Matt awoke with a start. He had no idea how long he'd been unconscious. He
groaned and reached for his throbbing head. He wasn't sure, but it felt
like it hurt worse than before. He took a deep breath, and let it out
slowly, knowing that he needed to move. Painfully, he stood, leaning
heavily on the wall for support. He closed his eyes against the nausea and
dizziness that overwhelmed him. He couldn't really remember much about how
he had arrived wherever he was, but getting out was his priority.
He reached down to his holster, but as he suspected, there was no gun there. His badge, hat and coat were also conspicuous in their absence. He moved carefully around the room, using the wall as his guide in the dark. After moving around the four corners of the room, Matt realized he was in a cellar. There were no doors or windows; but there had to be a trap door in the ceiling, and a ladder of some kind. He reached overhead with his arms, but couldn't touch anything. He needed something to stand on.
Kneeling down, he moved throughout the floor space, using his hands to look for a box, or anything that would make him tall enough to reach the ceiling. There was one small wooden crate. He stood on top of it, and could touch the wood above. After moving the box around, he found the door, but he had no way to open it. A heavy wave of nausea hit him, and Matt leaned against the wall, sliding down to the floor. He shivered. It was getting colder in the cellar, and he knew he wouldn't last long if he stayed there. But the pull of sleep proved too strong.
***********
It was well into the night when Festus sent the men of the search parties home. They hadn't found a thing. Even after he insisted that Newly catch a few hours of sleep, Festus continued looking around for any clue to Matthew's disappearance; but deep down, he knew he would find none. The snow had continued to fall throughout the night, covering any hint he might have followed. Some time before daybreak, Festus was exhausted, and chilled to the bone. Dejectedly, he turned for the Long Branch, knowing that Kitty would still be up, and Sam would have fresh coffee on the stove. Festus walked into the saloon to find Sam sitting at a table with Kitty and Doc, although the latter was sound asleep in his chair. Kitty looked up expectantly, but knew from the look on the deputy's face that there was no news. Festus pulled his hat off in one hand, his eyes shining with disappointment and guilt.
"I'm sorry Miss Kitty. We done looked ev'rywhere, but there weren't nothin' to find."
"Sit down Festus, you look beat."
"Yes ma'am."
She turned to her bartender, "Sam, do we have any more coffee?"
"Sure do."
They sat in silence while Sam fetched the pot and poured a steaming cup of coffee for Festus.
"Much obliged, Sam."
The tall man nodded and went back behind the bar, returning the coffee pot. He walked back to the table.
"I'm going to call it a night, Miss Kitty, if you don't mind."
"Get some sleep. And Sam.... thank you."
He nodded, put his coat on and left the Long Branch. Festus stared into his coffee cup, as if the dark liquid would provide an answer to the mystery that plagued his mind. Kitty reached an arm over and placed a gentle hand on his forearm.
"You did what you could, Festus. You can start anew after a few hours of rest."
He nodded, but couldn't make eye contact with her. Some part of him felt responsible. It was his job to bring Matthew back, and he had failed miserably. Kitty rubbed his arm gently, dipping her head to catch his eye.
"I have faith in you, Festus. You'll find Matt. I know you will."
He could hear the quiet desperation in her voice, and his soft hazel eyes flicked up to meet her blue ones.
"I swear I'll do everything I can, Miss Kitty."
She squeezed his arm before letting go, "I know you will, Festus."
He finished his coffee and looked at Adams.
"I'd better wake the ol' scudder up and git him off to bed."
Kitty brushed a hand across the physician's cheek, "Poor old Doc....he was too tired to stay awake, but didn't want to go home." She shook the sleeping man's shoulder gently, "Doc? Come on....Festus is going to take you home."
His voice was laden with sleep, "Hmmm?" He saw the deputy and sat up straight, "Did you find Matt?"
"'Fraid not." "Why the hell didn't you?"
Kitty's voice held a tinge of warning in it, "Doc...."
"Dag-blane it. Festus, you're Matt's deputy, it's your responsibility to--"
Festus stood up, his face flushing with anger, "--Don't you go 'splainin' my duty to me. I knowed good and well what I done needin' to be doin'..... Now come on, you old goat. Let's get you home to bed before you get any meaner than ya already are."
Doc stood, shrugged his coat on, and then kissed Kitty on the cheek.
"If you need anything, you know where to find me."
She nodded, squeezing his hand. Festus followed Doc out of the Long Branch, and for the first time since Matt was taken, Kitty was alone. The tears started before she had a chance to realize they had flooded her eyes. All the fear that had built up through the night traveled down her face, leaving only a trail of tears behind. They couldn't allow anything to happen to Matt. They just couldn't. Kitty knew that losing him was something she would be unable to bear.
He reached down to his holster, but as he suspected, there was no gun there. His badge, hat and coat were also conspicuous in their absence. He moved carefully around the room, using the wall as his guide in the dark. After moving around the four corners of the room, Matt realized he was in a cellar. There were no doors or windows; but there had to be a trap door in the ceiling, and a ladder of some kind. He reached overhead with his arms, but couldn't touch anything. He needed something to stand on.
Kneeling down, he moved throughout the floor space, using his hands to look for a box, or anything that would make him tall enough to reach the ceiling. There was one small wooden crate. He stood on top of it, and could touch the wood above. After moving the box around, he found the door, but he had no way to open it. A heavy wave of nausea hit him, and Matt leaned against the wall, sliding down to the floor. He shivered. It was getting colder in the cellar, and he knew he wouldn't last long if he stayed there. But the pull of sleep proved too strong.
***********
It was well into the night when Festus sent the men of the search parties home. They hadn't found a thing. Even after he insisted that Newly catch a few hours of sleep, Festus continued looking around for any clue to Matthew's disappearance; but deep down, he knew he would find none. The snow had continued to fall throughout the night, covering any hint he might have followed. Some time before daybreak, Festus was exhausted, and chilled to the bone. Dejectedly, he turned for the Long Branch, knowing that Kitty would still be up, and Sam would have fresh coffee on the stove. Festus walked into the saloon to find Sam sitting at a table with Kitty and Doc, although the latter was sound asleep in his chair. Kitty looked up expectantly, but knew from the look on the deputy's face that there was no news. Festus pulled his hat off in one hand, his eyes shining with disappointment and guilt.
"I'm sorry Miss Kitty. We done looked ev'rywhere, but there weren't nothin' to find."
"Sit down Festus, you look beat."
"Yes ma'am."
She turned to her bartender, "Sam, do we have any more coffee?"
"Sure do."
They sat in silence while Sam fetched the pot and poured a steaming cup of coffee for Festus.
"Much obliged, Sam."
The tall man nodded and went back behind the bar, returning the coffee pot. He walked back to the table.
"I'm going to call it a night, Miss Kitty, if you don't mind."
"Get some sleep. And Sam.... thank you."
He nodded, put his coat on and left the Long Branch. Festus stared into his coffee cup, as if the dark liquid would provide an answer to the mystery that plagued his mind. Kitty reached an arm over and placed a gentle hand on his forearm.
"You did what you could, Festus. You can start anew after a few hours of rest."
He nodded, but couldn't make eye contact with her. Some part of him felt responsible. It was his job to bring Matthew back, and he had failed miserably. Kitty rubbed his arm gently, dipping her head to catch his eye.
"I have faith in you, Festus. You'll find Matt. I know you will."
He could hear the quiet desperation in her voice, and his soft hazel eyes flicked up to meet her blue ones.
"I swear I'll do everything I can, Miss Kitty."
She squeezed his arm before letting go, "I know you will, Festus."
He finished his coffee and looked at Adams.
"I'd better wake the ol' scudder up and git him off to bed."
Kitty brushed a hand across the physician's cheek, "Poor old Doc....he was too tired to stay awake, but didn't want to go home." She shook the sleeping man's shoulder gently, "Doc? Come on....Festus is going to take you home."
His voice was laden with sleep, "Hmmm?" He saw the deputy and sat up straight, "Did you find Matt?"
"'Fraid not." "Why the hell didn't you?"
Kitty's voice held a tinge of warning in it, "Doc...."
"Dag-blane it. Festus, you're Matt's deputy, it's your responsibility to--"
Festus stood up, his face flushing with anger, "--Don't you go 'splainin' my duty to me. I knowed good and well what I done needin' to be doin'..... Now come on, you old goat. Let's get you home to bed before you get any meaner than ya already are."
Doc stood, shrugged his coat on, and then kissed Kitty on the cheek.
"If you need anything, you know where to find me."
She nodded, squeezing his hand. Festus followed Doc out of the Long Branch, and for the first time since Matt was taken, Kitty was alone. The tears started before she had a chance to realize they had flooded her eyes. All the fear that had built up through the night traveled down her face, leaving only a trail of tears behind. They couldn't allow anything to happen to Matt. They just couldn't. Kitty knew that losing him was something she would be unable to bear.