Breath of Life

(This story is the third of a Trilogy - following Healing of the Hearts and Love's Treasure)

Part 1

The Sweetheart's Dance had come and gone, and with that, Sully and Michaela had celebrated the third anniversary of the day he had given her engagement ring to her, as well as Michaela's fortieth birthday. She didn't want her age to be public knowledge, so they decided to celebrate privately. The children, as well as several of her friends had already wished her a "happy birthday" and given her a few gifts, so she didn't mind this little private party. After the Sweetheart's Dance, Brian and Katie had gone to stay with Dorothy, and Colleen had taken the last train to Denver to return to school. Matthew went to stay at the boarding house, just so Mike and Sully would have the night alone. They had ridden home in silence, and when they arrived at the homestead, Sully had started a fire and brewed some chamomile tea for them to enjoy. They had spent the remainder of the evening sitting by the fire and talking about their Valentine's Day excursions.....

"Close your eyes," Sully commanded. He had risen from the other wingback chair in the living room a moment before, and now he was standing directly behind her. She did as she was told, smiling, as she thought about the surprise he had for her. He walked around to kneel in front of her, then placed a small object in her lap. She started to move her hands to feel it, but Sully held them back. "Alright, you can open them," he told her. Michaela looked down at her lap, and gasped. It was a hand-carved wooden plaque with five lines that said:

"Happy Birthday.....Michaela.....40 years young.....Your
beauty.....stops my heart."

Michaela ran her hands over the gift. It was as smooth as silk, not a bump on it. "Oh, Sully," she breathed. "It must have taken you a long time to make this. It's beautiful."

"Not as beautiful as you," he replied.

She looked into his eyes, placed the plaque on the table, and reached her hands forward to caress his face. He leaned forward and their lips met, Michaela's gratitude for his gift evident in her kiss. When they broke apart, their heartbeats were beating rapidly. Michaela smiled, then edged forward to rise from the chair. Sully looked at her questioningly. "I have a gift for you, also," she explained, then walked over to her desk. She turned back around to face him. "Now, it's your turn to close your eyes," she commanded.

He did as he was told, and she walked over to him with the gift in her hands. She stopped, then threw the gift over his head. "Okay. You can open them now," she said and laughed as he struggled to get out from under it. Once he was free, he took the blanket in his hands and admired the beauty of it. It was as soft as a feather, and the pattern was distinctly.....Cheyenne. He looked up at his wife with a question in his eyes. Without him asking, she explained, "I talked with Cloud Dancing," she began. "He brought this blanket back from the Northern Cheyenne Territory in exchange for my help with Black Moon and his people when they were suffering from consumption. It was their way of thanking me, and I thought it would make a wonderful present for celebrating our official engagement."

"Well, why don't we get some use outta it," he suggested, inviting her to join him on the rug. He repositioned himself so that he was leaning against one of the wingback chairs, his knees bent, and his feet flat on the floor. She sat down in front of him, and he wrapped the blanket around them both. Even with the fire going, there was still a distinct chill in the room, and the blanket helped to keep them warm. Michaela held the ends together, and Sully began massaging her shoulders. She leaned back, slightly, as she began to relax from his ministrations. He brushed her hair aside and placed light kisses on her neck, then reached around to begin unbuttoning her blouse. She helped him by pulling the ends of the blouse out of her skirt, and when the last button was undone, he pushed the material off of her shoulders.

He resumed his massage and again placed light kisses on her neck, but this time he moved across her shoulders. With the heat from the fireplace and the added heat from the blanket and their ignited passion, he began to get hot, so he leaned her forward, slightly, then raised his arms to remove his shirt. He tossed the garment aside, then drew her back against his chest, placing his arms around her and locking his hands in front. She placed her hands over his and drew the blanket snugly around them. They remained like that for a long while, staring into the flames of the fireplace and being thankful for this peaceful and quiet night alone, before retiring for the night. However, it was a long time before either one of them got any sleep.....

Now, it was over a month since, and life had been anything but peaceful. It wasn't enough that Michaela had to worry about her health as well as the health of her baby, but she had also had to deal with a very traumatic event -- being shot by a madman who had lost his wife to a doctor and had taken it upon himself to seek revenge upon all doctors. She still remembered that near-death experience as if it had happened only yesterday....

She was at her clinic that day and had walked over to her filing cabinet, when there was a knock at the door. She told the knocker to come in, and when the person remained outside, she hesitantly walked over to the door, an eerie feeling of dread and anxiety nearly overwhelming her. As she placed her hand on the doorknob and opened the door, she could see the shadow of a man through the curtains. When she opened the door, she was faced with a very rough-looking man who looked as if he had been riding for days without sleep. She asked him if she could help him, and he responded by asking if she was the doctor.

When she answered him in the affirmative, an evil but pain-filled gleam entered his eyes as he reached inside his coat. The rest was a blur as he pulled out a gun, pointed it at her, and fired, then rode off. All that she remembered from the ride to the Chateau was Hank continually telling her to hang on. After that, she had spent a few weeks recovering, and had been really worried that she would lose the baby from the anxiety she was experiencing, but Dr. Cook, Andrew as he was commonly known, had assured her that as long as she didn't overexert herself, her baby would be fine.

That little bit of reassurance didn't help much in light of the fact that she was scared to death to even step one foot outside. However, when a storm hit the area, and sent a tree branch crashing through their kitchen window, frightening the entire family, it helped her to see that she wouldn't be able to protect them from everything. As a result, she worked hard to return to the life she had before her injury.

She had settled into her routine of alternating between being a doctor and mother, as well as making sure she took the necessary rests to ensure that she will keep herself and the baby growing inside of her healthy. She had mourned over losing the last baby while her husband, Sully was away, and she was determined not to lose this one, too. Although they had discussed everything and come to terms with the first loss, as well as this terrible event, that didn't mean that they wouldn't still be careful.

She was already far past the time when she had lost the last one, and things seemed to be progressing normally, as far as the baby and its growth were concerned. Despite all of this, she was still concerned, especially since she was not as young as most mothers who were having babies, and as a doctor, she knew that this played a very important role in the health of the baby; that and making sure to rest and eat well without tiring out and causing undue stress on the mother. Since the accident that brought both her mother and sister to Colorado Springs, as well as the unfortunate incident which led to the introduction of Anabel Dawson to this little town and to Hank, the Saloon Owner, in addition to her recovery from the gunshot, the only other thing that happened had been the arrival of Patrick Collins from Denver....

From the first moment Michaela set eyes upon Patrick, she had an uneasy feeling about him. He arrived at the clinic while she and Colleen were cleaning the medical instruments and rolling bandages. When he introduced himself, and then presented Colleen with flowers and chocolates, Michaela realized that he meant business; she just didn't know what type of business that was. Every time that Patrick came to take Colleen somewhere, whether it be on a picnic or to Grace's Cafe, Michaela felt like she needed to send along a chaperone to ensure her daughter's safety. She just didn't trust this young gentleman from Denver. There was something very suspicious about his actions.

Finally, at an afternoon tea, to which Patrick invited Colleen, as well as Michaela and Matthew, she realized what it was that she didn't like about him. He was very controlling and didn't allow Colleen to have any opinions of her own. He wanted her to agree with everything he said, and if she didn't, he assured her that she would in time. That immediately caused Michaela to be wary of his intentions towards Colleen, and more and more had her wishing that Andrew would come and declare his own.

Later, Colleen came in to inform Michaela that she was no longer seeing Patrick because it wasn't working out. However, when Colleen went out to the Chateau to tell Patrick this, he became very angry and forceful, trying to coerce Colleen into a relationship with him. When he grabbed her arm, Andrew came out of the Chateau Clinic to tell him to let her go, and this caused a fight to ensue. In the end, Andrew had won and Colleen walked inside with him to tend to his wounds and to thank him for what he did....

The thought of Andrew and Colleen finally admitting their feelings for one another reminded Michaela of when Sully had come to Boston because he loved her. He had been so worried that he was going to lose her to her old life, that he had even learned how to waltz, enjoy the opera, and eat escargot just to show her that he wasn't against the lifestyle in which she had lived most of her life. As she thought about the nights Sully had taken her out to supper and dancing, and then to the opera, a smile appeared on her face. Then, when she remembered Sully's declaration of love on the train, she blushed as she remembered what she did when she returned to Colorado Springs....

She had seen him standing just outside of the Saloon with Wolf laying beside him on the ground. He looked at her, opened his arms slightly to show her that he still loved her and welcomed her, and she placed one hand on her hat and the other to lift her skirts as she ran into his warm embrace. He picked her up and swung her around. When he set her down, she told him that she loved him, too, and then they kissed. Just thinking of how open she was with that declaration and even kissing in front of everyone brought an even deeper blush to her face....

All of a sudden, Michaela looked up as she realized that someone else was in the clinic. She saw Sully standing a few feet away with a contented look on his face. "It's about time to close up, Michaela," he said as he walked over to her and greeted her with a kiss.

"I know," she replied as she returned his kiss. "I was just finishing this last patient record and getting ready to straighten up a bit before closing for the day."

"Looks to me like you were daydreamin' and not gettin' much work done," he pointed out and smiled. "And it musta been a pretty nice dream to have ya blushin' like that."

"No, I wasn't, Sully," she argued. "I was just thinking about what to write to update this chart."

Sully came around behind her and looked over her shoulder at the chart in front of his wife. He saw that the chart had been completed and there was nothing left to add. "Michaela, you finished this chart already," he observed. "And, ya didn't even hear me come in when I did. If you hadn't looked over in my direction, I woulda most likely had ta snap ya outta daydreamin', so why dontcha just admit it?"

Michaela turned slightly to look into her husband's teasing eyes and smiled sheepishly. She knew when she was caught, and it was usually by Sully. He could read her as easily as he read Walt Whitman's poetry, and he did both with ease. It never ceased to amaze her how well Sully knew her. There wasn't much of anything that escaped his notice, and she loved him for it. "Alright, Sully, I admit it. I was daydreaming," she said as she reached up to draw his arms around her and lean back against him.

Sully leaned down slightly to nuzzle her neck and then lean his chin on the top of her head. "Musta been a nice dream to cause ya not even ta notice me," he teased.

"Mmm," she answered, "It was."

"What was it about?"

"I was just thinking about Colleen and Andrew finally telling each other of their feelings, and that led me to remembering when we admitted to each other how we felt," she told him.

"Ya mean Boston?"

"Mm-hm," she replied.

"That was a real difficult time for me. I couldn't get ya out of my mind for the entire trip, and it was even more difficult once I got back here, since I didn't know if you were even comin' back. All I could see was your face when I finally admitted to ya why I'd come to Boston. Ya seemed so shocked ta hear me say it, and then ya just ran out. I thought you were runnin' back to William, and that I'd lost ya. I tried to imagine what my life woulda been like without ya, and it made me miserable just thinkin' about it.

"When I learned that you'd be on the stage that day, I made sure I was there to see your face. When I opened my arms and you came runnin' to me, I realized that I'd found life again."

Michaela sighed as she remembered that day, and added what she remembered to what she had just learned about how Sully saw it. Then, a thought struck her. "Sully?"

"Mmm?"

"How did you know that I would be on that stagecoach that day?"

Sully smiled, withdrew his arms, then turned Michaela around to face him. He kneeled down so that they were eye to eye. "I got a telegram from Matthew, Colleen and Brian sayin' when ya'd be home," he admitted with a secret smile.

Michaela smiled at him. "I should have known that those children would do something like that. They must have sent it when we stopped in St. Louis. I remember that entire train ride they were trying to get me to talk about why we had decided to leave Boston so suddenly, and what I was going to do once we got back here. I could tell that they knew it had something to do with you and William, but they didn't know everything.

"Finally, when we arrived in Denver and had to take the stagecoach here, I told them about both of your proposals and how I felt that you were much more of a friend than William was. We had our similarities and our common interests in helping those who needed it, but we didn't have the true friendship that you and I have. I didn't feel as if I could tell him everything I was feeling and know that he wouldn't laugh at me or think me foolish. I knew that our relationship went much deeper.

"Of course, I didn't tell them all of this, only that your friendship meant more to me than anything Boston or William could offer, and that I had finally found a home here in Colorado Springs with them."

"Is that all you felt for me? Friendship?" he asked with a glint in his eyes.

"Of course not," she told him. "But, I wasn't about to admit my true feelings for you to them, especially when I hadn't even told you yet." She looked down and blushed.

Sully lifted her chin with his finger, then stood and he drew her up with him. He leaned in so that their faces where only inches apart and whispered, "And what are those feelin's?"

She thought for a moment, then looked him in the eyes and answered, "Love, beyond anything I could have ever imagined possible. Trust, that you will never leave me and will always love me. Hope, for our future and our new baby. And faith in God and the Spirits for bringing us together and giving us the best that life has to offer."

"Well, I'm glad ya realized that ya loved me, and that ya came back home ta tell me, cause I don't know if I coulda gone on without ya," he admitted. "And I know we got the best life we could ever have. You and the children mean everythin' to me, and I wouldn't give that up for the world. And now that you're carryin' another child ta add to our family, I love ya more'n I ever have."

Michaela smiled with tears in her eyes as they mutually leaned in for a kiss full of love and promise for the future. A knock on the door went unnoticed, and the man walked in. When he realized that the couple didn't know he was there, he cleared his throat in order to get their attention. Mike and Sully broke apart and turned towards their visitor.

Part 2 

Michaela straightened her dress and stepped away from Sully. "Robert E! What brings you over here?" Michaela asked after she had gathered her senses back and gotten over her embarrassment at being caught in such an embrace.

"Oh, Dr. Mike. I just wanted ta drop by and tell ya that your wagon is fixed from when ya dropped it off this mornin'. And it looks like I got it finished just in time. Isn't this about the time that you lock up for the day?"

"Yes, it is. In fact, we were just finishing up around here and getting ready to leave when you arrived."

"So, I noticed," he replied with a grin.

Michaela blushed, slightly. "Thank you so much for your work."

"Ya welcome, Dr. Mike, Sully. Have a nice ride home," he said to them both as he turned to leave.

Dr. Mike noticed how tired Robert E looked. "Robert E?"

"Yeah?"

"How are you and Grace doing?"

He rubbed his chin and sighed. "Not good at all, Dr. Mike," he admitted. "In fact, I'm beginnin' to think that this problem might end in separation."

"It ain't that bad, is it?" Sully asked.

"I'm afraid it is, Sully. I know she's not eatin' good, cept for drinks of that liquor, and I can tell she almost never sleeps. Then, when I try to talk to her, she always has some excuse as to why she don't have the time. We really need to talk this out, but I can't seem to get through to her. I know she's hurtin'. So am I. Losin' Anthony was the hardest thing that's happened to us, next to findin' out we can't have children. I just don't know what to do."

"I'm so sorry to hear that. I wish there was something we could do to help you both," Dr. Mike offered.

"That's real kind of ya, Dr. Mike, but I don't know what anyone can do." He looked out the window, then over at the clock on the opposite wall. "Well, look. I best be goin'. I got lots of work still to do before I close up for the day. I ain't got an excuse like you, Dr. Mike that allows me to leave early," he told her and made an attempt at a smile.

"All right, Robert E. Thanks again for all of your help."

"Grace just needs some time to mourn and grieve, and so do you," Sully interjected. "Things'll work out, even if it's hard at first. Losin' a child is real tough, and ya feel like you'll never get over it. But, give yourselves some time to heal. She'll come around."

"Thanks, Sully, Dr. Mike. I best be goin'. I'll see ya round," he said as he left and closed the door behind him.

Michaela turned back to Sully as soon as the door closed. "I really wish there was something we could do, Sully. I feel so bad for them both. I know it's been hard for them to get over losing Anthony. He was everything to them, and now Grace feels that drinking will drown her sorrows and make them go away. But, it won't. It will only make things worse."

"Well, maybe there *is* somethin' we can do," Sully mused.

"What?"

"I'm not sure just yet. Come on an' get your things. I'll get Katie and we'll head for home. It's been awhile since Katie and Grace spent some time together, and if I know Grace, she won't be able to turn her down. She is her godmother."

"That's a great idea, Sully! Do you think it will work?"

"Won't know unless we try. But, I think we should wait a little while and think things through, see if we can come up with anythin' else." He leaned over and closed her file on her desk, then grabbed her shawl off of the hook by the window. Michaela put a few instruments away, then walked over to her husband and allowed him to place her shawl around her shoulders. She picked up her medical bag and left the clinic, closing the door and putting up the "Closed" sign behind her.

For the entire ride home, they talked about the idea of using Katie to help pull Grace out of her melancholic attitude, and thought of how they could do this without looking too obvious. Michaela held Katie in her lap, and the little toddler was unusually restless. She normally sat still for wagon rides, looking around at Nature passing by, but today, she kept wanting to stand up and walk around. Michaela had to fight to keep Katie in her lap. All of a sudden, almost as if she had been listening to their entire conversation, Katie spoke out. "Ant Gace! Katie wuv Ant Gace," she stated, then buried her face against Michaela's chest, placing her arms around her mother's neck. Mike and Sully erupted with laughter at their daughter's antics and declaration. They shared a secret look and realized that their plan would work just fine, so they settled in for the remainder of the ride home. After all, who could resist such an adorable little child?

When they arrived at the homestead, Sully set the brake, then hopped down to walk around to the other side. He reached up and took Katie from his wife, then reached up to help her down, handing Katie back to her. They walked up the steps to the front door, but just as they opened it and prepared to walk inside, the sound of rapid hoofbeats were heard coming down the road from the direction of town. Sully and Mike turned around to see who was approaching at such a break-neck speed.

"Dr. Mike! There's an emergency in town," Matthew shouted at them from his horse. "It's Mrs. Sheehan. She's been in a wagon accident with her daughter, Sarah. Her daughter's not hurt as bad, but they both seem ta have some broken bones and cuts, and Mrs. Sheehan ain't conscious. Daniel was out ridin' to check on the stagecoach when he found em. He told the drivers to tell someone in town when they arrived, and I, and I told them I'd run out her to get ya."

Immediately, Mike and Sully moved into action. Brian had come running out from the barn when he heard the commotion, and when he heard that Sarah had been in an accident, he wanted to go with his Ma to see her. "Ma, please let me go. I wanna see Sarah," he pleaded.

"But, Brian, who's going to watch Katie?"

"We'll take her with us, Michaela," Sully said. "Brian can't stay here with Katie. We don't know how long we're gonna be. Sides, looks like we're gonna need all the help we can get."

Michaela thought for a moment, then made a decision. "Alright, Brian, you can come with us. Matthew, we'll ride in the wagon behind you. You go on ahead and tell them that we're on our way. Brian, hitch up Taffy and ride out to the Chateau to get Andrew. We're going to need his help."

"All right, Ma," he replied, then headed for the barn to get his horse and ride off to get Andrew.

"Let's go," Michaela said to her husband.

"Go ride?" Katie asked, enthusiastically.

Michaela looked down at her daughter and smiled. "Yes, sweetheart, we're going for another wagon ride."

Sully climbed into the wagon, then took Katie from his wife to sit her on the bench. He reached down to help her climb onto the seat beside him. He knew this wasn't easy for her, considering her condition. She looked very tired from her work today, and now she was heading back into town to work for who knows how long on Anna Marie Sheehan and her daughter. As she settled herself, she reached for her daughter and sighed. Sully was concerned for her. "Michaela, are ya sure you're up to this? I'm sure Andrew can handle everythin' if ya need to rest."

"I'm fine, Sully, really. I'm just a little tired, but that's to be expected. Besides, I can't, in good conscience, go back into the house and take a nap when two people are in need of my help. I'm pregnant, not an invalid. I'll be fine," she assured him with a smile.

"All right, but just don't overdo it. Andrew'll be there, as well as the rest of us, to help ya, so there ain't no need to wear yourself out," he told her.

"I know that, Sully, and thank you."

"Anytime. I wouldn't want nothin' happenin' to my favorite lady, now would I?" he asked with a teasing glint in his eyes. She smiled in return, leaned over to give him a brief kiss, then settled back as he slapped the reigns to set them in motion.

She had no idea what awaited them in town. From the sounds of things, it looked like Mrs. Sheehan was in pretty serious condition. She was sure that Sarah needed help, too, but she was still awake, so that was a good sign. She prayed that Anna Marie hadn't suffered a concussion, nor slipped into a coma. As they got closer to the site, she sent a prayer up the heavens, asking God to help them all with this unfortunate accident.

At the same time, Sully was sending a prayer to God and the Spirits to help Michaela and Andrew do their best and bring Mrs. Sheehan and her daughter out of this, safely. Neither had ever forsaken them before, and with both on their side, facing the unknown awaiting them didn't seem so bad, now.

Part 3

When they arrived at the site of the accident, they met Andrew coming from the other direction. As soon as Sully helped Michaela down from the wagon, both doctors rushed to the two victims. Mrs. Sheehan was lying on the ground, Sarah was closer to the wagon, and Daniel was kneeling next to Mrs. Sheehan.

Andrew, knowing Michaela couldn't very well get down that easily, went immediately to care for Mrs. Sheehan, seeing that she was injured more severely. A quick glance showed a possible broken leg and a sprained wrist, and a broken arm, as well as a number of cuts and bruises from being thrown from the wagon. He examined Mrs. Sheehan's head, and breathed a sigh of relief when he noticed that there were no cuts there. He was doing all that she could for her, but since she wasn't conscious, Dr. Cook didn't know how serious her injuries were. He didn't want to assume that she had passed out from the pain, but he went to his medicine bag to get some smelling salt to try to revive her. When he waved it under her nose, the woman stirred slightly and moaned. This was a good sign that she hadn't been knocked unconscious from the fall. "Mrs. Sheehan," Andrew called, compellingly.

The woman stirred again, but groaned when the movement brought her excruciating pain. She remained still and tried very hard to open her eyes. When she did, the sunlight caused her a moment of discomfort, but she was soon able to open them fully and begin to focus on the person standing above her. "Dr.....Dr. Cook?" she said, trying to clear the fog from her mind. "Where....where am I?" she asked.

"You're outside by your wagon. You were in an accident. You and your daughter were thrown from the wagon seat," he began to explain.

"Sarah! Oh my! I forgot..... about Sarah! Where..... is she?!" she exclaimed and began to get up from the ground. However, she was stopped by the realization that she couldn't move without unbearable pain. "Ohhh," she moaned and laid back down.

"It's all right, Mrs. Sheehan," Andrew soothed. "You've sustained some very serious injuries and abrasions, and I'm afraid you may have some broken ribs and/or bones. We won't know the full extent of your injury until I can properly examine you," he continued to explain. "Daniel found you while riding out to check on the stagecoach, and he informed the driver to tell someone in town. Matthew came and told us."

"But....., Sarah....., where..... is she?" she breathed.

"She's right over by the wagon. Dr. Mike's examinin' her, but I'm sure she'll be fine," Daniel explained.

Mrs. Sheehan glanced over at him. "Thank you....., Daniel," she said.

"It was no problem, Anna Marie. I'm just glad I got to ya in time," he answered.

"So, shall we proceed with the examination?" Dr. Cook interjected. "It's good that you're conscious. That will help me to determine the severity of your injuries. I'm going to be pressing on your ribs, slightly, and examining the rest of your body, and I need you to help me. You're going to have to let me know when I hurt you, but try to only moan when the pain is severe. I know you're experiencing a lot of discomfort, but I'm going to need you to cooperate with me, so that I can determine what needs to be done, first," he admonished. "Is everything clear?" Mrs. Sheehan nodded. "Good, then let's get started." Daniel took hold of Mrs. Sheehan's hand, and smiled down at her, helping her to be brave.

The examination revealed a couple of broken ribs, a sprained left wrist, a broken right ulna, and a broken left tibia. In addition, she had suffered several cuts and abrasions on her face, hands, and arms, but no injury on her head. "Well, it seems that you are one lucky woman," Dr. Cook began. "I have found a couple of broken ribs, your right arm and left leg are broken, your right wrist is sprained, and you have some minor cuts, but other than that, you're fine. There is no internal bleeding that I can determine, and it appears as if all of your injuries are on the exterior. It's amazing that you didn't injure your head when you were thrown. We're going to stabilize you so that you won't injure yourself further on the ride back into town and to Dr. Quinn's Clinic. When we get there, we'll prepare for surgery on your broken bones." Mrs. Sheehan nodded, then closed her eyes to try to make the pain she was feeling disappear.

Meanwhile, Dr. Mike had managed to get down next to Sarah to examine her. "Now, Sarah, it's very important that you help me determine what areas hurt more. I'm going to press on your ribs, to see if they might be broken, and then I'm going to move to your legs and arms. I know you're in a lot of pain, but please, try to only cry out when it really hurts," he instructed. "Are you ready?" She nodded.

Brian and Sully approached with Katie, and Brian immediately rushed to Sarah's side. She smiled at him, but he could tell she was in pain. He grabbed her hand and held it, wanting to give her assurance while his Ma completed her examination. Michaela pressed on her ribs, but Sarah only made a few barely audible moans, leaving her to realize that her ribs were only bruised. Next, she moved to her arms, and when she cried out as she touched her left arm, her suspicions were confirmed that her shoulder was, in fact, dislocated.

When she began to examine her legs, tears came to the girl's eyes and she held back a scream of pain. She realized that the tibia in her right leg was broken, but it wasn't a compound fracture, since it wasn't twisted at any strange angle. "Sarah, I'm going to be honest with you. You are going to be in bed for quite some time until your arm and leg can heal properly. We're going to have to reset your shoulder and make a cast for your leg. I'll also make a sling for your arm, so you don't move it while it heals, and we'll make sure your cuts are cleaned, thoroughly. In a few weeks, you'll be able to try walking around on your cast, but until then, I'm afraid you'll have to remain at the Clinic," she explained.

"I understand.....Dr. Mike.....I'm just.....glad that I'm.....alive," she breathed out, with difficulty. "How.....is Mama?"

"She's as well as can be, and you're both going to recover. Neither of you suffered any blows to the head, so we only have to stabilize you so that you won't injure yourself more on the ride back into town," she
answered.

"All right." She sighed.

"You're one lucky lady," she smiled, then rose to prepare both of them for transportation to the Clinic. Just the fact that there were no head injuries, considering what both she and her mother had experienced, was a miracle. Michaela, along with Sully, Daniel, Andrew, Matthew and Brian, sent prayers of thankfulness to the heavens for sparing these two special people. As Michaela and Andrew began preparing to move them, Sully gave Katie to Brian, then stood beside Daniel and Matthew to offer any assistance that his wife or Andrew might need.

In a little bit of time, the two patients' were stabilized and settled in the back of the two wagons. Sully climbed up to drive one team, and Daniel climbed up to drive the other. Brian climbed in the back with Sarah, and Michaela climbed in with Mrs. Sheehan, keeping Katie with her. Matthew remounted his horse and lead them, warning them when there was a large bump in the road. The trip back to town was slow, but they made it without causing further injury to either Mrs. Sheehan or Sarah.

Once inside the clinic, as Dr. Mike and Andrew were preparing for surgery, Katie began to fuss to be let down. Michaela turned to her husband, who held their daughter. "Sully, I'm going to need your help, and Daniel's, while Andrew and I set the broken bones and dislocated shoulder." She turned to Brian. "Brian, I know you would rather remain here, but I need you to take Katie into the other room, for now, okay?"

"Sure, Ma," Brian said, a little dejected. He really did want to stay with Sarah, but he also realized that his Ma needed him to watch Katie. He'd only be in the way if he stayed. So, he took his sister from his Pa, and went into the other room. The operating room was no place for Katie to be when his Ma had patients that needed work.

Several hours later, after the lamps had been lit in the Clinic to keep the necessary amount of light shining, Dr. Mike came through the door from the main room. Brian looked up, anxiously for a sign that everything went well. Dr. Mike nodded, and Brian jumped up to go see Sarah. She smiled at his youthful exuberance, looked at a sleeping Katie, then swayed slightly and grabbed onto the door for support.

Sully was behind her and reached to help her stand straight. "Michaela? Are you alright?"

She leaned back against him, and tried to regain her balance. "I'm fine, Sully, just a little tired. It's been a very long day," she assured her husband.

"Well, I'm going to make sure that you get a good night's sleep tonight. You've been on your feet for the past several hours, and that's much longer than you should have been."

"But, Sully...."

"No complainin'," he directed. "Once your patients are in their rooms, Andrew can finish up. Then, we can go up to the other recovery room and be there in case they need you. Brian and Katie will stay here with us, too. Sides, it won't be the first time we all spent several nights in one room, together," he told her with a smile. "Matthew can stay out at the homestead and make sure everything's alright. And I'll head out there when I ain't workin' to check on it. We can also send Brian out there to milk the cow and feed the horses and clean out the stalls. That way he won't be spendin' all his time here."

Sully was very convincing, and despite her misgivings on her entire family staying at the Clinic, Michaela realized how much she wanted them to be there with her. She knew that Andrew had to return to the Chateau tomorrow, so he wouldn't be around to help, and Colleen was at school, which meant that she would have no choice but to stay.. Having her family there would make her job much easier. So, she gave in. "All right, Sully, you win," she sighed.

"I know," he replied, then leaned around to kiss her cheek. "Now, let's check on your patients and get em upstairs to the recovery rooms," he suggested.

"That sounds like a good idea. The sooner, the better," she agreed, then turned to go back into the main room. However, she was stopped by Sully's arm around her waist.

"I agree," he said, then leaned down to give her a loving kiss. She responded with as much love, if not more, then regretfully broke it off, wanting more than ever to get her patients settled so that she and Sully could retire.

Part 4

After Anna Marie and Sarah were settled in their own beds, in their own rooms, as comfortable as they could be, Sully went downstairs to get Katie so that he could bring her up to their room. Once she was settled on a rug, he made sure the bed was pulled down, then went to check on Michaela. He found her in Mrs. Sheehan's room with Daniel.

"Now, if you need anything, just call. I've given you some morphine to help with the pain and discomfort. I'll be in the room right next door, and if I don't hear you, I'm sure someone will, and will awaken me," she was saying as he entered.

"All right, Dr. Mike. Thank you. You're a lifesaver," Mrs. Sheehan exclaimed, then began to grow tired. Her medicine was beginning to take effect.

"I'll sit with her, Michaela, until she falls asleep," Daniel offered. "Then, I gotta head back to the jail. I've got work to do. If you don't mind, I'd like to spend some time with her while she recovers, though."

She smiled, "That's fine, Daniel. In fact, it will help me out a great deal."

"All right. You get some rest, Michaela."

"I will, and thank you, Daniel."

"You're welcome, Michaela. I can't have ya wearin' yourself and your baby out, especially when that proud father there is dotin' on ya every minute," he smiled.

"I ain't got a choice," Sully interjected. "If I didn't watch her, she'd work herself to exhaustion."

"Well, I'll thank you both not to determine how I live my life!" she demanded, hands on her hips.

"Now, that's my Michaela," Sully stated, then leaned down for a kiss, "We're goin' now, Daniel. Night."

"Night," he replied, then sat down in the chair next to Anna Marie's bed.

In Sarah's room, Brian was taking up the same watch as Daniel. Everything seemed to be fine, so Michaela told Sarah the same thing she told her mother, and then she and Sully turned to leave.

"Ma," Brian's voice halted their progress.

"Yes, Brian," Michaela replied.

"Would it be all right if I stayed with Sarah tonight?"

Michaela thought about it and looked at Sarah. She was already starting to fall asleep. Then she turned to look at Sully for his opinion. He shrugged his shoulders, and she acquiesced. "Certainly, Brian. Like Daniel staying with Mrs. Sheehan, that will help me a lot. You can make up a pallet and sleep over there by the wall." She leaned down to kiss the top of his head.

"All right, Ma. Thanks," he replied as he kissed her cheek.

Sully then placed his arm around his wife, and led her from the room. They entered the remaining recovery room, and Michaela saw that Katie was sleeping soundly and that Sully had the bed all ready for them. She turned towards him, and he leaned down to kiss her as he began to unbutton her blouse. She began to remove his shirt, as well, and soon, they both were ready for bed.

Sully swung her into his arms and carried her to the bed. He laid her down, got in next to her, then pulled the covers over them. He reached out and pulled her to him, which wasn't difficult, considering that the beds weren't meant for more than one person. She snuggled against him, laying her head in the crook of his shoulder, and rubbing her hand across his neck and chest. Sully stirred at her touch and smiled. "Ya'd better be careful, Michaela, or we ain't gonna get much sleep tonight," he warned, fully communicating to her what her actions were doing to him.

She smiled up at him, but didn't stop. "Oh, we'll get plenty of sleep. But, don't you think a little cuddling would go well with sleep, first?" she suggested, playfully.

"Sure, only problem is I might not stop at just cuddlin'," he replied.

"I wouldn't mind," she retorted, then reached up to begin a kiss which began their night together in the recovery room and the bed meant for only one person.

* * * * *

The Reverend made his way down the stairs inside the General Store, as he prepared to go to the train station. He had wired to Denver for assistance with piano lessons, and he had gotten a reply from a woman who had taught lessons for ten years, before she was replaced. She had been playing the piano for her entire life, but when she was replaced, she moved to Denver looking for work. When she received his advertisement, she immediately replied and said she would be on the next train. Now, he made his way out of the Mercantile, Loren called to him. "Mornin', Reverend. Headed to the train station?"

"Yes. Miss Campbell is arriving at ten-thirty, and I don't wanna be late," he replied.

Just then, they heard the train whistle. "Looks like you're gonna be late, after all," Loren pointed out.

As the Reverend turned to leave, Dorothy walked into the store. "Good mornin', Reverend. Loren," she greeted. "Are ya headed somewhere?" she asked the Reverend.

"Yes, as a matter of fact, I'm late in meetin' the train. A new piano teacher is supposed to be arrivin' today, and I need to get to the station to greet her," he replied.

"Would ya like some help in gettin' there," she offered.

"That would be wonderful, Dorothy," he accepted, and she walked with him out of the store. "Goodbye, Loren," they both called. They made their way to the station, and the Reverend assured her that he would be fine, waiting for Miss Campbell. Dorothy left, and he walked over to the window to speak with Horace.

"Good mornin', Reverend," Horace greeted. "How can I help ya?"

"Good morning, Horace. I'm here to meet a Miss Elizabeth Campbell. She was supposed to be arrivin' on the ten-thirty train from Denver," he answered.

"Well, that's the train, there, but I don't see no one waitin' around," Horace told him.

"All right, thank you, Horace," the Reverend replied.

"Any time."

The Reverend walked a few steps away from the window to go and sit on the bench. He was just about there, when he ran into some luggage and it almost caused him to fall. He heard a lady gasp. "Oh, I am so sorry. My bags are in the way. Please, let me help you to the bench," she offered and gave him her hand to help him sit down.

He immediately noticed that she was not from Denver. Her accent was distinctly from the East, and she had such a musical voice. "Thank you," he began. "I guess I just didn't see your bags there as I was walking," he said, trying to make a joke. He knew people could tell he was blind because of his walking stick, so he always tried to make them feel at ease by joking about it, in one way or another. This time it worked, because he heard her laugh, and like her voice, her laugh was just as lyrical. He immediately felt at ease with her.

"Well, I do apologize for them being in the way. I guess I was not expecting anyone to come and sit down over here." She paused, briefly, and then continued. "You see, I am supposed to be meeting someone here, but I do not see anyone looking for someone. Maybe he forgot to come. I did only send him one letter to tell him that I would be on the next train, so maybe he misunderstood the time I was to arrive." She sounded sincerely saddened.

He turned towards her voice, and spoke. "Your name wouldn't happen to be Miss Elizabeth Campbell, would it?" he asked.

"Why yes, it is. Are you Reverend Timothy Johnson?" she asked in return.

"Yes," he replied. "I'm sorry for being late, but I was delayed by Loren Bray, the owner of the General Store. I am staying in a room above his store. We got to talkin', and then I heard the train whistle. I tried to get here as fast as I could. Dorothy Jennings, the publisher of the Gazette, helped me, but I was late," he apologized.

"Oh, that's all right," she said. "I have not been waiting here long, and no harm is done. Besides, maybe it was better that you were late, because I would not have expected to be meeting such a handsome Reverend," she told him.

He smiled. "Nor did I expect to meet a woman with such a beautiful voice," he returned.

She blushed, and she was thankful that he couldn't see it. "Thank you. I inherited it from my mother. She had a voice just like an angel, and she always sang to us whenever we were scared or lonely. I learned to sing and play the piano from her, and when I grew up, I began teaching lessons. So, here I am," she finished.

"Well, why don't we walk on over to the church, and I'll show you around. That's where we hold lessons. I can have Horace send your bags over to the boarding house, and if you decide to stay, we'll find you a more permanent place to live." He turned and walked up to the window again. "Horace, Miss Campbell's bags need to be delivered to the boarding house."

"Sure thing, Reverend," he replied, then looked at Miss Campbell. "Mornin', Miss Campbell," he greeted.

Elizabeth looked at the sign in his office. "Good morning, Mr. Bing," she returned, then turned to face the Reverend, as they began to walk. "The boarding house sounds fine for now. And, I'm sure I'll love this place, as much as I loved Topeka. It's almost as if God, Himself, sent me here," she breathed in a healthy breath of the mountain air, then stood up. "It's so fresh here, and beautiful," she said.

"What made ya come to Denver?" he asked, trying to find out a little about her.

"As I said in my telegram, my services were no longer needed in Topeka. They had found someone they thought was more qualified than I to teach lessons to their students, so the informed me that my position would be terminated as of the end of the month. That left me less than two weeks to find more work. I had always loved the mountains, but never had the opportunity to live near them." Elizabeth was taking mental note of everything they passed as the Reverend directed her towards the church. She didn't want to forget anything, especially since she didn't want to depend on him for guidance around town.

"You see," she continued, "I was born in Atlanta, Georgia, but we moved out near the ocean because my Papa had a shipping business there. My two brothers helped him run it, while my two sisters and I helped my Mama with the housework, while learning how to cook, clean, mend and tend a house. When my Papa died, we had to sell the business and the house because it wasn't bringing in enough profit to cover the expenses of his medical care and funeral." She politely nodded at everyone they passed and was amazed that the Reverend knew exactly who everyone was just by their voice. He smiled and greeted everyone in turn, and she found herself forcing herself not to stare into his kind eyes. She decided that she should continue her story.

"We have family in Topeka, so Mama decided to move us there. My two sisters were already married, and my two brothers had wives of their own. I wasn't the youngest, but I had been so involved with teaching and playing piano, that I didn't have time for courting. So, Mama and I moved to Topeka, and I found work there. We lived there for ten years before the church told me I was no longer needed. I knew I needed to find work, but there just wasn't any available in Topeka. So, Mama gave me her blessing and told me she would move in with her sister, my Aunt Constance, freeing me to go where I pleased. And, here I am," she finished.

"Well, I must say that I am mighty pleased that you answered my advertisement. I have been overwhelmed with trying to keep up with the congregation, visiting the local residents who can't make it to services, as well as trying to teach piano lessons. Being blind doesn't make it any easier."

She nodded. "If you don't mind me asking, how...." she paused, not sure how to phrase her question.

"How did I become blind?" he finished for her.

"Yes."

"I don't mind. It happened all of the sudden, it seemed, about a year-and-a-half ago, around Christmas. I had been having trouble with my vision for a couple of days, but I just thought it was due to strain in the lamplight. I went to see Dr. Quinn, she's the town doctor, and while walking there, I began seeing less and less."

"You have a lady doctor!?" she exclaimed.

"Yes, although we didn't always accept her. But, that's a story for some other time," he replied, then continued. "After an examination, she told me that it may just be temporary, and that I may have just strained the muscles in my retina. She even got a second opinion from the doctor out at the Chateau. I'll take you out there sometime this week," he promised. "Dr. Cook told me the same thing. So, they wrapped my eyes, and I stayed at the Clinic for a few days. When Dr. Mike, that's what most people call her, took the bandages off, I couldn't see a thing. I knew then, that I was blind.

"At first, I blamed God, and even said I wouldn't celebrate Christmas, but Dr. Mike told me that Brian, her son, had been praying for me and had even decorated the town tree, just for me. He helped me to see that God didn't punish me. He allowed my blindness to happen to help me appreciate life a little more. I gradually came to terms with it, and have been living fine ever since." He paused, as he realized that they were at the Church. "So, here I am, and here we are," he gestured towards the Church.

Elizabeth looked up and smiled. It was quaint, but very picturesque. She immediately liked it.

"Shall we?" he offered his hand and led her up the steps.

Part 5

A few days later, Brian ran into the Clinic during lunch. Michaela was sitting at her desk, adding to the patient files for her two patients upstairs. She looked up when her son came running through the door.

"Brian!" his Ma scolded.

He stopped just as he was ready to run up the stairs to see Sarah. "Yeah?"

"Close the door," she instructed.

"Oh, sorry, Ma," he replied, then walked over and closed the front door. Then, he ran up the stairs to the recovery rooms.

Michaela smiled to herself, admiring his exuberance in coming each day to care for his friend. But then, she shook her head and realized that Sarah and Brian were more than friends; they were sweethearts. This thought gave her a proud feeling, but at the same time, a little sadness at realizing that her youngest son was growing up. He wasn't a little boy anymore, and she had to be sure to begin treating him as such. She rubbed her stomach, lovingly, and thought to herself, "At least I still have Katie, and this little one."

Just then, there was a knock at the door. "Come in," she called, and the visitor opened the door. "Oh, good morning, Mrs. Farley. Carolyn," she greeted. Michaela was glad to see Henrietta Farley. Ever since she and her husband, Jacob, along with their daughters, Carolyn and Maryann, had moved into Colorado Springs, Henrietta had always been very friendly towards her. It was amazing how easily they accepted a female doctor, and Michaela could always count on a nice conversation whenever they happened upon each other.

Michaela especially loved their older daughter, Carolyn, or Carrie as she was fondly known. She was hoping to open a bookshop in town. Ever since the library dedicated to her father had caused problems, Michaela had been hoping that a bookstore would open soon. Now, it looked as if a bookstore was on its way. Jacob Farley was going to see if Robert E needed an extra hand. He was a blacksmith, but he didn't want to open his own business if one already existed.

"Good mornin', Dr. Mike. How's the baby doin'?"

"Oh, everything is going very well. How can I help you?"

"I was wonderin' if ya had any of them nettles ya gave me a coupla weeks back? Ya see, Maryann's sick, and I know how well they worked for me when I had the same thing," she explained.

"Certainly," Dr. Mike replied as she stood and walked over to her medicine shelves. "Is she experiencing any pain anywhere, that you've noticed?"

"No, not that I can tell."

"How about feelings of nausea or vomiting?"

"No, nothin' like that. Why? Is somethin' goin' around?"

"No, I just wanted to make sure that she doesn't have something more serious. But, it sounds like a few good doses of these stinging nettles, and she'll be good as new," Dr. Mike assured her. "Be sure to brew them into a tea, and have Maryann drink it three times a day," she instructed.

"I will, and thanks, so much, Dr. Mike. How much do I owe ya?"

"Twenty-five cents," she replied, and Mrs. Farley handed her the money as she took the medicine. "Have a good day, and come back to let me know how she's doing?"

"Sure thing. You have a good day, too," she answered as she began to leave. Then, she turned back around. "Oh, I heard about Mrs. Sheehan and her daughter. Are they doin' all right?"

"Yes," Dr. Mike replied. "They had some broken bones and a few cuts, but everything has been going well, and they're resting upstairs in the recovery rooms. I only have to check on them every few hours, since Brian and Sheriff Simon visit them frequently."

"Well, that's good to hear. At least they won't be lonely," she replied with a smile and knowing look.

Michaela smiled back. "No, that certainly won't be the case, here."

"Well, I best be goin'. Maryann's waitin' at home for these nettles. It was nice chattin' with ya, Dr. Mike, and thanks again," she said as she and her daughter left.

"You're welcome, and same to you," she replied just as Matthew came up to the door, carrying a box. He didn't see the two people leaving the Clinic until he almost ran into them. He stepped aside to let them pass, but his eyes caught Carolyn's, and for some reason, he had a shortness of breath. He found himself staring into a pair of beautiful, and friendly violet eyes. It seemed as if time stopped as they both stood there, when in reality, it was only a few seconds. Mrs. Farley and her daughter continued to walk, but Carolyn turned around one more time before walking away, and then Matthew stepped into the Clinic.

Michaela had observed this exchange, and smiled. "Good morning, Matthew," she said.

"Mornin', Dr. Mike," he replied, distracted. "Ma? Who was that?"

"Oh, that's Mrs. Farley, and her daughter, Carolyn. They just moved here a few weeks ago. Her husband, Jacob, is a blacksmith, and he'll be working with Robert E, since he has too much work to do and not enough time to do it. Carolyn is going to open a bookshop here in town. She said that she and her mother owned one in St. Louis, but they tired of the big city, so they moved here," she explained.

"Oh," he answered, then shook himself out of his daze. "Uh, Dr. Mike, I brung this box of medical supplies from the train station. I was out there sendin' a telegram, and Horace told me they'd arrived."

"Thank you, Matthew. I've been waiting for these," she replied.

"Well, I best be gettin' back to work on my homestead," he said, then turned to leave.

"All right, Matthew. Thanks, again," she said as he left, and she went back to her desk to finish working on her files.

Upstairs, in Sarah's room, Brian was sitting in the chair by the bed, waiting for Sarah to awaken from her nap. He held her hand and watched her to make sure she wasn't in any real pain. He pulled the chair closer, then leaned back in it, as he thought about his relationship with Sarah.

He remembered when he had first met her, or more accurately, saw her. She and her mother had arrived in town, and he was immediately smitten with her. When they came over to where he and Sully were talking with Robert E, he was very distracted and didn't hear a word Sully was saying to him. She waved to him, and he waved back. From there, he remembered talking with her outside of Loren's store, and seeing her in school, then feeling like a little boy when his Ma asked him to watch Fifi, the little dog his Grandma had sent him for Christmas.

But, Sarah still talked to him, and she even thought Fifi was cute. When she and Kyle went out looking for a Christmas tree and got lost, he took Fifi and went to look for them. He ended up finding them and leading them back to town, for which he received his first kiss from Sarah. He had even given Fifi to her for Christmas, since she had more use of the dog than he did. Since then, they had spent a lot of time together.

Now, it was almost three-and-a-half years later, and they had become more than just friends. He really liked her, and he could tell that she liked him, but he was only fourteen years old. They'd have to wait another year before they were even allowed to court. But, until then, he was allowed to go on walks with her, and eat supper over her house, and she with him. Just then, Sarah began to stir. She opened her eyes, saw Brian sitting by her bed, and smiled. "Hi, Brian. How long have you been sitting there?"

"Hi, Sarah. Only about five minutes. I didn't wanna wake ya," he replied.

"Sorry I was sleeping. It just gets so boring up here with nothing to do, and I can't go anywhere, so I sleep."

"Yeah. Well, do ya want me to read to ya? I know you can't read with that shoulder in a sling, so I brought some books with me, just in case."

"Sure! I'd love that," she exclaimed. "What did you bring with you?"

"Umm, I brought something from Washington Irving, they guy who wrote about Rip Van Winkle? And, I also brought some things from Henry David Thoreau as well as Bret Hart," he told her. "What do you wanna hear first?"

"Well, my papa used to read to me about Rip Van Winkle, so start with that," she replied.

"All right," he said, then reached for the book entitled, The Awakening. "This story is called The Awakening of Rip Van Winkle.

"On waking, he found himself on the green knoll whence he had first seen the old man of the glen. He rubbed his eyes -- it was a bright sunny morning. The birds were hopping and twittering among the bushes, and the eagle was wheeling aloft, and breasting the pure mountain breeze. Surely,' thought Rip, I have not slept here all night.".....

* * * * *

Michaela was beginning to feel very hungry, and she looked at the clock. "Sully should be coming soon to take me to lunch," she thought to herself, and then the door opened. She smiled at her husband, wondering if her thoughts had brought him to her.

"Are ya ready?" he asked, as he greeted her with brief kiss.

"Yes!" she exclaimed. "I was beginning to wonder if you'd forgotten about me."

"Michaela, it's only twelve-thirty. Sides, I could never forget ya," he told her as he reached for her coat to help her into it.

"Well, I'm starved! I almost went over to the Cafi by myself," she said as they prepared to leave. Then, a thought crossed her mind. "Oh, I should tell Brian where I'll be, in case anything happens."

"Good idea," Sully replied.

Michaela walked to the foot of the stairs that led to the recovery rooms and called up. "Brian!"

A few seconds later, she heard footsteps coming towards her. She saw her son at the top of the stairs.

"Yeah, Ma," he answered.

"Sully and I are going over to the Café for some lunch. Are you going to be okay?"

"Sure, Ma. I'll be all right. I have to get back to school in a few minutes, anyway, and I'll stop in and say hello to Mrs. Sheehan before I leave," he assured her.

"All right. Don't make yourself late," she admonished.

"I won't," he assured her and turned to leave.

"Oh, and Brian?" Michaela continued.

"Yeah, Ma?"

"There's some lunch down here for both Mrs. Sheehan and Sarah. Would you mind bringing it up to them before you go?"

"Sure, Ma," he replied.

"Thank you," she told him, then followed Sully to the Café for lunch.

Part 6

Brian sat back down and continued where he left off.

"As he approached the village he met a number of people, but none of whom he knew, which somewhat surprised him, for he had thought himself acquainted with every one in the country round. Their dress, too, was of a different fashion from that to which he was accustomed. They all stared at him with equal marks of surprise, and whenever they cast their eyes upon him, invariably stroked their chins. The constant recurrence of this gesture induced Rip, involuntarily, to do the same, when, to his astonishment, he found his beard had grown a foot long!'".........

"I'm gonna have to finish the rest after school. I don't wanna be late, and lunch is almost over. Besides, I promised my Ma that I'd stop in and see your Ma before I left," he told her.

"All right, Brian. Thanks for coming to see me, and for reading. I really enjoy it," she answered. "Well, I'll be back in a couple of hours. Ma said that there's lunch downstairs for both of you. I'll go down and bring it up for ya," he told her.

"All right ."

Brian left Sarah's room, and walked downstairs to get the board of two trays that Sully had brought from Grace's. He carried them back upstairs and stopped in Mrs. Sheehan's room, first. "Good afternoon, Mrs. Sheehan," he greeted.

"Why, hello, Brian!" she replied. "Come to see Sarah?"

"Yeah, I stopped over for recess and now I gotta be gettin' back," he answered. "Sully brought some lunch for both of ya, and I brought it up," he said as he set the board down and walked over to the bed with her tray.

"That's very kind of you. I was getting a little hungry," she admitted. "Just set it here on my lap."

Brian helped her sit up in bed, then placed the tray on her lap. He looked at her sprained wrist and broken arm and wondered how she was going to eat. Mrs. Sheehan knew what he was thinking. "Daniel is going to be joining me for lunch in a few minutes," she explained as they heard him call from downstairs.

"Anybody here?" he asked as he began to climb the stairs. He entered Mrs. Sheehan's room and saw Brian. "Hello, there, Brian."

"Hi, Daniel. Ma and Sully went to eat lunch at the Café, but he brought some lunch over for Mrs. Sheehan and Sarah," Brian explained.

"Shouldn't you be gettin' back to school?" he asked Brian.

"Yeah, I just wanted to make sure they both had their lunch," he replied.

"Thank you, Brian. You've been a great help," Mrs. Sheehan told him.

"You're welcome." He then walked over to get Sarah's tray and take it to her.

"Have a good day, Brian," Mrs. Sheehan called after him.

"Bye," Daniel said, as well, then turned to talk to Anna Marie.

Brian walked over to Sarah's room, helped her sit up in bed, and then placed her tray on her lap, as well. He promised to be back after school, stayed for a few more minutes to give Sarah some company while she ate, then grabbed his coat and left, leaving Sarah to finish her lunch.

Daniel remained with Anna Marie for a little over an hour. He had helped her eat her lunch, and kept an ongoing conversation with her throughout. "So, do ya get real bored sittin' up here all day, by yourself?" he asked.

"Oh, I'm not by myself. I have constant visitors, whether they be Brian, you, Dr. Mike, or sometimes some of the children who know Sarah come and see me," she explained. "But, yes, it does get boring."

"Well, I wonder if you'd be able to take some walks with me," he suggested.

"And how would I do that?" she wondered.

"Dr. Mike was tellin' me about a wheelchair she can get. That way, we can take ya out in it for some walks and fresh air. Or, you can just wheel yourself out onto the balcony whenever ya like. It'll give ya somethin' else ta do instead of lyin' in this bed all day," he informed her.

"Really? How soon can she get it? And will Sarah have one, too?"

Daniel laughed. "Sure, I'll tell Dr. Mike to get two of them," he assured her.

"Thank you, Daniel."

He reached over and clasped her hand in between his two, then looked into her eyes. "It's no problem, believe me. I can't have ya cooped up in this room for the next month or more while ya recover."

"No, I wouldn't want that to happen. Besides, it'll be nice to just be able to sit outside. The weather is beginning to warm up, and it will help stay some of my loneliness if I can sit and watch everyone down on the streets below. Of course, it's nowhere near as warm as it was in Georgia, but I've grown accustomed to the weather, here."

"Yeah, there's just somethin' about Colorado Springs that makes ya feel like home," he agreed. Then, he switched gears and thought of something else. "Hey! Ya know somethin'?"

"What?"

"I just realized that you and Sarah could both sit out on the balcony together. I know ya both been pretty much by yourselves for the past few days, and I'm sure you'd love to talk to each other," he suggested.

"That's a wonderful idea!" she exclaimed. "How soon can the wheelchairs arrive?"

"Well, I think Dr. Mike's already talked about bringin' them in. I think Sully and Robert E are gonna be makin' em. It's cheaper than tryin' to order em from some company," he told her.

"Oh, how nice of them. Are you sure it won't be too much trouble?"

"No, they're glad to do it. They made one for Loren a coupla years ago when he had a stroke and couldn't get around too well. It don't take long," he assured her.

"Oh, well, if you're sure it's no trouble...."

"It's not, believe me."

"Well, then, I can't wait until they get them finished. I've only been here less than a week, and already I'm tired of being in bed all day. I feel so useless."

"Oh, you're anything but that," he said, then smiled. "Besides, it gives me a chance to wait on ya. I ain't had that much time to do that, since you're always doin' things for yourself."

Mrs. Sheehan blushed, then smiled. "I appreciate everything you and Brian are doing, for both me and my daughter, Sarah. It's really nice to know that we have such friends to help us."

"Friends, Anna Marie?" he asked.

"Well," she faltered.

Daniel smiled at her, and clasped her hand even tighter.

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