From Beginning to End
… A Gunsmoke story
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Author's note: Thanks again so much for the wonderful reviews. I know I'm beginning to sound like a broken record, but I am truly very thankful. Let me just say, I will be the first to admit that I'm not exactly sticking to timelines as far as ages go.. so I hope you can overlook that! If you think about it, the show itself seemed to place fast and loose as far as timelines go… didn't they try to say all 20 years of the show happened during a few years of the 1870s? ;-)
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The next couple of hours after Doc finished stitching up Kitty's wounds were very touch and go. She was coming in and out of sleepiness and seemed to be having nightmares about the events from earlier in the day. Her constant moaning of pain and incoherent mumbling about the vagabond hurting Matty was tearing at Matt's heart. Doc eventually gave her a dose of laudanum and she eventually settled down and drifted off to a restful sleep.
By the next morning, Kitty finally awakened when she saw the sun shining in through the window. She began to blink slowly to help bring her vision into focus, groaning at the pain coming from her shoulder. When she was finally able to see enough to begin to make out the details of Matt's face, she muttered out his name. "Matt….? Is that you…?" she asked.
"Good morning, honey." He bended down to kiss her forehead. "I'm here. And I have someone else here that would like to see you, too." And he went around the corner to where Doc was sitting and took Matty by the hand and guided him into the room. The corners of Kitty's lips curled into as much of a smile as she could muster when seeing that he was okay. "Oh my sweet boy…" but as she began to acknowledge him, Matty instinctively pulled from Matt's hand and before Matt had enough time to stop him, he ran over to Kitty and hugged her tightly, not realizing that he needed to be careful. Matty shied back and ran to grab Matt's pants leg after Kitty cried out in pain and Doc come running in to see what happened.
"You've got to be careful, son." Matt looked down, rubbing the little boy's head, trying to assure him that she'll be okay. "Mama doesn't feel well right now."
Doc went over to examine the bandage to make sure nothing was torn open. "It's just sore." He looked on satisfactorily. "The stitches held just fine."
"Come here Matty," Kitty called over to him. The boy walked over to her shyly, afraid to hurt her again. Kitty mustered up enough strength to roll unto her side and scoot over to leave a little room for Matty to lie down beside her. She patted the side of the bed and Matty followed her lead and laid down beside her. She ran her fingers through his curls and kissed him on the forehead.
"Mama loves you so much."
"Kit, I've got to head to work. I'll be back in a little while to check on you, okay?" Matt walked over and kissed both her and Matty on their foreheads. "You take good care of your mama and listen to your grandpa while I'm gone, okay?" Matt pointed to her bandage. "Try to be very careful around her sore." Matty nodded sleepily and now that he was laid next to Kitty, both he and Kitty began to drift off to sleep.
Matt smiled at them and walked out of the room and Doc followed behind him, shutting the door behind him. "Matt…"
He turned around, looking over at him. "Yes, Doc?"
"I think we need to tell Kitty… just in case…" he tugged at his earlobe, uncomfortable with the conversation. "Y'know, just in case something happens."
Matt nodded, "I know Doc, I know. Bess offered to watch Matty for me while Kitty rests up. I'll have Festus come take him over to her house in a while, and then we'll both sit down and talk with her."
Doc sighed and nodded as Matt left the room. He sat in his chair and swiped at his mustache, not at all looking forward to having the uncomfortable conversation.
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Later that morning, Festus came to pick up Matty and take him over to the Roningers. Not too long after that, Doc heard the unmistakable sound of Matt's footsteps and he opened the door for him.
"Doc" he nodded in greeting, removing his hat and placing it down on a table.
"She's awake. Now's as good of time as any, I suppose." He swiped at his mustache. "I'll take the lead. You sit by the bed and hold her hand."
Matt nodded in agreement and walked into the back room where Kitty was sitting up, having just finished a bowl of broth. Her eyes shone when she saw Matt. "Hello, Matt."
"Hello, Kitty," he smiled as he took a seat beside the bed. "Got something for ya."
"Oh yeah?" she looked in surprise.
"I think these belong to you.." and took her left hand and as he reached inside his pocket with the other hand and pulled out her rings, carefully putting them back on her ring finger.
Kitty lifted her hand closer to her face to examine the rings again, pleased that they were in just as good of condition as they were the day before. "Thank you, Matt. I was so worried that something happened to them."
Doc, watching from the other room, took a deep breath and walked in after the touching moment. "Kitty, now that Matt's here, there's something we all need to talk about."
Kitty's face went from overjoyed to a more somber expression. "What's wrong, Doc?"
Doc pulled up another chair towards the end of the bed. "I don't know how to tell you this Kitty, so I might as well just get to it." He sighed, the burden of breaking the news was weighing heavily on him.
Matt squeezed her hand lightly as Doc began to speak. "During my exam yesterday, I found that…" and he paused, swiping at his mustache again in a nervous manner. "I found that..well…"
"Well what, Doc?" Kitty looked puzzled. "Is there something else wrong with me..?"
"Not exactly… What I mean is, I don't know yet."
"Well spit it out…" She continued to stare at him, thinking it must be something bad since Matt had taken her hand.
He looked at her, eyes heavy. "I discovered that you're pregnant, Kitty. I've already told Matt because, well, I had to…"
Kitty brought her free hand gingerly up to her mouth. She didn't know what to say.
"Problem is, you lost a fair amount of blood yesterday, Kitty, and endured a considerable amount of stress. I don't know.." Doc's voice began to choke and a tear welled up in his eyes. Matt squeezed Kitty's hand tighter.
"Well, I just don't know if the baby will be able to make it and it won't be out of the woods for some time." Doc shook his head, almost as if he couldn't believe what he had just said.
Kitty's eyes began to water and she tried her best not to break down right there in front of the both of them.
Matt, seeing Kitty's distress, reached over and kissed her on the forehead. "It's going to all be okay, Kitty. No matter what happens, we will make it through it together."
"Please just go and leave me alone…" Kitty said barely above a whisper, withdrawling from his touch.
Matt, not wanting to believe what she said. "Huh..?"
Kitty said louder this time, the tears beginning to fall from her eyes. "The both of you…just go. I need some time alone." The pain in her voice was palpable.
Both the men nodded and stood up, Doc leaving the room with Matt close behind. He left a small opening in the door just enough for him to peak back in at Kitty in time to see her her lay back down and cover up, curling into a fetal position while rubbing her belly softly, seemingly beginning to mourn for a life she just found out existed.
All he could do is shake his head as he fully shut the door, wishing he could take away her pain.
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Later that year, Kitty seemed to have put the events of those few days behind her. It had taken a couple of weeks, but she eventually healed physically although it took a little more time to heal mentally. She resolved herself to be strong for her little Matty who was equally as shaken up by the ordeal. Ever since that day, Matt made it a point to check around the house before he left and he did it each time, without fail. Kitty would end up apologizing to both Matt and Doc for pushing them away, but they told her they understood the circumstances.
It was one afternoon that Matt had agreed to watch Matty while Bess and Kitty were spending some time together shopping and having lunch. They had just finished eating when they went out unto the boardwalk and sat down in a couple of chairs and faced each other to continue their talk. The two women were gossiping away when Bess piped up. "My, my… well if he ain't a tall drink of water.."
"Who?" Kitty said, turning around in her seat to see who Bess was referring to.
"Why, your husband of course…"
And Kitty just smiled when he saw Matt walking out of the jail and unto the street with little Matty sitting on his shoulder. It is very true, he was a tall drink of water, Kitty thought to herself. Matt was no longer the tall, lanky and green twenty six year old that she had met when she first rode into Dodge. He was now closing in on his mid-thirties and had started to get a couple of wrinkles from long days spent out on the prairie underneath the relentless Kansas sun. But my, oh my, how his muscles had filled out. He was in peak physical condition and Kitty couldn't help but stare.
When he spotted the pair, he walked over and removed Matty from his shoulders and set him on the ground. "Afternoon, ladies." He said as he tipped his hat.
"Marshal," Bess nodded. "Hello Matt," Kitty greeted as they both stood.
"Did you have fun at work with papa?" Kitty asked Matty and he nodded happily.
"Well, lets let him get back to work while we head home. What do you say?"
"Ok, mama." He eagerly agreed.
Matt turned to Matty and squatted down to his level. "I'll see you later, son. Here, take this.." and he handed him a coin. "Maybe your mama will take you into the general store real quick before you go and let you pick out a piece of candy since you behaved so well, huh?"
Matty began to beam and eagerly took the coin.
"What do you say, Matty..?" Kitty reprimanded.
Matty turned back to Matt. "Thank you, papa!"
Matt just chuckled as he stood up and watched the little tot as he inspected the shiny coin. "You're very welcome."
Bess looked over at the three and smiled. "You guys take your time, I'll be waiting over at the wagon."
"Thanks, we'll just be a few minutes." Kitty acknowledged as Bess walked toward where they left the wagon parked.
"I'll see you later, Kitty," he said to her as he pulled her in for a hug.
She returned the hug and then pulled away slightly.
"Ouch…" she looked down at her belly, rubbing small circles on the side of it to relieve the slight pain.
"Everything okay?" Matt asked.
"Oh I'm fine. Little one is just very active after lunch."
She took his hand and placed it where she had just rubbed. Matt was too afraid of hurting her to press down very hard, so she placed one of her hands over his and urged him to increase the pressure. He was rewarded with feeling a small kick.
"Mama, can we go now?" Matty said, getting slightly impatient and pulling at her skirt to get her attention.
"All right baby, lets go. We got to be quick though. See you later, Matt." And she once again took Matty's hand and they began to walk down the boardwalk towards the general store.
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It wasn't too long after that Kitty awoke in the middle of the night with a sharp pain in her belly. "Matt.." she tried waking him, but he kept snoring away.
"Matt.." she tried again, this time shaking him a little. He began to mumble incoherently but continued on snoring.
" Matthew..! Wake up. " she put emphasis on his name, shaking him again. He finally rubbed his eyes and sat up in bed. "Huh? What's wrong Kitty, everything all right?"
She rubbed her belly in an attempt to easy the pain. "I think it's time…"
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Matt had made sure that Kitty was okay before he went and woke up Festus over at the jail, and they both went to wake up Doc. Doc gathered up all his supplies and met them over at their house. While Doc and Matt were busy tending to Kitty, who was so thankful that Matt had actually been in town with no danger of missing the birth, Festus watched over little Matty who had awaken over all the commotion.
Even from the living room where Festus has taken him, he could hear Kitty's cries and began to trimble with fear.
"Awe, don't fret, Lil' Matty," Festus said as he picked Matty up and set him in his lap. "You'll see.. yer mama will be right as rain before ya knowed it. Yer grandpa'll see ta thet."
Matt sat beside the bed holding her hand and making sure the wash cloth on her head stayed moist. "You're doing great, Kitty. Just fine."
The labor progressed uneventfully and it was finally time to push. It didn't take very long until the newborn's wails filled the room. Doc took the babe and listened to her briefly before proudly proclaiming, "Congratulations, you two. It's a baby girl."
"Look there, Kit. You did it." Matt looked over at her, beaming.
Kitty began to pant, exhausted, but kept her eyes on Doc just waiting for him to bring the babe over. When he finished cleaning her up, he wrapped her into a blanket and handed her over to Kitty's outstretched arms. Kitty smiled happily down at the baby, who had been born with a head full of red hair and sky blue eyes.
"She's just perfect, Matt.." Kitty doted on the baby.
"By golly, she sure is.." Matt leaned over to get a closer look.
Doc sat down in a chair on the other side of the room watching the new parents fawn over their newest bundle of joy. "So, have you thought of a name yet?" he said with a tug of his earlobe.
"Well," Kitty said, barely able to contain the excitement. "Since we named our first after Matt, if it were a girl.. we decided to name her after me. So, we already have a name in mind. Kathleen Grace. We'll call her Gracie."
Doc looked over at the two parents who had just had their little miracle baby arrive and smiled, becoming teary-eyed at the sight as he began to reflect on their family. Little Gracie was truly their miracle baby. After numerous discussions with both Matt and Kitty, he knew that they were wanting two kids and his heart couldn't help but swell with pride now that their blessed family was finally complete.
TBC