Disclaimer: Just taking our friends out to play, will put them back when I'm done!

A/N: This ATC came about because I, probably like many others I'm sure, was a bit disturbed by the ending of "Mannon". It just seemed we were left hanging so I felt we needed to know what happened next and IMHO, Mannon was dead in that street!

"Yeah, He's A Good Man"

Slowly taking those twenty steps to the body, lying in the dirt street, wanting to step right over him like in his own words, like she'd would walk over short grass, Kitty looked down at the prone body of the man she considered to be the Devil himself. She smiled slightly, nodded then uttered….

"Yeah, He's A Good Man"

Sam and several men helped Doc get Matt up to his office so he could tend to the bullet wound in his shoulder.

Kitty was still dazed from all the events of the past week of horrors that had taken place. She watched as the men carried Matt's injured body up the stairs to Doc's office.

Just then, Louie approached her from behind. "Miss Kitty? Miss Kitty, I… I…"

Slowly turning to look at the man who was now looking at her with sad eyes, she just placed a hand on his cheek, tilting her head nodding at him. "It's okay, Louie. It's okay."

Slowly, she made her way towards the steps, looking up, thinking of how many times she has made that very climb. Taking a deep breath, grabbing one handful of her skirt and one hand on the rail, she started the climb.

No one noticed her enter. Doc was intently working on Matt's shoulder.

"Okay, now I need you all to clear out of here and give me some room. Go on now. Give me some room. I need to work here. Sam, have you seen where Kitty went?"

"I'm here, Doc." She answered.

Sniffing and nodding. "Oh good, honey. I'm gonna need your help." Then looking at her face, "Kitty, honey, you ok?"

"Yeah, Curly. I'm…" Shaking her head, "Yeah."

For the next hour Doc worked on digging out the bullet and stopping the bleeding. After bandaging him up, Kitty made Doc coffee. "Here, Curly, you need this."

Once he tasted it, he nodded. "Oh, yeah, I do."

Kitty had added a bit of brandy, figuring after the time they'd had he deserved to relax. "Doc? He'll be alright, won't he?"

Swiping his mustache, "I think so, Kitty. Now, Honey, he's going to sleep for a while and I want you to do the same."

"Oh, Curly, I… I…"

"No now, Young Lady, I'm your doctor and I am giving the orders here. After what that… that animal did to you…"

Waving a hand up at him, "Curly, I'll be ok and I'd rather not think about that anymore."

As they talked, Doc began to check her bandage on her head. "Well, I don't like you being up and moving too much with this."

Shaking her head, "I'm fine, a small headache but I want to be here when…"

Doc just shook his head and began cleaning up. "I at least want you to go sleep for a little while and get something to eat. Will you do that?"

Just then, Ma Smalley showed up. "Well, Dr, Adams, how's the patient?"

"Sleeping comfortably, Ma. Now if only I could get the other one here to go do the same …"

Huffing out a breath, "DOC!"

"He's right, Miss Kitty. You need to rest. I'll stay here with the Marshal and I promise I'll let you know if he wakes up or if there's any change."

"Oh, alright. I have a feeling neither one of you are going to give up. I won't be long."

After Doc had something to eat, he returned to relieve Ma. Sitting beside Matt, "Matt, this town was really worried. This Mannon, never seen anything like him before. So cold, no conscience, just steamrolled into Dodge like he owned this town, like he was entitled. Oh, I wasn't worried for me. I'm too old to worry. But what he was doing to the others in this town… He cold-bloodedly shot Festus. He came in town and just took what he wanted. And Kit…"

Suddenly, he caught himself, realizing Matt may not have seen Kitty's facial wounds. But maybe it was not his place to say anything further, even though Matt was still asleep.

Just then, Doc could feel eyes on him and he turned. "Kitty? I thought you were…"

"I couldn't sleep, Doc. So how is he?"

"Still sleeping." Doc stood. 'Here, I have some things to do. I'll leave you to talk to him, maybe."

Smiling, "Thanks, Curly." She cupped his cheek with her hand.

Just as she sat alongside Matt, fixing the quilt, brushing the loose curls off his face, she sighed. "Oh, Cowboy. How many times have we been here? You lying in this bed, Doc digging someone's bullet out of you. You know I was almost hoping this time something would keep you out of Dodge. Believe that? Doc says you're going to be alright."

Just then, Matt started to stir. "Ahhhhh..."

"Easy, Cowboy." She tried holding him still.

"Kit?"

"Yeah, it's me. Just try and stay still. Ok?"

As he focused, "Ahhhh" Now reaching for her cheek. "Kit? What…"

Shaking her head, "No, Matt. It's ok. It's not as bad as it looks, really."

"Mannon did that?"

Nodding, "But, Matt, please, really, I'm fine."

Then he spotted the bandage just beneath her curls on her forehead. "And this?" He asked, brushing her hair away, his jaws getting tight.

Closing her eyes, nodding, "Matt… Cowboy, please. It's over. It's not important anymore."

"Newly said he was just coming into Dodge taking whatever he wanted."

Nodding , "Cowboy, he was looking for you. He wanted to hurt you."

"Yeah, and we know how."

Just then Doc reentered the room. "Well now, someone decided to wake up, I see."

"Yes he did, and is his usual self too, wanting to get up out of bed." Kitty said, trying quickly to change the subject.

"Oh no, you don't. I worked hard to stop that bleeding."

"Well, I'm going to go see about getting you something to eat, Cowboy."

"Wait, Kit. I still want to know…"

Kitty quickly left, knowing she didn't want to have that conversation.

Doc began to check Matt's vitals.

"Doc, what am I missing here?"

Doc rubbed his face. "Don't know what you mean, Matt."

"Oh come on, Doc. Kitty running out of here like that. I asked her about the cuts and bruises on her face. She told me Mannon did that to her and when I pressed about what happened, she shut down and couldn't wait to get out that door. Doc, what happened here?"

Turning away from Matt, "Matt, you need to talk to Kitty."

"No, Doc. I'm asking you. Now, why is everyone acting so strange around me? What happened here while I was gone?" Matt continued to badger Doc with questions.

"Matt!" Now angry. "Kitty's a beautiful woman. Mannon ran through this town and took whatever he wanted and he wanted whatever was yours, anything that would break you. But, by God, you didn't hear that from me. That young lady is in pain, not just physical. She did whatever she could to protect you, give you an edge. She didn't buckle under to him."

Matt just stared at his friend, then began to try and stand. "Doc, I've got to go talk to her."

"Oh, no you don't. Not just now."

As they were arguing, neither noticed Kitty enter with a tray of food. "Well now, am I interrupting?" She asked, watching intently the two most important men in her life. "Now what are you two yelling about? I can hear you all the way out on the stairs."

The two men stared at one another, wondering just how much she really heard.

"Oh, Kitty, this big lug doesn't want to follow his doctor's orders. Look at him trying to get out of bed."

Smirking, "Now, Matt, you know you're not ready to be up." So, now, with both hands on his shoulders, she pushed him back down into the bed. "Back in bed and no arguments!" Winking at him.

He gave in. "I hope that's real food."

Laughing. "Yes, it's real food. Joe just made some fresh stew and fresh hot bread, so here eat it while it's still hot."

"Kitty, I have a few patients, real sick people, so I'll be back in a bit. Will you be alright here?"

"Go on, Doc, we'll be fine."

After Doc left, Matt was eating. Kitty watched, enjoying seeing him enjoy eating, knowing he'd be ok.

Suddenly, he put down the spoon. "Kit, we need to talk."

"Look, cowboy, I know you don't like being in…"

"No, Kit, it's not about me, it's about you, well about what happened."

Her face just dropped. "Matt…"

"Now, Kitty…"

"Matt, there's nothing…"

"NO! Kitty, don't tell me there's nothing. I know what kind of man, no animal, Mannon is and I know you and what you… I know the lengths you will go to, to protect... Kit, what I'm trying to say is… Kitty, Honey, I'm sorry. I'm sorry I wasn't here for you." Now reaching, grabbing her hand, pushing the tray aside, pulling her close. Blue staring into blue.

"Ah, Cowboy, it's not your fault."

"Kit, he wanted to hurt me and hurting you…"

"Cowboy… Shhhhhh, I'm okay. You're here with me. That's all that matters."

"But are you?"

"I am now, I am now."

Hours later Doc returned and as he entered, the office was dark and quiet. Gently, he opened the door to the back room and he swiped his mustache, shaking his head, backing out of the room, not wanting to disturb the two sleeping soundly, entwined. In his eyes that was better than any medicine he could find in his books at least for these two. These two, he loved as his very own.

FINI