Doc put the rest of the instruments in the basin with the alcohol. Kitty
was standing by the table, holding the deputy's hand. Doc walked over and
gently lifted one of the unconscious man's eyelids, checking his pupils.
Kitty looked at Doc hopefully.
"Too early to tell, honey. I just wanted to be sure there wasn't a change for the worse."
"When will we know if this helped?"
He shook his head, "Could be hours, days, weeks, months, or never."
"You want me to get Sam over here to help you move him into the other room?"
"We'll do it in the morning. I don't want to move him yet."
Doc pulled up a chair next to the exam table, preparing for a long night. Kitty patted his shoulder as she walked toward the old stove in the corner.
"I'll put the coffee on."
Adams pressed his fingers to Haggen's wrist, and watched the second hand of his old pocket watch. He gripped the cold limp hand in his own tightly, and leaned in close to Festus.
His voice was like gravel, tired from his exhaustive worry, "Festus, I don't know if you can hear me, but if you can, I want you to know that I'm sorry." Adams swallowed hard as he softly stroked the hand he was holding, "I'm sorry for yelling at you the way I did; I surely didn't mean it. And I'm sorry that I wasn't here when you needed me, old boy. A doctor should be able to help people, especially his closest friends, and I tried my best, but it may not have been enough. I know we bite at each other now and then, but you mean a lot to me, you old mule, and if I could, I'd trade places with you in a heartbeat." Doc struggled to keep his voice steady, "You're a very dear man, Festus, and for all our arguing, a very fond friend." He pat the hand he was holding and gently set it under the blanket covering Festus.
Kitty appeared, and handed him a cup of coffee, "You're not at all what you pretend to be."
He glared at her, trying to put fire in his tone, "I beg your pardon..."
She leaned in and kissed him on the forehead, "You're nothin' but an old softie, Dr. Adams, but don't worry, your secret is safe with me."
Before he could muster any kind of retort, the door to his office burst open, and a man carrying a younger man, entered. Doc set his coffee down and went to help the man. They settled the boy into a chair. Adams quickly pulled the boy's shirt apart, and realized the wound wasn't new. He looked up at the older one.
"What happened to this boy?"
"He was shot."
"I can see that. But this bullet's been in him a few days."
Doc looked up at him when he didn't answer, and followed the man's gaze to the deputy lying on the table. There was an odd look on the man's face. He turned back to the doctor, nodding toward Festus.
"What happened to him?"
"Knife wound."
"He gonna die?"
"Don't know, but don't see how it concerns you..."
The man seemed uneasy under Adams' scrutiny, but after a moment, Doc turned his attention back to the boy. He continued his exam, and pressed hard on the bullet wound. The boy cried out in agony. Kitty flinched, not understanding why Adams was being less than gentle.
"Can't you give him somethin' for the pain?"
"Like what?"
"I dunno....you're the doctor. Give him some of that laudanum stuff...."
Doc stood and looked the man in the eyes, "Now if it hadn't been stolen from here the other night, I just might be able to do that....."
Solly knew the old man was on to him, and quickly pulled a gun, pointing it at Doc's midsection.
"Now I suggest, old man, that you tend to my brother, while you still got life left to do your doctorin'...."
Doc looked down at the gun in the man's hand, and could plainly see the initials F.H. in the barrel. His eyes narrowed, and his voice grew cold.
"What makes you think I'll save him?"
The man cocked the gun, "If you don't, you'll be lyin' on the floor in worse shape than that deputy there..."
Kitty moved closer, her voice filled with alarm, "Doc....."
"Stay back there, Kitty. I think it's time for Mr. Gentry here to find out what the good book meant when it said, "An eye for an eye."
"How'd you know my name?"
"What difference does it make? That gun in your hand told me everything I needed to know."
Solly pointed the gun toward Festus, "Yeah, well you'd best be fixin' up Bert, doctor, or I'll have to finish the job on this one." He pointed the gun toward Kitty then, "Or perhaps little red here..."
Doc licked his lips, "All right, all right. I need her help over here."
Solly shoved Kitty across the room, and Doc gently caught her in his arms. The two of them set to work.
"Too early to tell, honey. I just wanted to be sure there wasn't a change for the worse."
"When will we know if this helped?"
He shook his head, "Could be hours, days, weeks, months, or never."
"You want me to get Sam over here to help you move him into the other room?"
"We'll do it in the morning. I don't want to move him yet."
Doc pulled up a chair next to the exam table, preparing for a long night. Kitty patted his shoulder as she walked toward the old stove in the corner.
"I'll put the coffee on."
Adams pressed his fingers to Haggen's wrist, and watched the second hand of his old pocket watch. He gripped the cold limp hand in his own tightly, and leaned in close to Festus.
His voice was like gravel, tired from his exhaustive worry, "Festus, I don't know if you can hear me, but if you can, I want you to know that I'm sorry." Adams swallowed hard as he softly stroked the hand he was holding, "I'm sorry for yelling at you the way I did; I surely didn't mean it. And I'm sorry that I wasn't here when you needed me, old boy. A doctor should be able to help people, especially his closest friends, and I tried my best, but it may not have been enough. I know we bite at each other now and then, but you mean a lot to me, you old mule, and if I could, I'd trade places with you in a heartbeat." Doc struggled to keep his voice steady, "You're a very dear man, Festus, and for all our arguing, a very fond friend." He pat the hand he was holding and gently set it under the blanket covering Festus.
Kitty appeared, and handed him a cup of coffee, "You're not at all what you pretend to be."
He glared at her, trying to put fire in his tone, "I beg your pardon..."
She leaned in and kissed him on the forehead, "You're nothin' but an old softie, Dr. Adams, but don't worry, your secret is safe with me."
Before he could muster any kind of retort, the door to his office burst open, and a man carrying a younger man, entered. Doc set his coffee down and went to help the man. They settled the boy into a chair. Adams quickly pulled the boy's shirt apart, and realized the wound wasn't new. He looked up at the older one.
"What happened to this boy?"
"He was shot."
"I can see that. But this bullet's been in him a few days."
Doc looked up at him when he didn't answer, and followed the man's gaze to the deputy lying on the table. There was an odd look on the man's face. He turned back to the doctor, nodding toward Festus.
"What happened to him?"
"Knife wound."
"He gonna die?"
"Don't know, but don't see how it concerns you..."
The man seemed uneasy under Adams' scrutiny, but after a moment, Doc turned his attention back to the boy. He continued his exam, and pressed hard on the bullet wound. The boy cried out in agony. Kitty flinched, not understanding why Adams was being less than gentle.
"Can't you give him somethin' for the pain?"
"Like what?"
"I dunno....you're the doctor. Give him some of that laudanum stuff...."
Doc stood and looked the man in the eyes, "Now if it hadn't been stolen from here the other night, I just might be able to do that....."
Solly knew the old man was on to him, and quickly pulled a gun, pointing it at Doc's midsection.
"Now I suggest, old man, that you tend to my brother, while you still got life left to do your doctorin'...."
Doc looked down at the gun in the man's hand, and could plainly see the initials F.H. in the barrel. His eyes narrowed, and his voice grew cold.
"What makes you think I'll save him?"
The man cocked the gun, "If you don't, you'll be lyin' on the floor in worse shape than that deputy there..."
Kitty moved closer, her voice filled with alarm, "Doc....."
"Stay back there, Kitty. I think it's time for Mr. Gentry here to find out what the good book meant when it said, "An eye for an eye."
"How'd you know my name?"
"What difference does it make? That gun in your hand told me everything I needed to know."
Solly pointed the gun toward Festus, "Yeah, well you'd best be fixin' up Bert, doctor, or I'll have to finish the job on this one." He pointed the gun toward Kitty then, "Or perhaps little red here..."
Doc licked his lips, "All right, all right. I need her help over here."
Solly shoved Kitty across the room, and Doc gently caught her in his arms. The two of them set to work.