Rescue or Recovery?

PT.16

Morrow made his way out to Matt and Kitty in the small boat Matt had commandeered from the dock earlier. "Marshal, here. Let me help. Hand her to me. Is she alive?"

Matt didn't answer as he handed Kitty up to Morrow then climbed into the boat, quickly reclaiming Kitty from him. "How far to the nearest doctor?" Matt then asked.

"St. Louis hospital is just down the street. You passed it on the way here. The large brown building on Ashley and Collins streets. It's the finest hospital in St. Louis.

Matt said nothing more than, "What are we waiting for? She needs help fast!"

Morrow could see Matt was consumed with worry about Kitty. He concentrated on rowing back to the boat.

Louis Shaw snuck off the boat with all the commotion and no one noticed him leave. He headed back to his office. Rummaging through his files, he was trying to destroy any files that he had connecting Kitty to any holdings to Lemp Brewery. In his mind, his plan had worked. He had disposed of her and what he considered his/their problem there was now no paper trail. Her shares would now also be his as would the Lemp Brewery once he married Hilda. He would have control of whatever was hers. With one Lemp down, he had only one to go. He was thinking to himself, 'These women need to remember their place.'

His train of thought was broken when he heard the door behind him open. "Shaw!"

"Lemp? What are you doing here?"

William was now looking around the room. "What is going on here, Louis?"

"Nothing for you to concern yourself with. I'm handling everything, as I always do."

Running his hand through his hair, "Yes that's just what I'm afraid of, Louis."

"That's your problem, William. No backbone. I'm the one who has handled this issue from the start. You created this mess and it was up to me to fix it. Me! Now let me do what I have to and just stick to your end of the bargain." Shaw was racing around the room.

William grabbed his arm. "NO! NO! No more. Enough people have been hurt. Yes, I started this so it's up to me to own up to this, face my family. And I will fix this and hope they will forgive me. And Miss Russell as well."

"HaHa, That problem is taken care of."

"What? What are you talking about?" William questioned.

"Oh, Miss Russell is gone. I disposed of her. She's no longer a problem."

"Are you crazy, Shaw?" William shouted. "Shaw, there won't be a wedding. And as for our business arrangement…"

Now laughing, "Lemp, you'll come running back. You'll need me. Who's going to bail you out?"

William Lemp was never a violent man, but he had had enough of being humiliated and pushed around and seeing what had happened over the last week or so. Without thinking, he hauled off and swung a punch at Shaw, connecting with his jaw, knocking him to the floor, surprising even himself.

As he turned to leave, Hilda was standing in the doorway with a slight smile on her lips. "Father? Raising her brow taking his arm. "Shall we go?"

Smiling back at his daughter, "Yes, Dear."

Shaw sat on the floor of his office shocked. He couldn't believe what had just happened.

Outside, "Father? I thought you might like to go with me to the hospital."

"Oh, Dear," now rubbing his knuckles, "It's not that bad."

Smiling, "No, not for that. The Marshal and I found Miss Kitty. She's in pretty serious condition. Louis' men threw her in the river bound up."

"He what? Of course, let's go. I'll get word to your mother."

ST. LOUIS HOSPITAL

Matt rushed through the doors of the hospital carrying Kitty.

Quickly, two doctors approached him. "What's the problem?"

"She's been in the river, she was bound and tossed in." Matt answered.

"What?" One doctor asked.

"She was kidnapped and the people that did this tried to drown her."

Now checking her out, "Do you know how long she was in the water?"

"I'm guessing a little over half an hour. Doc, is she going to be alright?"

"Well, give me a chance here. We need to warm her up." He started calling for a nurse. "Mary, let's get her out of these wet things and warm her up a bit. See if we can get some color back in her." Listening to her breathing, "Hum, shallow. Sounds like she swallowed some river water."

"Yeah, they had her tied up so it was hard for her to fight and swim." Matt told him.

"She's a lucky woman. That river is rough this time of year. She a friend of yours?"

Matt just nodded. "Can you help her, Doc?"

The doctor could see from the look on his face she was more than just a friend. All through their conversation, Matt eyes never left Kitty.

As the nurse removed Kitty's wet clothes, "Doctor. You may want to see this."

"What is it, Mary?"

She now alluded to the scars on Kitty's side. "Oh! Marshal? Can I see you a second?"

"Doctor?"

"Marshal, are you aware of any surgeries Miss Russell has had?"

Matt now noticed what he was referring to. "Ah, yes, Doc. Several years ago, back in Dodge City, where we are from, Miss Russell was shot and our local Doc saved her life. It was very serious. We almost lost her, but Doc Adams is a good doctor and Kitty is a strong woman."

"Well, Marshal, let's hope she still has some of that strength. Marshal, I'm going to try giving her some assistance with her breathing. Oxygen. It will help and hopefully dry up her lungs some. We just have to make sure she doesn't develop pneumonia. I suggest you go get out of those wet things yourself and get some rest. It doesn't look like she's going to wake up for a while."

"No, I want to be here when…"

"Look, you're not going to do her much good if you end up in here as well. I promise you, if there is any change I'll get word to you right away."

Just then, Hilda and William entered. "Marshal, I'll stay. Go on."

Matt agreed and he headed back to Lemp's House to change but stopped to send a wire to Doc in Dodge.

Doctor Galen Adams, Dodge City, Kansas

Found Kitty, Seriously Ill, Worried. Can you come?

Matt

Matt knew it was a lot to expect but he also knew Doc would be just as concerned as he was when it came to Kitty.

TBC