She thought she heard banging on the front doors, but rolled over sleepily.
She had to be dreaming. But then the knocking was on her bedroom door,
followed by Sam's deep voice.
"Miss Kitty....Miss Kitty! Wake up... Festus is hurt and Doc needs our help..."
The redhead quickly arose, throwing a robe over her nightdress. She opened the door to find Sam bundled for the blowing wind outside, staring at her, the distress in his eyes plain. Just behind him was Doc Adams in nothing more than a shirt covered with bloodstains; and the look on Galen's face terrified her.
"What's happened?"
Doc shook his head, "Festus is hurt bad."
Kitty grabbed her coat from the hook on the wall, "Let's go."
The three of them ran out of the Long Branch, only to be assaulted by the strongest winds Kitty could remember ever hitting the plains of Kansas. As she neared the sight of the man covered with Doc's coat, lying in the cold on the stairway, she felt sick. Sam steadied her with a hand on her arm.
"Miss Kitty?"
"I'm okay. Help Doc with Festus."
The two men carried the deputy as gently as they could up the stairs and into the office, carefully laying the injured man on the examination table. Kitty closed the door behind them, and quickly lit the oil lamps, bringing light into the room. It was the first time Doc had a good look at his patient. Festus was as white as a sheet, and shivering from the shock of his wounds, and the exposure to the cold. Doc's face flushed with heat at the thought of those who did this, and for a moment his anger kept him frozen in place. Kitty frowned, and took his hand.
"Doc?"
He looked up at her, noting the concern, and squeezed the hand holding his.
"It's okay, he's going to be okay...."
She knew he was trying to convince himself as much as her, so it did nothing to reassure her. And the anger building behind his eyes was something she had never seen before; it scared her. In that moment, she understood that the gentle Dr. Galen Adams wanted to physically injure those responsible, and if he came upon them, he would.
Adams couldn't remember the last time he had experienced such an overwhelming anger. He felt his chest tighten with the sensation of wanting to inflict harm on others. But now wasn't the time to give into it. Festus needed him. Adams gently began removing the deputy's clothes so that he could assess the damage.
"Kitty, can you get me some warm water? And Sam.....I need some alcohol in a basin...."
He set his mind to the work at hand. He needed to put all his concentration into the patient on the table. Whether Festus Haggen would still be alive when the sun came up, rested squarely on his shoulders. And Galen Adams knew he wouldn't survive if the deputy didn't. It was the only certainty he had at the moment.
"Miss Kitty....Miss Kitty! Wake up... Festus is hurt and Doc needs our help..."
The redhead quickly arose, throwing a robe over her nightdress. She opened the door to find Sam bundled for the blowing wind outside, staring at her, the distress in his eyes plain. Just behind him was Doc Adams in nothing more than a shirt covered with bloodstains; and the look on Galen's face terrified her.
"What's happened?"
Doc shook his head, "Festus is hurt bad."
Kitty grabbed her coat from the hook on the wall, "Let's go."
The three of them ran out of the Long Branch, only to be assaulted by the strongest winds Kitty could remember ever hitting the plains of Kansas. As she neared the sight of the man covered with Doc's coat, lying in the cold on the stairway, she felt sick. Sam steadied her with a hand on her arm.
"Miss Kitty?"
"I'm okay. Help Doc with Festus."
The two men carried the deputy as gently as they could up the stairs and into the office, carefully laying the injured man on the examination table. Kitty closed the door behind them, and quickly lit the oil lamps, bringing light into the room. It was the first time Doc had a good look at his patient. Festus was as white as a sheet, and shivering from the shock of his wounds, and the exposure to the cold. Doc's face flushed with heat at the thought of those who did this, and for a moment his anger kept him frozen in place. Kitty frowned, and took his hand.
"Doc?"
He looked up at her, noting the concern, and squeezed the hand holding his.
"It's okay, he's going to be okay...."
She knew he was trying to convince himself as much as her, so it did nothing to reassure her. And the anger building behind his eyes was something she had never seen before; it scared her. In that moment, she understood that the gentle Dr. Galen Adams wanted to physically injure those responsible, and if he came upon them, he would.
Adams couldn't remember the last time he had experienced such an overwhelming anger. He felt his chest tighten with the sensation of wanting to inflict harm on others. But now wasn't the time to give into it. Festus needed him. Adams gently began removing the deputy's clothes so that he could assess the damage.
"Kitty, can you get me some warm water? And Sam.....I need some alcohol in a basin...."
He set his mind to the work at hand. He needed to put all his concentration into the patient on the table. Whether Festus Haggen would still be alive when the sun came up, rested squarely on his shoulders. And Galen Adams knew he wouldn't survive if the deputy didn't. It was the only certainty he had at the moment.