Lou embraced Kate's shivering body. She was sobbing, and gulping every now and then. She wasn't crying for her own misery, but for the pain she knew Buck was going through. Both mental and physical. Leaving his side had been hard enough, but not knowing what was happening inside was torture. To their great surprise, doc suddenly opened the door and walked out.

"Well?" Kid asked.

"Well," doc started and looked perplexed. "I'll be damned!"

Lou frowned at her husband and Kate wiped at her tears.

"What?" she asked, swallowing another gulp.

"What's with his hands?" Lou probed.

"They're recovering, that's what's with them!" doc smiled and Kid was the first to grin too.

"But he's in such pain," Kate reminded.

"They're unfreezing. Finally," doc explained. "They'll hurt for awhile, but I don't see no signs of gangrene. And his fever's down too."

The small man's eyes darted from the women's faces to Kid and back. He chuckled.

"That's good news, folk!" he laughed.

Kid chuckled and embraced his wife, then Kate.

"You heard him," he said.

"Can we see him?" Kate asked. She couldn't believe this was happening. It was too unreal. Too unexpected.

"He's asleep," doc explained and saw the three faces frown at him. "Laudanum, for the pain," doc continued and they all seemed to relax some.

"I'm gonna go tell Rachel the good news," Lou said, giving her friend a quick hug. "Shall I bring back Sherry?"

"Please," Kate whispered and smiled too, but her tears wouldn't dry yet. Though they weren't sad tears anymore. They were happy tears.

Buck groaned and sank down on the bed. Leaving the doctor's surgery had been straining and painful, but at least he was home now. Finally. After three dull weeks. Kate giggled and sat down next to him, carefully placing a pillow under his splinted left leg. The right was almost healed, and needed no splint.

"You okay?"

Buck nodded, his eyelids fluttering. Climbing the stairs had taken its toll on him, and almost healed or not, his right leg still didn't quite carry him. He willingly accepted the laudanum doc had sent with him.

"I'll let you sleep," she whispered and placed a kiss on his forehead.

Buck's hand lifted from the bed and grabbed her neck. He moved her head toward his lips and kissed her. Kate smiled against his lips and kissed him back, pulling back before the passion became too strong to resist. No matter how long ago they last made love, Buck needed to rest. His legs would need that. His hands were still weak and he couldn't hold much more than a fork or spoon, but at least they were still there. Both of them, and healing. Kate kissed his cheek, where only one inch long scar, thin as a thread, was showing the world what indeed had happened to him. From a distance it barely showed at all. When she left the room, the laudanum was already bringing her husband toward the land of sweet, sweet dreams.

One Month Later

Kate lifted a sleeping Sherryleen from the couch in the sitting room. She had been telling her resting father all about her day in town with aunt Rachel and uncle Kid, but now it was her time to rest. It was getting late, and soon Buck would want to move upstairs too. His left leg was free of the splint now, but he still needed help walking. When Kate came back down after putting their daughter to bed, she found Buck dozing on the couch.

"Hey sleepyhead," she smiled against his chin and kissed it, moving lower.

Buck let a deep moan in pleasure escape his throat and he opened his eyes slowly. Kate was smiling into them, her body glowing in the dim light from the fireplace across the room. The rest of the house was all dark. She moved her lips lower again, kissing his neck and Adam's apple. Buck sighed in delight.

"Let's get you upstairs," Kate spoke, breaking the pleasure wave that was washing over her husband.

"I can't take more of this tease!" Buck cried and sat up quickly, taking her into his arms.

Kate giggled and slapped his chest carefully. The hug grew tighter and soon they were both silent, just content with holding each other. Their thoughts drifted. Buck breathed in her scent and looked into her eyes, kissing her lips tenderly, stroking her bulging stomach with one hand.

Suddenly she tensed and moaned lowly.

"What?" Buck whispered.

"The baby," Kate whispered back, looking with shock into his questioning eyes.

"You…y… you're having the baby?" he stuttered.

"It's too soon!" Kate cried, being certain she was fooling herself. No, the pain was real. "It's over a month too soon!"

Buck knew he couldn't panic. He was all she had now. And she was certainly panicking already.

"Uh… it's okay, honey. Uh… Don't worry," he stuttered and pushed her to the side carefully so he could sit up. "I'll get a wagon ready, you just sit tight."

"You can't fix that all on your own!" Kate cried, looking after him pleadingly as he stood and hobbled across the room.

"Yes, I can. It's gonna be alright," Buck assured her and grabbed a coat by the door. "Get Sherry if you can, I'll be right back!"

He took a careful step out into the inky night, leaving Kate shivering in panic on the couch. She wanted him there to hold her until it was all over, but she knew what he was doing was right. She tried to focus on getting Sherry down again, but her thoughts kept drifting. What if something's wrong with the baby?