Chapter 15

July 1866

"Dr. Mike, it hot!" Hannah dramatically threw her head back.

"I know it is," she sympathized with the child. "But I'm almost done. Then we can go."

"Where we go?" Hannah became excited.

"Well, your papa said he had a surprise, and he wasn't going to tell us where he was taking us." Michaela smiled at the memory of Sully coming in this morning and asking her if she could watch Hannah for awhile, and when she had asked why, he'd told her it was a surprise, and she's just have to wait and see.

"Suepise!" Hannah's eyes grew big, causing the doctor to laugh. "Suepise…Suepise…Suepise" Hannah danced around Michaela's office with her elephant in tow.

Michaela smiled at the little girl and then turned back to the letter she was writing to her mother. She had sent several letters to her and had yet to receive anything in return. It bothered her a little, because her mother always returned her letters promptly. Ever since she sent the letter to her mother informing her about Jackson, she hadn't heard a word. Not even a telegram.

"Oh mother, I hated to tell you that way…" she sighed. "Why aren't you responding?"

The door to Michaela's clinic opened. "Papa!" Hannah squealed.

Sully smiled and twirled Hannah around in his arms, when he noticed Michaela sitting at her desk with a sad look upon her face, not even noticing his arrival. "Hannah, sit here and play with your toys. I'm gonna talk with Dr. Mike."

"Otay." Hannah plopped down and picked up her toy wagon.

"Dr. Mike?" Sully placed his hand on her back. "Ya alright?"

"Oh, Sully." she plastered a smile on her face. "I didn't hear you come in."

"Ya looked like ya were a million miles away. What ya thinking about?" He hoped she would confide in him.

"I…I…ahhh…" she stammered. "I was writing another letter to Mother," she revealed. "She's still not responding."

"That ain't like her," Sully knew. "Have you tried writin' your sisters?"

"I've written to Rebecca, and she just said that mother won't talk about it. And now Rebecca's away on vacation with her family, so I don't know what's going on over there."

Sully gently rubbed his hand up and down Michaela's shoulder. "It's gonna be alright."

"Sully, it's been over two months since…since Jackson died," she looked down at her hands that were placed neatly in her lap. "And I haven't heard a thing."

"Your Ma will write ya once she sees clear. Besides, I think ya think too much."

"Sully…" She rolled her eyes.

"Come on." He grabbed her hand.

"Where are we going?" she laughed.

"I told ya, I have a surprise for ya."

"Suepise!" Hannah jumped up!

"Are ya ready t' go?"

Michaela sat her pen down. "More than ready."

Physical Rehabilitation Hospital- South Boston

"You know, Mr. Strauss, your progression has picked up considerably in the past few months." The nurse smiled at him. "You should be around and walking very soon."

"Good."

Picking up his leg, she brought it in toward his chest. "You've been working much harder than you used too. Is there any reason why now?"

"I'm going on a trip." He was vague.

"A trip?" She was interested. "You're going to leave me?"

"I'd never leave you, Madeline." He reached up to caress her ivory cheek before planting a soft kiss on her pink lips. "And you can stop calling me Mr. Strauss."

Madeline looked around. "David," she whispered. "We've come too far to get caught now. You'll be able to leave in a few weeks, and we can go back to Virginia."

"There's some business I have to take care of before we head back to Virginia."

"Business?" She cocked her head. "Business, where?"

"Colorado Springs."

"David, what on earth is in Colorado Springs?" Madeline was bewildered.

"Michaela."

Colorado Springs

"What in the world is all this?" Michaela looked at the elegant picnic lunch that was set out next to the creek."

"Well, I figured we could all use a swim, considerin' it's so hot out. Then after all that swimmin', I thought we might be hungry."

"Swimmin!" Hannah bounced up and down between Michaela and Sully.

Sully jumped out of the wagon and help Hannah and Michaela down. They both laughed, as they watched Hannah strip out of her clothes and run toward the waters edge, laughing giddily as she splashed the water around her.

"I'm gonna go put my drawers on. I'll be right back." Michaela watched, as Sully disappeared between the bushes to change. She turned back toward the picnic and noticed Sully had brought all of her favorite foods.

"Dr Mike!" Hannah squeaked. "Come in da watah!"

"I didn't bring my bathing clothes, sweetheart." Michaela reached the creek bed.

"What ya need clothes for?" Hannah held up her hands. "Come in watah pwease!"

"Hannah…" Michaela face turned up in a grin.

"Pwease!" Hannah splashed.

Michaela looked around after looking at the pleading girls smile. "Fine"

"Yeah!" Hannah splashed.

Quickly, Michaela unhooked her skirt and laid it on a log and then took off her boots and set them next to her skirt. She walked to the edge of the water and dipped her toe in. "Its cold!"

"No, it good!" Hannah laughed. "Jump!"

"I don't think so," she laughed.

"You'll never get used to the water that way!" Sully picked Michaela up in his arms and started walking further in."

"Oh my God, Sully! No!" Michaela squeaked, throwing her arms around his neck, holding on for dear life. "Please don't!"

"What ya think Hannah?"

"Frow her in!" Hannah continued to splash.

"Hannah!" Michaela looked between Sully and the little girl. "Sully, please don't."

"Well…since ya asked so nicely," he eyed her, "I'll let ya go." He dropped her in the cool water.

"Sully…" she screamed before plummeting in the crisp water.

Sully watched as her body submerged until all he could see was the tangled mess of her auburn hair. He laughed, as her arms flared in vain to keep herself afloat. "It's freezing!" she screamed, as her body rose from the water.

"Is it?" he laughed.

"Yes…it…is!" She grabbed his arm, trying to tug him under.

This caused Sully to laugh even harder, as she struggled to bring him under.

"Get 'im!" Hannah laughed, tugging at Sully's other arm. "Under da watah, Papa!"

Suddenly, Sully went limp and let his body fall underneath the water.

"We get 'im!" Hannah raised her hands in the air.

"We certainly did," she laughed.

Michaela watched, as Sully lay lifelessly in the water. "You can come up now." She brought her face closer to the water. "Sully."

"Papa bweathen'?"

"Sully!" Michaela pulled him above water.

"What?" Water spewed from his mouth. "I wanted t' see how long I could hold my breath.

"Oh, you!" Michaela splashed him.

"Hey!" he splashed her back.

"Papa, Papa!" Hannah swam over. "I a fish!"

"You're a very good swimmer, sweetheart!" Michaela admired the little girls determination to stay afloat.

"Croud Dancin' show me how!" Hannah swam around the two.

"Speaking of Cloud Dancing, he told me he wants you to come back out to the Reservation. He has a gift for you."

"For me?" She was incredulous.

"Yeah, for helping with the kids. His medicine wasn't workin', and he wants t' thank ya for usin' yours."

"Sully, I would do that for anyone. He doesn't have to thank me. I was glad to help." She smiled.

"Well, I think ya should go anyways."

"Of course I'll go." She tilted her head to the side.

Sully smiled back at her then turned to his daughter. "You all cooled off?"

"Yep," she giggled. "We eat now?"

"Sure." Sully looked at his daughter then to Michaela. "Race ya t' shore!"

"Sully!" Michaela screamed, plucking Hannah from the water. "No fair!"

"Go fastah, Dr. Mike!" Hannah tapped her shoulders. "He beating us!"

Michaela held onto the child tightly, as she tried with all of her might to catch up with Sully. She laughed as they splashed though the water together and giggles could be heard miles around.

Sully slowed his pace, so it looked as though Michaela and Hannah might win.

"We catchin' up!" Hannah pointed. "Go!"

Michaela ran closer to Sully and tried to nudge him out of her way.

"Hey!" Sully held his hand out, but in turn tripped and fell in the water. Running as fast as she could. Michaela and Hannah made it to shore where they both collapsed to the ground in a sweat. "We win! We Win!" Hannah kicked her feet in the air.

Sully slowly made it to shore with his head hung low. "Ya cheated, ya know." He sat next to Michaela.

"It's not my fault you're clumsy." She cocked her head to the side. "Not my fault at all."

"Let's eat, Papa!" Hannah jumped up and walked over to the picnic lunch.

"Here, darlin'." Sully placed a blanket around her. "Don't want ya gettin' sunburned." Sully turned back to Michaela. "Here's one for you too." He handed it to her.

"Thank you."

"I hope you're hungry." He sat down. "It's compliments of Grace."

"I'm famished," she looked at the array. "Everything looks delicious."

"It good!" Hannah bit into her fried chicken.

"Haha…well let's eat!"

Physical Rehabilitation Hospital- South Boston

"Michaela! David, are you crazy? Why on earth would you go see her?"

"I'm not going to see her. Well, I'm going to see her, but she's just not going to see me."

"David, you know what kind of risk you'd be taking?" She turned away to look out the window. "She thinks you're dead! What if she saw you?"

"She's not going to see me. Madeline come here." He held out his hand.

Madeline walked back toward the bed and sat down next to him. "Why is she in Colorado?"

"She lives there," he told her. "For about two years now."

"Michaela Quinn of Beacon Hill lives out in the wild west?" Her eyes widened, never thinking she'd see the day. "Why must you go?"

"You know why. I just want to make sure-"

"You love her, don't you? You're going to leave me and go to her!" she wept.

"My insecure Madeline." David caressed her cheek. "You know that's not true."

"How do I know that?" she pouted.

"Madeline," David held her hands. "I loved you for fifteen years. I left my family…everyone. I told everyone I was going off to war so I could live and be happy with you." David watched, as Madeline's face slowly turned to a smile. "Doesn't that count for something?"

"I suppose so." She kissed his palm.

"I loved you since the moment I saw you dashing about the halls in Boston Memorial," he reminisced. "You were quite the looker."

"Am I not no longer?" She sashayed around his bed.

"That and some more!" he laughed.

"A-hem…"

"Dr. Innis!" Madeline stood up, straightening her white nurses skirt.

"How is our patient today, Miss Stewart?"

Madeline tried to put on her most professional manner. "Mr. Strauss is becoming stronger each day. And his exercises are strengthening his legs. "

"That's good…that's good. I've been monitoring your charts Mr. Strauss, and it seems like the accumulation of fluids are starting to abate on your spinal column. That's why you are starting to have feeling in your toes."

"And that's a good thing?" David played dumb.

"Yes, that's a very good thing. It means that you will have full feeling returning to your legs. Just keep up these exercises, and you should be as good as new."

"That's good to hear." David shook his head.

Dr. Innis placed David's chart at the foot of his bed then turned to Madeline. "The patient in 204 needs a sponge bath. Please see to it."

"Yes, Doctor Innis," she nodded, walking out of the room.

"It won't be long now, Mr. Strauss and you'll be able to go home." Dr. Innis smiled and walked out of them room, closing the door behind him.

David closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He needed to leave Boston before he was caught. He couldn't have that. Not after all the lengths he took to plan his death. But, he had to see Michaela, just see how she was doing and find out who this Sully character was that she talked so much about. At times, he felt bad for deceiving her the way he did. If it wasn't for his parents pushing him to be with her and marry her, he never would have had to go to such drastic lengths to be with Madeline.

Colorado Springs

"I think she's almost asleep." Michaela looked at the child in her arms.

"Nope." Hannah's left eye popped open. "I still awake!" she giggled.

"I thought you were going to take a nap." Michaela brushed Hannah's hair from her face.

"I tired," Hannah yawned.

"Then closed your eyes," Michaela soothed.

Hannah held Michaela's hair, a favorite thing she did since she was younger. "But ya keep talkin'."

"Oh," Michaela stifled a laugh. "I'm so sorry."

"Dr. Mike." Hannah looked up to her with her piercing blue eyes.

"Yes, sweetheart?"

"Dr. Mike, you my mama?" she innocently asked.

Michaela and Sully both looked at one another, speechless at what seemed to Hannah as such a simple question. Michaela tried to choose her words carefully, not really knowing what to say to the child.

"Hannah," Michaela swallowed. "Sweetheart, I'm not your mama."

"How come I gots no mama?" she wondered.

Hannah's words broke Sully's heart. "Come here, darlin'." He patted his lap for her to sit. Hannah lifted herself from Michaela lap and sat in her father's. "Hannah do you remember when I told you that your ma went to heaven?"

"She went to be with mama earf," the child remembered what her father told her.

"That's right, and your ma loved you very much." He hugged her.

"I luv her too!" Hannah bounced. "And I luv you, and I luv you!" Hannah sat back in Michaela's lap.

"And, we love you!" Sully added.

Michaela again smiled at the child in her arms. She couldn't believe how much this little one captured her heart. Deep in her heart, she wished she was Hannah's mother. She didn't know if that was selfish or not. It was just something she felt…something she felt strongly.

Laying in Michaela arms again, Hannah closed her little eyes and tried to drift off to sleep.

"Sorry about that." Sully scooted closer. "Sometimes I feel I don't talk about Abigail enough to her. But it hurts, ya know."

"I understand." She touched his hand. "Sully, you're a wonderful father. Please don't think that just because you don't talk about Abigail much, that it's a bad thing."

Sully exhaled and looked out to the crystal clear water before them. His heart had been heavy for sometime. But since he starting spending more time with Michaela it had been lessening. She had allowed him to spend time with her, go out to dinner and come to the homestead. But that's as far as it had gotten. He knew she wasn't ready yet to move to the next point of their relationship. And he told her that he would wait as long as she needed; hat he would always be there for her. And he would. But recently there had been so many times that he wanted to get closer to her…kiss her, but she always seemed to shy away. And there were times that he wondered is she truly felt the way she said. Did she really want to be with him?

"Sully?"

"Umm…" he turned to her.

Michaela sat a sleeping Hannah on the blanket and covered her up before moving and sitting next to Sully. "What are you thinking about?"

"Us," he was blunt.

"What…what about us?" she wondered.

"I just thinking how I liked being out here with you and Hannah today." He searched for her reaction.

"I liked it too," she smiled.

"Did you?" he questioned, needing to know the truth.

"Of course I did." She found the question odd. "You know I love spending time with you and Hannah."

"Is just that sometimes I ain't so sure," he decided to go on.

"Sully, why would you think that? Is it something I said?" Her brow wrinkled.

"Michaela." He didn't want her to think any of this was her fault. "You know how I feel about you, don' t you?"

Michaela looked down at her hands. "I…I do."

"I just want you to know-"

"You're getting tired of this, aren't you?" she cut him off. "I understand Sully, I just-"

"Michaela, no." This wasn't going how he planned. "I'd wait for you forever."

"But Sully," she took a breath. "You shouldn't have too. I don't know what my problem is. It's been months since Jackson died. And…and I wasn't even going to…to marry him." She fought the tears.

"Michaela." He felt awful for making her feel bad. "I shouldn't have brought this up. I'm sorry."

"No," she waved her hand. "I'm glad you did. After being out here with you today, being with Hannah…it makes me all the more want to be with you."

"Really?" He wanted her to be sure.

"Yes, really. I just…we…can we take this slow? This new step?"

"Of course." He smiled taking her hand. "I think that sounds real good."

"Good," she smiled back.

"So are we ahh…courtin' now?" he teased.

"Courting?" Her faced turned red.

"Yeah," he laughed. "Courtin'."

"I suppose." She couldn't help but laugh at her own coyness.

"Good." He took her hand and kissed it.