Matt hurried into the Long Branch and moved quickly to Kitty who was talking to Sam at the far end of the bar. "Kitty?!"
"Matt, what's wrong?" She instantly knew something was awry. "There been a problem up at Doc's."
Kitty's mouth dropped open and she grabbed Matt by the arm. "Is he okay?"
Matt nodded. "He got roughed up a bit, but he'll be find. He's at my office right now. It's Festus. Doc said he's hurt pretty badly. James Charles was there. I gather that they surprised him when he was visiting Lilly."
Kitty's eyebrows knitted together. "Why's Doc at your office and not looking after Festus?"
"Doc's not too steady on his feet at the moment..." Matt need not say more before Kitty passed him and headed to the doctor's office to look at Festus. Matt followed closely behind.
Kitty hitched her long skirt and charged up the stairs. Matt took tow stairs at a time and caught up to Kitty on the landing at the top. "Here..." Matt reached for the door knob and opened the door into the room. Kitty and Matt entered and Kitty gasped at the sight of Festus sprawled on the floor in the other room. She could hear him moaning. Matt and Kitty hurried to his side and knelt down to have a closer look.
"Keep still Festus." Kitty placed her hand on his chest to reassure him that he had help and that she didn't want him moving around. "Looks bad, Matt."
Matt had knelt beside her. "Let's get him to the examination table..." Kitty nodded and moved out of the big marshal's way.
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Billy sat studying the physician who now had his elbow on the desk beside him and leaning his bruised face into the cloth which was almost completely red with his blood. "You're fond of that deputy aren't you?"
Doc lifted his face from the cloth and looked at the young man. "Yes. We're friends. Good friends."
"I'll help you over to your office to be with him, if you want..." Billy stood and moved to Doc.
Doc looked up at the young face and signed. "You're not such a bad kid as you think you are. You just need to be with the right kind of people." he smiled weakly.
"Here..." Billy hooked his arm under Doc's and helped him to he feet. "Doc. I am really sorry about this...James...well, he just goes crazy sometimes."
Doc pat the young man on the shoulder. "You're old enough and so is he, that you don't have to make excuses for him..." he winked with his right eye which cause him to wince.
Billy steadied the old man and helped him to the door. "I bet if my Pa was like you, we wouldn't be in this mess..." Billy looked deep into Doc's eye. Doc smiled. "You're too tough on yourself." Billy understood and nodded as he opened the door and helped Doc up and out of the jail house. The main street of Dodge was quite for a change and it was likely due to the colder weather. Together Billy and Doc crossed the street and climbed the stairs to his office. Doc looked at the young man and squeezed his shoulder slightly. "Thank you Billy." Billy finally felt like he'd done something right in his life.