And The Flicker Becomes A Flame

Chapter 14

Stanton motioned to his head nurse to follow as Matt carried in the patient. "End of the hall, Matt."

He followed the doctors instructions but this time, Stanton didn't even try to get him to leave the examining room. Kitty had been unconscious most of the time due to a mild concussion from the multiple times of having her head slammed against the wall, Her face bore the evidence of Mavis's hate. Stanton had learned to distance himself from his patients but he failed with this couple from Kansas. It was hard to comprehend someone hating this woman to that degree. While he had only met her a couple of times, he found her to be a very charming lady. He glanced at his newfound friend witnessing the pain in his eyes as he looked upon his wifes battered and bruised face.

When his nurse removed her dress she gasped in surprise at the purple whelps across her back. Not that she hadn't seen much worse, it just caught her by surprise. The two of them went to work, cleaning, bandaging and putting a few stitches in the cut on her neck. Stanton washed his hands and crossed the room to Matt. "Kittys going to be fine. We've put cold packs on to keep the bruising and swelling to a minimum but you need to prepare yourself. She's probably going to look pretty bad in a couple of days. It has to get worse before it gets better." he turned and whispered something to his nurse. "Millie is going to take her to a private room and get her settled in" Stanton grabbed Matts arm when he started to follow the nurse. "Whoa, wait up there cowboy. You're not going anywhere until I stitch that leg up." Matt looked at the gurney heading down the hall. "Don't fight me on this Matt." there was no mistaking the sudden seriousness in Stantons tone. "Ok, but hurry it up doc."

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Stanton was reading one of his patients charts when Millie approached him. "I need to talk to you about Mrs. Dillon."

He flipped the folder closed. "Has her condition changed?"

"No, she's in and out." she paused and he gave her a look of mild impatience." but when she is awake,..."the girl stopped a hint of frustration crossed her face "I was going to say when she's awake she's calling for him but he's never away from her side."

"So what's the problem here?"

"Well, maybe you need to come and see."

He dropped the chart back in the bin and followed her to the room. She gently opened the door revealing her dilemma. Stanton stood in the doorway, not really surprised at what he saw. The big man lay on his side with the pretty lady wrapped securely in his arms.

"Hospital policy-"

Stanton held up his hand to stop her words. "Marshall Dillon has no understanding of any policy for his wife except his own. Let them be, they both need the rest. We'll charge him double on his bill."

Millie giggled as they backed out of the room.

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Matt plumped up her pillow, again. He had been fussing over her for the past week. She had finally stopped crying and had remembered to be grateful for the three healthy children she had. "I'm fine. You need to sit down and get off that leg." Kitty grabbed his arm and looked down at the chair."Sit."

"He's pretty hard to train, isn't he." Stanton strolled casually into the room "You're looking better Kitty." he casually reached for her wrist, checking her heart rate. "How long have you two been together?"

"Almost 19 years." Matt announced with a certain amount of pride.

He looked down at Kitty, "I don't know whether to congratulate you or check you again for head injuries." he stepped to the end of the bed and pulled her chart. He double checked the notes and then dropped it back in the rack. "Let's take a look" he peeled back the bandage on her neck to look at the stitching. "Healing nicely. The bruising is starting to heal too." he stepped back and got an overall look at his patient. "Bruised but still a pretty lady. I came to tell you that I'm going to release you Friday."

"We have to wait two more days" Kitty sounded heartbroken "I was hoping..today. My children...I've been gone over two weeks and ..I've been in here a week already."

"I know..I know." he run his hand through his hair. "I swear you are an impatient bunch of people. I've had two telegrams already from your daughter and a Dr. Adams. Ordinarily, I would keep you another week but I think you're going to be in good hands with them."

"You're going to have to come to Dodge someday. See how we live out west." Kitty smiled at the thought of home.

He looked at the visiting couple. " Just in case I don't get a chance to see you at check out." he offered a hand to Matt "Marshall Dillon, it's been an eye opening experience." he turned to Kitty, "and to you dear lady, it has been a pleasure. I might just take you up on that offer to visit some day. In the meantime, you've got quite a crowd of people in the waiting room wanting to get in here. I'll send them in" He shared a look with Matt that is usually reserved for long time friends. With a wink to Kitty he walked out the door.

Before long, the room was filled with the Dillons new friends and easy conversation. Betsy had been coming every day trying her best to keep Kittys spirits up. She and Barlow had decided to return to Dodge with them to help Bethany get settled.

"Where is Bethany tonight?" Kitty had regained some of the luster in her eyes and young love always held a special place in her heart. Not only did she notice Bethanys absence, she noticed Thads absence as well.

"They went to dinner again. They'll be by later." Betsy exchanged a look with Kitty, a look that every mother of a young girl knows. "He's a nice boy." she conceded

"He's a wonderful boy" Kitty added with a touch of pride in her husbands young protégé "If this turns out to be serious, he will take good care of her."

"I know, I guess there's just too much happening all at once. She's leaving home. Moving so far away and now, in love for the first time." Betsy looked at Kitty and shook her head in amazement "I swear you Kansas people, sure can shake things up."

"I guess we do have a tendancy to do that. Comes from hard living I guess." Kitty glanced across the room at Matt and Barlow. "What are they up to?"

"I don't even want to know. Barlow is so enamored of your husband I keep expecting him to come home and tell me we're selling everything and moving out West to become cowboys." Her laughter was contagious and Kitty soon fell victim to it. Betsy reached out and took Kittys hand. "Oh, Kitty it is so good to see you laugh."

"With the help of some very good friends" her eyes were drawn to Matt "and that big cowboy over there, I think I'm going to be all right. Thank you for being there for me."

Betsy nudged her shoulder and nodded toward the door. "Not to mention your latest conquest."

The mass of unruly redhair was the first thing to be noticed, then the straightforward smile that seemed to lay claim to his entire face. He appeared every couple of nights bearing a bouquet of flowers. Because he had played a major part in Kittys rescue, Matt would be forever in his gratitude. So, he accepted the young mans innocent attention to his wife and even managed to exchange a minimal amount of small talk to his rival. Minimal being the key word. Tonight, from across the room, he nodded to the young admirer and asked politely of his well being. "Good evening Mrs. Dillon" he delivered the flowers with his greeting. "You truly are looking wonderful."

"Thank you Kyle" she turned away just briefly as Betsy offered to take the flowers " You really shouldn't spend your money like this. Just having you visit is enough." the color began to creep up his cheeks and he stepped aside when Betsy returned with a glass vase and arranged the flowers on the bedside table.

"Did Mrs. Dillon tell you she will be going home Friday?"

"So soon?" he realized how disappointed he must have sounded and tried to quickly cover up "You must be anxious to get home. I know that little boy will be glad to see you. Will you tell him I said hello?

Kitty reached out and took the young mans hand, "Kyle, I will tell him all about you. I promise."

"Well, I guess I better be going, I...Mrs. Madson nice to see you again too." he turned his attention back to Kitty knowing he probably would not be seeing her again. "Mrs. Dillon..." he fell silent not knowing how to put in to words how meeting her or how this ordeal had affected him.

"I expect you to keep in touch and maybe even come and visit Dodge." she leaned over and kissed him on the forehead, "You take care of yourself Kyle Sanders." he nodded and she could see he was in a hurry to leave the room for fear he would cry. She looked across the room and saw Matt coming towards her.

"Did you let him down easy?" Matt brushed the few loose curls away from her face. Sanders may have been irritating to him but he certainly understood how the young man became so enamored with his wife. "I actually feel sorry for him but" he shrugged with a hapless smile "he'll find his own girl."

Barlow neared the bed as he come to stand behind Betsy. With an touch of possessiveness he brought his arms around her. "I'm ready to get away for a while. Boston is becoming to primitive."

"As long as you don't try to make me ride a horse." Betsy missed the quick glance exchanged by the Dillons. They definitely had plans for her and the horse. "Are you ready to go home and let these folks get some rest?" Barlow acquiesced, Betsy gave Kitty a hug and the couple left them alone

"Ready to get back to the wild west?" she sighed heavily with an affirmative nod, "Me too. I never want to see Boston again." he suddenly fell silent, his brows furrowed and his mood became serious "What is that, on your lip?" with his index finger, he gently traced the fullness of her bottom lip. Then as quickly as it came the solemn mood was replaced by a sigh of relief. "Oh, it's that kiss I left there earlier." before she could react, he leaned over his lips claiming what his finger had outlined. It began playful but the passion soon took over. Both were breathless by the time they parted. "Whew. Lady, you are...I don't think words have been invented yet to describe you." Matt stared into the blue eyes that had seen him through almost twenty years. "I don't want to scare you like what happened a few years ago, but, I don't want to let you out of my sight."

Kitty stroked the face that she loved, finding comfort in the unshaved roughness of his skin, "It's ok, I don't want to be out of your sight."

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Newly propped himself up on one elbow and looked at the sleeping faces nestled between him and Calleigh. Like a matching bookend, she too was leaning on a braced arm. It had finally become too much for the little ones to handle and they needed the security of their sister to get them to sleep.

If truth be know, Newly knew that Calleigh wanted them close, she needed to feel the physical connection as much as they did. He reached across the babies and brushed the unruly curls back behind her ear. "It's almost over. I'm proud of you."

She tried to hide under half closed lids and fussed over her siblings. "I don't know why. I behaved terribly."

Newly, put a finger under her chin and forced her to face him "You were not terrible. You were afraid and you are head strong by nature but you did what was needed for these children." She took the hand from under her chin and kissed his fingers. "I'm sorry about the baby. I know you would have welcomed another little sibling."

Calleigh looked into those enormous brown eyes that she so adored, each knowing what was in the heart of the other. "I love these babies, not as a replacement but for who they are. I would love them if we had ten of our own."

"I know you would, Calleigh. But..."

"But it looks like we won't be having any of our own, let alone ten." she managed a bittersweet smile

"It's not impossible, You know what Doc said."

"I know what he said and I know what happened to me. I went to medical school too, I know the odds. I won't lie or pretend it doesn't matter, I would love to have your baby Newly O'Brian. To create that part of you and me but I can't let what I don't have rob me of the pleasure in life that I do have. I have you and I have these two little ones to share, and I have Matt and Kitty and I could go on and on. The one thing I learned from Matt is not to waste the gifts God does give you."

As usual, she always seemed to amaze him, "I don't understand how you can say the most outlandish things and then come up with words of wisdom like that?"

She eased herself up on to her knees and crawled over the tiny bodies between them. "I almost amaze myself. How about a good night kiss while we contemplate my brilliance." His arms drew her tight against him as their lips met. Before the kiss could lead to anything serious, Calleigh felt movement on the bed.

The red headed little moppet was sitting up, and with sleepy half closed eyes, she was searching for her big sister. Calleigh saw the lower lip begin to pucker and hurried back to her side of the foursome before she could become fully awake, Calleigh cuddled the little girl back into her arms and gently rocked her back to sleep. Again, she peered over the two small heads to Newlys smiling eyes. "I love you" he mouthed silently.

Newly lay on his back drifting back to sleep. He opened his eyes one last time and saw something that pushed sleep just a little bit out of reach. "Calleigh" he whispered trying not to wake the kids. "Calleigh"

"What?"

"How are you going to explain that hole in the ceiling?"

"I'm working on it. Go to sleep."