What's wrong with Kitty

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Morning, Marshal." Wilbur Jonas greeted Matt as he passed his store on the way to Doc's.

"Morning, Mr. Jonas." Matt returned without stopping. He didn't want to get sidetracked until he'd had a chance to check on Kitty. She'd been sick at her stomach the day before. And this morning, when he stopped to ask her to breakfast, Sam had told him she was at Doc's. Kitty was seldom sick, and Matt was worried.

Just as he reached the bottom of the steps though, the door opened and Kitty stepped out. "Now, remember, Kitty." Matt heard Doc call after her. "You need to get plenty of rest. It's important in your condition."

"Alright, Doc." Kitty smiled as she closed the door and turned, seeing Matt coming up towards her. "Oh, uh… hi, Matt." She sounded a little nervous.

"Kitty," Matt scanned her form for some sign of illness but other than the slight flush coloring her cheeks she looked fine. "You okay?"

"Well, sure," Kitty answered. "Why?"

"Well, I don't know." Matt still thought she sounded a little nervous. "I stopped in at the Long Branch and Sam said you were here at Doc's and I was just a little worried. I know you weren't feeling good yesterday. And what did Doc mean by you needed to rest in your condition?"

"Oh, Matt." Kitty reached out and linked her arm into his, ignoring his last question. "I'm fine. I just had to… to… to get some headache powders from Doc for one of the girls."

"You sure?" She said that last in a rush as though it had just occurred to her, making Matt wonder.

"I'm sure. Now what was it you wanted to see me about?" She gave him her brightest smile.

"Oh, well, I just wanted to see if you wanted to have breakfast with me. I mean, since I didn't get a chance to make it up last night, due to my prisoner and all…"

"I'd love to." Kitty answered, again a touch fast. "Come on. I'm starving."

Shaking his head with a grin, Matt led her to Delmonico's and found them a table near the back. Once breakfast had been ordered, he sat back and silently surveyed the room before turning his attentions back to the beautiful red head beside him. "So, what have you got planned for the day?"

"Oh… things." She answered evasively. "You know, inventory and book work and I have a fitting over at the dress shop and I need to pick some things up from Mr. Jonas. Just a typical day. Why did you want to know?"

Matt couldn't shake the feeling that for some odd reason, Kitty was trying to hide something from him, but for the life of him he couldn't figure out what. "Oh, no reason specifically. Just wondering."

Kitty nodded. "Um, huh. Well, what about you? You going to be in town for a while or are you taking off somewhere?"

Matt shrugged. "Well, as far as I know, I'm going to be here, but then again you know my job. Guess I'll just have to see how it turns out. Why? You need me for something?"

"Oh, uh… no. No, not at all. I was just… wondering."

Matt started to comment when Barney came rushing in. "Marshal! I got a wire here for you."

With a weary sigh, Matt accepted the yellow sheet of paper and quickly scanned it, before folding it and putting it in his vest pocket. "Thanks, Barney. There'll be no reply."

Kitty watched his expression, expecting to see the defeated look he always got when one would arrive, demanding that he take off in one direction or another. But his expression remained impassive. "So, you have to take off now?" She asked.

"Nope." Matt smiled at her. "Sure don't. That was just a routine advisory. Nothing important."

"Oh… oh, good." Kitty gave him a relieved sigh.

Again that feeling. "Kitty, is there something you're not telling me? You sure you're not sick?" He watched her face closely for the answer but she dropped her head so he couldn't see her eyes.

"Of course not, Matt. I told you. I am fine. Honestly." She raised her head but she didn't quite meet his gaze.

Matt let it go, but he decided he would stop in at Doc's and have a little talk with him after breakfast.

Later, after walking Kitty back over to the Long Branch, Matt once again made his way to Doc's office.

Doc was at his table rolling pills and didn't stop or even look around when he heard the steps on the worn treads of his staircase. He knew who it was. "Come on in, Matt." He called when Matt tapped at the door.

"Hey, Doc." Matt stepped in and looked over at Doc's enterprise. "Making some more of those foolin' pills, are ya?"

Doc glanced at him without pausing. "You come up here for a reason or do you just like to harass a poor doctor who's just trying to make an honest living?"

Matt grinned but dropped the teasing in favor of the serious subject he had come about. "Actually, Doc, it's about Kitty."

"Kitty?" Doc stopped what he was doing and turned to look at Matt. "What's wrong with Kitty?"

"That's what I want to know." Matt answered. Taking his hat off, he worriedly ran a hand through his hair. "She acted awful strange this morning as if she was hiding something from me but when I questioned her about it, she said she was fine. You know Kitty. She wouldn't complain, no matter how sick she was."

Doc went back to his task and nodded. "Yes, I know, Kitty. And I know there's nothing seriously wrong with her that a wedding ring wouldn't cure." He gave Matt another quick glance, satisfied with the uncomfortable expression on the law man's face.

The topic of marriage did make Matt uncomfortable but something else, Doc said, caught his attention. "Nothing serious? Then you mean something is wrong with her though?"

Once again, Doc stopped what he was doing and turned back to the big man beside him. "No, Matt, that's not what I meant. I meant that there is nothing wrong with Kitty. At least nothing I can cure. She's fine."

"Then why did you tell her this morning that she needed to get some rest?"

Doc could tell that Matt was seriously worried. "Because she does. That little girl works harder than most people I know and she seldom takes the time she really needs for herself. When she was up here this morning, I just saw that she looked a little tired and suggested she get more sleep."

"Are you sure?" Matt was as unconvinced with Doc's answer as he was with Kitty's. "I mean, I understand you having to keep your patient's confidences and all but this is Kitty we're talking about."

"Why, of course, I'm sure." Doc shook his head and went back to his pill making. "Kitty's just fine, Matt. As a matter of fact, I'd say she's more than fine. Right now, that lady is about as happy as a woman can be."

Matt wanted to ask what that meant but just then the door opened and Wilbur Jonas came rushing into the office. "Doc, I need your help. I cut my hand pretty bad."

Tossing his hat back on his head, Matt turned and left Doc to attend to Jonas while he went about his morning chores. Only his mind wasn't on his rounds or the flyers on his desk. His mind was on a certain red head and just exactly what was going on with her.

After Matt left her at the Long Branch, Kitty quickly headed to her office. "Sam, I'm going to be busy for a while." She told her trusted bartender. "Can you see to it that I'm not bothered, unless it's important?"

"Sure will, Miss Kitty." Sam answered with a smile.

"Thank you, Sam." She returned the smile as she entered her office and closed the door firmly behind her. Stepping over to her desk, she dropped her reticule on it and sat down in the chair for a moment, resting her head in her hands.

She hated lying to Matt. But in this situation she had no choice. She could not let Matt know exactly why she was up at Doc's office. It wasn't time for that yet. But soon, she knew, she would tell him everything.

Suddenly, her stomach turned over and she threw a hand across her mouth as she rushed out the back door and into the alley behind to lose what little she had eaten for breakfast.

TBC