Chapter 15: Tune as Old as Song
"Hello? William? Michaela? Sully? Is anyone there?" Dorothy called into the emptiness.
"Everyone's in here Dorothy!" William's voice reverberated off the walls, as he shouted from his seat in the living room.
Dorothy made her way into the room, pausing briefly when she saw Michaela and Sully sitting close on the couch. Even though her hesitation lasted for but a moment and she instantly sat in the chair next to William with out any notion of uneasiness, both Michaela and Sully noticed her apprehension.
"So would anyone care to inform me on what exactly is going on?" Dorothy looked around at the others surrounding the room.
When no one jumped up to say anything, William took the initiative to speak. "Well, there's no easy way to explain this…but Dorothy, we need your help." William sighed and took inhaled deeply before continuing. "Michaela and Sully went into the hospital today with a few Cheyenne children…" Michaela noted Dorothy cringed slightly, and it caused anger to simmer in the pit of her stomach. "…And to put it simply, the hospital refused to treat them because they do not belong to our nation…"
Dorothy's face softened when she heard this and she cut into William's explanation. "They would turn away children?"
Sully and Michaela nodded, allowing William to continue. "Yes, they turned those children away as well as an orphaned child, because he didn't have any health insurance to cover the costs."
Dorothy drew in a sharp breath when she heard this awful news. "That's simply awful! We have to do something about this!"
"We have every intension of doing so…" Michaela spoke out for the first time since Dorothy's arrival. "…I'm going to treat all of them…"
Dorothy shook her head, confused. "But…how Michaela?"
Michaela nodded. "That's what we were trying to figure out…"
Dorothy shook her head, still slightly confounded by the entire situation. "….I don't see how I can be of any help to the matter…"
Sully decided he would speak up for this one. "Michaela and William will be here when their shifts are over, and Michaela has formed a plan of her own to get the needed supplies and medicine from the hospital. But we need someone to stay with the children during the day…I can help some, but I'm already scheduled to start building two new houses starting January 12th…"
"So you need me to take care of the children during the day?" Dorothy affirmed.
William nodded. "You're the only one of us who doesn't have to report to an office during the day."
Dorothy sat contemplating the situation, while Michaela, William, and Sully fidgeted nervously in their seats. Dorothy was their last hope to have their plan work smoothly.
Taking in a slow breath, Dorothy broke the silence. "Michaela…couldn't you be put into jail if you were ever caught smuggling the supplies?"
Michaela's face dropped completely as she nodded, afraid of what Dorothy would do knowing the risk involved. "Yes…I could go to jail, but that's a risk I'm willing to take…"
Dorothy sat in silence for a few more moments, as the realization of how much these people were risking dawned on her. Then she slowly shook her head up and down. "…Yes….yes I'll do it…"
Michaela stared at the door before her. Never had such fear gripped her when entering an operation room. However, never before did she have the intention of stealing controlled substances in an operating room either. Taking a deep breath, Michaela closed her eyes in silent prayer and entered the busy room.
"Quinn! Hurry, I need your help!" Dr. Ramón called across the room when he saw Michaela enter.
Quickly putting all other thoughts and concerns out of her mind, Michaela transitioned her focus into doctor-mode, and hurried to her position by the operating table.
The next hours were filled with long and tedious work that caused the entire room to be filled with a tense atmosphere. Michaela, considering all the intense pressures she faced, kept reasonably calm through out the entire surgery.
"Ok people, let's clean up." Dr. Ramón's voice sounded through the operation room some time later. Michaela made a point to be leisurely about her exit, and she soon found herself to be the only one remaining in the room. After peeking out the door to make sure no one was coming back, Michaela turned towards the cabinet holding the various medicines and supplies.
Opening the cabinet door vigilantly, Michaela's eyes glazed over all the labels focusing her sight to find the ones in question. Suddenly she spotted them. Glancing around the room, cautiously, Michaela reached up to grab the jars she craved. Grasping the bottles tightly in her hand, Michaela reached with her other hand to close the cabinet. In doing so, one of the bottles nearly slipped from her grasp; but Michaela was able to grip the slick glass and save herself from possible failure. Sighing deeply Michaela turned around, but instantly stopped dead in her tracks.
"Wouldn't want one of those to break…would you?" Came his evil, conniving voice.
"What do you want, David?" Michaela breathed.
David smiled slightly and began to walk towards Michaela. "…Nothing….nothing…"
"Then what are you doing here?" Michaela asked a bit louder, as he continued to stroll casually towards her.
"I could ask you the same question…" His smile broadened as she gabbed at him, too afraid to remember the lie she had planned so meticulously. "…But, I wont…no, instead I want to know the truth…"
Michaela's eyebrows frowned with confusion and she felt herself completely cornered between the wall, the cupboard, and David who was no more than five feet away now. "Th…the truth?"
David smiled even wider when he heard her voice crack. "Yes, the truth…I know you didn't mean what you said last week…I know you just said those things because that mountain man has manipulated you into thinking that you don't love me….isn't that right?"
Michaela could now feel his putrid breath smacking her face as she trembled under his intimidating gaze. "…I…" Michaela couldn't even think straight; as fear smothered her and her knees began to buckle. She wanted to scream, to run…but she as cornered physically and emotionally. There was no escape…
She felt his hands on her waist, forcefully holding her there, not letting go. Her world was spinning, swirling, spiraling until she couldn't make out whether his sickening touch was real or merely her mind playing tricks on her. Whether imaginary or true, she felt those cunning fingers slowly creep up her waist and brush against the side of her breast.
Michaela shook violently and suddenly awoke from the spell that had been cast upon her. She knew the touch was real. Feeling the coolness of the glass bottles against her palms, Michaela brought her arms up swiftly and used all her strength to thrust David away. "NO!"
Surprised by her quick and spontaneous actions, David was easily pushed back. Before he had an opportunity to react, Michaela dashed from her cornered position and rushed out of the room and down the hall, not looking back.
Heads turned as she pushed her way through the halls; tears cascading down her distressed face. Michaela found that, just as before, she had no idea where she was going; she just kept running. She had to get away.
There was light ahead…An exit…
Michaela ran towards the light and through the door, finding herself outside as the sun beamed down on her tear-streaked face.
Hollowness consumed her body and soul. She couldn't believe what had almost happened…again…
Michaela brought her hands up to cup her face, but found that they were already full. In both hands lay the medicine that she had been so adamant about getting. Her plan had been so thorough, so meticulous; yet, she had never even planned on David showing up. "How could I?" Michaela whimpered to herself. "It wasn't supposed to happen again…it was supposed to be over!"
Tears traveled, unchecked, down her cheeks as she gazed across the silent lot surrounding her. "Why did is this happening to me?" Michaela cried out to the heavens. When she received no reply, Michaela sighed heavily and glanced back towards the door from whence she came.
Just as she began to turn away again, the door opened on its own accord causing Michaela to nearly dash off again. However, she caught a glimpse of the man's face, and Michaela let out a sigh of relief.
"God Michaela, you sure ran out of there like a bat out of hell…" William joked, catching his breath before he noticed the tears in her eyes and on her cheeks. "…Michaela what happened? Did someone catch you?" When Michaela did nothing but shrug, William tried again. "Michaela?"
This time, Michaela spoke in a breath that barely qualified as a whisper. "He came at me again…"
William was speechless. "What…who…not David?" But he could tell by the shiver that ran through Michaela's body at the sound of his name that is was indeed David. "Come on…I'll drive you…"
No more words were exchanged as no more words were needed.
"When's Dr. Mike gonna be home?" The fair-hair child asked sincerely.
Sully smiled at the young girl, who had asked the same questions at least four times in the past half hour. "Like I told ya before, Colleen…she'll be home in a few hours, and she'll have the medicine all ready for your little brother!"
Colleen frowned slightly when she heard she was going to have to wait a while longer for her dearest friend to come home, but she quickly brightened up when she thought of another topic to discuss with Sully. "You know what? I think Dr. Mike likes you a lot!"
Sully shook his head and chuckled silently I himself as he spread jam on a slice of bread. "Ya do, do ya?"
Colleen smiled and nodded. "Yep! And ya know what else? I think you like her too!"
This girl certainly is something! Sully thought to himself. "Well I'd tend to agree with ya there!"
Colleen's eyes widen to the size of quarters. "Ooh…so you two are gonna get married and we can all be one big family?"
Sully nearly gagged, and Matthew's voice sounded from the back room. "COLLEEN!"
"It's ok Matthew…I don't know what's gonna happen Colleen…but for now, why don't ya just eat your sandwich, ok?" Colleen nodded, as Sully handed her the sandwich he made.
While Dorothy looked after the children, Sully began to clean up the kitchen. Bringing several plates over to the sink, Sully happened to glance out the window in time to see a car roll up into the driveway. He instantly recognized it as William's car, and his heart raced as he feared that something had gone wrong with their plan.
Rushing to the front door, Sully swung it open and walked out onto the porch. Stepping out into the sun light, Sully stopped dead in his tracks when he looked upon a distraught Michaela exiting the car. His heart froze when he saw her eyes watering and the red streaks on her cheeks left behind from previous tears. Sully's immobilization lasted for only a few moments, before he ran to his love's side; fear heavy in his heart.
Well, I wasn't exactly planning on having that happen...but it just kind of came out that way...oh I hope it was ok! Please R&R! Thanks!
-Penny-