her for a long second, as if sizing her up with utmost scrutiny. Then he smiles, almost evilly, and leans over with a bowing flourish to place the plate in her lap. "Yes, you may have your plate." He then sits back again, grabbing his own to join her in eating.

JENNA: * Jo strongly considers chucking a piece of meat at him, then decides it's a waste of the food and starts eating instead. She finds herself ravenously hungry, and it's some time before she stops eating long enough to speak. ".. Well, at least the food won't be terrible," she says.

JUSTIN: * Shane shrugs his shoulders, giving her a sideways glance. "Who said I was going to get every meal from the inn?" He smiles, popping a piece of cornbread into his mouth, chewing, and then swallowing before continuing. "If the doctor allows, I'll buy some produce from the general store and cook myself. Cheaper that way, and gives me something to do."

JENNA: * Jo shoots him a suspicious look. "Cheaper, sure ..." She turns back to her plate, which has just about been demolished, and starts cleaning it up. "I guess I can give you a chance." She takes a long sip of water once she's finished with the rest of her food.

JUSTIN: * Shane looks playfully indignant, setting his plate aside for the moment. "I make better food than this for midnight snacks." He smiles with a little pride, but soon gets up to his feet to collect their emptied plates. "And if you don't like it -- as unlikely as that notion is -- there's always the jerky."

JENNA: * Jo makes a face at him. "I can stomach almost anything," she challenges him, "so do you worst." She settles back, letting him take the plates, not entirely sure of what she just said but willing to ignore it in favor of resting. She's suddenly feeling tired. "Of course, if I end up dying, I guess I'll just haunt you in retribution." She yawns.

JUSTIN: * Shane stops on his way to the door, turning to look at her over her shoulder. "Now don't you start with things like that. Let's keep this humor clean, hm?" He picks up a piece of leftover rice and flicks it at her, then heads out the door to return his borrowed plates to the inn.

JENNA: * Jo wrinkles her nose, fending him off even though the missile falls far short of her. Once he's gone, she yawns again and sighs, shifting down until she's lying instead of sitting. She has a little trouble with the pillows, which don't seem to want to take a more comfortable shape, but even so, it doesn't take her long to doze off completely.

JUSTIN: * Shane comes back to find her dozing, and he casually fixes her blanket before recovering his book and settling into his chair again. He props his feet up like before, careful not to touch her, and flips the pages open to continue reading.