A/N: Wow I can't believe it's been so long since I've updated this story. Well with the enthusiasm and encouragement from MsRider1996 I'm finishing this story today=) Hope you enjoy.
Jonathan and Isaiah helped Andrew carry Charles into the clinic.
"Right there on the table." Michaela said. Andrew looked at Michaela.
"What are we going to do? He's lost quite a bit of blood." Andrew stated. Michaela looked at Andrew.
"Go out to the homestead and bring Colleen." She paused. "Sully too, I'm not sure what all we'll need." Michaela looked at him. "I'll find where he's bleeding from and see how deep the wound is before we clean it and put in the stitches." Andrew nodded and walked out of the clinic.
"Do you have a telegraph office?" Jonathan asked Michaela. She walked over to where Charles was lying on the table and nodded at him.
"It's across the street." She replied.
"We need to notify Mrs. Ingalls and the girls." Isaiah nodded in agreement.
"We have to tell Caroline." He paused. "Let's go." Isaiah and Jonathan walked out of the clinic and headed towards Horace's telegraph office while Michaela went out to get water to clean her hands before her procedure. Michaela wasn't going to need Andrew or Colleen for the stitches, but she wanted to make sure he didn't get an infection.
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Andrew rushed to the homestead and jumped off the wagon and headed straight for the door. He knocked on it loudly. Colleen opened the door with her shawl wrapped around her shoulders.
"Andrew? What are you doing here? What's going on?" Colleen asked worriedly. Sully walked up behind her.
"Is Michaela alright?" Sully questioned and Andrew nodded.
"Michaela is fine; but we have somebody at the clinic. She asked me to come get both of you." Andrew replied. Sully looked around.
"I'll tell Brian to watch Katie." He looked at Colleen. "You go with Andrew, Colleen. I'll be at the clinic in a minute." Colleen looked up at him.
"You'll be alright Sully?" She asked and he nodded.
"Go help your Ma." Sully watched Andrew help Colleen down the steps and up into the wagon. He smiled and then headed into the house to find Brian. Sully wasn't sure who Michaela would have at the clinic or why she would leave the meeting in Denver, but he knew it had to be important. It must have been serious for her to send Andrew to come get them.
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Isaiah and Jonathan walked into the telegraph office and saw Horace standing there.
"We need to send a telegram." Horace looked at them.
"Where's it going?" He questioned. They looked at him.
"Caroline Ingalls, Walnut Grove, Minnesota." Jonathan said and Horace nodded.
"What do you need to say?"
"Charles is hurt and we need her and the children to come out here right away." Horace nodded again and sat down and typed out the telegram. He looked up at them.
"Is that the man Doctor Mike brought into town?" Horace questioned and they nodded.
"We were working on the railroad in Denver when Charles got hurt and Doctor Quinn offered to bring us here."
"I'll go over to the clinic as soon as I get a telegram." They nodded.
"Thank you." As Isaiah and Jonathan walked out of the office, Andrew and Colleen stopped by the wagon.
"How's Mr. Ingalls?" Andrew asked as they got out of the wagon. Isaiah shook his head.
"We don't know." The four of them walked into the clinic and saw Michaela inspecting the wound. She looked up when she heard the door open.
"I've found source of the blood loss, but I would like it if you would look with me Andrew to make sure he hasn't lost more than he should. Andrew walked over, washed his hands and began looking at the wound. Colleen stood there watching the two doctors.
"What can I do to help Ma?" Colleen asked. Michaela looked up at her.
"I need you to get my medical case." Colleen walked out of the room and into a side room and came back with a box of supplies. Michaela opened it on the desk and pulled out a roll of thread and the needle to fix the wound in Charles's shoulder.
"Did you give him any laudanum?" Colleen asked and Michaela looked over at her.
"I haven't." They both looked and saw the bottle sitting on the table. Michaela motioned towards it. "Come over here and give him the drops." Colleen grabbed the bottle and the cloth and walked to the opposite side of Charles than her mother and Andrew were on.
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Laura Ingalls was riding through Walnut Grove heading out to see her family with Rose and Almanzo when Mrs. Foster rushed out to them.
"Laura!" She called out. "Laura!" She rushed over close to the wagon. Almanzo stopped and they listened to her. "I just got a telegram for your Ma."
"What's wrong?" Almanzo asked. "We are on our way to see Caroline."
"Would you take it to her? It says that your Pa's hurt." Laura looked between Almanzo and Mrs. Foster and her eyes widened.
"Something happened to Pa?" Laura said. She looked at Mrs. Foster. "I hope he's okay."
"It just says for you to hurry." She handed Laura the telegram and walked back to the post office. Almanzo hurried the horses out of town towards the little house. When they got there, Laura handed Caroline the telegram.
"Oh no." Caroline said.
"It's alright Ma." Laura replied. She held Almanzo's hand and held Rose in her other arm. "I'm sure he's alright." Caroline looked at her.
"I don't know how we would get to Colorado. It's so far away." Caroline stated. Almanzo looked at her.
"You, Laura and the others can go to. I'll make sure you can get to Mr. Ingalls." Laura turned to face him.
"Manly, we can't go out there." He nodded.
"It's your Pa, Laura. We have the money from your teaching and we have had a good crop this year." Almanzo said. "You go and make sure your Pa is okay."
"What about Rose?" Laura asked.
"You can take her with you on the train. She'll be alright; you go." Laura nodded.
"I guess it's decided then." She said to Caroline.
"I need to get a message back to them." Caroline looked at Almanzo. "Can you take me into town and I'll talk to Mrs. Foster?" Almanzo nodded.
"Of course." Caroline got into the wagon and they rode into town.
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It felt like a long time before Horace walked into the clinic. When he did they all looked up at him.
"They are on their way." He said. Isaiah and Jonathan smiled.
"Thank you Horace." Andrew stated.
"You're welcome Doctor Cook." He replied and walked out of the room. Michaela walked into the operating room where everybody was standing and wiped her hands on the cloth.
"We have him stabilized. He's sleeping now; but he's not bleeding anymore." Michaela stated. "We weren't sure what was going on and I'm sure it was just his fall that caused the bleeding. He landed on his shoulder, but he didn't dislocate it thankfully."
"What can you do for him?"
"He will be sore for a while from the stitches, I would like to keep him here to monitor his healing and when he's given my okay he can go home."
"Do you need his family to be here?" Jonathan asked. Michaela shook her head.
"It is not life and death; but we can't stop them from coming; so we can let them come and see him." Michaela replied.
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A few days later, Caroline, Laura, Carrie, Grace and Albert stepped off the train in Colorado Springs. A man stood at the train station with a girl about Laura's age. (A/N: I know Colleen would be older (a lot older), but for this; I'm making them the same age; it's just easier) They approached the group.
"Mrs. Ingalls?" The man asked. Caroline was stunned at first and couldn't speak.
"Yes?" She was finally able to say.
"I'm here to get you for Doctor Quinn. I'm Sully and this is her daughter Colleen." Colleen stepped forward.
"It's nice to meet you all. We will take you to the clinic where you can see Mr. Ingalls."
"How is he?" Caroline croaked. They looked at her.
"He's stable now. He's still a little weak, but he's alright. Doctor Mike and Doctor Cook stitched the wound and they have been checking for infection the last few days. He had a fever a few days ago, but they have been keeping a close watch on him."
"Can we see him?" Laura asked and Colleen nodded.
"Are you a real doctor?" Carrie asked. They walked towards Michaela's wagon.
"Carrie." Caroline warned.
"It's alright." Colleen smiled. She looked over at Carrie. "No, I'm not a doctor. My ma is a real doctor. I help her out and I want to go to school this fall." Sully touched her shoulder.
"But she is the best assistant we have in Colorado Springs. She has helped Doctor Mike with a lot of the procedures."
"Your town doctor isn't a man?" Albert asked. He looked at Carrie. "I wonder what Doc Baker would think about that."
"Children." Caroline said and they quieted down. The ride from the train station to the clinic felt longer than it ever had before. When they got to the clinic, Sully helped Caroline, Colleen and Laura out of the wagon. Colleen held Rose for Laura when she got out of the wagon.
"You're a natural Colleen." Sully chuckled as she passed Rose back to Laura. They walked into the already crowded clinic. "Michaela," he motioned to her. She walked over. "This is Mrs. Ingalls."
"Hello." Michaela smiled.
"This is Laura, Albert, Carrie, Grace and Rose."
"Can we see Pa?" Carrie asked and Michaela nodded.
"He's been sleeping a lot lately, so I ask that you go in a few at a time." She said. Caroline followed Michaela as they walked towards the room. Laura looked at Colleen.
"Would you please hold her for a minute?" Laura asked. Colleen smiled.
"Of course." She laughed. "I have a little sister, she's two years old, and so I'm used to little ones." Laura nodded.
"Thank you." She smiled and then walked back into the other room. Sully looked at the Ingalls children.
"What are we going to do with everybody Sully?" Colleen asked rocking Rose.
"I'm sure Mrs. Ingalls will want to stay here with Mr. Ingalls. Mr. Edwards and Mr. Garvey will stay here as they have been. We will take the children back to the homestead." Andrew walked over and put his arm around Colleen.
"Mr. Edwards is here?" Albert asked and Sully nodded.
"Michaela had them go to Grace's Café and get something to eat because they haven't eaten since they've been here. They were worried about your Pa." Albert nodded. Laura walked back out and looked at everybody standing there; her eyes were puffy and red from the time she'd been crying.
"He's so weak." Laura said. Sully nodded.
"Your Pa has been through a lot Laura." She looked at him and nodded.
"Come on, I'll take you to get a cup of coffee and talk to Mr. Edwards." Laura looked at him.
"He's here?" Sully nodded silently and they walked out the door.
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The minute Laura hugged Mr. Edwards she started crying again.
"He's so weak." Laura sobbed. Mr. Edwards held her.
"Your Pa is going to be fine Laura." He stated. Mr. Edwards pulled back and looked at her. "He's hurt, but he's going to be okay. Where's your Ma?" Laura stopped crying.
"She's still in there with him and Doctor Quinn." Mr. Edwards nodded.
"I haven't seen any doctor as diligent as she is." He paused. "Not even Doc Baker." Laura laughed. "I'm glad we're here. She is really taking care of your Pa." Laura nodded.
"I know that Pa's going to be okay. I just wish that he didn't have to be here."
"I know half pint; it's going to be okay." (A/N: Mr. Edwards called her that every once and a while just as it was Charles's nickname for her)