Kathryn whimpered while Abelia rung out a cold rag and placed it on her daughter's head.

Sighing wearily, she took Katt's hand and whispered soothingly to her as the door behind her opened.

"Festus," Abelia whispered as Newly eased the hill man onto an empty bed next to Kathryn. "Not you to."

"Sorry, Bee," Festus mumbled as Abelia took off his hat and coat.

"It's not your fault," Abelia said gently. "You stayed up with Katt all night. You probably got it from her."

"How is the youngin," Festus asked slowly as Abelia felt his forehead.

"Same as you," she said worriedly. "Burning up with fever."

"This will help," Newly said passing Abelia a glass. "Make him drink it."

Abelia nodded as Newly sat beside Kathryn. Lifting the girls head, he brought a second glass to her lips.

Doc ran his hand though his graying hair in frustration once Newly lead Festus away.

"Doc," Matt said hooking his fingers though his belt. "This is getting serious!"

"Tell me something I don't know, Matt," Doc replied angrily. "I'm going to need some more medicine and other supplies. Jonas and Ellen are inside but I don't think he'll mind if you go in to his store and help yourself."

"I'll do that and send for whatever else you may need," Matt replied. "Where's Kitty?"

"I sent her to Festus and Abelia's house with the baby," Doc said evenly. "Robert's capable of caring for the child there because I need Kitty here. And you better think about closing the town, the less visitors we have the better!"

Matt nodded grimly and looked up when Newly returned. "I gave Kathryn another dose of Quinine."

"Fever still high?" Doc asked as Newly nodded.

"Did you find those cattle rustlers, Marshal?" Newly asked as Matt shook his head no.

"No and I got a feeling, we haven't see the last of them," Matt said pursing his lips.

"Here comes Kitty," Doc said as Matt turned around.

"Matt," Kitty said sliding into his arms. "I didn't know you were back."

"Just got back," he said looking at his wife. "You alright?"

"Yes," she said with a nod before turning to Doc. "Robert and the other children are fine so far."

"Good, because Festus has it..." Doc said trailing off as a driverless wagon came down the street. "Looks like we got trouble," he said swiping at his mustache worriedly.

"Oh, no," Kitty said looking at Matt as Newly stepped off the boardwalk and stopped the horse and wagon.

"It's the Carter's," Newly said stepping back to let Doc get closer.

"The boy's still alive," Doc said looking up after examining the man and woman. "You better get Percy Crump over here."

"How many does that make," Kitty said putting a hand to her mouth.

"That makes three dead so far and a total of fifteen sick," Doc replied climbing down off the wagon.

"I'll be back," Matt said with a nod as Newly carried the sick boy inside the Long Branch.

"And one orphan," Kitty said shaking her head sadly.

After Matt help Percy take the bodies away, he set out with Burke and a few other men from town that hadn't come down sick.

"Now listen," Matt said looking at Burke and the others. "With this sickness going on, we don't need no one else coming down with it! So no one comes in or goes out of Dodge until Doc says it's okay!"

The men nodded and took posts around the city as Matt walked away.

"You hear that," a man said hiding in the shadows.

"Yeah," another said evenly. "I heard it."

"What we gonna do Bo?" the first man said quietly.

"Nothin," Bo responded with a slight grin. "If the people in this town are as sick as that Marshal says they are, well then, we just might unburden them of a few things."

Matt checked the doors along Front Street as he made his way back toward the Long Branch. Most if not all the buildings were dark except for the Saloon itself.

Matt shivered in the eerie silence as he stood quietly outside the usually boisterous establishment and looked around.

The town itself had survived worse for sure, but could it's people?