A Period of Recovery

Matt Dillon, when he awoke the next morning, was feeling less miserable until he realized Kitty wasn't in the big brass bed next to him. His head hurting less was a plus, but his blurred surroundings were a minus. Unless he could hear her he had no idea if he was alone. Anyone could sneak in. His panic left him when he heard the door open to admit her and Doc. At least that was his guess from the sounds and smells as they crossed the room bringing with them the aroma of coffee on a breakfast tray.

It wasn't like on the road back from Elkader when suddenly everything became normal. Normalcy only lasted until last night. This morning he still lay abed in Kitty's Long Branch rooms instead of sittinh downstairs drinking coffee poured from her china pot before heading to his office. It's not that Matt minded being in what had become home. It was the circumstances. He wanted, if he wasn't killed, leaving the job to be his choice, including that far off someday life with him she wanted and deserved. Matt, now sitting up, stayed in their bed wondering if he ever would deserve her, but that hardly mattered since right now he had no choice. Instead he stoically faced the first of what he hoped wouldn't be spending the remainder of his days as an invalid. For now all he had was the hope idleness would bring back his sight for good.

Near total inactivity seemed to be working. The concussive effects lessened daily until when breakfast arrived on the third day they were almost non-existent. An increasingly restless Matt was still willing to take it easy like Doc and Kitty insisted, but only until his eyesight returned to near normal. They watched him closely because given the slightest chance he'd jump back into his usual habits on his schedule. At this point his sight was better but not good enough to try bucking those two. It would have to wait until he could be certain of hitting a target that lay beyond arm's length. The lawman hoped the doctor would allow him to at least leave these rooms today even if just to sneak downstairs to Kitty's office.

Doctor Adams examined his patient, searching for any positive signs. Matt sensed the older man liked what he observed because his facial expression was far less concerned than it would be if the symptoms remained as serious as they had been. Of course, had his eyesight not already improved significantly Dillon wouldn't have been able to read the physician's demeanor though the doctor's face was only inches away.

"It looks like, thanks to your brilliant personal physician, you stand a good chance of full recovery," the doctor quipped. "Of course knowing you, you'll give no thought to your long-range health or the affect the lack of it will have on those who care about you."

"Doc, are you saying I can maybe go back to limited work in the next few days?" Matt asked with trepidation, half believing he'd have to fight to simply return to his office. "I give you my word I'll stop staring at the pile of paper on my desk as soon as I can't read the large print."

"I'm sure you'll keep that promise," Doc growled but with an underlying tone of humor and affection in his voice. "I'm certain because you and Kitty are going to Pueblo for a week. I trust her to see to it being a relaxing vacation and to keep you from forgetting you're not fully recovered. I dictated your mode of travel. A ten-hour train trip is barely permissible but only because it will jar your still recovering brain less than the stage."

Kitty had been quietly standing by the round table where they'd eat private meals near what from the smells that reached him was a steak and eggs breakfast for him and ham and eggs for her. Doc gave a subtle nod to let her know to begin providing his patient with travel details.

"I've made all the arrangements, Matt. Our train leaves in a couple of hours, giving us time to enjoy our meal and still get ready," she purred while guiding him to a seat close enough to his breakfast that he could confirm his nose was right. "I've packed a carpetbag for you and another, plus a small trunk, for me so all that remains is to make sure we've forgotten nothing we might need," she continued. "Bill Pence will meet us at the station in Pueblo and then drive to his and Laura's home. They'll be busy with work and family so we'll have plenty of time to ourselves. I hear there's some good fishing."

That Kitty Russell had done so much didn't sit too well with a take-charge man like Matt Dillon. One of the things he loved about her was the ability to size up a situation and do exactly what was necessary. She knew him better than anyone, even Doc, which only made him feel worse that right now he was incapable of even packing. All he could do was eat his breakfast and verbally go through a checklist. "Maybe getting away from Dodge to where nothing would be expected of him was a good idea," he thought.

An hour and a half later, as they made their way through the back alleys toward the depot in Doc's buggy, Matt recalled that about two years ago Kitty bought out Bill Pence, her business partner of close to six years. At the time Bill and his wife, the former Laura Simmons, were expecting their first child and trying to establish themselves in a new location so the influx of cash had been most welcome. It meant they could forget the the upheaval in '69 caused by the arrival of her former fiancé Philip Locke. Bill had been willing to die in defense of Laura's good name. Showing her how much he cared was all that was needed to make both aware the attraction was mutual. It wasn't long before they married.

At the train station Matt saw to the placing of Kitty's larger piece on a dolly to make it easier for a porter to stow the small trunk in the baggage car while he took charge of the two carpetbags. Placing them under his left arm he linked his right with Kitty's left as they made their way to the passenger car. Matt didn't think anybody on the platform would guess their marshal's eyesight wasn't 100 percent when they boarded, found seats and he placed the bags on the rack above. Despite the apparently successful subterfuge Dillon was glad he didn't stumble while taking the aisle seat beside his traveling companion.