Day 4

Michaela looked at the itinerary for the day. She had just sat through a conference on new research information on cancer and, although the topic would have normally kept her interest, she did not pay attention at all. All she could think of was how Maria was fairing with Sully. Michaela wanted to send him another telegram, explaining everything but she also knew that as much as she respected and liked Horace, it wasn't the best idea. If she told Horace, it would only be a matter of time before the whole town would know what was going on. Michaela trusted the town to keep her secret, as they had stood together many times before, but she did not trust the newcomers who came to town everyday on the train. She could not think of what would happen if Maria's husband did go out looking for her and a visitor sold Maria out for some money. Michaela became teary eyed at the thought. She couldn't help but pray that she hadn't put Sully and her children in danger.

"Dr. Quinn," a voice said from behind her. Michaela turned and stood face to face with William.

"William."

"I didn't mean to startle you. I'm sorry."

"It's alright.

"I had saved you a seat at the conference this morning but I didn't see you."

"I'm sorry. I was running rather late this morning and I just sat in the back," she lied.

Michaela had only sat in the back in case she needed to run out for any reason. She didn't need to cause another scene as the one that had occurred the day before. As it was, a number of the doctors whispered when she entered the room and she knew that it wasn't just because they weren't used to seeing a female doctor. Sitting in the back also allowed her to keep a close eye on Dr. Clarke. As far as she knew, he hadn't gone home at all, which meant that he probably hadn't recognized Hank. So far, everything seemed to be working as planned.

"After what happened yesterday, I was afraid you had left," William commented.

"No. It was just a friend who needed some help."

"What kind of help?"

"He just had a sick friend but nothing more. It's fine now."

"His friend must have been rather sick for him to storm into the meeting like that."

"He just overreacted. Nothing to worry about."

"Well, that's a relief."

"Yes, it is."

"Would you like to join me this afternoon for lunch? It's being served in the outside café."

Michaela nodded. "I would love that, thank you." She didn't really want to eat with him but she felt as if she had no choice. If she started sneaking around and lying, she had a feeling that someone would notice. Besides, it would be a good time to see if William knew any information about Dr. Clarke.

"And then you can fill me in on all of the things going on in Colorado Springs."

"Of course."

William nodded. "The conference on surgery of the foot is next. Shall we?"

Michaela looped her arm through his and they walked together to the next room. As they walked, Michaela's mind was far from feet.

Matthew had stopped by and picked Colleen and Brian up for school, something that Sully had asked him to the day before. Normally, the entire family would ride into town together and Sully would drop the children off at school and then drop Michaela off at the clinic while Sully went along his everyday business. Today, however, Sully knew that he would have to stand close by to the homestead with Maria. Matthew had said that Jake had been asking around town if anyone had seen Maria but no one seemed to interested in who the mysterious woman was. Sully only hoped that eventually Jake would forget about it and not cause any trouble.

"Your children are lovely," Maria complimented as she began to put everyone's dirty dishes into a large basin.

"Thank you," Sully replied, "but I'm afraid I can't take all of the credit."

"Are they Dr. Mike's children from a previous marriage?"

Sully shook his head. "They were the children of a friend of Dr. Mike's who died and left them to her. But, they're as close as any blood related family."

"You all are."

Maria began to pump water into the basin.

"You don't have to do that," Sully told her.

"I know but I'd like to help. You have done so much for me already. This is the least I can do."

Sully nodded and sat at the table. He was surprised at how open Maria had become considering how reserved and quiet she was when she first arrived. She and Sully had spent the afternoon talking the day before and he found out that she was originally from the East. Even though she was nearly fifteen years younger than Robert, they got married when she found out that he was going to Denver to be a doctor. Maria admitted that she wasn't sure if she married him more because she loved him or because she wanted to travel to the West. Sully learned that she worked as a seamstress back home but that, in Denver, Robert didn't want her to have a job. With no money, she was stuck in the horrible relationship with her husband.

As Maria told Sully about her life, he couldn't help but realize how pretty she was, despite the bruising and cuts. She was a small, petite woman with a beautiful face. Her skin was slightly dark, as were her eyes and hair. Even though she was dressed in Michaela's dresses that were too big for her, it was obvious that she also had quite an attractive figure.

When the children had returned from school the day before, wondering what they would be doing to pass the time, they were immediately interested in the guest who would be staying with them. Sully was almost relieved that they had solved the 'what should we do debate' by just talking to Maria. The children liked her and she obviously was rather fond of them, as well. They wanted to know all about the city she had grown up in and where her parents came from. The children didn't seem to find anything wrong with the story that Maria was a friend of Michaela's who didn't know she would be going away, which made Sully happy. Sully knew that the less people who knew about why Maria was really there, the better. Sully just hoped that Michaela was doing well in Denver and that she wasn't getting herself into any trouble. Sully also couldn't help but wonder about Maria's connection with Hank and whether or not Hank and Michaela were seeing much of each other in Denver.

Sully took out his knife and began carving a piece of wood from the woodpile next to the fireplace.

"What are you making?"

"Haven't decided yet. Gotta strip the bark first and then I gotta see what it looks like."

"The wood looks like something?"

"Sure. The wood has a certain shape and soul. Ya just gotta figure out what it would look best as."

"Is this what you do? Carve things?"

"I do whatever I can," Sully answered. "I work as a guide sometimes and I work as an Indian agent for the Indians livin' at the Palmer Creek reservation. I used ta just be a friend to the Indians before…"

"Before?"

"When there were Cheyenne Indians livin' freely in these parts."

"They don't live here anymore?"

Sully shook his head. "Not anymore. Only a few of 'em left on the reservations."

"I've heard my husband talk about the Indians but I never paid them much attention."

"I think that's what the Indians would have liked."

"What's that?"

"For folks to pay them no attention."

"So, how long have you and Dr. Mike been married?" She asked, wanting to move the conversation past Indians and on to something more interesting to her.

"Just a few months," Sully answered. "We got married in the spring."

"Are you enjoying married life?"

Sully smiled and thought he felt himself blushing. "It's…it's wonderful."

"Spoken like a true newlywed."

Maria became quiet as she thought about her own husband and how their wedding bliss turned quickly to anything but. Even though she partly married him to be able to get to the West, she did love him when they got married. As she thought back, however, she wondered if that love as just mixed up with infatuation with the first man who ever flattered her.

"I'm surprised," Maria said.

"Surprised? 'Bout what?"

"That you would let Michaela go off to a conference for five days without you, now that you're newlyweds."

"No one let's Michaela do anything. Michaela has a mind of her own. Once she decides somethin', there's no changin' her mind. 'Sides, I'm the one who suggested she go in the first place."

"Well, now I'm really surprised."

"Why's that?"

"Seems odd to not only send your new wife off for a week but to send her with another man."

"Another man?" Sully questioned, wondering what she was talking about. "Hank?"

Maria nodded. "I saw the way he looks at her. Hank might pretend he's tough and mean but he's always had a soft spot for women. Despite what you might think, Hank does know how to fall in love."

"You seem to know a lot about him."

"I do," she answered. She quickly stopped speaking, though, knowing that she could not give him too much information.

"I didn't send Michaela off with Hank. They just happened to be going to the same place at the same time. Besides, I trust Michaela. She has no feelings for Hank."

"That may be true but Hank can be a pretty persuasive man. The man gets what he wants."

Sully tried not to let it bother him but thinking of what Maria was saying, he couldn't help it. Was Hank really in love with Michaela? Had he always been? Would he try anything while they were alone in Denver? Sully kept thinking that even though Michaela and Hank had arrived on the same train, they would be going their separate ways once they got there but Maria proved that they had obviously been in contact. Sully couldn't help but wonder if he really had anything to worry about.

Michaela sat across from William, pushing her food around with her fork, unable to eat it. The dining room was buzzing with other doctors eating together and discussing the conference itself. Michaela and William had been eating in near silence, beside pleasantries. It seemed as if every time she looked at him, she could think of no one but Sully. She wondered if she should have told Sully in the telegram that she had run into William. Then again, what would have been the point of that? All Sully needed to worry about was keeping Maria safe, not who Michaela was having lunch with.

As it was, it appeared as if Sully had less to worry about than Michaela would have thought since Dr. Clarke hadn't left the hotel at all. It appeared that he didn't care much to get home to his wife. Michaela had asked William about Dr. Clarke before the last lecture began. Although William didn't know much, he did know that Dr. Clarke had just moved into the Denver territory and was looking to make a name for himself. He had organized the conference with Dr. Hansen, whom he had worked with in the East, in hopes of having people recognize the name. The conference was only to be for doctors in the surrounding areas but as word got out, the conference grew in size and doctors from around the country chose to attend. Dr. Clarke was ecstatic about the turnout and was expecting an offer to become a partner with one of the more well-known doctors' practices in Denver. When Michaela asked William about whether or not Dr. Clarke was married, William told her that he didn't know but that Dr. Clarke never mentioned having a wife.

William noticed Michaela staring at her food but not eating it. He had wanted to talk to her about something most important during lunch but she didn't seem like she was much interested in talking at all.

"Don't you think, doctor?" William asked, breaking her concentration. Michaela dropped her fork, which made a clanging sound against her plate. Michaela looked at him, bewildered. She had no idea what he had been talking about. Little did she know that he hadn't really been talking at all.

"I'm sorry?"

"Something bothering you?"

"No, why do you ask?" She answered hastily.

"You just appear to be preoccupied."

"I'm sorry, William. I've just had a lot on my mind."

"If there's anything I can help you with, I'm here to help."

"Thank you, William but there's nothing wrong."

William reached across the table and placed his hand over hers.

"I want you to know that I'm here for you. If it's your marriage you…"

"My marriage?" Michaela jerked her hand away from his own and placed it in her lap with her other hand.

"Well, yes. I can only assume that you came out here because your marriage is not fairing as well as you'd like and I want you to know that you and your children are always welcome back in Boston."

"Go back to Boston? This has nothing to do with my marriage, William. I came out here to enjoy a medical conference. Would I like to be home with my husband and my children? Of course but I think that it is important for all physicians to stay up to date with the latest technologies and procedures and that is what I am doing. There is nothing wrong with my marriage."

"I'm sorry."

Michaela sighed. "I'm sorry, too. I didn't mean to yell as I did."

"I guess I was just…hoping."

"I'm sorry?"

"Hoping that you would come back to Boston."

"Oh William." Michaela was startled. Had he been reading her wrong? Had he thought that her marriage had fallen apart and that she was interested in him because she had agreed to eat with him and sit with him during the lectures?

"I see now that I was mistaken."

"William, I never meant to make you think..." she paused. "Sully and I have a wonderful marriage. We are very happy and I would never even consider leaving him and Colorado Springs. I'm sorry, William, if I gave you the wrong impression. I was just happy to see a familiar face who would accept me as a doctor."

"I am sorry, too, that I…well, that I assumed that something was wrong. I'm happy for you, Michaela, I truly am."

Michaela smiled.

"Thank you."

"You must miss him. And your children."

"I do. Very much so."

Michaela thought of Sully and what he might be doing at that moment. On any given day, the children would most likely in school and Sully was probably in town working on any amount of projects but Michaela knew that with Maria there, their everyday rituals were most likely temporarily disrupted. Michaela couldn't help but think of the woman who had so suddenly entered her life. Although Michaela had no problem helping her, she hated being left in the dark. More than that, she hated being in the presence of the man who supposedly put Maria in such a condition.

"This may be very forward of me," William began, "seeing as how it is only lunchtime but would you like to have dinner with me as well? Perhaps we can leave the hotel. Go somewhere nicer."

"That would be lovely William," Michaela replied, "but there is something that I have to do."

"This doesn't have to do with the interruption of the conference yesterday, does it?"

"Interruption?" Michaela had almost forgotten that Hank had burst in to ask her to help Maria just the day before. "No, it has nothing to do with that. I just need to do some things."

"Very well."

"Thank you for lunch."

"It was my pleasure." Michaela stood and William did the same, it being the polite thing to do. She left the lunch room, checking her itinerary. Another lecture was beginning in just an hour. She sighed, knowing that she would not be able to sit through the lecture with what was on her mind. She exited the hotel as William looked down at her plate of uneaten food.

Hank sat on the bar stool, sipping a whiskey and eyeing the local prospects. He had no luck so far finding girls to take back with him to Colorado Springs but, then again, he had been rather preoccupied with worrying about Maria. He wished that he was able to go with her to Colorado Springs but he knew that it would only have put her life in danger. He just had to trust that she was being taken care of and that her husband wouldn't find her. Hank had half a mind to go find her husband and give him a piece of his mind but he also knew that that would do her no good. Her husband had friends in high places.

The front door swung open but Hank ignored it, not even bothering to look who entered. After all, he wouldn't know the man anyway.

"Ain't no ladies allowed," the bartender spat.

Hank immediately turned around and saw Michaela staring at him. She did not pay any attention to the men who were staring at her. All she cared about was talking to Hank.

"She was just leavin'," Hank announced, standing. He left some money on the table beside his half empty whiskey. He escorted Michaela outside.

"We have to talk," Michaela commanded.

"Gotta admit, Michaela, didn't 'xpect ya ta be walkin' into another man's bar, 'sides mine, of course."

"Is there somewhere we can go?"

"Hear ya got a pretty nice room at that hotel over there."

Michaela glared at him. "You know that we can't go there, Hank."

Hank smiled, knowing the kind of rumors that were most likely already floating around between the doctors due to his disturbance the day before. Doctors may have called themselves professionals but they also liked a juicy story just as anyone else did. Hank could only imagine what they would be saying if he and Michaela strolled into the hotel and up to her hotel room without a chaperone.

"I got a place, 'cross the street."

She followed him to the smaller, less prestigious hotel. Although she did not necessarily feel comfortable being behind closed doors with him, she also knew that it was just Hank. He may not have been the friendliest person in the world but he tended to respect Michaela.

"Have a seat," Hank offered as they entered his sparse room. He cleared a pile of clothes off a chair and Michaela sat. He sat on the bed across from her. "What is it that ya wanted ta talk 'bout?"

"I think you know what I want to talk about." Hank raised his eyebrows at her as if he had no idea. "You find a woman, whom you obviously somehow know, and then you beg me to help her even though your refuse to return to Colorado Springs with her. So, I send her off to stay with my husband and children, even though I know nothing about this woman and you just expect me to be okay with that. I want answers, Hank. I deserve answers."

"What's really botherin' ya, Michaela?"

"What do you mean?"

"You've helped strangers before. You took in orphans when ya didn't know where they come from. Ya took in that outlaw even though she was dangerous. Ya even helped that Frankenstein stay at your house 'fore ya even knew his name. You've done operations on and sewed up more people than ya probably remember that ya didn't know."

Michaela hated that he was correct. She did seem to have a knack for helping people who no one else would help for whatever reason and for accepting people into her life even when she knew nothing about them.

"It ain't that ya wanna know 'bout her, Michaela. You're afraid of her bein' out there in that homestead with your husband."

"I beg your pardon!"

"Ya gotta admit, even under all the bruises, Maria's a pretty lady. I know that I wouldn't trust my husband up there all alone with her."

"Well, fortunately, you don't have to, Hank. I trust Sully. Completely."

"I'm just sayin', Michaela that when a woman leaves her newlywed husband, he ain't gonna be too happy 'bout it."

"Sully loves me."

"Love ain't everythin'. A man's gots needs, Michaela. Needs that he'll satisfy whenever he's got the chance."

"That's enough, Hank!" Michaela shouted, trying her best not to listen to his ramblings. Hank knew how to press her buttons and he tended to press them often. "Besides, what do you know about love?"

"Sometimes ya surprise me, Michaela."

"What is so secret about this woman, Hank?" Michaela asked, changing the subject. "What are you trying to hide? Is she a past lover?"

Hank scoffed. "Ain't no past lover of mine."

"Then who is she?"

"Does it matter?"

"Hank!"

Hank sighed, hating to let his guard down. "I met her when I was twelve years old."

"She was a friend of yours when you were a child?"

"Not quite a friend."

"Then what?"

"A sister."

Michaela couldn't help but gasp. "A sister?"

"Half sister," he clarified. "She saved my life once when I was a boy walkin' on a frozen pond. Fell through. I wouldn't have made it if she hadn't dived in after me. That was the first time we met. She was only six years old but she was the best swimmer I'd ever seen. I didn't even know I had a sister when she showed up. She was my pa's girl. My pa left us when I was a boy and he died a few years later. Then her ma died and sent her to live with us. We didn't even know he had more kids."

"What happened to her?"

"After a year, my ma sent her away to go work for a family. Didn't want no reminders of my pa around. Hadn't seen her sense."

"Until yesterday."

"Until yesterday," Hank clarified.

"How did you know it was her if you hadn't seen in her in so long?"

"Would you ever forget your sister's face, Michaela?"

Michaela shook her head. "Why couldn't you tell me before who she was?"

"Don't need folks thinkin' that I got a past."

"Everyone has a past, Hank."

"I don't. Ya can't tell no one in town, Michaela. Don't need no one gossipin' 'bout me."

"I won't, Hank, but there's nothing to be ashamed or afraid of."

"I ain't afraid."

"How would her husband know you?"

"Robert and me…we were best friends growin' up," Hank answered with anger in his voice.

"Hank," Michaela coaxed, hoping that she would get more information.

"Ain't there a conference ya should be gettin' back ta?" He barked.

Michaela nodded. She wanted to talk to Hank longer and explain to him that he could admit his past. She had no idea why he would want to be so secretive about the whole thing but she was never sure that she really would understand Hank. She stood and left the hotel.