Matt and Newly busted down the door of the room in the Dodge House, looking
for the man who had signed the register as Joe Wallace, but the room was
empty. Matt found the blood-soaked sheets, and the empty bottle of
laudanum. He realized where they must have gone.
"Come on Newly..."
The two of them rushed out, leaving Howie with a mess to clean.
************
Doc put the last stitch in the bullet hole, and Kitty helped him bandage it. Adams took his glasses off, and turned toward Solly.
"Now if you know what's good for you and your brother, you'll take him and get out."
"You sure have a tongue on you, old man."
He grabbed Kitty, shoving her out of the way, and pointed the gun at Doc's chest.
"You have real hate for me in them eyes, don't you?"
"I have never willfully taken another life in all my years, but there's a first time for everything."
The door to the office burst open again, as Newly and Matt pounded into the room, guns drawn. Doc used the distraction to pull the gun out of Solly's hand, and to the shock of all, he pushed the man into the nearest wall, holding the cocked gun to his neck.
Kitty yelled, "Doc, no!"
Matt tried to keep his shock at bay, and out of his voice, "Doc, put the gun down."
"I don't think so, Matt, no."
Newly spoke up, "Doc, he isn't worth it..."
"Newly's right," Matt added, "killing him won't bring Festus out of this, Doc, and you know it."
The old doctor's voice was tinged with sadness and guilt, "No, it won't, but it's a debt I owe to him."
Kitty took a step toward Doc, and in answer he tightened his grip around Solly's shirt, grasping the handle of the gun so hard that his knuckles turned white. His hand was shaking slightly.
"Kitty, don't come any closer." Adams turned his attention back to the criminal in his grip, "That man lying over there may never wake up because of you." He fought to keep the emotion from his voice, "And I can't think of one damned reason not to make you pay for that." His voice lowered to a whisper, "Not one..."
"I know you're hurting, Galen, but this is the last thing Festus would want you to do. Give Matt the gun."
A weak voice interrupted, "Doc....Doc...."
Kitty moved to the table, and took the outstretched hand, "Festus, take it easy..."
Matt moved over to Doc, who seemed frozen in place. He touched his shoulder, and gently removed the gun from his hand, passing it to O'Brien.
"Newly, get these two men locked up."
"Right away, Marshal."
Matt held onto Adams for a moment, until he was certain the older man wasn't going to collapse as soon as he let go.
Festus weakly called for him again, "Doc...."
Kitty stroked his face softly, "Take it easy, Festus, Doc's right here." She turned toward Adams, "Doc?"
Doc finally came out of his stupor and went to the table. Festus grabbed his hand, trying to pull him closer. Doc placed his hand over the one clutching his, and leaned in.
"Doc....."
"I'm here, Festus. You just lie easy, relax."
His voice was a mere whisper, "You didn't hurt that feller none, ona count of me, didja?"
Doc's eyes misted up, and he blinked away the tears, his voice deep and gentle, "No. No, I didn't hurt him none."
Exhausted, Festus closed his eyes, Doc holding his hand tightly. Kitty reached over and wiped the tears rolling down Doc's cheeks, and Matt squeezed his shoulder. Festus Haggen was going to make it, and so was Doc Adams.
"Come on Newly..."
The two of them rushed out, leaving Howie with a mess to clean.
************
Doc put the last stitch in the bullet hole, and Kitty helped him bandage it. Adams took his glasses off, and turned toward Solly.
"Now if you know what's good for you and your brother, you'll take him and get out."
"You sure have a tongue on you, old man."
He grabbed Kitty, shoving her out of the way, and pointed the gun at Doc's chest.
"You have real hate for me in them eyes, don't you?"
"I have never willfully taken another life in all my years, but there's a first time for everything."
The door to the office burst open again, as Newly and Matt pounded into the room, guns drawn. Doc used the distraction to pull the gun out of Solly's hand, and to the shock of all, he pushed the man into the nearest wall, holding the cocked gun to his neck.
Kitty yelled, "Doc, no!"
Matt tried to keep his shock at bay, and out of his voice, "Doc, put the gun down."
"I don't think so, Matt, no."
Newly spoke up, "Doc, he isn't worth it..."
"Newly's right," Matt added, "killing him won't bring Festus out of this, Doc, and you know it."
The old doctor's voice was tinged with sadness and guilt, "No, it won't, but it's a debt I owe to him."
Kitty took a step toward Doc, and in answer he tightened his grip around Solly's shirt, grasping the handle of the gun so hard that his knuckles turned white. His hand was shaking slightly.
"Kitty, don't come any closer." Adams turned his attention back to the criminal in his grip, "That man lying over there may never wake up because of you." He fought to keep the emotion from his voice, "And I can't think of one damned reason not to make you pay for that." His voice lowered to a whisper, "Not one..."
"I know you're hurting, Galen, but this is the last thing Festus would want you to do. Give Matt the gun."
A weak voice interrupted, "Doc....Doc...."
Kitty moved to the table, and took the outstretched hand, "Festus, take it easy..."
Matt moved over to Doc, who seemed frozen in place. He touched his shoulder, and gently removed the gun from his hand, passing it to O'Brien.
"Newly, get these two men locked up."
"Right away, Marshal."
Matt held onto Adams for a moment, until he was certain the older man wasn't going to collapse as soon as he let go.
Festus weakly called for him again, "Doc...."
Kitty stroked his face softly, "Take it easy, Festus, Doc's right here." She turned toward Adams, "Doc?"
Doc finally came out of his stupor and went to the table. Festus grabbed his hand, trying to pull him closer. Doc placed his hand over the one clutching his, and leaned in.
"Doc....."
"I'm here, Festus. You just lie easy, relax."
His voice was a mere whisper, "You didn't hurt that feller none, ona count of me, didja?"
Doc's eyes misted up, and he blinked away the tears, his voice deep and gentle, "No. No, I didn't hurt him none."
Exhausted, Festus closed his eyes, Doc holding his hand tightly. Kitty reached over and wiped the tears rolling down Doc's cheeks, and Matt squeezed his shoulder. Festus Haggen was going to make it, and so was Doc Adams.