Dark Reflection
Chapter 45
"Blood Moon"
by Lilyjack
Author's Note: I'm mighty grateful that a lot of you apparently enjoyed the previous tender-hearted chapter. It does a fanfic author's heart good to hear you share her hopelessly achingly romantic view of this iconic relationship. And I reckon you realize by now that the intriguing question my friend and fellow fanfic author Broncomap posed to me after I posted Growing Old With Kitty several years ago was, "What would Dodge City be like without Matt Dillon?" We all know that no one could clean up Dodge like our hero Matt Dillon, but as guest reviewer Sarah put it, the trick will be for Matt to find that "perfect balance" that will make him happy and the ones he holds so dear happy as well. To perhaps have his cake and eat it, too, the same opportunity I gave Kitty in her own alt-universe Growing Old.
Only ten chapters to go, Gunsmokers. Stay safe out there. And, if you can, stay #HealthyAtHome. ~lj
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Chester burst into the room, calling excitedly, "Mister Dillon! Miss Kitty!"
Roused from a sound sleep, Matt and Kitty sat bolt upright, hastily disentangling their bodies. Legs and arms flew akimbo, sheets and covers and pillows fell by the wayside as they leaped out of bed.
"Oh, my goodness gracious!" Chester exclaimed sheepishly, quickly turning on his heel.
Matt, blearily rubbing sleep from his eyes, stumbled to his side of the room to locate his shirt. He sleepily grunted, "Chester, come back!" Muttering to himself about a general lack of shuteye and an equal dearth of privacy, he shrugged his dark shirt over his broad shoulders.
Kitty hurriedly straightened the disheveled bed covers and made a hasty attempt to tame her tousled hair, smoothing it with her hands. Suddenly Deke, holding a lantern, appeared at the door, speaking to Chester in the hallway. Kitty sighed wearily and wondered who the hell else would show up, thankful that the light was turned low as she scurried around in her gown tail. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Chester was carrying something, but his back was still turned so she couldn't tell what it was.
Deke murmured to Chester, "I'm headin' upstairs t' check if he's maybe up there."
"Thank ya', Deke," Chester whispered.
Kitty tried to smother a yawn as she inquired, "Chester, what's goin' on? What time is it?" She ran her hands down over her nightgown and made sure nothing scandalous was hanging out.
"It ain't quite daylight just yet." Chester turned back around, his face stricken with worry. Even in the dim lighting, Kitty's gaze was immediately drawn to a shadowy blanket-covered bundle filling his arms.
Kitty gasped, "Chester, who on earth is that? Quick, over here." She jerked back the covers she'd just straightened, and Chester gently deposited his burden on her bed.
Matt stood behind Kitty while she pulled back the blanket and breathed remorsefully, "Ohh, Ruby…" The young woman lay unconscious, bruised and bloodied. Kitty sat next to her and laid a hand on Ruby's cheek, then her forehead. Kitty's friend lay motionless.
Chester's shoulders slumped tiredly, and his expression was strained as his story came tumbling out. "Blackthorne, he turned ugly and mean again, I'm not rightly sure what over. It was awful late and there wasn't hardly nobody left in the Long Branch. I was cleanin' up fer the night. He come a'stompin' in, lookin' like he wanted t' kill somebody, and headed straight up those stairs t' Miss Ruby's room." Chester rubbed a hand over his face, his thumb lingering over his scarred cheek. "It was awful, Miss Kitty."
She reached up to Chester and clasped his arm comfortingly in her hand.
His mouth turned down at the corners as he struggled to speak. "I couldn't do a thing to stop 'im. It was like the night that you…"
She blinked back sudden tears and squeezed his hand reassuringly, "Chester, you did what you could and that's all that matters. You brought her here." Then Kitty busied herself carefully pulling back the blanket to check Ruby for injuries.
"How did you manage to get her here, Chester?" Matt asked, his jaw tight, his eyes stricken.
"Blackthorne, he left after a while. I went upstairs to check on Miss Ruby and found 'er…" Chester took a fortifying breath, swiping a hand over his mouth. "…found 'er like this. Red the bartender, he kept a lookout fer me, told me when it was safe t' come out. I snuck 'er out the back door. It took me a while t' git 'er here without bein' caught. I'd carry 'er a little ways and then we'd hafta hide from one a' them deputies. Finally, we made it to the tunnel."
Peering at Ruby Moon's battered face in the gloomy lamplight, Matt worriedly murmured, "Chester, you gotta go get Doc."
"I looked for 'im, Mister Dillon. That's the first place I went to. But he wasn't there, and the onliest thing I knew t' do was bring 'er here."
Kitty hastened to assure him, "Chester, you were right bringing her here. She's safe now, but let's get Ocie or Lafe t' wait for Doc at his office. Or maybe it would be simpler to ask Deke to go?"
Chester nodded, his eyes creased with worry. "I'll go up real quick and ask Deke t' head on over there agin. I'd kindly like t' stay here with Miss Ruby."
"Course, Chester. You go ahead," Kitty urged sympathetically. "She'll be fine until you get back downstairs. And could you ask Charlie for hot water? We'll need some bandages and more towels, too."
"I'll be right back in no time a'tall," Chester gratefully replied, limping out the door.
Matt and Kitty looked at one another and listened as Chester hop-stepped up the staircase. When would this violence end? was the silent, somber thought that passed between them.
Kitty shook her head and requested, "Help me, Matt. Let's get her settled in bed." She peered up at him anxiously. "I don't wanna hurt her."
"I'll pick her up, and you can take off the blanket."
"Be careful of this arm, Matt. It looks swollen."
"I will," he assured her. "Ready?"
Kitty nodded and Matt eased his hands beneath the unconscious girl. While Kitty efficiently removed the blood-stained blanket, she marveled at Matt's gentleness as he carefully lifted Ruby, so incongruous for a man of his size and strength.
"That's got it," she told him. "You can put her back down now. Can you get me that basin with some fresh water?" she asked, carefully brushing dark hair from the girl's bleeding face.
"Oh, Ruby," Kitty murmured again wretchedly, smoothing a cool hand over her smooth, tawny-colored cheek. Kitty was recalling all those nights that Ruby had fearlessly fended off Silas Blackthorne when Kitty was so sick. "You're gonna be just fine," Kitty whispered to her friend, even though she doubted Ruby could hear her.
Matt hastily refilled the basin and set it on the table, dragging it close to the bed. "Here, Kitty," he offered as he handed her a washcloth and placed a clean towel in her lap. Matt scrubbed his hands through his unruly hair as he watched Kitty work, inwardly enraged at Silas Blackthorne's utter brutality.
Kitty unconsciously winced as she examined Ruby's injuries. "Matt, could you please light another lamp so I can see what I'm doing?" Ruby made a small sound and stirred when Kitty began gently cleaning her abrasions. Kitty muttered angrily, "What the hell could she have done to make him do this to her?"
"He's a madman, honey," Matt offered in frustration. "There's no reasonable explanation." Matt struck a match and removed the lamp chimney. "But I know one thing-this is going to stop."
Kitty paused in her work and grimly glanced up as the lamp wick flickered to life, bathing the room in golden light. Kitty could see more clearly now. "Yeah, it's gonna stop, and I wanna help stop it."
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"You, young lady, need to get plenty of rest." Doc held Ruby's hand, patting it as he sat at her bedside. "A concussion is a serious injury, but if you listen to your physician…" Doc softly smiled. "…then you should be up and around in, oh…maybe a week. But only if you take care of yourself."
A bandage wound around her head, Ruby started to nod, but discovering it hurt too much, she simply murmured in a voice the old physician had to strain to hear, "Yes, Doctor."
"Doc, she can sleep right here in my bed," Kitty quietly volunteered. "And we'll take care of her, don't you worry." Kitty and Ruby locked eyes. The redhead revealed, "I slept in Ruby's bed often enough. I reckon I owe her a few nights in mine."
Ruby opened her mouth to protest, but Kitty cut her off. "No arguments. Mr. Botkin won't mind, and we've got room."
Chester jumped in, "That's the truth. Mr. Botkin said yer welcome t' stay as long as ya' like. That Mr. Botkin, he's a fine feller, he is. Who'da believed a banker could be such a…?"
Matt gently interrupted, "Chester…"
"Yessir?"
"Why don't you go upstairs and ask if I can get a lantern and a blanket so I can bed down in one of the tunnel rooms tonight?"
"One of the tunnel rooms? Oh, Matt…" Kitty quietly protested.
"It'll be fine, Kitty," he hastened to reassure her. "I won't really be very far away. You two ladies can stay right here."
Doc declared, "I think that's a fine idea, Matt. Ruby will need a quiet place to rest for several days to give her head time to heal, and here she'll have plenty of folks to care for her."
Matt declared, "Then it's settled."
Ruby's eyes slowly filled with tears as she listened to the conversation. Kitty took Doc's place at Ruby's bedside after he rose to go poke around in his black bag.
"Handkerchief?" Kitty whispered up at Matt and Chester.
Both men dug in their pockets, but Chester was the first to pull out a wadded-up hankie. He shook it out and handed it to Kitty. "It's clean," he explained. "Just a mite wrinkled is all."
One corner of Kitty's mouth turned up in a smile. "Thank you, Chester," she replied gratefully, then added a heartfelt, "What you did last night was very brave."
Kitty turned to wipe away Ruby's tears, so she missed Chester's face turning pink to the ears. Matt silently clasped Chester's shoulder and squeezed in agreement. He was proud of Chester.
Doc instructed, "Kitty, I'm leaving some powders you can mix with water for pain every few hours. Just a spoonful in a glass should do it. Make sure she's eating regularly. Probably start out with some beef broth until she's feeling a little better." He scribbled some instructions on a small paper envelope full of medicine. "She may feel nauseous for a little while, but she can have some gingerroot or mint tea to help settle her stomach. If there's any dizziness or numbness in her extremities, severe headaches…just send for me."
"Yes, Doc," Kitty replied.
"Doc," came a hoarse whisper from the bed. "I got no money right now t' pay ya', but…"
"Now, I don't wanna hear another word about money, my dear," Doc insisted. "You can pay me back by followin' orders and gettin' better, you hear me? There's more than one of us in this room who are mighty grateful to you for what you did for Kitty here. I reckon we all owe you a debt of gratitude, Miss Ruby."
Chester nodded enthusiastically in agreement. "We surely do, Miss Ruby. I can tell you that, one hunnerd percent."
Doc then looked grimly at his companions. "And I reckon you all know we should be grateful that Miss Ruby came outta this relatively safe and sound, after what happened to Earl Dangler."
Doc had autopsied a body after the fire in Kitty's bedroom at the Long Branch. He'd discovered the wrists and ankles bound by remnants of hemp rope. Earl's girlfriend, Cross-Eyed Cora, had identified the body by looking at his familiarly and markedly snaggled teeth.
Kitty's brow furrowed as she looked at Ruby. "You're much safer here with us, honey."
Ruby murmured, "I wanna thank you all."
"You'll be feeling better in no time," Kitty reassured her. "You'll see."
Ruby squeezed Kitty's hand in reply.
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"So, this is your new home…" It was more a question than a statement as Kitty peered around the dark, dank underground room somewhat dubiously.
Matt closed the heavy wooden door behind them with a thud so their voices wouldn't echo out into the vast tunnel system. He set his kerosene lantern on a rickety, dust-covered table. The light cast deep shadows on the objects in the room, stacked barrels and wooden crates shoved in dark corners and, luckily, another small cot Charlie had resourcefully managed to commandeer.
"Hey, at least I don't hafta' sleep on the floor," he reminded Kitty. "That Charlie is sure worth his weight in gold."
"That he is," Kitty whole-heartedly agreed. "But I think this place is even worse than our cellar dungeon."
Matt loped a few steps closer to her. "Aw, come on now, Kitty. It's not that bad. Besides, just havin' you in here brightens the place up." He flashed her a wide grin.
Kitty offered him a less than enthusiastic smile, her heart sinking as she wondered if there was anything hiding in that back corner behind the grimy barrels. Matt's dark, distant bedroom was downright chilly, too.
"You're not wearing your eyepatch," she observed. "That's a definite improvement."
"You like it?" he asked.
"Oh, yes, I like it much better," she stated matter-of-factly. "I can see that handsome face." A smile teased the corners of her mouth as he shot her a crooked grin, soft, dark curls falling on his forehead, pale blue eyes twinkling at her. She shivered, whether from the room's chill or Matt's charming smile, she wasn't sure.
Matt closed the distance between them and carefully placed his hands on her arms, first gauging her reaction to his touch. He definitely was not hankering for another punch in the jaw from Kitty Russell for his potentially unwanted advances. Far from socking him, she tilted her blue eyes up wistfully at him, encouraging him sufficiently enough to gently rub her arms to warm her up. "You wanna blanket? I'd offer you my coat but it's still back in…you know, our old room."
"Oh, Matt, I don't want a blanket, but I think I miss you already," Kitty murmured ruefully, placing her palms flat on his chest.
"You miss me already?" Matt couldn't help but grin happily. "Surely not…" he lightheartedly teased, squeezing her arms, still clothed in soft, white cotton. "Say, why are you still wearin' your nightgown, young lady? It's gotta be near lunchtime."
"I've got a roomful of men and they just won't leave." A single auburn brow playfully shot up. "How's a girl supposed to find enough privacy to put on respectable dress?"
Matt laughed, and the sound echoed in the room. She swore she could feel the vibrations sinking clear into her chest, settling in her belly. The sound of his happiness was waking within her something she'd not felt in many years. She finally grinned back at him and revealed, "I think Chester is never gonna leave the room. I believe he sets quite a store by Miss Ruby Moon."
"Chester does like the ladies, Kitty. You should know that."
"Well, this is a little different, I think. Chester's told me about all the times Ruby came between me and that…that filthy monster, especially there at the end…" Kitty looked away, her eyes suddenly misting over. "…when I didn't think I could take much more. She probably saved my life, Matt. Chester respects her courage…her generosity."
"So, I'm beholden to Ruby, too, then, Kitty," Matt replied fervently. "I'm grateful for what she did."
Kitty leaned into him and laid her head on his chest, listening for that big heartbeat that always comforted her so. One of Matt's hands slid around her waist, landing warmly in the small of her back. The other smoothed her hair, tucking it behind her ear tenderly.
She murmured, "When Ruby is feeling better in a day or two, you think you can take me out to practice shooting again?"
"Sure, Kitty. I think that'd be a good idea. The sooner you feel confident with a gun, the better I'll feel, too."
"Chester is a wonderful nurse." She looked up at Matt. "I know from personal experience. And he'd be happy to watch over Ruby for a few hours."
"You think so?" Matt couldn't help but tighten his embrace around her, thankful to have her back in his arms again. The feel of her against him was so right, her nearness intoxicating to his starved senses.
"I know so," she declared flatly. "That's why I'm down here now. Chester's stationed by her bed as we speak. I'm not needed." Kitty bit her lower lip as she smiled.
"Oh, you're needed alright, young lady." Matt touched her cheek. "I need you, remember?" His eyes narrowed as he urgently gazed at her and spoke so earnestly. It near took her breath clean away.
Suddenly she became acutely aware that the only thing separating her and the big man holding her was a thin layer of cotton. "I, uh… I think I'd best get back and make sure Ruby doesn't need anything," Kitty whispered, pulling away. "And put on some clothes." She felt warm suddenly, turning to head toward the door.
Kitty pulled up short when she felt Matt's big hands on her shoulders. He towered behind her, instantly rooting her to the spot with his tender, intimate touch, always mindful of her feelings. She felt his warm breath on her cheek, on her neck, stirring wispy strands of her hair as he whispered closely, "Thanks for comin' down t' check on me. Think you've got the way memorized now?"
"I think so…" she breathlessly murmured back, tilting her head to glance up at him out of the corner of her eye. Even with his face cast in deep shadow in this dark room, he was so handsome she could feel her heart skip a beat.
"Good…" Matt hoarsely replied, bowing his head low to softly touch his lips to the sensitive skin on the curve of her neck.
She gasped at the sensation and goosebumps trilled over her body. His hand moved a little lower, teasing her nightgown aside a few scant inches, revealing a creamy, soft shoulder. She felt him exhale a sigh on her skin, and the sound of him, the heat of him, the smell of him, made her head swim. Kitty shivered again as he placed a warm kiss on her bare shoulder, and the shiver thrillingly meandered its way down to the bottom of her belly where it lay quivering and hot. She leaned back into Matt, and he wrapped strong arms around her waist, pulling her firmly against him, his huge hands pressing flat on her stomach where butterflies quickly took up residence.
"I reckon you better get changed now," he longingly sighed.
"I reckon so…" Kitty wasn't sure if she'd said that out loud or not for the power of speech seemed to have nearly deserted her.
Matt whispered right into her ear, nuzzling her hair, his lips grazing her sensitive skin, "But if you need me to draw you a map to find your way back here, honey, I will." Straightening, he blew out a deep breath and then cleared his throat, instructing, "Grab your lantern, Kitty, and I'll walk you back."
tbc
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