DEAD MEN PAY THEIR DEBTS.

WHISKEY AND ROSE WINE.

The first thing that Jesse registers is the scent of coffee. Tiredly, he blinks. A form moves around the room. The bed underneath him is soft, and he lets out a small groan as he shifts. The figure in the room stops and hurries over to him.

Jesse squints, trying to make his eyes focus. "Casey?"

"It's me," Casey answers, his voice soft with relief. He reaches out and takes Jesse's hand. He brings it up to his lips and gently presses a kiss to his knuckles. "It's me."

"W-where are we?"

"My house. Careful, Sierra's next to you."

Jesse turns his head to the side, and sure enough, Sierra is asleep next to him, her back to him.

"Your shoulder," he says quietly, as he looks back at Casey. A black circle is on his bicep, something that wasn't there yesterday.

Casey bites his lip, his hand going up to rub at it. It doesn't come off. "I s'pose this is what happens when you make a deal with the devil. You're left with a reminder - a permanent one." He shrugs slightly. "Anyways...You both went through a lot." He reaches out and dabs away the blood beading on Jesse's lip.

"Is Sierra alright?"

"She lost a lot of blood, but Nicolas was there." Casey makes the sign of the cross. "I don't think she woulda survived if he hadn't...he says she'll be alright."

As Casey speaks, Jesse looks around the room, slowly coming back to himself. The curtains are drawn, but light still peeks through, bathing the room in warm golden light. A cup of coffee is set to the side - probably Casey's.

"Casey?" Jesse's lips barely move.

"We don't know what happened to the other people in cloaks," Casey says, not hearing Jesse. "They ran off, and I reckon they won't be back. There are a lot of townspeople missing today."

"Casey."

"Before we left the clearing, I went to that creature's body. The tall one, with the skull of a cow? The body was gone, turned to ash. I waited in the clearing while Nicolas ran to get help. I was terrified, Jesse, of being there alone by myself. Not only that, I was responsible for both you and Sierra, and y'all were dying, and -"

"Casey!" This time Jesse's voice is loud enough to startle even himself. Casey clears his throat and waves a hand for Jesse to continue.

"What is it, love?"

"Casey, I...Casey, I can't..." Jesse's voice is soft with dawning horror. "I can't feel my legs."

Casey stares at him for a moment. "Oh, Jesse."

"I can't feel my legs - Casey, I can't - oh god, why can't I feel my legs?" Jesse's voice rises hysterically. He tries to push himself up, but his ribs scream with pain. "Casey, why can't -"

Casey leans forward and pushes Jesse down as gently as he possibly could. "Nicolas told me this might happen. You..." Casey hesitates, his voice thick. "You took quite a beating to the back there."

"My -"

"He also said," Casey pushes through. "That there's a chance your body can heal itself on its own."

"W-will I ever be able to walk again?"

Casey hesitates again. "Maybe. There's a chance."

Jesse sinks back down onto his bed, the implications of this like a bat to the stomach. This, couped with all the ordeals of the past days all slam together, all at once into him, and he lets out a soft breath. He can't help the tears that well out of him, nor the choked sobs nor the gasping breaths. Casey reaches over, laying a hand on Jesse's shoulder.