"Doc, I never knew," whispered Kitty. "Was that the time Festus was gone for so long? It must have been almost three months."
Doc nodded. "Eighty-nine days. Then he came back and we never talked about it again." The old man cleared his throat and went on gruffly. "You don't want Matt carrying something like that around. Sometimes I can still see the pain in Festus' eyes..." He fell silent and Kitty squeezed his hand.
"You really are the most terrible old fraud, you know," she murmured, smiling a little.
Doc smiled back. "And you need to get some sleep so you can look your best when Matt gets back."
Her eyes filled with tears again. "Doc, I'll never look my best again. I'll never look like anything but a..."
He cut her off. "Kitty, you're a beautiful woman. Nothing could change that, and I'll tell you something else nothing could change. You're a woman who is loved. I love you, and so does Festus, and Matt loves you the most of all. We love you and we need you and the only thing that matters to us is that you get well and strong again."
Kitty shook her head helplessly. "I'll never be the same."
Doc took a deep breath. "No, I don't suppose you will." Their eyes locked and he went on very gently. "When something like this happens it changes a person. You won't be the person you were before, but I know you well enough to be sure of one thing, Kitty. You're not going to let this beat you. You're going to be as fine and caring and beautiful as you ever were..." Tears stood in his eyes now and he dashed them away and held her hand tightly. "And the only thing that will change between you and Matt and Festus and me is that we'll love you more than ever...because we almost lost you." His voice broke and Kitty tugged at his hand.
"Doc, don't..."
The old man cleared his throat noisily. "I'm getting too old for all this excitement."
A shadow of amusement crept over the fear and pain in Kitty's eyes. "Doc, you'll never be too old. Why, if I was twenty years younger I'd ask you to marry me."
Doc laughed through his tears. "If I was a hundred years younger I wouldn't wait for you to ask. Now will you let me give you something to help you sleep?"
Kitty took a deep breath. "You won't leave?"
"I won't leave. At least, not until a certain tall marshal gets back."
