TWENTY-TWO
Spurs jangled in the sudden, unnatural stillness that always follows a gunfight, and Matt spun around on his knees, his gun still up and ready.
"Easy there, Matthew, it's only me." Festus stood up from where he'd been crouched by the youngest brother. "They're dead. All of 'em."
Breathing hard, heart pounding frantically in his chest, Matt felt as if he was trapped in a fog, struggling to wrap his mind around Festus' words until –
"Miss Kitty!"
That did it. Holstering his gun, Matt found one final reserve of energy and surged to his feet, pushing aside everything else and rushing with Festus to Kitty's side where she lie on her stomach.
"Matthew?"
Finally, Matt was close enough to see the rise and fall of Kitty's back, as slight as it was.
"She's still breathing, Festus, but we have to stop this bleeding." She was still breathing, but her breaths were too shallow, and Matt had to fight the panic down. Hastily he pulled up her skirts, heedless of modesty in the course of saving her life, and tore strips of fabric from already torn petticoats. How many times had she done the same for him?
Blood oozed from the wound in Kitty's back, and Matt shoved one of the wads of fabric into Festus' hand. "Here, put pressure on it while I bind it up."
Festus did as asked, and both men grimaced when Kitty whimpered in pain. Matt only hesitated a moment before getting to work.
"I'm powerful sorry, Miss Kitty," Festus whispered softly.
Matt finished tying the fabric binding as tight as he dared and gently ran a hand over Kitty's battered face, brushing her hair back, blood and mud smearing across her unnaturally pale skin. His energy left him in a rush, and he sagged back, sitting on his heels, his shoulder throbbing uncomfortably.
Festus hurried to his mount and back, bringing with him an oil slicker that he gently laid over Kitty's body to protect her from the rain and chill in the air.
Swallowing hard, Matt battled the fear. "Festus, I…."
"The onliest thing we can do now, Matthew, is t' wait for ol' Doc."
Matt and Festus were upright, but bodies littered the ground, and Kitty….
Doc swallowed back a sob, choking on his fear. Surely, she wasn't dead. Surely, he hadn't arrived too late. She had saved him – saved him every day since she decided to make Dodge her home – and he couldn't bear to think when she'd been taken from him less than twenty-four hours ago she'd been giving her life up for him.
For him. For Festus. For Matt.
Doc snapped the reins and urged the horses on faster, finally pulling up as close as he could, his path blocked by two men lying in the road – he recognized them as Harley and Ben when he got closer.
Clambering down from the wagon seat, Doc rushed as fast as his battered body would allow to where Matt and Festus were crouched, hovering over Kitty.
"Is she—" It came out as a strangled whisper. He would not tempt fate by putting a name to his fear.
"No, but she sure does need you, Doc."
Doc put a hand on Matt's good shoulder and lowered himself to the ground, the naked fear in Matt's voice piercing his heart. "It's alright, son, I'm here. I'm here."
Matt and Festus' gaze burned into him, and Doc shut them out. Kitty's broken body laid out before him threatened to unravel his composure, but Doc savagely shoved his personal attachments aside. He assumed his professional distance as he quickly triaged Kitty's condition. Capable, sure hands deftly felt for her pulse, examined her face, probed her sliced hand, felt for broken bones, and finally assessed the bullet wound in her back, nausea slowly rising in his throat. Professional detachment only went so far. He swiped a trembling hand over his face, blinking rainwater from his eyes.
"There's…" he had to speak up to be heard over the pouring rain and thunder, "there's only so much I can say for certain, the rest is…well, it's my best guess. Cuts and bruising on her face, possible concussion, her ribs are tender and might be broken. This deep cut in her hand is from last night – I won't know about tendon damage until she wakes up, but it looks like infection is starting to set in. And the blood on her chest and stomach is from her hand as far as I can tell, but that means the bullet is still in her. She won't bleed out as quickly, but…." Doc took a deep, shuddering breath. "It still poses a serious threat, close to her lungs and possible internal bleeding. And I don't need to tell you this damn rain and mud can only make matters worse."
"What do we do, Doc?"
Fear gripped Doc's heart. He had a decision to make, and if he made the wrong one it was Kitty who would pay the price.
After a heavy silence he looked up at Matt, holding his gaze, Festus unnaturally silent.
"We get her up into the wagon, out of the mud…. Matt, I can't operate on her out here, and Dodge is just too far for my comfort. We need to get her back to the cabin. I'll ride with her in the wagon bed if you'll take the reins, but you're gonna have to take it easy, you hear me, son?" He waited until Matt nodded his confirmation. "The bullet hasn't hit anything vital yet, but it could move. I just…."
Doc finally broke his gaze then, unable to face Matt any longer.
A hand on his arm claimed his attention, and he looked into caring amber eyes.
"Me 'n Matthew, we trust ya, Doc. Miss Kitty does, too, you know that."
"Festus is right, Doc."
Doc sent up a prayer.
"Let's get moving, then."
Time passed the way dreams often do, from frame to frame, one after the other with no transition. Getting Kitty into the buckboard, riding with her while Matt guided the horses carefully over the uneven ground, Festus following on Ruth, finally getting to the cabin. And all the while the rain poured down on them. Doc's heart lodged itself in his throat from the moment they lifted Kitty off the ground, and it hadn't left, prayers running through his mind in between cursing Caleb and making a running to do list for once they reached the cabin.
The second they entered the cabin with their precious cargo, Doc shoved all personal concern aside and took his professional control back.
"Festus, get that fire going and find some blankets, quick as you can."
"Yessir."
"Matt, let's lay her on this cot and move it closer to the fire. She'll need the warmth, and I need the light."
"You betcha, Doc."
Thunder rolled overhead.
"We've gotta get her out of these wet clothes, too. I don't need her catching her—getting sick on top of it all." He barely stumbled over the turn of phrase, but he felt his heart skip a beat.
In short order they'd gently stripped Kitty of all her wet clothing, and Festus had a fire roaring next to them. He turned his eyes away from Kitty's naked body as he handed Matt a couple quilts recovered from an abandoned trunk.
"Just cover her to her waist, son. I'll need to get that bullet out of her back first thing. And I'll need you to administer the ether for me so she doesn't wake while I'm operating." He stopped and made eye contact with Matt for the first time since they'd reached the cabin. "Can you do that for me?"
Doc could see the fear in the man's clear blue eyes, but there was a resolve, too. And so much trust it nearly floored him.
"Anything you need from me, Doc."
He took a deep breath. "Alright, son, then let's get started."
Once all of his supplies and instruments laid out, Doc meticulously cleaned the area around the wound on Kitty's back. Then he set Matt up with the ether and some final instructions as he put her under before cleaning out the bullet's entry point. It was a violent, raw wound against the creamy white of her skin, and as he carefully used a probe to search for the bullet, he prayed he could extract the offending metal without causing any extra damage. Her breathing sounded as even as could be expected, so that bode well for her lungs.
"Festus, light that lamp for me and hold it close, would you?"
"You got it, Doc."
Doc lost himself in concentration, slow but sure, trusting his instincts as he searched for the bullet, sweat beaded on his forehead, and he felt someone dab it away before the salty liquid could run into his eyes.
Some time later – he had no awareness of the passage of time – the probe his something, and Doc could feel the difference of metal hitting metal. So close to Kitty's right lung. Too close.
"Forceps."
They slid into his waiting hand, and he eased them alongside the probe, not holding his breath but drawing air in and out, evenly.
And then it was out.
Doc quickly let the bullet fall to the ground and went about the business of tying off a few internal bleeders before stitching the wound closed, cleaning it once more, and covering it with some gauze. He let out a great shuddering breath and swiped a hand across his face as some of the adrenaline left his body. Almost there.
"Doc?"
"It's alright, Matt." He looked up to find Matt and Festus' worried eyes on him. "It went as well as could be expected. She—she should be alright. All that's left to do is take care of her hand, clean her up some, and…and wait."
Doc watched as the tension left Matt's body, shoulders dropping and the lines on his face relaxing. Festus' eyes welled up with tears, and he bowed his head for a moment before putting the lantern back on the nearby table.
"I saw those three's horses outside, Matthew. Must've followed the road back here when they spooked. I'll head them back to Dodge and get Percy to take care of the bodies."
"Thank you, Festus," Doc answered for Matt when no response came. The big man stood staring at Kitty, lost for the moment to the two other men. "Have Sam or one of the girls get Kitty some clean clothes, too, something soft and loose."
Festus nodded and with tentative movements, he stepped forward and whispered something Doc couldn't hear in Kitty's ear before kissing her sweetly on the cheek and quickly leaving the cabin, spurs jangling in the quiet.
Doc took a deep breath and took the kettle from where it hung on the side of the fireplace, taking it to the withdrawn lawman.
"Matt?" No response. "Matthew."
He blinked a few times and seemed to come back to himself. "Yeah, Doc?"
"Go get some water to heat up over the fire, then I want you to start cleaning her up some, alright?" He spoke in gentle tones, still firm, trying to get Matt out of his head and give him something to do.
One more look at Kitty, and Matt took the kettle outside in search of water.
Another deep breath and Doc gently took Kitty's injured hand in his own capable grasp and got back to work. Almost there.