After the Storm 16

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

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Doc glanced over at Matt, as they sat in the back of the hired cab, while it wended its way across cobblestoned streets and through the early morning Boston traffic, on its way to the hospital. The clip clop of the horses' hooves but a distant noise, as the cold wind whipping past them muffled the sound somewhat.

Doc could see the tension in his friend. "You ready for this?" he asked.

Matt started to immediately nod, then ceased the forward motion of his head, and shrugged instead. "I'm ready for her to get out of that hospital" he answered truthfully, "but as for anything else, I'm not sure."

For a moment, Doc quietly watched the surrounding city as they passed through it, before speaking again. "You know she's not said too much about this?" He didn't have to elaborate.

Matt pulled his coat tighter around him, as the cold wind whipped past, grateful that Margaret had agreed to take care of Benjamin, so he didn't have to bring him out in the cold.

Margaret had been a God send in more than one way. Thinking about it he wasn't sure what he would've done without her help this last week. She had even cleaned the house for Kitty's homecoming.

Keeping his gaze forward, staring at the driver's bald head, he finally answered. "I know and the few times I've brought it up, she's changed the subject, or said she was tired or something. She knows as well as I do, that we need to talk about it, but I guess she's just not ready yet."

"Well," Doc took a swipe at his mustache. "Maybe when she's home…." He stopped. 'Boston wasn't really home for her was it?' he wondered.

Matt didn't reply, as he continued to keep his eyes focused on the bald head in front of him. Boston wasn't home to him, but he was no longer so sure about Kitty. His stomach in knots, he recalled the brief conversation they had had the previous evening, when he had finally taken Benjamin up to see her.

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"Dr. Lewis said I can go home tomorrow, Matt," she said, eyes shining as she happily hugged her son to her breast. "He said walking will be a little difficult for me, until I build up my strength, but since there's no permanent damage to my spine, I should make a complete recovery."

"Well now that's real fine, Kitty" Matt answered thankfully. "I'm glad to hear that. Did he say when you could travel?"

Kitty's eyes took on a distant look at that question, and she lowered her eyes from his, as she kissed her son's tousled hair. "No he didn't," she said quietly. "I didn't ask him."

Matt started to speak but was interrupted by the nurse, telling him it was time for him, and the baby, to leave so her patient could get some rest.

As he reached for Benjamin, her eyes came up at last to meet his gaze but her expression was unreadable. Her kiss, when given, was soft but more akin to a distant relative, than that of a lover.

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"Matt," Doc interrupted his thoughts "we knew coming that it wasn't going to be easy. We're just going to have to give her time."

Matt nodded, finally looking over at his wise old friend. "I know Doc, but I just wish I knew how much time."

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Doc and Matt alighted from the carriage, asked the driver to come back for them in an hour, and hustled into the relatively warmer lobby of the Hospital. As they started towards the stairs, Doc once again looked over at the tall man beside him, seeing the anxiousness on his face.

Before they started up, Doc stopped him. "Matt, you go on up to Kitty. I'm going to look up Dr. Lewis. I need to know a few things before we take her home."

Matt eyes grew wide with instant worry. "Is something wrong? You read something in that file he gave you?"

Doc shook his head as he patted him on the arm. "No, no nothing like that" he reassured. "It's just I've not had to deal with too many spinal injuries in Dodge, and I just want to make sure Kitty gets the same care with me, that she did with Dr. Lewis. I just want to go over her treatment that's all."

Matt visibly relaxed and nodded his head. "Alright then, I'll see you in a few minutes."

As Matt began to climb the stairs Doc turned and made his way down the hall to Dr. Lewis office. He did want to discuss the best type of treatment for Kitty, but more importantly, he wanted to give Matt and Kitty a few moments alone.

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Matt reached Kitty's room, but paused outside of the door, his hand on the knob. Since that horrible day that Kitty had left Dodge, he had lived for nothing but this, to have her back in his arms and his life.

But what about Kitty? Did she want to be back with him? Though she hadn't said much at all about the situation, since regaining consciousness, he knew sooner or later she would. He just hoped what she had to say, wasn't goodbye.

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Kitty sat on the side of her hard hospital bed, as she finished getting dressed. Dr. Lewis said she would be sore, from not only the accident, but also laying around in bed for almost two weeks. Ruefully, she knew he was right as even the simple task of buttoning her blouse, had proved to be painful and hard to accomplish.

Looking down at her bare feet, she realized, putting on her stockings and shoes were going to be beyond her limits. It didn't matter though. Nothing mattered to her right then.

She was going home to her son.

And to his father.

That thought still staggered her.

Matt was there, with her, declaring his love for her and his son.

Asking her to take him back into her life, her heart.

Oh, he had tried to explain everything to her, but she still didn't understand it completely. The fact that he had hurt her so completely, no matter the reason, was a hard fact to swallow.

She still loved him of course. She probably always would. But did she still trust him?

Could she still trust him?

A knock came at the door. Taking a deep breath, she smoothed back her fly away hair from her face. "Come in Matt" she called.

TBC