Chapter 4: Just a Little Change
The weeks that followed slowly got easier, as the long hours became a routine event. Michaela had developed good friends in high places right off the bat with her extensive knowledge and quick diagnosis reflex. Once after a long and tiring argument with one of the surgical doctors over a possible diagnosis, she was happy to find that the surgeon had gone back to his notes and discovered that Michaela was correct. However, Michaela only found out this through the nurse's gossip, as the "superior doctor" was too proud to admit his wrong.
With first impressions out of the way, Michaela and the other interns were able to relax a bit as the constant surprise quizzing had decreased dramatically. Now, however, jobs were being assigned based on reviews from their supervising doctors. Michaela wasn't worried too much about this, unlike many of her fellow interns; and she knew she would be happy anywhere they put her, as long as it involved doctoring.
One day, as Michaela was restocking the medicine cabinets in an emergency room, a little girl, with pale-blond ringlets ran into the room and hid underneath the surgery table. A moment later a boy, no older than 14, ran to the door, and stood looking around seeing only Michaela, who had just turned around and was looking at the perplexed boy. "Can I help y..." Michaela began.
"Yes, have you seen a little girl come running through here lately?" the boy asked anxiously.
Michaela, who had not seen the girl yet, shook her head and replied, "No, I'm afraid I haven't, but if I'll keep an eye out for her."
The young man nodded his thanks and continued off down the hall. Michaela turned back to her task at hand, and as she reached up to place a bottle of alcohol on the high self of the cupboard, a crash from behind her startled her causing her to drop the bottle, which cracked and leaked onto the floor. Michaela spun around, to see the small girl standing in a pile of instruments, which she had knocked off the tray above her, in her hurry to get out of the room. Tears were in her eyes, and it was apparent that she had been crying long before she had entered the room.
Michaela left the mess at her feet and slowly walked over to the girl with a concerned look on her face.
"Are you all right sweet-heart?" Michaela asked while grabbing a clean cloth from the counter, kneeling before the girl. The girl nodded her head 'yes'...then paused and shook her head 'no', before collapsing into Michaela's arms in long hard sobs. Michaela sat on the floor of the room and rocked the young child while stroking her hair, dreading what could have made this poor girl so upset.
"Shh...It's ok...it's ok...here, let me see that pretty face of yours..." Michaela whispered comfortingly. When the young girls face finally reappeared from it's hiding place on Michaela's now soaked shoulder, the poor child's eyes were blood-shot red from her continuous crying. Michaela took the soft cloth and gentle dabbed the girl's face, drying the tears that continuously spilled from the girl's eyes.
"Can you tell me your name?" Michaela asked quietly.
"Col-hiccup-leen" the young girl replied.
"Colleen...that's a beautiful name...well, my name is Michaela...but you can call me Mike if you want."
Colleen smiled a little, "Mike...that's a funny name for a girl!"
"Yes, I suppose it is...but that's what my father used to call me...you want to know what I think is odd? Why is a girl as beautiful as yourself, sitting here alone, crying...you want to tell me what's wrong..." Michaela asked. Unfortunately, Colleen, upon remembering why she was sitting in the lap of this stranger, became quiet again and drew into herself. Michaela wanted Colleen to trust her, "You know, I'm planning on becoming a doctor someday, and my job will be to make people feel better...but if my patients don't tell me what's wrong with them, I wont be able to find out what is wrong, and then I can't help them...do you think you could let me help you a little?" Michaela encouraged gently.
Colleen looked up into Michaela's eyes, and noticed, not only that they were two different colors, but also that they were full of kindness and compassion, and that she could trust Michaela. "My mama...she was sick and we came here to make her feel better, but the doctors keep telling my older brother, Matthew, that her heart is falling, and that she may die soon..." Colleen said on the verge of tears again.
"You mean your mother's heart is failing?" and Colleen nodded.
"Does that mean my mama is going to stop loving me before she dies?" Colleen asked innocently.
Michaela's heart broke for the poor girl, seeing that she had no earthly idea what was happening to her mama. "No, no, of course not...you see, your mother's heart is like a big photo album, full of loving memories and happiness, only now the camera is going to stop taking pictures and your mama's heart and soul are going to go up to heaven, so she can look at all the wonderful pictures she has of you and your bother and the rest of you family and remember all of those precious memories...and when it's your turn to go to heaven, you'll be able to bring up your own pictures to share with your mother." Michaela explained as best she could to the darling girl.
"So, my mama will keep on loving me...even when she goes to heaven?" Colleen questioned.
"Of course...and she'll love you more and more everyday..." Michaela hugged the little girl.
"Promise?" Colleen smiled slightly.
"I promise, Colleen, with all my heart." Michaela told her with confidence.
"You know what?" Colleen looked at Michaela with a serious face.
"What?" Michaela said to Colleen with the same serious expression on her face.
"I think that you're gonna be a great doctor someday!" Colleen said with conviction.
"Why thank you Miss Colleen, now what do you say we clean up ourselves and the floor really quickly and then get you back to your family..." Michaela said to Colleen.
"Leave the mess Quinn..." A man's voice started the pair from their conversation.
"Dr. Bernard...I can explain..." Michaela started.
"Please, just take the girl up to the front desk, they'll get her back to her family, then meet me in my office on the fourth floor." Dr. Bernard said sternly.
Michaela nodded and took colleen up into her arms before heading out the door. Before the passed Dr. Bernard, Colleen suddenly said, "Please, Dr. Burned, Mike here only was trying to make me feel better...and I was the one who made the mess...don't get her in-tah trouble..."
Michaela smiled at the girl's bravery and looked up at Dr. Bernard briefly. Dr. Bernard smiled a bit at the young girl and then said, "Well, I'll consider what you said, Miss...I appreciate your honesty." He finished before heading out the door.
Michaela left Colleen with the nurses at the front desk the hurried toward Dr. Bernard's office. Michaela knew that there were hospital regulation that would have prohibited contact between a patient or family member and an intern...however, Michaela couldn't just let the girl sit and cry like that...she knew she would have to defend her side to Dr. Bernard.
When she reached the door to his office, she took a breath and knocked firmly on the door. Then, upon hearing a gruff "Come in!" she entered the moderately sized office space. Glancing around at the office space, it reminded her so much of her fathers office back in Boston. Medical books ranged the walls, and Michaela knew that if she was let loose in here, she could be happy for days on end. Then her eyes stopped at Dr. Bernard, who was seated at his desk waiting for her arrival.
"Dr. Bernard...please let me explain my actions..."
"No...I don't need to hear it." Dr. Bernard said seriously.
"But, please...sir...the situation..." Michaela began again.
"Dr. Quinn, you completely miss read my intentions..." Dr. Bernard smile at Michaela slightly.
"Excuse me?" Michaela said dumbstruck.
"I did not ask you to come here to explain yourself...I am asking, however, what you are considering for a job."
"Well, I want to be a doctor sir..." Michaela said, slightly confused.
"Yes, that is apparent Quinn...I was questioning what branch...surgery...pediatrics...etc.?"
"Oh, well honestly I would be happy in any branch..." Michaela began.
"What would you say are your strengths as a doctor?" Dr. Bernard pushed.
"Well, I know diagnosis is my greatest strength...but I am able to do well under intense pressure, in instances of surgery, I think I would do quite well..." Michaela considered.
"I would agree, and even add that you are good with people in general...that is why I am offering you the internship of head-intern surgeon at the children's hospital near by...are you interested?" Dr. Bernard asked with a smile.
A smile soon spread on Michaela's face and she could hardly contain her joy of this offer. "Of course...I'm honored...thank you so much!" Michaela exclaimed.
"Well, you've earned it...your work has not dropped since the first day you arrived...it's maybe even improved...congratulations...and I believe your shift has just ended, so you are free to go." Dr. Bernard said while shaking Michaela's hand.
"Thank you...oh, what about the mess...I can clean it up..." Michaela began as she headed for the door.
"No, no...There's another shift of interns coming in now...they'll get it cleaned up."
"Thank you...thank you so much Dr. Bernard!" Michaela exclaimed as she walked through the door.
Michaela loved her new job al the Children's hospital. Although it saddened her to see all the sick children, knowing that she could help them, brought a comfort and joy into her life that seemed to almost complete her being. David also was rewarded with a high ranking position, as a surgeon at St. Joseph's, with a specialty in eye-surgery. William had received the not-so-glamorous role of assistant to Dr. Cassidy, who had been his supervising doctor and who wanted to keep him under his eye.
Months seemed to speed by, and Michaela made many new friends. Dorothy and she had come to an unspoken agreement and apology, which promised that the argument would be dropped and forgotten. However, Michaela continued to worry about what Dorothy had said, so she did her best to make sure David knew that she loved him; allowing the sweet kisses and soft caresses, even when it made her feel slightly uncomfortable. But she told herself that she just wasn't use to the attention and that the nervousness would pass in time.
Michaela had seen very little of Sully lately; yet when she did see him, he always smiled at her and talked to her a little. Michaela had noticed a small change; it seemed, in Sully's eyes. What once held nothing but pain and suffering now had softened a little and Michaela could see the kind-heartedness breaking through the barrier. She knew he was moving on little by little, and it overjoyed her to see that he was allowing nature to take its course. Michaela had not yet gotten the courage to ask Sully where he continued to disappear off to every once in a while; but she felt it wasn't exactly her business. However, it still mystified her.
Her chance to ask him suddenly came when she had gone to William's house on the morning of Thanksgiving Eve to arrange plans for the following day's celebration. Unfortunately, William had forgotten to mention that he was going on a skiing trip with some old friends; so when Michaela entered the cabin, she found the place deserted. Leaving the cabin, Michaela started back down the road she came from. As she walked, she noticed the figure of a man on a horse coming from the woods and heading in her direction at a moderate trot. As the man's face became clearer to Michaela, she realized that it was Sully on the horse. As he approached her, Sully smiled slightly and dismounted from his steed. "Hello Mike."
"Good morning Sully...I had no idea you rode horses...is she yours?" Michaela said while stroking the nose of the chestnut mare gently.
"She is my friend yes...I wouldn't say that I own her though..."Michaela looked at Sully, slightly confused.
"Does she belong to a friend on yours then?" Michaela asked.
"She belongs to nobody but herself...she allows only who she wants to ride her." Sully explained while placing his hand on the mare's bare back.
It then suddenly dawned on Michaela that there were some things missing in the picture. "Sully...where is your saddle...were you riding..."
"Bare-back? Yes...it's how I was taught...and it feels more comfortable of both the horse and me...it is as nature intended it, so to speak..." Sully interrupted.
"That's an interesting way of seeing things..." Michaela said, still contemplating his words. "May I ask where you were coming from? Is there a trail...or..."
"No trail...at least not one leading to anywhere anyone would want to go."
"But you must have...wanted to go there, I mean." Michaela was incredible curious by this point to find out where Sully had been.
Sully smiled to himself...he couldn't believe that such a beautiful and elegant young woman could be so stubborn and persistent. "Well if you're so keen on knowing...I was seeing some friends of mind."
"In the middle of the woods?" Michaela questioned.
"That's where the reservation is..."
"Reservation? I don't understand..." Michaela said, utterly confused.
"I am good friends with a local tribe of Cheyenne Indians...they live on a reservation about five miles into those woods." Sully explained to a perplexed Michaela.
"Sully...what are you talking about...this isn't the 1860's or anything...what do you mean Indian Reservation?"
Sully took a deep breath..."Another, clueless, American citizen, who lives in denial; believing that all is good and right in this prosperous country." Sully thought to himself. "I afraid Mike, that we have not progressed much since the 1860s with the Native Americans."
"But...the government...didn't they create acts, like the Dawes Act...or the Indian Reorganization Act in 1934, to help the Native Americans?" Michaela said, while slowly realizing that the lie that was her perception of the Native American's history, was slowly unfolding to reveal the truth.
"Do you know what those actually did?" Sully asked, while Michaela slowly shook her head. "Come with me and I'll show you what these acts did for the Native Americans..." Sully said as he remounted his horse and reached for Michaela's hand.
Michaela hesitated, realizing that Sully wanted her to get up onto the horse with him. "Oh, Sully...I've only ridden English...not even Western...let alone bare-back."
"Come on, give me your hand...you'll be fine."
Michaela looked up into those crystal-blue eyes that reminded Michaela of the ocean; rough exterior, yet beautiful under the surface, and full of life. Trusting him and knowing that she should know the truth that seemed so important to him, Michaela grasped his outreached hand and allowed him to pull her up to sit behind him.
"Hold on to my waist..." Sully said over his shoulder, "...and don't let go."
"Oh, we won't have to worry about that." Michaela said as they started off at a swift canter. "So, what exactly did the Dawes Act and Indian Reorganization Act do?" Michaela asked after a few minutes, trying to get her mind off of her discomfort and fears of falling off.
After slowing down to a trot, Sully began, "The Dawes Act tried to do away with reservations...it gave each Native American a plot of land to farm and promised eventual citizenship to the United States..."
"Well that sounds good...isn't it" Michaela said confused.
"Firstly, I said they were promised citizenship...do you think it actually was granted in the lifetime of those who had lived for the Dawes Act? Their 'guaranteed' citizenship was continuously postponed...Secondly, the land that they were given not only wasn't of any good value to farming, but also wasn't actually the Native Americans' land to own individually...it was land put into a trust, where Caucasian government officials looked over and controlled it. Finally, the Cheyenne, and most other tribes, were not farmers...they were hunters...many Native Americans fell back to reservations as their only means of survival...the Indian Reorganization Act did improve some things for the Native Americans, but by the 1950s the government had turned hostile towards the Native Americans...Now, Native Americans make up the poorest of the minorities...you'll see what I mean when we get there..." Sully explained.
Sully urged his horse forward, speeding them back up to a canter. Michaela clutched the sides of Sully's shirt for dear life, and placed her cheek on the top of his back for extra support. As trees whipped past them, Michaela realized what an awkward position she was in...On the back of a horse, so close to Sully...and yet it didn't feel awkward... "What am I thinking? Where is this coming from? Sully is just a friend, taking me to see some people who really mean a lot to him" Michaela chastised herself. Then without any notice, Sully slowed his horse to an abrupt halt, causing Michaela to continue to move forward and push even more into Sully. Sully, apparently thinking nothing of it, dismounted and reached up for Michaela. "We'll walk from here." Sully explained, noticing her confused face.
Michaela started to swing her foot around the back of the horse, but lost her balance and fell right into Sully's ever-ready arms. Sully caught her delicate body before she hit the ground, and sat there for a moment, having not yet understood the awkward positioning that they were in. Michaela looked up into his surprised face and smiled slightly. "Thank you, Sully..."
"No problem..." Was all Sully could come up with. Slowly, the innocent, grateful moment of being saved, became a tense and embarrassing one, when it finally dawned on both of them that they were in each others arms. Swiftly, Michaela and Sully parted and stood silently. Then as if nothing had happened, Sully grabbed the reigns of his horse and gestured Michaela to follow him.
They walked for a few minutes in silence until Michaela got up the courage to ask a question that had been gnawing at her since she first heard Sully say he had been to the Cheyenne reservation. "Sully, how did you come to be friends with the Cheyenne?"
Silence followed the question, and Michaela would have thought that he had not heard her; however, as Michaela had asked the question, she'd notice that he had gone rigid and his body seemed tense. Michaela decide not to pursue the question, and figured that he would answer only if he wanted to. Yet, now she was even more captivated to find out all the answers to this mysterious man's past.
Slowly, Sully took a deep breath, and, much to Michaela's surprise and delight, Sully began to tell her of his meeting of the Cheyenne people. "I came across them...or they more came across me a few years ago at a...a very depressing stage of my life...basically they took me in and helped me get back on my feet, as best the could...they gave me the will to keep living...therefore giving and saving my life...I owe them everything and more...and yet they continue to suffer from wrongs committed to them and their people over 100 years ago. They've lost so much...not only millions of lives...but their entire culture...this morning I was making one of my weekly trips...when I bring them some food and preserves..." Sully explained solemnly.
Michaela became very quiet as they continued to walk. She had her questions answered...but now she felt even worse and more helpless than before he had told her. Suddenly more observant of her surroundings, Michaela noticed that the normal sounds of nature, were mixed with the laughter of children and the scurrying and talking of many people located just beyond the upcoming hill. Sully tied his horse to a tree at the base of the gradual hill, and started up towards the contrasting noises, closely followed by Michaela.
Michaela had only seen one thing that was anywhere close to as devastating in the United States. It was a picture from her old history textbook of a Shanty Town located near Washington D.C. called Murder Bay. The site before her almost made her sick. Far-too-thin children played in mud-splashed clothes while their mothers worked at harvesting scrawny-looking vegetable from the dry, hard ground that lay next to the wooden shacks that were apparently their houses. A few heads turned when they noticed her and Sully's presence. Michaela heard muttering in a language that she could not understand.
"Névááso?" one man whispered to his partner
Michaela glanced at Sully, unsure of what to do. Sully nodded forward while saying, "Let's go over here, there's someone I think you'd like to meet."
Michaela followed Sully past the staring eyes. Michaela tried to smile at the curious children, but she found the entire place so distressful and pitiful that she could not find any reason in smiling. A grin wasn't going to make these people's pains go away.
Sully reached the end of the village where he stopped at man with long, midnight-black, hair that glistened in the sunbeams; which were caused by the sunlight being filtered by the trees. Various traditional clothing was mixed with modern slacks and a shirt. The man held an outstretched arm to the approaching Sully.
"Va'ôhtama, my friend...you have returned already...I should not have doubted the Spirits' words." The man said to Sully, while grasping arms firmly with him.
"I was surprised when your words to bring the eager learner here when the time was right, actually made sense..." Sully said grinning.
Michaela watched the exchange, not understanding a bit of what they were conversing about. Sully then turned away from his Cheyenne friend and looked at Michaela. "Michaela, this is my very close friend, Cloud Dancing... Cloud Dancing, this is Dr. Michaela Quinn..." Sully introduced the two.
Michaela smiled, "It's a pleasure to meet you...I'm afraid that my reason for being here, though, is due to my own ignorance...however, I am ready to learn...I wish only that the rest of the country could see what's happening in their own backyard..."
Cloud Dancing smiled at her, then whispered to Sully, "Ého'néhevêhohtse..."
Michaela felt very much put out and self conscious, "Please, what does that mean...I want to understand you but..."
"Sweet child, Ého'néhevêhohtse means 'she is very wise'...you are eager to learn all there is to know, but today is not the day to begin...when the time is right, I myself will teach you all you wish to know...however, now I believe that prior plans must be met and you should be going..."
Michaela was confused, at first, by his words...but then she thought to look at her watch face, realizing she was supposed to have met Davis at her apartment five minutes ago. "Sully! I need to go...I'm late...can I get a rid–"
"A ride? Of course, did you think I would make you walk all the way home? Let's go...goodbye my brother." Sully said while smiling and clasping the other man's arm.
Cloud Dancing watched the pair hurry off from whence they came chuckling softly to himself. A woman with jet-black hair, worn in two braids, walked up to Cloud dancing and wrapped her arm around his waist before saying, "I have not seen that twinkle in Sully's eye until today...was it always there or did something change?"
Cloud Dancing smiled at his wife. "Well, according to the spirits, a very large change is occurring that will result in a miracle experienced only by the few..."
"Oh, and what miracle might that be?"
"The spirits have symbolized this miracle with two hawks..." Cloud Dancing explained.
"Does that mean that Sully will..." The woman began.
"That is what is planned...however... Ée'tóhtahe..." Cloud Dancing sighed, "They both are..."
Va'ôhtama means "Welcome."
Névááso means "Who is that?"
Ée'tóhtahe means "He is afraid."
Michaela and Sully walked briskly back towards his horse. Michaela's head was spinning with new questions about so many different subjects, she didn't think she could even start to ask Sully all of them.
"Sully, how did Cloud Dancing know that I was late and needed to go" Michaela asked.
"Cloud Dancing is the tribe's Medicine Man, he is their spiritual guide, their leader, and their, so-to-say doctor...he must have gotten a message from the spirits." Sully explained to an intrigued Michaela.
Sully mounted his horse and, once again, helped Michaela up behind him. They rode back in silence, as Michaela's thoughts and questions were overflowing in her full mind. The ride back seemed much quicker, and they soon had made it to the main road.
"Do you want me to take you to your apartment?" Sully asked while glancing over his shoulder.
"Yes, that would much appreciate." Michaela answered.
When they had arrived at her apartment complex, David was waiting outside with an upset look set upon his face. Sully dismounted and helped Michaela down as David came running up to them.
"Michaela! Where on earth have you been?" David said shortly. "We were supposed to meet a half hour ago and you've been off riding horses with...him!"
"David...I sorry, we just lost track of time..." Michaela defended. "Sully was just...showing me something...a tree in the woods that has...um...healing properties..." Michaela came up with. She knew that what Sully had shown her was very special to him...and it was something that she somehow knew he had only shown her.
"You could have been dead in the woods for all I knew...and you didn't have your cell with you so I couldn't contact you…" David heaved.
"Oh, honestly David...all the times I was late to go out to dinner with you in Boston, you never overreacted like this then..." Michaela shot back.
"There weren't bears in Boston that could attack you at any minute..."
"Don't be ridiculous David! This isn't the middle of a National forest for one, and secondly, it's much more likely that I would have been hit by a car in Boston, than have been attacked by a bear here!" Michaela puffed, then turned to Sully who had been silently awaiting his dismissal, while the two argued. "Thank you Sully...I would love to go back again sometime soon, please tell me when it would be a good time so I can plan for it..."
Sully smiled hesitantly. "I'll try to do that...sorry for getting her back here late, David...see you later Mike." Sully said before remounting and heading back up the road.
"So what were you two really doing?" David asked after Sully was out of earshot.
"What do you mean? He thought I would be interested in seeing a tree, it has healing properties…he was just trying to be kind…" Michaela said, doing her best not to show that she was lying.
"Well, it's just kind of odd that Sully, who will barely talk to anyone, suddenly decides to take a stranger out and show them…what a tree…Michaela I don't trust him…" David concluded.
"Well I do…he's sweet David…he may have a rough exterior…but you of all people should know what tragedy does to a person…" Michaela said calming down a little.
"It can make them go mad…that's what it can do to a person…but it seems that you've already made your decision…you want him to be your boyfriend, that's it isn't it!" David accused while walking towards his car.
Michaela followed him, shocked at impugnation. "Of course not…David! David! Listen to me…" But David continued to get into his car. Michaela ran to the car door before he could close it, and shouted at him. "I love you, David…please…I love you!" But he slammed the door shut on her and back out of the driveway.
Michaela was left in her driveway, tears rolling down her cheeks. She couldn't imagine a simple accident and misunderstanding had gone so wrong. She tried to brush the tears away from her face as she made her way up to the door, but new tears were constantly replacing the old ones. She opened the door of her apartment and walked inside, to find Dorothy writing at the kitchen counter.
"Hi, Michaela, I'm just finishing up an article for the…" Dorothy stopped when she saw Michaela's red eyes and patchy face. "Oh, Michaela what's wrong? David was here a while ago looking for you, did you find him?"
"Yes, yes I found him…we just had a falling out…he...he accused me…" Michaela stuttered as she sobbed.
"He accused you of what Michaela?" Dorothy pushed, while putting her arm around her distraught friend and sitting her down in the chair next to hers.
"He accused me of being in love with…with…with Sully!" Michaela said before breaking out into another seizure of sobs. "Then he just drove off…I kept telling him that I loved him…but he didn't listen to me…"
"Oh, darling…" Dorothy patted her back gently, as Michaela cried onto her shoulder. Dorothy wasn't so surprised that they had had a falling out, but she was blown away by the fact that it was Sully that David had accused Michaela of loving. "If you truly love him…you need to make sure he knows…why don't you try calling him…or go and see him at his apartment…I know that sometimes it's best to let each other cool off, but right now it sounds like David need you, and if you ignore him, he'll just think that he was right to assume that you don't love him anymore."
Michaela looked up at Dorothy with her puffy, blood-shot eyes, and saw her concern in her eyes. She nodded and sat her self up. "Thank you Dorothy… thanks for being there…listening…"
"Oh, that's what friends are for Michaela…yet…now don't get mad at me…but I'm just want you to be sure that you truly love him…I only say this because if you win him back and you discover that you don't love him like you thought you did…it's only going to make things worse for the both of you…" Dorothy said carefully.
Michaela looked down at her hands, thinking hard…knowing that Dorothy had only asked the question for her own sake. "I know I love him…I can feel the pain in my heart right now…I'll go to him, now." Michaela stated strongly while standing up and reaching for her jacket.
"Do you want a ride?" Dorothy offered.
"No, I'll call for a taxi…you know, I think I should go and get my self a car this weekend…cab rates are driving me up the wall…" Michaela said with a slight smile.
"Good luck Michaela, follow your heart…" Dorothy encouraged.
Michaela nodded and went to go and call the cab. She grabbed her cell phone and her jacket and went to wait outside for the taxi. As she waited, something continued to gnaw at her stomach, making it twist unnaturally. Now two people had questioned her love to David…was she in love? "Of course she was…" Michaela told herself. "All couples fight…it's just part of a relationship."
The taxi came up the drive way slowly, and Michaela got in, slamming the door behind her. "Where to, Miss?" The drive asked in a heavy southern accent.
"The Coventry Apartment Complex on Emerson Street, please." Michaela answered.
"Right 'o" the driver said, before speeding back down the drive way and towards downtown Denver. Michaela looked out the window of the cab, staring at everything and nothing that passed by. Her mind remained on David, and she hoped that she could make him understand how much she loved him and how much he meant to her…but as she sat, the disturbance in the pit of her stomach continued to grow, and into her mind flew the question… "Have I fallen in love with Sully?"