A/N: Since I'm terrible at remembering to put "The End" at the end of a story, and a few people thought I had more chapters to post, here's a surprise bonus chapter! In the timeline of this story, it takes place the morning after the attack. (so I've gone back in time a bit from chapter 2) And to the guests who left reviews on the last chapter, thank you, thank you, Thank You! Your kind words mean so much to me :)

Matt had been able to come home earlier than he'd expected, and he rode into Dodge a few hours after sunrise. The Long Branch still had its doors closed, which wasn't too out of the ordinary at this hour, but Matt knew Kitty tended to open earlier when he wasn't in town. She didn't sleep as much, sleep as well, when he was gone.

Doc had told him that.

Matt continued on to the jail, pushing his concerns aside, and found Festus there, making a pot of coffee. One look at his deputy's face, though, and Matt's gut clenched.

Festus had hardly finished his explanation before Matt was right back out the door. A sort of tunnel vision kicked in, and all he could see was the staircase to Doc's office. All he could hear was the sound of his own breath, harsh in the early morning stillness.

Kitty….

Booted feet took the steps two at a time, slowing just before he reached the landing and then eased Doc's door open. The outer office stood empty, quiet. Doc would've stayed all night with Kitty, Matt knew that for a fact, so they'd be in the back room.

The guilt had set in the instant Festus told him Kitty had been attacked, and Matt paused for a moment, dreading what he'd find.

Slowly, Matt crossed the room and opened the door.

Kitty and Doc were both asleep on the bed, his arms around her, fistfuls of his shirt bunched in her clenched hands. Matt swallowed hard and took off his hat as he moved into the room, putting it on the bedside table and sitting heavily in the empty chair. He could see dried trails of tears on Kitty's cheeks, and the way he found her and Doc, Matt wondered if she'd had a nightmare. She wasn't one to cry when she was in pain, and he knew she had nightmares from time to time. Mostly because of him…. He'd only witnessed a few over the years, but he paid attention. It didn't matter how well she hid them the day after, he saw the signs.

Matt's gaze swept over Kitty's sleeping form, scrutinizing every square inch of her that he could see. From his vantage point, and the way she rested on Doc's chest, he discovered frustratingly little. Aside from the signs she'd been crying and her furrowed brow, she looked relatively unharmed.

The next second, as if summoned by Matt's intense stare, Kitty began to stir, groaning softly. And intimately attuned to his patient's needs, Doc woke instantly, not surprised in the least when he saw Matt.

"How is she, Doc?"

Doc took a moment to answer, looking down at Kitty before answering. "She'll be alright, Matt. She—"

Before Doc could finish he thought, Kitty groaned again, and he carefully laid her down on the bed, standing up as she finally woke.

"Doc?" Kitty's voice sounded so unlike her, and Matt grimaced. She was in a great deal of pain, that much was clear.

Doc leaned back down over Kitty, gently smoothing her hair back from her face, calming her.

"Matt's here, honey. I'm going to go get you something for that headache you've got. You should be alright to take it, now."

Doc left the two of them alone, then, and Matt got his first good look at Kitty's face. He tried to cover the shock he felt, but he knew she'd seen it.

She smiled sadly. "I'd get up, but the room doesn't move as much if I just lie here."

Her quip caught Matt off guard, and he laughed in disbelief, shaking his head.

"Kitty—"

"Really, Matt." She waited until he looked back at her before continuing, "It's done with – I'm alright. I'll be fine."

Matt recognized that tone of voice, knew what she was asking of him, and he looked her over again, searching for reassurance in her eyes. Finally, he nodded in agreement, sighing heavily. He trusted her.

Bruises covered the left side of Kitty's face, she had at least one deep gash stitched up that he could see, and she held her side carefully when she shifted in the bed. Matt could only imagine what the last twelve hours had cost her, but her blue eyes sparkled as she made a concentrated effort to move past it and winked at him.

"Now why dontcha come a little closer, cowboy, so I don't have to keep shouting. I have one hell of a headache."

The End