Three Days Later

Doc emerged from his back room, buttoning his shirt. "Thanks Festus, for sitting up with Matt while I got a little sleep."

"Golly Bill, Doc, you ain't gonna do Matthew or nobody else no good iffin ya don't sleep some."

"He wake up at all?" Doc glanced at Matt's unmoving body, as he walked over to the stove and filled a cup with coffee."

"Not even a itty-bitty bit Doc. Fact is, seems like Matthew's barely breathin'. Coupla times I put my ear ta his chest, so's I could make myself dang sure his heart's still beatin'."

"I know how you feel Festus." Doc sighed, "And all I can do, at this point, is keep trying to get drops of water into him, and stave off infections." He pressed his fingers to Matt's wrist and shook his head. "I can hardly feel a pulse, but it's better than nothing. Festus you go on and get yourself something to eat. Gail will be by soon to help out."

Festus took a last look at Matt and shoved on his hat. Doc, folks will be askin' me 'bout Matthew. I'll jus' tell 'em thars no change yet, and they gotta keep hopin' and prayin'."

St. Louis

Comfortable on the parlor couch, Kitty flipped through Ladies Home Journal looking for wedding reception ideas. She glanced across the room and smiled with contentment. John was teaching Johnny to play checkers. Their heads were bent together in heavy concentration, making it was easy to see their strong resemblance. As they played, she couldn't help but think of the checker games she'd watched in Dodge. Sweet Chester playing Doc, or Doc playing Matt. Herself – she enjoyed playing solitaire, but sometimes Matt would come along and ….

"Kitty, you must take a look at this ad for wedding dresses in St. Louis Gazette." Elmira pressed a folded newspaper into Kitty's hands. "The one pictured is quite elegant, the type of gown that would look stunning on you."

Glad to have her mind brought back to wedding plans, Kitty smiled. "Thank you, I'll take a look." She leaned back and unfolded the newspaper, to examine the picture of the wedding gown, but her eye was drawn to the bolded headline at the top of the page. Highly Regarded US Marshal Seriously Wounded. United States Marshal, Mathew Dillon, often considered the best marshal in the country, was seriously wounded on Saturday. His survival is in doubt. Marshal Dillon recently achieved accolades for dismantling the Reynolds Gang and…

"Kitty, Kitty."

She looked up and saw John staring at her. "Kitty, are you all right? You suddenly went pale. I'd swear you'd seen a ghost."

"I'm fine." She forced a smile. "But I-I need to get some air, I think I'll take a little walk." John started to rise from his seat. She put up a hand. "I'm fine John, you stay here and continue the checkers lesson. I'll be right back."

She smiled reassuringly and hurried out the door. Walking faster and faster, along edge of the park, she found herself where she needed to be, outside the telegraph office. She pushed through door. "I'd like to send a telegram." The bored clerk behind the counter, looked up from the book he was reading and slid a pencil and form in her direction. "Fill this out. To and from is free. The message part is 25 cents a word."

She took the form with a nod, unsure of what to write, and decided short was best.

To: Doctor Adams, Dodge City Kansas.

Message: How is Matt?

From: Kitty Russell, St. Louis Missouri.

She returned to the clerk. "Please send this. I'm not sure I'll get a response, but if one comes, it can be brought to me at my address: 2430 Gravois Boulevard." She put 75 cents on the counter. The clerk nodded and started to tap out the message. With nothing more to do, Kitty slowly walked home feeling numb, unable to think about anything. When she entered the house John rushed to her side, "Are you sure you're all right? You did turn such a ghastly white."

"It's sweet of you to be concerned. I…" the doorbell interrupted her. John quickly opened the door.. A young messenger held out a folded piece of paper. "I have a telegram for a Kitty Russell." She moved in front of John to take message from the young man's hand, and stepped aside to read it. To Kitty Russell, St. Louis. Wound bad. Still unconscious. Don't know. Doc.

Although curious about the wire, John gave Kitty space. He thank the messenger, tipped him and sent him on his way.

Kitty folded the telegram, made a quick decision and looked at her finance. "John, I've received some bad news. A friend of mine has become quite ill. I must go to Dodge City right away."

"How terrible. Of course you must go. I'd go with you, but getting away from work right now would be impossible."

Kitty put a hand on his arm. "No, no I understand. It's fine. I'll leave for Dodge on the late train tonight, and be back as soon as I can. Heart pounding, she raced upstairs to her attic room, threw two blouses, a skirt, a nightgown and a fresh set of undergarments into a small suitcase. She paused at the door. What the heck was she doing, running to Matt like this. She closed her eyes for a moment and shook her head. There was no point in trying to sort it all out, she simply had to go. Grabbing a hat, to look proper for traveling, she hurried down the staircase. John was waiting by the door. "I'll go with you to the station. Don't worry about your friend. I'm sure she'll be just fine." He helped Kitty into the carriage, climbed in after her and put a comforting arm around her shoulders. She felt so guilty, she couldn't meet his eyes. John assumed a female friend of hers, in Dodge, had fallen ill. There was no way to explain that her "sick friend" was a badly wounded man she'd loved for 20 years. She took John's hand. "I'll be back before you know it. As soon as I return, I'll let Marty at the Sweetwater know, I'm leaving the Cafe, and we'll make all our other plans come true – our house, the wedding, our life together. I love you John."

TBC