Chapter 2
The barn doors were open to let as much light in as possible. Two ropes were tied to the mare to keep her from kicking those trying to assist in the birth of her foal. Sully kneeled on one side, gently rubbing the animal's side wishing he knew what to do to take away her suffering. He looked up at Miss Olive and heard the gentle clicking sound which meant that she was thinking. Sully had heard it before and he knew better than to interrupt right now. The trickle of darkened red worried him and he knew they would have to act quickly in order to not lose the foal and its mother.
"I can't turn it," Olive said forlornly as the animal made a pain filled sound. "I don't know…" She sighed deeply. "Guess we just keep trying."
"I could go for the doctor." His words were quiet, unsure of how they would be taken.
Olive looked up and swatted a fly away as she considered this option. "Do ya think she would come?"
"I don't know but it's worth a try, isn't it?"
At first there was no reaction but as the horse neighed frantically once again, Olive made a snap decision. "Go for her. Can't hurt, I guess."
"Not that lady doctor," one of the ranch hands spoke up, expressing his displeasure.
"Why not?" another one echoed. "Ain't like she's got any real patients."
Laughter followed with even Olive snickering at the joke. They didn't seem to see that Sully's face turned two different shades of red as he tried hard not to show his anger. From the other side of the barn someone made another comment and Sully stood clenching his fists at his side, but this time Olive noticed.
"Okay boys – settle down. Sully, take the wagon and get her."
Glad for the reprieve, he gave a quick nod and headed out of the barn. Within minutes, Sully was driving the horses hard towards town, his thoughts on what he would say. He barely stopped the wagon before he jumped down in front of the boarding house that the town was letting her use as a clinic. A small metal plate hung by the door with her name followed by the letters M.D. Sully felt his stomach clench and his palms grow sweaty but he tried to ignore it.
He had to admit that since their first meeting he had thought of her several times. Yet of course never as a serious interest knowing where his place was. Sully had already been surprised that Abigail Bray had noticed him. If it hadn't been for Daniel, he never would have realized that she had taken an interest in him. Not in his wildest dreams did he imagine that someone like her would agree to court. Yet this woman doctor was in a different class entirely than even Abby. He had only discovered three things about her on that first day – her name, where she was from and her reason for being there. All three were intimidating for someone like Sully.
Realizing that some time had passed since he mounted the porch of the boarding house, he finally knocked. Inside, Michaela perked up at the sound and quickly turned to open the door.
"Dr. Qui… Mike…" Sully said nervously, his tongue feeling sluggish as if it was made of lead.
"Yes, can I help you?" She made a face at how formal her words came out but there was something about this man in front of her that made her nervous in a way she hadn't felt in a long time.
Suddenly, Sully felt embarrassed to even be coming to her with such a request. She was a real doctor and he was here asking her to help a common workhorse. "I…. I don't mean to bother ya. It's just out at the ranch…" His voice trailed off as her gaze became more intense and he dropped his eyes under the weight of his newfound embarrassment.
"Is someone injured?" She was already turning to grab her medical bag and Sully knew he would only have a moment to explain.
"It ain't a person," he blurted out without much thought.
Michaela slowed, turning back to him with narrowed eyes and Sully could see she was puzzled, maybe a little upset by his words. "I know ya are a real doctor and all. If it weren't one of Miss Olive's best mares, I wouldn't of even come." He hesitated, but the kindness in her eyes encouraged him to continue. "She's trying to birth a foal but it won't come. Been like this all night. I'm afraid she's mighty weak."
"Will you take me out there?" There was no question of her helping, only of how she would get there and that alone made Sully smile.
"I got the wagon." Within the minute, Sully was standing on the buckboard and offering her his hand to help her inside. Even this awkward movement, Michaela made look graceful. Sully felt his breath catch in his throat as the doctor rose to stand beside him in the front of the wagon. For the first time, he saw that her eyes weren't of the same color. One a green as deep as the leaves that sprang each spring as new foliage while the other was a deep hazel, almost brown reminding him of autumn. He knew it was rude to stare but he couldn't make himself look away even if he tried.
Michaela instantly grew self-conscious. "They're two different colors," she whispered guessing correctly what Sully was staring at. Hastily she sat down, pulling her medical bag into her lap nervously.
Sully still felt tongue tied as he replied, swallowing, "Yes, they are."
"I know they're odd," she chattered on, not looking at him. "My sisters teased me about them from the time I was a small child. Marjorie even told the other girls at school that it was the sign that a witch had cursed me."
Barely hearing anything she said, Sully simply nodded. "Never seen someone with eyes like that."
Michaela grew redder, fearing what he would say next. "I've never really liked it but there is little I can do about that."
Finally realizing that Michaela grew more and more nervous, Sully quickly assured her. "I just meant I'd never seen any eyes that pretty."
He took his seat beside her as he spoke, brushing his hand across the side of her thigh accidentally. Both felt a strange warmth flood their bodies, radiating from the spot where they had touched. Silence settled over them as they struggled with strange feelings. Sully at last picked up the reins and urged the horses onward, lost in the softness he encountered only moments before. The image of the green and hazel still burned in his memory and he knew that he would not be able to control their reappearance in dreams.
Before in his life, he had known women like her. On the streets of New York as a small child, he'd seen them. Little boys would beg money from them, crying out sad tales often only to be pushed into the gutter by servants or ignored by the women themselves. Yet once as he stood at their side with his palms open though not speaking, a young women dressed in a bright blue dress spoke softly to him and pressed some coins against his palm. She whispered for him to fill his belly and to stay warm in such a winter as this one. As she moved away Sully had looked up at her and thought he'd seen the face of an angel. Turning slightly now to the side, he looked at Michaela once again and the same feeling engulfed him. This woman from long ago stayed with him even now and he had a terrible suspicion that the woman next to him would be the same – forever haunting him and reminding him of what he could not have. All of the thoughts from earlier fled now as he remembered his place – a simple uneducated ranch hand.
"How far to the ranch?" she asked glancing at the passing scenery.
"Not far," he replied rather stilted, moving slightly away from her on the seat to escape her spell. Michaela nodded and stared straight ahead unsure what to make of his sudden change in demeanor. Thoughts raced through her mind as she analyzed every word she'd spoken, certain she had said something to upset him. Yet only now did it occur to her that he was simply offended at her – her fancy dress, strange formal manners, perhaps even that she was an educated woman. Maybe he too saw her as a curiosity that didn't belong here. A small spurt of anger grew in her and increased the longer she thought about this attitude, and by the time they were at the ranch, she was fuming. "Let me help," Sully offered as he pulled in front of the barn and she stood to climb out of the wagon.
"I'm fine," Michaela protested with fire in her voice and eyes. Sully watched as she gracefully jumped from the side, landing sure footed on the ground. Turning to face him, she narrowed her eyes as a small girl might do when she angrily reacted to a teasing boy. "You will find, Mr. Sully, that I am not your typical women."
Sully felt the patter of his heart quicken once more. The temper he recognized only fanned his desire to know her more – he was not put off in the least. "No ya ain't," he replied dropping the pretense from earlier. Michaela saw the smile, the kind blue eyes and instantly relaxed. He had not thought such things about her, she was sure of that now. Smiling back, she nodded to him and then turned to head towards the barn.
…………………………………….
The mare's cries of pain frightened the other animals, making them act unpredictably. Peter Thomas was an experienced cowboy and knew that it was dangerous to get too close to them as long as the foal's birth wasn't accomplished. However, he disregarded this thought today, feeling stronger than he actually was after consuming almost half a bottle of whiskey. Thus he didn't pay attention to the nervously moving stallion next to him. Hearing Olive's relieved exclamation "Here it is!" he grunted and raised his arm in a swift movement, triumphantly swinging his flask.
Startled, the black horse at his side whined, bolting. Throwing up its forehands, it balanced on the hindquarters momentarily, only to get down on all fours again. This happened so fast that Mr. Thomas, in his drunken state, wasn't able to get out of the way and was hit by the hooves in his side. Falling, his foot was caught in a small gap between two posts, and he landed on the ground with a thud accompanied by another strange tone. As he groaned loudly, Sully turned, seeing his misery. Instantly, he was at Peter's side and called for Michaela, "Dr. Mike, over here. Quickly!"
Convincing herself for a last time that the foal and the mare were alright now, she grasped her medical bag, following his voice. Spotting the moaning cowboy, she went even faster. As soon as she reached him, she crouched down, opening her bag. While she was looking for her scissors inside of it, she told the man, "I have to cut open your trousers so I can treat your leg."
"Ya ain't touchin' me, woman," Peter growled, "Unless ya work for Hank now.
Roaring laughter filled the barn and although the young doctor had saved her horse only moments ago, Olive, stepping to her men who surrounded their colleague by now, joined them in their amusement. Yet Michaela wasn't irritated in the least, being used to this kind of reaction. Looking up at the ranch owner, she asked, "How long would it take to get another doctor here?"
Growing serious for a moment, Olive frowned, "At least a day, I guess." Yet relaxing again, she continued, "Peter's just drunk, no need to worry."
"Help him up, Sully," she added, turning her words at him now, dismissing both, the doctor and her favorite employee's scowl.
"I fear he won't be able to stand," Michaela made her presence known again, "And if you don't let me do my work, he might even lose his leg."
A short, stunned silence followed this announcement yet it was soon replaced by renewed laughter. Grinning again as well, Olive shook her head, "That's ridiculous; ya haven't even looked at it."
Straightening with the scissors in her hand, Michaela pointed with it at the lying man, "Do you see the angle in which his leg is twisted? It is broken for sure and the bone has to be set."
With everyone only now noticing the strange position of Peter's leg, the room grew quiet. Slightly impressed by the young woman's reasoning but not fully convinced yet, Olive frowned, "It wouldn't be the first time that my men take care of a fracture themselves."
Michaela, however, still had another argument, "Well, do you see the blood seeping through the trousers' fabric? That means this is either an open fracture or another wound which has to be cleaned as soon as possible as to avoid an infection."
All gazes were directed at the slowly growing bloodstain, and for the first time, even the men considered whether to rather listen to the doctor. Only the patient still insisted on being left alone, grumbling through clenched teeth, "I won't let a darn woman work on me. If I need a doc, I wanna have a real one."
"Ya didn't listen," Sully growled, "There ain't no time to get another one."
"That's right," Olive chimed in, having made her decision, "It'll be best to let her do her job."
An hour later, no one dared to joke about the lady doctor again. Actually, one after another, all men left the room where they had carefully carried Peter after Michaela gave him some chloroform. Not one of the physically strong men was able to watch for long how she first set the bone, which gave a sick-making noise, and then cleaned the wound. Only Sully, holding a lamp, and Olive, reaching the doctor the requested instruments, stayed until the end.
After Michaela finished fixing and bandaging the leg, Olive lightly touched her arm, making the doctor look at her. With the respect of a hard-working woman to another one she said, sincerity obvious in her tone, "I apologize for doubtin' ya. Thank ya, Dr. Quinn."
Blushing, Michaela shrugged, "You are welcome. And please, call me Dr. Mike."
"Alright." Shaking hands, the women knew they would get along in the future.
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Of course Sully had volunteered to take the doctor back to town; who knew if he would ever be able to be as close to her again. Glancing sideways for the umpteenth time, he made sure that she was comfortable. He still couldn't believe that a woman like her sat next to him on the small bench of Miss Olive's old wagon, acting as if this was the most natural thing in the world. True, she hadn't complained either on their way out to the ranch. However, they had been in a hurry then and only thought about reaching their destination as fast as possible. Yet now there was nothing that urged them forward and as to prolong their time together, Sully secretly slowed the horses down now and then.
Michaela didn't notice though. She was in high spirits, knowing that she had finally made her breakthrough. For the first time since she arrived in this little town on the frontier she allowed herself to relax. She hadn't expected to be welcomed with open arms but hoped they would at least give her a chance. Yet all she had received so far was either rejection or ridicule. She was used to being rebuffed and had learned to live with it. Actually she was convinced that this had only made her stronger. What really stung were the rude jokes the barkeeper and his friend, the barber, made about her in public and the listeners who enjoyed them.
Unconsciously, she straightened on her seat. She was sure that things would change slowly but steadily to her advantage now. Taking in a deep breath of the crisp evening air, she looked around, enjoying the surroundings. She had already come to love the serenity of the woods although she hadn't ventured very far from town yet.
Suddenly she remembered that there was something she still had to do. Glancing at the young man next to her she told him, "I want to thank you, Sully."
An instant blush followed her words which only deepened when he looked at her fully, completely puzzled. "Why's that?"
Since he was distracted at this moment he didn't notice the hole on the path as one wheel became caught in it. The unexpected jerk of the wagon that followed made Michaela lose her balance. Instantly, Sully put his arm around her shoulder as to steady her whilst she gripped the first thing that came under her fingers. It was his thigh. As soon as she noticed where her hand was lying, she took it away feeling embarrassed beyond all measure.
Sully, however, didn't have time to relish her touch because the feeling of her small frame under his arm distracted him as much as the faint fragrance of a soap he had never smelled before.
Their physical closeness lasted only a few seconds yet it was enough time to make it a part of both their memories they would never lose.
Needing a distraction, Sully quickly busied himself with getting the wagon back to a smooth ride. Trying as well to act as if nothing had happened, Michaela at last responded to his question. "I want to thank you for recommending me to Miss Olive."
"It's nothin'," Sully mumbled kind of embarrassed. "Ya are a doctor and we needed one."
"That's what I mean," Michaela gave him a tentative smile. "People around here don't see me this way."
Encouraged by her gratitude Sully's eyes lit up. "Ya studied all this difficult stuff…"
Becoming shy again, his voice trailed off.
Yet Michaela wanted him to feel as comfortable in her presence as she started to feel in his, and thus she replied light-heartedly, "Well, I might know the names of all the more than two hundred bones in the human body, but at the moment I would prefer to know how to build a book shelf."
Instantly recognizing his chance, Sully suggested glancing at her, "I could do it for ya."
"That would be nice." Michaela returned his look. "My father gave me a big part of his library as a goodbye present when I left Boston and I still have the books in piles on the floor in my room."
Hoping for a negative answer, Sully wondered, "Are they all about medical stuff?"
"No," Michaela shook her head, smiling. "I have all sorts of books, starting with fairy tales and lots of novels up to books by famous writers and even poets like Walt Whitman."
Reading his look right, she offered, "You can borrow books anytime if you want."
For a moment, their eyes locked and Sully, feeling his pulse quicken with the prospect of meeting her again, immediately agreed, "That'll be great, thanks."
"Alright, that's settled then." As she smiled at him this time, Sully noticed another specific thing about her – the smile was a crooked one. He already loved it. Maybe she wasn't as unreachable as he feared. Deciding to give it a try, he gripped the reins firmer. Staring straight ahead, he hoped his next words would sound casually, "Actually, I know where ya could find more patients."
"You do?" Again, Michaela turned her head as to look at him, full of hope.
Sully's heart was racing by now and he still avoided her eyes. "Yeah," he said quietly, fearing she might react disapproving of his friends. "There's a Cheyenne village quite close to town…"
"There are Indians here?" Michaela's reply wasn't anxious at all.
"Yeah," Sully reiterated, relieved this time and finally resuming eye contact. He didn't hide his relief about her excitement and suggested, "I could take ya there, introduce ya. I know the medicine man, he's my friend."
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From the porch of the mercantile, Abby watched with interest as the wagon rolled into town. The distance was too great at first to make out the driver and passenger but as it pulled to a stop in front of the clinic, she frowned. Why would Sully be driving the doctor around? She watched as Dr. Quinn laughed at something Sully had said and then she even touched his arm lightly as Sully smiled.
Abby's eyes narrowed. This was her move – the one that always worked on men. That was one of the first things she had learned about the opposite sex. They liked it when women laughed at their jokes and a gentle touch was always a nice addition.
With an angry snort, she stepped off the porch of the mercantile, set on giving them both a piece of her mind. Sully was already jumping down from the wagon and offering the doctor his hand.
"Abigail?"
She turned with an annoyed look on her face. "What?" she replied rudely.
Her mother gave her a stern look as the young woman sighed loudly. "I need your help in the store… we are quite busy."
"I'm coming," she replied petulantly but still remained frozen in place. Training her eyes once again on the couple over at the clinic, she watched in horror as Sully followed her inside. With a stomp, she turned in the street kicking up dust as she marched onto the steps of the mercantile. Though she knew Sully was as much to blame as the doctor, Abby's thoughts focused on her. This woman had no right to come here with her fancy clothes and hair, turning the heads of all the men in town. She had heard other women complain about the same thing. Even Hank and Jake seemed smitten by her. Her own father when not laughing about her was secretly staring at her. Yes, it was all her doing that men were acting so crazy around her. It was time someone did something to put the fancy doctor in her place and Abigail decided she was just the person to do it.
