Moss Grimmick had run over to the Marshal's office as soon as he had gotten control of Doc's horse pulling the empty buggy into the stables. Matt had come over and found Kitty's pale blue suit jacket in the front foot well, and Doc's medical bag in the storage area in back.
Matt and Chester had been searching the ten mile route from Dodge to the Snyder's for a couple of hours now, painstakingly weaving through the underbrush and trees on either side of the dirt trail. The lack of buggy tracks where they expected them to be added to their frustration.
"Mr. Dillon, ain't it gonna git dark soon? What will we do then?" Chester had ridden over from the river side of the road as Matt's weaving brought him close.
"Keep going, Chester. There will be a moon tonight. We're going to keep going until we find them. And we WILL find them!"
Matt looked up at the darkening sky, refusing to even imagine leaving Doc and Kitty out in the cold, predator-filled night.
Shortly after Chester rode towards the river bank again, Matt heard him shouting:
"MR. DILLON! MR. DILLON!"
Matt urged his horse into a fast gallop, skidding to a halt beside where Chester was standing up in his stirrups, pointing towards two figures sitting on the trunk of a large fallen tree beside the river, one embracing the other. The last light of the setting sun, low in the sky, backlit the couple, making them only a silhouette.
"I jest can't figure it out, Mr. Dillon. It's gotta be them, don't it?"
"Come on! Let's find out!"
Galloping over, the closer he got, the more confusing the couple appeared. Matt thought he got a glimpse of bright red hair, but knew a man often saw what he wanted to see when stressed.
Matt arrived ahead of Chester, and sat on his horse and stared for a moment. He thought that by now he had seen just about everything, but the sight of Doc and Kitty gave him pause.
Doc, wearing only his long john bottoms and tattered vest, sat tightly embracing a pale, shivering Kitty, who was wearing all the rest of Doc's clothes; shoes, socks, trousers, long john top, white shirt, and suit coat. Her own clothes were in a soggy pile on the ground.
"Well, what in thunder are you two staring at?!" Doc's steely eyes included Chester, who had just ridden up and was also staring.
"Get your bedrolls and come over here!"
Matt and Chester quickly dismounted, unlashed their bedrolls, and hurried over to their friends.
"Hurry up! Give me those. Don't ask questions, I'll explain later.'
The small but wiry older man grabbed one of the bedrolls, jerked it open and wrapped it around Kitty, head to toe. He draped the other one across his shivering shoulders like a cape.
Matt and Chester looked at each other and simultaneously began to remove their coats.
"STOP THAT! The last thing I need is two more sick people to take care of! The bedrolls will be fine."
The two young men looked at Doc and then at each other again, and pulled their coats back on.
They helped Doc hand Kitty's limp body down, then assisted the tired old man down to the ground.
"Doc? Is she going to be all right?" Matt felt helpless as he watched Doc tend to Kitty, who appeared semi-conscious.
"She will be, but we need to get her warm and back to town as soon as possible. And, yes, I'M fine too, just cold!"
"Doc, should we make a fire and cook up some coffee?" Chester was staring at Kitty with wide, worried eyes.
"No, that'll take too long. We need to get moving. Chester, help me hand Kitty up to Matt. I'll ride behind you."
Matt got back on his horse and carefully pulled limp Kitty up into his arms, wrapping the bedroll snuggly around her. Her pale face felt cool to his touch as he gently stroked her cheek.
"Doc? What happened to her? Are you sure she'll be all right?" Matt couldn't help asking, his worry at finding her still unabated.
Doc frowned at the delay, but seeing his young friend's face, he answered in a much softer, reassuring voice.
"She's been cold and wet too long. Now she's still dangerously cold, but she's young and strong and I believe she will be fine, Matt."
Matt nodded his understanding and they started back to Dodge. Doc felt that a strong, steady pace would be better for Kitty than a rushing gallop. There was little in his medical journals about how to handle rewarming a person, but he trusted his instincts about avoiding jarring her unnecessarily.
A few miles down the road, Matt felt Kitty stir in his arms. In the bright moonlight, he could see her large beautiful eyes slowly open. Focusing on his eyes looking down at hers, she smiled.
"Hello Cowboy."
"Kitty." The deep masculine voice she so loved was softer and deeper than usual. She could hear his love and relief.
"Matt, I was so worried about you…about what would happen to you if I didn't make it back."
"Darlin', you rest now."
He hugged her even tighter as they rode along, seeing her eyes close in sleep.
Matt looked down at her now peaceful, warm face, a slight smile on her full lips.
He softly spoke his thoughts aloud:
"Kitty, do you remember that night last summer when we sat outside and watched that falling star? You said that you felt sorry for it, falling through the cold darkness to its end, all alone. I laughed, but never forgot that."
The big man looked up at the dark sky full of more stars than could ever be counted, with the glow of the golden moon lighting their way home. Glancing over at Chester, he could see that Doc was tiredly slumped behind the young man, who solicitously had his right arm behind him, holding onto the older man.
"Kitty darlin', if you ever left me I would be just like that falling star."
One tear rolled down her cheek from beneath closed eyes.
End.