Kitty struggled to sit, "Hey, now, you just hold on there," Doc warned and assisted Kitty as she tried to sit up.

The saloon owner looked down at the ashen face of the United States Marshal. Kitty has seen the same sight so many times that she almost wasn't surprised at his pasty look, but what surprised her was her comment, "Will he be all right?" The words tumbled out of her mouth in a rather cold tone.

Doc felt the barbs attached to the question. His crystal blue eyes drifted over to Kitty, "In time," he said, he blinked.

Kitty nodded and pulled Jonas' coat off.

Doc motioned for Festus and Newly to assist Kitty to the wagon, "And bring me my medical bag. Please," he asked the two men. Festus grabbed the black leather bag from under the seat and moved swiftly to the stagecoach, following newly O'Brien.

Doc was certain that Kitty's own injures accounted for her curtness.

Festus handed Doc his medical bag and then worked his way past the doctor to help Kitty up to her feet. She groaned and yelped with each movement. However, she didn't resist the assistance that her two friends offered. Carefully both Festus and Newly guided Kitty to the wagon and helped her up next to Wilbur Jonas. Newly handed Kitty a few blankets as Festus eased her down onto the bed of the rig. Festus fussed with the blankets and covered his friend.

Kitty smiled at the hill man's bedside manners, "Careful or Doc will have you making house calls," she winked. Festus didn't comment. He knew that Kitty was deeply concerned for Matt and it cut her deeply every time she saw him injured, "You jist get some rest," he said as he hopped down off the wagon and headed back to the stagecoach. Newly remained with Kitty and Jonas.

Festus poked his head through the opening in the stagecoach and looked over Doc's shoulder, "Miss Kitty is taking this awfully hard," he spoke softly as to not be heard out at the wagon.

"I know she is," Doc looked up over his shoulder, "There's little I can do for Matt out here. We have to get him back to Dodge. That bullet has to come out," Doc stated in an equally hushed voice.

The words bit at the hill man as well. Festus looked back to the wagon and waved for Newly to join him. The young deputy responded and moved quickly to the over turned stage.

"What's up?" he asked Festus.

"Matthew is hurt real bad and we need to get him out of there and into the wagon and back to Dodge," Festus almost ran all the words into one.

"Calm down, Festus!" Newly held his hands up to slow the deputy down. Doc and I will get the marshal ready. You go bad and watch over Miss Kitty and Jonas," he thumbed over his shoulder. Festus nodded and scurried back to the wagon.

Newly nestled into next to Doc and looked at the doctor - Doc's face was grim. Newly then looked down at Matt. The marshal seemed somehow smaller in size and Newly couldn't decide if it was because of the way he was laying or what. None-the-less, Matt didn't look well at all. "Doc?"

Doc pulled his stethoscope from around his neck and placed it slowly back into his medical bag. Newly heard him swallow. "Doc?" he repeated.

Doc slowly looked over to the young deputy, "His pause is weak and his breathing is very shallow. I told him he was exerting himself too much," Doc shook his head. "He's too weak to even operate on at this point," Doc stated and lowered his head.

Newly didn't know what to say or do for a few minutes. Then his voice of reason kicked in, "Let's get the marshal out of here and back to Dodge. We'll assess him tomorrow," Newly weakly smiled offering the beleaguered doctor hope.

Doc nodded, "You are absolutely right, Newly," he sighed and gathered what he could of his friend's affect and left the stage. The doctor walked back to the wagon and place the items in that he had carried. Doc's eyes then locked onto Festus'. The deputy was at a lost, "Help Newly with Matt will you," Doc said as he continued to tuck items under the seat.

Doc then climbed up and into the back of the wagon and assessed Jonas again. Kitty remained awake and watched the doctor, "I think he stayed up most of the night watching," she said about Wilbur Jonas.

Doc nodded, "I somehow wouldn't doubt it," he smiled and adjusted the blankets over the sleeping man's chest. Doc then turned to Kitty and pulled the blankest up closer to her neck. Doc felt like he needed to say something, but the words weren't formulating in his brain.

Festus and Newly carefully extricated Matt from the interior of the stagecoach and carried him to the wagon. His entire body was limp, like a rag-doll. Doc assisted the two men once they began to lift the marshal into the back of the rig, "Easy now," Doc warned as he cradled Matt's neck and head.

Once Matt was settled into the wagon, Festus and Newly gathered what they could of the other's personal effects and tucked them in under the seat. Festus tided the remaining stagecoach team to the back of the wagon.

Doc remained in the back with his three patients while Festus and Newly climbed up onto the seat.

Festus was quick to turn the rig around and headed back to town. He figured that with the daylight, they would make Dodge shortly after two in the afternoon. "Yeah!" Festus yelled and cracked the reins down over the horses' rumps. The wagon lurched forward and quickly down the road.

Doc wasn't sure that Festus' need for speed was such a good thing as the wagon bounced around shaking all occupants, but on the other hand, the faster he got Matt back to his office the better he would feel and the better the treatment he could offer the marshal. Many things were going though the doctor's mind, including the injured trooper.

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Frank Elcombe remained with his friend, James Doris while Dwight Hodgson paced around the little camp site. Hodgson looked down at Elcombe who had redressed Doris' wound which was still bleeding. "We can't stay here forever," Hodgson stated.

Elcombe looked up at his friend, "I know that. He's still bleeding though," he looked back to Doris who was now unconscious.

"I know that!" Hodgson barked. "Just what fo you want me to do?"

Elcombe shrugged, "I just wished there was a way to stop his bleeding..."

Hodgson stoped in his trace, "There is. We can cauterise the wound," he smiled wickedly.