"Drunk?" Matt asked not quite believing what Louie was saying.
"Yes sir, Marshal," Louie replied glancing toward Abelia. "He bought a whole bottle of whiskey and finished it off just a little while ago."
"I've never seen Festus drink enough to get drunk," Abelia said quietly.
"You better let me and Doc handle this," Matt said clinching his jaw as Doc nodded.
"No," Abelia said defiantly. "He's my husband."
Matt nodded and then took Louie by the shoulder. "How long's he been in there."
"Last couple of hours, Marshal," Louie replied. "I tried ta get him to go home but he wouldn't listen, just kept talking about how it wasn't his fault she died.
Doc shook his head. "She really got in his head, didn't she."
"Is that your professional opinion, Doc," Matt asked sarcastically. "The question is, what do we do about it?"
"There's not much we can do about it, Matt," Doc said swiping at his mustache. "If Festus feels he's guilty of something against this woman, he's going to have to be the one to decide when the guilt should end. I wish I could tell you that there's a magic pill that would help but there isn't, it's just going to take time and patience, I'm afraid."
Matt nodded as he stopped outside the Bull's Head Saloon and glanced inside.
Mostly all the patrons encircled two men as they went at each other and Matt was chagrined to find that one of the men fighting was his deputy.
Stepping though the doors, Matt's loud voice echoed off the walls.
"Alright," he said pushing though the people standing around to watch. "Break it up!"
But Festus either didn't hear him or didn't care because he went right on pounding the man he had been fighting.
"I said," Matt yelled pulling the hillman off the other one. "Stop this!"
Festus turned to the Marshal, loathing and fear in his eyes, as he swung at Matt.
The Marshal hadn't expected Festus would swing on him but as the hillman's fist connected with his mouth, Matt realized it was time for some tough love.
Physically dragging Festus out of the Saloon, Matt deposited him in the first horse trough he came to.
"That aught to sober him up," Matt said wiping the blood from his mouth.
"Get him outa there," Doc said upon seeing that Festus had passed out stone cold.
Matt lifted the hillman easily as the cowboy Festus had been fighting with stepped out of the bar.
"I want him arrested Marshal," he said dabbing at the blood on his face.
"With what charge?" Matt asked with a sigh.
"Assault," the cowboy complained.
"It looked to me like you were dishing it out just as much as he was," Matt said harshly. "So if I arrest him, I'll be arresting you as well. Still want to press charges?"
"No, Marshal," the cowboy said scurrying away.
"Now," Matt said hefting Festus onto one shoulder. "What do we do now?"
"I'll take care of him Marshal," Abelia said firmly.
"I don't think that's a good idea," Doc said. "That much whisky's gonna make him sick as a dog when he comes to."
"I can handle it," Abelia said. "I can be a strong woman when I have to be Doc."
Doc nodded. "I bet you can," he said tugging at his earlobe thoughtfully. "At least bring him up to my office to sleep it off, he's gonna have one massive headache when he wakes up."