“Your Honor, Mr. Richards wasn’t the one who fired the weapon. It was in fact Mr. Johnson who admits he was at home at the exact time his wife had been killed.” Matthew told Judge Franklin.
“Yes but your honor Mr. Johnson has two witnesses who testified that he was at the bar from 9:30 until 10:00. He couldn’t have been at home at that time to kill his wife at 9:45.” Mr. Howard replied.
“Your honor with all due respect the two witnesses testified that they saw a man who looked similar to Mr. Johnson. They never in fact said that it was Mr. Johnson who was the man at the bar.” Matthew replied.
“Mr. Cooper you have a very strong accusation against Mr. Johnson, do you have any proof to back up what you said?” Judge Franklin asked Matthew.
“Yes sir.” Matthew walked back to his briefcase.
“Here is legal documents of the interrogations of the two men who were questioned the night of the murder. And here is court transcripts of the bar tender and two other employees who testified saying that the man in fact was Mr. Bryant.” Matthew told the Judge as he handed him the documents.
Judge Franklin looked them over and nodded his head toward Matthew, showing that he was pleased with the findings to back up the allegations Matthew had brought against Mr. Johnson.
“Alright, now who is this Mr. Bryant?”
“He is a man who was hired by Mr. Johnson to be at the bar from exactly 9:30 until ten. He was also told to people who met him that he was in fact Mr. Johnson not Mr. Bryant. Your honor if I may bring him in to testify?” Matthew asked.
The Judge nodded his head and Matthew proceeded to the door. He opened and walked into the hallway and exchange a few words with a man. Then he and the man walked into the courtroom.
Mr. Bryant took a seat in the witness box. “Please place your right hand on the bible. Do you swear to tell the truth so help you God?”
Mr. Bryant spoke. “Yes I do.”
Matthew began. “Mr. Bryant have you ever met the defendant Mr. Johnson?”
“Yes” Mr. Bryant replied.
Matthew continued. “And where did you meet Mr. Johnson?”
“In an alley on the night of March 17th.” Mr. Bryant replied.
“At about what time was this?” Matthew asked.
“Around seven o’ clock.”
“What did Mr. Johnson and you talk about?”
“He told me to go into the bar and say that I was him for half an hour. He gave me fifty bucks and told me to put the drinks I got on his bill. And so I did.” Mr. Bryant told the jury.
“That’s not true I have never seen this man in my entire life. How could I have paid him to do that if I have never met him. Besides it wasn’t fifty dollars...” Mr. Johnson stopped short.
There was a silence among the crowd. Then everyone began to whisper among themselves. Matthew smiled to himself. He had created reasonable doubt within the minds of the jury.
“We will have order in the courtroom. Silence. Now I have heard the testimony and we will have the jury make their final decision.”
The jury all left the courtroom to discuss the evidence and come to a final ruling. It didn’t take long and they all came back into the courtroom. They all took their seats. The foreman handed the judge the final ruling. Judge Franklin looked at the ruling.
“This court finds the defendant Mr. Johnson guilty of murder in the first degree of Mrs. Rosa Johnson. Bailer take the defendant away. Court is adjourned” Judge Franklin told everyone.
Matthew smiled. He had won the case. He shook a few of the hands. He went over to Mr. Johnson’s lawyer. Matthew extended his hand to him. Mr. Howard looked at it and then extended his own and smiled.
“You are one hard headed lawyer Mr. Cooper. You sure know how to win a case.”
“Thank you Mr. Howard. Your a good lawyer as well.” Matthew replied as he left the courtroom.
Matthew left the courthouse with a huge grin on his face. He saw three men with guns in hand run into the bank. He ran into the bank after them. They had the bank teller at gun point as he filled the bags with the money. Matthew pulled out his gun from it’s holster. He pointed it at one of the man.
“Put your guns down slowly. Put your hands in the air and put your guns on the floor.”
Before Matthew could do anything the man turned and put his gun on Matthew. Face to face Matthew and the man had guns pointed at each other. Matthew felt like something terrible was going to happen deep down in his gut.
All of a sudden the man pulled out his gun and started shooting. Three people fell to the ground. A woman and two men were shot.
“Noooo!” Matthew screamed out and pointed his gun at the man who had fired the shots.
The other man who had his gun still pointed at Matthew shot twice. Matthew felt the terrible pain in his chest. He could feel his heart in his chest. With each beat he felt his life wither away. He fell to the ground.
The men left and rode off. Mr. Howard the defendant's lawyer had heard everything. He ran into the bank. He saw Matthew had been wounded. He went to his side unsure of how to help him.
“Mr. Cooper, what should I do?” Mr. Howard asked him panicky.
“Put pressure to stop the bleeding.” Matthew said gasping for air.
Mr. Howard did as he was told. He soon had Matthew’s blood on his hand’s. He knew that Matthew was losing grip on reality. He had to find someway to keep him talking.
“Mr. Cooper do you have any family?”
“Yes in Colorado Springs.”
“What’s are there names?” Mr. Howard asked him.
“My ma Dr. Mike, Sully, my little brothers John and David, my little sisters Katie, Alex, and Danielle.. Oh God it hurts so much.” Matthew said out of breath.
“Hold on. Someone get a doctor. He needs a doctor.” Mr. Howard shouted.
“Do you have a first name I can call you?” Mr. Howard asked.
“Matthew...” He told him as his face cringed in pain.
“Matthew hold on. Oh God I don’t know what to do.” Mr. Howard cried.
Finally several doctors arrived at the scene. Matthew was gasping for air. He had lost a lot of blood. Matthew looked up at the man above him. He tried to speak but the air was gone and he could feel his heart beginning to stop.
“Get... Word to myyy famillly in Coloraadoo.” Matthew managed to finally say.
Mr. Howard saw Matthew’s eyes close. He was pushed back from Matthew’s body when a doctor came and took over. He couldn’t believe what had just happened. He ran to the telegraph office and used the information he had learned from the young man to wire his family they had to know about their son’s present condition.
Michaela stared at the wall blankly. She couldn’t believe her son was gone. The thought was so unbearable. She felt her husband put his strong arms around her. She turned and saw his red face. She knew he had been crying. She gently touched his face. This man grieved so quietly. She hated to see him in so much pain.
She embraced him. She could feel his pain so close to her heart. She knew that they had both lost a child that they had come to love so dearly. Michaela could picture Brian’s handsome face and blonde hair. The boy that had become a man so fast, was gone. She felt her tears falling violently.
She held onto Sully as hard as she could. She wanted to keep him safe from all the pain, but she knew no matter how much that she tried, she couldn’t. She had wanted to do the same with Matthew when he was lost and confused after he lost his beloved Ingrid. But she couldn’t take her son’s deepest pain, just like she couldn’t take her husbands.
“Oh God Sully, how are we ever going to get through this. How will we ever recover from such a loss, that affects us so deeply?” She quietly asked her husband.
“We’ll find the way. It will be hard at first, but will get through the pain and move on in our lives the best way we can.” Sully told his wife softly as he held onto her.
Sully and Michaela slowly drifted to sleep from the exhaustion. They didn’t want to hurt anymore. But even in sleep their dreams began to reflect the pain, and loss that they felt so deep with their hearts.
As they fell asleep they didn’t see a telegram slip under their door. A telegram that would forever bring yet another change and heartache into their lives.
Andrew was fast asleep, but Colleen sat quietly at the desk writing in her journal. Her most intimate thoughts, details of her life were in her journal. It had been the one thing that she could confide in without the fear of being hurt, or made fun of for her feelings, thoughts, and ideals.
She wrote: My heart is broken. I have never felt such a great sadness as I do right now in my life. The loss of my brother, and my baby is more then I can bear right now in my life. As time changes, and life goes on I don’t know if I will make it. My greatest fear as time goes on that I will not be able to meet the challenges, and losses that it may bring. My life from this moment on will never be the same. I know that there can be more children, but no child can ever replace the child I lost in my heart. And my brother, will forever hold a piece of my heart that no one else ever could. He was with me through so much pain, and suffering that we all faced together as young children. And that bond can never be broken, not even in death.
Colleen put the pen down and stared at the words that almost seemed hollow to her. As if someone else had written them, with so much passion. But she felt like all her passion for living, was gone from her life. And she was afraid that she might never get it back. Colleen got up from her chair and walked over to her bed and slipped into her side of the bed. Then she pulled the large quilt over her cold body. The warmth from her husband made Colleen feel relaxed and safe. For the first time in a week Colleen slept deeply.
Michaela awoke in Sully’s arms the next morning. She leaned in closer to his chest to feel the warmth and the comfort that he brought her. When she laid in his arms he brought her so much security, and her love for him swelled deeply in her heart.
Sully woke up as he felt his wife’s warm body against his. He loved how she leaned against his chest in the early morning. But this morning he could feel the pain that clung heavily to her heart from the loss. He also felt the pain. But he didn’t know how to make it ease or go away.
All of a sudden John and Katie were heard knocking on their parents door. Sully and Michaela quickly dressed and went to tend to their two children. As Sully opened the door he noticed a telegram on the floor. He leaned down and picked it up.
Michaela noticed him pick it up. She looked deeply into his eyes. She saw the inner struggle whether to open it or not. She pulled his arm back to sit down on the bed. Soon Katie and John joined them.
Sully slowly opened the telegram and read it to himself. The words stung deeper then his heart could take. He passed the telegram to his wife. She quietly read the words. She felt her tears trickling down her face. She looked down at Katie and John who were watching her. They had small tears welling up in their eyes.
As if they could see right through their parents brave faces. Michaela felt like she was breaking like china. No matter how much she was trying to hold her family together, they were falling apart, and she couldn't pick up the pieces to them and put them back together.
"John, Katie come sit here by your father and I. We have something we need to tell you."
Katie knew by the tone of her mother's voice that she had come to know so well that is wasn't good. They approached their parents and sat down on the bed next to them.
"Your brother has been shot, and is in critical condition." Sully managed to choke out to his two children. He could feel his son's little heart shattering so close to him, as he held him next to his chest.
Katie sat quietly. She didn't cry, she didn't scream and she didn't yell. She just sat there frozen. As if she was in a trance, or in complete shock. Michaela grabbed her daughter close to her. But even as Michaela held her daughter and she cried, Katie still did not. She stared off at the wall completely motionless.
Michaela knocked on the door softly. As if she was hoping no one would hear it and not answer it. But Andrew opened the door slowly. Michaela looked at him. She was exhausted and her eyes were red from crying.
“Michaela is everything alright?” Andrew asked concerned.
Michaela handed Andrew the paper that she had held so tightly in her hands as if the words would have faded away, but they wouldn’t she knew deep in her heart.
Andrew took it from his mother-in-law and read the words to him silently. He felt like his heart was being ripped from his very chest. He knew that this was about going to kill Colleen in her current condition.
Finally he found his voice, “Oh my God...”
“Andrew is Colleen awake?” Michaela asked softly.
“Yes she is inside getting dressed.” Andrew said as he chocked back his tears and his emotions to not let them show.
“May I tell her?” Michaela asked caringly.
“A...Yeah maybe it would be better if it came from you. I don’t want to break her heart anymore with such sad news.” Andrew told her with pain in his eyes.
“Tell me what?” Colleen said as she came out of the powder room.
“I’ll leave you two to talk.” Andrew said as he walked out the door.
“Colleen will you sit down, I need to tell you something important.”
Colleen sat slowly on her bed as her mother gently sat down beside her. She watched her mother’s face closely. She could see the inner struggle to find the words to tell her what she needed to. Michaela looked into her daughter’s sad eyes.
“Colleen...Matthew was trying to stop a bank robbery when one of the robbers pulled out a gun and shot him. He is in critical condition in a hospital in New York City.” Michaela finally said.
Colleen sat feeling numb for several seconds. Her mother watched her as emotions of pain, fear, and anger crossed her face. Finally Colleen threw herself into her mother’s arms. She cried on her mother’s shoulder.
Michaela held her daughter close to her, but no matter how close she held her it wasn’t close enough. Her daughter still felt so alone. As if her whole world was falling apart and everyone she ever loved was slowly and painfully being taken away from her.
“Ma when is this all going to end. My heart can’t take anymore. This pain and loss feels like it is never going to end. Life is supposed to be so painful.”
“Colleen when we embark on our journey through life we never know where life is going to lead us in our journey. But we have to be strong and take what God gives us with strength and hope for a new day. I know that you may not believe it now but this too will pass and you will find hope for a brighter future.” Michaela told her daughter softly.
“Ma I don’t believe that anymore. I feel like I am suffocating and I can’t breath. I feel like this is never going to end. I just want this pain to stop. I can’t take it anymore. Please make it stop Ma.” Colleen told her mother in tears as Michaela held her daughter in silence.
Katie sat looking out the window. Her parents stared at her across the seat. She hadn't hardly touched her dinner. Michaela gave Sully a worried look. But there was nothing he could do to make Katie change the way she felt.
Sully wiped his face with his napkin. He gave Michaela a soft look, and a squeeze of her hand. He stood up from the table.
"Katie, will you take a walk with me, honey?" Sully asked his small daughter, who looked at him, as if she were a thousand miles away.
She nodded her head yes. She slid out from her chair. Sully grabbed her hand, and father, and daughter walked down the car for a walk and a conversation. Michaela glanced at the clock. She knew that John was tired. She lifted her son from his seat and made her way back to their private boxcar.
Sully and Katie stopped at the end of the last boxcar. They watched the scenery going by. Sully picked up his daughter and held her on his lap like he used to do when she was just a little baby.
"You know Katie I lost my mother, father, and brother when I was real young. I went completely mute for a whole month after I saw my brother drug to death. I couldn't sleep well. I used to see it over and over again in my dreams. He meant the world to me. But I made it through, and I found happiness again, and even after Abagail and Hannah passed away, I found happiness again with your Ma, and your sisters, and brothers. And you too Katie. You were a dream come true, when I first held onto you. Even when we lose ones that we love, it doesn't mean that we have to stop living."
"I know Papa, but when Colleen was so sad, I felt like there was almost nothing left to live for, if she was so sad. If there is so much heartache, and pain in this world, why should we be here." Katie told her father.
"Honey know matter how bad things get, or how much they hurt, there is always a reason for living. You can't expect every moment life to be filled with joy, just like happiness, pain, and sadness are a part of the circle of life. And it is something that everyone will have in their lives, but the way is through it not around it. Remember that when you facing a major decision in your life, and listen to your heart. It won't lie to you." Sully said to his daughter with love.
"Thank you Papa. I love you." Katie told her father as she gave him a big hug. Sully hugged her back.
Later that night after John and Katie went to bed Michaela and Sully lay awake in bed, both unable to sleep, for what may lay ahead for them and their family.
"Sully are you awake?" Michaela asked softly.
"Yeah, I can't sleep." Sully replied.
"I'm so worried about Matthew, and Colleen. Sully why is this all happening to our family all at once. Why was Brian taken from us, and now Matthew might be...and Colleen is completely lost. With her emotional breakdown, I'm afraid she won't be able to pick up the pieces of her life again, after all of this."
"Michaela sometimes things happen that we don't understand as they are happening, and we may never understand, but they happen for a reason whether we believe it or not. It is a part of life that we all go through. And our lives are filled with pain, and loss, but there is hope for a bright future still ahead, and Colleen needs to see that, or she may never pick up the pieces of her life." Sully told his wife.
"But I still want to know why. How something like this could happen to a family, that cares, and loves one another so much. It's not fair to tare a family apart like this."
"Michaela things like this are meant to bring us together not further apart. Unfortunately I think it did the opposite as well. But I know that we are a strong family and we will get through this."
Michaela leaned closer into her husband. She knew that tomorrow would bring the answers to Matthew's condition. She feared tomorrow more that anything in her whole life. She finally fell asleep but her fears continued to haunt her even in her dreams.
Matthew stood with his gun drawn. He had it cocked. A man also with his gun in hand was standing a few feet away. He fired the gun and Matthew felt the bullet ripe through his body. He screamed out in pain. He cried for help. Michaela couldn’t move she was frozen. She watched as her son bled to death right before her very eyes.
Michaela awoke in horror. She couldn’t believe that her son was dead. She couldn’t accepted it. She laid back down but this time she couldn’t sleep. Her fears so great for her eldest child were to great. She spent the rest of the night awake worrying over what was to come in the future.
A young man with blonde hair was brought into the hospital. He was burned and had a high fever. He was unconscious. The nurse looked at his tags, the name was James Brooks.
He was put in a soft bed and his burns were treated, but his fever was still climbing. The nurse tucked him in and went to pull up his medical chart to contact any family that he may of had.
The young man's eyes slowly opened. He looked around confused. He saw nurses and doctors helping young men. He sat up, but his stiff body made it difficult. The last thing he remembered was being on the battle field and the cannons exploding and shooting toward him, and his friend.
One of the nurses noticed he was awake. She came over to him and started to prepare some type of shot. He looked at her with a confused face. She gave him a soft smile.
"Mr. Brooks, I'm Jamie this is just a shot of morphine to help the pain from your burns." She administered the shot.
"Don't worry Mr. Brooks, your wife and children have been contacted and should be on there way here." Jamie said with a sincere smile. Then she left to give other patients shots of morphine.
He was still so confused. He didn't know where he was or how he had gotten there. He wanted to get out of bed and run from the horrible screams from the young soldiers, but he was so tired that he couldn't. He closed his heavy eyelids and fell asleep. His dreams began to take over his memory.
Michaela and Sully got off the train with John and Katie. They quickly got into a carriage and made their way to the hospital address which the young man who had sent the telegram had sent.
Soon they pulled up in front. They quickly got down and ran up the steps into the front doors. Michaela want to the front desk. The nurse was sitting doing paperwork. Michaela's heart was racing she couldn't wait anymore she had to know what condition her son was in.
"Nurse can you tell me which room Matthew Cooper is in?"
"Just a minute Miss." She told Michaela not even looking up.
"NURSE, this is an emergency, my son was shot, and I don't even know what condition he is in. So could you PLEASE tell me where I could find him!?! Now!!" Michaela yelled frantically and demanding of the woman.
"Room 14." The nurse told Michaela rudely.
Michaela ran from the front desk down the hall to room 14. She composed herself for what she might find. She opened the door quietly and looked in. Matthew was sleeping peacefully. She looked out in the hall at Sully and her children. They slowly came in behind her. They sat down on a bench at the edge of the bed.
Michaela sat down on chair at the head of the bed. She grabbed her son's warm hand in her own. She gently touched her son's face. She felt Matthew stir. He slowly opened his eyes to her.
"Matthew, it's Ma I'm here." Michaela said.
"Ma...How did you know?"
"A Mr. Howard sent us a telegram in Colorado Springs, and Horace forwarded it to our hotel in Virginia. But what matters is we are here."
"Why were you in Virginia?" Matthew asked confused.
"Matthew you never got our telegram that we sent you about..." Michaela stopped herself. This was a sensitive subject for them all right now and he didn't know, and after what he went through she didn't want him to go through that pain until he was physically strong enough to handle it.
"About what Ma?"
"It's nothing we can talk about it when your well." She said as she put a brave smile on her face.
"So what does your doctor say about your condition?" Sully jumped in.
"He told me that the bullet grazed my lung, and that I am lucky to be alive, but he says that he thinks I will make a full recovery with lots of bed rest." Matthew replied.
John and Katie slowly moved toward their older brother. Matthew opened his arms for them to come to him. They went into his arms. Matthew held onto his siblings. Happy to see them again and to feel them in his arms.
"Hey there guys. I missed you. I'm sorry I worried you all, I never meant too.” Matthew told his family quietly.
Michaela went to her three children and embraced them. The fear for her eldest son had been so great but to see him alive and doing well with her own eyes brought her reassurance that he truly was going to be alright. Sully joined in on the embrace. And for a long moment they held onto one another as a family that needed each other support and love then more then ever before.
Colleen touched the picture of her family that had been taken shortly after Katie’s christening. They all were so happy that day. As a family they had all been together in Colorado Springs. Their hearts had been happy and filled with such joy. Everything had changed since then though.
She heard Andrew’s footsteps as he walked across the room. Then she felt his loving arms around her. She loved his warm embrace. It brought her such security and warmth that she had missed in the last few weeks since all of the pain had started with the loss of their child.
“Colleen, do you want to go to New York and join the rest of your family. To be next to Matthew’s bedside and give him comfort. If you do we’ll take the first train out tonight.” Andrew told her with love in his eyes.
“Thank you Andrew for being my strength and my courage through this. I don’t think I would be here right now in this moment if it wasn’t for your love and support. You truly have been my salvation through this all. I love you so much Andrew.” Colleen told her husband.
"I love you to Colleen. It hurts me to see you struggling with so much pain. If I could take it from I would, but I can't. All I can do is stand by, and hold you through it." Andrew told her sadly.
"Andrew I feel like this emptiness in my heart is never going to be filled. Like all this pain will never stop, and I want it to stop. I need it stop. I just can't take it anymore. It is just to much for one person to handle." Colleen replied as she finally broke down in tears.
"Colleen your not handling this alone. I am here and I feel the same pain as you do. I wish you would let me lean on you and you lean on me for each other's support and love." Andrew told her.
Colleen knew he was right but she couldn't let Andrew be consumed by her inner turmoil of pain that was never ending for her. She went into Andrew's arms as he embraced her to give him reassurance.