After a few minutes of silence, Kitty finally spoke and hoped to encourage her dear friend the doctor, "Doc, you know more about babies than anyone in all the eastern States. Ma Smalley and I will help you."
Doc tired to muster a smile as his greying moustache curled at the ends over his mouth, "Thanks, Kitty. I'll be sure to keep that in mind once the time gets sooner."
"You just make sure Jenny takes it easy from here on in," Kitty continued.
"Oh, like I haven't tried that!" Doc proclaimed. "She is almost as stubborn as him!" Doc thumbed over his shoulder to the whiskered deputy who stood innocently by the doctor's side.
"Ya always have to go poking at me, don'tcha?" Festus sneered.
Doc looked up at Festus and smiled, "It wouldn't be any fun, any other way..." he smiled slyly then winked at Kitty. Kitty playfully swatted Doc on the shoulder and shot him a look.
Doc looked down at his empty cup, "Well she is stubborn, I can't do anything about that."
Just as kitty picked up the blue and white ceramic coffee carafe, there was a commotion out on Front Street that drew everyone's attention. There we're folks yelling hellos and other's clapping and laughing. "What in tarnation is going on out there?" Festus' eyebrows lifted in question as he strutted to the doorway - then stopped dead in his tracks.
Kitty and Doc watched with great interest. They slowly looked at each other. They had seen the look on Festus' face before. In fact Kitty slid behind the bar and Doc sooted to the end next to her fearing the worst. Doc looked over to Kitty, "It can't be Henry...can it?!"
Kitty swallowed and looked up to the ceiling of the Long Branch. Images of the fire flooded back into her mind, "I sure hope not, Doc. Please pray," Kitty's voice held some strange tone, as if she was going to preach, however to the would be already converted. Doc pat her forearm as they both waited to see what Festus was going to do next - both exchanging nervous glances. They jumped in reaction to Festus' out-bursting cheer before he gleefully pushed through the swing doors and out on to the boardwalk. In a strange way both Doc and Kitty sighed in relief. Whoever was in town that Festus knew was not Hard Luck Henry. The deputy would have made a door through the back of the saloon to avoid his troublesome cousin.
"Well, what do you make of that?" Kitty was now interested in the action out front of her establishment.
Doc shook his head in wonderment as well, "I honestly can't say. Best we take a peek before - well, you know," Doc took Kitty gently by the elbow and they walked to the door.
"What do I know, Doc?" Kitty referred to what the doctor had just said.
"The 'curse of the Haggens'," Doc said dryly.
Kitty nodded, "Good point," she pursed her lips before she smiled slightly. Up through her thick eyelashes, she took another look up at the ceiling of the Long Branch Saloon and said a silent prayer.
Festus pushed through the small crowd and looked into the blue eyes of his aunt, "Aunt Hootie! What in thunder brings you to Dodge?"
Hootie was just about to answer when Doc and Kitty gathered next to Festus. All three of them looking nervous. "Festus? What on earth have you done to Miss Kitty and Doc here? They look like they've seen some spooks!"
Festus pulled back and looked at Hootie then to Doc and Kitty before his slow gaze rested on Hootie again, "Henry ain't with you, is he?"
Hootie busted into a hearty laugh which was contagious as everyone around her started to laugh, "Heavens no, Festus. He's still with his monkeys and the circus. I wouldn't dare show myself here if he was still with me!" she laughed again.
Matt had just left the livery stable where he held Buck. His ride back into Dodge was long and hard, and the last thing he needed was a boisterous crowd to deal with. He scratched his whiskered cheek and reluctantly walked up the street to break up the crowd in front of Kitty's saloon. All he longed for was his bed and his mind searched for things to say to Festus if this rowdy crowd was out of control. However, as the marshal approached the Long Branch he could hear nothing but laughter - good and hearty laugher. Matt didn't even know what was funny, but he, too, started to laugh.
Finally Matt made it to the boardwalk where Festus stood with his aunt and Doc and Kitty staggered in giggles. "Festus. You didn't tell me that your Aunt Hootie was coming into Dodge," Matt scolded the deputy in a light-hearted manner.
"Wall to be right honest Matthew, I didn't know myself until I heard the ruckus out here..." Festus winked at his aunt.
"Oh, Marshal, don't be mad at Festus. I didn't tell him I was coming here..." Hootie urged.
"Just as well," Doc said under his breath, "he couldn't have read the message anyway."
Kitty again playfully swatted the doctor who winced with a smile on his lips.
Matt caught the interaction between Kitty and Doc and a slight smile broke across his face before he turned his attention to Hootie again, "Well it's a pleasure to have you back in town Aunt Hottie, but..."
Hootie stopped Matt before he asked the inevitable question, "No, Marshal Dillon, Henry is not with me. In fact I was just telling everyone here, that he is still with the circus and his monkeys!"
"Well, I'll be..." Matt smiled. "This sounds like a good time for celebration!"
Hootie blushed, "Can I buy the first round for my friends?"
"You can do whatever you like, Hootie!" Kitty smiled and wrapped her arm around the stout woman and the two of them walked into the saloon laughing away.
Festus, Matt and Doc stayed outside and exchanged glances. With a collective sigh that Henry was nowhere in sight, they joined the ladies inside.