Chapter 6

Michaela glared at the young man before her; she didn't want to waste one more second with him because all she longed for was to see Sully.

She had rang up Loren right from Hank's hotel and learned that the supermarket owner had only heard the story from customers. He gave her, however, the hint with the animal shelter at Abbott Lane. Michaela had instantly called there and once she was sure it was actually Wolf they had taken into their care, she dialed the hospital because she concluded that this was the only place where Sully could be. He was there. Once she told the nurse on the phone her name she was immediately put through to the doctor in charge who told her that the patient was stable, not in deadly peril and asleep at the moment. "Dr. Goldt will perform surgery as soon as an operation room will be free, which won't be the case before 8 p.m. though," her colleague had added.

"What kind of surgery?" Michaela had demanded, feeling a lump growing inside of her throat.

Obviously, the man on the other end of the line only now realized that he needed to be more precise. "The spinal cord isn't affected," he'd quickly assured, "but the Spinous processes of the third and fourth Lumbar vertebra are broken."

"I see," Michaela nodded as if the doctor were able to see her, "please tell Dr. Goldt I'll be there as soon as I can."

After this conversation, Michaela had been torn. Her initial reaction was to instantly rush to Sully, yet she didn't do it because she had to consider Wolf, too. Picturing him in a tiny cell broke her heart, and she didn't want him to spend one minute more than necessary there. In the end reason won. She couldn't do anything for Sully right now; that was why she drove to the shelter instead.

And now this man refused to show her to Wolf! Not only that, he actually put his body as a shield between her and the long corridor with the cages on each side as she craned her neck in order to see whether she could spot Wolf. Being close to loosing her temper, Michaela had trouble to keep her voice in check when she asked, "What do you think why I am here? To kidnap a dog? That would be quite foolish after I showed you my ID, don't you think?"

Looking as if deadly bored, the young man, who was at least one head taller than Michaela, continued chewing his bubble gum as if it was a tough piece of meat. "Ya ain't the owner," was all he said, shrugging.

"I already told you twice that the owner, Mr. Byron Sully, had an accident and had been taken to the hospital. That is why I am here to get his dog home where he belongs." Michaela sighed in exasperation. She knew that her patience was wearing thin. All that she wanted was to take Wolf out of this dreadful place, go to the hospital and see Sully.

Since the attendant still didn't budge, she decided a little trick was in order. Suddenly straightening, she looked at her vis-à-vis with startled eyes. "What was that?" she asked before turning her head in the direction of the office next to the entrance as if listening carefully. Since she knew that there wasn't anything to discern, she stayed focused on the man and used his distraction to round him with a few quick steps. "Wolf!" she called whilst almost running down the corridor, and a loud whining gave her the right direction.

Once she reached his cage, Wolf waited for her with his nose stuck between two bars but his tail wagging furiously.

"Oh Wolf," Michaela said, squatting down so she could stroke him through the iron bars, "I'm so sorry. I promise I'll get you out."

Angry because he had been fooled by a tiny woman, the attendant, who had caught up with her, scoffed, "Ya ain't!"

Yet as he grabbed her arm to yank her up to her feet, Wolf bared his teeth and growled in such a threatening way that the man let go of Michaela.

Barely able to conceal her feeling triumphantly, Michaela rose again, confronting the attendant, "I'm sure you recognize that the dog knows me."

"Yeah," he admitted. "But even if I wanted, I can't give him to you 'cause I ain't authorized." He hoped that would finally be enough to make her give up and leave. The truth was though, that he simply wanted to avoid all the paperwork that was connected to releasing an animal from the shelter.

Michaela, however, wasn't discouraged at all. "Well," she said, putting down her purse next to the cage door, "I'd suggest for you to find someone with the necessary authority because I won't leave."

Speaking the last words, she lowered herself onto the concrete floor, being grateful that she wore jeans today. Sitting cross-legged now, she ignored the attendant but resumed stroking Wolf who was pressing his body against the bars.

Knowing that he was defeated, the young man silently fumed. He had the feeling that this woman would still sit there in the morning which wouldn't shed a good light on him. Not having a choice anymore, he desired to have at least a little revenge and leave her in the dark about his decision until he would have signed the papers.

xxx

As Sully slowly resurfaced from a drug-initiated sleep, he attempted to remember the day of the week. He didn't succeed though. Feeling panic arising, he took in a deep breath which instantly brought him closer to consciousness because an almost unbearable pain constricted his chest. Startled, he lay perfectly still for some seconds before he dared to think again. What had happened and where was he? As hard as he tried, he only recalled a siren wailing whilst he was rattled, lying on a stretcher in an ambulance. He must be in a hospital.

Hesitantly opening his eyes to get his bearings, his gaze met the worried face of Charlotte Cooper. Confused, Sully knit his brow. He didn't believe in things like transmigration of souls, but could it be that he had wandered into his wife's body so as to learn how much it hurt to give birth? Or what else could be the reason for Dr. Bernard's nurse being here? Seeing her lips move he directed his attention to his stomach, yet his lower body felt perfectly fine. Maybe the medicine which was slowly flowing down a thin plastic tube from a bag, hanging high on a stand, into the vein on the back of his hand helped with that. Relieved anyway, he pressed his palms against the mattress in order to support himself for sliding up into a sitting position. He was stopped though, by two hands gently pushing down his shoulders. Turning his head, he recognized Catherine. Totally baffled, he stared at her for it didn't make any sense that she sat next to his bed. Maybe he was dreaming…

"Hey, Sully," interrupted a young voice his bewildered thoughts, "how ya feelin'?"

At this point Sully gave up on his attempt to grasp what was going on. "A bit groggy, Brian," he replied, shifting so as to look at the boy. "What's wrong?" he added, noticing the child's nervousness. He didn't wait for a reply though because suddenly Catherine bent across his bed, reaching for something above his head. "What are ya doing?" he demanded, wishing he could be alone.

"I was just about to push the call button," Charlotte chimed in addressing her son's teacher, barely concealing her disapproval about the young woman's presence in this room. She knew though that she would soften towards the blonde-haired woman once the shock about what could have happened to Brian, but happened to Mr. Sully instead, would cease.

However, any further discussion was prevented by a doctor stepping into the small room, saying, "I have to ask you to leave. I want to talk to my patient."

xxx

After their reunion, which involved a lot of jumping and licking Michaela's face on Wolf's side, she had taken him home. Knowing she needed to leave him behind just after he'd gone through a trauma, she contemplated what to do to assure him he was safe now. The only idea that hit her was to pick up one of Sully's sweaters in his room and spread it on the foot of her bed for Wolf to rest on it. This way he had both their scents close and would be, hopefully, comforted while he was waiting for her return. It seemed to work, because after Michaela talked to him in a calm voice, stroking his back and scratching him behind the ears, Wolf jumped onto the sweater, revolved for a moment and then lay down. After putting the teddy bear she had once given him next to his head, Michaela stroked Wolf a last time and then rushed out of the house.

Michaela hadn't packed any things for Sully yet. First she needed to see him, making herself a picture of his condition. Apart from that she sensed that he would feel better if he told her what he wanted because then she wouldn't have to rummage through his private stuff. However, all these thoughts were erased from her mind as she arrived at the hospital. Fortunately she was familiar with the large building. After all, she already worked here for nine months. However, hurrying along the long, but wide and pleasantly bright, hallways towards the orthopedics ward she noticed that it was dinner time for the carts with the patients' meals were already there. But it also meant something else: the late day shift of the physicians ended, which meant she might miss Sully's doctor. Speeding up her steps so she was almost running, she eventually reached the nurses' station she was looking for.

"Mr. Sully is in room 17. Dr. Goldt is with him right now," an older nurse informed her without even being asked. She knew Dr. Quinn; they sometimes worked together at the emergency room.

"Thank you," Michaela smiled appreciating and continued on her way.

As she approached number 17 she noticed three people lingering in front of it. Recognizing Charlotte Cooper right away, she wondered what the boy at her side was doing here and who the third person, a young woman, was. She didn't waste another thought to that question though, but nodded in greeting to Mrs. Cooper whilst she reached for the door handle.

"The doctor is in there," the young woman set her straight in a reproachful tone which made the words sound as if they said, "Who are you that you think you are allowed to go in when we are not?"

Not having the intention to discuss with a stranger, Michaela curtly replied, "I know." and entered the room, firmly closing the door behind herself.

xxx

While the doctor was explaining the situation to him, Sully slowly began to remember. Not the whole story, but that he had been talking with Catherine before he ran to the spot where Brian threatened to fall from a tree. He also recalled being put into a large tube after the ambulance had taken him to the hospital. He even recognized some of the explanations the doctor was giving him right now, because another one had told him the same things earlier. All Sully wished was he could think more clearly for he still didn't fathom his situation. Yet as the door opened and Michaela appeared, he instantly calmed down.

Seeing Sully's features relax at the sight of her, Michaela put on her professional expression because she feared that otherwise she wouldn't be able to control her emotions that were close to get out of control.

Noticing the change in his patient's demeanor, Dr. Goldt, who had been standing with his back to the door, turned.

"Dr. Quinn," he greeted his colleague, "it's nice to see you again although I'd have preferred more pleasant circumstances."

Michaela nodded, her eyes locked with Sully's. "Same here, Dr. Goldt," she responded and requested, "Could I talk to you in a minute?"

"Sure," the doctor agreed, "I was just done here; I'll wait in my office. And for your information, the surgery will begin in an hour."

"I'll be there," Michaela assured, glancing at the surgeon.

Neither Michaela nor Sully noticed the little argument before the door once they were alone. Charlotte Cooper had to raise her voice a notch in order to convince the teacher that they should give the couple inside some privacy.

"Oh Sully," Michaela breathed, carefully lowering herself onto the edge of his bed. "What have you been up to then?"

"C'mere," Sully replied, stretching his arm that wasn't hooked to the medicine bags towards her. He needed to feel her body against his, only this way he knew he was still alive.

For a few moments, Michaela allowed herself to rest her head on his chest. Yet she didn't want to add to his physical discomfort and thus she soon straightened. Sensing his disappointment, she bent down again though, kissing him softly. "Better?" Michaela smiled as she released him.

"Yeah," Sully sighed, "much better."

Since she would get to know the medical side of his condition in some minutes, and no one would be able to keep her away from the surgery room, Michaela attempted to choose the one question that was most important at the moment, but there were too many. She wanted not only to know what had happened for him to end up at the hospital, but also how the people in front of his door were connected with it. She needed to ask which things he wanted her to bring and whom to inform that he was here. Actually, there were some more queries but none of them was so important that it couldn't wait till after the surgery. That was why she rather didn't speak at all and only gently stroked Sully's cheek with the back of her fingers.

And he was thankful for her silence. All he needed was her presence. Yet suddenly he tensed up. The last hours had turned into a puzzle for him, yet for some reason some of the pieces suddenly fell into place. He had been taken with an ambulance to the hospital…

"Where is Wolf?" he asked anxiously as it hit him that none of his visitors had mentioned him yet.

"At home," Michaela quickly assured. "He's fine." She would tell him later how she had found their dog.

"Good," Sully said, letting his head sink back onto the pillow, closing his eyes. "That's good."

Having a hard time keeping his eyes open, he wondered why he was so tired. As if she'd heard his thoughts, Michaela explained, "You are already getting sedated for the operation. Just allow the medicine to work."

"Ya staying?" Sully mumbled, half asleep again.

"Of course," Michaela soothed him, pressing her lips against his brow. "I'll only tell your other visitors they should leave now. They can come back tomorrow if they want."

"'kay," Sully responded, barely audible anymore, and he only waited until he felt Michaela's hand holding his again. Then he drifted off.