~2~

Festus reined in their mounts and tied them to the hitching post at Doc's. He quickly dismounted Ruth and rushed up Doc's stairs. "Doc!" he shouted as he knocked on the door. "Doc, ya in there?" Festus leaned over and looked through the window. The office was empty. Festus started knocking again, "Doc!" He tried the doorknob but found it locked.

Newly was across the street and heard Festus at Doc's door. He crossed the street and stopped at the bottom of Doc's stairs. "Festus!"

Festus stopped knocking, "Newly, you seen Doc?"

"He went out of town with Marshal Dillon, for that trial, while you were gone."

Festus scratched the side of his head. "Oh."

"What do you need with Doc?" Newly asked.

Festus walked down the stairs, "I come across this here sick fella who's a burn'n up with fever." He told Newly as they walked over to the horses. "Here help me git him down. We'll take him over ter Miz Kitty, and see if'n she'll help by taken' him in."

Festus and Newly had just got the cowboy off the stallion when one of Jake Worth's hands came galloping in shouting at them. "Festus, Newly! Mr. Worth needs you at the ranch."

"What happened?" Newly asked.

"Cattle rustlers again." The ranch hand stated.

Festus looked at Newly, "Matthew left you in charge so you head out ta Jake's, and I'll watch things here in town fer ya."

"Let me help you get him to the Long Branch first." Newly offered.

"Naw, he ain't much to handle. You best be gettn' ta Jake's for that posse heads out without ya. No tell'n what they'll do without the law." Festus ordered.

Newly nodded his head, and took off for the stable. With Newly gone the cowboy was dead weight, so Festus hoisted him over his shoulder and went to the Long Branch.

The big doors to the saloon were closed due to the bitter cold, so Festus kicked the bottom of the door with his boot. "Open up, its Festus!" he went to kick the door again when the door suddenly opened. "Much obliged." Festus said, as he pushed past the customer holding the door open and entered the saloon. Festus put the cowboy in the first chair he came upon as Kitty walked up.

"Festus, what's going on?" she asked.

"Miz Kitty, I shore could use yer help with this here wrangler. He's a burn' up with fever and ol' Doc is gone."

Kitty placed her hand on the cowboy's cheek. "Let's get him upstairs, Festus." Kitty turned and looked at Sam, "Sam, will you please help Festus take him upstairs."

Sam put the bar towel he was holding down. "Yes, ma'am."

The two men followed Kitty up the stairs carrying the cowboy by the arms. She led them through the curtained doorway and down the hall, stopping at the room next door to hers. Kitty opened the door, went inside and lit all the lamps in the room. Festus and Sam sat the sick boy on the bed.

"Will you take his coat for me?" Kitty requested.

Sam and Festus took the drover's coat and hat off and then laid the cowboy out on the bed. Sam walked over to the door. "I'll be down stairs if you need anything, Miss Kitty."

"Thanks, Sam."

Festus looked at Kitty. "I need to put Ruth and his horse up at the stable. Will ya be alright until I can get back?"

"I'll manage just fine, but will you tell Sam to bring me some water up on your way out, Festus?" Kitty replied as she took the empty pitcher out of the basin on the nearby dresser.

"Shore will, Miz Kitty." He told her before leaving the room.

Kitty walked over to the bed and removed the cowboy's boots and gun belt. She then removed his shirt and pants leaving him in his union suit and socks.

Sam came into the room. "Here's the water you asked for, Miss Kitty." He said, placing the bucket of water on the floor near the dresser.

"Thank you, Sam. Do you mind watching the bar and closing up for me later?"

"No, ma'am. Let me know if you need anything else."

Kitty smiled at Sam as he left the room. She turned back to the sick wrangler and rolled him onto his side, turned down the bed, rolling him back tucking his legs under the covers. She filled the pitcher with water and poured some into the washbasin. Kitty placed the washbasin next to the bed, noticing how dirty his face was, she dipped the cloth into the water and rang it out.

As Kitty started cleaning the dirt away, she noticed the lack of whiskers on his face. "How young of a boy are you?" Kitty whispered as she continued to wipe the remaining dirt away. Once she had his face clean, she put the cloth back in the basin. 'You're the prettiest man I've ever seen.' she thought to herself as she started unbuttoning the first few buttons of the cowboy's union suit and stopped.

"What in the world?" She said as she looked at the white cloth that was under the union suit. Kitty unbuttoned a few more buttons to discover the bound chest of the fevered person in the bed. Kitty then untied the bandana from around the cowboy's neck. "Well, I'll be." She said, as Festus came back into the room. Kitty quickly pulled the covers up on the wrangler.

"I left the horses at Moss's fer him to tend to, and got back here as quick as I could, Miz Kitty. Was he any trouble fer ya?"

Kitty turned around. "Festus, I need to talk to you outside for a minute."

Festus creased his brow. "Sure, Miz Kitty."

The pair stepped out into the hall and Kitty left the door cracked open.

"Festus, what do you know about who's lying in there?" Kitty enquired.

"Not much. I had ta take shelter from the weather in a cave and come across him in that there cave."

"Well, did you get a name?"

"No, ma'am. He never spoke a word the whole time. Why? What's wrong?" Festus wondered.

"Festus, your cowboy is a cowgirl." Kitty resolved.

Festus's eyes went wide. "Ya mean he's not a fella?"

Kitty nodded her head.

"Are ya sure?" Festus pondered.

Kitty put her hands on her hips giving Festus a sideways look that said he was crazy for asking. "She bound her chest and used the bandana to hide her throat." She went on to explain.

Festus looked ashamed. "I had narry an idea. No wonder she done put the drop on me and didn't talk none."

"Well, she looked the part," Kitty reassured him.

"Miz Kitty, you don't mind tendin' to her since he's a she n' all, do ya?"

"Of course not, Festus."

"Much obliged to ya. I'll come by later to check on ya both. Newly had to go out to Jake Worths' and I told him I'd keep an eye on things here."

Kitty patted Festus on the shoulder, "Alright, Festus." She answered before going back into the room. Kitty sat on the bed next to the girl, and used a wet cool cloth over the cowgirl's face, shoulder, and arms to help bring her fever down.

TBC