Chapter 5: Rescue Me

Sully pulled back and enfolded Michaela into a hug. They held each other for the longest time, hearing and feeling nothing but the beating of each other's hearts. Michaela's breathing was returning to normal, and when she and Sully pulled away from one another, she ran her fingers through her hair and blushed wildly.

"Perhaps we should get you back to town."

"Maybe that's a good idea," Sully agreed. Michaela stood and limped a bit on her sore knee. Sully stood slowly and stood still for a moment until his dizziness passed.

"Are you feeling up to going back?"

"Yeah," he answered. "As long as you are."

"I'm fine," she replied. "We'll help each other." Sully wrapped one arm around Michaela's waist and she wrapped an arm around his as they started back up the hill, slowly and painfully.

"We're about a half-day's walk from town," Sully explained. "It's gonna take us even longer with that hurt knee of yours."

"I'll be alright."

"I don't want ya hurtin' yourself even more. We'll take it easy. If we have to, we'll sleep at the lean to tonight."

"Alone?" Michaela asked abruptly. "Together?"

"Well, we gotta sleep somewhere. We might as well stay together to be safe."

"Oh, right," Michaela replied, not believing that she was actually having flashes of her fantasies at a moment like that. She bit her bottom lip, partially because she was in pain, but mostly because she was nervous about what the night would bring.

"You sure you're alright?" Sully asked after a few minutes of silence.

"Of course I'm alright," she answered as casually as she possibly could. They walked in silence, clinging to one another, afraid to let go for fear of losing each other again. Wolf was ahead, making sure that danger wasn't lurking. Michaela could feel the pain in her knee throbbing, but she didn't want to stop. She wanted to get back home as soon as she could. She hoped to be sleeping in her own bed within the next day.

She looked over at Sully who seemed to be doing fine. She was still concerned about the wound on the back of his head, but she hadn't noticed any swelling. She was going to keep a close eye on him, however, because she was extremely worried that something was going to go wrong.

Sully noticed Michaela watching him, and he knew what she was doing.

"Don't worry 'bout me," he warned. "I'm fine. You just worry about that knee of yours."

"Your head is a bit more important that my knee," Michaela replied as they finally reached the top of the hill. She took a deep breath. "There. Now it's just down this side and we're on pretty flat territory."

"You're learnin' your way around, huh?"

"I had to. I had to find you," Michaela replied.

"I'm glad ya did," Sully replied with a smile. Michaela smiled back and they held each other closer and tighter as they steadied themselves down the hill. It seemed to take forever to get to flat land, but they managed to do so within five minutes. The pressure Michaela was feeling in her knee wasn't as bad when she didn't have to walk up or down a hill.

Sully's head was starting to throb in the back where his wound was, but he didn't want to say anything to concern Michaela. He knew that he had just gotten one hell of a headache and it would go away. Perhaps he'd ask Michaela for something to get rid of the pain when they got back to town.

"How are you feeling?" Michaela asked after awhile of walking in the woods.

"I'm alright. I just can't wait to get to the lean to."

"It'll probably be another hour or two of walking," Michaela replied with a sigh.

"Well, at least the company I've got is good." Michaela grinned up at him and then winced in pain as she felt the scab on her wound bust open. "Ow!" She lowered herself to the ground and Sully knelt down beside her. She lifted her skirt above her knee and revealed her bandage. The blood was coming through, and she knew she didn't have many bandages left.

"I better change these before we continue on," Michaela pointed out. Sully nodded and watched Michaela open her medical bag. He couldn't help but gaze at her long, smooth, silky leg that was paler than her face from being secluded from the sunlight. She looked like a porcelain doll underneath those heavy dresses, and he found himself desiring to see what the rest of her looked like.

Michaela didn't noticed Sully's admiration of her beautiful pale skin as she worked at replacing the bandages. She dabbed a bit of antiseptic onto her skin and hissed at its sting. Sully smiled at her vulnerability. As she was rummaging through her medical bag, she was trying to ignore the throbbing pain from her knee. Sully leaned over and gently blew onto her wound as someone would do for a child with a scraped knee. He felt the intense urge to tell her she was all better, but when he saw the look in her eyes, he saw the same desire in her that he was feeling.

Before either one of them could think, they were being pulled together by a source that was stronger than both of them combined. Their lips met and their tongues danced together in a rhythm as old as time. The pain both of them were feeling was gone, temporarily eased by this sudden burst of energy. They were in the woods, secluded from the entire world, and they had an incredible desire to be with one another. They both knew it shouldn't happen yet, but it was an uncontrollable force bringing them together.

Michaela leaned onto her back and Sully crawled over her, placing kisses on her neck and her collarbone. He wanted so badly to see the beautiful skin underneath of her clothes that had never been touched by another man's hands before. It was thrilling to know that he was the only man Michaela had ever gotten this close to, and that made his desire for her grow even stronger. Michaela could feel his desire against her thigh, and she gasped for breath.

"We shouldn't be doing this," she whispered in a ragged breath. Her head was screaming at her to stop, but her body was strongly suggestion that she let her thoughts stop for one moment. Sully's hands hadn't roamed anywhere new yet, but he was about to reach for the buttons on her blouse when reality came back with Wolf's barking.

Sully pulled back, realizing what was about to happen. She sat up and helped Michaela sit. Her face was flushed from both embarrassment and from passion. She found herself craving more of Sully's touch, but she knew that it wasn't right.

"I'm sorry 'bout that." Wolf was still barking, but Sully soon saw that he was barking at a rabbit. He ran off to chase it and Michaela and Sully both collapsed in each other's arms, laughing almost uncontrollably.

"Saved by the wolf, huh?" Michaela asked. Sully laughed a little, despite the pain that was coming back to his head. Michaela's heart was still pounding, and she felt as if it was going to pound right out of her chest. She swallowed hard and proceeded to finish re-bandaging her knee. Sully looked away, trying to hide the embarrassment he felt for letting his passion become physically aware to Michaela and himself. But, he knew that with her knowledge of the human body, she would understand.

"I'm really sorry, Dr. Mike."

"Why is it that when we're not kissing or hugging, I'm Dr. Mike. But when we are, I'm Michaela."

"I dunno," Sully replied. "I s'pose that Michaela's a name I'd rather use when we're bein' romantic. It doesn't seem right to be callin' the woman you love Dr. Mike when you're dancin' or cuddlin'." Michaela bit her lip and giggled a little. Sully laughed and stood up.

"Where are you going?"

"I ain't leavin' ya if that's what you're askin'. I'm just stretchin'." Michaela smiled up at him and she bit her lip, remembering every feeling she had just experienced with Sully. She found herself not being able to concentrate on tying the bandage up to keep it in place. Sully noticed this, so he knelt down and tied the knot for her. "You looked like your mind was in another place for a minute."

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "It's just that . . ."

"Shh," he answered, putting his fingers against her lips. "No need to apologize." Michaela blushed again and Sully helped her stand. "You okay to walk?"

"Yes," she breathed, staring into his eyes. She wanted to kiss him, but she knew where that got them the last time. So, they continued on in silence, holding onto each other for support.

"I ain't seen any sign of 'em," Horace said with an exasperated sigh, taking his hat off to wipe the sweat from his brow.

"We checked the homestead, the road, and even back in town," Jake pointed out.

"We ain't givin' up wither," Matthew replied.

"I'm with Matthew," Robert E. replied.

"I ain't sayin' we're givin' up. But maybe somebody needs to go back to town to update your little brother and sister," Jake replied. Matthew shook his head.

"Ain't no need to scare 'em. They're already worried enough about our ma as it is. They don't need to think the worst has happened to Dr. Mike." Jake nodded and wiped the sweat from his face with his handkerchief.

"Let's double back then and take a look near the creek."

"Sounds good to me," Horace added.

"Alright," Matthew replied with a nod. He and Robert E. took the lead of the search as Jake and Horace followed behind closely.

Myra walked into Mr. Bray's mercantile where Grace was purchasing some table cloths.

"Oh! Myra, I was just about to come look for you!" Grace exclaimed with a grin. Loren shook his head with amusement and added up Grace's total.

"That'll be five dollars. You want me to put that on your account?" Loren asked.

"Yes, thank you," Grace replied. Loren nodded and went about dusting off his counters.

"What did ya want to talk to me about?" Myra asked as she and Grace walked outside.

"I got enough money to start my own café! I'm settin' it up out near the livery, because Robert E.'s lettin' me use his land. I'm openin' it up tomorrow mornin', and I was wonderin' if you were still lookin' for a job."

"Well, I ain't the best cook in the world, but I'm tryin' to learn."

"You don't need to know how to cook right away. I just need somebody to help me waitress," Grace replied. "You can write down orders, right?"

"I don't know how to read very good. I'm learnin' that too."

"Well, then you can just help me take orders to the customers," Grace replied with an understanding smile.

"You mean it? You're really givin' me a job?"

"Does fifty cents a day sound good to you?"

"That sounds good!" Myra exclaimed. "Oh, thank you Grace. I really appreciate this." Myra hugged the woman who laughed happily.

"Well come help me set the tables up. Then we'll go 'round town advertisin'." The two women walked off, chattering excitedly about Grace's Café.

"Where are they?" Brian asked, pacing the porch of the clinic. Colleen was sitting on the bench, watching her little brother pace nervously. He was worried because he hadn't seen Sully in awhile, and because Dr. Mike still hadn't come into town. Matthew wasn't even back with the posse.

"They'll all be back before dinner, I'm sure," Colleen replied.

"Well, if Dr. Mike's gonna be our new ma, God shouldn't take her away like he's takin' ma."

"Brian, I'm sure that ain't gonna happen. You gotta think positive."

"I don't know if I can."

"Sure ya can. C'mon. I've got some butter and egg money. I'll buy you some gumdrops and licorice." She tickled her brother until he began to laugh. "I'm sure that'll make ya feel better. I'm only offerin' this once." Brian thought about it for a minute before he nodded.

"Okay," he replied. Colleen took his hand and led him over to the mercantile.

It was getting dark, and Sully and Michaela had finally made it to Sully's lean to.

"We might be able to make it back to town in an hour," Sully explained. He saw how tired Michaela looked and he knew she couldn't travel any further. He helped her sit down, and she exposed her sore knee to the cold. Sully pulled a blanket up around her shoulders and took one for himself. He started to build a fire with some nearby firewood he had chopped a few days ago. "Are ya hungry?"

"I couldn't possibly eat anything. I just want to sleep." As the fire began to build, Sully and Michaela huddled around it, warming their hands. Sully noticed how Michaela was gently rubbing her leg, trying to keep it from cramping.

"Here," Sully whispered. He took Michaela's legs into his lap and took her feet off. He slowly removed her torn stockings and put them aside. He began to massage her feet softly, rubbing his fingers on her sore soles.

"Oh that feels nice," Michaela whispered. Her toes stretched out and wriggled a little. Sully chuckled and his eyes sparkled in the firelight. Michaela licked her lips absent-mindedly, and Sully wanted to lean in to kiss her, but the sound of hoof beats coming up close startled them both.

"Dr. Mike?!"

"That's Matthew!" Michaela exclaimed. "Matthew! Matthew!"

"They're this way!" Matthew yelled out. A few moments later, four men on horseback appeared. Matthew dismounted first and ran over to Dr. Mike and Sully. "Dr. Mike? Are you okay?"

"I'm alright. Sully and I helped each other," she replied softly. Matthew pulled her into a hug without even thinking, but once he realized what was happening, he didn't pull away. They embraced each other tightly, as if they were family. Jake, Horace, and Robert E. dismounted and walked over to the fire.

"You're both hurt?" Jake asked.

"We're alright now," Michaela replied with a smile and a sparkle in her own eyes.

"Why don't you boys stay here for the night and warm yourselves by the fire? It'll be easier to get back to town in the mornin'."

"Well, if you insist," Robert E. said with a chuckle. So, the men all sat around the fire with Dr. Mike, Sully, and Wolf, all happy to see each other. Michaela and Sully had wanted to spend the evening in each other's company, but it was probably best that the men showed up when they did, because Michaela didn't feel strong enough to resist Sully and he didn't feel strong enough to resist her.

They all fell asleep around the warm fire that night, the search posse dreaming of getting back to town in the morning while Sully and Michaela dreamed about each other and their futures together.