Festus's blood ran cold with the words he just heard. A complete and utter hush - almost an eerie quiet engulfed Dodge. Festus rushed to his downed friend's side. Doc lay awkwardly on his side and a rich pool of blood dripped to the ground from his chest. Festus quickly examined Doc and determined that the bullet had past straight through his chest. He looked up to the crowd. "Get the Marshal and someone find Newly!"
By now Kitty had heard of what happened and made her way across the street and through the mob. "Get out of my way!" She pushed through the bystanders. "Festus?"
Festus looked up to Miss Kitty. His eyes were as full of tear as her's. "It don't look good. The bullet went straight on through..." Festus looked back down to Doc who groaned. Kitty knelt next to both of the men and applied pressure to the opening on Doc's back, while Festus did his best holding a cloth to the opening on the front of Doc's chest. Doc's breathing was becoming corse and raspy.
Matt and Newly pushed through the crowd and Newly knelt down and had a look at the wounds. "He's losing a lot of blood." His eyes looked from Kitty's to Festus' and finally Matt who was bent over the small huddled group. Matt's anger was building and he stood slowly upright and scanned the crowd. All the could see were towns folk. Matt chewed on his lower lip as his eyes looked over the crowd for anyone that might have shot his friend.
"Marshal...we have to get Doc up to the office. He's not good..." Newly's voice was shaky as he was uncertain about what to do for Doc. Matt, Festus, Newly and Sam gently hoisted Doc into their arms and moved him through the watching crowd and up to his office.
Kitty had froze at the spot where her dear friend and mentor went down. A lump formed in her throat and tears filled her blue eyes as the looked down into the dust at the familiar black felt hat and the pool of blood beside it. After a second the tears clouded the vision and she cried while picking up the hat. It seemed like a struggle for her to put one foot before the next. Slowly she moved toward the stairs that lead up to the office.
Louie Pheeters stood at the bottom. He watched the four men carry Doc's limp body up the stairs. "It ain't right Miss Kitty. It just ain't right. Doc should not have been shot down for no reason..."
Kitty drew a deep breath and wiped the tears from her eyes and she forced a smile. Slowly she placed her hand on Louie's arm and gently squeezed it. "You're right Louie. I'm sure Matt will find who dunnit..." She then turned and with slight trepidation took each step at a time before she disappeared into the office and closed the door behind her.