Chapter 7: Different Side of the Law

"The end of the school year is fast approachin'. I'm sure I will see many of you next August, but I know some of you are movin' away. Lenny Tandy is movin' to Denver with his family, and so is Emily Willis. Matthew Sully is going to college in Denver, while James Collins is finishing with his schooling as well. I feel like I'm just getting to know you all, and I'm going to miss you over the summer."

"But you'll see us all the time, Mrs. Baker," Bryan spoke up.

"Yes, well, I'm lucky enough to be friends with some of the families in town, so I can keep up with most of you," Jenny replied with a laugh as she walked to the front of the classroom from the back. "I was just getting to the assignment I would like you all to have in to me by the last day of school." The children all began to converse with one another in hushed whispers, wondering what Mrs. Baker wanted them to do. "I believe in the freedom of expression, so I want all of you to write an essay about somethin' excitin' that has happened to you. I want it written in proper grammar. It will be worth a hundred points and your final grade for the year." The children all whispered again, and Brian looked at Colleen and Matthew. All three of them had been through so much together, and they had endless possibilities to write their essays on. "That's all for today. Everybody get out and enjoy the beautiful sun."

The children filed out of the schoolhouse, and the Sully children all walked along together.

"What are you gonna write your paper about, Matthew?" Brian wondered.

"I don't know yet, Brian," Matthew replied.

"Well, we got lots of things to talk about," Brian said quietly. "First, there's our real ma dyin'."

"Brian, I don't think that's such a good idea," Colleen warned.

"Well, there's how ma and pa got to adopt us and how our real pa tried to take us to California. Oh, what about ma and pa knowin' they were havin' twins and keepin' it a secret?"

"Well, ya can't write about all of 'em, so ya gotta pick one," Matthew replied with a laugh.

"Which one do ya think I should write about?" Brian asked. Colleen and Matthew looked at one another.

"You gotta decide that, little brother," Matthew replied.

"Don't worry, Brian. We got two weeks before we gotta turn 'em in anyway."

"Hey, Mrs. Baker let us out early today," Matthew said with a glint in his eye. "What do ya say we go fishin'?"

"Really?" Brian asked. "Yeah. Let's go home and grab our fishin' gear. I'm sure ma and pa won't care."

"I ain't goin'," Colleen said with a disgusted look on her face.

"Since when do you hate fishin'?"

"I don't. I just feel like catchin' any fish today."

"Suit yourself," Matthew replied with a shrug. The Sully children continued on toward the homestead.

"Early Sun is doing quite well," Michaela beamed as she held the baby in her arms. Early Sun was giggling as a happy child should as the doctor tickled her tummy.

"That is good news," Snow Bird replied with relief in her voice and eyes. She took her child into her arms, and held her close. "What can I do to repay you?"

"Oh, I don't need anything but the knowledge that this little one is healthy. And I've just received that. Once she's a bit older, I would like to give her a few vaccinations I know she hasn't had."

"Good. She needs to be strong." Michaela nodded. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine," Michaela replied with a smile. "Sully and the children are fine, and we're all happy about the new baby."

"Cloud Dancing tells me that Sully believes you are carrying two girls." Michaela let out a laugh.

"Yes," she answered. "He does, and he's very confident about it." Snow Bird laughed.

"The spirits told Cloud Dancing we would have a daughter. They were right." Michaela noticed the look in Snow Bird's eyes, and she became extremely curious.

"Have the spirits told Cloud Dancing about my baby?" Snow Bird grinned.

"They have."

"Does Sully know?"

"He said he does not want to know. He wants to be surprised." Though Michaela was curious to know what the spirits told Cloud Dancing about her unborn child, she wanted to wait until the birth to know if she was getting a son or a daughter, or as Sully thought, two daughters.

The cries of Daniel from outside of the teepee startled Michaela, and she quickly went outside to find her sons sitting on a deerskin with two Cheyenne toddlers. Cloud Dancing was watching them, and Michaela saw him quickly move to pick up the crying child.

"What happened?" Michaela wondered. Cloud Dancing passed Daniel to her and the boy's loud cries ceased.

"He wanted his mother," Snow Bird realized. Michaela kissed the top of Daniel's head.

"I think he needs a nap," she concluded. I should be getting back into town. I have patients to see. Early Sun is healthy, and you have nothing to worry about."

"Thank you," Cloud Dancing said with a nod. Michaela gathered Connor up into her other arm and started toward the wagon, where Sully was brushing down the horses.

"Ready to go?" he asked.

"Yes," she answered. Sully helped her and the boys into the wagon before climbing in beside her. They started off toward town, and Michaela seemed to be lost in thought.

"Somethin' on your mind?" Michaela smiled a little, looking at the two precious boys she held in her lap.

"I was just thinking about our baby. Snow Bird told me that the spirits spoke to Cloud Dancing."
"Yeah," he replied with a nod. "Did she tell you what they said?"

"No," Michaela replied. "She didn't have the chance, but I wouldn't have wanted to know."

"Really?"

"I'm curious, yes, but I believe the natural thing to do is wait until the baby's born. There isn't a valid way to say for a fact what the baby's sex is, so I'd rather find out once the time comes." Sully smiled and wrapped his free arm around Michaela as his other held onto the reins to guide the horses.

The sun was out and the air was warm. Birds were flying overhead and chirping, so the boys would point at everything that moved. It was nearly summer, and they had never enjoyed such beautiful weather after having been born in the Autumn and living through the Winter.

"Look at the birds," Michaela said, pointing up to a very large-winged creature. "That's an eagle."

"One of these days I'm gonna teach ya everything I know about 'bout wolves, eagles, and other animals. Cloud Dancin' will teach ya too, 'cause he's had more experience with wild animals than I have. Your ma will teach ya things too. She'll teach ya manners and how to get rid of a cough." Michaela laughed at her husband's words.

"You can't exactly avoid that," Michaela replied. "Unfortunately, we can't protect the boys from everything. I only hope they will grow to be strong and healthy so they can make their own wise decisions when they're older."

The calls of a crow sounded, startling the horses. Sully slowed them to a stop and looked around.

"What is it?" Michaela wondered, an uneasy feeling settling in the pit of her stomach.

"I'm not sure," he replied. "We best be hurryin'." He brought the horses into a walk again, and soon they were trotting along quickly. Michaela held the boys snugly and watched Sully's face as it filled with worry and apprehension. The snap of a branch off to the side made Sully flinch. "Michaela, get in the back of the wagon with the boys and lay down."

"What?"

"Just do it," he whispered. Sully slowed down enough for Michaela to climb into the back and bring the boys with her. Once they were all three lying down, Sully whipped the reins, making the horses run faster than usual. The sounds of gunshots startled all of them, and the boys began to cry.

"Sully!" Michaela exclaimed.

"Stay down!" he called. He pushed the horses harder. "Yah!" The wagon barreled down the dirt road as two men on horseback began to chase after them. All that was running through Michaela's mind was whether or not she and her family would live through this, and how this was going to affect her pregnancy.

Another gunshot rang out, and Sully screamed in pain, holding his shoulder as blood began to pour out of it.

"Sully!" Michaela screamed, not knowing how serious the injury was.

"Whatever you do, don't get out of the wagon till this is over," Sully called back. He stopped the wagon, and one of the riders rode up beside him. Sully threw himself onto the man's horse, knocking him down. The other man went to help his companion, but the horse spooked and threw him right off. Michaela heard the struggle, but she didn't dare look up for fear of the safety of her sons, herself, and her unborn child. Her hand was settled protectively against her slightly protruding belly, and her mind was trying to tell her heart to stop racing.

The boys were screaming, and Michaela couldn't console them. She was too stricken with fear for her husband's life. The moments seemed to be passing like hours, and Michaela heard nothing but silence for a long while. Soon, she heard another gunshot ring out, and the screams of one of the men. She gasped, not knowing what happened. A thud followed the gunshot.

"Michaela!" Michaela scrambled to sit up in the wagon, and she saw Sully kneeling over the still body of the first attacker. The other man had been knocked out cold. Michaela checked on her crying boys, and decided it was safe to leave their sides for a few minutes. She got out of the wagon and rushed to Sully's side. She immediately began to check his shoulder.

"No, check him," he said hoarsely. Michaela looked at the man's stomach to see blood rushing from the entrance wound. She felt his neck for a pulse.

"He's dead," she whispered. Sully's face grew pale, and Michaela knew it had been in self-defense.

"We struggled with the gun," he whispered. "I never killed a man before."

"I know," Michaela whispered. "You were protecting your family and yourself." She reached over to check the other man.

"How's he?"

"He'll survive, but he'll wake up with a nasty headache." She sighed heavily and went to retrieve her medical bag. She went back to Sully's side and began to work on his shoulder. "It went right through and didn't shatter a bone. You're lucky."

"Lucky," Sully mumbled under his breath. "Luck woulda been if I hadn't pulled the trigger." Another rider approached, and Michaela immediately worried that it was a brother or another companion of the riders. The man was of middle age and dressed all in black. To top it off, he wore a black Stetson hat. Michaela held her hands up.

"Don't hurt us. We're unarmed."

"Wouldn't dream of hurtin' ya ma'am," he replied, tipping his hat. He dismounted his horse and walked over to kneel beside the two outlaws. "You shoot this man, mister?"

"It was self-defense," Michaela pointed out.

"I don't doubt that. I've been trackin' these fellas for two weeks. That's Bret and Tom Jacobs. They've been robbin' folks on these roads for years. Looks like they were gonna do the same thing to you folks." Michaela went back to suturing Sully's wound. "You did a good thing, mister, shootin' that fella."

"Ain't no good in it."

"He was gonna be hanged anyway. As for his brother, I'm puttin' him in the nearest jail 'til a marshal comes to take him away."

"We have a jail in our town. We don't have a sheriff though," Michaela explained.

"That'll do just fine, ma'am," he replied.
"Dr. Quinn," Michaela said with a nod. "This is my husband Sully."

"Pleased to meet ya both. I'm Kid Cole."

"Mr. Cole," Michaela began. Sully looked up at him.

"Kid Cole as in the gunfighter?"

"Ya heard of me?" he asked. "Well, that ain't somethin' I'm proud of, but a man's gotta keep himself alive." Michaela turned back to her husband.

"I can't do anymore out here. I want to clean it properly and bandage it again once we get back into town."

"What about your other patients?"

"They can hold," he replied. "Mrs. Eldon just has a sore throat, and I don't have to see Mr. Griggs until three." She bandaged his shoulder and he stood. Sully looked down at the man who's life he'd taken. Though the man had tried to hurt him and his family, he still felt sick to his stomach. He never thought he'd have to kill, but now that he had, he didn't know what to feel.

We best get these fellas into town. Mind if I put 'em in the back of your wagon? I'll watch the other fella so he don't try somethin' funny." Michaela nodded as Kid Cole helped Sully up into the wagon. Michaela climbed in and pulled the boys into her lap. Sully took one of the boys so Michaela could help him steer the wagon. Kid Cole slowly loaded the dead man and his unconscious brother into the back of the wagon. The group started toward town, and Michaela didn't know what to say to make her husband feel better about what had happened.

Kid Cole was at the telegraph, wiring for a marshal. The family of the Jacobs' family was coming to retrieve the body of the dead brother, and a marshal was going to come to pick up the surviving outlaw. A group of curious townsfolk had gathered outside of the telegraph office.

Meanwhile, Michaela was properly cleaning and bandaging Sully's wound. Luckily, no infection had started, but she knew she'd have to keep a close eye on it just in case.

The boys were being taken care of by Myra in the next room. Hank would have been there to help her, but curiosity had gotten the better of him, and he'd gone to personally help Kid Cole lock up Bret Jacobs while they put Tom Jacobs' body away for safe keeping until his family could come to pick him up.

Bret had woken with a terrible headache, as Michaela had predicted, and Michaela had sent some medication for the man, though he refused any care from a woman doctor.

Michaela was mostly concerned for Sully, however, because he had been very quiet since the incident on the road.

"There," she said with a weak smile as she finished tying off the bandage. "Your shoulder be sore for several weeks, but I doubt there will be any long-term complications." Sully nodded and slowly began to button up his shirt. Michaela helped him, and her eyes tried to lock with his, but he wouldn't look her in the eyes. "Sully?"

"What?" he asked quietly.

"What happened today wasn't your fault."

"I know that," he replied softly.

"So stop blaming yourself."

"I ain't blamin' myself. Those two shouldn't have been out doin' what they were doin'. I was tryin' to protect my family, but I shouldn't have pulled the trigger."

"You had no choice! Sully, if one more second had passed, he could have turned the tables. I might not be standing here talking to you right now. I might be standing over your grave."

"Don't talk like that," Sully said quietly, standing up.

"It's the truth. I know you feel guilty, but that man was trying to kill you! If he'd gotten past you, he'd have killed me, our sons, and our unborn baby would have died too."

"You actually think it's a good thing that he's dead?"

"Of course not. But I'm saying . . ."

"What?"

"I'm saying it's better him than you." Sully never expected to hear those words out of his wife's mouth, but he knew it was the truth. Honestly, he'd rather have killed than to see his wife hurt, and he knew now that she was feeling the same way.

"Never thought I'd hear you say those words," Sully said quietly.

"Well, now you know. Sully, I hope you know by now that I'm not willing to lose you. I would walk through fire if it meant sparing you or the children any harm. I love you all so much, and I'm not willing to lose any of you." Tears filled her eyes, and Sully pulled her close with his good arm.

"You ain't gonna lose me or the kids," he whispered. "We'll always be here."

"There are no guarantees," Michaela whispered. She swallowed hard and forced a small smile. "All I know is that I am going to love you no matter what happens. Today was an unfortunate accident, but it doesn't make me love you or respect you any less. Just promise me you won't go jumping off of moving wagons anytime soon." Sully managed a small smile and kissed his wife softly.

"I promise."

"Go upstairs and get some rest. I'll bring something for you to eat from Grace's."

"What about the kids?"

"I'll have Horace ride out to the homestead to tell them what's going on." Sully nodded and started up the stairs. Michaela waited until she heard a door open and close upstairs before she walked into the other room to check on Myra and the babies. "How are they doing?"

"They're doin' just fine. They went to sleep a couple minutes ago."

"Thank you Myra. Would you mind watching them for a few minutes? I need to have Horace ride out to the homestead to tell the children what's happening."

"Horace is awful busy with sendin' telegraphs to them boys' family and to the marshal. Why don't ya ask Hank to go out and tell 'em."

"Do you think he'd mind?"

"Nah," Myra replied. Michaela smiled and walked out of the clinic. She headed over to the jail, where the crowd had followed Kid Cole.

"Is it true ya killed fifteen men in Soda Springs?" Hank asked as he took a puff on his cigar.

"Nope," Kid Cole replied. "Didn't kill nobody in Soda Springs." Michaela made her way through the crowd.

"Hank? May I speak with you for a moment?" Hank walked away from the crowd with Michaela, tossed his cigar onto the ground and stepped on it, extinguishing the burning end.

"What is it, Michaela?"

"I would ask Horace this favor, but he's very busy. Would you mind riding out to the homestead and letting Colleen, Matthew, and Brian know what's going on?"

"Sure," he replied. "Is Myra stayin' here?"

"Yes. She's watching Connor and Daniel as we speak."

"Alright. You want me to bring 'em into town?"

"They can come if they'd like. Make sure they know that Sully's fine, and that his injuries aren't too severe."

"I'll head out there right now. I closed up the saloon anyway once Kid Cole came into town with them outlaws. I'm sure once it all settles down this evenin', the fellas will be linin' up for a drink." He started off to get his horse, and Michaela shook her head and walked up to the door of the jail. She started to walk inside, but Kid Cole put his hand on the door.

"Sorry ma'am, but ya can't see the prisoner."

"Excuse me, Mr. Cole?"

"The marshal will be comin' for him soon, and he ain't allowed visitors."

"I'm not a visitor. I'm a doctor."

"He don't need a doctor."

"I want to check on his headache."

"Just did. He said it's fine," Kid Cole replied. "Sorry ma'am. He's my prisoner, and I gotta keep him locked up 'til the marshal gets here."

"You're a gunfighter, Kid Cole," Robert E. spoke up. "Didn't think you much cared for doin' right by the laws."

"Well, somehow I ended up on the right side of the law for a change, though sometimes I ain't sure which side is right and which is wrong."

"How did you get to workin' for the law, Mr. Cole?" Dorothy wondered, as she held her pencil poised at her notepad.

"I can't rightly remember, ma'am. All I know is that one day, I was runnin' from the law, and the next, I was helpin' 'em find the man who shot me in the back." Michaela sighed heavily and decided it would do no good to try to get in to see the patient again.

She started back over to the clinic and relieved Myra of her duties. Her other patients hadn't come in for their appointments, so Michaela figured they had decided they didn't need medical services. She put a closed sign on the door outside, locked up downstairs so her boys would be safe, and started up the stairs to check on her husband.

When she walked into the room, Sully was resting on top of the covers with his eyes closed. She could tell that he was sleeping and didn't want to disturb him, so she silently shut the door and crept back down the stairs.

A knock came to the door a few minutes later, and Jenny Baker walked in.

"Dr. Mike?"

"Oh, hello Jenny."

"Hey. How's Sully doin'?"

"He's resting," Michaela replied.

"I heard about what happened. He sure was brave." Michaela swallowed hard.

"He thought he was doing the right thing."

"He was."

"But now he feels guilty for what happened to Tom Jacobs."

"Those men were gonna rob you and maybe worse," Jenny explained. "I'm sure it was an accident, but it's good that they were stopped before anyone else became their victims."

"He's really shaken up about this," Michaela admitted. "I want to be there for him, and I hope he doesn't try to shut me out and try to protect me from what he's going thorough. Sully and I vowed to be there for each other in sickness and in hell, and I have a feeling that this is going to be his hell."

That night, Sully was resting comfortably upstairs at the homestead. The children had been full of questions when they Michaela and Sully returned home, but unfortunately for them, Sully hadn't felt much like talking. He'd eaten something brought from Grace's before he and Michaela came home, and he went right up to bed as soon as they arrived.

Matthew understood that Sully was shaken up. It was understandable. Not too long ago, Matthew had nearly killed a man in order to protect the life of an innocent child. Nearly taking a life had shaken him up enough, so he knew he couldn't know exactly what Sully was going through.

Michaela had been checking on her husband periodically, but he seemed to be sleeping, which was good, because he needed rest.

Brian had been curious and asking questions about the Jacobs brothers, and Matthew and Colleen had had a talk with him when Michaela helped Sully to bed, warning him to be careful about what he said about the situation. He hadn't quite picked up on what the term 'tact' meant yet.

While Michaela was upstairs, Colleen looked at her little brother.

"Brian, ya know ya can't go blurtin' stuff out about the Jacobs' brothers. Sully feels bad about what happened so ya gotta make sure ya don't upset him."

"But he killed Tom Jacobs' to protect ma and the twins."

"Yeah, but he thinks he coulda stopped it," Matthew replied. "Just watch what you say, alright?"

"Okay," Brian replied. Michaela came down the stairs looking exhausted. She had been going back and forth between the children and Sully all evening. It wasn't good for her or the baby.

"Ma, why don't ya go up to bed?" Colleen wondered. "We'll finish up all the chores and turn down all the oil lamps once we go up to bed."

"Are you sure about that?"

"Yeah," Colleen said with a nod. "You need to rest." Michaela was too tired to argue with her daughter, so she simply nodded. She walked over to kiss the children goodnight and was soon retiring to the bedroom.

When she stepped inside, she silently slipped out of her shoes and dress and into a nightgown. She pulled back the covers on her side of the bed, and pulled herself into bed as slowly as she could, trying not to wake her sleeping husband.

Once she was securely in bed, she turned down the oil lamp, and the only light in the room was that of the fire blazing in the fireplace. She stared at her husband's sleeping form for a long while before she finally drifted off to sleep.

At around midnight, Michaela woke to movement in her bed. She sat up to find that Sully was in the midst of a bad dream. He was sweating all over, his chest was heaving, and he was making unpleasant noises from the back of his throat.

"No," he mumbled. "I didn't mean to kill you." Michaela's heart began to break for her husband, and she knew there was nothing she could do for him right now except to console him and hear him out. She tenderly placed her hand over his heart, and that action seemed to soothe Sully in his sleep. He stopped tossing and turning, and his breathing returned to normal.

"Sleep now," she whispered. She crept out of bed, pulled on a robe and left the bedroom. She walked downstairs and poured herself a glass of milk. She sat down at the table and put her hand on her slightly extended belly.

"Your father's going to be alright," she whispered. "He's going through a rough time, but we'll all be there for him and help him." She swallowed hard, hoping that Sully wouldn't start to push her away. She knew he was making himself sick with grief, and she didn't know how to stop that grief except to give him time.

A slight tapping at the front door sparked Michaela's curiosity. Who could be visiting at a time like this?

She pulled her robe tightly around herself and walked over to the door.

"Who is it?" she whispered.

"It's me, Hank," he whispered.

"What in the world?" she whispered to herself. She slowly opened the door and Hank appeared out of the darkness.

"What's wrong?"

"It's Bret Jacobs. He's escaped."

"What?!" Michaela asked. "How is that possible?"

"Kid Cole was lettin' the Reverend in to sit with him. I told him he shoulda just let the Reverend sit on the outside, but who listens to me, huh? Anyway, Bret knocked both of 'em over, and he's on the loose. I thought you should know."

"Thank you for telling me. Are Reverend Johnson and Kid Cole both alright?"

"They're fine. We're organizin' a search party in town. We don't want ya to worry, but we thought you and Sully had the right to know."
"Well, thank you again for coming out here to tell me." Hank nodded. "Goodnight." Michaela slowly shut the door and heard footsteps on the stairs.

"Ma?" It was Matthew.

"Oh, Matthew, it's late. You should go back up to bed."

"I heard a horse comin'."

"That was just Hank."

"What'd he want?" Michaela sighed and motioned for her son to come over. They both sat down at the table.

"Bret Jacobs escaped from the jail."

"What? Did they catch him?"

"No," Michaela replied. "But they're organizing a search party."

"Ma, what if he figures out where we live? What if he comes for Sully?"

"I don't want to wake Sully. He needs his rest. I'll let him know about this in the morning. For now, I think we should all get some sleep."

"Ma, I'll stay up and watch out."

"Matthew, you don't have to do that. What about school?"

"School can wait. I'm sure Mrs. Baker will understand if I'm a little tired tomorrow. Who else is gonna stay up? You?" he asked, rolling his eyes.

"Just because I'm a woman, you think I can't help protect my family?" Michaela asked defensively. "Well, I'll tell you one thing . . ."

"Ma! I'm sorry," he said quickly, trying to avoid a mood swing catastrophe. "I'm just sayin' that you're pregnant and need rest."

"Oh," Michaela replied, slightly embarrassed. She shook her head. "I don't want you getting hurt."

"I ain't gonna get hurt. I'm just gonna stay in here and listen for anything suspicious."

"Promise me you'll come upstairs and let me know if anything strange happens?" Michaela asked, feeling herself growing more exhausted by the moment.

"I promise. Besides, Wolf and Pup will keep me company." He looked over at the two dogs who were sleeping by the fire." Michaela cocked her head worriedly.

"Alright," she whispered. "Keep the doors locked and stay inside."

"I will," he replied. He kissed her cheek and she slowly started back up to bed. Matthew settled down in a chair in front of the fire. He glanced up at the shotgun, knowing he wouldn't shoot another man again unless he absolutely had to.