~Chapter 2~

That evening the saloon was noisy and full of customers. Sam was poured six shot glasses and slid the drinks down the bar one at a time, to what Sam and Kitty referred to as the 'once a weekers'.

Kitty was working beside Sam pouring beers when Festus came in and stood in front of Kitty. "Evening Festus, can I get you a beer?" She offered.

"Thank ya, Miz Kitty but maybe later after I'm done finishin' my rounds."

"Then I'll have a cold one waiting for you," she smiled.

"Much obliged, Miz Kitty. See ya later." Festus waved to Sam before leaving out the front door.

Sam walked over to Kitty, "We need six beers for that group of cowboys in the back," he told her.

The pair worked in tandem to fill the order, when a customer suddenly pounded on the bar.

"Hey what does a guy have to do to get a drink around here!" The customer at the back end of the bar shouted.

Kitty looked at Sam, "I'll take care of him, Sam. You see that these beers get to those cowboys, Ok."

"Ok Miss Kitty."

Kitty went to the end of the bar by the office door where the loud customer was standing and poured him a drink. Sam kept a watchful eye on Kitty as she severed the loud customer. He quickly moved to stand next to Kitty when the loud man grabbed Kitty by the wrist, "Everything ok here, Miss Kitty?" he asked standing tall to his full height.

Kitty never took her eyes off the customer in front of her, "I was just telling Elmer here how I was going to introduce him to the Deputy Marshal. Wasn't I Elmer."

Sam watched as Elmer released Kitty's wrist, and looked up at him before returning his gaze to Kitty, "There's no need to bother, Miss."

"Well, if you change your mind the offer stands." Kitty told him.

Kitty turned and faced Sam, who opened his mouth to speak, but then suddenly pitched forward. "Sam!" Kitty grabbed Sam by the shoulders as he slumped to the floor, taking Kitty with him.

Kitty pushed Sam to a sitting position next to her, and then used the self to get to her knees. Once she was upright she grabbed ahold of Sam's head, "Sam? Talk to me Sam."

Sam sat there unresponsive as Kitty patted his check and continued to call out his name. "Sam, what's wrong? Open your eyes, Sam."

One of Kitty's girls appeared on the other side of Sam. "What happened, Miss Kitty?"

Kitty looked up, "Quick, Mariah, go get Doc."

Mariah quickly got to her feet and rushed out of the bar, passing Festus as she went through the swinging doors.

Festus saw all the customers leaning over the bar looking at the floor, so he swiftly walked over to the nearest end of the bar closest to him and stopped cold when he saw Sam sitting on the floor at the other end with his head on Kitty's shoulder as she shook his shoulders.

"Please Sam wake up." Kitty pleaded.

Festus rushed over and knelt down beside Sam. "What happened, Miz Kitty?"

"I don't know, Festus. He just passed out." Kitty told him.

"They're behind the bar, Doc." Mariah conveyed, as she and Doc entered the Long Branch.

Festus got up and stood at the opening of the bar when Doc came up behind him.

Doc quickly knelt down, opened his bag, placed his stethoscope in his ears and began to examine Sam. "Were you with him when he collapsed, Kitty?"

"Yes."

"What happened?"

"He was about to tell me something, when he just passed out and hasn't come to." She explained.

Doc stopped examining Sam and looked up at Kitty.

Kitty creased her brow, "Doc?"

Doc shook his head. "I'm sorry Kitty," he said with great sadness in his voice.

Kitty looked at Doc with disbelief and shook her head. "No. Do something Doc." She pleaded as she grabbed his shirtsleeve. "You have to do something."

Doc placed his hand on Kitty's shoulder. "There's nothing I can do, Kitty. He's gone." Doc looked up at Festus, "Clear everyone out of here, Festus."

Festus nodded his head solemnly at Doc before he quietly shooed everyone out of the Long Branch. He closed the big doors when the last person had left the bar, and returned to behind the bar, where he saw Kitty holding Sam's upper body.

Doc rose up as Festus approached and stood at the opening to the back of the bar with Festus, "I'll git some men an we'll take him to Percy's Doc."

"NO!" Kitty shouted from where she was sitting holding Sam. "I won't have him taken out like some rag doll for everyone in town to gawk at."

Doc walked out from behind the bar and motioned Festus to follow him. Doc stopped in front of the office door. "What we gonna do Doc?" Festus whispered.

Doc swiped his chin. "I want you to get a stretcher and a sheet from my office. Then I want you to get Percy and bring a wagon to the back of the Long Branch."

"What about Miz Kitty?" Festus asked.

"I'll tend to Kitty," Doc told him. "You just get what I told you and get back here."

Festus nodded his head and swiftly left out the back exit of the Long Branch.

Doc walked over and knelt down to where Kitty was sitting on the floor in the corner of the bar cradling Sam's upper body. "Kitty," Doc said softly. "Why don't you go upstairs while I tend to Sam."

Kitty looked at Doc. "I'm not leaving him." She answered softly.

Doc bowed his head and waited for Festus to return. It wasn't long before he heard the jingle of Festus's spurs coming down the back hallway. Doc stood up and met Festus at the entrance to the hallway. "Did you get everything?" Doc asked him when he opened the door.

"Yes em." Festus held up the sheet to show Doc as he entered the bar room. Percy Crump came in with the stretcher and stood quietly next to Festus.

"You two wait here." Doc went back behind the bar and knelt down on one knee. "Kitty honey, it's time."

Kitty stopped stroking Sam's hair and looked at Doc.

"I am going to take Sam out on a stretcher, and put him on a wagon for Percy. But before I can do that I need you to move."

Doc almost held his breath as he waited for Kitty to say or do something. Finally after what felt like an eternity to Doc, Kitty held out her hand to Doc. Doc took Kitty's hand to help steady her as Kitty shifted herself from holding Sam and stood up. Doc walked her over to one of the nearby tables, and pulled out a chair for her to sit down. Once Kitty was seated, Doc went to the bar, poured a glass of whiskey, and returned to the table.

"I want you to drink this." He told Kitty, sitting the drink in front of her. "I'll be back later to give you something to help you sleep."

Kitty watched quietly as Percy and Festus carried Sam's sheet clad body out the back exit as Doc followed behind them.

As soon as the trio was out of sight, Kitty stood up and went to the back door locking it. She went back into the bar and locked the front doors too. She then dimmed all the lamps in the bar before sitting back down at the table in front of the drink Doc had left for her.

Once Festus and Percy had Sam's body loaded into the wagon, Doc thanked them both and watched with a heavy heart as the wagon pulled out of the back alley and onto Front Street. Doc turned and looked at the back entrance of the Long Branch and took a deep breath. It was time to see Kitty. When he reached the back door, he found it locked, so Doc walked around to the front entrance only to find those doors locked and the lights off as well. Figuring that Kitty had gone to bed, he swiped his chin before heading back to his office. He would check on Kitty after she got some sleep.

Kitty sat in the dimly lit bar room looking at the bar, when she heard the front door handle being rattled. Knowing it was Doc coming to check on her, she kept quiet. She didn't want to see or talk to anyone at the moment as she was numb with disbelief of Sam's passing.