Chapter 24
"Did she say anything?" asked Loren. Dorothy,Jake,Hank,Grace and Robert E were all sitting in Grace's cafe talking about the arrival of Dr. Mike.
"Just that she was glad to be back." Dorothy said sipping on her coffee.Looking up from her coffee cup at the confused faces of her friends she shrugged her shoulders saying,"I didn't want to pry."
"Maybe she has her memory back." Grace said hopefully.
Robert E shook his head saying,"I don't think so. Talked to Matthew when he came by to rent a wagon to take them all back to the homestead. Said she still doesn't remember anything."
"Do they think that she will ever remember?" asked Loren with a worried expression on his face.
"They all hoping she can but...they don't know." Robert E sadly replied.
"I think it's about time to start thinking about a new doctor." Hank said looking around the table.
"What for?"Jake asked offended."I done all the doctoring before Dr.Mike came and I did it while she was gone."
Hank patted Jake on the back saying sarcastically,"You're a great doc...when you're sober."
"I think you're putting the cart before the horse." Loren said gruffly."Dr. Mike will remember and when she does she'll be ready to come back to the clinic."
As they sat at the table they all hoped that Loren was right. They hoped their friend would remember not only for her sake or for Sully and the children's sake but also for the town. The town trusted her and they needed her back.
As the wagon pulled close to the bend leading up to the homestead Sully stopped the wagon,"The homestead is just around the bend." Looking at Michaela he asked,"Are you okay?"
Looking into his eyes she smiled saying,"I'm fine. Just nervous I suppose. I want this to work."
Taking her small hand in his he reassured her,"It will. You'll remember. Just don't put so much pressure on yourself."
As the wagon pulled in front of the homestead Brian jumped from the back of the wagon."Pup!" he yelled as he spotted his dog in front of the barn.
As Matthew helped Colleen down she ran to the chicken coop yelling,"I wonder how my chicks are."
"I'll bring the luggage inside." Matthew said turning to Sully. Taking this as Matthew's cue to give them some time alone Sully clasped Michaela's hand in his and lead her inside the homestead.
As he closed the door to the homestead he let go of her hand.He watched in awe as she walked over to the hearth and ran her fingers over the wood of the mantle. She repeated the same gesture when she stepped to the table. Closing his eyes he offered a silent prayer to the Spirits,"Please..."he pleaded," Please help her remember."
As he opened his eyes he realized Michaela was in front of the shelf looking at the portrait of her and the children that Daniel Watkins had took when he was traveling through town.
Walking up behind her he put his arms around her. Leaning back into him she heard him say,"That was taken last year. A photographer named Daniel Watkins was traveling through town.He even took a picture of the whole town."
Running her index finger over her image in the picture she replied hoarsely,"The portrait just seems to make everything so real.It didn't seem real to me until now."
Turning her around in his arms Sully wiped the tears that were falling down her face with his thumb."It's real. You're home and we're together." Bending down until their lips were just an inch apart he whispered," You and me Michaela. We've been through so much.It hasn't always been easy but we always make it work. You and me."
Sully closed the distance between their lips pulling Michaela so close to him that both of them thought that they had become one body.They were so lost in the kiss they didn't realize that they weren't alone anymore until they heard someone clearing their throat.Breaking apart they looked toward the door seeing a blushing Matthew with traveling bags in his hands.
Michaela and Sully sat on the steps of the homestead.The moon cast a glow around their surroundings as Sully wrapped his arm around Michaela. Leaning into him she laid her head against his shoulder sighing."What was that sigh for?" he asked looking down at her.
"Nothing."she said looking down at her clasped hands."Just thinking."she said as she looked up at the moon.
She had never noticed how beautiful the landscape was here.But now with the moon casting a glow all around her she couldn't help but noticed how beautiful the land,the mountains,the sky were.It was only Sully's voice that shook her from her trance like state."You okay?" he asked pulling her closer to him.
"I'm fine Sully." she said as shr turned in his arms to look at him."What if people don't accept me here?" she asked quietly.
Realizing that this had been bothering her all night Sully tried to calm her fears."You got a lot of people that care about you here,Dr.Mike." Taking a deep breath he continued,"You may not remember but when you first came here nobody really wanted you here.But you never gave up and pretty soon everybody came around and you were accepted as a member of this town."
" What happens if I can't ever remember Sully?" she asked as her voice sligtly cracked. "How will I take care of the children? I can't even take care of a houseplant !"
Kissing her forehead Sully said soothingly,"Don't think about bad things only good. Besides you're a great mother.No need to worry about the children. As far as your doctorin' you could brush up on all those medical books you got at the clinic. Might help you remember something about your doctorin'.
"I suppose it couldn't hurt." Michaela said as she leaned in and kissed Sully's cheek."What's that for?"Sully asked smiling.
"For always making me fell better and for supporting me. I've never had anyone believe in me like you do."
Leaning in closer to her lips Sully whispered,"It's easy to believe in the woman you love." Closing the distance between their lips they forgot about their worries or insecurities. On the steps of the homestead everything was forgotten except each other.
The next morning Dr.Mike was sitting at her desk at the clinic reading aloud to herself about head injuries from one of her medical books that she had at the clinic."Subarachnoid hemmorrhage is the bleeding in the area between the brain and the thin tissue that cover the brain.This can be caused by bleeding from an malformation, bleeding disorder,cerebrae aneurysm rupture or head injury."
Closing her eyes she could picture Brian on the examination table.She was preparing her instruments for surgery as Jake shaved one side of Brian's head.Taking the scapel in her hands she prepared to cut.
Opening her eyes she continued on reading the text,"The systems are severe headache,decrease conciousness,nausea,photophobia,seizure and vision problems including double vision,blind spots or temporary vision loss in one or both eyes."
Closing her eyes again she pictured Loren running into town carrying Brian. "Loren what's wrong?"The man was so shook up he couldn't speak."Ma?" Brian asked scared. Realizing at once the child couldn't see she carried him into the clinic.
Opening her eyes she said aloud to herself,"This is ridiculous.Brian's fine. He's not blind.He was fine an hour ago when you left him." Standing up she closed her medical book.She walked across the room to place it on the bookshelf when a severe headache gripped her,"Oh,no. Not again." she said as she cried out in pain holding her between her hand with tears streaming down her face.