Silent Night

I don't own these characters. I just like to spend time with them. No other profit to be had.

SNSNSNSN

She sat next to the bed in the Doc's office, listening to caroler's singing outside while he wavered back and forth inside between life and death. She'd been here before. This wasn't the first time he had been hurt, shot, injured. This wasn't the first time he was near to dying. But it didn't make it any easier to bear. The merriment that was going on all around her only served to make this whole situation all the more maddening and bleak.

He wasn't even supposed to be where he was when he got shot. He was supposed to be with her. Closing her eyes, she remembered begging him not to go. "Please." She'd uncharacteristically begged him. "Don't go. You'll get yourself killed."

But as he always did, he'd merely shrugged off her concerns, told her he'd be fine, reminded her that it was his job and left, leaving her there to worry.

When word came that he'd been shot, she hadn't hesitated to drop everything and rush to Doc's office. She'd told herself as she rushed up the stairs that he would be fine. Just a scratch, as he often called it. But reality hit her hard when she saw his lifeless form lying on Doc's examining table, wide white bandage, wrapped around his chest.

"He's bad." Doc had told her. "The bullet was close to his heart. I managed to get it out but…"

She hadn't needed Doc to say anything more. She knew. It was most likely that she would lose the man she loved this cold, cheerless Christmas. She would lose him to a bullet that he shouldn't have been there to receive.

"Damn you!" She suddenly exploded in anguished anger. "Damn you for being so… so…" her voice softened into a sad whisper, "so good." Dropping her head onto the side of the bed, she let the tears come that she'd so far denied herself.

She didn't know how long she sat there, next to him, with her head on the side of the bed sobbing heart brokenly. But she suddenly became aware of a light that was filling the room. Raising her head, she looked around for the source of the illumination and saw a warm glow near the door of the room. "Wh… who are you?" She could tell the figure by the door was a man but his features were swallowed up the light that seemed to emanate from him.

"Do not be afraid." The man's voice was soft, yet commanding. Deep, yet honeyed and comforting. "I came to comfort not harm."

She sighed, sat back in the chair and shook her head. "The only comfort you could give me is to guarantee that he won't die. But you can't do that, can you. You can't do that and it's the only thing that would 'comfort' me."

The man did not reply to her angered response, knowing it wasn't truly directed at him. Instead he stepped nearer to the bed and looked down at the man lying there. "He gave all he had." He stated it as though he knew the injured man.

"Yeah," she nodded, her voice dripping in contempt. "He did and look what he got for it. Look what we both got for it. He's dying. Can't you see that? He's dying. And you know how he'll be rewarded? Huh? Can you tell me?" Dropping her head, she sniffed back a sob. "Nothing." Her voice was lower, ragged. "He'll get nothing but a pine box and a woman to grieve for him for the rest of her life."

"He will have more than that." The glowing man responded. "He will have his name remembered as one of the few brave enough to defend the good against the bad. He'll have the gratitude of many men and women who can sleep in their beds at night in peace and safety, knowing he and others like him are keeping evil from their door."

She raised her head with a scowl in his direction. "That's pretty cold comfort, Mister. Who cares?" She looked back down at the man she loved. "I don't." Her voice got even softer. "I don't. I only care about him."

The man stood quietly by for several long moments. He understood her anger and grief and desire for nothing more than to see the man she loved well and whole again. He wanted the same thing. With a gentle smile, the man reached over and laid a warm hand on the injured man's chest for a moment. "Don't worry." He told the woman. "Your prayers will be answered."

Outside of the room, Doc took a sip of the hot coffee he'd just made and sat down at his desk with it when the door opened. Festus and Newly slipped in quietly, both of them staring at the closed door before looking back over to Doc. "How is he, Doc?" Newly asked. "He going to make it?"

Doc sat his coffee down and shrugged. "I don't know, Newly. He's awful bad. That bullet was within just few inches of his heart."

"Shore is a sorry thang." Festus said as he shook his head. "Ol' Simon weren't even supposed to be out there. But when he heard there was trouble, he jes come a runnin'. He knew it weren't none of his problem, him just visiting and all. But he wouldn't stay put in that hotel." Festus sadly dropped his head. "That feller never gived him no chance."

"No, he didn't." Matt stood up from the corner chair he'd been sitting in. "But he won't be shooting anyone else in the back, lawman or otherwise."

"Naw, he won't. That's fer shore." Festus answered.

"Festus and I got him over to Percy Crumps like you wanted, Marshal." Newly told him. "Percy said he'd take care of everything."

"Thanks, Newly." Matt nodded just as the door opened again and Kitty came in.

"I just heard about Simon." She said, moving quickly over to Matt. As grateful as she was that it wasn't Matt, she was still worried about her friends Jane and Simon. "How is he?"

"Well," Doc started to answer when a yell came from the other room.

"DOC! Doc, come in here!"

Doc didn't hesitate as he quickly got up and ran into the other room, prepared to do the unthinkable and tell a woman that she was now a widow. But to his astonishment, that was not the case. When Doc opened the door, he found Simon trying to sit up in bed, telling Jane he was fine.

"Simon?" Doc wasn't sure where his patient getting his strength from, but he was sure it wouldn't last long. "Here now, Simon. Lay back down there. You'll bust that wound open again. What do you think you're doing?"

"Doc, I feel fine." Simon insisted. "Honestly."

"Uh huh." Doc clearly didn't believe him. "Why don't you just lie back there anyway and let me check you out?"

"Please, Simon?" Jane chimed in. "Please let Doc check on you."

"Alright." Simon couldn't fight the both of them. Shaking his head, he laid back down and let Doc do what he needed to do.

After checking his pulse and temperature and examining the wound, Doc stood back, taking a scrub of his mustache. "I don't get it. I just don't get it. Simon, not an hour ago I wouldv'e sworn that…" He stopped that thought. No matter what condition Simon was in an hour ago, it was plain that he was no longer there.

"Is he going to be alright?" Jane had stood silently by as Doc examined her husband, praying.

"Yes." Doc answered somewhat incredulously. "I don't exactly know how, but yes. Yes, he will."

With a whoop, Jane dropped back down in the chair beside the bed and hugged her husband tightly. "Oh, thank you, God. Thank you."

Simon wrapped his arms around his wife and looked up at Doc. "So when can I get out of here?"

Doc considered the question for a moment. It was obvious his patient was out of danger and better than Doc would've thought possible. But he wasn't willing to let him go that soon. "How about you give it a couple of days, okay?"

"Alright, Doc." Simon agreed as he caught sight of his wife's face. He figured he'd worried her enough for a while.

"Good." Doc smiled. "Now, Jane, I recommend you go on back to the hotel and get some rest of your own. It's been a long day."

"I will, Doc." Jane told him with a smiled down at her husband. "But not yet. Please, I just want to stay until Simon falls asleep."

"No, Jane." Simon took her hand and brought it to his mouth for a kiss. "Listen to me, okay? I won't rest as long as you're here wearing yourself thin. Now go on. Do like Doc says and go get some rest. I'll be fine. You can come back in the morning and have breakfast with me. Okay?"

Jane wanted to argue, but decided against it. She was tired and she seriously wanted Simon to get his rest. "Okay." She leaned over and kissed him. "I'll do it for you. I'll see you first thing in the morning."

"Good night, Sweetheart." He kissed her again and lay back smiling as she left the room with Doc.

When they reached the outer room, Jane looked around the room at the people standing there expectedly waiting. "He's alright." She told them with a happy yet tremulous smile. "He's going to be okay."

"Oh, Jane, that's wonderful." Kitty came to her and hugged her tightly. "I'm so happy for you."

"Me too." Matt stepped beside Kitty. "But I have to tell you I'm surprised. It's no secret that he didn't look too good when we brought him up here."

"No, he didn't." Doc chimed in. "Jane, can you tell me what happened just before you called me? I mean, an hour ago I would've sworn…"

"I can't tell you, Doc." Jane shook her head. She honestly couldn't tell him. She remembered lying her head down next to her husband and then suddenly be awakened by his trying to get up. "I honestly can't. But I will tell you this, what ever happened, was a miracle from above and I'm extremely grateful for it."

"Well," Festus smiled. "It shore is the night fer it, it bein' Christmas and all."

Jane smiled, happy tears in her eyes. "It sure is, Festus. It sure is."

The End.

Although this little piece is nominally about a Christmas miracle, I also want to use this as a thank you to all the law enforcement officers out there who sacrificed their lives to ensure ours, every day. I did a little bit of quick research and so far 314 officers have been shot in the line of duty this year, 2021. 59 of them have died. (Per the National Fraternal Order of Police) I pray for all of them and their families this Christmas and every day of the New Year.

Merry Christmas, Everyone.