Chapter 15—"Last Hope"
Michaela dropped her hold of the make-shift bandage around her waist and felt nothing but the solid strength of his hand. "What did you say?"
Sully stepped closer, catching her eyes. "I want you to—"
"Marry you," she whispered the very idea so fragile and foreign she could barely conceive of it.
"Yes," Sully breathed, waiting for her answer.
Michaela studied his anxious demeanor and shivered as his cold hand sent a sudden chill through hers. "Now you're lying."
Sully caught his breath but didn't let go of her drowning eyes as he pulled her closer, his voice growing deeper, "I've never been more certain—"
Michaela shook her head fiercely, unable to grasp this moment as she seized the collar of his shirt, knotting the fabric in her hands. "I-I don't believe you!"
Before she could run away, he was pulling her under and she was taking him in even as she struggled to leave. Her kiss was his oxygen and she was his lifeline. For the first time in her life, she wasn't strong enough to push him away, to stop her arms from circling his neck and tangling in his mused hair. God, she loved him, she loved him…She couldn't stop, even if he left her tomorrow—
"Sully! Do you see where we are?" She gasped for air, remembering every single moment that had brought them to this dark cave. She broke away from him and went to lean against the rocky wall.
He followed her but held his distance. "I know exactly where we are. And we have never needed to be together more than right now. I know you've been alone all of your life. I know you don't need anyone. But I need you. Do you understand that? I need you, Michaela!"
Her eyes glowed in the cave as she watched him in silence and quietly, she asked, "Why did you kiss her? I need the truth, Sully."
Sully sighed and kneeled before her. He looked into her eyes and answered softly, "There ain't a Why, Michaela. It just happened. She kissed me and I didn't think. It ain't like kissin' you. I dream about kissing you weeks before it ever happens."
Moments passed as only their eyes spoke to each other. Finally, she whispered, "You certainly couldn't have dreamed all this up, could you?"
"I knew we'd have challenges. You took my hand once and decided to face 'em with me. All ya gotta do is take my hand one more time." Sully held out his hand for Michaela and waited.
Michaela looked into his eyes and took a deep breath, her fears springing into every single nerve and cell of her flesh as she released the joints in her knuckles and extended her hand slowly, letting it hover in the air with no a safety net.
Sully waited, forcing himself not to reach for her hand and pull her straight into his arms. He knew he had to let her come to him in her own time.
Her chest rose in pounding, unfettered inhales, taking him completely in as she stretched her hand across the space between them. Suddenly, her face broke, and a faraway smile lit her eyes as she exhaled, "I remember every I love you."
"Michaela…?" Sully whispered, quickly grasping her hand as her head fell back and her chest concaved.
The fight was gone, and suddenly, her body collapsed in his arms.
Elizabeth sprung up from her doze on the sofa as the pounding of little feet grew louder and louder on the hall stairs.
"Mother! Mother!" She heard Claudette's incessant whine escalating as she drove closer and closer towards the parlor.
"Mother!" Maureen topped Claudette's shrill sound as if she were a pair of brassy French horns.
Elizabeth turned towards Michaela's bassinet and saw that her baby was wide awake and watching her. Elizabeth half-grinned at the observant child and whispered, "Just wait until you have children of your own, Miss Michaela."
As her seven and eight year old pranced, or tooted, depending on who was winning at the moment, into the room, Elizabeth sat up straight and prepared to settle any squabbles between her girls.
"Mother! Mother! Maureen is being quite selfish and won't let me where her pink lacy dress for tea time at Laura Jefferson's!" Claudette whinnied with her fists knotted tightly on her hips.
Maureen blew fecklessly, "It's my pink lacy dress! You have your own pink dress, Claudette! Doesn't she, mother?"
Elizabeth sighed. She loved her daughters, but unfortunately, these two were outrageously vain. Perhaps because they were so close in age and the sense of competition simply drove them to it, but then again, they were just little girls. There was still time to straighten them out. "Yes, you do, Claudette. Both of you girls are fortunate enough to have all of the clothes and things you need and desire. Martha made your pink dress just for you, Claudette. You should wear it proudly and not want what other's have."
Claudette's bottom lip trembled for a few moments, but she quickly sucked it up. Her mother was always able to squash her less appealing habits. "Yes, m'am."
"Now. I want you two to make up and be sisters. And Maureen, sharing can be fun sometimes. What you give comes back to you tenfold," Elizabeth suggested.
"What does that mean?" Maureen wrinkled her nose curiously.
"I'll let you figure that out for yourself. Now run off, girls. It's almost tea time."
As the girls scampered off, Martha came scurrying in with Marjorie on her hip. "I don't mean to bother you, m'am, but this little one just woke up, and she was awfully fussy for her mama."
"That seems to be the running theme in the house today," Elizabeth said good-humoredly. "Come here, sweetheart."
Marjorie lifted her head off of Martha's shoulder and opened her reddened eyes. She slid down her leg and quickly padded over to her mother's lap. She buried her wrinkled face in her mother's arm and whispered, "I hadda bad dream."
"A bad dream?" Elizabeth smoothed down Marjorie's wild curls soothingly as Michaela played with her toes in the bassinette. "What was it about?"
Marjorie took a few dramatic, beleaguered breaths and explained sadly, "I woke up and nobody was in da house."
"Oh no!" Elizabeth hugged her tightly as she sniffled a bit.
"I looked and looked for you, but I couldn't find anybody!" Marjorie's eyes wandered around the room as she wrapped her arm around her mother's stomach.
Elizabeth kissed the top of her head and put a comforting smile on her face. "That's not a very nice dream. But you know what?"
"What?" Marjorie whispered magically.
Elizabeth bent down and went eye to eye with her little girl, "I'm right here. Michaela's right here. Claudette and Maureen are upstairs. And Rebecca—"
"Is kissin' Roger in da park!" Marjorie announced brightly.
"She's what!" Elizabeth pulled away.
Marjorie covered her mouth. "Whoops. I wasn't 'posed to say anything. Don't tell her I told you!"
Elizabeth sighed hopelessly and tapped Marjorie on the nose. "We'll have to see about that, Miss Marjorie."
"M'am?" Martha hovered at the door.
"Yes, Martha?" Elizabeth sat up and put Marjorie on her feet.
Martha frowned uncertainly. "You have a visitor. A Mrs. Montgomery?"
Elizabeth was taken back. She hadn't seen the Montgomery's for several weeks now, ever since that day by the Charles when Caitlyn had run away. "What a strange time for a house call. I'm not even dressed yet for tea. Oh well… Show her in."
Elizabeth stood up and quickly noticed Marjorie by Michaela's bassinette. She eyed her little girl suspiciously. "Don't you dare pinch the baby, Marjorie. Michaela never cries and I don't want her to start now!"
"Mrs. Caitlyn Montgomery," Martha announced before Elizabeth was ready. Elizabeth spun around quickly and didn't even try to hide the fact that she was up to her ears in little girls.
"Mrs. Quinn…" Caitlyn, so light and ethereal, seemed to float across the room as she extended her hand. "Thank you so much for seeing me. I'm sorry for not sending my card first but—"
"It's quite alright. Our first introduction was hardly on formal terms. Why set a precedence now?" Elizabeth took her hand and laughed, plopping back down on the sofa, quickly sending another warning glance towards her impish child and her little one obviously under attack.
Caitlyn caught the amusing exchange between mother and daughter and smiled as she sat down beside her. "I do like you. You seem… different than most Bostonian women."
Elizabeth shook her head and laughed again, her face bright as she smoothed back her loose hair. "Hardly. I've lived here all of my life. But there is luxury in having a family and means that can allow you to be comfortable at times."
Caitlyn digested this, and proceeded, edging closer to Elizabeth, "Your husband is liberal minded, I take it?"
"Far more than I am, I believe. I was so uptight before I met him. I didn't understand anything about the world. He… loosened the strings and taught me how to explore, I suppose you can say," Elizabeth's voice faded off as her eyes grew distant and dreamy, to a place that Caitlyn could only recognized as one unspeakable thing, and the thought made her blush furiously.
"Oh…" she stammered.
Elizabeth straightened up quickly, suddenly embarrassed. "I can't believe I just said that. I don't know what's come over me today."
"No… It's… it's lovely. Quite lovely." Caitlyn touched her hand impulsively and their eyes met knowingly. Dark Spanish eyes and the Irish Sea mixed for a moment. "That kind of… passion… I'm not sure I have that inside of myself."
Caitlyn's pale face cracked, as if she had chinked the one loose piece of her porcelain complexion, and she began to weep.
"Mrs. Montgomery?" Elizabeth moved closer to her and brought her hand to her lap.
"I'm sorry… I'm sorry…" She wiped her eyes and composed herself. "Please, call me Caitlyn."
"Alright, Caitlyn. But you must call me Elizabeth." She smiled at her, her maternal instincts taking over. " What… what troubles you?"
Caitlyn looked down at their hands and trembled. "I'm not able to… I know your husband is a doctor. I know doctors can do miraculous things. I—"
Elizabeth put her arm around the poor woman, now determined she had to do something to help her. "It's alright, Caitlyn. Tell me. What is it?"
"I'm sterile. And there's nothing… nothing in this world I want more than a child."
Catherine tore through the forest on Flash, the horse being her only advantage to finding Porcupine Bear and Smiles No More. The horse was stubborn and mistrustful as she cantered along, and she knew that was her own fault. She was not her rider.
Suddenly, gunfire sounded from the east and she stopped, trying to keep Flash from being spooked.
"So you speak English now, Shivering Deer," his voice came from the gnarled branches.
"Where are you, Little Bear?" Catherine spun around, trying to find him.
"Do not call me that!" Another gunshot went into the air and Flash neighed, backing up against the brush.
Catherine swallowed and continued as she followed the gunshot. "It is your name. It is who you are. I know who you are," she pursued.
"Always superior. Always better than me. Not now," He yelled, his voice becoming uncontrolled, "Not now!"
Catherine patted Flash's neck as she began to spin in a circle, unable to control her. "We only wanted you to stop, Little Bear. You did not need the drink."
"No, I needed you!" He barked from the darkness, "And where were you? Where were you? With him!"
"I loved Chasing Hawk," she said firmly, not giving into his pitiful cries.
She pulled on the reins as she saw clear movement throw the brushes. "You were supposed to marry me!"
"How could I marry anyone who treats women and children the way you do?" Her heart closed to him, her pity now turning to anger and rage.
"I do not—"
"My friends are hurt because of you!" Catherine cried out, dismounting from Flash, deftly moving towards the movement. "Dr. Mike is a good woman who did nothing to you!"
"She will be fine—she—" His voice dropped, his strength only in his mind.
"She was bleeding!" Catherine shook, wanting to run into the brush and strangle him. "Come out here and face me, Little Bear! FACE ME!"
Like an awakening nightmare, he pushed through the leaves. Catherine gasped as she saw the picture in front of her. Smiles No More was pressed in front of him with his knife pressed firmly to her neck.
"What are you doing?" Catherine whispered, almost unable to speak.
"I—" Porcupine Bear looked down, as if he were seeing his actions for the first time.
"Drop the knife now! Anâha'hahtsé hénemotšêške!" She repeated, stepping closer to him, reaching out, and touching his shaking hand on her soft neck. "If you love me, you will drop it."
The knife fell to the ground and Smiles No More tumbled after it.
Catherine fell down beside her and picked her up. She looked up into Porcupine Bear's eyes and whispered, "If you love me, you will let me go."
Porcupine Bear lifted the knife above his heart. "I have always loved you."
The fabric of the teepee was ripped apart, and suddenly, Cloud Dancing was staring into the glassy eyes of a union officer.
"You were ordered to relocate to the Colorado Springs reservation. You have problems understanding English or you just don't want to go?" The officer snarled at him.
Cloud Dancing stood, shielding Snow Bird and Little Smiles. "We—"
"Awe, come here George, they got a baby over here," said the second officer from behind him. Cloud Dancing spun around. They were everywhere.
"May I, m'am?" Snowbird held the baby protectively, not complying to the soldier's outstretched arms.
"Stubborn little woman, ya got here. We just want to look—" The soldier taunted Cloud Dancing.
"No!" Snowbird covered her body over the baby, fear capturing her.
Only spurring the officer, he went behind Snowbird and lifted her shoulders off of the ground. "Hand over the baby now!"
"Let her go!" Cloud Dancing jumped forward, but the soldier backhanded him with his rifle, knocking him out.
Snowbird felt her grip failing her daughter as she began to cry. There was no where to move as her husband lay unconscious on the ground. No one to help her. Snowbird bared down her heals, but she could not hold on to the soft flesh without tearing her apart.
"What a darling baby!" The soldier smiled like dripping whiskey as he stole the little girl from her.
"Give me my baby! Cloud Dancing! Cloud Dancing! Wake up!" Snowbird cried as she fell to the ground, beating the soldier all the way there.
"You take a step towards the little tyke and I'll stick this bullet clear through your skull." The icy soldier stopped grinning and turned away from her without looking back.
"Cloud Dancing! Cloud Dancing! D-do something!" She reached for him, begging him to wake up, but he didn't move.
General George Armstrong Custer spun around as he pulled the baby against his chest. "Shut her up while you're at it! Lieutenant—make sure these two get to Colorado Springs. I'd suggest chaining them if you have to."
Snowbird's soul broke out as she burst forward, trying to follow when she couldn't move. "Please! Please! Little Smiles! Come back! Come back! Come back!"
Elizabeth stood in front of the ocean side house in Baltimore, Maryland, nausea hitting her suddenly as she rang the brass doorbell. She couldn't believe she was here again. She couldn't believe she had left her family without a single world. Just like before.
The door swung open, and there were two familiar grey eyes that she remembered so vividly. "Roberta," she whispered, her voice catching in her throat.
"Miss Elizabeth… Is it really you?" The old housekeeper held out her arms and fiercely embraced her as she pulled her inside.
"Yes, it's me…" Elizabeth said, almost dazed as she entered the darkened house, so different than the place she remembered from nearly thirty-five years ago. There had been sunlight and hope then—laughter even.
Roberta stopped, time finally hitting her, as she starred at the altered woman, gray replacing the loose blonde curls she remembered so fondly. "But what on earth are you doing here? I thought after—"
Elizabeth shook her head and took her hand, knowing the old housekeeper would never be able to understand. "Something miraculous has happened, Roberta. I need to speak to Annabelle immediately."
Roberta swallowed nervously, looking towards the black marble staircase. "Mrs. Montgomery isn't seeing anyone, m'am."
"She'll see me. It's Catherine," Elizabeth pushed past Roberta and towards the staircase.
"What?" Roberta followed her, reaching for her hand again.
"There isn't much time to explain, Roberta. Where is she?" Elizabeth sighed, frustration quickly filling her.
When Roberta saw the icy look in Elizabeth's eyes, she couldn't lie to her. "She's in her bedroom, but—"
Elizabeth was already gone.
She reached the top of the stairs and caught her breath as she turned around the corner. She was fair too old for this drama. But, nevertheless, she had to take care of this. Composing herself, she pushed down on her corset and proceeded to walk the long length to the room she had never dared to enter before. Fear couldn't be a part of it anymore. She was more than a woman now.
She entered the dark room, and saw the figure sitting in her chaise by the closed window. "Mrs. Montgomery," Elizabeth exhaled.
A crackling voice filled the room after several minutes of silence, "I must be dying. I thought I would be halfway to hell before I heard your voice again, Elizabeth Quinn."
Elizabeth felt half her age in that moment. Why could a woman next door to death make her feel so worthless? She tried standing taller. "Something amazing…has happened. I had to come."
Annabelle laughed cruelly for a moment before allowing the silence to enter the room again. Then, as if she were weeding a garden, she picked her words like broken thistles. "What in that arrogant head of yours makes you believe I want to hear anything you have to say? My son and his wife are dead because of you!"
"But Catherine might be alive!" Elizabeth burst, unable to contain her relief or her knowledge any longer.
For a moment, she thought she felt the true impulse of a murderer. But, there wasn't any other choice.
"Catherine…" she finally mused, "Catherine… Ah yes… The miracle child. I could have loved her once."
"She's your granddaughter!" Elizabeth bristled, exasperated by this cold fish. "I-I want you to send for her. Take care of her. Alex and Caitlyn would want that."
Annabelle turned towards Elizabeth and smiled knowingly, "And what do you want?"
"I—" Elizabeth froze.
"You never could make up your mind, could you?" Annabelle turned back and stared at the dark, imageless curtains. "Good Elizabeth. Always so good. Doing the right thing at the right time. It kills you that I know, doesn't it?"
Elizabeth had to get out of here. If she stayed a minute longer, she would certainly kill this woman. She quickly scrambled in her purse and pulled the folded paper out. "This is the telegraph office number in Colorado Springs. She's staying with my daughter, Michaela. Tell her you want her to come home."
Annabelle picked up the paper and chuckled, loving the irony, "Your daughter Michaela! They're around the same age, aren't they? I wonder what Michaela would think of her good mother if she knew about Catherine?"
Elizabeth rushed from the room, but before she turned back, she hesitated, "Do what's right, Annabelle. It would only hurt them if they knew."
"Horace! Jake! Dorothy! Get up! I need someone at the clinic now!" Sully screamed as they cleared the bridge into town. Michaela's face had grown increasingly pale as they road through the hills back into civilization. He hadn't realized how much pain she had been in—she had been fighting him so hard her body belied how much it could handle.
As they reached the clinic, he slid off the horse and gently pulled her behind him, lifting her into his arms. "Come on, Michaela… You can't be quittin' on me now…"
Her head rolled on his shoulder, and her eyes cut through her lashes. "Sully…?"
"I'm here." He touched the side of her face, as he carried her towards the door. "I'm here. I told ya I ain't leavin'."
She almost smiled before she closed her eyes again, and whispered faintly, "I want—"
But consciousness evaded her as the world descended upon them.
"Oh my goodness!" Dorothy exclaimed as she came running towards them, Loren quickly on her heels.
"What in the world—" Loren began, but stopped once he saw the dried blood across Dr. Mike's middle.
"What's goin' on, Sully?" Jake ran up, throwing a coat on over his long johns.
"She was cut across her stomach—it didn't seem that bad when I looked at it, and—" Sully stammered, as they circled him, his eyes not leaving her face.
"Sully…" Michaela mumbled again, trying to break through her haze.
He kissed the side of her face as they pushed inside of the clinic. "Shhh… It's ok… I'm right here."
"She said everything was alright." He placed her down on the table, smoothing her hair back. "It was supposed to be alright… We were gonna… We were about to—"
"She would say somethin' like that when she was hurtin'." Dorothy covered her face and went to get some fresh water. She didn't know what to do, but she would do anything to help her friend.
"Sully!" Colleen came bounding down the clinic stairs. She stopped in the doorway when she saw her ma lain out across the examination table. "What happened to Dr. Mike?"
"Ya gotta help her, Colleen," Sully pleaded, not even explaining what had happened, as he leaned over Michaela.
"I'll do what I can. We—we should send a wire to Denver immediately for Dr. Bernard." Colleen looked down at her ma and hoped she knew enough to be able to help.
"I'll stay with Colleen." Dorothy walked up beside Colleen with a basin of fresh water. Colleen and Dorothy glanced at each other as Sully still hovered over Michaela.
Hesitantly, Colleen put a gentle hand on Sully's shoulder. "Maybe you should wait outside Sully. It's… it's too much."
Reluctantly, Sully kissed her forehead and went to the door. Abruptly, he turned back and said, "You come get me when—"
Colleen nodded, sensing his worry. "I will."
"I'll be just—" He pushed on the side of the door, not yet leaving.
"I know, Sully," Colleen whispered, "Don't worry. I won't let ya down."
As soon as Sully shut the door, he was bombarded by Jake. "Who dun it?"
Sully moved past him, unable to think. "It was…"
"Come on, Sully. This is Dr. Mike, we're talkin' about," Loren pressed him.
Sully sat down on the bench, his exposed leg hitting him for the first time since she passed out. The wound seemed to throb more now that she was in danger. "It was a dog soldier. I think he was part of Catherine's tribe."
"I knew there was somethin' off about that woman ever since I read Dorothy's article," Jake exclaimed, shaking his head ruthlessly.
Sully sat up, not liking the leering look in Jake's eyes. "Catherine helped me find Michaela. I don't think—"
Jake crossed his arms and laughed, "Boy, your head is some kind of screwed up. That woman is a menace and we all know it!"
Sully squeezed his brow, a migraine hitting him suddenly. "Catherine went after him and the girl he captured."
"Well, one thing's for sure, she ain't never comin' back," Loren shook his head.
All of a sudden, Michaela's cry could be heard straight through the hearts of everyone waiting for her, and for a moment, nobody breathed.