"Here now," Doc hollered angrily watching Festus struggle to put on his shirt. "Just what do you think your doing?"

"Why... I'm a tryin to get outa here," Festus replied looking at the old man from his bed. "You've had me cooped up in this bed going on a week and I've had enough of yer pokin and prodden me."

"Oh you have," Doc replied indigently. "For your information you just about died! Now if you think I'm going to let you out of here before I think your ready you got another thing coming."

"Awe foot," Festus replied crossing his arms. "Don't ya know a little thing like mumonia ain't enough to kill a Haggen! Why my grand pappy had it twice."

"What is going on up here," Kitty said from the doorway of the bedroom.

Placing a tray of food on the table, she gave a displeased look at both the men before she continued. "I could hear you two arguing from the foot of the stairs."

"That ornery old scudder won't let me go," Festus complained.

"Well that ungrateful deputy thinks I should just hush up and let him run wild," Doc replied irate. "I just took those chest tubes out of him yesterday."

"And that's another thing," Festus said as his lazy eye scrunched up. "Who tole you to go experimenting on me any way... you quack!"

"That's it," Doc said huffy leaving the room.

Festus harrumphed as Kitty gave him an angry look. "That wasn't what he was doing Festus and you know it."

"Awe, I know Ms. Kitty," Festus replied sullenly. "That ol scudder knows, I didn't mean it."

"He's just worried about you," Kitty admonished. But Festus didn't need to be told something he already knew.

Throughout his whole recovery Doc was there, every little coughing fit bought the physician to his side immediately, even now with his sides aching, Doc would do any thing to help.

Festus sighed as he laid back against the pillow. "Tell the old scudder, I'm here till he says I can go," Festus stated lowly. "Will ya Ms. Kitty?"

"Of course I will," she said bringing him a hot bowl of soup. "In the meantime it would probably put him in a better mood if you would eat this nice chicken soup Ma Smalley made for you."

"Soup," Festus said eyeballing the bowl. "Guess it would be to much to ask fer a steak!"

"I think so," Kitty replied with a smile as Festus took the bowl of soup.

Kitty left Festus to his meal as she joined Doc in the office. "He says he's all yours for as long as you want."

"Oh he does, does he," Doc yelled toward the bedroom. "Bout time you said something sensible."

"I'm eatin this here soup to," Festus yelled back.

"Good," Doc replied. "Keep this up and you might be out of here in another week."

"Another week?" Festus groused finishing the last bite of the bland soup.

Doc stepped in, looked approvingly at the empty bowl on the table and smiled as he spoke. "At least you have my great bedside manor," he said taking a seat next to the bed. "Let me have a look at your sides."

"Ya ain't gonna go pokin on me again, are ya Doc," Festus said looking less than pleased.

"Why does it hurt?" Doc asked pulling back the sheet.

"Does it hurt," Festus repeated. "Yes it hurts!"

Peeling aside the bandage, he nodded with satisfaction that the area was healing properly of course Festus would be tender in that area for awhile but that was a small price to pay for saving someone's life.

"I'll bring you something for the pain," Doc said taking his stethoscope from around his neck and placing it into his ears.

Putting the opposite end against Festus chest, he said. "I want you to take a deep breath for me."

Festus took a sharp deep breath as Doc watch his chest. "Come on, deeper."

Festus took in as much air as he could which resulted in a coughing fit. Doc grabbed a handkerchief and held to the hill man's mouth as Festus coughed up the phlegm from the pneumonia.

Afterward, it left him completely exhausted. "And this is why I didn't want you walking out of here so soon," Doc said as Festus closed his eyes. "You rest a bit and I'll get you something for the pain."

Festus nodded accepting Doc's orders without complaint.

"Here," Doc said returning with a cup of liquid. "Drink this down, it'll help.

Festus took the cup, placed to his lips and grimaced as he gulped the foul tasting concoction. "If that's the cure," he said looking at Doc. "I'd shore hate to see the disease."