Chapter 19
Much to Michaela's astonishment, she had slept quite well that night. If she was totally honest, she acknowledged that it might have been due to Sully's resting on a bed that had been rolled into the room next to hers. She'd felt drained after their conversation, but since it had ended with an agreement she was relaxed enough to drift off. A few hours later, she had been woken though by a man's voice asking her in a threatening tone if she was a doctor. Gasping for air she'd sat up, but Sully had quietly assured her that she was safe now. As she'd continued panting, he had reached over taking her hand, coaxing her into lying down again. As her trembling didn't cease, he he'd quietly begun telling Cheyenne tales he'd learned from a book Cloud Dancing had given him, knowing from their evenings by the fireplace that she loved to hear them.
The next time Michaela woke it was because a nurse brought in trays with their breakfast.
As far as Sully was concerned, his slumber had been light. Every time Michaela sighed or moaned, he'd lifted his head watching her intently. Only when he was sure that she was resting did he allow himself to close his eyes again. The smell of fresh toast, however, instantly revived him. He could tell though that breakfast didn't appeal to Michaela. He had barely finished that thought when she threw back her cover and hurriedly limped towards the bathroom.
As glad as Michaela had been that she didn't have to spend the night alone, as much she wished she could go through the morning sickness without witnesses. But when she returned into the room, Sully was busy with himself. He stood, already fully clad after sleeping in his underwear, next to his bed with his back towards her. Michaela's eyes widened with both, surprise and concern seeing him trying to take a step. Of course his legs were wobbly, and so his knees gave in. Forgetting that she was injured herself, she rushed towards him yet he somehow managed to get back on the bed before she reached him. Thus Michaela only had to roll his wheelchair in position for him to sit in.
"You shouldn't overdo it," she quietly advised as she watched him lowering himself onto the seat.
"Don't worry 'bout me. I won't 'cause I ain't willin' to risk a relapse," Sully responded. "Ya gotta think of yourself now."
If they would have had the opportunity to continue this conversation, they might have ended up arguing, but someone knocking at the door interrupted them. It was a nurse from the morning shift who joined them, informing Sully, "Mr. Simon is here for you."
Not waiting for his reply, she turned towards Michaela. "Dr. Alvarez insists that you only leave after lunch." When she saw that Michaela would protest, she lifted her hands as if in surrender, adding, "I'm only the messenger."
"I know," Michaela sighed. Yet then she squared her shoulders, "Well, I'll stay as long as it needs to take a look at the wound again. Then I'm off. This room should be available for a patient who needs it."
Still holding her hands lifted, the nurse shrugged, backing out of the room to make place for Daniel.
Yet Sully's friend wasn't alone. Carrying her baby girl on her hip, Myra ventured into the room behind him. "Mornin', Dr. Mike," she said shyly. "Daniel suggested that I take ya home 'cause he needs to drive with Sully to the physiotherapist."
Glancing from Hank's wife to Daniel and back, Michaela frowned. Without a doubt she knew that there was more to it, but Daniel seemed to be clueless. Myra, however, looked at her with an almost imploring expression, and thus Michaela decided to drop the subject for now.
Instead she said, "It will still take a while before I can leave. Maybe you…"
Yet Myra shook her head. "I'd rather stay." The fear that she might be sent away was obvious even for the men now.
"All right," Michaela conceded, stepping towards the young woman. Laying her arm around her shoulders, guiding her deeper into the room, she cast the men a quick look which asked them to give them some privacy.
"See ya later," Sully nodded in understanding. He didn't mind to leave now that he knew that someone would take Michaela home. The sooner he left, the sooner he could get back to the house which they would share again and start over. Full of energy, he could barely wait to begin his day.
xxx
When Daniel and Sully left, Myra accompanied them to the parking lot in order to put Samantha's car seat from the truck into the Toyota. As she at last returned, Michaela was with a colleague who examined her leg and wrapped it up again whilst giving her the strict order to walk as little as possible during the next three days.
So it came that it was two hours later when the women had the first opportunity to talk as they walked towards the exit of the hospital.
"He did what?" Michaela asked incredulously, halting in her tracks.
Standing in the middle of the foyer, they attracted some curious gazes as Michaela exclaimed, "He can't throw you out! You are his wife! And…"
"Please, Dr. Mike," Myra implored, "could we get out of here?"
"Of course," Michaela instantly caught herself, "I'm sorry."
Resuming their way she still muttered under her breath angry words though.
As it turned out, Zack had had a terrible night and with him the entire family. Irritated by the lack of sleep, Hank demanded in the morning to send the boy somewhere else. He said he didn't care where; he only wanted the child to leave. It was then that Myra told him that she wouldn't abandon Zack because he was her son.
"And he still threw you out?" Michaela couldn't believe it.
Myra, sitting behind the steering wheel by now, ready to start the Toyota, looked at Michaela who occupied the passenger seat. "That was the reason he did it," she clarified, her voice quivering. "I should've told him sooner," she continued, avoiding Michaela's gaze. "Ya've been right all the time."
"Well," Michaela sighed, "the damage is done. You'll have to find a way to make him talk to you again."
xxx
After Myra fetched her son from his special school in the afternoon, she stopped at the hotel, hoping Hank had changed his mind or would at least hear her out. Yet his partner Jake intercepted her right at the entrance before she could even put one foot over the threshold, telling her that it wasn't a good time to see Hank for he was hopelessly drunk and yelled at everyone who dared to cross his way.
That was why she had no choice but go back to Stout Drive where Dr. Mike lived, and ask for her help. Already feeling very uncomfortable that she had to disturb her again, Myra's discomfort was only heightened when she was welcomed by Sully's friend Daniel at the gate to the yard.
Yet before she could have second thoughts and turn around, something strange happened, distracting her completely from her embarrassment. Zack, who was usually extremely quiet over the day, suddenly jumped up from his backseat, bumping his head in the process. He didn't complain about the pain but pointed excitedly towards the house, calling, "Ball! Ball!"
Actually, Myra had heard him pleading for a ball every evening and already bought some of different sizes and colors, but Zack had completely disregarded them all, only to go back to begging for a ball as soon as he lay in bed for the night. Curiously gazing in the direction where his outstretched arm pointed, she only spotted Wolf, Sully's dog, on the porch. Her son's excitement, however, turned into upset when she didn't get him out of the car fast enough.
Observing the scene, Daniel reacted, opening the door for the boy from the outside. As soon as the little feet hit the ground, the five-year-old scrambled towards Wolf, falling down twice in the process, oblivious for his mother's calling to be careful.
"I'm sorry," Myra apologized, turning to Daniel. "I have no idea what's gotten into him. Wolf won't hurt him, will he?"
Daniel answered her anxious question with a gesture towards the boy and the dog. "Ain't lookin' that way," he grinned.
For Wolf, everything had gone exceptionally well that day. Michaela was at home all the time, and as to top it, his master had shown up as well. Even more important, the dog had the distinctive feeling that Sully wouldn't leave again. That was why he was as relaxed as he hadn't been in a while, and the strange car arriving on his territory didn't bother him in the least. Since his master's friend stayed quiet about it, Wolf saw no reason to spring into action either.
However, as he saw the small person running in his direction, he sensed the child's urge to be united with him. He'd been a caring dog all his life, and so he didn't mind to let have the boy his wish but took it patiently as the little one embraced him tightly, muttering, "Ball!" all the time.
Daniel, drawing his conclusions by what he saw, asked Myra quietly, "Did he have a dog at home?"
"I'm so stupid," Myra whispered, watching her son. "My sister had a Golden Retriever that died with them in the car. They bought him when he was still a pup, and my brother-in-law had said that he looked like a snowball. The name stuck, and Zack and Snowball became inseparable. Of course Zack was calling for his dog all the time. How could I've been so stupid?"
Daniel, his eyes still on the little boy, chuckled in response, "I guess ya might need a new family member."
Yet his remark didn't have the hoped for reaction but brought tears to Myra's eyes again. Silently scolding himself for his thoughtlessness, Daniel cleared his throat, "I guess we better get in."
It wasn't much later when the adults were gathered around the living room table. Resting on the couch, Michaela looked at Myra who sat on a chair across from her. Seeing Hank's wife throwing a furtive glance at the clock on the wall, Michaela assured her, "Of course you and your children will spend the night here. Right, Sully?"
As she directed her gaze to him, he nodded in agreement, "Sure. It's a big house; we'll find a place for everyone."
Thankful, Michaela smiled at him. "Actually," she said, "I might already have an idea, but for that your agreement is required."
"Shoot," Sully nodded, knowing he would fulfill her every wish.
"Well," Michaela hesitated almost imperceptibly, fully aware that her harmless sounding request was a rather big one. But she still made it, "Myra could sleep with her kids in your room upstairs."
Every wish apart from this one, Sully thought but didn't know how to put his refusing into words for he was busy with suppressing the pang he felt at his heart as he heard her suggestion. He'd thought that this bed was as special to her as it was to him. Yet then he saw her reddened cheeks and downcast eyes and knew that she had neither forgotten anything that happened there nor really wanted for someone else to occupy this particular bed.
Anyway, Myra had nervously listened and waited for Sully's reaction. Although it didn't even take a whole second for him to open his mouth to give his opinion, she still noticed his hesitating.
"That ain't necessary," she quickly assured, "if ya have some blankets, we'll sleep here on the floor."
"That's out of the question," Michaela instantly responded, her mind already racing again. "Actually, I think that Zack should have his own room, so I'll give him mine. I can sleep here on the couch."
"Nope," Sully immediately disagreed, "that's Daniel's place. The couch is far too uncomfortable for ya."
"Are ya two done?" Daniel grinned, having followed the discussion intently. He thought it wouldn't hurt to give his friends some alone time in the now crowded house, making them talk to each other. "I know how we do it," he said matter-of-factly.
Feeling all eyes on him, he explained, "It's pretty easy: Zack sleeps in Michaela's bed, and this way Wolf can stay at his favorite place, too."
He pointed with his head towards the fireplace where the boy had fallen asleep with his head resting on the dog's back. Seeing that the others had gotten his idea, Daniel continued, "Myra could sleep in Sully's bed which is wide enough for her to have the baby with her. Whilst I stay on my beloved couch, you two," he nodded first at Michaela and then Sully, "just sleep in Sully's room upstairs."
He gazed back and forth between his friends somewhat smugly so he automatically made Sully want to protest. But Sully didn't. It wasn't only the hope in Myra's eyes that silenced him; he also needed to know Michaela's reaction to this proposal for the entire situation might become the first test of their renewed friendship.
Michaela knew, of course, that Daniel had found the perfect arrangement, and that it was up to her to keep or destroy it. Stalling for time, she avoided a direct response but looked at Sully, wondering, "What about the stairs?"
"I got crutches from John today, and Daniel will help," Sully dismissed the thought he might not be able to get to the upper floor. Yet he also recognized her question as the still lingering uncertainty about their status quo. For a moment, it was only them in the room when he added softly, his words ambiguously only to them. "Ya don't have to worry, there won't be any problems. I promise."
Not wanting for Myra to think that her staying caused any kind of discomfort, Michaela eventually conceded, tearing her eyes away from Sully, "I think Daniel has found the best solution."
As Myra sighed in relief, sinking against the back of her chair, and Daniel grinned satisfied with his playing the matchmaker, Michaela's cheeks burned in a crimson red after she glanced at Sully again who had to work hard so as to conceal the happiness his eyes were sparkling with.