PT.3

"Grandpa Was a Hero"

At the Willets farm, Caleb Willets was wondering what had become of the boys and if they had found Doc Adams. Momma Mabel wasn't doing good at all. After all she wasn't a young woman. Caleb, didn't want the others to know he was worried so he was outside, trying to keep busy chopping wood.

Betsy, his wife of 25 years, was tending to Essie their daughter who now was in labor and had been for several hours. But it seemed that there was some problem. She was in a lot of pain and the baby didn't seem to be progressing as it should have been. She had already lost one baby the year before. It was stillborn. But being young, Doc saw no reason she couldn't try again and deliver a healthy baby.

Caleb was silently praying when he heard the sound of someone coming. When he turned, he saw Doc's buggy and noticed Kitty had come along. "Oh, Doctor Adams, I am so happy to see you, Sir."

"Caleb, it's gonna be ok. Kitty and I will handle things, you just relax."

"Can I help doctor?"

"No… well, yes you can. You can keep the young ones outside and bring some of that wood you're cutting in for heating up water. That's what you can do. We're gonna need lots of hot water."

"Sure thing, Doctor." And Caleb went right to work.

When they entered the house, Betsy greeted them both. "Doc, Miss Russell, so glad you're here."

"Betsy, everything's gonna be fine, and please, call me Kitty."

"Oh, I … I…"

"No, I insist." Kitty said.

"Well then, yes, Miss Kitty. What can I get you both?" Betsy asked. "Coffee, something to eat?"

"Oh, no, thank you, we're fine. Let's just see what we can do for Essie and Momma Mabel."

"Yes, Ma'am, I mean Miss Kitty."

Essie was in the back room; she was in a lot of pain and had a high fever. Doc looked at Kitty. She could see from the look in his eyes it wasn't good.

Then he began to examine her. "Kitty, we have a problem."

"What is it Doc?"

"This baby is breech."

"Oh, Doc. Can you…"

"Well, I'm gonna try to turn him but I'm gonna need your help."

"Sure, Doc, what do you need me to do?"

"I'm gonna need you to stay up there with her. This is gonna hurt her a bit. Try to keep her still."

Kitty sat up at the head of the bed, holding Essie in her arms, trying to comfort her.

As Doc did what he had to do, Essie let out a yell from the pain then blacked out.

"Doc, is she….?"

Doc looked at her. "She's ok. She's just unconscious."

"Poor thing." Kitty said. "Doc, did it work?"

"Yeah, I think I got him turned around. Now it's time to get him born into this world." A few minutes later… you could hear the cries of a bouncing baby boy. Essie and Jacob had a son.

Doc went out to talk to Jacob and suddenly, Kitty came out and said, "Doc, I need you in here."

When Doc returned to the room, Essie was still having contractions, and began to push and a minute later delivered a beautiful baby girl.

Doc was surprised. "Well what do you know?" He and Kitty looked at one another and just smiled. Now he walked out into the living room with the news of the second member of the family. Everyone was celebrating.

Now it was time for Doc to tend to Momma Mabel. When he entered her room, he looked at her tugging his ear, rubbing his upper lip.

Before he could say a word, she said, "OK, Medicine Man, what's got you so worried?"

Doc just huffed out a breath. "Who says I'm worried?"

"Remember, I know your tell sign." She answered. "Oh, don't worry about me I'm an old woman. It's just coming up on my time to go. I'm not scared. We all have a number you know? I lived a good clean life."

"Well, Momma Mabel, how about you let me see what I think about that? Maybe we can let you watch your two new arrivals grow up a little. What do you say?"

"Ok, do what you must." And she smiled at him.

"So, what is happening?"

"Oh, just this cough and I feel tired."

"How long have you felt like this?"

"About two weeks."

"Well, I think I can give you something to make you feel better."

"I just want to know that my family is settled before I go, Doc. That's all. That's my dream. And we've worked real hard on this place."

Doc smiled at her and said. "And you all have done a wonderful job. This farm looks great. Now you just rest. I'll come back in a few days to check on you or if you need me you send the boys. You understand?"

"Yes, Sir."

"Momma Mabel, the family's coming." Amos came running in. "They're here. They made it!"

Doc looked at him. "What's he mean?"

"We've been expecting them from Missouri. They free now. They came to live here now, like us."

"Well, that's just fine, Momma Mabel. That's just fine!"

This was the start of many of the families reaching Kansas from Missouri and the south, like Texas.

Kitty and Doc headed back toward Dodge after having dinner with the Willets. They insisted.

"Doc, what a wonderful surprise, wasn't it? Twins? And on the same day their family arrived."

"Kitty it sure was. Kitty, I'm sure glad Newly has finally finished his schooling."

"Why Curly?"

"I've been meaning to tell you this for awhile. I'm ready to retire."

"Retire? Oh, Curly… what... where will you go?"

"What? I'm not going anywhere."

"Oh, I just thought…"

"No, I wouldn't leave you."

"Good, because I wouldn't let you." She gave him a huge SMIRK, then hugged him.

When they rode back into Dodge, the town was buzzing about the article in the newspaper. With special thanks to Burke and a few others, people were coming into town looking for Matt wanting answers. Wanting to know what he was going to do. Then when they realized he wasn't in town, they were all waiting in the Long Branch.

When Kitty and Doc walked in, all the chatter stopped.

"Miss Kitty?"

"Yes."

"Tell us, what's the Marshal gonna do?"

"Look, all of you. You're making a big fuss and we don't even know anything yet about what really happened. All you know is what some reporter wrote. You are all getting excited. Matt has gone to get information from the prison and the proper authorities."

Then chiming up to speak, Burke said, "Then is he gonna go after them? Is he? Huh? Is he? Will he go after them, Miss Kitty? Will he? Will he?"

"Oh, Burke. Will you sit down and shut up. Look we're all worried about the prison break but we can't panic. We have to keep our heads. Matt and the army know how to handle this. Just let them do their jobs. You all know Matt and have for…well for... Have you ever known him not to protect this town and all of you, even if it meant risking his own life? Well, have you?"

Finally, one man stood up and said, "She's right and if I remember correctly, Miss Kitty has risked her life for some people in this town, herself."

Suddenly, Burke got quiet and sat down.

"Doc just put his arm around Kitty. "Honey, let me buy you a drink."

"Thanks, Curly! I need one!"

TBC