Festus juggled the warm tray between his hands. "Doc? Hey, Doc...I've got some vittles fer you and Miss Kitty. Hey, Doc!"

When there was no response from within the Longbranch, Haggen stepped up onto the boardwalk and holding the tray in one hand, banged on the front door with the other.

"Doc! Come on, Doc, I don't want these here vittles ta git cold on ya..."

A few more moments of silence ticked by, and impatiently, Festus put his ear to the crack in between the two large Longbranch doors, listening for any sign of movement from within. His brow crinkled into a frown when the sounds of forlorn grief struck his ears. His chest tightened as he realized that the source of the brokenhearted sobbing was Doc; he had never known the man to cry, much less openly weep, and Haggen could think of only one thing that would cause it. He suddenly felt as if his feet had been nailed to the boardwalk, the hard truth of what lie beyond the doors capable of ripping his heart out sure and plain. A muffled cry reached his ears once again, jarring him from his stupor. He banged on the door, this time with far more force.

His voice was colored with anxiety, "Doc... Doc, can you hear me? Open the damned door, Doc!"

And still there was no answer.

He swallowed hard, unable to remove the cold fear from his throat. Sickness or no, truth or no, Fesus had to see to Doc. He set the tray down and turned the doorknob, but it was locked. With the butt end of his gun, Haggen gently poked out the glass nearest the knob, reached through and opened the door. The sight of Doc grieving on the stairway, slammed Festus' heart into his belly with the force of an oncoming train at full speed. Steeling himself for the worst, Haggen moved slowly over to the stairs, placing a shaking hand on the banister. His heart dropped the rest of the way to his knees when he saw the blood covering the front of Doc's shirt.

His timbre was pitched with a low fear, "Doc? Doc...'re ya all right?" But Adams didn't seem to notice that he was there. Festus sat down on the step, and pulled Doc into his arms, holding him tightly. "Oh Doc...it's Miss Kitty ain't it? She's dead, ain't she..." Barely able to contain his own sorrow, Festus barely felt Doc shaking his head against his chest. Haggen closed his eyes in relief, and then tightened his arms around Adams. "Whut's ailin' ya so, Doc?"

In response, Doc's body shook with all the pent-up emotion that had pooled itself inside of him over the past ten days. The helplessness, anxiety, and fears that had filled his days and nights; everything that he kept stuffed down in that place only a doctor could know, had erupted with a force ten times that of a tornado. He leaned into Festus like a broken branch on the trunk of a tree, and the display of such open vulnerability from Doc, terrified the deputy.

He gently felt Adams' forehead. "Ya ain't a-feverin' Doc..." Festus pulled the old man a little closer. "Yore belly hurtin' ya?"

Doc shook his head no, and swallowed hard, his voice a thin whisper, "You shouldn't be here."

Festus rubbed a soft hand over Adams' back. "Maybe not, but I sure as hell ain't leavin' you here like this, Doc. I just ain't." Adams took a deep breath, trying to settle his frayed nerves, his exhale causing him to shudder yet again. "Doc, you gotta calm down. This cain't be good fer yore heart."

Gently, Adams pushed away from the deputy, taking another shaky breath. "I'm sorry, Festus."

The hazel eyes were shiny with emotion. "Ya ain't got nuthin' ta be sorry for, Doc."

Adams leaned his head toward the wall, looking away, ashamed. "I'm sorry you had to see that."

Festus placed a strong yet gentle hand on the back of the old man's neck. "Don't you fret none 'bout that, Doc. Ya jes' scared me a little is all..."

It wasn't the answer Adams was expecting, and he turned sharply to look into the deputy's face: and what he saw there was unconditional love. Doc's eyes misted over once more, and he pat his friend's knee.

"Help me up, Festus."

The deputy gently pulled Doc up by the arm, steadying him carefully. "Doc...?"

The old physician looked his friend in the eyes. "What is it, Festus?"

Haggen's voice was soft, "Was it because of Miss Kitty thatcha got so weepy?"

Adams looked down, embarrassed. "Mostly. I'm very afraid for her, Festus." He glanced back up at Haggen, his steely blue eyes a testament to the emotions lying just underneath. "And God help me, I'm afraid of losin' her. I don't know that we can weather that one, old boy, you, and me, and Matt. My God, especially Matt."

Haggen swallowed hard. "Is she gonna die, Doc?"

Doc shrugged. "I don't know, Festus. But I'd better get back up there to her, and I want you to get the hell out of here. I just couldn't take it if something happened to you too."

Festus smiled sweetly at him. "I'm gonna fetch yer vittles, Doc, I'll be back directly."

"What I really need Festus, is some ice."

"Ice?"

"Yep, and lots of it. Can ya do that for me?"

"I'll do her, Doc, right away, after I fetch ya that tray."

"Just get the ice, Festus, I ain't hungry anyway."

"You gotta eat, Doc."

Adams sighed heavily. "Just get the ice Festus, and hurry along."

"I'll git both."

Doc smiled every so slightly at the retreating figure of the deputy. "Stubborn old mule."

Haggen's voice was faint as he walked out the door, "I heard that..."

Adams yelled after him, "Good!"

Running an unsteady hand through his hair and over his mustache and chin, Adams mounted the stairway and walked up toward Kitty's room. A cold shudder ran through him, but he couldn't tell if it was fear or a sudden chill...