Finding Kitty, Chapter 6 "No More Snakes"

Matt held Kitty close for a very long time until her violent trembling eased and her tears slowed. 

Laying her back on the bed, he took the wet handkerchief that’d been on her forehead earlier and wiped her flushed face.  He soothed, “You need to rest, Kitty.  All this excitement is not good for you.  You’re hurt.”

“I know, I know.  My head aches twice as bad now.”  Then she added anxiously in a hushed voice, “I don’t think I can sleep in this room, Matt.”

“I checked everywhere, Kitty.  I covered the hole.  If there are any more, they can’t get through.”

“I’m sorry, Matt, but I just can’t.  I really can’t.”

Matt thought for a moment and then offered, “What about if we move you to the front room?  This bed is small.  I could easily move it in front of the fire for you.”

“You’d do that for me?”  Her wide blue eyes, still brimming with tears, melted his heart. 

To conceal his feelings, he answered a little gruffly, “Of course.”

“I hate to be such a bother...”

“You’re not a bother to me.   Come here,” he said, gathering her into his arms.  “I’ll sit you in a chair while I move your bed.”  Matt lifted his charge effortlessly and placed her carefully in a straight-backed chair while he struggled to fit the small bed through the door.  After turning it on its side, he had little difficulty in maneuvering it through. 

Then he retrieved Kitty carefully from her chair, but she still winced and gasped slightly when he gripped her torso a little too tightly. 

“What’s the matter, Kitty?  Did I hurt you?”

“No, really...”

“It’s not your head, is it?”

“No, it’s not my head.  It’s nothing really...”

“Tell me,” he softly commanded as he carried her to the bed, lowering her gently.

“I don’t know, Matt.  Everything’s so hazy, I guess because of my head.  It’s just...”

“It’s just what?”  He looked anxiously down at her side where he’d touched her and she’d cried out.

“My side hurts.  I just don’t remember what happened to make it so sore.”

“Is it your ribs?  Let me see...”  He reached toward her jacket buttons.

“No, Matt!  Really, I...”  She blushed and she didn’t quite know why.  She’d had enough men see her in her altogether in her lifetime, heaven knows.  But...Matt was different...  She hastily explained, “I don’t think they’re broken.  I’m just sore.  I’ll be alright, honestly.”  She stilled his hands with her own.

He stopped and gazed at her worriedly, and then at the thought of what he’d almost done, his face began to turn red.  He looked down at their entwined fingers, embarrassed to look her in the eye.   Then he gathered his wits about him, fetching the blanket and spreading it carefully over her.   He stoked the fire, adding more wood, and asked, “Are you warm enough?”

“Yes, thank you.”  She smiled at him gratefully, trying to ease his discomfort.  “I seem to be thanking you a lot lately, don’t I?”

“Kitty, I don’t think I can ever do enough to make up for getting you into this situation.”

“You...  What?  None of this is your fault, Matt!”

“Now, don’t you go getting riled up, Kitty Russell.  I’m sorry I said anything.  You need to lay quiet and rest.”

“But what if there are more snakes?”

“I will check for more snakes.”

“When?  Cause I won’t be able to sleep a wink until I know without a doubt that there are no more snakes.” 

“I’ll check right now.”  He smiled and rose, squeezing her hand lightly.  Then he went about leaving no stone unturned, searching every nook and cranny in the cabin, high and low, making sure there were no more snakes so that Kitty could get some well-needed rest.

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Scaly skin slithering, sliding, twisting, coiling around her slim, white neck.  Forked tongue flicking from a pointed snout, cold eyes with slitted pupils staring into her terrified gaze, hypnotizing, hypnotizing...  She is frozen in place, unable to move, unable to scream, unable to breathe.  A rhythmic buzzing, rattling sound emanates from its tail, warning of impending danger.  I will bite you, it is saying, and its mouth gapes open, exposing a pale bloodless mouth and long fangs dripping with lethal venom.  The mouth opens wider, hissing devilishly.  The wicked, writhing creature poises to strike at her, and there is no way she can stop it...

Kitty awoke with a start in the dim light before the fire as Matt Dillon tumbled from his chair to the hard wooden floor.  “Matt!” she exclaimed.

Matt groaned and sat up, a chagrined look on his haggard face.

“What on earth happened?” she asked.

“I think I fell asleep,” he answered groggily.  “I was dreaming...”

“What on earth were you dreaming about?  I heard you call out...”

Matt looked at Kitty’s worried expression in the firelight and muttered matter-of-factly, “You don’t wanna know.”

“It’s late, Matt.  You need to sleep.  And you can’t sleep on a chair.”

“It’s okay.  I’ll be alright, Kitty.  You go on back to sleep.”  Matt unsuccessfully attempted to stifle an enormous yawn. 

Kitty peered through the dim light at his exhausted features.  “How long has it been since you’ve slept, Marshal?”

“I...uh...”

“That’s what I thought,” she answered knowingly.  She sat quietly for a moment, strengthening her resolve, then whispered, “Come ‘ere.”

“What?”  Matt had a wary look in his eye.

“I said, ‘Come ‘ere,’ Marshal.”  One finely arched eyebrow lifted, daring him to argue with her.  She stretched out an arm and slipped to one side of the narrow bed.  “You need rest.  Badly.  You’re not gonna get it with me hogging the bed.  It’s small, but I think we’ll both fit reasonably well.”

It was Matt’s turn for his eyebrows to shoot up. 

“Don’t worry, Cowboy, I won’t bite.”  She beckoned with one finger.

“Kitty, if you knew what I was just dreaming about, you wouldn’t be joking like that.”

“Sorry.  I didn’t mean to scare you.  But I’m not going to argue.  Remember, I’m injured and don’t need to get excited.  So do as I tell you, big man.  Come ‘ere and let’s both get some rest.”

“But, Kitty...”

“No ‘buts’.”  Her voice became softer, coaxing.  “Do it for me.  I know you’re exhausted and I won’t be able to rest anymore until...”

He gave a sigh and lifted himself from the floor with a groan.  Seeming to gather his courage for a moment, he finally sat on the edge of the small bed.

“Lie back,” she instructed firmly.

It was a tight fit, and there was only one pillow.  Kitty ended up placing it under Matt’s head, and after much twisting and turning, Matt tentatively wrapped his arm around her while she pillowed her head on his chest.   They lay perfectly still for a while, soaking up the sensation of being so near that they could each feel the heartbeat of the other, the taking in of breath, the warmth, the scent of the other, so very close.  It was a heady feeling, and Matt honestly didn’t know if he’d be able to sleep a wink with Kitty Russell nestled against him, touching him, sharing her heat.  But complete and utter exhaustion overcame all reservations very quickly as they both sank deeply into a dreamless sleep, together.

tbc

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