Festus hobbled up the stairs to Doc's office. "Doc? You thar?"
Doc was busy with his business books and heard Festus. There was a certain tinge in the deputy's voice that merited more attention than usual. Doc pushed himself up from his chair and opened the door.
Festus leaned against the wall with a look of anguish over his brow. "Festus? What in thunder is your problem? I heard you calling my name for the last minute or so!" Doc asked slightly accusatory.
Festus was almost crying with pain and embarrassment as he pulled his bloodied hand away from his rump. "I was shot..."
Doc grabbed for his friend and helped him into the office. "How on earth did this happen?"
Festus' moisten eyes looked up to Doc's. "I was runnin' the gun skill contest at the fair and Henry came along. Ouch..." Festus moaned but continued, "then I tried to leave and backed into a cowboy and his gun went off. The bullet went here and there and ended up past here..." Festus pointed to his behind.
Doc wiped his right hand across his moustache. Any other time he would have found it quite funny, but he knew the wrath of Henry Haggen. "Come on in the back room. It might need a stitch or two." Doc helped his friend to the bed while patting his shoulder. "Come on you ole mule."
"Ya always have ta bring Ruth into it don't ya." Festus grunted.
Doc helped Festus down on the bed. "When are you going to understand that sometimes when someone calls you something, that they actually mean it as a friend?"
Festus groaned as the tired to get comfortable. ""bout the same time I learns ta read I guess."
Doc smirked and hooked his glasses over his ears to have a better look at Festus' wound through the hole in the seat of his pants.
As Doc focussed on his friends problem, two of the chimps that escaped made their way up the stairs and into Doc's office. They were quiet at first, until they began to find augment in the wads of dressing and bandages. Their excitement grew and they started to romp around the office.
With the ruckus in his office, Doc dropped his suture and told Festus to stay still. Doc even pulled the gun from Festus' gun belt to investigate. He poked his head through the door and almost dropped the gun. His mouth fell open until he caught himself and mustered the courage to act. "Get! Get out!" he yell and waved his arms wildly at the two chimps that threw up their own startled surprise at seeing Doc. They made a hasty retreat and Doc followed them out the door to be sure.
Out on the street it appeared calamity was unfolding everywhere and the day was only young.