Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Dr Quinn characters, but am merely borrowing them for this story.
...
This was written for the May 2011 Picture Challenge competition on the Dr Quinn Forum.
...
Hearing Samantha cry, Myra slid quietly out of bed and scooped the baby up, tiptoeing downstairs to avoid waking Horace. He was exhausted lately and needed his sleep. Samantha seemed to have been a little unwell that day and Myra had decided to visit Dr Mike in the morning to have her examined. The baby seemed even more restless than usual and had developed a cough.
Myra paced around the telegraph office, but Samantha wouldn't be calmed. Nothing ever seemed to settle her. The only time she had stopped crying for a few hours was that night Myra had gone to the saloon and Hank had helped her, rocking the baby himself and surprisingly proving to be good at it.
She sighed heavily, wishing he could have been nicer to her in the past. He only began to reveal his feelings about her when she tore up her contract and walked out to be with Horace. She had wanted Horace so much, but now she was married with a baby she found that all she and her husband did was squabble and she couldn't get Hank out of her mind.
Samantha continued to wail and after a few minutes' hesitation, Myra opened the door and stepped into the street. She could see a light on in the saloon, even though it was past two o'clock and she hurried over there, her heart pounding. She pushed open the door cautiously and stepped inside.
Hank was sitting at one of the tables, a bottle of whiskey in front of him, his head resting on one hand. He looked up when Myra entered with Samantha and a smile chased away the frown on his face.
"Myra. You alright?" he asked, getting up and pulling out a chair for her.
"Not really." She sat down with a sigh. "She never sleeps."
"Give her to me. It seemed to work last time," Hank said, sitting back down.
Myra passed Sam to him gratefully and began to smile as he cuddled the baby. Her crying ceased almost at once and she gazed up at Hank from wide eyes.
"You're so good with her," Myra said softly. "Much better than…." She broke off guiltily.
Hank grinned. "Horace no good as a father? What's he like as a husband?"
Myra dropped her eyes away from his. "He's fine," she said.
"Only fine? You've been married less than a year," Hank pointed out. "Honeymoon period worn off already?"
"It's just different from what I expected."
"You two fightin'?" asked Hank.
"I guess."
"The grass ain't always greener," Hank said.
"No."
He opened his mouth to say something else, but then halted as Samantha suddenly began to cough. Her face turned red and she choked desperately, uttering shrill squeals between each gasp.
"Oh, my Lord!" cried Myra. "What's wrong with her?"
"Has she been sick?"
"She's been coughin' a little today. I was gonna see Dr Mike in the mornin'."
"Heck, she can't breathe properly," Hank said, getting to his feet. "Here, take her. I'll get the wagon. We better get to the doc's right away." He lowered the baby into Myra's arms again and rushed outside.
Terrified, Myra went to the door, lifting Samantha up against her shoulder to see if the change of position helped. Her breathing seemed a little easier upright and Myra held her that way for the few minutes it took Hank to appear with his wagon. He jumped down and lifted mother and baby up onto the seat, then wrapped a thick blanket around Myra who was clad only in her nightdress, before leaping back onto the wagon and urging the horses into a canter.
Myra clutched Samantha with one arm and held onto the seat with her free hand, praying than Samantha would be alright. Hank shifted the reins into one hand and slid his other arm around Myra, holding her tight as they hurtled down the track to the homestead.
As they pulled up at the cabin Dr Mike and Colleen rushed outside, holding shawls around themselves, clearly roused from sleep by the wagon's noisy arrival. Matthew emerged from the barn seconds later.
"Myra?" Dr Mike ran forward as Hank leapt down from the wagon and lifted Myra and Sam to the ground. "Is it Samantha?"
"She started chokin'. She can't breathe!" cried Myra, tears rolling down her cheeks.
Dr Mike took the baby from her and hurried back inside, taking a seat beside the fire. Samantha began to cough again, her face turning purple.
"It sounds like whooping cough," Dr Mike said.
"Dear God," gasped Myra, sitting down weakly. "Will she be alright?"
"Whooping cough is very serious," Dr Mike said. "There's no treatment as such. It's important to keep her mouth and nose clear of mucus and make sure she has plenty of nourishment, even though she's unlikely to want to feed." The doctor held the baby upright again, gently rubbing her back until the coughing subsided. "I think I had better keep her here for a while. You must stay too of course, Myra."
"Oh, thank you, Dr Mike," Myra said tearfully, glancing up at Hank where he hovered just inside the door.
He sighed heavily. "I suppose ya want me to go tell Horace?"
"I hate to ask….." She got up and went towards him. "I don't know how to thank you for this."
Hank shrugged. "Ya don't have to thank me. You know I care about ya." He pulled the door open again. "I'd do anythin' for ya." He stepped out onto the porch.
"Hank…." Myra began, her heart thumping.
"Don't," he interrupted. "Not now. Ya know where I am if ya want me. Both you and Sam. I ain't goin' nowhere."
"Thank you," Myra whispered.
Hank nodded and went to his wagon. Myra watched as he climbed up and turned the horses back towards town, disappearing into the darkness. She closed the door and returned to her seat by the fire, watching as Dr Mike tended to Samantha. Although most of her attention was on the little girl, Hank was in her mind. He was so different since she'd left the saloon, as if he had cared for her all along and never known how to show it until it was too late.
In the morning Horace arrived on horseback, his face pale and worried. He found Myra wearing one of Colleen's dresses, gently bathing Samantha's face while Dr Mike gathered up her things ready to travel into town to the clinic.
"Is she alright?" he asked.
"I've seen much worse cases," Dr Mike said gently. "I really don't think you need to worry too much. I'd be happier having her at the clinic though, in case I need anything from there. Matthew's getting the wagon ready."
Horace nodded and took Myra's arm, leading her outside so he could speak to her away from the others.
"What were ya doin' with Hank last night?" he demanded.
"Sam was yellin', I went for a walk so she wouldn't wake ya," Myra said, feeling her face reddening.
"And ya just happened to pass the saloon I suppose?"
"I needed help," Myra said. "Please don't fight with me now, Horace, I'll speak to ya later."
"I'll expect you over at the telegraph office as soon as ya get back," Horace said, his face stiff. "I need to get to work." He climbed back up onto his horse and trotted off a moment before Dr Mike, Colleen and Brian all came outside.
"Has he gone already?" asked Colleen in surprise.
"He's mad with me," Myra sighed. "He ain't happy that Hank helped me."
"He should be pleased someone did," Dr Mike said reasonably. "Hank often turns out to be a hero when you least expect it."
Myra smiled wanly. "Yes, he does seem to."
Matthew drove everyone into town in the wagon, leaving them all outside the clinic before he went off to work at the ranch. Colleen and Brian left for school and Dr Mike opened up the clinic. Then she sat down on the bench on the porch, cradling Samantha in her arms. The baby was looking much better than she had during the night.
"I think some fresh air will do her good. Her breathing seems a little easier now. It seems to be a very mild case."
"Thank you so much, Dr Mike," Myra said. "Do ya mind if I leave her with ya for a while? I have some things to sort out."
"Of course," Dr Mike smiled. "Try not to worry too much, Myra, it looks as if Samantha's going to be just fine."
Myra nodded, straightened the slightly too short skirts of Colleen's dress and stepped off the porch. She could see Hank watching her from the saloon where he sat outside with his feet on the rail. Even from that distance she could see him smile and she raised one hand a little and waved, taking courage from that tiny exchange before she turned and walked towards the telegraph office, still unsure of where her future lay but knowing that her path was likely to be decided for her very soon. Part of her vowed that she would try to be true to her marriage, but the larger part knew that eventually it would be Hank she turned to. There was still that one little piece of her heart which had always been his.