Newly left the hospital and headed down toward the Bulls Head as Festus came up the board walk toward him. "Did you find out anything?" Newly asked as Festus shook his head no.

"That may be the orneriest bunch of drovers we've had come though Dodge in a long time, Newly," Festus replied angrily. "And, ain't none of em seen what happened to Stambridge!"

"That figures," Newly said with a sigh. "We'll have to wait until he comes around to find out who did that to him."

"You mean, if he comes around," Festus said shaking his head.

Robert didn't harbor any ill will toward Stambridge. To him, he was just another patient. It didn't matter that the man was an ex-gunfighter or that he once had designs on courting Kitty. He did hope, that if the man lived, he wouldn't pick up where he left off at. "I think that will do it," he said looking over at Vera. "All we can do now is wait, it's up to him now if he lives or dies!"

Doc smiled and shook his head as Julie turned down the lights in the ward. He was still in shock over what Robert had told him happened during his surgery. How close he had come to death and never seeing Julie or any of the people he considered family again.

Leaving just one oil lamp burning, Julie went to his bed and sat down beside him. "Can I get you anything, Galen?"

"No," he said reaching up to stroke the side of her face. "I'm fine but thank you."

"I missed you," she said quietly. "After we found out how close we came to loosing you...I just can't tell you how much it means to me that your still here."

"Like Festus would say, I'm just to ornery to die," Doc said with a smirk before slowly patting the bed next to him.

Julie lay down beside him and wrapped a hand around his shoulders as she snuggled into his neck. "I don't want to hurt you, Galen," she said gently.

"You won't," Doc said softly before closing his eyes.

As Julie lay beside him, she felt contentment and peace. She was overwhelmed with the feeling that their marriage had cemented their friendship together even more and she was glad that Doc had chosen to do it before the surgery.

When Robert emerged from the surgical room, he put Stambridge into the second ward nearest his office. He was glad he did when he went to check on Doc and found the ward dark and the couple intertwined in each other's arms. He was happy his mentor had found love again and wouldn't begrudge Doc the simple pleasure of spending time alone with his wife. After what the older man had been through, he deserved as much happiness as he could get.

The next morning, Robert was still beside the bed of his comatose patient when Barney from the telegraph office found him. "I know you told me to hold the ones requesting interviews but this here one ain't about that and it seemed awfully important."

"Thanks, Barney," Robert said accepting the message. Ripping open the envelope as Barney waited for a reply, Robert's eyes quickly scanned the message before he looked up. "There'll be no reply right now," he said putting the telegram in his pocket as Barney left.

In the early predawn hours, Julie finally fell asleep cradled in Doc's arms. When she woke, her first thought was to reach for her husband and she felt nothing but happiness as he took her in his arms once more. "I've got to get up," she said looking at the time. "Robert will be coming around anytime now."

Doc gave Julie an unhappy look as she put her hands on her hips. "Now don't go giving me that look, Doctor Adams! You know as well as I do, it wouldn't look right!"

"I suppose," he said with a wiry grin. "But think of the fun we'd have making everyone's tongues wag!"

"You're terrible," Julie said straitening her hair. "I'll make us some coffee."

Robert had plenty on his mind when he woke up that morning. Not only did that telegram worry him but Stambridge was still no better and then there was Doc's situation. The physician knew it was time to get the older man up on his feet. Not only to avoid pneumonia or other underlying health problems due to the severity of the surgery but because Doc wouldn't make a full recovery until he was up and about.

Leavening Will in Vera's care for the moment, Robert headed over to the other ward. "Well," he said stepping into the ward where he found Doc sitting up with his legs dangling over the side of the bed. "Looks like you're ready to just get up and walk out of here!"

"Bet, you'd be mighty surprised if I did," Doc replied with a nod and a wink.

"You better believe, I wouldn't let you," Robert said with a grin as Julie giggled behind him.

"And, I suppose you'd take up for him?" Doc teased as Julie nodded. "Can't even get no support from my own wife."

Robert smiled at the lighthearted moment after knowing how very different things could have turned out for Doc. "You ready to get on your feet?"

"As ready as I'll ever be," Doc replied before grabbing Robert's arm for support.

"You'll be weak, Doc," Robert warned. "Just take it slow, don't push yourself."

"I know, I know," Doc said giving the younger man a look. "I'm not a child, Robert."

With Robert's help, Doc pulled himself up into a standing position. "You alright?" Robert asked once he was solidly on he feet.

Doc gave himself a moment to get his bearings. "Just a little lightheaded," he said as Robert watched him for any ill affects.

"Any chest pain?" Robert asked as Doc shook his head no. "Good, let's try a step it two."

Robert put a second hand on his mentor's back when Doc hesitated. "I got you, Doc," he said reassuringly. "I'm not going to let you fall."

Tentatively, the older man put out one foot and put his weight on it before bringing the other foot above it. "See," Robert said excitedly. "I knew you could do it!"

"Of course, I can," Doc said confidently. "It'll just take time."

Julie couldn't contain her happiness as Doc pivoted and slowly headed back to his bed. Once he was sitting down, she came over and gently hugged him before she spoke. "I'm so proud of you, Galen."

"So am I," Matt said coming into the room as Doc looked up.

"You saw that, did you?" Doc said with a grin as Matt nodded.

"I remember them days," the judge said as Robert met his eyes.

"Can we talk a minute, Matt," Robert asked as Matt nodded. "I'll be right back, Doc."

"I ain't going nowhere," he said absently wondering what was going on.

Robert pulled the telegram from his pocket and handed it to Matt. "I got this just this morning," he said as Matt opened the envelope. "I'm assuming, the newspaper story made it all the way to Boston. I can't believe the university wants to open an investigation into medical malpractice."

Matt shook his head as he read the message before handing it back to Robert. "You haven't told, Doc?"

"How could I," Robert said angrily. "If I lose my ability to practice medicine, he'll blame himself!"

"Yeah," Matt said knowingly. "When is the investigative board coming?"

"A few days from now," Robert replied with a long sigh. "I don't have a defense, Matt. I operated on Doc for purely selfish reasons and it don't matter that he's alive because of it. The fact is, I violated the oath the moment he died on that table. At the very least, I violated ethics laws if they don't find me guilty of malpractice! A doctor should always act in the best interest of the patient!"

"That may be true but you fixed it by bringing him back, shouldn't that account for something?" Matt asked as Robert looked thoughtful.

"I don't know if it will or not since it'd never been tried before, it'll set a precedent and I doubt the medical board will even take it into consideration," Robert said meeting his eyes. "I think, I'm in real trouble this time."

Vera smiled at Kitty as she stepped into the ward and looked down at Will Stambridge. "How's he doing?"

Robert said, he's comatose," Vera said sadly. "I don't think, he knows if he'll make it yet."