Rip opened the door and stepped inside, looking around almost frantically until he spotted the woman and went over to her. "Ma'am, the doctor needs hot water to tend to the Marshal's wound." He repeated all at once.

Clara was chatting with a customer about one of the recipes, explaining the dish was one of Emeline's favorites. The hasty arrival of this lad, looking in rather rough condition at that, got her attention and then his words did the rest.

"Goodness! I will bring some over immediately!" Clara nodded then excused herself with the customer.

Rushing as much as she good in keeping with womanly dignity, she entered the kitchen and poured some of the hot water kept at a simmer to use for tea and washing dishes and anything else requiring it. She then announced to Lucinda she would be right back and it was off to the marshal's office. The boy opened the doors for her both out of the diner and into the marshal's.

"Doctor, this is the hot water you asked for. If it's not enough I could bring more over!" Clara announced trying not to look at the wounded man.

When the boy left, Jonah set about making sure all of the material around Speed's wounds was cleared away, then dug in  his bag for a bottle of antiseptic he could mix into the water once it arrived.  He looked up in relief when a man came in, announcing that he had some medical experience.

"I'd be very glad for your assistance," Jonah told the man, nodding.  "I'll need to clean this up, then stitch it, it's through and through, so no bullet to dig out." 

A moment later, Clara and Rip arrived with the water, and he was able to get to work.  "This should do just fine, Mrs. Lutz.  Thank you for your fine work, Master Rip." 

With help, he was able to clean the wounds and then examine them more carefully.  "Doesn't seem that there are any bones involved..."  And if a blood vessel of any size had been hit, Speed would have bled to death by now.  "If you can push the edges together," he addressed Gilchrest, "I can get them stitched up, hopefully before the laudanum wears off."  The Marshal was still quite pale, and Jonah wasn't sure he could take another dose.

"I'd be very glad for your assistance," Jonah told the man, nodding.  "I'll need to clean this up, then stitch it, it's through and through, so no bullet to dig out." 

"That's help," Gilcrest stated, rolling up his sleeves. "Nasty wound when she goes plumb through. Treated many of 'em. Now you guide, I'll foller." Hadn't he just finished with Carson's much worse-looking wound? Need ta do something about my hands, dirty as they are."

A moment later, Clara and Rip arrived with the water, and he was able to get to work.  "This should do just fine, Mrs. Lutz.  Thank you for your fine work, Master Rip." 

"Yes sir, this lady was more a help than me." Rip replied

With help, he was able to clean the wounds and then examine them more carefully.  "Doesn't seem that there are any bones involved..."  And if a blood vessel of any size had been hit, Speed would have bled to death by now.  "If you can push the edges together," he addressed Gilchrest, "I can get them stitched up, hopefully before the laudanum wears off."  The Marshal was still quite pale, and Jonah wasn't sure he could take another dose.

"Yes sir. I kin do the." Gilcrest said and went to pushing the sides together, as the doctor had asked. "Gettin' him up on his side'll be no easy trick, man's limber than a wet rag!" He smiled, "But we'll get 'er done."

It was at that moment that Leah arrived at the Marshal's Office with both Carson and Bannister in tow. Ty was on had to greet her.

"Ma'am." He greeted. The Doc's in there workin' on the Marshal. He's a mite busy."

"And you are?" She asked bluntly.

"Tyrell Thornton, Ma'am."  Ty went on to say; "He's got him a helper in there, so it's a mite congested."

"Do they know who did this?" She asked, worried that this was her fathers doing.

"No Ma'am, can't say as we do." Was his response.

"You're doing real fine," Jonah assured Gilchrist, "just keep the edges of the wound together until I can get them stitched up, won't be pretty, but it'll keep his stuffing in."  He chuckled, then quickly glanced over his shoulder when he hear Leah's voice.  If she was here, that meant that her entourage was close behind, so that at the moment, this was the safest place in town...good to know so that he could relax and do his job without worrying that some maniac (s) were going to come bursting in to finish the job!

"Does anyone know where Marshal Guyer lives?  We'll need to get him home to rest."  Jonah would have to keep an eye on him, which meant Addy was on her own for the night.  "He has a lady, doesn't he?  Someone should fetch her.  And Mr. Gilchrist, or someone...if you could go to my place and help Miss Chappel..."

"My house is the big one on the east side of town," Jonah explained, "my clinic is there, too.  I left a woman in labor in the care of Miss Chappel, and I'm not certain how much knowledge that woman has in childbirth.  It's a natural process, of course, but..."

Well, there could be complications, and even without them, there were still things to be done to prevent dropping the baby.  "I believe young Weedy is still out front with her horse, if you need a mount, and he can show you."

Clara hurried as best she could, go too fast and she could end up having an accident and spilling the very water the Doctor requested. But soon she arrived as the boy helpfully opened the door for her. And it was quite a sight that greeted her. The marshal ! Good lord, he was a bloody mess, he had been shot! She paused still holding the pails of heated water.

"Here they are, Doctor," Clara announced the obvious.

She did not stay long, there were enough people in that room already and nothing further she could do to be of assistance. Just before leaving she turned toward the poor man lying there.

"I will stay prayers for you, Marshal. I am confident you will pull through."

And with that she left and headed back to work at the diner, a little shaken by what she had just saw but life went on. She had a job to do.