After carefully laying Rose on Doc's table, Matt turned and bellowed at
Adams.
"What in the hell do you think you're doing? Have you lost your mind? You gave Festus hope that you might save her. Doc, how could you be so cruel?"
Adams' voice was full of venom, "You'd have me tell him in front of the entire town that the only woman he ever loved is dead, Matt?" His timbre was colored with emotion, "I won't have all of Dodge bear witness to him breaking down; and we both know that he will." Doc's voice grew soft with intense sadness, "I just won't have it."
Matt placed a gentle hand on Doc's shoulder, and words became unnecessary. The old physician turned away, fighting off his own tears, then, finding control, he spoke quietly to Dillon.
"Help me clean her up. I don't want him to see her like this."
The two of them wiped off the blood, and straightened her hair and clothes, covering most of her body with a blanket. Just as they finished, they heard footsteps coming up the stairs. The door opened, and Festus entered, followed by Kitty. He looked at Doc and Matt, and he knew the truth.
His voice broke, "Oh Doc....."
"I'm sorry old boy. There was nothing I could do to save her."
Festus walked slowly toward Rose's body, realizing that he suddenly felt numb. He could no longer feel the pain in his ribs, or his head. The only ache he could sense was coming from his heart; and he knew that one would never cease. He reached a gentle hand out and straightened a lock of Rose's hair, then, he ran his finger down her face, and over her lips. He couldn't look back at the people standing behind him; the friends he knew were hurting for him; the people who had become his family; the ones who loved him.
He didn't turn to face them, and his voice shook when he spoke, "I'd be real obliged if ya'd give me a moment alone with her."
Silently, Kitty and Matt walked out the door, and after Doc watched Festus for a moment longer he too, turned and exited. When Festus heard the door quietly close, he allowed the tears to fall unimpeded. He leaned down, buried his face into Rose's chest, and cried his heart out. When no more tears would fall, he kissed her cool lips one last time, wiped his face with his sleeve, and turned toward the door. He knew they hadn't gone far; he knew they wouldn't leave him. He opened the door, and silently they filed back in.
Festus turned to Dillon first, his voice soft and gentle, "I'd appreciate it, Matthew, if'n you could help me git Rose to Percy Crump's place. I'd like him to have her ready fer buryin' by tomorrow afternoon."
"I'll see to it, Festus, you don't need to do a thing."
He turned to Kitty next, "I'd be obliged ma'am if'n you could pick out a nice dress from her things at the Long Branch."
Kitty couldn't speak, so she simply nodded. Finally Festus looked at Doc Adams.
"Let me know what I owe you fer tryin', Doc. I reckon I can pay it in a month or so--"
Doc's voice was tight with emotion, "--Festus... don't." The physician looked up at his old friend with tears in his eyes, "Don't put on a brave face. Not with us. Not with me."
The deputy's voice remained soft, "I ain't. I reckon thar just ain't no more to come from cryin'." He looked at Dillon then, "Tell Percy I'll pick her up with a wagon tomorrow."
"You don't want him to bury her?"
"No. I'll do it."
"But--"
"--I said I'll do it."
"Okay. We'll go with you."
"No."
Doc interjected, "You can't do it yourself...."
"Yes, I can. And I'd be obliged if'n it wasn't brung up again."
They all looked at the floor, unsure of what to say or do next.
Finally, Matt broke the uncomfortable silence, "I'll take her to Percy's place now. Kitty, can you go with me?"
"Yes."
Matt picked up Rose's body gently, and carried her toward the door, which Doc held open. As Kitty walked past Festus, she reached out for him, pulling him to her. She caressed the back of his head with her hand, and whispered softly into his ear. Neither Matt nor Doc could hear what she said, but Festus buried his face into her neck for a moment, allowing her to hold him, then he gently pulled away, his eyes wet with fresh tears.
Haggen started for the door, to follow Matt, but Adams blocked his way.
"Let me take a look at those ribs."
"I'm fine."
"I can tell by the way you're walking that they're broken. I need to at least bandage them, Festus."
"Let me alone, Doc."
"I'll do no such thing. Now sit down."
Festus was too tired and hurt to argue. He sat down, Doc bandaged his ribs, and before he knew it, the old codger had knocked him out with ether. Adams wanted the comfort of knowing where Festus was for the night, and that he was all right. He covered Haggen with a blanket, put a pillow beneath his head, and sat in a chair next to him, just in case the deputy needed him during the night.
***********
Matt, Kitty, and Doc stood out in front of Percy Crump's with Festus, until Percy's men brought out the pine box holding Rose's body. Festus had refused a funeral service, and just asked that the body be placed in a wagon for him. He was still insisting on burying her by himself, despite the objections of his closest friends. Dillon leaned in toward his deputy.
"Are you sure you don't want my help, Festus? I'd feel better if I went with you."
"No thanks, Matthew. I need to do this alone."
Percy's men gently set the casket in the wagon. Kitty took Festus by the hand for a moment.
"Please take Matt with you, otherwise I'll worry about you."
He looked her in the eyes, and she could barely stand to gaze at the anguish in his.
"You don't need to worry none, Miss Kitty. I'll be fine."
Doc didn't say a word, he knew better. He merely watched Festus climb into the wagon, pick up the reins, and drive out of Dodge. But then, Doc Adams knew where he was going, and he knew what Haggen would do after he buried her. He also knew that eventually, he would have to go get him. Silently Adams walked down the boardwalk, his hands in his pockets. He could well imagine the pain that Festus held inside, but he didn't know how he was going to help him. Doc Adams only knew that he would have to try.
***********
Matt argued with Doc as the smaller man prepared his buggy.
"You can't go out looking for Festus alone, in the dark. Doc, he could have gone anywhere to bury her."
"He could have, but he didn't."
"How do you know that?"
"I just do."
"Wait until morning."
"Can't do that, Matt. He needs me now, and I can't let him down."
"Then I'm coming with you."
"No, you're not."
"Then I am."
They both turned to stare at Kitty.
Doc looked at her squarely, "No honey, I'm afraid you're not coming along either." He held up a hand, before they had a chance to argue, "I'm the one who needs to go to him, and it has to be alone."
Dillon looked at him, "Why you?"
Doc looked away, then back at Matt, "Because."
"That's not an answer."
"It's all you're going to get."
Kitty's voice was quiet with fear, "I'm worried about what he might do."
"So I am, Kitty."
"And how do you propose to help him out there in the dark, by yourself?"
"Don't know that I can, only that I have to try."
Kitty brushed his cheek with her hand, "Just take care of him, Doc."
He nodded, stepped into his buggy, and took off in the same direction Festus had gone that afternoon.
Matt's voice was anxious, "I hope he knows what he's doing."
"More so than we would, Matt. More so than we."
"What in the hell do you think you're doing? Have you lost your mind? You gave Festus hope that you might save her. Doc, how could you be so cruel?"
Adams' voice was full of venom, "You'd have me tell him in front of the entire town that the only woman he ever loved is dead, Matt?" His timbre was colored with emotion, "I won't have all of Dodge bear witness to him breaking down; and we both know that he will." Doc's voice grew soft with intense sadness, "I just won't have it."
Matt placed a gentle hand on Doc's shoulder, and words became unnecessary. The old physician turned away, fighting off his own tears, then, finding control, he spoke quietly to Dillon.
"Help me clean her up. I don't want him to see her like this."
The two of them wiped off the blood, and straightened her hair and clothes, covering most of her body with a blanket. Just as they finished, they heard footsteps coming up the stairs. The door opened, and Festus entered, followed by Kitty. He looked at Doc and Matt, and he knew the truth.
His voice broke, "Oh Doc....."
"I'm sorry old boy. There was nothing I could do to save her."
Festus walked slowly toward Rose's body, realizing that he suddenly felt numb. He could no longer feel the pain in his ribs, or his head. The only ache he could sense was coming from his heart; and he knew that one would never cease. He reached a gentle hand out and straightened a lock of Rose's hair, then, he ran his finger down her face, and over her lips. He couldn't look back at the people standing behind him; the friends he knew were hurting for him; the people who had become his family; the ones who loved him.
He didn't turn to face them, and his voice shook when he spoke, "I'd be real obliged if ya'd give me a moment alone with her."
Silently, Kitty and Matt walked out the door, and after Doc watched Festus for a moment longer he too, turned and exited. When Festus heard the door quietly close, he allowed the tears to fall unimpeded. He leaned down, buried his face into Rose's chest, and cried his heart out. When no more tears would fall, he kissed her cool lips one last time, wiped his face with his sleeve, and turned toward the door. He knew they hadn't gone far; he knew they wouldn't leave him. He opened the door, and silently they filed back in.
Festus turned to Dillon first, his voice soft and gentle, "I'd appreciate it, Matthew, if'n you could help me git Rose to Percy Crump's place. I'd like him to have her ready fer buryin' by tomorrow afternoon."
"I'll see to it, Festus, you don't need to do a thing."
He turned to Kitty next, "I'd be obliged ma'am if'n you could pick out a nice dress from her things at the Long Branch."
Kitty couldn't speak, so she simply nodded. Finally Festus looked at Doc Adams.
"Let me know what I owe you fer tryin', Doc. I reckon I can pay it in a month or so--"
Doc's voice was tight with emotion, "--Festus... don't." The physician looked up at his old friend with tears in his eyes, "Don't put on a brave face. Not with us. Not with me."
The deputy's voice remained soft, "I ain't. I reckon thar just ain't no more to come from cryin'." He looked at Dillon then, "Tell Percy I'll pick her up with a wagon tomorrow."
"You don't want him to bury her?"
"No. I'll do it."
"But--"
"--I said I'll do it."
"Okay. We'll go with you."
"No."
Doc interjected, "You can't do it yourself...."
"Yes, I can. And I'd be obliged if'n it wasn't brung up again."
They all looked at the floor, unsure of what to say or do next.
Finally, Matt broke the uncomfortable silence, "I'll take her to Percy's place now. Kitty, can you go with me?"
"Yes."
Matt picked up Rose's body gently, and carried her toward the door, which Doc held open. As Kitty walked past Festus, she reached out for him, pulling him to her. She caressed the back of his head with her hand, and whispered softly into his ear. Neither Matt nor Doc could hear what she said, but Festus buried his face into her neck for a moment, allowing her to hold him, then he gently pulled away, his eyes wet with fresh tears.
Haggen started for the door, to follow Matt, but Adams blocked his way.
"Let me take a look at those ribs."
"I'm fine."
"I can tell by the way you're walking that they're broken. I need to at least bandage them, Festus."
"Let me alone, Doc."
"I'll do no such thing. Now sit down."
Festus was too tired and hurt to argue. He sat down, Doc bandaged his ribs, and before he knew it, the old codger had knocked him out with ether. Adams wanted the comfort of knowing where Festus was for the night, and that he was all right. He covered Haggen with a blanket, put a pillow beneath his head, and sat in a chair next to him, just in case the deputy needed him during the night.
***********
Matt, Kitty, and Doc stood out in front of Percy Crump's with Festus, until Percy's men brought out the pine box holding Rose's body. Festus had refused a funeral service, and just asked that the body be placed in a wagon for him. He was still insisting on burying her by himself, despite the objections of his closest friends. Dillon leaned in toward his deputy.
"Are you sure you don't want my help, Festus? I'd feel better if I went with you."
"No thanks, Matthew. I need to do this alone."
Percy's men gently set the casket in the wagon. Kitty took Festus by the hand for a moment.
"Please take Matt with you, otherwise I'll worry about you."
He looked her in the eyes, and she could barely stand to gaze at the anguish in his.
"You don't need to worry none, Miss Kitty. I'll be fine."
Doc didn't say a word, he knew better. He merely watched Festus climb into the wagon, pick up the reins, and drive out of Dodge. But then, Doc Adams knew where he was going, and he knew what Haggen would do after he buried her. He also knew that eventually, he would have to go get him. Silently Adams walked down the boardwalk, his hands in his pockets. He could well imagine the pain that Festus held inside, but he didn't know how he was going to help him. Doc Adams only knew that he would have to try.
***********
Matt argued with Doc as the smaller man prepared his buggy.
"You can't go out looking for Festus alone, in the dark. Doc, he could have gone anywhere to bury her."
"He could have, but he didn't."
"How do you know that?"
"I just do."
"Wait until morning."
"Can't do that, Matt. He needs me now, and I can't let him down."
"Then I'm coming with you."
"No, you're not."
"Then I am."
They both turned to stare at Kitty.
Doc looked at her squarely, "No honey, I'm afraid you're not coming along either." He held up a hand, before they had a chance to argue, "I'm the one who needs to go to him, and it has to be alone."
Dillon looked at him, "Why you?"
Doc looked away, then back at Matt, "Because."
"That's not an answer."
"It's all you're going to get."
Kitty's voice was quiet with fear, "I'm worried about what he might do."
"So I am, Kitty."
"And how do you propose to help him out there in the dark, by yourself?"
"Don't know that I can, only that I have to try."
Kitty brushed his cheek with her hand, "Just take care of him, Doc."
He nodded, stepped into his buggy, and took off in the same direction Festus had gone that afternoon.
Matt's voice was anxious, "I hope he knows what he's doing."
"More so than we would, Matt. More so than we."