Chapter 4

Michaela sat on a rickety, wooden chair, Sully kneeling in front of her. The four children sat on the floor beside them, huddling together. The once dark house was now lit with lanterns, illuminating the dreary interior. As Sully had seen from the outside, the house was small. There weren't even enough seats around the table for all of the members of the family to sit and eat together. Of course, that was before there were two less members of the family. Michaela shuddered as she saw the two end chairs of the table, knowing that nothing would ever be the same for this family.

Sully tenderly wrapped Michaela's leg with a strip of cloth from her medical bag. After they had found the children, Sully went back outside and picked up her bag and all of its contents. Michaela was right – the bullet had barely hit her. The wound, and her leg, would be fine, but Sully didn't want to take any chances. He wrapped it tightly with the strips of cloth, sure to stop the bleeding and to make sure that it wouldn't become infected.

"I sure am sorry for shootin' ya," Annemarie apologized again. She hadn't stopped apologizing since it had happened.

Annemarie sat on the floor with one of her arms around her younger sister, Suzanne, who was six, and her other arm around Henry Junior, who was five. Donald, only two, sat in her lap. Annemarie had been the only one of the children who had spoken at all. Of course, she also appeared to be the only one who had witnessed what had happened to her parents. For that, Michaela was grateful.

"It's alright," Michaela assured her.

As soon as they had entered the house to find the rest of the children, Sully had picked up the fallen gun and had taken out the bullets. Michaela immediately went to find the children and she managed to coax them out from under the bed. They had gathered everyone in the one room so that Sully could take care of Michaela's leg and Michaela could see for herself that everyone was okay.

"Why'd ya have the gun, Annemarie?" Sully asked her, wondering why, if her parents had, in fact, murdered each other, she would feel the need to protect herself. It was not as if there was a killer on the loose.

Annemarie shrugged.

"I was afraid that if folks found out that our ma and pa weren't here no more, they'd come lookin' for us. Heard there were looters out there in Shanty town and I wanted ta protect us in case anyone came to the house," she explained. "I didn't think it'd go off."

"You're very brave," Michaela told her.

"Our ma and pa…they…" Annemarie began.

"We found the wagon in town," Michaela answered, not wanting to say too much in front of the children. She wondered if they knew why their mother and father weren't there. Had Annemarie explained it to them before she told them to hide under the bed or were the children oblivious to what was going on?

"We're so sorry, Annemarie," Michaela said.

"I tried to stop the wagon but the horses got spooked from all the commotion and they rode off. I was gonna go after 'em but mama always says that it's my job ta look after everyone so I couldn't leave 'em."

"You did the right thing," Michaela replied.

"What's gonna happen to us?" Annemarie asked.

Michaela looked over at Sully, looking for some kind of answer but he had none, just as she didn't have one.

"We'll bring you back to town," Michaela decided. "And, in the morning, we'll think of something."

"Do you have any other family?" Sully asked.

"Just an Ant in Missouri."

"Do you know anything about her?" Michaela questioned.

Annemarie shook her head. "Only met her once and we didn't like her none. Donald wasn't even born then. She wasn't very nice to us. She wouldn't even give my momma money when she asked for it even though she was my momma's sister. My Ant said that's what happens when ya marry a drunkard and have all those children. She said all children is good for is workin' and our momma didn't have a strong enough hand to keep us in line. Said if we was her children, we'd know what hard work meant and that momma should just abandon us and come back home. We ain't gonna have to live with her, are we?"

"No," Michaela answered quickly. "We'll make sure that doesn't happen."

"Do you have children Dr. Mike?"

Michaela nodded. "A little boy named Brian about your age. And a girl and another boy, too."

"Oh." Annemarie looked disappointed and suddenly Michaela realized that Annemarie was asking if she could live with her.

"Annemarie, I know that you and your brothers and sister are good children and you don't deserve this and we're going to find you a great home but I can't take care of you. I can't be your mother."

It broke Michaela's heart to say what she was saying. She honestly would have loved to have taken them all home with her but she knew that it was impossible. She had her own children and a life that she was going to make with Sully. She knew that four orphans would just put a strain on everyone that wasn't worth it.

"We'll get our things." Annemarie got the other children up.

"I'd like to talk with you for a moment alone, Annemarie," Michaela said. Although she didn't want to, Michaela had to know if the other children knew what happened to their parents. She feared that, because of their silence, they were traumatized and that they would have to be cared for by special doctors in order to overcome their trauma.

Annemarie led the children behind a ragged curtain that hung, sectioning off their bedroom from the rest of the homestead. She came out from behind the curtain and faced Michaela and Sully.

"Annemarie," Michaela began. "Your brothers and sister…did they…did they see what happened to your parents?"

"No," Annemarie answered. Michaela was silently thankful.

Annemarie lowered her voice so that the other children couldn't hear her from the other side of the curtain. "I made Suzanne stay inside and play with Henry Junior and Donald. They all wanted to come outside 'cause they heard the screamin' but I wouldn't let 'em."

"Have you told them what happened?" Michaela questioned.

"After the horses ran off with the wagon, and I told 'em to hide under the bed, I told 'em that momma and papa went off to see Jesus. I didn't know what else to tell 'em. They just kept askin' and askin' 'bout what happened. Couldn't tell 'em what really happened, though. Didn't wanna upset 'em."

Michaela stood slowly, her leg giving her a little bit of pain. Sully was immediately behind her, ready to catch her if she fell or help her if she needed it. Michaela hugged Annemarie, kissing the top of her blood-soaked hair.

"It's alright," Michaela soothed as the young girl began to cry once more.

"Annemarie," Sully began, "the blanket that was over your parents. How'd it get there?"

"Momma had a blanket wrapped 'round her shoulders 'cause it was so cold. I was watchin' 'em from the window and when she and daddy fell I…I went back outside, even though momma told me not to, and I put the blanket over 'em 'cause I didn't want no one else seein' 'em. But then the horses got spooked and rode away 'fore I could tie 'em up."

Sully nodded. It was all making sense. In a way, he had hoped that Annemarie had been lying for some reason and protecting whoever had murdered her parents because he believed that it would have been better for her to see someone murder her parents than to see them murder each other. But, her parents had murdered each other true and she was going to have to live with those visions for the rest of her life.

"I better go help 'em pack," Annemarie said as Michaela let her go. As the other children had done, Annemarie disappeared behind the curtain to help pack up their few belongings. Michaela turned to Sully.

"Your leg hurt at all?" Sully asked.

"Some but it will be fine," she responded.

"Are you alright?"

Michaela looked at her with tears stinging her eyes. She knew what he was asking her. The question had nothing to do with her physical pain but with her emotional pain. Sully knew that not being able to help people was the thing that hurt Michaela most. He could tell by the look in her eye that she wanted to take those children home more than anything but that she knew that she couldn't. Part of him wanted to tell her that, if it would make her happy, she could take them home but he knew that that was not the solution. He wanted to take care of the children as much as she did and make sure that they had a good home but adopting them wouldn't be good for Michaela or for the children. As it was, Michaela was extremely busy and adding four children wouldn't be fair to them.

"I just wish there's more we could for them," Michaela admitted.

"I know how you feel but all we can do is get 'em out of here and make sure that they end up in a good home like they deserve."

"I know."

"It'll be alright," he said as he embraced her.

She sighed. "Matthew, Colleen, and Brian must be worried sick by now."

"I'm sure Robert E told 'em that everythin's fine."

"I don't know what we'd do without them, Grace and Robert E. They've helped us more times than I can remember."

"That's what friends are for."

Michaela nodded. The children appeared from behind the curtain. Annemarie had a large blanket wrapped around the shoulders of Suzanne and Henry Junior and she had wrapped Donald in a second blanket. He was asleep on her hip, sucking his thumb. Annemarie held a sack in her free hand. The small bundle held everything that they owned, which didn't look like much from the looks of it.

"Are we all ready then?" Michaela questioned.

Annemarie nodded and Sully led the way out of the homestead.