Chapter 38

Sully held his wife's limp body in his arms. He gently shook her, "Michaela? Michaela wake up. Come on…Michaela!" She didn't stir. He didn't know what to do. She was so still and pale. The bruise on her cheek stood out with striking and sickening clarity against her porcelain skin. Sully observed more clearly her sunken and darkened eyes. His hand graced her cheek and he was disturbed to find her flesh was hot and sticky. "She's burning up."

"We should get her up stairs." Grace said with concern. "Brian will you bring up some cold water?"

"Yeah!" Brian rushed to get a basin.

Sully gathered Michaela in his arms and carried her to a recovery room. He tried not to think about what was on all their minds. Was she bleeding? What if he lost her? What if she lost the baby? He couldn't consider it. He placed her gently on the bed. Grace rung a cool cloth out and began running it along Michaela's brow. Sully was relieved to see her stir under the cold cloth. "Michaela?" He watched her slowly move her head toward the sound of his voice. Her eyes slowly opened but they were full of pain and fear.

Sully tried to comfort her. "It's alright. I'm here."

"The baby…Sully, our baby!" Her voice was small, shallow and distressed. Her head tossed back and forth as tears ran down her cheeks.

"It's alright Michaela. It's alright." Grace had moved to the end of the bed and gently began checking Michaela over. Sully looked up at her for help.

"She's not bleeding." Grace said. "She didn't loose the baby."

"Hear that Michaela? It's going to be alright." Sully said as he wiped hair away from her flushed face. He was deeply concerned with how weak she was.

She relaxed slightly before sighing, "Sully…."

"Shhh, I'm here. Just rest. You've had quite an evening." He kissed her forehead lightly.

She spoke quietly and disjointedly, "Sully…I'm scared…this isn't right… head hurts…..fever….have to bring it down…the baby……the baby…..fever…." her voice faded away.

"It's alright. It's alright….I'll get you some tea for the headache. Just sleep now. You'll feel better after you rest. We'll get your fever down . It's alright." He tried to calm himself as much as his wife. He watched as she closed her eyes and gave into her exhaustion.

"What wrong with her?" Brian asked.

Sully and Grace exchanged looks. "How long has she been sick?" Grace asked.

"She's had a slight fever for a couple of days. She's been sick to her stomach a lot and complaining of muscle aches. She said it was fairly normal during a pregnancy at her age. She said she thought this baby was going to be harder then Katie but….. I told her to rest, and she has been but…"

"Something's not right." Grace said to complete Sully's thought. "It might just be a touch of the flu. Maybe we should wire for another doctor to come."

"We already asked one to come to help Michaela with the clinic. He's not due to arrive til next week." Sully said.

"It couldn't hurt to see if we can get him here sooner." Grace said. Sully gave her a grateful nod and Grace made her way out of the clinic and headed toward the telegraph office.

Sully turned to his son, "Brian is Ellie?..."

"I got her upstairs. She's still asleep."

"Good." Sully said placing a hand on his shoulder. "How is your head?"

"Fine." Brian's voice held a touch of anger with his curt reply.

"It wasn't your fault." Sully said reading his sons mind.

"I should have stopped him!" Brian said in frustration.

"He was drunk and armed. We didn't really expect him to come barging in the door. You did what you could….he could have killed you." Sully said. He turned his eyes back to his sleeping heartsong and his heart almost stopped when he thought about how close he had come to loosing her that night. He saw clearly in his mind the gun pointed at her. He shook himself and looking back at Brian saw the young mans frustration.

"I should have been able to protect them!" Brian said as he tried to keep hot tears from falling down his cheeks.

Sully took him by the shoulders and spoke seriously, "Brian, listen to me. What happened tonight doesn't make you less of a man. There is more to being a good man then winning a fight. You understand me?" Brian looked directly at him and blinking back tears of frustration, set his jaw and gave him a definitive nod. Sully drew him into a quick embrace. "You're a good man Brian." They drew apart and Sully moved to the other side of the bed. Brian took a deep breath and let Sully's words penetrate his mind. He was reminded of the time Ellie had told him that her mother said that there was more to being a lady then looking pretty and sipping tea. He almost smiled as he remembered that day with her. She had looked so radiant that day.

Silence hung heavy in the air as the events that had occurred in the past hour settled on them. They both knew they had come close to loosing the women they loved; and the danger of it coming to pass still hung heavily around them.

Sully spoke first, "Would you mind going to get Katie from Dorothy?"

"Sure." Brian said. He watched as his father sat heavily on the bed next to his mother. He saw the lines of worry in his strong face and it made his stomach clench.