James stood in the shadows across the street. He watched Billy helping the doctor up the stairs. The older Charles brother could see his own breath leaving his nostrils and the cold of the night was melted by the building anger and desire welling up within him. He scratched his chin and turned on his heels toward the Bull's Head Saloon. It seemed to him from an earlier visit that it was the best place for him to get lost in. His mind raced through one scenario after another on how to get Lilly out of the doctor's office and into his arms. But then the law always seemed to creep forward in his thoughts. Perhaps a drink or two would tell him the way.
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Festus slowly sat up holding his head. He swung his legs over the side of the examination table and looked at Doc. "You look just about as bad as I feel..."
"Don't worry. I feel just about as you look..." Doc layed his right hand on the deputy's shoulder. "I want you to rest here tonight."
"Wall where are you gonna sleep?" Festus looked at his old friend.
"I'm gonna have Lilly moved over to Ma Smalley's. She'll kinda be on call. That baby is due any day. You'll take the bed, as I say and I'll stay out here..."
Festus was about to protest when he saw Billy exit the back room. "Billy?"
Doc grit his teeth. "Festus. We'll talk about that tomorrow." He squeezed Festus' shoulder in reassurance. Festus' eyes narrowed in thought. He didn't like what he was seeing.
Matt stepped forward and toward Billy. "Doc would like to move Lilly over to the boarding house. I'd like your help."
"Sure marshal. But ain't the doc gonna help with the baby?" Billy seemed on edge.
"Of Course I am. I just have more patients than I do rooms. I need to keep an eye on Festus here. Your brother really cracked him hard over the head with my water jug..." Billy looked past Doc to Festus who's eyes were locked onto the young man. "I understand now, Doc."
"Wall I don't..." Festus scowled from the exam table.
Matt and Kitty exchanged looks. "Billy. I want you to help the marshal and Miss Kitty move Lilly over to the boarding house." Doc remained holding Festus by the shoulder. He could feel the tension growing in the deputy. Slowly he looked back to Festus. "What's goin' on?" Festus' eyes met Doc's. They were filled with mistrust and hate. "I'm the one that's gonna marry her..." the deputy's voice was unusually cold and low.
As quickly as they could, Matt, Billy and Kitty helped Lilly from the back room and out of the office. Kitty looked back over her shoulder through the doorway. She knew what Doc was waiting for and she also knew that it was going to break Festus' heart. She smiled wearifully at Doc. The physician winked back with his good eye and then watched the door close.
"What's goin' on Doc?" Festus scrunched his left eye up and looked at this friend. Doc ran his hand over his moustache and searched for the words to tell Festus about Lilly and Billy. He had turned his back and his shoulders sagged. "I wish we could talk about this tomorrow..." Doc murmured.
"In a few hours it will be..." Again Festus' words cut through the air. Doc winced. With a calculated turn Doc looked Festus in the eyes. The old man's face was filled with sadness, hate and pain. His eye misted as he walked toward the hill man sitting on the edge of the exam table. Doc swallowed the lump that was building in his throat. "Festus..." he sighed, "Lilly doesn't love you...she never had..."
Festus slid off the table and stepped closer to Doc. All of a sudden Doc was concerned for his own well being. "What do ya mean by that?" Festus said lowly.
Doc held his ground. "She didn't even love James. She was Billy's girl first, and always will be..."
He words hit Festus like a stack of hay bales blown through a twisty. He staggered back to the examination table and clutched the edge to help support his sagging knees. His hazel eyes fill with unshed tears. "But..."
Doc joined his friend and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. Doc's eye lashes fluttered in understanding. "I know it hurts. And I'm really sorry that I had to tell you..." He could feel the deputy shaking under his hand. "Come on...you need rest for your head." Gently Doc gripped Festus by the upper arm and lead him to the back room and sat him on the bed. Festus rolled onto his side and breathed in the scents of Lilly which lingered in the bedding. Doc pulled a blanket up over his friend, blew out the lamp and then retired to the chair in his office for the night.
James arrived back from his five drinks att he Bull's Head and stood on the street. He saw the lights go out in the office above the general store. He drew his hand across his lip and moved across the street toward Doc's office to bring Lilly home.