Kitty caught herself jerking her head up to stay awake. The dark blue of night was giving way to the lighter day sky as the sun slowly creped over the distant hills. She wiped her eyes and looked over to Doc who was still motionless. Kitty stood and moved to her downed friend and adjusted his coat and wiped his brow again with a damp cloth - he was now running a temperature. In fact he look terrible, she decided. "Doc?" she said gently while brushing her hand along his cheek.

The old doctor stirred and his eyes slowly opened. "You okay, handsome?" Kitty smiled down on him while placing a caring hand on his warm forehead. "You're running a temperature, you know?"

Doc nodded. "Water, please." he whispered as his mouth and throat were dry. Kitty smiled and obliged. She picked up the enamelled bowl and the shotgun and headed to the stream. Somehow, now that Doc was awake everything seemed okay again. She rinsed the bowl and turned back to Doc. There above him was the cougar. She dropped the dish and it clattered on the rocks. Her hands shook as she pointed the gun, but was afraid to fire it with Doc laying in between her and the large cat.

Doc held his breath at the sight of the large seething animal that looked down upon him. With blood thirst in its eyes it hovered at the top of the bluff calculating its next move. The cougar spotted Kitty with the shotgun and pulled back out of range.

"Oh, Doc! We can't stay here!" Kitty raced back to Doc who was trying to get to his feet. His head was spinning, "I know, but I don't know how on earth were gonna get anywhere with me. My leg is stiff and swollen..." he said as his crystal blue eyes meet Kitty's - there was sadness and helplessness in them. Kitty tried to smile. "We'll find away Doc."

"Sure honey..." Doc pat her hand. "Here, take my arm. I need your support." he said as the two took their time to move from the area.

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Festus was practically leaning out of his saddle while looking for Doc and Kitty's trail. There were deer tracks, rabbit runs and the like, but nothing yet looked like human made. The sun rose higher in the sky and the temperature began to rise as well. Festus pulled on Ruth's reigns and stopped. Again he stood up in his saddle where he could barely see the lower part of the stream. "I think we'll have better luck following the crick. Matthew."

Matt removed his hat and wiped his sleeve across his forehead before placing the Stetson back on his head. "I think you're right Festus. Come on." He spurred his buckskin and they moved to the stream.

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Kitty and Doc managed to move about one hundred feet before the cat showed itself again. But this time it seemed more persistent. It loomed over them on the ridge above the stream. "What do we do, Doc?" Kitty's voice was filled with fear.

Doc blinked and tried to get a clear thought in his spinning head. With his jaw thrust foreword he slowly took the gun from Kitty. "We're gonna kill that damn thing..." his voice held determination.

"How?" Kitty whispered.

Doc looked back at her. "You would ask..." he blinked and then turned his attention back to the cat. "I've never had to do this before..."