Hostage: Kitty's Fate, The Morning After

Chapter 9

Gunsmoke

Author's Note: I searched the internet high and low for authentic Native American Names but found only names with false meaning attached to them. For all I know, I'm calling a character something really stupid. It's really hard finding a name from that time. I believe I've exhausted most of my options. So, I've decided to create my own names for the chapters and my own meanings. So here goes. Najeah (Ni-hee-ah) which means, "bright morning star," also made up by myself. We'll call this my Klingon Language. Ashana (a-shonna) which means "little squirrel with nuts", okay, I'm pushing it, but so what. And last but oops, not last, Tianne (tee-awn-ee) "white dove with speckled belly," hey I like this one. The old woman is Yahni-Najeah "mother bright morning star." Hey, I think I did a good job here. Okay, who am I kidding? Let's get on with the story.

Thank you,

K R

Matt slowly came down the stairs of the Long Branch, with Doc following quickly behind him.

"Matt, you can't go, you're still too weak." Doc said as, hot on Matt's heals.

"Doc, I'm not arguing with you. I'm going. That animal has my wife and child and I'm going after him." Matt said as he turned on the stairs and looked at Doc who was only a few feet from him. "God help him, if he's hurt Kitty or the baby." Matt turned to head out.

"Then I'm going with you." Doc said.

"Doc, you're staying here, I'm fine…." He started but Doc interrupted him.

"I'm not worried about you, you ole' stubborn mule, I'm worried about Kitty and the baby. He's been traveling with her for the past four days on horseback, she's gonna need a doctor, he's sure to be traveling hard and fast and that's not good." Doc said as he walked passed Matt on the stairs. Matt just stared after him. "What are you waiting for, an invitation?" Matt followed Doc out of the saloon. Outside, Festus and Lt Hanson and his men were mounted and waiting. There were two more horses saddled and Doc's black bag was hanging on one of the horses.

Matt came out and saw the horse. He then stepped over to Buck and climbed on. Looking at Festus, they waited for Doc. "You wanna tell me how you knew he'd be going with us?" Matt said to Festus of Doc.

"Well, Miss Kitty's been traveling with them thar mangy dogs, for nare on a week. She's bound to be tired and in need of Doc's help." Festus said to Matt.

"Let's go!" Matt said and they headed out of Dodge. Doc, Festus Matt and eight soldiers including Lt Jack Hanson commanding them, as they left Dodge. Sam stood on the boardwalk and watched with Burke and Newly as they left town. Newly would prefer to be riding out with Matt and Festus, but he understood that someone had to be there to protect the townsfolk. Matt was anxious Jude Bonner had a good four day on them, because he was unable to get out of the bed from weakness. His mind kept thinking about Kitty and the baby, that was all he cared about. He had to bring his girls home, safe.

OOOOOOOOOOOO

Jude Bonner held onto the reins tightly, His free hand tightly against Kitty's belly. She had tried several times to push his hand away, but he refuse to let go. He had even told her, that he had every right to touch her because she was his, as was the child. But she refused to leave it at that. Kitty held her belly. All of this riding was getting to her and she was feeling slight cramps in the lower part of her abdomen, which had her greatly concerned.

"Could we please stop?" She asked him as another cramp began.

"We'll stop tonight!" He said annoyed with her constant complaining.

"Please, I need to rest, it hurts." She said through the pain.

"I said, tonight!" He said angrily.

"Oooooh!" she leaned forward on the horse, grabbing it's mane as the pain intensified in her lower abdomen. Jude angrily grabbed her by the hair and pulled her upright. This move only caused her to cry harder. The horse jolted back, at the sound of a rattler, which slid from the bushes into the animal's path. Jude tried to reach for the reins with his other hand, to steer him away from danger, but he could not move quick enough. The horse bucked at the impending danger. Jude fell back off of the horse, pulling Kitty with him. His body hit with a solid thud against the ground. Kitty fell along side of him. Leaving her no chance of being cushioned by his body, her body hit just as hard, and the wind was ripped from her lungs. She tried to lift her head, but suddenly the world began to slip away, and blackness seeped in, taking hold of her tired body. Stunned, Jude lay there for a moment, than heard the clicking of the hammer on the gun. As he looked up, he saw LaFete killing the rattler that had spooked the horse. Quickly dismounting his horse, he rushed over to Kitty and turned her onto her back. She was unconscious and there was blood oozing from her nose.

"She's out cold, Jude." He told him as he knelt over her prone body. Jude crawled over to her side and gently placed his fingers on her neck to check for signs of a heartbeat. He quickly placed his arm under her back, the other under her knees as he lifted her into his arms. Handing her to LaFete, he grabbed the reins of his horse from Jose and climbed back on. LaFete carefully lifted her towards Jude who gently held her about the waist and settled her onto the horse with both legs hanging on one side. Adjusting her position, he made sure she was secure before taking the reins with his free hand.

"There's a small village up ahead, a group of Navajo's, we can take her there." He said as he set her buttocks on the horse, gently keeping a tight grip on her. Jude pulled the horse around and headed for the small Navajo camp. He wasn't too happy about this new situation, they had barely gotten out of Kansas and he knew that the law had to be less then two days away.

As they approached the small camp, LaFete saw women and children at work and play. He noticed that the only men around were the very young or the very old and it struck him odd at first, but then he remembered the hunting party they had seen a few miles back. They seemed to recognize Jude Bonner and they didn't seem too happy to see him.

There were words being spoken and whispers, but LaFete did not understand what was being said around him. It amazed him at just how many enemies Jude Bonner had, even with his own kind. An old man came out of his hogan and saw Jude Bonner and the woman. He knew that this could only mean trouble for his people.

LaFete watched as Jude rode his horse up to the old man and spoke to him in his language. He could only imagine what was being said. The words were in low tones, and as odd as it may have seem to LaFete, there was respect in Jude's voice. He stopped speaking and turned to LaFete. "We'll camp here for the night." He told him. LaFete jumped from his horse and let one of the young women take his reins as he went over to Jude and took Kitty from his arms so he could dismount the horse without doing any further harm to Kitty. He then headed into the Hogan following the old man. It was a structure made of logs and mud shaped in a circle with eight sides. A mud-domed roof, dirt floors, door facing east as was tradition to greet the morning sun. He could see smoke rising from the roof top smokehole. He was familiar enough with the Navajo people to know that this was what they called a female Hogan. A place raising families, cooking, eating, sleeping, life was here in this single room Hogan. Families were created here, and drew strength from one another here. Something that LaFete had never been privy to, being orphaned at such a young age and left to fend for himself. He watched as the man stepped back, pushed the door opened and allowed Jude to enter with Kitty in his arms. Four women were making the evening dinner. Three younger women and an older woman. Jude noticed the other bedding in the hogan and carefully knelt down, laying Kitty on the bedding. He looked around and gently pulled a blanket up over Kitty. The women were surprised, but without any words spoken, the two younger girls left the Hogan to get some needed thing. Within minutes they returned carrying a few blankets, some clothing and a pitcher of water. LaFete stood at the entrance as they began to tend to Kitty. Finally as they began to undress her, Najeah, the eldest of the three, walked over to the two men and led them out of the hogan. Though they were unwilling, she would not listen and continued to push them out. Once they were out, she pulled the door closed. The women undressed Kitty, then carefully bathed her. The clean buck-skin skirt and blouse were placed on the side of her between her and the wall. The youngest of the three, leaned over Kitty and lifted a red lock into her hands and smiled. She had never seen hair of this color before and as the noon sun came in from the . Another young woman scolded her, and they giggled. It was at that moment that Kitty chose to wake up.

"Ummmm," She moaned as she moved her head from side to side. She was in pain, her body was hurting and the cramps that she'd been feeling earlier that day were getting stronger. Suddenly a sharp pain ripped through her lower abdomen. "OH GOD!" She cried out as she threw her head back and gasped out from the pain. Bonner came back in and Kitty saw him. "No! No! Go away! GOD, pleeeease, NOOOOOOOO!" She cried as the young women watched in horror. She didn't want Jude around her. She was terrified of him. "Oh God! Oh GOD, my baby." The eldest of the three women got up and pushed Bonner out of the hogan. The women then prepared Kitty for the birth of her child. The youngest one got up and left the tent. She returned within minutes and brought with her a female elder of the tribe. The women instructed the two younger girls to sit on either side of Kitty and help her sit up. As they sat her up, Kitty knew they were preparing her to give birth to her child. She didn't want her to be born, she was scared, she knew Jude would do something to hurt her baby. "Please, no. No, I don't want her born, not now!" She cried but the women knew there would be no stopping the birth. The third girl sat on her left, between the wall and Kitty and gently messaged her belly, trying to give comfort. The old woman had positioned Kitty's legs, knees up and apart. She then lifted the blanket over her legs, it lay barely covering her lower body. The old woman spoke in Navajo and Najeah translated.

"Push! You must push or she will die." She said. Kitty looked at her, surprised, how did they know she was having a girl? She knew because she felt it in her heart, but how did she know. She began to push and cry out. The pain was beyond anything she had ever felt before in her life and she wanted it to stop. As she continued to push, she felt the movement of the child inside of her, she looked down, to see that the top of the head was coming out, and soon the child's head was out.

"Oh God!" She cried.

"PUSH!" Najeah told her.

"AAAHhhhhhhhhh!" She screamed and looked down as the child slipped from her body. Kitty cried in relief, and laughed as she watched the old woman turn the child upside down and pat her back till she began to cry. The woman moved the blankets off of Kitty's upper body, and placed the baby on her belly. Kitty was surprised at this, she had never seen Doc do this with a patient of his. The child immediately latched onto her breast and began to nurse. The old woman tended to Kitty while she nursed her daughter and without realizing it, she had delivered the afterbirth. Kitty sat there, with two young girls still behind her, they gently caressed the baby as she nursed and spoke softly, giving her blessings in their native tongue. For some reason, Kitty was not embarrassed by this, she felt at ease around them. "What are they saying?" She asked Najeah.

"They say, may the sun kiss her skin, she is pale. May the wind guide her home." She smiles as the other one continues to speak. "May she have her mother's fiery locks."

Kitty smiles and the old woman lowered her legs and covered her up. Najeah went over to a small chest in the corner and opened it. Inside she had baby clothing and blankets, that had been hers as a baby. She smiled as she pulled the tied bundles out, glancing over her shoulder to see the old woman take the baby and begin to wash her while her younger sisters took blankets and used them to prop Kitty up. Kitty pulled the blankets up around her breast as she watched the old woman carefully clean her daughter with tender loving hands. It amazed her that they had helped her and even given such tender care to a complete stranger. A stranger that may have brought death into their camp. They knew Bonner, that was obvious, but as to whether they were on good terms, she found that hard to believe. As she got lost in her thoughts about the man waiting outside, she heard her child cooing. She then watched as the woman lifted the child from the bath and placed her on a soft blanket, turning her towards Najeah so that she could dry her and dress her for her mother. Smiling, the old woman watched as her eldest daughter dressed and fussed over the beautiful child. The baby cooed and squirmed as she finished dressing her and placing her in a soft blanket. Najeah gently laid her in her mother's arms and the four women watched as Kitty simply gazed at her.

"What will you call her?" Najeah asked her.

"I think, my husband is set on Kadie, short for Kathleen." She said looking at her sleeping daughter.

"And you, you are called?" Najeah asked as her sisters sat and watched.

"My name is Kathleen Elizabeth Dillon, but my friends call me Kitty." She said smiling at Najeah.

"I am Najeah." She points to her younger sister. "She is Tianne, my little sister and Ashana is the youngest. And this…" She said placing her arms around her mother who knelt beside her. "This is my mother, Yahni"

"Thank you so much for helping me." Kitty looked at Kadie as she made a slight noise and yawned. "You speak English well." Kitty told her.

"My father said, know your enemy and survive." She said to Kitty.

"Am I your enemy, Najeah?" Kitty asked as she looked up from her baby girl.

Najeah smiled at Kitty. "No, you are not. But the one who bring you here, he is. Your husband is a bad man."

"He's not my husband. He kidnapped me from my home. He may have killed my husband for all I know." Kitty looked sadly at her daughter, the thought of her child growing up without a father brought tears to her eyes.

"He is not your man?" Tianne asked her. Najeah grabbed her arm, gently.

"No. He…he used me as tool for revenge. My husband is a U.S. Marshal and he arrested Jude Bonner's younger brother and brought him to justice. Bonner took me….." She stopped and closed her eyes at the memory rolled over her like a freight wagon, heavy and suffocating her as it did so. She tried to stem the fear, knowing that Kadie would feel it, but the memory bit into her flesh like the sharp teeth of wild bear. "Jude tried to trade my life, for his brother's, but Matt, my husband, couldn't do anything, he had already turned Virgil in. Bonner and his men, abused me….they hurt me." She said as the sobs came bubbling up, she couldn't stop them. "He hurt me…then brought me home. Tried to kill me, but it didn't work." She said pushing the tears back as she looked up at Najeah who had tears streaming down her face as did her sisters. Their Mother stood and gently placed another cover on Kitty. She then spoke in her language and told Tianne to fetch fresh water for Kitty to drink. Tianne stood and left the tent for water. Kitty smiled at Kadie as she tried to stick her fist into her mouth. Najeah gently took the baby from her mother and handed the child to Yahni as she and her sister began to help Kitty into clean clothing. It was only a few minutes later, that Tianne returned to the hogan with fresh water and a few pieces of fry bread and dried beef. Yahni smiled at the baby in her arms.

She then spoke to her eldest daughter in their language. She could understand and even speak English, but she chose not to.

"Yahni say, the little one has a great spirit. She is strong." Najeah said to Kitty, who stood there while Ashana braided her long red hair into one braid. Kitty was tired and weak from giving birth to Kadie. She had lost a great deal of blood.

"You must eat something to keep up your strength." Tianne said as she set the dish in Kitty's hands.

"Thank you again." She said as Ashana helped her sit down. She winced slightly as she sat down. Yahni and the two youngest fussed over the baby while Kitty ate and Najeah sat with her.

Supper had been long forgotten as the sun began to drop in the western sky. The old man came into the hogan and spoke softly to his woman. She nodded to him and carefully stood up and placed the baby in Kitty's arms.

"Have I done something to offend your family?" Kitty asked Najeah.

"No. Father and Mother will sleep beneath the stars tonight." She smiled at her parents as they left the hogan. Kitty didn't quite understand, but she was too tired to try to figure things out for now. She yawned deeply, and Najeah smiled. "It is time for you to rest." Najeah said as she got to her feet. Tianne took the plate away from Kitty and watched at Najeah repaired the bed for Kitty. The baby would sleep beside her, as was tradition for Navajo babies, to sleep at their mother's breast. Kitty got up and slowly made her way to the bed. She lay down, and holding, Kadie, she pulled the blanket up over her. She laid on her left side, keeping the baby between her and the wall. Sleep came quickly for her, as exhaustion took over.

As dawn approached, something woke Kitty, she wasn't too sure what had woken her until she turned slightly and saw Jude Bonner standing above her, looking at her and the child. It was at that moment that everything became clear to her. He was there for Kadie. "No. Please!" It came out as a whisper. Quickly kneeling down, he reached for the sleeping baby. "Noooo!" She cried out as she turned to cover the child with her body. The others awoke in the hogan to see Jude pulling Kitty away from the child and snatching the baby up. Standing, he turned and began to head for the door, but not before Kitty jumped him from behind. She pulled at his hair as he dragged her out the door with him, kicking at him and punching his back, trying to stop him. "Noooo! No. My baby!" She screamed as she continued to hold on. By this time the child had awaken and began to scream at the top of her lungs. Najeah tried to stop Jude, but he had swung at her and she fell against the side of the hogan. Her younger sisters rushed to help her to her feet. Bonner had managed to pull free from Kitty's grasp. In the blink of an eye, he turned and struck her hard across the face. Kitty fell to the ground and struck her head against a rock. The three girls rushed to her side. As Jude attempted to mount his horse, the old man came running from where he and his woman had slept. In his hand was his knife, which glistened in the moonlight. LaFete raised his pistol at the old man, who stopped and stood beside his three daughters, and the white woman.

"I'll shoot that little girl of yours, old man." LaFete said aiming his pistol at Najeah.

He looked up at LaFete and LaFete could feel the hatred through the old man's stare. Jude walked over and handed the baby back to Najeah. He then grabbed her arm and pulled her with him. He took her by the waist and shoved her up on the horse then climbed up behind her.

"Just in case you decide to follow us. If I see one of your braves within a hundred yards of us, I'll cut her up and leave her for the buzzards. Do I make myself clear old man?"

The old man said nothing, but nodded his head at him. Jude and the others left the village. Leaving Najeah's family crying and worrying over her life.

To be continued………..