A couple had just rode in to our ranch.  They had been crossing the plains and the woman needed a doctor bad.  She was pregnant and had fallen off their wagon.  I had sent Mark into town to fetch Doc Burrage, but Mark came back empty handed.  Mr. Hannaberry told Mark that Doc Burrage was in Santa Fe and was not expected back until morning.  He told Mark he would meet the stage in the morning and send him right out to our place.  Mark hurried back to the ranch to tell me about the doc, so I told him to go for Minnie Grant.  Suddenly a man barged in with Lee Marston, the pregnant woman's husband.  I went for my rifle and before I could use it, a second man, Bruce, took my rifle from me.  He then handed it to the other man.  "Hope you don't plan a quiet evening at home," said Jack Cooke.  He said no one was to leave the house until he left.  He told Bruce to check the other room.  Bruce told him there was a woman asleep in there.  We told him she was sick.  "She needs a doctor. Now isn't it too bad Doctor Burrage is in Santa Fe?"  Said Cooke.  "We'll all have to wait until morning."  He then ejected the bullets from my rifle.  Mark told me he saw them in town in front of Doc Burrage's office.  "Are you waiting for Doc Burrage?" I asked.  "You bet I am. Six years I've been waiting for him. Almost six years to the hour. But I'm a very patient man when I have a score to settle. I can wait one more day."

He wanted a drink.  He looked around until he found one.  He sat down at the table and poured himself a drink.  Lee started to go to the bedroom to check on his wife.  Bruce came in and shot at the door.  "Maybe you didn't hear Mr. Cooke. Nobody leaves the room. I won't miss next time." Mrs. Marston started to call for Lee.  "My wife, she's calling me."  Cooke told him he could go to her. 

Mark came over to me.  He seemed scared.  "Pa, the irrigation water is gonna overflow on the lower pasture."  "Are you scared son?"  "Don't be afraid to admit it. It's nothing to be ashamed of."  Just then Cooke yelled to us about whispering and told us to break it up.  He then went and found another bottle.  Bruce tried to stop him but he wouldn't hear of it.  He told him he was paying him to carry his gun and not for advise. 

He called me over to the table.  He didn't want to drink alone.  "I don't appreciate being invited to drink my own liquor." "If you gun down Doc Burrage, you'll have the whole town on your trail within the hour."  I asked him what his business was with Doc.  He was really getting drunk.  He just kept drinking and drinking.  "He killed me. Six years ago, he killed me. Look at my hands. They were fine hands once. The best surgical hands in the territory."  "Right now they're the hands of a drunkard, mister," I said.  He told me he was operating on a woman and was tired. So he took a couple of drinks. Doc Burrage said he was unable to stand on his feet while he was operating on her. He said it wasn't true.  She would have died anyway.  She didn't have a chance.  I asked him what this had to do with Doc Burrage.  "Six years ago he testified against me. The others were undecided but he convinced them I was drunk. Then they barred me from practicing and chased me out of town."  He insisted that no matter what Doc Burrage said, she didn't have a chance.  By this time he was so drunk he was out cold.

Lee came out of the bedroom and told me that his wife's pain was getting worse.  That his wife needed help now.  I started to go for help but Bruce stopped me.  He held his gun on me and said....."If anybody tries to leave this house, I'll kill them."  We then went into the bedroom to see if  we could help her.

I left Lee with his wife and went out to talk to Bruce.  "What's he paying you to kill Doc Burrage?"  "Look.....if your trying to make a deal, you better forget it," said Bruce.  "Don't you see he's a coward, he doesn't have the nerve to pull that trigger."  "He's using you because you don't know any better."  "He's paying me well for it," said Bruce.  "Whatever he's paying you, do you think it's worth it?" I asked.  I kept moving closer and closer to him.  He finally pushed me back.  He told me I didn't understand.  "A man's got to be somebody. If he can't be somebody good, he might have to be somebody people just talk about. It's a chance to prove you've got something the other's haven't got." He said.  I told him maybe he's the one who didn't understand.  "Your only a wet nose kid, this may mean nothing to you. But I'm telling you because I think you have a chance to go on living. But once you've killed that chance is gone. You've got to keep on killing and when you've had enough and your  ready to settle down, they'll find you. Sooner or later they'll hunt you down like an animal. I don't know what he's paying you, but I can tell you this, no pay is worth it." Just then Lee came out of the bedroom.  "Mr. McCain, we've gotta have help. The pain is coming on again. I don't think she'll....." suddenly Mrs. Marston screams.  Lee ran in the bedroom.  I was right behind him.  Bruce too.  He tapped my arm and motioned for me to go into the other room.  He wanted to talk to me.  "Ok, you can go get the woman. The kid stays here to make sure that's all you get."  I told him I didn't think that anyone could help her now except for a doctor and he wouldn't be here until morning.  "That leaves us your doctor," I said.   

    I started over towards Jack Cooke.  I told Mark to put the black coffee on the stove.  I grabbed Cooke.  "You may not be a much of a doctor, but your the best we got right now."  I started slapping his face and shoving him.  "Listen to me! Listen to me!"  I forced coffee in him.  "Listen to me, your gonna get on your feet and save that woman and the baby! I don't care if I have to carry you and support you while you helping her. Get on you feet!!!!!" I kept trying to wake him up.  Suddenly we heard her scream again.  We stood there just looking at each other.  "Get some hot water," said Cooke. 

"They sure have been in there a long time," said Mark.  "Those things take time son. Same as when you were born. I waited. Waited."  She'll be alright, won't she Pa?"  "Oh son, I don't know."  I slammed my fist on the table.  Mark backed away from me.  I grabbed him by the arm.  "I'm sorry Mark. You see son, when you were born your mother almost.....she was sick for a long time."  "You don't have to talk about it Pa. I understand."  I looked up at him.  "Your growing up awfully fast Mark."

We all waited and waited.  Wondering what the outcome would be.  Finally Cooke came out of the bedroom.  We all stood there looking at him.  We heard a baby cry.  Lee ran into the bedroom.  It was a boy!  

Cooke told me whatever I was thinking I could forget it.  Nothing has changed.  "I did what I did because I'm the man that I am. Things turned out alright, cause that's the way it should be. Look, it doesn't change a thing."  "You came here to take a life, instead you brought a new one into the world. I think that makes a difference," I said to him.  "Mister you couldn't be more mistaken. You get lonely when people turn their backs on you. In this dream of mine.....someday catching up with Doctor Burrage.....well, I've grown very fond of it."  Bruce decided to move on.  He didn't want any part of this, not anymore.  Cooke told him he could do this himself. 

I had gone out to the barn.  Mark had just came out of the bedroom from seeing the baby when he saw Cooke setting at the table.  He walked up to him.  "Ah, we're all very thankful to you doctor," said Mark.  "I don't know what's troubling you.  Pa always did say to leave people alone when they're grieving. Your friend left, and it's almost dawn outside, I thought perhaps you'd want someone to talk to. I think you better get some sleep."  Cooke slowly looked up at Mark.  "I better go help Pa milk the cow. We want you to stay for breakfast."  "What did you call me?" Asked Cooke.  "I don't recall you name," said Mark.  "I mean before.....when you just spoke to me." said Cooke.  "I called you doctor," said Mark.  Mark then came out to help me. 

"Ya know Pa. That baby sure is beautiful, said Mark."  "There's nothing more beautiful then a newborn baby Mark. It seems to make everything alright with the world."  "Ya know Pa, that doctor, I don't think he wants to hurt Doc Burrage anymore."  "No he doesn't son."   "I think it was his helping with the baby that changed his mind," said Mark.  "Ya know Mark, sometimes a man can go his whole life hating people, making one mistake after another and all it takes is one experience, like helping that baby to be born, to change his entire outlook."  I started to yawn.  "You look tired Pa. I think I'll stay home today and help you with the chores."  I thanked him and told him he could finish off with the cows.  I had something more important to do.  Just as I walked out of the barn I saw Cooke ride off. I had gone into to see how Mother and baby were doing.  

Doc Burrage arrived.  He was quite anxious to see the woman.  We told him he was too late.  We told him mother and baby are both doing fine. Mark told him about this doctor who happened to come by, then delivered the baby and left again.  Doc Burrage didn't get it.  I told him to come in and meet the proud parents and then we'd have some breakfast.