An Everlasting Love

Chapter One

Long, vast, grasslands spread around them and mountain peaks could be seen on the horizon. Wind formed ripples on the ocean of gold, and the single wagon, that pushed gently forth, looked like a small boat amidst the waves of the everlasting prairie. The eerie whistle of the wind was the only noise that broke the silence of the meadow, as the wagon merrily rolled along towards it's destination.

"How much longer do you suppose it be before we get there, David?" The woman inside the wagon asked the man seated beside her.

"If we continue at this pace, I believe we will arrive in Colorado Springs sometime tomorrow afternoon, that is if the weather holds up." The man answered while wrapping his arm around the young woman's waist.

The young woman sighed deeply and continued to gaze out at the never-ending countryside. David looked down at the lovely lady that his arm curled around and smiled slightly. "Excuse me, but who was it who decided that it would be a good idea to travel from Denver to Colorado Springs in a covered wagon?"

The young woman looked up at David with a look of coy in her amber and hazel eyes. "I merely said that it would be less expensive to travel and bring all of our possessions this way; rather than to ship them after we got there by stage couch."

"Since when has one of our families had to worry about cost? But oh, I see, it's my fault for deciding to travel by this route now?" David said as his smile grew mischievously.

The young woman smiled broadly and leaned her head on David's shoulder while sighing. "Oh, David, don't tell me we're going to be one of those couples who argue over the most ridiculous things."

Rubbing her back gently, David's smile also broadened. "Of course not my dear, but I do believe that will be partially up to you and your stubbornness, Mrs. Lewis."

The young woman lifted her head and a shocked look spread across her face as she dramatically took it a sharp breath. "Excuse me, but what on earth are you talking about...stubborn?"

"Why nothing my love. Mrs. Lewis has never been know to be stubborn, of course." David said sarcastically.

"Well then! That's Dr. Quinn to you sir!" she said trying to maintain a serious face. But neither could succeed in their little act, and both ended up in a fit of laughter, ending with a small kiss; before silence reclaimed the couple, and they continued onward towards their new home.

As the hours progressed, clouds began to darken the sky, and the smell of an oncoming storm heightened their senses. The wind whipped around the wagon, picking up speed; and the low rumble of thunder could be heard off in the distance.

"Look Michaela, there's an alcove of trees over there. We'll stay there for the night." David shouted above the howling wind.

"Isn't it dangerous to be near trees in a thunderstorm?" Michaela asked her husband wearily.

"It's better than being in the middle of a prairie...come on." David shouted while flicking the reins to speed up.

They sped off quickly towards the small forest of trees, jostling the wagon over the bumpy plains. Upon arriving in the shelter of pines, David leapt from his perch on the wagon seat and turned back to help his wife down. After placing Michaela softly onto the ground, he rushed to one of the horses and unhitched it from the wagon. "I'll be back soon, I'm going to go get some food and firewood." David called to Michaela as he held the reigns and grabbed his rifle from the wagon.

"David, don't go out in this weather! I'm sure we can find something to eat, and we really don't need a fire..." Michaela pleaded.

"Don't worry. I'll be back in a half an hour, I promise." David said, before giving Michaela a peck on the cheek and mounting his horse. As he rode off to find the needed supplies, Michaela watched his back disappear amongst the trees. "Be careful." she whispered. She then turned and began to set up camp, in an attempt to rid herself of the awful feeling that sulked in the pit of her stomach.


The thunder grew as David tried in vain to find his prey. He knew it was pointless to hunt for food in this weather, but he felt that he could not go back to Michaela empty handed. It was this stubbornness and need for success that had brought Michaela and David together when working at the hospital in Boston. Their friendship had blossomed into a love for each other; and much to the joy of Michaela's mother, they decided to marry. Within the first week of their marriage, a notice was put out for the need of a doctor in the Colorado Territory. The obvious danger of the job was evident to all the eastern doctors. But Michaela, who had always been one for adventure, felt the need to break away from the Boston society, who did not fully accept her as a doctor anyway; and she was able to persuade David to join her on this expedition of found new life.

Lightning flashed across the blackened sky, and David knew he needed to get off the bouldered cliff which he now stood atop of. As he turned his horse to descend, a near by tree bursted in flames as lightning struck it. David's horse spooked and reared up, trying to back away from the fire which engulfed the tree. David held on the to reins for dear life, but he could not gain control of the horse. Once again, the horse reared up and found itself at the edge of the cliff. David's hands slipped from the reins and he lost his grasp, sending him off his horse and over the cliff. Down, down, down he soared, towards the sharpened rocks which lay at the bottom of his fall. He knew in the split second before he hit the ground that he would never see his Michaela again. All their dreams were shattered in the moment his head came in contact with the rocks. He was dead before the rest of his body impacted the ground.


Lightning struck somewhere near by and rain began to pour down onto the camp Michaela had set up. A cold bite of wind whipped around Michaela, causing her to shiver.

What's taking him so long? He should of been back by now, I know it...He shouldn't have gone out in this weather, he doesn't know the country any better than I do...oh, why does he always have to prove himself? I'm sure I could cook something with our supplies...

Then a smile crossed her face. Well, I never said it would have to taste good...

She looked around at her surroundings, searching for any sign of David. Finally, she decided that David must of found shelter somewhere and was waiting for the storm to ebb a bit before heading back to their camp. It was the only comforting excuse that she could come up with for his overdue return. In an attempt to get her mind off of her worry, she grabbed one of her various medical text journals and situated herself in the covered wagon to read on her favorite subject. She soon became so entranced in her reading that she never noticed that the rain had stopped nor the young man with piercing-blue eyes, who stood at the edge of the camp, staring at her.

It was not until the developing darkness caused her eyes to strain to see the print, that Michaela tore her eyes away from the journal, and notice the lateness of the hour. The worry that once consumed her came back stronger than ever; and she knew there was no denying that something had gone wrong with David. Whether he was lost, or injured, or even dead, Michaela did not know; all she knew is that he was not where he promised to be. He was somewhere out in that god-forsaken country, where wild animals, and who knew what else, had power over who lived and who died. Michaela now understood why all the other doctors had refused to come out west; and this did anything but bring comfort to her. Instead, fear raked her every being as tears began to swell in her eyes and cascade over their barrier, down her cheeks.

"David?" She whispered to the stillness of the forest as she crawled down from her spot in the wagon. "David?" she said a little louder. "David, please...please answer me!" The only reply she received was the echo of her own words and the ruffle of wings from a spooked flock of birds. Walking away from the camp, she began screaming his name amidst the tears and sobs. "DAVID! DAVID WHERE ARE YOU!" Grief and fear engulfed her and she began to run, not knowing or caring where she ended up, just hoping that she would some across her husband and he would be alright.

Branches scratched her face and skirt as she wound her way through the trees. Tears and angst blinded her vision and she tripped over an exposed root, causing her to fall onto the soft forest ground. Weak from emotion and exertion, she lay there in the mud, and cried for her love; somehow knowing deep down that she would never see him again. Oblivious to her surroundings and too emotionally hurt to care, Michaela never even noticed when two strong arms lifted her body from the ground and began to carry her towards an unknown destination. Out of instinct, she wrapped her arms around the stranger's neck and continued to cry into his shoulder, before passing out from exhaustion.


The fire crackled near by and warmed her cold, wet, body. Her muscles and head ached and found no desire to move or get up. Something was wrong, something had happened. But what was it? Michaela's mind raked her memories, trying to recall what was causing her body to ache as it did. Then her eyes shot open, and she remembered.

Sitting up quickly, she cradled her head in her hands, as if she were trying to keep all the memories from falling out. David...he left for game and wood...the storm...then, the lightning...and...David...he never, never came back..." Tears reappeared in her eyes as she looked around at her surroundings. She was laying on some sort of fur and above her was a lean-to roof made of branches and deer skins. She looked out of the structure to find a fire blazing amidst the logs. Other than a few pieces of clothing that hung from a string between two trees, the camp site looked utterly deserted.

Try as she might, Michaela could not remember how she arrived at this place. She could only remember the feeling of laying helplessly in the mud and crying for her David. "David?" she cried again. "Oh God, David, where are you? Don't leave me alone like this David...I know I'm supposed to be strong, but how can anyone get through this?" She sobbed as she brought her knees up to her chest and muffled her cries into her skirt.

Suddenly, she felt something licking her hand, followed by the animal's heated breath smothering her icy fingers. Michaela brought her head up from her knees and screamed at what she saw. A wolf, of all things, was standing before her and licking her hand gently.

"It's alright, he wont hurt ya." Came a gruff, yet gentle voice from just outside the camp site. Michaela looked to where the voice had sounded from, to find a man, dressed in buckskins and a leather jacket, walking towards her. Fear immediately engulfed her, but as she looked up into the man's azure-blue eyes, she saw kindness and compassion underneath the rough appearance. "It's ok, no one's gonna hurt ya. Just take it easy, seems ya've had a rough night." The man said gently.

Michaela nodded slightly, unsure of what to say. "Where...where am I? And how...how did I get here?" she asked through the occasional hiccups.

"We're about four miles away from where your camp is...ya didn't have much to eat so I carried ya here, to my place, so ya can get some food and rest bit." The man said while tending the fire with some sticks.

"And...who, who are you?"

"Name's Sully...just Sully."

Michaela nodded and looked down. "Sully..." she whispered to herself.

"And may I what your name is?" Sully questioned the emotionally lost young woman.

"Michaela...Le-...Quinn...Dr. Michaela Quinn." she breathed solemnly

"Dr. Quinn?...you wouldn't happen to be going to Colorado Springs would ya?" Sully said, looking up at the lady doctor curiously.

Michaela nodded her head. "Yes... I was suppose to be taking up the offer for a doctor in the town...I was traveling with my husband...David...he went out, looking food and wood...right before the storm came...but...he never came back...I don't know where he is...I don't know what to do..." Michaela began sobbing again.

Sully started to go comfort Michaela, but then thought better of it. "It's ok...hey, we'll find him...he's probably just lost his way. Who knows, he may already be in Colorado Springs waiting for ya." Sully encouraged.

Michaela, thankful for his comforting words but unable to believe them, shook her head. "No...I can feel it...he hurt, or maybe even dead...I just know it!" Michaela cried out and withered into herself. This time, Sully did not hesitate, and he enveloped Michaela in his arms, while rocking her gently and whispering comforting words into her copper locks of hair. Michaela, who normally would never get this close to anyone she just met, did not pull away from the mountain man's inviting arms. Instead she allowed herself to comforted by his ministrations, and continued to sob into his shoulder.

They sat like that for quite a while, until the crack of a twig woke them from their reveries. Sully let go of Michaela, and left the lean-to, to see what had caused the noise. Michaela soon heard incoherent chatter, in a language that she did not understand; causing her to look out of the structure she sat under to see what was going on. There before stood an Indian, talking and shaking hands with Sully. At first sight, Michaela was terrified, but as she looked at the Indian, she soon saw the kindness in his eyes and stature, and the peace and concern his face. She crawl out of the shelter and stood up on her weak legs, drawing the Native American's attention towards her.

He nodded and raised out his hand in greeting. "Pévevóona'o." Michaela looked at him for a moment, then slowly met his out-stretched hand with her own. "I was out hunting. I believe that I found something that you may wish to see. I am sorry that I could not have brought you a better fait." The Indian said while pointing at his bare-back horse.

Michaela saw a large bundle balanced over the back of the horse and her heart beat quickened as she realized what the bundle may have been. Slowly and carefully, she made her way over to the horse, fear and dread clutching her. Reaching the horse, she pulled back the blanket that wrapped around the mass with trembling hands. Upon seeing the body, she shrieked and collapsed onto the ground.

Sully hurried to her side and put a hand on her shoulder while he looked into the blanket. There lay the body of a dead, crumpled man, who he could only guess was David. Kneeling behind Michaela and wrapping his arms around her shaking form, he looked up at his Cheyenne friend with a questioning look in his eyes.

The Native American saw the look in Sully's gaze and answered him. "I found his body at the bottom of the landslide a few miles away. I believe that his horse must of thrown him. The spirits told me to bring his body here...that someone here would need to put him to rest."

Sully nodded and directed his attention back to the grief-stricken Michaela, rocking her gently and trying to comfort her as best he could. The Cheyenne Medicine Man saw the connection between the two and smiled slightly in remembrance of the other half of the message the spirits had sent him. But now was not the time to bring up such matters. Silently, he left the camp without his horse, knowing that he could get it back at a later time.

In the few days that she had been in the Colorado territory, Michaela lost the only man, other than her father, that she had ever loved, the only man who had ever been accepting of her choice of profession, the only man who made her feel wanted and cherished. She felt empty and hollow. And even though Sully had been nothing but kind and comforting towards her, she did not truly know him. In fact, she did not know anyone with in a hundred mile radius of her. For the first time in her life she was completely alone. And it was this thought that scared her the most.