Zachariah and Clement entered the Long Branch Saloon and strolled to a vacant table in the middle of the room. Again, Clement was more interested in looking around the room and it decor than anything else. However, Zach was looking around the room for the women, when his eyes spotted Jane Rose at the bar. He wet his lips as he sat down, watching her every move.

Sam spotted the two men. "Do you know them, Jane?" the bar keep asked.

"I've never seen them in here. Maybe Kitty has," the young saloon girl shrugged.

"I'll see what they want," Sam said as he stepped out from behind the bar and walked to the table where the Clanton brothers sat, "What can I get you?" he asked. He watched the older man carefully.

Zach's eyes shifted to the bar keep, "We'll have some beer," he said. "Who is that?" he then indicated his interest in the brunet at the bar.

"Jane Rose McKay. She works for Kitty Russell how owns the Long Branch," Sam wasn't sure that it mattered to the man whether or not Kitty owned the saloon, but he felt it gave the statement some weight.

"Jane Rose McKay, huh?" Zach grew more interested.

"Beer! Yeah! Beers," Clement chimed in, clapping his hands together and then on top of the green-felt covered table.

"Calm down, Clem," Zachariah reminded his brother. "You're in a saloon, so act proper," he scolded further, as he pointed his finger at his younger brother.

Clement frowned at the comment, "I never get to have any fun," he mumbled causing Zach to roll his eyes, "Never mind him," he said to Sam. "He gets excited easily," he added.

Sam nodded and wove his way back to the bar to get beer.

"So?" Jane asked.

"New comers, I guess. They seem all right to me. That younger one thought," Sam noted, "seems a little odd," he smiled slightly as he placed the beer mugs on the try.

"I'll take that, Sam," Jane smiled.

Sam shrugged, "Sure," he said and went back to work behind the bar.

Randall had moved a little further into the doctor's office, "I'm Randall Clanton," he firmly stated with hat in hand.


Kitty, Festus ans Newly exchanged looks as if they were to understand the younger man.

"My father is General Stirling Clanton," he added as if that would kick any dust off the memories of the three people that stood in front of him.

"So?" Festus had to ask with his eyebrows arched in question.

Clearly no one in the room had heard of the General, "Look, it doesn't matter. My father is sick and he needs to see that doctor," he stepped closer to the trio.

Newly stepped forward, "Doc is pretty sick himself," he looked back into the bed room. His eyes came back to Randall, "Maybe I can help," he tried to smile.

"You're a deputy," Randall laughed. "Like that will help. I don't want him arrested," he further scoffed.

Newly drew a deep breath, "Yes, I'm a deputy, but I'm also a part time doctor," he pointed out. "My name is Newly O'Brien," he continued as he watched Randall move further into the office to get a look at the so-called sick doctor.

Festus' hand stayed close to this gun on his hip as he watched the younger man move to the bed room. Kitty glanced at Newly and Festus nervously.

Clanton stopped at the doorway, "What's he got?" he looked back at the little huddled group in the doctor's office.

"We don't know. Could be a bad cold or a flu," Kitty said as she turned and face the young man. "What's you're father got?" she asked just as curtly as Randall did.

Clanton looked down, "Look, I'm sorry," he slowly looked up. "I'm just worried about my father," he his sighed, "I need that doctor to look at him."

"Well, until Doc is feeling up to, it, I guess I'm all we've got here in Dodge," Newly stated. "I can look at him now, if you want," O'Brien was reaching for Doc's medical bag.

"It's not that easy," Randall confessed. "Father won't just see any doctor," he noted.

Doc moaned from the back room and then began to sputter, "Spiders! Good God there's spiders everywhere!" he bellowed causing everyone in the office to race to the door to see what the doctor was barking about. Newly squeezed passed the three others and sat now on the bed next to the doctor who was trashing around, "Easy Doc, there's no spiders here," he spoke calmly and too the doctor by the shoulders.

There was a look of absolute terror on the doctor's face and his eyes fluttered as he slowly woke up. Sweat was pouring down his face and he was breathing hard.

"It was just a dream," Newly smiled.

Doc drew his hand down over his face and relaxed back to the bed and closed his eyes; he was still huffing.

Kitty handed Newly a damp cloth, which he used to dab the sweat form the doctor's face. "Is he okay, Newly?" she asked with concern; her eyebrows furrowed in question.

"I think so. He just had a bad dream, I guess," the young deputy suggested. "It was likely brought on by the fever," he added.

Kitty shook her head in despair, "Poor fella," she sighed as she watched newly mop the doctor's forehead.

"Like I was a tellin' ya, I could cure him right quick," Festus stated from the doorway. Both Kitty and Newly looked over their shoulders at the hill man. "Wall, I could," he said sheepishly as he tucked his thumbs into the armholes of his vest.


Jane Rose sat and chatted with Zachariah and Clement, "How long are you in town for?" she finally asked, while she ran her right index finger around the rim of her glass.

Zach shrugged, "A few days. Randall is hoping to have a doctor look at father," he said before he took a mouth full of beer.

"Pa's awful sick," Clement nodded.

"I'm sorry to hear that," Jane said with a tinge of sadness. "I'm sure once Doc's through with him, he'll be as right as rain," she then smiled.

"You have a pretty smile," Zach stated as he leaned forward and look at the saloon girl in the eyes, placing his hand over her left hand.

"Now you behave," Jane Rose winked as she pulled her hand free and got to her feet. "I have other customers," she said as she left the table. She sashayed across the floor to the bar where other customers welcomed her.

"She sure is a pretty lady," Clement noted as he sipped on his beer.

"Yeah, she is that," Zachariah's demeanor changed slightly as he watched Jane Rose interact with other men in the bar. His jowl muscles flexed and his eyes narrowed. With a huff he ordered two more beers. He wanted to taste her lips and run his hands through her dark brown hair. He could still smell the slight scent of her perfume, which hung in the air. This time, Sam brought the drinks much to Zach's chagrin.


Newly and Kitty finally had Doc resting again, and both hoped that he'd not have another bad dream. He looked like he was settled in for the night, which made all concerned happy.

"I can sit with ol' Doc ifin you'd like," Festus offered.

"Thanks Festus. It would be great if you could," Kitty smiled and patted the hill man on the shoulder. "Just don't you go offering any of your uncle Wesley's cure," she playfully scolded the deputy. Festus made a face before he blew a huff out the side of his mouth in exasperation.

Newly stood next to Doc's desk, "If you'd like, I could look at your father," he spoke kindly to Randall.

"Well, it sure looks like the doctor isn't in any condition to doing anything for him," Randall glanced again in the bedroom.

"Have Newly look him over," Kitty urged. "He's helped Doc out a lot," she added.

"I guess we could try," Randall sighed. "You might want to hide your badge, though," he pointed out. "Father is rather particular," he then noted.

Newly picked up Doc's black medical bag and walked to the door with Randall. Kitty and Festus made plans about spelling each other off to watch over Doc. "I'll let Matt know you are up here," Kitty again thanked Festus before he left to return to the Long Branch.

Festus watched the door close, and then wondered what he'd do with himself while he kept an eye on the doctor. There were plenty of books, but knowing how to read, only the photographs would be of interest. With a sigh, the hill man picked a leather bound book from the shelf and sat down at the doctor's desk. He studied the cover for a moment, and even tried to amuse himself as he tried to read the title "Basic Anatomy With Illustrations". With a shrug the hill man opened the book and stared down a the picture in front of him. His mouth slowly dropped open as his eyes widened, "What in tarnation is this?" his voice squeaked as he continued to stare at the illustration of a woman with child, cut in half to see how a baby was born.

Festus quickly flipped the page only to see the close up of a human head with the brain exposed. The hill man's stomach flipped so he shut the book and pushed it away from him, "I ain't ever gonna look at them books again. Readin' my foot," he huffed as he crossed his arms over his chest and frowned.