Unshown Moment for Hostage (1) – Season 18

This is for KRDAMD5

"Burke!" Woody Lathrop called from the front of his store when he saw Burke coming down Doc's stairs. "Ho… how is she?" Woody was beside himself as he remembered seeing Kitty Russell being shot down on the street. The woman had saved his life only to maybe now lose her own because of it.

"I don't know." Burke shook his head sadly. "She didn't look good at all. I've never seen someone so hurt."

Woody dropped his head. "I… I just don't know why she done it, Burke." He confessed. "I mean, she didn't owe me nothing. She would've been safe, Burke. She would've been safe."

Burke nodded. "I know. I still keep seeing her walk down those stairs and telling Bonner who she is. I don't guess I've ever seen someone that brave. I know I wouldn't have done it."

"Not sure I would've either." Woody agreed as his eyes traveled back up the stairs to Doc's closed office door. "Do you think Doc will be able to pull her through? I mean he's saved the Marshal's life more than once when we were sure he was a goner. Surely he could…"

"The Marshal's a man." Burke reminded. "He's a lot tougher than Miss Kitty. Besides, most of those times he was shot, he hadn't been beaten first. I'll tell ya, Woody, it'll be a miracle if Miss Kitty lives through this."

Woody took a deep breath and nodded as Burke moved away, back down towards the freight office. A miracle, Burke had said. That she would need. Hopefully, the marshal would arrive soon to help provide that but in the meantime, he thought of something else.

Although not a deeply religious man, Woody did know something about the art of prayer and he knew that where Doc's abilities as a healer ended, the man up above's started.

Stepping back into his store, Woody closed the door and put up the closed sign. He didn't much feel like working right then.

Later that evening, as the hours stretched by and still there was no word from Doc's office or from the Marshal, Woody pace the street with half of the town's population talking with the other citizens. He'd managed to work himself up into a state as time passed and there hadn't been any news.

"Something's got to be done." He stated several times. "We can't let animals like this roam the countryside and hurt people like they did Miss Kitty."

No one argued with that point but none of them were exactly sure what they could do about it. They weren't the law. They weren't by nature brave people like Marshal Dillon and even Kitty Russell.

"There comes the Marshal." Someone suddenly called as Marshal Dillon and Newly came racing into town. "She's upstairs, Marshal."

Belying his exhaustion, Dillon practically leaped from his horse and ran up the stairs, Newly following him half way up. Though relieved to see him, the town wondered what would happen next. Would Dillon go after the bandit or stay with Miss Kitty?

"Newly?" Burke made his way to the young man's side. "Did Marshal Dillon say what he plans to do about this?"

"No, Burke." Newly shook his head. He wouldn't have told Burke anything regardless of what the Marshal had said. But in truth, Matt Dillon had been too frantic about Miss Kitty to say much of anything, had that even been his nature, which it wasn't. "Marshal Dillon didn't say anything. Has there been any word on Miss Kitty?"

"No." Burke answered sadly. "Doc, Festus and Sam have been up there with her all afternoon and evening but there's been no word. I'm hoping that's a good sign. You know, that she's still… well, I mean, wouldn't Doc have told us if she… Well, wouldn't he?"

"I don't know," Newly answered as the door opened and Festus and Sam came out.

"Festus?" Newly hurried to his side, as did everyone else. "Is she…"

"She's alive." Festus answered. "I ain't shore how and she blame sure come close to not being there, but I guess she hung on for Matthew."

Still more hours stretched by as the people down below Doc's office stood and waited. Many of them were tired and several of them had wives and families waiting for them at home, but none of them left. They recognized the sacrifice Kitty Russell had made and they knew that had it not been for her that three men and maybe many more would be dead now. They at least owed it to her and Marshal Dillon to sit out the vigil.

Early the next morning, the door opened again and Matt Dillon stepped out onto the stoop. Matt Dillon, not Marshal Dillon as evidenced by the missing badge on his shirt. As each man present in the predawn streets of Dodge watched, they saw a man full of fury and grief come down those stairs and head for his horse.

They understood that for right then at least, he was no longer a lawman looking to keep the peace. He was Kitty Russell's man looking to avenge the wrong that was done to her, that was done to him.

As Dillon claimed his horse and rode out of town, the men watching him were silent. But words weren't needed. They each knew what they needed to do. Whether Matt Dillon the man wanted help or not, he was going to get it. They owed him and Kitty Russell.

End