He placed another cool cloth on Dillon's forehead and checked the man's pulse. He let out a long sigh of air; Matt was heading in the same direction as Eli Kendall, and there was nothing he could do. He knew it wasn't typhus, cholera or a strain of pneumonia, but he didn't know what is was - and that fact was eating away at him. The soft knock at the door of the jailhouse shook Adams from his thoughts, and he went to the door, knowing who it had to be. He opened it, and she tried to walk in, but he gently pushed her outside, back onto the boardwalk.

"Doc...Doc, please, let me see him." Her blue eyes tore at him, but she could see he wasn't giving into her. "Festus said Matt was real sick and that you wanted to talk to me." His steel blue gaze looked sad, and he swallowed hard, and Kitty suddenly felt that she wanted to run from him to avoid hearing whatever it was he had to say. Gently he guided her to the bench outside the office, and sat down with her.

"Matt is very sick, Kitty. It's the same thing that took down Eli Kendall, and it's got half of Dodge bed-ridden."

"Is that what's wrong with Sam?"

"I'm afraid so, honey."

"What are we going to do, Doc?"

"Well, I've got an idea, but I need your help, Kitty."

"Anything."

He held a hand up to her. "Not so fast, you haven't heard what it is I need from you yet."

The emotion in her voice was unsteady, "I don't care, Doc. Matt needs me, I don't care what it is."

He rubbed a soft hand along her arm. "I need use of the Longbranch to isolate the people who're sick. It's a large, enclosed space that I can contain."

"You think it's catching?"

"It's contagious somehow, or it wouldn't be movin' this quick. My guess is that it's going from person to person, as opposed to contaminated water, food, or some kinda pest. I've gotta isolate what it is, and then I'll have a good idea how it's spreadin'. Could be through saliva, or worse, airborne."

As his words sunk in, alarm filled her eyes. "But Doc, Kendall sat in the Longbranch all day, do you know how many people were there?"

His voice was soft, "Yeah, I know."

"What else do you need me to do?"

He shook his head. "Nothing, honey. Just help Festus and Burke prepare the Longbranch; that's all I need from you."

She gripped his arms tightly with her hands. "But Doc--"

"--No. I'm sorry, Kitty, but the answer is no. You can't see Matt, and you can't help me take care of any of the sick."

"Doc, there's too many people for you to handle by yourself. You're going to need help."

His voice was stern, "If I need help, I'll ask Ma Smalley."

She couldn't keep the bitterness from her voice, "You're not afraid for her?"

His eyes flashed anger. "Of course I am, but like me, she's old, and well..."

He didn't finish the thought, but Kitty did. "And you figure that's more acceptable somehow?"

He could see her anger building, and he stopped her with gentle hands upon her shoulders. "Now you listen to me. We've lived most of our lives already, the rest of you haven't. Besides, there's a chance that either one or both of us has been exposed to whatever this is at some point in our lives, so there's a possibility that neither of us will come down with it. And ultimately, the decision will be Ma Smalley's, she's free to say no."

Kitty Russell didn't like it. "Doc, I can't let you--"

"--You can, and you will." He stood, helping her up with him. "Besides, you ain't got nothin' to say about it." She glared at him, but he stood his ground. "Now go on and help Festus and Burke." Their eyes remained lock for quite a long moment, silently battling, but she could see he wasn't going to give in to her this time. He ran a soft hand down her back stopping at her waist, to guide her down the wooden step to the street. "That's my girl."

She turned back to look at him as she moved toward the Longbranch. "Take good care of him, Doc. Please."

"You know I will."

Kitty shook her head to herself as she walked the rest of the way across the street. She didn't know what she would do if she lost Matt; she wasn't sure she could survive. And the thought of losing Doc on top of it would do her in she was certain. She looked back across the street, but Doc had already gone back inside the jailhouse. She would do what she could from the outside for now, but she also knew there would come a point when she wouldn't back down any longer. If she couldn't save Matt, at least she'd be with him.