Addie guided the horses that she and Doc rode through the forest and out toward their little encampment. The smoke from their fires hung in the crisp night air. Doc shivered inside his winter coat and he felt like his feet where going to fall off, or shatter into little shards once he stepped down off his horse, but that time was still a ways off. He could just about see the billowing smoke's origin through the brush from where they rode. His eyes narrowed at Addie who watched him, "No wonder yer Pa is sick! I told you years ago that this kind of livin' was not healthy. I can hardly feel my own feet!" Doc barked at the hill girl.

Addie countered Doc's comment, "Well we must be a stronger stock. My feet are just fine." She stuck her nose in the air which made Doc shake his head. "I think it has more to the fact that your too darned stubborn to feel the aches that the winter brings..." Doc's eyes narrowed further out of mistrust.

"Well, once you fix Pa up, you can go home to yer little cozy place. I only brought ya here cause yer the Doc and it's up to you to fix him up. Like you said a whiles back, it is..." Addie had to think about the word Doc had used.

"Ethical?" Doc blurted out.

"That's it!" Addie's face lit up. "As if you have some law that makes you have to fix folks."

"I know what it means." Doc snapped back. He was not only cold but also tired and he now wished that he was at least sitting next to the fire that was making the smoke he saw ahead. Doc scowled at Addie, "The only thing unethical right now is me missing my night's sleep and you practically kidnapping me..." Doc didn't need to see her face. He knew she was smiling which angered him even more.

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Aunt Hootie stirred in the chair where she slept. The room temperature had dropped enough to awake her, as the fire in the hearth dwindled to a flicker. She rubbed her eyes and wondered where Richard Garvey had gone, thinking it was his job to maintain the fire through the over night hours.

Hootie pushed herself up from the chair and clutched the throw she held over her shoulders and walked to the bedroom door which was slightly ajar. Richard was sound asleep and snoring up a storm next to his sleeping wife. Hootie smiled and wondered if that was the first restful sleep Richard had since fearing that his wife was ill with pains. She let him sleep.

Hootie returned to the living room and carefully set a large log on the fire - poking it back before she sat back in the chair. She was equally satisfied that Patricia ate a whole bowl of chicken stew she had made earlier. Hootie couldn't imagine living off beans and pork for two months; in fact the thought almost caused her stomach to churn. She nestled back into the chair and smiled to herself at the nativity of some men when they first become fathers. Then for some strange reason she wondered about Doc and what kind of a father he might have been - probably a good one she concluded as he was caring and strong willed with a good head on his shoulders. She further wondered who let him slip through their fingers and what a silly ting that was.

Deep down inside her there was also a comforting feeling that there were still men like Doctor Adams in the world - men who cared more about the people around him, than he did himself. Hootie smiled again with that comforting thought and then pulled the wool blanket up under her chin, closed her eyes and dozed off for the rest of the night with the warm fire crackling that also cast a warm glow throughout the room.

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Addie and Doc reached the camp. Herk and Skeeter heard their horses approaching and met them up the path. "How's Pa?" Addie asked as she slid down off her horse.

"'bout the same I gather. I see you managed to get the ol' Doc out here," Skeeter smiled gleefully while holding his buffalo gun on the doctor. Doc glared at him as he also stepped down off his mount. He made sure that he made no sudden movements with the Modhercan gun practically up his nose.

"He don't look too happy, Addie," Herk muttered to his sister with a twisted laugh.

"That's cause he ain't! Now move out of the way and let him go see Pa, and put that dang gun down! Whatcha trying ta do, kill em? Then what would we do?" Addie ordered her brothers as she walked toward the shelter with Doc following close behind. Doc swallowed in relief while muttering some simple prayer as he took a good look around the area before he ducked and entered the tented structure. He was comforted only slightly that it was warmer inside then it was out.

The doctor looked around the little hut and got his bearings. He was also watchful for things that might have been causing Argonaut Modhercan's illness. He could see nothing at the moment. Slowly Doc walked over to the cot where Modhercan was laying. Dread filled his soul. Doc sighed and sat his medical bag down next to the sleeping man, he then removed his winter coat which was too bulky for him to try any examinations while wearing. Quickly he pulled his glasses case fron his vest pocket and placed his silver rimmed glasses on his face.

Argonaut stirred as Doc gently layed his hand on the man's forehead, "How long you been sick?" Doc asked.

"'bout a week," Argonaut answered.

"How's the buffalo this year?"

"Why you aksin' that?" Modhercan struggled to sit in his fevered state.

"Just making conversation," Doc eased the man down and tried to smile as he lightly poked at various parts of the older Modhercan until he yelped in pain as Doc touched his upper right leg, "That hurt, huh?" he peered over the top of his spectacles.

Addie hung over his shoulder, "Of course it hurt him! Why do you think he jumped like that?!"

Doc rolled his eyes and pursed his lips before he looked back over his shoulder at Addie with a scowl on his face. It was going to be a long night.