Chapter 2

Fleetingly she had thought of taking the reins and trying to find her way out, but this had only been fleeting. Her common sense told her she would die from being lost in the vast wilderness. Hearing the scream Michaela could no longer stand outside and she ran into the dark room. The man was sitting on a low bed cuddling the lifeless body of a child to himself. Another feverish child lay still on the bed beside him, and he stoked hair out of her eyes, calling at her. "Hanna, Hanna sweet girl! It's ya Pa, I have the doctor. Hanna, please sweet girl, wake up."

He looked up at Michaela as she came through the door. "Help her please, help her. She is all I got." As he continued rocking the small boy in his arms, tears were trickling down his cheeks unchecked. His grief was palpable. Michaela wanted to place her hand on his shaking shoulder, but withdrew it at the last moment.

He placed the child down on the floor and rolled him in a sheet. He went and then began a fire which sparked into life straight away.

Meanwhile Michaela had moved to the small girl in the bed. She was running a high temperature. Stripping off all the clothing she looked around for a water pitcher.

"What ya doin'?" he asked her, surprised that she was doing something he'd never seen. "Ya sweat a fever."

"I know what I am doing," Michaela angrily responded. "I am a doctor." The stranger was surprised to see the fire in her eyes that showed in the now dull lamp light.

"I hope ya do know what ya doin," he muttered as he left the cabin. She heard the jangle of the horse's harness and assumed he was bedding the animal.

He was gone for quite awhile. When he re-entered the cabin Michaela was offering the child something from a glass. Instantly he was at her side, his large hand stopping her. "What ya givin' her?"

"Quinine. It helps reduces the fever." Nodding, he allowed her to continue.

"I can make some fever tea If ya think that will help?" he added.

"Thank you, but since I don't know the properties I could not use it."

"Ya just like all the others." Michaela wanted to retort she was not but as she looked up he had turned around and was stoking the large fire in a big hearth. He swung a large kettle over the fire.

Turning back to the feverish child she was suddenly very angry at this man. Standing up, she joined him. In an accusing voice she asked, "What sort of father are you? You left two small children here! Now one is dead and the other is dangerously ill. You should be in jail for being so irresponsible."In her anger she just yelled her thoughts towards him.

Looking up he became just as angry, wondering what she would have done. "Ya don' know why, stop judging me. You do not know my position," he roared back.

She swallowed her next comment as she looked at this stranger she did not know. He had a reason she had no doubt. He had dashed to find someone to help. He had kidnapped a woman and he would be in deep trouble for that. He had come back and been confronted with the grief of losing a child, and his other was fighting for her young life. Suddenly she wondered where the mother was. There were so many unanswered questions.

In a small voice she whispered. "You are right, I do not know, I am so sorry."

He heard her and his eyes widened with surprise. He just looked at her. He had not expected her to say she was sorry.

"No need." With this he turned and gently drew the boy's body up hugging it to his chest and went out the door.

He was gone many hours. She thought she heard a strange chanting in the distance, its eerie sound made her shudder. She was wondering what strange rituals they had in this part of the country. Also there was the howl of what sounded like a wolf nearby.

Shivering she acknowledged that she knew nothing about the West as she looked around the small cabin. She had grown up in luxury and Boston was full of life and bustle. Here is was still and silent bar for the eerie sound she could only guess at what it was.