Unexpected Decisions
Author's note: Thanks to CHERYL P. , who helped all the characters "to talk" by their special ways…
"I've got a letter from Mr.Sanders." Matthew said, waving the large envelope.
"Who is this Mr. Sanders?" Brian asked.
"A well-known attorney from Philadelphia. He agreed to check my skills for about two months."
"So, you're going to Philadelphia?" Brian sounded disappointed.
"Yeah, next Tuesday. I'll give your regards to Colleen and Andrew."
"Of course," Michaela said, "such a pity we couldn't go with you. Can't wait to see their new house."
"I miss Colleen," Brian sighed, "What if I go with you?"
"Why not?" Sully suddenly said, "You have vacation now, it's a good time."
"He will disturb Matthew." Michaela objected, "Colleen and Andrew are very busy and I don't want Brian to be alone in a strange city."
"He's not a kid Michaela, I don't see any reason why he couldn't go visit his sister. Ya don't have to worry." Sully said softly.
"Well…if Matthew isn't against this…and if you promise to be careful," Michaela resigned.
"Yahoo!" Brian shouted, then embraced Sully and Michaela, "Thank you!!!"
They waved as the train departed and walked to the wagon, when suddenly Michaela noticed a teenage boy about Brian's age who was standing outside the train depot, looking lost. He looked very familiar, and she came closer to him:
"You're Zach Lawson, aren't you?" Michaela asked.
"Yes. I am," he answered, "and you're the lady doctor. I remember you."
Michaela smiled at him, "Call me Dr.Mike. Are you here for a vacation?"
"No, he replied, "school has vacation later."
"Did you send a telegram to your father?"
Zach just shook his head, "I think he would be mad at me."
"No he wouldn't!" Michaela objected, "After all, he's your Pa, and you're his son! Come with us, we'll go to town!"
Hank was not there. All the girls in the GOLD NUGGET were new, they couldn't even imagine that Hank had a son.
"He's in Manitou," one of them said, "should be back this evening. You can wait here, if you want."
"No," Michaela looked around, "we'll wait at Grace's. You must be hungry, Zach. Aren't you Sully?" She turned to her husband.
"Sure, come on Zach," Sully took the boy's shoulder, "let's go."
"Thank you, I'm not," he answered shyly,pulling away from Sully.
Taking a look at Zach's face, Sully changed their plans,
"Zach, I got an idea. We'll let Dr. Mike go to clinic, and we 'll go for a walk. There are some beautiful places here in the woods."
"In the woods? I don't know," the boy said reluctantly.
"You can paint some landscapes," Sully offered, "Best place in the world to paint."
Zach hesitated for a while, then nodded shyly. He didn't want the townsfolk to be staring at him until Hank's arrival.
"Fine," Michaela said. She kissed her husband's cheek, "I'll see you later. Zach, can I tell Hank you're here, if I see him before you do?"
"No." Zach answered.
"Okay, first we need to go home and saddle Brian's horse for you." Sully said.
"I never rode a horse before!" Zach objected
"Don't worry, it's not difficult, and you will learn quickly. You know, I was afraid of horses for a long time, but once I decided to learn, I did it. Can't explain it, but Cloud Dancing, my friend, helped me not to fear horses. I can help you now."
He put his hand on the boy's shoulder and they walked to the wagon.
"You're learning very quickly," Sully noticed, "I needed much more time than this, but you're an artist, you can see and feel things others can't. How do you lilke it so far Zach?"
"It's okay," Zach answered, "I'm afraid, a little…just a little, but I like it."
"Cloud Dancing always said, 'you can overcome all your fears, if you want it'. He's a wise man, you can trust his words."
"Pa always said, 'only fools can trust Indians'," Zach said bitterly, "Why does he hate Indians?"
"Last year some Indians blew up some dynamite right near his hotel…but he didn't like them even before that. I think he just wants to be "like the others", not care about them, hoping they'll go away."
"I don't think he likes anybody!" Zach suddenly exclaimed with fury, "sometimes …sometimes I even hate him!"
"Cloud Dancing told me once, ' Never let the hate fill you, it will poison you inside .You must get rid of it as soon as you can'."
"My Pa visited me at school just a few times." Zach said, his eyes filled with tears, "he told me last time, that he could read and write - but he never wrote me any letters! As if I don't exist! All the parents were at our last exam, except him! He still thinks I'm an idiot, and he doesn't need me! I'd be better off dead than with him."
Sully felt the boy's anger, "He does love you Zach, every father loves his son. He just doesn't know how to show you. He's afraid."
"Afraid? Afraid of what?" Zach looked at Sully.
"Afraid that his feelings for you look like some kind of weakness. You gotta help him show you his feelings. You can do it."
"Are you sure?" Zach asked hopefully.
"Trust me. Just be patient…" Sully smiled at the boy.
"I'd like to have a father like you," the boy sighed.
"Your father isn't any worse than me, just be patient." Sully said.
Looking at Hank's facial expression, he was not very happy to see his son.
"What the hell are you doin' here?" He asked without even saying "hello".
"You didn't come to school for my exam." Zach answered.
"So? I was busy!" Hank bristled.
"All the parents were there except you," the pain evident in his voice.
"I have a business, don't you understand?! Hey, how did you come here without permission? The school know you're here?"
Zach fought back tears. Sully looked at Hank furiously.
"I missed you…Pa." Zach finally muttered, his voice trembling.
" Ya missed me? You're a "man", not a damned girl!!!" Hank yelled.
"I ain't gonna fuss over you here, if they kicked ya out of school! Tomorrow morning you're going back to Denver!"
Zach gave his father a hateful look, and disappeared inside the hotel.
"Do you have anything else to say to him?" Sully asked
"No!" Hank said, staring at Sully.
"I think you'd better," Sully began.
"I know what's best for him, more than you do!!" Hank yelled so loudly, that the townsfolk walking through the square turned anxiously. "Why do you always stick your nose into everybody's business, Sully?"
"You're wrong Hank, and I hope you see it soon enough," Sully insisted.
"Listen, you have every right to spoil your own children with all this Indian stuff…but Zach is MY son, and I'll tell him what I want!!! Just want to warn you," He leaned closer to Sully, "KEEP AWAY FROM MY SON!!!!!!"
Hank threw the cigar-butt on the ground and entered the GOLD NUGGET.
"I thought he'd changed for the better, when he confessed that Zach is his son." Michaela sighed. "I guess we were all wrong, he's unable to love anybody. He only thinks of himself, he's a selfish man."
"No," Sully suddenly objected, "that's just a "label" we put on him, and he acts that way cuz we let him."
"I can't believe you'd try to defend him! He wanted to be a bounty-hunter to capture you, when you were hidden! He's offended me a lot of times! He…"
"He saved your life, Michaela…" Sully interrupted her.
"Well…he did, but…," her shoulders lowered.
"And this time he didn't think about how he looks," Sully continued.
Gunshots near the hotel ended their discussion. Michaela and Sully ran from the clinic, and noticed three riders on two horses, leaving the town.
Hank appeared from the saloon door. He held his revolver, and there was a large graze on his head
"What's wrong?" Michaela asked with concern. "Do you need help?" She reached for the wound on his head.
Hank shook his head: "Just a scratch. They took Zach…I tried to shoot one of them, but missed, was afraid to shoot Zach…I'm going after them!"
"Wait Hank, you can ask Daniel to form a search party …"
"No time, Michaela, I need to go right now."
"I'll go with you." Sully said.
Hank nodded and ran to his horse.
Michaela looked at Sully pleadingly and grabbed his arms, "It's so dangerous! Perhaps we should get the sheriff…that's his business," She hugged him and didn't want to let him go.
Sully pulled back, "What if it were Brian? We'd go then?"
"You're right,…Just be careful." She kissed him.
"I'm always careful, I love you," Sully returned her kiss and mounted his horse…
"Damn!" Hank lit another cigar, "We've lost their trail!"
"Wolf has lost their trail." Sully corrected him.
"So, you have a better scent than him?" Hank chuckled.
"The rain washed out only the scent, but there is something else, like broken branches, cigar butts," Sully went on.
A few minutes later he suddenly stopped and raised his hand.
"What's wrong?" Hank asked him, "why did you stop?"
"Smoke," Sully pointed, "they made a campfire. We'll leave our horses here, and go up and around by those bushes."
There was a small campfire at an open spot in the woods. One of the robbers dug in his saddlebags and another one sat on the log with Zach, holding the rifle against his chest. Zach's hands were tied.
The first robber lifted his colt, when he had heard a noise, but it was too late. Hank shot him dead..
But the second one grasped Zach by the hair and yelled. "Throw down your rifles, or I'll kill him!"
Hank obeyed, but at the same moment Zach kicked his kidnapper and struggled free as the man doubled over. The robber screamed from pain, but immediately lifted his rifle and aimed at Zach's back.
Within a second Sully rushed to the boy and knocked him down to the ground.
Then two gunshots thundered into the air at the same time. Hank lowered his colt and ran up to his son. "Zach, you all right?" he asked, his heart pounding in his chest.
"Yes." Zach stood up slowly, his eyes widened with shock, "Sully saved my life…"
They both looked at Sully, who was still lying on the ground motionless.
"Seems he took your bullet." Hank muttered.
He kneeled by Sully and turned him carefully. There was a bullet wound under his right clavicle, bleeding heavily. Hank noticed another wound on Sully's forehead, probably from hitting his head on a stone as he fell.
"He's still alive." Hank said, "Go get Michaela, take my horse and ride to town, as fast as you can. Tell her to bring a wagon. I'll try to stop the bleedin', but hurry."
Zach stood still looking at Hank with horror.
"What are you looking at?! Move on!" Hank was going to yell, but the words suddenly got stuck in his throat…
"You gotta hurry, son!" Hank said as Zach awkwardly went to the horse, mounted and headed to town.
Hank sat at the ground near Sully, trying to find his pulse. He couldn't at first, and screamed in despair
"Sully!!! What the hell are you doing?! Hold on, Michaela is already on her way here!!! Hold on!!!!" Hank finally found a weak pulse beating under his fingers, and sighed with relief.. Soon he heard the wagon approaching.
Zach arrived with Michaela. "Hope they didn't hear me." Hank thought knowing it was unlike him to care for anyone, least of all Sully.
They carefully took Sully to the clinic, where Michaela stopped the bleeding and removed the bullet..
"He's lucky," she said to Hank. "The bullet miraculously missed the vital organs. He 's lost a lot of blood though." She looked at Sully, her eyes deep with concern over the man she loved.
"So, he'll be all right?" Hank asked.
Michaela continued to look at Sully, but finally turned to Hank, "There are other symptoms I'm still worrying about. You told me he hit his head? His pupils are dilated, and he's still unconscious."
"What's that mean?" Hank asked softly.
"This could be a concussion or even skull trauma. If he doesn't wake up in a few more hours, I may need to operate, but I hope not."
Suddenly, they heard the bell ring at the front door. "Just a minute, Hank." Michaela said, "I'll go see who's at the door."
She quickly ran down the stairs.
"I'm sorry, Mrs. Jackson," she said to her patient, "I can't check your furuncle today. Sully has been badly hurt and I need to prepare for an operation…I'm sorry, would you please, come back tomorrow?"
"Sure, Dr. Mike, don't worry." Mrs. Jackson said, "I sure hope Sully will be all right." She tapped Michaela's hand.
"Thank you, I hope so." Michaela sighed.
As she locked the door, she heard Hank's scream from upstairs. "Michaela!!! Come here! Hurry!!!"
Within a second she was there, out of breath. "What's happened, Hank? Is he waking up?"
Hank shook his head: "No! I think he's stopped breathing!!" Michaela grabbed her stethoscope . Again and again, she tried to hear the heartbeat, but could only hear her own heart pounding.
"No!!" She repeated, over and over again. "He can't....he can't die…no!!"
"I 'm sorry." Hank mumbled, moving backward to the door.
She suddenly looked at him with unexpected fury: "This can't happen! I 'm sure he's alive!" She screamed.
"But…" Hank tried to object.
"Get out of here!" She raised her voice at him, then added in a lower voice, "Please....go."
Leaving the recovery room, Hank heard the door slam behind him and the lock turn.
"Certainly." Jake Slicker declared, "She's going to lose her mind!"
Sully's death was unbearable for Michaela. "Michaela is strong, I can't imagine this happening to her." Hank said "When I offered her my help with preparing for the burial, you know, that is part of my business, she just tuned me right out, and locked the door. Yelled to me "get out, he's not dead!"
"Sure he is!" Hank told him, "I've seen him with my own eyes.
Michaela checked his pulse and heartbeat over and over, I seen her do it!"
"Well, she's gonna lose her mind, if she hasn't already!" Jake said.
"Maybe we oughta send a telegram to her mother and sister in Boston." Loren offered
"We'll take Katie." Grace said, sadness evident in her tone of voice.
"We need to let her know right away, of course." Reverend Johnson said.
"Will they put her in a insane asylum?" Hank shrugged.
"Hank! What are we going to do?" Loren was exasperated, "We need to take her from there and get Sully buried the proper way. Ya know, I bet they could cure Dr. Mike there in Boston." He looked for agreement from the others.
"He's right." Jake said, "It's impossible to persuade her to leave him, but Sully's body can't be left there for so long in the heat. I'll go ask Horace for help."
Mrs. Quinn arrived in Colorado Springs as soon as possible accompanied with a tall, refined man in his middle years. He introduced himself as Dr. Cheaseholm.
Michaela, however, did not openly welcome them.
"What are you doing here, Mother?" She asked through the door.
"What am I doing here? Why I 'm worried about you, Michaela.
I know how difficult this is for you, but this isn't proper for Katie. You need to go Boston with me, even for a while."
"No mother, I 'm not going to leave anyway! I cannot leave Sully's side!"
"But he's..." Elizabeth began, but the doctor stopped her.
"Don't try to argue with her, if you want her to open the door. You need to agree with her"
"I am here with Dr. Cheaseholm, you can talk with him!"
Michaela finally opened the door.
Her face was pale and tear-stained, but she didn't look out of her mind. "Dr. Cheaseholm?" She asked, her voice trembling a little, "Would you please look at my husband, I think, there are some signs, that he's not dead."
"Well, of course I'll do it." He said. "Mrs. Quinn, please wait for me here."
A few minutes later he returned and reported to Elizabeth.
"He is dead. Of course, I didn't check him as thoroughly as she insisted, there is simply no need, but we need to agree with her, to ease her mind. I can take her to Boston, to my clinic. This is not unusual thing in this circumstance, she is having a hysterical reaction to her husband's death. But of course she will be fully recovered in time, it will take time."
"But how are you going to take her to Boston without her agreement?"
"Unfortunately, she can't reason sensibly in her conditions, so we need to take some extra measures."
"Like what?"
"I need to give her some soporific in her tea or lemonade, and take her to the train before she awakens. Mrs. Quinn, you must go inside, talk with her, and offer her a cup of tea or any other drink, but not a word about Boston!"
Elizabeth looked at him suspiciously.
"I can't do it, she'd never forgive me."
"Mrs. Quinn," the doctor said firmly, "we can't bring her husband back, but we need to return her back to health. Just think about her children."
"Well, all right." Mrs. Quinn agreed.
Several hours later the train left for Boston with Dr. Cheaseholm, Mrs. Quinn, and the unconscious Michaela on board.
"I feel sorry for them two, when she wakes up!" Hank muttered to himself, following the train with his eyes Then he walked to the cemetery, where the Reverend began the burial service.
When Hank went back, he met Preston near the clinic.
"You're still here?" Hank wondered, "I thought you were leavin'."
"I'm not in a hurry Hank." Preston answered.
He nodded to the clinic, and added,"How sad it is! Such a deep and romantic love, like in the best novels! I'm afraid, though, this town will need to search for another physician. I hope, this time, it will be a male doctor, they're not so sensitive."
"You better shut up, Preston." Hank said in his low salty voice.
"I do feel so sorry for Michaela." The banker continued, "In spite of their supposed love, I never understood those two. They had nothing in common, she's well-educated, and refined, but he..."
"I warned you, Preston." Hank repeated, "You'd better shut up, before it's too late."
Preston raised his eyebrow, "You're defending Sully? I find that so strange! As I can remember, you wanted to shoot him dead for that incident in your saloon."
"That's none of your business." Hank said,"
"In my opinion, this town would be much safer without him." The banker couldn't stop, "He's a....." He couldn't finish,
because Hank's fist slammed into his cheekbone, and the banker fell to the dusty ground.
"He saved my son's life, you bastard!" Hank said, and slowly continued on his way to the hotel.
"Sheriff!" Preston screamed, "Sheriff Simon!!!"
Daniel responded to Preston and asked: "What's wrong Preston?"
"Have you seen this? Preston pointed to his cheek, "You need to arrest him immediately!"
Daniel rolled his eyes "I still don't understand, what are you talking about?"
"Look! Hank hit me! Did you see this?"
"No." Daniel answered, "I was at the cemetery. Do you have any witnesses?"
"Sure, I have! He did this at the center of town!"
Then Robert E. and Grace came to see what all the yelling was about.. "Grace!" Preston pointed to her, "I'm sure you saw his attack on me!"
"What attack?" Grace raised her brows, "I ain't seen nothing."
"That's impossible!" Preston exclaimed, "I noticed! I saw you both here!!!"
"She didn't tell you we weren't here," Robert E. said, "but we've seen nothing criminal, that's for sure."
All the townsfolk Preston tried to ask told him that they hadn't seen a thing.
"Gee, I'm sorry, Preston," Daniel shrugged his shoulders, "all the people who were standing very close to you, and not one saw a thing so, perhaps, you're confused or something."
He tipped his hat and turned away, hiding the smile that developed on his lips.
Preston furiously rushed to his bank and slammed the door behind him. Daniel approached Hank, who was still standing on the GOLD NUGGET porch, and offered his hand.
"Thank you." He said, "You did what I wanted to do! You know, Sully was my best friend."
Hank shook his hand, and unexpectedly answered: "I'd be glad if he woulda' been mine."
There was darkness, total darkness around him. For a moment he thought he had been in a cave in again. There was such darkness and the air was so thin.
He gasped for the air, and felt a strong wave of dizziness, but then his head cleared. This couldn't be a mine, that happened many years ago, they were searching for Hank's son, Zach. It was the last he remembered. Sully stretched his hand and touched some solid surface, felt like wood by touch.. Then he felt a thin rivulet of ground pour down to his face. Suddenly Sully became aware of where he was, he was in a grave!
Touching his waist instinctively, he barely stifled the cry of joy - his belt, with the knife and tomahawk, was still on him.
So, he had a chance to fight for his life. For several long hours he tried to get out from the grave, not paying attention to the pain.
Eventually the weakness and lack of fresh air took its toll, and he lost consciousness.
Someone hammered on the door of the GOLD NUGGET. It was Zach, pale and shaking with fear.
"Are you crazy?" Hank asked, "What happened?"
"I was near the church." Zach uttered, "There were some strange sounds as if something was stirring there!!"
"Where's "there"?"
"At the cemetery."
"Probably a dog or a cat," Hank dismissed it.
The boy shook his head. "No! Sounds like…as if someone was under the ground!" Zach took a deep breath, then added, "It's there, where Sully's grave is!!"
Hank stood motionless for a few seconds, then he suddenly pounded the table with his fist, and screamed, "Such Damn fools!!"
"Who?" Asked Zach timidly
"We are! Four days passed since Michaela went away. All this time!! She knew it!! He looked alive, she said it!! Michaela was right_what idiots we all are!"
"What do you mean?" Zach looked at his father perplexed. "What do I mean? Damn, we buried Sully alive, that's what I mean! !!" Hank yelled, rushing out of the door
He knocked on the door about five minutes, until the sleepy-eyed Jake appeared.
"What do you want? It's the middle of the night! Go to sleep, like normal people do."
"Jake, Michaela was right. Sully is alive…we buried him alive, and we need to dig him out, now!" Hank tried to explain But Jake didn't want to listen to him.
"You'd better find another time for your foolish jokes," he muttered angrily and closed the door.
Hank ran to the store and kicked the locked door, "Loren!!". But Loren just yelled through the closed door, "Hank, you're drunk, go to sleep and don't disturb people at night."
Hank turned to the sheriff's office, but the next moment he remembered, that Daniel was in Manitou for a few days.
"Let's go!" He told Zach without much explanation
"Where?"
"To the cemetery. Grab a shovel and follow me!"
"I'm scared." Zach whispered
"Sully saved your life, remember?" Hank said, "And now we're going to save his."
Zach, still pale and frightened, silently followed him...
Zach was right - they had heard some barely audible sounds from under the ground. Zach turned white and moved back a little, but Hank put his hand on the boy's shoulder: The sound finally ceased. Hank exchanged glances with Zach, and they began to dig faster…
Sully finally managed to tear away the cover of the casket, and a wide stream of ground soil fell on him. He gasped for air, trying to climb out, but this last ounce of strength left him before that…
Hank and Zach were there just in time…They had found Sully unconscious, but alive…His hands were bleeding, and he still grasped his tomahawk. Hank, with Zach's help, lifted him by his shoulders, and slowly walked back carrying the almost lifeless body.…They met nobody on their way to the GOLD NUGGET.
Sully awakened in an unfamiliar room. He glanced around, looking at the old mirror on the wall, and the long line of small bottles and jars with rouges and other make-up. There was the strong odor of perfume, but it was sharp and penetrating, and didn't smell like Michaela's Parisian perfume…But, yet this room definitely belonged to a woman..
A few seconds later Hank entered the room, looking at Sully with great interest. "Where am I?" Sully asked him
"In my hotel." Hank answered, "We dug you out. Still can't understand what happened to you. You definitely looked dead to me and everybody else."
"Huh, I don't know." Sully said, "I remember how we were searching for Zach. That's all…, that's the last thing I remember."
"You've been shot." Hank explained, "Michaela said you had a concussion but it wasn't a dangerous one. But suddenly you stopped breathing."
"Hank?" Sully asked, "Would you please go tell Michaela that I'm here."
He still felt disoriented, unable to understand what had happened to him.
Hank lowered his eyes, "I can't…She's not here."
"Not here?! What's wrong with her? Where is she?!" Sully struggled to sit up, but Hank put his hand on his shoulder, forcing him to lay back.
"Take it easy. ..Her mother came from Boston and took her and Katie."
"But ....she... agreed to go with them?"
Hank paused, then added, "Her mother took with her some doctor from Boston. We all decided that she ....
well, she'd lost her mind. She locked the clinic door, and didn't let anybody in.".
"How they could persuade her to leave? Tell me."
"They couldn't…Just gave her some medicine stuff. She fell asleep, and they carried her to the train."
He sighed gravely, and finally said: "They're going to put her in the insane asylum."
"I'm going to Boston to get her!" Sully immediately said, "Hank , would you please lend me some money for the ticket?"
"Wait a minute, look at yourself." Hank said, grinning skeptically, "I really doubt you should be doing this. Truth be told, you're barely able even to go to the train depot. You need to think before you go rushing outta here."
"I'm fine." Sully answered, "And I have no time to sit around here.. I need to take her out of there and bring her back here where she belongs."
"Anyway, you can't go to Boston like this, all tattered. They won't let anyone in a Boston clinic who looks like a tramp."
Sully looked on his soiled and wet jacket perplexed. "You can take one of mine." Hank offered. "Thank you, Hank." Sully said, wondering a little.
The ray of sun rushing in the window brightly sparkled in the cut glass of the perfume bottles. Momentarily Sully felt as if some dynamite had exploded inside his head. He shut his eyes and squeezed his temples, moaning in pain.
"Hey, what's wrong with you?" He heard Hank's voice. Every word, talking louder and louder causing a new fit of pain in his head.
"Just a headache." Sully finally muttered, "Could you draw the curtain?"
"Sure thing. I'll send Zach to Manitou for a doctor." Hank said, looking at him worrying. Any other time Sully would be bewildered by such strange behavior from Hank Lawson, but now he was unable to think about it. The last thing he needed was another megrim. Besides that, this one was definitely strong.
"No, thank you." Sully said "I'll be fine, it will pass."
"You 'd better stay here," Hank offered, "and I'll go tell Michaela you're alive."
Sully quickly shook his head and winced from the pain again. "No!" he finally uttered, "I need to be there with her. She needs me."
"Well," Hank unexpectedly agreed "I'll buy the tickets for the next train, and we'll go with you."
"Hank, there's no need." Sully began, but Hank interrupted him. "You helped me rescue Zach, and, after all, this will be a good chance to show him Boston." Hank smiled for the first time all day.
"Are you really goin' to Boston, Hank?" Horace asked. "Give my regards to Dr. Mike."
"Just have business there." Hank muttered, "Give me three tickets…"
"You, your son, and the third…"
"Curiosity killed the cat." Hank answered with a dark deep tone, releasing a puff of smoke from his cigar right into the telegraph window. "You're going to stand here or do your job, Horace?"
Horace coughed and turned away, extending the three tickets and change to Hank through the window.
He still was curious about the third person, but knew Hank wouldn't tell him anything interesting. Horace couldn't see his face, because of the hat that was pulled over man's eyes. In spite of this, Horace felt something familiar in this stranger, but finally decided that it was nothing.
A few minutes later the train arrived, and Horace became too busy to think about Hank and his business. He thought that a rough and selfish person like Hank Lawson wouldn't even stop to visit poor Dr. Mike there in Boston."
"I've told you before, Sully." Hank said, "you'd better stay in Colorado Springs. We could send a telegram to her mother that you're alive."
"No!" Sully said stubbornly, "I must be there with Michaela, she needs me."
"You definitely look like a ghost." Hank observed him critically.
"Nothing serious." Sully answered, turning away from the light, "just a headache, I've had them before."
"You did?" Hank wondered, "I thought you never got sick…." "I had them from time to time since '57, after I was trapped in mine in a cave -in. But the last one was more than three years ago. Michaela called it "megrim"."
"Oh," Hank didn't understand, "Anyway, Michaela will fix it."
"Sure, but we need to take care of her first, I need to see her."
Sully was too tired for further conversation. He leaned against the back of the train seat and closed his eyes. His head still ached, beside that, there was throbbing pain at his wound, and it became red and swollen. He knew he needed to keep his strength for rescuing Michaela. Finally, he dozed off, thinking about her, hoping she was all right.
Looking at Sully's pale and exhausted face, Hank became aware that it must be 'him', Hank Lawson, who would release Michaela from the insane asylum,. He knew he had to rescue her, but where was she?
"Pa?" Zach suddenly asked, "May I ask you something?"
Hank nodded. "Could you tell me more about my Ma? Please…"
Hank took a deep breath. Zach's question caught him off guard but, his son had the right to know all about his mother.
"Clarice was a special woman," he began. "She was beautiful and kind. Clarice was born on a small farm and her father was very strict with her but when she was 16, she ran away with some trader, you know, the kind of fella, who travels around the farms and small towns, selling some goods and chattels. He told her that he's sweet on her and wants to marry her, and all that stuff, but a few months later he left her. Clarice was too afraid of her father to return back home, so she a got a job in saloon. She was already there when I got the business. But anyway, she didn't look like a "whore", she still looked innocent and beautiful."
Zach listened very attentively, and Hank continued.
"Clarice fell in love with me, and me with her. She was so happy when you were born., thought I'd propose to her, and she'd finally have a family. Once I was almost ready to do it. I came to her room, and opened my mouth to ask her to marry me, but in the next moment I thought , well I imagined all those fellas, talking about "Hank Lawson 's under the thumb of his girl…" or something like that." He sighed heavily.
"Then I just came and spent a night with her…that's all… I remembered it a lot of times, especially when she died."
"Were you crying when she died?" Zach asked.
"Yeah, sure I was." Hank firmly answered. "Truth be told, I drank hard for more than a week after her death, wanted to forget that day…I thought if I forgot she would be alive, if I 'd finally told her that I wanted to tell. Ah, well, we can't bring back time, however much we want to."
He nodded over to Sully. "That's why those two are so lucky. I think, some of their Indian spirits protect him."
Looking to Zach, he finally said: "You have Clarice's eyes. You know, you remind me of her." Then Hank turned away from him, looking somewhere out through the window.
The train was late by a few hours. It was late evening when they finally arrived in Boston. The hospital was already closed, so they needed to find a hotel to spend the night.
This became completely Hank's problem, Zach was in a boarding school for many years, and couldn't familiarize himself in such a big city, and Sully was too weak. The next unpleasant surprise was that Hank had forgotten his money purse in the GOLD NUGGET, when he took the money for train tickets. He had just the change Horace had given him, and some more crumpled banknotes in his pockets. Zach had found three dollars and a small coin. Sully had not a cent.
Finally he had found a cheap rooming house in one of the poorest districts. The GOLD NUGGET looked like a splendid hotel compared to this place, but this was all they could afford with their lack of money.
Hank put the supplies on the table " Sully, come on, join us."
"Thanks," Sully refused, "but I'm not hungry."
He pulled his coat closed and shivered. It was terribly cold here. Hank looked at Sully doubtfully. He definitely had a fever, and was unable to go anywhere. Noticing his look, Sully assured him, "I'll be all right till tomorrow."
Hank nodded, "I hope so." But he didn't think so in fact, but they were here.
Sully had seen Michaela, dressed in black. She was locked in a small room, with the bar on the window, that looked like a prison cell. Michaela nervously walked back and force, her hair was dishevelled, and her cheeks were tear-stained. Her shoulders were shaking from the silent sobs.
Sully tried to reach her, but there was a wall between them. He tried to cry out, but she couldn't hear him. Somebody touched his shoulder, and he opened his eyes. The cell disappeared, and he saw the worried face of Hank looking at him.
"It's time to go for Michaela, Sully." Hank said, "If you're sure you're able to."
"Sure, I am." Sully answered.
He rose from the cot, but the next moment he felt a strong wave of dizziness. Hank couldn't catch him, and he collapsed.
"I told him." Hank said, dragging him back to the cot.
"What are we gonna do now?" Zach asked. "He needs a doctor, but we have no money…"
Hank shrugged his shoulders, "We have no much choice, I'll bring Michaela here, and she'll take care of Sully."
"How you going to bring her here? We wanted Sully to see the doctor, and now he can't walk, but nobody would believe you without him. What if you ask this doctor to come here?"
"What do you mean, bring a Boston doctor here, in such a slum? I doubt he would even listen to me."
"All right then, go to Dr. Mike's mother and tell her…" Zach offered.
"What am I gonna say, 'Mrs. Quinn, your son-in-law just climbed out from the grave', she would surely have a heart attack!" He sighed, The only way I can see this workin' out is for Michaela to just run away, after all," he nodded toward Sully, still unconscious," He needs medical treatment as soon as possible. The problem is how to take her out of there."
Suddenly Zach's eyes lit up: "I know! I have a plan!"
"What's the plan?"
"Well, why didn't the telegraph operator recognize Sully at the train depot?" Zach asked, eyes wide.
"'cause he's an idiot." Hank muttered sarcastically, "Why else?"
"Because Sully was dressed in an unusual way, in your coat and hat!" Zach declared, "So Dr. Mike could wear my suit and hat and nobody would recognize her!"
Hank jumped up, "You're right!!! I bet it would work!" He ran to the door, holding the satchel with Zach's suit in it, "Just in case Sully wakes up, tell him I went to get Michaela."
Author's note: Thanks to CHERYL P. , who helped all the characters "to talk" by their special ways…
"I've got a letter from Mr.Sanders." Matthew said, waving the large envelope.
"Who is this Mr. Sanders?" Brian asked.
"A well-known attorney from Philadelphia. He agreed to check my skills for about two months."
"So, you're going to Philadelphia?" Brian sounded disappointed.
"Yeah, next Tuesday. I'll give your regards to Colleen and Andrew."
"Of course," Michaela said, "such a pity we couldn't go with you. Can't wait to see their new house."
"I miss Colleen," Brian sighed, "What if I go with you?"
"Why not?" Sully suddenly said, "You have vacation now, it's a good time."
"He will disturb Matthew." Michaela objected, "Colleen and Andrew are very busy and I don't want Brian to be alone in a strange city."
"He's not a kid Michaela, I don't see any reason why he couldn't go visit his sister. Ya don't have to worry." Sully said softly.
"Well…if Matthew isn't against this…and if you promise to be careful," Michaela resigned.
"Yahoo!" Brian shouted, then embraced Sully and Michaela, "Thank you!!!"
They waved as the train departed and walked to the wagon, when suddenly Michaela noticed a teenage boy about Brian's age who was standing outside the train depot, looking lost. He looked very familiar, and she came closer to him:
"You're Zach Lawson, aren't you?" Michaela asked.
"Yes. I am," he answered, "and you're the lady doctor. I remember you."
Michaela smiled at him, "Call me Dr.Mike. Are you here for a vacation?"
"No, he replied, "school has vacation later."
"Did you send a telegram to your father?"
Zach just shook his head, "I think he would be mad at me."
"No he wouldn't!" Michaela objected, "After all, he's your Pa, and you're his son! Come with us, we'll go to town!"
Hank was not there. All the girls in the GOLD NUGGET were new, they couldn't even imagine that Hank had a son.
"He's in Manitou," one of them said, "should be back this evening. You can wait here, if you want."
"No," Michaela looked around, "we'll wait at Grace's. You must be hungry, Zach. Aren't you Sully?" She turned to her husband.
"Sure, come on Zach," Sully took the boy's shoulder, "let's go."
"Thank you, I'm not," he answered shyly,pulling away from Sully.
Taking a look at Zach's face, Sully changed their plans,
"Zach, I got an idea. We'll let Dr. Mike go to clinic, and we 'll go for a walk. There are some beautiful places here in the woods."
"In the woods? I don't know," the boy said reluctantly.
"You can paint some landscapes," Sully offered, "Best place in the world to paint."
Zach hesitated for a while, then nodded shyly. He didn't want the townsfolk to be staring at him until Hank's arrival.
"Fine," Michaela said. She kissed her husband's cheek, "I'll see you later. Zach, can I tell Hank you're here, if I see him before you do?"
"No." Zach answered.
"Okay, first we need to go home and saddle Brian's horse for you." Sully said.
"I never rode a horse before!" Zach objected
"Don't worry, it's not difficult, and you will learn quickly. You know, I was afraid of horses for a long time, but once I decided to learn, I did it. Can't explain it, but Cloud Dancing, my friend, helped me not to fear horses. I can help you now."
He put his hand on the boy's shoulder and they walked to the wagon.
"You're learning very quickly," Sully noticed, "I needed much more time than this, but you're an artist, you can see and feel things others can't. How do you lilke it so far Zach?"
"It's okay," Zach answered, "I'm afraid, a little…just a little, but I like it."
"Cloud Dancing always said, 'you can overcome all your fears, if you want it'. He's a wise man, you can trust his words."
"Pa always said, 'only fools can trust Indians'," Zach said bitterly, "Why does he hate Indians?"
"Last year some Indians blew up some dynamite right near his hotel…but he didn't like them even before that. I think he just wants to be "like the others", not care about them, hoping they'll go away."
"I don't think he likes anybody!" Zach suddenly exclaimed with fury, "sometimes …sometimes I even hate him!"
"Cloud Dancing told me once, ' Never let the hate fill you, it will poison you inside .You must get rid of it as soon as you can'."
"My Pa visited me at school just a few times." Zach said, his eyes filled with tears, "he told me last time, that he could read and write - but he never wrote me any letters! As if I don't exist! All the parents were at our last exam, except him! He still thinks I'm an idiot, and he doesn't need me! I'd be better off dead than with him."
Sully felt the boy's anger, "He does love you Zach, every father loves his son. He just doesn't know how to show you. He's afraid."
"Afraid? Afraid of what?" Zach looked at Sully.
"Afraid that his feelings for you look like some kind of weakness. You gotta help him show you his feelings. You can do it."
"Are you sure?" Zach asked hopefully.
"Trust me. Just be patient…" Sully smiled at the boy.
"I'd like to have a father like you," the boy sighed.
"Your father isn't any worse than me, just be patient." Sully said.
Looking at Hank's facial expression, he was not very happy to see his son.
"What the hell are you doin' here?" He asked without even saying "hello".
"You didn't come to school for my exam." Zach answered.
"So? I was busy!" Hank bristled.
"All the parents were there except you," the pain evident in his voice.
"I have a business, don't you understand?! Hey, how did you come here without permission? The school know you're here?"
Zach fought back tears. Sully looked at Hank furiously.
"I missed you…Pa." Zach finally muttered, his voice trembling.
" Ya missed me? You're a "man", not a damned girl!!!" Hank yelled.
"I ain't gonna fuss over you here, if they kicked ya out of school! Tomorrow morning you're going back to Denver!"
Zach gave his father a hateful look, and disappeared inside the hotel.
"Do you have anything else to say to him?" Sully asked
"No!" Hank said, staring at Sully.
"I think you'd better," Sully began.
"I know what's best for him, more than you do!!" Hank yelled so loudly, that the townsfolk walking through the square turned anxiously. "Why do you always stick your nose into everybody's business, Sully?"
"You're wrong Hank, and I hope you see it soon enough," Sully insisted.
"Listen, you have every right to spoil your own children with all this Indian stuff…but Zach is MY son, and I'll tell him what I want!!! Just want to warn you," He leaned closer to Sully, "KEEP AWAY FROM MY SON!!!!!!"
Hank threw the cigar-butt on the ground and entered the GOLD NUGGET.
"I thought he'd changed for the better, when he confessed that Zach is his son." Michaela sighed. "I guess we were all wrong, he's unable to love anybody. He only thinks of himself, he's a selfish man."
"No," Sully suddenly objected, "that's just a "label" we put on him, and he acts that way cuz we let him."
"I can't believe you'd try to defend him! He wanted to be a bounty-hunter to capture you, when you were hidden! He's offended me a lot of times! He…"
"He saved your life, Michaela…" Sully interrupted her.
"Well…he did, but…," her shoulders lowered.
"And this time he didn't think about how he looks," Sully continued.
Gunshots near the hotel ended their discussion. Michaela and Sully ran from the clinic, and noticed three riders on two horses, leaving the town.
Hank appeared from the saloon door. He held his revolver, and there was a large graze on his head
"What's wrong?" Michaela asked with concern. "Do you need help?" She reached for the wound on his head.
Hank shook his head: "Just a scratch. They took Zach…I tried to shoot one of them, but missed, was afraid to shoot Zach…I'm going after them!"
"Wait Hank, you can ask Daniel to form a search party …"
"No time, Michaela, I need to go right now."
"I'll go with you." Sully said.
Hank nodded and ran to his horse.
Michaela looked at Sully pleadingly and grabbed his arms, "It's so dangerous! Perhaps we should get the sheriff…that's his business," She hugged him and didn't want to let him go.
Sully pulled back, "What if it were Brian? We'd go then?"
"You're right,…Just be careful." She kissed him.
"I'm always careful, I love you," Sully returned her kiss and mounted his horse…
"Damn!" Hank lit another cigar, "We've lost their trail!"
"Wolf has lost their trail." Sully corrected him.
"So, you have a better scent than him?" Hank chuckled.
"The rain washed out only the scent, but there is something else, like broken branches, cigar butts," Sully went on.
A few minutes later he suddenly stopped and raised his hand.
"What's wrong?" Hank asked him, "why did you stop?"
"Smoke," Sully pointed, "they made a campfire. We'll leave our horses here, and go up and around by those bushes."
There was a small campfire at an open spot in the woods. One of the robbers dug in his saddlebags and another one sat on the log with Zach, holding the rifle against his chest. Zach's hands were tied.
The first robber lifted his colt, when he had heard a noise, but it was too late. Hank shot him dead..
But the second one grasped Zach by the hair and yelled. "Throw down your rifles, or I'll kill him!"
Hank obeyed, but at the same moment Zach kicked his kidnapper and struggled free as the man doubled over. The robber screamed from pain, but immediately lifted his rifle and aimed at Zach's back.
Within a second Sully rushed to the boy and knocked him down to the ground.
Then two gunshots thundered into the air at the same time. Hank lowered his colt and ran up to his son. "Zach, you all right?" he asked, his heart pounding in his chest.
"Yes." Zach stood up slowly, his eyes widened with shock, "Sully saved my life…"
They both looked at Sully, who was still lying on the ground motionless.
"Seems he took your bullet." Hank muttered.
He kneeled by Sully and turned him carefully. There was a bullet wound under his right clavicle, bleeding heavily. Hank noticed another wound on Sully's forehead, probably from hitting his head on a stone as he fell.
"He's still alive." Hank said, "Go get Michaela, take my horse and ride to town, as fast as you can. Tell her to bring a wagon. I'll try to stop the bleedin', but hurry."
Zach stood still looking at Hank with horror.
"What are you looking at?! Move on!" Hank was going to yell, but the words suddenly got stuck in his throat…
"You gotta hurry, son!" Hank said as Zach awkwardly went to the horse, mounted and headed to town.
Hank sat at the ground near Sully, trying to find his pulse. He couldn't at first, and screamed in despair
"Sully!!! What the hell are you doing?! Hold on, Michaela is already on her way here!!! Hold on!!!!" Hank finally found a weak pulse beating under his fingers, and sighed with relief.. Soon he heard the wagon approaching.
Zach arrived with Michaela. "Hope they didn't hear me." Hank thought knowing it was unlike him to care for anyone, least of all Sully.
They carefully took Sully to the clinic, where Michaela stopped the bleeding and removed the bullet..
"He's lucky," she said to Hank. "The bullet miraculously missed the vital organs. He 's lost a lot of blood though." She looked at Sully, her eyes deep with concern over the man she loved.
"So, he'll be all right?" Hank asked.
Michaela continued to look at Sully, but finally turned to Hank, "There are other symptoms I'm still worrying about. You told me he hit his head? His pupils are dilated, and he's still unconscious."
"What's that mean?" Hank asked softly.
"This could be a concussion or even skull trauma. If he doesn't wake up in a few more hours, I may need to operate, but I hope not."
Suddenly, they heard the bell ring at the front door. "Just a minute, Hank." Michaela said, "I'll go see who's at the door."
She quickly ran down the stairs.
"I'm sorry, Mrs. Jackson," she said to her patient, "I can't check your furuncle today. Sully has been badly hurt and I need to prepare for an operation…I'm sorry, would you please, come back tomorrow?"
"Sure, Dr. Mike, don't worry." Mrs. Jackson said, "I sure hope Sully will be all right." She tapped Michaela's hand.
"Thank you, I hope so." Michaela sighed.
As she locked the door, she heard Hank's scream from upstairs. "Michaela!!! Come here! Hurry!!!"
Within a second she was there, out of breath. "What's happened, Hank? Is he waking up?"
Hank shook his head: "No! I think he's stopped breathing!!" Michaela grabbed her stethoscope . Again and again, she tried to hear the heartbeat, but could only hear her own heart pounding.
"No!!" She repeated, over and over again. "He can't....he can't die…no!!"
"I 'm sorry." Hank mumbled, moving backward to the door.
She suddenly looked at him with unexpected fury: "This can't happen! I 'm sure he's alive!" She screamed.
"But…" Hank tried to object.
"Get out of here!" She raised her voice at him, then added in a lower voice, "Please....go."
Leaving the recovery room, Hank heard the door slam behind him and the lock turn.
"Certainly." Jake Slicker declared, "She's going to lose her mind!"
Sully's death was unbearable for Michaela. "Michaela is strong, I can't imagine this happening to her." Hank said "When I offered her my help with preparing for the burial, you know, that is part of my business, she just tuned me right out, and locked the door. Yelled to me "get out, he's not dead!"
"Sure he is!" Hank told him, "I've seen him with my own eyes.
Michaela checked his pulse and heartbeat over and over, I seen her do it!"
"Well, she's gonna lose her mind, if she hasn't already!" Jake said.
"Maybe we oughta send a telegram to her mother and sister in Boston." Loren offered
"We'll take Katie." Grace said, sadness evident in her tone of voice.
"We need to let her know right away, of course." Reverend Johnson said.
"Will they put her in a insane asylum?" Hank shrugged.
"Hank! What are we going to do?" Loren was exasperated, "We need to take her from there and get Sully buried the proper way. Ya know, I bet they could cure Dr. Mike there in Boston." He looked for agreement from the others.
"He's right." Jake said, "It's impossible to persuade her to leave him, but Sully's body can't be left there for so long in the heat. I'll go ask Horace for help."
Mrs. Quinn arrived in Colorado Springs as soon as possible accompanied with a tall, refined man in his middle years. He introduced himself as Dr. Cheaseholm.
Michaela, however, did not openly welcome them.
"What are you doing here, Mother?" She asked through the door.
"What am I doing here? Why I 'm worried about you, Michaela.
I know how difficult this is for you, but this isn't proper for Katie. You need to go Boston with me, even for a while."
"No mother, I 'm not going to leave anyway! I cannot leave Sully's side!"
"But he's..." Elizabeth began, but the doctor stopped her.
"Don't try to argue with her, if you want her to open the door. You need to agree with her"
"I am here with Dr. Cheaseholm, you can talk with him!"
Michaela finally opened the door.
Her face was pale and tear-stained, but she didn't look out of her mind. "Dr. Cheaseholm?" She asked, her voice trembling a little, "Would you please look at my husband, I think, there are some signs, that he's not dead."
"Well, of course I'll do it." He said. "Mrs. Quinn, please wait for me here."
A few minutes later he returned and reported to Elizabeth.
"He is dead. Of course, I didn't check him as thoroughly as she insisted, there is simply no need, but we need to agree with her, to ease her mind. I can take her to Boston, to my clinic. This is not unusual thing in this circumstance, she is having a hysterical reaction to her husband's death. But of course she will be fully recovered in time, it will take time."
"But how are you going to take her to Boston without her agreement?"
"Unfortunately, she can't reason sensibly in her conditions, so we need to take some extra measures."
"Like what?"
"I need to give her some soporific in her tea or lemonade, and take her to the train before she awakens. Mrs. Quinn, you must go inside, talk with her, and offer her a cup of tea or any other drink, but not a word about Boston!"
Elizabeth looked at him suspiciously.
"I can't do it, she'd never forgive me."
"Mrs. Quinn," the doctor said firmly, "we can't bring her husband back, but we need to return her back to health. Just think about her children."
"Well, all right." Mrs. Quinn agreed.
Several hours later the train left for Boston with Dr. Cheaseholm, Mrs. Quinn, and the unconscious Michaela on board.
"I feel sorry for them two, when she wakes up!" Hank muttered to himself, following the train with his eyes Then he walked to the cemetery, where the Reverend began the burial service.
When Hank went back, he met Preston near the clinic.
"You're still here?" Hank wondered, "I thought you were leavin'."
"I'm not in a hurry Hank." Preston answered.
He nodded to the clinic, and added,"How sad it is! Such a deep and romantic love, like in the best novels! I'm afraid, though, this town will need to search for another physician. I hope, this time, it will be a male doctor, they're not so sensitive."
"You better shut up, Preston." Hank said in his low salty voice.
"I do feel so sorry for Michaela." The banker continued, "In spite of their supposed love, I never understood those two. They had nothing in common, she's well-educated, and refined, but he..."
"I warned you, Preston." Hank repeated, "You'd better shut up, before it's too late."
Preston raised his eyebrow, "You're defending Sully? I find that so strange! As I can remember, you wanted to shoot him dead for that incident in your saloon."
"That's none of your business." Hank said,"
"In my opinion, this town would be much safer without him." The banker couldn't stop, "He's a....." He couldn't finish,
because Hank's fist slammed into his cheekbone, and the banker fell to the dusty ground.
"He saved my son's life, you bastard!" Hank said, and slowly continued on his way to the hotel.
"Sheriff!" Preston screamed, "Sheriff Simon!!!"
Daniel responded to Preston and asked: "What's wrong Preston?"
"Have you seen this? Preston pointed to his cheek, "You need to arrest him immediately!"
Daniel rolled his eyes "I still don't understand, what are you talking about?"
"Look! Hank hit me! Did you see this?"
"No." Daniel answered, "I was at the cemetery. Do you have any witnesses?"
"Sure, I have! He did this at the center of town!"
Then Robert E. and Grace came to see what all the yelling was about.. "Grace!" Preston pointed to her, "I'm sure you saw his attack on me!"
"What attack?" Grace raised her brows, "I ain't seen nothing."
"That's impossible!" Preston exclaimed, "I noticed! I saw you both here!!!"
"She didn't tell you we weren't here," Robert E. said, "but we've seen nothing criminal, that's for sure."
All the townsfolk Preston tried to ask told him that they hadn't seen a thing.
"Gee, I'm sorry, Preston," Daniel shrugged his shoulders, "all the people who were standing very close to you, and not one saw a thing so, perhaps, you're confused or something."
He tipped his hat and turned away, hiding the smile that developed on his lips.
Preston furiously rushed to his bank and slammed the door behind him. Daniel approached Hank, who was still standing on the GOLD NUGGET porch, and offered his hand.
"Thank you." He said, "You did what I wanted to do! You know, Sully was my best friend."
Hank shook his hand, and unexpectedly answered: "I'd be glad if he woulda' been mine."
There was darkness, total darkness around him. For a moment he thought he had been in a cave in again. There was such darkness and the air was so thin.
He gasped for the air, and felt a strong wave of dizziness, but then his head cleared. This couldn't be a mine, that happened many years ago, they were searching for Hank's son, Zach. It was the last he remembered. Sully stretched his hand and touched some solid surface, felt like wood by touch.. Then he felt a thin rivulet of ground pour down to his face. Suddenly Sully became aware of where he was, he was in a grave!
Touching his waist instinctively, he barely stifled the cry of joy - his belt, with the knife and tomahawk, was still on him.
So, he had a chance to fight for his life. For several long hours he tried to get out from the grave, not paying attention to the pain.
Eventually the weakness and lack of fresh air took its toll, and he lost consciousness.
Someone hammered on the door of the GOLD NUGGET. It was Zach, pale and shaking with fear.
"Are you crazy?" Hank asked, "What happened?"
"I was near the church." Zach uttered, "There were some strange sounds as if something was stirring there!!"
"Where's "there"?"
"At the cemetery."
"Probably a dog or a cat," Hank dismissed it.
The boy shook his head. "No! Sounds like…as if someone was under the ground!" Zach took a deep breath, then added, "It's there, where Sully's grave is!!"
Hank stood motionless for a few seconds, then he suddenly pounded the table with his fist, and screamed, "Such Damn fools!!"
"Who?" Asked Zach timidly
"We are! Four days passed since Michaela went away. All this time!! She knew it!! He looked alive, she said it!! Michaela was right_what idiots we all are!"
"What do you mean?" Zach looked at his father perplexed. "What do I mean? Damn, we buried Sully alive, that's what I mean! !!" Hank yelled, rushing out of the door
He knocked on the door about five minutes, until the sleepy-eyed Jake appeared.
"What do you want? It's the middle of the night! Go to sleep, like normal people do."
"Jake, Michaela was right. Sully is alive…we buried him alive, and we need to dig him out, now!" Hank tried to explain But Jake didn't want to listen to him.
"You'd better find another time for your foolish jokes," he muttered angrily and closed the door.
Hank ran to the store and kicked the locked door, "Loren!!". But Loren just yelled through the closed door, "Hank, you're drunk, go to sleep and don't disturb people at night."
Hank turned to the sheriff's office, but the next moment he remembered, that Daniel was in Manitou for a few days.
"Let's go!" He told Zach without much explanation
"Where?"
"To the cemetery. Grab a shovel and follow me!"
"I'm scared." Zach whispered
"Sully saved your life, remember?" Hank said, "And now we're going to save his."
Zach, still pale and frightened, silently followed him...
Zach was right - they had heard some barely audible sounds from under the ground. Zach turned white and moved back a little, but Hank put his hand on the boy's shoulder: The sound finally ceased. Hank exchanged glances with Zach, and they began to dig faster…
Sully finally managed to tear away the cover of the casket, and a wide stream of ground soil fell on him. He gasped for air, trying to climb out, but this last ounce of strength left him before that…
Hank and Zach were there just in time…They had found Sully unconscious, but alive…His hands were bleeding, and he still grasped his tomahawk. Hank, with Zach's help, lifted him by his shoulders, and slowly walked back carrying the almost lifeless body.…They met nobody on their way to the GOLD NUGGET.
Sully awakened in an unfamiliar room. He glanced around, looking at the old mirror on the wall, and the long line of small bottles and jars with rouges and other make-up. There was the strong odor of perfume, but it was sharp and penetrating, and didn't smell like Michaela's Parisian perfume…But, yet this room definitely belonged to a woman..
A few seconds later Hank entered the room, looking at Sully with great interest. "Where am I?" Sully asked him
"In my hotel." Hank answered, "We dug you out. Still can't understand what happened to you. You definitely looked dead to me and everybody else."
"Huh, I don't know." Sully said, "I remember how we were searching for Zach. That's all…, that's the last thing I remember."
"You've been shot." Hank explained, "Michaela said you had a concussion but it wasn't a dangerous one. But suddenly you stopped breathing."
"Hank?" Sully asked, "Would you please go tell Michaela that I'm here."
He still felt disoriented, unable to understand what had happened to him.
Hank lowered his eyes, "I can't…She's not here."
"Not here?! What's wrong with her? Where is she?!" Sully struggled to sit up, but Hank put his hand on his shoulder, forcing him to lay back.
"Take it easy. ..Her mother came from Boston and took her and Katie."
"But ....she... agreed to go with them?"
Hank paused, then added, "Her mother took with her some doctor from Boston. We all decided that she ....
well, she'd lost her mind. She locked the clinic door, and didn't let anybody in.".
"How they could persuade her to leave? Tell me."
"They couldn't…Just gave her some medicine stuff. She fell asleep, and they carried her to the train."
He sighed gravely, and finally said: "They're going to put her in the insane asylum."
"I'm going to Boston to get her!" Sully immediately said, "Hank , would you please lend me some money for the ticket?"
"Wait a minute, look at yourself." Hank said, grinning skeptically, "I really doubt you should be doing this. Truth be told, you're barely able even to go to the train depot. You need to think before you go rushing outta here."
"I'm fine." Sully answered, "And I have no time to sit around here.. I need to take her out of there and bring her back here where she belongs."
"Anyway, you can't go to Boston like this, all tattered. They won't let anyone in a Boston clinic who looks like a tramp."
Sully looked on his soiled and wet jacket perplexed. "You can take one of mine." Hank offered. "Thank you, Hank." Sully said, wondering a little.
The ray of sun rushing in the window brightly sparkled in the cut glass of the perfume bottles. Momentarily Sully felt as if some dynamite had exploded inside his head. He shut his eyes and squeezed his temples, moaning in pain.
"Hey, what's wrong with you?" He heard Hank's voice. Every word, talking louder and louder causing a new fit of pain in his head.
"Just a headache." Sully finally muttered, "Could you draw the curtain?"
"Sure thing. I'll send Zach to Manitou for a doctor." Hank said, looking at him worrying. Any other time Sully would be bewildered by such strange behavior from Hank Lawson, but now he was unable to think about it. The last thing he needed was another megrim. Besides that, this one was definitely strong.
"No, thank you." Sully said "I'll be fine, it will pass."
"You 'd better stay here," Hank offered, "and I'll go tell Michaela you're alive."
Sully quickly shook his head and winced from the pain again. "No!" he finally uttered, "I need to be there with her. She needs me."
"Well," Hank unexpectedly agreed "I'll buy the tickets for the next train, and we'll go with you."
"Hank, there's no need." Sully began, but Hank interrupted him. "You helped me rescue Zach, and, after all, this will be a good chance to show him Boston." Hank smiled for the first time all day.
"Are you really goin' to Boston, Hank?" Horace asked. "Give my regards to Dr. Mike."
"Just have business there." Hank muttered, "Give me three tickets…"
"You, your son, and the third…"
"Curiosity killed the cat." Hank answered with a dark deep tone, releasing a puff of smoke from his cigar right into the telegraph window. "You're going to stand here or do your job, Horace?"
Horace coughed and turned away, extending the three tickets and change to Hank through the window.
He still was curious about the third person, but knew Hank wouldn't tell him anything interesting. Horace couldn't see his face, because of the hat that was pulled over man's eyes. In spite of this, Horace felt something familiar in this stranger, but finally decided that it was nothing.
A few minutes later the train arrived, and Horace became too busy to think about Hank and his business. He thought that a rough and selfish person like Hank Lawson wouldn't even stop to visit poor Dr. Mike there in Boston."
"I've told you before, Sully." Hank said, "you'd better stay in Colorado Springs. We could send a telegram to her mother that you're alive."
"No!" Sully said stubbornly, "I must be there with Michaela, she needs me."
"You definitely look like a ghost." Hank observed him critically.
"Nothing serious." Sully answered, turning away from the light, "just a headache, I've had them before."
"You did?" Hank wondered, "I thought you never got sick…." "I had them from time to time since '57, after I was trapped in mine in a cave -in. But the last one was more than three years ago. Michaela called it "megrim"."
"Oh," Hank didn't understand, "Anyway, Michaela will fix it."
"Sure, but we need to take care of her first, I need to see her."
Sully was too tired for further conversation. He leaned against the back of the train seat and closed his eyes. His head still ached, beside that, there was throbbing pain at his wound, and it became red and swollen. He knew he needed to keep his strength for rescuing Michaela. Finally, he dozed off, thinking about her, hoping she was all right.
Looking at Sully's pale and exhausted face, Hank became aware that it must be 'him', Hank Lawson, who would release Michaela from the insane asylum,. He knew he had to rescue her, but where was she?
"Pa?" Zach suddenly asked, "May I ask you something?"
Hank nodded. "Could you tell me more about my Ma? Please…"
Hank took a deep breath. Zach's question caught him off guard but, his son had the right to know all about his mother.
"Clarice was a special woman," he began. "She was beautiful and kind. Clarice was born on a small farm and her father was very strict with her but when she was 16, she ran away with some trader, you know, the kind of fella, who travels around the farms and small towns, selling some goods and chattels. He told her that he's sweet on her and wants to marry her, and all that stuff, but a few months later he left her. Clarice was too afraid of her father to return back home, so she a got a job in saloon. She was already there when I got the business. But anyway, she didn't look like a "whore", she still looked innocent and beautiful."
Zach listened very attentively, and Hank continued.
"Clarice fell in love with me, and me with her. She was so happy when you were born., thought I'd propose to her, and she'd finally have a family. Once I was almost ready to do it. I came to her room, and opened my mouth to ask her to marry me, but in the next moment I thought , well I imagined all those fellas, talking about "Hank Lawson 's under the thumb of his girl…" or something like that." He sighed heavily.
"Then I just came and spent a night with her…that's all… I remembered it a lot of times, especially when she died."
"Were you crying when she died?" Zach asked.
"Yeah, sure I was." Hank firmly answered. "Truth be told, I drank hard for more than a week after her death, wanted to forget that day…I thought if I forgot she would be alive, if I 'd finally told her that I wanted to tell. Ah, well, we can't bring back time, however much we want to."
He nodded over to Sully. "That's why those two are so lucky. I think, some of their Indian spirits protect him."
Looking to Zach, he finally said: "You have Clarice's eyes. You know, you remind me of her." Then Hank turned away from him, looking somewhere out through the window.
The train was late by a few hours. It was late evening when they finally arrived in Boston. The hospital was already closed, so they needed to find a hotel to spend the night.
This became completely Hank's problem, Zach was in a boarding school for many years, and couldn't familiarize himself in such a big city, and Sully was too weak. The next unpleasant surprise was that Hank had forgotten his money purse in the GOLD NUGGET, when he took the money for train tickets. He had just the change Horace had given him, and some more crumpled banknotes in his pockets. Zach had found three dollars and a small coin. Sully had not a cent.
Finally he had found a cheap rooming house in one of the poorest districts. The GOLD NUGGET looked like a splendid hotel compared to this place, but this was all they could afford with their lack of money.
Hank put the supplies on the table " Sully, come on, join us."
"Thanks," Sully refused, "but I'm not hungry."
He pulled his coat closed and shivered. It was terribly cold here. Hank looked at Sully doubtfully. He definitely had a fever, and was unable to go anywhere. Noticing his look, Sully assured him, "I'll be all right till tomorrow."
Hank nodded, "I hope so." But he didn't think so in fact, but they were here.
Sully had seen Michaela, dressed in black. She was locked in a small room, with the bar on the window, that looked like a prison cell. Michaela nervously walked back and force, her hair was dishevelled, and her cheeks were tear-stained. Her shoulders were shaking from the silent sobs.
Sully tried to reach her, but there was a wall between them. He tried to cry out, but she couldn't hear him. Somebody touched his shoulder, and he opened his eyes. The cell disappeared, and he saw the worried face of Hank looking at him.
"It's time to go for Michaela, Sully." Hank said, "If you're sure you're able to."
"Sure, I am." Sully answered.
He rose from the cot, but the next moment he felt a strong wave of dizziness. Hank couldn't catch him, and he collapsed.
"I told him." Hank said, dragging him back to the cot.
"What are we gonna do now?" Zach asked. "He needs a doctor, but we have no money…"
Hank shrugged his shoulders, "We have no much choice, I'll bring Michaela here, and she'll take care of Sully."
"How you going to bring her here? We wanted Sully to see the doctor, and now he can't walk, but nobody would believe you without him. What if you ask this doctor to come here?"
"What do you mean, bring a Boston doctor here, in such a slum? I doubt he would even listen to me."
"All right then, go to Dr. Mike's mother and tell her…" Zach offered.
"What am I gonna say, 'Mrs. Quinn, your son-in-law just climbed out from the grave', she would surely have a heart attack!" He sighed, The only way I can see this workin' out is for Michaela to just run away, after all," he nodded toward Sully, still unconscious," He needs medical treatment as soon as possible. The problem is how to take her out of there."
Suddenly Zach's eyes lit up: "I know! I have a plan!"
"What's the plan?"
"Well, why didn't the telegraph operator recognize Sully at the train depot?" Zach asked, eyes wide.
"'cause he's an idiot." Hank muttered sarcastically, "Why else?"
"Because Sully was dressed in an unusual way, in your coat and hat!" Zach declared, "So Dr. Mike could wear my suit and hat and nobody would recognize her!"
Hank jumped up, "You're right!!! I bet it would work!" He ran to the door, holding the satchel with Zach's suit in it, "Just in case Sully wakes up, tell him I went to get Michaela."