Chapter 27

When dusk approached, Lone Heart opened his eyes for the last time. He still lay on his back and so he let his gaze roam over the treetops and listened to the sounds of rustling leaves and occasional birdcalls. Slowly moving his head to the side, he tried to catch a glimpse of Mother Earth he would join very soon. When his gaze fell on a figure right next to him, he attempted to understand what his fading senses were seeing. A white woman… coppery hair… Medicine Woman! She had eased his pain… not that he was afraid of pain, still, it had felt good… He slowly drifted off but his eyes had noticed something that didn't let him go yet. Suddenly, he knew what it was: the doctor's face was covered with a dazzling white cloth! Lone Heart recognized the fabric; she had used it to make him sleep for the operation… Sleep… He was ready for his last one but before that, he still had a task to perform. He remembered that he had had to vomit after he woke up from the operation and if the same happened to her… It took every ounce of his remaining power to turn far enough so he could reach over the woman's body for her arm. He pulled at it until she at last lay on her side and the cloth dropped to the ground. Exhausted, Lone Heart let himself sink back and with great effort, he slid away from her a bit. When he thought he had given her enough space, he cast a last glance at her and took in every detail of her face. Watching the dark lashes lightly flutter against the white skin, he was satisfied. It wasn't her time yet, only his.

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The tribe was gathered around the central fireplace for a hearing. The five eldest, including Black Kettle, sat at one side of the fire with some men and the women standing behind them. They all were looking at Flying Sun and Sully who were standing next to each other, facing the crowd.

The Indian woman had just finished her story and Sully stared at her speechlessly; she actually had the nerve to stick to her stupid tale! Fifteen minutes ago, the women in the teepee had had to hold him back from doing something to their friend that he would regret later. Only Snowbird's reassurance that she too thought that something was wrong and that she would ask the elders for their help had made him release his grip on Flying Sun. Now, he waited impatiently for the Indians to recognize the lies and help him to find out Michaela's whereabouts. He had told the council that no one from Colorado Springs had called for Dr. Mike, that she would never have left the Indian village without telling Snowbird. And what was even more important, that Hannah had told him that her ma had said she would be right back with an injured Indian in need of her help. All he could do now was hope that the Indians believed him, a white man speaking for a white woman. He wished that he wouldn't have to remind them of all the things Michaela had done for the tribe…

While the elders debated, White Feather's mind raced. He didn't know what to do; on the one hand, he didn't want to fall out with Flying Sun. He had a crush on her for quite a while but of course she didn't consider him more than a friend because he was a few years younger than her. If he said what he had seen because he had secretly watched her, she would never talk to him again. On the other hand, he discerned the words "army" and "revenge" in the elders' discussion and he knew that the tribe was more important than his feelings for a woman. Before he could think twice, he pulled himself together and took one step forwards before he spoke, "She's lying."

Instantly, all heads turned in his direction. Seeing the astonished look on Flying Sun's face that quickly turned into a disgusted one, he blushed slightly and bowed his head.

Cloud Dancing rose from his sitting position and stepped towards the young man. Laying his hand reassuringly on his shoulder, he said, "Then tell us the truth."

Shyly, White Feather looked up at the medicine man, but when he saw him nodding encouragingly, he reported, "Flying Sun told Medicine Woman that a friend of hers was injured and needed the doctor's help. She said that he wasn't far away and that's why Dr. Mike only took her bag, but Flying Sun had already saddled the horse and brought it after her."

Suddenly, his courage left him. It only now occurred to him that the tribe might blame him as well because he had known the danger the doctor was in all the time and hadn't said one word.

Flying Sun silently asked the spirits to make White Feather stop his story here. Up to that point, she still could find explanations for her actions but if he revealed with whom she had sent the white woman away, everything would be lost. She stared at her friend in an effort to make him look at her and she actually succeeded. Seeing fear and guilt written on his face, she mutely promised him everything he wanted if he didn't tell the rest of what he knew. Her palms became sweaty and her heart began thumping with anxiety though as he abruptly broke their locked gazes and looked back at the medicine man.

White Feather had decided that only the truth would help him and so he admitted, "I saw that she had sent Dr. Mike with Proud Stag and his men. They forced her to go with them."

The crowd gasped at hearing the facts and Sully felt the color draining from his face. He needed only a few moments to fully digest that information. His voice cracked slightly when he turned to the woman who had brought him back into life and now might have shattered it again. Unbelievingly, he asked, "You made her go with dog soldiers?"

Since the truth was out anyway, Flying Sun didn't care what everyone would think of her when she hissed at him, "It is your own fault! I could have given you all you needed if you wanted to be a part of our family, but you thought you could teach an outsider our way of life! Well, now she will learn a lot…"

She couldn't finish her sentence because Sully gripped her shoulders, shook her violently and yelled at her, "You sent her with dog soldiers? Are ya crazy? They'll kill her!"

When Flying Sun only shrugged under his grip, Sully lost control and pushed her so hard that she fell to the ground. Before he could do something else, Black Kettle rose to his feet and raised his voice to be heard in the murmur that had set in after White Feather's testimony. "We will punish the woman who has put someone who always tried her best to help us in danger."

The others became quiet and listened to their chief as he directed his words at the woman who had failed her tribe, "You will set your lean-to apart from of the village. We will not talk to you. We will not look at you. The rest of the punishment will be decided when we know what has happened to Medicine Woman."

Sully had gotten a grip on himself again, he knew he had to think about the next steps. When Black Kettle turned to leave the meeting because he had said everything he could for now, Sully tried to get his attention again and shouted after him, "We have to find her, you've gotta help me!"

Cloud Dancing showed understanding for his brother whose look turned into a desperate one when the chief didn't react to his plea. In a quiet voice, the medicine man tried to reason with his friend. "We cannot do that."

"Why? Because she's white? She's…"

Cloud Dancing shook his head. "Since the army has come, we can not leave the reservation. If we do, we will start a war."

Watching Sully's desperation grow, the medicine man assured him, "We will do everything in our power to help you. But first, you must rest."

When his white brother started to protest, the Indian pointed out, "You will need your strength to find her. And it will be dark soon and you won't be able to see anything. You must sleep and I will try to find out in which direction you have to go."

After a moment of consideration, Sully gave in and conceded grudgingly, "All right."

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Michaela didn't know that it was almost midnight when she struggled her way back to consciousness. She couldn't think yet, she was just able to notice the moisture on her face and that she lay in an awkward position. She tried to move, but a sudden wave of nausea made her stop immediately. With the sickness, however, her memory slowly returned. She was in the camp of dog soldiers… must have fallen asleep… but she had to be careful… it was dangerous… dangerous. This word made her see the knife again and the horror she had felt was back and with it, the reflex to flee. She made another attempt to move and again, the sickness was overwhelming and this time, she had to vomit. After the attack was over, she felt exhausted beyond all measure and all she wanted to do was sleep again. Sleep was a very tempting word… But she couldn't dare, could she? Her body didn't wait for an answer and without noticing it, Michaela drifted off again.

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After Sully had fallen into a fitful sleep, Cloud Dancing had talked to some of his men and asked the spirits for help giving his brother at least the direction he had to take. When his friend woke up far before dawn, the medicine man first aided him in filling the saddlebags with things he might need and then to ready his horse. After that, he gave him his instructions. "Proud Stag is riding with Dark Oak's men. They used to have their camps in the northern hills. You will need several hours to get there. Then you will have to ask the spirits for their help again."

Sully nodded. There was still one question that lay heavily on his heart but he didn't dare to ask it. He didn't have to though, because his brother added, "She is alive, but you must hurry."

As soon as there was enough light for him to make out the way, Sully set off on his journey to save the woman he would never let go of again.

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When Michaela woke up the next time, it was bright but raining. It must have been raining for a while because the first thing she noticed before she even opened her eyes was that her hair was all wet and clung to her cheeks and brow. Carefully, she lifted her hand to brush it out of her face and then she forced her eyelids apart. When she at last succeeded, she looked straight into the eyes of a dead Indian. Startled and puzzled, she attempted to remember what had happened. When it suddenly came back to her, she froze. Carefully she listened to see if the dog soldiers were still there, but all she heard was the sound of water drops that hit the leaves and then dropped to the ground.

Michaela sighed in relief, she was alone. Cautiously, she tried to sit up but a sharp pain in her head stopped her. She carefully palpated her skull until her fingers met a quite large bump near her right ear. Did she have a concussion? There was no way for her to know right now and so she decided to test what she was able to do. Again, she made an effort to pull herself up into a sitting position. This time, she made it, though she had to wait a moment until the dizziness was gone. Looking around, she saw that the camp was abandoned; the dead dog soldier next to her was her only companion. When she noticed the white cloth on the ground, she put two and two together and knew that the Indians had not only knocked her down but anaesthetized her as well. She hoped that it was that that had caused the nausea she felt returning right now.

Still sitting on the ground, Michaela considered her situation. She was alone, in the middle of nowhere and had no idea how to get back home. Her leather coat was heavily soaked with rain but thankfully the clothes she wore under it were still dry. Well, almost dry because the edge of her skirt was drenched, too. And her feet were cold and felt numb… Michaela gasped when she saw that the Indians had taken her shoes away. There could be only one reason why they had done that because no one of them could wear her small shoes: they wanted to slow her down, that's why they had given her the chloroform, too. That could only mean that she wasn't too far away from civilization. Hope entered her heart but was immediately dashed again when she tried to get up into a standing position. The dizziness became overwhelming again and the more alert she became the more she was freezing. Of course, the Indians hadn't left a fire for her and she had no idea how to create one herself. She wished Sully had shown her…

As soon as his name entered her mind, the relative coolness, which had allowed her to think fairly reasonably until now, left her. Michaela couldn't suppress the panic she felt raising inside of her. She heard her blood rushing in her ears and her heart jumped in an unsteady rhythm. Cold sweat covered her forehead and all she could think was, "I will never see him again… I will die here… I will die here all alone and no one will even know…"

She had crouched down again and embraced her knees so tightly that she felt something hard pressing against her left breast. It hurt and the pain caused her to look down to find out what it was. Seeing the three beads brought her instantly back to her senses. Letting out a sharp breath, Michaela tried to compose herself, "Calm… I have to be calm…!

After a few minutes, she was ready to contemplate how to go on from here. She had been in such a situation before, not life threatening but hopeless as well. But she had made it, she had become a doctor and she would make it this time, too.

One thing she knew was that if she didn't find anything to eat, she would at least need water. She looked around for her canteen – nothing; the dog soldiers had only left behind her medical bag. Maybe she should be thankful that it was still raining, puddles were everywhere at the moment. Next, she considered the dead Indian but there was nothing she could do for him, not even cover his body. She knew that she had to use her strength, or rather what was left of it, sparingly and shouldn't waste it on non-essential actions.

Taking in her surroundings again, Michaela tried to remember from which direction they had entered the camp. Recognizing the spot, she decided to start her journey back home immediately. She felt better by now which meant that her nausea hadn't been caused by the hit on her head but by the chloroform. Soon, its impact would be gone completely and she didn't want to stay any moment longer in this place. She struggled again to rise from the ground and when she at last stood straight, she took a deep, clearing breath. She would make it.

Michaela forbade herself to think about how she felt, what she wanted and whom she needed. Her thoughts were only directed towards the way, which had to lead downwards, and to water; the water she needed to drink and the creek she remembered they had crossed on their way to the camp.

When she started to walk, she noticed every twig, every stone beneath her feet, but after the minutes had turned into hours and then even into a whole day, she didn't care anymore. She couldn't tell if the rain or her sweat drenched her clothes, and she didn't care about that either. The night started out difficult, and there was no dry spot anywhere for her to rest on as it still rained.Finally, Michaela detected a rock formation that formed something akin a cave and she immediately decided to stay there. Exhaustion was a mild version of the word that could describe the state she was in and as soon as she had covered her body with her heavy and water soaked leather coat, she fell into a sleep that was similar to unconsciousness.

When morning approached, she woke up, shivering with cold. She knew she was fooling herself when she thought she would warm up as soon as she walked again but she hoped she would nevertheless. When she got up from the ground, her every muscle protested but she didn't waste any thought on it. Ignoring her feet wasn't as easy; she sucked in a sharp breath when she tried her first steps. Looking around, she saw that the path still led downwards and so she followed it again. Three hours later she noticed though that she had already been in that exact spot yesterday. She recognized the tree that seemed to grow between two rocks; she had rested there the day before… For a moment, fear threatened to grip her heart again but she immediately caught herself. She would get home somehow… Pivoting, she took a different path, maintaining her course downwards.

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It was his second day searching for Michaela and there was still no sign of her or any dog soldiers. Sully didn't want to admit it, but he was close to despair. He had reached the area of the northern hills yesterday afternoon and decided to follow the creek. He knew that the Indians would build their camp close to the stream and so he started to follow it and as soon as there was a natural or a game path, he ventured onto it to see if it would lead to a camp. When he was sure that he had only found another dead end, he returned to the water and went further up the stream until he encountered the next path…

In the evening, the bank became rockier and Sully decided to leave Wolf and his horse behind. Only an hour later he found a cave fifty yards above the creek. Since it was almost dark and the moon couldn't shine through the thick clouds, he made his camp for the night there.

In the morning, Sully had resumed his search and it was afternoon, when he had reached a little plateau above the river. He stepped over a rivulet and carefully looked around, a little out of breath from his climbing.

Michaela had tears of joy in her eyes; she had finally found the creek! Exhausted, she sat down on a rock, her shoulders and head hanging down in exhaustion. Soon, she slowly lifted her head again though, had she heard something?

Sully had stopped walking; he straightened, still looking around before he closed his eyes and with lightly opened arms, he turned his outstretched palms as if he wanted to sense the tiniest movement of the air around him that might give him a sign of her.

While Michaela became even more alert, Sully went down on his knees. With closed eyes he tried to center himself and listened with every fiber of his being. With his mind imploring, "Michaela, give me a sign, please!" he concentrated more than he ever had before in his life.

Michaela was now sure that she had heard something. Or was she imagining things? That couldn't be… but... he was surely searching for her! Suddenly her heart started to race and she jumped up. "Sully!" Her voice vanished between the trees. She had to go to him! In her desperate excitement, Michaela didn't look where she was running and tripped over a rock she hadn't seen. Losing her balance, she fell down a slope and the last she felt was another sharp pain in her head and the freezing temperature of the water she was sliding into.

Sully snapped out of his state of concentration. He could swear that he had heard not only a faint cry but the splash of water a ways down the creek, a sound that no animal would ever create and so he just knew it, Michaela was down there! He wished he still had Wolf by his side; he could have sent him on ahead to tell her that he was close. These were fruitless thoughts though and so he just climbed down to the edge of the creek as fast as he could and when he reached it, he ran with all his might until he finally saw her.

He stopped for a split second in horror; Michaela lay motionless with her upper body on the bank of the small stream. The rest of her was in the water and if he didn't hurry, the current might carry her away.

Not wasting another second, he rushed towards her and pulled her out of the creek. She didn't move and Sully went down on his knees next to her. His hand shook when he reached out to brush the hair out of her face and his heart skipped a beat when her eyes fluttered open.

Michaela didn't know if she was dreaming, but looking straight into the blue eyes of the man she loved made her smile. "Sully…" she breathed before she was engulfed by blackness once again.

Sully wasn't ashamed of the tears he felt on his cheeks. "Michaela!" he whispered back and pressed his warm lips on her cold brow, lingering there for several moments.