~.~
X.O.X
Saturday, 7th August, 1869
Four Days Later – 15 Weeks Gestation
X.O.X
~.~
"I'll take care of the dishes, Colleen. Don't you and Brian have homework?" Michaela wearily got to her feet, as Colleen took a step away from the basin of hot soapy water.
"Well, yeah. Just thought you were lookin' tired. Thought ya might wanna spend some time on ya own or somethin'," The young girl gave Michaela the opportunity to back out of the chore once again.
"No, it's fine. Go outside with your brother," Michaela reassured, her tone quickly moving from request to order.
"I," Colleen frowned slightly, seeing the strung-out expression sweep across Michaela's face, knowing when it was time to make her presence scarce. "I'll see if Matthew needs help with the firewood." She dried her hands on her apron, lowering her gaze, as she smartly paced through the back door.
"Thought it was your turn to do the dishes?" Matthew exited the barn, his arms wrapped around the freshly chopped wood.
"Dr Mike told me to come out here, think she just wants to be alone for a bit," Colleen brushed Matthew's arm, the young man shrugging and dropping the wood into a neat pile beside the barn.
"You know she didn't eat any supper, don't ya?" Matthew observed, his voice quiet and concerned.
"Well, yeah. Don't think we were meant to notice, though," Colleen clasped her hands behind her back, the pair gazing from the homestead, back to each other, aware of the fading light around them.
"Maybe we just needa give her a bit a space," Matthew ventured, Colleen cutting him off sharply.
"But I'm worried about her. She ain't been eatin' and Brian let it slip yesterday she's been stayin' up till all hours," Colleen glanced across the yard, her younger brother contently throwing a ball around for Pup.
"Brian, how does he know?" Matthew narrowed his eyes suspiciously.
"Well, you know what he's like. Thinks everything around this place is his business all of a sudden," Colleen and Matthew crossed the darkening garden, both resting against the railing of the front porch as Brian continued tossing his baseball for the young wolf.
"Yeah, been gettin' all needy again, hasn't he? Thought we'd seen the last a that," Matthew shook his head, idly tapping a stick against the uneven ground as Colleen's voice dropped, her reply somewhat dreamlike.
"So did I. It's different though, I dunno," Colleen shrugged, the pair turning when they heard the sound of a plate smashing from inside the homestead.
"Dr Mike?" Matthew was the first to arrive back inside, pausing between the front door and the table as he took in the scene before him, Colleen running up behind him, also surveying the source of the noise.
"Ma?" She frowned, the young girl's eyes dropping, the three remaining in utter silence.
Michaela remained completely paralyzed knelt on the floor, the remnants of a dinner plate in pieces only inches from her knees. She held her right hand against her skirt, blood slowly soaking into the blue material, her expression cold and lifeless, her eyes deflected downwards, oblivious to the children's presence.
"I'll clean up," Matthew nervously took a step forwards, beginning to carefully collect the larger fragments of the smashed plate, Michaela remaining numb to his movement around her.
"Ma?" Colleen approached her mother's side tentatively, placing her left hand on Michaela's right shoulder.
"Let's see," Colleen reached for Michaela's right arm, surprised when she offered no resistance to her touch. Turning her hand over, the young girl inspected the wound, letting Michaela's hand fall heavily back against her thigh.
"It's all right, Ma, just a small cut," Colleen watched as Matthew returned, having thrown the first handful of china shards away, the young girl, at a loss for what to say.
"Ma, only a plate," Matthew offered in consolation, focusing his attention back on finishing collecting the remaining fragments and taking them outside.
Colleen felt her left hand move against Michaela's shoulder, rubbing her back comfortingly in an attempt to at least break her out of this stunned silence.
"Ma? It's all right," Colleen leant closer, her other arm reaching across to Michaela's left shoulder, Matthew having just left the room when Colleen heard the first sound of response; a gasped breath, followed by muffled sobs, Michaela leaning forward to bury her head in the girl's shoulder.
"It's all right, Ma, it's all right," Colleen's eyes darted around the room awkwardly, having no choice but to receive the embrace, locking her arms around Michaela's back as she continued to cry; tears flowing uninhibitedly from her eyes. Colleen remained silent as she felt Michaela's small frame heave with each desperate sob.
Matthew took a step back inside the homestead, when he heard the unmistakable cries. Sliding his feet discreetly along the floorboards, he arrived by the kitchen table, Colleen looking up awkwardly to meet his eyes.
Matthew's mouth twitching as he watched Michaela's raw display of distress play out before his eyes. There was nothing he could do.
~.~
X.O.X
~.~
"Colleen, my pajamas ain't here. You take 'em?" Brian turned his pillow upside down, tossing it to the end of the bed, as Colleen closed the white curtain separating their beds from the rest of the homestead.
"Brian, why would I take your pajamas? They're probably just under the blankets," Colleen sighed tiredly, having more on her mind than her brother's sleeping attire.
The young girl immediately unfolded her nightdress, and began to unbutton her floral blouse, as Brian continued to rearrange his quilt and sheets, pulling them all into a jumbled mess searching disorderly for his pale yellow sleepwear.
"Nup, they ain't," he continued tangling the blankets together, Colleen busying herself with slipping her nightdress over her head, discreetly unbuttoning and removing her chemise, followed by her skirt and the remainder of her undergarments.
"Brian, they're right," she huffed loudly, spotting the unmistakable yellow item buried between the sheet and blanket, pulling it out and shoving it into her brother's arms.
"Thanks." He hung his head, quickly pulling off the rest of his clothing as Colleen grabbed her dressing gown and wrapped it around her shoulders, reaching for the handle of the back door.
"Where ya goin'?" Brian frowned, jumping awkwardly around with one leg still caught in his trousers.
"Mind ya own business, nosey. Outside for a few minutes. Stay here," Colleen rolled her eyes, tightening the dressing gown around her chest as she stepped out into the cool night air, closing the door softly behind her.
Brian struggled with his trousers for several more moments, eventually donning his pajamas and preparing for bed. About to push through the white curtain, he quickly paused, remembering he hadn't checked to see if it was all right for him to come back into the room.
His mouth poised ready to utter the single questioning word, Brian slipped his head between the curtain and the wall, a millisecond passing, allowing him just enough time to take in Michaela's actions, his jaw closing, and his eyes narrowing.
Brian felt the nervousness build across his chest, knowing what he was doing was wrong, but was unable to fight the curiosity which kept his eyes captivated, secretly hidden in the several inches between the wall and the curtain. From his covert spot, he was just able to see across to Michaela's bedside, although quite confident she would never be able to detect his presence.
He frowned, however nonetheless continued to watch as she emerged from her dressing area, looking up to see the children's curtain still closed. Gingerly moving her right hand to her nightgown, Michaela turned back towards the mirror several feet away, before smoothing out the dull white fabric of the thin garment over her stomach, adjusting her posture every few moments.
Her eyes shifted several times from the mirror and then downwards, Michaela's disenchantment was obvious. Her full skirts and loose blouses made for easy concealment of her condition, whereas in the flimsiness of her nightdress, Michaela could see her lower abdomen protruding further than it had the last time she'd dared to check only a week ago.
Letting her arms drop to her sides, Michaela glanced back up at herself in the mirror. Looking herself up and down a final time, she felt her shoulders drop, aware of how tired she felt. She'd deliberately been denying herself both sleep and food, in the hope that she might miscarry, however, despite the occasional dizziness and overall weakness, Michaela had had no other warning signs that she was overdoing it.
The guilt at her thinking was disturbing enough. Part of her knew exactly what was going on inside of her, the other refused to believe it. But as she stood motionless, clad in only her nightdress, Michaela felt reality hit her, like an immovable weight crushing her from the shoulders down.
Brian lowered his head, his left ear brushing lightly against the wooden wall of the homestead, jumping across towards his bed as he heard the door open behind him.
"Said Goodnight to Ma, yet?" she asked, as Brian pushed his feet underneath the disarray of sheets and blankets. Colleen opened the curtain partitioning their room from the rest of the homestead, a small smile gracing her lips as she met eyes with Michaela, who had just finished buttoning her dressing gown, and was now busy turning down her bed for the night.
Brian shrugged and deflected his eyes from his sister. He busied himself retrieving his pillow, which was still entwined in the blankets, and placed it behind him.
"Well, go on," Colleen slowly unbuttoned her dressing gown as Brian reluctantly pulled himself up from his bed, crossing the room to kiss Michaela goodnight.
"Goodnight, sweetheart." She brushed the hair back from his face, kissing the top of the boy's head, as he quietly retreated back to his bed.
"Night, Dr Mike." Colleen wrapped an arm around Michaela's back, kissing her sweetly on the cheek, noticing the tiredness hidden deep within her eyes.
"I'll see you in the morning." Michaela pulled from Colleen's gaze, noticing that the young girl had continued to focus her attention on her mother's pale face and drained expression longer than she needed to.
"Dr Mike, I, Matthew and I." She fidgeted with her fingers in front of her, and watched silently for several moments as Michaela dimmed the lamp above her bed, her actions slowed, to avoid having to turn back to the young girl.
"Matthew and I been worried, wanna know if there's anything." Colleen narrowed her eyes, as Michaela drew a sharp breath, the stern look on her face, almost enough to scare Colleen from continuing.
"Is anything wrong? You," Colleen raised her right arm out slightly, her hand tilted sideways in an awkward gesture.
"No, nothing. Nothing's wrong." Michaela grabbed the pillow from her bed, smoothing and ruffling it carefully between her hands, deliberately refusing to meet Colleen's eyes.
"Just you've seemed real worried, uptight. Is there something wrong with Myra? Something you can't tell her?" Colleen felt a revelation dawning on her. Maybe that was it. Something was wrong with Myra, and Michaela was concerned about how to help her.
"Myra?" Michaela repeated dully, taking longer than usual to reach Colleen's deduction. "Oh, no, she's fine," Michaela cleared her throat, and reluctantly placed the pillow back carefully on her bed, looking around for another distraction.
"Ma if something was troublin' ya, ya'd say right? Ya know you're not alone," Colleen felt awkward having to be so direct and assertive, however felt compelled to make it clear where she was coming from. From her talk with Matthew only minutes earlier, she knew she had to say something. As much as she didn't want to remind Michaela of the trauma she'd endured, Michaela's recent emotional outbursts told Colleen that acting like nothing had happened was not going to work for much longer.
"You needn't worry. Everything's going to be fine, Colleen," Michaela felt her voice crack slightly on the second half of her reply, quickly reaching forward to embrace the girl in a warm hug, more to add weight to her words, than because she desired the physical contact.
"All right, Ma," Colleen's reply was trusting, yet dubious.
There was another concern buried inside the young girl's attentive mind; one that she still daren't vocalize, but that she feared may have to be addressed - sooner or later.
~.~
X.O.X
Sunday, 8th August, 1869
One Day Later – 16 Weeks Gestation
X.O.X
~.~
"Now we turn to Ecclesiastes, chapter eleven," the Reverend, glanced around at the congregation, and then proceeded to open his bible clearing his throat and reading the first passage.
"Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days. Give a portion to seven, and also to eight; for thou knowest not what evil shall be upon the earth." Timothy saw the younger children's face's tense, not having followed his liturgy, until he spoke the word 'evil', with a touch of darkness to his tone.
Brian looked down and crossed his legs at the ankles, feeling thoroughly bored by this point. His fingers interlocked in his lap, the young boy moved them to his brown jacket, idly pulling at the loose thread, not satisfied until the top button pulled away from the material.
"Ma," he whispered, handing her the single button. Michaela pressed her finger to her lips, and rolled her eyes, before slipping the small object into her purse, her attention going back to the Reverend who stood behind the wooden lectern at the front of the room.
"If the clouds be full of rain, they empty themselves upon the earth: and if the tree fall toward the south, or toward the north, in the place where the tree falleth, there it shall be. He that observeth the wind shall not sow; and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap." Colleen frowned, trying to follow the awkward words, before turning to find Becky, who was sitting with her family across the room. The two girls smiled brief 'hellos', before Colleen brought her head back to the front, managing to catch up with the Reverend's continuing sermon.
"As thou knowest not what is the way of the spirit, nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child: even so thou knowest not the works of God who maketh all." Myra reached gently for her husband's hand, squeezing it lovingly, as Horace smiled back at her in understanding. Moving his gaze from his new wife, the telegraph operator looked up to see Robert E., an arm around the back of the bench, whereupon his hand rested lightly on Grace's shoulder, nodding back at him, both men thinking of their wives.
"In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand: for thou knowest not whether shall prosper, either this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good. Truly the light is sweet, and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to behold the sun." Michaela was unaware her eyes had dropped closed, until she felt Colleen's elbow nudge her arm. Quickly drawing a tired breath, and flashing a grateful nod in the girl's direction, Michaela turned to watch Brian begin swinging his legs backwards and forwards against the bench in front of him.
"Brian," she reprimanded, keeping her voice low, surprised when he chose to ignore her. Michaela felt her chest drop, she was too tired and frustrated in that moment to have the energy to follow through with the discipline.
~.~
X.O.X
~.~
"Brian Cooper," Michaela followed behind Colleen and Matthew, as they slowly moved towards the back of the church.
"I'm sorry, Ma, was just really, really boring." He continued by her side.
"That is no excuse and you know it. You will help Matthew in the barn after school next week," Michaela stated, Brian about to protest, when the Reverend turned to address them.
"Dr Mike, Brian," he smiled, Brian slipping quickly through the door, spying Steven out in the meadow with his family.
"Seeya, Ma," Brian called.
Michaela attempted to reach for the boy's shoulder, however missing by several inches, again, lacking the energy to call him back.
"I'm sorry Reverend, he's supposed to be reflecting on his appalling behavior earlier, not enjoying playing with friends," she shook her head in apology.
The Reverend nodded with a slight chuckle, quickly remembering a pressing concern.
"Oh, Dr Mike, I didn't see the Harrison's in church, today and I know Mr. Harrison's not been feelin' too well these last few weeks," Michaela cut him off, with a reassuring, yet weary smile.
"That's, quite all right, Reverend. I'll ride out there after lunch. He was recovering from a nasty catarrh last week, might have taken a turn for the worst," Michaela speculated, watching Colleen and Matthew lay out the picnic rug in a warm clearing.
"Thank-you, Dr Mike. Are you feelin' all right?" Timothy brushed her forearm lightly, the pair stepping through the door, to arrive outside of the porch of the church.
"Work's been busy. I hear you've been working quite hard yourself. The children are always coming home with stories, how are rehearsals going?" Michaela enquired, deliberately distracting him from further interrogations into her health.
"Oh, oh, excellent. Brian's certainly enjoying himself, I think Dorothy's just finished all the costumes. Some of the townsmen are going to be helping build the stage this week, we'll have the dress rehearsal next Saturday, and the play Sunday afternoon, to follow with a dinner at Grace's," Timothy's excitement was obvious, Michaela forcing herself to pay attention to his words, however finding it difficult to stop her mind drifting these last few weeks.
"Sounds like it should prove a huge success," Michaela smiled once again, before turning and descending the steps from the church, joining the children and Ingrid for lunch.
~.~
X.O.X
~.~
"Flash's all ready, Dr Mike," Matthew popped his head around the front door of the homestead, Michaela searching for her hat and gloves in the chest of drawers, turning around briefly to acknowledge him.
"Thank-you, Matthew," she replied, Sully appeared in the doorway, as the young man went back to his chores in the barn.
"Afternoon, what's going on?" He'd only just arrived at the homestead, seeing Matthew lead the horse out from the barn, securing her to the railings of the front porch.
"I need to go out to check on a patient. Do you mind staying with the children?" Michaela frowned, eventually spying the tan gloves scrunched up in a corner of the third drawer. "Ah," she muttered in satisfaction, her brow wrinkling as she tried to remember the other item she was looking for.
"Don't mind. I can come with ya if you'd like though?" He slid his feet across the floorboards, perching on the edge of her bed, somewhat amused at the look of utter confusion that had spread across Michaela's face.
"I think the children were counting on a game of baseball, Matthew's just put the wagon away anyway," Michaela crossed her arms angrily, she knew there was something else she was looking for; she was also acutely aware of why she couldn't remember.
"Something, ah, troublin' ya?" Sully smiled coyly, having absolutely no way of knowing the level of frustration and exhaustion Michaela was concealing.
"No," she groused back quickly, crossing the room to pick up her medical bag from the table, Sully getting to his feet and arriving by her side, blocking her path to the door.
"Just take a few minutes for me to harness up Bear again." He took a step closer towards her; Michaela was now completely trapped between the table and Sully's presence.
"Sully, I'll only be a couple of hours and then, we can have supper." She felt his hand on her right upper arm, aware of her shoulders rising and falling as she looked up into his soft blue eyes.
"Right," he nodded, the smile not dropping from his face, despite his disappointment.
Michaela drew an awkward breath, realizing that the fact that he wasn't moving meant she'd either have to deliberately push past him, or - her plan of action was quickly interrupted when she felt his fingers brush over the fine wisps of hair around her right ear.
The mere sensation of his fingers against her skin caused a lump to form in her throat. Michaela knew whenever he was this close to her, that she needed him. She felt her heart ache with yearning to collapse against his shoulder and weep. Just this thought was enough to cause the moisture to collect in her eyes.
"Just wanted to spend some time with ya." He dropped his left hand to her right shoulder, his fingers kneading soothingly against her tense muscles.
"We could go for a walk after supper?" Michaela suggested, locking her left hand with his right, all her energy being spent grappling between nervous excitement at the physical contact, and helpless desire to bury her head against his chest.
"Can't wait." He dropped his head, eyebrows moving ever so slightly as he gauged her reaction, before bringing his lips to her cheek.
The heaviness in her chest pinnacled at that moment, Michaela giving in and letting herself fall into his arms, her head nestling on his shoulder as she once again felt his arms wrap firmly around her back.
"You sure you're all right?" Sully frowned, hearing the soft sigh escape her lips as she clung to his chest, emotional turmoil fueling the fantasy that if she just held onto him tight enough, somehow he could make all her problems go away.
"I, I'm sorry," Michaela whispered, realizing she had to remove herself from the security of his arms; knowing she had other matters to attend to.
"Michaela?" He spoke slowly, as he felt her pull away from him.
"Have fun with the children," she dropped her head, her medical bag in her right hand as she strode through the front door and out onto the porch.
Matthew, Colleen and Brian gathered in the yard, as Michaela mounted Flash and pushed the horse into a hurried trot before turning back to glance at the children waving her off.
Brian tossed the baseball in his hands several times, noticing as his older brother and sister quickly returned to the barn and laundry respectively. The young boy looked down at the Pup by his side, startled when Sully rested a hand on his shoulder.
"Sully, how long's Ma gonna be?" He continued rotating the material ball in his hands, mild apprehension at her departure beginning to resurface.
"Only a few hours. Come on, wanna play?" Sully playfully grabbed the ball from him, the young boy tilting his head, still deep in thought.
"You, you know how you and Ma are courtin' again," Brian chewed on the inside of his left cheek, being very careful to phrase his question so as not to incriminate himself.
"What about it?" Sully was detracted, tossing the ball higher and higher into the air, slightly juvenile pride displaying on his face as he managed to catch it time after time.
"You wouldn't worry if Ma got fat or nothin', would ya?" Brian was still trying to work through the events from the night before.
"Brian, don't be silly. Come on, I've been practicin'. What'd you do with your bat?" Sully tapped the boy's shoulder encouragingly, deliberately trying to distract him from Michaela's absence.
"Think, think it's in the barn," The boy ran off quickly, Sully shaking his head, fascinated at children's ability to move from one subject to the next.
Sully, on the other hand, was beginning to absorb himself in other concerns. His mind continued to play over Michaela's final words, each time slower and with more precision.
What was she apologizing for? They'd settled that issue weeks ago.
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X.O.X
~.~
"If there's no improvement by the end of the week, you'll need to bring him into the Clinic," Michaela handed Mrs. Harrison the small envelope of herbs.
"Mix a spoonful in with a cup of boiling water to make a tea. Try and have him drink at least three cups a day," Mrs. Harrison took the package carefully, the young blond woman nodding gratefully.
"Thank-you so much, Dr Mike, just with James so poorly, and all the young ones, didn't seem right leavin' him out here all alone. I hope the Reverend weren't too worried," Victoria adjusted the toddler in her arms, four-year old Louise clutching at her skirt and sucking her thumb curiously.
"No, he just reminded me that your husband had been unwell and with you all not in church, well, I thought it was best to be sure," Michaela clasped her black bag tighter in her right hand, nodding in conclusion.
"Ma, Ma, ya gotta come! Peter and Henry are fightin' over who's turn it is to go ridin', won't let up," The eldest Harrison child scurried frantically into the homestead through the back door, not realizing they had company.
"I'll soon sort this; neither of them will be. Oh I'm sorry, Louise, sweetheart, go take Dr Mike outside, all right?" Victoria pushed the small girl forwards slightly, the blonde-haired child shrugging her shoulders and reaching for Michaela's hand obligingly.
"Doc Mike, you gotta go to school heaps long to be a doc?" She looked up thoughtfully, the pair opening the front door of the homestead and arriving onto the long verandah, which extended down a good seven yards to where Flash was secured.
"Yes, Louise, I'm afraid you do," Michaela sighed, starting to feel surrounded by children, and longing for a moment of solitude.
"But then you get to know all the special medicines and how to make people all better, right?" The girl continued, her small steps becoming slightly frustrating to the fatigued physician.
"Not always," Michaela sighed, having no choice but to slow her walking to match the young girl's.
"But you fixed my arm up, like nothin' ever happened." She flexed her left arm up and down triumphantly. Michaela nodded in feigned interest.
"Broken arms are easy to fix, Louise," Michaela swung her long plait back over her left shoulder, letting the girl's hand drop from hers as they arrived by the horse's side. Michaela untied her and took the reins in her hands as the girl replied a final time.
"You're a good doc, that's why," Louise remained on the porch as Michaela swung her bag onto the pommel of Flash's saddle, mounting the horse quickly, and smiling briefly to the girl waving farewell from the edge of the porch.
"Bye, Doc Mike!" She smiled, as Michaela turned and led Flash back along the dusty road.
~.~
X.O.X
~.~
"Run, Brian!" Colleen chuckled, holding the bat in her hands as Brian desperately scooted towards home plate, Matthew deliberately throwing the ball crookedly towards Sully.
"Yay! Made it!" The young boy caught his breath, oblivious to the 'assistance' he'd received form his older brother.
"Good for you. All right, I'm ready," Colleen dug her feet into the loose ground, swinging the bat several times as Sully retrieved the ball and took his place ready to begin the pitch.
"Right. Keep your eye on the ball," he encouraged, taking several steps backwards and launching into a quick run towards her.
~.~
X.O.X
~.~
"Run, Flash, come on girl," Michaela pushed the horse into a desperate canter, feeling her feet tingle in the stirrups, knowing she was riding too fast, knowing also that time was slipping away.
Michaela studied the road ahead of her, knowing that she'd have to keep going for hours on such a smooth surface for the riding to have any impact. She spotted trees in the distance, only a hundred or so yards away, and pulled Flash to the left slightly, never letting the fierceness of her riding abate.
"Please, Flash," Michaela knew the horse was straining, as was she. She knew she must keep going. Sheer desperation was pushing her onwards, proving enough to fight the aching in her thighs and the pounding of her weight against the hard saddle.
~.~
X.O.X
~.~
"There ya go! Run, run!" Matthew clapped and cheered loudly, when, on her third attempt, Colleen had managed to actually make contact with the ball, sending it flying back into a pile of shrubs.
"Wolf, fetch boy!" Sully commanded, Brian chuckling, when he realized Sully was cheating.
"Aww, no fair," Brian condemned, relaxing when he realized Colleen had made it safely to the first base.
"Good boy," Sully stroked the Wolf's head, having retrieved the ball in a matter of seconds, bringing it loyally to his master's feet.
"Matthew, you're up," Sully rubbed the slightly dirt-stained ball against his buckskins, as Matthew adjusted the wooden bat until it was held snugly between his two hands.
"Right, get ready," Sully teased, the older men quickly understanding that this fun, childish game was taking on a new level of professionalism.
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X.O.X
~.~
Michaela felt the perspiration streaming down her forehead, knowing however, she'd pushed them both too far to give up now. They'd traveled several miles into the thickly tree-lined forest, Flash's movements becoming more erratic as the ground became more uneven under her shoes.
"Go on, Flash," Michaela kicked her heels firmly against the horse's sides, noticing a fallen log several yards away, remembering just how skilled Flash was at jumping.
The horse obediently responded, pushing onwards into a faster canter, before rearing back slightly to take the jump, Michaela's fingers grasping the front of the saddle as she felt the horse pull away from the ground underneath her.
She landed back hard in the saddle, Flash continuing forwards, as Michaela still struggled for breath. About to allow the horse to slow, she squinted into the afternoon sun to see a small creek in the distance, and instead of pulling back on the reins, Michaela dug her heals in firmer, aware of nothing apart from the pounding up and down against the horse's jolted movements.
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X.O.X
~.~
"Right, gonna get you back for that one, you ain't seen nothin' yet!" Matthew pushed his left hand back through his hair, tossing the ball several times, as Sully raised an eyebrow in mocking fear.
"Oh, please, don't hurt me," Sully's voice cracked slightly, Brian doubling over in hysterics.
"Ya sound like a girl! Colleen, Sully sounded like you," Brian giggled.
She pushed on his shoulder, the slightly uncontrolled child losing his balance and dropping to the dirt, Sully rolled his eyes. He looked down to adjust his feet over the home plate, swinging the bat several times as Matthew took a long run up.
"You're gonna regret all those curve balls, ya know," The young man smirked, Sully shaking his long hair out in masculine over-confidence.
"Remember Matthew, you actually gotta get the ball within three feet of me, for it to count," Sully teased, Brian managing to pick himself up and resume his position on the third base.
~.~
X.O.X
~.~
"Just one more. Go!" Michaela's voice was hoarse and her mouth dry, but still she pushed the horse onwards.
The distance between them and the small river decreased, Michaela frowning when she saw the sizable rocks which lay in their path, just before the river.
"You can do it Flash," Michaela encouraged once again, although her voice was so ragged she could barely hear it. Flash was weakening, her head lifting spontaneously every few seconds and her usually evenly-paced stride becoming more unsteady.
"Please, I'm sorry girl, please," Michaela felt her head drop backwards, exhaustion and desperation finally culminating in pleading tears that streamed from her eyes. In that moment, she felt guiltier for what she was doing to the horse, than for what she was trying to do to herself.
Flash, as if able to comprehend her anguished tone, sped up slightly, Michaela preparing herself once again, as the horse reared up, her front feet leaving the ground as she successfully cleared the pile of rocks and soared higher into the air.
Michaela sensed the wind rushing through her tangled hair, as she adjusted her seat quickly, leaning forwards, to prepare for the hard landing. She looked to her right for a split second, seeing the sun glisten against the calm water below her, before she was aware of Flash sharply twisting to the left, barely having time to brace herself as she felt her center of gravity shift.
"Flash, no! No!" Michaela pleaded, her encouragement was to no avail.
She felt herself falling, eyes squinting closed, as she braced against the inevitable landing. Having no control over her angle of impact with the shallow water, Michaela felt the sharp pain in her left shoulder, moving downwards instantly to her left hip as she determined she'd landed sideways, Flash's heavy weight crushing her lower leg momentarily.
Michaela felt the cool water soaking into her clothes, as she realized her left foot was still caught in the stirrup. Flash struggled primitively against her, attempting to recover from the fall.
"Flash, stop," Michaela heard the words leave her lips, automatically condemning herself for even bothering. Continuing to focus all her attention on prizing her foot free, she moaned loudly against the pain, as her ankle was continually twisted between her leg and the moving horse.
"Please, please just, ah," She felt the cool water surround her left leg, deducing that she'd managed to free herself from the distressed creature.
Remaining very still, combating the blinding pain from her ankle with the seeping of the water through her many layers of clothing, Michaela clenched her jaw tightly, knowing the pain would pass. This rationale, however, did not prevent the tears from continuing to pour from her eyes.
"Damn it!" She smashed her hand against the soft, sandy bottom of the creek bed, her breathing beginning to slow as the sharp stabbing pain in her left ankle slowly eased into a more tolerable throb.
In those seconds of agony, however, Michaela hadn't noticed the horse disappear in terror through the forest. It wasn't until she pulled herself from the sideways position she'd landed in, that Michaela realized she was alone.
The water was only a foot deep, however enough to have drenched her. Michaela took several unsettled breaths, trying to determine how she was going to at least get out of the river. Turning around, she very awkwardly managed to pull and crawl her way back onto dry ground, deciding to remain sitting until the pain in her ankle had subsided enough to attempt being walked on.