If You Want Something Done Right, Give it to a Woman
I don't own these characters, I just like to spend time with them.
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Doc leaned back in his buggy, loosely holding the reins as he relaxed on the trip back to Dodge. He'd been up all night delivering twins and he was bone tired but happy. Though it'd been rough going there for a little while, he'd managed to not only save the babies but the mother as well and it looked like they'd all be fine. He liked it when that happened.
Though a little too tired to sing a jaunty tune, he did at least admire the scenery around him. Though it was kind of brown, this time of year, the prairie had a certain beauty about it none the less and he enjoyed the view until it was obscured by a man on a horse, blocking his way and another two who rode up on either side of him. "Whoa!" He pulled hard on his horse's reins and came to a stop. "What is this? Who are you men?"
"Names Conley, Blue Conley." The gruffest looking of the three said from atop his horse in the middle of the road. "You know me?"
Doc studied the middle aged man with the thick brown hair, halfway down his back, eye patch on his left eye and handlebar mustache. Yes, he knew him or at least knew 'of' him but he wasn't about to admit it. "Should I?" He challenged.
Conley laughed. "Maybe not." He shrugged. "But I want you to deliver a message to Matt Dillon for me."
A few minutes later, the two men with Conley loaded Doc back into his buggy. He was unconscious, his head was bleeding as well as he had a cut on his lip. "He don't look too good, Blue." One of the men, a thin blonde with pale blue eyes, stated. "You think he'll make it back to Dodge alive?"
Conley leaned over and placed an envelope in Doc's jacket pocket, making sure it was highly visible. "I don't know, Clarey. But he'll get that message to Dillon, whether he's dead or alive. Right now, that's more important to me. " Suddenly, he slapped the flank of Doc's horse and sent it racing down the road to Dodge.
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"Matt?" Kitty called as she entered the jail. "Louie came over to the Long Branch and said you… DOC!" She ran to the physician's side as he lay unconscious on the cot in the main part of the office. "Matt, what happened?" She knelt down beside Doc and gently lifted the bandage on his forehead to see an ugly gash, noticing as she did, a split lip.
"He was ambushed coming back to town from a call." Matt answered.
Kitty noticed he had his eyes glued outside and a rifle held firmly in his hand. "What's wrong, Matt? Why was Doc hurt?"
Matt finally turned back to look at her, his forehead creased in concern. "There's a gang on its way here." He told her. "Led by Blue Conley."
"Conley?" Kitty's eyes widened. She'd heard of him.
"Yeah," Matt nodded. "That's one of the reason's I sent Louie for you."
"What do you mean?" She asked, absently smoothing out the thin blanket Matt had placed over Doc.
Grimly, Matt handed her a folded piece of paper and then turned silently back to the window while she unfolded it and read.
"Dillon, You know what I want. Bad things will happen to you and your town unless my terms are met. We're coming in today at noon. Be ready. Blue Conley."
Kitty folded the paper back up, a sickened expression on her face, and handed it back to Matt. "What terms?" She asked. "What does he want?" She glanced at the closed door leading back to the cells.
"I'm not holding anyone," Matt saw the direction of her gaze. "He's not looking to free anyone. He's looking for something else."
"What?" Kitty asked, afraid of the answer.
"Sam." Matt answered sadly. "He wants, Sam."
Kitty swallowed hard. "Sam? He's never done anything to warrant…"
"He killed Conley's brother a year ago." Matt stopped her. "You were out of town on business. The killing was justified but Conley doesn't believe it. He wants revenge on what he calls murder."
"What can we do about it?" She asked.
Matt halfway smiled, loving her for including herself in the problem. "Not much we can do, right now. I sent Festus and Sam both out to Fort Dodge. Conley's not the army's problem, and they're not usually too much inclined to help in civilian matters but the Captain there owes me a favor. I've asked him to provide shelter and protection to both Festus and Sam and send a small contingent of soldiers here to help me defend the town. Hopefully they'll get here before Conley does."
"What if Conley has men watching the town already and saw them leave? He could be waiting out there to ambush them."
"He might but I doubt it." Matt answered, not as sure as he sounded. That was why he hadn't sent Kitty to the fort too. "He wants Sam given to him so he can boast about it. He wants to tell everyone that I gave a man up to him."
"So what do we do?" She asked.
"You and Doc stay here in the jail. You bar the door and don't let anyone, except me, in." He told her. "I'm going to take a look around town. It's close to time for him to come so maybe I can find him first."
"Ain't no use of that there, Matthew." Festus said as he and Sam came in through the back door. "We done looked around town. They's a few fellers down to the Long Branch that looks to be up to somethin' and theys a few more at the Bulls Head but I cain't rightly say they's Conley's men. And if they was to be no how, we ain't got enough men to do nothing about em."
"Festus!" Matt growled. "Didn't Louie find you and tell you…"
"He did, Marshal." Sam cut in. "But me and Festus both didn't much like the idea of running and hiding. Besides, it's me, Conley wants. I can't let you or Miss Kitty, or anyone else, get hurt on my behalf." He nodded towards Doc, lying motionless on the cot. "It's bad enough, he was."
Matt wanted to be angry at the two men for putting their lives in danger, part of him actually was, but he also admired their courage. "Well, if I can help it, no one is going to get hurt." He jerked his chin towards the gun rack. "Both of you get a rifle and make sure they're loaded."
"Matt?" Kitty stepped over to him, while Festus and Sam did as Matt told them to. Putting a hand on his arm, she gave him a pleading look of concern. "What are you planning? And don't try to put me off. I know you too well."
Matt didn't want to tell her, knowing what she'd say, but she'd know if he lied. "I'm going to face Conley when he gets here and try to convince him to move on. If he won't, then I'll challenge him. I get him and his men will probably back down."
"NO!" Kitty shook her head. "Matt…"
"Marshal." Sam interrupted them. "I can't let you do that. Conley's most likely going to have this town surrounded and no telling what he'll do to it and you all if I'm not the one to greet him. Now, I'm going out there, when he comes in, and that's got to be the way it is. It's the only way to stop this."
"No." Matt shook his head laying the rifle he had on the table. "Sam, this is the law's problem and it's my job as a lawman to handle it. Now, since you and Festus wouldn't go out to the Fort like I ordered you to, then you can just stay in the jail with Kitty and Doc while I deal with Conley."
"Now, you jes wait yerself a minute there, Matthew." Festus put in. "We weren't ordered by you or nobody elset. Louie jes tolt us ya wanted us to ride out to the Fort but he didn't say it were no order or nothing like that. And even if it were, do you really think we'd a left you here to deal with Conley alone? We ain't no scaredety cats or nothing."
"I didn't say you were." Matt shook his head in consternation. "I just didn't want you two," he almost angrily waved his hand between the two men, "mixed up in this and probably getting hurt when it's my job to deal with this."
"Well, if that don't beat all." Festus took his hat off and tossed on the table in a snit. "I ain't never no how backed down from no fight and I ain't gonna now."
"I'm not either." Sam spoke up in an even but stern voice. "This is my problem, Marshal. Like I said, Conley wants me. So I need to be the one to go out there and face him."
"Ah, that don't make a lick of sense, Sam." Festus scowled at him. "You ain't no law man. That there's me and Matthew's job."
"Correction, it's my job." Matt cut in. "Now listen fella's. Do like I tell ya. You two stay here."
"Naw." Festus shook his head vehemently. "That ol' dog won't hunt. You go out there, I'm goin' with ya."
"No, you're not." Sam shook his head just as strongly. "It's me he wants so I'm going."
"NO!" Matt practically roared. "Neither one of you are. It's my job and I'll go. I want you two to stay here with Doc and Kitty and…"
"Where is Kitty?" A frail sounding yet upset voice asked from behind where Sam and Festus were standing.
Matt stopped and looked in that direction to see Doc standing, wavering, on his feet, holding his aching head and looking at the three men expectantly. "Doc?" Matt asked. "What are you doing up? You're hurt. You should be back in that bed over there. Kitty…" He stopped when he realized what Doc had asked and also that Kitty wasn't in the room. "Well, where…"
"Marshal." Sam called with a grimace on his face as he nodded towards the window.
Matt quickly glanced outside and his heart stilled. Kitty was standing in the middle of the street with his rifle in her hand and three men on horseback in front of her. Taking a deep breath, Matt hurried out of the jail and to her side. "Kitty?"
"It's alright, Matt." Kitty swiftly reassured him. "Mr. Conley and I were just coming to an agreement. Weren't we, Mr. Conley."
Blue Conley looked at Kitty and then over at Matt with a shrug. "Yeah, I guess so. You can relax, Dillon. I ain't gonna do nothing to your woman or to your town." He looked down a little ashamedly. "I ain't got the men for it no how. And I'll leave the bartender alone. The pretty lady, here, explained to me what really happened."
"She did?" Matt looked over curiously at Kitty. She hadn't been in town when Sam killed Blue's brother with a shotgun to protect one of the saloon girls. And Matt had only told her the bare facts, none of the details.
"Yeah, she did." Conley shook his head in disgust. "I figure a lady like her probably wouldn't lie, even to save your worthless hide." He turned to the two men on either side of him. "Let's go boys. We ain't got no call to be here no more." Pulling his horse back just slightly, Conley stopped before he rode off. "Ma'am, I'll take you up on that offer of a drink sometime later." Then he looked at Matt. "You got you something special in your woman, Dillon. Best hold tight to her, or I just may come a calling for her."
With a grin to Matt, a nod and tip of his hat to Kitty, Blue Conley, legendary gunman and terror of three states, wheeled his horse around and rode out of town, followed by his two co-horts.
Matt watched him go unsure of what he should do. On one hand, he had been directly responsible for the terrible injuries Doc had suffered and though not actually wanted for anything in Kansas, he was still a notorious gunman that could be wanted elsewhere. However, he did leave peaceably which saved possibly the lives of many citizens.
And then, there was Kitty. Turning to her, he didn't know whether to kiss her lock her up. "Kitty? What were you thinking? Do you know what could've happened to you? That man is…"
"A sad man, grieving over his brother and not understanding the facts surrounding his death." Kitty nodded at him with a smug smile.
"No, he's a notorious gunman with a hair temper and the willingness to shoot with very little provocation. And may I remind you, that he was the one that beat Doc up?"
"Who said?" Doc demanded to know from the doorway of the jail as he leaned heavily on the frame.
"Doc!" Kitty shoved the rifle she still held into Matt's hands and rushed over to the physician's side, gently taking his arm and leading him quickly to a nearby chair. "You shouldn't be up." She lightly scolded. "How do you feel, huh? How's your head?"
"Oh, it's alright." Doc waved her away. "I'm fine."
"Yeah, but you're not." Matt pointedly told her.
"Me?" Kitty arched a brow. "I wasn't the one hurt, you know."
"No, but you could've been. That man intended to murder Sam, here. You going out to do my job." Matt grumbled at her but Kitty could see the worry in his expression.
"I wasn't in danger, Matt." Kitty shook her head. "Blue Conley couldn't hurt me in the middle of Front Street with a whole town watching. He's not that big a fool. He wanted Sam to face him in a gun fight, and failing that, you. But when I pointed out to him that Sam was a bartender and that he'd only shot Conley's brother in self defense and to defend one of my girls, he realized he was wrong and backed down. Just like I knew he would."
"You did?" All the men said in unison.
"I did." Kitty tilted her head with a nod and a grin. "I would've explained it to you gentleman but you were so busy arguing about who was going to be the hero, I decided it was best I just go out and handle it myself. I took your rifle for in case, but I figured I wouldn't really need it. Lottie told me what happened with Conley's brother some time ago. And although I hadn't met Blue before, I've heard of him and what kind of man he is. Some of it wasn't good but some was. I wasn't too worried. At least not as worried as a certain trio of men around here were."
What she said tickled Doc and he laughed, despite the pain in his head, earning a scowl from Matt.
"And just what is so funny?" He demanded.
"Yeah, ya old Quackity Quack." Festus joined in. He also was smarting a bit at being upstaged by Kitty. "Conley beat you up, didn't he? He's a dangerous man."
"No, he didn't." Doc answered somewhat more sober. "Conley, didn't beat me up. That, gentlemen, was unfortunately my doing."
"Your doing?" Matt stared at him, expecting to see deception on Doc's face, perhaps covering for Kitty's sake, but when he looked down at the battered man, he could tell he wasn't lying. "What did happen then?"
"Oh," Doc shook his head, a little embarrassed at the truth but knowing he needed to tell it. "When Conley stopped my buggy outside of town, I was mad. I raised my whip to hit him with it and he grabbed it instead. That's when I stood up in my buggy and pulled back on ithe whip, lost my balance and fell out, hitting my head on the side as I went down."
"Yer a kiddin'." Festus said with a grin and then a laugh. Glancing over at Sam and then Matt, he could see them both wanting to do the same but restraining themselves.
"I am not." Doc glared at him. "And you can stop laughing anytime, you scruffy no account. I don't know if Conley did anything to me after I blacked out, but other than grabbing that whip, he sure didn't do anything to me before then. And since I don't have any injuries to anyplace but my head, I doubt he did anything else."
"See?" Kitty looked triumphantly at the men around her. "Conley wasn't going to hurt anyone. At least not without giving them a chance."
"Did you know that, when you went out to meet him, Miss Kitty?" Sam asked her.
Kitty shrugged. "Not for a fact, but I had to take a chance. I couldn't let you or Matt or Festus just go out there and get shot. And from what I've heard about Blue Conley, he wouldn't hurt a woman but he would a man so I took a gamble."
"And it paid off." Doc finally cracked a smile at her then turned it on Matt. "You know, I've always heard that if you wanted something done right, to give it to a woman. I think that holds true here. Don't you, Mr. Marshal?"
Instead of answering, Matt pulled his hat low on his forehead and grabbed Kitty by the arm. "Come on, I'll buy you a drink."
Kitty chuckled. "You're on, Cowboy."
As the two walked off, arm in arm, Sam looked down at Doc. "You believe that saying, Doc? I mean about giving the job to a woman to get it done."
Doc laughed and wearily got to his feet. "Yes, I do, Sam." He nodded as he turned to head to his office. "When it comes to Kitty Russell, yes I do."
End