Kitty sat with Judge Brooker. They had heard the gunshots and nothing more. Hardly a word passed between them. Brooker knew of Kitty's fine reputation of running a clean and well maintain establishment, but he felt awkward sitting in her drawing room. The door from the other room opened and Doc walked through. He looked tired and pale. Yet in his regular attire, he looked pretty much back to normal.
"Doc are you sure you shouldn't lay down for awhile?" Kitty stood and walked to her dear friend holding him by the shoulders and looking him in the eyes. She could tell by his silence that she was right, but he also wanted to see Judge Brooker. A slight smile curled under his silver moustache and he blinked his eyes in acknowledgement of Kitty's concern. He pat her left hand his own. "I'll rest in a bit, honey." He winked at her before she let him go.
"You better, or I'll have Newly tie you into a bed..." she said just loud enough for the doctor to hear as he stepped past her. His chuckle caused a spasm of pain to race though his side. He quickly clutched the back of the chair he was standing next to. Brooker was on his feet in an instant and stood next to the doctor. Kitty gently took Doc by the shoulders and lowered him into the chair. "You okay Doc?" Kitty's playful eyes from earlier now carried deep concern as he knelt next to him holding his hand.
Doc gulped and set back. "I'll be okay in a minute..." His face was covered with sweat beads and he held his right side with his hands. He took controlled deep breaths and tried to clear the pain. He rested his head on the back of the chair.
Brooker pulled his chair closer and sat down. He studied the doctor's face. He knew the man was in intense pain, yet wanted to get to the bottom of all the trouble that was weighing heavy over Dodge.
While Kitty fussed and wiped Doc's forehead, the door opened with Matt and Festus standing in the hall. "What happened?" Matt said as he entered the room followed by a very worried Festus.
"Oh, Doc just had a spell. He's alright now...well, for now. I told him he should be in bed resting." Kitty walked to the basin of water and slopped the cloth around before ringing it out again and applying it to Doc's forehead.
Matt stepped over and knelt next to his friend. "Doc? Are you sure you want to do this tonight?"
Doc removed the damp cloth from his head and looked Matt in the eyes. "Matt. This whole thing is making my stomach turn..."
Matt looked surprised. "How so?"
"I'm the only one that saw Jed beat that other cowboy to death and that will likely get him hanged...yet I'm a doctor and I'm supposed to save lives..." Doc's crystal blue eyes bore the pain not only for himself but what the future might and likely would hold for Jed Fleming. He sighed deeply.
Matt swallowed and looked up to Judge Brooker. Neither man had an easy answer for the doctor's dilemma.