Rescue Or Recovery?
PT.22
Kitty, still in tears, had her arms around Matt when Doc and Dr. Madison returned.
"Well now, sorry to interrupt but I just heard my patient woke up."
Quickly Matt let go, his face flushed.
"Hello, Doctor?"
"Hello, Miss Russell. I am Dr. Harry Madison. You gave me a real challenge."
"Well, I thank you very much, Doctor. Matt and Doc here have told me how hard you and Doc worked to help me and I appreciate it."
"Oh, it's been, well, I'd say a pleasure but I'm not sure that's appropriate. But I will say you are a most beautiful patient."
"Thank you." She said, nodding and smiling.
Madison began checking her vitals. "So how are you feeling?"
"Well, like I've had a long sleep but still a bit tired."
He began listening to her breathing, "Hummmmm. Sounds better. Galen, looks like the Thoracenteses worked."
Scrunching her nose, "The Thora… what?"
Doc chuckled. "Kitty, Honey it's a procedure we did to correct your breathing and remove some fluid from your lungs. It helped prevent pneumonia."
Kitty sat in deep thought, "OHHHHH."
"I'll check on you in a bit. So glad you're feeling better."
Now William and Claudia came to visit. "Oh, Miss Kitty, we're so happy to see you feeling much better."
"Claudia, William. Please, sit."
"Kitty, I wanted the chance to tell you how very sorry I am and how awful I feel."
Waving her hands, closing her eyes. "William… William, please. In no way do I hold you in any way responsible for what happened here."
Inhaling, "That's exactly what the Marshal said you would say."
"OHHHH?" She said raising her brow.
"Yes, I talked with him and tried to explain that I was unaware of Louis' intentions and had no idea what he was up too. He said you would never hold me responsible."
"And Matt's right. Louis Shaw is the one who is responsible although I do wish you had of came to me and told me what was going on, William. We could have come up with another way to handle this."
Matt turned, "Now, Kit. Can't you deal with this later? You're not in any condition…"
"Matt, I'm fine."
"Kitty, you just woke up after having a serious…"
"Matt, please?"
"No! Now, Kitty, listen to me. Lemp, this can wait."
"Kitty, the Marshal is right. William, this can wait." Claudia jumped in.
"Yes, Father." Hilda added from the doorway. "Business can wait. Oh, Miss Kitty, we just heard the wonderful news." Quickly, Hilda hugged her.
"WE?"
"Oh, yes. Miss Kitty, this is Constable Dan Morrow."
"Nice to meet you, Ma'am." He said reaching to take her hand.
"It's Kitty. Kitty Russell."
Matt, Morrow, William and Claudia all left the room giving Kitty time to talk to Hilda.
"Ah, Miss Kitty. I was so scared but you look wonderful."
"And you're a terrible liar." She said, laughing.
"Just want you to know, Dan has Louis in jail and he is going on trial for kidnapping and attempted murder, besides the conning he tried with Father over the business." Kitty stared at Hilda with a smirk. "Kitty? Something wrong? You not feeling right?"
Still smirking, "Dan, huh?"
"Oh now, Miss Kitty. He's just been looking after me. Making sure I'm safe with all that's been going on. Now dropping her eyes, blushing.
"Uh huh. Just looking after you." Kitty's smirk turned into a smile. "Hilda, I've been around a long time and I'd say the way that young man has of looking at you…"
Inhaling, shaking her head. "Oh now, Miss Kitty. How could you say such a thing?"
"Well, it's natural. You're a beautiful girl. Why wouldn't he?"
"Miss Kitty, can I ask you something, you know, personal like?"
"Ok. What?"
"You and Marshal Dillon. You call one another friends."
"Uh huh. That's right."
"But I've watched him while you've been here and that's… ummmmm. Well, what I mean is, you've known one another for a long time and you do love him, don't you?"
Smiling at Hilda, tilting her head, "Yes. Of course."
"And I know watching him with you… I know he loves you."
Kitty could see her thought wheels turning. "And?"
"Why aren't you two married?"
There it was the infamous question. Rolling her eyes, inhaling, "Well, Hilda, Sweetheart. That 's…"
"Oh now, Miss Kitty, please don't tell me I'm too young to understand."
"No, not that; not what I was going to say. It's just complicated."
Tilting her head, "How so?"
Patting the bed beside her. "Here. Come sit. See, Honey, when I first met Matt I was just about your age."
"Really?"
"Uh huh, about nineteen. I stepped off a stage in Dodge, cold wet and hungry. I walked into a café to get something to eat before hurrying back on that stage when I saw a man across the room. He was the biggest man I ever saw in my life." She now smiled, remembering the thought.
Hilda smiled. "He is big."
"He ate the biggest breakfast I ever saw, as well. He had the bluest eyes. I fell in love with him, I believe, right there. So much so, I decided to stay."
"Wow, you mean you knew, just like that?"
"Yeah, just like that. But…"
"But what?" She asked.
"I later found out that big man was married already."
"Oh, no, Miss Kitty!"
"No, now wait, Hilda. Not like you think. He was married, but not to a woman. That big man wore a big badge, a Marshal's badge. He was devoted to that badge and the job and oath that went with it. And Matt's understanding of that was that he didn't feel he had any right to any permanent relationship, wife or children. He felt his life could end at any given moment and thought it unfair to leave behind a widow and or orphans."
"But, Miss Kitty, what about you and how you felt?"
"Oh well. In the beginning…" Now closing her eyes. "It wasn't easy. But I've come to understand and accept it."
Looking at Kitty with sadness in her eyes. "Miss Kitty, that's just…" Then she looked up. "And you still love him?"
Kitty said nothing, just hugged her.
The door opened. "Hey, thought you might want to try eating something?" Matt said.
"Aw, that sounds good."
"Oh, Miss Kitty, that reminds me. I understand the Marshal here doesn't turn down too many meals."
Now laughing aloud. "Not many."
"Well, he actually did."
Then Doc snickered. See Kitty, something can make him stop eating."
"Oh, Curly. you stop.'
After they all left, Matt and Kitty sat alone having coffee.
"Matt, there's only one thing I want after everything that's happened."
He realized she was trying to get out of bed. "Kit? What are you doing?"
"Relax, Cowboy. I'm fine. I just need to get up and moving."
"Kit, just tell me what you need. Anything." With his hands on her waist placing her back on the bed.
"Anything, Cowboy?" Now looking at him with sultry, pouty eyes.
Rolling his eyes, "Now, Kitty Russell, you're not well enough for that just yet."
Bursting into a loud laugh, "Relax, Matt. Although that's real enticing that's not what I had in mind." Now cupping his cheeks. "Cowboy, take me HOME."
"Home?"
"Yes, Matt, home. Please? I want to go home, our home, Dodge. Please Matt?"
He looked in those azure blue eyes, now knowing he could refuse her nothing. Nodding, "Ok, Honey, I'll go talk to Doc and Dr. Madison."
Pulling him in, placing a gentle kiss on his lips. It slowly turned into a more passionate kiss.
"Damn it, Woman! You know how to get to me."
Smiling at him. "Is that a fact, Marshal?"
TBC
