It was a long haul and a long night for the sergeant and his troopers especially since the storm lasted just about as long as the ride back to Dodge did. Everyone was socked to the bone and with the cool fall breeze, they were even more uncomfortable.

Sergeant Cox sighed a slight relief when he recognized the land features just outside of Dodge City. He figured he and his men must have travelled close to fifty miles and there was at last another twenty to go before they reached Dodge. The only thing he felt good about was that the deputy was somehow still alive.

Dusk was pushing the night out, but the dark clouds persisted and by the look of them they would be around for some time to come. Sergeant Cox continued to encourage his troopers to keep pace and remind the two prisoners to keep their mouths closed - Cox had more than enough of their bellyaching and attitude and he was growing more eager to get Hodgson and Elcombe back to the fort.

It was now going seven in the morning. It was cool and wet, yet Wilbur Jonas always set out his barrels with the brooms and pitchforks as well as produce such as squash that could handle the cold. Jonas stood and arched his back just as Doc rounded the corner and gave him a look.

"I know, I know," Jonas muttered, "but these things won't get out here by themselves," he said while adjusting his glasses.

Doc pursed his lips, "I know. Just go easy, will ya?"

Jonas was about to respond when sergeant Cox and his men rounded the corner and began to ride slowly up Front Street. Doc's mouth slowly opened as he saw Ruth with no rider, "Go get Matt, will you?' he nudged Jonas.

"I surely will," Jonas scurried off the boardwalk and across the street to get to the red brick jail house, "Marshal!?" the store owner called out in advance of his arrive on the doorstep of the jail house.

Cox rose his right hand in the air and brought his men to a stop just in front of the general store. Slowly he dismounted and walked toward the doctor who was trying to visually inspect the riders before he realized Festus wasn't among them. A lump formed in Doc's throat as he eyes filled with water, "Where's Festus?" he shot a look over to sergeant Cox.

"The deputy took a bad shot. He's on the travois," Cox walked toward the mule with Doc close at his side.

Jonas pounded on the door of the jail before he finally turned the knob and pushed it open. Matt was struggling to sit up from his cot, "Jonas, what is it?" he grumbled.

"Marshal. The army is back!" Jonas pointed out the opened door. "Doc sent me to get you," he said while standing next to the marshal and walked him pull on his boots. "He did, did, he?" Matt looked up to Jonas who nodded.

Matt sighed and pulled himself to his feet and slowly walked to the door. The dusk light made the group of soldiers a blob to Matt's blurry eyes and he couldn't understand the fuss of that ever action was taking place up the street. "Good," the thought, "Festus and the sergeants found the men who robbed the stagecoach," he thought as he crossed the street with Jonas at his side.

"I don't see Festus," Jonas said as he looked around the street and through the group of men.

"He must be with Doc on the other side of the crowd," Matt said as he walked closer and realized that indeed Doc was with Festus who was unconscious on the travois, "Doc?" Matt paused.

Doc looked up and almost choked on his words, "It's bad, Matt," he looked back to Festus. "Really bad."

Matt looked down at the blood-cover vest of his deputy and then quickly over to sergeant Cox, "What happened?"

Cox drew a deep breath, "I'll fill you in as we take these two to your jail and where they can wait for the doctor's care," he said as he motioned for his troopers to take Hodgson and Elcombe over to the jail house. Both men complained that they wanted the doctor to look at them now, but Cox warned them that they would wait and it would serve them right. Hodgson glared at the sergeant, "You think this is all over with don't you?"

"I surely do," Cox snorted and then joined the marshal to tell him what happened.

Doc had a few of the other soldiers help him with Festus up to his office. Jonas followed along behind - he wasn't sure why, but felt he needed to be there for Doc, and Festus for that matter.

Doc ordered the troopers to carefully place Festus down on the examination table and then politely asked them to leave. As the doctor turned to watch the soldiers exit his office he saw Wilbur Jonas standing near the little wood stove. He had his white apron rolled up in his hands - some thing he did when he was nervous, "Is there anything I can do, Doc?" his eyes darted from the doctor to Festus and back again.

Doc nodded, "You can start that fire," he pointed to the wood stove, "I'll need plenty of hot water," Doc stated as he watched the store owner quickly pitched in to help.

Doc ticked his head and a slight smile curled his lips as he turned to Festus. The smile was quickly gone as Doc peeled back the cloth that was covering the wound in the deputy's back. Doc had seen things like it before - he cold tell the wound was deep by the amount of blood and the colour.

The doctor moved around his office, moving the small table near the examination table and then gathering and assortment of bottles, trays and instruments before he washed his hands and cut through the hill man's vest.

Jonas watched over his shoulder. He'd neve seen Doc the way he was - he then realized that despite their constant bickering, the doctor and the deputy were much closer friends than he imagined. "Doc?" he spoke in a hushed tone.

Doc looked over his shoulder, "Yes?" he blinked.

"How bad is it?"

Doc looked back down at Festus, "It's bad. Really bad," he blinked back moisture in his eyes. Jonas sighed and turned back to his little chore of heating the water - there was so much he didn't know about the people around him as he now knew Doc was hurting inside too.

Doc studied the wound and began to clean around the opening when Matt arrived in the office, "Doc?"

Doc looked up, "I can't tell yo anything yet, Matt. I haven't started to look for the bullet. One thing I can say, is it that is one of the worse wounds I've seen in a long time," Doc's trailed off.

Matt looked down at the hill man, "I know you'll do your best, Doc," he tried to offer support.

Doc said nothing. All he did was nod and then proceeded to find the bullet in Festus Haggen's back.