Kitty balanced the food tray on one hand, and knocked on the door with the
other, but there was no answer. She turned the knob, stuck her head in the
room, and realized that Adams was still sound asleep. She entered, set the
tray on the table by the bed, and closed the door behind her. She observed
the relaxed calm of his face while he slept, and hated to awaken him, but
he'd already slept two hours past the time he told her that he wanted to
check on Festus. Kitty leaned over and gently shook his shoulder.
"Doc? Come on Doc, it's time to wake up."
He roused slowly, grogginess coloring his timbre, "Kitty....what time is it?"
She helped him sit up, and propped some pillows behind his back.
"It's well past the time that you had something to eat..." Before he could argue, she moved the tray from the table to his lap. "Soup, some fresh bread, and a piece of Mamie's apple pie. I asked her to save one for you."
He looked at her, "It's awfully sweet of you, Kitty, but I really need to go check on Festus."
She sat down on the edge of the bed, "Newly's with him, and there's been no change. Now eat a little something, and then we'll both go check on him."
He stared into the bright orbs of blue, and could see the stubbornness in them. A little of the old curmudgeon surfaced.
"Are you just going to sit there and watch me?"
"Yes. I know better than to trust you."
He shot a look at her, but picked up the spoon and sampled some of the soup, "Mmm..that's excellent."
She smiled at him, then changed the subject, "While you were resting, Matt came back."
His jaw tensed slightly, "And?"
"He was wondering if you noticed anything missing from the office."
"I never even thought to look, Kitty."
"That's what I told him. He went to check around town, see if anybody heard or saw anything out of the ordinary. He should be finishing up soon. You eat your supper, and we'll meet up with him over at your office."
Adams nodded, but as he touched the soup spoon to his lips, he realized he no longer had an appetite.
***********
When Miss Kitty and Doc Adams walked through the Long Branch on their way to his office, neither of them happened to see the man with the familiar gun, drinking a shot of whiskey at the bar. He slapped another coin on the wood.
"One more, barkeep."
The tall man poured another shot of whiskey into the man's glass.
"The name's Sam. I don't recall seein' you round these parts. Where ya from?"
"Nowhere in pa'ticular...but now that we're on the subject, do ya happen to know a place me and my brother can stay?"
"There's the Dodge House down the street. It's clean, reasonable."
"Much obliged for the information."
Sam watched the man walk out. There was something familiar about him, like he'd seen him before, but the bartender couldn't place it. Eventually though, Sam knew it would come back to him.
"Doc? Come on Doc, it's time to wake up."
He roused slowly, grogginess coloring his timbre, "Kitty....what time is it?"
She helped him sit up, and propped some pillows behind his back.
"It's well past the time that you had something to eat..." Before he could argue, she moved the tray from the table to his lap. "Soup, some fresh bread, and a piece of Mamie's apple pie. I asked her to save one for you."
He looked at her, "It's awfully sweet of you, Kitty, but I really need to go check on Festus."
She sat down on the edge of the bed, "Newly's with him, and there's been no change. Now eat a little something, and then we'll both go check on him."
He stared into the bright orbs of blue, and could see the stubbornness in them. A little of the old curmudgeon surfaced.
"Are you just going to sit there and watch me?"
"Yes. I know better than to trust you."
He shot a look at her, but picked up the spoon and sampled some of the soup, "Mmm..that's excellent."
She smiled at him, then changed the subject, "While you were resting, Matt came back."
His jaw tensed slightly, "And?"
"He was wondering if you noticed anything missing from the office."
"I never even thought to look, Kitty."
"That's what I told him. He went to check around town, see if anybody heard or saw anything out of the ordinary. He should be finishing up soon. You eat your supper, and we'll meet up with him over at your office."
Adams nodded, but as he touched the soup spoon to his lips, he realized he no longer had an appetite.
***********
When Miss Kitty and Doc Adams walked through the Long Branch on their way to his office, neither of them happened to see the man with the familiar gun, drinking a shot of whiskey at the bar. He slapped another coin on the wood.
"One more, barkeep."
The tall man poured another shot of whiskey into the man's glass.
"The name's Sam. I don't recall seein' you round these parts. Where ya from?"
"Nowhere in pa'ticular...but now that we're on the subject, do ya happen to know a place me and my brother can stay?"
"There's the Dodge House down the street. It's clean, reasonable."
"Much obliged for the information."
Sam watched the man walk out. There was something familiar about him, like he'd seen him before, but the bartender couldn't place it. Eventually though, Sam knew it would come back to him.