Spoiler Alert: When Judge Henry talks to his twin boys, Matthew and Mark. I have named them after Matt, using the name Mark as Matt's middle name.
Judge Henry sat in a chair in what had been] Doctor Edward Williams father's office; waiting while he operated on Matt.
"Will he make it?"
"It's too early to say; but he's strong, he has a chance."
"I sent a messenger to Dodge, to tell Doc Adams. He'll tell Matt's friends. I'm expecting the Dodge City doctor to bring Kitty Russell and Festus Haggens with him."
Judge Henry stared down at his suit again horrified that Matt could have lost so much blood yet still be alive.
"Judge, I think you'd better go home to change. I won't leave him for a minute."
Judge Henry nodded and said he'd return in the morning before he went to take on his caseload at the courthouse. He left the office just praying silently that Matt would live.
"Papa! What happened?" Megan Henry asked shocked at the sight of all the blood covering him.
"It's alright, Meg, it's not my blood. A man tried to kill me. Marshal Dillon saved my life. He took the bullet that was meant for me."
"Is he dead?"
"No he's at Doc's office. I've sent to Dodge City for Doctor Adams, and Miss Russell. Deputy Haggens will probably come too."
"Who are they?"
"They're Matt's friends and as close to him as you are to your brothers. I want you and the boys to meet them at the station. They'll probably be on the nine thirty train. Doctor Adams will want to go to see Mr Dillon first. Once he's ready you're to bring them here."
"I'll make up the spare rooms for them and one for Marshal Dillon ready for when he's well enough to leave Doc's care."
"Yes for at least one night, he might want to go straight back to Dodge City. Call your brothers will you?"
"Mathew, Mark!"
Two twelve year old boys came running in. Although they looked alike one was good foot taller than the other.
"What happened, Pa?" The taller boy asked seeing the blood.
Judge Henry told the boys what he'd told Meg.
"Did you name me Matthew because of him?" the taller of the boys asked.
"I named you both after him; you see Mark is Matt Dillon's middle name. Matt and I have had our differences on legal issues but he's a man of integrity and I'm proud to know him. I want you to include him in your prayers tonight."
"Supper will be ready shortly, boys, so you go wash up," the two boys ran off upstairs.
"I'll go change my suit," Judge Henry said making his way up the stairs after the boys.
The next morning Judge Henry drove his buggy with the children in the back to Doc Williams's office; he got down and handed the reins to Matthew.
"You drive carefully now," Judge Henry said.
Judge Henry felt an enormous sense of pride in his boys; Matthew was growing like a weed and seemed to have the same streak of integrity as Matt Dillon.
"I will, Pa."
Matthew chucked the reins and drove off. Judge Henry smiled, shook his head and went up the stairs into the office.
"Doctor Williams, how is he?"
"Sleeping, I've just sent for breakfast for me and some beef broth for him. He has a lot of blood to make back."
"I sent the children to meet the train, they'll come here first."
"Good, I'm sure they'll be worried."
"I have a couple of petty criminals to try today; I should be free this afternoon. I'll come back then."
Judge Henry left the office walking quickly to the courthouse.
Meg and the boys were now waiting on the platform as the train pulled in. Meg knew they were on the train as soon as she saw Doc Adams; he fitted exactly the description Judge Henry had told her.
"Doctor Adams?"
"Yes."
"I'm Megan Henry, and these are my brothers, Matthew and Mark. Pa asked that we meet you."
Doc smiled benignly at Meg, who led them to the buggy. Then Matthew drove to the best doctor in Topeka's office. Once there, they led the visitors up the stairs.
"Golly Bill, Doc, it's just like your office in Dodge."
Festus almost expected to see Doc's twin in the office, but instead they were greeted by a smartly dressed man in his thirties, who reminded Festus of Doctor Chapman, who had come to help out when Doc left to update his medical training. Edward Williams opened the door to his back bedroom; where Matt slept fitfully rolling beads of perspiration covering his face. Kitty slipped into the room to sit by him, holding his hand close to her. Doctor Williams watched amazed as Matt grew calm and slept on peacefully now.
"Well, I certainly have never seen anything happen quite like that before!" Doctor Williams exclaimed.
"They have a unique sense of each other, a bond that no power on earth can break," their hometown physician explained.
Doc Adams noticed the half eaten breakfast and the jug of broth, which brought a sense of déjà vu. How many times had he sat waiting by Matt's bedside for him to come round after someone had shot him? Just then Doc saw Matt's eyes moving restlessly under his closed eyelids and wondered what he was dreaming about, before joining his fellow physician in the outer room.
He and Kitty were resting on the veranda of their farmhouse, watching as their children played in the afternoon sun. A voice called him. He tried to cling to the image that began to fade away.
"Oh, Matt, please wake up," Kitty urged.
Matt opened his eyes slowly to find Kitty sitting there. Two boys of about twelve stood next to her. Kitty's smile made his heart beat a little faster as thoughts of pulling her into bed came to him. She read his look knowing almost immediately what he was thinking. He smiled roguishly at her.
"Doc, Matt's awake," she called.
Matt turned his head as Doctor Williams and Doc Adams came in. The local doctor checked Matt's pulse, which was good and strong.
"I'll heat you up some broth and I want you to drink all of it," Doctor Williams said to Matt before leaving him with Doc, Kitty, the boys and Festus.
"Matthew, it sure is good to see you live and kicking," Festus chimed in as soon as the strange doctor left.
Edward Williams smiled when he neared the stove. Meg had as usual taken over and was even now heating the broth on it. She poured it into a mug as soon as it had warmed through and handed it to her family's friend; then followed as he went back to the US Marshal's bedside. The patient grimaced as he sipped it.
"What'd you make this with dish water?"
"That came from the café down the street. The cook must be drunk again. Drink it anyway," his Topeka doctor ordered.
Doc Adams found himself thinking déjà vu again.
"You must be wondering who we are," Meg said. "I'm Megan Henry."
"Your father spoke of you a time or two," Matt replied.
"These are my brothers, Matthew and Mark, they're twelve."
"Pa named us after you," the taller of the two added.
Matt looked surprised; he'd never thought Judge Henry would do that.
"Matt, you need to rest, we'll come back later," Doc Adams said; Matt looked like he wanted to protest.
"Matt, Doc's right, and anyway I didn't get a wink of sleep on the train," Kitty said. "We promised Newly that we'd send word when we got here."
Matt, always the marshal in Dodge, lay back thinking; "Thank God they left Newly in charge and not Burke."
"I passed. Start planning our wedding, Kitty; the biggest one Dodge has ever seen."
Kitty leant down and kissed Matt, who smiled sleepily in hopes of getting back to that dream of their kids playing while they watched.