Doc peered over the swing doors of the Long Branch in hopes that Kitty wasn't too busy with customers. In fact the opposite was more the fact as there was hardly a soul in the place. Doc quickly checked his watch and realized why - it was only just after ten in the morning, "Heavens! I can't even seem to tell the time today," he muttered to himself as he pushed through the doors and stepped down to the main floor. With a swipe of his right hand he brushed his moustache as walked toward the long dark wooden bar, "Good morning Sam," he smiled.
"Well good morning to you too, Doc," Sam's smiles always seem to crease every inch of his weathered face. Doc smiled back and looked down the bar at Kitty who was leaning over the end looking at her books. Doc set his hand on the bar and walked toward his dear friend sliding his hand along the way as he often did.
"Last time you did that you got a sliver," Kitty looked from under her thick eyelashes with a mischievous smile on her face as she watched Doc pull his hand back quickly. She chuckled at her old friend's expense.
"Pshaw," was all Doc could say as he nestled in next to Kitty. "Are you trying to cook the books?" he said as he waved his hand around the empty saloon. His eyes twinkled with mischief.
"Well you sure are in fine form this morning!" Kitty's eyebrows rose up to her red curley bangs.
"You would be too if you ran into Festus first thing," Doc grumbled.
"What did Festus do now?" Kitty closed her book and crossed her arms on the bar.
"I think he needs his eyes tested. I was some fella ride into town and he looked like he meant business. I even saw him at the livery. Festus didn't see anyone at all. It was strange, I must admit..." Doc frowned as he was now doubting himself.
"Well, maybe this fella went into the livery," Kitty offered.
"Maybe. The strangest about him though, was as if I have seen him somewhere before..." Doc's face was slightly twisted in thought.
"Well, you do spend a lot of time with Matt at the jail. Maybe you've seen his wanted poster..." Kitty offered.
Doc scratched his ear, "Yeah, that must be it. I wanted to tall Matt about him anyway. He sure looked like he had someone in mind."
Kitty smiled, "Maybe you need to take your mind off of him for a spell," she said as she stepped behind the bar, "would you like a coffee?"
Doc nodded and then remembered the package he was carrying around, "oh, and I have to show you this..." he set it down on the bar and waited for Kitty to return. Kitty set down a blue and white mug and then filled it with steaming hot coffee, "So what is it, Doc?" she watched him unwrap the package.
"This, Miss Kitty Russell, is a trial sample of Lydia E. Pinkham's Vegetable Compound." Doc mused as he looked the bottle over.
"What on earth is that?" Kitty looked up to Doc.
"I'm surprised you haven't read about it," Doc teased, "after all it's a women's tonic with written testimonials and all!"
Kitty made a face, "A woman's tonic?!"
Doc nodded and sat the bottle of dark liquid on the bar as he retrieved his eyeglasses. Now, even Sam was interested in this tonic, "What's does it do, Doc?"
Doc pulled the arms of his glasses over his ear nd then picked up the bottle and adjusted it so he could read the blue and yellow paper label, "It seems like it will cure just about everything a woman has wrong with her..." he said as he looked over his glasses.
"I can well imagine what that is made of..." Kitty made a funny face and chuckled, "maybe I can hock it in here as a hangover cure..." she rolled her eyes as she picked up the bottle to read it. Sam and Doc both snickered but that was short lived when Doc saw the mystery man he'd seen before, at the door.
Both Kitty and Sam were reading the ingredients and not paying attention to Doc who studied the man at the saloon doorway. The tall man glared back with not emotion on his face at all. Doc swallowed, "Kitty..." he looked away to get Kitty's attention, "that fellow is at the door..." Kitty looked up to Doc and then to the door but the only person there was Matt, "Doc...that is Matt," she said unamused as Doc looked back to the door, "are you all right?"
Doc looked back to the door and sighed, "I'm beginning to think not," he looked down at his coffee and decided that he no longer wanted it.
"I'll get something to help," Kitty made a face at Sam who was now looking over to the door and watching Matt saunter to the bar next to Doc.
Matt leaned forward and adjusted his hat back on his head, "You okay Doc? You look like you've seen a ghost! Maybe some of that stuff will help you," he pointed to the Lydia Pinkham bottle and chuckled while smiling at Kitty and Sam who made faces trying not to get Doc's dander up.
Doc shot a glance up to Matt, "Very funny Matt," he grumbled then returned his eyes to the door. Matt returned his look to Kitty who slid a glass of whiskey over to Doc, "Don't ask me, he's been like this all morning," Kitty then looked to the door to see if anyone was there. She could only shrug for there was no one out on the boardwalk that wasn't normally there - the same town folks going on about their daily business.
Matt looked at Doc and then to the doorway as well. He knew something was bothering his friend but he wasn't going to push the issue right at that moment. He was going to let Doc settle down for a bit and let him initiate the conversation - especially if it bothered the physician as much as it seemed to have.