Chapter 7

Meanwhile, Michaela left the children's room and went across the hall where she heard Colleen reading. She knocked lightly.

"Come in," Colleen said.

Michaela opened the door.

"How are you doing?" Michaela asked as she sat at the foot of the bed where Brian and Colleen were reading.

"Colleen's readin' this great story 'bout a pirate and a deserted island."

"Sounds fascinating."

"It's real good," Brian informed her.

"Are you okay with us staying at the clinic tonight and not at the homestead?" Michaela questioned.

That morning she had thought about taking the Frost children back to the homestead so that they could share one last night with a real family before they were shipped out with their Ant the next morning. However, having remembered the problems that the orphans had caused, Michaela didn't want to take any chances with these children. She thought it best that they should stay at the clinic where she would be able to take care of them and they wouldn't be disturbing her family as much.

"It was our idea, Dr. Mike," Colleen replied. "Sully told us that he would take us back to the homestead if we wanted but we wanted to stay here with you."

Michaela smiled. "Have I ever told you how wonderful you all are? You two were so helpful today. With you, Colleen, washing all of their clothes and cooking dinner for all of us. And Brian, you playing with Donald while I bathed Henry Junior. I don't know what I would have done without you."

"No thanks needed, ma. That's what family's do. They help each other," Brian informed her.

Michaela leaned over and gave them both a kiss on the cheek.

"We should be headin' ta bed," Colleen announced, closing the book, "it's gettin' late."

Colleen stood, leaving the book on the bed, knowing that Brian would ask Michaela to read him some more.

"Goodnight, Colleen," Michaela said.

Colleen gave Michaela hug.

"Goodnight, Dr. Mike."

She left the room.

"Are you tired, Brian?"

Brian shook his head. "No, not really."

"Would you like me to read to you for a little bit longer?"

He nodded, snuggling underneath the quilt. Michaela scooted up the bed so that she was sitting next to him and turned to the page where Colleen had left off. She read, stroking Brian's hair and watching as he fell asleep, knowing that she was the luckiest woman in the world.

When she was sure that he was asleep, Michaela left the book on the bedside table, in case Brian woke up and wanted to read some more. She kissed him on the top of the head and quietly left the room, leaving the door slightly ajar so that she could look in on him. She then made her way across the hall to the children's room. They were all already in their beds, presumably sleeping. Michaela walked over to each of their beds and checked on them. They were all happily asleep. Michaela left their room and crept down the stairs as quietly as possible and opened the door that led to the main area of the clinic. Sully was sitting at her desk, petting Wolf.

"Brian asleep?"

"He just nodded off a few minutes ago and by the time I got back into the children's room, they were all asleep."

"I think they all fell asleep durin' my Cheyenne story."

"I wouldn't take it too personally." Michaela smiled at the thought of Sully telling the children a story. He would make the perfect father.

"Have ya slept at all?" Sully asked.

Michaela nodded. "A few hours this morning while they were all sleeping."

"They're having a service for the Frosts tomorrow mornin' 'fore the Ant gets here," Sully told her. "The Reverend's got it all planned out."

Michaela nodded. "It'll be good for them to say goodbye to their parents." Michaela sighed, just thinking about how difficult it would be for the children to attend their parent's service. She wondered if the younger children would even understand what was going on.

"Did you find out anything about their Ant?" Michaela asked.

While Michaela had been taking care of the children all day, Sully had been trying to find out anything he could about the Ant. He was asking around the town, seeing if anyone knew anything about the family. So far, there wasn't too much information.

"Just that she's a pretty wealthy woman from St. Louis. Her husband died a few years ago and she lives alone."

"How'd you find that out?"

"Contacted the telegraph office attendant in St. Louis. I was thinkin' 'bout what Horace said the attendant knowin' her and that's how she got the news so fast. Turns out that it was her late husband's brother who runs the office. He told me a little 'bout her."

"I told them that they wouldn't have to live with her," Michaela whispered, remembering the moment vividly from the children's home.

She leaned against the examining table, folding her arms. Her eyes began to water. She had told herself a million times over that there was no use in crying. She had only known the children for a few days, after all, and she couldn't do anything about the fact that their Ant was coming to get them. Still, she had grown just as attached to them as they had to her.

"Ya can't do anythin' 'bout it, Michaela," Sully reminded her as he stood. He walked over to her and placed his hands on her shoulders. She kept her eyes fixated on the floor, knowing that if she looked at him, she would lose it.

"I know," she repeated.

"Michaela." He brought his hand to her chin and lifted her face slightly so that she was finally looking at him. "Ya know you can talk ta me 'bout anythin'."

A tear rolled down her cheek. "After what happened to those children, Sully, they deserve so much more."

"And ya did what ya could do for 'em. Ya gave 'em a roof over their heads and new clothes and food. Ya rescued 'em from bein' in that house all by themselves. Ya gave 'em baths and ya tucked 'em in at night. There ain't nothin' else ya can do for 'em."

"But they don't want to live with their Ant, Sully. What if she's everything that Annemarie said she was. What if she puts them to work and…"

"Michaela, ya can't help the way that people raise their children. Ya just gotta…"

She pushed away from him.

"What if that were Colleen and Brian and Matthew? What if their mother hadn't left them to me and they were sent off to some relative who worked them to death? Would you have stood back and let that happen?"

"But this ain't Brian and Colleen and…"

"But it could be!"

Sully reached for her arm but she brushed him away. He hated seeing her hurt. Sully knew that Michaela's heart was sometimes too big for her own good. She wanted to help everyone all the time and she found it difficult to face the fact that some things were out of her hands.

"Listen ta me," Sully said, finally getting her to turn towards him. "I promise ya that those children are gonna be fine. After they've been settled with their Ant for a little while, we can visit 'em and if we think that there's anythin' wrong, we'll do whatever we can to get those children out of there and get 'em a good home. We ain't gonna forget 'bout them just 'cause they're gone. I know you too well, Michaela, you would never let that happen."

Sully opened her arms to her and she walked into his hug. She felt the warmth of his arms surrounding her and she pressed her tear streaked face against his chest.

"Thank you, Sully," she whispered.

"For what?"

"For understanding me."

He leaned over and kissed her lightly on the lips.

"Ain't no one in this world I'd rather try to understand."

Although it seemed like an odd comment, Michaela knew its true meaning. It meant that he loved her – that he would always love her. She closed her eyes, feeling safe in his arms.