"I'm looking forward to reading your paper when it's finished. A doctor's first time performing surgery by themselves is a rather momentous occasion in their careers. I know mine certainly was."
Colleen was in the clinic with Dr. Mike on a bright and sunny morning. They had ridden into town together for work, Michaela at her own clinic and Colleen over at Andrew's for a project for one of her college courses. They were supposed to interview three different doctors about their first time performing solo surgeries. One of her courses was discussing the mental side of being a doctor, making rational decisions, remaining calm under pressure, having to make in-the-moment decisions, etc. Being in Denver, Colleen and her classmates sometimes met with physicians from the large hospital in the city as well as doctors from smaller practices in the area. Having a ma who was a doctor always proved to be convenient for Colleen in cases like these. She had interviewed Dr. Mike earlier in the semester when they were tasked with asking a doctor about their most memorable case, in which she talked about giving birth to Katie. She was excited to learn about her first solo surgery experience as well.
Colleen and Dr. Mike were going to do their interview tomorrow, as Michaela had a day almost entirely free from appointments. But today, she was going over to Andrew's clinic at Preston's health resort and spa. Since she would be in town for the long weekend, she had asked Andrew if she could interview him for her assignment as well. He said he would be more than happy to and had invited her to spend the day with him, assisting with his clients as well. Colleen was very excited to spend the day with him (for more reasons than just the interview) and would be heading over soon. Until it was time, she and Dr. Mike sat in the clinic having a nice chat. As much as she loved college, Colleen really missed Colorado Springs, and everybody in town with it. In about a month and a half, she would be finished with the semester, and she was very much looking forward to spending her break at home with her family.
"I can't wait to hear about it," Colleen smiled. "It's so fascinating to learn everyone's stories. Everybody's experiences are just so different. I interviewed a man, Dr. Peterson, from a family practice in Denver. His first time performing surgery was a cesarean section on a woman who went into labor three weeks early. He knew of the operation but had never assisted or even witnessed one before. He used a book to guide himself through it, but he did it all on his own."
Dr. Mike smiled at Colleen, watching the girl's eyes light up as she recalled the case of this doctor. She couldn't wait to see Colleen as a doctor someday, her passion and drive were so evident and exciting to see. It made her so proud. "It's amazing what we can do when we're put in dire circumstances, isn't it?" She stood and walked over to the girl, putting her hands on her shoulder and looking into her eyes. "You're going to know just what to do someday, too. You are going to make such a fine doctor, Colleen."
Colleen smiled back at her, putting her hands on her ma's arms. "Thanks, ma." She glanced at the clock on the wall. "Oh, I should probably get going. Andrew's clinic is about to open."
"Would you like a ride over? I don't have any patients coming in for a while."
"That's okay, I don't mind the walk, and I need to stop at Mr. Bray's for a few things anyways." She opened the door and paused, "I'll be back to help with supper tonight."
"Great, I look forward to hearing your interview. Would you like me to pick you up on my way home?"
"Oh, um… Andrew actually offered to give me a ride." She smiled, blush creeping into her cheeks.
Michaela smiled at her daughter. "Did he now? Well then, I guess I'll see you back at home."
"See you at home. Bye!" Colleen smiled, exiting the clinic swiftly and shutting the door behind her.
Michaela shook her head and chuckled, the signs of a budding relationship all over her daughter's face.
Colleen made her way over to the Mercantile, thinking what a beautiful day it was outside today. It was sunny, but not too warm, the spring air still cool and crisp. "Good morning, Mr. Bray," she smiled as she made her way over to the stationary, where Loren kept paper, notebooks, pencils, and other similar items. "Morning, Reverend," she called as the man carefully made his way down the stairs. She hadn't seen him too much since he lost his eyesight, but each time she did she was pleased to see him becoming more confident in his abilities and some of his joyful spirit coming back.
"Is that you Colleen?" He said with a smile. "I thought I heard that you were back in town for a few days."
"Yes, I'm interviewing Ma and Andrew about their first times performing surgery by themselves for an assignment." She reached out and touched his arm as he sat down on a stool near the counter.
"Well that sounds fascinating," he said with his usual smile. "How are the interviews going so far?"
"Well, I'm about to head over to Andrew's clinic right now, I just needed to get a few things first, and I'm interviewing Ma tomorrow."
"If you have time before heading back to school I'd love to hear some of your interviews."
"Absolutely!" she said happily, putting her hand back on his shoulder. The Reverend was such a kind man, having given her advice and guidance in the past. He was another person she missed while away. "I'd be happy to read some to you after I finish the interviews."
"That would be wonderful."
"Great." She went over to the counter and set down the notebook and pencils she was purchasing, turning her head for Mr. Bray, finding him restocking cans of tomatoes and beans near the back wall. He saw her ready to check out at the counter and made his way over. "Oh," Colleen said quickly, running outside to where he kept the produce, grabbing 2 oranges to add to her pile of things to ring up. "These as well."
"Are these both for you?" he gave her a sly smile.
"Well, one's for…" she looked up and saw the look Mr. Bray was giving her. "One's for Andrew," she said coyly. "He is letting me interview and assist him today after all." She smiled in embarrassment.
"That is very nice of him," Loren smiled back, knowingly. "You have a good day, Colleen."
"You too, Mr. Bray. I'll talk to you later Reverend!" she called as she left the store.
"Good day, Colleen!" he called back with a smile, assuming the look on her face at Loren's question. He chuckled softly and could hear Loren doing the same.
A little while later, Colleen finally made her way to the Colorado Springs Chateau and Health Resort. She walked to the side of the building where Andrew's office was located, knocking lightly before entering. "Andrew?" She found him sitting at his desk, looking over some of his files.
He looked up and smiled. "Colleen," he stood. "Come in." He gestured for her to enter the room.
"This is for you." Colleen held out one of the oranges, which he gladly took.
"Thank you, that's very nice of you."
"It's not much, but I wanted to thank you again for letting me interview you today, and for letting me assist you."
"It's nothing, really. I'm happy to have you here. Oh, here, please have a seat." He grabbed a chair from the corner of the room and placed it beside his desk. Colleen smiled and sat down, setting her things next to her. Andrew sat back down in his own chair, beginning to peel his orange. "If I'm being honest, I'm looking forward to having somebody to spend the day with. Having my own practice is great and all, but it does get a little lonely."
"Really? It seems like every time I come by the hotel is busy, you must have plenty of patients coming in." She started to peel her own orange, popping a slice into her mouth.
"I do keep pretty busy, but having patients is different than having a colleague." He took a bit of his orange and looked at her. "It's a different kind of company. Also, when I was working with Dr. Mike, we could confer about patients, go over cases and treatment together. When you're by yourself, all of the decisions are on you, it can be a lot of pressure."
"I suppose that would be really hard. I've never thought about that before. But you know, Dr. Mike would always be willing to confer about work with you. I know there's privacy with patients, but I'm sure for serious cases she would more than happy to talk to you."
"I appreciate that." He smiled at her. "And you're right. Luckily, most of my patients' cases aren't so serious, so it really isn't that bad. Most people that come here are looking to improve their health in more minor ways. Dr. Mike takes on more of the serious cases around here."
She looked at him curiously. "Do you wish you had more serious cases? Do you think you would ever want to have a different practice someday?"
Andrew thought it over for a moment before looking back at Colleen. "Honestly, right now, I don't know. I mean, I certainly can't complain about having lighter cases. It makes my job a lot easier, and a lot less stressful. But, on the other hand, I feel like I'm still just getting started in my career, and that I have so much to learn. I mean, it's been months now since I've operated, or even had to made quick decisions regarding someone's health. I don't want to lose those skills, you know?"
Colleen reached out and placed her hand on his empathetically, "I understand. You don't have to know everything about the future right now. You have your whole life ahead of you to figure it out. Look at Dr. Mike, she didn't have her own practice until four years ago, and since then, she's done a lot of operations and treatments for the first time. She didn't lose any skills since she went to medical school, she just didn't have to test out those skills until the opportunity came to her."
"Hmm," Andrew studied her for a moment. She was incredibly perceptive. It made sense that she'd been working with Dr. Mike for years, if he'd just met her he would never have guessed she was only a first-year student. "You make a good point, Collen. Although it doesn't exactly make me feel any better that I may not have certain skills tested for years and years."
Colleen chuckled, Andrew joining in. They looked at each other as they laughed, feeling an understanding and respect towards the other for dedication in such a difficult field of work. Just then, the door opened, a burly man walking in calling for Dr. Cook. Colleen quickly pulled her hand away from where it still rested atop of Andrews, standing up in her chair as Andrew walked over to his patient. "Good morning, Mr. Fiest." Colleen threw both her and Andrew's orange peels away as the men began discussing today's plan of treatment.
Over the next few hours, Andrew and Colleen worked with a handful of patients, taking time in between to work on Colleen's interview questions. Around noon, they took a lunch break, going over to Grace's café where they lunched with Matthew and Dorothy.
Soon, they found themselves walking back to the hotel, full after a delicious lunch of Grace's chicken noodle soup. "Sometimes I still can't believe that he's the town sheriff," Colleen said to Andrew, talking about Matthew. "I mean part of me sees it easily; he's always been protective and headstrong, wanting to stand up for what's right, but at other times… I still picture him running a ranch or farming. Or, doing something else… less dangerous," she admitted.
"I'm sure it can't be easy knowing he's putting so much at risk every day." Andrew glanced down at her as they took their time walking back to work.
"It's hard not to worry about him. When he writes and tells me about certain things he's been doing, or when you hear about criminals going through the area… I just can't bear to think about anything bad happening to him. But at the same time… I'm really proud of him. I know when he started he felt like he had a lot to prove and I think he's done that." She smiled up at him, thinking of Matthew and all that he's accomplished.
He smiled back, seeing the love for her family on her face. "He has done a great job. With the expansion of town, and so many more people passing through, I can't imagine trying to keep order with it all, but Matthew's done a great job. People respect him."
"They really do?" she asked seriously. Colleen knew Matthew had earned the respect of some of the town, but she also knew that some people still thought of him as the little kid they watched grow up.
"Well… mostly everybody." Andrew admitted with a sheepish look.
Colleen exhaled and chuckled, "That's fair. Trust me, I understand."
As they approached the hotel Andrew paused, leaning against the railing. "For the record, I respect your brother and all the decisions he's made to help protect this town. He is a really great sheriff," he said meaningfully.
She smiled up at him, feeling a warmth in her chest. "Thank you, Andrew, that means a lot. Not just to me, but to Matthew and my family, too."
They smiled at each other for a lingering moment, unknowingly leaning in towards each other.
Andrew suddenly remembered they were standing outside, with many people all around. "Well," he coughed, "We should get back to the clinic. I have an appointment soon."
"Oh, right," Colleen added, following him quickly up the steps and back into his office.
Another hour passed by, with just one quick appointment, giving them plenty of time to get further on their interview. Around 2:30 in the afternoon, Preston stopped by to talk to Andrew about attending a meeting with him and an investor next week. Preston mentioned wanting to expand the hotel, building larger rooms that would be marked as suites to bring in higher paying guests and clientele.
"I look forward to it, thank you so much for the invitation, Preston." He waved as the man walked towards the door.
"I look forward to hearing your thoughts. I'll see you later. Colleen," he tipped his hat at her before leaving.
Colleen smiled at the man before turning back to Andrew with a big grin on her face. "Expanding, that's so exciting. You'd have a lot more patients you would get to treat!"
Andrew shook his head in disbelief, "Yeah, that would be really great. I just," he rubbed a hand across his jaw, "I'm just surprised he wants me to go to an investor meeting. I mean, I know I run his clinic, but it's always been me working for him. Now, he wants me to go to this meeting as his colleague? To actually have a say in something? I just.. I didn't expect that."
She smiled at him, "This is a big deal. You've been working for him for a while now. It's only fair that he lets you have a say in what's happening."
"Maybe. I don't know anything about business, but I suppose it does make sense for me to be involved if it means taking on more patients."
"Andrew," she leaned towards him, "You've got to give yourself more credit. You're doing really good things here. And I think Preston really appreciates you. You're important to this place."
Andrew sighed, looking over at her. "Yeah, I suppose I am."
Colleen smiled back at him. "You are. So, when's your next appointment?"
About 45 minutes later, after a quick consult with a man who was trying to use the springs for his joint pain, Andrew looked over his schedule for the rest of the afternoon. "I have two more appointments scheduled for today, aside from any walk-ins or emergencies, but that's about it."
"Perfect," she paused, before continuing. "Andrew, I was wondering if would you like to come over for dinner tonight? You're giving me a ride back to the homestead anyways, you may as well stay. Another thank you for letting me work with you today."
"Ah, I thought the orange covered that," he said with a humorous twinkle in his eye.
Colleen laughed, "I think I can do a little better than an orange." She raised an eyebrow at him with a smirk.
Andrew laughed back. "Dinner would be nice. If you're sure it's not trouble-"
"Oh, it's not!"
"Then yes, I would love too."
"Great." Colleen smiled at him, turning her head to hide the blush she assumed filled her cheeks.
All of a sudden, a fierce pounding knocked at the door, making both Colleen and Andrew jump. Just as Andrew went to open the door, it flew open, two large men making their way through. Colleen's eyes widened as Andrew took a step back. The first man was very tall, over 6 feet, and had dark, wild hair that poked out from under his hat. He had a scruffy beard and mustache, with soot patched over the rest of his face. His clothes were dusty and dirty, and his cowboy boots stomped heavily on the floor. The second man was a bit shorter than the first, but still tall, about the same height as Andrew. He had dark, dirty blonde hair that was cut short, almost fully covered by his own hat. An old cut was healing above his left eye, and he walked with a slight limp.
The taller of the two men stepped forward as the blonde shut the door behind them. "You the doctor?" he said gruffly towards Andrew.
Andrew's eyes met Colleen's for a fraction of a second before going back to the men. "Yes," he stated with as much confidence as he could, "I am. What can I do for you gentlemen?"
"We're going to need you to come with us."
"What do you need?" Andrew said, sounding firmer in his voice now. "Is someone hurt?"
"Yes. We need a doctor, and we need one quick. Let's go." He turned towards the door, the pistol in his holster catching the afternoon light from the window briefly. Colleen swallowed dryly, uneasiness running through her.
"Are you able to bring them here? How badly are they injured?" Andrew continued.
The blonde stepped forward now and spoke, "Someone needs help. Now. Don't ask any more questions." As he stepped forward, Andrew took a side step protectively in front of Colleen.
"I suggest you come with us now." The dark-haired man added. He reached into his belt and held out his gun towards them, "we're not going to ask again."
Ignoring the chill that ran through his body at the sight of the pistol pointed at them, Andrew spoke aloud cooly, "Okay. I'll come with you. But she stays here," he nodded his head towards Colleen behind him.
"She comes with us," the blonde said. If they didn't want anyone on their tracks, they couldn't leave her behind. She had to come with. "Grab your things and let's go."
Not knowing what else he could do, Andrew looked once more at Colleen and went to grab his medical bag. He filled it up as quickly as he could with tools and bandages, Colleen moving alongside him to help.
When they were finished, they stood facing the two men, one of whom still had his gun fixed on them. "Let's go" the brunette said roughly. He opened the door and led the way. The blonde waited for Andrew and Collen to go ahead, following behind them so they couldn't try to break away.
Once outside, Andrew and Colleen both tried to look for anyone around who could help them, but there was hardly anyone around to notice. The two men taking them were walking calmly, not attracting any attention. Colleen turned around to try and look for anyone else in sight. "Turn around, miss," the blonde said quietly, yet sharply. He put his hand on her back and nudged her along. Along the side of the hotel was a wagon with two horses. The blonde opened the back hatch. "Get in." Andrew and Colleen reluctantly stepped into the wagon and sat down. The man got in behind them, ensuring they wouldn't try to escape. The brunette hopped into the driver's seat and tugged on the reins, beginning their move. Within a minute, they were off the property of the hotel, which was already on the edge of town, cutting off any chance of them being seen.
Andrew looked at Colleen to his left, nerves etched all over her face. He could tell she was trying to keep herself calm. He reached for her hand and gave it a squeeze, not letting go. She looked over at him, scooting closer so that arms were touching. Andrew placed his other hand on top of hers, leaving it there for the duration of the ride. There were things he wanted to say to her, reassure her that they were going to be fine, but he didn't trust these men, and he didn't trust them enough to say anything aloud right now. He just hoped that where ever they were going wouldn't be too far, and that when they gave the medical attention that was needed they would be free to go.
Colleen felt Andrew's hands wrapped around hers and tried to focus on the physical comfort that brought her. She was terrified, though a part of her was grateful Andrew wasn't going alone. They had each other, and she could help him with whoever was injured in these men's party. She thought of the many times that Dr. Mike went out to help those in need, not knowing what was out there. It was a part of being a doctor, being prepared for the unexpected. Dr. Mike had also helped out criminals before, not that that was a necessary part of the job, but at least she knew that the woman had been in similar situations and made it out okay. They would be fine, she knew they would. They would give the help that was needed and be brought back. And if… if for some reason, something happened, she knew her family would come searching for them. They were going to be fine. She squeezed Andrew's hands and took a deep breath to calm her nerves.
They rode in the wagon for about forty minutes before it came to a stop. Both Andrew and Colleen had tried to memorize the way they were going out of town, but it was clear that wherever they were going was somewhere off the beaten path. They had only stayed on the road for a few minutes when they diverged off and made their own path through the valley and even the woods for a while. They were now approaching another wooded area, a small clearing in the trees just wide enough for the horses and wagon to fit through. They rode for a few minutes through the woods before coming to a stop.
The blonde man stood up and hopped out of the wagon, opening up the hatch and waiting for them to join. Andrew grabbed his medical bag and hopped out first, giving Colleen a hand to help her down. They stayed close to each other as they followed the two men to their camp just ahead. "How's he doing?" The brunette called out to a short man with curly dark hair who was sitting against a tree, taking a swig from a flask. Next to him on the ground lay a man who was clearly their injured party. He was a long, lanky man with straight, black hair that was brushed to the sides of his face with sweat. He resembled Horace a bit in size and stature, that is, if Horace hadn't taken a bath in weeks and wore leather.
"What happened to him?" Andrew said as he rushed forward and kneeled down next to him, opening up his bag and grabbing his stethoscope. He listened to the man's heart and grabbed his wrist to check his pulse. The man was moaning softly, barely conscious.
"He was shot this morning, fell off his horse, likely hit his head," the man sitting next to him said gruffly.
Andrew looked up at him before turning his attention back to the injured man. Colleen kneeled down on this other side. "His pulse is weak," he said, lifting the makeshift bandage over the side of his abdomen where he had been shot. "We need to remove the bullet immediately. Colleen, the chloroform." Colleen reached into the bag and found the chloroform along with a piece of fabric. She poured out a little and pressed the fabric over the man's nose and mouth, knocking him out within seconds.
Andrew found his knife and the other tools he needed to extract the bullet. He poured some alcohol over his hands and handed the bottle to Colleen who did the same. She looked at Andrew's face and nodded at him, knowing he could handle this. He finished removing the bandage to reveal a bloody piece of flesh with the bullet hole exposed. Carefully, he grabbed a couple of small tools that he could use to open the wound a bit further and then reached inside the man to feel for the bullet. He squinted and squeezed his face as he searched for it, to no avail at first. Colleen watched him carefully, knowing he could find it. She had watched Dr. Mike remove many bullets before, and sometimes it took a while, the trick was to stay calm. She had even assisted Jake in helping remove a bullet from Sully a few years back, and everything had turned out fine then, it would turn out fine now, too.
Colleen saw the relief in Andrew's expression as he found the bullet. "There it is," he said quietly as he worked, carefully moving his hands around his tools with precision. After another minute, he pulled the tools back from the man's middle, showing the bullet held in the hooks. "Got it," he said with a long, slow exhale. He glanced up at the three men watching him, "The bullet is out." He tossed it to the side and began to close up the incision.
"Good job, Andrew," Colleen said with a nod and a small smile.
Andrew smiled back before returning to his work. A few minutes later, the incision was closed and Colleen assisted Andrew in cleaning up the wound to avoid infection. She grabbed a clean rag and wiped away sweat from the man's forehead, he was a little bit warm, likely a low-grade fever from the pain and trauma of the injury, but now that the bullet was removed it would hopefully go away soon.
"He hit his head, too." The curly haired man said. He now stood over by a fire that the other two men had started. "He gonna be alright?"
Andrew wiped his hands and stood up, "I'll have to examine him when he regains consciousness, that's the only way to know if he suffered any head trauma or not. I didn't feel any bumps on his skull though, which is a good sign. Right now, he needs to rest, and as soon as he wakes, he'll need plenty of water."
The brunette eyed Colleen skeptically. "You a doctor too? You looked like you knew what you was doing back there."
She moved to stand near Andrew. "I'm in school to become a doctor," she said calmly. "But my ma is a doctor, I've been assisting her for years."
He scoffed, "a lady doctor, how 'bout that."
Andrew and Colleen looked at each other, wondering what was going to come next. They helped the man and did their job, though they still had to assess him when he woke up and monitor him to check for further injury, but they wondered how long these men would hold them here. When would they let them leave? How did you broach a topic like this?
"How long do you suppose you'll be needing us?" Andrew said suddenly, him and Colleen sharing the same thought.
The men gathered around the fire looked at each other, contemplating. The curly-haired man spoke up first, "You said you needed to check him once he woke up, right?"
Andrew nodded once. "That's right."
"Then I reckon we'll need you until you can make sure he's alright."
"And if he's fine, then you'll let us go back to town?" He spoke with assertion.
The tall brunette stood up, looking down at Andrew. "You'll go back to town when we say so. Until then, you and your lady stay here with us." He came even closer, his breath touching Andrew's face. "So, don't go off getting any ideas about leaving. You wouldn't want to do something you'll regret." He touched his hand on the gun that rested at his waist before turning back around to the fire.
Colleen and Andrew glanced at each other before turning back to their patient who was resting near a couple of trees. Andrew placed his hand on Colleen's back and gently guided her to come sit, joining the resting man.
"What are we going to do?" She whispered, leaning close.
Andrew shrugged. "I'm not sure yet. But don't worry, we're going to get out of here. We're going to be okay."
All Colleen could do was trust Andrew's words and hope that they were true. They had treated the injured man as best as they could, she could only hope that he would wake up soon without any signs of further injury. She took the rag from the man's head and replaced it with a new, cool cloth from the bucket of water nearby, trying to help his fever cool down. We'll be fine, she told herself. She had seen her family get into enough dangerous predicaments over the years that this would just be another added to the list, right? She trusted Andrew, more and more each time they were together, but they had never been in a situation like this before. She thought of Sully and Matthew, they would have an idea of what to do. She could only do her best to remain calm, for the both of them.
Andrew took a calming breath and looked over at Colleen as she tended to their patient. He could tell she was nervous, but was holding her own well. He knew that she had been in intense situations before with Dr. Mike, especially in the clinic, they had a similar background in that way, but this was different, this was dangerous. These men were dangerous. They had been threatened and taken hostage. He didn't know if and when they would be let go. Of course they would be let go. Right? Either way, he was the man here. It was his job to protect Colleen. She was at his clinic when all of this happened. She should never have been roped into all of this. Taking another calming breath, he tended again to their patient, wanting to busy himself from letting the negative thoughts overwhelm him. He gave Colleen a nod and a reassuring smile, and she gave a small one back. They were going to be okay.