Days had been going by in a rather strange fashion, as if time had been deflected from its normal track, distorted and as whimsical as an old mule. As long as he was working and accomplishing his tasks wholeheartedly, it wouldn't seem as long and dragging as when it did at night, when he would sometimes feel like he was reliving the same routine over and over, that he had left Colorado Springs ages ago, and that he would never see the end of his stay in Nevada, that he'd never see home again.

Nevertheless, his efforts and assiduity eventually paid off as the mine became exploitable almost three full days before the predicted date. Immensely satisfied and grateful, Daniel truly wanted to repay his best friend and presented him with a pouch containing several gold nuggets and a few gems in the rough they had extracted while carving out the mine entry.

Sully, out of his usual pride, turned down the offering at once.

"It's too much, Daniel, and 'sides, I didn't come outta here thinkin' I was gonna get my share of your reapin's. I only came because I owed you."

"Shoulda known you'd say that, but while we're at it, I never saved your life back then thinkin' you'd feel indebted to me. We've been friend for so long and you would've done the same for me anyway. You came, and that means a whole lotta more to me than you know. And here you go and do an outsandin' job, I needn't worry about anythin' going wrong with that mine, we're all gonna be safe thanks to ya."

"Still gotta be extra careful in there. You never know…"

"Don't worry, I'll keep a close eye on 'em, make sure they keep doin' what they should be doin'. And everythin's gonna be just fine."

"Good."

"That's why I want you to accept your rightful payment."

"Daniel I said no!"

"Aw, will ya stop bein' as stubborn as an ox? And your wife, and your kids? Their schoolin'? Didn'tcha tell me Colleen was gonna go to college, and then medical school? don't you think a little help might come in handy?"

Chastened, Sully lowered his head. He had promised Michaela he would bring her back a souvenir from Nevada. And as much as it hurt his pride, Daniel was right: thought right now, their combined incomes were allowing them to live comfortably, they still didn't have much saved up. Daniel's offering was all the more tempting in the light of those unforeseen circumstances.

"All right, if you insist, I'll keep a few things for my family, 'cause I had promised 'em I'd bring them back presents," Sully reluctantly conceded as he poured the content of the pouch in his hand. Amidst the nuggets and colorful stones, one of them particularly caught his eye. It was a peridot, its transparent golden green strongly reminiscent of Michaela's eyes. He thought for a moment bringing it to a jeweler and have it cut and set in a pendant, or maybe a pair of earbobs, but all things considered, this would undoubtedly delay him, for who knew how long, not to mention Michaela might enjoy choosing herself the setting. It could very well serve as an excuse for an overnight trip to Denver, say around Valentine's day, especially if there was still no baby in sight by then. He could then give the stone to the jeweler from whom he had already bought their engagement ring and who had engraved their wedding band as well. And hadn't he told Michaela time and again than he would give her the world? A piece of jewelry matching her eyes was the least he could do!

As for the Cooper children, he selected three of the purest gold nuggets, and hand the rest back to Daniel, who sighed, disappointed but resigned.

"That's all? And of course, you didn't take any for yourself?"

"Nope." Sully shook his head and regarded Daniel pointedly, making it very clear that Daniel shouldn't insist anymore… at least for the moment.

An hour or so later, Sully bid farewell to Daniel at the Virginia City Station. He could sense that his friend would have liked nothing better than to keep him for a couple more days, at least until the original date, and that made Sully feel a bit guilty, like he was ducking out of fulfilling his promise. Yet he missed Michaela so badly that he was feeling depleted of both his moral and physical strength, as if being away from her was draining him of his courage and determination, like blood oozing out of a wound.

Yet, the thrill of very possibly surprising her by being home earlier than she expected sustained him. And given the rather melancholic tone of her latest letters, she was pining for him just as much as he did for her and was too counting the days, even hours, until his return…

The blowing of the whistle heralding the impending departure of the train pierced the air and prompted Sully to give one last swift, but affectionate hug to his friend, before he jumped on board. As the train began chugging away, Sully called out:

"And don't forget to come for a visit as soon as you can. Michaela and the kids want to meet you!"

"I'm lookin' forward to it. I'll make it soon as I can."

"Promise?"

"Yeah, count on it!"

Unfortunately, Sully got delayed in Salt Lake City, and was forced to spend the night there before boarding another train the next morning. He considered for a moment pushing ahead by whatever means he could find, whether by horse or stagecoach, but eventually realized he still would reach Colorado Springs faster and still a day earlier with the train. He sent a prayer to the Spirits so that nothing else would slow him down.

The Spirits obviously heard him, for he was able to reach Colorado Springs the day after next in the late afternoon, after a brief stopover in Denver. In the dim light of the autumnal dusk, the streets seemed quieter, dulled by lazy shadows; winter was already announcing itself by the abrupt drop of temperature as soon as the sun disappeared behind the mountains.

On the platform, stood a waiting Robert E., who was the only one besides Horace to know Sully was coming home early following the telegram asking to borrow a horse so he would have to walk all the way to the homestead. By some miracle, Horace had managed to avoid spilling the beans to Dr. Mike.

The blacksmith was alone, however. After greeting his friend with a heartfelt handshake, Robert E. explained:

"Didn' bring no horse, Dr. Mike's still at the Clinic and your wagon's at my place."

"Really? Somethin' the matter? Emergency?"

"There's been a coupla 'em early this week, but…" Robert E. paused to give Sully a knowing smile, "I got a feelin' it ain't her patients that keep dr. Mike from goin' home at night. The kids and her had dinner more often at Grace's the past few weeks, sorta like she ain't lookin' forward goin' home without ya here."

For all answer Sully raised his eyebrows, though he was hardly puzzled. This little piece of news only made him head even more resolutely for the Clinic, eager to reunite with his wife – at long last.

Once she had accepted Sully would be gone for a whole month, Michaela had repeated to herself that this was nothing more than four little weeks, that they would fly by as longed as she could focus on taking care of her patients, especially caring for Loren and working toward his full recovery. The shopkeeper had already made stunning progress, so she had faith he would be up and walking by himself by the time Sully would return.

She completely invested her time between her patients and her children, making a point of helping Brian with his homework as well as spending more time with Colleen, whether it was learning a new recipe or chatting about the girl's latest readings. Matthew would have supper with them every evening, and often spend the night[1], finding some measure of solace from the loving support of his siblings and adoptive mother. Ingrid's tragic death had so deeply wounded him, that he now felt bereft of all emotion, the pain so overwhelming it numbed everything… except his love for his family. As his mother, Michaela was at a loss about how to help him, yet the doctor in her knew that Matthew's quiet demeanor was to be expected, and there was nothing else to do but finding the delicate balance between showering him with love and giving him enough space… So watching over Matthew certainly helped occupying her time and thoughts.

Yet, no matter how hard she worked, the hours spent cleaning the Clinic from top to bottom, more often and thoroughly than ever before; no matter how much she kept busy from dawn to dusk to the point of exhaustion, it didn't help with the loneliness that gripped her as soon as she entered their bedroom. She tried reasoning with herself every night, telling herself that time would fly by; she read Sully's letters and telegrams over and over until she knew them by heart – his words of love all the more precious to her as she knew he usually wasn't too keen on composing long missives – and she stayed up late to answer him… still, as soon as she set foot into their private sanctuary and saw all the intimate symbols of their life together, she was hit by the violence of how much she missed him, the pain of it cruel and relentless both in her heart and her flesh. Even her arms felt heavy from the emptiness of not holding Sully…

Each evening, when she crossed out the day on her calendar, her heart skipped a beat, then raced as she considered the time she still had to suffer her beloved husband's absence. The wait seemed to only get harder to bear each day, to the point she began experiencing a nagging malaise.

Her sleep was agitated and broken by perturbing dreams. Nightmares in which only came back to tell her he was returning to living outdoors, and though he did love her, still he need his freedom even more; or the mine in which he was working collapsed and by the time he was pulled from under the rubble, he was long dead. Less frightening but still disturbing were the sensual dreams, haunting and extremely vivid, as if her subconscious was protesting and trying to make up for the sudden cessation of the sensual gratifications that had characterized the first months of their marriage…

One night in particular, when Sully had only been away six days and she had just received the first of his letters, she had dreamed of him; of his caressing hands and his mouth uninhibitedly exploring her body, as hungry for her as she was for him… the raw, yet genuine pleasure from the fantasy shook her awake. It wasn't the first time she'd experienced this kind of dreams since she had consummated her marriage to Sully and he had awakened the sensual part of her nature. But at least until now, Sully had been right at hand and more than willing to participate and satiate her amorous ardor, regardless of the time of day or night. She still blushed easily at her own boldness, but Sully always reassured her and repeated how much he appreciated her enthusiasm, even more so when she was the one to initiate their lovemaking…

But he wasn't there this time, all she had for company was a faint trace of his scent still lingering on the bed linens, and the cold, empty place on her left. He wasn't there to comfort her and lift the shroud of shame and embarrassment she was presently feeling for the unconscious gesture she had while still sleeping and dreaming, to reach down between her legs… All she could do was cry out of mortification, frustration and loneliness into her pillow. It happened again a few days later, but she dared not confide in Dorothy, the breach caused by the divulgation of her previous confidences in the book still fresh in her mind. And it certainly wasn't a topic she could expose in a letter to her husband, even worded in a way to intend that she missed him *that* much…

Her affliction worsened and began to affect her general health, especially her appetite and cycle. In the mornings, she was vaguely nauseous and could only stomach a cup of weak tea; she also skipped a few lunches, something that didn't go unnoticed by Dorothy and Grace, who then made a habit of bringing her a tray after the noon rush, whenever she didn't come on her own. The two women kept as close a watch over their friend as possible without being too conspicuous, as both knew Michaela's penchant for neglecting herself and working her fingers to the bone when she was preoccupied or out of sorts. Both guessed that it was Sully's absence that was presently weighing heavily on Michaela's mind, possibly more than she was willing to admit…

Still when came suppertime, she found herself unexpectedly ravenous, wolfing down anything that was put on her plate, and almost always asked Colleen for seconds. Within a couple of weeks, she gained back the weight she had lost over her estrangement with Dorothy about the book, and then some more. Yet, for the second month in a row, she felt the way she usually did right before her monthly for several days, her abdomen and her breast tight, heavy bordering on sore, but with nothing but a few drops of blood to show for it. The physician only saw the manifestation of the anxiety that gripped her and even chased her through her dreams, while the lonely wife only pined for her husband all the more.

Her first fiancé David's departure for the war front had torn her apart, and caused her constant fear for his safety, yet it paled in comparison to the way she was feeling presently. David's absence hadn't felt that oppressing and insurmountable and certainly hadn't caused such an array of disorders! If she ever had any doubt before, she was now certain once and for all that Sully was her other half, her true soul mate, for he only made her feel whole. How else explain this overwhelming, distressing emptiness she was experiencing since he was gone? She wondered more than once whether the persistent erotic dreams perhaps held a deeper meaning than the sole physical dissatisfaction, for every time she pictured their reunion, she did imagine their naked bodies joined as one, yet not so much in the midst of a feverish, unfettered, pleasure-seeking coupling but rather as a mean to truly embody the reunion of their souls, in its most sweet and intimate expression.

Yet, soon enough, she still had eight days left to wait. Then, after a particularly busy few days at the Clinic with a sudden inrush of patients suffering from the effects of the dropping temperatures, there was only three more days… two… one…

Sully will be home tomorrow.

The day's work was almost over. Michaela heard a loud whistle and hissing in the distance, heralding the five o'clock train, just as she was putting the downstairs recovery room back in order. She thought with a yearning smile the next time she would hear such a sound, it would be announcing her husband's return… Once her task of changing the sheets here would be done, she would be going home alone for the last time, and cross the last square on her calendar. Still, she took more time than she usually did making the bed. As it had been happening quite often the past few weeks, she dragged her feet at going home after her workday, dreading more and more the moment when she would be faced with the empty seat in front of her at the table, or next to her in their bed, with nothing but one of Sully's shirt to hold onto at night, his scent lingering in the folds of the well-worn cotton, though it had proved not to be such a good idea in the end, as it actually made he miss him all the more!

The clinic had become the place where she felt the calmest, the safest… If not for the shine and slight weight of her wedding rings on her left hand, she would let herself think she was back to the time before they were married, even before they both knew they belonged together… But as long as the doctor in her was being in the frontline, she could put the wife to rest for a little while.

Slowly and methodically, one by one, inch by inch of fabric, she put on clean pillowcases on each of the four pillows, which she arranged carefully on the bed as to not crease the firmly tucked bedsheets, that smell of fresh air and a hint of lavender. As she tugged one last time on the quilted bedspread to smooth any wrinkle left, she suddenly felt a distinctive presence behind her, but she didn't jump in fright. Only one man could move so silently without making the floorboard creak or door hinges grate to surprise her. Only one man carried with him this intoxicating combination of musk from the tanned skins he wore and the earthy freshness from the time spent outdoors. She knew who he was without needing to turn around, even before she could even think that he was a day early. It didn't matter. She smiled, while her heartbeat sped up from the joy of having him near.

She didn't turn around right away, almost petrified by the intense surge of emotions his presence provoked in her after four agonizingly long weeks of pining for him. She could only whisper:

"Sully…"

He had only been observing her for a little while. Her back was to him, and he couldn't divert his eyes from the graceful, long curve of the neck framed by thin golden tendrils that had come lose from her bun. There was a natural dignity in her bearing even when she accomplished mundane tasks such as making a bed, even when she appeared worn out after a long day of work. She still wore her surgical apron… all he had to do was take a couple of steps to undo the buttons, kissed the back of her neck that was beckoning to him, unravel her gorgeous hair…

He moved forward just as she turned around, and next second they were in each other's arms. Sully held his wife with strength and passion magnified with four weeks of longing, as if he feared she was yet again an apparition. Instinctively, their lips sought one another and met… and anything that wasn't them ceased to exist.

How they had dreamed of their reunion! How they had waited for it!

Dizzy from the whirlwind of relief, of impatience, of love and desire raging within her, Michaela momentarily forgot where they were. Since their return from their honeymoon, they had on a few occasions ventured out of their bedroom, and even out of their home, but never before had they dared using one of the recovery beds to make love. Both might have secretly fantasized about it, but the entire place was too exposed to the public eye, with patients, children and friends coming and going as they please. Yet, right at this moment, it was so quiet they felt quite alone in the world, and the bed felt so inviting, the temptation offered by the clean and sweet-smelling linen too strong to be ignored.

As much as she had dreamed of a tender, long-savored reunion, as much as he had planned to get rid of his month-old beard and the sweat and filth from his journey, their bodies had other ideas and were clearly demanding immediate satisfaction, no buts, no delays. There had been way too many lonely days, night and miles between them, too many missed loving words, touches and gestures… too many kisses that should have been given and were now claiming their due, aggressive from having been denied for so long. Kisses that said "I missed you so much" more eloquently than any word. And it was the haste with which they united, without even taking care of disrobing completely, that said "I want you, I need you, right here, right now"…

With each of her husband's powerful thrusts, Michaela let out a low, stifled moan and held him all the tighter. Sully could hear a declaration of love in each of the soft, needful whimpers she was emitting, he could feel her devotion in the slightest pressure, the lightest caress of her hands across his shoulders or along his spine. He felt her passion in the way she sought the sensitive hollow in his lower back, where she knew how to touch him to fuel his desire further, and to let him know without words that he could, too, abandon himself in her arms, that she was right here with him… coming along… In turn he let her know of his absolute adoration as he plied her neck with long, ardent kisses; his hands slipped under her petticoats and sensually glided their way up her fine wool-clad calves to explore the soft, milky flesh of her thighs. She was so incredibly sensitive and responsive to his touch that it only took a feather-soft brush of his fingertips there to hurl her into the golden depths of bliss. Their lips met again in a glorious kiss, their breath mingling and vibrating in one single echo of absolute pleasure.

Once their most urgent and primeval need to reunite was assuaged, they appeased another kind of hunger, less imperious but just as essential. Still wrapped in each other's arms, they luxuriated in sighs of contentment, in whispered avowals and endless caresses and kisses.

Yet reality eventually sneaked its way back into their loving cocoon: horses neighing, wagons lurching, the saloon customers guffawing, passers-by chatting on their way home or to Grace's for supper… and the fact they were laying in one of the beds of her… Michaela suddenly reddened. It wasn't too hard to guess what caused her to blush, and Sully couldn't help but tease her a bit.

"What now? Why the red face?" he murmured, touching lightly his wife's flushed cheek.

"…No-Nothing… It's silly… Besides, it's too late, it's done, now…"

"What is? Tell me."

Michaela turned a darker shade of red, and lowered her eyes.

"Well, we shouldn't – I mean, we'd better have waited till we were home to…"

"Why's that?" wondered Sully, feigning innocence.

"Sully!... for goodness' sake, patients sleep in this bed!" Michaela exclaimed. Then she caught sight of the laughing spark in her husband's eyes. She knew all too well this look he would give her whenever she reverted into her prim and proper old self, teasing yet soft with love.

"Mmmh, so what?"

To chastise him for teasing her so, she found the spot where he was the most ticklish and gave it the lightest pinch. He squirmed a second by reflex, yet it didn't stop his amusement from growing, nor his grin from widening.

"So it's inappropriate," she elaborated in a whisper. However, though she'd never dare admit it out loud, the idea of doing something she had always considered innately forbidden was terribly thrilling, and she couldn't help another wave of excitement and curiosity washing over her as she imagined renewing the experience sometime.

"How it is more so than makin' love in the hotel bed durin' our honeymoon, huh?

Oh! How he was enjoying provoking her and pushing her limits! At that point, Michaela hardly held any secrets or inhibitions toward her husband regarding their conjugal relations. If she ever expressed any kind of reserve to Sully's suggestions, she only did so as part of the game, to play hard to get and prolong the seduction. It hadn't taken long for her to notice how much Sully enjoyed when she used her wiles on him, and in a few months, she had learned how to subtly exude coquettishness.

Nevertheless, she felt compelled to answer: "Because I work here… and the last thing I want is having the next patient who will occupy this room see me get all red in the face when I'll remember what happened here, and perhaps guess why…'

"That's too bad," said Sully with a suggestive raise of eyebrow.

"What do you mean?"

"Woulda loved to… hm… try out the other beds… your examinin' table, maybe… your desk, too," he enunciated, his voice husky with reawakened desire. He pressed himself even closer, moving sensually over her.

During their intimate conversation, they had remained linked together, the way they sometimes enjoyed to prolong their union as much as possible and even give their mutual desire a chance to rouse again and make love anew… Already astir with the realization that they had broken another taboo together as well as the licentious imaginations triggered by her husband's newly confessed fantasies, Michaela simply couldn't resist Sully's obvious intentions. She blushed all the more, out of habit, and as he leaned closer to kiss her, she gave his lip a light nip before she reproached him amidst sighs of pleasure:

"Naughty…"

Again, they forgot all about the time, place and the rest of the world, and submitted totally to the irresistible tide of desire. The frenzied impatience of their first encounter gave way to the attentive and thorough quest for the absolute harmony that would truly sealed their reunion. Together, they savored the delights of those prolonged amorous jousts they were becoming familiar with the more they made love and learned the ways of one another. And when the slow but steady and powerful rise of ecstasy reached its paroxysm, their bodies and souls merged in the bedazzling light of their eternal love and devotion.

So absorbed by each other as they were while they slowly regained their senses, they neither paid attention to the knock on the Clinic's door, nor to the sound of the door being opened…

That night, Matthew went to have dinner with his family, but when he arrived at the new homestead, he only found his sister and younger brother there, as Dr Mike was nowhere to be seen. None of them was remotely concerned by her absence. Convinced that she was being delayed at the clinic by an emergency, they had dinner without waiting for their mother. However, to put his mind at rest, Matthew decided to ride into town to see if Dr. Mike intended to spend the night at the clinic and if she wished for him to sleep at the homestead to keep an eye on Colleen and Brian.

He was rather surprised to find that the clinic so quiet, seemingly deserted, yet with the surgery lamp still on. Had Dr Mike left in a hurry to attend to one of her patients? Nevertheless, he knocked on the door and, not hearing anything, he turned the knob, expecting to find the door locked. But no, it opened! A little alarmed, Matthew stepped inside, missing the bags sitting in the corner. He opened the door to the hallway and called out:

"Dr. Mike? Dr. Mike! Hello, anybody here?"

He heard the springs of the downstairs recovery bed creaking, then Dr. Mike's voice, unusually high-pitched, could be heard.

"Coming, Matthew!"

Reassured and innocently assuming that his mother was tending to a patient, he returned to the examination room and turned up the light in the lamp. And then he saw… them. In the corner next to the entrance door stood the buckskin pouches which could belong to only one man. Immediately he understood the situation and was absolutely mortified at the thought that he had most definitely interrupted Dr. Mike and Sully. Once again. The door to the room they were in had been left ajar, if he had stepped closer or had entered directly through the door of the hallway, he might have witnessed them doing... He shuddered and shook his head to chase the inappropriate images from his mind.

Meanwhile the two lovers were hurriedly readjusting their clothes. Michaela pined up her bun haphazardly, her mind spinning with trying to come up wise an acceptable excuse explaining their presence in the clinic so late in the evening, rather than heading straight home the minute Sully had arrived. A quick glance at her husband, who smiled sheepishly and shrugged his shoulders, told her it would be no use to lie. After all, she had always made a point to teach her children the importance of telling the truth, unless it was a matter of life and death. But in the present case, she realized that inventing an excuse would not do, especially not for such a frivolous reason... Besides, Matthew was a grown man now, and it was not the first time that he walked in on them sharing an intimate moment, so whatever she might say to her son, he would see past a fib.

To spare his wife the embarrassment of having to provide an explanation, Sully went first to meet Matthew. As if it were the most natural thing in the world, he proffered his hand, saying he had wanted to surprise Michaela by coming home earlier. While chatting away, he threw a knowing look at his grown-up "son", who, with a mere nod, let him know he understood.

"If you want to stay here for the night to be... uhm... alone... I can return to the homestead, no problem," the young man quietly said.

"To be honest, Matthew, I am in a hurry to go home and be with Colleen and Brian and then... I have brought a few small presents for you all," Sully said, smiling broadly at Michaela who finally had joined them after trying to hide all evidence of non-medical activities which had just been going on in the recovery room. Matthew managed to dissimulate his embarrassment with a large grin, nonchalantly grabbing hold of Sully's bags, leaving the clinic, saying:

"Hurry up then! Colleen and Brian sure are gonna be happy!"