Chapter 2

Sully hesitated before repeating, "Don' need no help from a lady doctor."He didn't know she was actually a doctor but felt that would be the only reason someone would travel out here to see him, handing him a card for a contact.

He knew the state of the place and wondered if she would return to her office and have him taken to some rehabilitation centre. Somewhere where they would try and understand his emotions. Those he could not sort out for himself. Then medicate him till he acted and lived like someone from an alien world.

This made Michaela rise up looking at the crack in the door holding out the card she replied, "Of all men in uniform I thought you might understand what it was like to be judged unfairly."

With that she slid the card through the crack in the door. She had read the file and knew that men like Mr Sully rarely kept any friends.

"Mr Sully, I have done my share of duty too, I am not immune to understanding your position." Turning on her heel she moved to her car. As she looked back she saw the door was now closed, and she hoped her card was inside the home and not amongst the dirt on the porch.

Sully had shut the door; he was uninterested in any help. He wanted to be left alone to wallow in his deep misery. He had no idea why he went and pulled the curtain a little to watch the woman leave. She was slim and petite, but her most striking feature was the fall of her long copper hair that swayed as she walked back to her car. He had a desire to touch it and see if it was as soft as he imagined.

Groaning to himself at his foolishness he resumed curling up in the wing backed chair and threw the white business card he gripped in his hand on the table that stood between the two chairs.

Anger rose inside of his chest, "Why did she have to come," he moaned to himself. He was quite happy being isolated from humanity.

Michaela drove to the gate closing it after she drove through. This house was located in a pretty part of Colorado Springs, and she decided to spend a few minutes looking around.

She guessed, that the land surrounding the property hadn't had neighbours for a very long time. Red Canyon Place was not all that far from Red Rock Canyon open space at Sand Stone Park. She had heard of the great hiking and bike trails there. That is where she decided to take a look, but once there she was confronted with new housing, a sign advertising Red Rock Canyon Estate.

"Oh no, not here, too," was her immediate reaction. There was so much land being converted into urban housing it was a wonder anyone could still breathe. Sadly, the land that had been there for decades was now being gobbled up with development.

She climbed a small hill and surveyed the scene in front of her; the panorama was vivid and alive with plants. Turning she could just make out where Mr Sully's home would be, so close to nature, like living in a wilderness with nothing around for miles. She questioned if he had intended it to always be this way. Looking towards another estate that would soon be on his door step she feared it would be just another hurdle for him to jump.

Finally she returned to her car. She had to be home before the children arrived from school. Smiling she wondered what Brian had been up to during the day. He was a good child but could push hard on boundaries both at home and school. Matthew was soon going to complete his education and had decided to try doing a course in agriculture. He loved the outdoors and it was a gap year before college where he may be taking up a degree in law.

Colleen was becoming a hand full just discovering boys. Michaela shuddered remembering she had recently witnessed the falling out of her daughter and her best friend Becky over a boy named Richard they both liked.

Puzzled, the doctor shrugged her shoulders; she had never had such problems with boys at school as she was always studying. Her aim had been to become a doctor like her father whom she had adored. Her best friend had been Charlotte Cooper, a mature aged woman studying nursing. They had met on the first day at college. Both had joined the army to achieve their goal and they had immediately formed a very close friendship. Michaela had gone to board with them on the base as the college was in Philadelphia. Two years they had completed when the unthinkable happened: Charlotte was hit by a car and within days had died. Before hand she had made Michaela promise to look after her children.

It had been a struggle, but the base and army had supported her and her new fledgling family. This way she could complete her studies then specialize on trauma and its effect on returning service personal.

When all that had been achieved she had transferred to Colorado Springs, mainly to move from her heart ache. She had become engaged to a David Lewis whose aim in life had been to achieve the rank of Major in a couple of years.

The children did not like him and he had seen them as a hindrance to his ambition.

Before they had managed to sort out the problem he had applied for an overseas employment. Michaela was informed unceremoniously two nights before he was due to fly out. They had had an enormous argument where all his venom towards the children flowed out like bile from his mouth. Once he had started he found he could not stop.

Michaela, hurt and angry had called off the engagement, and while he was gone she and the children moved base.