Matt didn't like the idea of leaving town while a possible epidemic was forming but he had little choice when a second farmer came into town to complain of missing cattle.

"Sure is mighty cold today, Matthew," Festus mumbled pulling the collar of his winter coat up around his neck.

"Yeah," Matt replied watching the ground for any sign of tracks that might lead them to the rustlers.

"If in it snows today," Festus said following the train next to Matt's horse. "We'll lose the tracks fer sure."

"That's what I'm afraid of," Matt said pulling on the reins of his horse. "Look there!"

Festus slid down off of Ruth and bent down to run his fingers into a grove that had been carved out by wagon wheels.

"It's deep," he said looking up. "What ever they haulin, it's heavy."

"Heavy enough to be a steer or two," Matt commented. "Let's go!"

(Dodge)

"She's not getting better," Abelia said looking up when Doc stepped into his spare room.

"It's got to run its course," he said putting a hand on Kathryn's forehead.

Shaking his head, Doc poured lukewarm water into a basin and handed it to Abelia.

"All we can do is keep her fever down as best we can," he said before turning around.

"Doc!"

"Right here, Horace," Doc said entering his office. "What's wrong?"

"It's Luke, Doc," Horace Jacobs said pulling on the physician's arm. "You got to come, he ain't doing good at all!"

"Alright, alright," Doc said meeting Abelia's eyes. "I'll be back as soon as I can. Just keep bathing her in cool water."

"Alright, Doc," Abelia said looking at the farmer worriedly.

Doc followed Jacobs outside and down the stairs to where the farmers wagon was parked.

"I didn't know what else to do, Doc," Jacobs said climbing into the wagon. "So I loaded up the boy and brought him here!"

Doc looked into the back of the wagon and his heart sank as the farmer uncovered his eight year old son.

"Horace," Doc said evenly as the pallor of the boys skin had already turned a deathly grey. "I'm sorry but there's nothing I can do for your boy."

Abelia quickly pulled the curtain closed and squeezed her eyes tightly shut in a silent prayer for the dead boy in the wagon below and for her own sick child in the next room.

Doc entered the Long Branch shortly after Percy Crump took Luke Jacobs body.

"Doc," Kitty said as the physician looked around at the empty tables. "What's wrong?"

"I may need your help, Kitty," Doc said quietly. "Luke Jacobs just died."

"Oh, Doc," Kitty said sadly. "Was it the influenza?"

Doc nodded. "I can't be certain how bad it's going to get," he said slowly. "But I do know there's going to be more cases and I'm going to need a large place to isolate the sick. And I'm going to need help!"

"You got Sam and I," Kitty said nodding. "And Newly and Abelia."

"See anything," Matt said as Festus followed the tracks on foot.

"Not since it started snowing," Festus replied looking up. "I think we're gonna have to wait till this snow let's up, Matthew."

"Yeah," Matt said looking around. "It's hard to figure which way they've gone but they're not that far from Dodge."

Festus nodded as he mounted Ruth. Pulling his coat together, he shivered in the cold before turning Ruth to follow the Marshal's horse home."

Doc had hoped that he wouldn't see any new cases of the influenza for at least a day or two but within hours of convincing Kitty and Sam to clear out the Long Branch, several families from the county and town began to trickle into town with sick children and adults alike.

Matt and Festus were quite surprised when they rode into town a short time later.

"It's bad, Matt," Dic said stepping out of the Long Branch. "Almost all the children from the school and the teacher, along with a few of the parents whose been treating them."

"Where's Bee and Katt?" Festus asked craning his neck to look inside.

"They're both upstairs in Kitty's old room," Doc replied swiping at his mustache. "So far, Kathryn's alright and so is Abelia."

"That there's good news, Doc," Festus stammered as he shivered in the cold.

Doc eyed the hill man for a moment. While it was cold outside, it was far from cold enough to cause someone to shiver like Festus was, then the physician noticed the perspiration on deputy's face.

"Newly," Doc said waving the man over. "Take Festus upstairs and tell Abelia to put him to bed."

"Wal," Festus scoffed. "I ain't sick!"

"If you ain't sick!" Doc said agitatedly. "Then I need to turn in my medical license and give up my practice!"