Doc and Kitty were sitting together in the Longbranch when Matt came in. "Festus still not back?" asked the marshal.

Kitty shook her head. "It's three days since he rode out. I'm starting to worry about him."

"Well, I'm not," huffed Doc. "Now that the drought broke, he probably went fishing and forgot to come back." He fixed Matt with a steely eye. "I suppose you should go find him, in case he forgot how to get back." There was a jingle of spurs outside and Doc's face lit up for a moment, then he scowled ferociously and turned.

Festus came through the swinging doors and stopped at the bar. Kitty got up and joined him. "Festus, where have you been? We were getting worried."

"I wasn't!" snapped Doc.

Festus looked over at Doc and shook his head. "Doc, yore just gettin' meaner ever' day, ain'tcha?" He turned back to Kitty. "Well, I got caught out in that rain and soaked clean through and then I wuz feelin' a little peaked..."

Kitty smiled. "Would a whiskey help?"

"It sure would." Doc looked at Matt and snorted. They were all used to the deputy's innocent ploys to get free drinks. Then he heard the coughing and looked around sharply. Festus was leaning on the bar, his whole body shaking in a coughing fit.

"Just a minute, Sam," said the old man, coming over to the deputy. Festus had stopped coughing but his face was flushed and he still leaned on the bar for support. Doc felt his forehead and looked at his eyes, then ran his hand over his face. "Come on up to the office."

"Doc, I don't need no office visit. Just a little whiskey..." Festus looked at Sam, but the bartender had already put the bottle away. "Miss Kitty?" She smiled and shook her head. Festus glared at Doc. "You just cain't stand to see a man have a well-earned drink, can you?"

"The day you have a well-earned drink is the day there'll be snow in August! Let's go."

As they started out the doors, Doc tripped and almost fell over a half-grown orange kitten that wound itself between his feet. Festus caught his friend, then bent and picked up the kitten. "There you are."

"Festus, you got a cat?" asked Kitty, coming over to scratch the little animal behind the ears.

"Not exactly. When I got caught out there in the rain I wuz makin' for shelter, and then I seen this little feller stuck up in a tree..."

"Oh, for Heaven's sake," said Doc. "Don't tell me you risked your life in that storm climbing a tree to rescue a kitten?" Matt had come over and was trying not to laugh.

Festus looked sheepish. "Well, he wuz stuck up there and what with the storm comin' I couldn't just leave him, could I?"

Matt sighed. "Festus, have you ever seen a cat skeleton in a tree?"

The deputy looked puzzled. "Matthew?"

"I'm sure the kitten would have been just fine if you had left it alone."

"Well, that may be, but I warn't takin' no chances."

"Except with your health," said Doc, annoyed. "Let's go." Festus cast a longing look at the bar, but Matt gave him a stern look and he went with Doc.

Once in the office, Festus put the kitten on the floor and sat on the examination table while Doc took out a tongue depressor. "Say aaahh."

"What?"

"Open your mouth and say aaahh."

Festus drew back. "Why?"

"I want to look at your throat."

"Cain't you see it from where you are?"

"I want to look at the inside of your throat! Now say aaahh!" Doc advanced on the deputy, who subsided and opened his mouth. The old man peered carefully, then stepped back, regarding his friend with exasperation.

"Well, you've got a cold."

"I know that, Doc. I don't need to climb up here to have you tell me that."

Doc ran his hand over his face and turned to his medicine cabinet. "I have some pills here." He stopped talking and sneezed. "And I'm going to give you some laudunum for that cough." Doc rubbed his eyes, which were beginning to water. He sneezed again. Festus looked worried.

"'Pears to me you better keep them things, Doc. You sound like you might be gettin' sick yoreself."

Doc turned on him fiercely. "I am not getting sick! I'm allergic to your cat."

"Oh, there you go again with them long words that don't mean a thing. I'm gonna put this kitten outside, 'cause he might be makin' you sneeze. My Aunt Thede couldn't have a cat near the house. Why, she would sneeze 'til her nose swole up like a bullfrog on a summer night."

Festus picked up the kitten and deposited it outside, then sat back down.