"Dr Mike?" Colleen pushed the blanket to the end of the cot, getting to her feet. She'd not realized she'd fallen asleep until waking up, pushing the curtain aside, expecting to find Michaela in bed also. She wasn't. The bed was neatly made, and the kitchen area spotless.
"Dr Mike?" the young girl frowned, suspiciously making her way towards the back door, opening it to look outside.
Scanning the garden and yard, Colleen held the edge of her skirt as she stepped out onto the dusty ground. She smiled when she noticed the barn door ajar. Shaking her head with a light chuckle, Colleen quickly crossed the short distance, the large wooden door creaking open.
"Dr Mike, what you doing out here?" she queried, stepping inside, still trying to actually lay eyes on Michaela.
"Looking for something. How was your sleep?" Colleen looked around, hearing Michaela's reply, although not being able to pinpoint the exact location.
"Ah, there it is!" Michaela replied triumphantly, Colleen still not actually catching sight of her.
"Ma?" Colleen turned around, eventually noticing Michaela removing a potato sack from the wooden storage container by the wall.
"What's that?" Colleen stepped closer, pointing to the small object that Michaela had just removed from the bag.
"Something my mother sent me months ago; a present for Brian," Michaela caught her breath, before the pair made their way back towards the house.
"What is it?" Colleen continued, taking the box curiously from Michaela, opening it to reveal yet another box inside, this one however, magnificently gift-wrapped in blue paper, with various shades of blue-colored ribbons tied around it.
"It's a compass, it belonged to my Father. I wrote Mother about Brian's birthday, and requested that she send it," Michaela gestured to the slightly ostentatious packaging.
"She sent it all right, didn't she," Colleen giggled as Michaela rolled her eyes, closing the door after they had entered the homestead.
Michaela took a seat, smoothing her skirt out, more to distract herself from the physical discomfort.
"You know what my mother is like, but I was at a loss for what to get him and ten is a special age; he's growing up, so I thought it perfect. It's gold-plated with a golden lid and engraved. I'm looking forward to seeing it again." Her head tilted back slightly, as she drifted into recollection.
Eagerly, the young girl took a seat opposite. "Well, you gonna give it to him today?" Colleen smiled, hoping it would lift Brian out of the current depression he seemed to be in.
"I might as well. After all, it's a week late," Michaela replied, reflecting that it had also been a week since her rescue.
"Well, why don't we, I dunno, have cake and stuff. Make it into a party for him. He won't be suspecting anything." Colleen smiled, looking around the room, quickly getting to her feet in excitement.
"That's a brilliant idea, Colleen," Michaela clasped her hands together, as Colleen began checking through the cupboards, ensuring they had the necessary ingredients.
~.~
X.O.X
~.~
"That was delicious lunch, Matthew. Thank-you," Ingrid smiled sweetly, her eyes sparkling.
"Grace sure is a great cook, isn't she," Matthew agreed, gesturing to the repacked basket. Ingrid nodded, standing and beginning to fold up the rug they had been sitting on.
"You be all right, now?" She spoke softly, reaching to grasp Matthew's wrist.
"I'll be fine. You're right it ain't no-one's fault. Just have to keep everyone together," Matthew trailed off, momentarily distracted by Brian's earlier behavior over breakfast. As if able to know what he was thinking without even saying it, Ingrid responded, the couple making their way over to the nearby wagon as she spoke.
"Brian is not still frighten?" She questioned awkwardly, aware of how upset Matthew's younger brother had been during Michaela's absence.
"I, I'm not sure, he's been acting strangely," Matthew lifted her up onto the wagon gently, Ingrid following him with her eyes as he placed the basket and rug in the back, arriving beside her on the seat.
"How act strange?" the young girl brushed a piece of hair from her face, tilting her head to obtain Matthew's attention.
"Not wanting to go to school, always worried about Dr Mike. I keep telling him everything's all right now but think her being so sick and all last week really scared him." Matthew reached for the reins, Ingrid moving to stop him, deciding it was important that they talk.
"My little sister be same when my mother die two years ago. She cry, be, what is word, ah, naughty. Not be like self. She have bad dreams and not want to go away from me for long time. It take lot of love and time before she be all right again." Ingrid nodded, reflecting on her sister's troubled behavior.
Matthew gazed across the vast meadow thoughtfully, much of what Ingrid had just said describing Brian perfectly.
"But it's not like Brian, he's a smart kid. And he seemed fine last week. This only started a few days ago," Matthew mused, shaking his head as he started the wagon moving.
~.~
X.O.X
~.~
Colleen scattered the food around the chicken coop, eventually managing to entice the most stubborn hen from her nest, fetching the last egg proudly. Balancing the eggs carefully in her skirt, Colleen paced back across the yard into the homestead, her eyebrows rising immediately as she took in the sight of the room awaiting her.
Michaela, not exactly skilled when it came to culinary work, stood against the table, ingredients placed around her, a large mixing bowl in front of her, which she was filling with flour.
"Ma, what," Colleen's face fell at what had only minutes before been a spotlessly clean room, now covered in flour.
"I, um, had some trouble," Michaela shrugged, dusting off the cookbook in her left hand, gesturing to the sack of flour resting precariously on the edge of the table.
"Here, let's start over, yeah?" Colleen placed the eggs gently in a bowl and crossed the room, uncertain of where to start.
"If we just make chocolate cake, I don't need a recipe for that," Colleen suggested, Michaela closing the book in response.
"Sounds much easier," Michaela dropped the book to the table, the simple impact of the book hitting the table enough to knock the bag of flour from its unsteady footing.
"Oh no," Colleen gasped, as the white bag slipped to the floor, puffs of flour rising several feet in the air.
Michaela shook her head with a long, drawn-out sigh, as Colleen crouched down to salvage as much of the contents as she could.
"Is there going to be enough?" Michaela asked, taking a seat in sheer exasperation.
"Yeah, it's all right," Colleen smiled, trying carefully to scoop the flour back into the bag.
"How about if you bake, I'll watch?" Michaela cringed, Colleen bringing the bag up to the table and starting from scratch once again.
~.~
X.O.X
~.~
"Afternoon, Reverend, got some nice hot coffee just ready," Grace smiled, showing the jaded man to a nearby table.
"Oh, Grace, that would be like an answered prayer, after the day I've just had," Timothy exhaled, seating himself comfortably at the closest table, smiling as Grace filled the metal cup with steaming black coffee.
"I know, children sure are a bundle of energy, bless them," Grace smiled warmly, tapping the Reverend compassionately on the shoulder.
"Hmm," he trailed off, noncommittally, a much less pleasant opinion occupying his mind at the moment.
"Ah, Grace, mornin' Reverend," Robert E. appeared, having sauntered quickly across from the livery, appearing to be slightly rushed. He kissed Grace on the cheek, directing his conversation to her.
"You got that stuff for Dr Mike? Was gonna head out there, so I'm back 'fore it starts gettin' dark." The Blacksmith smiled, looking around at the assortment of food bubbling and on display.
"Sure, just give me a few minutes to get it packed. Sit with the Reverend for awhile, he looks like he's had a long day," Grace departed with a traditional smile, Robert E. removing his gloves and dusting off his shirt and trousers before taking a sit.
"You do look kinda tired there, Reverend," he proposed, in a patient, yet direct manner, that encouraged the Reverend to open up to him,
"It's just, everyone in this town. If it's not the adults, it's the children. I feel like I'm running around trying to stop the baby chicks from escaping the coop, but they're just following the roosters, it's hopeless," Timothy took another long sip of his coffee, Robert E. nodding in understanding, a knowing look flashing across his face.
"This about Dr Mike, ain't it? I've had the same thing all day, gettin' mighty tired of it, I tell you." Robert E. noticed an empty cup left on the table, filing it with water from his canteen and drinking, glancing back towards the livery every few minutes.
"Can't people see how heartless they're being? I mean, I can forgive harmless chatter, but this just isn't the sort of thing nice people discuss." Timothy turned his head, watching the nearby townspeople making their way along the road.
"You think you got it bad, you oughta hear the rumors people been coming in with, 'specially the young men. Some people saying that Sully deliberately traded her to the dog soldiers. Most people just worried about what we're gonna do for a town doctor now, don't feel right seeing her after all that's happened," Robert E. shook his head pitifully, Timothy reliving the events in the schoolhouse earlier.
"Well, still sounds better than what the children came up with. You know Benjamin Avery actually called Dr Mike an 'Indian whore' right in front of little Brian. I tell you, I don't know where these young ones get it from."
"That poor boy. He seemed real down before when he came to collect his horse. At least that worked out for him, in the end." Robert E. smiled weakly, remembering all the emotion Brian had invested in Taffy during the time Michaela had been away.
"I don't know how I'm going to sort things out with the children. I don't feel right talking to them about it, but it's just getting out of control." Timothy finished his coffee, looking up as Grace appeared by his side, two large baskets in her arms.
"All set?" Robert E. noticed his wife's presence immediately, getting to his feet to take the heavy objects from her.
"Now you tell Colleen, there's a bit of everything, preserved apricots, meatloaf, apple pie, and of course some fried chicken for Brian." Grace smiled, looking between the preacher and her husband.
"Will do, and try not to worry, Reverend. Everything'll sort itself out." Robert E. smiled, departing without delay to the livery, to saddle his horse.
~.~
X.O.X
~.~
"There. Should be ready in about half an hour." Colleen slid the cake into the hot stove, Michaela, her head rested on her left hand, sat at the table, a brief smile crossing her face at the girl's natural cooking ability.
"I don't know how you do it, Colleen," Michaela encouraged, Colleen closing the stove door and crossed the room, bending down to search under Michaela's bed.
"Just practice, Dr Mike," the young girl replied, her voice somewhat muffled as her head and shoulders disappeared under the mattress.
"What are you?" Michaela remained seated, rotating her body slightly so as to follow Colleen's movements, immediately regretting the twisting movement.
"Just somethin' I made couple weeks back, forgot about 'til just before," The girl's blonde hair appeared once again from under the bed frame, a large, white animal-shaped cut-out coming into view.
"It's a donkey; pin the tail on the donkey," Colleen quickly explained, seeing the look of confusion running across Michaela's face. She didn't have the heart to inform Colleen she still didn't get it.
"You know, you spin around, try to get the tail in the right spot," Colleen headed back into her room, returning after a moment with several tail-like objects constructed from horse hair.
"Oh, like a party game?" Michaela looked naively between the long black 'tails' and the white cut-out.
"Yeah, you each take it in turns and whoever gets the tail the closest to the right spot, wins," Colleen bit her lip, suddenly remembering the final required item and darted across to the chest of drawers to recover one of Matthew's bandanas.
"Doesn't seem very difficult," Michaela assessed, seeing the tail-position marked with an "X" on the white cut-out.
"I guess not, but if Matthew spins you around enough, like he usually does, you end up totally confused," Colleen tossed the bandana onto the 'donkey', crossing the room to begin the task of cleaning up the table.
"Here, I'll help," Michaela got to her feet, deciding she'd rested enough, picking up the large mixing bowl awkwardly and taking it over to the washing up area.
Colleen, busy putting ingredients away, decided to broach a new subject.
"You ain't really thinking of going back to work next week, are ya, Dr Mike? I mean, you were just saying that?" Colleen watched as Michaela took in her words, her eyes dropping closed for a moment at the thought of having to face the townspeople.
"No, I meant it." Michaela went to lift the heavy pitcher, feeling the sharp pain radiate through her pelvis, Colleen looked up started at the sound of the pitch hitting the table loudly.
"Here," Colleen stepped over to delicately pick up the pitcher and pour the water into the mixing bowl.
"You heard what Dr Cassidy said; you need to take it easy, let yourself," Michaela cut Colleen off sharply, the young girl's jaw dropping at the hard look in Michaela's eyes.
"Well, I'm not Dr Cassidy! I'm perfectly able to decide that for myself, and the sooner everything gets back to normal around here, the better!" Michaela, one eyebrow raised as if she expected Colleen to challenge her, continued to scrub the inside of the bowl vigorously.
Colleen remained motionless after the loud outburst, turning her head to hide the fact that tears were forming in her eyes.
"Yes, Dr Mike," she lowered her head, wiping down the tabletop, occasionally glancing across at Michaela worriedly.
~.~
X.O.X
~.~
"Here, for the blood." Cloud Dancing handed Sully a piece of cloth, gesturing to the drops of fresh blood occasionally soaking through his shirt.
Taking the cloth tentatively, Sully looked from the dying fire six feet away, the remains of blood-stained blankets and clothing now indistinguishable in the ash and soot they had become.
"Every time I close my eyes I can see it, as if I was there," he whispered, gazing across to the tepee, although Cloud Dancing understood his words immediately.
Eventually managing to persuade him to leave the tepee earlier, Cloud Dancing had seen a shadow appear over his brother's face. He remained haunted by the visions he had described, sitting for hours captivated by the burning flames that had been in front of him.
Cloud Dancing handed Sully a ladle of fresh water, knowing he had no chance of healing whilst he still surrounded himself with the objects of his torment.
"You must return to town. Remaining here will only cause you more pain," Sully shook his head in response, the perspiration still visible around his temples.
"No, that's more painful. Seeing Michaela. No, I gotta be by myself for a few days. Clear my head," Sully ran his left hand over the back of his skull, feeling the small area of soft skin under his fingers.
"I wish there was something that I could do. I wish I had gone with my son, I would have stopped this from happening," Cloud Dancing looked across the surrounds of the camp, many women still huddled together in distress.
"You once told me that the spirits say everything happens for a reason, I don't see no reason for this." Sully got to his feet, Cloud Dancing lowering his head, having no answers to heal his brother's broken soul.
"I can't stay here any longer, I'm sorry." Sully beckoned the resting Wolf to his side, Cloud Dancing turning to face him upon hearing his words.
"Where will you be?" The older man frowned, extending his arm in farewell.
"I don't know." Sully glanced down at his gesture of friendship, however, this time feeling distant from his Cheyenne brother. Looking away, Sully focused once again on the ashes resting in the smoldering fire nearby, before he walked away finitely, Wolf disappearing loyally by his side into the afternoon sun.
~.~
X.O.X
~.~
"There," Colleen sighed proudly, having finished icing and writing on the chocolate cake.
"I thought Matthew would be back by now. I hope he doesn't miss it," Michaela pondered, resting quietly across the room.
"I'm sure he won't. You know what he and Ingrid are like though," Colleen chuckled, thrilled for her engaged brother, however unable to deny the minute envy coursing through her veins.
"I bet you'll be glad to get back to school, after spending the days cooped up here?" Michaela, laying on her side, her head supported in her right hand suggested, glancing once again out of the window for any sign of the boys returning.
"Yeah," Colleen replied unenthusiastically, just imagining all the attention she was going to receive.
Michaela pushed herself upright quickly, hearing the faint sound of a horse drawing closer.
"Brian's home," she announced with a smile, getting slowly to her feet and watching him dismount the horse, leading Taffy into the barn.
Colleen centered the cake on the table, quickly cleaning up the dishes from the icing. Michaela, smoothing her skirt around her, locked eyes with Colleen, both standing in front of the cake, not sure through which door Brian would enter.
"Ma!" He squealed, running in from the back door after several minutes, oblivious to their strategic positions between him and the table. Just as he arrived at his mother's side, Brian stopped abruptly, his outstretched arms falling quickly away, remembering Colleen's words from the night before.
"Surprise!" Michaela and Colleen giggled, turning and drawing his attention to the chocolate cake, with white icing and brown lettering covering it.
Brian's eyes widened, looking between each of them as he realized the cake was for him. Gingerly stepping against Michaela's skirt, Brian relaxed when her arms touched his shoulders, looking up at her with a delighted grin.
"Do you want to wait for Matthew, or have your party now?" Colleen crouched down to his side, suspecting the response.
"Aww," Brian turned his head from Michaela to the cake, his conscience and childlike selfishness tearing him between the choices.
"Well, what if we play a game now, and then have cake when Matthew gets home?" Michaela suggested, her left arm gesturing to Colleen who brought the Donkey out from against the fireplace.
"Oh, boy! Steven had this at his party and I almost won but Charles cheated. Can I go first," Brian reached quickly for the donkey tail on the table, Michaela tilting her head, suggesting that they move the game outside.
Getting the donkey secured to the barn wall, Brian stood, eyes closed shut expectantly as Colleen tied the blindfold around his head, spinning him several times in different directions before pointing him towards the cut-out animal.
"Oh, I wondered what the catch was," Michaela shook her head, having not understood up until that point why the game presented any challenge.
"Brian's loves it, he's good with direction," Colleen turned back to the boy as he took several shaking steps forwards.
"Maybe the you-know-what won't be of any use to him then," Michaela chuckled, Colleen meeting her eyes and smiling, a hand covering her mouth as she remembered the ridiculously overdone packaging the compass had been sent in.
"Um, ah, there," Brian stepped back triumphantly, the tail stuck to the donkey cut-out.
Pulling the pale-blue bandana from his face to observe his judgment, his face fell with disappointment.
"Oh, Brian, you did well. You're only about eight inches away," Colleen congratulated, patting his back.
"May as well a missed completely." He hung his head, afraid he wouldn't win.
"Don't be silly, Brian, bet I'll never get any closer," Colleen reached forwards to take the blindfold from him, Brian pulling it away quickly, turning from her.
"Ma's turn," Brian protested, extending his arm to offer the bandana to Michaela, Colleen attempting to intercede.
"Brian, here, let me try. I wanna try," Colleen tried to distract her younger brother, attempting to snatch the blindfold from his hand.
Michaela, looking between the blue cloth and her son's joyful expression, glanced between the donkey and his outstretched arm. It was only a cloth, and if she was going to be putting it on herself, Michaela didn't suspect it would bother her. Deciding immediately that what had happened would not alter her ability to enjoy spending time with her children, she took the bandana, closing her eyes with a silent swallow as she wrapped the soft material around her head.
"All right Ma, here," Brian handed her the second donkey tail, Michaela feeling the rough horse hair between her fingers, aware that she could once again hear the sound of her own breathing. Forcing herself to drop her tensed shoulders, Michaela took a careful step forwards, concentrating on trying to remember where she was in relation to the barn, not preparing herself at all for the feeling of Brian's hands reaching to her shoulders, pushing her forwards and trying to turn her around in a small circle.
~.~
X.O.X
~.~
Matthew steered the horse along the long path towards the homestead, seeing figures moving from a distance, he sped up somewhat, momentary relief washing over him until he realized what was taking place.
Colleen, who had reached to grab Brian's arms immediately when hearing Michaela's strangled gasp, looked up upon hearing the wagon approaching. The two children, their attention focused on Matthew's impending arrival failed to notice Michaela pull the blind fold from her face, a hand resting on her chest as she took several shallow breaths reassuring herself of her surroundings.
"Matthew! You gotta come see this! Ma and Colleen baked me a cake and everything," Brian ran towards the wagon.
Colleen subtly kept an eye on Michaela, starting to get the impression she wasn't coping as well as she liked to make out.
"Hey, little brother," Matthew secured the horses, jumping down from the wagon, Brian attempting to pull him towards the front door.
"Come on, Brian, let's go show Matthew your cake," Colleen joined the boys, glancing across at Michaela worriedly as they went on ahead inside.
"Dr Mike? Brian didn't notice if that's what you're worried about," Colleen tried to sound compassionate, Michaela quickly brushing past her towards the steps leading to the porch.
"He'll want to cut the cake, best not keep them waiting," Michaela barely looked in her direction for more than a second before clasping her hands together, stepping through the doorway.
Colleen, her eyes wandering with uncertainty, felt trodden on once again. She was trying to be supportive, trying to ensure Dr Mike that she didn't have to act as if nothing had happened, that no-one expected her to.
Collecting herself, the middle Cooper child wiped a single tear from her left eye, clutching her skirt and following Michaela inside.
"Now then, cake or present young man?" Michaela arrived at Brian's side, tickling him from behind. The young boy gripped his arms tighter around his chest, squirming away, giggling uncontrollably, waiting until he'd stopped laughing before trying to reply.
"Present," he chose immediately, Michaela stepping across to the chest of drawers, removing the blue gift-wrapped box from the brown outer casing and handing it to the young boy.
"This is from you?" he asked, running his fingers over the delicate ribbons tied into a perfect bow on the top.
"Right and your Grandma. She sent it all the way from Boston. It was your Grandpa's," Michaela dismissed the thought of Josef quickly from her mind, looking between Matthew and Brian as the boy nodded, beginning to tug on the ribbons until they loosened.
"So it's really old, then?" He continued, placing the ribbons respectfully on the table, his uncoordinated finger struggling to locate the edge of the paper wrapping.
"Yes, Brian. But I thought you might find it useful when you're out in the woods and, you're growing up. Besides, it's not the kind of thing boys really need in Boston," Michaela chuckled, Matthew crouching by his brother's side by this stage, also intrigued by the contents of the box.
Colleen remained perched worriedly in the doorway, her back pressed up against the frame as she observed the indescribable change in Michaela's behavior.
Brian, having managed to remove the paper, was left with the red leather casing in his small hands, biting his tongue in anticipation as he obtained Matthew's assistance to open the hinged lid.
Momentarily distracted by the unfamiliar casing, Michaela looked between the boys, hearing Brian's gleeful cry as he savored the first glimpse of his gift. Bringing the object from the box, he wrapped the fingers of his right hand around it, Matthew taking the box from him as he proudly displayed his prized possession.
Michaela, the air rushing rapidly from her lungs as she saw the metallic object glisten as it caught the sunlight through the window, felt her knees buckle underneath her, taking a step backwards to prevent herself falling.
"That's not," Colleen frowned, the black-handled pocketknife Brian held with unparalleled gratification a far cry from the golden compass Michaela had expected her mother to send.
"Wow Ma. This is the best present anyone could get in the whole world. I can't wait to show Sully," Brian, completely consumed by his rapture in his new possession flipped the blade in and out in front of Matthew's encouraging eyes.
"Pretty cool, Brian. Make sure you're careful with that though," Matthew nodded seriously, his eyes capturing the small engraving along the blade.
"Dr Mike, I thought Grandma had sent him a compass?" Colleen, her arms folded across her chest, crossed the room, unaware of Michaela's near collapse.
"So did I," Michaela stuttered, her voice unmistakably hoarse and strained.