Chapter 43 "Ruby's Memory Book: Part 2" More memories Kitty has written about Ruby.

Ruby eyed her red velvet covered memory book on the desk. It had been awhile since her momma had read "Ruby" stories to her. Maybe if she asked her momma politely, momma would read some stories after supper. Ruby pulled the wooden chair away from the desk. The chair made a scuffing sound as Ruby dragged it away from the desk. She climbed up onto the chair and pulled the book down from the shelf. With the book in her arms, Ruby jumped off the chair and returned it to its original position. She headed off to the kitchen.

Kitty was in the kitchen putting the finishing touches on the son of a gun stew she was making. It was one of Matt's favorites, and he always appreciated when Kitty prepared it. When she heard the swinging door open, Kitty turned to see her daughter enter with the memory book securely in her arms. Kitty knew what was coming next.

"Momma, if I'm a good girl and eat all my sunny gun stew, will you read from my rememory book?" Ruby politely asked.

"I think that sounds like a plan," Kitty smiled. Ever since she was little, Ruby had called son of a gun stew, sunny gun stew. Kitty knew she had to correct her daughter, but figured it wouldn't hurt to let Ruby call it sunny gun stew a little bit longer. Matt thought it was absolutely adorable.

Ruby ate all of her stew, so Kitty kept her side of the bargain. Once supper was eaten and the kitchen was cleaned, the Dillon family went into the parlor and settled themselves onto the couch. Ruby sat in between her parents. She opened the book and searched for a story. Even though she really couldn't read, Ruby knew where a story began because of a date her momma would write in the book. Sometimes her momma would draw small pictures next to the date. Ruby saw a date that had a sad face drawn next to it.

"Is that a sad face?" Ruby looked up at her momma with knitted eyebrows.

"Yes, it is," Kitty replied. She was hoping that Ruby wouldn't pick that story.

Ruby put her finger to the bottom of her lip and started tapping. She was considering whether or not she wanted to know what that memory was about. Curiosity getting the better of her, she decided she wanted her momma to read that memory.

"Will you please read that memory to me?" Ruby asked.

"Sure," Kitty answered. She took the book off of Ruby's lap and placed it on her own. Putting on her reading glasses, Kitty began to read.

Ruby's First Illness

Ruby was nine months when she came down with a runny nose. Knowing that babies get sick, Kitty wasn't too concerned. Matt was concerned, but Kitty reassured him that Ruby would be fine. A few days later Ruby's illness took a turn for the worst. The infant not only had a runny nose, she also had a chest cough and a fever. Whenever she coughed, her coughing fits were a struggle. The coughs were taxing on her little body.

It was almost midnight. Kitty was holding Ruby against her shoulder, rubbing her back. The baby was having a coughing attack, and Kitty was trying to do whatever she could to stop the attack. Kitty gently massaged Ruby's back.

"Matt, I'm so scared," Kitty cried. "This was just a runny nose. Now it's a fever and this nasty cough."

Matt grabbed his canvas pants and shirt and put them on. He didn't take the time to tuck in his shirt. Right now appearance was the last thing on his mind. He grabbed his hat off the hook. "I'm going after Doc." Matt left the house.

Doc was in his back bedroom getting ready for bed. He had just started unbuttoning his shirt, when he heard the pounding on the door. Irritated, Doc buttoned his shirt back up. 'Why do people have to get sick in the middle of the night? Can't they get sick during banker's hours?' he thought to himself.

The persisting pounding continued. "Hold your horses," he shouted from the other side of the door. "What in tarnation? Don't you have any patience?" he asked as he opened the door. Doc saw a frantic Matt standing on the other side.

"Doc, I'm sorry ta bother you, but Ruby is bad. She won't stop coughing. Please help her," Matt pleaded.

Doc instantly forgot his annoyance. His baby granddaughter was his main concern. He grabbed his medical bag off of his desk. "Let's go."

Kitty heard Matt and Doc arrive. She kissed the side of her baby's head. "Grandpa Doc is here. He'll make you feel better." By this time Ruby's cough had somewhat subsided.

Doc walked into the house with Matt following behind him. Doc took one look at Kitty and could see the panic all over her face. "What are her symptoms?" he asked as he took Ruby from Kitty.

"A terrible cough and a fever," Kitty answered. "A few days ago she had a runny nose and no fever. Now she has this."

Doc walked into the kitchen with Ruby. "Matt, grab my bag."

Matt did as he was instructed. He and Kitty followed Doc into the kitchen. Doc laid Ruby on the table. Matt placed Doc's medical bag on the table. With one hand on Ruby to keep her from rolling, Doc opened his bag and took out his stethoscope. He put the earpieces into his ears and the bell onto Ruby's chest. Kitty and Matt stood on each side of the table and silently waited as Doc listened to their daughter's chest.

Doc moved the bell to different parts of Ruby's chest and listened. He could hear crackling in her chest. "Kitty, sit her up and hold her. I want to listen to her chest from behind."

Kitty sat Ruby up and supported her. "Doc, what are you hearing?"

Doc held up his finger. He moved the bell of his stethoscope around Ruby's back and listened. He continued hearing the crackling sounds. After a couple of minutes, Doc put his stethoscope into his bag. "It's bronchitis. I don't think it's pneumonia, at least not yet."

"What do you mean not yet?" Matt questioned. "Are you saying she's gonna end up with pneumonia?"

Kitty looked at Doc with fear in her eyes. People died from pneumonia. Adults died from pneumonia. If pneumonia could kill adults, it could easily kill a small baby.

"Doc, we can't lose her. Please don't let our baby die," Kitty begged. Tears were streaming down her face.

Kitty's words hit Matt like a ton of bricks. It didn't occur to him that his baby girl could die. "Doc, Kitty's right. We can't lose her. I can't lose my little gemstone."

"Calm down you two," Doc told the frantic parents. "This is not the first time I've seen bronchitis in a baby. I know what to do. Trust me."

"Doc, of course we trust you," Kitty affirmed.

"The first thing we need to do is to get the fever down. We'll place her in a basin of cool water. She's probably not going to like the water's temperature, but it's going to help bring the fever down. Matt, can you get that ready?"

Matt obliged. He grabbed the basin that he and Kitty gave Ruby a bath in and filled it with cool water. Doc checked the water and determined it was at a good temperature. Kitty removed Ruby's bunting and diaper and placed her in the basin. Doc was correct. Ruby did not like being placed in the water. She started to cry. The crying started a coughing fit. Matt and Kitty's hearts were breaking. Kitty began to lift Ruby out of the basin. Doc stopped her.

"Keep her in there," he directed.

"Doc, she doesn't like it," Matt pointed out. "And her crying is making her cough."

"I know, but I told you that you have to trust me," Doc reminded them. "The cool water is going to bring down her fever and her coughing is going to help so the bronchitis doesn't go into pneumonia. The coughing is helping so the infection doesn't settle in her chest."

Ruby had been in the basin of cool water for ten minutes. During that time, Doc would take handfuls of water and pour them over Ruby's shoulders. He poured one more handful of water and then had Kitty take Ruby out. By this time, a towel had been placed on the table. Kitty dried Ruby off and put her diaper and bunting back on her. Doc took the baby's temperature. He was relieved to see that her temperature had gone down. Ruby still had a slight fever, but not like it was before.

"Fever has gone down," said Doc. "Before I said that we needed to help clear her chest. To do that, I want her to breathe in steam. We'll get a big pot of water and boil it. We'll bring the pot of water to the counter. Kitty, I'll have you hold Ruby over the pot of water so she can breathe in the steam. Matt, go and get that ready." Doc knew it was best if he could keep both parents busy.

A few hours later, Ruby's cough had improved. She was still coughing, but not nearly as bad as she had been. Both her parents and her grandpa were relieved. They offered up a silent prayer of thanks. Being that it was too late to return to town, Doc stayed in one of the bedrooms upstairs. The next morning Doc was getting ready to leave.

"Doc, we owe you so much for saving our little girl," said Kitty. She had her handbag in her hand. "How much do we owe you?"

"Put that away," Doc commanded. "I'm never going to charge the two of you for taking care of my granddaughter. I don't charge her daddy for removing bullets and stitching him up. Why would I charge you for taking care of her?" Doc tugged at his ear and swiped his hand over his mustache.

"Thanks, Doc." said Matt.

Present Time

"Wow, I was really sick," Ruby observed. "I'm glad Grandpa Doc made me all better."

"So are we, Little Gemstone," Matt said as he put his arm around Ruby's shoulder and kissed the top of her head. Kitty nodded her head in agreement.

"Let's read another story," Ruby suggested. "I want ta hear a happy story."

"First you need ta get ready for bed," Kitty told Ruby. Ruby didn't object. She got ready for bed in record time.

"How about this story," said Ruby. She pointed to a date that had bubbles drawn by it. "Are those bubbles?"

"They are," Kitty smiled. "This is a fun story. I decided to write a story about your bathtime, since you loved bathtime so much."

"You said I cried when I was sick and you put me in the basin," Ruby reminded her momma.

"That's because you were sick," Matt responded. "Let momma tell the story."

Ruby's Bathtime

It was Saturday night, bath night. Ruby loved her baths. Matt and Kitty were afraid that Ruby's love of her bath would be affected after Ruby's bronchitis. They were worried that Ruby would remember being put into a basin of cool water and no longer like her baths. They gave Ruby her baths in her basin that was placed on the kitchen table. While Kitty gathered the necessary items for bathtime, Matt got the basin ready. Once Matt had the water ready, Kitty cautiously placed a naked Ruby into the basin. They worried for nothing. The moment she was placed in the warm water, Ruby squealed with delight.

"Ahhhhh! Baaaaa!." she happily babbled as her little fists splashed the top of the water. She was getting water all over the table.

Matt quickly removed the towel and Ruby's bunting and diaper to prevent them from getting wet. Seeing that his wife was getting all wet, Matt had an idea. He removed his shirt and hung it on one of the chairs. Kitty observed her husband.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"I'll make sure she doesn't slip down," Matt replied as he took Kitty's place. "Why don't you go and put a dry shirt on."

Kitty gladly took Matt's suggestion. Grabbing Matt's shirt off the chair, she went into their bedroom and removed her wet shirt. She put it on a hanger so it would dry. Kitty took Matt's shirt and put it on. She returned to the kitchen and saw Matt using a few of his fingers to splash the water. Ruby would stop splashing and watch her daddy. When he stopped, she would start.

"Matt, do you have to encourage her?" Kitty questioned. She observed the scene in front of her and realized she appreciated what she was seeing. Her husband's naked, broad chest was glistening with water. She unconsciously licked her lips.

"We were afraid she would hate her bath," Matt pointed out. "But look at her. She still loves them."

"That's true," Kitty agreed. She was glad that Ruby still loved her bath.

Kitty grabbed the kitchen towel and used it to dry off the watery mess on the table that both her husband and baby girl made. Now that the table was dry, Kitty put Ruby's bath towel, diaper, and bunting back on it. She unfolded the towel so Ruby would have a place to lay down and be dried off.

"Okay, daddy, get your little gemstone out of her tub."

"Get ready," Matt warned.

Both he and Kitty knew what was going to happen. The moment Matt lifted Ruby up she began to fuss, but it didn't stop there. She was soon kicking her little legs and crying out in a loud protest. Ruby did not like the fact that her bathtime had been disrupted, and she was letting her parents know how she felt. Matt laid Ruby on the towel so Kitty could dry her off.

Matt stood behind Ruby and bent down so that his face was at her level. He kissed her forehead and softly spoke into her ear. "Miss Dillon, there's no need for this. You can't stay in your tub forever." Matt's soothing, baritone voice seemed to do the trick. Ruby soon quieted down.

As Kitty tended to Ruby, Matt took the basin of water, opened the back door, and tossed the water out. He walked back into the kitchen and put the basin upside down in the kitchen sink so it could drain and dry out. Next he took the towel and washcloth and found a place for them to dry. These jobs were part of his bathtime routine with Ruby, and he loved it.

"Ruby and I are gonna go into her bedroom, so I can give her a little nightcap," said Kitty.

"Alright, I'll be there directly. I just wanna make sure the house is secure."

When Matt walked into Ruby's bedroom, he saw Kitty sitting in the rocking chair, with Ruby at her breast. The little girl was battling between trying to eat and trying to stay awake. Soon the battle was over and sleep won. Kitty rocked Ruby for several more minutes to ensure that the baby was fast asleep. She then brought the rocking to a stop and placed a kiss on Ruby's soft cheek. Kitty nodded at Matt, indicating that it was fine for him to take his daughter and place her in her crib. As Matt did that, Kitty rearranged her undergarments and buttoned her shirt back up. She stood up and went over the crib and took one last look at the sleeping infant before she and Matt left the room.

It wasn't until after Ruby was put to bed for the night, that Matt realized he was still shirtless. He returned to the kitchen to retrieve his shirt. Noticing the shirt was no longer on the chair, he went to the bedroom to ask Kitty what had happened to his shirt. Matt walked into the bedroom and saw Kitty sitting on the bed wearing only his shirt. The mystery had been solved. Matt mimicked his wife's actions earlier and licked his lips.

"Didja lose your shirt, Cowboy?" Kitty's voice was low and sultry.

"It looks as though I did," Matt answered. He didn't take his eyes off of her.

"If you want it, come and get it," Kitty told her husband. That's exactly what he did.

Present time

Of course Kitty left out the parts about her and Matt. Ruby didn't need to know about that part. She enjoyed listening to how she splashed water and got everything wet, including her parents. Ruby appreciated that part the most.

"I still love taking baths," said Ruby. "Now I'm a big girl and take baths in the big bathtub. When is bath night again?"

"You still take Saturday baths, so that would be tomorrow," Matt answered.

"Yay!" Ruby cheered.

Kitty closed Ruby's memory book. "Alright, it's getting late. You need to get to bed."

Ruby didn't argue with her momma. She was tired and her bed was calling her name. Matt and Kitty tucked their daughter in, kissed her goodnight, and left the bedroom. Ruby was fast asleep soon after her parents left her bedroom. Matt and Kitty were also tired and decided to retire to their own room.

Before doing so, Matt made sure everything was locked up and all kerosene lamps were extinguished. He put a couple more logs on the fire and then joined his wife. Kitty was already in bed waiting for Matt. Matt removed his clothes, leaving on his union suit, and climbed into bed next to Kitty. He gathered her in his arms and both fell asleep.

The End of this story