Charlie and Asa dragged Adam down the street and across the way to the jail house. Opening the cell door and dropping Adam on the bed Charlie turned around to Asa and said, "He's gonna be madder than a hornet when he comes to. I better get the key and lock him up" as Charlie walked to the near by desk.

"No Charlie," replied Asa as he grabbed the cell door. "We gonna leave this unlocked." as he flipped the hinge over the lock. "But he'll get out Mr. Moran." said Charlie with fear in his voice. "That's right," said, Asa nodding his head and stepping towards Charlie. "He'll get out and when he does he's gonna get killed for trying to escape. See we.. we.. we gotta keep him quiet now Charlie.. And were gonna keep him quiet for good and all." Asa began to laugh while Charlie just watched.

A while later Ben came into the jail house demanding to see Adam. Asa refused him any right to see Adam or even let Ben post bail. Ben left the jail house in anger slamming the door behind him. Ben told Hoss and Joe to stay outside the jail house because he would return with Doc Martin and Judge Jackson. Adam woke to a throbbing pain in the back of his head. He reached over and with the tip of his fingers he lightly touched the lump and dried blood on his head. The last thing he remembered he was talking to Charlie. Blinking hard Adam tried to shake the dizziness now over taking his vision it slowly turned the wall he was looking at.

The uncomfortable bed Adam was laying on was what he registered next. He slowly turned himself over while fighting back the nausea now messing with his stomach he realized he was in jail. Arrested for what? Adam didn't know pulling himself steadily upright Adam sat at the edge of the hard cot. He called out, "Asa! Asa! you come in here right now!" After several attempts there was no answer. Adam realized the sound of his own yelling was not helping his headache.

Adam forced himself to stand wobbling a little as he fought to remain upright. He reached the bars of the cell door and began shaking them at first just to make noise to get Asa's attention. Then he realized he was getting angrier by the minute and began shaking the cell bars harder. Suddenly the cell door hinge flew open Adam looked at the door in shock. The cell door wasn't even locked Adam immediately knew it was a set up and hesitated as he pushed the cell door open. At the very moment Asa opened the wooden doors separating the cell and the office and shot Adam without a second thought. Adam's body and arms flew back and he landed in a seated position on the cot.

Adam looked down to where he was hit, the blood began to seep through his hands. He closed his eyes and hoped this wouldn't be the death of him. Asa holstered his gun and made his way to the cell door and closed it. He looked at Adam and said, "You're lucky I only shot you once for trying to escape," Adam didn't respond his mind was lost in the shock of just being shot. Asa locked the cell doors and then closed the wooden doors behind him. Little Joe and Hoss heard the gun shot and knew instantly Adam was in trouble. Hoss practically ripped the jail house door off it's hinges. An angry Joe and Hoss now stood in front of Asa and demanded he let them see Adam.

Asa refused both of them to see Adam, again Asa repeated the charges against Adam and said only a Judge could over rule his authority. Hoss nearly lost it and was getting ready to knock out Asa when Ben, Judge Jackson and Doc Martin walked in. Ben's eyes opened wide at first in anger when he strictly told the boys to wait for him outside. Little Joe turned to his Pa and was the first to speak, "Pa! Adam's been shot!" "He did what to Adam!" yelled Ben in anger and turned to Judge Jackson. "Paul better be allowed to tend to Adam or so help me you'll have to arrest me too after I have my way with Asa" Judge Jackson told Ben to calm down and asked how do they know the gun shot they heard was Adam being shot?

Joe turned to the Judge and said "Hoss and I heard it! It came from the Jail house, you gotta let us help him!" Hoss agreed nodding his head and wishing they'd understand the urgency of the situation "I know Asa shot him Judge Jackson, he never liked Adam none." Judge Jackson turned to Asa and told him, "Asa You better open those doors if you want to keep your job" Asa grabbed the keys and hesitated slowly walking as he tried to make excuses to delay the opening of the doors. Judge Jackson in his short patience yanked the keys from Asa's hands and opened the wooden doors. The site that greeted the men sent Ben flying past everyone towards the cell bars. There was a trail of blood from the cell door to the bed and a bit of splatter in the back of the cell. Adam was sitting in a slumped position with his head down and his hands were completely covered in blood. With both hands on the cell bars Ben called to Adam but Adam didn't move.

Ben prayed in his mind that Adam was some how still alive. When Judge Jackson opened the cell door Ben was the first one in and Doc Martin followed right after. Hoss looked back towards Asa with a look like a hell hound seeking it's prey. Judge Jackson got real close to Asa and said, "You better have a good reason for shooting a prisoner" Asa replied in a low voice, "he tried to escape" Judge Jackson yelled back, "ESCAPE! How could he try to escape if the cell door was locked!?" The commotion in the cell drew back the Judges attention Ben and Doc Martin had carefully laid Adam flat his back. Doc Martin had lifted Adam's shirt and examined the wound. "Turn him over," said the Doc to Ben together they turned Adam on his side, the doc pulled up Adam's shirt again and said, "the bullet went clean through that's the good news" he said taking clean cloths from his bag and pressing it on both sides of the wound. "The bad news is judging by Adam's shirt and pants he's lost a lot blood.

"Will he live?" asked Ben in deep concern Doc Martin replied, "if we can stop the bleeding and he doesn't get an infection. We'll have to move him to my office I can't fix him up in this place I need more bandages and supplies." Hoss took that as a sign and lifted Adam from the bed bridal style and headed to toward the door with Doc Martin, Ben and Little Joe behind him. "Wait a minute!" Yelled Asa "You can't take him he's still my prisoner!" Judge Jackson in anger grabbed Asa by the shirt with both hands and said, "Well I'm a Judge and I have the authority to remove charges. Adam is free to go take him to Doc Martins as for you Asa." He pushed Asa back a bit releasing his grip and ripped the Sheriff's badge off his shirt. "You and your deputy are no longer working for the Law and if Adam lives I never want to see you or Charlie in Virginia City again. Now Get out!" Asa in anger picked his hat off the ground and left the jail house with Charlie behind him.

At Doc Martins office Adam's shirt was taken off and he was laid down on bed. Doc Martin rolled up his sleeves and asked for a bowl of water and some more bandages. "Hold this here," said Doc Martin to Ben instructing him to hold the cloth to the wound to stop the bleeding. Doc Martin stood up and stepped away to wash his hands. Adam had not moved or opened his eyes since they got to him. Ben placed a hand on Adam's forehead and was grateful not to find a fever. Doc Martin returned with a small tray it had a needle and thread and a small jar of some salve. Doc Martin asked Ben to move aside and took a new cloth from the water bowl that had been placed next to Adam on tiny table next to the bed. Doc Martin cleaned the wound as best as he could and stitched Adam up on both side quickly. He asked for help in sitting Adam up while he wrapped long strips of bandages around Adam's lower abdomen.

Doc Martin then checked the head wound Ben had told him about earlier. Doc Martin took advantage of Adam's position and pushed Adam's hair aside quickly locating the head wound. There was a bit of dried blood but it did not require stitches. The Doc wrapped a strip of bandage around Adam's head and Adam was carefully laid down. Ben lifted the sheets covering Adam's legs and tucked them around Adam's shoulders. He then looked up to the Doc and before Ben could speak Doc Martin interjected, "Adam's heart is strong and he's young but it might be a while before Adam wakes up. I don't want him moved until he's fully awake and I've done another exam. Adam's weak from blood loss and he's needs plenty of fluids and food to get his strength back. You gentlemen can go eat and get a room at the hotel and get some rest."

Ben heard everything Paul had said but true to his Papa bear nature he just pulled up a chair next to Adam's bed and grabbed Adam's hand. Little Joe and Hoss both looked at each other and already knew what their Pa was planning. No one could move Pa away from a sick or injured son. Hoss broke the silence and said, "well OK Pa Little Joe and I will get us some rooms at the hotel and we'll bring you some grub in a bit." Ben nodded his head and replied, "OK Boys I'll just be here with Adam." Doc Martin had finished cleaning up the mess that was made and placed a pitcher of water and two glasses on the table next to Adam's bed. "Have some water Ben and if Adam wakes up get him to drink some too. I have some paper work to do I'll be back to check on Adam in a while." Ben nodded his head and went back to staring at his eldest son's pale face and continued praying for his recovery."

To be continued..