Chapter 5

By the time Michaela had gotten the children settled, it was nearing dusk. The sun was beginning to peak its head over the mountaintops, causing a spray of colors to cover the sky. Michaela took one last peek into the room where the children were sleeping to make sure that they were indeed sleeping and not just pretending as Brian had done so many times before when he didn't really want to sleep. Michaela had tried to separate the children so that Annemarie and Suzanne could sleep in one room and Henry Junior and Donald could stay in another but Annemarie insisted on them staying altogether. Michaela couldn't blame her after all that happened and she easily gave in to Annemarie's wishes. Sully dragged in three other cots from some of the other rooms and set them up in the one room so that they could all have their own bed, something that they had never before experienced. Sully did, however, push Donald's bed between the wall and Annemarie's bed so that he wouldn't fall out.

Michaela closed the door slowly and quietly and turned. Sully stood opposite her, having waited in the hallway the entire time. She immediately stepped towards him and they hugged.

"They asleep?" Sully questioned.

"I think so."

Michaela closed her eyes, leaning against Sully's chest. She suddenly felt exhausted.

"You should get some sleep," he whispered, stroking her hair.

"So should you," she replied, keeping her eyes closed. "Besides, there's too much to do to sleep. Hank, Jake, and Loren come back from their search party?"

"Came back 'bout an hour ago. I told 'em what happened."

"You think that was a good idea?" She asked, finally looking up at him.

"What choice did I have? Town's gonna figure it out sooner or later. Better tellin' 'em the truth than lettin' 'em speculate."

"I guess you're right."

"Horace already sent a telegram to Missouri to put an ad in one of the newspapers, lookin' for the Ant."

"Oh Sully, those children don't want to live with their Ant."

"I know, Michaela, but it's the law. Can't rightly find someone who's gonna adopt 'em when they got a next of kin. If she don't reply, we'll start advertisin' in the gazette and in the Denver paper ta see if anyone wants ta adopt 'em."

"We have to keep them together, Sully."

"I know."

"I can't stop thinking about what would have happened to Brian and Colleen and Matthew if their mother had died and hadn't left them to me. I can't imagine where…"

Brian came running through the hallway, cutting Michaela off.

"Ma!" He yelled. Michaela caught him and hugged him tightly.

"Is it true, Dr. Mike?" Colleen asked as she arrived in the hallway.

"Why don't we go downstairs and talk?" Michaela suggested, not wanting to disturb the sleeping children. They made their way downstairs where Robert E, Grace, and Matthew were waiting. Grace placed a picnic basket on Michaela's desk.

"Figured you folks would be hungry," Grace said.

"Thank you, Grace…as always," Michaela replied. "And thank you, Robert E, for all your help."

They both smiled.

"Any time, Dr. Mike," Grace insisted.

"We oughta be goin'," Robert E announced. "You folks let us know if ya need anythin'."

"Thank you," Sully responded, shaking his hand. Grace and Robert E both left, leaving Michaela and Sully with the children.

"Is it true, Dr. Mike?" Matthew asked.

"Well, I guess that depends on what you know," Michaela answered.

"That Mr. and Mrs. Frost…killed each other," Colleen explained.

"Did they, ma?" Brian begged to know.
Michaela nodded. "It appears so."

"Why'd they do that?" Brian questioned.

"We're not sure, Brian," Sully answered.

"Jake said they had kids," Colleen added.

"They do. Two girl and two boys," Michaela described. "They're upstairs, resting. They've had a very long night."

"What's gonna happen to 'em?" Matthew asked.

"Not sure yet, Matthew," Sully revealed. "We're gonna be lookin' for their next of kin but, if no one comes forward, we're gonna have ta find a family who'll take 'em."

"You ain't gonna adopt 'em, are ya, ma?" Brian wondered.

Michaela bent over so that she and Brian were face to face.

"No, Brian," she assured him, "I'm not going to adopt them. As much as I would like to help them, I have my own family to take care of. We're just going to help them find a good home."

"People in town have been sayin' that no one's gonna wanna adopt four kids," Colleen muttered.

"Someone out there will want four wonderful children," Michaela responded, "I'll make sure of that."

"If there's anythin' we can do ta help, Dr. Mike," Matthew offered.

"Thank you, Matthew but, right now," Michaela began, "you two should be heading off to school and Sully and I will take care of everything, alright?" She ruffled Brian's hair. "Run along now."

Brian hugged Michaela.

"I'm glad you and Sully are alright, ma," Brian said.

"Me too, Brian. Me too." She hugged him tightly, not wanting to ever let go. "But you have to go to school," she said, releasing him. Brian grabbed his books from Michaela's desk and he and Colleen walked out of the clinic.

"I guess I should be lookin' in on my cattle," Matthew said, excusing himself.

When the clinic door closed shut, Michaela collapsed on her desk chair.

"Ya didn't tell 'em 'bout your leg," Sully noted.

"Didn't think there was a reason to worry them," Michaela replied, not even remembering that she had been shot at all.

"It botherin' ya?" Sully asked, kneeling in front of her to take a look at her leg. He picked up the bottom of her skirt slightly and she blushed. Even though he had obviously put the bandage on earlier, she suddenly was self-conscious at the fact that he was staring at her legs.

"No," Michaela replied. "I'm just tired." Sully undid the bandage and examined the wound.

"No more bleedin'," Sully announced.

"I thought I was the doctor," Michaela joked.

Sully smiled. "Well, doctor, I'd say it looks pretty good."

Michaela nodded, examining the wound herself. It did look like it was going to be fine. She would have to watch out for infection but it would most likely heal nicely. Michaela opened Grace's picnic basket, realizing how hungry she was. She pulled out a fresh plate of biscuits and offered one to Sully. He took it and dragged over a chair so that he could join her at her desk.

Once they quickly gobbled down the biscuits, Michaela took out a plate of boiled potatoes and gravy. She and Sully hungrily ate the entire dish. As Michaela reached for yet another dish from the basket, the clinic door swung open.

"Got a telegram back 'bout those kids, Dr. Mike," Horace said as he handed Michaela the folded piece of paper.
"Already?" Sully questioned, surprised at how quickly the response came. "That can't have been sent more than an hour ago."

"An hour exactly," Horace clarified.

Michaela read it aloud, "Dr. Quinn, I will be arriving on the noon coach tomorrow to collect my sister's children. Hilda Longman."

"She must be the Ant," Sully stated.

"How could they have received and printed the advertisement so fast?" Michaela asked.

"Maybe somebody at the telegraph office knew she had nieces and nephews in this region and told her 'bout it," Horace offered. "Either way, at least ya found someone ta take all them kids."

"Unfortunately, not the right person," Michaela commented.

Sully placed his hand over hers, knowing that she was already feeling as if she let the children down.