Festus led Matt back to where he and Doc had camped the night before. "Right here Matthew," Festus said bending down in the brush. "Ol Ruth's tracks go straight out that away," he said pointing directly south.

"Hard to say where they're headed," Matt said taking to his horse. "Let's follow these tracks and see if we can figure out where their going."

Festus climbed onto the back of the horse and wiped his forehead with his sleeve. "You think ol Doc's going to be alright Matthew?" he asked innocently.

"I sure hope so Festus," Matt said remembering the large blood stain on the front of the old man's shirt.

"Sure hope we find them fellers," Festus said taking off to track his mule.

Matt's jaw hardened as he spoke. "So do I," he said following his deputy.

(Doc's Office)

"He's still bleeding bad," Newly mumbled as Kitty passed him several towels. "He told me to look for the difference between a normal bleed and a hemorrhage."

Taking a deep breath, he used one of Doc's own scalpels to make the wound in Doc's abdomen larger.

"Well," Kitty asked quietly.

"It looks normal," Newly said some what relieved. "I just have to remove the bullet and tie off the bleeders."

"That doesn't sound to bad," Kitty said not wanting to look at the wound.

"Damn," Newly said softly after examining the wound from the inside. "The bullet nicked his liver. That's why there's so much blood loss."

"Can you fix it?" Kitty asked as Newly reached for a needle and thread.

"I think so," he said as his forehead knotted intently.

The damage was limited to the bevelled portion of the liver and therefore it was possible to stop the bleed, if the bullet had penetrated the organ further, Doc would have already been dead. "That helped control the bleeding," Newly said pressing gauze against the sutured area.

"What about the bullet," Kitty asked worriedly. "Have you found it?"

"Not yet," Newly replied feeling for the projectile with trained medical hands. "Wait," he said reaching for Doc's bullet extractor.

Dropping the bullet into the basin in front of Kitty, he grinned. "Doc might want to see this when he wakes up."

Festus followed Ruth's tracks until they came to a fork. "Looks like they stopped here Matthew," he said looking the area over. "Why those horse thieves have doubled back on us."

"Looks like they're headed for Dodge after all," Matt said tipping his hat. "Let's get going!"

Festus climbed back into the horse as the two lawmen spurred their horses to chase them down.

(Dodge)

"How's he doing," Kitty asked handing Newly a cup of coffee.

"Pulse is getting stronger," Newly said pulling the stethoscope from his ears. "Respiration is good, he's just really weak from the loss of blood."

Kitty nodded as Newly took a drink from the coffee cup. "You know," she said taking a seat beside him. "You did a really good job in there. I think Doc owes you his life."

"I don't see it that way Ms. Kitty," he said bashfully. "I just did what Doc showed me is all."

"Well I do see it that way," she said patting the young man's hand. "You'll make as fine a doctor as Doc some day."

"Maybe even better," Doc rasped from the bed as Newly and Kitty both smiled.

"Why you," Kitty said and stopped. She could never really be mad at the man she treated like a father. "How long have you been awake."

"Long enough to hear you trying to replace me," he said in a soft whisper.

"Can't do that Doc," Newly replied checking the bandages around Doc's waist. "Your just to darn ornery."

Doc scaffold at the comment before speaking. "You've been listening to Festus to much," he rasped.

"Easy now," Newly said putting a hand on the older man's chest. "You've lost a lot of blood."

"And what else Doctor O'Brian?" Doc inquired.

"Slightly damaged liver," Newly said evenly. "Nothing that can't be fixed with plenty of rest."

"By golly," Doc said tiredly. "I thought, I was done for."

"You almost were Doc," Newly said suddenly more serious. "But Festus got you back just in time."

Matt and Festus stopped their horses in front of the jail and looked around. "I don't see anything out of the ordinary, Matthew," Festus said.

"Well I don't either," Matt said. "Let's see how Doc's doing and then we'll have a look around."