The Ranch that evening
Kitty was at the dinner table with Doc, Pegs and Hannah, Kitty's dear friend who now owned the Long Branch Saloon. The twins were in high chairs and Galena was on her booster seat next to Kitty. Hannah and Doc were feeding the twins while trying to make small talk, but the sadness and gloom in the room was so thick it was palpable.
Kitty was encouraging Galena to eat, while she herself was just pushing the food around on her plate. There was no way to not notice that Kitty hadn't eaten a thing.
Galena was being stubborn. She said she didn't like dinner and wasn't going to eat it. She crossed her arms in front of her as she pouted and then willfully threw her spoon to the floor. Kitty tried to be patient and picked up the spoon, "Gala you always like potatoes. Have a tiny taste, just a little bit." Kitty offered Galena a little bit of mashed potatoes on a fork.
Galena just shook her head, Kitty put the fork down and offered the 3-year-old an alternative, "Gala you don't have to have potatoes, have a little chicken. Galena yelled a loud, "NO," and threw her plate to the ground shouting, "I don't like anything." Kitty stood and said angrily, "Galena Dillon, there is no reason to behave this way."
Galena suddenly burst into tears, "Where is papa? I want papa."
Kitty sat down and stared ahead seeing nothing. She couldn't answer her daughter. She wasn't ready to tell Galena that her papa wasn't coming back.
There was silence in the room as everyone froze. After a few seconds Kitty stood up. Thinking it best to remove Galena from the situation, she picker her up, "Don't worry about papa. Let's go in the kitchen and find something to eat."
Doc, Pegs and Hannah watched Kitty carry Galena off, not quite knowing what to do or say. Galena's outburst had upset the twins, and they were crying. Hannah lifted her name-sake out of the high chair and hugged her close. Pegs cleaned up the mess that was made when Galena threw her plate to the ground, and Doc picked Bessie up.
The three adults looked at each other. Finally Hannah voiced what they had all been thinking, "Matt has only been gone for two days, but the children already feel the loss because we know he's not coming back. We can't change that, we can only offer comfort."
The Site of the Avalanche
The snow and ice was piled up where the house had stood. Newly had visited again and could only conclude that Matt's body was in there somewhere and he hoped that somehow it remained in tact.
Under the snow and ice Matt's body was indeed intact. He was lying there barely conscious when the sound of a baby crying pierced the heavy fog encircling his brain. In his semi-conscious state he muttered, "She's probably hungry again Kitty. You stay in bed this time, I'll bring her to you." With a small, groggy groan he slowly forced his eyes open. When he was a little more awake he realized there was no bed, and no Kitty but there certainly was the piercing sound of a crying infant.
Turning his head to look in the direction of the cry, he saw an infant next to him lying on his stomach wailing loudly. Matt unbuttoned his shirt and under garment. He reached over, picked the infant up and pressed him to his bare chest. Matt buttoned his clothing over the baby whispering, "Sorry I don't have the right equipment to feed you, but maybe I can warm you some."
The infant seemed to appreciate the warmth and settled down.
Putting his head back down on the floor, Matt tried to think. He remembered standing in front of the woman and baby with that maniac Wilson waving a rifle around. Then there was that loud crack and groan. After that all he remembered was the house moving, and the feeling of falling. Looking around Matt could see he was surrounded by rubble, snow and ice. The others must be dead, and he tried to figure out why he wasn't. Looking up he could see that the main beam of the house had somehow lodged itself on top of a piece of wall that was still standing. The remaining piece of wall was maybe a foot and a half high, and the huge beam that fell on top of it had prevented a small section of the ceiling from crashing down all the way. Matt and the infant had the good fortune to have been thrown directly under the beam, so they were protected - at least temporarily.
Looking down again Matt addressed the tiny baby, "I don't know what your name is, but I'm going to call you David. It seems we have a David and Goliath type contest here, and I have no idea how we can conquer it. We're closed in and only have a limited supply of air, and I know there have to be tons of snow on top of us and around us. There is no way for us to dig our way out, and it can all come crashing down on us at any second. Aside from that, I should try to get some water into you somehow."
Matt had always been one to believe that there was hope in any situation, but he didn't feel very hopeful at the moment. Lying there feeling bleak he suddenly smiled, as he felt a warm trickle of liquid running down his chest. Matt shook his head, "David my thinking is that the diaper you're wearing is soaked through. That's all right, I'm used to babies." At that moment Matt thought of his own babies, and how much he wanted to get back to them and to Kitty.
The Ranch
Alone with Kitty in the kitchen, Galena had calmed down. They played a game of – I take a bite, you take a bite, and Kitty found that she actually felt a little better after eating. It was already nightfall when they finished, so Kitty bundled the little girl up, put on her own coat and the two of them went outside to look at the stars. Holding Galena's hand Kitty pointed upwards, "Your papa always told me that when he was lost the stars guided him."
Galena looked up at her mother, "Is papa lost?"
Kitty swallowed hard, "No sweetheart." Kitty wanted to say more but everything sounded wrong. What could she say – papa will always be in our hearts – papa is with the stars and will always look over us – papa …... No she couldn't – not yet.
Kitty hugged her daughter, "Let's go inside. It's time for you to go to bed."
Galena stood still, "Mama, I'm scared. Will you sleep with me?"
Kitty nodded and they went back into the house to get ready for bed.
A couple of hours later when Gala had finally fallen asleep Kitty checked on the twins. They were asleep as well. Returning to Galena's room Kitty got in bed next to her daughter but remained awake starting at the ceiling. The knowledge that Matt was dead was so fresh and the wound so raw, that she could hardly think. She was thankful that Festus and Doc were handling the ranch so she had time to mull things over. Maybe when the ranch was sold she would buy another saloon, or maybe open a restaurant with a saloon in the back. She was sure other ideas would form in time and was grateful that she didn't have to decide right now. Right now she could take it one day at a time.
TBC
