Chapter 20

That night I slept better than I had in a long time. Matt had got his feet back under him, and one way or another I knew he'd be striding down Front Street before too long.

As I walked Kitty to the clinic next morning I couldn't help but notice that her mood had changed too. Her steps were lighter. She was dressed quite simply in a dark blue skirt and white blouse fastened at the neck with that same cameo brooch. Her hand was resting in the crook of my arm and as we passed by, shopkeepers were setting out their merchandise ready for the day to begin. Kitty stopped frequently to look at things that interested her. She was no longer in her usual rush to get to Matt and I asked her about that.

"I know he's going to get better now, Doc. He believes that too, which has given him the strength to keep going. For those first few days, when he could hardly move by himself at all, he was convinced he would never walk again. He almost gave up. I've never seen Matt like that before and it worried me."

We stopped in that little coffee shop we'd frequented many times already. I think the ladies that ran it knew us by now. They brought coffee and pastries without us even asking.

"Did he talk to you about it?" I was curious. Matt was always reluctant to admit his fears. I wondered how he was with Kitty. I wondered if he told her about our conversation.

"Yes he did a little, and it scared me. He didn't sound like himself at all. He told me he wouldn't be of any use to anyone. He didn't want me to have to take care of him. He talked of all kinds of things that were just not like the Matt Dillon I know. I really thought he'd given up."

"What turned him around?" I was still wondering if my words had an effect.

"I think it was when you stopped being there all the time. He had to listen to the other doctors. Dr. Winslow was really good with him. Harrington came around every morning after you'd left. He lectured Matt a little about putting all his effort into working at getting back on his feet. He stood right there and told Dr. Winslow that Matt was in pain and it was holding him back. He prescribed something, I never did catch the name. Of course Matt refused to take it at first, but Winslow was clever. He told him that Harrington had made him responsible for Matt's recovery, and if it didn't go well Winslow would be the one taking the blame. He might even lose his place in Harrington's program."

"How did Matt take that?" I wondered how a young man such as Barry Winslow would handle a forceful personality like my marshal.

"What do you think? At first Matt said he didn't need anything for pain, but after a while he agreed to try taking it, at least a time or two, 'just to help Winslow out' he explained to me. Later he admitted that Harrington had been right. That's when he started making progress."

"You never told me all that, Kitty."

"I was going to, but Winslow said he had to find a way to get Matt going again. It was part of learning to be a good doctor."

I couldn't help but smile to myself. That young man had my admiration. He found the one thing that would make Matt cooperate.

"It was tough at first. Matt could hardly stand without help, and it was a week before he made much progress but he kept working at it because he didn't want Winslow to fail."

"That young man deserves a medal for what he managed to do."

"It was hard for Matt too, Doc." She was quick to jump to her man's defence. "He really tried hard, sometimes working at his exercises and trying to stand as many as four or five times a day. He didn't want to let Winslow down."

That was the Matt Dillon I knew. More concerned about others than himself. I passed a hand across my face to hide a smile of satisfaction. At the same time I hoped I'd managed to play a small part in his recovery.

"Come on Kitty. It's time for you to go visit that overgrown public servant of yours."

I threw some coins on the table and we headed out. I walked her to the clinic entrance and was about to leave when she stopped me. "Come and get me early this afternoon Doc. There's a dress shop we passed that I really want to visit. Somehow I don't think we'll be in Denver much longer, and I'd like to buy something new."

It made me happy to see her back to taking an interest in such things. She'd been sitting with Matt everyday since we'd arrived in this town. I knew Matt had appreciated having her company, and she wouldn't have wanted to be anywhere else than by his side. All the same I couldn't help but notice how the worry had drained her energy. Now that old sparkle had come back to her eyes.

"I think that's an excellent idea Kitty." I patted her hand as I spoke. "You tell Matt what you've got planned."

I knew it wouldn't be long before Matt decided we were leaving Denver. I couldn't blame him. He'd been trapped in that room for almost three weeks. For a man who's used to being outside and riding all over the prairie, it must have felt like being locked up in one of his own jail cells.

I wasn't surprised when Gabriel Harrington stopped me in the hallway.

"I've got a pot of coffee in my office. Come and sit down with me for a minute. I have surgery scheduled in about half an hour but I need to talk to you."

I really didn't need any more coffee but I followed him anyway, and we sat at his now familiar desk. The silver tray complete with coffee pot and china cups was already there.

"Galen, I'm really surprised at how far the marshal has come in such a short time. Barry Winslow told me how hard he's been working. I was worried at first when he didn't make much progress, but once he got started he worked harder than any patient I've had before. It seems to have paid off."

He poured coffee into the two cups then sat down in his usual chair. "Help yourself," he said, indicating the cookies on the patterned plate. I turned down the cookies but accepted the excellent coffee.

Harrington leaned back in his chair. "Marshal Dillon is anxious to leave here and return to Dodge," he said after swallowing a mouthful or two.

"I'm not surprised," I replied, "but what are your recommendations?" I reached forward and placed my cup back on the tray.

"I would really like him to stay for at least another two weeks, just to make sure there aren't any setbacks, and also to build up his stamina. He was totally exhausted after his efforts last night so the thought of a two day train ride worries me a lot."

He pulled out a pocket watch and checked the time then set the instrument on the desk where he could see the dial.

"It worries me too." I admitted.

"Here's my plan, provided you agree. I'm going to have Barry Winslow start walking him up and down the hallway here for a day or two. Then if all goes well, I'll let them borrow my buggy and drive out to that fishing hole at Bear Creek. If he tolerates the buggy ride without too much difficulty, then I think you can safely take him home. He's going to have to wear that back brace for at least another month and I need to make sure you know how to apply it correctly before you leave. You also need to be aware that he'll probably experience a degree of back pain for quite a while, so don't be suprised by that. Whether or not he'll ever be able to get back on a horse and ride all day, I don't know. He shouldn't even try for a few months anyway."

"I understand." I was just happy that my friend was back on his feet. I knew that somehow, given time, Matt Dillon would figure out the rest.

Maria's head appeared around the door. "They're ready for you," she said.

Harrington got to his feet. "I'll talk to you again in a day or two, Galen. Let's see how things go."

()()()

I delighted in watching Kitty enjoy herself that afternoon. She purchased two dresses in the shop she'd noticed that morning. Each of them enhanced her natural beauty and I knew Matt would enjoy seeing her wear them. One was a dark green, with some kind of shiny beads sewn in an intricate design around the neck line. The other was a pale blue cotton fabric with a pattern of small yellow flowers over the skirt. A few alterations were apparently necessary and we would return the next day to pick them up. Likewise our visits to the hat shop and then the jewelers, gave rise to exquisite purchases. I don't usually enjoy shopping like this, but to see Kitty happy and so enthusiastic once more, made it worth every minute.

We returned to the clinic quite late. As we walked down the hallway towards Matt's room we were surprised to see Dillon and Winslow coming towards us. Their progress was slow, my friend going carefully step by step and stopping from time to time to lean on the cane. Matt had been wearing a hospital nightshirt since we arrived here, but now he was dressed in his own clothes. Kitty must have brought clean ones from Dodge. It made him look more like his old self even though he'd lost a lot of weight.

"This is the third time I've walked the length of this hallway today, Doc," he informed me with a sense of pride.

They'd stopped for a moment, and I saw Winslow pull out a pocket watch and take Matt's wrist.

"We'd best head back now, Marshal," he said while encouraging Matt to turn around.

"Just a little further," Matt replied. "I can do this."

I could have told Dr. Winslow that there was no arguing with Dillon once he'd made up his mind. He'd set his own goals and somehow he'd get there. He rested for a minute more, leaning on the cane, and then made it all the way to the clinic's entrance. There was a long bench just inside the open oak doors, and Matt gratefully lowered himself on to it. Almost immediately Kitty went to sit next to him and he gently took her hand in his. I thought I should leave them alone for a few minutes as they sat side by side looking out through the open doors to the street beyond. They needed a little time to enjoy each other's quiet company in the evening air.

I followed young Winslow and caught up with him as he entered Matt's room.

"Don't let him bully you, " I said smiling. The young doctor had done an amazing job with my friend.

He turned around, surprised that I was behind him. "Oh! Dr. Adams. No, it's nothing like that. I've enjoyed working with him. It's been a great learning experience. The marshal is a very determined man. To begin with I didn't know if he'd walk again, but somehow he willed himself to get going and now there's no stopping him."

I nodded. "Yes, he does have that ability, but I'm not sure he'd have done it without you."

"Dr. Harrington is a great teacher and I've learned a lot from him. The marshal has been an interesting case study, although I must admit I was a little intimidated by him at first."

"Don't worry," I told him, trying to hide a smile as I pulled on my ear. "He has that effect on a lot of people."

"Dr. Harrington told the marshal that when he can walk this hallway twice without having to stop to rest, he'll let us take his buggy and go fishing for a day. I think after that you'll all be going home."

"Yes, he told me that too."

Winslow sat on the chair by the table in front of the window, so I sat across from him on Matt's bed. I thought I'd keep him talking for a little longer so that Matt and Kitty could enjoy the evening air.

"I'm going to miss Marshal Dillon and Miss Russell when you all leave."

"You can come visit us in Dodge anytime you find yourself that way."

"I've got another month here then I'm going back to St Louis. My father has a practice there. He's the one who wanted me to come here to study with Dr. Harrington."

"Have you had a chance to do much surgery?"

"Yes sir, Dr. Harrington is a good teacher. He expects a lot but he gives a lot in return." He stood up and went towards a wheelchair hidden back in the corner. "I'd better go get the marshal now or else he'll tire himself out."

He hadn't got halfway to the door when Matt accompanied by Kitty rounded the corner into the room. I looked at the surprise on the face of the young doctor.

"I think you'll be taking that fishing trip pretty soon," I said under my breath.

()()()

Three days later Matt got to go on his fishing trip. I noted that he had a little difficulty climbing up into the buggy, but he managed it with minimal help from Dr. Winslow. I could tell it wasn't easy for him, but in typical Matt Dillon fashion he insisted he could do it.

Kitty and I waved to them as they headed out of town.

"Do you think he'll be alright, Doc?"

"I think so Kitty. Dr. Winslow is with him and he's a smart young man."

We spent a fairly easy day wandering about town and collecting Kitty's new purchases from the dressmaker and the millinery shop. I took her to the bookshop where I'd spent many hours. She found an anthology of poems by William Wordsworth. I'd noticed before that she enjoyed romantic poetry. This book was old. It was bound in a soft red leather cover and on the inside, the date on the frontispiece declared it had been printed in England about fifty years ago. It was something Kitty would treasure.

()()()

Daylight was already fading when we returned to the clinic. Dr. Harrington's buggy was parked outside.

"Matt must be back." Kitty was excited and couldn't wait to find out how the trip went. She almost dragged me down the hallway towards his room. Just as we got there Dr. Winslow was leaving.

"Miss Russell, Dr. Adams," he greeted us with a great smile. "We had a great day. The marshal caught three beautiful trout... I didn't catch any."

I chuckled at that. "Don't worry, doctor," I sympathised as I patted his shoulder, "That happens to me all the time. Better not tell him I told you though."

Matt was lying on his bed which concerned me a little.

"How are you doing, Matt?" I resisted the urge to check his pulse.

"It was a great trip, Doc." He hadn't answered my question, but it was good enough for me. Matt wouldn't admit he was tired and his back was hurting. He didn't need to. He'd proved that he was ready to return to Dodge.

()()()

The Eastbound train pulled in with a screech of brakes and a cloud of smoke. We stood in a small group amongst other travelers waiting to board. Dr. Winslow insisted on coming to the depot with us. He helped get all the bags loaded then turned to help Matt up the steps onto the train. The two men shook hands warmly. I think young Winslow had become quite attached to our marshal. They had come to some kind of an understanding. I watched as he spoke with Kitty. She smiled at him and told him there was a free drink waiting for him anytime he could drop by the Long Branch. Finally he approached me. He carefully slid a few small packets of powder into my hand. "Just in case the marshal needs them," he said quietly. I thanked him and wished him well in his chosen career.

Those two days on the train were not easy for Matt but as he pointed out, they were a lot easier than the days we spent trying to get to Denver.

()()()

We finally made it home. It was early afternoon when we pulled into Dodge. Matt, of course, didn't want a lot of fuss such as a big welcome committee, but many folks had gathered anyway. Cries of "Good to see you back, Marshal," and "Welcome home," filled the air.

Newly was there with a wagon to take us into town. Kitty wanted to go check on the Long Branch, and I told Matt he needed to go lay down in his room and rest up for an hour or two. Strangely enough, he didn't object. I made sure he got to his room at Ma Smalley's, then went on to my office. I expected to see Dr. Lassiter there but Festus told me he was out on a call. Apparently the young man had become quite popular with the ladies of the town.

I pulled off my boots, took off my jacket and loosened my tie, then laid down on the bed I had hardly seen for the last three months. I appreciated the familiar feel of the old mattress. As I lay there I glanced around at the faded wallpaper and the open window whose single chintz curtain ruffled silently in the warm air rising up from the street below. Everything was as it should be.

When I opened my eyes again the light outside was beginning to fade. I must have been asleep for several hours. I could hear someone rummaging around in the outer office and sat up on the side of the bed for a moment, taking time to push my fingers through my hair before putting on my boots.

Lassiter was in the outer office sorting through his medical bag.

"I saw you were back," he said. "I didn't wake you. I know how tiring that train journey can be." He proceeded to tell me about two deliveries he'd done, a case of croup he'd taken care of, and a few other things of lesser importance. Apparently he'd enjoyed his time in Didge. He even volunteered to stay around for a day or two so I could take my time getting back to work.

It was dark by the time I walked into the Long Branch Saloon. There seemed to be a lot of people gathered around a table at the back. Matt was the center of attention as many of the town's prominent residents came up to shake his hand and welcome him home. Festus spotted me as I came through the doors and began shooing them all away.

Kitty was there sitting next to Matt of course. Festus and Newly were sitting across from them, with Dr. Lassiter looking relaxed and at home between the two deputies. The three of them looked like a lot of ribbing had been going on. I managed to claim a chair next to Kitty and she signalled to Sam to bring me a whisky.

"Lucky you come back when you did, Doc." That was Festus from across the table. "This here Dr. Lassiter is purty popular-like around Dodge. I reckon a few more days and folks would've fergot all about ya."

There was a lot of laughter and easy conversation. The smell of whisky, beer and old cigars hung in the air and the out of tune piano continued to rattle out the same old songs. This place was really where we all belonged. From time to time someone would come over to shake Matt's hand and welcome him home. I don't think he ever really understood how the regular folks in Dodge felt about him and the job he did.

Festus left to make rounds. Lassiter had a room at Ma Smalley's and left with Newly. I saw Matt and Kitty exchange glances and decided that it was time I left too.

"Do you want me to help you back to your room Matt?" I asked him quietly.

"No thanks. Doc, that won't be necessary." He smiled as he replied.

"Well if you need me, you know where to find me," I called as I got up and walked to the swing doors. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Kitty walk across the saloon to where Sam was washing glasses. Most people had left already. Only two barflies remained sprawled at a table near the batwing doors, and barely hanging on to consciousness. She spoke softly to Sam and I only just made out her words.

"Sam, would you help the marshal up the stairs please?" Sam was a true friend to Kitty, and like the trusted barkeep he was, he kept a lot of secrets. In his profession he was probably privy to more confidences than I was in mine.

I managed to hear his response "Sure, Miss Kitty. I'd be glad to." He put down the glass he was polishing and walked across to the table where Matt had managed to stand up with the aid of his cane. He made it to the stairs quite easily, then Sam quietly helped him as he started to climb. I watched them and smiled at Kitty over the now closed doors.

She didn't say anything out loud - she mouthed "Thank you Doc," as I turned and walked into the night.

END