Chapter 115

June 8, 1871 – Colorado Springs

Unlike the peaceful mornings in which she would wake in the loving arms of her husband, Michaela woke to a startling clap of thunder. She jolted upright in the bed, and she was disoriented for a moment, looking around, wondering where he was. And then it all came back to her, and her gaze fell to her wedding ring. She smiled sadly, as she ran her thumb over the diamond, thinking about him and wondering when he would be home. Her dreams had been unsettling the night before, and she'd barely been able to get much rest at all. She'd had horrible dreams where she would reach for Sully, but he would look at her as if he didn't know her. Or, the dream would include the children. They'd be crying, but no matter how hard she tried to get to them, the stairs became steeper and the halls longer. She'd felt as if she was drowning, and her heart and clenched with fear inside of her chest. She was grateful to be awake, but the day greeted her with unsettling news. A storm was coming, which would inevitably prolong the search for Ruth Cole.

After dressing, Michaela brushed her hair back, pulling her long, auburn locks into a braid that soon swung delicately down her back. It was far too hot to wear her hair down her shoulders and back, and she knew that as the summer progressed, she was going to grow even more uncomfortable. For now, this worked.

Soon, she was checking on her patients, all of who seemed to be in good health and spirits. When she reached Johnny's room, she peeked in only to see the bed empty and actually already made for a change. She smiled a little, knowing she slept in a little late and figuring that he was already downstairs making himself something to eat for breakfast. But as she descended the stairs, her sister's frantic cries broke the silence.

"Michaela!" Rebecca shrieked. "Michaela, is Mary with you?" Michaela held onto the rail and turned on the steps to look up at her sister.

"No, I've just gotten up. Perhaps she's downstairs…"

"She wasn't in her room. Her bed hasn't even been slept in," Rebecca said quickly, following Michaela down the stairs.

"I'm sure there's a reasonable explanation." But Michaela's words didn't match the knot forming in her stomach. As soon as they reached the back room, it was obvious that the stove hadn't been touched, and nobody had stepped foot in there since last night's dinner. "Johnny?" Michaela called his name a few times, and when she didn't receive an answer, she and Rebecca clamored into the examination room. It was then that Michaela spotted the little piece of paper on her desk. She bit her bottom lip, swallowed hard, and made her way over to the desk, feeling as if her shoes were filled with heavy quicksand.

When she finally pulled the piece of paper into her hands, she only skimmed over the words at first, but they sent a shiver up and down her spine, and the knot in her stomach tightened at the thought of her little boy all alone out there with nothing but his horse to guide him.

"Oh God. No," she whispered. Rebecca snagged the paper away from her and read it, hoping for word about Mary.

Dear Ma,

I went to look for Pa, cause I had a bad feeling that he needed me. I don't want you to worry, cause I know worrying ain't good for the babies. Please don't be afraid, Ma. I asked Brian to come help around the clinic. I'll be back home soon.

Love,

Johnny

Michaela felt her knees buckle, and she grabbed the side of her desk to hold herself up. She prayed for a moment that this was still a part of her nightmares. Johnny wouldn't have run off like that. He knew better, didn't he? The last time he'd run off, he'd nearly died.

"It doesn't say anything about Mary," Rebecca whispered. "Oh, Michaela. You know how close they are. You don't suppose she followed him, do you?" Michaela wanted to assure her sister and ease her fears, but she knew those children well, and if Mary possessed as much Quinn might as her aunts or mother did, then she was most likely on her way after Johnny to make sure he was alright and to get in on the adventure herself.

"They can't have gotten far," Michaela said quickly, grabbing her medical bag. "I'll take the wagon, and…"

"Are you mad, Michaela?!" Rebecca asked. "You are in no condition to go traipsing off after them! I'll get Timothy, and we'll ride out together." Michaela watched her sister for a moment. "I can ride. Timothy has been helping me. I won't let you go out there and get yourself into worse shape." Michaela knew her sister was right, but when it came down to her family, she was protective and wanted to do whatever was possible to help. In this case, she knew the best thing to do would be to wait for the rest of them to return, but waiting and patience were not two of Michaela Quinn's strongest qualities. "Michaela?"

"Alright. I'll fix up a bundle of supplies you might need. I'll send gauze and bandages…" Rebecca noticed her sister shifting into doctor mode, but her hands shook with nerves, and her eyes welled with tears.

"We'll find them, Michaela. We will." She pulled her into a hug, and they stood there, two worried mothers, silently praying that this nightmare would come to a quick and successful ending.

"Be careful."

Ruth opened her eyes and immediately shielded them from the raindrops that began to careen down from the sky. It was a sky she'd looked up at many times in her life, and by doing so, had felt such peace and safety. Now she lay there, pain throughout her body, and she didn't know where she was. She'd never felt more terrified or lost in her entire life. All she knew was that somehow, she'd lost Jim, and she'd lost consciousness after rolling down a ravine off of the road. There was a good six feet above her, but her wrists and ankles were so sore from being bound that she wasn't certain she could climb her way back up. Even if she did, what if he was waiting on her? What if this was some sick game to give her a little hope and snatch it away again?

She couldn't remember the last time she'd eaten. She couldn't even remember how long she'd been lying there motionless, unconscious. She knew it had been at least a day, but the days and nights had blurred together with his torturous captivity. He'd tried to be careful to avoid hurting her midsection. He'd promised that their child would be happy and healthy, and he'd stop hurting her once the baby arrived. He just had to make sure that she'd never leave him, because he couldn't lose her again.

She groaned as a shooting pain rushed through her head, temporarily blinding her, as she squeezed her hands into the moist earth to gain her bearings. She breathed heavily, and the air burned her lungs. She coughed violently, and her body ached with each breath she took. She realized that she needed to quiet down. Jim could be anywhere. She knew he was most definitely searching for her, and he wouldn't give up. For now, she was free, but she wasn't safe.

As the rain began to pick up, she gritted her teeth and started trying to pull herself up from the ravine. But, the pain was almost unbearable, and she couldn't help but cry out, as she slumped into the mud, her knees bruised and scraped and beginning to bleed through her skirt again. But when she thought of Kid Cole, she knew that she'd never see his face again if she didn't try to help herself. She had to do whatever she could, no matter how badly it hurt, because she knew that he needed her as much as she needed him.

"We're gonna get outta here," she whispered, stroking her belly. "We'll get out of here, and we'll be safe. I swear to ya."

Johnny shivered in the rain, grateful that it was now just drizzle. The storm was passing, but the ground was so soft that he worried about Byron's safety.

"Just a little further, Boy. Then we can rest for a while." He shuddered as thunder rumbled in the distance. He hoped his pa was safe, but the bad feeling in his stomach was getting stronger. Something was very wrong, and he had to warn him.

He reached forward and patted Byron's neck. But as he leaned back in the saddle, he heard a snort behind him. Looking back quickly, he saw the glimpse of a blue bonnet.

"Hey!" he hollered. "Come out! Show yourself!" He gripped the saddle horn, and Byron snorted. "Come out!" Finally, the soft clip-clop of a horse rounded the bend, and his eyes widened at the sight of little Mary in the saddle. She looked so tiny, but she'd picked the horse Johnny had been helping her learn how to ride on. "Mary! What the heck are ya doin' out here?!"

"I saw you sneak out last night," she said softly, her hair damp under her bonnet. "I wanted to see where you were going. I wanted to go too. I was scared you might get hurt or lost."

"I ain't gonna get lost!" Johnny exclaimed, nudging Byron toward Mary's horse. "'Sides, I can take care of myself. You're just a kid. You shouldn't be out here…" He was oblivious to the flash of anger that came over her face.

"I'm going, Johnny. If I don't go, you don't go."

"You can't stop me."

"No, but you can't make me go back to town." Johnny tightened his grip on the saddle horn, and Mary smiled at him, knowing she had him.

"Fine. But if you get hurt, it's your own fault."

"I won't get hurt. I can take care of myself too."

"Ya keep forgettin' that you're six."

"So? You're ten."

"So?"

"So, you're not that much older than me. I can run faster than you…beat you in a foot race."

"That's 'cause I let you win," Johnny teased. "Just try to keep up. I gotta find my pa, and I don't want nothin' slowin' me down." Mary watched him start off ahead, and she shook her head, biting her lip to stop from yelling at him. She knew better than to lose her temper, and she also knew that she'd gone too far to turn back to town now. Honestly, she didn't know where she was at all, but she felt safer with him. She just hoped he could understand that. So, she held on tightly, nudged her horse forward, and tried not to think of how furious her mother was going to be when they got back to town.

Back in town, Michaela stood on the porch, watching the sun come out from behind the clouds. The storm had passed quickly, and she was thankful for that, but now she had double the worry.

"They are safe," Little Wolf said softly, peeking around the door and hobbling outside using crutches. "But there is danger."

"The Spirits speak to you too?" Little Wolf shrugged. "Sometimes I think they do. Other times, I do not know. But I feel they are safe." The little boy stepped toward her. "You should not worry." At that moment, Rebecca and Timothy came riding around the bend, and Gabby was in full pursuit, holding a bonnet in one hand and her satchel in the other.

"I've packed you some supplies," Michaela announced to the Reverend. He nodded in thanks and went inside to fetch them.

"I can't believe they've gone off like this."

"Who?" Gabby asked, having just caught up after seeing her father and future stepmother riding across town.

"Johnny and Mary," Rebecca said, shaking her head and holding on tightly atop the horse.

"Mary went too?!" Gabby asked in shock. At that moment, but Michaela and Rebecca's full attention was on her.

"You knew about this? Gabrielle?" Rebecca asked. "You knew they were going off?"

"No!" she exclaimed, her cheeks red. "Just…just Johnny." Michaela gripped the sides of her skirt.

"You knew he was going to run off like that, and you didn't tell anyone?"

"He told me not to tell! He…he said that he'd be ok, but he had to, because his pa needed him." Michaela sighed in frustration, and she felt like kicking something, but she knew better. She couldn't let the little girl see her upset. It wasn't her fault, after all.

"Alright. Alright," Michaela said shortly. "Did he say which way he was going?" Gabby shook her head.

"No. And he said not to tell anybody. I figured that he hadn't told Mary. I don't think he wanted her to know. Maybe she heard us talking, or…"

"That's fine, Gabby," Michaela said with a nod.

"I'm sorry." She hung her head and disappeared inside. Little Wolf looked up at the adults before frowning and following Gabby inside. Timothy returned with the supplies that Michaela had packed.

"Dr. Mike, would it be too much trouble for Gabrielle to stay here? I'd rather not leave her alone while I'm gone."

"That's fine, Reverend. Please, be careful, and hurry back." Timothy nodded, and when he and Rebecca were all set, Michaela watched them head out of town, and she realized that a good portion of her loved ones were out there now, and they all needed to be brought home safely. When she felt one of her babies kick from within, she closed her eyes and thought of Sully and her son, willing them both to come back home to her.

The mud sucked at his boots, as he walked along the path, searching for what seemed liked the fifteenth time along that ledge. She'd fallen down there somehow. He was sure of it. But each time he checked, there was no sign of her. If she was dead, he'd never forgive himself. He had to find her so he could take her home. She was his. She promised herself to him first, so he felt he had the right to do whatever he pleased with her and that baby.

He poked the barrel of his shotgun through the weeds, searching for any sign of her.

"Ruth, darlin'? Are ya there? It's me, honey. It's Jim," he called out. "If you're hurt, ya need to let me know. I'm real sorry, darlin'. We'll get ya some help, and we'll head on home." He paused, listening for any sign, but there was none. Then, he heard the rumble of a search party just behind him, and he quickly threw himself into the weeds with his shotgun, waiting, ready. Either he'd find Ruth, or he'd let them do the job and follow behind.

Wolf had picked up a scent again, and as the posse rushed down the dirt road, Sully kept his eyes peeled for any sign of Ruth or Jim. It was only when Kid Cole spotted something ahead that he spurred his horse on, taking the lead and rushing forward, mud splashing up behind him. Sully had never seen him like this, but the rest of the group followed on, digging their heels in and holding on for dear life, as the horses galloped down the slippery road.

"Ruth!" Kid Cole brought his horse to a stop about a quarter of a mile ahead, and Wolf was already there, barking and whining, trying to figure out a way to get down the ravine. Once the search party caught up, Sully immediately dismounted and moved to the ground, looking where Kid Cole was looking. Ruth was pulling at a large root, trying to gain her footing. "Saw her hand just 'fore she fell back in," he explained, getting on his knees and reaching. "Ruth!" He saw that she was a little dazed from sliding back down, and he could see by the color of her skin that she was in need of medical attention.

"Ruth, can ya stand?" Sully called down, taking a quick survey of his surroundings.

"I…Sully?"

"That's right, Ruth. You're safe. Just…can ya grab onto that root there?"

"It ain't strong enough. Kid Cole?"

"I'm here, darlin'," he assured her. "I'm here." He heard a sob escape her throat, one he'd never heard before. It was full of fear, relief, and pain, and it broke his heart to see her that way. Despite what she'd just said about the strength of the root, she attempted to pull herself up again, but the root snapped, and she fell back, causing Kid Cole's heart to leap into his throat. The blood, the bruises…only God could tell what she'd gone through. He feared the worst, and he knew that it was possible that he could lose her. She came first no matter what, and he'd brought her to Colorado Springs to start a new life. There was no way he was going to let her down. He had to keep his promise to protect her. He had to.

"What can we do?" Robert E. asked, as Sully began his descent down the steep ravine slope.

"You and Hank…you just help Kid Cole." Sully slowly began his descent down the ravine, and he could feel the mud and earth giving way under his feet. "It's alright, Ruth. Just hang in there, and I'm gonna be down there in a second." But she didn't respond now, and when he looked down, he noticed she had lost consciousness. Fear spurring him on, he leapt down the rest of the way and moved to her still form, checking for a pulse. It was there, and he breathed a sigh of relief.

"Ruth!" Kid Cole called down, waiting for word on her condition.

"She's just passed out," Sully called up. "Send a rope down here…bring us up. I'm gonna have to hold onto her." He slowly lifted Ruth into his arms, and he noticed how her dark hair was matted with mud and blood.

A rope came tumbling down into the ravine, and Sully grabbed onto it, tying it around himself and grabbing onto it while he held Ruth close. It wasn't long before they were slowly but surely being pulled up the ravine and onto higher ground. As soon as they could reach them, Kid Cole, Robert E., and Hank all lifted Ruth out of Sully's arms, and Sully finished pulling himself up.

Kid Cole delicately wiped at Ruth's face, hoping she'd open her eyes and look at him. The men conversed quietly, deciding that they had to get her back to town immediately. The ride was a few days back, but if they left soon, they'd be able to find dry shelter in an abandoned cabin a half-day's ride away. Wolf sat patiently at Sully's heels, as Sully mapped out the journey back to town. Hank made a few wisecracks about Indian attacks, but Sully assured him they were nowhere near a reservation, and the only Indians they might run into would be hunting parties, and drawing weapons would be the only way to insure an attack. He warned Hank especially to not draw his gun too quickly, because the last thing Ruth needed was an ambush delaying her road to recovery.

It didn't take too long for Robert E. and Sully to construct a litter to carry Ruth on. It would slow them down, but it was Ruth and the baby's best chance. It was hard to tell what the extent of her injuries were, and they wouldn't know until Michaela had proper time to examine her. So, for now, they were going to take every precaution.

"I wanna thank you for helpin' me find my wife," Kid Cole said softly, removing his hat and rubbing his hand through his slick, black hair. For being such a young man, this search had taken a toll on him. His eyes were tired, and the dark circles under them made him appear twenty years older than he really was. He needed a good night's sleep and assurance that his wife was going to be all right. Until she was under good medical care, he wouldn't be able to sleep. Sully was worried about him, but he'd have reacted the same way if it had been Michaela. He knew what it was like to lose the one you love, and he'd come too close to going through it all over again with Michaela. Watching another go through it brought back so many memories, and it made Sully's urgency to get back home become even more intense.

Once Ruth was resting on the litter, the men began preparing to head back into town. Ruth still hadn't woken, but Sully knew how to check for signs of a concussion—thanks to Dr. Mike—and she didn't appear to have any of the symptoms. But, he told Kid Cole to keep checking her every hour.

The noon sun was high in the sky when the posse began to start back toward town. They didn't so much as get three yards down the path when a gunshot rang out. The men turned only slightly in their saddles to see Jim Watkins standing there with his gun aimed directly at Kid Cole. Hank's hand rested on his pistol. This was the man that had caused all this ruckus, and if it was up to Hank, he'd be shot right where he stood.

"Where do ya think you're goin' with my wife?"

"We're takin' her back to town. She's hurt, and she needs to see the doctor," Sully said calmly, hoping to avoid further gunfire. He watched Jim's every move, trying to decide whether or not it was safe to dismount. But Jim was unpredictable. All that mattered right now was keeping Ruth from further injury, and Sully knew he'd do whatever it took. Taking another man's life was something that he'd only do in self-defense. Even then, it would take a lot to do it, but if that's what needed to be done to keep anyone else from being killed, then so be it.

"You ain't goin' nowhere with her. She belongs to me."

"Look, we don't want no trouble. We just wanna take her into town and sort all this out."

"She's my wife. She goes with me."

"Do you love her, Mr. Watkins?" Sully asked, glancing at Kid Cole, whose face was as pale as if he'd seen a ghost. Kid Cole could fight like the best of them, but as brave as a man he was, when it came down to the ones he loved, it took a lot to keep his composure in a crisis like this.

"'Course I do. I married her, didn't I?"

"Then if you love her like you say ya do, then you'll let us take her back to town. It's best for her." Jim lowered his gun for a moment, contemplating what could happen if he let her go. No, he'd be a wanted man, and that was even if they let him go now. No, he couldn't go to prison. He had a family to take care of. He had to fight for it, and he wouldn't let them get away with this. He had decided, and with that, he raised his gun again, this time pointing it directly at Sully's head.

"Look, there ain't no reason to be pointin' guns at nobody," Robert E. broke in. "The only thing that matters right now is getting her safely back to town."

"Then the whole territory is gonna be out lookin' for me." He eyed Kid Cole and then pointed the gun at him again. "Why don't I just shoot you right now? You're the problem. You're the reason she ain't happy." Kid Cole noticed Sully's hand moving toward his tomahawk, so he decided to distract Jim while Sully prepared to disarm him.

"Ruth didn't want nothin' to do with you," he pointed out, gaining Jim's full attention. Sully slowly slid off of his horse and took a step forward.

"Stop right there," Jim warned. "You take another step, and I empty this shotgun into your friend's head."

"Look, we don't want no trouble…"

"Then ya shoulda stayed up there on your horse. I ain't goin' nowhere without Ruth, and if ya plan on takin' her away from me, I'm gonna have to do somethin' about it."

As soon as Jim took a step toward Sully, Wolf's ears perked up, and he growled, sensing his master was in danger.

"Call him off," Jim warned, threatening to shoot Sully's faithful pet. "Do it!"

"Wolf. Stay," Sully warned. "Stay." Wolf did as he was told, but he bared his teeth, growling fiercely. Seeing his chance, Sully tossed his tomahawk, catching Jim off guard, as it hit the shotgun, sending it flying to the ground. Then Sully was on top of him, pushing him to the ground, as Robert E. and Hank dismounted, and along with Kid Cole, backed Sully up. However, none of them were prepared for Jim's next stunt. As Sully wrestled with him to keep him away from the shotgun, Jim pushed back on him long enough to get the pistol from his holster and push the cold steel into Sully's belly. A moment later, a click and a shot rang out, leaving the group in a stunned silence.

Pushing Sully's limp body off of him, Jim got up and prepared to steal a horse to escape on, but before he could get his foot in a stirrup, Kid Cole pulled his own trigger, sending him flying to the ground, paralyzed in pain and bleeding profusely. Hank kept his gun on a struggling Jim, while the rest of the posse when to Sully's side, rolling him over onto his back. His shirt was soaking with blood, and his head rolled limply to the side. Wolf whined and licked Sully's face, trying to rouse him from his sleep. Kid Cole slowly put his fingers to the mountain man's neck, and Robert E.'s hands twitched nervously at his sides.

"Is…is he dead?"