Matt's eyes slowly opened and he blinked at the brightness in the room. He drew his hand down over his face and rubbed his eyes. He realized the he must have fallen into a deep sleep as he woke he seemed slightly disoriented. Slowly he swung his legs over the side of the cot as he arched his back. He then spotted the kettle on the wood stove and decided to start the day with that.
The marshal pulled on his boots and then stood. He could see from were he was that the snow had all but stopped; it appeared to be just blowing around now. Matt walked to the window and looked out. Somehow, it looked colder than it did when the snow was falling, and quickly he thought about Doc and Festus. He drew a deep breath and frowned.
Matt turned on his heels and walked to the wood stove to stoke the fire and to make the coffee. He was in the process of dumping the grounds out of the pot when the door open. Kitty quickly stepped into the room, closing the door from the cold, "Good morning Matt," she smiled.
"Morning, Kitty," Matt said as he knocked the pot on the edge of the garbage can.
"I happen to have a pot of hot coffee on," Kitty hinted.
"That sounds more appealing than this," Matt said as he used a spoon to scoop out the crusty old beans.
Kitty smiled. "Let's go," she ticked her head toward the door. Matt didn't say another word as he grabbed his coat from the peg and pulled it on. He then quickly grabbed his hat before he opened the door for Kitty. The two left the jailhouse and walked across the street.
Wilbur Jonas was again busy sweeping the snow off the boardwalk in front of his store, "Good morning," he acknowledged Kitty and Matt as they strolled by; they both greeted the store owner as he went back to work.
"Doc still isn't back, is he?," Kitty noted.
"No. After I have a coffee I'll ride out to the Person place and see what's keeping him and Festus," Matt stated.
"Well, I certainly hope they had the sense to stay over night," Kitty huffed.
"Me too. I guess I'll find out soon," Matt said as he opened the door to the Long Branch, letting Kitty step into the establishment; he closely followed behind. The room was cozy and the smell of fresh coffee hung in the air.
"Two coffees, Sam," Kitty requested as she and Matt took their place at their usual table. Sam was right behind them with the coffee, for which both Kitty and Matt thanked him. The barkeep went back to cleaning the glasses at the bar.
"Tell Doc and Festus, I'll buy them lunch," Kitty said as she sipped her coffee.
Matt's eyebrows lifted, "What am I? Chopped liver?" he joked.
Kitty laughed, "Fine, I'll buy yours too. But first you have to go and get them," she winked.
"I will in just a few more minutes," Matt said as he savoured his hot beverage.
Festus stood over the fire with his hands stretched out as the heat climbed up inside his coat sleeves. He looked around trying to decide how best to get the doctor back to Doc, based on the fact that Doc had told him only moments earlier that his leg was still numb. "Dang fool horse," he sputtered to himself, "had ta run off, didn'tcha. Right when ol Doc could use you too," he continued.
There was no way that the hill man could carry the doctor, the snow was too deep for one thing and he knew that he just couldn't, nor would Doc allow it. Either he had to find a way to drag the doctor out of the woods, or leave him to go and find help – either option was not favourable given the circumstances.
Festus placed another log on the fire and walked over to where Doc remained seated under the lean-to. The hill man lowered himself and sighed. Doc glanced over to the deputy, "Why don't you go for help?" he asked.
Festus looked at the doctor like he had lobsters crawling from his eyes, "I jist can't leave you sitting here, Doc!" he protested. "What if an old mountain cat came by?" he asked.
"I'd shoot it," Doc answered quickly.
Festus shook his head no, "Let me think on this some," he said as he stared out into the woods.
"We don't have all day. I'd rather not spend another night here," Doc huffed.
"Shhhhhhh," Festus warned the doctor as he placed his right index finger over his lips. Slowly got to his feet and pulled his gun from the holster. Hie keen eyes were fixed on the woods.
Doc tried to listen for what the deputy was paying attention to. The doctor's eyes shifted between the woods and the hill man; he couldn't see anything, nor did he hear anything.
Patty lay on the bed, "You need ta be finding me a doctor," he groaned while holding his side.
"Let me look at that," Kirkland said as he pulled O'Shea's hand way from the bullet wound. "Well you got yourself shot good this time, Patty," the buffalo hunter stated before he stood up from his friend.
"Don'tcha be thinkin' I know that. Now a town the size of Dodge should have a doctor. Be good lads and go find him for ol Patty," O'Shea grunted.
"Yeah, sure," Morrison scoffed as he opened the door and stepped out into the hallway, "I thought we were leaving Dodge today," he looked at Kirkland.
"Well, we still can, once a doctor looks at that wound," Kirkland stated as he joined Morrison in the hallway. He closed the door. "Someone in that saloon should know where the doctor's office is," he smiled.
The two buffalo hunters left the boarding house and crossed the street tor Bull's Head Saloon, "Hey," Kirkland shouted to a man who was just about to enter the saloon.
"What?" the man asked as he eyes the two men.
"Is there a doctor in town?" Morrison asked.
"Yeah. Adams. His office is at the other end of town above the general store," the man answered before he left the two men standing in the street.
"Well, let's go pay this Adams a visit for ol' Patty's sake," Kirkland stated as he cuffed Morrison as he walked in the direction of Doc's office. "Maybe Adams is that nosey coot from last night," Kirkland chuckled.
"I guess he could be a doc," Morrison shrugged.
The two men made it down to the general store and looked up at the shingle on the side of the building, "I guess the office is up there," Morrison stated.
"Let's go and get the doctor, then," Kirkland stated as he stared up the stairs only to be greeted by Jonas, "Hey, you are the saw bones," he quickly glanced back down at Morrison.
"Now wait a minute," Jonas squirmed.
"We need your help," Kirkland grabbed Jonas by the lapel of his his coat and almost threw him down the stairs.
"I'm not the doctor!" Jonas protested as he struggled to free himself from Kirkland's grip.
"You are funny. First you take a real notice of our wagon and now you ain't the doc, in the doc's office," Kirkland huffed. "Move it," he cuffed Jonas across the jaw.
Matt have just stepped down off the boardwalk from the Long Branch and looked up at the disturbance,, "Hold it right there," he yelled with his gun drawn.
"We need the doc and he ain't helping us," Morrison barked.
"That's because he isn't the doctor," Matt growled. "Now let him go," he motioned with his gun. Jonas scampered down the stairs, holding his jaw. "You all right Jonas?" Matt asked.
The store owner's eyes narrowed at the men, "I'll be fine," he snorted.
"Get be to your friend. When I find out where Doc is, I'll send him to you," Matt barked at the two buffalo hunters. The men slowly moved way and back down the street. Matt holstered his gun and looked at the store owner, "Are you sure you are okay?"
Jonas rotated his jaw, "I'll be fine," he said before he went into his store.
Matt looked up the street ans his eyes narrowed about the two men. It seemed to him, that the third one must have taken a turn during the night for them to seek out a doctor.
The marshals only course of action was to get out to the Person place as quickly as he could.