Finding Mary

PT.10

In a semi-conscious state, Kitty began thrashing, moaning. "Ma…ry? Ma…ry?"

Eva sat up, placing her tiny hand on Kitty's cheek. "It be ok, Miss Kitty. The big man and them there others went ta find her. Can ya heared me?" But Kitty continued to thrash and moan.

Grace and Doc headed up the stairs when they heard Kitty. Sitting beside her Momma, "Momma, it's ok, relax. You're ok. You're home now, Momma."

"Miss Grace, she don't hear you. She jest a saying, Mary, Mary. But she don't hear ya."

Doc sat beside Kitty. "Now, Kitty Honey, it's Doc. Honey, you hear me? You're safe. You're home here with Gracie and me."

"And me." Eva chimed in.

"Yes, by Golly, little lady, that's right." Tugging on his ear.

"You a Doc too?"

"Yes, Honey, I am."

"Can't ya make her wake up? Then she see she's a home in the house wit all us."

Huffing a slight laugh, scrubbing his mustache, running his hand along her wide-eyed look as if she was searching his eyes for an answer. "I wish I could."

Again Kitty began stirring, "Ma…ry? My Mary? Cowboy, she needs me. She needs you."

Doc took a cool cloth to her head and face. "Kitty, Kitty Honey, try to open your eyes."

Without a thought, Kitty encircled Eva who was still up close, mumbling, "You're safe, Baby. You're safe. I won't let anyone, anything hurt you, Baby." Grace and Doc just stared at one another.

Early sometime near dawn, Kitty stirred, opening her eyes. She had a horrible feeling. Looking around, not seeing Matt beside her, but that of two small girls curled on either side of her. Tears in her eyes, "Oh, Mary! Momma's sorry." Slipping slowly out of the bed so as not to disturb the two sleeping angels, she covered them up and staggered to the water closet. Trying to stifle her cough and trying to dress, she made her way down stairs and out to the stable.

Hearing the loud screams, the four men on horseback recognized the sound of her voice. All together, they yelled. "MARY!"

Rushing uphill towards the sounds, they saw nothing. Now puzzled, "Pa, I know that was Mary but where did it come from?" Frankie asked. It was dark, with just small streams of light.

"Newly, Festus, you two head that way." Matt stated. "Frank, we'll go over this way. We'll cover more ground.

"You bet'cha, Matthew. Come on, Newly, we'll find Mary. We jest have ta. I promised Miz Kitty."

"We will, Festus. We will."

Sitting at the bottom of a large slope, Mary began to come to, feeling all the bumps and bruises from the long fall down hill. Looking around, she spotted Edmond still out. Crawling over slowly to where he was, in a slight bit of pain. "Edmond? Edmond, can you hear me?"

He began to stir, reaching out for his gun. "Where? Where we at?"

"Your horse. He lost his footing and we were thrown down the slope. Several bushes and trees were blocking the view from the top. "Are you hurt? Let me see." She began feeling his legs, arms and shoulders for breaks. What she found were several cuts and bruises, much like her own. She began ripping her petticoat to use for bandages. "Here, let me see that." She said, wrapping one long piece around his head after cleaning up a large cut.

"The horse!" She remembered. "Edmond, I need your gun. The horse is badly injured. We have to put the poor thing down."

"But…" He started.

"No, Edmond, it is suffering." She said, reaching for the shotgun.

Kitty made her way to the stable and mounted her horse. In her mind she had to go find Mary. She had to at least try.

First she headed back to the Webb's cabin, finding it in smoldering ruins. Walking around, looking for some sign of Mary, or tracks that would give her a clue. Thinking to herself, "I'll never forgive myself if anything happens to my baby girl. When she came to me, I promised her to always protect her. Mary sweetheart, I may not having given you life but you certainly brought so much into mine.

Tessie and Eva woke, finding they were alone. "No Kitty! Tessie, where did she go? Did she leave us like Granny and Pa?"

Now streams of tears rolled down their cheeks as they hugged one another. Standing in the doorway, Doc quietly watched and listened.

"Well, good morning, Little Ladies."

Quickly wiping their faces. "Oh, it's not so good, Mister Doc. Miss Kitty went away like Granny and Pa."

Shaking his head, "No, no. Now hold on one minute here. Miss Kitty is alright. She'll be tired for a bit but she'll be fine. I'm sure she's just in the water closet. Look now." He said, tapping on the closed door. "Kitty? Kitty honey, you alright?" Not hearing an answer, he slowly opened the door to see the room empty. "Kitty!"

Rushing out of the room, "Gracie? Gracie Honey, hurry. Kitty. She's not here."

With sad eyes, both little girls looked up at him. "Told ya. She went away like Granny and Pa."

When he looked back at them, he could feel the sad pain in their little eyes. "No, no. That's not true. Kitty just woke up and went..."

Quickly Eva spoke up. "Went where?" Doc stood stunned; unable to answer their question.

Hearing a loud shotgun being fired, drew the attention of all four men. Quickly rushing towards the sound, Festus noticed what seemed to be movement down below. "Mary? Mary! Ya hear me? It's Uncle Festus and Uncle Newly."

"Let us know where you are, Mary." Newly added.

Mary thought she heard voices. Scoping around in the area.

"Where you be going?" Edmond shouted out.

"I thought I heard someone. Edmond, we need help and I know my poppa, husband and uncles will be looking for me."

"You quiet down. We still be going on home like I be sayin'."

Shaking her head, lips pursed, hands on hips. "Now, Edmond Webb, you listen to me. I'm... we're not going anywhere. We've been over this and besides you're hurt. You need a doctor."

"But you be the doctor."

"NO! NO! That's just it! I'm not a doctor! I teach school and if you and your brother just would have asked, we wouldn't be in this mess." Now her temper was flaring. As the sun came up over the trees, she noticed men sitting tall in the saddle. Inhaling, holding her stomach. "Poppa? Maybe Frankie? Oh, Edmond, help is here." Now trying through the pain of her fall, waving her arms. "POPPA! POPPA! Is that you? Down here in the gully!"

Frank heard her voice. "Matt, down there. Someone is yelling out." Slowly trying to make their way. "Mary, we're coming, Honey!"

Festus and Newly were now hearing Matt calling out. "Matthew, I can see them. Down below."

"Yeah, Festus, we can too."

Grace and Doc, back at the house. "Gracie, did you hear her get up?"

"No, Pap. Did you check the house? Maybe outside?" Grace rushed to the barn then finding no sign of Kitty. She made her way to the stable, right off, she noticed Kitty's horse was gone. Rushing out, "Pap? Momma's horse is gone. Where would she go?"

"I don't know, Gracie."

"She went to..." Eva started to say.

"No, no, Eva. My momma is not gone in that way. She woke up and got on her horse and went somewhere. But she didn't leave us, not the way you think."

Turning, hearing a carriage and seeing Sam and Ellie. "Well, good morning. Hope it's not too early. I made some fresh sweet rolls. We want to see how Kitty is doing this morning."

With a worried look, which Sam picked up on right off. "Gracie Honey?" Now studying her face. "What? What is it?"

Trying to hold back. "Oh, Uncle Sam, it's Momma. She's gone!"

"Gone?" He repeated.

Nodding, "Yes. We never heard her get up or leave."

Turning to Ellie, "Honey..."

Placing a hand on his chest, "I know. Yes, go. Find Kitty."

Sam saddled up a horse.

"Uncle Sam, I'm coming with you."

"Oh, now, Gracie, you needn't do that."

"No, Uncle. I'm not asking. I'm coming with you!" Sam just nodded.

Slowly making their way down the slope, Frank and Matt were on foot, slowly reach the bottom.

Jumping up at him, "OH, POPPA! Pop Frank, I'm so glad to see you both." Then when she looked up, looking straight into the eyes of her heart. Now with tears flowing, "OH FRANKIE. I thought I'd never see you and our boys again."

Pulling her close into his embrace, "You're safe, Honey. You're safe!" Rubbing her back, "Are you alright? Are you hurt?"

"Some bumps and bruises and my ribs hurt but overall I'm ok. I was just so scared, Frankie".

Festus and Newly joined them, checking on Edmond. "Matthew, he looks a bit banged up over here."

Matt trying to swallow down his extreme anger, "Festus, can he walk?"

"Don't know fur shore?"

"Mary Honey, let's see about getting you up top again." Slowly, Frank and Frankie got Mary back to the top.

For Edmond, they had to make a stretcher from blankets on the horses. Once atop of the gully, Matt turned to Mary. "Sweetheart, are you sure you're ok?"

Hugging his large frame, "I am now, Poppa. I am now."

Hearing her answer, his mind rushed back to Kitty. He hated leaving her the way she was but she'd have never forgiven him if he didn't go after Mary. Kissing the top of her head, "We need to get you home. Your Momma needs to see you're safe."

"Oh, Poppa, Momma! Edmond set a fire before we left. Momma was still in..."

Shaking his head, "Uh no, your momma is at home. Pap and Gracie are looking after her. She made me promise to bring you home and you know as well as I..." now cupping her face in his large hands, "we don't argue with your momma."

Both chuckling, "No, not if we're smart."

The five men and Mary, along with Festus dragging Edmond behind, headed back towards the ranch. Along the way, Matt turned to Festus. "Festus, maybe you and Newly should take him into town."

"Yeah, Matt, that's my plan. When you get to the ranch, maybe Grace or Doc can come have a look at him. Or we can bring him there first, then into town. Doc and Grace should be at the ranch."

As they made their way back, Mary sat riding with Frankie. Mary fell off to sleep in the secure hold of his arms.

Frankie looked to his pa and Matt. "I can't thank you enough."

"Son, no thanks necessary. We all love Mary and I'll feel better when she's home with us all and in her momma's arms.

Sam and Grace spanned out, following the fresh tracks of Kitty's horse. Grace was now realizing she'd headed back to the Webb cabin. "Oh, Momma, what were you thinking? Going back to that place?" Grace, now going across the green grassy field, spotted what looked like a flash of red in the sunlight. Rushing towards it, she now realized it was Kitty lying in the grass and her horse wandering a short distance away. "MOMMA!"

TBC