A.N.: After a long delay, here it is! The next part!
8
Yet another two weeks past brining Abigail's due date ever closer; they had a scare and Michaela had ordered her to almost complete bed rest.
But there were still no new patients.
The doctor was leading Shadow toward the livery. "Good morning, Robert E."
The smith raised his head and a large smile spread across his face. "Mornin' Dr. Mike." When Dr. Mike had treated his arthritis it seemed to have broken the ice and ever since he had become warmer and warmer toward her and now they would consider each other friends.
She came to a stop in front of him. "How is your arthritis?" she asked in "doctor mode."
Robert E clenched and unclenched his hands for her to see. "Much better, hardly any pain."
She smiled with satisfaction. "That is good to hear; they definitely look better."
He nodded. "So what can I do for ya, Dr. Mike?" He took notice of the horse beside her. "Somethin' wrong with Shadow?" He moved to the horse's side.
She nodded. "He is favoring this leg a bit." She touched the leg in question.
"I'll take a look." He lifted the hoof and quickly discovered the problem. "There, a nail came loose, bent over an' now it's irritatin' his foot, and the shoe is loose."
Michaela glanced at what he was talking about and frowned. "Can you do something about it?" She was absentmindedly running a hand along Shadow's neck.
"Yeah. Leave 'im with me; come back later."
"Thank you. How much will I owe you?"
He shrugged as he led the horse into the shoeing stall. "I'll let ya know when ya pick 'im up."
She nodded and turned to walk off, but bumped into a tall form. "Oh! Sorry!" "'Scuse me." They said simultaneously.
"Dr. Mike?" "Sully!"
"How are –" "How're –" they both started, but ended up breaking off, chuckling.
"I'm well," Michaela finally answered.
"Same."
"How is Abigail?"
He gave a brief chuckle. "Restless. She hates havin' ta be in bed restin' all the time."
Michaela grinned. "I can understand. It is frustrating having to be more or less inactive. You feel rather useless."
"How soon is it 'til she has the baby?" Robert E came to stand beside the pair.
Michaela looked over at him. "A week or two."
Robert E grinned glancing at Sully, opening his mouth to say something.
There was a loud clamor coming down the street.
The trio turned to see what all the noise was and many of the other towns' folk turned as well, Jake exited his shop, his customer behind him, shaving foam on his face; Lorne, Maude and their customers stepped out on the porch; Hank, his working girls and the men who had been in his saloon also ventured outside.
A group of cowboys, horses and a wagon came rolling down the street.
"Oh boy, things're gonna get interestin' round here." Robert E's voice almost sounded ominous as he turned to look at Sully. "This is gonna make your life harder."
Sully appeared annoyed, weary, and almost resigned.
Michaela glanced between the pair. "Why?"
Robert E nodded to the group as it pounded past them. "That's Olive Davis." He glanced at her. "She's Lorne's sister."
Michaela glanced at Sully, who was still watching a woman with brown hair dismount her horse and head into Lorne's store; she assumed that the woman was Olive Davis. "So, she was against you and Abigail getting married as well?"
Sully finally looked at her and gave her a wry grin. "No. She wasn't against it exactly; that's part o' the reason why Lorne's annoyed with her. No, she jus' likes to poke her nose into mine and Abby's lives. She likes tellin' us how we 'should' be doin' things, and with the baby comin'…well, she's jus' gonna start tellin' us how we should be takin' care of and raisin' him or her."
"She also likes tellin' Sully how he 'should' be treatin' Abigail," Robert E added in as he went back to work.
Michaela gave Sully a sympathetic smile; he returned it with a tired one.
"Sully! What's this I hear 'bout my niece bein' stuck in bed because some crackpot woman doctor told her to be?"
Sully and Michaela whipped around at the angry voice to see the brunette woman walking up to them; she stopped dead in front of Sully, fists on her hips.
"And what's this I hear 'bout you listenin' to this 'doctor'." She said the last word scornfully.
Sully glanced at Michaela whose cheeks were reddened with anger and embarrassment.
Sully cleared his throat. "Nice havin' ya back, Olive. This is our new doctor, Dr. Michaela Quinn." He nodded his head to Michaela, who was standing behind Olive.
The older woman whirled around to face the doctor.
"Dr. Mike; this is Olive Davis."
Michaela held herself straight and tall, not conceitedly, but confidently, and held out her hand. "Pleased to meet you."
Olive at first seemed speechless and slightly embarrassed, but quickly recovered and took Michaela's hand, shaking it.
"Dr. Mike has been takin' real good care of Abby; the reason Abby's in bed now's because she almost lost the baby." Sully nodded to Michaela. "It's thanks to Dr. Mike that she didn't."
Olive looked from Sully to Michaela.
"Abigail almost went into premature labor." Olive raised an eyebrow. "The baby was almost born too early."
Olive nodded shortly.
The trio stood silently for several moments; Robert E watched them, pretending to be concentrated on his work.
"I have to go, I promised Charlotte I would help with making dinner." Michaela looked to Robert E. "I'll be back for Shadow later." Robert E smiled and nodded. Michaela turned to Olive. "It was nice to meet you Mrs. Davis." She looked at Sully. "Let Abigail know that I'll be by to check on her early tomorrow." Sully nodded and Michaela turned and headed to the boarding house.
8
Tada! A new part! Sorry that it took forever to get out, but I have to say that it wasn't the easiest for some reason. But I felt that I really had to write the first time that Olive and Dr. Mike meet. Next chapter though, I hope will be more interesting…And I hope to have it up faster because now I am starting to get into the parts I have been dying to write. Please le me know what you think!
And thank you to Keeper of the Dreams, anniefan, and Brittany for reviewing the last chapter!