Dead of Winter-1880
Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman
Chapter Five: Winter Arrivals
It's amazing how much a person forgets in the few short months that that form summer into winter. All at once the thoughts of warm breezes, picnics, and the vibrant green surrounding every aspect of life, are so quickly turned into gray overcasts skies and carping snowfall; the coldness seeping into every inch of your body until you can't remember what you ever did with warm sunshine. The cold was coming, slowly at first but now it came speeding like a locomotive, destroying everything in it's path.
Katie gingerly placed the medical equipment back into her mother's neatly packed cabinet. She stood with her white apron on, playing the nurse that had been Colleen's job as a child. It was a Saturday afternoon and Michaela was at lunch with Ms. Dorothy., therefore Katie was helping her worrisome mother. A loud crash clattered on the floor, and the tall blonde turned her head sharply.
"Eve!" the elder sister said harshly. "Leave Ma's things alone." she pulled the medical knife out of her sister's hand. The little girl's face scrunched up as tears started to flow. Truthfully, Katie was more short with her then usual as had others in her family had been lately. With the chaos that had engulfed the past few weeks, Evie had been a bit ignored. "I'm sorry, Evie." she stated sighing, hugging the small and sullen girl. "Do you want to come with me, Emily, and Sam to the pond?" Evie nodded as Katie finished putting the tray away and grabbed the small hand as she headed to the door.
"Katie!" she was interrupted as the door barged open, and her father spoke with alacrity and distress, surprising Katie, with his sudden movement.
"What's wrong Pa?" she questioned as Sully pulled Evie into his arms releasing a giggle from the small child.
"Colleen's going into labor." Sully stated the excitement creeping into his voice at the thought of his first grandchild as Drs. Cook and Quinn hurried into the clinic, scurrying Sully and the girls and eventually Andrew to wait outside.
Still, hours later, Sully stood impatiently outside the clinic waiting for word on the birth of Colleen's baby. Inside, he could hear nothing but the distant labor screams from his daughter, that made him fight the urge to go in there and protect her.
"Andrew, she's calling for you." Dr. Mike spoke as she opened the door. Sully looked at his watch. Labor was taking longer then any he has ever seen. 72 hours later, since her water broke, there was still no baby in site. "Stay with her for a while. Let her rest." Sully saw his wife gently touch the exhausted Colleen and the worried Andrew, leaving them a moment alone.
"Are you alright, Michaela?" Sully asked tenderly hugging his wife as she nodded with far too much on her mind for words.
~*~
Brian had been in Denver when his sister went into labor. He was more concerned with the broken, silent, grungy man that replaced the good, knight of a brother that Brian had always strived to be.
Here, Matthew's pride shattered as he finally agreed to see the young man. Somehow, he knew that he would get no judgment from Brian, the tender gentle man Matthew now wished he had been.
"Hello, little brother." he forced a smile as he stood between the bars, thin from the lack of nourishment and the will to eat. "What brings you here?"
Brian laughed uneasily, like there was more then just metal bars that stood between him and his brother. "I'm accompanying Zach and Liliana back to Colorado Springs." Zachariah Lawson, was coming home for the holidays with his four year old daughter. His wife, Mary had died the year before. "I have my duties as Godfather." He stated further making small talk, he missed his brother. "What time does the trial start."
"Noon. But I don't want you to be there on Monday."
"Why?" the now twenty something year old man stated questioned his brother.
"Just go home Brian. Write me a letter about my niece or nephew." Matthew returned the look of a broken man, perhaps it was out of grief or despair. Or maybe it was shame.
~*~
"You have a girl." Michaela smiled brightly and happy that her grandchild had finally arrived. Her daughter looked at the eight pound child lovingly but even she could not hid the look of exhaust in her face. "Alexandra Rebecca." she replied looking at her husband and then kissing the baby through exultant tears. But, the family was to have yet another surprise.
"Colleen, you've got to push again. Another baby is coming!" Dr. Mike called worrying the already concerned newborn father as he held his wrapped up daughter. Charlotte Michaela Cook at six pounds seven ounces, was born moments later however, the joy of the babies' arrival was disheartened as Colleen began to bleed and her body became too worn out from labor. Michaela feared she would lose her, as the last baby came out Colleen collapsed completely. A weak baby cried softly. This time it was not the mother but the father who named the infant, Elizabeth Marjorie, barely more then three pounds.
~*~
The trial for Matthew's life lasted less than a day, he had a whole town of witnesses against him and no real defense in favor for him. Not even his family could speak on his behalf for he had shooed them all away. Acting as his own lawyer, he had tried nothing in order to perhaps sway the judge in his favor. In his mind the trial was successful, for he had punished himself as he saw fit. Just as his life was ending, his family was in Colorado Springs celebrating a new life, and to Matthew that was just as it should be.
He was sentenced to hang in the following weeks, and that was only the beginning.
~*~
A/N: More to come!
Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman
Chapter Five: Winter Arrivals
It's amazing how much a person forgets in the few short months that that form summer into winter. All at once the thoughts of warm breezes, picnics, and the vibrant green surrounding every aspect of life, are so quickly turned into gray overcasts skies and carping snowfall; the coldness seeping into every inch of your body until you can't remember what you ever did with warm sunshine. The cold was coming, slowly at first but now it came speeding like a locomotive, destroying everything in it's path.
Katie gingerly placed the medical equipment back into her mother's neatly packed cabinet. She stood with her white apron on, playing the nurse that had been Colleen's job as a child. It was a Saturday afternoon and Michaela was at lunch with Ms. Dorothy., therefore Katie was helping her worrisome mother. A loud crash clattered on the floor, and the tall blonde turned her head sharply.
"Eve!" the elder sister said harshly. "Leave Ma's things alone." she pulled the medical knife out of her sister's hand. The little girl's face scrunched up as tears started to flow. Truthfully, Katie was more short with her then usual as had others in her family had been lately. With the chaos that had engulfed the past few weeks, Evie had been a bit ignored. "I'm sorry, Evie." she stated sighing, hugging the small and sullen girl. "Do you want to come with me, Emily, and Sam to the pond?" Evie nodded as Katie finished putting the tray away and grabbed the small hand as she headed to the door.
"Katie!" she was interrupted as the door barged open, and her father spoke with alacrity and distress, surprising Katie, with his sudden movement.
"What's wrong Pa?" she questioned as Sully pulled Evie into his arms releasing a giggle from the small child.
"Colleen's going into labor." Sully stated the excitement creeping into his voice at the thought of his first grandchild as Drs. Cook and Quinn hurried into the clinic, scurrying Sully and the girls and eventually Andrew to wait outside.
Still, hours later, Sully stood impatiently outside the clinic waiting for word on the birth of Colleen's baby. Inside, he could hear nothing but the distant labor screams from his daughter, that made him fight the urge to go in there and protect her.
"Andrew, she's calling for you." Dr. Mike spoke as she opened the door. Sully looked at his watch. Labor was taking longer then any he has ever seen. 72 hours later, since her water broke, there was still no baby in site. "Stay with her for a while. Let her rest." Sully saw his wife gently touch the exhausted Colleen and the worried Andrew, leaving them a moment alone.
"Are you alright, Michaela?" Sully asked tenderly hugging his wife as she nodded with far too much on her mind for words.
~*~
Brian had been in Denver when his sister went into labor. He was more concerned with the broken, silent, grungy man that replaced the good, knight of a brother that Brian had always strived to be.
Here, Matthew's pride shattered as he finally agreed to see the young man. Somehow, he knew that he would get no judgment from Brian, the tender gentle man Matthew now wished he had been.
"Hello, little brother." he forced a smile as he stood between the bars, thin from the lack of nourishment and the will to eat. "What brings you here?"
Brian laughed uneasily, like there was more then just metal bars that stood between him and his brother. "I'm accompanying Zach and Liliana back to Colorado Springs." Zachariah Lawson, was coming home for the holidays with his four year old daughter. His wife, Mary had died the year before. "I have my duties as Godfather." He stated further making small talk, he missed his brother. "What time does the trial start."
"Noon. But I don't want you to be there on Monday."
"Why?" the now twenty something year old man stated questioned his brother.
"Just go home Brian. Write me a letter about my niece or nephew." Matthew returned the look of a broken man, perhaps it was out of grief or despair. Or maybe it was shame.
~*~
"You have a girl." Michaela smiled brightly and happy that her grandchild had finally arrived. Her daughter looked at the eight pound child lovingly but even she could not hid the look of exhaust in her face. "Alexandra Rebecca." she replied looking at her husband and then kissing the baby through exultant tears. But, the family was to have yet another surprise.
"Colleen, you've got to push again. Another baby is coming!" Dr. Mike called worrying the already concerned newborn father as he held his wrapped up daughter. Charlotte Michaela Cook at six pounds seven ounces, was born moments later however, the joy of the babies' arrival was disheartened as Colleen began to bleed and her body became too worn out from labor. Michaela feared she would lose her, as the last baby came out Colleen collapsed completely. A weak baby cried softly. This time it was not the mother but the father who named the infant, Elizabeth Marjorie, barely more then three pounds.
~*~
The trial for Matthew's life lasted less than a day, he had a whole town of witnesses against him and no real defense in favor for him. Not even his family could speak on his behalf for he had shooed them all away. Acting as his own lawyer, he had tried nothing in order to perhaps sway the judge in his favor. In his mind the trial was successful, for he had punished himself as he saw fit. Just as his life was ending, his family was in Colorado Springs celebrating a new life, and to Matthew that was just as it should be.
He was sentenced to hang in the following weeks, and that was only the beginning.
~*~
A/N: More to come!