Patty was flat on his stomach with buckskin coat and flannel shirt pulled up to expose the bullet hole in his lower left back. Newly twisted his mouth as he slowly inserted the bullet probe to locate the projectile, "It's deep," he said shaking his head. All that was going through his mind was when he was doing almost the exact thing with Doc.
"For the love of sweet, Jesus, man!" Patty growled. "Would you be pulling that bullet out, and the sooner the better," he added.
Newly was surprised that the buffalo hunter was still conscious, "I'll pull it out as soon as I find it," Newly spoke calmly as he continued to search for the bullet. He could feel Patty tensing up with each inch further he inserted the instrument. "There it is," he said and eased the probe out. "This part will hurt more," Newly warned.
"Get the bloody bullet, man," Patty huffed.
Morrison and Kirkland watched out. "You sure are taking your time," Kirkland hissed.
Newly picked up the bullet extractors and glared at the buffalo hunters, "If I rush this, things could get a lot worse for him," he ticked toward Patty.
"I'll be dead of old age before ye get that damn bullet out at this rate," Patty huffed.
Newly wet his lips and poked the extractor into the wound and slowly down to the bullet. Patty groaned, "Hurry it up."
Newly clamped onto the bullet and pulled it free. Patty exhaled, "Mother Mary and all the Saints," he sighed as he heard the clink of the bullet as Newly dropped it and the extractors into the basin.
The room was a musty mixture of buffalo coats, tanned leather and body odour. Newly set to cleaning the area before he could bandage it. Cleaning only made it more evident how filthy these men lived and Newly made a face. Kirkland cause it and stepped forward, "What was that face for?" he leaned down and looked Newly in the eyes.
"It's the smell of the buffalo hides," O'Brien quickly stated. "I' allergic to the fur," he added.
Kirkland glanced over to Morrison who shrugged while he ate a strip of jerky. "These sensitive city folk," he scoffed.
Kirkland stood up, "Hurry up will you. We'd like to get out of here today," he snarled.
Newly was in the middle of placing the bandage over the wound, "Should shouldn't move him today," he looked up at the two men. "Maybe tomorrow," he swallowed.
"I'm comfortable here." Patty laughed. "Tamorrow would be just fine," his Irish accent was tired and thick.
"What ever," Kirkland snorted. "I'm going for a drink," he growled having resigned to the fact they would be spending another day in Dodge.
"Be sure to bring me a bottle," Patty said from the bed.
"Yeah, sure, Patty," Morrison half laughed as he followed Kirkland from the room. Newly rolled his eyes and silently released his breath.
Kirkland and Morrison stepped out of the boarding house and looked around the street. There coming up the far side was Festus Haggen. "Hey, ain't that the whiskered face jack that shot Patty?" Morrison asked as he stopped Kirkland from going any further.
Kirkland narrowed his eyes, "It sure is," he growled and placed his hand on his gun. "We need him to draw first, without attention," he added.
"How be I go talk to him to try and patch things up," Morrison winked.
"Ha! Yeah, you do that," Kirkland urged.
Morrison picked at his teeth as he stepped down off the boardwalk and made his way to the Bull's Head Saloon, but paused as he looked at the hill man, "You don't look like the kind of man that lives in a town like this," he sized Festus up.
"You shoulda stayed out of this here town," Haggen growled. "I know it was you and them other two that took Doc's wheel," he stated.
"The doc's wheel you say?" Morrison stepped closer. "Now how would we know that was a doc's wheel?" he smiled.
Kirkland stepped down from the boardwalk and began to walk across the street, "Is he calling us liars?" he said loud enough to gain attention.
"I said that you stole Ol Doc's wheel, I saw you do it, and one of your shot me," Festus stated as he glared at the two men.
"So now we're thieves?" Morrison asked.
"The likes of you would steal a harness off a nightmare not to mention leave folks out in the cold like last night," Festus snarled.
"Is that a fact?" Morrison asked as he pushed aside his coat to expose his gun.
"Ifin I can prove you left me and ol Doc stranded last night, I hope you see a good long time behind some bars," Festus squared himself to Morrison.
"Well, I don't know how you can prove that," Morrison flinched enough causing Festus to draw, the Morrison was quicker. The hill man spun on his feet and flopped to the ground; landing face down Festus didn't move.
"I think that fella is wearing a badge," Kirkland half laughed.
"Well, you saw it. He drew first," Morrison said as the two buffalo hunters watched the marshal race up the street. Matt stopped were Festus lay motionless and knelt down. His eyes lifted to the men across the street, "He drew first, marshal. I shot him fair and square," Morrison stated.
Several men at the Bull's Head nodded, "That's right, marshal," one of them stated. Matt frowned.
By now, Newly was at the door of the boarding house; the sound of the gun fire brought him from the room where he was almost done with Patty. O'Brien quickly crossed the street to join the marshal. He pushed his way past the two buffalo hunters, each one giving him a bit of a shoulder bump as he did. Both Matt and Newly gently rolled the hill man over onto his back. Matt pulled Festus' coat opened to expose the blood-soaked shirt with the bullet hole. He looked up to Newly, "It's not good," O'Brien stated. The bullet hit the hill man on the right side of his chest.
"Let's get him to Doc's office," Matt said as he stood up while glaring at the two men who were standing in the middle of the street. His attention then shifted to several men who were watching on from the saloon, "You men give us a hand," Matt ordered. Reluctantly several men walked forward and assisted lifting Festus to transport him down the street. The deputy was limp and barely breathing.
Doc was finishing buttoning his shirt and began with his string tie. His leg was slightly less numb and he was able to walk to the wood stove to place another log on the fire. Kitty rapped on the door causing the doctor to look. He eased his way over and opened door, "Kitty," he smiled.
"Sit yourself down and eat some of this stew," Kitty said like a mother hen as she placed the tray on the table near the wood stove.
"It sure smells good," the doctor ticked his head as he slowly lowered himself into the chair.
"How are you feeling?" Kitty then asked.
"Oh, much better," Doc smiled as he picked up the spoon. "I must have just twisted the wrong way when the buggy went over," he added before he spooned some stew into his mouth. A look of satisfaction eased the creases on the doctor's face, "This is good," he said as he barely finished one mouthful before shovelling in another.
"Well you probably haven't eaten since yesterday morning," Kitty smiled.
Doc nodded in agreement, "Festus did have some jerky," he finally added after he swallowed. "Don't tell him this either," Doc warned. "but if he weren't there, I'm sure I wouldn't be here now," he ticked his head. "He made a lean-to and managed to get a fire going, and kept it going all night while I was laid up," Doc then chewed on the bread that accompanied the strew.
Doc was quiet comfortable and warm, finally.
There was another knock at the door before it opened. This time it was Sam, "It's Festus. He's been shot and Newly said it isn't good," he swallowed.
Doc dropped the spoon into the bowl and got to his feet. "Where is he?"
"They just got him up to your office Doc," Sam indicated.
Doc looked over to Kitty with disbelief,"I'm on my way," he sighed. "I bet it was those buffalo hunters," he muttered as he gathered his coat and hat while he walked to the door.