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𝐌𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐀𝐍𝐀 𝐖𝐀𝐋𝐊𝐄𝐃 𝐔𝐏 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐏𝐒 to the clinic and entered, and closed the door behind her as she took off her pink shawl and her pink beret, and hung them on the coat rack. "Who is it?" the blonde asked

"Jonas Barnes. He hurt his leg recently,gangrene set in. It's going to have to come off at the knee." Dr. Jackson said

"Will surgery save his life?" Montana questioned as she walked to the exam table

"With gangrene, I don't know, but if I don't do it, he'll die within the day." Dr. Jackson said

"I can help." Montana offered.

"Dr. Jackson took off his glasses. "Montana, this is life-threatening, gruesome surgery." he said

"I can handle it Doc." Montana reassured

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"Jillian, I need you to wait outside." Dr. Jackson said. "I'll come and get you as soon as we're done."

Jillian nodded, then gave her husband a kiss on the temple. Montana gave her a reassuring hug, then Jillian walked out the door, and waited outside.

"All right, Jonas, I think we're ready to start." Dr. Jackson said

"Think maybe we can say a little prayer first?" Jonas asked

Dr. Jackson nodded, knowing that Montana's godfather was the local pastor. "Of course. Montana." he said as the three of them joined hands.

"Lord, we are eternally grateful, that you are here with us now, and pray that you bless Doc with a steady hand, and bless Jonas with a peaceful heart, and Jillian with the knowledge that you are in control of this day. Amen." Montana said

"Amen." Jonas said

"Amen." Dr. Jackson said. "All right, I need you I need to lay back down now. Everything's going to be all right." he reassured

Montana took the mask, and placed it over Jonas' nose. "Count to ten with me, ok? One."

"One." Jonas repeated.

"Two." Montana said

"Two." Jonas repeated.

"Three." Montana said

"Three." Jonas repeated.

"Four." Montana said

"Four." Jonas repeated.

"Five." Montana said

"Five." Jonas repeated

"Six." Montana said

"Six." Jonas repeated.

"Seven, eight," Montana said

Jonas dropped his arm off the table, as he was knocked out from the anesthesia. Turning to Dr. Jackson, she spoke. "All right, he's out."

Dr. Jackson lifted the sheet off Jonas's leg, to reveal the gangrene which had set in. Montana turned her head away and gaged.

"All right. Hold him still, so he won't move." Dr. Jackson said. Montana nodded, and held him still, as he began the leg amputation.

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Later that afternoon, Montana sat in the back room of the clinic, where she was dabbing Jonas' face with a cool damp cloth. As she continued, he began to stir.

"What happened? Jillian? Jillian!" Jonas said as he tried to get up

Montana gently tried to hold him down. "You mustn't move, Mr. Barnes. Mr. Barnes..."

"Jillian!" Jonas said as he stood out of the bed, then fell

"Mr. Barnes!" Montana shouted.

Montana tried with all her might to pick him up off the ground, but Dr. Jackson, hearing the commotion, came into the back room. "What happened?" he questioned

With tears in her beautiful violet orbs, Montana cried. "He got scared, he started asking for Jillian. I tried to stop him Doc I'm so sorry."

"All right, go get some bandages. Hurry. Hurry." Dr. Jackson said as he got Jonas back in bed. "Jonas, calm down. Just calm down."

Jonas's labored breathing continued as Montana came back with the bandages, and Dr. Jackson tried to get him to calm down. "Just calm down. Calm down. It's going to be all right. Now, Jonas, Jonas, it's going to be all right. It's going to be all right. Listen to me, Jonas, you have to relax. You have to relax. Jonas..." Dr. Jackson said

But the surgery was too much to handle. Jonas passed away. Montana had never seen a patient die. Not once. Dr. Jackson lifted the sheet over his body, and the blonde left the room, and left the clinic.

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At the Lawrence home, Stella who had the day off from the clinic, stood in the kitchen putting away dishes, while Johnny sat at the table fixing an old radio.

"And give it the old test." Johnny said as he turned the radio on, and it played 80's rock. "I still got it."

"You never lost it babe." Stella laughed.

Before the couple could share a kiss, the back door opened, and closed. Turning their heads, they saw it was Montana, she hung her beret and her shawl on the kitchen coat rack.

"Hey sweetheart." Stella said

Montana stood, feet glued to the floor, and began crying. Stella and Johnny both walked to embrace her, and both held her tight. "Mom, daddy." the blonde cried.

Stella and Johnny led her to the couch where she told them everything that happened: the surgery, the recovery, and Jonas dying. "I tried. I really did. He was so strong, how can he be so strong after what he went through?" Montana cried as she held her mother's hand tight

"He was terribly frightened." Stella said as she wiped her daughter's tears. "Fear can do that."

"I've seen my friends get hurt in the rodeo, but I've never seen seen anyone die before. It's so horrible to see the life drain out of someone so fast." Montana cried.

"I'm so sorry honey." Johnny said as he consoled his daughter and held her close to him

"It was so awful." Montana said as she looked at her parents.

"It wasn't your fault, Montana." Stella said

Montana pulled away from her father and laid her head in her mother's lap. She cried, and she cried some more. Stella and Johnny shared a look as they were at a loss on what to do. "It's alright, honey." Stella said as she kissed her daughter's temple

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"It must be hard on him to lose a patient he's tried so desperately to save, but once he gets past all the sadness and frustration he must feel, he will tell you it wasn't your fault." Mrs. Stafford-Smythe said as she and Montana sat in the Merchantile as the older woman had a cup of tea, while Montana had nothing

Montana looked at Mrs. Stafford-Smythe with tears in her eyes. "If it wasn't my fault, then why do I feel like it is?"

"Because you care deeply about people, and that's what makes you hurt for them. That is also what will make you an excellent doctor." Mrs. Stafford-Smythe said

Montana wiped her tears and grabbed her purse. "I don't think I'm cut out to be a doctor after all. I'll just stay here and be doc's nurse if he'll let me..."

"Montana, you can't mean that." Mrs. Stafford-Smythe said

"I don't say things I don't mean." Montana said as she stood up and left the restaurant

"Mrs. Stafford-Smythe, is Montana alright?" Violet asked in concern as she took Mrs. Stafford-Smith's tea cup

"I think she'll be just fine." Mrs. Stafford-Smythe said as she paid for her tea. "But for now, I have some buisness to attend to."

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The sun began to set as the Mercedes-Benz parked in front of the clinic, as Dr. Jackson walked out of the clinic to begin his rounds. "Hello, Mrs. Stafford-Smythe." he greeted as Mrs. Stafford-Smythe got off of the Mercedes, accompanied by Windsor

"Did you tell Montana it was her fault that poor man died?" Mrs. Stafford-Smythe asked

"Of course not." Dr. Jackson said

"Well, did you tell her it wasn't?" Mrs. Stafford-Smythe asked

"Well, you don't mean that..." Dr. Jackson said and Mrs. Stafford-Smythe nodded. "Well, I didn't think..."

"Exactly!" The older woman said as she cut him off. "Look, she feels it's her fault that poor man died. You and I both know it's not. Now she doesn't want to come back to Boston with me to go to medical school. You know she'll make a fine doctor. When you see her, I think you should tell her, it's not her fault."

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"All right. That ought to do it." Nathan said as he, Aaron, August, Robby, Bobby, Jimmy, Jack, and Clark stepped off the front porch of the newly remodeled ranch home

"I don't think you'll have any trouble finding a buyer now." Bobby said

Jack turned to face Clark. "I already know the buyer I want. Clark, would you and Lydia like to take this place?"

"Oh, we couldn't." Clark said

"Of course you could." Connor said. "It's not a loan. It's a gift. I know you said that you and Lydia hated living in town."

"Yeah, Lydia did grow up on a ranch in North Dakota, and she'll like this very much." Clark said

"You know, I owe all of you. You all showed me how good it feels to practice the law, when I'm helping someone who really needs it." Jack said, then turned back to Clark. "So, Clark, what do you say, will you take this place off my hands for me?"

Clark nodded and smiled. "Yeah. Yes I will. Thank you, so much."

"You're welcome." Jack smiled

Clark took off his cowboy hat and tossed it into the air, and Nathan and August did the same, while the men stepped on the front porch to embrace their friend.

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Later that afternoon, after leaving Dr. Jackson a letter on his desk, Montana stood up and began walking towards the door when it opened to Jack who was holding a little girl turning blue.

"Where's the doctor?" Jack asked

"He's not here." Montana said

"Montana, I need your help." Jack said as he laid the little girl on the exam table.

"You have to help her she's turning blue!" Shiela tearfully said

"I don't know what to do Shiela. I'm sorry." Montana said

"You're her only chance right now." Jack said

"I can't be responsible for Leigh's life." Montana said

"This is your destiny, right? You have to believe that,
Montana. I do." Jack said

"Please!" Shiela tearfully said

"Ok. Ok, think. Trouble breathing." Montana said as she walked to the exam table.

"What is it? What's wrong with my baby?" Shiela asked

"It could be a number of things. If my diagnosis
is wrong..." Montana said

"Please, Montana!" Shiela tearfully said

Montana walked to the cabinet and grabbed a tongue depressor. "Ok, you got to open your mouth all right?" she said. "There's an abscess in the area around the tonsils."

"What does that mean?" Shiela asked

"I don't know. It could be quinsy." Montana said

"Is there some kind of medicine for it?" Shiela asked

"No. There's only one thing to do. I have to lance her throat." Montana said

"Then do it." Shiela said

"Shiela, this is out of my scope of practice. Besides, I've never done this procedure before, or anything like this." Montana said

"I'll help you. Whatever I can do. What can I do?" Jack asked

"Okay, get the tray and get the mask." Montana said and Jack got the tray and the mask, then she gave him gauze. "Wet this, and put this on her mouth for five seconds."

"Five seconds." Jack said, then he put the mask on her mouth for five seconds

"Hold her head still so she won't move." Montana said, and Jack held her head still. "Dear God, guide my hand."

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After the surgery, which was successful, little Leigh woke up, with a rather sore throat, but she was alright. Shiela gave Montana a smile of gratitude, and the blonde walked back to the front.

"Looks like she'll be fine." Montana smiled

"Montana, what you did..." Jack said in amazement

"Could have gone the other way, do you realize I could have lost her, Jack?" Montana asked as she turned to face him

"But you didn't. You're brilliant enough to figure out what to do and brave enough to do it." Jack said as he held her hand

Montana laid her head on his chest. "I was terrified the whole time."

"But that didn't stop you." Jack said, as he held the beautiful blonde close to him. "You are wonderful, Montana Lawrence."

Montana looked into his beautiful eyes, and rested her hand on his cheek. "Thank you, for your help, Jack. You've always been there."

"Near or far, I can promise you this..." Jack said as he placed a gentle kiss on her palm. "I will always fight for you."

The two were about to lean in for a kiss when they heard the door open. Turning their heads, it was Dr. Jackson. "Ah, Montana. I have been looking all over for you." he said. "What's happened?"

"Montana saved my daughter's life." Shiela smiled

Dr. Jackson walked to the back to examine Leigh, who was wide awake. "All right, open up for me." he said, and Leigh opened her mouth. "Yeah, I bet that throat is really sore, huh? Good excuse for your mama to buy you some of Ms. Ree's famous blueberry ice cream from the mercantile."

"I sure will." Shiela smiled

Dr. Jackson walked out to the front where Montana was stocking supplies. "You know, you saved her life."

"But I didn't save Jonas's." Montana said

"Yes, about that. I owe you a very big apology. Jonas's death wasn't your fault." Dr. Jackson said

Montana wiped a tear that fell. "I couldn't hold him still, and I tried."

"But that's not why he died. Jonas was dying when he came to us. We were trying to save him, but unfortunately the surgery was just too much for him. I told you and I know your mother has probably told you how difficult it is to lose a patient. I've been practicing medicine for over 40 years, give or take. It never gets any easier. When it hurts this much, it just means that you care that much more about your patients." Dr. Jackson explained

"Oh. I don't think I'm cut out to be a doctor." Montana said

Dr. Jackson pointed his finger at her. "Oh, yes you are, young lady. You go back to Boston with Mrs. Stafford-Smythe. But you just make darn sure that you come back here when you're a doctor." Dr. Jackson said

Montana couldn't stop the tears, and even from hugging the grumpy old doctor's neck. "Oh doc."

"Well, now, don't start crying, or else..." Dr. Jackson said as he returned Montana's embrace.

"Doc, you know we all love you around here." Montana smiled

"Well, someone's waiting on you." Dr. Jackson said

Montana looked out the window to find Connor waiting for her. Grabbing her pink beret and her pink shawl, she walked out the door, and linked her arm with Jack's.

Jack opened the door to Nathan's '90 chevy truck for her, and she got in. The pair drove around the back roads, while she kicked off her shoes, laid her head in his lap, and let her bare feet hang out the window, and his free hand intertwined with her's as Deana Carter's Strawberry Wine began to play.

Montana felt a sting in her chest, as she couldn't help but wonder what would become of the two of them since he was going back to New York since his ranch sold and she was going off to medical school with Mrs. Stafford-Smith. She didn't want to think about that anymore. She wanted to enjoy what time she had left to spend with him.

After driving around for a couple of hours, he pulled into the driveway of the Lawrence home, and walked her up to the door.

Montana wrapped her arms around his neck and placed a gentle kiss against his lips, then rested her forehead against his. "That's for having more faith in me than I had in myself."