"A" is for Apple, "O" is for Outlaw!

PT.8

"MIZ KITTY!" Festus yelled after several shots were fired. Then he rushed over, kneeling down and scooping her up in his arms. "AWWWWWW, Miz Kitty, I got'cha. Yer gonna be alright. I shore promise ya."

Quickly, Matt rushed up beside Festus. "Festus, how bad is it?" Both were hovering over her and Festus was ripping back the material of her sleeve.

"She was hit in the shoulder, Matthew."

Slowly, Kitty started to come to. 'Ah, Ma…tt?"

"Kitty, I'm right here. I'm right here."

"Ah, it burns." She groaned.

"Miz Kitty, yer gonna be alright. Matthew, it looks like it went right on out."

"Festus, let's get her inside. "Shore thing, Matthew."

Just then Luke started stirring and called out. "Kit-ty? Kit-ty?"

Matt turned to Luke, checking on him. He had been shot in the stomach. Cal was already dead. "Dandridge?"

Shaking his head in anger. "Marshal, I need to talk to her. Please? Not much… time… Ki-tty…"

When Kitty heard him, she began trying to pull herself up. "Festus, help me up and over there."

"Aw, but Miz Kitty…"

"Festus, please?"

Knowing Matt wouldn't be happy about it, he was still more worried about not doing what she wanted. Slowly, he bagan helping her move closer to Luke.

As she knelt down beside Luke, she furrowed her brow. "Luke?"

"Kit-ty, it… looks like… I need you to… do me one… more favor. Looks like… I'm not going to… get to… write my fan-cy words. Will you… write… them for me? For… Sue Ellen? One New Orleans lady to another?" Slowly, he reached up touching her cheek, ever so gently.

Nodding , "Sure I will, Luke. Just like you wanted."

"You are one fine, Lady and whoever he is…" Now winking at her, "he's crazy if he doesn't keep you. "pour toujours dars mon coeur" Then, he looked slightly towards Matt before taking his final breath.

Matt and Festus carried Kitty inside the cabin, figuring they could bandage her up enough till they could get her back to Doc in Dodge. Kitty sat quietly. Matt was tormenting himself, not knowing just who's bullet it was that shot Kitty. He knew it wasn't Luke, so it had to be him or Cal. He couldn't stand the thought that it would be his bullet that hit her. And if she knew that what would she think? And would she forgive him?

"Kitty, we'll get you out of here and back to Dodge as soon as we can. Ok?"

"Matt, you have to bury him."

"Oh, yeah, Kitty, we're gonna do that."

"No, I mean around the side of the cabin there's a fresh grave. Bury him next to it."

"Huh? Kitty, what are you talking about? And what was he talking to you about?"

Waving her hands up, "The grave out there is his wife. She died a few days ago."

"Kitty what am I missing here?"

"Cowboy, it's gonna take a lot of telling and I'm just too tired right now. Festus can you help me here please?"

Matt just turned away not sure what was bothering her.

Kitty had Festus help her carve the letters in wood while Tom and Dan helped Matt bury Luke and Cal.

Kitty managed to teach Festus to carve the letters, to write out Cal's name for his grave then for Sue Ellen and Luke she wrote:

Luke and Sue Ellen Cole Dandridge…"Pour toujours dars mon coeur" R.I.P

After they were all packed up, Matt had looked around but found no wagon or buggy. "Kitty, how you feeling"?

"Oh, I'm ok, Matt."

"Kit, I couldn't find a buggy or…"

Shaking her head, "No matter. Let's just go home, Cowboy. This horse is fine."

He noticed she was still distracted. "Kit, Honey, did something happen you want to tell me about?"

With a slight turn of the corners of her mouth, "We'll talk about it later."

Most of the ride back to Dodge was in silence. "Matt?" Kitty started to ask. "What will happen to those two?" She nodded towards the two remaining outlaws.

Looking puzzled at her, "Well, Kitty, they'll stand trial for robbery and idnapping and the shooting of those two men."

"Matt, about that…"

"What, Kit?"

"About the shooting. Matt, what if there were special circumstances?"

Shaking his head, "KITTY? What are you talking about?"

"No, now wait a minute, Matt. Think about it for a minute. Maybe Luke had a good reason for why he and the boys shot those men."

Now slowing down the horses and looking her in the eyes, blue to blue. "Kitty, is there something you want to talk about? Something you know?"

"Well, let's just say in the last couple of days I've learned something about Luke Dandridge. I guess I learned a side of him that most people never see, or seen." Now tilting her head and hesitating. "Probably never will."

"Kitty? Will you just say what you want to say?"

"Matt, he was just reacting the same as you did."

"AS I DID?" He repeated.

"Yes, Matt, to Jude Bonner." She now stared at him with a raised brow. "Well, a similar situation. The reason might have been different but all in all…" she now looked at him with that look of pain in her eyes. "And those two there, she was their sister.

TBC