After the Storm 8

I don't own these characters; I just like to spend time with them. No other profit to be had than that.

MKMKMKMKMKMKMKMKMKMK

Kitty let herself into her house, hanging her winter cloak on the hall tree, and quickly made her way into the parlor.

Margaret, her neighbor, looked up and smiled. "Oh Kitty," she said, "everything alright?"

Kitty shrugged, "Oh yes, everything's fine. But I wanted to be here instead." She went over to the bassinette, seeing that her now two month old son was awake and happily kicking his legs, turning his head toward the sound of her voice.

"What's up, big fella," Kitty cooed as she picked him up, showering him with kisses. Turning back towards Margaret as she prepared to leave, Kitty reached for her handbag.

"I want to thank you for coming over on such short notice this morning and helping me," she told her. "I didn't know what else to do."

Margaret smiled and patted Kitty on the arm. "It was no problem at all, Kitty." She reassured her. "Benjamin is a joy to take care of."

Kitty beamed at her son. "He is, isn't he?" Kitty gave him one more kiss, before laying him back into the bassinette. Reaching in to her handbag, she grabbed a handful of bills and thrust them at Margaret.

Margaret shook her head though. "Oh no, Kitty," she protested. "I don't want any money. I'm just glad I could help."

Kitty kept the money extended though. "I know you don't want any money but I want you to take it never the less. You saved me this morning and I'm grateful for it."

Margaret shook her no again. "It's not necessary, and if you need anything else you let me know. Will you?"

Kitty smiled gratefully. "I sure will." She answered as Margaret made her way to the door and left.

Turning her full attention back to her son, Kitty quickly took off her blouse, chemise and skirt before picking her son up and placing him at her breast. She had spent the morning in the pub, and her clothes smelled of smoke and liquor. Funny, she mused, that never used to bother her at the Long Branch. But it did now, and she didn't want her son around it.

Benjamin latched on hungrily as she knew he would, and she sighed as she watched him. He was such a beautiful baby with dark, reddish brown ringlets surrounding a cherubic face with eyes of crystal blue. Little dimples of fat at his knees and elbows betrayed his size. He was a big baby, bigger than any other two month old she had ever seen, but then his daddy was big as well.

Benjamin's birth had been difficult on her, and she still felt some of the soreness and pain from it. But his birth had been one of the happiest events of her life, as well as one of the saddest, because Matt hadn't been there.

She would've loved to seen him with his son, but he had made it clear he wanted nothing to do with her or Benjamin. She had tried to understand that and to accept it, but she just couldn't. The man she knew, the one she had fallen so deeply in love with, would have never treated her the way he did.

But that was the point. He did do it. He had pushed her away with a vengeance. She knew she would always love Matt, and no one, no matter how kind or loving towards her, would ever be able to take his place. But she had a son to raise and a life to get on with and no matter how confused and heartbroken, or even angry she was; it changed nothing.

Once Benjamin had finished she burped him and rocked him until he fell back to sleep. Carefully, she laid him back down in the bassinette and headed to her bedroom to bathe and put on fresh clothes. When she came back in, she checked on the sleeping infant, and then sat down at the large oak desk, in the corner of her parlor.

Most of the work she accomplished for the pub, was done right there at that desk. This morning being an exception, she was seldom at the tavern itself.

But this morning she had had no choice. Nathan, her partner and wonderful friend, had been hurt and needed stitches for a cut on his arm.

He hadn't wanted to summon Kitty, but Hank, his head barman, hadn't been able to make it in, and Nathan had wanted to have someone there he could trust. He trusted Kitty.

When Nathan returned, Kitty was glad he was alright, and even more grateful to go home. Just a few hours behind the bar and she was exhausted. Besides, she wanted to be with her son.

Looking around her, Kitty realized just how small her world had become. While she had made friends of a sort, of her neighbors and her partner, she was never the less alone, and she realized she wanted it that way. Reaching out to others, meant risking rejection and she didn't think her heart could handle anymore of that from anyone.

Besides, logically or not, and despite her anger, Matt was still too much in her heart and her mind.

Looking at the thick stack of paperwork before her, she decided to leave that till later. Her heart and her head weren't in it.

MKMKMKMKMKMK

(Miles away in Kansas – same day)

Matt lay stoically on the exam table, as Doc worked on his shoulder, trying not to react to the pain as the physician worked.

"You know you're awfully lucky Matt," Doc said, "that this wasn't any worse than it was. A couple of inches lower and…."

"Yeah I know," Matt interrupted him. "But it's not important. I just need you to fix me up well enough so that I can get on that train in a couple of days."

"Well I can fix you up well enough," Doc said, as he applied the last bandage "but you won't be getting on that train for at least five days."

"What do you mean?" Matt asked, irritated. "I checked with Chet down at the depot before I left, and he said there would be train going through to Boston on Friday, two days from now."

Doc nodded. "Yes there is, but you're in no condition to get on that train. That shoulder wound is bad, Matt." Doc rubbed his mustache, as he unhooked his glasses from his ears and placed them in their case. "I know you want to go after her, Matt, and I don't blame you, but you're in no shape to travel."

"I'm fine" Matt snapped at him in frustration, as he awkwardly tried to sit up.

Doc placed a restraining hand on his good shoulder and shook his head. "No you're not, Matt. But you will be. That is, if you listen to me. If you go to Boston, in the shape you're in now, you'd be no good to Kitty or yourself or anyone else. Now, you need to rest, for at least a week. Do you honestly think Kitty would appreciate you showing up injured? Hasn't she's taken care of you enough in last few years?"

Matt finally managed to pull himself into a sitting position, while Doc talked. He knew his friend was right, and he certainly didn't want to give Kitty anything else to worry about. No matter how badly he hurt her, he knew if he did show up hurt, she'd take care of him, and he couldn't let that happen.

It was time that Matt Dillon took care of Kitty Russell.

TBC