Neil headed to the bunk house relived that after the events of his busy night at last he would be going to bed, it could not come soon enough in his mind; he was worn out with the three late nights in a row he had been through in the last week. Not to mention he was getting a little saddle sore. Yes, he mused, a night on a comfortable bed and (hopefully) a good breakfast in the morning would restore him to normal.
He heard the mission door slam and turned to see Ruby Mae's bright red hair reflecting in the moonlight as she scurried across the yard. She came over to him with a pillow in her hand, "Here, Miz Ida done forgot to give thisun to you." She sleepily thrust the pillow in his hands and turned to go back to the house when she paused for a few seconds.
"Doc, did you jest hear somethin'?
He paused, listening,
"No, I don't hear anything, what did you think you heard?"
"I don't rightly know, sounded almost like a baby animal crying."
"There, there it is again, it is a baby animal, a kitten or something, I need to find it, can I have your lantern, Doc?" He felt a surge of irritation at the threat to his restful night.
"Rruby Mae, therre is nothing out here except you, me, and all the wood creatures!
Now give it a rrest and get back to the mission where you belong."
The fatigue was wearing on him he realized, his brogue always got thicker the more tired he became.
The blasted girl just put her hands on her ship and shook her head at him.
"I heered what I heered, Doc. You do not have to come, but I am not going to go a-leavin' a poor critter out in the dark, a-wanting it's Mama!"
Neil sighed at the prospect of hunting around in the dark for an elusive sound, however he could not let Ruby Mae go roaming around alone.
"Ok, let's go out there, "Neil replied in resignation, "but if we don't find it fast I am coming back here and will go to bed, understand?"
Ruby Mae nodded her head so vigorously her pigtails bounced all around her head.
It was a good thing Doc was here, he would be handy if the poor critter needed patching up.