Doc slowly stirred. He wasn't too sure how long he had been knock out, but the bump on his head indicated it was at least an hour. He tried opening his eyes, but only the right would open. He then realized his left eye was caked closed with dried blood. He pushed himself up and located a canteen and after dampening his handkerchief he washed his eye which fluttered open. Slowly he touched the area where the blood oozed from. He winced.

Kitty groaned from the other end of the coach. Doc's attention was immediately drawn to her. "Kitty? Honey? How do you feel?" He crawled over to her side and helped her to sit.

Kitty opened her eyes and looked a the doctor. "A lot better than you look..." she said dryly. "Don't think anything is broken, but mighty bruised. Why did you pick me to bounce off of?" Doc didn't know what to say, but he look sorry. "Aw. I didn't mean anything by that Doc. You okay?" She placed her hands on his cheeks and looked at the gash on his scalp. "Yeah, I'm fine. I better check on Walter." He slowly stood and balanced himself as he was still reeling from the bump on the head.

Doc unlatched the stage door and flung it open like a hatch. With a slight struggle he clambered onto the side of the coach. Looking back down inside he spoke to Kitty. "You might as well come out too. No point in stayin' cooped up in there." He reached down and took Kitty's hands and pulled her up enough that she could sit on the edge. "Thanks Doc."

Doc looked down and saw Walter. Kitty noted the look that ran across his face. "Not good, huh, Doc?"

"'Fraid not..." He ran his hand across his moustache while looking around for his medical bag. He finally spotted it part way up the hill. Doc quickly scambled down off the coach and retrieved his bag and headed back to Walter.

The old driver was pinned from the waist down under the front of the coach. His breathing was course and frothy pink blood slipped from his lips with every breath. Doc knelt next to the old man. "Walter? What can I do for ya?" Deep down Doc knew there was little he could do. He saw the old man's legs all twisted and knew that the coach rolled over him once or more crushing his ribs like dried twigs.

Walter moan and slowly looked at the doctor. "Ain't much ya can do, Doc. You know that. I can't feel nothing from my ribs down. Just as well, I bet my legs are all mashed up..."

Doc sighed and looked back to the man's legs and then looked deep into his eyes. "I think yer right about that."

Kitty joined the two men and she quickly studied the situation. "Doc?" her eyes held sadness.

Doc shook his head. "I can only make him comfortable, Kitty. He's badly hurt inside." Doc opened his medical bag and searched through the jumbled contents. "Could you go and find something to cover him up with. We can at least keep him warm..."

Kitty slowly stood and surveyed the area. Boxes and luggage covered the hillside. The road wasn't visible from where she stood. A sense of foreboding doom swept over her. She shook herself and looked for a blanket, or something to keep the dying man warm for his final minutes or hours. Kitty knew that regardless Doc would do anything to help him pass easier. She sighed as she trudged through the long prairie grass.

The tarp from the back of the stage coach caught her eye. Quickly she move to it and pulled hard and with the second tug it came free. She rounded the front of the coach and watched Doc. He removed his stethoscope and dropped it into his medical bag. "He's dead." Kitty shook her head in sorrow as she handed the tarp off to Doc.

Before he covered the dead driver, Doc pulled his gun from his holster and what bullets he could reach. The rest would remain pinned under the body. Doc also found the shotgun and three extra shells. He placed the shells in his vest pocket and quickly set to covering the body.

"What do we need the guns for?" Kitty asked bluntly.

Doc turned with a look of alarm in his eyes. "Walter warmed me to be careful getting back to Dodge. He heard stories of a mad cat."

Kitty looked strangely at the doctor. "You're not talkin' about a house cat, I take it."

Doc shook his head no. "Wish I were. Here you carry this one." He said handing Kitty the shotgun. "Use it only when need be. We've only got 5 shots from that one and about 10 for this here one." Doc looked at the Colt .45 he held in his hand.

"Well. What do we do now?" Kitty looked around at the hills.

Doc scratched his chin after stuffing the gun into his waistband. He picked up his medical bag and pointed. "If memory serves me right, old Tobias Fitzgerald's place is off that way a few miles."

"A few miles!" Kitty just about laughed.

"Times wasting..." Doc took her by the arm and the two walked in the direction that Doc indicated. Both now felt like they were being watched.