From Beginning to End
… A Gunsmoke Story
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Author's note: I'm so glad that you guys enjoyed the last chapter. I enjoyed writing it! As always, thanks for all the kind reviews. Here's a quick little chapter for you guys.
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The months following the big day saw Matt Kitty take another big step in their lives. Kitty decided that she was tired of living upstairs at the Long Branch and she was tired of Matt having to sleep on a cold cot in the jail. With the continued success of the Long Branch now that the sheriff wasn't skimming off the top of the profits, she was able to save up enough money for them to start looking for a home of their own. It took a few months of looking, but by the fall, they found the perfect place. It was a medium sized three bedroom house on the edge of town. Just far enough away from Front Street to feel that they weren't always at work, but just close enough that Matt could get back to town quickly if needed and best of all, he would be able to come home every night if there weren't anyone locked up in jail. There was a small barn with a small attached paddock and the yard with the picket fence that Kitty desired.
It wasn't too long that they had moved in though when Kitty began to develop a cough. Matt had been hounding her to go see Doc about it, but she would always say that she was too busy at work and would have it seen about later.
Kitty was walking down the boardwalk when she spotted Matt and Festus sitting outside the jail catching up. She decided to walk over and say hi.
"Good afternoon, Mizz Kitty." Festus said as he sat up.
"Hello Festus," she nodded to him and then to Matt. "Matt." She covered her mouth to cough.
Matt stood up and brushed off his chair with his hat. "Here Kitty, have a seat."
"Thank you, I think I will."
Matt hooked his fingers on his belt and lazily propped himself on one of the posts. "What brings you over here?"
"Oh nothing really. I was just sending a letter off to my friend Sus.." and she covered her mouth to cough.
Matt sighed, standing up. "I really wish you'd have that cough seen about, Kit."
Festus added, "Yea, Mizz Kitty.. its been a few days now and it just ain't let up at all."
Kit looked over at Festus, "Not you too…..?"
Festus shook his head. "Oh foot Mizz Kitty.. we're just worried about you, don'tcha see? You should go see that ol' crotchety doctor of ours 'n find out what's wrong with ya!"
Kitty sighed and stood up. "I guess you two are right. Maybe I will.." she coughed again. "Go have it seen about. I'll see you two later."
"I sure hope she's okay, Matthew.."
Matt touched the brim of his hat as she passed by. He shook his head as he watched her leave. "Me too, Festus, me too."
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Kitty made her way up Doc's steps and knocked on his door. "Come in." he called out.
"Oh hi, Kitty. What can I help you with?"
"Well Doc," Kitty sat on the exam table. "I've had this cough for a few days now and it hasn't gone away."
"Oh?" he looked up from what he was doing and grabbed his stethoscope. "Let me have a listen at you."
After he was done listening, she began to add. "And here lately, I've been feeling a little sick at my stomach, too. It's like I can't keep anything down. It makes the cough worse. I haven't told Matt about that part," she frowned. "I just don't want him to worry about me."
"Here, lie down so I can examine you." And he began to do a thorough physical. "It's his job to worry about you, you know. Matt loves you."
She sighed, "I know. But he has enough to worry about."
Doc finished his exam. "All right, you can sit up now." And he went and sat in his chair and looked at her stone-faced.
"Well..? Am I going to be all right?" she looked at him, worried about his curious behavior.
"Sure, sure.. it's nothing you won't get over… eventually."
" Eventually…? What do you mean, eventually?" She asked dumbfounded. "What's wrong with me, Doc?"
"Well, with the weather getting cooler you've probably got a small cold. I can give you some syrup to help with that but.." he swiped his mustache to hide his growing smile. "On the other hand, your other condition would explain the nausea..."
"What condition, Doc? What are you saying..?" she began to look worried.
"You're with child. In about 6 months, Kitty.. you're going to be a mother."
Her jaw began to drop and she fainted.
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Later that evening, Kitty was in the kitchen putting the finishing touches on dinner when she heard the door open and Matt come in. "Kit, I'm home.." he announced as he placed his hat on the hook and shut the door.
Kitty stuck her head around the corner. "Oh hello there, Cowboy. Just in time. Dinner's almost ready."
He smiled as he unbuckled his gun belt and hung it up. "Great, I'm starving!"
After he finished eating, he set his utenils down and looked over at her. "Thank you, Kitty. That was delicious." He frowned when he noticed she didn't touch her plate much.
"I'm glad you liked it." She stood and collected their dirty dishes. "Go have a seat in the living room while I get these dishes cleaned up and dinner put away, and then I'll fix you a drink."
After she was finished in the kitchen, she walked over to their decanters and poured a single drink, handing it to him. She fixed a glass of water for herself. Matt found that to be very odd. He decided to ask her how her appointment went.
"So, what did you and Doc talk about?"
"Well, he says I have a cold. Gave me some nasty medicine to take. But mainly.." she paused for a moment, deciding how to proceed. She decided to pull his leg for a moment before giving him the news.
"He told me about the new Marshal that was coming to town."
"New Marshal?" Matt asked as he almost spit up his drink. "There's no new Marshal.."
"Well, the way Doc told it to me, there's going to be a new Marshal around here in a few months. To help you out or something, I guess."
Matt stood up and downed his drink, not sure what to make of what he's hearing. "Now, I don't know what kind of foolishness Doc thinks he's heard, but there isn't any new Marshal. I'm the only Marshal in this territory." He stated, beginning to sound more like a petulant child than a stoic lawman.
Kitty laughed, "Oh for Heaven's sake, Matt. Sit down." She decided to let him off the hook. He sat down while looking at her, still not understanding exactly what this gossip is that Doc told her.
She walked over to him and stood in front of him, putting her a hand on each of his shoulders. "The new marshal in town, Marshal Dillon, is our child." She then sat across his lap and looked at him with the warmest of smiles as she took one of his hands and placed it on her stomach.
"I'm carrying your baby, Cowboy."
Matt was speechless.
TBC
