Chapter 11

May 12th 1866

"Papa…Papa," Hannah cried.

"Darlin' what's wrong?" Sully rubbed the sleep from his eyes.

"I itch papa!" She scratched her stomach. "I itch lots!"

"Here, let me see." He began to undo her night shift.

"Itchy papa!" she cried.

"I know, darlin'. I know." Upon opening her shift, he found her torso and neck covered in a scaly red rash. "Oh God," he mumbled.

"Papa…" she cried.

Sully felt her forehead and found that she was still burning up. He knew it wasn't good for her to have a fever for so long, and now it seemed as though she was getting weaker.

Sully threw open the tent flap and looked out to the reservation. "CLOUD DANCIN"!"

"Hannah, do you hurt anywhere?" he asked.

The little girl pointed to her throat. "Hurt, papa."

Hannah had been complaining that her throat had been hurting and Cloud Dancing had given her a special tea to drink for that and to bring down her fever, but it didn't seem to be working.

"My brother." Cloud Dancing entered the teepee. "She is worse?"

"She has a rash." He pointed to her chest.

"She is not taking to our medicine." He knelt before her. "Her fever is still high. It must be brought down."

"What do I do?" he became nervous.

"You know where you must take her. And you must hurry."

Colorado Springs

As she flipped the pages of her medical textbook, her eyes went back and forth to the tiny black box sitting on the corner of her desk. She bit her lip and picked it up. Swallowing hard, she slowly opened it for the millionth time that day. The large beveled diamond shimmered magically in the evening sun. A smile played on her lips.

She thought back to the night before when Jackson asked her to marry him.

"Jackson, why do we have to go back to the clinic?" she asked.

"There's something I have to show ya!" he grinned, taking her hand and leading her around the corner.

"But why at the clinic? I closed it up hours ago."

He rolled his eyes. "Just unlock the door, please."

"Alright," she laughed.

Jackson ushered her into the clinic and lit the lamps. Nervously he turned around and faced her. "Come here," he beckoned.

Michaela eyed him and slowly made her way closer.

"Do you know what today is?" he asked.

"Tuesday?" she recalled.

"Anything special about this Tuesday?"

Michaela thought for moment and nothing significant registered in her mind. Feeling bad for not thinking of anything she just shook her head.

"Well one year and two months ago, a clumsy cowboy stumbled into this clinic here lookin' for a doctor t' patch him up."

Michaela smiled. "It's been that long," she marveled.

"Yep," he kissed her hand.

"So you brought me all the way over here to tell me this?" Her brow narrowed, suspecting more.

He pulled a box out of his vest pocket and shakily opened it to reveal a large diamond ring. "Well that and t' ask ya t' marry me."

"Oh my god." She covered her mouth, truly in shock. "I…I ah…"

"You don't have to answer me right now. In fact I don't want you to answer me right now. I have to go up t' Denver tomorrow for a couple of days, and I want you to think about it. I want you to be sure."

Michaela pursed her lips and a tear escaped her eyes. She leaned in and lightly kissed him. "Alright."

The past few weeks she had a feeling this is where her and Jackson were heading. But she truly didn't expect him to ask her so soon. Sure, it had been over a year, but it surprised her none the less.

And she also couldn't get over the size of the diamond. It was huge. It was larger than her mothers and all of her sisters.

She was planning on saying yes to Jackson and she even sent a telegram to her mother that morning saying that she accepted. But now she hoped she didn't do anything in haste. Yes, she did want to marry Jackson, but it just seemed as thought something was off…missing, and she couldn't put her finger on it.

Perhaps it was just the jitters of getting married. The mere anticipation of being with Jackson. Her cheeks blushed at the thought, and her stomach did flips. She again began to bite her lower lip. And for the first time, she pulled the ring from the box and slowly slid it on her ring finger. The ring was a little big but none the less fit. She tiled her head to the side and inspected it in the light.

"DR. MIKE!" a loud knocking came at the door.

Michaela's head quickly turned to the door in recognition of the voice. "No…." she whispered. "It can't be…"

"DR. MIKE!" The pounding became louder.

She rose from her desk and swiftly went to the door. Her hand trembled slightly as she turned the knob. Her voice caught in her throat as she looked at the pleading eyes in front of hers. "Sully…"

Manitou

April 21 1863

"Sully, I don't know if I can do this." Abby looked up to him, as he held his hand out to her from on top of his horse. "I'm scared to go back, what if they're looking for me?"

"Their gonna be lookin' for ya if ya don't come back," he tried to reason with her. "Come on we gotta go."

Abby mounted the horse behind Sully. "What if they don't believe what I tell them, and…and they put me in jail or something."

"I won't let that happen." Sully squeezed her hand. "He was trespassin', and I'm gonna prove it."

"I'm so tired, Sully. I feel like I've been running for days. I've been so scared and so lost. I wanted to just give up." She leaned her head on his back and tightened her arms around is waist. "Just lay there and not move until someone found me."

"Don't talk like that," he warned.

"I don't think I'm ready to go home yet. Let's stay here and play with the animals." She looked around.

"What are ya talkin' about?"

"There are so many of them, Sully. Let's stay here." She tried to jump from the horse.

"Abby!" he held tightly on to her. "What ya think your doin?"

"What?" she seemed perplexed.

"We ain't playin with no animals. I'm takin' ya home!" he was adamant

"Play with animals? Sully, what are you talking about? I thought we were going home?"

Sully stopped the horse. "Are ya feelin' alright?"

"Yes, I'm fine. Let's go home, Sully. Come on…"

May 12 1866

Colorado Springs

"You have to help her. Please." Sully looked at Michaela with glistening tears. "She's sick."

Michaela looked down at the child lying listlessly in her fathers arms. "Hannah…" she whispered.

"Please…" he begged. "You gotta help her."

"Bring…bring her in here." She motioned toward the examining table.

Sully gently laid his daughter upon the table and watched Michaela as she sprung into action.

"How long has she been like this?"

"A…a couple of days. She woke up with the rash today." He smoothed back her golden locks. "Cloud Dancing's medicine wasn't workin'."

Michaela quickly unbuttoned the little girls dress and found her torso and chest covered with a faint red rash. Checking her temperature, she found it to be a hundred and two.

"Go over to Jake's and get some ice. I have to cool her down," she told him.

Quickly turning around, he dashed out the door and ran toward the barber shop.

Michaela looked at the lethargic child lying before her. "Oh, Hannah…" she sighed. "It's going to be alright. I'm going to take care of you."

Looking into the child's mouth, she noticed it was red and swollen with little white dots. Her little tonsils were also enlarged. Taking out a large basin from the back cabinet, she carefully placed the child inside. She took the pitcher of water from the window sill and poured it into the basin.

Hannah let out a soft moan. Looking up to Michaela, she shivered in fear.

"Oh, sweetheart, it's alright. It's me…Dr. Mike. Do you remember?" she hoped.

Looking around, somewhat disoriented, she mumbled, "Papa..."

'Your papa will be right back. He went to get some ice sweetheart. We have to cool you down."

Hannah reached up and touched Michaela's hair, remembering. "Dr. Mike…" she whispered.

"You…you can say my name," she smiled.

"I big girl now," she smiled faintly.

Michaela clasped the little imp's hand. "You are a big girl. How old are you now, Hannah?"

"I three…three in a half!" She smiled again.

"Three and a half! My, my you are getting big." Michaela tried to distract the little girl as she bathed her.

Hannah looked around the clinic. "I hot," she whined.

"We're going to take care of that sweetheart. Here can you drink this for me?" She held a glass to her lips.

"Yuck!" She spit it out.

"Hannah you must drink this," she begged. "It will make you feel better."

The little girl looked at the doctor and slowly consumed the fowl tasting liquid.

"That's a good girl…" she smiled. 'I'm proud of you."

"I got the ice!" Sully rushed into the clinic, a pail of ice in tow.

"Put a few pieces into the water," she instructed.

Sully slowly put the shaved ice into the water. He smiled down at his daughter, wishing he could take her pain away.

"Cold…." Hannah cried.

"I know it is sweetheart." She poured water onto her chest. "You only have to stay in for a little while."

Sully watched as Michaela bathed his daughter. "What's wrong with her?"

Michaela began to explain. "She has a mild rash appearing on her neck and torso, and it's rough to the touch, like sandpaper. Her glands are swollen and her skin has Pastia's lines…"

"What does that mean?" he persisted.

"She has Scarlet Fever-"

"How…how did she get it?" he wondered.

"Most likely from someone else. Scarlet Fever is very contagious," she warned.

Sully thought back. "Some of the other children complained of sore throats and high fevers, but none of them had a rash."

"Some children are more sensitive to the germ that enters their body. Are the others alright?"

"Yes, Cloud Dancing was able to treat them, but once Hannah got the rash he told me…I knew I had to bring her to you."

For the first time, Michaela brought her eyes to look at Sully. Her heart started to race. She couldn't believe after all this time he was here. She didn't think she'd ever see him again. And yet he was here…and he was different.

Sully breathed in heavily and looked at Michaela with remorseful eyes. "I… I know what did…everything I said. But please don't take it out on Hannah. Please help her."

"Sully…I would…I would never neglect a patient because of past-"

"Just help her please," he looked away.

"Come on, sweetheart. Let's get you dry." Michaela lifted Hannah out of the basin and wrapped her in towel, grabbed a pair of scissors, and carried her up the stairs.

Sully clenched his fist and hit the side of the examining table. He was doing it again. This wasn't how he wanted it to be. Not after he knew what was in his heart. Not after he changed his mind.

Running his fingers through his hair a couple of times, Sully turned to go up the stairs. He could hear his daughter and Michaela talking in the first recovery room. He stood outside the door and watched the scene before him.

"Here let's put this on you." Michaela pulled the tiny shift over Hannah's head. "I believe your temperature is dropping," she smiled.

"No tempchure…" Hannah sighed.

Michaela sat in the rocking chair and pulled Hannah onto her lap. "Hannah, I'm going to cut your fingernails, alright?"

"Why?" The little girls' eyes widened in fear.

"Oh, I promise it's not going to hurt. It's just that you may feel a little itchy, and when you scratch I don't want you to hurt yourself. Okay?"

"No hurt?" she asked.

"No hurt," Michaela assured.

"Okay." Hannah held out her hands.

Sully knocked on the door. "Is she going to be okay?" he hoped.

"We have to watch her carefully. Once the rash starts to develop, the more she's going to want to scratch and, it will make her become irritable. I'm a little concerned about streptococcus. Her glands are very swollen; I'll have to keep an eye on her, to make sure it doesn't constrict her airways." Michaela looked around the room. "And I want to boil some water. There needs to be moisture in the room. It'll help her breath easier."

Michaela looked down and noticed Hannah's eyes slowly beginning to droop. "Looks like the Quinine is working." Slowly, she got up and placed Hannah in the bed. Lightly she kissed her forehead and pulled up the covers. "Try and sleep, little one."

Michaela watched as Sully also placed a soft kiss to his daughters' head. He watched her for minute before he turned around.

"Can I talk to ya…downstairs?" he requested.

"Certainly." Michaela's heart jumped in her chest.

She followed him down the hall and the stairs. When they entered the main room of the clinic Sully motioned for her to sit down. "This isn't easy for me to say-"

"Sully you don't have-"

He held up his hand. "Yes I do…"

Michaela sat nervously in her chair. She didn't even know what to do…think…say. Her heart was in shock that Sully was standing before her.

Suddenly he knelt before her and took her hands. "Michaela…I sorry. I'm sorry for everything I said to you. I didn't mean it." Tears threatened to cloud his eyes. "I know it's not good enough. And I know I hurt you. I saw it in your eyes. And it's haunted me every day for the past year."

Michaela's brow furled, "Sully…"

"Let me finish," he whispered. "I not only hurt you, I hurt my daughter." He looked down. "For days she cried for you."

"Where did you go…" she asked.

"I was livin' on the reservation-"

"All this time?"

He shook his head. "Michaela, I promise you I'll spend the rest of my life makin' this up to ya."

"Sully…"

"Unless you don't want to see me. Hannah and I can go back to the reservation. I know she would love to see ya, but-"

"Sully you don't have to apologize. I know you were grieving." She boldly touched his cheek.

"That still doesn't-"

The feeling of something hard…cold…foreign, pressed against his cheek. He grabbed Michaela's hand and held it out in front of him. His breath caught in his throat. "You're engaged?" he murmured.

Michaela loosened her hand from his grasp. "I…I haven't told him my answer yet." She stood.

"But you're wearin' his ring."

"Are you upset with me?" she countered.

"I…no," he spoke. "I'm just surprised. Who…who is it?"

"You don't know him. He came a few days before you disapea…before you left. She became uncomfortable.

"What's his name?"

"Jackson…Jackson Tate."

Denver

"Mr. Tate…Mr. Tate."

"Mr. Bellman," Jackson smiled, stopping on the sidewalk. "Hello."

"I was thinking about you." The old man smiled. "So tell me son. How'd it go?"

Jackson laughed. "I gave it to her-"

Mr. Bellman's eye lit.

"…and I told her to give me her answer when I come back to town," he grinned.

"Well…does it look like a yes?" he pushed.

"Quite possibly," he laughed.

"I don't know a woman in all of Colorado who'd say no to that ring," the man chuckled.

"Oh hey, I got a picture for you this time." Jackson pulled out his billfold. "It was taken not to long ago when we went up to Soda Springs for one of her medical conferences."

"Hey…." Mr. Bellman smiled. "She sure is something."

"Isn't she," he stared at the picture.

"You're a lucky man." Bellman handed him back the photo.

"I hope she makes me a lucky man."

Colorado Springs

"Like I said, you only deserve the best." He got up and looked out the window.

"Are you angry with me?" she perceived.

Sully pulled the curtains back and continued to look out the window. He couldn't believe she was getting married. Not after he was going to try and start over with her. Not after he laid his heart out and told her to forgive him. Not after the long talks with Cloud Dancing. Not after finally wanting to move on. Not after realizing…

"I'm not angry with you," he said through clenched teeth.

"Sully look at me." She neared.

"I should go upstairs." He tried to move pass her.

"Why are you being like this?" she demanded. "I thought…I thought you weren't mad at me any longer."

"I ain't mad at ya!" His voice rose.

"Did you just expect me to sit here and wait?" she rebuked. "I was going mad wondering where you and Hannah were…if you were okay. I blamed everything on my self…everything!"

"Do you love him?"

"What?" the question caught her off guard.

"Jackson…do you love him?" he returned.

"How dare you ask me that!" Her fist clenched to her sides.

"It's a simple question. Either ya do or ya don't." He held out his hand.

"Jackson is a good man," she retorted.

"That didn't answer my question." He stood firm.

"He has his own business and treats me…treats me better than you!" She began to break down.

"Well if marriage is all you want, I guess you found the right man." He began up the stairs.

"Excuse me? What is that suppose to mean?" She moved toward him.

"What I said…" He turned around. "I thought you would want more out of marriage."

Michaela bit her lip. What was he trying to say to her? What was he trying to prove? "Why are you doing this?"

"Cause I'm tryin' t' show ya what's out there!" He held onto the railing. "Don't ya want it all?"

"Want it all?" she questioned.

"Partnership, love, trust, respect…passion. I thought all those things mattered to you."

"Sully, I-"

"Papa…" A whine came from above.

"Excuse me, my daughterneeds me."

April 21 1863

"Are ya warm enough?"

"Yes…"

"Do ya want me t' get you another pillow?"

"Sully I'm fine. I just want to go to sleep."

"You do that, and I'm gonna go and get Hannah from town."

"The child…" she looked off.

"Are you sure you're feelin' alright?" He stroked her hair.

"Bring my baby home, Sully. She's been gone for so long…so very long…" she drifted off.

May 14th 1866

Tying her hair off with a string of rawhide, she flipped it over her shoulder. She was becoming increasingly agitated with herself over the past two days. Sully again tried to tell her he was sorry about the way he was acting, and everything he said seem completely genuine. But she felt herself resisting him, his apologies, his sincerity, his… heart.

She stood looking out the window into the night, trying to be strong.

"How long are we gonna act like this?"

"I don't know what you're talking about-"

"Yes ya do." He turned her around. "I've been going around in circles ever since the day I left. Who knows what's wrong and what's right anymore?"

"You thought you did-"

"Michaela," he exhaled. "It wasn't our fault."

"You're right. It wasn't our faults." She cocked her head.

"Are ya listenin' to what I'm saying?"

"What are you saying, Sully?"

"The spirits, they bring people together, Michaela. Sometimes…sometimes we can't do anything about it."

"And did Cloud Dancing tell you this?"

He took her hand and held it to his heart. "No, this did."

Hannah's laugher broke Michaela from her daydream. "Hannah…"

She walked down the hall to Hannah's room and found her and Sully lying on their backs in the bed sideways watching the beams of light bounce off a mirror Sully held in his hand.

"Look, Papa. There!" She pointed and giggled. "And over there too!"

"What are you two doing?" she laughed.

"Did we wake you up?" he worried.

"No…I was awake."

"Come heh, Dr. Mike!" she held out her hand. "Lookie!"

"Move ovah papa!" Hanna scooted over. "Sit heh!"

Michaela complied and sat on the bed next to Hannah.

"Lay down…lay down!" she instructed.

"Hannah, Dr. Mike is very busy," Sully cautioned.

"Pwease..." She squished her face up.

Michaela laughed and laid down sideways.

"Go, Papa! Go!" she kicked her feet.

Sully held up the mirror until it caught the sunlight.

"Ohhh….pwetty!" The little one pointed.

"Look over there Hannah. In the corner," Michaela pointed. "Do you see all the colors?"

"Yeahhh…" she whispered.

Hannah continued to watched the colors bounce off the wall as Michaela and Sully turned to look at one another. Their eyes met but no words were said.

"A-hem"

Michaela shot upright from the bed. "Jackson."

"Michaela…" Jackson looked at her.

Michaela rose from the bed and walked over to him. "When did you get home?"

"Just now, I wanted to come and see you." He put his arm around her waist and kissed her cheek. "I missed you."

Uncomfortably, she straightened her shirt.

"Are you going to introduce me to your friends?"

"I…umm…this is Sully and his…his daughter, Hannah."

"Sully." Jackson held out his hand, eyeing the man from Michaela's past. "Nice to meet you."

Sully shook his hand, eyeing him back. "Hello."

Jackson turned to Hannah. "Hello," he smiled.

"Hi!" she giggled. "Who are you?"

"Me?" he pointed to himself. "Well my name's Jackson. "

"You know Dr. Mike?" she asked.

"I know her real well." He touched her nose.