Day 2
Sully handed over the last piece of Michaela's luggage to the bellman of the train. The platform was busy with people saying good bye to one another while others were just stepping off the train to see Colorado Springs for the first time. It seemed as if everyone had turned up to say good bye to Michaela and the other passengers. Even though the town often disagreed with her, they all respected her and hated to see her go.
Michaela had been sure to leave plenty of supplies and medicines ready at Jake's disposal if anything were to go wrong even though she also left Colleen in charge of the clinic. Although Michaela knew that Colleen could take care of minor injuries, as well as more serious ones, she hated leaving her daughter with such a weight on her shoulders. Michaela wanted Colleen to grow up and be a doctor more than anything but she also wanted her to enjoy her childhood.
Michaela said her goodbye's to the townspeople and headed over to where her family stood just beside the train. As Matthew had promised, he was there with the rest of the family, ready to say goodbye.
"We'll miss you, ma," Colleen remarked as Michaela hugged her tightly.
"I'll miss you all, as well," Michaela assured them, "but it's only for five days."
Michaela hugged Matthew and then moved to her youngest son. She gave him a tight hug.
"I'm sorry that I said that I wanted ya to be like other ma's," Brian apologized. "I don't want ya to be like other ma's."
"I know, Brian," she replied, "I know."
She stood in front of them. "You all be good and stay out of trouble," she said, "and I'll be back very soon."
It was difficult but she managed to keep herself from crying. As she saw Sully standing at the train door, however, a tear slipped down her cheek.
"It's only five days," he reminded her, wiping the single tear from her cheek.
She nodded, trying to regain her composure. He embraced her, her head fitting perfectly in the crook of his neck and shoulder.
The train whistle blew and Sully watched as the other passengers got on the train. Hank suddenly emerged from the crowd and hopped onto the train's platform.
"Ya ready, Michaela?" Hank asked, swinging his cloth bag from his right shoulder to his left.
"Ya goin' somewhere, Hank?" Loren cried out from the crowd.
"Gotta get myself some more girls," Hank answered. "Can't have the customers complainin' that there ain't 'nough to go 'round. Figure there's gotta be plenty of women in Denver lookin' to make some money."
He stepped onto the train.
"Hank's goin' with ya?" Sully remarked, letting go of Michaela. He was as surprised as Michaela seemed to be.
"Well, he isn't exactly going with me, Sully," Michaela stated. "We just happen to be on the same train that's going to the same place."
"I didn't know he was leavin' town," Sully commented.
"Neither did I," Michaela insisted.
"You're gonna miss your train, Michaela," Hank bellowed.
"I don't like the idea of you goin' all the way to Denver with him," Sully stated.
"Sully," Michaela said, surprised that he would have such a reaction. "It's just Hank."
Sully wasn't satisfied. "Just be careful," he pleaded.
The train whistle blew again and the train suddenly lurched forward.
"I should go," Michaela said.
She began to step up onto the train, Sully helping her from behind, when Hank's hand reached out to her. She took it and he pulled her onto the train. Sully glared at him, not really sure why he was reacting as he was. As Michaela said, it was just Hank after all. He wasn't necessarily Sully's favorite person in the world but he had never before hurt Michaela. Then again, he did have this way about him that made Sully feel anything but comfortable.
"I'll be back in five days," Michaela shouted to Sully as the train began to pull away.
The children joined Sully in waving good bye to Michaela. Sully smiled as the train rolled away so that the children wouldn't see him upset but inside he was berating himself for allowing Michaela to go on the trip at all. Then again, he realized, no one "allowed" Michaela to do anything. She did what she wanted to do and there was no question about that. That was one of the things that Sully loved most about her. Still, he couldn't help but remind himself that he was the one who suggested that she go at all.
"Your husband didn't look ta happy ta see ya leavin'," Hank commented as he and Michaela walked through the train car.
"He's just worried," Michaela responded, finding an empty seat. The train was almost empty, which gave Michaela an uncomfortable feeling.
"Worried 'bout you travelin' all the way ta Denver with me?"
"He's worried about me going to Denver by myself," she corrected.
"But you ain't by yourself anymore, Michaela, so he shouldn't be worried."
Michaela took a seat by a window and turned to look at the scenery as it passed, the same scenery that she had missed the last time she had gone to Denver because the shades had been drawn in her and Sully's compartment. Hank slid into a row of seats next to her, only the aisle between them. He propped his back against the wall and placed his long legs across the two seats next to his. He dropped his bag to the floor.
"Wake me when we get to Denver," Hank said, placing his hat over his eyes.
Michaela ignored him and continued to look out the window, reminding herself that it was only five days and then she'd be with Sully and the children. As she stared at the tall grass go by, she wondered if the medical conference was worth it.
The train sputtered to a stop, the train whistle blowing. Michaela stood and began her way out of the train. The train conductor helped her down as she stepped off the train and onto the train platform. A large banner hung from the train station's roof.
"Welcome to the Denver medical conference," Hank read as he walked up behind Michaela. "You didn't wake me."
"I knew the conductor would do a last sweep of the train," Michaela replied.
"Didn't know you were comin' for a conference. Was tryin' to figure out what would make ya leave ya new husband and all. 'Cept maybe that your married life ain't as good as ya thought it would be. Maybe you're missin' something that…"
"I'll thank you not to talk about me or my marriage," Michaela snapped. "Why I'm here is none of your business just as it's none of my business that you're here looking for girls to work for you and to sign their lives away."
"Jealous, Michaela?"
She stormed away from him and headed to where her luggage was being unloaded. She gave the bellman some money and instructed her to send her luggage to the nearby hotel where the conference was being held.
"Can I escort ya to your…destination?" Hank asked as he walked over to Michaela.
"Why are you following me?"
"Just tryin' to be a gentleman is all."
"Well, be a gentleman and leave me alone."
Michaela began to walk briskly away from him, unsure of why she was acting as she was. Hank was just Hank after all.
Michaela made her way to the train station, stopping only briefly to ask directions to the hotel. The station and the city was bustling with people, many of whom Michaela realized must have been the doctors attending the conference.
She followed the directions she had been given to the hotel. There was a matching sign hanging from the hotel's roof as there was in the train station. Michaela climbed the few steps to the entrance of the hotel and was welcomed by a doorman. He pointed her in the right direction to the registration table in the next room.
"Are you looking for someone, Ms?" A man seated at the table asked her.
"No," Michaela answered. "I'm Dr. Michaela Quinn. I'm here for the conference."
She reached out her hand to shake his but the man just looked at her and did not exchange the greeting.
"Ms. Quinn," the man began.
"Dr. Quinn," Michaela corrected.
"This is a medical conference, Ms. Quinn…"
"Doctor," Michaela corrected yet again.
"And there is no place for a woman in a medical conference," he continued, ignoring her.
Michaela reached into the pocket of her coat and pulled out the invitation that she received. She handed it to the man.
"This is my invitation."
The man looked it over carefully, almost expecting Michaela to have somehow made it up herself. When he was finally convinced that it was the real thing, he sighed and began checking his list of names that had replied that they would be attending the conference.
"Your name is not on the list," the man informed her.
"Please, check again."
"Ms. Quinn, I do not have time for such nonsense. This is a serious medical conference. If you were a real doctor, you would know that and you wouldn't be wasting my time."
"That's Dr. Quinn," she corrected for yet the third time, "I have the invitation and…"
"And if you had responded as was requested, your name would be on the list."
"I only received the invitation yesterday. I assure you, if I had received it on time, I would have responded sooner."
"Well, Ms. Quinn, that is not acceptable."
Michaela became angry and was about to open her mouth to correct him for the fourth time when she heard someone else do it instead.
"Dr. Quinn," a man's voice corrected.
Dr. William Burke stood next to Michaela, smiling.
"William," Michaela mumbled, startled to see him there at all.
The last time she had seen him, she had told him that she could not become engaged to him because she loved Sully. Although he seemed to take it well at the time, she knew that the news was most likely devastating, especially since William was trying to start a new practice and trying to make a new life for himself.
"Now, why aren't we letting this very talented doctor in to our medical conference when she has shown you her invitation?" William questioned.
"Her name is not on the list," the man explained. "Besides, I was not told of any women doctors attending."
"When the doctors sent their confirmations that they were going to attend the conference, they did not have to specify their gender," Dr. Burke replied calmly.
"But she's not on the list," the man retorted.
"I received an invitation," Michaela clarified, "but I didn't get it until yesterday so I didn't have time to respond."
William took a quill from the man's hand, dipped it in ink, and wrote Michaela's name at the bottom of the list.
"Now she is on the list," William said, smiling.
William took Michaela's arm and he walked past the table with her. The man stood to stop them but did not know what to do or say. He somehow knew that he wouldn't be the only one trying to stop the woman from attending the conference.
"William," Michaela whispered as they stopped walking.
William had drawn them away from the crowd of doctors that had already begun to form in the meeting room.
"It's so good to see you," William replied. "How is everything back in Colorado Springs?"
"Everything is fine," she answered, still shocked. She didn't know what to say to him or how she felt now that she was seeing him again.
"And the children?"
"They're fine, too."
He paused. "And Mr. Sully?"
"He's…well…we're married now."
"Married?"
"We got married just this spring."
"Congratulations. I'm very happy for you."
"Thank you. And your practice, how is that going?"
"It's going very well. It's growing larger by the day but I have a partner now, Dr. Jeffrey Wilcox. I'm sure you'll meet him at some point throughout the conference."
"That sounds lovely."
"It is. I just wish I had someone to share it with."
Michaela looked down, unable to meet his eye. She wondered if she would ever be able to look at him the same way without somehow feeling ashamed and bad that she had left him as she did. She never regretted it, however, knowing in her heart that she never really had feelings for him. Her heart had always, and would always, belong to Sully.
"Thank you for helping me get into the conference," Michaela thanked him.
"If this conference is supposed to host the best and the brightest of doctors from across the country then there's no doubt in my mind that you should have been given the very first invitation."
She smiled, remembering how he had flattered her when they first met in Boston.
"I'm afraid that not many others share your viewpoint."
"No, but they will, in time. They can't deny talent."
William looked over at the wall as a clock chimed to tell the hour.
"The meet and greet should be ending about now," William explained.
"The meet and greet?"
"Ah…yes. Doctors love nothing more than to meet each other and show off their credentials. Dinner will begin in an hour in the dining room. Once you're settled, would you care to join me?"
Michaela nodded. "I'd be delighted."
"Good, I'll see you at six, then."
"Six it is."
Michaela couldn't help but smile as William walked away to no doubt mingle with the other doctors before dinner. As she turned to walk to the hotel desk to get a room, she couldn't help but wonder what Sully would think about her agreeing to eat with William. She was just being polite, wasn't she?