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Where is Doc? was a question that had ran
through Wyatt's mind too many times to be comfortable. He wouldn't have missed this, he would have been there for Wyatt, he was sure of it. Besides. Wyatt knew his friend could not be caught missing any drama. He was just a little nosy like that. It was unlike him to not just be there when something important and dramatic like that happens. Something was wrong. Very, very wrong.

Wyatt thanked and bade the men who were loyal enough to accompany him goodbye, promises of seeing them all soon made, and climbed onto his black stallion, Dick. He rode off, to find out what exactly has kept his best friend.

An uneasy feeling settled into the pit of Wyatt's stomach. His gut told him something was off. Something had went wrong with Doc. He feared it was even danger, or worse, injury. Doc could handle himself in a fight, those ivory handled twin pistols did most of the fighting for him, but a bad injury could put him into bed and pain for weeks.

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Lina knocked on the door of room 21, and waited for the hoarse hello to grant her entry. It came, and she opened it quietly. Morgan flashed her a rather strained smile, accompanied with a "Hi there, Miss Lina." he was still in a great deal of pain, but Lina had already anticipated and prepared for that.

She walked over to his bedside, setting down her carpet bag on the nightstand. She fished out some gauze and bandages, then what looked like tree bark. She handed him the bark which turned out to be that of a willow tree. He looked at her, confused.

"Chew on it," she told him. "Relieves pain. Much better than Laudanum." she added. He did as told hesitantly, but as soon as it started working, the hesitance ceased.

"Do you mind if I change your gauze?" She asked, as she rummaged through her carpet bag. He hummed no and finished chewing up the bark. He took the quilt off with a wince, but Lina let him do the painful job himself, fearing she would create a bit of awkwardness if she did everything for the man.

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The sun was warm on Doc's face, but he wouldn't have known. He'd woken up to only have a worse-than-usual coughing fit, then passed out again with blood trickling out of the corner of his mouth in a steady stream. Sunday Silence stayed near her owner, grazing by his fallen hat. A loyal horse, that one was.

Wyatt knew how impatient Doc could be, and searched the shortcut to the train station. Doc was never one to be late, risking injury to arrive on time to trivial things, like dinner with Virgil and Allie's house. The route Wyatt figured his friend took was the most practical, and on Wyatt's way home. If he didn't find Doc then, he'd be in town to ask around. It was more efficient that way.

Dick Nailer almost stepped on the man, rearing up, hooves pawing the air. It startled Wyatt, but he reacted fast enough to pull him back off and away from his unconscious friend.

"Shit." Wyatt swore at no one but himself as he hopped off of Dick Nailer and swiftly caught Doc's pretty little palomino. He tied her reins to his own saddle planning to pony her. He gently placed Doc's hat on Sunday's saddle horn, then crouched down beside his unconscious best friend.

Doc was bleeding in several places. The nosebleed must have stopped some time ago, because the blood had completely dried onto his face and mustache. The blood coming out of his mouth however was more recent, some of it slowly dripping onto the sandy Arizona dirt.

Wyatt made sure there weren't any open wounds or anything that could hurt Doc if he was moved before laying him sideways and face-down on Sunday Silence. His mind was racing with the possibilities that his friend might not be okay (besides his pre-existing condition) and he could loose Doc too soon. He shook his head and mentally told himself to shut it.

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When Lina finished, Morgan laid back again, and closed his eyes with a strained sigh. Taking that as a sign that Morgan wanted rest, Lina gathered her things quietly preparing to leave.

"They tried to ambush Wyatt today," Morgan said, not even bothering to open his eyes.

"Who did?" Lina asked, stopping what she was doing.

"Cowboys. Ike specifically, I reckon." Morgan replied calmly.

"Is Wyatt okay? However did you know that Morgan? You've been here all this time!" Lina stared at the too-relaxed man in disbelief.

"Neighbors are loud. an' he's fine Miss Lina. He knew about it all along, drug a posse with 'im" Morgan clarified. "Which reminds me, please don't tell anyone I'm stayin' in here, okay?" He asked, opening one gleaming eye as a goofy smile spread across his face. "'Parently I'm a hot commodity 'round here when it comes to the community 'who we gon' kill first' list."

"Morgan!" Lina whisper-hollered, trying to mask her amusement with a stern look. "That isn't something to joke about."

"Aw Lina, if I don't joke about it, it might just get me a little more spooked than I want to be," Morgan replied amiably. "Besides, I've got my brother. He should be makin' his way back from the train station now. Oh, and thank you for takin' care of me. We're lucky to have you 'round when the doctors out galavantin'." Lina looked away to hide the big smile that had begun to spread across her face. The compliment meant a lot to her, she was finally starting to feel as if maybe she belonged there.