Doc stepped out of the General Store, waved goodbye to the proprietor Wilbur Jonas and slowly made his way toward the Long Branch.
He entered thought the swinging doors with a smile on his face that lit up the room and caused Ms. Kitty, who had been updating her books, to smile in return.
"What's got you so happy today Doc?" she asked placing her pencil on the bar.
"Well," the old doctor said with a swipe at his mustache. "You know Festus birthday is coming up."
"Yes," Kitty replied. "We're planning a party, aren't we?"
Doc nodded before he continued. "I just ordered a present for him at Jonas place that he is just going to hate."
"What did you do Doc," Kitty asked leaning in close. She of all people knew how much the two men cared for each other whether they were willing to admit it or not.
"I got him...," Doc started and stopped when the deputy walked into the Saloon.
"What ya looking at me like that fer," the hill man asked stepping up to the bar beside the old doctor.
"Can't I look at you when you walk in," the cranky old man replied pointing at the deputy. "Or are you so high and mighty with that badge on that you can't be seen."
"Now listen here ya old scutter," Festus said angrily.
"Boys, boys," Kitty said setting two beers down in front of them. "Can't we all just get along."
Both men picked up their drinks and turned in opposite directions of each other to sip the contents of their mugs.
Kitty smiled as Matt stepped into the bar.
Seeing the two men ignoring each other, he stepped up to the bar between them. "How are things?" he asked with a wink aimed toward the owner of the Saloon.
"Fine," Kitty replied with a grin. "Can't you tell."
"Well," Doc said putting his drink on the bar. "I got to get going. I've got a few rounds to make."
"Me to," Festus replied setting his drink on the bar as well. "I got posters at the jail to hang."
The two men headed for the door at the same time. Doc pushed past Festus as he stepped onto the board walk.
"Why don't you watch where yer going," Festus said edging his way out first.
"Why don't you take some advice and put on a coat," Doc said angrily. "Don't you know it looks like snow today."
"Phaw...," Festus said breathing deeply. "It's just right fer fall."
"Fine," Doc said shuffling toward his buggy, pulling his own coat around him. "It would serve you right if you stood out here and caught your death of cold."
"And what would you care," Festus yelled back as the man climbed into his carriage. "Ya ain't no good at doctoring anyway."
Doc harrumphed as he pulled off and Festus just waved a hand at the man's buggy.
"Dang old scutter," he said making his way toward the jail. "Don't know what he talking about half the time."
Festus pulled out the posters that Matt wanted him to hang, and grabbed a hammer along with some nails and stepped outside.
Humming as he worked, the wind suddenly blew cold and Festus thought about going to the stable to retrieve his coat, but he had put off hanging the posters long enough.
So ignoring the cool dampness of the wind, Festus hung the posters until the last vestiges of day light were gone and all that was left was the glow of the moon.
Stepping back inside the jail, he watched as Matt looked up from his paper work.
"They all done Matthew," Festus said with a yawn as he put his hands toward the warmth of the stove.
"Fine Festus," the Marshal replied returning to his work. "Why don't you head on over to the stable, you look done in."
Festus nodded as he made his way toward the door. "Night Matthew," he said stepping out onto the board walk.
Heading toward the stable, he looked up as the first flakes of snow started to fall. "Well what ya know," he said nonchalantly. "That old scutter was right."
Climbing into bed, he pulled the covers up over his head and within minutes, he was fast asleep.
The next morning, Kitty watched as the hill man stepped into the Saloon, stomping the snow from his boots and looked up, his face ashen, his eyes watering, a handkerchief to his nose.
"Festus," she said as the man ambled up to the bar. "You doing alright?"
The deputy opened his mouth to speak but a monstrous sneeze escaped instead. "Just a cold Miss Kitty," the hill man replied after seeing the concern in the woman's face.
With a slight frown, the woman spoke. "You should go see Doc."
"What fer," Festus replied indigently. "All he gonna do is give me a spoonful of caster oil and charge me fer it."
"Still," Kitty replied. "You should at least let him take a look at you."
"Ain't doing it," Festus stated pulling out a bottle from the pocket of his jacket. "Got this here elixir from Jonas. That all I a needing."
"Now you know Doc don't like you going to get that stuff," Kitty said reading the label. "It don't have no medical benefits at all."
"Foot, Miss Kitty," Festus said taking back the bottle. "It keeping me warm," the hill man said running a hand across his brow.
Kitty noticed the perspiration for the first time. "It's not that warm in here Festus," she said absently. "And that elixir wouldn't make you sweat like that. You may have a fever."
"Phaw," Festus said heading for the door. "I just need to go back to the stable and lay down."
Kitty pursed her lips, she didn't enjoy the thought of Festus in that cold tack room at the stable but it wasn't for her to say. However, it didn't mean that she couldn't say something to Doc about what she had seen when the medical man returned from his rounds later that day.