"Good night Newly," Kitty smiled as she watched the young deputy leave the saloon.
Next was Jane Rose, "Good night Miss Kitty," she smiled as she gathered her coat from the office.
"That man wasn't bothering you was he?" Kitty had to ask.
"Oh, no. Not much." Jane Rose smiled. "I think he understood where we stand. I told him I'm not going to be his girl," she half laughed. "Although he was kind of handsome," she stated.
"A lot of them are handsome, but that doesn't make them good men," Kitty warned. "If he bothers you again, you let me know," she winked. "Good night and I'll see you in the morning," Kitty smiled as the young woman nodded in acknowledgement of what Kitty had just conveyed about men.
Newly had already crossed the alley where Zachariah remained in the shadows and watching for Jane Rose. In fact he watched the deputy climb the stairs up to the doctor's office. Zach bit his lips as he waited and the wait wasn't long. Jane Rose adjusted her coat over her shoulders and stepped down to cross the alley when Zach grabbed her from behind. He had his right hand clamped tightly over her mouth and his left arm around her waist as he forced her further into the alley.
Newly opened the door into the doctor's office to find Festus seated at Doc's desk, playing with the cover of the book he shoved aside. He was flicking it with his right index finger watching open and flop shut, "Oh, hiya Newly," he stopped what he was doing.
Newly smiled, "How's Doc?" he asked as he closed the door behind him.
Festus shrugged, He ain't said a peep," the hill man stated as he looked over his shoulder to the closed bedroom door.
"Well, I suppose that's a good thing," O'Brien said with some relief.
Zachariah force his way through the door that divided the front part of the alley from the back, below the window of Doc's bedroom. Jane Rose continued to struggle, this time a slight yelp escaped her lips, causing Doc to stir.
The doctor rolled his head toward the window and listened further. He wasn't sure whether he was having another bad dream or not. There was another noised from the alley below. Slowly Doc peeled off the bedsheets and slid out of the bed walking to the window. He looked around and then down to the street level, where he saw someone or two people, he couldn't really make out what he was looking at due to the low light. He squinted and thought there were two people, one with a hat, the other without.
Doc slid his right hand down over his face and decided that it was two drunks. He wandered back to his bed, still in a fog and trying to make sense what he just saw. As he got closer to his bed, he stubbed his toe on the table beside the bed, "Ouch!" he growled, which caught the attention of the two deputies in the other room.
Both Newly and Festus scrambled to the door, but by the time they opened it and entered the bedroom, the doctor was back in bed. "Doc what was that noise?" Newly asked as he looked around the darkened room; only the light from the half moon lit it.
"I stubbed my toe getting back from the window. I thought I heard something down below," Doc grumbled and tried to get back to sleep.
Festus moved to the window and looked out, "I don't see nothing, Doc," the hill man's voice was tender.
"Maybe you just had another bad dream," Newly suggested.
"Maybe," Doc grunted. "Now let me get some sleep," he said as he gruffly pulled the sheet over his shoulder as he rolled onto his side, away from the two deputies and the window.
Newly motioned to Festus to leave the room, and pulled the door closed once they were back in office area.
Festus tucked his thumbs into the arm holes of his vest, "Do you suppose ol' Doc was seenin' thangs?" he asked as he left eyebrow crept up to his hat.
Newly shrugged, "I didn't hear anyone in the alley when I came up here," he noted. "And I didn't see anyone on the street once the saloon closed," he added. "Maybe there were some drunks out back, but I'm sure there's nothing to it."
"Wall I didn't see nobody down there," Festus pointed out. "And fer Doc to go stub his toe like he done, he must be still swervey-headed," the hill man said as if he was an authority on the subject.
"It doesn't matter," Newly stated. "We just need Doc to be well. And by the sounds of him just now, he's getting back to being his old self," O'Brien smiled slightly.
"You mean like the grump-head he usually is," Festus said under his breath before he blew a puff of air out the side of his mouth. Despite trying to keep the comment to himself, it was loud enough that Newly heard it and smiled; and tried to hide his amusement, "I'll watch over Doc, now," O'Brien said as he urged the hill man to leave.
"That's mighty fine of you Newly. But don't you go peekin' in them books of Doc's! You'll have nightmares fer sure!" the hill man shook poked at the book on the doctor's desk and his head in disgust as he reach for the door. "Half a lady and a head cut wide open," he shuttered as he opened the door and left the office.
Newly looked down at the book, read the cover and then looked back to the closed door, "I bet that gave you the shiverdy-willies," the young deputy smiled as he settled down in Doc's chair for the night.
Jane Rose continued to struggle against Zachariah's tight grip; she even tried biting his hand that held her mouth closed, but he palms were as tough as boot leather and he only laughed at her attempts to escape, "Come on, just give up. We're just going to have a little fun," he the whispered in her ear.
Jane Rose's heart rate jumped at the words and she struggled to free herself even more.
Zach spotted the run-down shack near the stream that ran through town. It was near the end of Bridge Street and near nowhere. Once they arrived, Zach looked around to see if anyone had followed them; the limited light left by the moon made it hard to tell, but he was sure they were alone. Using his shoulder, he bunted the door until the old latch gave away and they were inside.
Zachariah, finally released Jane Rose, "Sit do over there," he said pointing to a crate in the corner while guarding the door and regaining his strength. His eyes searched for a lamp, when he spied one on a work bench near the rear window. He calculated that if he moved from the door, the woman would bolt. "Bring me that lamp, darling," he smiled.
Jane Rose swallowed and slowly stood to get the lamp. A thought crossed her mind to throw it at him but she heard his gun hammer rolled back, "Just be nice and hand it over," he said reaching for the lamp.
Jane Rose reluctantly agreed and returned to the crate, frantically trying to figure a way of of the shed.
