They strolled along over the grounds-Harrington pointing out various aspects of his clinic and the landscaping around it, Doc making suitable admiring remarks. They finally sat down on a bench under a tree and Harrington said, "I suppose you'll be leaving soon."
Doc ran his hand over his face. "Well, Festus isn't strong enough yet to stand a train trip all the way back to Dodge. Matt could probably go now, but I know he won't leave without Festus so we might as well all stay together."
"I noticed that, Galen." Doc looked puzzled and Harrington went on quietly, "You all stay together. You really don't trust me at all with your patients, do you?"
"George, I..."
Harrington cut Doc off. "I just don't understand, Galen. I get a telegram from you saying you have a badly wounded man needing delicate spinal surgery...you bring him all the way up here..." He took a deep breath. "You must have had some faith in me."
"I wouldn't have brought Matt to you if I didn't," said Doc.
The other man looked aggrieved. "Then you get here and I find out you already operated on him on the train." He shook his head. "You insist on an immediate operation for another man who could have waited a few more hours...you throw out my best nurse and forbid her to return...you set up a camp in the room for your entire party...and now I ask you why? Why did you do all this?"
Doc took a moment to arrange his thoughts. "George, when I first examined Matt and saw where the bullet was...all I can say is I didn't think I had the necessary skills to remove it without crippling or killing him. I still can't believe I did manage it without causing him some permanent damage. My hand must have been guided by a higher power, because I was sure the only person who could perform a successful operation in this case was you."
"Then why didn't you bring him to me, as you originally planned?"
"The paralysis was spreading. I was afraid to wait any longer." Doc shrugged uneasily. "More afraid to wait than go ahead with the surgery. Had I only known...how often do we say that? It would have been better for everybody if I had just operated on Matt in Dodge but I didn't know that. I appealed to you for help and you were willing to give it to me. I'll always be grateful for that."
"Yet in spite of your high opinion of my medical abilities you didn't trust my judgement about Mr Haggen." Harrington's voice was cold. "You know perfectly well he wasn't in need of immediate surgery when you arrived."
"He was in pain," said Doc very quietly. "Did you really expect me to leave him like that?"
"Well, I'm not saying you shouldn't have given him something for the pain," said Harrington primly. "I'm just pointing out that the man did not require immediate surgery. After all, Galen, this is a modern facility. An excellent one, in fact...one I've spent years building. The patients here get first-rate medical care with all the latest innovations."
"You make it sound like a business establishment," said Doc, frowning.
"Medicine is a business now. I take good care of my patients and I make a very good living. What's wrong with that?"
Doc took a deep breath. "George, all I can tell you is Festus is terrified of being left alone in your first-rate medical establishment and I don't blame him. I would feel the same way." Harrington looked deeply hurt. He started to get up and Doc caught his arm. "George, please. I still have something more to say." The other doctor sat down slowly. "I have nothing but admiration for this place. I can see you've put a lot of time and energy into it and I wish I had the time and energy, and the money, to keep up with all the latest advances." Doc paused, remembering a night when Festus complained of stomach pains. Remembering how he ignored that complaint, only to be jerked from sleep to find his friend gravely ill with appendicitis. "George, there have been advances in medicine as long as medicine has been practiced. We've made giant strides in drugs, in techniques, in medical theory...but the most important aspect of medicine is still the same as it was thousands of years ago and will never change no matter what new discoveries are made."
Harrington's voice was very low. "The patient."
"I see you still remember my lectures at the Army hospital."
"I never forgot that one...at least, I hadn't thought I forgot it. I thought I was doing the best I could."
Doc ran his hand over his face. "A deputy marshal once told me nobody can do more than their best no matter how important what they're doing is."
Harrington smiled. "This deputy marshal...is he a friend of yours?"
Doc smiled back. "The best I've ever had, George. The best I've ever had."