Festus was finally warm and asleep in Doc's bedroom. Adams put one more
blanket over the deputy, making sure he would continue to be warm enough,
then he shrugged on his coat and walked quickly over to the Long Branch. It
was quiet and locked up for the night, so Doc went around back, pulling out
the extra key from his pocket. He let himself in the back door, and quietly
took the stairs, stopping outside Kitty's door. He knocked softly, but
there was no answer. After a moment of indecision about entering a woman's
private quarters without permission, he threw caution to the wind and
turned the doorknob.
As he suspected, Kitty was passed out on top of the bed, still fully clothed. He closed the door behind him, and turned on a lamp. Gently he removed her shoes, her dress, and her corset, leaving her in the rest of her undergarments. Carefully Doc put her in bed, covering her with blankets and a comforter. He sat down on the side of the bed and placed his fingers against the large vein in her neck, while looking at the second hand of his watch. Satisfied that she was all right, he pulled the bedclothes up tighter around her, extinguished the lamp, and quietly left the room.
It was freezing outside, still snowing wildly. While he knew he should return quickly to the warmth of his office, he didn't. For the first time since Festus had told him the news of Matt's demise, Doc Adams was alone with his thoughts. He started walking up Front Street, heading in no particular direction. The tears streamed quietly in hot streaks down his face, almost freezing as they moved through the cold temperature surrounding him. When he could stand the cold no more, he headed back to his office.
He checked in on Festus, who was sleeping soundly. The poor deputy had worn himself to the bone looking for Matt, and even though he hadn't complained, Doc knew it would be a few days before he felt better. Doc took his jacket off and hung up his hat, then he settled in a chair for the night.
***********
Matt could barely keep his feet shuffling one in front of the other. The snow had finally stopped falling after daybreak, but there was so much of it, trudging through it was tougher work than the marshal thought he could manage. He was delirious with hunger, cold, and lack of sleep. But he couldn't stop. If he stopped, he would die for sure, and in the back of his mind, he knew Kitty would never forgive him. He kept moving.
***********
Doc watched Kitty over the top of his coffee cup as he took a sip. Several days had passed since they had lost Matt, and she had remained sullen and quiet. It was to be expected, but still, he was worried about her. Festus had recovered nicely, and was back to normal, at least physically. He still harbored tremendous guilt over what had happened to Matt, blaming himself for not finding him sooner. Eventually, Doc knew Festus would come out of it, but Kitty... he wasn't so sure about her. She caught him watching her.
"What?"
"Nothing."
"I'm not going to just whither up and die because Matt's gone."
"I know that." He looked into his coffee, "Doesn't keep me from worryin'...."
Her look softened slightly, "There's no reason for you to. I'm fine, Doc."
He knew she was lying to him, but for the moment, he would let it go. Festus entered and sat down at the table. Sam came around and poured him a steaming cup of coffee.
"Much obliged, Sam. It's still colder than a sow's ear in the middle of February out there." He looked at Doc and Kitty, "Good mornin' Doc, Miss Kitty...."
"What the hell's so good about it?"
"Well now you got yerself up outta the wrong side o' the bed this mornin' didn'tcha..."
Doc growled again, "Can't you just drink your coffee in peace and quiet? You just can't keep that yap of yours shut."
Festus curled a lip up at the old man, "You're just ornerier than a pole cat a caught up in a trap today, that's what you are...."
"Could you two just put a lid on it--" Kitty stopped herself short, letting out a slow breath. "I'm sorry."
"No, now you're right, Miss Kitty. Ol' Doc and I shouldn't be a-carryin' on."
She touched his sleeve, "I know that the two of you are just trying to make things as normal as possible. And I love you both for it, I really do; but the truth is, I don't want things to seem normal, because they aren't. And they never will be again."
She turned and headed for the staircase. Doc and Festus watched Kitty as she ascended the stairs, and entered her room, closing herself off from them and the rest of the world. But it wouldn't work. Her feelings stayed with her no matter where she went; it just seemed worse when she was around Doc and Festus because they were constant reminders for her. She missed Matt so much she thought her heart might burst.
But he would want her to go on, and Kitty Russell knew that for the sake of his memory, she had to at least try.
***********
"Doc! Doc! Come quick! Doc! Festus! Miss Kitty!"
Burke was screaming his head off as he entered the Long Branch.
"What the hell is all the fuss, Burke?"
"It's the Marshal! He's in bad shape, Doc, we need you."
"Marshal? What Marshal?"
"Matt Dillon! It's Dillon!"
Festus and Kitty followed Doc out into the street, and there, supported by Newly, was Matt Dillon. Doc ran as quickly as his feet would carry him toward the marshal.
"Matt, thank god. We thought you were--" Doc was choked up, and swallowed hard as he turned to the deputies, "Festus, Newly, come on, hurry now, let's get him up to my office."
Kitty followed them, tears falling down her face as they went up the stairs, and gently placed the big man on Doc's table. Adams went quickly to work, covering Matt with blankets to warm him. Dillon was barely conscious.
"Kitty, heat some water please, and Festus, I'll need several long strips of torn sheets. Newly, fire up the stove some, it needs to be warmer in here for him."
Doc looked at the frostbitten hands and feet of the marshal, and then examined the head wound. Dillon groaned.
"Easy Matt, it's Doc."
"Doc?"
"Yeah. You're safe, and you're gonna be fine. Just relax."
Doc soaked the torn sheets Festus handed him in the hot water Kitty had poured in a basin, then he placed them on the frostbitten areas of Matt's hands and feet.
"I'm going to need a lot of hot water, Kitty....can you stay for awhile?"
"You bet I can."
"Festus..."
"Here, Matthew."
"The men who did this...."
"We got 'em. Don't you worry none. Newly's got the ones still alive locked up in the jail."
"Red Stoddard..."
Newly spoke up, "He's dead, marshal. Had to kill him."
Matt nodded, and closed his eyes. He opened them again when he felt the soft hand stroking his forehead. Kitty looked down at him, smiling. But he could see how tired she looked, and the redness of her eyes, and he knew what she must have gone through.
His voice was low, "I'm sorry, Kitty."
"Doesn't matter now, Matt. You're safe, and you're here, that's all I care about."
He closed his eyes, confident that he was in good hands. Doc relieved the frostbite by slowly warming Matt's extremities to normal temperature, and then he took a few stitches in the marshal's head, and wrapped it with a bandage. Festus and Newly carried Matt into the second room, and placed him in the bed. Doc covered him with a lot of blankets, and he was sleeping peacefully, warm for the first time in days.
Newly stood just inside the door, in case anyone needed anything. Kitty sat in the chair by the bedside, watching the slow rise and fall of Matt's chest as he slept. Doc stood behind her, his hands resting protectively on her shoulders. Festus was leaning against the back wall, his arms folded across his chest, silently keeping watch on the people most dear to him in all the world; all of them safe and together once again.
Christmas had come and gone, and for the first time in several years, they had not celebrated with drinks in hand, voicing their wishes for a new year, and their fondness for each other. But instead, each of them had felt the strength of their bond as friends, and while it wasn't celebrated properly, this Christmas would be remembered as a special gift. It was the year they had been given a second chance to love each other even more.
The end
As he suspected, Kitty was passed out on top of the bed, still fully clothed. He closed the door behind him, and turned on a lamp. Gently he removed her shoes, her dress, and her corset, leaving her in the rest of her undergarments. Carefully Doc put her in bed, covering her with blankets and a comforter. He sat down on the side of the bed and placed his fingers against the large vein in her neck, while looking at the second hand of his watch. Satisfied that she was all right, he pulled the bedclothes up tighter around her, extinguished the lamp, and quietly left the room.
It was freezing outside, still snowing wildly. While he knew he should return quickly to the warmth of his office, he didn't. For the first time since Festus had told him the news of Matt's demise, Doc Adams was alone with his thoughts. He started walking up Front Street, heading in no particular direction. The tears streamed quietly in hot streaks down his face, almost freezing as they moved through the cold temperature surrounding him. When he could stand the cold no more, he headed back to his office.
He checked in on Festus, who was sleeping soundly. The poor deputy had worn himself to the bone looking for Matt, and even though he hadn't complained, Doc knew it would be a few days before he felt better. Doc took his jacket off and hung up his hat, then he settled in a chair for the night.
***********
Matt could barely keep his feet shuffling one in front of the other. The snow had finally stopped falling after daybreak, but there was so much of it, trudging through it was tougher work than the marshal thought he could manage. He was delirious with hunger, cold, and lack of sleep. But he couldn't stop. If he stopped, he would die for sure, and in the back of his mind, he knew Kitty would never forgive him. He kept moving.
***********
Doc watched Kitty over the top of his coffee cup as he took a sip. Several days had passed since they had lost Matt, and she had remained sullen and quiet. It was to be expected, but still, he was worried about her. Festus had recovered nicely, and was back to normal, at least physically. He still harbored tremendous guilt over what had happened to Matt, blaming himself for not finding him sooner. Eventually, Doc knew Festus would come out of it, but Kitty... he wasn't so sure about her. She caught him watching her.
"What?"
"Nothing."
"I'm not going to just whither up and die because Matt's gone."
"I know that." He looked into his coffee, "Doesn't keep me from worryin'...."
Her look softened slightly, "There's no reason for you to. I'm fine, Doc."
He knew she was lying to him, but for the moment, he would let it go. Festus entered and sat down at the table. Sam came around and poured him a steaming cup of coffee.
"Much obliged, Sam. It's still colder than a sow's ear in the middle of February out there." He looked at Doc and Kitty, "Good mornin' Doc, Miss Kitty...."
"What the hell's so good about it?"
"Well now you got yerself up outta the wrong side o' the bed this mornin' didn'tcha..."
Doc growled again, "Can't you just drink your coffee in peace and quiet? You just can't keep that yap of yours shut."
Festus curled a lip up at the old man, "You're just ornerier than a pole cat a caught up in a trap today, that's what you are...."
"Could you two just put a lid on it--" Kitty stopped herself short, letting out a slow breath. "I'm sorry."
"No, now you're right, Miss Kitty. Ol' Doc and I shouldn't be a-carryin' on."
She touched his sleeve, "I know that the two of you are just trying to make things as normal as possible. And I love you both for it, I really do; but the truth is, I don't want things to seem normal, because they aren't. And they never will be again."
She turned and headed for the staircase. Doc and Festus watched Kitty as she ascended the stairs, and entered her room, closing herself off from them and the rest of the world. But it wouldn't work. Her feelings stayed with her no matter where she went; it just seemed worse when she was around Doc and Festus because they were constant reminders for her. She missed Matt so much she thought her heart might burst.
But he would want her to go on, and Kitty Russell knew that for the sake of his memory, she had to at least try.
***********
"Doc! Doc! Come quick! Doc! Festus! Miss Kitty!"
Burke was screaming his head off as he entered the Long Branch.
"What the hell is all the fuss, Burke?"
"It's the Marshal! He's in bad shape, Doc, we need you."
"Marshal? What Marshal?"
"Matt Dillon! It's Dillon!"
Festus and Kitty followed Doc out into the street, and there, supported by Newly, was Matt Dillon. Doc ran as quickly as his feet would carry him toward the marshal.
"Matt, thank god. We thought you were--" Doc was choked up, and swallowed hard as he turned to the deputies, "Festus, Newly, come on, hurry now, let's get him up to my office."
Kitty followed them, tears falling down her face as they went up the stairs, and gently placed the big man on Doc's table. Adams went quickly to work, covering Matt with blankets to warm him. Dillon was barely conscious.
"Kitty, heat some water please, and Festus, I'll need several long strips of torn sheets. Newly, fire up the stove some, it needs to be warmer in here for him."
Doc looked at the frostbitten hands and feet of the marshal, and then examined the head wound. Dillon groaned.
"Easy Matt, it's Doc."
"Doc?"
"Yeah. You're safe, and you're gonna be fine. Just relax."
Doc soaked the torn sheets Festus handed him in the hot water Kitty had poured in a basin, then he placed them on the frostbitten areas of Matt's hands and feet.
"I'm going to need a lot of hot water, Kitty....can you stay for awhile?"
"You bet I can."
"Festus..."
"Here, Matthew."
"The men who did this...."
"We got 'em. Don't you worry none. Newly's got the ones still alive locked up in the jail."
"Red Stoddard..."
Newly spoke up, "He's dead, marshal. Had to kill him."
Matt nodded, and closed his eyes. He opened them again when he felt the soft hand stroking his forehead. Kitty looked down at him, smiling. But he could see how tired she looked, and the redness of her eyes, and he knew what she must have gone through.
His voice was low, "I'm sorry, Kitty."
"Doesn't matter now, Matt. You're safe, and you're here, that's all I care about."
He closed his eyes, confident that he was in good hands. Doc relieved the frostbite by slowly warming Matt's extremities to normal temperature, and then he took a few stitches in the marshal's head, and wrapped it with a bandage. Festus and Newly carried Matt into the second room, and placed him in the bed. Doc covered him with a lot of blankets, and he was sleeping peacefully, warm for the first time in days.
Newly stood just inside the door, in case anyone needed anything. Kitty sat in the chair by the bedside, watching the slow rise and fall of Matt's chest as he slept. Doc stood behind her, his hands resting protectively on her shoulders. Festus was leaning against the back wall, his arms folded across his chest, silently keeping watch on the people most dear to him in all the world; all of them safe and together once again.
Christmas had come and gone, and for the first time in several years, they had not celebrated with drinks in hand, voicing their wishes for a new year, and their fondness for each other. But instead, each of them had felt the strength of their bond as friends, and while it wasn't celebrated properly, this Christmas would be remembered as a special gift. It was the year they had been given a second chance to love each other even more.
The end