Michaela was still shaken by the depth of the passion she just had experienced. Fortunately she was alone in the compartment and so she didn't have to pay attention if she was beeing watched. Sitting on her seat she bent forward and buried her face in her hands, taking some deep breaths. Then she lifted her palms from her cheeks and only left her fingertips on her eyebrows to stroke them with light pressure. It was then that she noticed a faint trace of blood on her right palm. Wondering where it came from, she suddenly tasted some blood on her tongue, too. Now she remembered that she had felt Sully's teeth on her lips when he had started that last kiss. She hadn't known yet that kissing could be like that. It had been as if they had felt the urge to enter each other. Deciding she should take a look at it she reached for her medical bag. When she opened it, her heart skipped a beat recognizing the object on top of her medical supplies. There was the pouch Sully always wore around his neck. He had told her once, he only took it off when he slept. She knew it was true. He must have sneaked it into her bag this morning when she had left the room for a moment. Michaela's hand trembled when she tentatively touched the small leather bag. It was real, her eyes weren't playing tricks with her. Eventually taking it out, she felt the soft material. Her heart, that barely had calmed down yet, started to race full force again. When she loosened the string a little, she instantly recognized the fragrance. It was his. Inhaling deeply she was about to lose her composure again. A knot grew in her throat which she couldn't swallow down. Pressing the pouch against her cheek, she suddenly noticed small, hard items through the leather. Getting curious she opened the little bag wider to take a look inside. There lay three of the beads from his necklace on top of some dried herbs. She carefully let the small wooden pieces drop into her palm. He did for her what she had done for Hannah; he wanted her to know that he would always be close and that he would think of her! Overwhelmed that he had given her something so meaningful and the pouch that was so precious to him, she finally allowed herself to believe his words, "I will be back." Already feeling terribly alone without him, Michaela started to cry again and this time she welcomed the tears as her only possibility to express the loss she felt without his physical nearness.
When Michaela drove into Colorado Springs almost exactly two days later, the town seemed to be completely deserted. Turning around the bend at the fire tower, she slowly pulled the wagon to a halt in front of the clinic. During her journey by train she had had enough time to plan all of her course of actions. Fortunately she had been able to get all the ordered supplies in Denver. They had even already been loaded onto the wagon Robert E. had sent. Now she had to get a general idea about the actual situation in town.
Taking a deep breath she composed herself one last time. When she finally hopped down from the wagon, the clinic door suddenly burst open. "Thank God, you are here!" Charlotte didn't want to conceal the relief she felt. "Dr. Mike, we are at a loss about what to do. All rooms here are full and the schoolhouse is as well."
Michaela was all doctor now. She knew she wouldn't allow herself any personal thoughts until her job would be done. "How are your children, are they alright?"
The midwife nodded. "Colleen caught it but she is well already. The boys are still healthy."
"I'm glad to hear that. I want you to send them all out to the homestead. They can stay there until it is over." Michaela gave her friend a quick hug.
"What about Maude and Loren?" Charlotte frowned. "I haven't seen them the last couple of days. I don't know, Dr. Mike."
The doctor assured, "As soon as I know about the situation here, I will look after them. Now, can you show me the sick?"
Entering the examination room a terrible stench hit them. It seemed that the windows hadn't been opened for weeks. All the sick people were wrapped into warm quilts and next to one of the cots stood a bowl filled with blood. Jake sat beside another patient preparing a tubing to insert it into the man's arm. Michaela immediately went to him and gently laid her hand on the barber's arm. "Thank you Jake, I'm taking over now."
Mr. Slicker turned towards her as if he was in a trance. His exhausted face was chalk-white. "I have to give him a bloodletting so that the poison can get out of him."
Michaela was horrified by the thought of that barbaric treatment. But she knew Jake had only done what he had thought was right. And it was obvious he was sick himself. "That's alright, Jake. You can go and rest. I'm here now." Without further protest Jake rose from his sitting position but only to collapse onto the floor right after he had succeeded to stand for one moment.
"Charlotte, tell me who is here to help. We have to hurry."
It took Dr. Mike half an hour to organize the volunteers and to explain them what to do. While the rooms were aired, bowls and fresh water were brought. After the windows were closed again the doctor explained to her helpers how to cool down the sick and then she started to examine each patient. After she was done at the clinic, the same procedure followed at the schoolhouse. All in all there were more than forty people who needed treatment. Michaela hoped that the peak of the epidemic would be reached soon.
Back at the clinic, she quickly assured herself that all her instructions had been taken. Satisfied for the moment she was about to leave for the mercantile when suddenly the door flew open. Hank tried to steady himself in the doorway. His speech was more slurred than usual when he huffed at her. "I'm sick. Where's Jake?"
"I'm here now, Hank. Jake had to lie down. He caught the grippe, too. Come in, there is still a cot free, you can take it."
"I'm not staying. You ain't gonna touch me. You've already ruined my life." When the barkeeper turned to leave again, Michaela called him back. "Hank, wait! Do you really want to infect all your girls? This wouldn't do any good to your business, don't you think so?"
The saloon owner stopped and grudgingly admitted himself that this woman was right. "Darn it!" But he gave in and entered the room.
Michaela showed him the cot and Hank practically just fell down onto it. After the examination she administered a dose of quinine to him and he didn't object. But when she started to take off his shirt to cool him down he grasped her hand. "I told you, you ain't gonna touch me!"
The doctor sighed. "Which of your girls has been sick and is well again? Someone has to cool your fever down." A sudden coughing fit let her barely understand the name. "I wanna have Myra here."
After she had made sure Myra knew what to do, Michaela finally left for the mercantile. The first thing she noticed was the "Closed!" sign. This wasn't like Loren; either he had nothing to sell anymore, which was even more unlike him, or something was terribly wrong. When no one answered her knock at the front door, she tried the back. No reaction here either, but at least the door wasn't locked. Entering the mercantile she started to call for them. "Maude, Loren?"
When no one replied she made her way upstairs towards their bedroom. Knocking there again she still didn't get an answer, so she tentatively entered the room. She gasped at the sight her eyes met. It was dim in here and almost the same stench as in the clinic hit her. The old couple lay in bed. Maude didn't stir and her face was ashen, but Loren's breathing was audible. Without any further hesitation Michaela rushed to Maude's side. She felt with her fingertips on her throat for a pulse. It was weak and rapid. Now the doctor was springing into action. When she pulled away the curtains to open the window she heard Loren's hoarse whisper. "Dr. Mike? Where is Hannah?"
Michaela went to his side of the bed and sat down on the edge. Taking his hand in hers she gently explained, "I couldn't bring her with me…"
Loren interrupted her and his voice was stronger now, "Maude will be devastated. I think all that's keeping her alive is that she wants to see the child again."
Michaela knew that she couldn't tell them about the broken leg by now, maybe later. "Loren, I couldn't bring her into a town where an epidemic is raging. We'll wait until it is safe again and then we can let her come, alright?" She knew it would still last maybe two weeks. Hannah's leg should be well enough by then so that Sully and she could make the journey.
"Now, back to you. Tell me how long Maude has been in this state. When did you eat the last time? Even more important, when did you drink something?"
After she had learned that they had had nothing since the day before because Loren had passed out, Michaela made sure that everything necessary would be done. She was deeply worried about Maude's state. Her heart grew weaker and this time she wasn't sure if the older woman would be able to recover.
The next ten days Michaela was incredibly busy. She kept rushing between the clinic and the schoolhouse. Unfortunately some more people died and not every patient had been thankful for her treatment. After Jake was recovered enough, he had even started an argument with her on how to handle a patient with the grippe. Hank still barked at her when she came into earshot; but since she had managed to calm down his cough, she recognized an almost gentle tone in his constant complains. Every free minute she had was spent in the mercantile. Loren was on his feet again, but Maude had grown even weaker. In the meantime Michaela went so far as to blaming herself for leaving town at all.
During the first few days back in Colorado Springs Michaela had received some telegrams from Sully. Now it's been a week that she hadn't heard from him and she didn't know why. All that kept her going with hope was a pouch, filled with his scent that she carried with her in her medical bag, and a leather string with three beads on it. She wore it around her neck, hidden under her blouse.
The first two days after Michaela's departure Sully had spent with his daughter. He only left the room when it was necessary so that they both could help each other to live with the loss they felt. They shared the telegrams they had received by now. The one under Sully's pillow said, "Arrived in town. Don't worry if I don't send word, Horace might be sick. Your Ma and Michaela." When Sully wasn't busy with the plans for his friend's new house and the hotel, his mind was occupied by trying to find out if that tiny word "Your" belonged to her name too or not. Finally he had decided that in a wire you use as less words as possible and that the signature meant, "Your Ma and your Michaela."
On the third day the drawing plans had been done and the list Michaela had made for Hannah's treatment allowed Sully to carry his little girl around now. So father and daughter finally could join the others for breakfast this morning. Sully frowned when he saw Paula at the table because he thought that all the wedding guests had already left. Noticing his uneasiness Daniel said, "Aw, come on, Sully. When we start to build the houses you can't take your daughter with you. Since Michaela isn't here anymore, Paula can watch her."
Sully felt how Hannah's grip around his neck tightened. "I don't mean no disrespect, but I don't think she can handle my daughter. The first thing she tried was to take away the token Michaela had given her."
When Paula opened her mouth to defend her actions, Daniel shot her a warning look. They had had a talk the day before about how to act around his friend. After he had seen the blueprint he just desperately wanted that Sully would build his new home until it was done. So he tried to mediate. "She didn't know what it was, Sully. And I understood these pearls are really expensive."
"That ain't anyone's business but mine. As long as Hannah wants to wear it, she'll do so."
Sandra had watched the little girl's face. She felt so sorry for the child. Looking at her she asked, "Would you want to stay with me as long as your Pa isn't here?"
Hannah looked at her father with horror in her eyes. "Pa leave?"
Sully sighed. "I'll be back in the evening, sweet girl, I promise. The more I work outside the sooner we can go home to your Ma. How does that sound?"
Hannah's heart pounded wildly. She didn't want to be alone with all these strangers. But if she wanted to go home, she had to be brave. She would do it like she had done it before, when her Pa had brought her to the Indians for the first time. She had known then that her Ma would come to get her and the same way she knew now, she would go back to her. So the little girl turned towards Sandra, nodded and smiled shyly. Sully was relieved. "Good, that's settled then."
Every day during the next two weeks Sully went to the building site at Daniel's valley. He started as soon as there was enough light to see what he was doing. Aside from him and Daniel three other men were working out there. First they had marked the outline of the house with wood stakes and strings. Then they took care for the foundation. When they had to wait for the next delivery of stones for it, the posts and lumbers were prepared. After a week they had begun with the framing. In the evenings they only came back when it was already dark. Most of the time Sully merely saw his daughter when she was sleeping. When they talked he didn't notice the change in her demeanour. He didn't know that Paula had gradually succeeded in manipulating his little girl. All his thoughts were directed on finishing the house as soon as possible so he could go back to Colorado Springs.
Paula had patiently waited for her chance. She was a woman who always knew her own mind. When she had seen that handsome and impressive man alone at the buffet during the wedding evening, she had instantly known that she wanted him. The fire in his eyes when he got angry at her made her believe that he was full of passion. And those lips, it must been heaven to taste them! In the meantime she had seen enough of him to know that she would only get through to him by using his daughter. It should be easy, though. This child was just a terrible spoiled little girl. Paula had experience with such a case, back in Boston. Unfortunately the child's father there had married before she could make her move. This time she would be more attentive. She had witnessed the argument between Sully and that lady doctor; and as far as she knew he hadn't even accompanied her to the train. That's why she thought Sully could be interested in her if she showed him that his first impression of her had been wrong. As luck would have it, Sandra had caught a terrible cold only one day after she had started to watch the little girl. Paula had instantly volunteered to take care of Hannah. The nanny had already sat on a chair next to the bed when the child woke up that morning. Paula had given the girl no time to think; she had just bent over her, telling, "Your father wants me to be with you. He said he would be terribly sad if you don't listen to me. Remember, he had told you he has to work. And if you cry, your father will know that as well. He might be even angry then and you don't want that, do you?" Hannah had been taken by surprise and of course she had obeyed.
Well, the girl had been tamed by now, but Paula had a problem. Because of a blizzard a week ago, the telegraph had been out of comission, but yesterday the first telegram since then had been delivered for Sully. Fortunately it seemed that no one knew about it, so the wire was still in her pocket. Maybe she could keep it as a secret for a while.
At dinner all adults were gathered around the table. Sully had just joined them after telling a bedtime story to Hannah. His little girl hadn't been as eager as usual to listen to him, maybe she was just tired. Sully was worried about other things. The building wasn't making progress as quick as he wanted. Daniel always had objections. Sometimes Sully couldn't get rid of the feeling that his friend did that purposefully to keep him longer in Wells than it would be necessary. But he ached for getting back to Michaela. A few days ago a terrible feeling of foreboding had started to haunt him. He just couldn't shake it off.
Carl Wilson watched the young man next to him. He had come to admire his skills as an architect and he knew that Mike liked him very much. These facts were enough for him to be fond of him as well. "Mr. Sully, John told me that the wires are open again and Alfredo even came here to deliver one for you. Is there any good news from Michaela? I think that epidemic should be over by now."
Sully's head shot up and he looked at the older man in bewilderment. "I haven't gotten a telegram yet! Where is it?"
Paula's mind raced. If they asked at the station it would be revealed that she had taken it. She had to make sure to appear remorseful. "I'm sorry Sully, but I haven't seen you since I got it yesterday."
All heads turned in her direction. She fumbled in her pocket for the telegram . Blushing heavily she reached it across the table. Sully shot her a look and took the sheet. He opened it and while he was reading his face drained all color.
When he didn't say a word, Daniel reached for the paper and read to all of them, "Come at once. We need Hannah. Loren."
