"HUD!" Lightning shouted from the bedroom. Doc looked up from his video call with Smokey.

"that the kid?" Smokey ask curiously.

"yeah. give me a second." Doc muttered, getting up. he headed into the bedroom and raised an eye brow at his young lover. "kid? whats wrong?" Doc ask.

"that!" Lightning yelped, pointing across the room. Doc followed his finger and jumped back.

"Woah!" Doc shouted, stepping back. that had to be the biggest Tiger Rattlesnake Doc had ever seen.

"it bit me." Lightning said, holding his leg.

"are you serious?!" Doc shouted.

"yes! I'm serious! I was laying in bed and it bit me!" Lightning shouted. Doc inched over to the bed carefully. he opened the drawer of the nightstand and reached for his pistol.

"just remain calm, I can handle any old snake bite." Doc assured. he fired one shot into the snake and reached for Lightning. "come here baby I gotta get you to the kitchen." Doc said, picking up his phone. he called Sheriff while picking up Lightning.

"wouldn't it be faster and safer to get me to a hospital?" Lightning ask.

"most hospitals aren't equipped with the Tiger Rattlesnake antivenom. the bites are seriously rare, but deadly." Doc said. he pressed the phone to his ear with his shoulder, carefully trying to keep Lightning form getting more hurt. "Sheriff, go to the clinic now and get the antivenom for a Tiger Rattlesnake now." Doc said.

"a-ah Hud be easy." Lightning winced.

"grab the phone kid." Doc said. Lightning reached up and took it from him. Doc carried him over to the table, shoving his lap top backwards to the other side. "don't go anywhere." Doc said, running out of the room. Lightning winced and looked at his swelling leg.

"where the fuck am I supposed to go?" Lightning snapped.

"hey kid, whats going on?" Smokey ask worriedly.

"I-I got bit..." he mumbled, laying back some on the table. he groaned quietly.

"bit?" Smokey ask curiously.

"snake." Lightning mumbled. Doc ran back in to the room with the antivenom kit and Sheriff following.

"whats going on Hud?" Smokey ask.

"a Tiger Rattlesnake got into the house and bit him." Doc said, prepping quickly. Lightning whined, he was sweating and it was hard to breath. "just hold on Monty. Sheriff make sure he keeps breathing." Doc said. Sheriff nodded, watching Lightning.

"got it Doc." Sheriff said.

"relax Monty." Doc said, poking the needle into the youngers leg. Lightning winced slightly, dropping his head back hard against the table. "if you can't breath or something say it." Doc said.

"m'kay." Lightning winced, twitching. Doc stepped away opening the kit Sheriff had brought him, just in case Lightning had a negative reaction to the antivenom.

"his heart rates a little fast." Sheriff said.

"it will be for a few minutes." Doc assured. he walked over to Lightning, looking into the youngers eyes. "hey, look at me Monty." Doc said. Lightning mumbled with his eyes closed. "look at me." Doc ordered. Lightning lifted his head a little and looked at Doc. "sit up." Doc said firmly.

"don' yell a'me." Lightning mumbled, dropping his head back onto the table. Doc snorted slightly and turned away from him.

"Sheriff sit him up." Doc ordered. Sheriff started towards the younger, but he wheezed slightly and Doc tensed turning immediately to stare at him. "kid, are you-" Doc started. Lightning lurched, rolling over quickly onto his side. "Sheriff!" Doc said, grabbed Sheriff quickly and pulled him out of the way as fast as he could. Lightning projectile vomited right where Sheriff had been standing a moment ago.

"ugh. thanks." Sheriff said, looking at the floor. "is that bad?" he ask, looking at Doc.

"no." Doc said. "I gotta sit him up." Doc said, walking over. he grabbed Lightnings arm and pulled him up gently. "sit up kid. can't save you from a deadly snake when you're choking to death on your vomit." Doc murmured. the younger man was sweating, wheezing, and panting. his eyes were hazy. "look at me kid." Doc murmured softly.

"last time I looked at you, I puked." Lightning mumbled. Doc shot him a dirty look and shook his head.

"yeah thanks." Doc muttered. "okay. come on kid, lets get you to the clinic so I can keep an eye on you." Doc murmurs, scooping him up gently. Lightning cuddled him, mumbling.

"Doc is he going to be okay?" Sheriff ask.

"he's gonna be fine. we have to let the antivenom run its course." Doc said, carrying him quickly.

"m'sorry Hud." Lightning mumbled.

"that doesn't sound good...." Sheriff said. Doc groaned lowly.

"well, at least you apologized." Doc muttered, speeding up. "he puked on me." Doc sighed.

"he warned you." Sheriff shrugged a little.

"whats going on?" Mack ask.

"kid got bit by a Rattlesnake." Doc said.

"is he going to be okay?" Mack ask worriedly.

"if I can get the antivenom to counter the neurotoxins he will be." Doc said, shouldering open the clinic door. "Tiger Rattlesnakes are deadly, but unfortunately not enough is known about the bites for me to know whats going to happen." Doc said hefting the younger onto a table. Lightning groaned and sat there, leaned against the wall like Doc had left him. Doc tossed his shirt into the sink, no use getting puke everywhere. he ran over to one of his cabinets and gathered a few things from the cabinets.

"what are you doing?" Mack ask.

"gotta keep him in here." Doc said. he turned the AC up in the clinic.

"its going to get cold in here..." Mack frowned.

"thats the point. get him as cold as I can to slow the venom, give the antivenom a chance to do it's thing." Doc said. he grabbed some rubbing alcohol and brought it over to the bandages he'd grabbed a moment ago. "just sit up and don't move kid." Doc warned, cleaning the bite on the youngers leg before wrapping it up. "I need to keep a check on his heart rate." Doc said. he turned and ran off into a different room of the clinic.

"boss you okay?" Mack ask. Lightning nodded slightly, shivering. he really should learn to sleep in more than just his boxers.

"s'cold." he muttered.

"I did it on purpose kid, you're fine." Doc assured, walking quickly back over to him. "let me see your hand." Doc murmured. Lightning held his left hand out towards Doc, letting him attach all kinds of wires and things to him. "okay now that I've got an eye on him, I need an IV." Doc muttered, turning to search his cabinets for the things he needed.

"if Tiger Rattlesnake bites are so uncommon how do you know what to do?" Mack ask.

"I don't. I'm taking the information I know on every other snake venom I can think of and putting it all together, just hoping it works." Doc admitted. "but the antivenom for that particular snake can cause dehydration." Doc said. he walked back over to Lightning quickly. "try not to move." Doc said, patting the youngers good leg. he grabbed his left arm and cleaned it quickly. even after all those years of practice, Doc had never particularly been fast at IV's, but he had certainly set a new record for getting one into Lightnings arm. he stepped back and watched the younger shiver. he shook his head and looked over to the doorway, where Sheriff was standing, though the rest of the town was watching silently behind him.

"how is he?" Sheriff ask.

"hopefully he's going to be fine." Doc said. "at this point I'm just waiting to see if he has a reaction from the antivenom." Doc mumbled.

"what happened Doc?" Flo ask.

"snake bite." Doc said, turning to look at her. "Tiger Rattlesnake to be specific." he added. "he's going to be fine. you guys just go back to your business." Doc assured, waving everyone away. Mack frowned but made his way out of the clinic. Doc watched the others slowly clear, until Sally was the only one left. she walked over to watch them both, the younger was shivering and the older pacing.

"can you at least give him some clothes?" Sally ask.

"unless you're going to give him yours, then no. I was wearing a shirt and he puked on it, I'm not giving it to him." Doc said, motioning to his shirt in the sink. Sally frowned.

"he's shivering Doc, his lips are turning blue and it's not even that cold in here." Sally said. Docs gaze snapped over to Lightning and he rushed over to the younger, taking his face into his hands. "he needs a hospital." Sally said.

"he's dripping with sweat." Doc muttered. he looked over at the monitors he'd hooked Lightning up to. "his lips aren't blue from the cold." Doc hissed, nearly tripping over himself as he ran off. he came back quickly. "I told you if you were having negative reactions to say something!" Doc hissed, hooking up an oxygen tube. Lightning tried to turn his head away but Doc got the tube into his nose.

"why can't you lay him down? he looks tired." Sally said.

"can you stop telling me how to do my job!?" Doc snapped in her face. "damn it Sally! I'm doing what I can! I've never seen this type of bite before! there's not enough research out there for me to tell whats going to happen! I'm doing the best I can!" Doc growled lowly. Sally stepped back quickly, looking at him. "there's about 60 recorded cases of people being bit by these damn snakes! I'm trying so back off." Doc snapped, walking back over to Lightning. he cupped the youngers cheek gently. "talk to me baby, say something." Doc murmured softly.

"my head hurts." he mumbled.

"probably from lack of oxygen, give it a few minutes. okay?" Doc softly, watching him.

"m'kay Hud." Lightning mumbled. Doc nodded at him and kissed his head gently. he rubbed the youngers cheek with his thumb and headed out of the room. Lightning looked over at Sally. "leave'em 'lone." Lightning mumbled, giving her the best dirty look he could.

"you need a hospital and some clothes." Sally said softly.

"no. need Doc." he mumbled, dropping his head back against the wall with a wince. Doc came back out and gently wrapped a blanket around the younger. Sally frowned and backed out of the clinic quietly.

"here." Doc murmured. "this should help a little." Doc murmured softly. Lightning pulled the blanket tightly around himself, before leaning forward towards Doc. the older man stepped closer, gently wrapping his arms around the injured man, letting him rest his head on his chest. "I got you its okay." Doc soothed. Lightning wrapped his arms around Doc, digging his nails into the older mans scar ridden back. Doc checked the monitor. his oxygen was up, his heart rate was down. he gently ran his fingers through Lightnings hair and held him.

"my arms feel like jelly." Lightning mumbled. Doc heaved a sigh, a relieved smile coming to his face. the first full sentence he'd managed to get out of the younger in a little over an hour.

"thats okay. thats normal. it happens after all kinds of snake bites." Doc assured.

"can we go home?" Lightning ask.

"not yet kid. I just wanna leave you hooked up to this stuff for a little longer, alright? just to double check you're okay." Doc murmured softly.

"but I'm cold and covered in puke and now its all over both of us and the clinic." Lightning mumbled.

"I'll clean it up. thats not important. whats important is that you're okay." Doc murmured, holding him tightly. Lightning blinked tiredly.

"I'm tired Hud." Lightning said. Doc nodded and gently let him go.

"you should be okay now. just go ahead and lay down, okay? get some rest. I'm gonna clean up everything. I'll come back and get you in a bit. take my cell phone, okay? if you need anything just call your phone, I need to go get it from the house." Doc assures gently. Lightning shook his head.

"no. hold me. don't go." Lightning said, leaning forwards and grabbing Doc again. Doc let him and sighed wrapping his arms around the younger.

"alright let me make a few calls." Doc murmured, gently pushing away from him and grabbing his cell phone. Lightning watched him. "Sheriff, I gotta stay with the kid, can you bring us some clothes. he puled all over the both of us." Doc said, looking down at himself. he'd taken his shirt off, but his pants were still covered with it. "thanks." Doc muttered, hanging up. Lightning looked up at him.

"Hud?" he ask.

"Sheriff cleaned up the snake and puke for me. he's going to bring over some clothes for us." Doc said.

"is he bringing me some pants?" Lightning mumbled.

"I think so." Doc said.

"good my boxers are covered in puke." he mumbled.

"yeah, so are my clothes." Doc said. he walked over to the sink and cleaned himself up. "I'll pull the shades so you can get cleaned up." Doc murmured. Lightning nodded, watching Doc walk over to the window of the clinic and shut the blinds.

"hey hows the kid?" Sheriff ask, looking at Doc.

"not dead yet." Lightning shrugged. Sheriff looked over and smiled.

"hey kid. looking a lot better than you were an hour ago." Sheriff said. Lightning gave a half smile.

"please tell me you brought me some clothes." Lightning shivered, cuddling into the blanket. Sheriff chuckled and handed some clothes to Doc.

"yeah. pants and t-shirt for both of you." Sheriff assured. "let me get out of here so you can get dressed." Sheriff smiled, stepping outside. Doc looked over at Lightning and sat the clothes down. Sheriff had grabbed a set of jeans that were obviously Docs and a pair of Lightnings shorts. he'd also grabbed two of Docs sleep shirts. it was going to be huge on Lightning, but it didn't matter. Doc made sure the windows were covered before helping Lightning up from the table he was sitting on. he stumbled against Doc.

"sorry." he mumbled.

"its okay. its okay." Doc soothed gently. he helped the younger strip down and clean up, before helping him put the shorts on. he was trembling, his body like jelly. Doc cleaned up the table Lightning had been on quickly, holding the younger up with one arm carefully.

"m'tired." Lightning mumbled.

"I know." Doc said, helping him back up onto the table. he shivered quietly. "hold on. I'll get this shirt on you." Doc assured.

"but all these wires-" Lightning tried.

"I've been a doctor for over 50 years kid, I can get a shirt around some wires." Doc assured. it took him a few minutes, but he got the shirt on him. he cleaned himself up and changed clothes, throwing his dirty pants and Lightnings boxers into the sink.

"can we go home now?" Lightning ask. Doc frowned slightly, but nodded, the IV bag was empty now, so Lightning should be fine. he carefully pulled the wires free from Lightnings body and kissed his head.

"okay come on." Doc said, helping the younger back down gently. he cuddled to Docs side. Doc smiled at him a little. the younger was so tired, so Doc scooped him up gently. he carefully carried the man back to their house and laid on the couch with him. they curled up together, under a blanket. the younger was still trembling and cold, but Doc held him tightly, laying with him. they laid together on the couch silently, just enjoying the others company.