And now, back to Wyatt being dumbfounded when he gets out of the church...

What the hell?

Wyatt, full of confusion, walked over to the group with Reverend Wright.

"Well?" James asked.

"It's settled," said Wright. "Wyatt will be a member of the church within a few weeks."

Bat seemed strangely upset by this news.

"Well, there you are," Doc drawled. "I suppose there's no more to say about it. Those of us who agreed to certain terms will have to keep our word."

"Yes, yes, you'll get your money," Bat grumbled.

Money? What money? Wyatt wondered. What is going on?

"By the end of the week. Remember our terms," Doc said, sounding almost like a scolding parent.

"I'll remember." Bat stepped closer to Wyatt. "What happened? Why did you suddenly get so religious?" He looked suspicious in the light from the church window.

Beyond him, in the gathering gloom, Wyatt noticed Doc's cool gaze boring into him. Doc subtly shook his head. He didn't want Wyatt to explain himself to Bat for some reason.

He decided to stall. "Uh... it's kind of a long story, Bat. I'll tell you about it some other time."

"It'll be full dark soon," Bessie pointed out. "We should probably get on home."

"Have a good night, all of you," Wright said. "I hope you'll come again."

"Good night, reverend," Wyatt said. He moved off slowly, letting James and Bessie catch up to him.

"Come to dinner, Wyatt?" James asked.

"No, I already ate." He glanced back. It looked like Doc and Bat weren't going to hang around talking to the preacher. "You go on home. I'm going to have a word with Doc."

"All right. See you in the morning."

"Yeah, good night. Good night, Bessie."

"Good night," Bessie said.

Wyatt waited near the edge of the road. As Doc and Bat approached, he heard the former saying, "...than are dreamt of in your philosophy." It was a familiar quotation, and after a moment, he recalled its origin. "Hamlet?"

Doc shrugged.

"I'll think twice about doubting your sources, Doc," Bat said, "I'll get you your money when I get paid." He shook his head.

"No hurry," Doc said. "For me, anyway."

Wyatt found the exchange fishy, but he waited until Bat had left to ask, "Does he know we're leaving with the convoy in the morning?"

"I think he's forgotten about it."

"Did you tell him he had to pay you by the end of the week?"

"It's optional."

Maybe he should drop it, but there was something in Doc's voice that Wyatt didn't trust. "Is something riding on that option?"

"Never you mind, Wyatt. You just worry about our upcoming travels. Have you arranged horses for us all?"

Wyatt allowed himself to be distracted by the change of subject. Then, seemingly for no reason, Doc changed the subject once again.

"Are you fond of Shakespeare?"

"Uh... sure. I like to take in a play whenever it's available. There's not a lot in the way of entertainment other than gambling and chorus girls. Especially not for a man who doesn't like to drink and is now tied down to one woman."

"I see. Ever read the bard for yourself?"

"A little bit. But I found if I wanted to really go at it, I had to have a dictionary handy. A dictionary or James," he added with a smile. James didn't use his vocabulary with Doc's level of flourish, but Wyatt would have bet that it was just as extensive.

"Yes, your brother seems to be quite keen on reading. That's why I brought it up. He and Bessie were exploring one of Mister Dickens's works."

They had been walking somewhat aimlessly and were now crossing below the deadline. Wyatt wondered if Doc had business down here. It seemed unlikely on a Sunday night. But he was content to keep walking. The conversation, strange though it had been thus far, was enjoyable. He felt as if Doc was watching him, but he didn't look over to find out.

"I probably ought to get a few books to take up those Sunday afternoons. Town's too damn quiet," Wyatt commented.

"Mm. I have a couple I could lend you. I used to have a lot more..." Doc trailed off. A moment later, he said, "Dodge ought to start a library."

"That's an idea. Might encourage folks to make less trouble."

"Which would, in turn, give you more time to read."

Wyatt chuckled.

They reached the end of the boardwalk and halted awkwardly. It seemed that Doc hadn't been heading anywhere in particular either.

"I reckon we're on the wrong side of town," Doc said, sounding like he was smiling.

Wyatt chuckled again. He liked Doc's offhand way of saying things. "I reckon we are. Just moths drawn to flame, maybe."

"Maybe so." Doc stepped off the boardwalk, and Wyatt followed.

Wyatt didn't particularly want to go back to his room at the Dodge House. Doc's company was proving as engaging as ever. But he would need his sleep for the transport job. "Are you still concerned about the trip?" he asked. Maybe he should feel a little guilty about roping Doc and James into this scheme.

"A bit. But there's no point in worrying about it now. We're set on it, so we've got it to do." It was reassuring to hear Doc put it in certain terms.

They walked back across the railroad tracks toward the lights north of the deadline. Suddenly, Doc erupted into a coughing fit. He held a handkerchief to his mouth as the coughs became more violent.

Concerned, Wyatt placed a hand lightly on Doc's shoulder. "You all right?"

Doc didn't answer until the spell had fully passed. "I'm dying, Wyatt. Surely you've heard I'm a consumptive."

No. For some reason, the words seemed to cut to the quick. "No, I... I knew you were sick, but I hadn't heard with what." Wyatt suddenly berated himself. Well, what did you think it was? You've seen the symptoms before. "I'm sorry." He wanted to tighten his grip, to tell Doc it wasn't fair... he resisted both urges.

"Well, don't be. I've already lived over twice as long as they thought I would. Every day is like puttin' one over on the devil." He tried to laugh, but only a little huff came out.

Apologies don't become you, Wyatt recalled Doc saying. He let his hand slide off Doc's shoulder. "You sure you should be taking a trip to Denver right now?"

"Now's as good a time as any. In fact, summer is the time my cough tends to bother me the least. Don't you worry, son. I'm not goin' to drop dead on you. Not without a bullet in me."

Son. First "boy" and now "son."

They started walking again, not speaking until they reached the row of buildings containing Cox's boarding house.

"Doc, how old are you?"

"Fifty-seven," Doc snapped, irritated for some reason.

Wyatt took on an apologetic tone. "You don't have to tell me. It's just... you keep talking like you're older than me."

"I'm older than everyone," Doc muttered. It was not a satisfactory answer.

"I turned thirty this year," Wyatt said, hoping Doc would respond in kind.

At last, Doc gave a straight answer. "I'm twenty-seven... next month."

Wyatt smiled. "You're Morg's age. My younger brother." The thought somehow endeared Doc to him, like he was part of the family now.

"Is that so? Hm." After a pause, Doc commented, "That preacher sure is young, isn't he?"

"Yes. I was surprised."

"I bet he was, too, when you showed up."

Wyatt chuckled yet again. "More when he learned the reason."

They came to the boarding house and halted again.

Wyatt found himself worried about Doc. Kate was gone... there would be no one to take care of him if he needed anything. "I'll walk up with you," he offered.

"I won't have you treatin' me like an invalid," Doc said immediately. "I'm fine. I'll see you in the morning."

"All right... if you're sure."

Doc put on a rather silly smile. "Good night, son."

Wyatt snorted. "Good night, John."

As he watched Doc meander down the hall toward the stairs, Wyatt absently decided he liked using his friend's Christian name. Doc is sort of a harsh sound. John is soft... more personal. It was an odd thought. He shook his head and closed the boarding house door. He needed to get to bed.

He started for the Dodge House, but then halted. He decided he had better go back below the deadline and spend the night with Mattie. If not, she'd probably get sore at him when she found out he was leaving in the morning. For the first time, he wasn't excited to go join her. In fact... bizarrely, he would rather have stayed up talking to Doc all night.

"Dear Kate,

"I am disappointed, though not surprised, to find that you have not yet returned. It can take time to sort our one's thoughts and decide on the best path. And of course, when we made our promises to one another, I promised not to tie you down. You are at liberty to keep your distance as long as you choose, though I wish I had an address where I might send this letter, to be sure you received it in a timely fashion.

"I have agreed to assist Wyatt and his brother James in transporting a prisoner from Dodge to Denver, though we won't really have charge of him until we reach the Colorado state line. I don't know if you've met James and his wife. I think you would like them. James is an enthusiast of literature, and Bessie makes engaging conversation. At any rate, we depart in the morning, and since the journey is hundreds of miles, I can't predict very well when we will be back.

"If Bat Masterson should call on you by the end of the week with some money he owes me, please accept it with my thanks and tell him he may consider all aspects of his wager fulfilled. I'll tell you more about that when I return.

"I suppose you may be angry with me for going off with Wyatt, with whom you are put out, before seeing you again. Well, I should have liked to make up with you first, and I regret going away without you, but the time of departure was not in my hands. And as I said before, even if his decisions may be foolish, Wyatt is still my friend and I'm bound to stand by him. However, I have wrung from him the details of his altercation with Miss Bell, and I intend to speak with him on it again. I believe both parties were in the wrong, but as you may have heard, Miss Bell was left with a much heavier fine, and that's quite a burden for a woman in her position to bear, along with the gossip of the town and the law dealing so lightly with the object of her ire. I will put that to Wyatt in stern fashion, and we will see whether he has the grace to be penitent.

"Speaking of penance, Wyatt has gotten it into his head to join the Union Church. That is a story on its own, and it will also have to wait for my return.

"There is some danger that the friends and associates of the man we are transporting could try to ambush us along the way. So, just in the case of my untimely demise, my death being already overdue by a matter of years, I leave you all my worldly possessions, other than my pocket watch, which, should it be recovered, I would like to have sent to my cousin Martha Ann in Jonesboro Georgia.

"Know that I am sorry for the strain that has come between us. I have every intention of making things right. Until then, I have left enough money in the drawer for you to get by on for at least a week, and two if you stretch it. I should return with quite a tidy sum if all goes well.

"With all tenderness, my darling,

"John."

Anyone else wish they could get a letter from Doc? Wyatt is also falling for Doc and is just as much in the dark about it. I told you this was a slow burn, right?