PT.8

Chances

Most everyone had heard the shatter of glass from the Dodge House. Festus was yelling for Doc.

Matt was quickly brushing away the glass and as he turned the body around, he just heard Kitty's voice say, "Oh Maggie!"

Matt couldn't help but stare. "Kitty you know this woman?"

Nodding, "Yeah, Matt, yeah, Is she… "

She's breathing, Kit, but barely." He answered.

Doc pushed through the cluster of people crowded around. "Doc?" Kitty knelt down beside him. "Doc?"

"Kitty, I'm gonna need you to help me. Matt, can you get her up to my office?"

"Sure, Doc," Matt knelt beside him.

"Matt, be gentle. I'm not sure what damage has been done yet."

Matt scooped her up as easy as he could. "Festus, get Hughes. Don't let him go anywhere."

"Matthew, I git um' directly, then I'll git them youngins' an take 'um on over ta' Ma' Smalley's."

Doc's office….

Once in Doc's office, Kitty helped Doc get Maggie undressed and settled in the bed so he could try and examine her. It was apparent that Maggie had lied to Kitty about how long it had been since she last saw John Hughes, just by the bruises on her body. They were old but new enough to tell she had seen him recently. As were the practically healed broken bones and ribs. "Doc, this poor girl. I've seen some girls that have been abused and…"

Kitty couldn't finish… "Ya know, Curly, she came here looking for her parents."

Tugging on his ear, sniffing, "And? Did she find them?"

Swatting him on his shoulder, "NO! I know what you all think, it is amazing, scary really, but no, she's not mine. She's a sweet girl, Curly, and I can't say that I wouldn't mind if she was. But, no, she's not. But I'm pretty sure I remember the gal that Cole went off with that is. She looked a lot like me. Kate, she was a few years older than me. She could keep up on Cole's pace. But he was never gone settle with any one woman. But Kate never seemed the settling down type either. Yet some women do change. We'll never know what became of Kate. But it'd be nice to know for Maggie's sake, and those boys."

Down in the jail, Matt unlocked the jail, grabbed Hughes by the scruff of his neck. "Now, you'd better start talking."

"What goes on between a man and his wife is none of your concern, Marshal! Just trying to keep her in line and she fell. Clumsy I guess."

"Your wife huh? Then how do you explain yourself in the saloon earlier?"

"Oh you mean the Redhead? Well a man needs a little entertainment now and again."

Matt lost it, throwing a punch landing it straight on Hughes jaw, bouncing him up against the wall. "You just bought yourself some jail time and you'd best pray she's not too hurt?"

Matt headed for Doc's office. Kitty and Doc were sitting in the outer room as he entered. "How is she Doc?"

Kitty noticed his hand right off. "Ohhh, Cowboy, please tell me you didn't? Let me guess he said something to..."

Quickly he stopped her, "Let's just say, I didn't care for his answers to my questions."

"Of course you didn't. Come here, let me clean that up."

Doc, just snickered. "Yes, let Doctor Russell clean that up."

Now Matt and Doc began snickering.

"Hey, both of you can cut that out!" She told them.

TBC