While Robert and Sam helped Doc moved Festus over to the hospital, Matt left Burke in charge of the jail along with a couple of quickly deputized men from town who had only been to happy to help out.
It was time to tell Kitty exactly what was going on. He dreaded the prospect of informing her because he of all people knew what kind of damage that half-breed monster did to his wife so many years back. But what made it even more concerning for him was the fact that Kitty carried his child and as much as he wanted to protect her from anything harmful, in this situation, he just couldn't shield her from the truth any longer.
Quietly opening the front door, he found her in the dimly lit parlor dressed in a robe sleeping soundly in a winged back chair. He kneeled down next to her as best he could and gently put his hand on hers. "Kitty," Matt said softly until the red head awoke.
"You're back?" she said sleepily. "What time is it?"
"Bout two," Matt replied. "It's late. I know your tired but I have to tell you something."
"About tonight," Kitty asked meeting his eyes in the soft glow of the room. "What happened?"
"Newly received a letter a few days ago from the penitentiary," Matt said quietly. "It was to inform him of new releases from the prison and someone we knew was on that list and he's here now in town."
"Who is this time Matt?" Kitty asked matter of fact. She had been more than aware of Matt's worried looks over the last couple of days and now she knew why.
"It's...Bonner, Kitty," Matt said gently trying to break the news to her in a way that wouldn't upset her delicate condition.
"I see," Kitty replied blankly as Matt tried to read her face. "What should we do?"
"I'd like to get you and Matthew over to the hospital until he's caught. Newly's there along with Robert and Doc. Sam went to get Abelia and the kids and bring them in as well."
"Why," Kitty asked tensely, making Matt hesitate when she asked the question he knew was coming next. "Where's Festus?"
"Bonner got ahold of him tonight," he said choosing not to withhold anything from her. He felt, to do so now would only add to her worry. "Doc says, he's in pretty bad shape but he's alive and that's all that matters."
"Oh, Matt," Kitty said squeezing her eyes tightly shut. "They're never going to leave us alone, are they?"
"How's he doing?" Newly asked worriedly when Robert stepped away momentarily from his father's bedside. He had been watching from a distance as the two physicians had worked tirelessly to stabilize the hill man.
"Better than he was," Robert replied pulling his stethoscope off as Doc nodded from where he sat next to their mutual friend.
"I should have been there," Newly said in anguish looking down at the unconscious deputy. Bathed in the soft glow of the dimly lit lamps dressed in a night shirt, it appeared to him that Festus was barely breathing. "It's my job now and I should have been there!"
"Your not to blame, Newly," Robert replied quickly putting a hand on Newly's shoulder. "Your place is here with Vera! Pa knows that if you could have, you would have been there and not him. No one's blaming you. So please, don't blame yourself! It's Bonner that's to blame!"
"Robert's right," Doc said sternly. "Now, I don't want to hear you talking like that anymore. That half-breed monster, Bonner is gonna get exactly what's coming to him. I guarantee you that!"
"Ma," Robert said looking up just in time to see Abelia coming though the door with nine month old Abby asleep on her hip. He took the baby from her as Abelia looked from Newly's grim expression to Doc who still sat next to her husband.
"What happened?" she said taking off her bonnet before going to Festus side. "What's wrong with his neck?" she said looking up at Robert after noticing the swelling and tracheotomy tube still in place. "Sam told me he was hurt, I kinda figured he meant, shot!"
"No, he wasn't shot," Robert said putting the baby down to sleep in the bed directly next to his fathers.
"He was strangled," Doc replied before pointing out the still red hand prints that Bonner had left behind.
"Strangled," Abelia said in horror before taking Festus hand in hers. "When will he wake up?"
"Well," Doc said pointing to the tracheotomy tube. "This is to help him breathe until the swelling goes down in a day or two. We've got to keep him sedated for now because I'm afraid if he came to, he'd try pulling out that tube."
"And if he does, he'll suffocate?" Robert said sitting down next to her. "But, I don't want you to worry about that, I'm going to be here with him the whole time!"
"Doc," Sam said taking a step or two into the room. "I've got men posted at every corner of the hospital."
"Thanks, Sam," Doc said checking the time. "Is Matt and Kitty here yet?"
"They just walking in, they're on the way up now," Sam said stepping aside as Kitty walked into the room followed directly by Matt who carried their sleeping son.
"Sam," Matt said as Robert took the child from him. "I want you to get as many men together in the morning as you can. And don't let anyone in or out of this building."
"You're going after him, ain't you?" Kitty asked whirling around to meet Matt's eyes.
"I guess, I am," Matt said quietly aware that everyone in the room was watching them.
"Your not the law here anymore, Matt!" Kitty said angrily. "Let someone else go after him!"
"Kitty," Matt said using the staff as he walked slowly to her. Gently taking her hand in his, he squeezed it softly before he spoke. "I let the badge tell me what to do all those years ago when I had the chance to kill Bonner and this time, I'm not wearing it!"
"So, it's revenge you want?" Kitty asked as Matt shook his head no.
"Not revenge, justice," Matt replied evenly. "Anyway, I can get it! Justice for you, me, him," Matt said pointing to Festus bed. "I've learned that we can't always look for the law to be in our best interest, sometimes, we've got to do things our way."
"I can't believe what I'm hearing," Kitty said in disbelief but Matt was a driven man tonight and nothing she could say would stop him from trying to find Bonner.
"I'll bring him in alive, if I can," Matt said looking at Sam. "Let's go!"
"Wait," Newly said taking a stand. "If you do this, it'll be outside the law!"
"I know," Matt said hesitantly before meeting his eyes. "You going to try and stop me?"
"No," Newly said with a wiry grin. "I'm coming with you! Someone has to be the voice of reason!"
"Alright, Marshal," Matt said with a nod. "Let's go!"
"Take care of Vera for me," Newly said turning to Robert before bending down to kiss his wife's feverish forehead. "Tell her when she wakes up, not to worry! I will be back!"