Subject: The trial of Bonner

I own no part of Gunsmoke

"Hi Kitty, is it ok if I come in?" Matt asked, hat in hand, a forced smile on his face. The room was dark.

"Hi Matt, I wish you would," Kitty said as she struggled to sit up.

"How are you feeling?" Matt asked as he came over to her bed.

"Like I have been run over by a beer wagon," Kitty smiled. "I am ok. Doc said I can have something other than broth today."

Matt laughed. "That is not what he told me. In fact, he sent me up here with this soup."

Kitty: "Is it soup or is it broth?"

Matt checked the container. "Well it is kind of watery, but I think there are some bumps in it."

Kitty rolled her eyes. "Maybe later I am going to take a bite out of Doc."

Matt: "Well, that should be some tough meat."

Kitty: "I guess he told you to make me eat it."

Matt: "Well, I do think it is a good idea to keep your strength up."

Kitty: "I think you should have some. You're a growing boy."

Matt: "I will have some with you." He got himself a cup, dumped a little of the broth in it. "Yum yum," he said as he took a drink.

Kitty :"You like it, you drink it"

Matt: "Come on. You said you would." Kitty wrinkled up her nose . "Ok ok."

Festus came into Doc's office. He looked somewhat embarrassed. "Mathew, you're needed down at the jail. A bounty hunter just brought an outlaw in."

Matt: "Festus, this is my day off. Just lock him up. Tell the bounty hunter he will get his blood money when I am ready to give it to him."

Festus played with his hat, looked up at the roof, then at the floor and said something under his breath.

Matt: "What was that? Say it plain."

Festus: "How you feeling Miss Kitty? Matthew, can we talk outside?"

Kitty: "Go ahead Matt. I will drink the broth," She said as she took the cup. "I am doing ok Festus. Don't keep Matt all day. I get real lonely up here by myself."

Festus: "Yes ma'am."

Matt smiled at Kitty. "I won't be long. I do not know why you cannot handle this Festus?"

Festus: "I thought you might want to."

Kitty felt a shiver go up her spine as she watched the silicates talking on the stoop.

Festus returned. "Matthew has to go down the jail, Is there anything I can do for you?"

Kitty: "Yeah, drink this stuff." She handled him the broth.

Festus took a big drink. "That has to be good for you. Why else would anyone drink it?" Kitty laughed.

Festus: "It sure is good to hear you laugh."

Kitty: "I am getting better. It is nice to laugh again."

There was a ruckus on the steps. Matt came in. He had an unsettled look on his face.

Kitty: "You ok Matt?"

Matt: "Kitty, I hate to do this to you. That bounty hunter brought a boy in that was riding with the Bonner gang. The boy said he had nothing to do with your kidnapping. Matt crossed the room and took her hand. The boy told me, he was in the camp while you were there. He said he did not defile you. I need to know what to charge him with."

Kitty leaned back on her pillow. Her strength seemed to dissolve.

Matt: "If you want to wait until Doc gets back, that would be ok. I can hold him without charging him."

Kitty: "Lets just get it over with."

Matt: "All you have to do is say yes, he did it or no, he didn't. Nothing else. You ok?"

Kitty: "Just bring him in."

Matt nodded at Festus. Newly brought the boy in.

The Boy: "You tell them I had nothing to do with your kidnapping and I did not ravish you."

Matt: "Shut up before I kick your teeth in."

Kitty shrunk down in the bed, pulled the covers up to her neck, rolled over so her back was toward the men, and said nothing.

Matt: "That's it for me. Get him out of here."

The boy: "She is lying! I did not plunder or kidnap her, I tried to help her and she knows it."

Kitty peeked out from under the covers. Her eyes were great big. She just stared at the boy and said nothing.

The next day, Doc slammed into the jail with a full head of steam.

Doc: "What were you thinking? Kitty is back where she was when she first came back."

Matt: "I had to know. The kid said he was not with them when they Kidnapped Kitty. Sam and the others said that was true. The boy said he did not rape her, but tried to help her. Doc, I believe him."

Doc: "So you had to take that monster up there so he could get a good look at Bonner's handy work."

Matt: "I think he is a victim of hero worship, new off the farm. He thought Bonner was some kind of hero. Once he got to the camp,( after Kitty was there) he was in over his head. He did not know how to get out. I do not want to hang a kid for one dumb decision."

Doc: "You have no idea what Kitty has been through. Boy or not, if he had any part of that at all, he deserves everything they what to do to him."

Doc got himself some coffee.

Just then the door slowly opened. Kitty appeared. She was using the door to hold herself up.

Kitty: "Matt, I do not think that boy was at the Long Branch, but I was watching Bonner. On the ride out to the camp I was looking for landmarks, so I could find my way home if I could escape. At the camp, I was in Bonner's tent most of the time. I was on the floor when a man came in. He got on top of me. Told me to yell so the others would think he was getting me. I wouldn't so he hit me and hit me, but he did not get me. Before I was brought back, they took me out of the tent, dragged me behind a horse. I stayed up as long as I could. They ran me through the campfire. I fell and they dragged me through the fire. My hair caught fire. A man came running up, put the fire out, cut the rope that held my hands. It was dark. My eyes were swelled up. I did not want to see any of them.. I cannot tell you what you want to know."

The door moved. Kitty started to fall. Matt ran to catch her.

Doc: "Put her on the cot."

Kitty passed out as Matt softly placed her on the cot.

Gun fire from the street caught the marshals attention.

Festus: "Go on, I will look after her."

Doc: "Keep her as quiet as you can. Let her sleep. If no one is hurt I will be right back."

Matt: "Sorry Kitty." With that they were gone.

Festus bolted the door: "Sorry does not feed the bull dog." Festus made a new pot of coffee. When the coffee started to pop, Kitty stirred.

Kitty: "Is that coffee I smell? Where am I?"

Festus: "You're at the jail. I made some fresh coffee. Used new grounds. Made it weak, just like you like it."

Kitty: "There was something important I had to tell Matt."

Festus: "You told him, then you passed out. Doc told me to keep you quiet, to let you rest."

Kitty struggled to get up. She made it to a chair with Festus protesting the whole way.

There were more gunshots from the street. They could hear Matt yelling "Give it up. Don't make me kill you." Kitty covered her ears.

Festus: "Would you like some coffee? I also got some broth."

Kitty: "Coffee will be great."

Festus went to fetch the coffee. "My uncle Joe on my father's side once told..." His story was interrupted by a thud. Kitty's head had hit the table.

Festus was going to put Kitty back on the cot, but when he touched her she made a noise that sounded like a child sobbing in her sleep.

Festus got himself some coffee and sat down. He wanted to reach out and smooth Kitty's hair, thought better of it. As he sat there, he thought of the first time they met. That fancy lady was nice to him. Yeah, he knew part of that was her job, but he had been thrown out of a few saloons. She made him welcome. Kitty was nice to April and to his cousins when they came in to Dodge.

Siting alone with her, he heard himself say, "I love you and have always loved you."

Kitty's head moved. "I love you too Festus, but Matt is my man."

Festus: "I know that, it is one of the things I love about you - your good sense."

Kitty raised her head: "Festus, you're the most wonderful man."

Festus: "But I am not Matthew. If you and the big guy ever break up I don't mind being seconds."

Kitty: "I love you too much to ever let you think of yourself as seconds. The truth is, you like being alone. There is no room in your life for a long term woman."

Festus: "Who said anything about long term? I was just thinking about a roll in the hay. Isn't that just like a woman, you say one nice thing to them and they got you hog tied to a hitching post."

Kitty laughed. "Your the greatest. OOO!" Kitty grabbed her head. Don't make me laugh."

Burke knocked on the door. Festus unbolted the door. Burke in came running in. "Aaaa." He looked at Festus, then Kitty.

Kitty: "Matt?"

Burke: "He's been shot. They took him up to Doc's."