"You 're lucky you don't get seasick!" said Sully, carrying her chair to the deck. "I like to look at the waves…perhaps because I was born on a ship like this!"

"You were born right on a ship?" Bridget asked.

"Yep. My parents decided to leave England about a month before my birth. My brother Aidan was 4. It was hard for Ma, she was raised in a rich and refined family- like yours, and then she was forced to move to an unknown country. My father was going to be a farmer. He liked a farmer's work, so did Ma then. But when Aidan died, we moved again to New York." He stopped and silently looked at the greenish water. Bridget understood that it was not the right time to ask more about his family.


"The second time I was travelling on a ship with my friend." Sully continued after a long pause, "You'll see Daniel, he's our sheriff now. We ran away from the orphanage, wanted to go West. But we didn't have time to look at the waves, we had no tickets, and needed to hide!"

"I like to look at the water too!" Bridget said, "One more thing - what shall I call you?- 'Uncle Byron' or 'Mr. Sully'?"

"Just 'Sully', please. I hate my name. Ma named me after Lord Byron, but as you can see, I don't look like a 'Lord'…"

"Well..I like it. And you can call me 'Buddy', it's my baby nickname, only Grandma calls me that."

"Fine."

"Thank you." Bridget said.

"For what?"

"For looking at me as if I'm not an invalid." she thought, but said aloud:

"For putting up with me and my…"

He looked at her attentively:

"Please, never say that again.. If you are different, it doesn't mean you're worse… "

Bridget reddenned. She wanted to get past this awkwardness, and changed the subject. She touched the beads on his neck and said:

"Very beautiful.Are they Indian beads?"

"Yes. It was a gift from my friends - the Cheyennes."

"Real Indians??!! Can I see them?"

"There are no more Indians in the area. But you will see one of them. Cloud Dancing will be glad to meet you."

He touched the beads and continued:

"I never thought I'd ever get them back. They disappeared when I was hiding from the army." he stopped short when he realized that he'd said more than he meant to. He saw the look on Bridget's face. "I hope you won't tell your parents that I was a wanted man."

Bridget imagined her parents' reaction and giggled, "Certainly not! If you tell me why you were wanted!"

"It's not so funny , as you seem to think it is," Sully said " …but I'll tell you. Promise!"

Their journey was very long, but Bridget enjoyed it. She praised God that Miss Filbern didn't follow her. Sully didn't bother her with his help - he just was near every time she needed any help. They talked all the time about a lot of things, and he never looked at her as just a kid, or as an invalid. They both found the conversation interesting.

When they finally arrived in New York, Bridget was going to ask him about his childhood - after all, he was raised there. But Sully was not ready to talk about it. Even in the train he was still upset and stressed. Bridget wanted to distract him from his sad memories, so she confessed that she writes Westerns. But Sully unexpectedly showed a great interest in it:

"Can I read them?" he asked.

"Certainly! I'll give you one, as soon as we arrive! The last story I wrote is about how the bloodthirsty Indians…"

She suddenly noticed the look on his face, and stopped short.

"They're not 'bloodthirsty'." Sully objected, "Better to use this word for the army, who kill them."

"But I've read they are cruel and scalped people…"

"Well…sometimes they did. But you must understand - it was after the whites killed their wives and children, stole their land, brought them starvation and diseases.

Indians are human beings just like you and me…It was the 'white man', who taught them to cut off the scalps - before they only cut off their enemy's braids, as a trophy. But when whites began to pay their scouts for every scalp… His blue eyes became almost steel with anger, and Bridget said timidly:

"I'm sorry…I didn't want to hurt you…"

"No, you didn't," answered Sully more calmly. "The books you read are not true. It would be much better for you to read Dorothy's book (she is the owner of town's GAZETTE)…or talk with Cloud Dancing."

"Perhaps, my stories aren't very good, but when I'm writing - I feel as if I can do all the things other people can do… people who can walk…and run…and ride. It's awful- to understand that I 'll spend the rest of my life in this chair…"

"I know," he nodded, "It's an awful feeling."

Bridget suddenly became furious - she didn't want him to feel sorry for her, as her parents did…as everybody did!!!

"I don't need your sympathy!" she exclaimed, "I don't need you to feel sorry for me!"

"I didn't say "I feel sorry"!" he answered, "I said 'I know'."

"How can you 'know' if you never were in my place!"

She was sorry she had spoken to Sully so roughly. Finally, it was not Sully's guilt . She was going to apologize, but he suddenly said:

"I was…I thought I'd never walk again, and even Michaela could not comfort me…

"But you 're walking again!"

"I was so lucky."

"Was it the hot springs that fixed your legs?"

"Hot springs, and exercises, which Michaela forced me to do, and herbs from Cloud Dancing…"

"Can all this help me as it helped you?"

"We will do all we can," Sully promised.

-"So will I." Bridget agreed. She was still ashamed of herself, so she tried to change the subject again:

"You promised to tell about your beads - how you got them back?"

"I received them in a package with a letter from Sgt. McKay."

"Sgt. Mc Kay? You just told me he was an honest person - how he can still be a sergeant and kill Indians?"

"Sorry, I was wrong - he's not a sergeant anymore. He is a sheriff in Deadwood, Wyoming. He wrote, it's better to catch robbers, than kill innocent people…I can object to nothing…"

He looked through the train window: "Buddy, look - we're almost home!"

Bridget saw a station, and even was able to read the sign "COLORADO SPRINGS".

When the train stopped, Bridget noticed her Grandma Katherine, who stood at the platform. There were also some other people - a woman, holding a little girl, and an old gentleman.

They smiled and waved their hands. Bridget guessed that it was Sully's family who came to meet her.

Sully carried her out of the train, and conductor helped to bring her wheelchair.

"Buddy, my dear! - Grandma hugged her tightly and kissed her, - I'm so glad they allowed you to come here! I'm sure you'll like our family and this town!"

"I already like it!" Bridget answered, "It's the first big journey in my life!"

She turned to the other family members:

"Mr. Bray, Mrs. Sully, nice to meet you."

"She is 'Dr. Quinn.'" Mr. Bray corrected her, "Nice to meet you too. I think you'll like this."

He put the big cornet on her lap:

"Katherine told me there's no such candy in your England."

"Thank you," Bridget smiled. "Sure, I like candies."

When Bridget saw Sully kissing his wife, she unexpectedly felt a thin needle of jealousy, but didn't show it.

"Morning, Bridget!" Michaela said, "You can call me 'Dr. Mike', like all the townsfolk."

"Well," Bridget answered, "And you call me 'Buddy', please."

Michaela nodded.

"Let's go home," Michaela suggested, "Perhaps you both are tired and hungry…"

"You're absolutely right!" Sully agreed.

"…and tomorrow I'll check you at the clinic. I need to examine your legs."

"Do you really think I'll ever walk again?" Bridget asked.

"I don't want to give you any false promises,"

Michaela answered honestly, "but I'll…we'll try…But not until tomorrow, now - let's go home!"

About a week passed. Bridget was so excited to be there, that this time flew away like just a day. She felt as though she was in another world - everything there were so different. She liked laughing and chatting during lunch, and evening chess parties with Michaela, Sully or Brian, and playing with little Katie, and, of course, Sully's friend, Wolf. She always was a real "doggy person", but her father didn't like any pets at home.

One of the most unusual experiences was riding. She didn't ride the horse by herself - Sully sat behind her. But her mother would be shocked if she ever saw her daughter on a horse's back. It was in her opinion, very dangerous.

But Bridget didn't feel any fear. There was no danger for her, when Sully was beside her.

Bridget was just 13, but she'd read a lot of novels, and it was clear for her: her feelings for Sully were not just gratitude…

While Bridget was at the clinic, she saw a real Indian there! As she guessed, he was Sully's "brother", Cloud Dancing. He shook her hand and then gave her a little gift. It was a small rawhide bag with beautiful beadwork on it.

He and Michaela checked on her legs, and forced her to turn right and left. Then Michaela told Bridget to lay on her stomach, and her fingers ran along the girl's spine.

Bridget was ready to hear the same things she'd heard before - but she heard Cloud Dancing's words instead: "You will be able to walk again…."

"What?!!" she didn't believe her ears.

"You will walk again," he repeated, - if you overcome your fear…"

Both Bridget and Michaela, looked at him in great wonder:

"The fear is inside you," the medicine man explained calmly, "It's not 'your legs' that don't allow you to walk, it's 'your spirit', that's scared…"

"Out of balance?" Michaela asked, "I remember, you told me once…"

Cloud Dancing nodded.

"You must overcome it, Bridget," he said firmly, "You're strong enough to do it. Almost all of your healing is up to you… Ha'ho, see you, my friends," he added and left.

Michaela looked very puzzled, as did Bridget.

"Dr. Mike," she asked, "do you agree that I have a chance?"

"I don't know exactly," Michaela answered, "but there is something I want you to know. If your spine was broken, there must be a bulge on the spot of fracture. But I couldn't find it…So I need to think about it…"

"Anyway," Bridget said, "it's better than I've heard before…"

Michaela entered the bedroom. Sully rose from the chair and put his finger on his lips:

"Katie's asleep."

"Fine," Michaela whispered, "I'm too tired to tell her stories…"

"How's Buddy? " Sully asked, "Can you help her?"

Michaela shrugged her shoulders:

"I don't know yet…Cloud Dancing was at the clinic today. He's sure that her problems are not physical but psychological."

"Perhaps he can see something that we can't see."

"Perhaps." Michaela agreed, "I want to help her…just like you do. I've noticed that you've become very close to her."

"Yes, she's strong…just like you, Michaela. She doesn't want to give up, and I 'll do all that I can…"

"So will I." Michaela said, "And I need to talk with Buddy tomorrow…"

"Buddy," Michaela asked the next day, "we need to talk. It's very important for your recovery. I need to know exactly what happened that day, when you were injured. It 's a bad memory, but I need to know EVERYTHING."

"I fell down the stairs," Bridget answered, "and couldn't get up the following morning…"

"THE FOLLOWING MORNING?!!" Michaela exclaimed, "What do you mean? You could walk right after you fell?"

"Yes, I got up and walked to my room. I was in pain, but it was not unbearable."

"Why didn't you tell me before?"

"I told the doctor in London, he said it was just shock."

Michaela shook her head in anger at her ignorant colleague.

"I doubt his diagnosis was right." she said, "Perhaps, I'd better agree with Cloud Dancing. Buddy, did something frighten you that day? It's very important. Please, try to remember."

"I remember." Bridget answered in a low voice, her eyes filled with tears, "but you must swear you won't tell my parents…not even Grandma."

"I swear." Michaela promised.

"Me too." Sully added, "We can keep a secret. Come on, Buddy, we're with you."