Doc sank down and sat on the top step at the alter. Kitty slowly joined him. They sat in total silence for what seemed like forever. Kitty rubbed her hand across Doc's back to help ease the pain. Slowly he opened his left hand to reveal the gold band that he had bought for Annie. He had clutched it so hard that an impression was left on his palm. Without a word he slowly sat the ring down next to the bouquet that Annie dropped. Doc then stood up and left. Kitty remained all she could do it watch her old friend leave the church alone.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Festus closed the heavy wooden door that divided the jail cells from the office area. He said nothing. The lawmen exchanged forlorn looks. They both knew that Doc was going to extremely mad at them. "We'll give him some time before we talk to him." Matt suggested.
"When he finds out, I think he's gonna feel a whole lot worse. She made a fool out of him in front of the whole town..." Festus mustered a statement in Doc's defence. Matt could only agree with it.
It was then that Kitty arrived at the jail house. "Just what kind of a thing was that to do to Doc. You tore his heart out!" She was furious.
Matt and Festus stood quietly and exchanged glances. Matt walked over to his desk and opened the top drawer. Without a word, he pulled the wanted poster out and placed it face up on his desk. For added measure, he pulled the telegraph out of his pocket and opened it and placed it next to the poster.
Kitty looked at Matt and then over to Festus before she moved to the desk. Festus slowly nodded at her. As she got closer to the poster her mouth fell open. She couldn't believe her eyes. She looked up to Matt. "Oh, poor Doc...when are you going to tell him?"
Matt drew a deep breath and glanced at Festus who stood next to the table that he and Doc played checkers at. He returned his look to Kitty who was now reading the telegraph. "I'll talk to him once he's had some time to cool down. I imagine he doesn't want to see either of us at the moment."
Festus hooked his left thumb into the upper pocket of his vest. He played with the checkers on the table with his right hand. "That's if he will ever talk to us again." Festus felt that for sure he single handedly ruined his and Matt's friendship by stopping the wedding.
Kitty walked over to Festus. "You know full well that once Doc hears the facts, he'll come around. He has every other time..."
"There's always a first, Miss Kitty." Festus' hazel eyes looked up at her.
Kitty turned to Matt. "I'll talk to him if you want."
Matt shook his head no. "It has to come from us, I'm afraid Kitty. But thanks. If you are talking to him though, tell him that we're really sorry and that we do need to talk with him."
"Sure thing, Matt." Kitty approached the door and Festus opened it for her and watched her leave. He shook his head in self disgust. "Sure is an awful mess..."