So this chapter would not leave me alone. It was kinda frustrating writing it though because it also was not overly cooperative about being written. It demanded that I write it now but it also put up a fight over being put on paper at certain points. Anywho. Some of you may want to hurt me after this chapter…(looks around nervously) maybe I should go into hiding…

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Chapter 25: Not Ready

Michaela stood by the creek, her hands pressing into the small of her back, with her head tilted back. The sun had barely crested the horizon and very little light was coming through the trees; the orange light dappled across her face. The completely exhausted doctor silently thanked God for bringing down Sully's fever.

"Dr. Mike."

She jumped slightly at the voice that suddenly came from behind her without warning, though she was not really surprised that it was without warning.

"I am sorry for startling you." Cloud Dancing nodded to her apologetically.

She shook her head, smiling. "It's alright." She took a step forward. "Is there something you need?"

"Yes." He looked down for a moment; then looked back up. "What I have to say will be hard for you to hear and accept though."

Michaela took a deep breath. "What is it?"

The medicine man looked at her levelly. "Your Sully, the Spirits say he is not ready to see you and Hanna again yet; you need to leave before he wakes up."

Her face crumpled and he opened her mouth to protest.

"He is not healed," he continued, before she could speak. Her mouth closed. "He has not healed yet from his wife's death. He did not let himself heal. If he sees you or Hanna he will focus on you and his daughter, and not on healing, as he needs to."

She closed her eyes, feeling tears burning behind them; she swallowed hard. "How long?"

Her friend shook his head. "The Spirits do not say. They only say that he needs time."

Her head dropped forward, her heart aching.

"He must do this so that he can be the father Hanna needs and the person you and others need him to be."

She finally nodded, pressing her fingers to her eyes to help stop the tears. "I understand." She let her hands drop and looked up at him. "I will go get my things."

Cloud Dancing nodded. "I will have Walks on Clouds help me saddle Shadow." Robert E and Myra had brought her saddle with them when they had come to visit, of which she was grateful since she was not particularly eager for another saddle-less ride on her own.

"Thank you." She gave him a grateful smile before heading toward the teepee.

She moved around on the other side of the hearth from Sully, gathering all her things, forcing herself not to give in to the desire to look at her friend.

Once she had finished she sat there for several moments, struggling with herself. Finally she caved and looked over at him. He lay completely still, save for the rise and fall of his chest. She swallowed back her tears again as her body rose of its own accord and moved over to his side. She stood next to him knowing she should leave right then, but unable to do so. She gave up the fight and knelt down beside him, watching him silently. One eye was swollen so badly that he probably would not have been able to open it had he been conscious and his lips were split open on the left side. She pressed her fingers to her mouth holding back the desire to sob; then the leant forward and pressed her lips gently to his forehead.

He stirred. She jolted back, holding her breath.

His good eye opened the barest crack; his mouth moved sluggishly, "Miiiiccccccc…" His eye fell shut again and he went limp, slipping back into unconsciousness.

Michaela let out the breath she had been holding, staring at him for a moment longer before she finally rose, gathered her things and left.

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Myra and Robert E looked up from where they had been bent over the left back wheel of the wagon at the sound of a horse approaching.

"Dr. Mike!" The petite woman hurried toward her approaching friend though she stopped short.

Robert E came up to stand beside her, both of them watching the doctor dismount. "Is Sully – ?" He could not complete the question, though having her return so soon and without Sully caused a cold lump of fear to settle in his stomach.

Michaela lead Shadow forward; she stopped in front of them, scratching Wolf's, who had trotted up to her, head absently. "His fever broke; he will be alright."

Both of her friends let out sighs of relief.

But the blacksmith tilted his head to the side. "Then why's he not here or you're not back there? And why'd you look so upset?"

She swallowed hard. "He's not ready to come home yet. Cloud Dancing says he hasn't healed from Abby's death."

Robert E leaned back slightly, a thoughtful look on his face.

Myra's brow furrowed, knowing how much this hurt her friends. "But – but how does'e know? I mean Sully's been gone since b'fore I got here."

"It's not too surprisin' really," the blacksmith said.

Both women looked at him.

"Knowin' Sully he jus' tried to escape the pain or punished himself."

"Punish himself for what?" the younger woman asked.

Michaela looked down at her hands. "He held himself responsible for Abigail's death."

Myra looked back and forth between her friends. "But you told me that a cow kicked her."

"It did," Robert E confirmed. "That don't mean he ain't blamin' himself just the same."

"Did either of you tell anyone yet that Sully was back?" The doctor looked at the other two who shook their heads. "I think we should wait to tell them until Sully is ready to return."

"Makes sense," Robert E agreed.

Myra nodded as well.

Michaela sighed, patted Wolf's head once more; then turned to Myra. "Now, where it Hanna? I'm aching to hold her."

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Sully was disoriented and groggy. He was fighting to open his eyes but they were not cooperating. He could smell things around him. Unfamiliar things. He could tell he was lying down and something was covering him from the shoulders down, but the material was not familiar, though they felt like they might be animal skins. There were unfamiliar sounds around him; voices speaking a language he did not know, though he thought it sounded like an Indian language. Finally he was able to pry one eye open, though the other he had no luck doing so.

"Good, you're awake."

He turned at the deep voice beside him; a tall Indian man was kneeling next to him. Sully tried to speak but all that came out was a weak raspy sound.

The Indian reached out, helping him sit up and held a cup to his lips. "It is water."

Sully took a sip and the moment the cool liquid touched his tongue he was all the more desperate for more. The man helping him cautioned him to not drink too fast. When he had had enough to quench his thirst and was once again laying on the skins, he looked up at his caretaker. "Who are you?"

"I am Cloud Dancing. Medicine man of the Cheyenne."

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Sooooo…uh…am I going to have a mob come after me for keeping Sully away from everyone for longer? I hope that it was alright anyway. Thank you so much for reading and for all the reviews!