Disclaimer: I do not own Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman. That means the characters, locales etc. They belong to CBS incorporated. If I did own them, I certainly would not have 40 dollars in my checking account!
Adrianna Martiz stared at the corpse in the casket. It was hard for her to think that he was a corpse. How could he be dead? Maybe she had bad luck. Bad things seemed to happen around her. If she was to think that, then she would go crazy like many of her patients. Maybe black was her color.
She turned around and stared at the disapproving faces of all of the people there except one. Her best friend and daughter of this man: Michaela Quinn. She was probably the most upset about her father's death. From the times that Adrianna was taken in almost as another child (At least that was what Joseph thought. Señora Quinn did not like the mysterious and lonely Spaniard.), she could tell that Joseph loved Michaela a lot. That was probably due to the fact that they had a lot in common with each other. The other sisters seemed to care more about getting married and having children.
Adrianna wondered if she would have been like Michaela or her sisters if her parents and little sister lived. Adrianna reprimanded herself; she had to stop doing that. It was not fair to her. Wondering if things were different would not change the past. It actually made it harder.
Adrianna stared at Michaela and felt a sense of understanding. To lose a loved one, to have to live through that. That was the hardest part. Remembering the good times, that helped a little. She had learned through trial and error how to get through the pain. Michaela just sat there, alone, near a wall...sad. There seemed to be no one to comfort her. No relative seemed to even care that she was hurting. Adrianna walked over to her, ready to try to tell her what to do. Maybe that would help.
"It hurts doesn't it?" She silently asked her.
Michaela stared at Adrianna, knowing that she had a hard life, that her parents were dead. Even if it was from some deadly virus, as she said. She seemed understanding, like she knew how she was feeling.
Adrianna concentrated on the flowers behind Michaela, like she was trying to summon them to her telepathically. She seemed to have a look of intense concentration, for no reason at all. Soon enough she slowly turned her eyes on Michaela. They were dark, brown and very understanding and sad. She just stood there, and stared at Michaela, not really saying anything. She soon left, walking away from the adverted gazes of everyone.
Michaela looked straight ahead and knew that she had to say goodbye to her father. She ran into her mother, who gave her a disapproving glare. She stared at her back and then kept walking to her casket. She stared at it, as her mother and sisters stared at the female doctor. Michaela went straight to the casket and kissed her father on the forehead. Her mother seemed to almost be trying to stop her, and Michaela ran out of the room, full of pain, not sure how to endure it.
After Joseph's death, the practice ended. It might be that they were humoring him by staying as long as they did. The truth was that there were not enough people to keep the practice. That meant that the last year that Adrianna had been researching the brain was gone. Joseph Quinn was well respected in the medical world of Boston and with the advanced grades that Adrianna got; she was accepted as an "assistant" in the studies. With Joseph gone, she was kicked out so fast that she had to breathe for a second. She was of course surprised that she was there for that long. The doctors never took her seriously at first, until they realized that she was smart and an asset. Even with that reputation, and the fact that she had almost gained a following of neurologists, she was kicked out. Adrianna believed that it was the owners of the hospital that were to blame and not her colleagues.
Michaela and she were out of jobs. What were they to do? There was not much that they could do. As Adrianna thought about it for a few days. Unsure about what to do, she thought about her home country and the asesino training that she learned. They taught her many things about life and how to defeat the enemy. One was that there was always an alternative to any situation. There was a popular adage that they would tell her in training: Siempre habrá una alternativa a una alternativa. (There is always an alternative to an alternative.) In this case, she remembered her sister and how she had the fever when she was two. No one would treat her. She had dark skin and a strange accent. There was no doctor until a recluse in the town came to their age. Everyone was afraid of him, but the truth was that he was a British doctor that had served in Russia during the Crimean War. The war had turned him into a recluse, and someone that many townsfolk talked about behind their backs. He saved her life and also took them in, being that they both were living on the streets literally.
It came to Adri one day when they looked through the papers to read about more riots in New York City. The Irish immigrants were fighting against the corruption in the city that still occurred, even though the major ones were gone, the minor ones could still do some damage. She felt for them, she knew what it was like to be treated like an outsider. She knew what it was like to see her little sister on the ground, coughing up blood and no one helping her because she was from Majorca. When she read the slanted view of the reporters she ripped the newspaper in half and threw it on the ground. She was sick and tired of it and there was nothing that she could do. There were too many of these so called natives that would never give up their views.
Michaela stared at Adrianna worried; she knew that there was not much that she could do for her. There wasn't much that she could do about many of the injustices in this world but she tried her best to solve them. Many things could not be stopped, but she knew that she had to try. As Adrianna started to talk fast and dangerous in Spanish, Michaela cleared her throat to try to get Adrianna's attention. Ad stared to Mike and gave her a shy smile.
"I am so sorry. I just am sick and tired of living by the white man's law!" she said in her thick Spanish accent. She stared at the bland colored walls of the Quinn house with angry tears threatening to come out and thought about what she just said. Does the white man always care about this law? Does he always live by a certain culture? Could he accept a female doctor if it was his well being that was in danger? If there was one thing that she knew about the white man, it was that he was selfish and only cared about himself and no one else. If it benefited him then he did it. That was going to be their advantage. The egotistical ways of the coward white man would serve them well.
Michaela could tell that Adrianna had an idea, she had that look where it looked like she was going whip out a sword and stab someone in the heart. Instead she cleared her throat and took a piece of toast and spread marmalade on it. She slowly ate it and stared out at the window and into the road below. When she was finished, she looked back at Michaela.
"Mikey, I know what to do." Adrianna spoke very inquisitively, like she was pondering the question recently when Michaela knew that she had this idea minutes ago.
"I know that it is impossible to even think that we will get a job in this world. I think that the only possible alternative is to go somewhere where we will not be treated the same, where conditions are different. If we go to the Wild West, there would be no alternatives!"
After Adrianna stopped talking, Michaela smiled and had already got up and took out a piece of parchment and started to write down a message. She seemed more excited than she had been since her father died. She had in her hand a message for the telegraph operator; a message that will be displayed all over the country and hopefully will be answered by some one who will be desperate enough to answer it.
It was three long months until there was a reply to Michaela's telegraph. During that time Adrianna found herself submersed in ancient text and readings about the old but new science of psychology. It seemed strange that this study of the mind and the behavior is a new science, but not many people really think about it. The old Greek philosophers had some great ideas about the mind that with more study could prove useful. Not many think about it, but that is what Adrianna has always wanted to know. She wanted to know why one person could be kind, gentle, understanding and a just around good person while others are cruel, evil, sadist and just a sadistic individual that wanted to kill and kill. She wanted to know why there were men like Colonel Shaken: the man who murdered her family.
She knew that she would not find that answer in her lifetime, there was still not that much that she knew, but if she helped forge this science, she knew that she did something useful in her life. As she went through her research, she knew that she must help people and continue being a doctor. That was why she waited patiently as Michaela did when waiting for that telegraph.
The day that it did come was a happy day. They finally had a job that would be accepted and she knew that that they both had to move on with their lives. This was the time that it had to happen; this was the time that they were going to start a new chapter in their lives.
It was strained goodbye for Michaela and her mother. Their relationship was not perfect and they were both too stubborn to give into the other. Michaela made her choice and her mother could do nothing to sway her at all. Elizabeth Quinn gave Adrianna a downward glance and said a short goodbye to her, nothing with much emotion.
The journey to the mysterious town named Colorado Springs was long and tiring. Staying at train stations, Michaela's luggage, watching men eye you like were going to rob you, Michaela's luggage, spending money on food that looked strange and undesirable, Michaela's luggage, sitting in uncomfortable seats that made your butt muscles numb, Michaela's luggage and Michaela's twenty, one hundred pound each suitcases were a few of the problems that Adrianna felt during the two week travel across the country to the territory of Colorado.
She had previously lived as a freedom fighter assassin for four years hunting down United States soldiers that she deemed evil. It would seem that she would be used to the travel. She went from place to place living off nothing, hunting down soldiers for their indiscretions. She was ashamed of what she did. The only difference was that she was actually in the train and with the white man, while before she stood on the roof of the train and stayed away from civilization. She now knows that she was just the same as the white man when she killed someone because of the color of their skin and what they wore. That was something that she gave up; because she knew that it was wrong to kill someone because of another person's sin, or sins. Not every United States soldier was evil, just about 95 percent of them.
As they got into a stagecoach that was unfortunately uncomfortable, Adrianna looked outside at the beautiful landscape and wondered if the whites really knew how beautiful the world was here. How they had some incredible beauty that didn't need to be destroyed to be generally accepted. Why did they have to spread hate all over the world to satisfy their egos? Why did they treat those that were different as inhuman? People like the real Americans, as she called them or Indians, even though she doubted that they had been born in India or even been there.
When she saw the so called Indian outside from her stagecoach, she remembered her days as an assassin yet again. She had gone all over the frontier in her search of revenge and had met many of these Indians. They were always considerate to her, always understanding, they became her ally and constant companion at time. Now she was going to live out in the frontier, with the white men.
After hours of sitting in a stagecoach, wondering if Michaela's luggage would fall through the roof, they came into a town that was as dusty as it was small. There were few stores and general places that small towns need like a church, mercantile, blacksmith, barber and the most important: the saloon.
The stagecoach came to a stop on some muddy terrain. Adrianna always wore some long, tough and black boots that used to be part of her assassin apparel, so she wasn't worried about the mud. They were for all weather, so she easily walked down the wooden steps and to the muddy ground. That was a different story for Michaela who was wearing some dark colored dress shoes, which were not intended for mud. Adrianna looked around and so frowned a little when she saw the looks on the faces of the town folks. It was the same look that she was given in Boston. It was the same look that she was given wherever she went her whole life. It was the look that said you were different and you were a freak. One man that looked to be in his mid thirties with a corduroy suit and hat, scoffed at them, like they were pathetic. He was giving into the stereotype of the rich white woman. He saw Michaela as that, a snotty rich girl who looked down on them as scum. As the ton of luggage that Michaela had was brought down, Adrianna took her one small bag and started to walk toward the closest person around.
He looked to be in his fifties or sixties and was wearing a dress shirt under a dark colored vest and pants. He looked down on her too like the other man had. She had a long trip so she didn't really care to think about the fact that there were humans here. When she walked past him, she bumped into him. She stumbled a little, but didn't fall. This man didn't fall but instead stood back staring at her like she was contaminated with a dangerous disease. She stared back at him dangerously and gave him a sarcastic smile. By that time Michaela was there, standing next to her and clearing her throat.
"Pardon me, where might I find reverend Johnson?" she asked. He seemed a little irked but looked ahead down the road where there was a discolored building that looked like, in all respects, a church. Adrianna then accidentally jumped onto the mud when she moved from the wooden boards of a small walkway to the ground, especially when she splashed a few of the people that she had the pleasure of sitting next to in the stagecoach. She hit a pregnant woman who soon had a look like she just got shot. A big looking man walked right at Adrianna and took some mud from the ground and forcefully slammed it on her face. Then he had an evil smile on his face.
"Now you are truly a dirty Mexican!" Everyone laughed, some seemed to fake it, but it was a racist joke so it was funny to them. Adrianna tried to wipe off all of the mud, but there was just too much. She them started to breathe very slowly, trying to contain the feeling of hatred that she had for these people. She now knew that they were like everyone, this town was not the same. She would bet all of the money that she had that they were not going to be accepted as doctors. It took all of her might to not kill him.
"I'm not a Mexican, Señor. I am from Majorca!" She spat, sending mud to his face. She found that Michaela was already walking to the church, obviously unaware of what happened. She looked upset when she saw what happened and asked about it. Adrianna answered that she fell down and she believed it, even though there was no remnants of mud on her dark blue dress.
They walked together, Michaela walking on the wooden walkway and Adrianna on the mud of the "road". They walked by the Saloon and she saw women dressed for prostitution. The looks on their faces made Adri think that they were lost, not sure where they were in life. One stood out, her look was more like that she was stuck, but wanted more. She felt for that punta and she almost walked over to talk to her.
They continued to walk; some men seemed to be working on some construction project. They were almost run over by some soldiers on horseback. She did not say anything, but the urge to knock them off their horse and stab them repeatedly in their small, non existent hearts only briefly passed. She stopped, she knew it was wrong and took a vow to not kill people unless it was needed. She was a doctor now and had a job of helping and saving lives if not their sanities. They then walked onto a simple bridge and to some real Americans on horseback. They were next to a few teepees. Adri scoffed, knowing that they were probably getting pushed out of their land. They soon came to the church, which was humble and small in stature. It looked like a sanctuary to her.
When they did get there, they found a man painting siding. Michaela asked if he was this reverend Johnson. He cheerfully answered yes and asked who Michaela was. He also kept staring at Adrianna like she was a strange specimen.
When he finally found out that Michaela was a doctor, he couldn't believe it. He actually thought that this doctor was a Michael. Adri stared at him in disbelief. It was typical that the white man would think that she couldn't do it. This doctor was not a man, but a woman. When we started to walk toward the telegraph office, the inevitable happened, Michaela fell on the ground. Mud was all over her purple dress. Adri tried to contain her laughter but found it hard. She started to laugh and so did Michaela, the reverend did not seem as amused as the two women so they decided it was best to be quiet. They walked the rest of the way to the telegraph office in silence and soon met a tall and lanky man that seemed to again have a kind disposition. Of course she knew that appearances were deceiving.
Of course this man changed the a of Michaela's name, thinking it was an initial. It was the strange unfortunate mistake of a telegraph man in a small town that brought them here. It was not the desperation of a town in trouble, it was not the grateful understanding of a progressive town, it was that some white man made the mistake of omitting a letter in a name.
This was all a mistake to him and he took them to a boarding house to stay for the night. He said that he would pay for a train trip for Michaela and her assistant. I looked at him and tried to stop from thinking that that was what everyone thought about her. She was an immigrant so she must be a servant, she would never be anything in expendable! Ignoring that comment, they found themselves at a door, which the reverend knocked while Michaela talked about every town needing a female doctor. The reverend answered by stating that widow Cooper not allowing any unmarried women in.
After about a minute, the door was answered by young man with blond hair. Adrianna thought that he was in his late teens, which meant he was only a few years younger than her. He was wearing a white shirt with black suspenders connected with black pants. The reverend asked for him to fetch his mother and he yelled for her. She soon came out holding a chicken by the feet. She looked to be in her mid forties and had a very kindly face that did not seem to look down on either of the women. Instead she went to shake her hand and had to take the struggling chicken to her other hand.
As she shook her hand she stared at Adrianna. Adri was taken aback that someone would ever touch her. She walked closer to Adri and took out her hand. Adrianna shook it and found that this woman's hand was as warm as her heart seemed to be.
"This is my associate Dr. Adrianna Martiz; she is from a small island off of Spain." Michaela said and the reverend looked surprised. His face then looked a little red, knowing that he had made the mistake of calling her an assistant.
"Sí, sí, I am not what you expected que?" she blurted out smiling back the feeling of anger and hurt inside.
"No, no, I would not have believed it." The reverend stated.
This widow Cooper then introduced her children as Adrianna went to the nearest watering hole and threw her face in it. A few men were about to take their horses there but muttered something about it being contaminated since it was touched by a Mexican. Adrianna also had the distinct pleasure of hearing some state that they saw no difference in her facial complexion, from when the dirt was there. Adrianna again resisted the urge of violence that seemed to have been hidden for years and walked around. She saw that there was a blonde girl who looked to be in her preteen years and a little boy who looked to be six. Adrianna smiled and looked straight to the girl was smiled at her.
"I like your voice", she stated and Adri laughed.
"The disadvantage of spending the first four years of your life on an island, Senorita." She smiled at the Spanish that I used.
"So you have been to another country?" she asked as we all came into the boarding house.
"Sí, yes, I have been to many places in this world. I have mostly lived in the United States and its territories, but have also been to my home country and Spain." I answered taking in the house. She seemed enthralled at this, but as she was going to ask more, she found that she was interrupted by Widow Cooper who was to take them to their room.
The Widow explained how soldiers were staying here for treaty council and seemed to pick up my hatred because she asked me about it. I answered that they were not my favorite people and she smiled gently. The reverend and the oldest son who was called Matthew asked if I had any suitcases that they missed. I shook my head no and pointed to my simple bag. They looked surprised, but didn't say anything at all.
This was the time that we looked in anger at each other for the situation that happened. She was stubborn and I knew from the look in her face that she was not going to leave. Even though I was treated worse then I was in Boston, I knew that I had to stay here with her.
"Well, we're here right? Why not stay?" We both agreed that we had to stay here and find a way to start a medicinal practice.