Chapter 12-Running Away
Her ginger eyelashes fluttered as Kitty fought her way back to consciousness. She noticed the yellow glow of the low lamp light, but she didn't immediately recognize the sparsely decorated walls of the doctor's back room. Doc gently patted her hand, "Welcome back, Honey."
She tried to sit up, but Doc gently pressed her shoulders down onto the mattress. "Oh, no you don't, young lady," he scrubbed his mustache, "You're gonna lay there for a little bit longer, till I can get some liquids into you."
Kitty tried to sit up once more, "No, Doc," she grumbled, her voice heavy with sleep, "I've got to find Thad."
Instead of trying to keep her on her back, the elderly physician assisted her in sitting up with her back supported by some pillows. He reassured her, "Thad will be fine, Kitty. Chester has a small army out looking for him. He couldn't have wandered too far. Here, drink this whole glass of water."
The redhead accepted the glass and tilted it back, quickly drinking all of the liquid. "There, ya happy? Now I need t' go look-"
"Kitty, do you understand that you fainted out on Front Street?" He pointed toward the window, "Thank goodness Chester was there to catch you."
She flung her legs over the side of the bed, fighting the dizziness that hastily assaulted her. She closed her eyes and massaged her forehead with one hand. "What if he was taken? What if someone has seen him with Matt and-"
Doc planted his feet in front of her, resting his hands on her shoulders. "Kitty, I honestly think Thad got upset because you were pulling out of town before Matt got home and he wanted to force the issue the only way he knew how."
"By running away?" she croaked, searching his wise, gray eyes.
"I do believe so." He filled her glass to the brim once more and handed it to her. "Once you drink that, I've got some beef broth for you out on my stove. When's the last time you ate a decent meal?"
Kitty rubbed her stomach, "I told ya, Doc. I've been so anxious I can't keep anything down."
"What have you eaten today?"
"I had some toast with my coffee this morning, a hard-boiled egg and some pretzels this afternoon…" She placed her empty water glass on the side table as he disappeared into his front office.
He reentered the room carrying a white ceramic mug full of salty beef broth. "Here. Start sippin' this."
She took the cup, crinkling her nose and frowning as she eyed the greasy brown liquid. She slowly lifted the cup to her lips, keeping her eyes shut.
"I need to ask you, Kitty," Doc paused, scratching the nape of his neck, "when's the last time you had your courses?"
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Thad pulled the lapels of his coat around his ears, hugging himself as he wandered the unfamiliar outskirts of Dodge, where the houses seemed to turn into shacks and people were hidden behind closed doors. All he'd intended to do was hide out for a few hours so he and his mother would miss their nine o'clock train. He just had to see Marshal Dillon one more time, as the thought of not saying a proper 'goodbye' did not sit right with the boy.
The eight-year-old noticed a low flicker of light in the distance, along with the sound of raucous laughter. The hair stood up on the back of his neck, but he was so cold he decided to take his chances. He shoved his hands deep into his pockets and headed toward the dancing orange and yellow ribbons, like a moth to a flame.
As Thad got closer, he spied three older, grubby looking men sitting around the small fire, warming their hands while sharing a bottle of whiskey.
"Well, well…whaddo we got here, boys?" one of the unkempt men asked, pointing at Thad with the neck of the nearly empty bottle.
"Looks like a young 'un," another nodded, snatching the bottle out of his friend's hand.
"Yup," the third slurred, "Looks like a rich young 'un. Nice coat, Kid."
"Thanks," Thad whispered, immediately regretting his decision to approach the trio. He could already feel the warmth from their fire, along with their cool undertones.
"What ya doin' out after dark, boy?" one of the drunkards asked.
"I…I got…got lost," he stammered, shifting his weight from one foot to the other.
"I'll say," a fourth man revealed himself, exiting a nearby clapboard shanty. He held his own crock of spirits at his side, his finger twisted through the circular handle of the brown jug. "You shouldn't be 'round these parts. Where ya headed?"
Thad took in the appearance of the fourth man, noting his torn, stained clothing, his whiskery face, his yellowed teeth, but mostly, his kind blue eyes.
"What's yer name, Boy?" the man asked.
"Thad. Thad Russell."
"Nice t' know ya, Thad Russell. I'm Louie. Louie Pheeters. Say, are you related t' Miss Kitty?"
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Kitty slowly slurped her broth, nearly choking on it when Doc asked if she'd missed her menstrual cycles.
"Doc?!" she sputtered, "You think I fainted because I'm pregnant?!"
"You would know better than me at this point in time, Honey. Have you skipped any courses and is there a possibility you could be with child? Meaning, have you and Matt engaged in-"
"I know what you mean, Curly!" She quickly stood on wobbly legs, only to find herself clumsily plopping back onto the edge of the mattress. "I sure wish this room would quit spinning," she mumbled.
"You gonna answer me?" Doc stared at his pocket watch as he checked Kitty's pulse.
The exhausted woman focused on the man's worn, black shoes whispering, "Yes, I've skipped two months' worth of courses and yes, I've engaged in sex. There, ya happy?!" she scoffed, finally meeting his gaze.
"What do you say you let me confirm it?"
She crossed her arms in front of her chest, her voice quivering, "What do you say you join the search for my son? You can examine me later."
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Louie Pheeters knew that the young boy who'd wandered into his little hobo haven needed to get back to Dodge City and fast. The outskirts of town were never safe after dark, due to the hungry animals that lurked about in the shadows, whether covered in fur or clothing.
He'd been able to distract his fellow drunks by offering them his jug. He then pulled Kitty Russell's child off to the side, informing the boy that he'd escort him home.
"I'll take ya back t' Miss Kitty, Thad. It ain't safe 'round these parts."
"But, Mr. Pheeters, I can't go home until nine o'clock."
"Why's that?"
"'Cause my mama wants t' move away, and we're supposed t' leave on the nine o'clock train. And the marshal ain't back in town yet."
"I'll make ya a deal," Louie licked his dry, cracked lips, "You let me take ya back t' Dodge and I promise we'll walk real slow. Okay?"
"Okay!" Thad quickly agreed, allowing the kind stranger to lead the way back toward town.
"You got the nicest mother, Thad," Louie quietly spoke, "She sure is a kind lady."
"Yeah, she is."
"I take it the marshal's yer pa?"
"Not really," the boy kicked a rock on the path, "he just calls me 'son'."
"Thad Russell, let me tell ya somethin'," Louie walked with his hands clasped behind him, "When I fought for the Union Army in the war between the states, I learned mighty quick that family ain't made from blood. The men I fought with were one hundred percent my brothers."
"The marshal sorta told me the same thing." He studied his kind escort, "You got a family, Mr. Pheeters?"
"I did," Louie sadly answered.
"What happened?"
"My family was from Boston. I moved my wife and two teen-aged boys t' Kansas to live by her sister and her family when I joined the Army. I thought they'd be safer in a small town."
"Did you move them to Dodge?"
"No, Lawrence," Louie mumbled, tears filling his eyes.
"Are they still there?" Thad asked, studying his new friend's weathered face through the darkness.
"No. They ain't. The town got raided by a crazy Confederate named Quantrill and his men. They killed as many men and boys they could get their hands on and then they lit the town on fire. My sons died when their Aunt's house was burned to the ground. My wife died a few days later, from a broken heart, I think. The news took six months t' reach me."
The pair continued their journey in silence, the young boy gripping the calloused, dirty hand of the sad, former soldier.
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Matt barreled through the batwing doors of the Long Branch onto the boardwalk, eager to go see Kitty at Doc's. He'd just heard from Sam that Thad had been missing for a couple of hours and that Kitty had been rushed to Doc's office after fainting in the street. What in the hell is going on?!
As he stomped on the boardwalk, the big man squinted, positive that he was seeing things. He began to take larger strides in the direction of Louie Pheeters and a young boy who looked an awful lot like Thad.
Once he'd spotted the marshal, Louie patted Thad on his back. "Look who's home. Go to yer pa, Boy. He looks worried."
"MARSHAL!" the child shouted, running as fast as his legs would carry him toward the man he admired above all men.
Matt stooped down and snatched the boy off the ground, fiercely embracing him. "What's going on, Son?" He cradled the back of Thad's head, watching as the harmless town drunk slowly turned and disappeared into a dark alley.
Thad rested his chin on Matt's shoulder, crying and talking a mile a minute as he squeezed his arms around the marshal's neck. "Mama wanted us t' go to Philadelphia before you got home. I ran off so we'd miss our train. She's gonna be so mad at me," he sniffled.
Matt turned toward the stairs leading to Doc's office, not releasing his hold on the boy.
"Where are we going, Marshal?" Thad lifted his head, furrowing his brows.
Matt bounded up the stairs two at a time. "Sam told me your mother fainted in the street. She's at Doc's."
"Oh, no! Put me down, please."
Both of Kitty's men burst through the physician's door, simultaneously yelling in a duet of panic, a deep baritone belting, "Kitty!" and a terrified child's voice harmonizing, "Mama!"
Doc entered the outer office, closing the door behind him. "Can you two keep it down? You'll wake the dead."
"Is she okay, Doc?" Matt's eyes bore into his friend's as he held Thad's hand.
Doc scrubbed his mustache, sighing, "She's fine. No thanks to you two."
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Kitty kissed her son's forehead, instructing, "You go with Grandpa, take your bath and get ready for bed. Matt and I will be there in a little while to tuck you in."
"Okay," Thad mumbled into his mother's hair as he hugged her. He whispered in her ear, "I'm so sorry, Mama. I love you."
"I love you, too, Baby. But make no mistake," she furrowed her brows, pushing his hair out of his eyes, "we'll talk about your punishment tomorrow."
Matt closed the door and kept his back to Kitty. He took a deep, cleansing breath, "Sheriff Gregson died three days ago, Kitty. The three surviving members of the Mesa Gang are gonna hang for leaving his wife a widow and his three children fatherless."
The redhead closed her eyes, pinching the bridge of her nose. She steeled herself for the expected speech about the need for the continuation of their "non-permanent" relationship. She studied her folded hands in her lap, the news of the dead lawman sending shivers down her spine.
"I'm sorry to hear that, Matt. I'm also real proud that you caught them, and that they can't ever hurt anyone again. Come sit next to me," she patted the mattress.
He crossed the small room, subtly reaching into the shirt pocket that just so happened to cover his heart. He sat next to his lady, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "Dean Gregson bein' killed got me t' thinking…"
Here it comes…
In front of Kitty's face, the big man opened his clenched hand, revealing a small gold band resting in his palm. "It got me t' thinking about how at least his family still has one another to love. They can remember Dean together. Honor his life…together."
"Matt," Kitty barely spoke above a whisper, "what are you saying?" Her big blue eyes darted from side to side, searching his.
He slid off the side of the bed, getting down on one knee, his voice becoming deep and sincere, "I'm saying I'd appreciate it if you'd do me the honor of being my wife." He reached up to gently touch the sensitive spot behind her ear, leaning in to kiss her.
She cupped his stubbled cheek, mumbling against his lips, "I'm going to have a baby, Matt."
"A baby?" he breathed, slowly shaking his head.
"Yes, a baby."
A wide grin blossomed across the trail worn man's face. He framed her face with his hands, capturing her lips with his mouth in a gentle kiss. Pressing his forehead against hers, he closed his eyes, whispering, "Did you know? Before tonight, I mean?"
"I suspected. But I thought I was feeling poorly because of nerves."
He continued to hold her face, his expression sobering, "And you were going to leave? Not even say goodbye?"
"I didn't know when you'd get home, and like a fool, I was angry. Angry that the badge had won again. But more than that, I was worried about how Thad would feel the next time the badge won, and the time after that…when he'd come in second. It's a hard pill to swallow, even as an adult."
He stood, releasing the breath he'd been holding as he dropped the gold band back into his shirt pocket. He walked to the window and pulled back the sheer lace curtain with his finger, blankly staring into the alley.
"Matt? Please say something…anything." Kitty threw the quilt to the side and placed her feet on the floor.
He kept his back to her, his hands gripping his gun belt. "And what were you going to do when you got to Philadelphia and realized you were going to have my child?"
She briefly closed her eyes, "I swear to you, Matt, I would have told you. I wouldn't have kept it from you. You've got to believe me." She stood and approached him, her bare feet lightly padding against the wooden floor. He turned to face her and she reflexively grabbed the front of his shirt, tears filling her eyes, "Please, please forgive me."
Matt silently held her hand within his, leading her to the oak rocking chair in the corner of the room. He sat in the rocker, pulling Kitty onto his lap. In silence, he began to pump his feet, causing the chair to slowly rock, filling the room with the sound of soft creaking. She leaned into his body, resting her head on his chest. After a few minutes, the man of few words cleared his throat, splaying his hand across her stomach.
"I find it ironic you just told our son that he shouldn't run away from his problems. That he should face them like a man."
"That irony isn't lost on me, Cowboy."
"I need to tell you about some plans I took the liberty of exploring."
"Please do." She nestled deeper into his embrace.
"About a month ago, I wrote to Washington. I told them my family and I were thinking about moving, that we'd might like a change of scenery…"
Kitty lifted her head, studying his face through her copper fringe. He gently drew her head back onto his shoulder, continuing to rock the chair. "They wrote back, informing me of a few opportunities that might interest me and my family."
"Matt," Kitty gasped, sitting up straight, shifting on his lap so she could see his whole face. "Would you really consider moving? For a fresh start?"
"I'd do anything for our family, Honey," he kissed her temple.
She beamed, wrapping her arms around his neck, "So what are the opportunities?"
He twirled some wayward strands of her hair around his finger. "Well, there's an opening for a marshal in the middle district of Tennessee, overseeing federal laws that apply to the fair treatment of sharecroppers. We'd live in Nashville."
"Oh?" she grinned, slightly nodding her head. "What else?"
"There are also openings in Philadelphia and New York City, if bigger cities are to your liking."
Kitty bit her bottom lip as she reached into his shirt pocket, retrieving the gold band. She slowly slid it onto her ring finger.
"Hey, there…" Matt playfully grumbled, wrapping his big hands around her waist.
"You can have it back for the ceremony," she held her left hand in front of her, admiring the simple piece of jewelry that symbolized so much.
"What do you want to do, Kitty? About moving?"
"I want you t' take me to our rooms at the Long Branch so we can talk it over with our son," she caressed his cheek, brightly smiling.
"Can we go there, say, in a half hour?" he nibbled at her neck.
Kitty tilted her head back, allowing him full access to her throat. She purred, "I think that sounds just fine…"
The End
A/N: Thank you so very much dear readers for coming on this journey with me. This story has been bouncing around my brain for a really long time and I finally decided to tap it out on the computer. I truly appreciate all of you.