The Prodigal Sister
This story and all ideas, themes and original characters are the sole ownership and copyright of J.L. Scott. Any unauthorized use is actionable in a court of law.
To borrow a phrase: Dr. Quinn: Medicine Woman and all characters and settings no mine, no permission, no money, no sue...please?
Michaela wasn't sure she had ever been to a stranger funeral. Perhaps because there wasn't really a funeral. Dark Moon had not been Christian, so he was not buried in the church cemetry. Instead, Sully had taken his body to the nearest tribe to go through the rituals of death there. He and Brianna had attended, but none of the rest of the family had been permitted. When she returned, Brianna went straight to her room. She had returned dressed in a simple skirt and blouse, the feathers and bead removed from her long blonde hair and boots on her feet. She was quite stunning, even with the roundness of from her pregnancy. How had Michaela never noticed what a beauty she was? Surely the buckskins could not have hidden such a loveliness.
"Why, Brianna, you look lovely" she exclaimed. Brianna tugged at the skirt. It was a lovely dark emerald green with a faint pattern in cream. Michalea had no idea where she had gotten it.
"I haven't work a skirt since I was seventeen" she said, reaching for the cup of tea Michaela offered.
"You look real pretty in it, Aunt Bri" Colleen exclaimed. Brianna had insisted that the children call her Aunt Bri. She smiled wanely at Colleen.
"Thank you, Miss" she said regally. Michaela nearly stared. She sounded just as proper as any Boston bred lady. She had told Michaela that she had gone to school back east, but Michaela hadn't really and truly believed it until just now. Her whole image changed with those three words. She suddenly stood straighter and more....primly, her chin lifted into the air and a polite look appeared on her face. Just like any proper young woman would be expected to look back in "civilization". And then it vanished and she was once again Brianna. But Michaela got the feeling they'd be seeing much more of Ms. Sully. Dark Moon had ordered her to be a "white woman" hadn't he, and if nothing else, Brianna would honor his dieing wishes.
"Brianna, some of the towns people wanted to give their condolences. I hope you don't mind, but we've set up a small gathering at Grace's" Michaela hadn't known what to say when Dorothy and Grace had said their should be some kind of service for the man, more than just "an Indian ritual". With the death of her husband and the advent of a child, Brianna had finally won their hearts too. The men of the town respected her for her....talents....but the women had been harder to convince. Even Dorothy and Grace thought she was a bit unseemly, though they were always kind and curteous to her. But they all knew life's pains, and there was no way they would let any woman face a life alone, torn from the world she had known for so long, especially not Dr. Michaela's Quinn's sister-in-law.
"Uh, Michaela, I don't think...." Sully started.
"No, it's fine, Sully" Brianna interrupted him. So they hitched up the wagon and rode into town. There wasn't a large crowd at Grace's, but it was the people that mattered. Lauren was there, Robert E., the Reverend, even Hank was there, though the Lord knew why. Sully helped his sister out of the wagon and they joined the rest of the group.
"Brianna" Dorothy held her hands out to the woman, "I'm so sorry, dear" Brianna smiled.
"Thank you" she replied, "And thank you for...this" She nodded around to the gathering, "It's truly wonderful of you"
"Of course" Dorothy said and went off.
"Ms. Sully" Rev. Johnson said when she had gone, "I'm sorry about your loss. From what your brother tells us, Dark Moon was a great man"
"He was" Brianna assured him. The Reverand seemed uncomfortable now and so he nodded and smiled an walked away.
"I remember Dark Moon" Lauren's voice turned them around.
"Lauren" Brianna smiled at the older man.
"Wasn't a bit surprised when the two of you rode off together" he added, "Always was off his block, that one. But I see you put your skirts back on"
"Lauren" Brianna said with hint of warning in her voice, but she didn't sound offended. Lauren just nodded at her and raised his glass.
"I'm going to get some more punch" he said and headed off to the long table behind which Grace was passing out food. Brianna accepted more condolances from more people, Sully standing behind her for support and Michaela beside him. The children had gone off to get food. Actually most of the guests had gone and Michaela was thinking they should be getting back home too when all the sudden Brianna sucked in a deep breath and clutched at her stomach.
"Brianna?" Michaela asked, putting her own hand on the woman's stomach. She could feel the contractions pushing downward. Brianna made a strangled sort of sound.
"Bri?" Sully sounded concerned.
"There's still time" Michaela told her, "We'll walk to the office, that'll help" Brianna was breathing heavily, but she nodded and stood up. Then her eyes widened until Michaela was afraid they might just pop out.
"Oh my God!" she hissed under her breath, unwilling to scream, "I don't think so Mike!" Michaela put her hand back on her stomach.
"The contractions are coming quickly. Brianna, how long have you been having them?" Brianna shook her head and shrugged.
"All day?" Then she bit down hard as another wave of pain rolled over her.
"Sully, pick her up" Michaela ordered and Sully complied. Dorothy ran over.
"Heaven's sake, what's wrong?" she asked.
"Brianna's gone into labor" Michaela replied, "We'll have to run, Sully" They started off down the streets. It's not easy to run with a pregnant woman in your arms, though, especially when you can feel every wave of agony that swept through her. The contractions were right on top of each other before they got to the office and he could lay her down. Dorothy had followed and was assisting Michaela so Sully stayed by her head and held her hand. Finally she did scream, and squeezed his hand hard enough he was afraid she'd broken it.
"Push, Brianna! You have to push!" Michaela ordered. Brianna had tears rolling down her cheeks as Sully wiped hair away from her sweaty face. He'd had no idea there was so much pain involved in delivering a baby. At least, he hadn't known it was normal. She screamed shrilly again and he was forced to pull his hand from hers, but a moment later the wailing of a babe filled the air. Brianna leaned back and sucked in deep breaths. Michaela and Dorothy gently washed the child and wrapped it before laying it in Brianna's arms.
"You have a beautiful baby girl" Dorothy told her.
"Look at that" Sully said, looking down at his new niece. Brianna's tears had stopped but she gazed lovingly at the tiny child. The infant had black fuzz covering her head and, when she finally opened her eyes, they all saw they were stormy gray-brown, like her fathers.
"What are you going to name her?" Michaela asked quietly. Brianna didn't even look up.
"Miracle"
This story and all ideas, themes and original characters are the sole ownership and copyright of J.L. Scott. Any unauthorized use is actionable in a court of law.
To borrow a phrase: Dr. Quinn: Medicine Woman and all characters and settings no mine, no permission, no money, no sue...please?
Michaela wasn't sure she had ever been to a stranger funeral. Perhaps because there wasn't really a funeral. Dark Moon had not been Christian, so he was not buried in the church cemetry. Instead, Sully had taken his body to the nearest tribe to go through the rituals of death there. He and Brianna had attended, but none of the rest of the family had been permitted. When she returned, Brianna went straight to her room. She had returned dressed in a simple skirt and blouse, the feathers and bead removed from her long blonde hair and boots on her feet. She was quite stunning, even with the roundness of from her pregnancy. How had Michaela never noticed what a beauty she was? Surely the buckskins could not have hidden such a loveliness.
"Why, Brianna, you look lovely" she exclaimed. Brianna tugged at the skirt. It was a lovely dark emerald green with a faint pattern in cream. Michalea had no idea where she had gotten it.
"I haven't work a skirt since I was seventeen" she said, reaching for the cup of tea Michaela offered.
"You look real pretty in it, Aunt Bri" Colleen exclaimed. Brianna had insisted that the children call her Aunt Bri. She smiled wanely at Colleen.
"Thank you, Miss" she said regally. Michaela nearly stared. She sounded just as proper as any Boston bred lady. She had told Michaela that she had gone to school back east, but Michaela hadn't really and truly believed it until just now. Her whole image changed with those three words. She suddenly stood straighter and more....primly, her chin lifted into the air and a polite look appeared on her face. Just like any proper young woman would be expected to look back in "civilization". And then it vanished and she was once again Brianna. But Michaela got the feeling they'd be seeing much more of Ms. Sully. Dark Moon had ordered her to be a "white woman" hadn't he, and if nothing else, Brianna would honor his dieing wishes.
"Brianna, some of the towns people wanted to give their condolences. I hope you don't mind, but we've set up a small gathering at Grace's" Michaela hadn't known what to say when Dorothy and Grace had said their should be some kind of service for the man, more than just "an Indian ritual". With the death of her husband and the advent of a child, Brianna had finally won their hearts too. The men of the town respected her for her....talents....but the women had been harder to convince. Even Dorothy and Grace thought she was a bit unseemly, though they were always kind and curteous to her. But they all knew life's pains, and there was no way they would let any woman face a life alone, torn from the world she had known for so long, especially not Dr. Michaela's Quinn's sister-in-law.
"Uh, Michaela, I don't think...." Sully started.
"No, it's fine, Sully" Brianna interrupted him. So they hitched up the wagon and rode into town. There wasn't a large crowd at Grace's, but it was the people that mattered. Lauren was there, Robert E., the Reverend, even Hank was there, though the Lord knew why. Sully helped his sister out of the wagon and they joined the rest of the group.
"Brianna" Dorothy held her hands out to the woman, "I'm so sorry, dear" Brianna smiled.
"Thank you" she replied, "And thank you for...this" She nodded around to the gathering, "It's truly wonderful of you"
"Of course" Dorothy said and went off.
"Ms. Sully" Rev. Johnson said when she had gone, "I'm sorry about your loss. From what your brother tells us, Dark Moon was a great man"
"He was" Brianna assured him. The Reverand seemed uncomfortable now and so he nodded and smiled an walked away.
"I remember Dark Moon" Lauren's voice turned them around.
"Lauren" Brianna smiled at the older man.
"Wasn't a bit surprised when the two of you rode off together" he added, "Always was off his block, that one. But I see you put your skirts back on"
"Lauren" Brianna said with hint of warning in her voice, but she didn't sound offended. Lauren just nodded at her and raised his glass.
"I'm going to get some more punch" he said and headed off to the long table behind which Grace was passing out food. Brianna accepted more condolances from more people, Sully standing behind her for support and Michaela beside him. The children had gone off to get food. Actually most of the guests had gone and Michaela was thinking they should be getting back home too when all the sudden Brianna sucked in a deep breath and clutched at her stomach.
"Brianna?" Michaela asked, putting her own hand on the woman's stomach. She could feel the contractions pushing downward. Brianna made a strangled sort of sound.
"Bri?" Sully sounded concerned.
"There's still time" Michaela told her, "We'll walk to the office, that'll help" Brianna was breathing heavily, but she nodded and stood up. Then her eyes widened until Michaela was afraid they might just pop out.
"Oh my God!" she hissed under her breath, unwilling to scream, "I don't think so Mike!" Michaela put her hand back on her stomach.
"The contractions are coming quickly. Brianna, how long have you been having them?" Brianna shook her head and shrugged.
"All day?" Then she bit down hard as another wave of pain rolled over her.
"Sully, pick her up" Michaela ordered and Sully complied. Dorothy ran over.
"Heaven's sake, what's wrong?" she asked.
"Brianna's gone into labor" Michaela replied, "We'll have to run, Sully" They started off down the streets. It's not easy to run with a pregnant woman in your arms, though, especially when you can feel every wave of agony that swept through her. The contractions were right on top of each other before they got to the office and he could lay her down. Dorothy had followed and was assisting Michaela so Sully stayed by her head and held her hand. Finally she did scream, and squeezed his hand hard enough he was afraid she'd broken it.
"Push, Brianna! You have to push!" Michaela ordered. Brianna had tears rolling down her cheeks as Sully wiped hair away from her sweaty face. He'd had no idea there was so much pain involved in delivering a baby. At least, he hadn't known it was normal. She screamed shrilly again and he was forced to pull his hand from hers, but a moment later the wailing of a babe filled the air. Brianna leaned back and sucked in deep breaths. Michaela and Dorothy gently washed the child and wrapped it before laying it in Brianna's arms.
"You have a beautiful baby girl" Dorothy told her.
"Look at that" Sully said, looking down at his new niece. Brianna's tears had stopped but she gazed lovingly at the tiny child. The infant had black fuzz covering her head and, when she finally opened her eyes, they all saw they were stormy gray-brown, like her fathers.
"What are you going to name her?" Michaela asked quietly. Brianna didn't even look up.
"Miracle"