Unshown Moments for Kitty Shot Season 6

This is for Mirschell

Doc sat quietly beside his patient, occasionally checking her pulse and heart rate but always worrying.

Kitty had been shot two days prior in the back, a result of a drunk's poor aim. Matt hadn't even waited to see if she would live before he took off after the man who'd done it, leaving her care entirely in Doc's hands. Oh, he'd told Chester to help, but Doc knew that in an instance such as this, Chester couldn't help.

"Umm hummm mmmm." Kitty tossed her head, moaning and trying to roll over but Doc pressed her down by the shoulders. She'd stirred several times, never fully awakening but not completely asleep. Doc knew lying on her stomach probably wasn't that comfortable, but he couldn't let her roll over to her back, as she unconsciously wanted to. The wound was still too raw and she was too sick.

He'd been able to remove the bullet without further damage to her lung or surrounding tissues. But it had been a near thing and though it was minor she had now had a fever that could get worse should he let down his watch of her for one moment.

Doc looked up when he heard a sudden tapping at the front door. With a quick glance at Kitty, he rose and went into the outer office. It was Ma at the front door, bearing a basket, a bag of knitting and a smile.

"Doc?" She smiled sweetly at him as she entered. "How is she?"

"She's the same, Ma." He sighed. "I've done about all I can for her. It's up to her now." Looking down he spied the basket. "What do you have there?"

"I brought you something to eat and I want you to eat it and then go over there to your cot and get some rest while I sit with Kitty."

"No," Doc shook his head. "No, I'm fine, Ma. Besides, Kitty has a fever and I…"

"Oh, nonsense." Ma shoved the basket into his hands. "You just said; you've done all you can, which means it's time for you to take a break and get some rest. Now, I'm here and I'm just as capable of taking care of her as you are at this stage. I know how to tend a fever. So, go!"

Doc thought to argue further with her, but he knew it'd do no good. She was right about her capabilities and he was hungry and more than tired. "Thanks, Ma." He smiled at his old friend as he shuffled to his desk with the basket and Ma slipped into the room with Kitty, closing the door softly behind her.

After carefully checking on Kitty, Ma settled herself into a comfortable chair, next to the bed, and pulled out her knitting. But she'd just picked up the needles when Kitty stirred and begin trying to roll over. Quickly, she put aside her knitting and got up, moving over to the bed to calm the red head.

"Sssshh, Kitty. Calm down now, honey. It's okay. You're okay."

Kitty settled again but only for a few minutes and she struggled yet again.

Quickly, Ma rose from her chair a second time, soothing and talking sweetly as she checked her brow for fever. She did have a temperature but the injured woman had relaxed, so Ma again claimed her seat. But a mere half hour later, Kitty stirred once more.

"Oh, dear." Ma shook her head. She knew Doc was probably by now, getting some much needed sleep but if Kitty continued to struggle like this, she was afraid she'd have to wake him. But as soon as the thought crossed her mind, Kitty settled back, silent and still.

Ma checked her temperature again. It seemed to have risen. Deciding to forgo her knitting, she instead returned to her chair to watch and wait. She didn't have to wait long.

"You're here?" Kitty suddenly spoke, her soft voice held wonder and joy. "I'm so glad. I was worried. Yes. I'm okay, now."

Ma thought she was speaking to her and rose, patted her on the arm and watched Kitty press down into her pillow, close her eyes and return to sleep, only this time a little more peacefully.

Ma returned to her chair, cautiously eyeing the seriously ill woman but Kitty's restlessness of earlier seemed to be over and Ma felt she could now resume her knitting without interruption for a while. The next time she looked up, the weak light of predawn was coming through the window and Kitty was once more beginning to move around. Only this time, it was in wakefulness.

"Kitty?" She moved to the bed side, again checking her temperature, pleased to note there was no fever. "Kitty, its Ma. How do you feel?"

"Ma?" Kitty opened her eyes focusing on the older woman as she once again tried to move. "What are you doing here? Where's…"

"Doc's in the other room, Kitty." Ma soothed. "You just lie there and I'll get…'

"No." Kitty shook her head. "Matt. Where's Matt? He… he was here… a… a little bit… ago. Where is…he?" She pushed herself up and to her side, wincing at the pain in her wounded back. "Where… where is he?"

Ma sighed as she looked down at the younger woman. Though the marshal wasn't there and hadn't been for two days, Ma had an idea of what had happened.

"He's gone back, Kitty." Ma answered in the kindest of voices. "He only came for a short while to check on you and make sure you were okay."

"Gone?" Kitty took another look around the room, her confusion and pain plainly showing. "Is he coming back?"

Ma nodded with a sweetened smile. "He is honey. He'll be back long before you get out of this bed. Don't you worry. Okay? The Marshal will come back."

Accepting the answer, Kitty nodded and laid back down, a few moments later and she was asleep again.

Ma watched her for a couple of minutes, checked her temperature and then returned to her chair. She hadn't been surprised that Kitty thought Matt had been there. Not at all. Though she hadn't seen or heard or even felt him, she didn't need to. For it wasn't her that the Marshal had come to see.

Resting her head against the back of the chair, she let her mind return to when she was a young woman, sick abed, having just delivered her first child and suffering from the complications of it. Her husband was gone, conscripted into the army just before she discovered she was with child.

The doctor held very little hope that she would survive the blood loss and pain of her newborn son's birth and in her few lucid moments, she agreed. But that was before her husband made it home. She remembered waking to find him sitting beside her, her hand in his and a look of love like no other on his ruddy face.

"Don't give up on me." He'd told her. "I love you and I need you. You understand? Don't quit."

Knowing he was there and safe, she'd happily agreed and that night marked the beginning her recovery. Later when she was fully aware of her surroundings and just how sick she'd been, the doctor as well as her family had assured her that her husband had never come back and most likely wouldn't. They told her time and again that it'd been a hallucination.

But she knew better. He had come back to her when he sensed she needed him, just as she was sure, the Marshal had come for Kitty. No matter what it was called, the Marshal's heart had reached out to Kitty's. The connection made there, had made the difference for the red head.

A short time later, Doc shuffled into the room, silently making his way over to the bed to check his patient.

"You get enough rest, Doc?" Ma asked as Doc checked Kitty's vitals.

"Sure did, thank ya, Ma." Doc smiled over at her then nodded towards Kitty. "Looks like she did too. Her temperature is back down and she's resting peacefully. Your company must have been good for her, Ma."

Ma smiled enigmatically. "Well, she did have some good company, that's true."

End