"He aught to sleep now," Doc said stepping out of the cell where Festus snored lightly behind him.
Matt nodded as Doc pulled off his stethoscope and put it into his bag.
They both looked up when Newly rushed breathlessly into the office.
"Marshal," he said looking from Doc to Matt. "Miss Kitty did it!"
"What'd she do?" Doc asked swiping his mustache.
"Durand used the drug right in front of her," Newly said excitedly. "Miss Kitty confiscated it and then threw the man out!"
"Well," Doc said with a nod. "I can't believe it."
"Where's it at?" Matt asked with a grin.
"She's got it over at the Long Branch," Newly said with a nod of his head. "I told her, I'd be back as soon as I got you!"
"Alright," Matt said looking at Doc as he grabbed his hat. "Let's go!"
Kitty's assailant hugged her so tightly against his body, she grunted from the impact. A second later, she felt her back hit the mattress.
She squirmed, not wanting to be trapped, she kicked and punched but then, he was on her.
With one hand still across her mouth as the other went to her neck. Her skin crawled with his touch and panic sized her. This was it, here and now, she was the next victim.
"Sam," Matt said stepping though the doors of the Long Branch. "Newly said, Kitty got the drug?"
"Sure did, Marshal," Sam said with a grin before looking upstairs. "She should be coming down any minute."
Willing herself to stay calm, Kitty brought her knee up and rammed it into his groin.
He gasped and for a split second, he took his hands away and that was all the time she needed.
Gasping for air, she rolled to her side and reached for the only thing on her night stand. A silver hand mirror that Matt had given her.
Bringing it down onto the back of the man's head, he reached up with both hands and wrapped them tighter around her neck.
Closing her eyes, the last thing she heard before giving in to the consuming darkness was Matt's voice and a single gunshot.
Having heard the shattered mirror, the Marshal took the stairs three at a time before reaching the landing and kicking in Kitty's door.
"Moreau!" Matt yelled as the man slipped out Kitty's window.
Firing his revolver, the Marshal turned around as Doc and Newly slipped though the door.
"Did you get him?" Newly asked as Matt looked up.
"I don't know," he said watching Doc quickly go to Kitty's side. "Go see what you can find out! Get Sam and Burke to help you bring in Durand as well!"
Putting his gun away, Matt went to Doc's side as the physician felt for a pulse at the side of Kitty's neck. The Marshal froze when he seen the palor of her skin.
"She's got a heart beat," Doc said before he lifted her head and tilted it back to clear the airway. "But she's not breathing!"
"Doc," Matt said fearfully as the physician bent down and put his mouth over Kitty's
After three breaths, Kitty started to cough and Matt blew out the breath he didn't realize he'd been holding.
"Doc, you did it!" Matt said relieved as the physician nodded.
"I'll take care of Kitty," he said meeting Matt's eyes. "You go get those two!"
Matt nodded as he took one last look at Kitty's face and realizing just how close he'd come to losing her. "I'll get them, you can bet on it!"
Durand turned around as Moreau fell against him in the alley behind the Long Branch.
"What did you do!" Fredrick said holding the bleeding man up. "Did you kill her?"
Moreau nodded as Durand shook him angrily. "I wanted her for myself!"
"Couldn't be helped," Moreau said grimacing in pain. "I've been shot! Help me!"
"Help yourself, Monsieur," Durand said dropping him in the dirt when he heard footsteps and voices nearby. "I'm getting out of here while I can!"
"Fredrick," Moreau said clawing at the ground. "You can't leave me!"
Durand ran for the stable and took the first horse he saw. Climbing onto it, Newly watched him head for the road before he yelled at the Marshal.
Matt seen him coming right at him and knew the man hadn't been armed up to this point.
So he took the chance to reach up and grabbed the reins from Durand's hands and pull the Frenchman off the horse as it passed by.
"Your going to jail," Matt said hauling the man to his feet. "Where's Moreau?"
"In the alley," Fredrick said shrinking from Matt's intense gaze. "Bleeding to death!"
"Newly!" Matt said with a nod of his head. "Go check it out!"
"Sure thing, Marshal," Newly said as Matt pushed Fredrick toward the jail.
Matt bounded up the stairs to Kitty's room a short while later. Quietly entering her room, Doc looked up from her side before getting to his feet.
"How's she doing?" Matt asked looking beyond the physician to where Kitty slept.
"She's still having some pain but she's been trying to ask for you," the physician said swiping his mustache.
Matt nodded before he spoke. "Durand's in jail and Moreau's dead."
"Good," Doc said evenly. "I'll be back later to check on her. Just don't let her talk to much."
"Don't worry," Matt said with a grin. "I won't."
"Matt," Kitty said in a raspy voice.
"Shhh," Matt said sitting beside her. "Doc said, no talking."
"Sorry," Kitty said quietly as Matt smiled.
"Nothing to be sorry for," Matt replied. Stroking her head, Kitty sighed as Matt held her hand in his. "Sleep now," he said gently.
A few days later after Brooker cleared Festus of any wrongdoing. Kitty called the hill man to the Long Branch.
"I found this in Sylvia's belongings and I don't think she'd mind if you had it," Kitty said handing him a small gold locket with a chain.
Festus opened the trinket and smiled fondly at the picture of Sylvia inside. "She sure was a looksome lady," he said gently as Kitty nodded.
"Yes she was," Kitty said putting a hand on Festus arm.