Good Food, Good Friends

	Antelope stew was on the menu again.  Kitty Russell thought about it, decided on her usual three boiled eggs, toast, coffee and a piece of pie or sweet roll for lunch.  It was enough to keep a bird alive, but not much else.  Besides, she couldn’t eat a lot when she just woke up and high noon or not, it was still her breakfast.  She was waiting for Joe to come take her order when Marshal Dillon appeared at her elbow, “Kitty, how are you today?”
	Kitty smiled at the tall man, “Just fine and you?”
	“Hungry and you’ve got an empty spot,” he replied honestly.  It made her eyes crinkle impishly, “Really?  Well, we can’t have the US marshal going hungry now can we?  Go ahead and sit down.  I’ve not ordered yet.”
	As Matt took the opposite chair, two other men hurried over to take up the other empty chairs.  Kitty had seen the one with the limp walking around with Dillon, but the older one with the tattered coat and hat she’d not seen before.  She looked at them warily, “Hey, what is this?”
	Matt shook his head and sighed, “Sorry Kitty, but these are my loyal minions who are also hungry.  This is Chester Goode and the man with the mustache is the town sawbones, Doc Adams.”  
	Adams bristled, “I don’t know if I like being a minion, especially with the likes of Chester, but nice to meet you anyway Kitty…”
	“Russell,” she finished blue eyes wide and bright as a spring morning.  Chester tried to prop his elbow on the table and missed he was so taken when she looked at him.  Doc had heard the marshal’s assistant’s glowing assessment on the newest addition at the Long Branch with his usual skepticism but he had to admit Chester was right about one thing, “Chester, she does have the reddest hair I’ve ever seen.”
	Kitty chuckled.  “And it’s natural too.  See all the freckles,” she declared and pushed the sleeves up on the bright pink dress to show them her forearm.  On some the amount of freckles would be ridiculous but on Kitty they made her even more beautiful.  Still she would have liked to have fewer freckles and more buttermilk.  She always made a point of proving she’d been born a redhead and didn’t dye her hair like so many saloon girls did.  
	The men were admiring the exposed limb when Joe finally arrived.  He started with Kitty, “Three boiled eggs, toast, coffee, and then I’ll have dessert later.”
	Doc ordered next, “I’ll take the special and coffee.”
	Dillon added, “My usual, and coffee.”
	It was Chester’s turn and as usual he couldn’t decide.  After a minute, Doc growled, “Every day we eat ten minutes later because you’ve not made up your mind.  Now pick something!”
	Chester scowled at the menu and could feel the heat rise to his face.  
It was bad enough that Doc yelled at him in public, but in front of a pretty girl it was even worse.  If it hadn’t been Dillon’s treat for lunch he’d have left.  With a grumble he said, “The number five and coffee, oh and some buttermilk.”
	After Joe left, Matt asked, “So Kitty how do you like Dodge?”
	She answered with a frown, “Not much of a town is it?  I mean I went to buy yard goods to repair one of my dresses and they had to order it from St. Louis.  By the time it gets here the dress won’t be worth repairing.”
	Dillon had to agree with her, “No, it’s not much for shopping.  About all it is good for is drunks, drovers, and crooked gamblers.”
	“That’s true,” Doc muttered and sat back so Joe could pour the coffee.  
	Chester put his two cents and his two feet in, “Yeah, no decent woman will live here.”
	He realized what he said, “I didn’t mean that.  I meant… respectable…no… that’s not what I meant either.”
	Dillon stopped him, “That’s okay Chester, why don’t we talk about something safe, like the weather.”
	Doc winked at Kitty, couldn’t resist prodding his favorite tease, “No, let him go on.  I’ve never seen anyone swallow himself whole before.”
	That was a zinger and to the men’s delight, Kitty let loose with a laugh so bawdy they instantly fell in love with her.  Oh she might not be a lady, but she was one hell of a woman.  They were still chuckling when the food arrived.  
	Dillon’s usual was a thick steak, a little rare, potato, plenty of brown beans with onions, peppers, and fatback, and pan bread.  Doc’s antelope stew looked and smelled good, but at Chester’s plate she had to ask, “What is that?”
	Goode washed the mouthful down before answering, “Calf fries.”
	She frowned, “Calf fries… never heard of them.”
	Matt managed to clear his throat before supplying, “They’re sort of a delicacy around here what with all the beef and all.”
	That intrigued her, “Can I try some?”
	The jailer offered her his plate and she forked a few slivers and popped them in her mouth.  They were tender and practically melted in her mouth.  She’d never tasted anything like them.  They were delicious.  “Those are wonderful.  I can’t quite place the taste though.  What part of the cow are they from?”
	Here the law men deferred to the physician who answered her, “Testicles, sliced and fried in lard.”
	They waited to see the expression on her face.  The smile didn’t fade.  “They’re delicious,” she said and suddenly the three boiled eggs didn’t look so appetizing.  “Joe, could you bring me an order of those calf fries?”
	“Certainly,” he said.  
	“Now Kitty those are awfully rich,” Doc warned.  
	“I know, that’s why they are so good,” Kitty agreed and was half tempted to eat what was left on Chester’s plate and give him hers when it arrived.  By the time her order arrived she was ravenous and cleaned the plate easily.  She considered ordering more.  The three men shook their heads.  She was some woman.  
“Doc’s right Kitty, those are really rich. I’d stop there and call it a day for now,” Matt tried.  
“Oh I’m used to rich food,” she countered.  “In New Orleans everything is rich.  Believe me.”
Chester perked up, “You’re from New Orleans?”
“Mmm-hmm, born there, I was on my way west when I stopped here on the stage last week,” she said and motioned for Joe to come back over, “Another order please.”
He looked at her oddly then at the three men who gave him a she asked for it look, “More calf fries, yes ma’am.”
Kitty didn’t normally eat like a horse, but they were so good she couldn’t help herself.  By the time she finished that plate she was full up to her eyeballs and the piece of pie she was going to have forgotten.  It was nearly one thirty before they got out of the restaurant.  Kitty thanked them for the company and they thanked her for the privilege of eating with her.  She assured them they were always welcome to sit with her in the future and that she’d be working that night and to come in and have a beer with her at the Long Branch.
Chester watched her leave with a sigh on his lips, “Isn’t she the most beautiful thing you’ve ever seen?
Matt didn’t say anything but didn’t hide his own admiration as she walked away.  Doc sniffed, “Two helpings of calf fries… she’s gonna be the sickest thing you’ve ever seen tomorrow.”
“We’re gonna go to the Long Branch tonight aren’t we?” Chester asked like a little kid needing his parents to take him somewhere. 
“We?  You’re old enough to drink on your own,” Doc groused and started shuffling toward his office to take a nap.  
“But she asked the three of us to come in,” Chester complained.  
Dillon chuckled, “I don’t think she’ll care if we come in separate.  But yeah, the Long Branch tonight does sound like a good idea.”  

It got dark early since a storm was coming up and Dillon made his rounds way before midnight for a change.  Chester came with him so he would be there when they stopped at the Long Branch for that free beer Kitty promised them.  As Matt passed Doc’s office, they saw the town physician making his way down the stairs, “Going for that drink, you coming?”
“Yeah but I wouldn’t count on getting it.  Kate came over to tell me Kitty’s sick, real sick.  At least I don’t have to worry about what it’s from,” he said a little too cheerfully.  Matt thought Doc was a sadist at heart and liked to derive pleasure from other people’s pain, but now he was certain of it.  
Kitty was up in room three where she’d taken up residence when she went to work for Pence the week before.  She was doubled up on the bed and thought if her guts didn’t fall out she’d go ahead and rip them out just to save her anymore trouble.  She’d sent Kate to ask Doc if he could give her some stomach powders.  When a knock came at the door she just answered, “Come on in.”
Doc Adams was followed by both Matt Dillon and Chester Goode.  They’d never seen anyone so green before and writhing on the bed like she had snakes crawling around inside wanting to get out.  They got her to sit up, but she could barely focus on Doc’s face as he pulled out his stethoscope, “Calf fries don’t usually make people this sick.”
She groaned, “It wasn’t the calf fries.”
“It wasn’t?” Matt asked amazed.  
“No, I was downstairs and grabbed the wrong drink.  I ended up downing someone’s tobacco juice spit instead of whiskey.  I’m gonna be sick…” she warned and made it to the basin just in time to throw up.  She felt better but still thought she was gonna die.  “I’ve never tasted anything so vile.  How do they stand it?” 
Matt and Chester leaned against the wall and watched her in her agony.  It wasn’t funny, but on the other hand, it was the funniest thing they’d ever seen.  Matt tried hard not to laugh but couldn’t help it and pulled the hat off his head to slap against his knee and Chester joined him.  Doc’s scowl was having a hard time staying put and he wiped his face to try to keep it.  Kitty was furious, “Listen, it’s not funny.  I’m sick and you’re laughing at me!” 
“We’re not laughing Kitty,” Matt said.  “Okay, we’re laughing but not at you, but if you could just see yourself.  You’re green as grass and with that red hair…”
“Looks like Christmas all over,” Chester finished.  
“Oh shut up… I’m gonna be sick,” Kitty warned again as the others sobered up.  She was really sick as any of them would be with a snoot full of tobacco spit.  After a few more times she felt a lot better and was beginning to turn her natural shade again.  
“Can we get you anything?” Chester asked trying to be helpful.  
“No, no that’s all right.  Some cool air would be nice,” she answered.  
“Can’t help you there, sorry,” Matt apologized.  It was a still night and didn’t show any signs of cooling off anytime soon.  
“I think I’ll just take a cool bath then.  I’m feeling much better now,” Kitty assured and smiled at them.  Now that her stomach was completely empty she did think of something.  Before they left she requested, “Say, is Delmonico’s still open?”
Chester nodded, “Yeah, till eight, why?”
“Could you go get me some more of those calf fries?  Now that I’m done being sick, I’m kinda hungry,” Kitty replied the light coming back in her eyes.  
Doc shoved his stuff back in his kit, “I thought I’d seen it all when I saw the way Chester ate, but Kitty, you take the cake.”
“Oh, I never did get my piece of pie this morning.  Tell them to send me a piece of pie too,” she remembered.  
Doc shook his head all the way to the door, “I’ll check on you in the morning.  I can guarantee you you’re gonna need it.”
“All right Doc,” she said, “Oh, and thank you for coming over.”
“I’ll send you my bill,” he called and walked out leaving the door open behind him.  
Chester and Matt started to leave and she smiled at them, “And thanks for coming too.”
Chester grinned back all weak-kneed.  Matt put his hat back on his head and with a wink said, “What are friends for?”