The idea for this chapter has been in my mind for a long time, but how to write it has been a problem. It is one of the hardest I have ever had to write, I just had a hard time getting it to come out! Anywho, I hope that it's ok, the next one I hope will be better…

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Chapter 21: Newest Member of Their Town

"There," Michaela snipped the excess thread from the sutures she had just finished across the palm of Willie's, one of Olive's cowhands, hand. She turned to Colleen. "Would you wrap it for me?" The young girl eagerly nodded and hurried over to the stack of bandages. The doctor turned to the older woman.

Olive smiled at her. "I can't thank ya enough, Dr. Mike."

"It was my pleasure, Olive." She returned the smile before becoming all business. "Now, he's going to have to rest that hand for a few days, and you'll need to keep a sharp eye out for infection. Any sign of swelling, redness, discoloration, anything you need to bring him back to me." The younger woman glanced over her shoulder at the cowhand. "The tetanus shot I gave him should do the trick, but we'll have to be careful."

Olive nodded, casting a glance at her cowhand, one of her best ones; she turned back to Michaela. "How much do I owe ya?"

The doctor named the price, which was handed to her.

"Dr. Mike! Dr. Mike! Dr. Mike!"

All heads turned toward the door at the repeated call; moments later it was thrown open, revealing a grinning, panting Brian. His face wore the expression that all little children have when they are sent on, what seems to them, an important job.

"What is it?" Michaela asked, able to tell it was thankfully not an emergency.

"Ma wanted me t' tell ya that the stage's almost here!"

All the adults chuckled at the boy's enthusiasm.

"We'll be right down, Brian," Olive told him.

He turned and bolted back down the steps; the adults and Colleen following after him at a somewhat slower pace.

Most of the town was crowded around the stage, the last one had been held-up so they were all eager to get this time around what had been taken from the last time. Michaela was just as eager because several medicines she desperately needed were coming in; she stood toward the back of the crowd waiting for her name to be called by one of the men who had climbed onto the roof of the stagecoach and were handing down bags and parcels.

Because she was clear of the commotion she was the first to notice the small woman who gingerly stepped down from the interior of the stagecoach. She was petite with brown hair that was pulled up loosely in a bun; she was looking around anxiously.

Michaela stepped forward, smiling warmly at the woman. "Hello, I'm Dr. Michaela Quinn."

The woman, more a girl really, turned in surprise but was soon smiling back. "Hi, I'm Myra."

"Can I help you, Myra?"

The petite woman bit her lip. "I hope so, I'm looking for Hank Lawson?"

Olive had turned, hearing the conversation, but raised an eyebrow at Myra's words.

Michaela's face fell a bit and watched the other woman carefully. "What do you need with Hank?"

"Well he offered me a job here." She was on her toes, trying to look over heads and shoulders.

The doctor shared a look with the woman rancher; she then leaned her head slightly back in Myra's line of sight and, once she had the smaller woman's attention, asked, "Myra, did he tell you what kind of work it would be?"

Myra shrugged. "He didn't say, but he said the work'ed pay good and I really need the money for my younger brothers and sisters."

The two other women shared a look that finally caught Myra's attention.

"What's wrong?" the tiny woman looked back and forth between the doctor and rancher.

Michaela gently placed a hand on the petite woman's shoulder. "Myra, Hank runs a saloon; the only women who work there are…" her Boston upbringing prevented her from saying the word outright.

Olive had no such compunction. "They're whores."

Myra gasped and looked back and forth between them. "I-I didn't know!" She looked near panicked. "He didn't tell me…"

"Myra," the doctor interjected gently, "don't worry just yet. Did he have you sign a contract?"

The smaller woman frowned. "What's that?"

"It's a piece of paper you put your signature or mark on that says you will work for him for a certain amount of time," Michaela explained.

Myra shook her head. "No, he just gave me the fare for the stagecoach."

Both Michaela and Olive drew sighs of relief.

"Well then," the rancher continued, "that's something we can probably handle."

"Myra," a cocky voice rang, all three women turned. Hank strolled up to them; Myra instinctively moved closer to the doctor, who placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Hank," the young woman began, her voice slightly unsteady, "didja really want to hire me to be a…whore?"

He came to a stop, narrowing his eyes before glaring at the two women who flanked the younger woman. "This ain't yer business."

Michaela released her hold on Myra, stepping forward. "You weren't honest with her, Hank. And she hasn't signed any contract yet, so she is not bound to you."

The saloon owner towered over the town doctor, he having to tilt his head down and hers up, but this did nothing to intimidate her, having already gone toe to toe with the man before. "She owes me for her fare, an' if she don't work for me I wasted both ways fare in findin' her."

Michaela did not even blink. "Then I'll pay for all three fares."

Hank raised an eyebrow, but decided that, even though he was losing a potentially good girl he at least would be back even. "Fine."

She kept her chin high. "I'll get the money to you tomorrow."

He nodded; then looked over at Myra smirking. "Now all she needs's to find a job…if she can."

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"Hank's right, I don't know what else I could do for a job. I ain't got no skills." Myra was sitting miserably at Charlotte's kitchen table, being served a lunch Olive insisted on paying for. "I cain't even read or write."

Michaela placed the teapot on the table as she sat down across from her new friend. "Well, we can rectify that easily enough." At Myra's confused look she amended, "I can teach you to read and write. As for a job," she lifted the pot and poured each of them a cup, "do you know anything about caring for babies?"

The tiny woman nodded. "Yeah I was the oldest of a whole bunch of kids."

The doctor smiled. "Good. I am caring for my Goddaughter and I need someone to help me with her since sometimes I am pulled away at odd hours and for long periods of time. I can offer you a place to sleep, food and a salary."

"Oh, but that's too much!" Myra protested. "I don't hardly have to do a thing an' you're givin' me so much!"

Michaela shook her head. "You don't know what help you will be for me and the comfort it will bring me that there is someone in my own home who can take care of Hanna at a moment's notice."

"Not to mention," Olive put in, "the fact you'll make us all feel better since Dr. Mike'll not be out there alone any more."

The doctor blushed, slightly embarrassed but at the same time touched at the concern. She cleared her throat, attempting to will the excess color from her cheeks, and turned her attention back to Myra. "Well?"

The petite woman bit her lip, but finally nodded, a small smile on her face and a look in her eyes that she was just beginning to dare to hope. "Thanks, yes, I will."

Michaela leaned over, placing her hand over that of her newest friend and member of their town.

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So there it is! I am not sure if they ever specified when Myra came to town but it seemed to me that she came some point after Abigail died. I have a couple of things planned for her; though as far as romance goes…well that is really up in the air. I hope that it was ok!