Adams drove toward the little lot of land at the top of the hill three
miles outside of Dodge. He found Festus there, sitting on the ground, next
to a fresh mound of dirt, a shovel, and an empty bottle of whiskey. Doc
pulled on the reins of the buggy.
"Whoa..."
The horse stopped, and Adams stepped out, walking slowly over to the deputy.
His voice was as soft as velvet, "Festus? It's me, it's Doc.... You okay?"
Haggen didn't turn around, and while his words were slurred, the anger behind them was not, "Git outta here, Doc. I don't want nobody here."
Doc moved closer, "That's too bad, because I'm not leaving."
Doc reached down and placed a fatherly hand on the deputy's head, and Festus pulled away from him.
"Leave me be, Doc."
Adams voice stayed calm, "I can't do that, Festus."
In blind anger, Haggen stood, swaying on his feet. He picked up the shovel, and tried to swing it, but Doc easily moved aside. Not only was Haggen too drunk, his broken ribs wouldn't support him.
Adams' voice betrayed his worry, "Put that thing down before you hurt yourself worse than ya already have."
"Damn you...I said leave me be!"
Festus tried to swing the shovel again, but this time, he landed in a heap on the ground, his own momentum throwing him off balance. He cradled his ribs, crying out in pain. Doc knelt next to him, pulling Haggen into his arms. Festus tried to swing his fists at the physician, but couldn't muster any kind of fight. Adams held him like a father would a frightened child.
"Shhh....stop fighting, Festus. Just let it go."
Drunk and hurting, the deputy's voice was filled with confusion, "Doc?"
"Yeah, it's me. It's Doc."
Festus grabbed Adam's shirt with his hands, pulling him closer. A cry of pain and anguish escaped his lips, and the floodgates of his control opened. A moment later, the alcohol he consumed came back at him, and the deputy began to wretch, violently. Doc gently turned him over, and slid one arm under his belly, while using the other to support Haggen's forehead, patiently waiting for the onslaught to cease. When there was nothing left but dry heaves, Doc pulled Fetsus back into his arms, softly rubbing Haggen's neck until he felt him relax.
Doc spoke softly, "It's time for me to take you home, old boy."
"I cain't leave her Doc."
"You can't stay here, Festus, you'll catch your death."
"I don't wanna live without her, Doc, it hurts too much."
"You don't mean that, Festus."
"Yes sir, I do."
Doc drew the deputy into his chest, holding him tightly. The old man spoke softly into Haggen's ear.
"I don't ever want to hear you say that again, Festus." Doc closed his eyes trying to stave off his own tears, but his shaking voice betrayed him, "Don't you ever say that to me again."
Adams felt Festus shudder against him, the deputy's sobs finally overwhelming him. Doc held Haggen until he quieted down, then gently, he pulled him up. The deputy leaned heavily on Adams, and the older man helped him into the buggy. He pulled the horse and wagon closer, tying the reins to the back of his rig. Doc covered Festus with a blanket, and sat down next to him. The deputy's hazel eyes having become hollow reflections of anguish.
Festus touched Adam's arm, "I'm sorry, Doc. I'm sorry for what I put ya through tonight, and for bein' so drunk." His voice became softer, filled with regret, "I'm sorriest that I lost her though....."
Adams put his arm around the deputy, and pulled the man's head over to rest on his shoulder, "If I could take the pain and the burden of this from you, Festus, I wouldn't hesitate. But I can't, so you'll have to learn how to lean on me."
"Cain't stay in Dodge no more, Doc."
"Leaving won't fix this, Festus. The hurt just goes with you."
"Oh Doc, this hurts more than I ever knowed anythin' could."
The vulnerability in the deputy's voice cut deeply into Doc's heart, and his throat became tight with emotion, "I know it does, old boy. I know."
Haggen's voice held a child's naiveté, "Nothin'll ever be the same, will it?"
Doc tenderly cupped the back of Haggen's head, stroking the short- cropped hair with his fingers.
"No old son, it won't."
Festus wasn't sure, but he thought he heard the resonance of experience in the old physician's words. None of them had ever known the reason Galen Adams first left the East to come to Dodge, and in that moment, Festus prayed it wasn't because the old man had been trying to escape a hurt like this one. But in Doc's tone of voice, and the touch of his hand, Festus Haggen had recognized the truth.
The End
"Whoa..."
The horse stopped, and Adams stepped out, walking slowly over to the deputy.
His voice was as soft as velvet, "Festus? It's me, it's Doc.... You okay?"
Haggen didn't turn around, and while his words were slurred, the anger behind them was not, "Git outta here, Doc. I don't want nobody here."
Doc moved closer, "That's too bad, because I'm not leaving."
Doc reached down and placed a fatherly hand on the deputy's head, and Festus pulled away from him.
"Leave me be, Doc."
Adams voice stayed calm, "I can't do that, Festus."
In blind anger, Haggen stood, swaying on his feet. He picked up the shovel, and tried to swing it, but Doc easily moved aside. Not only was Haggen too drunk, his broken ribs wouldn't support him.
Adams' voice betrayed his worry, "Put that thing down before you hurt yourself worse than ya already have."
"Damn you...I said leave me be!"
Festus tried to swing the shovel again, but this time, he landed in a heap on the ground, his own momentum throwing him off balance. He cradled his ribs, crying out in pain. Doc knelt next to him, pulling Haggen into his arms. Festus tried to swing his fists at the physician, but couldn't muster any kind of fight. Adams held him like a father would a frightened child.
"Shhh....stop fighting, Festus. Just let it go."
Drunk and hurting, the deputy's voice was filled with confusion, "Doc?"
"Yeah, it's me. It's Doc."
Festus grabbed Adam's shirt with his hands, pulling him closer. A cry of pain and anguish escaped his lips, and the floodgates of his control opened. A moment later, the alcohol he consumed came back at him, and the deputy began to wretch, violently. Doc gently turned him over, and slid one arm under his belly, while using the other to support Haggen's forehead, patiently waiting for the onslaught to cease. When there was nothing left but dry heaves, Doc pulled Fetsus back into his arms, softly rubbing Haggen's neck until he felt him relax.
Doc spoke softly, "It's time for me to take you home, old boy."
"I cain't leave her Doc."
"You can't stay here, Festus, you'll catch your death."
"I don't wanna live without her, Doc, it hurts too much."
"You don't mean that, Festus."
"Yes sir, I do."
Doc drew the deputy into his chest, holding him tightly. The old man spoke softly into Haggen's ear.
"I don't ever want to hear you say that again, Festus." Doc closed his eyes trying to stave off his own tears, but his shaking voice betrayed him, "Don't you ever say that to me again."
Adams felt Festus shudder against him, the deputy's sobs finally overwhelming him. Doc held Haggen until he quieted down, then gently, he pulled him up. The deputy leaned heavily on Adams, and the older man helped him into the buggy. He pulled the horse and wagon closer, tying the reins to the back of his rig. Doc covered Festus with a blanket, and sat down next to him. The deputy's hazel eyes having become hollow reflections of anguish.
Festus touched Adam's arm, "I'm sorry, Doc. I'm sorry for what I put ya through tonight, and for bein' so drunk." His voice became softer, filled with regret, "I'm sorriest that I lost her though....."
Adams put his arm around the deputy, and pulled the man's head over to rest on his shoulder, "If I could take the pain and the burden of this from you, Festus, I wouldn't hesitate. But I can't, so you'll have to learn how to lean on me."
"Cain't stay in Dodge no more, Doc."
"Leaving won't fix this, Festus. The hurt just goes with you."
"Oh Doc, this hurts more than I ever knowed anythin' could."
The vulnerability in the deputy's voice cut deeply into Doc's heart, and his throat became tight with emotion, "I know it does, old boy. I know."
Haggen's voice held a child's naiveté, "Nothin'll ever be the same, will it?"
Doc tenderly cupped the back of Haggen's head, stroking the short- cropped hair with his fingers.
"No old son, it won't."
Festus wasn't sure, but he thought he heard the resonance of experience in the old physician's words. None of them had ever known the reason Galen Adams first left the East to come to Dodge, and in that moment, Festus prayed it wasn't because the old man had been trying to escape a hurt like this one. But in Doc's tone of voice, and the touch of his hand, Festus Haggen had recognized the truth.
The End