Festus swallowed hard as he knocked on the weathered door. After a moment, it opened and Ed stood there, coffee cup in hand, staring at him. Haggen looked down trying to brace himself, and then back up, fixing his strong amber eyes solidly in the dark ones of Ed Waters.

"Festus...what brings you out here?"

"Well Ed," Festus began, "I'm a-feared that I got some bad news for ya."

"Bad news?"

"Yessum. It's a mite cold out here, mind if we step inside?"

Waters felt an icy fear crawling up his throat, but he stepped aside, allowing the deputy entrance to the house, closing the door behind him. Haggen walked a little ways in, and then turned to face Ed.

"I don't know how ta tell ya, Ed, but Lucy took real sick last night."

Waters set his cup down on the table, and gripped the back of one of the chairs. "Whaddya mean?"

"Wull she started a-feverin' somethin' fierce, and the poor little thing jes' wasn't strong enough so soon after bein' so sick I guess. She jes' stopped breathin'."

"Why ain't Doc Adams out here doin' the tellin'?"

Haggen looked away for a moment, then forced himself to meet the man's eyes. "Wull, ol' Doc wuz called out to the Rogers place 'cause Clem's youngun, Cory, was ailin'... Onest Miss lucy took sick, Miss Kitty, Matthew and me did whut we could, but Ed, there weren't nothin' to be done."

Ed pulled out a chair from the nearby table and sat in it, feeling as though he'd never again be able to breathe. After several minutes of uncomfortable silence, he looked up at Haggen. "Yer sayin' Doc Adams left her to die."

"No, Ed, I ain't sayin' nothin' o' the sort. Lucy was restin' fine when he left. He wasn't even back yet when I come out here, so I don't know if'n he done knows yet."

"Why? First my babies and now my wife." Tears filled the man's dark eyes and Festus put a gentle hand on his shoulder as he continued, "I ain't got nothin' now, Festus. Nothin'..."

"I wisht thar was somethin' I could say, Ed, ta make it better, but I know thar ain't."

Ed's eyes turned a dark black. "You're right, there ain't nothin' you can say. But makin' Doc Adams pay'll make me feel a mite soothed."

"Now Ed, don't you go sayin' nothin' like that. And don't you even start a-thinkin' on doin' nothin'. I done tolt you that Doc Adams didn't know Lucy was gonna git so sick when he gone out to Clem Rogers. You cain't holt him to a doin' that only the Almighty done chooses."

"Don't you go tellin' me this was God's doin' Festus. It was Doc Adams who lost my babies and cut Lucy, it was him who didn't help her when she needed him. It weren't God."

Haggen remained silent for a moment, then said quietly, "I done brought Lucy out to ya in a borried wagon, cuz I knowed yours is with Moss gettin' fixed. I'll help ya do the buryin' if'n ya want me to."

Ed nodded slowly, and as he stood, he said, "I ain't gonna fergit none of this, Festus. I ain't gonna fergit yer kindness, and I ain't fergittin' whut Doc Adams done niether."

Haggen squeezed Ed's shoulder gently. "Yer hurtin' now, Ed, so I ain't gonna argue no more with ya 'bout that. But if'n you raise one hand ag'in ol' Doc, you'll answer to me." Festus headed toward the door. "Now come on, let's take care of Miss Lucy right and proper."

Waters put his coat on and followed Festus outside. But he wasn't finished with Doc Adams, not at all.