Kitty opened the door to an ante room within the tiny chapel and smiled when she seen Julie dressed in a beige chiffon dress. The bride stood calm and collected as Abelia fixed her veil before taking a step back to stand near Kitty.
"Well," Julie said eagerly. "How do I look?"
"Beautiful," Kitty replied taking her old friend's hand. "I'm so glad you and Doc are going to be together."
"He does need someone," Abelia replied with a nod. "No one should spend their life alone or as long as he has."
"But," Julie said with a slightly sad expression. "I know why he did and I understand, he's probably hesitant now."
Kitty sighed deeply in thought while she remembered Doc's story about the loss of his first wife and child. While there would be no children for him and Julie, at least the man she considered a father would have someone to share the rest of his life with.
Julie turned back around toward the mirror and smiled as Abelia and Kitty watched. "I'm ready," she said excitedly.
Robert yawned as Doc fiddled with his string tie before pulling at the collar of his shirt. After Robert yawned a second time, the older man looked in the young physicians direction and grinned. "I told you it was going to take that baby all night to arrive."
"I know, I know," Robert said stifling another yawn. "I swear, I'll never figure out why babies always come in the middle of the night!"
"At least the baby came before morning," Doc replied as Robert nodded.
"And, he's healthy," Robert said smiling broadly. "Newly and Vera deserve a healthy baby."
"Yes, they do," Doc said as the door opened behind them and Festus stepped inside.
"Miss Kitty, says it's time!" Festus announced eagerly before breaking into a smile. "Never thought, I'd saw the day that an ol scudder like you'd be gettin married up!"
"I thought the same thing about you," Doc retorted before heading into the chapel. "Is Matt ready?"
"Yep," Festus said with a quick nod. "The judge is already at the front of the church a waitin."
"Well then," Doc said taking a deep breath. "Lets not keep him waiting any longer."
Julie nervously wrung her hands while she waited for Kitty to return and tell her it was time to go. They'd spent more than six months preparing for this moment and now that it was upon her, she couldn't help but feel apprehensive. Knowing how Doc had suffered in the past from his first marriage and not wanting him to go though such an ordeal again was a big responsibility on her part. But, Julie felt confident in their love for each other that neither one of them would ever intentionally hurt the other. Which was one reason why she agreed to marry the doctor in the first place. She never wanted to let him down.
"Everyone's ready, Julie," Kitty said suddenly appearing at the door. "Are you?" Kitty asked after seeing the expression on her mentors face.
"Yes," Julie replied breaking into a smile. "I'm ready!"
Doc took a deep breath to clear his head before he met Matt's eyes and nodded as the Judge grinned.
"Yer as nervousie as a long tailed cat in a room full of rockin chairs, ain't ya Doc?" Festus said quietly as Doc gave him a look.
"Hush!" Doc replied harshly as the pianist started to play the traditional wedding march.
Festus smiled smugly before he grinned at Robert beside him. The normally calm doctor wiped his brow as the hill man shook his head. He wasn't even as nervous as Doc on his own wedding day.
The people in the chapel stood and turned their attention toward the end of the isle as Abelia and Kitty made their way to the front of the chapel. Once they took their positions across from Doc and Robert, Julie then started toward the front. The bride carried a simple bouquet of wild flowers in her hands.
Doc locked eyes with Julie and held them as she made her way slowly toward him. His heart threatened to pound right out of his chest when he realized in just a few moments, this woman would be his wife. He smiled slightly at the thought before he felt his chest suddenly constrict. Feeling lightheaded and short of breath, he reached out and grabbed Festus arm before he sank into unconsciousness.
"Doc!" Festus said as his best friend collapsed into his arms.
Robert was already in motion as his father gently lowered the older man to the floor. "The ol scudder done fainted dead away!" Festus said reassuringly when he seen Julie's worried expression.
At first glance, Robert would have agreed with his father but after he noticed the ashen color of Doc's face, his clammy skin and shallow breaths, it all indicated to him a problem with the heart. For the moment, the physician forgot everyone around him and focused solely on Doc's condition. Loosening the tie, he quickly undid the first few buttons of Doc's shirt before looking up. "Pa, I need my bag," Robert yelled above the worried tones of everyone talking at once. He wrapped his fingers around Doc's wrist while everyone else could only watch and wonder what happened.
"Robert?" Matt said as the physician looked worried.
"We need to get everyone out of here, Matt," he barked as he kept his fingers wrapped around Doc's wrist. "I have to have room to work."
Kitty and Abelia both flanked Julie as Matt cleared the chapel and Festus returned with Robert's black medical bag.
"What's wrong with him, Son?" Festus asked as Robert pulled out his stethoscope and a vial of pills. "I thought the ol scudder just passed out!"
"So did I," Robert said listening intently to the older man's chest before opening the vial of pills. "Unfortunately, he didn't," he said taking one of the pills and slipping it into Doc's mouth. "I believe, it's some kind of heart attack."
"He's going to be alright, isn't he?" Julie asked worriedly as everyone's eyes turned to Robert.
"Wal, course he is," Festus said quickly. "Why, Robert's had attacks like that, ain't ya son?"
Robert shook his head no. "What I've got is completely different than this, Pa and I've got my age on my side. Doc," Robert said before affectionately caressing the older man's hand. "Is an old man and an attack like this...is not going to be good."