Chapter 8
The rain fell fast and strong, banging against the two wooden caskets that were quickly being buried with mud by two of the men in town. The ceremony had been short, due to the rain and the fact that not many people knew the Frosts. The Reverend was the only one who spoke. Michaela prompted Annemarie to say a few words but she just stood over the graves, her arms protectively around her younger siblings and didn't say a word. The rest of the town had shown up, though more out of curiosity than respect. No one had known the family but that couldn't stop them from wanting to catch a glimpse of the four orphaned children whose parents killed each other.
"It was a lovely ceremony," Michaela complimented the Reverend, shaking his hand.
"I only wish there was more that I could do," he replied.
Michaela nodded, knowing exactly what he meant. Michaela made her way to where the children sat on one of the hard wooden benches inside the church. Although the ceremony lasted a few moments outdoors, the reverend had invited everyone inside to complete the ceremony and get in out of the rain. Most of the townspeople had left by that point, their curiosity satisfied, but Michaela, Sully, Brian, Colleen, Matthew, and, of course, the Frost children had remained. Michaela thought it was important for them to say goodbye to their parents.
"Where momma?" Donald demanded to know as Michaela approached them.
"She's dead," Suzanne answered simply.
Michaela sat down and took Donald onto her lap. "Your mother and father are up in heaven," Michaela explained. "They're looking down on you right now."
"Want momma!" Donald yelled.
"I'll take him, Dr. Mike," Annemarie offered, taking the small child from Michaela's lap and placing him on her own lap. She bounced him up and down, trying to sooth him.
Michaela looked at Annemarie calming Donald and cringed, somehow knowing that the rest of the young girl's life would be spent not as a child but as a mother to her siblings.
"Stage'll be arrivin' any minute," Matthew announced. He was sitting with Colleen, Brian, and Sully a few rows behind them. Sully and the children wanted to be as helpful as they could but they also knew that, as much as Michaela needed them, she also needed to spend time the Frost children before they left.
"We should head back towards the clinic," Michaela decided, standing. The Frost children followed her lead and stood as well. Michaela held onto Suzanne's hand as she led them all out of the church and into the wet meadow.
"If there's anythin' I can do," the Reverend offered, shaking Sully's hand before he left.
"Thank you, Reverend," Sully replied.
"I imagine this is as hard on Dr. Mike as it is on those four children," the Reverend remarked, knowing more than anyone how Michaela had responded last time there were orphans in town.
Sully nodded. "It is."
Sully followed Michaela and everyone else through the meadow and into town. Sully was grateful for the rain because it made everyone in town stay indoors. He was sure that had it not been raining, they would all be standing out, staring at them. As it was, Sully was sure that they were all staring at the children through their windows instead.
As Michaela reached the clinic door, with the children walking quickly behind her, the sound of galloping horses echoed through the air. Within minutes, the stage rolled into town.
"She's here," Brian said as the stage came to a stop right in front of the clinic.
Michaela held her breath.
The stage door opened and a man stepped down. He took one look around and raced into the arms of a nearby woman. Another passenger got out and took a look around before heading towards the saloon. A minute passed by and Michaela let her breath out. Perhaps the Ant hadn't come at all. Perhaps she no longer wanted the children and Michaela would be able to find them a good home. As she thought about all of the ads she was going to post in the nearby newspapers, a shrill voice came from the inside of the stage.
"Is somebody going to help me out?"
Sully quickly stepped up and held his hand out to the woman. She took it and stepped down from the stage. She was an elderly woman, probably in her late sixties. Her hair was snow white, matching her perfectly white dress, and up in a tight bun underneath a small white hat that sat on top of her oversized head. She looked Sully up and down and quickly removed her hand from his.
"A respectable man would have shorter hair," she commented, opening up an umbrella to protect herself from the rain.
"Good thing Sully dressed up for the funeral," Matthew whispered to Colleen. Unlike usual, Sully was wearing one of his suits rather than his buckskins. The woman walked over to the four Frost children who were huddling behind Michaela's skirt. They were all standing on the porch of the clinic, trying to stay dry.
"These must be them," the Ant said, pointing to the children. "At least they don't look dirty," she commented.
Michaela silently thanked herself for putting the children in the clothing that she had bought them just the other morning. She didn't want to know what the Ant's reaction would be if the children had been wearing the clothing that Michaela had found them in.
Michaela offered the woman her hand. "My name is Dr. Quinn," Michaela introduced. "I've been caring for the children after their parent's passing."
The woman began searching through her purse. She pulled out a gold coin and handed it over to Michaela.
"For your troubles," the woman said. "Come children. Don't want to stay in this dreadful town for any longer than I have to." She turned back to the stage.
"Wait, please," Michaela said. "Might we sit down and talk about the children?"
"Talk? They're children, Miss. There isn't much to discuss."
"Well, I think there is," Michaela insisted. "These children just lost their parents and they have never even met you and they're…well, they're scared and I think it would be much easier…"
"You think? Excuse me, ma'am, but who exactly do you think you are? You are of no relation to these children. You do not know what is best for them. They do not belong to you. I am their Ant and they belong to me."
"No go!" Donald yelled, wriggling free of his sister's arms. He fell to the ground, splattering mud in all directions. Giggling, he sat in the mud, splashing in it as he had done with the bath water. The ant looked down at the bottom of her white dress and found it to be covered with clumps of brown spots.
"This was a brand new dress!" She bellowed.
Donald began to cry at the sound of her raised voice. Michaela immediately scooped him up in her arms, not caring if her dress became full of mud.
"You put that child down this instant!" The woman yelled. "Children who are coddled and hugged become weak in character."
"We don't mean no disrespect, ma'am," Sully began, stepping between the woman and Michaela, "but we just want to know that the children will be well taken care of."
"And who are you?" The Ant demanded to know, trying to brush the mud off her dress but only managing to spread it farther. "No doubt some mountain man."
"Matthew, why don't you take the children into the clinic so that we might have a discussion with their Ant," Michaela suggested, handing the muddy, but now giggling, Donald over to Colleen. Colleen headed into the clinic with Brian behind her. The other children remained huddled around Michaela's skirt.
"Those children are not going anywhere except into this stage!" The woman shouted.
"I'm sure this can be resolved and…" Michaela started to say.
"There is nothing to resolve. The woman grabbed Annemarie's arm and began dragging her towards the stagecoach. Suzanne and Henry Junior clung to her, trying to keep her with them but the Ant was too strong.
"There's no need for force," Michaela pleaded.
The Ant practically pushed Annemarie into the stage, sending Suzanne and Henry Junior along with her. Sully immediately made his way towards the coach, blocking the children from their Ant.
"Those children are rightfully mine," the woman yelled.
"Yes, but it don't have to be this way," Sully responded. "They're only children…"
"Precisely." The woman climbed into the stage, closing her umbrella. "Bring me the little one."
"Please," Michaela pleaded yet again, wishing more than anything that the Ant would somehow change her mind and tell Michaela that she could have the children.
"Bring me the little one!"
Michaela looked over at Sully, hoping that he would be able to think of something to get them out of the situation that they were in but she knew that there was nothing he, or anyone, could do.
Reluctantly, Michaela went inside the clinic and brought out Donald, whom Colleen had washed off and changed inside of the clinic. Michaela kissed him lightly on the forehead and handed him over to the Ant.
"His name is Donald," Michaela said as the Ant slammed the door.
Before Michaela could say anything else, the stage coach was off again and Michaela buried her head against Sully's shoulder.