The girl watched from where Festus left her, as the hill man set about burying the bodies of the man, woman and child before tackling the wagon.
A voice from the brush next to where she lay made her jump.
"Liza, it's just me."
"Eddie," Liza whispered. "You got to get me out of here!"
"Can't, not with your leg all busted up," Eddie replied gently. "Let him take you for help and I'll follow."
"He thinks those people were my family," Liza whispered excitedly. "What if they find out the truth!"
"They won't," Eddie said with a sigh. "Just tell em what they want ta hear or we'll be in big trouble!"
"Why?" Liza said watching Festus tether Ruth to the wagon. "We didn't do the killin!"
"Don't matter none sis," Eddie said quietly. "We was trying to steal the wagon. That's just as bad!"
"Hush now, he's comin back!" Liza said as Festus brought the wagon closer to their camp before taking a seat next to the girl.
"You awake, are ya?" Festus said with a slight smile as the girl nodded at the whisker faced man.
"Name's, Festus Haggen," he said slowly. "What's yourn?"
"Elizabeth," Liza said quietly. "My friends call me Liza. Only my Ma and Pa called me Elizabeth."
"Can I call you Liza," Festus asked gently as the girl nodded. "What was yer Pa and Ma's name?"
"What difference does it make now, they're dead!"
"I know that darlin but I got ta let the Marshal in Dodge know what happened?"
"Marshal," Liza said uneasily as she recalled her brother's words.
"Yes'm," Festus said evenly. "I'm one of his deputy's and he's gonna want to know how yer family died."
"It was injuns," Liza said hesitantly before meeting the hill man's eyes. "They attacked us...and when we ...we wouldn't give them what they wanted, they killed Ma, Pa and my little brother."
"Injuns?" Festus repeated in disbelief. "Wal, we ain't had no trouble outa the injuns in years. You sure it was injuns?"
"Positive Mr. Haggen," Liza said sternly. "It was injuns that attacked my family and me!"
"Alright," Festus said tucking the blanket tighter around the girl. "You just try ta get some rest cause we got ta get into Dodge tomorrow so ol Doc can't take care of that leg."
"Mr. Haggen," Liza said quietly after a time. "You've been awfully nice to me."
"Wal," Festus replied with a wiry grin. "I'm just a doing my job."
"Thank you, anyway," she said with a weary smile before slipping back to sleep.
Matt stepped into the Long Branch the next morning and half expected to find Festus standing at the bar over a cup of Kitty's coffee.
"Morning, cowboy," Kitty said noticing the look on his face. "You look like your disappointed."
"Guess, I am," he said tipping his hat up as he approached the bar. "I was expecting Festus yesterday."
"And you thought you'd find him in here," Kitty said with a knowing nod.
"Yeah," Matt said taking the coffee cup Kitty handed him as Doc ambled in.
"Morning," Doc said as Matt nodded.
"Coffee?" Kitty asked as the physician nodded.
"Where's Festus?" Doc said swiping his mustache. "I thought he was supposed to be back yesterday."
"He...was," Matt said before stopping as a large covered wagon stopped in front of the Long Branch. "What the..."
Doc followed as the Marshal made his way toward the doors of the Saloon.
"Festus," Matt said watching the deputy climb down from the drivers seat. "Where'd you get this wagon?"
"Matthew," Festus said waving at Doc. "It's a story I'll tell you but right now, I need ol Doc!"
"Why," Doc said as the hill man grabbed his arm.
"There's a girl in the back and she needs yer help," Festus said leading the physician to the back of the wagon.
Festus tossed aside the canvas cover, to reveal the unconscious brown haired girl.
"What happened?" Doc asked turning to the hill man.
"I came though the gorge on ma way back ta Dodge and found this here wagon with this youngin pinned underneath it," Festus said indicating the girl. "Her leg's busted up pretty bad, Doc. I put a splint on it best I could but she's been hurting something awful."
"Well, get her up to my office," Doc said taking a step back as Matt moved forward.
"How'd she come to being out there pinned under a wagon?" Matt said.
"Her whole family was dead, Matthew," Festus replied quietly. "Her Pa, Ma and brother were all shot. I buried em."
"Did she say who did it?" Matt said stunned as a crowd slowly assembled around the wagon.
"Yeah," Festus replied evenly. "She said it was Indians."
"Indians?" Matt said shocked as the crowd of locals mumbled to themselves.
"Marshal, we can't be having no Indian attacks around here," Burke said angrily. "It's hard enough doing business without word getting out that Indians are attacking."
"Calm down Burke," Matt said with a nod aimed at Festus who lifted the girl out of the wagon. "I'll send a telegraph to Ft. Dodge and see what all this is about!"
Doc opened the door to his office as Festus carried the girl inside.
"Put her here," Doc said indicating his exam table.
Liza moaned as Festus set her down and opened her eyes.
"Where...where are we?" she said with big eyes as she looked around.
"In Dodge," Festus replied gently. "Yer up at Ol Doc's."
"Don't leave," Liza said tugging on Festus arm as he started to step away.
"It's alright," Doc said with a gentle smile as he looked at Festus. "He can stay if that makes you feel better."
"It would," Liza said closing her eyes again.
Festus looked at his physician friend as Doc shook his head before pulling back the wool blanket the girl was wrapped in to get a look at her leg.
"I'd say, it's broken alright," Doc stated after unwrapping Festus splint. "I'm going to have to set this and then cast it."
"Is it gonna hurt, Mr. Haggen," Liza asked fearfully.
"You won't feel nuthin, honey," Festus said bending down near her head. "Ol Doc, why he'll give ya something to make you go to sleep and when ya wake up, it'll all be over."
"That's right," Doc said bring over a bottle of laudanum and a teaspoon. "Now, I want you to take this and just relax.
The girl nodded and meekly swallowed the teaspoons of bitter liquid Doc poured. "Tastes awful," she said making a face before closing her eyes.
"Alright," Doc said after checking the girl's pulse. "She's out. You go see Matt and send Kitty up here. I'm going to need her help."
"Sure thing, Doc," Festus said disentangling himself from Liza's grasp.
*Got me a Honda Accord Crosstour! Not sure I like it, is a hybrid between a car and SUV but I'm used to driving mini vans but this was a really good price and very sporty looking so...I could probably get used to it lol ;)*