Doc was waiting for them in the street when they rode in, Festus on a travois behind Matt's big buckskin. Letty went to the Longbranch for Kitty and the marshal got down from his horse as Doc bent over the unconscious man, examining his shoulder with gentle hands. "Doc, what do you think?" The old man straightened up, his face worried, and Matt went on. "I cleaned it out as best I could."
"You did a good job, Matt, but that's a bad infection. I've got to get that bullet out right now." Doc felt the deputy's face and shook his head. "He's got a fever too." Letty had joined them along with Kitty and Sam, and the old man said decisively, "Matt, you and Sam get Festus up to the office. I want you to be real careful with him...just take your time and be as easy as you can. Kitty, I'm going to need your help up there."
"All right, Doc."
Letty spoke up. "What do you want me to do?"
Doc took in the dirty face, rumpled clothes and resolute expression of the girl and nodded his head briskly. "Letty, I want you to go back to the Dodge House, get something to eat and get cleaned up. I'm going to need you later to spell me with Festus."
Matt and Sam lifted the deputy in their arms and carried him up the stairs, followed by Doc. Letty watched them go, then mournfully asked Kitty, "He's going to be all right, isn't he?"
Kitty smiled reassuringly at the girl. "Doc will do everything he can for him. Now go do like he said so you can help later." She hurried up the stairs after the men, leaving Letty alone in the street.
She was still standing there a few minutes later when Matt and Sam came down. The bartender returned to the Longbranch and the marshal went to Letty. "I thought Doc told you to go back to the Dodge House." Letty looked up at Matt and her eyes reminded him of the day her father died, leaving her an orphan. Pushing his own fear to the back of his mind, the marshal took Letty's arm and said firmly, "I'll walk you over. You should probably try and get some sleep too, in case Doc wants you to sit up with Festus tonight."
The girl tried to look around him at Doc's office, but Matt was already taking her down the street and she was too tired to try to argue. After dropping her off, the marshal went back to the jail and thought he did paperwork until Kitty came in and sat down wearily. "Doc got the bullet out."
Matt asked anxiously, "Festus is gonna make it, isn't he?"
She buried her face in her hands. "I don't know. It wasn't good to work on him when he's got a fever but with that infection Doc couldn't wait...oh, Matt, I don't know." She dropped her hands and looked around. "Can I get a cup of coffee?"
"It's pretty awful coffee. Not as bad as Festus makes..." Matt stopped abruptly.
Kitty tried to smile. "Where's Letty?"
The marshal brought two cups of coffee to the table and sat down. "I took her over to the Dodge House."
"She looked worn out." Kitty sipped the coffee and made a face. "Oh, this is awful."
Matt took a swig. "It is pretty bad, isn't it." He sighed. "She did a great job helping me with Festus..." He took another gulp of coffee, then shook his head and picked up Kitty's cup. "I'm going to make a fresh pot." He busied himself with the coffeepot and asked quietly, "When are we going to hear something?"
Kitty stared at the table. "Doc will be down as soon as he knows."