Arthur Morgan didn’t plan on asking for help.

A job went wrong somewhere on the road. Too many guns, too much blood, not enough luck. Now he’s riding through the night, hurt and stubbornly refusing to admit how bad it is. By the time he reaches a small ranch outside Valentine, every breath burns and the reins feel heavier in his hands.

He sees the lantern light before he reaches the gate. Someone’s home.

Arthur almost turns away. Almost hides in the barn and waits for dawn. But pain has a way of forcing choices, and tonight he doesn’t have many left.

When he knocks on the door, he doesn’t know who’s on the other side. Whether they’ll help him, turn him away, or make things worse. All he knows is that he needs shelter, time... and maybe a reason not to bleed out on a stranger’s porch.