Kitty ran her hand through Doc's hair as she handed him a steaming cup of coffee.

"You look tired, Doc."

"A little bit, honey," he agreed.

She nodded toward the unconscious man in the bed. "How's he doin'?"

Doc shrugged tiredly, "Don't really know, Kitty. He made it through the surgery, but I can't say how his leg's gonna hold up."

She allowed her hand to continue gently ruffling his salt and pepper strands. "Why don't you go lie down for awhile and let me spell you?"

He shook his head. "No, no, that's all right, Kitty. He's still mighty fragile, and I don't want to leave him." He looked up at her, "I'll be fine, don't you worry."

"How about I just stay here with you for a little while then?"

Doc knew what she was up to, but her soft comfort won out as he leaned into her attention.

"You always get your way with me eventually, don't you?"

"Now Doc, I just don't want you gettin' so tired that you're no good to Festus, yourself or anybody else." She rubbed her hand across his shoulders. "You go lie down and get some sleep, and I'll stay with him." He stared at her without moving for a minute, and she continued, "I promise if he stirs even the slightest bit, I'll come get you."

Slowly Doc stood, kissed Kitty on the cheek, laid a gentle hand on Haggen's head for a moment, then quietly left the room, closing the door behind him.

She gently shook the old doctor's shoulder. "Doc, come on, wake up."

He was groggy at first, and then jerked himself awake. "Something wrong with Festus?"

She stroked his forehead. "No, Doc, take it easy. He's just stirring slightly is all."

Kitty helped the old man up and they went into the back bedroom. Festus was groaning in his sleep. Doc sat on the edge of the bed and put a soft hand on his friend's shoulder.

"Festus? Can you hear me ol' boy?"

After a moment or so, the deputy stirred further. "Doc?"

Adams smiled as the man opened his eyes. "Yeah, it's Doc."

Festus moaned in pain. "My whole body hurts, Doc."

"You've got enough broken bones that you'd fall apart if you tried to stand." Adams held Haggen's wrist checking his pulse. "How's your leg feel, Festus?"

"Burns like it's on fire, Doc."

Adams pulled back the blanket and carefully examined the bandaged leg. "Still pretty swollen, ol' boy. It's gonna be awhile before it stops throbbing." He ran his hands over Haggen's broken ribs and Festus winced, then tried to sit up and Doc gently restrained him. "No Festus. You need rest, and lots of it. You're gonna just stay in this bed for at least six weeks."

Kitty took one of Haggen's hands in hers. "We've been awfully worried about you, Festus. Even Doc's been frettin'..."

Haggen looked at the doctor. "Is it that bad, Doc?"

Adams' eyes misted over slightly. "Pretty bad, Festus."

He looked from Doc to Miss Kitty, suddenly feeling like he was missing something. "Doc, am I gonna be all right?"

Adams pulled the blanket back up, tucking the man in. "Yes, Festus, you're gonna be fine...but

...but I don't know about..."

"You don't know 'bout whut, Doc?"

Doc's eyes filled with emotion and he shook his head. Kitty placed a soft hand on his shoulder, then sat down next to him on the bed, taking a hold of Haggen's hand.

"Festus, your leg's in pretty bad shape."

Haggen swallowed hard. "Doc? Am I gonna be able to walk again?"

Doc laid a gentle hand on Haggen's arm. "I don't know, ol' boy, I just don't know. The femur was shattered, and your thigh bone...well, it was broken so badly I had to do surgery to try and set it. I've never tried to fix one this bad before, and I just don't know..."

Sensing that Doc was on the verge of losing it, Haggen smiled at him. "Doc, I know you done yore best, and that's all any feller could ask. Don't be sad or nuthin'..."

Unable to take the emotional onslaught, Doc abruptly left the room. Kitty held onto Haggen's hand. "Don't worry about Doc, you know how he is about showin' his feelings." The deputy's eyes fluttered slightly, and Kitty brushed his cheek with her hand. "You need rest, partner, so just close your eyes. One of us will be right here with you."

His voice was sleepy as his eyes slipped closed. "Obliged Miss Kitty..."

"Are you sure it's not too soon for him to try this, Doc?"

Adams glared at Dillon. "You plannin' on startin' a medical practice now are ya?"

"Doc..."

The old man swiped his hand across the lower half of his face. "We have to let him try sooner or later, Matt. It's going to be painful, and we might find out that the leg is useless, but we can't protect him from it forever."

Matt followed Doc into the back bedroom of his office, where Festus was sitting up with his legs dangling over the side of the bed.

"You ready to give this a try, you old mule?"

"As ready as I'll ever be I 'spose." He looked at the two men, and then into the outer room. "Miss Kitty ain't coming by?"

Doc and Matt exchanged a look, then Matt answered. "We thought it might be better if it was just us fellas."

The reality of the odds against him slammed hard into Haggen's gut, and he looked down, his voice soft. "I git yore meanin', Matthew. 'Spose it'd be better if Miss Kitty don't see it."

Doc pat the deputy's shoulder. "Now come on, Festus, don't assume the worst."

Haggen looked up sharply. "Ain't that what yore doin', Doc?"

Adams swallowed hard, and looked away. After a moment he gently pat Haggen's cheek.

"I...I just don't want you to be disappointed, Festus."

"Well, we ain't never gonna know if I don't try this..."

Doc took one arm, and Matt the other, and they gently lifted Haggen up to a standing position. Festus tried to put weight on the leg, but winced in pain. Adams pat the man's back.

"Easy, Festus, it's bound to hurt some."

"Felt like fire shootin' up my leg, Doc."

"Okay, that's okay. I want you to try it again."

Haggen put some weight on the leg and grit his teeth, leaving it there. "Hurts pretty bad..."

Doc squeezed the arm in his hand. "We've gotcha, Festus, and we're not gonna letcha fall. Just try and take a step."

Haggen leaned on the patched leg and howled in pain, Doc and Matt taking the slack of his weight upon themselves.

"Let's put him back on the bed, Matt, it's too much too soon."

"No, Doc," Festus said, gritting his teeth harder. "Lemme try it agin..."

"Festus, listen to Doc, it's too soon, you're in too much pain."

He shook his head. "No Matthew, let's find out now if I'm still gonna be fit to be a deputy, or if you have ta find somebody else."

Matt squeezed his deputy's arm. "Now you listen to me, either way, you will always have a job with me, Festus."

Haggen once again put weight on his leg and took a step, the pain bathing his forehead in sweat. He took a deep breath and tried it again. When he started for a third, Doc held him back.

"That's enough, Festus." He looked at the marshal. "Help me get him back in bed."

The two men gently guided the exhausted deputy back onto the bed, pulling the blanket back over him. Festus could barely keep his eyes open. Doc pat his hand.

"You take a nap, ol' boy, that was more than enough work for you for one day."

Haggen's voice held sleep in it, "Hurt like a son of gun, Doc. Real stiff too. Is it always gonna be like that?"

Adams rubbed the hand under his own. "I don't think so, Festus. Now you get some sleep, you hear me?"

Haggen's head nodded slightly and his eyes closed. Matt followed Doc out into the other room.

"Well?"

"Can't be a hundred percent sure, Matt, but the fact that he could take a couple of steps already is a good sign. A real good sign."

The door to Doc's office opened, and Kitty walked in. "I know you two didn't want me over here, but I just can't stand being cooped up over in the Longbranch."

Matt smiled at her. "He took a couple of steps, Kitty."

"Doc, does that mean...?"

"It means that with a lot of time and some hard work, Festus should be just fine, honey." Holding back tears, the doctor looked at the bedroom door and whispered to himself, "He'll be just fine."

The End