Disclaimer: I do not own the characters from Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman. The rights to those characters and to the show belong to the creators of the show, to CBS, The Sullivan Company and to A&E.
Chapter Six
Boston, June 1846
The day of Maureen's wedding had finally arrived. The sky was overcast and seemed to threaten rain. Maureen's voice drifted in through the open window complaining about how the weather was ruining her wedding day. Michaela sat in front of her vanity with Martha doing her hair. She felt like she had been sitting there for hours and she wished for the thousandth time that day that she wasn't in the wedding at all. She hadn't asked to be in the wedding. In fact if it hadn't been for her mother's insistence, Maureen would have eliminated her from the bridal party altogether. Michaela would have preferred to be one of the guests, sitting with Sully and sharing jokes about the wedding craziness.
"Miss Michaela, this would go a lot faster if you would please sit still," Martha reprimanded.
"Sorry, Martha," Michaela said genuinely feeling bad for making Martha's job harder.
Unexpectedly there came a knock at the door. Michaela quickly turned to get up causing Martha to lose the hair she had been trying to pin in place.
"I'll get it. Just sit still!" Martha commanded. Martha crossed to the door and opened it to find Sully dressed and ready for the day. She was taken back for a moment at the handsome young man that stood before her. He had shot up in the last seven months since coming to live with them. On most boys his age the new height made them appear awkward but not so on Sully. His hair had a little length on it which suited him well and the new suit fit him nicely. "Well, Master Sully, you sure look handsome today."
"Thanks, Martha," Sully replied somewhat embarrassed. "Can I come in or is Mike still not ready?"
"You can come in but only if Miss Michaela promises to sit still," she called over her shoulder.
"I promise," Michaela responded. Sully followed Martha into the room and took a seat on the bed. Michaela's back was to him but he could see her face in the vanity mirror.
"Ready for the weddin'?" he asked knowing she was dreading it.
"No! I have decided weddings are too much work. IfI ever get married, I'm just going to elope."
"Now, Miss Michaela, you might change your mind about that one," Martha said smiling at the young girl's remarks.
"I hope not. I think all this fuss is silly. Don't you Sully?"
"I guess. I figure guys don't really care. All the fuss is just to make the girl happy." Sully answered smiling at Michaela in the mirror.Again, Maureen's voice floated in through the open windowas she started a tirade about her hair.
"Someone should tell my sister that she is supposed to be happy," Michaela commented as she doubled over in laughter. Sully joined her while Martha cast a disapproving eye at both of them.
"Today is your sister's day. You better be on best behavior," Martha warned.
"We will," Michaela replied. "I even taught Sully how to dance."
"Is that right?" said Martha. "Well, I guess young Master Sully is going to catch the eye of all the young ladies today; seeing that he is looking so handsome and can dance as well." Sully's face turned crimson. He hastily reached over and picked up the book on Michaela's bed stand to occupy himself. "Well, Miss Michaela you're all done," Martha proclaimed as she placed the last pin in Michaela's hair. Michaela stood and brushed the newly formed wrinkles out of her blue satin bridesmaid dress.
"How do I look?" she asked as she stepped in front of Sully. He raised his head from the book and smiled.
"Real pretty," he replied. He stood, bowed slightly and offered her his hand. In his most formal voice he said, "Miss Michaela would you do me the honor of accompanyin' me downstairs to the carriage?"
Michaela rapidly blinked her eyes and pretended to be surprised. "Why, Master Sully, I am surprised you would even notice me. I would love for you to escort me to the carriage." She linked her arm in his and they exited the room to Martha's laughter. Martha shook her head – those two certainly made a pair.
Colorado Springs, 1866
"Ya said 'Weddings are just a bunch of silly fuss.'" he reminded her. She smiled and squinted up her eyes glancing at the ceiling like she was searching her brain for that particular memory. He placed his hand around her waist and pulled her close to him.
"I never said that," she finally replied.
"Yes, you did."
"When?"
"The day of Maureen's weddin'."
"You remember that?"
"Ya don't?"
"You were supposed to say something incredibly romantic like 'I remember every moment of our lives together.'" She trailed her hand up his right arm as she said this. He smiled knowing she was trying to distract him. Truth be known, it was working.
"I think you're changin' the subject," he said trying to ignore her hand which now was resting on his neck pulling him down towards her lips.
"What subject?"
"I asked ya if ya wanted to elope." His face was only inches away from hers now. He looked in her eyes and knew the answer before she opened her mouth. "Martha said you'd change your mind."
"I guess she was right," she laughed as Sully reached down to claim her lips with his own.
Boston, June 1846
The rain held off but the sky still threatened to break open at any moment. The air was hot and muggy. Today was not the perfect day for an outside reception even if it was under a tent. Michaela's dress was made of blue satin and lace, both of which were now sticking to her. Her corset cut into her no matter what position she sat in. She longed to be rid of the dress and all the undergarments. She wanted to sit in a tub of cool water and then put on a cool crisp cotton nightgown but she knew that opportunity was still many hours away. She shifted uncomfortably in her chair wishing she was anywhere but here. Standing at the front of the church for the ceremony had been bad enough. Now she sat at a table stuck between the groom's brother and her sister Marjorie. Not that either of them was present at the table; she had been sitting alone for the past fifteen minutes watching everyone else dance and feeling miserable.
The problem was dancing was the one part of the wedding that she didn't totally abhor. She had convinced Sully to learn just so she could spend most of the reception dancing with someone. Unfortunately for her, Sully had been commandeered by her three annoying cousins and was right now waltzing around the dance floor with the oldest of them, Lily. They seemed to have set up a system where as soon as one finished dancing with him the next stepped right up to take the last one's place.
As she watched Lily and Sully, a strange feeling came over Michaela. Lily was a beautiful girl. Her blond hair hung in ringlets down her back. The green of her dress made the green in her eyes all the more prominent. She was small and delicate and seemed to float around the dance floor. Michaela's throat felt dry. She took a sip of water and then another but it didn't help. Her hands felt sweaty like she was nervous about something. There was a strange feeling in her chest every time Sully and Lily made another pass by her table. She couldn't quite identify it. Then there was the unexplained anger she suddenly felt towards Lily; like she wanted to walk across the short distance separating them and demand she leave Sully alone. After all, he was her best friend.
Josef approached Michaela from the side. "Can a father request a dance with his youngest?" he asked taking her hand in his.
"Oh look, an empty spot on my dance card. Yes, I believe I can fit you in." Michaela replied sarcastically, smiling up at her father.
"Dear, you look a little flushed. Are you okay?" Josef looked down at her with concern on his face, noticing she was breathing rapidly.
"Fine, I'm just a little warm," she replied.
Josef touched her forehead and relaxed his face into a smile. "Yes, you are kind of warm. Maybe you should get some fresh air instead of dancing," he suggested.
"No, really I'm fine. Let's dance." Michaela stood and followed her father to the edge of the dancing couples. The previous song had ended and a new one was just beginning. He placed a hand at her waist and took her other hand in his.
"Shall we?" he asked. Michaela nodded and they stepped into the dancing crowd. At first, she enjoyed the feeling of air moving around her overheated body. Her dress began to feel less clingy. She noticed Sully standing off to the side finally out of the clutches of her cousins. She smiled over at him as he waved to her. Yet in a blink of an eye, Lily had returned to his side and was whispering something close to his ear. Sully shrugged and stepped back onto the dance floor with her before Michaela lost sight of them. She tried to concentrate on dancing but there was the tightening feeling in her chest again and now the room was spinning.
Josef noticed that the smile had faded from his daughter's mouth and her breathing was extremely rapid. "Mike, are you okay?"
"Yes, I just need air," she replied letting go of her father's hand and walking towards the edge of the tent. As she stepped outside, a light rain greeted her. It felt good and she lifted her face and closed her eyes.
"Mike, are you sure you're okay?" Josef asked as he followed her outside.
"Father, please go back in. I'm fine; just overheated- that's all." Michaela wasn't about to tell her father what she was really thinking. Josef was reluctant to leave her and stood at the opening watching her turn her face to the sky as she breathed deeply.
Meanwhile, Sully had been trying to get away from the cousins for the past thirty minutes. He had been reluctant to learn to dance and now he wished he hadn't learned at all. He had briefly glimpsed Michaela as she danced with her father but now he couldn't find her anywhere. He weaved through the crowd hoping Lily or one of the other cousins didn't spot him. Josef was standing at one edge of the tent- Sully was hopeful that Michaela was with him. He began to make his way over stooping behind a little old woman when he spotted a cousin heading in his direction. He breathed a sigh of relief when she turned around. At last he made his way over to where Josef stood and made out Michaela's figure standing in the rain.
"Sully," Josef began, "Would you stay here with Mike while I get her something to drink? I don't think she feels very well."
"Sure," Sully replied as Josef turned to go back inside the tent. Sully stepped out into the rain with Michaela. "Mike, are ya okay?" he asked noticing her eyes were closed.
Michaela opened her eyes to find Sully standing in front of her. "Oh, Sully, yes I'm fine. Just too warm," she said trying to smile. His concern seemed to make the tightness in her chest lessen a little. "My cousins seem quite taken with you."
Sully shook his head. "I can't get away from them. They keep wantin' to dance and askin' me questions 'bout bein' a street kid."
Michaela suddenly relaxed. "They are fairly annoying," she said with a small laugh. "But Lily is very pretty, don't you think?" She glanced at Sully as she said this last part.
"I guess but she's like all the rest of them girls – ya know just worried about her hair and dress. She kept makin' me wipe my hands so I didn't get sweat on her dress."
Michaela laughed out loud at this and Sully joined her. Out of the blue, the sky began to spin and Michaela reached out for Sully feeling herself fall. Sully was caught off guard but managed to wrap his arms around her to stop her from hitting the ground.
"Mike," he called but received no answer. He tried to shift her in his arms to see her face. "Mike, are you okay? Mike!" Still she did not answer him. Her body was limp against him and he realized something was wrong. He called her again this time using her given name, "Michaela! Michaela!" Josef appeared just as Sully started to panic.
"Sully, what's wrong?"
"I don' know – she just fainted!" Josef scooped Michaela into his arms and turned around to try to find the best place to lay her down.
"Sully, run inside and get my medical bag. It's underneath the table where Elizabeth is sitting. And you better tell Elizabeth what is going on." Sully took off into the tent as fast as he could. His heart was racing in his chest and he was finding it hard to breathe. What if something happened to her? He felt tears beginning to rise in his eyeand he realized that he had no idea where Josef had been sitting. Looking around the tent, he spotted Elizabeth near the head table. He took off across the tent arriving beside her a second later.
"Mrs. Quinn, I'm sorry to interrupt but Mike has fainted," he stammered.
"What?" Elizabeth's face looked concerned. "Where is she?"
"Outside with Josef, but I need to get his medical bag."
"Certainly, it's under our table," she pointed to a table a short distance away and Sully took off again. He retrieved the medical bag and was back outside before Elizabeth even made it out of the tent. Josef had laid Michaela on the ground for a lack of a more suitable place. Her face was still flushed except the area around her mouth which was ghostly white.
Josef hastily took the medical bag from Sully and opened it to find smelling salts. Just as his hand closed over the bottle, Elizabeth appeared.
"Josef, what is going on? Why is she laying on the ground? Her dress is going to be ruined," Elizabeth finished.
"She fainted, Elizabeth. There wasn't a better place to lay her," Josef retorted feeling anger rising in his chest. He uncorked the bottle and handed it to Sully. "I'm going to raise her head a little; I need you to wave the bottle under her nose." Sully nodded and kneeled down beside Michaela on the wet ground. He tried to calm the shaking in his hands as he took the bottle from Josef. Sully placed the bottle under her nose and waited. Slowly her eyelids began to flicker open and Sully relaxed in relief.
The first thing Michaela saw when she woke up was Sully's face flushed with concern. She remembered laughing with him and then everything had gone dark. "What happened?" she asked trying to sit up.
"You fainted," Josef answered as he handed the top of the smelling salts to Sully. "How do you feel?"
"Like I can't breathe," Michaela answered.
"Just as I suspected," Josef replied. "Elizabeth, is she wearing a corset?"
"Of course she is. I laced it up myself."
"Possibly a little too tight," Josef replied helping Michaela sit up. Michaela first noticed the rain spots all over the blue satin. Then she realized her back was muddy from lying on the ground. Her dress was ruined. She looked up at her mother afraid of what she would see. Her mother however was looking down at her father, a worried look on her face. "I think the best thing to do, is for me to take Mike home and let her get some rest," Josef said. Elizabeth started to object but Josef cut her off, "I'll return once she is resting comfortably. I'll see if Martha doesn't mind going to look after her."
"I'll look after her," Sully volunteered. "Sides I'm kinda muddy too." Sully said looking at the knees of his pants.
Again Elizabeth started to object and Josef cut her off once again, "That would be fine, Sully. But you must make sure that Mike rests."
"Josef, don't you think an adult should stay with her?" Elizabeth was finally able to ask.
"No, she will be fine once we get this corset off. She just needs to rest."
"Josef, don't you think an adult should be present at the house with the children?" Elizabeth asked once again, this time raising her eyebrows at her husband.
"For goodness sakes Elizabeth. They are practically brother and sister." With that he stood and helped Michaela to her feet. "Okay, let's get you two home," Josef said turning towards where the carriages were standing.
That night, as Michaela lay in bed, her mind was restless. She kept thinking back over the afternoon. Jealousy was a relatively new feeling to Michaela; one she did not have much experience with. She had felt better almost immediately after arriving home. Her father attributed her quick recovery to the removal of the over tightened corset. Michaela did not doubt that the corset had been part of the problem as well as the heat but she also knew how glad she was that Sully had returned to the house with her instead of remaining at the wedding. He had been so sweet to her, insisting that she stay in bed and reading to her from Grimm's fairy tales like she was a little girl.
Her father had called Sully her brother this afternoon. Was that what he was to her? Did he think of her like his sister? Were sisters jealous when their brothers spent time with other girls? Her mind asked question after question without finding any real answers. She didn't like feeling jealous but even now as she lay in bed, just the thought of Lily in that green dress made the dull ache return to her chest. She thought about sneaking over to Sully's room to talk to him but she didn't have a clue what to even say to him. She sighed and turned over hoping sleep would soon claim her.
Michaela was not the only one having trouble sleeping. Right down the hall, Sully lay awake in his bed, worried about Michaela. What if she stopped breathing while she was sleeping? What if something more was wrong with her? His mind kept reliving the moment that she had passed out in his arms. He had felt so helpless just like when his mother had… "Stop it." he said out loud, hoping to control his feelings.
He threw back the light sheet covering him and rose from the bed. He walked over to the window and kneeled down on the floor. Looking up into the sky, he did something he hadn't done since before his mother died- he began to pray.
"God, if you're there and you're listenin' well I need to ask ya for a favor. I know I ain't talked to ya in a long time but I was real angry with ya about my ma. But I figure I ain't got no right to be angry 'cause you put me with a good family. But I need to ask ya for somethin'. I got a best friend and her name is Mike- well you might know her as Michaela and she was kinda sick today. God, I don't know what I would do if something happened to her so please don't let anythin' happen to her. I promise I won't ask for anythin' else for a long time. Okay? Well, I guess I better get to sleep so… Amen."
Sully climbed into bed feeling a little better than earlier. He laid back against the pillow and closed his eyes hoping sleep would soon claim him.
This is my first fan fiction. Please review and let me know what you think! Thanks for reading.