Kitty tossed and turned in her sleep before waking from a vivid dream that a crying baby was in the room. Eyes wide open and still hearing the cry, she turned towards the sound and blinked as she realized that she wasn't dreaming, and remembered what had taken place earlier. She looked at the crying infant and whispered, "Well, little one, it seems you're real."
Seeing that the baby had managed to kick off the shawl that had been wrapped around her, Kitty turned onto one side and took the tiny thing in her arms. Feeling the little body shiver, Kitty opened her nightgown and moved the infant over on her chest, to share her body warmth. She pulled a blanket over both of them and gently rubbed the baby's back. A tiny sigh of contentment escaped from the precious little mouth, and Kitty smiled. She continued rubbing the small back as she inhaled the sweet smell of the infant, and tenderly fingered her fine, blond hair. Then with her own sigh of contentment, Kitty fell back to sleep.
Not long after dawn, Kitty woke as she felt the little body, which was lying on her chest, begin to stir. She realized that the infant was starting to root around looking for somewhere to nurse. With a rueful smile, she sat up and cradled the little thing in her arms, "I know you're hungry, and I'm so sorry I can't give you what you're looking for. We'll have to go to Doc's to get some formula." Kitty laid the baby down, and got up quickly to throw on some clothes. She was hurriedly buttoning her blouse, when she spotted a small bag on the floor. Figuring that Matt must have come in and left it, she opened the bag and was pleased to find a baby bottle, some diapers, 2 tiny shirts and a well-worn baby dress. As she laid the items out on her bed, Kitty briefly wondered where Matt was, and why he hadn't slept there, then she quickly turned her attention back to the tiny baby. She'd solve the matter of Matt's whereabouts later, right now she had a hungry, wet infant to tend to. Smiling gently, she looked into the infant's eyes, "Well little one, you have some supplies. Let's get you ready to go to Doc's."
As she changed and dressed the infant, Kitty started singing softly, "Hush little baby, don't say a word, mama's going to buy you a mocking bird, and if that mocking bird …" As she sang, Kitty watched the pretty little face turn, look up at her and light up with an angelic smile. Smiling back, Kitty's heart was melting and she leaned over and tenderly covered the small, sweet belly with kisses. Then she snuggly wrapped a shawl around the smiling infant and picked her up, "Here we go little one." Cradling the baby in her arms, Kitty looked into the blue eyes that were shining up at her. "I can't keep calling you little one. You know, I've always thought that if I - well if I ever had a - well - I think I'll call you Mary." Holding little Mary close, Kitty hurried over to Doc's.
It wasn't long before she was sitting in Doc's office giving a very hungry baby a bottle. Doc always kept formula on hand for new mothers who couldn't nurse. He and Kitty were pleased with how eagerly the infant was sucking down the nourishment. Doc had already examined her and declared that although somewhat underweight, she was basically healthy.
Doc rubbed his mustache, "You say Matt dropped her in your arms late last night, and you haven't seen him since?"
Kitty nodded "That's right Doc. He must have gone to his office for some reason." Kitty looked down at Mary, who was still hungrily sucking on the bottle. "Mary spent the night in bed with me." She was quiet for a moment before whispering almost to herself, "She is such a wonder."
Doc was pensively watching Kitty hold little Mary, when he heard footsteps and turned towards the door just as Matt walked in. "Hello Doc." He turned to his wife with a smile, "Hello Kitty, I thought I'd find you here." He walked over and kissed his wife lightly on her lips.
Kitty smiled up at Matt. She was still delighted by the fact that since their marriage, she didn't have to wait until they were alone to be given a kiss. "Matt why didn't you come to bed last night? I figured you came in and dropped off that bag."
Matt chuckled, "Well this little thing was in bed with you, and I didn't want to risk squashing her."
Kitty laughed, "Matt that's silly. We could have made an arrangement. Anyway, speaking of this little thing, you must have quite some story to tell."
Matt nodded, "I was just a few hours outside of Dodge when a rainstorm hit and I took shelter in a cave. The baby and her young mother were there. She was not much more than a girl herself, and had just given birth."
Doc looked horrified, "A teenager – was she alone?"
Matt nodded, "Yep, about 15 years old, if that. She had been raped, and her folks sent her to a home for, as she put it, "bad girls." She had seen girls there die in childbirth, so when it was getting close to her time she got scared and ran away. She was trying to get to a midwife but didn't make it in time. Once I found her, I figured it best to get her home to her folks, and hope they could work things out. They took her back, but wouldn't keep a baby born out of wedlock, particularly one born of rape.
Doc shook his head, "Terrible, just terrible."
Matt shrugged, "Doc in their minds it was the moral thing to do. That's how they read the bible."
Kitty set the bottle aside and put the baby over her shoulder to burp her, "Sounds like Mary's had quite a time of it."
Matt looked at Kitty in surprise, "Mary?"
Kitty kissed the infant's back, "Was she given a different name?"
"Well no, but…."
Kitty interjected quickly, "I have to call her something, and Mary is a lovely name." She stood up, cradling the baby in her arms. "Right now Mary and I are going shopping. I was glad to find a few things in the bag Matt, but she needs more than that."
Carrying Mary, Kitty brushed a kiss across Matt's lips as she walked to the door, "See you later Cowboy."
Once the door was closed, Doc shook his head at Matt. Seeing the accusatory look Doc was giving him, Matt asked sharply, "What?"
"Matt, do you plan to adopt that baby?" Matt looked shocked, "Of course not Doc. I'll find a home for her and if I can't, I'll send her to the state foundling home."
Doc rubbed his mustache, "For a very smart man, you seem capable of doing some very stupid things. What made you think it would be a good idea to bring a baby to Kitty?"
"What do you mean Doc? What was I supposed to do?"
"I don't know Matt, but you should have thought it through. Kitty is a loving, caring woman. You've seen her with Bess Ronniger's children, the love and affection she has for them, the way she cuddles the babies. Kitty's never had a chance to have children of her own, but now that you two are married, it has to be something she's been thinking about."
Matt shook his head, "Doc, Kitty and I haven't even discussed having a family."
Doc raised his voice and pointed his finger at Matt's chest, "Well, maybe you should have before you brought an infant to her."
Matt was clearly annoyed, "Doc, we don't even have a house yet."
Doc nodded, "I know that, and whose been dragging his feet on that one?"
Matt shoved his hat on his head muttering, "I have things to do," and he stormed out the door.
TBC