A/N- It seems I have a penchant for weather events, lol – first Heat Wave, and now Snowed In. It's a convenient dramatic device, I admit. There was only ever one blizzard on the show, at the end of the pilot, so it seemed ripe for revisiting as part of Colleen & Andrew's lives in Philadelphia.

Follow Your Heart – The Cook Chronicles

Chapter 14 - Snowed In, Part One

It was the day after Christmas. Snowdrifts scattered the ground, indicative of the seasonal weather, and more snow was expected for the rest of the week. School was out of session until the new year, allowing most of the matriculants of the Woman's Medical College of Pennsylvania to spend the holidays with their loved ones. Colleen and Andrew were among the few who did not leave town – not even to Boston - as he had promised to stay on at the Women's Hospital this winter to make up for his time off the year before. While it was somewhat disappointing not to be with any of her family this Christmas, Colleen knew she had no right to complain about being separated from her loved ones. Recently, young Charley Ross' kidnappers had been killed in New York, leaving the poor boy's whereabouts unknown. It was doubtful his family would ever set eyes on him again.

And so, the young medical student decided to make the most of her time in Philadelphia, helping out at the hospital extra hours and polishing up her thesis in the college library. This day she was doing the latter alongside Jennie Trout, who had had the same idea. Amanda was in the building as well. Having just recovered from the catarrh, she was catching up on the college's never-ending correspondence and bills which must be paid by the first of the month. Absorbed in their work, the three women paid no attention to the increasing snowfall visible outside.

The changing conditions had not gone unnoticed at the building next door, however. Peering out one of the windows in the women's ward, Marie Evans grew concerned. Students had been instructed not to shout across the ward unless there was an emergency (so as not to disturb the other patients or alarm any hospital visitors), so Marie walked over to where Dr. Susan Reed was tending a patient. "Dr. Reed? It looks like it's getting worse."

Susan frowned without looking up. "Be more specific, Miss Evans. Which patient?" The women's ward was presently three-quarters full, with patients of various ages suffering from assorted maladies and infirmaries. Susan was sponging a young woman with a high fever that she had admitted yesterday. The prognosis wasn't good, yet it was her duty to provide what care and comfort she could for as long as the patient needed it.

"Oh, no… I meant outside. The snow."

This time Susan paused, standing up to peer out the window next to the bed. As resident physician, it would be her call whether to close the hospital early. The shortened days of winter meant it would be dark soon, and if she waited to close the facility at its usual hour, she might be putting lives at risk if people tried to brave the frigid weather after sunset when the temperature would drop even further.

Susan made her choice. Her first responsibility was the well-being of all, and it was better to be safe than sorry. "I'm afraid you're right, Miss Evans. Please begin closing procedures and escort visitors out. If anyone protests, tell them it's for their own safety."

"Yes, doctor."

"And when you've done that, please return and tend to Miss Landry for me," Susan added, looking down at the young woman lying in the bed.

"Where will you be?"

"I need to speak with Miss Rice about preparing extra beds," she replied, referring to the hospital matron who had a tiny room of her own in the attic.

"Extra beds?"

"Yes, Miss Evans. You and the other pupils will be spending the night. It will be too dangerous for you to leave this evening after serving supper."

"But I'll miss curfew… Mrs. Sellers won't like it."

"I'll write a note for all of you to take to your landladies in the morning, excusing your absence," Susan assured her. "Which reminds me. I'll need to speak with Dr. Cook after I see Miss Rice."

:

Down in the children's ward, Georgeanne Howard had also been looking out the window. "It's coming down faster."

"Is this your first New England winter?" asked Maggie Pearce, joining her side.

Georgeanne nodded. "It never snows like this back home. It barely snows at all."

"Just think of all the snowmen we can build when it's over," a little boy named Tim said eagerly from his hospital bed, bringing smiles to Georgeanne and Maggie. Despite having broken his leg earlier in the day and having to spend the night in the hospital, waiting until a pair of crutches could be made for his tiny frame, young Tim was still full of optimism.

On the other side of the room, Andrew was sitting with a little girl, her mother, and her three siblings. The girl's head was wrapped in a bandage. "She should be fine, Mrs. Washburn."

"But why can't she come home?"

"I assure you, it's strictly a precautionary measure. If I sent her home, she might not be willing to stay in bed. She might be tempted to go sledding again before she should," he said with a friendly smile. He cast a glance out the window, noting the heavy snowfall, and his smile faded. "It looks like it's getting worse out there. I advise you to keep your visit short."

Before Mrs. Washburn could respond, Susan came in to announce that the hospital was closing early due to the weather, and that all visitors were to leave immediately.

"Make sure you do everything the doctors tell you," Mrs. Washburn told her daughter, giving her a kiss on the forehead before leaving.

"Bye, Mama."

Maggie escorted Mrs. Washburn and her children out of the ward, allowing Andrew to huddle with Susan in the corner to discuss the situation. Susan filled him in on her plan to have the students stay the night.

"What about the college?" he asked. "Colleen went in to work on her paper, and Amanda went in with her to catch up from her absence. Other students might be there as well."

Susan had been so focused on the hospital she'd forgotten about the college. With school out of session, Dean Bodley had taken the rare opportunity for a few days off, which put Susan temporarily in charge of that institution as well. "You're right. With any luck Mr. Brown may have closed up already, but if not, I'll need to inform him to close the building," she said in reference to the school janitor who lived on the premises. "I suppose I can bring whoever's still there back here for the night. It might be difficult to find a cab, and I wouldn't want Amanda trying to walk home in these conditions," she added, thinking aloud.

Her colleague nodded at her plan, indicating his agreement. Not that she needed his approval, mind you, but support from a man always beat the alternative. Andrew Cook was better than most of his gender who weren't of the Quaker faith, readily taking orders from the women who had seniority rather than presume he was always in the right simply because he was a man. He'd be leaving at the end of the school year, when his wife graduated, which was a shame. Susan liked working with him – which made what she had to say now seem ungrateful. "You should leave now yourself, Andrew, before it gets dark."

"What? No..." he protested. "I'll stay and help."

So much for him readily taking orders… It might be his sense of chivalry, thinking a man might be useful during a storm. However, this wasn't the first blizzard the hospital had endured, and it wouldn't be the last. "I appreciate the offer, Andrew, but I'll have plenty of help tonight from Miss Rice and the students. And you know the rules. Males over the age of fourteen are not permitted to stay overnight."

"That applies to male patients," he countered. "If you don't want me staying on the ward, I'll sleep in a chair in the lobby. Just don't make me leave her." Andrew scrubbed a hand down his jaw to regain his composure. The word her had just slipped out, for the possibility of being separated from Colleen during the storm greatly unnerved him. "Please, Susan. Let me stay."

Staring up into Andrew's pleading eyes, Susan had another quick choice to make. They were wasting time by arguing, and he did have a point that the rule was intended for patients, not staff. Plus, he'd made it clear that this wasn't about chivalry so much as it was about being separated from his wife, and she couldn't fault him for that. Frankly, the man's devotion was admirable. Too many men selfishly used their wives as tools for their own pleasure – or their anger. "I suppose if you must sleep in a chair, you might as well do it in the children's ward to keep an eye on the patients," she relented.

"Thank you." Andrew accompanied her downstairs. "There's no need for you to go out in the storm, Susan," he continued as they made their way to the examination room/office where Susan could retrieve her outer garments. "I could speak to Mr. Brown for you and bring the women back."

Susan turned to face him. "I appreciate the offer, Andrew, but I'm the senior member of the faculty. It's my responsibility." She paused to grab her coat, not bothering to remove her apron. The physician knew that every layer of fabric would help insulate her against the freezing temperature outside. "If I were a man, you wouldn't be offering, would you?" she challenged.

Andrew wasn't sure if she expected an answer but gave one anyway. "No. I probably wouldn't." There would have been no need to volunteer because a male superior would have been far more likely to have directed his subordinate to go out into the cold rather than abandon the warmth of the hospital. But Susan felt differently. In fact, he wouldn't be at all surprised if his offer had made her even more determined to do the task herself, to prove that she was just as capable as he was. It seemed he was still finding ways to gain an appreciation for how difficult it was for a woman working in a man's realm, the constant feeling of having to prove oneself over and over again.

"Thank you for being honest," Susan replied, proceeding to fasten up her coat. "Keep an eye on things for me until I return."

"Certainly." She looked like she was about to say something else, then apparently changed her mind, draping a woolen scarf over her blond hair and twining it around her neck before donning a pair of gloves. Andrew remained silent until it was time to escort Susan out. "I hope you won't take offense if I caution you to watch your step."

"I'll never object to sound medical advice," she answered good-naturedly. Susan lightly touched his arm and softened her demeanor. "Don't worry, Andrew, I'll be back with Colleen and Amanda before you know it." She opened the front door. The force of the wind instantly wrenched it from her grasp, flinging it wide open. Startled, she exchanged a look with Andrew but didn't linger, as cold air and snow were now billowing into the building.

Andrew quickly shut the door and locked it to brace it against the wind.

Now, all he had to do was wait until the women returned.

Wait… and try not to worry.

:

Out in the blustery conditions, Susan knew she'd made the right decision to close early. The lamplighters wouldn't be lighting any streetlamps this evening – for who would be crazy enough to venture out in a snowstorm? - and once the grayish gloom of dusk completely faded to black, it would be far too dangerous to be out and about. Not that it was completely safe now, though at least for anyone headed home there was still some light left to see by. Fortunately, Susan didn't have to travel all that far – just alongside the hospital, past the vacant lot between the buildings where the annual matriculant reception was held (and, hopefully, the hospital could be expanded one day), and then across the front of the college and up its entry steps. Normally it took but a minute or so to traverse the short distance, depending upon how fast one walked. But with the icy walkway, heavy snowfall, and the wind whipping around her skirts, Susan took her time, keeping one hand up to act as a visor against the swirling flakes. It wouldn't do to slip and fall and find herself back at the hospital as a patient!

As she slowly advanced toward her destination, and the chill settled on the exposed parts of her face, the lady doctor had to admit that it would have been so much easier to have sent Andrew out on this mission, while she stayed safe and warm at the hospital. The notion hadn't even crossed her mind until he'd suggested it – at which point, of course, Susan had been compelled to prove that she was perfectly capable of doing it herself and didn't need a man to do things for her. It was old habit, having to prove herself again and again and again…

Finally reaching the front façade of the school, Susan tried opening the door. It was locked. Light was shining through the windows, however, indicating someone was inside. Andrew believed his wife was still there, and it wouldn't have surprised her if they had planned to walk home together after his shift. The pair really were devoted to each other, Susan mussed, the way she and Laura were devoted to each other - only she and Laura couldn't be as forthright about it, pretending that they were nothing more than the best of friends. It wasn't fair… but then most things in life weren't. At least they had found each other and had found a place where they could do the most good by caring for the sick and infirmed women and children of Philadelphia, and teaching dozens of other young women the fundamentals of doctoring.

Opening her coat to the cold, Susan fished for her key ring in her apron pocket. Finding the right key, she unlocked the door and let herself in. The stillness inside was a welcome relief. Spotting Amanda's open office door, Susan made that her first stop.

The secretary looked up at Susan's rapping. "Dr. Reed?"

"Mrs. Perling. I admire your dedication, but I need you to gather your things. The weather is turning foul so I'm closing the college."

Amanda swiveled to peer out the window behind her. "Oh, my. Of course, doctor. I should have noticed that myself. Just let me tidy up and I'll be right with you. Colleen – that is, Mrs. Cook - is in the library. Miss Trout is with her."

Susan nodded. "Wait for me at the entrance when you're ready. We'll leave together." She didn't wait for a reply but instead headed for the library, where she found two occupants. "Mrs. Cook? Miss Trout?"

The girls looked up. "Dr. Reed? Why are you here?" Jennie asked for the both of them.

"The weather." Susan indicated the nearest window with a tilt of her head. As if on cue, several windows rattled with a gust of wind. "The storm appears to be worsening so I came to close the college early. Is it just the two of you?"

"Clara went up to use the chemistry lab. And Aman – Mrs. Perling – is in her office," said Colleen.

"Anyone else?"

"Just Mr. Brown."

"All right. Gather your belongings and wait for me at the entrance with Mrs. Perling. I'll bring down Miss Marshall and inform Mr. Brown the college is closed until the weather clears."

"Yes, doctor," the students replied almost in unison to acknowledge the instructions. Colleen and Jennie gathered their papers and books together, returning some titles back to the shelves. Colleen had been hoping to add more citations to her paper, but aside from the few pieces Michaela Quinn had been able to get published, articles about Indian medicine were frustratingly sparse. The lack of written information was all the more reason, Colleen felt, that she should shine a light on the topic for the benefit of future WMCP matriculants, for her paper would join the permanent collection of the college library along with all of the other student theses which had come before.

:

Back at the hospital, Andrew had made a token attempt at being in charge, checking to ensure all visitors had left the premises, and that the coal buckets next to each heating stove were full, which should alleviate the need to fetch more from the basement in the middle of the night. The handful of matriculants in the building had already seen to that as part of their closing procedures and were already back to tending to patients or assisting the matron with making up more beds for them to sleep in. But really, Andrew's cursory inspection was to keep his mind distracted from what was going on outdoors. In short order, though, he found himself back downstairs, waiting to open the door the moment the women returned. He supposed he could have – and probably should have - assigned one of the students to monitor the door, as it hardly required someone with a medical degree, but he knew he wouldn't be able to relax until he saw with his own eyes that Colleen was safe and sound.

Earlier, when the wind had flung open the door, it had triggered the unpleasant memory of things wildly flailing and flying about during a storm he'd experienced back in Colorado Springs. He hadn't really been worried about Colleen then, believing her to still be at her college in Denver, or perhaps stuck on the same train as Preston's investors, unable to travel south due to storm debris blocking the tracks. The investors were arriving to witness the grand opening - or what was supposed to have been the grand opening – of the Spring Chateau & Health Resort. Instead, the festivities had been ruined by a big storm, with attendees seeking shelter inside the newly built hotel. Alas, much like the story of the Three Little Pigs, the tempest blew so hard that it blew down significant portions of the wooden structure. Andrew had been trapped overnight within the hotel rubble, huddled with the others, praying with Reverend Johnson that when the dawn came, all souls would get out alive. Alas, their prayers were not answered…

This was an entirely different storm, of course, and the brick walls of Philadelphia edifices were designed to withstand the perennial winter gales of Mother Nature. Still, Andrew couldn't shake the tension he felt at being separated from Colleen during the present storm, and so he kept his vigil at the front window while the gloomy gray sky darkened and the clock on the wall mocked him.

Tick.

Tick.

Tick.

"Dr. Cook?"

The voice behind him made him startle. "Miss Howard?"

"I'm sorry, doctor, I didn't mean to-"

"No, no, that's quite all right. Did you need me upstairs?" Andrew was ready to abandon his sentry if there was a more pressing need for his medical skills.

"Everyone's stable for now. I just came to find where you were."

"Oh, yes, of course." Andrew knew he should be asking her to monitor the door and go back up whether he was needed or not, and yet, he couldn't bring himself to.

"Did Dr. Reed go out to see a patient?"

"No, she left to close up the college." He cast a glance out the window. "I'm… I'm waiting for them to return," he explained feebly.

"Them?"

"Colleen, and Mrs. Perling, and whoever else might have gone in today."

"Oh. I see," she said quietly. "You're waiting for your wife."

Andrew could have argued that technically, he was waiting for all of the women to return, yet there was no denying his vigilance was motivated by Colleen, so he simply nodded.

"I'm sure it won't be long. They're just next door."

Andrew nodded again, folding his arms across his chest, trying to stay optimistic, as he stole another glance outside. Just next door… True, the distance wasn't that great, but the current conditions made it more hazardous than usual. If anyone should slip and fall, it could result in a serious injury, and the women would have much more of a struggle getting back to the hospital while trying to assist the injured party. There was a reason that in the popular fiction men were regularly riding to the rescue of damsels in distress. Physically, women were the weaker sex, and always would be. Why woman doctors, of all people, would refuse to acknowledge the obvious…

"I'll go into the kitchen," Georgeanne announced, interrupting his troubled thoughts and breaking the awkward silence. "We'll have hot coffee ready for them the moment they get in."

He gave a slight smile at her kindness. It was exactly the kind of thing Colleen – or any of the students, really - would suggest. Helping others was in their nature, a large measure of why they were willing to put up with the long hours of study and endure the disdain of society. "That's a wonderful idea. Thank you, Miss Howard."

She hurried off, and Andrew resumed his position at the window, seeking a sign, any sign, that the women were back.

Tick.

Tick.

Tick.

Damn it! Why hadn't he insisted on going out instead of Susan? Falling in forgiving mud was one thing but falling on a hard surface such as the college steps or the paved sidewalk was another. If Colleen were to sustain an injury, he'd never be able to forgive himself that she was out there, suffering, while he was safely indoors…

:

The five women had assembled in the college lobby bundled up against the cold. They stepped out one by one, giving their farewells to Mr. Brown, who locked the door behind them. He'd offered a lantern to Susan to help guide her way in the fading light, but she'd declined, aware that it would be easier if she had both hands free – one to shield her eyes, and the other to deal with her long skirts, which alternately whipped around her legs like a mummy, shortening her stride, or billowed out to the side like a sail, trying to push her off balance. The students following her didn't have any hands free, for they were tightly clutching their schoolbooks and bowing their heads against the fury of the wind. Susan knew that as slow and careful as she'd been in getting to the college, she'd have to be even more cautious during the return trip, particularly this first part navigating down the front steps.

Stepping out into the freezing air behind Susan, Colleen was glad that she knew exactly where she was heading, and that she wouldn't be outside for long. She'd been out in frigid conditions before, that time she'd foolishly tried to create a romantic moment between herself and Sully by mimicking the serialized story in Harper's Weekly. That scheme had gone so disastrously wrong she'd ended up with frostbite and nearly lost the use of her hands! Fortunately, her mother had been able to save her fingers through effective - though painful - water therapy. It had been painful, too, hearing Sully tell her that he only wanted to be friends and that she'd meet other boys. Time would prove Sully right; there would be others: Richard, then Jesse, then Peter, and finally Andrew. Ironically, Andrew had wound up being her true Rocky Mountain hero by saving her from the clutches of that dastardly Patrick Collins and professing his love for her shortly thereafter – the happy ending she'd hoped for, just like in the pages of the magazine.

The wide intersection of North College Avenue and 22nd Street was deserted. At least, nothing moving could be detected aside from the torrent of snowflakes flailing all around. As Susan had predicted, cab and streetcar drivers had done the sensible thing by getting their horses into shelter, with the streetlamps remaining unlit. The sky had grown noticeably darker in the short time Susan had been inside the college as the sun sank below the horizon. There wouldn't be much time left before it became completely dark. Susan wasn't panicking, though, as the lights emanating from the hospital would show the way. As long as they took it slow and steady, they would be fine. Still, Susan regularly checked behind her to ensure no one had fallen behind – or fallen down.

They had just reached the far corner of the hospital, where Susan had paused for another head count, when a masculine voice pierced the air.

"Susan!"

"Andrew?"

"Let's get you inside!" Unable to stay put any longer, imagining the worst, Andrew had grabbed his winter outerwear and headed out to meet up with the women, ready to offer any aid they might require. Thankfully, everyone appeared to still be on their own two feet, including Colleen, which eased his anxiety considerably. He wouldn't be completely at ease, however, until all were safely back indoors. Andrew noted that the students were carrying their books, so the young doctor went up to each of them to relieve them of their burden. "Let me take those," Andrew yelled over the wind. The girls gratefully handed them over, as their hands were now free to shield their eyes and deal with their skirts.

One by one they made it up into the sanctuary of the brick building. Immediately the gloves and scarves came off, the women blowing their hot breath onto their hands and rubbing them together for friction to warm up, huddling around the fireplace. Georgeanne entered with a tray of steaming coffee cups, which she passed out to each of them. Andrew dropped the books down on a chair and strode over to Colleen. Before bothering to remove any of his protective outerwear, he enveloped her in his arms. "You alright?"

"I'm fine. Just cold." She understood his concern. He knew all about her medical history, of course, including her experience with frostbite (though not the full story that she had deliberately placed herself in danger – that part was too mortifying to admit to him!). Frostbite survivors could suffer after-effects such as numbness or stiffness. But she had kept moving, keeping her heart rate up, and wasn't having any symptoms.

"Dr. Cook," Susan called in a firm tone, prompting all eyes to turn in her direction.

Andrew instantly released Colleen and steeled himself for this public reprimand. He'd abandoned his post, possibly endangering patients by doing so. "Dr. Reed, I apologize. I know that you-"

"Thank you for your assistance," she interrupted, surprising him. She held up her cup. "This is just what the doctor ordered."

Andrew exhaled a sigh of relief at being forgiven so easily and gave Susan a nod of gratitude. "The coffee was Miss Howard's idea," he informed her, giving credit where it was due.

"Thank you, Miss Howard," Susan acknowledged before returning her attention to Andrew. "Dr. Cook, please return upstairs to monitor the wards. The rest of us will need a few more minutes to warm up."

"Oh, uh, certainly." Having been dismissed, Andrew gave a last, gratified look at Colleen before hastily leaving the company of the women.

Time to get back to work.

:

:

End part one.