The pounding on the door of the office startled her from an exhausted sleep.
"Doc! Doc Adams, open up! Doc!"
Kitty roused herself from the desk chair and unlocked the door to find Ed Waters standing there shivering, his wife Lucy cradled in his arms. Kitty opened the door wide enough for him to come in, then quickly closed it, stopping the blast of cold air.
"Ed! What happened?"
"Lucy done tore out them stitches Doc took in her. She's bleedin' bad from her belly..."
"Put her on the table, I'll get Doc."
Kitty entered the bedroom without knocking, and quickly closed the door behind her. The lantern on the table was still lit, and next to it stood the empty bottle of whiskey. She sat on the edge of the bed and shook Doc's shoulders.
"Doc! Doc, wake up!" The old physician didn't even stir, so Kitty shook him harder. "Doc, you've gotta wake up!" He groaned, and she patted his face lightly. "Come on, Doc..."
A drunken smile lit his lips as he playfully swatted her hand away from his cheek. "Kitty? What're ya doin' that fer?"
"Oh Doc, you're still drunk."
He chuckled with intoxication. "'Course I'm drunk...that wuz the whole point o' drinkin' a bottle of whiskey..."
She shook him harder. "Doc, this isn't funny. Ed Waters brought Lucy in and she's bleedin' somethin' bad from her belly. You've gotta shake this off, now."
Kitty's words bounced around inside his muddled head, but it was impossible for him to focus on anything through the alcoholic haze pervading his mind.
His voice was foggy, "Lucy Waters..."
Kitty slapped him hard on his uncut cheek. "Damnit, Doc! Lucy's going to bleed to death if you don't help her. Can you understand me?" She slapped him again. "Doc!"
The third time her open palm connected with his face, he grabbed her hand, stopping her from a fourth. "That hurts, honey..."
Her voice belied barely controlled ire, "It's supposed to." She stood, pacing. "I've gotta find a way to get you sobered up, and fast."
His timbre was chirpy, as if they were playing a game and it was his turn to respond, "Black coffee...icy water..."
In complete frustration, Kitty picked up the basin of cold water on his bedside table, and upended it on his face and bedclothes, eliciting a howl of surprise from him. She sat back down on the edge of the bed, and firmly patted his face trying to rouse him.
"Doc, snap out of it!"
Sobering slightly, he moaned in discomfort and put a hand over his stomach in misery.
"My belly ain't feelin' so good, honey."
"Yeah, I'll bet it's not."
Kitty put the basin under him just as he leaned over the side of the bed, heaving, but her anger with his self-indulgence made her less than sympathetic, overshadowing her affection for him. He groaned loudly, holding his head as he leaned back onto the bed, his neck feeling as if it might snap off should he try to move again. Kitty exhaled a long sigh of air: he was in no condition to help Lucy, nor was he going to be anytime soon. Unsuccessfully trying to keep her fury in control, she slammed the basin on the floor by his bed, and shook him roughly.
"Doc?" He nodded slightly, the pounding in his head making even such a small movement less than pleasant. "The basin's here on the floor." Her voice took on a hard, cold edge, "Don't miss."
He shivered from the damp bedclothes, and for a brief moment she felt a familiar urge to take care of him. But then her anger reasserted itself, and incensed, she stood, turning for the door.
His voice was soft and vulnerable as he called out to her, "Kitty?"
"What?" She responded acerbically.
"Where're you goin'?"
"Somebody's got to help Lucy Waters."
Kitty stormed out of the bedroom, closing the door with far more force than necessary. Ed Waters looked up at her expectantly.
She struggled to keep her voice even, "I'm afraid Doc's in no shape to help anyone right now, Ed."
"Whaddya mean he ain't in no shape? I didn't beat on him that bad..."
Kitty couldn't meet his eyes. "He's sick." She swallowed and looked up at him. "I'll do what I can, but I'm going to need some help. Can you go over to the jail and get Matt and Festus?"
Ed nodded, and left the office quickly. Kitty examined Lucy's belly, and had to swallow down the paralyzing fear that was creeping up her throat as she stared at the blood seeping from the incision. Her hands shook with the weight of responsibility: if she didn't act quickly, Lucy would not survive. The sound of Adams retching in the bedroom filtered out to her then; and Kitty Russell felt nothing but disappointment, disgust and indignation. Doc Adams was not the infallible figure she had placed on a pedestal, but just a man, possessing the same weaknesses and frailties as other men. And she resented him for it.