Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman
Dead of Winter-1880
Chapter Four: The Ice Man Speaks
A/N: Just as a side note, many of the stuff in this story I have made up and did not happen in the actual series.
Matthew knew that he would never see his home again. It was a realization that Matthew had finally let himself believe. He also thought about his family as he sat alone, in a dreary, cold cell away from everyone he knew and cared about. It was Thanksgiving Day and he was lonesome, here in his own personal hell that he created for himself. Matthew had killed a man in cold blood and he knew that he'd have to pay for it, it was this fact that made him turn away Dr. Mike and Sully when they came to see him. He knew that he had disappointed them, and that was something he could not face. Besides, once his family found out what he had done would they stand with him still?
Many people had asked him why he killed Elijah Mitchell. Why not when Mitchell robbed them? It would have been self defense, why in a busy street with dozens of witnesses? Matthew did not know the answer. He had lost so much already, his real mother, Ingrid, Emma, he felt like God had taken too much from him, that Matthew couldn't stand it when he lost Maddie as well. But, he had, and then lost everything else when he picked revenge over the law. Matthew wanted someone else to hurt as much as he did. Was he sorry that he had done it? Well, yes he was sorry that he had killed a man, but he knew he could never feel any sorrow for killing this man.
*~*
Colleen Cook felt a loving hand touch her shoulder as she struggled to sit down in the clinic, after spending the entire day visiting friends in town, with her almost nine months pregnant belly.
"Take it easy. Especially now, with all the stress because of Matthew." Andrew told his wife who shot him a look that meant to change the subject. She wasn't sure how to feel about what was going on with her brother. She knew that she should stand by him but he had killed someone. He was a murderer. How could she support that?
"I better head to the café. Ma and I were suppose to have lunch." she stated further as she tried to get up. She like Michaela, refused to let pregnancy tie her down from doing as much as she dared to try. It had been Andrew who had suggested they leave their successful clinic in Boston, and come back to Colorado for the baby's arrival. Colleen wanted to work as much as possible and didn't think she needed to stop her practice.
"But, you just sat down." her husband protested still, however, helping her stand up. He hated to see his wife take on so much, especially with the difficulty she had with her enormously growing stomach, that made Andrew wonder if his wife was carrying more then one child.
"Stop babying me Andrew, I'm fine." the fiery red head stated pacifying Andrew with a soft kiss.
As, Colleen braved the cold streets of Colorado Springs, she couldn't help but notice the gossiping, odd looks she received from her neighbors as she walked the short dirt path to Grace's Café. How did they all know so fast, how did the wrath of hearsay invest every whisper or word spoken in secret so soon? How would they treat her family now that it knew one of it's own was a murderer. One who they let into their town, their mind, one who grew up there, one who at one time vowed to protect them? She had far to many questions and far to few answers.
"Ma!" she called as she saw Michaela pensively watching Evie play with her doll given to her from Aunt Rebecca, as they both sat at one of Grace's tables.
"Maybe we should do this another time, it's too cold for you to be outside." the ever present mother said, worrying about her eldest daughter, as she too helped Colleen sit down.
"I'm fine really. You sound too much like Andrew." Colleen said smiling, an action that now rarely crossed Michaela's face. "Hello, Evie." she cooed tickling her sister.
"How did you give birth twice, Ma?" the young woman spoke of her nervousness of toward her own delivery. Besides, her brother, this emending due date loomed voraciously in her mind. Could she really give birth? Would she be a good mother? "I hope I am as good of Ma as you." Colleen said sincerely as she watched Dr. Mike gingerly playing with Eve's brown locks.
Michaela's mind turned sharply, glazing away from her child, speaking her deepest fear. "Charlotte was a wonderful mother." She paused ever so slightly. "I failed her."
"What Matthew did is not your fault. You-"She spoke firmly, as the adult she had become and the mother she was about to be. But, Colleen was interrupted by the bouncing blond, hurrying toward the women in her family.
"Mama." she stated a word younger then her twelve years, as tears stained her rosy face.
"Why aren't you in school, Katie?" Michaela questioned placing a hand on her hysterical daughter, her previous statement for the moment forgotten. "What is the matter?"
"The kids at school said Matthew, was going to go to Hell. They said he was going to hang? Is it true Mama?" Katie said the worry in her eyes beaming from her eyes. She was still a child, but she too realized the shadow that had fallen over her family in the very few days that had pasted. She had become close to Matthew, her only sibling who had chosen to stay in Colorado and who visited often, and she wanted to know the truth that she felt her family shielded her from.
"Oh Katie," her mother whispered, unsure of the question herself. "I do not know the answer. It's not for anyone but God to know. Your brother did a horrible thing, but he has also done a lot of wonderful things too."
"Like saving Ingrid's brother?" Katie spoke, knowing much of her brothers deeds. The girl was a beauty, resembling Elizabeth perhaps in a delicate, porcelain doll fashion, but it was not be to mistaken that whoever had spoken ill of her brother probably saw Katie's fist.
She nodded painfully. "But it's up to God, what happens to Matthew, do you understand?" she played with Katie's long light locks much as she has with Eve.
"I do, but can I see him? I want to make sure he's alright, please." In her innocence perhaps she had been the only one to question Matthew's well-being and not his crime. The adults confused with perplexity, disappointment, possibly anger and shock had only seen a murder.
"Not right now Kates, but I promise you no matter what happens you will see him. Now you better head back to school."
Katie touched Colleen's belly her favorite thing to do lately, and turned away. The question breaking Michaela's heart into a million pieces. Evie, smiled widely still playing with the doll, unaware of anything, was maybe the luckiest at of them all; as worried lines creped upon Colleen, Michaela and little Katie.
But she was not the only person, who saw Katie's tears that afternoon, as Cloud Dancing saw the youngster while visiting Dorothy at the newspaper office. His face grew grave and serious.
"A storm is coming."
*~*
More to come!
Dead of Winter-1880
Chapter Four: The Ice Man Speaks
A/N: Just as a side note, many of the stuff in this story I have made up and did not happen in the actual series.
Matthew knew that he would never see his home again. It was a realization that Matthew had finally let himself believe. He also thought about his family as he sat alone, in a dreary, cold cell away from everyone he knew and cared about. It was Thanksgiving Day and he was lonesome, here in his own personal hell that he created for himself. Matthew had killed a man in cold blood and he knew that he'd have to pay for it, it was this fact that made him turn away Dr. Mike and Sully when they came to see him. He knew that he had disappointed them, and that was something he could not face. Besides, once his family found out what he had done would they stand with him still?
Many people had asked him why he killed Elijah Mitchell. Why not when Mitchell robbed them? It would have been self defense, why in a busy street with dozens of witnesses? Matthew did not know the answer. He had lost so much already, his real mother, Ingrid, Emma, he felt like God had taken too much from him, that Matthew couldn't stand it when he lost Maddie as well. But, he had, and then lost everything else when he picked revenge over the law. Matthew wanted someone else to hurt as much as he did. Was he sorry that he had done it? Well, yes he was sorry that he had killed a man, but he knew he could never feel any sorrow for killing this man.
*~*
Colleen Cook felt a loving hand touch her shoulder as she struggled to sit down in the clinic, after spending the entire day visiting friends in town, with her almost nine months pregnant belly.
"Take it easy. Especially now, with all the stress because of Matthew." Andrew told his wife who shot him a look that meant to change the subject. She wasn't sure how to feel about what was going on with her brother. She knew that she should stand by him but he had killed someone. He was a murderer. How could she support that?
"I better head to the café. Ma and I were suppose to have lunch." she stated further as she tried to get up. She like Michaela, refused to let pregnancy tie her down from doing as much as she dared to try. It had been Andrew who had suggested they leave their successful clinic in Boston, and come back to Colorado for the baby's arrival. Colleen wanted to work as much as possible and didn't think she needed to stop her practice.
"But, you just sat down." her husband protested still, however, helping her stand up. He hated to see his wife take on so much, especially with the difficulty she had with her enormously growing stomach, that made Andrew wonder if his wife was carrying more then one child.
"Stop babying me Andrew, I'm fine." the fiery red head stated pacifying Andrew with a soft kiss.
As, Colleen braved the cold streets of Colorado Springs, she couldn't help but notice the gossiping, odd looks she received from her neighbors as she walked the short dirt path to Grace's Café. How did they all know so fast, how did the wrath of hearsay invest every whisper or word spoken in secret so soon? How would they treat her family now that it knew one of it's own was a murderer. One who they let into their town, their mind, one who grew up there, one who at one time vowed to protect them? She had far to many questions and far to few answers.
"Ma!" she called as she saw Michaela pensively watching Evie play with her doll given to her from Aunt Rebecca, as they both sat at one of Grace's tables.
"Maybe we should do this another time, it's too cold for you to be outside." the ever present mother said, worrying about her eldest daughter, as she too helped Colleen sit down.
"I'm fine really. You sound too much like Andrew." Colleen said smiling, an action that now rarely crossed Michaela's face. "Hello, Evie." she cooed tickling her sister.
"How did you give birth twice, Ma?" the young woman spoke of her nervousness of toward her own delivery. Besides, her brother, this emending due date loomed voraciously in her mind. Could she really give birth? Would she be a good mother? "I hope I am as good of Ma as you." Colleen said sincerely as she watched Dr. Mike gingerly playing with Eve's brown locks.
Michaela's mind turned sharply, glazing away from her child, speaking her deepest fear. "Charlotte was a wonderful mother." She paused ever so slightly. "I failed her."
"What Matthew did is not your fault. You-"She spoke firmly, as the adult she had become and the mother she was about to be. But, Colleen was interrupted by the bouncing blond, hurrying toward the women in her family.
"Mama." she stated a word younger then her twelve years, as tears stained her rosy face.
"Why aren't you in school, Katie?" Michaela questioned placing a hand on her hysterical daughter, her previous statement for the moment forgotten. "What is the matter?"
"The kids at school said Matthew, was going to go to Hell. They said he was going to hang? Is it true Mama?" Katie said the worry in her eyes beaming from her eyes. She was still a child, but she too realized the shadow that had fallen over her family in the very few days that had pasted. She had become close to Matthew, her only sibling who had chosen to stay in Colorado and who visited often, and she wanted to know the truth that she felt her family shielded her from.
"Oh Katie," her mother whispered, unsure of the question herself. "I do not know the answer. It's not for anyone but God to know. Your brother did a horrible thing, but he has also done a lot of wonderful things too."
"Like saving Ingrid's brother?" Katie spoke, knowing much of her brothers deeds. The girl was a beauty, resembling Elizabeth perhaps in a delicate, porcelain doll fashion, but it was not be to mistaken that whoever had spoken ill of her brother probably saw Katie's fist.
She nodded painfully. "But it's up to God, what happens to Matthew, do you understand?" she played with Katie's long light locks much as she has with Eve.
"I do, but can I see him? I want to make sure he's alright, please." In her innocence perhaps she had been the only one to question Matthew's well-being and not his crime. The adults confused with perplexity, disappointment, possibly anger and shock had only seen a murder.
"Not right now Kates, but I promise you no matter what happens you will see him. Now you better head back to school."
Katie touched Colleen's belly her favorite thing to do lately, and turned away. The question breaking Michaela's heart into a million pieces. Evie, smiled widely still playing with the doll, unaware of anything, was maybe the luckiest at of them all; as worried lines creped upon Colleen, Michaela and little Katie.
But she was not the only person, who saw Katie's tears that afternoon, as Cloud Dancing saw the youngster while visiting Dorothy at the newspaper office. His face grew grave and serious.
"A storm is coming."
*~*
More to come!