PT.21

Laced by Blood

The sound of loud screams forced the musicians to stop playing. People were looking and scattering, not knowing what was happening, when suddenly they all realized what they heard besides the screaming were several gunshots.

Then amid the noise and confusion, a loud yet deep gruff voice could be heard. "Dil-loooonnn! I told you l'd be back for ya, Dillon!"

Now many people scattered. Newly and Festus quickly stood and fired, hitting the man yelling out Matt's name. Grace and Sarah were huddled off to the side of the room covered by Ellie and several of the men. Beth was shielded by Tyler but as she stood, she joined Grace and Sarah. Then the three focused on the center of the room. Now all three were yelling out. "NO!" Then they were running.

Rushing towards the center of the dance floor, they found Kitty collapsing under the weight of Matt. She was trying to hold him up as best she could.

Festus hurried to help. "Here ya go, Miz Kitty. I got um. Ya let me have ol' Matthew. Now, ya' jest let me lay him down real easy here fur ya."

"Festus, where's Doc?"

"Miz Kitty, ol' Doc, he's right chere."

"Momma, I'm here too." Grace was standing behind Kitty, shuffling to kneel beside Matt. Tears were filling her eyes. "Poppa, we have you. You hold on. Me and Sarah and Grandpa are gonna take real good care of you. You hear me?"

Doc looked around. "I need a couple you fellas to help me get him over to the office."

"Sure thing, Doc." Several men quickly lifted Matt, carrying him.

Beth, standing shocked said, "Careful, please."

Tyler, being one of them, said, "We sure will, Miss Beth.

As they were all rushing out, Beth turned, seeing Kitty still kneeling on the ground, silent, her dress covered in blood. Kneeling down in front of her, she said, "Oh, Kitty, Matt's going to be alright. You'll see. Grace has told me how strong he is and how he's been through so much and pulled through so much."

Then she reached up, laying her hand on Kitty's shoulder, only to feel her flinch. Backing away, she mumbled. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean…" Then she noticed a look of what seemed like pain and when she looked down at her hand, she realized there was blood on her hand. She again reached for Kitty's shoulder, moving her dress.

Now seeing that Kitty too had been hit. "Oh, my, Kitty. We need to get you over to Grandpa's too. Come on, let me help you." Slowly she helped Kitty stand. As they started to walk, Beth realized Kitty was getting lightheaded. Then, seeing Tyler, she yelled. "Tyler? Tyler, I need help. Please?"

He quickly came running. "What is it, Miss Beth?"

"It's Kitty. She's been shot and she's…" Before she could say another word, Tyler Owens scooped Kitty up in his arms and carried her to Doc's.

Beth and Tyler Owens, carrying Kitty into Doc's office, took Doc, Grace and Sarah by surprise.

"What in Thunder?" Doc exclaimed.

"Tyler Owens, what are you doing carrying my momma?"

"Well, Grace, I… I…"

"Grace," Beth added. "Kitty's been shot too and she couldn't make it down the street on her own."

Now wide-eyed. "MOMMA!" Rushing to Kitty's side and quickly checking her out. "Oh, Grandpa. It looks like a through and through but she's bleeding bad. When I saw the blood, I thought it was Poppa's."

"Grace we all did." Beth added. "I didn't know, till I touched her."

Slowly, Kitty started to come to. "Cow-boy? Cow-boy?"

"Momma, it's me, Grace. You're in Grandpa's office. Poppa's here too."

"Your… Poppa… shot… bleeding… Have to help him."

"Momma, it's okay. We're helping him. Just stay calm. Okay?"

"… see him. I need to see him."

"Now, Kitty, you need to just stay still till we take care of the shoulder. And that's an order." Doc insisted.

Grace tried holding back a smile. "Good luck with that, Grandpa."

In the other room, Doc and Grace worked on removing the bullet from Matt's chest. Barton, who had snuck into the dance and waited for just the right moment, fired a shotgun hitting Kitty in the shoulder. It passed through her and hit Matt in the chest. When Newly and Festus fired back, they hit Barton, killing him. Newly chased after his partner, wounding him.

Beth sat with Kitty, not knowing what to do while everyone else was busy.

Kitty kept insisting on getting up and going in with Doc, Grace and Matt. This was where she was used to being, when Matt was Hurt.

"Look, Kitty, Grace and Grandpa, they know what they're doing. They'll take good care of Matt. You can be sure of that."

Huffing out a breath. "Oh, I know that but I need to be in there. I need to… You just don't understand."

"No, I guess, I don't." Beth answered, now looking unsure.

"Oh, Honey, I'm sorry. It's just that ever since I've known Matt, I've been there every time Doc has dug a bullet out of him or sewn up a knife wound or just…"

"Oh," Beth nodded, "or just when he needed to be nursed back to health, huh?"

Nodding, "Yeah, I guess you could say that."

"Grandpa told me you two have been together a long time. Forty five years?"

"Uh huh." Kitty nodded. "I was only a little younger then you and Grace when I first met him."

"Really?" Beth said.

"Yeah. 19." She said smiling.

"Why'd you wait so long to get married?"

Kitty broke out laughing.

Tilting her head. "Why's that funny?"

"Oh well, Honey, your father was already married."

"MARRIED?" Beth repeated, shocked.

"Oh no, not like that. He was married to that little tin star on his chest that he wore at the time. He didn't think he had the right to have a wife and a family, etc… He didn't think it was fair to them if something were to happen to him or that outlaws were to use his family to get back at him for revenge."

"Oh, I see. But couldn't that happen anyway if they knew he had a special lady?"

Kitty just swallowed hard, then cleared her throat, not wanting Beth to know the gory details. "I suppose so but anyway, he eventually changed his mind and we were married."

"Grace says you'll be married twenty –seven years next week."

"That's right."

"Well, I'm glad I'm here to celebrate with you all."

"Now, young lady, you have distracted me enough so you can tell them you've done a good job. But now, I need to get in there. So, are you going to help me or…"

Scrunching her face, "Oh, alright. But be careful. Here. Easy! Okay?" Then she helped Kitty stand.

"Don't worry, I'll handle Doc!" Kitty told her with a smirk.

Grace and Doc were getting Matt settled.

"Well, honey, I'm right proud of you. You did a wonderful job." Doc praised her.

"Grandpa, I was so scared. I guess being Poppa and all… I don't know how Momma did it with you all those years. And now with them both being…"

"Sweetheart, your Momma's just fine."

Swinging around, seeing Kitty standing in the doorway, Doc frowned. "Kitty!"

"Never mind, Curly, I'm fine and where I need to be."

"I tried to keep her…"

"Beth honey, he knows better."

"Beth, I know you did what you could. A certain redhead is just too stubborn."

Kitty moved over to Matt's side, sitting on the edge of the bed. "How bad is it?"

"Kitty, he was hit in the chest. We got it out but he lost a lot of blood. He needs complete bed rest."

Shaking her head. "Ok." Sliding her hand along his chest and rubbing softly, tears welling up in her eyes.

Doc slowly and quietly ushered the girls out into the other room, looking back for a moment, hearing her soft sultry voice.

"Oh, Cowboy. Please. Please, don't you dare give up. You have to hold on. The girls can't lose you. Oh, damn it, Cowboy! I can't lose you. I love you, you know. I love you!"

TBC