Chapter Twelve

"Over here, Matthew!" Colleen exclaimed as she held her hand out to receive the rag ball that Matthew had been throwing around with Sully. It was later in the afternoon, and Sully was just about to go to the barn to hitch the wagon so they could go into town. But, when they saw Dr. Mike's horse, Bear, galloping up with the beautiful lady doctor on his back, they all stopped their game to turn around.

"Afternoon, Dr. Mike," Sully greeted her, holding a hand out to help her down from the saddle.

"Thank you," she said quietly. Once her feet were planted on the ground, she turned to the children and smiled. "Good afternoon." The children said their various hellos, and Colleen nudged Matthew.

"Let's give 'em some time alone," she whispered. Michaela glanced at Sully when Colleen whispered to her brother, but Sully only shrugged.

"Uh, Pa? Me and Colleen just remembered we still got chores to do." Matthew and Colleen rushed into the house to do their chores. Michaela laughed softly.

"Looks like they want us to be together as much as we do," Sully suggested. Michaela only blushed as Sully stepped closer to her. "What brings ya out here?"

"Well, I was wondering if . . ." she began, but felt foolish for calling on Sully. It was usually the man who called upon the woman. Sully realized what was going on, and he didn't mind one bit.

"Yeah?" Michaela's cheeks were starting to turn a deep crimson, and she blushed, looking away. "You can ask me anything, ya know?"

"Well, I was just wondering if you would like to take a walk with me. It's a beautiful day, and soon, it'll be too cold."
"It ain't never too cold to go for a walk with a pretty lady," Sully pointed out. He leaned in and pressed a respectful kiss to her cheek. Giggling was heard from inside of the house a moment later. Sully glanced toward the window to see his oldest son and his daughter watching them with their noses pressed against the glass. He raised an eyebrow with amusement, and they scrambled away to do their chores. "Well, we ain't busy. Ya mind the kids comin' along? I don't like leavin' 'em alone."

"Well, I wasn't just inviting you," Michaela said with a playful smile. "Of course the children are welcome to come along. I wouldn't have it any other way.

"Sure ya would," he whispered quietly with a suggestive smile.

"Sully!" she laughed. Sully chuckled and turned toward the house.

"Ya can stop listenin' at the door now," he called out. "I know the two of ya ain't doin' your chores, so bring your brother out here, and we'll go for a walk." A moment later, Matthew and Colleen emerged with Brian in tow. Sully took Brian into his arms, and Michaela linked her arm through his free one. The children walked ahead, playing with Wolf, and both Michaela and Sully enjoyed the silence as Brian slept in his father's arms.

Michaela glanced at Brian and then at Sully.

"Sully?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you ever worry?"

"'Bout what?"

"About their real father?" Michaela asked. "Do you ever worry that he'll come back to take them away?"

"I ain't too worried, no," Sully replied. Michaela was surprised!

"You're not worried at all? Sully, their father has the legal right to take them away. I'm not saying that I think he should, but I'm saying that you should be prepared." Sully looked at her and then at the children who were playing happily. He realized that he wouldn't be able to take it if he couldn't see his children's smiling faces every day. Having a family seemed so natural to him, when just a little over a year ago, he never would have thought of himself as a family man.

"He ain't got a right," Sully said quietly. "He ran out on 'em, and he don't even know 'bout Brian. If he wanted to be a pa to 'em, he woulda stayed with his wife instead of runnin' off to do what he wanted to do. Ethan Cooper is a selfish man, and he don't care about those kids."

"I'm sorry if I've upset you," she whispered softly.

"Ya didn't. Ethan's just a sore subject with me." Michaela nodded understandingly. She slowly reached over to play with the soft blonde hair upon Brian's head. Sully grinned as Brian's eyes slowly closed. "He didn't have a bit of hair on his head the day he was born. Seems like it ain't been that long, ya know? He's getting bigger every day, but I ain't seein' it."

"Because you're with him every day. It's quite normal not to notice the changes, because he changes every moment before your eyes, and it's something you've gotten used to." Sully liked the way Michaela said that. He couldn't bear the thought of missing out on the children's lives. Having them in his life made everything so much better. He could have fun and be a father, and though he was still lonely sometimes, having three small children to comfort through their own ordeals, such as nightmares, seemed to make everything else less important. The only other thing that Sully cared about as much as his children was Michaela. He loved her so, and he felt lucky just knowing her.

"Have you ever thought about adoption?" Michaela queried as they strolled along. Sully looked at the lady doctor.

"Adoption? 'Course I thought about it. I just never thought it mattered, ya know? I'm givin' 'em a good home."

"Yes, but technically, they could be taken from you, Sully. You don't have any legal or parental ties to them."

"Charlotte gave 'em to me, so I don't think it'd be right for nobody to take 'em away."

"I agree. But, some people don't care about that. I'm just suggesting that it would be in your best interest, and theirs, if you were to go about a legal adoption." Sully swallowed hard and looked at Brian. The thought of never getting to rock him to sleep again at night broke his heart. There had been mornings when Colleen had desperately pleaded with her father to braid her hair, and though Sully didn't know a thing about braiding, he always tried to help her out. He couldn't picture what it would be like to live alone again.

"Ya know, until right now, I never thought 'bout Ethan takin' 'em away." Michaela felt bad for making him worry, but she knew that it was better to wonder and worry about it rather than to be completely surprised if a day came that Ethan returned to take them away.

They continued to walk until they arrived at the nearest creek. While Colleen pinned up her skirt above her knees, and Matthew rolled up his pant legs, they waded in the water while it was still at a decent temperature. Soon, the earth and the water would be too cold to have this much fun.

Michaela and Sully sat down upon the soft grass, and Michaela placed Brian in his father's lap. Brian continued to sleep as the breeze blew over the water, causing the water to ripple even out of reach of the children's splashes.

"I never noticed how much they changed since I got 'em," Sully noted. Michaela gazed at Sully with a smile upon her lips.

"How have they changed?"

"Well, Colleen still had her two front teeth when I first took 'em in. She was probably a couple inches shorter. Her hair's grown longer than it was. Matthew's at least a half a foot taller than he used to be. His hair's a lot brighter. It used to be nearly brown like his ma's. Brian, well, he's changed a lot, 'cause he was just born when I took him in." Michaela smiled.

"I know I've told you this before, Sully, but you are doing an amazing job with them. They think the world of you."

"I gotta say the same thing 'bout you."

"What?"

"Every time the kids leave the clinic, they always have somethin' nice to say 'bout ya. Colleen looks up to ya, and I think it's good that she's got a lady in her life again." Michaela smiled, and her cheeks blushed. "I'm glad to have ya in my life, Dr. Mike." Michaela's hand moved to caress Sully's lightly stubbled face. His hand moved to lie over hers, and he brought it to his lips to kiss her knuckles. Michaela's heart skipped a beat, and the two leaned in toward one another. When their lips met, it was as if a spark moved from their lips to their hearts, igniting more passionate feelings.

"Ooooh," the children giggled from the water. Michaela and Sully pulled away from one another quickly to look over and see the children standing still in the water watching them. Colleen giggled, and Sully gave them a stern glance, but he couldn't help but smile.

"What's so funny?"

"You're kissin' . . . eeeew," Colleen replied. Michaela blushed with a happy sort of embarrassment, and when the children turned back to playing, and Wolf jumped in the creek to play as well, Michaela and Sully looked at one another and couldn't help but laugh.

"Guess they'll understand when they're older," he whispered, caressing her cheek. Michaela felt shivers course throughout her body.

As they were leaning in for another kiss, a horse came galloping up, sounding like thunder in the sky. It was Cloud Dancing! Michaela and Sully immediately stood, and Colleen and Matthew rushed out of the creek. Sully handed Brian to Michaela.

"Hey Cloud Dancin'!" Matthew said cheerfully.

"Haho, my family," Cloud Dancing greeted them. Sully noticed that Cloud Dancing had brought along an extra horse.

"What's goin' on?" Sully wondered.

"Dog Soldiers are planning an attack on the white men in order to get food," Cloud Dancing replied. "They will not listen to me, but they will consider listening to you, because you are white. You can talk to the white men." Sully glanced nervously at Michaela.

"I gotta do this," he explained.

"Pa, be careful," Colleen whispered, tugging on his hand. Sully picked her up and hugged her before putting her back down.

"I'll be back 'round dark," he said quietly. "Dr. Mike, do ya mind takin' 'em?"

"Of course not. We'll be fine," Michaela promised. Sully nodded, mounted Cloud Dancing's spare horse, and they rode off toward the reservation with Wolf running after them. After a few moments, Michaela looked down at Colleen and Matthew and shifted Brian onto her hip. "Come along. We'll go have pie at Grace's." The children started toward town, and Michaela lingered for a few seconds, worrying about Sully, before she started after them with Brian.


Colleen sat upon Michaela's bed as the young doctor went about dusting off her bedside tables. Colleen was glancing curiously at a beautiful china doll that sat upon the bureau. Michaela caught the gleam in young Colleen Cooper's eye and smiled.

"Her name is Ella," Michaela explained. "I honestly don't know why I still have her. My mother bought her for me when I was about your age."

"Really?" Colleen asked.

"Really," Michaela replied. She put her dusting cloths down and moved to take the doll off of her stand. Michaela smiled at the memory of receiving it for her sixth birthday. "It was my sixth birthday when I received Ella."

"Really! My sixth birthday is next week! I don't think Pa could afford one of those though," Colleen replied. "But that's okay. Matthew and Brian would break it anyway." Michaela smiled softly and sat down next to Colleen on the bed.

"My mother told me that she wasn't for playing with. She said that Ella could be broken so easily, so I never played with her."

"Never!" Colleen asked. The doctor nodded. "A doll that never gets played with? Why would your ma give ya a doll that ya ain't allowed to play with?"

"She said that one day I could give Ella to my daughter," Michaela replied. She swallowed hard and traced her fingertips along the beautiful painted face of the black-haired doll. Colleen watched her with wide eyes. "As I grew older, I realized that a doll who wasn't played with wasn't a doll at all. It was merely something to be stared at and admired for its beauty. But it wasn't shown the love a doll should be shown from a little girl. I never once got to brush her hair or change her dress for fear that she would shatter in my hands, and mother would be angry with me."

"That's sad," Colleen said quietly.

"Well, I always planned on giving her to my first-born daughter," Michaela explained. "But, Ella hasn't had somebody to love her with all of their heart, and I don't think anyone should have to wait for that." She slowly handed the delicate doll to Colleen. "But, I'm sure you can show her what it's like to be a real doll."

"Ya mean . . . she's mine!" Colleen asked with excitement in her voice.

"She's yours. Consider her an early sixth birthday present." Colleen placed the doll gently on the bed before leaping into Michaela's lap.

"Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you!" Colleen exclaimed, hugging her tightly. Michaela held the girl close, loving how just the simplest gesture of giving a doll to Colleen had made her beam with happiness. What she wouldn't give for life to be so simple again. Childhood seemed to have been a billion years ago.

Brian began to cry in the other room, and Michaela let Colleen remove herself from her lap before she stood to go check on the boy. He was toddling about one of the recovery rooms while Matthew sat upon the bed with a few woodcarvings that Sully had made for him.

"What's the matter?" Michaela asked as Brian came toddling over with his arms outstretched. Tears streaked down his cheeks as his little chest shuddered from his sobs. She picked him up, and he buried his face on her shoulder.

"He wanted to play with one of my toys, but he's too young," Matthew pointed out. Michaela sighed.

"It's polite to share."

"But, he always breaks all my stuff," Matthew argued. At that point, a frantic call from downstairs echoed up into the bedroom. Michaela rushed down the stairs with Brian in her arms, and the older Cooper children followed right behind her.

Horace was holding a screaming Sam in his arms and was shaking with fright.

"Children, please wait outside with your brother," Michaela said softly. She handed Brian to Matthew, and the three were ushered out the door. Michaela quickly took Sam into her arms.

"What happened?" she inquired, listening to his heart through her telescope.

"His temperature just soared, and he started cryin'. He wasn't hungry, 'cause Myra fed him 'fore she left."

"Left?"

"She rode out to Widow Baker's house to take her some soup from Grace's. She left me with him for a few hours, and that was when he started getting worse." Michaela opened up the baby's shirt and slowly moved to unwrap his bandages. What she saw before her made her gasp. "What happened? Dr. Mike? Ya said he was gonna be alright!"

"Horace, I need you to wait outside."

"I ain't leavin'!" Horace yelled.

"Go now," Michaela replied. "You being here is not going to help your son. I need to operate now and cut away the infected tissue." Horace realized how bad that sounded, and he watched as his son lie writhing in pain. A moment later, he was being pulled out the door by a worried Robert E."

"C'mon. Let Dr. Mike do her job, Horace." When Michaela was alone with the baby, she began her emergency attempt to save his life.


A crowd had gathered outside of the clinic, and Brian was growing restless in the confines of his brother's arms. Colleen was walking about with Ella in her arms, pretending that Ella was a real baby.

"Alright, Brian!" Matthew exclaimed with exasperation. He put the boy down but took his hand firmly in his own. Brian began to walk around, tugging on his brother's arm.

While Colleen was over talking with another girl from school and showing off the beautiful doll that Michaela had given her, one of Matthew's wood carvings fell into the dusty street. He let go of Brian's hand for a moment to kneel down and pick it up. He noticed that the ear to his carved horse had fallen off.

"Oh no!" Matthew exclaimed. He sighed heavily, and Colleen came walking over.

"What?" the girl asked impatiently as she smoothed the dark hair on her beloved doll.

"Brian made me drop this, and it broke!" Matthew said with frustration in his voice.

"It's alright. Pa can make ya a new one," Colleen said softly. "Don't worry." She looked around. "Matthew, where's Brian?" Matthew stood up quickly, and his other carvings fell into the dirt.

"He was just here!" Matthew exclaimed. "Brian!"

"He's little, and he couldn'ta gotten far," Colleen noted. "C'mon. Let's go find 'im 'fore we get in trouble for losin' him!" The two hurried off in search of their little brother. At that moment, Michaela walked out of the clinic with a grim expression upon her face. The crowd that had gathered was there to support Horace.

"How is he, Dr. Mike?" Grace asked as she held Anthony on her hip. Michaela turned her eyes to Horace and shook her head.

"I'm sorry, Horace. I did everything I could, but Sam was too weak to survive," she said sadly. Horace looked as if he'd been shot right through the heart.

"No!" he yelled. "No! He ain't dead!"

"I'm sorry, Horace. There was nothing I could do."

"You did this," he assumed. "Ya killed my son!"

"Horace, ya don't mean that," Loren spoke up.

"I do! If ya hadn't operated on him in the first place, he'd still be here!"

"You know that isn't true," Michaela reasoned. "Horace, I understand that you're grieving, but the surgery I preformed a few days ago saved his life."

"Then how come he's dead now? Ya killed him, Dr. Mike." He turned to the crowd. "Ya hear that? She killed my son!" Horace ran off, not wanting to go in to see the child that had been his and Myra's for such a short time on earth.

"Horace! It was an infection that killed him, not the surgery!" She had warned him about keeping that little one's stitches clean. Obviously, some sort of infection hadn't been prevented.
Hank, who'd been at the back of the crowd spoke up.

"I'll go out to Widow Baker's and get Myra," he said softly. "She's gonna need to find out sooner or later." He looked at the doctor and then turned to go to his horse. Michaela received angry and disappointed looks from those in the crowd except for a select few. Loren gave Michaela a sympathetic look but turned to walk home with Maude. Grace and Robert E. stood with Michaela for a few moments before going home with their children. Jake Slicker remained, much to Michaela's surprise.

"Mr. Slicker?" What was he going to do? What was he going to say to make this situation even more upsetting to Michaela? Jake stepped closer and shook his head.

"I'm the one that handles the buryin'."

"I see. Well, what do you need me to do?" Jake was a bit surprised. People didn't often ask him that.

"Nothin'. Look, ya may not be my favorite person, and I might not even trust ya, but I know ya didn't kill that baby."

"Why do you believe that?" Michaela wondered, needing to know why he was suddenly taking her side. Memories flashed through Jake's head.

"I've seen it happen before," he replied. He walked off toward his barbershop in silence. Michaela stared after him for a moment before scanning the quickly dimming street as the sun began to set.

"Matthew? Colleen?" she called. She noticed Matthew's wooden carvings lying in the dust. A moment later, Colleen and Brian came running around the side of the clinic.

"Dr. Mike!" Matthew said breathlessly. Michaela knelt before them, immediately noticing that Brian wasn't with them.

"Oh my God! What happened?"

"Brian's gone!" Colleen cried. At that moment, Michaela felt as if the world had collapsed around her. She felt light headed, and her immediate instinct was to hurry off in search of him, but she needed to deal with cleaning Samuel Bing's body so he could be presented to his parents. She needed to deal with helping Myra and Horace through the ordeal.

"What'd ya say, girl?" Loren asked, realizing that he'd needed to check with the doctor about an order she'd placed. He looked at Colleen.

"Brian's gone! Matthew was holdin' his hand one second, and he was gone the next!" Loren saw the devastated look upon Michaela's face, and he knew she couldn't very well leave the clinic unattended with the situation that had just occurred.

"Don't worry, Dr. Mike. The boy's gonna be fine. We'll find him." He went off to organize a search party as Michaela's fears began to grow by the moment.

Just after the search party had headed out, Sully came riding up to the clinic on the horse that Cloud Dancing had leant him. He immediately saw a distressed Michaela and the children.

"Dr. Mike? What's goin' on?" he wondered. Colleen and Matthew were both visibly upset. "Dr. Mike?"

"Pa, Brian's missin'," Matthew spoke up. Before he could say anything further, Sully glanced at Michaela. His initial fear caused him to lash out.

"How did this happen!" he demanded. "How could ya let him outta your sight!" His eyes pleaded with Michaela for an answer.

"Sully, I'm . . ."

"There's a search party that just left," Grace noted, rushing to Dr. Mike's side. She pointed in the direction that the men had ridden, and Sully turned his horse that way, casting another upset look in Michaela's direction. As he left, Michaela felt her heart breaking into a million pieces. How would he ever forgive her?