Shades of Gray
Chapter 4
"I don't think we should tell Colleen about Brian." Michaela said wrapped in Sully's arms. They were sitting on the porch together, something they had not done in a long time.
"In her condition, it would only upset her."
"If we don't tell her, she'll find out from someone else." he reasoned.
"I want to protect her."
"Colleen's a grown woman, Matthew and Brian too. Before we know it Katie will be as well, you can't protect them forever."
"If I had, Brian wouldn't be sick."
"You let him make his own decisions."
"One that may kill him."
* * *
"Push Colleen!" Michaela said through clenched teeth. It was late at night, maybe two, three o'clock. The contractions coming on so quick and so strong that there was no time to get to the clinic.
She shook her head, "I can't, Ma ." as sweat poured down her face and her eyes looked of exhaustion.
"Yes, you can." Dr. Mike encouraged.
"I want Andrew." she said in a voice that broke Dr. Quinn's heart. She reached over and warmly stroked Colleen's hair. "The baby's almost out, just one push."
Colleen nodded again, this time to go continue. Suddenly the house's quiet was interrupted but the sound of a child's cry; then another.
* * *
"You have a beautiful boy and girl, Andrew." Michaela whispered as Andrew moaned softly.
"You are improving nicely. Ina few days you'll be able to see Colleen. She's waiting for you to get better to name them." she turned and closed the door and leaned against the outside wall and sighed. The worst if the yellow fever epidemic was over, now it was just Brian who clung to life.
* * *
"Congratulations, Colleen." Sully grinned happily approaching her in the bed. Colleen grinned back, cradling the boy while the little girl slept in the cradle next to the foot of the bed.
"Thanks Pa."
He took the boy from her arms. "We should really name these two."
"We will."
Sully was completely ecstatic at being a grandfather, though Colleen was not biologically his, he loved her as if she was. Through the window he saw Michaela unsaddling her horse. He gave back the baby and kissed Colleen on the forehead. She seemed happily surprised at the jester. "I'll be right back."
His feet crunched against the grass. "Michaela." he said as she turned around. "What's wrong."
"Brian."
* * *
"Jacob." Miss. Teresa said weakly.
He bent down and kissed her passionately. "Dr. Mike says you can go home."
"How is Nicholas?"
"Fine, missed you though." he sighed. "About before-"
"It's okay Jacob." she reassured. "Really."
* * *
"Can I see the boy?" Loren asked coming into the clinic. Michaela eyes were downcast, he wonder if Brian was okay, if she was. Over the years, through the two fought incessantly he'd begun to see her as a daughter.
"Yes, Loren go on up."
* * *
There was something she wasn't telling him.
When Sully had asked Michaela what was wrong all she had said was Brian, no elaborations.
* * *
"Colleen!" Andrew exclaimed as he slowly walked into the homestead. Colleen also slowly walked to him. She laughed, he'd missed her laugh. "We seem like a bunch of old people, don't we?"
"I missed you." he embraced her into a long kiss.
"Are you sure you're okay? You're not still sick? Maybe you should sit down."
"I'm fine, I'm not going anywhere."
She playfully punched him in the arm. "You better not. We have two children to raise." she jester to two of Katie's old cribs were the twins now slept.
He went to the cradles. Andrew had waited so long to be a father, and then had missed their birth.
"Should we name them now?" Colleen came up from behind and took his hand. "I was thinking Rebecca after Aunt Rebecca, but mostly for Becky and Jonas."
"What do you say to that, Becky?" he touched her soft cheek. "And you Jonas?"
* * *
"Dr. Mike!" Loren called from up stairs. "He- he started going on about building a school house and then he started shaking." the older man said scared and shoked at the same time. Michaela walked toward the bed and stared at her son, then she cheaked his pulse and reflexes.
"Is he alright?"
She shooked her head. "He's slipped into a coma, the last stage be fore death."
* * *
Chapter 4
"I don't think we should tell Colleen about Brian." Michaela said wrapped in Sully's arms. They were sitting on the porch together, something they had not done in a long time.
"In her condition, it would only upset her."
"If we don't tell her, she'll find out from someone else." he reasoned.
"I want to protect her."
"Colleen's a grown woman, Matthew and Brian too. Before we know it Katie will be as well, you can't protect them forever."
"If I had, Brian wouldn't be sick."
"You let him make his own decisions."
"One that may kill him."
* * *
"Push Colleen!" Michaela said through clenched teeth. It was late at night, maybe two, three o'clock. The contractions coming on so quick and so strong that there was no time to get to the clinic.
She shook her head, "I can't, Ma ." as sweat poured down her face and her eyes looked of exhaustion.
"Yes, you can." Dr. Mike encouraged.
"I want Andrew." she said in a voice that broke Dr. Quinn's heart. She reached over and warmly stroked Colleen's hair. "The baby's almost out, just one push."
Colleen nodded again, this time to go continue. Suddenly the house's quiet was interrupted but the sound of a child's cry; then another.
* * *
"You have a beautiful boy and girl, Andrew." Michaela whispered as Andrew moaned softly.
"You are improving nicely. Ina few days you'll be able to see Colleen. She's waiting for you to get better to name them." she turned and closed the door and leaned against the outside wall and sighed. The worst if the yellow fever epidemic was over, now it was just Brian who clung to life.
* * *
"Congratulations, Colleen." Sully grinned happily approaching her in the bed. Colleen grinned back, cradling the boy while the little girl slept in the cradle next to the foot of the bed.
"Thanks Pa."
He took the boy from her arms. "We should really name these two."
"We will."
Sully was completely ecstatic at being a grandfather, though Colleen was not biologically his, he loved her as if she was. Through the window he saw Michaela unsaddling her horse. He gave back the baby and kissed Colleen on the forehead. She seemed happily surprised at the jester. "I'll be right back."
His feet crunched against the grass. "Michaela." he said as she turned around. "What's wrong."
"Brian."
* * *
"Jacob." Miss. Teresa said weakly.
He bent down and kissed her passionately. "Dr. Mike says you can go home."
"How is Nicholas?"
"Fine, missed you though." he sighed. "About before-"
"It's okay Jacob." she reassured. "Really."
* * *
"Can I see the boy?" Loren asked coming into the clinic. Michaela eyes were downcast, he wonder if Brian was okay, if she was. Over the years, through the two fought incessantly he'd begun to see her as a daughter.
"Yes, Loren go on up."
* * *
There was something she wasn't telling him.
When Sully had asked Michaela what was wrong all she had said was Brian, no elaborations.
* * *
"Colleen!" Andrew exclaimed as he slowly walked into the homestead. Colleen also slowly walked to him. She laughed, he'd missed her laugh. "We seem like a bunch of old people, don't we?"
"I missed you." he embraced her into a long kiss.
"Are you sure you're okay? You're not still sick? Maybe you should sit down."
"I'm fine, I'm not going anywhere."
She playfully punched him in the arm. "You better not. We have two children to raise." she jester to two of Katie's old cribs were the twins now slept.
He went to the cradles. Andrew had waited so long to be a father, and then had missed their birth.
"Should we name them now?" Colleen came up from behind and took his hand. "I was thinking Rebecca after Aunt Rebecca, but mostly for Becky and Jonas."
"What do you say to that, Becky?" he touched her soft cheek. "And you Jonas?"
* * *
"Dr. Mike!" Loren called from up stairs. "He- he started going on about building a school house and then he started shaking." the older man said scared and shoked at the same time. Michaela walked toward the bed and stared at her son, then she cheaked his pulse and reflexes.
"Is he alright?"
She shooked her head. "He's slipped into a coma, the last stage be fore death."
* * *
