Special 20th Anniversary Picture Challenge

April 25th, 1887

Michaela sighed dispiritedly as she pulled another file from the stack piled high on her desk. When had the paperwork become so demanding and overwhelming? As glad as she was to be administrating the hospital herself so that everyone, anyone, could receive proper care and equal treatment regardless of their social status or color of skin, the price to pay had been more than she had bargained for. She let out a disenchanted snort: maybe that was the reason her colleagues had not protested too much about being under the orders of a woman doctor, all too relieved to leave the dreaded administrative tasks to her and concentrate on the more challenging consultations and surgeries… She shook her head, knowing that it was merely her fatigue speaking. Again she sighed. The week was only starting, and she already felt bone-tired… During the last couple of years, her husband had certainly done a wonderful job in seeing her through a quite rough change of life, reassuring and supporting her, and being incredibly patient with the various inconveniences of the process. But some things were just as much out of his control as they were out of hers.

She cast a glance at the clock, and was relieved to see it was close to three. It meant that soon, very soon, the children would pop into her office and provide her with a most welcome interruption. Knowing it would do no good to stare at the clock counting the seconds, she picked up her pen and studiously filled out the form before her. She even had time to check a couple of patient files before the happily anticipated knock came onto her office door. She looked up eagerly, her smile ready, and her face fell in spite of herself when Dr. Bowen let himself in.

"Sorry to disappoint you, Michaela, but don't worry, I'm not here to dump another dozen of files on you!"

Michaela's smile returned, a bit sheepishly, but she felt grateful just the same for Mortimer's good natured teasing. Now one of her most trusted colleagues, he always had that ability to put things in a positive perspective or lighten the mood with a humorous comment of some sort.

"Has Mr. Delaney made it through the surgery?" she asked, remembering the seriously injured farmer that had been brought in a few hours earlier.

"We had to amputate his leg, unfortunately, or we would have lost him altogether…" Mortimer reported with a grimace. Both doctors knew that, for someone like Mr. Delaney, the loss of his leg, with all its consequences, might seem worse than death itself.

However, before he had time to give her more information about the patient, another knock was heard, accompanied by a chorus of young, excited voices. Mortimer, knowing how much his "boss" treasured her brood's visits, let himself out with a greeting to the four youngsters, and an amused smile when they hastily answered, obviously very preoccupied by something.

Michaela and Sully's three younger children, Katie, Josef and Lorena, and Charlotte, Matthew's daughter, filed in, Katie marching straight to her mother, a thick envelop clutched in her rather trembling hand. Michaela raised her eyebrows:

"You have an answer already?"

Katie's face broke into a beaming grin and she nodded excitedly. But before she could say a word, both her sister Lorena and niece Charlotte chimed in:

"And she got a scholarship too…"

"In the best college of all Colorado! Ain't it great, Gran'ma?"

Though not surprised in the least by her daughter's academic achievements, Michaela felt quite overwhelmed at the news, and the prospect of letting go ofanother one of her children. Last time, it had been Brian… was it eleven years ago, already? Goodness!

Her eyes fell onto Josef's solemn face, and her heart went out to her son: with Katie soon off to college, the boy wouldn't just lose his older sister, but also his tutor, the one who had made school much more bearable to him during the past eight years. And though Lorena was doing well in school too, she had not Katie's patience, perseverance and creativity when it came to explaining complicated subjects. He had often remarked that Katie didn't need to go to college to become a teacher, for as far as he was concerned she was already the best…

It would indeed feel strange not to have Katie around anymore – and her dozens of dog-eared books scattered all over the homestead!

Michaela decided that she had had enough of paperwork and called it a day. Cheerily, she invited the children to join her at the café to celebrate the news, and start planning Katie's Sweet Sixteen party the next month, and make it even more special to celebrate her success. At the mention of the event, Katie groaned, stating she didn't want to be fussed over. Everyone laughed at her vehement protests: if she had indeed inherited her mother's brilliance and studiousness, she was still very much her father's daughter when it came to socializing!

The rest of the afternoon was spent in sharing the news with family and friends, cheers and congratulations being rained onto Katie, for once shy and uncomfortable at being the center of attention, until there was only one person left to tell. Her father. Katie knew he would be proud, and would always be her staunchest supporter, but she also knew him well enough to sense that he would be having the hardest time of all to let her go.

Indeed, when he joined them later, she could tell from the way he hugged her, and from the looks he exchanged with her mother, that her instinct had been right. So, she steered him away from the group for a few minutes.

"You know, Papa, I won't be gone that long, and I'm not going that far from here. What's a three-hour long train ride, really?"

Sully chuckled, remembering how he had told the same thing to Michaela when Colleen, and then Brian had left for Denver. "Still too long for your pa, sweet girl."

"All right, I'll tell the kids to keep you busy for the next couple of years, so you won't have time to miss me," she teased, a playful yet tender twinkle in her blue eyes. "Besides, I still haven't heard about the college here. If they accept me, I'll stay in Colorado Springs, and nothing is gonna change."

"Some things gotta change, Kates, you're growin' up, and I know ya, you're so much like your ma, ya like to discover new things, ya love to learn… They say this school that accepted ya is the best for miles around. Ya just can't let an opportunity like that pass you by 'cause you think your family don't want ya to be away, right?"

"Then, I'll save every penny so I can come home as often as possible…"

"What would your ma say?"

Katie rolled her eyes and recited in a dead-on imitation of her mother's manner of speech. "That I'd better use the money to enjoy myself, go to museums and restaurants and theatres…that there is life out of the library, stuff like that."

Father and daughter shared a good, hearty laugh at that, and then, suddenly feeling the need to divert the subject from her upcoming departure before her emotions got the best of her, she let only a few seconds pass before she asked:

"Were you able to finish Ma's surprise on time?"

Remembering his original plans for the evening, Sully nodded.

Katie clapped her hands enthusiastically, and then cast her father one last conniving look before they went back to the others.

Dinnertime at the Sully homestead went by in a rather strange atmosphere, everyone being excited and rather sobered at the same time.

The three Sully children knew what day it was and what their father had been up too during the past few days, and were left to wonder if their mother was planning something as well.

Actually, Michaela had been preoccupied by so many things of late that she had failed to register that this day saw the twentieth anniversary of her arrival in Colorado Springs. Yet, she couldn't help but notice that the children were exchanging conspiratorial glances, Lorena barely stifling her giggles.

"What's going on?" she turned to Katie, who shrugged with a smile that wasn't quite innocent, in the same manner Sully always did when he was planning a surprise for her.

She then realized that her husband was no longer in the kitchen, and her heart skipped a beat wondering if he was planning to kidnap her once again, and another when she pictured herself being carried off in the night and contemplated the fact that, even now, Sully was still as strong, virile and dashing as he had been when they had met… twenty years ago. Her eyes widened in understanding, and she clamped her hand on her mouth, appalled with herself for forgetting such an important date. Twenty years! How could she have forgotten?

Just at that moment, Sully came back in through the back door, a long, thin package under his arm, and the three children chanted in unison: "Happy Anniversary!"

Michaela bit her lip, her eyes welling with tears as she ripped away the brown paper that enveloped the gift Sully presented her silently, his tender gaze conveying the depth of his love eloquently enough.

She found herself holding the exact replica of the first shingle he had given her that first Christmas.

"Oh, Sully," she breathed tearfully.

Anticipating her curiosity about the significance of this present, Sully explained:

"I know things been tough lately at the hospital and that you miss doctorin'. I made this for you to keep in your office, to remind ya that, no matter what, you are still the same Medicine Woman you've always been. Like ya told me once, medicine ain't just what ya do, it's who you are…"

Sensing that her parents needed some privacy, Katie beckoned to her siblings to follow her upstairs. The three of them hastily bid their parents goodnight, then climbed the steps up to their bedrooms, Katie winking at her father before she disappeared in the stairway.

As soon as he heard the three doors click shut, Sully took his wife in his arms.

"Nemehotatse, my Heartsong. That is somethin' else that won't ever change."

"It won't change for me either, Sully. No matter what is awaiting us, and our family, I'll always love and cherish you."

They sealed their renewed declarations of undying love and devotion with a long, fervent kiss that, as always, ignited their need for a deepest level of intimacy. Sully couldn't resist one last teasing compliment before sweeping her off her feet to carry his forever bride up to their room.

"You sure can make me feel like I'm still twenty, you know that?"

Her seductive smile was the only answer he needed to proceed in showing her just how young at heart, mind and body her love was keeping him…

The End