I swear

By the moon and the stars in the sky

I'll be there

I swear

Like a shadow that's by your side

I'll be there

For better or worse

Till death do us part

I'll love you with every beat of my heart

I swear

"I Swear"

Sung by John Michael Montgomery, written by Frank Joseph Myers and Gary B. Baker

Chapter Twenty Eight

Doc made his way down the stairs. It wasn't taking as long for Matt to get there as Kitty seemed to think, but just to set her mind at ease, if Doc didn't see him riding his horse into town when he got down to the street, he was going to find another man to ride out to the farm in case something was wrong. Fortunately, he saw Matt and Festus in the distance, galloping into town. As they got closer he waved his hat and called to them before they could turn toward the stable. They slowed as they got to Doc's office, Matt swinging himself off Buck while he was still moving. "What happened? Is she all right?"

Doc spoke to Festus first. "Can you get over to the Long Branch and see if Hannah or one of the girls can go over to the house and get some of Kitty's things for her? They'll know what she needs."

Festus took the key Doc handed him. "Shore thing, Doc. Matthew, I'll put your horse up when I get back."

"Is the baby coming, Doc? How is she?" Matt was already heading for the office.

"It's starting to look that way. She's been awful worried about you."

"Me? Why?" Matt turned to look at him at the foot of the stairs.

Doc chuckled. "Well, she's nervous and impatient and she thought it was taking too long-" He was interrupted by the sound of screams coming from his office.

"Matt! Matt!"

Matt responded to Kitty's anguished cries by taking the stairs two and three at a time and throwing the office door open with such force the window shattered. At the doorway of the bedroom he stopped, blocking Doc's view of the room.

"Oh, my God, Kitty," he whispered.

Kitty cowered in the opposite corner of the room, gasping for breath. She clutched at her throat desperately, and Matt could see deep red scratches running down both sides of her neck to her collarbone. He was nearly at her side when she cried out for him again. "I'm here, Kitty." He crouched next to her and put a hand tentatively on her arm. She knocked it away.

"Leave me alone, you filthy pigs!" Her voice was low, almost a growl. She looked up at Matt and he could see the terror and lack of recognition in her eyes.

Doc knelt on the other side of her. "Kitty, it's Doc. You're having a nightmare. Come on and wake up now, before you hurt yourself."

Kitty began to cry out again, wrapping her arms around her middle and moaning, "No, no, stay away from me." Resisting his impulse to pull her into his arms, Matt spoke to her gently.

"Kitty? It's me, honey. I'm right here. You're at Doc's and you're safe." He repeated the words as Kitty looked around the room with unseeing eyes. "I'm just going to hold your hand now." He slowly lifted one of her hands in his and she startled a little but didn't pull away.

"Matt," she murmured. "Matt, where are you?" She could hear him, but he must not have found her yet because the Dog Soldiers were still hurting her. She felt someone take her hand and panicked for a moment, then relaxed when she recognized Matt's touch. She tried to concentrate on the hand and the voice and not the pain. From some place she couldn't see, Matt kept telling her that she was safe, that he and Doc were with her, that no one was going to hurt her any more. She heard him say he was going to take her away from the Dog Soldiers, and she turned toward the voice eagerly.

When Matt lifted Kitty from the floor to take her to Doc's bed, she wrapped her arms around his neck. "Matt, Matt," she whispered in relief. As he got her settled onto the bed, their eyes met and he could see she was starting to come back. Just then her fingers dug into his shoulders and she looked at him with bewilderment. "They're hurting me, Matt."

"Doc?" Matt looked at him helplessly.

Doc sat on the other side of the bed and took Kitty's hand. "Kitty, those pains you keep having...they're from your baby getting ready to come into the world."

"My baby?" she asked flatly. "My baby." She looked at Matt and Doc in horror, and then looked away from them both. "Oh, my God, no, no!" she cried hopelessly.

Matt sat stunned for a moment, thinking she no longer wanted his baby, then the realization hit him. Dear God, she didn't think…. He could see her slipping back away from him. "Kitty, honey, look at me," he said, fighting to stay calm. "If you can't look at me, at least listen. That's our baby you're about to have. My baby. Did you hear me? It's my baby. The-the Dog Soldiers were a long time ago. Too long ago to have anything to do with our baby." When she didn't respond, he put his hand to her cheek, gently turning her face his direction, and waited until she looked up at him before speaking again. "Do you trust me, Kitty?" She nodded slowly, not taking her eyes away from him. "You're my wife. We got married last year. Do you remember?"

"Yes," she answered, but he didn't think she really remembered. He reached for her left hand and lifted it for her to see.

"Remember this? Your wedding ring?"

Kitty looked at the ring, tracing over it gently with the fingers of her other hand. A smile came to her face and he could see that she did remember. "Your mother's ring." Another contraction started and she continued talking through it, gasping for breath between words. "You gave it to me...after I told you...about the baby...but you were...already...gonna ask me anyway."

"Welcome back, honey." Matt stroked her back as Kitty leaned against his chest through the rest of the contraction. It ended and she pulled away, looking at him.

"And you were going to get a new suit, but it was just like your old one," she continued.

"Oh, now, you didn't have to go bringin' that up," Matt chuckled and kissed her forehead lightly.

Kitty started to weep softly as she realized the significance of everything that happened since Doc left to look for Matt. "Oh, Matt, I thought it was actually happening again. And how could I have forgotten our wedding and your baby?"

"It's all right, Kitty." He held her hand in both of his and kissed it gently.

"I'm sorry, Doc."

"You don't have anything to be sorry for." Doc replied gruffly. "I'm the one who should be sorry. I'd have never left you alone if I thought that would happen."

"But-but I promised to stay in bed!"

"You know, I forgot all about that until you reminded me just now. I must be getting as senile as Festus thinks I am."

Kitty laughed in spite of her tears. Her hand tightened on Matt's. "I'm sorry, Kitty," he said. Sorry for causing you all this pain.

"It's not so bad, Cowboy." She smiled, but couldn't keep the truth from her eyes. It hurts so much, Matt. Please don't leave me.

"I'm not going anywhere. I'll stay right here as long as you need me." Doc looked up from cleaning the scratches on Kitty's neck. "I'm not leaving her, Doc. Not now." Two pairs of blue eyes dared him to argue.

He gave a quick shake of his head. "No, sir, I'm not gonna say one word. Be a complete waste of my time, and I've got more important things to do. On one condition. If she changes her mind and wants you to leave, you go."

Kitty shuddered through another pain, clinging to Matt. "I won't want him to leave."

"We'll see," Doc chuckled.

"I see you found yourself a nurse, Doc," said a woman's voice from the doorway.

"Kitty, we sent Hannah over to the house to get some of your things. I'm gonna step out now and talk to her while you change into one of your nightgowns." Doc handed Matt the bag and closed the door behind them as they walked into the outer room. "You ever deliver a baby, Hannah?"

"I've helped with my share."

"Well, I can use the help, if the Long Branch can spare you. He's there to hold her hand until she throws him out; I don't expect him to be much of an assistant otherwise."

"Doc, from everything you've told me about the two of them, I wouldn't count on getting him out of there if I were you." Hannah shook her head.

"No, I suppose not. But it's gonna be awful hard for him, seeing her like that. It isn't something he can fix by taking off after some outlaw." Doc tugged at his ear and swiped a hand across his mustache. Turning to his supply cabinet, he and Hannah started gathering what they needed.

Once Kitty was changed into her nightgown Hannah helped her take her hair down and brushed and braided it for her. Matt helped her lie down on her side and sat on the edge of the bed where she could see him, and the waiting began. As afternoon turned into evening the pain became more intense and Kitty clung to Matt, crying. Gradually she began to lose awareness of anything but the pain and Matt's presence next to her, holding her hand, stroking her hair and whispering how much he loved and needed her. Part of the time she knew she was having a baby; at other times she was fighting for her life after her ordeal with the Dog Soldiers, but she knew Matt was with her and she wasn't afraid. Sometimes she heard Doc and Hannah talking to each other or Matt, but nothing they said registered as she focused on Matt's hand holding hers, wiping her forehead with a cool cloth, giving her sips of water, helping her change position. Finally, when light was just beginning to come through the window the next morning, she realized Doc was talking to her.

"Kitty," he said, taking her other hand, "the baby is going to be here soon. I need you to push as hard as you can with the next pain, all right?"

Kitty looked at Doc, confused. "I'm having a baby?"

"Well, yes, you're having a baby, that's what we're all doing here. Honey, did you forget again?" Doc and Matt exchanged worried looks as Doc touched a hand to her forehead and looked at her eyes.

"Yeah. No. No, I remember."

"She's got some fever, but I think she'll be all right once the baby gets here and she's not in so much pain." Doc said to Matt quietly. "I don't think it will be too much longer."

Kitty reached up and pulled weakly at the front of Matt's shirt. He leaned closer, eyes full of concern. "What do you need, honey?"

"I-I want my mother!" A sob broke loose as she said this and she buried her face against Matt's chest. Matt's heart broke for her. Never, in all the time they'd known each other, even when she was near death, had she asked for her mother.

"I know, sweetheart. I'd get her for you if I could," he said, helplessly. And mine, too.

"Will I do?" Hannah asked, approaching the opposite side of the bed.

"Uh, huh," Kitty nodded against Matt's shirt. Hannah reached across the bed and gathered Kitty into her arms, cradling her head against her shoulder.

"I know, honey. It won't be long now." Hannah patted Kitty's back gently as she cried, then began to moan as another contraction started. "Not just yet, Doc. Let her start pushing with the next one."

Breathing deeply as the contraction ended, Kitty looked up at Hannah. "You ever have a baby?"

"Yes, I have," she answered, without further explanation. "I wanted my mother, too."

"Kitty?" Matt asked a little uncertainly. "Do you want me to leave?"

"No, I just…." Their eyes met and she reached for his hand. Sometimes a woman can handle women better than a man can. He nodded. I remember, Kitty.

"You've got a good man, there, Kitty, even if he doesn't know how it feels," Hannah said. "Stay right where you are, Matt. We're going to help her sit up a little through this part." They supported her back as she pushed through several contractions, her cries becoming louder each time. Finally Doc announced, "Here she is!"

"A girl? Is it over?" Kitty asked, falling back in exhaustion.

"Yeah, it's over, Kitty. You did it." Matt stroked the hair away from her face and looked at her proudly.

"It's a girl," Doc said, then, "Hannah, I need you over here." Hannah joined Doc at the bureau, where Doc had set up his supplies. They talked too quietly for Matt and Kitty to understand what they were saying. Matt watched worriedly, but they were blocking his view of the baby. Kitty struggled to sit up, finally realizing something wasn't right.

"Doc," she asked. "Why isn't she crying?"