Winter's End
By: Josephine Rayne
Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman
Chapter One: Frozen Spring
Disclaimer: I do not own Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman in any way.
Author's Note: "Winter's End" is the sequel of "Dead of Winter." I thought Katie was born in 1871 but the official website says Katie is born in 1872. I also made a mistake with Katie's age in "Dead of Winter" making her 12 in 1880 when she would have been 9 (which made Emily E and Sam's ages incorrect) so I returned Katie (and Emily E and Sam's) in this sequel to the correct (well 1871) age. Also, I did not know that Sully (according to the official website) was born in 1835; I guessed he was born in 1831. So, for the purposes of this story, go with my ages as described.
January 1900
The trees sparkled with brilliant icicles. The fields and prairie danced with glistening shades of white and playful shadows. She loved this time of year, this time when the painful days of December were almost behind her and she could nearly taste the beauty of spring. She rejoiced in the return of her now full grown children and grandchildren. It had been twenty years and time had been relatively good to the Sully family. Still, perhaps some skeletons lay too close to the surface to ever really be gone.
"Grandma, do you need some help?"
"No, I think I'm done, thank you Lexi." Michaela smiled back at her granddaughter, Dr. Alexandra Cook, or Dr. Lexi as the townspeople preferred, as the elder woman removed her stethoscope from Mr. Dawaloby's chest. She had only met Mr. Dawaloby once before, which was common ever since gold was found nearby in '91 at Cripple Creek.
"Grandma? Well you sure do have a way to fool a body." The patient said.
Dr. Mike laughed, seventy was approaching her a lot sooner then she would have liked. She looked around her clinic; it really hadn't changed much since she had arrived in Colorado Springs so many years before, even with Lexi, Andrew and Colleen working underfoot. A few extra rooms had been built, but still Michaela could almost hear Colleen and Brian dropping Katie off before heading to school-Matthew checking in. Evie, later, doing her school work on her mother's desk. But, of course that was not how it was. It was only now that Michaela understood why her mother had been so adamant to have her daughters stay in Boston. It was not to control them, but to control time.
"Dr. Mike!" a voice from outside called interrupting her thoughts.
"Lexi, could you give Mr. Dawaloby his medication?" she stated rushing to open the door. "Jake! What's wrong?" Jake Slicker stood before her, out of breath and sweating.
"It's Catalina. She, Ned, and the baby…there's been an accident just outside of town."
Dr. Mike grabbed her medical bag as Lexi said: "I'll get Ma and Pa." She nodded in agreement and touched Jake's shoulder. Catalina was his youngest daughter, Ned Turner his son-in-law, and the baby, Ben, his grandson.
Unaware, one hour later, Brian Cooper smiled to himself as he stepped onto the platform. Glancing around his childhood home, he saw that some things had not been changed by time. The schoolhouse was still red and small and he could see the words "Bray's Mercantile" clearly even though it had been twelve years since Mr. Bray's death. Ms. Dorothy had taken good care of it.
"Are we going to see Grandma now?" the small ten-year-old boy spoke pulling on his father's jacket.
"Have some patience, Byron Matthew." Liliana corrected her brother as she too stepped off the train. Her dark curly locks were tied up beneath her large hat and she glowed in her slim dark green dress. Lily was the true essence of a Bostonian beauty-never was she without a partner at a ball or not having young men asking to court her. She was twenty-four and while her stepmother Georgia felt she was too old to be single, Liliana was enjoying it.
"She must still be at the clinic." Brian said looking at his pocket watch and wondering why no one was there to greet his family. They made their way down the main street of Colorado Springs which now held another mercantile and several other stores. More would pop up and soon Robert E's blacksmith shop would be non-existent when automobiles came to Colorado and Hank's Saloon would be replaced by a classy restaurant, Jake's barber shop by take home razors and Grace would build a roof instead of a turf over her café. But, for now Colorado Springs stood between two eras-the past and the future.
"Ma, I-" said Brian but stopped when he looked into the clinic. A thin dark haired woman whom he recognized as Catalina Slicker Turner was sobbing near the operating table, her arm bandaged-his niece Lexi, and Cat's good friend comforting her. Jake, hugging Mrs. Slicker, gave Brian a somber half smile.
"I am going to visit Grandpa Hank…I will take Byron with me, Papa." Liliana took her brother's hand and led him back onto the street.
"Oh Brian, I'm sorry I forgot, the train-" Michaela pulled a white sheet over Ned Turner and his two year old son laying next to him. The light from the window shined on Dr. Mike in an odd way, highlighting the gray strands that were creeping into her long brown hair. In that instant she looked her sixty-seven years.
"-Andrew and I will take Brian to Grace's. You and Lexi can meet us when you're ready," Colleen said washing her hands in the basin and opening the door. The forty-six year old then looped her arm through her brother's, whispering in his ear: "It's good to see you little brother."
The trio sat at a table after Grace had finished dotting on Brian. "I still can't believe it, little Lottie's getting married." He said.
"You can't." Andrew laughed. "What about you, Mr. Chief Editor?"
"That's right, quite the accomplishment. The Boston Globe!" Colleen playfully tapped her brother on his shoulder. "Oh, there's Lottie's fiancée now." She pointed to the skinny blonde talking to Robert E. "Ephraim."
"Drs. Cook." He smiled.
"This is my brother, Brian, he's home for the wedding. Brian, meet Ephraim Reading."
Ephraim shook Brian's hand. "But, but the wedding's not till May!"
"Relax, Ephraim. Brian and his children haven't been home in a few years. They're just visiting." Colleen answered. "Where is Georgia anyway?"
"Oh, oh ok. Well I'll be goin' see ya at dinner." Ephraim said walking backwards as he spoke, toward the street, nearly knocking into Grace.
"Nervous and a bit clumsy, I know, but he loves Lottie." Colleen said.
"I'm glad. It's good that she's teaching at the school. Mrs. Slicker is going to need the help." Brian looked toward the clinic.
"Poor Cat. There's nothing worse than loosing a child."
"I'm sorry… Beth…I shouldn't have mentioned it."
Andrew wrapped his arm around his wife. Beth's death still hurt, but Andrew had always wanted more children after the triplets. Colleen seemed so dead set against it-she had tried, he knew, for him, but in the end he supposed it wasn't meant to be. After two devastating miscarriages they moved back to Colorado Springs, when the girls were six, to be closer to her family. Still, seeing Lottie ready to get married he wished he had some children running around the house. "Speaking of children. Aren't those yours coming this way?"
Bryon ran up to his aunt and uncle eagerly giving them a hug. Liliana of course was the daughter of the editor of the biggest newspaper in Boston. Liliana grew up in a far different style than her fathers had, full of riches, politics and society. In fact she wasn't so different from her grandmother. Still, big business hadn't changed her Pa-his wife, Georgia Miller Cooper, was of society and he lived a life of the elite, but inside he still remained the outdoorsman who loved animals and nature. While she absorbed all that high society Boston had to offer-she still saw the child her Pa must have been whenever he came back to Colorado or took Bryon into the outdoors. She laughed as she watched her brother eagerly greet Aunt Colleen and Uncle Andrew. Liliana felt a tap on her shoulder.
"Caleb Slicker. Nice to meet ya." A slender light brown haired man approached her, tipping his hat. She noticed that the young man was well dressed for Colorado.
"Liliana Lawson Cooper. I believe we met as children." She curved her hand to be kissed. Caleb fumbled with her hand.
"No doubt. Colorado Springs is a small place."
"No doubt,"
Her sparkling blue eyes mesmerized Caleb, if he wasn't mistake they seemed to be smiling back at him
"I'm sorry about your nephew and brother-in-law."
"My what?"
"You don't know? I have to meet my father, but you should check the clinic." Liliana turned and walked to her family's table. She glanced back once as Caleb hurriedly crossed the busy street.
Michaela smiled to herself as she shut the door to what had been Brian's room. Byron slept soundly curled up amongst the sheets. He was a quiet kind boy with dusty blonde hair, but looked quite a bit like Ethan Cooper-despite the name of Byron. It had been years since Dr. Mike had been able to see her only grandson and she was glad to have him, Lily and Brian close.
"Byron asleep?" Sully said wrapping his arms around his wife as the pair stood in the hallway. "I still wish Brian hadn't named him that. Byron is no name for a man."
"It's an honor-named for his grandpa and uncle." Michaela reached up and kissed Sully, but then sighed. "Can you believe it's been twenty years?"
"Michaela, our children and grandchildren are waiting for us in the kitchen, let's enjoy that."
"But, Matthew…and Katie."
"We don't know if Katie's been hurt. She was sixteen when she left. She's almost thirty now. She'll come back when she's ready."
"If I hadn't of pushed her to be more like me. More like Colleen and Evie. And she always blamed me for Matthew."
Michaela could still remember their fight about college. She had wanted Katie to go to school in Denver close to home but Katie had wanted to take the money her grandmother had left her and study art in New York or Europe. A frightened Michaela, ever since she had seen her son swung from a noose, preferred her children in Colorado.
He kissed her again. "She is like you. Strong and stubborn. Most women don't leave their families to open a practice out west, remember? "
They made their way into the kitchen as the sun set on the household. Lily talked eagerly to Lexi; the two had always been close as children-sisters instead of cousins. Liliana's gown sat in contrast to the latter's thin plain skirt and white collared shirt smeared a little with blood. Brian laughed with Colleen, while Andrew kissed the top of Lottie's head as she talked with her fiancé. Sully pulled out the wooden chair and sat net to Brian. Michaela sat next to Colleen, but was watching her youngest daughter. As everyone conversed around the table, Evie stood in the corner with her husband, Xavier Williamson, a carpenter. The twenty-two year olds married that past year and lived in a homestead a few miles outside of town. Xavier rocked their four-month-old Amelia, in his arms.
"Evie, why did you marry me? Do you love me? Do you love our daughter?" Xavier whispered harshly.
Eve Josefine Sully Williamson looked blankly toward the fire burning in the fireplace. She was not a little girl any longer. Still, it was neither the day of her wedding nor the birth of her child that ended her childhood, but the winter of her tenth year. As the youngest she never really knew her dead brother, the doctor or the editor. Katie though six years older was her closest sibling and when she left, Evie became the primary attention of her parents-a hard burden to carry. Though her closest allies were her nieces, she couldn't help but feel alone.
But, to Michaela, she saw only her quiet albeit opinionated daughter. The sweet and calm baby and child who rarely smiled but held sparkling mystery in her deep blue eyes. Even still she always seemed happy. Evie was the only one of her children whom she never had to worry about.
Xavier made Evie laugh, talk and be silly. She loved her kind son-in-law. Still, Michaela wondered why he had spoken such harsh words to her daughter.
Evie turned away from her husband and child, barely looking up, as she walked over to Lottie, her closest friend, and began talking about the wedding. Xavier stood with his daughter, glowing by the fire.
A/N: MORE TO COME!