Chapter 5

Sully removed his hand that was resting on Michaela's waist and quickly spun around, looking to the spot on the ice where he had left his daughter.

"Hannah!" he shouted, rising to his feet. "Hannah!"

His hazel eyes darted back and forth, looking for any sign of his daughter. But all he saw was ice, moonlit shimmering ice cut with designs from their skates. His voice caught in his throat; thoughts of something happening to her flashed in his mind. He tired to move but felt as though he was waist deep in mud that was restricting his movements.

"Hannah!" Michaela screamed, becoming alarmed. "Where is she, Sully?"

They both skated onto the ice, the wind ripping onto their faces, as they took up speed. "I don't see her!"

"Hannah, answer Papa!" he yelled.

Sully felt his heart was beating out of his chest. He was losing oxygen and was running on pure adrenaline, as his eyes scanned the ice. Then a thought occurred to him.

Throwing off his skates, he replaced them with his snow boots and starting running around the creek bed.

"Hannah! Hannah!"

Becoming increasingly frustrated, he started to blame himself. Why had he gone on the ice with Michaela and left his daughter alone? He should have stayed with her. What was he thinking?

He pushed through the bushes, looking for any sign of her. He reached the clearing where they were all sitting before. Her shoes and elephant were all laying there. But no Hannah.

He walked farther inland pushing back the bushes he knew she loved to hide in. "Hannah!"

"Damn it! Where is she?"

"SULLY!"

Hearing the piercing scream of Michaela, Sully jumped out of the brush and ran to the sound of her voice. Down at the end of the creek he saw Michaela, only inches from Hannah, reaching out for her hand. He started running, running as fast as his legs could carry him. He started to get closer, and closer and was half way there, when he realized something.

"GET OFF THE ICE!" he screamed

Then just feet in front of him, his daughter, his joy, his love, his world slipped through the frost thin sheet of ice.

"HANNAH!" he bellowed.

It was like everything was happening in slow motion. One moment, she was there reaching out, and the next, he could see her slowly falling, descending into the water. Her blonde curls became the only thing he could see, before she plummeted into the icy black water.

"Hannah!" Michaela screamed, lunging for the little girl, trying to grab her little hand before she went under.

"Sully!" Michaela attacked the freezing water vainly, trying to grab a hold of the little girl, but not being able to see her. "Hannah!" she cried.

Sully was on his knees next to Michaela in a second. "Where is she?" He submerged his hands into the water, trying to feel for her.

Michaela's head started spinning, and she became dizzy. "We have to get her out of there, Sully!"

"WHERE IS SHE!" he shouted. "I can't feel her!"

Taking her hands out of the water, Michaela started brushing the snow off the ice, looking around…realizing.

"She's trapped under the ice, Sully!"

Sully's face turned deathly white. "Ice, under, trapped." The words didn't register right in his mind. "Oh my God!"

Lying on his stomach, looking through the hole in the ice, the water was up well past his elbows. He pummeled the ice and water. "Hannah, Hannah!" he cried. His tears were starting to dribble down his cheeks and landed in the freezing water. He couldn't feel her…he couldn't feel her.

"HANNAH!" he screamed from his gut. It slashed through his flesh like a knife cutting him from the inside. He was losing moments…precious moments.

Tears clouded Michaela's eyes as well. She sat helplessly watching Sully sever the water. Why hadn't she grabbed her? Why? Her face contorted in terrible agony at the thought of Sully blaming her. It was her fault though. She shouldn't have left her there. She should have grabbed her in time. It was all her fault.

She looked down at her red, chapped, swollen hands. Hands that couldn't save a little girl, hands that let a child die, hands that let-

"Oh my God!" She started to shake in fear.

"SULLY!" she screamed. "SULLY, LOOK!"

Sully whipped around and looked to Michaela, and saw her pointing down at the ice. He moved over closer to her and looked down where her finger was pointing. There in the frosted, hazy ice, he saw a tiny hand pressed against it from the inside. A tiny imprint, the imprint of his daughter's hand pressing against the glass of a window on a cold, rainy day, waiting for her papa to come home.

"Hannah!" His hand touched the ice.

"She hit an air pocket, Sully!" She realized

Swiftly and without thinking, Sully removed his tomahawk from his belt and fiercely started hacking away at the ice. Chips flew everywhere, as he slashed and severed.

"Sully, be careful!" she warned.

He kept cutting away at the ice. "Go wait over there!" he yelled. "If this ice breaks I don't want you fallin' in too."

She quickly got up and ran to the outer edge of the creek, all the while keeping her eyes on the little hand that was pressed so firmly against the ice.

Sully continued to chop at the ice, a good ten inches from her tiny hand, hoping, praying that was far enough away. The ice was thicker than he anticipated, his arm was getting tired, but an unknown force was driving him…driving him to continue hacking away at the ice until his daughter was free.

"Hannah, I'm almost there, honey, I'm almost there!"

The ice cracked from under him, and he knew he didn't have much time before it gave way and they both fell into the creek.

"Sully, hurry!" Michaela pleaded, crouched over with pain shooting through her being.

Finally with one last firm stoke of his tomahawk, the berg broke away, sinking to the bottom of the creek, making a hole large enough to pull his daughter out. He reached in and he could feel her… he could feel her. Grabbing her arm, he saw her tiny hand disappear from under the ice and emerge into his arms.

"Hannah!" he wept, cradling her lifeless body in his arms.

He quickly became aware of his surroundings and picked his daughter up. He ran across the thin ice to where Michaela was standing with a blanket.

"Lay her down," she instructed.

"She's not breathing!" He stated the obvious.

Michaela looked at the lifeless body before her. Her lips were an eerie shade of blue, and her skin was almost translucent.

"Make her breathe, Michaela! Make her breathe!" he cried out.

Michaela bent over and opened the mouth of the child. Praying that it would work, she placed her lips over those of Hannah and breathed her life into the child.

"Come on, sweetheart, breathe!" she coached, placing her mouth over Hannah's again, pushing air into her lungs.

Sully felt utterly helpless, and he could only watch, as Michaela tried to save his little girl's life. He closed his eyes and prayed to the spirits to save his little girl. He promised things; sacrificed things to save his daughter's life. He would have, right then and there, sold his soul to the devil if that would keep his daughter alive.

"Please, Hannah!" she continued to beg. "BREATHE!"

Sully picked up her hand, trying to feel a pulse, but he felt nothing. "Hannah no! Please don't leave me too!"

Hearing Sully's pleas dug a deeper hole in Michaela's heart, if that was humanly possible. The same unchecked tears ran down Michaela's face, as she placed her lips one final time on the child. Suddenly she felt her jerk violently and gasp for air.

"Hannah?"

Water spewed forth from her mouth, and she started to take in sharp little breaths.

"Oh, thank God," she whispered, clutching her head in her arms.

"Hannah." Sully kissed her cheeks.

"Sully." Michaela looked to him.

He kept his eyes and mind fixed on his daughter.

"Sully." She touched his arm. "We have to get her warm."

He looked to Michaela, and his eyes danced around. "We'll take her to the hot springs." He got up.

"No. She can't be warmed that quickly. It has to be gradual or else she could go into shock," she told him.

"Why ain't she wakin' up?" he questioned.

"She's been through a severe trauma; we have to get her to the clinic," she warned.

"Come on. Let's get to the wagon!" He cradled his daughter in his arms, and they both ran up the hill to the field.

"Over there!" Sully motioned to the buckboard.

They both sprinted to the wagon, and Michaela jumped in. Sully handed Hannah to her. He grabbed the blankets from the back and then jumped in the driver's seat, clicking the reins and speeding off.

He looked over and saw Michaela peeling Hannah soaked coat from her body along with her stockings, skates and other articles of clothing. "We have to get her out of this. She'll go into hypothermia if we don't."

"Hypothermia." He thought to himself. He'd have died of that once if it wasn't for Cloud Dancing.

Sully steered the horses onto the main road back to town. He was afraid that if he went any faster, the wagon might fall apart.

He again looked to Michaela and saw her unbuttoning her own coat. "What are you doing?" he asked.

She didn't listen to him and began to unbutton her blouse as well.

"What are you doin'? You're gonna freeze!" he scolded.

She tucked Hannah inside of her blouse and coat, wrapping her in warmth. "I don't care about myself. Hannah's cold." She kissed the little girl's forehead.

"Take this." He handed her a blanket.

She quickly unfolded it and wrapped it around herself and Hannah. Hannah's little cold body made Michaela shiver. She looked down at the little bundle that was engulfed in her arms, and for the first time noticed she had a slight cut on her forehead. She's going to need stitches, she thought.

Michaela looked over to Sully and noticed his shirt was completely drenched. "Sully you're going to freeze!"

"I'm fine." He kept his eyes on the road.

"Sully, take your coat off. There's enough blanket for all of us. "

"I said I'm fine," he mumbled.

"Byron Sully, I will not have you get sick on me as well! Take your coat off…. Please…"

He couldn't say no to her pleading. He handed her the reins and took off his coat, throwing it in the back of the wagon.

"Here." She scooted closer to Sully and draped the blanket around his shoulders.

Sully could feel the dampness of her skin. "You're wet too." His eyes saddened.

"I'm alright, truly. Let's just get back to town." She looked to Hannah.

Sully put a protective arm around Michaela's waist and drew her closer into himself, willing his body heat to her.

Kansas State Penitentiary

"You never told me who your mystery guest was yesterday," Laura said.

"It was Sully." She started to make her bed.

Laura watched Abby's nervous mannerisms, wondering what transpired between them to put her in such a mood. "Sully, huh?"

"Yep." She replaced her sheet for the second time.

"Did you have nice visit?" She tried to get something out of her.

Abby bit down on her lip and threw her pillow at the foot of her bed. "Look's like I'm gonna be staying here with you." She forced a smile.

"Oh, Abby they turned you down!" She saddened.

"I knew they would." She sat down.

"Is that it?" she wondered. "Nothing else can be done?"

"You know better than anyone else in this place how the legal system works. I'm here…I'm here to stay," she confirmed.

Laura thought for a moment. "I'm sure Sully will keep fighting."

"I told him not to come here anymore," she said flatly.

"What, why?" she was aghast. "You can't stop seeing Sully…your little girl!"

Abby jumped off the bed and curled her fingers around the bars of her cell, looking into Laura's. "He didn't even bring her with him! Did I tell ya that? He left her at home with another woman!"

She was surprised at her outburst, even though they were becoming more frequent as of late.

"He… he probably thought it was best…so he could talk to you…alone." She tried to reason.

"I saw the look in his eyes, when he talked about her," she swallowed. "It was the same look he gave me once."

"I think you're looking too much into this, Abby. You're upset about the appeal and-"

"Shut up! Just shut up, Laura! I know what I saw! Don't try and tell me any different!"

Colorado Springs.

"Lay her down on the table," Michaela instructed.

She went to her cabinet and pulled out as many blankets as she could find. "We'll wrap her in these."

Not being able to see a thing, she went to her desk and pulled out her matches and quickly went around the room lighting the lanterns.

"Alright what next?" Sully looked to her.

Quickly, she went to Hannah's side and made sure she was tucked into the blankets. She checked her breathing and pulse.

"Her pulse seems to be strong. I need to stitch the cut on her forehead. It's small, so it should only take a few. Then we'll bring her by the fire to warm her more." Michaela decided her course of action.

Sully watched Michaela, as she skillfully picked out each of her instruments and laid them out on the table next to Hannah. She seemed so calm and collected, as she went into doctor mode. But he knew…he knew.

He moved out of Michaela's way and sat at Hannah's side.

Michaela noticed Sully's uneasiness. "Why don't you hold her hand?" She told him, as she made the first stitch.

Tentatively, he reached his hand under the blanket and found her little hand and held it in his own. He could feel her; he could touch her. His daughter was alive and with him in this very room. He didn't want to let go; he was so afraid, afraid she might slip away again and this time not come back. Silent tears made their way out of his eyes and reclaimed his cheeks once again.

What would he have done if he hadn't saved his daughter? How could he have gone living everyday knowing… feeling the incredible guilt?

He watched Michaela stitch the cut on her head and realized it wasn't in his hands anymore. He did what he could, it was Michaela's turn to save his daughter now. He had to trust her.

"That should do it." She held the needle up. "I made them as small as possible to reduce the appearance of scars." She lightly touched the area looking at her work.

"I'll…I'll start the fire." He looked to the stove, trying to divert his eyes. 'Why don't you go up and change."

Michaela looked down, and for the first time noticed her blouse was still hanging open. Her damp camisole hung tight to her chest. She was freezing…and it showed. Her cheeks immediately reddened, as she pulled it closed. "I'll be right down."

Walking up the steps, Michaela opened the door to her room and opened her truck. She scanned her blouses, not really caring which one she put on. She tore her damp shirt from her body and threw in on the bed, picking up a fresh cream color blouse.

She walked over to her vanity and looked in the mirror. She looked at the bruises and scrapes that marked her flesh. And she lightly touched them. Moving her fingers, she let out a soft sob. She never even asked Sully what became of the man that attacked her. She wanted to know…yet she didn't. She wanted to make sure he was behind bars, so he could never hurt her again.

Her mind began to wonder what would have happened if the man indeed had raped her. What would she think of herself; what would others think? What would Sully think?

Her mind flashed back to the wagon ride home and how Sully placed his arm around her, pulling her into his body. New feelings started to creep into her heart the moment he had touched her, and she didn't know what they meant. She didn't know what to make of them. She didn't want too. It was wrong.

Love, she thought to herself. How could love be wrong? But is that what she truly felt. Was she falling in love with Sully? No.

"No!" she said aloud. "I can't, I can't. It isn't right….it's isn't right," she cried, hitting the top of her vanity with her fist.

"MICHAELA!" An urgent yell came from below.

Quickly, she buttoned her blouse and ran down the stairs.

"What is it?" She looked and saw Sully holding Hannah in his arms next to the fire.

"Hannah, she's shiverin'…hard." He looked to her, tears in his eyes.

Michaela kneeled down to the little girl and felt her forehead. "It's alright Sully. It means her body's starting to warm up. It's a good sign."

"Thank God," he sighed.

Michaela went and grabbed a cup from her cabinet and filled it with water from the pitcher.

"Try and get her to drink some of this." She held the cup out to him.

"What is it?" he asked

"Sugar water. She needs to stay hydrated, and this will warm her," she told him.

Sully held the cup to her lips. "Come on darlin'…drink for papa."

Michaela watched, as the child swallowed a drop of the liquid. "That's a good girl." She touched her cheek.

Sully set the cup down on the floor. "What do we do now?" he asked with pleading eyes.

"Wait."

Kansas State Penitentiary

It was an hour before Laura tried to talk to Abigail again. "I think you made the right decision."

Abigail pursed her lips together. "What's that?" She laid on her bed, looking at the dark ceiling.

"By telling Sully not to come anymore. It's better that way." She knew.

"That's what I thought too."

Biting her bottom lip, Abby's thoughts turned to the woman that watched her child. Dr. Mike, Sully called her. Dr. Mike, Dr. Mike. What kind of name was that? Anger started brewing in her body ,as she thought of her. What was she like? Did Sully spend a lot of time with her? Did they go out to dinner? Do special things?

Disgust soon filled her, at the thought of her husband possibly loving this woman.

"Laura?"

"Ummm…."

"I need a favor," she asked.

"What?"

Abigail hesitated. "I need to know how you get your things."

Laura knew what she was talking about. And without hesitation, she lifted up her mattress and grabbed out a pencil and paper.

"Write what you want on this, and hand it to Billy in the morning when he brings your breakfast."

Colorado Springs

Michaela awoke to a strange feeling touching her face. Her eyes fluttered open and saw Hannah lightly tickling her chin.

"Doctah Mahhhh…" she giggled.

"Hannah!" she struggled to get up. She looked down and realized she was cocooned in Sully's arms. Her eyes darted back and forth, trying vainly to remember what happened. She looked outside and saw it was still dark. She looked to the clock by the door and saw it was three-thirty.

She and Sully must have fallen asleep.

"Papa en Doctah Mah sweeping!" she whispered, putting her finger up to her mouth.

"Sully wake up!" She poked his side.

"Huh, what?" He jerked upward.

"Hannah, she's awake!"

He looked down and saw his daughter sitting up in his lap smiling. "Hannah!" He threw his arms around her.

"Papa!" she giggled, loving the attention he was paying to her.

"Oh, Hannah!" His emotions escalated to dizzying heights. "Hannah." He kept repeating her name as if it would be his last.

He held tightly onto his little girl. Tears filled his eyes once again, as the tremendous weight started to lift off his shoulders.

His heart burst with emotion, as he turned to Michaela, and before he fully understood what he was doing and the consequences that went along with it, he cupped her face in his hands…and kissed her. He kissed her…fully… emotionally…passionately.

Michaela was taken so off guard that she didn't even have time to process what was happening. She leaned into him subconsciously and let the kiss take her to new worlds…worlds that she never knew existed until that very second. Time stood still, people stood still, animals stood still. The only thing that was moving so fiercely in unison were the hearts of these two soul mates.

Never in her life had Michaela kissed or been kissed like she was at that very moment. She didn't even know if she was breathing. All she could feel was the tingling sensation that was running from her lips down to her toes. She could feel Sully's lips dancing with her own, as she opened her mouth to him. God, was she doing it right? Was this how it was suppose to be? A guttural moan escaped from her throat, as she wrapped her arms around Sully's back, drawing him in closer…nearer…tighter.

Her head was telling her it was so wrong, but her heart was contradicting it. Regaining her senses of what she was doing, Michaela placed her hand on Sully's chest, drawing his lips away from her own. He looked to her eyes and then to her slightly parted, swollen lips. And once again, he lowered his lips to hers.

But they never made contact. Michaela touched his lips with her fingertips. "We can't" she whispered. "This isn't right."

Realizing what he'd done, he suddenly felt ashamed. "I'm-"

"I feel things for you, Sully," she came out with it.

Sully's eyes traveled up her body and landed in her watery eye's. What did she just say?

"And its wrong Sully…it's so…wrong." Her eyes closed, and her lips pursed shut to keep from crying.

God, what had he done?

"Papa?" Hannah tapped his shoulder. 'We pway?"

"No, Hannah, we can't play right now." He touched her blonde curls.

Regaining her wits, Michaela brushed back a stray lock of her hair and moved to create a distance from Sully. "I want to keep her under observation. Sometimes, for unknown reasons, patients that suffer from hypothermia relapse, especially elderly and children."

"You hear that Hannah? No playing. Let's try and get some sleep." He knew that would be utterly impossible for himself after what just happened.

"No, play!" she cried.

"Hannah." He tired to embrace her, just wanting to hold her.

"No!" She jumped into Michaela's arms. "Doctah Mah…" she cried.

Trying to fight back her own tears, she gave Sully a pleading look of understanding.

"Come here." She held Hannah in her arms, wrapping them both in a blanket. "Calm down. We're both going to go to sleep. "

"No… " she wailed.

"Hush," Michaela soothed.

Sully watched, as she tried to calm his daughter.

"Golden slumbers kiss your eyes, smiles await you when you rise," she began to sing to her.

"Sleep, pretty baby. Do not cry, and I will sing a lullaby."

Sully watched, as Hannah ceased her crying and watched Michaela, intensively tracing the outline of her lips. Lips he had touched only moments before.

"Cares you know not. Therefore sleep. While over you a watch I'll keep."

Michaela smiled down at the helpless child, masking her own flooding emotions in her heart. She didn't dare look at Sully.

"Sleep, pretty darling. Do not cry. And I will sing a lullaby."

Carson City

Nevada

"So where ya headed to?"

"I bought me a little ranch in Colorado Springs. I'm leavin' tomorrow."