When the night has come

And the land is dark

And the moon is the only light we'll see

No, I won't be afraid

Oh, I won't be afraid

Just as long as you stand, stand by me

"Stand By Me" Sung by Ben E. King, written by Ben E. King, Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller

Chapter Six

She must have fallen asleep because she woke up when she heard the door open. "Matt?"

"It's just me," Doc said. "Matt went to get you some supper." He pulled a chair over to the bed and sat next to her. "Now, what seems to be the trouble? Matt said you fainted."

"I just got a little dizzy. That's normal, isn't it?"

"Well, maybe it is and maybe it isn't," he said, putting his fingers on her wrist to check her pulse. "Mmm hmm," he said after a moment. "What were you doing when you fainted?"

"I stood up."

"Mmm hmm," he said again. He put a hand on her forehead and looked into her eyes. "Well, your pupils look good, you aren't running a fever, and your pulse is nice and steady."

"Doc...I'm sorry."

"Don't worry about that right now. You can be sorry tomorrow, all right? You have any other symptoms? Any pain, or...bleeding?"

"No, nothing like that."

"You'd tell me if you were, right?"

"Of course."

"Well, then, let's try sitting up a little. Take it slow, now," he said as she sat forward. He piled her pillows behind her and she sat back against them. "Now, can we talk about a few things without you trying to take my scalp off?"

"Doc, I said I was sorry-"

He chuckled. "Yes, you did. Well, I think what happened tonight was probably normal, but if it keeps happening I want you to tell me. Now, what if you had fainted downstairs instead of up here in your room? And think about what else could go wrong while you're working. I don't want you getting caught in the middle of a barroom brawl, or worse….You have more than yourself to worry about now. And you don't want Matt having to worry about both of you every night, do you?"

"No, Doc. But Matt's going to worry anyway."

"Well, then, why in thunder would you want to make him worry even more?"

"I don't. I don't care that much about working, Doc. I can get someone to help Sam. But, what you said about Matt and me. Why? I need him, Doc. I need him...we've never been apart that long." She was beginning to get tearful again. Doc took her hand.

"Now, let me tell you something, young lady. You aren't going to be apart, not for that reason. Matt's still going to be with you, just as much as he can. And as for why-well, I just don't want you to take any chances with that baby. I know how much the baby means to you, but do you have any idea how much it means to me? I'd take it very personally if you didn't do everything you could to keep yourself and the baby healthy and something happened."

"I know, Doc. What you told me before didn't really bother me much, it was about what I expected. But this afternoon, well, you scared me. I don't like it. I don't want to spend all my time worrying, I just want to be happy."

"Well, then, why don't you let me do the worrying and you can just enjoy getting ready to be a mother. Now, I can't promise you that everything will be fine if you follow my orders, but you'll give me considerably less gray hairs if you do. Well, I think I hear Matt coming back with your supper." The door opened and Matt came in with their tray. "Matt, it's about time you got back. I thought maybe you had to go out and rope that steer yourself."

"Not hardly, Doc, I think this one probably just laid down and died." Matt took the tray over to the table while Kitty got out of bed under Doc's watchful eye.

"I think you'd better quit talking about our food that way if you expect me to eat any of it. Doc, can you come by at closing time tonight?"

"Now, what did we just get through talking about?"

"Oh, I'll stay away until then, I promise. But, please, come around then and have a drink with us."

"I'll do that. Matt, I want you to make sure she eats," he said on his way out the door.

"You just can't help yourself, can you Doc?" Kitty called after him.

When the last customer had gone, Kitty descended the stairs and sat down at a table near the bar to begin working on the books. "Go ahead and close up, Sam, but don't lock up just yet. Matt's coming by for a drink later with Doc and Festus. Did Matt ask you to put that champagne on ice?"

"He sure did, Miss Kitty, it should be ready now. May I ask what the occasion is?"

"Oh, you'll find out. You are going to join us after all."

"I'd be honored. Miss Kitty?"

"Yes, Sam?"

"Are you feeling all right?" His employer's absence the entire night hadn't gone unnoticed by him or by the regular customers, and he'd heard Doc go up earlier in the evening, so inquiring after her health seemed like the proper thing to do.

"I'm fine, Sam, please don't worry about me."

"Yes, ma'am. Well, I think I hear them now, should I lock the door after them?"

When they were all seated at a large round table in the middle of the room, Sam brought the open bottle of champagne and glasses and took his seat with the rest of them. Kitty poured and handed each one a glass. Festus raised his glass to his mouth. Doc grabbed his arm just in time.

"Wal, what's gotten into you, you ol' scudder?" Festus exclaimed. "I'm fixing to drink this 'ere drink, don'tcha see?"

"Now, just wait a minute. It appears that there's about to be some sort of announcement. You can just have your drink afterwards."

"Doc's right, Festus. There is an announcement." Kitty looked at Matt sitting next to her and smiled.

"Well, you all know how I feel about speeches, so this won't take long," Matt said, putting his arm around Kitty and gently pulling her next to him. "We wanted you all to be the first to know that this beautiful lady has finally agreed to make an honest man of me."

Kitty murmured, so that no one else could hear, "That's not the way I remember it, Cowboy, but if you want to rewrite twenty years of history, I have no objection."

"Now," Matt said, raising his glass, "would you all join me in a toast to my lovely bride-to-be?" They all raised their glasses.

"Hear, hear," Doc said. "Kitty, I always knew I'd end up losing you to that oversized lawman someday."

"Now, Curly, you didn't really expect me to wait for you forever!"

"Well, I just couldn't be happier for the both of you. Couldn't be happier." Doc watched as Kitty and Matt exchanged kisses, for the first time publicly acknowledging the extent of their relationship. For the moment they only had eyes for each other.

"Congratulations, Miss Kitty, Marshal," Sam said, smiling proudly. He couldn't help noticing that Miss Kitty hadn't touched her champagne and wondered if she was feeling ill after all.

"If that ain't the biggest and bestest news I heard in a long spell!" Festus exclaimed, downing his champagne in one gulp. "Say, that champeen is plumb tasty! You orta serve that more often, Miss Kitty. Ya got any more?" he asked hopefully.

"The bottle's empty, Festus. But here, take mine. I'm not very thirsty."

"Much obliged, Miss Kitty." Festus raised the glass again. "Here's mud in yore eye!"