CHAPTER 12:
Spring had passed, then Summer had settled in for a while. It was hot in the city of Colorado Springs as Michaela panted hard as she sat up from running after the chickens in the yard. She looked up at the sky, putting a hand over her eyes to hide the sun.
"Mom!" suddenly cried a small voice that she immediately recognized.
Michaela turned to the barn where she saw Brian running out, followed closely by Colleen. She watched them until they came right in front of her, arguing.
"No that's not true! No!" insisted Colleen looking at her little brother.
"What is going on kids?" asked the young woman, hands on her hips. "Are you still arguing? And where is Matthew?"
"Colleen says I don't understand math, but she's the one who doesn't! She's saying nonsense." exclaimed Brian.
"Well, it is not that bad..." sighed Michaela, looking around her eyes for her eldest son. Where could he have been?
"You called me a fool, Brian!" Colleen replied angrily.
"No that's not true!"
"Finally… Both of you please stop…" Michaela fumed as she watched them continue arguing as they headed inside the house.
Michaela sighed again, exhausted, still scanning the horizons for Matthew. She frowned. There was so much that had happened since the beginning of last spring. Her life had moved so fast and changed so drastically that she could barely remember the feeling of loneliness.
After the epidemic, the townspeople trusted her much more, although some still remained skeptical and reluctant to seek treatment from a female doctor. However, she had been surprised that, on her birthday, the city had given her a huge sign for her clinic. She had been so moved. She had easily understood that it was her children who had mainly organized all this…
Michaela inhaled. Her clinic, her children… By the greatest of misfortunes, a few days after the epidemic, Charlotte Cooper was bitten by a rattlesnake and died. The last thing she said to Michaela was that she wanted her to take care of her children…of Matthew, Colleen and Brian. Taken aback and feeling unable to refuse such a request, she had accepted. The three children, upset, had to leave the boarding house with Michaela. The latter had been closed off by the city and the young woman had had no idea where they were going to live. Fortunately, Sully was there. After the epidemic he had not ceased for a single second to be present for her. And he had kindly offered her to move into the old farmhouse he had built for him and Abigail. Initially very embarrassed to live in a place like this, which meant so much to her lover, she had accepted.
Michaela had barely been able to think about her friend's death than her three children had given her a lot of trouble. Which she fully understood. They had said hurtful things to her and she knew that she would never be able to measure up to their mother Charlotte and that the latter would remain their mother forever, but she was trying to do her best. So yes, she did not know how to clean, milk a cow, take care of the chickens, prepare food... But she would learn. She knew she could do it.
After weeks of caring for patients on the farm, which was a very long road for the locals, she decided to buy Charlotte's old boarding house. She had asked the council for permission, and after long and perplexing discussions, they had agreed, some reluctantly. She had therefore made the boarding house her clinic.
Then, after hardships, especially concerning a runaway that Brian had made, a certain routine had managed to settle in the home. Of course the kids were always doing things that worried her. It had to be said that Matthew was already grown up and when he had found a girlfriend – Ingrid – Michaela could not help but worry.
She had told him that he had to be sure before getting married or before going any further with love. And he had told her that she and Sully might not be married, but that did not stop them from doing things. Michaela had blushed so much at the time. She would have liked to bury herself in a mouse hole. Admittedly, it was almost ironic to give Matthew advice when she was doing the exact opposite. Yet he was only a child, so where was the line in all of this? The worst thing was to know that he had understood that the relationship of Sully and Michaela was much deeper than appearances let appear. But in the end, it all worked out. She had understood that Matthew was grown up and that it was time for him to make his own choices.
Colleen had also given her, her share of scares. Like Brian before her, she had once run away hoping that Sully would find her. Michaela had sworn to herself not to laugh about it, but she had really found it funny and adorable, despite the extreme situation it had created. Colleen knew perfectly well that she and Sully were together. However, after a story she had read in a newspaper, she had got it into her head that the young man loved her in secret. Although in the end there was more fear than harm – despite her hands having been paralyzed for several days – Colleen was heartbroken. Michaela knew she had recovered quickly, but she would never forget the distressed state her little girl was in at that time.
And Brian…Michaela chuckled as she now sat on the farmhouse porch, still staring at the road, hoping to catch a glimpse of Matthew. Brian was still a little boy. He did little stupid things here and there. One day, he had jumped from a tree under Sully's supervision. At first he had nothing. He only lost consciousness and then woke up in the clinic to the worried eyes of his family. Then, only a few days later, he had become blind. Then he fell into a coma. It turned out that he had a bleed in the brain. Michaela and Sully had argued about it. She had considered it wrong that the little boy had climbed so high and then jumped off without Sully stopping him. It was Olive who had ended the argument accusing her of not paying enough attention to her children, too prized by her work. Her heart sank at her words, wondering if, like her father when she and her sisters were young, she was unwittingly neglecting her family.
But Sully had reassured her immediately afterwards in the hallway of the clinic's rooms. They had kissed and he told her that she could operate on Brian. That despite her lack of experience with neurological pathologies, she would make it and that she was the little boy's last hope. So she did it and Brian got away with it, without any harm.
In the meantime a lot of other things had happened. She had nursed Loren from a serious illness and Sully had donated his blood. At first it had been complicated, Loren was irrationally angry with Sully and had been since before his marriage to Abigail. And even more since she died. But now, thankfully, it was all over. Notably thanks to the ordeal he had to go through and the blood donation Sully had given him. However, it had allowed them to discuss and clarify certain things.
Then Dorothy Jennings had come to town. Beaten by her husband, he came back for her with promises. Eventually, she reappeared a second time in town, having escaped after the latter started beating her again. However, it turned out that he died at the same time that she fled. Initially accused and sentenced to hang for her crime, Michaela had been able to represent her and prove medically that she was not guilty of the death of her husband. After that, she had moved in with Loren, in her mercantile. And Michaela and she had become very good friends. So friendly that, in fact, Dorothy was her best friend. They were like a small group of three Dorothy, Grace and herself. And while Olive had gone back to work, Grace had decided to stay in Colorado Springs.
The father of her children had also returned to town with bad intentions, despite his kind appearance that Charlotte had said to be wary of. And he left under the threat of Sully and Michaela. They had told a fake story to the children. However, only Matthew did not believe it, knowing perfectly how his father was and especially that he could not write when he had supposedly left a farewell letter to his children. "You write very well." he had said to Sully with a sad smile.
Michaela went weekly to the Cheyenne camp with Sully to learn their medicine, but also to provide care with Cloud Dancing to the members of the tribe. She had made friends in the camps. Snow Bird, Cloud Dancing's wife, had even given her a horse with which she had won a race reserved for men. She had disguised herself and everyone had seen nothing but fire.
Still sitting on the porch, she thought back to that race that had taken place the day before. Her family was very proud of her and Matthew in particular. She had seen pride in his eyes and she had been so happy about it. She felt very lucky. Her life had completely changed in a short time and she felt that many women were not lucky enough to have what she had.
Note : That's it, we're almost on the progress of the original story. Thank you for your readings and for all the questions you ask about the story :) I'm glad the story allows you to decompress after getting stuck in traffic! I too am stuck between people in transport haha !