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Chapter 11: Back to Normal A month had passed since Ethan Cooper left Colorado Springs. It was February, and Valentine’s Day was a week away, which meant that Michaela’s birthday was eight days away. The children and their new parents were adjusting nicely to family life, and they couldn’t have been happier to finally be a real family. Sully’s wound was healing nicely, and the scar was healing and barley recognizable by the unknowing eye. Michaela had done a fantastic job of stitching him up. Snow Bird and Cloud Dancing were both in excellent health as they waited with the rest of their tribe for the birth of their child. It was many months away, but they were still excited, as most expectant parents would be. Jake was also healing nicely, and even though he didn’t show it, he had a newfound respect for Cloud Dancing who had been there to help him when he was shot. Hank too had a newfound respect for Cloud Dancing, but he was less willing to show it than Jake, unfortunately. Michaela had gotten back into the swing of things at the clinic, and she was no longer too tired to stay all day. Colleen helped out around the clinic while Matthew would do odd jobs for the widowed or single ladies to make a dollar or two. Brian spent most of his time at the mercantile, staring up at all of the candy that he had to choose from. Mr. Bray didn’t mind. He liked having the boy around, but he would act as if he was annoyed. Having Brian around made Loren wonder what it would have been like to have a grandchild of his own. Unfortunately Abagail and Hanna had passed on and he never got to have the experience of watching his granddaughter grow up. Sully walked into the mercantile and he saw Brian looking at the candy. He shook his head and chuckled, picking the boy up into his arms. “Your ma wouldn’t want you to ruin your supper,” Sully scolded with a laugh. Brian sighed. “I know,” he whined. “Can I just have one gumdrop?” Sully sighed as the boy pulled a penny out of his pocket. “Alright. Just one.” Brian’s face lit up as Sully put him down. The boy went about picking out which gumdrop he wanted. Sully walked over to the counter and Loren gave him a strange smile. “What?” “How are things out at the homestead?” “They’re good. Why?” Sully wondered. “Well, folks were startin’ to talk a couple weeks ago before everything happened, and they were startin’ to think that Dr. Mike was . . .” he lowered his voice and leaned in to whisper in Sully’s ear. “Pregnant.” Sully looked at Loren as he pulled away. He had to admit that that had been the exact thing he was thinking. He hadn’t wanted to get his hopes up, and Michaela seemed to be much less tired now than she had been a few weeks ago. “Nope,” Sully replied, shaking his head. “She was just tired.” “Ah,” Loren replied, not sure whether or not to believe Sully. He could see that Sully was unsure about it himself. “Come on, Brian. We gotta meet your ma for lunch.” Brian picked out a green gumdrop, tossed the penny at Loren, and hurried out of the mercantile. Sully followed and they walked across the street to the clinic. Sully knocked on the door, knowing that it was possible that Michaela had a patient and he didn’t want to intrude. Her sweet voice followed his knock. “Come in.” Sully opened the door and Brian ran in ahead of him, making sure he chewed up the gumdrop and swallowed it before his ma could see him and get on his case. Sully walked over to greet his wife, kissing her lovingly on the lips. She looked up into his eyes and practically drowned in his eyes. “Ready to go home for lunch?” “Yes, I suppose we should. Colleen left an hour ago to start cooking it.” Sully laughed and kissed her cheek. “I really should learn how to cook. Colleen shouldn’t have to do it all the time.” “She likes it though,” Sully replied. “It makes her feel more grown up.” “She’s told you?” “No. But I know why kids her age like to help out. They like fittin’ in and feelin’ useful.” “She’s very useful and helpful to me at the clinic. I don’t want her to feel like she has to do everything.” Michaela chewed on her bottom lip. “Maybe if the children had a school to go to, they would have other things to do and not have to feel like they have to do everything.” “Most parents wouldn’t complain,” Sully said with a laugh. “They’d appreciate havin’ the kids do stuff for ‘em.” “It’s just that all my life I’ve had people doing things for me. I want to learn how to cook so I can feed my family. I’m not saying I want to cook every night, because I absolutely despise cooking.” Sully laughed. “But I want to do it for our family.” Sully kissed her cheek. “If that’s what you want.” Michaela nodded. Sully began to think of Loren’s words, and he decided it was time to talk to Michaela about it. “Brian, will ya go wait in the wagon?” “Sure,” Brian replied. He hurried outside without closing the door. Michaela sighed, so Sully walked over to shut it. “What’s the matter?” Michaela asked. “Are you feelin’ better?” “What are you talking about?” “A few weeks ago,” Sully started, “you were feelin’ poorly and sleepin’ a lot.” He figured that if Michaela was expecting, she would tell him, but he had to make sure. “Yes,” Michaela replied, shaking her head. “Well, I was wonderin’ if maybe you . . .” he began to fumble with his words, not knowing quite how to say what he wanted to say. Michaela knew what he was aiming for, however. She shook her head. “Sully, I thought I might have been pregnant too. But it just wasn’t so. I woke up and I had gotten my monthly.” “Oh,” Sully replied, trying not to sound too disappointed. Michaela smiled a little and ran hr fingers through his hair. “It’ll happen,” she whispered. “I’m young, strong, and healthy. It’s going to happen, Sully.” She kissed him lovingly and they embraced. She frowned a bit, thoughts clouding her mind. She had indeed gotten her monthly, but it had only lasted for a day. She knew that some women experienced bleeding during their pregnancy, and it could hide the pregnancy under the guise of a monthly cycle. She now began to wonder if she was indeed with child. She had been feeling extra tired, but she had gotten more sleep than usual too, so she wasn’t so tired in the mornings. She had been feeling a bit nauseated, but that had been eased by willow bark tea. She hadn’t gotten her monthly yet, but did that really mean anything? “Michaela?” Sully asked after several moments of silence. They pulled away from one another and Sully could see a new light in his wife’s eyes. “Is everything alright?” “Yes, everything’s fine,” she replied with a smile. She kissed her husband again and took his hand. “Let’s go home.” *~* Michaela couldn’t concentrate throughout lunch, but she had found that her appetite had grown quite a bit. The family didn’t seem to notice how quickly she gobbled down her slice of apple pie at dessert. When lunch was over, however, Michaela was still very hungry. She looked at the jar of pickles that was sitting in front of her. She reached in and grabbed one to munch on. Brian looked at Michaela and furrowed his brows. They had had beef stew, cottage cheese, and apple pie. So why was Michaela eating a big sour pickle? “Ma?” he asked. “Hmm?” she asked. Everyone stared at Michaela as she ate. “What’s everyone looking at?” Sully felt a bit queasy as Michaela ate a pickle. He nearly lost it when she dipped it in the remains of the apple pie on her plate. “May I be excused?” Brian asked. “Certainly,” Michaela replied. “Go wash up.” Brian hurried up the stairs and Colleen excused herself, doing the same thing. “Michaela?” Sully asked. “Hmm?” “What are you doing?” “I’m eating. I must have been famished.” She popped the last bit of the pickle in her mouth and devoured it. “Yes, much better.” She suddenly realized what she had just done. Without even realizing it, she had had her first strange craving. “Do you think you’re . . .” Sully started. “I’m not sure,” Michaela replied. “I don’t believe I am. It’s probably just a coincidence.” She didn’t want to get her hopes up or his, but she was leaning toward the possible reality of being pregnant. “I’ll be right back down. I’m going to go freshen up. She started up the stairs just as Brian and Colleen were coming back down. She walked into the bedroom and shut the door behind her. Her stomach was starting to feel funny, and she figured it was because of the food she had just eaten. But, she couldn’t be too sure. She removed her dress and looked at herself in the floor length mirror. Her belly was still flat, but something about it seemed different. It seemed a tiny bit more round. Her eyes went wide as her hand went to her stomach. Perhaps she really was pregnant! Her dress had been fitting a little tighter, but she hadn’t really paid any attention to that. The signs were all there, and the only thing that wasn’t obvious was whether or not she really was pregnant. A knock came to the door and Sully walked in. Michaela was just pulling her dress on, and Sully walked up behind her to button up the back. She turned and smiled at him as he took her into his arms. “You look so beautiful.” “You don’t think I look fat?” Michaela asked with a grin. “Why would you look fat?” Sully asked. Michaela sighed and shook her head. “Perhaps I’m just getting my hopes up.” “There ain’t nothin’ wrong with that.” “Sully, we both want a baby so badly, so maybe I’m just feeling these symptoms because I want to feel them. Maybe it’s all in my head.” “Come here,” Sully whispered. He pulled Michaela close and she rested her head on his shoulder. She wanted so badly to be able to tell Sully that she was sure she was pregnant. But, she didn’t want to get his hopes up too high and then have to tell him she wasn’t. She needed to make sure. She couldn’t exactly examine herself, but there was a doctor in Denver named Dr. Bernard. She knew he could tell her exactly what was going on. “Sully, I need to make a trip to Denver.” “What?” Sully asked. “Why now?” “It’s important. I’ll be back in a few days. It’s very important.” “I’ll go.” “Someone needs to stay with the children.” “They can come too.” “Sully, I need to do this on my own.” “I’m your husband. You can tell me anything.” Michaela sighed heavily. She knew that she should tell him, but she also knew that she couldn’t go to Denver without a good explanation. “Never mind. I don’t really need to go.” “What’s goin' on?” “Nothing. I’m just a little confused. We better get back into town.” Michaela took his hand and they left the room. Sully was completely confused. Michaela wasn’t acting like herself. He was sure that she was pregnant, but he didn’t want to say that to her. She was already worried enough about becoming pregnant. He didn’t want to tell her that he was sure, because if he got her hopes up and it turned out he was wrong, he didn’t want her to fret. He wanted her happy, so he decided to drop the subject of babies and pregnancy all together for the time being. *~* As soon as they arrived in town, Michaela excused herself and she hurried over to the telegraph office. Horace was sitting at the desk, sorting through the mailbag. “Afternoon, Dr. Mike.” “Good afternoon, Horace. I need to send a telegram.” “Alright,” Horace replied. “What would you like it to say?” He took out a pencil and something to record Michaela’s message on so he wouldn’t leave anything out when he sent it. “Send it to Dr. Bernard in Denver, Colorado.” She told Horace to make sure he wrote down that a patient needed his assistance in Colorado Springs, and to ask for Dr. Michaela Quinn when he arrived. She had met this man before, and she trusted him as much as she trusted her father. He was a kind man who would give anyone the time of day. She highly respected him, and he was someone she could definitely trust to tell her whether or not she was expecting. Michaela left the telegraph office just as Myra was walking in. She saw a look of discomfort on Myra’s face, and she knew that it had something to do with herself, Horace, and even Hank. She had noticed Myra spending a lot of time with Hank, and had also realized that it was doing the bartender a lot of good to have her in his company. “Hello Myra,” Horace said with a smile. “Horace, we need to talk,” Myra said softly. “What is it?” “I know we’ve been courtin’, but I’m not sure that it’s goin’ anywhere.” “What do ya mean?” “I don’t think we’re meant to be together, Horace. I care about you, I really do, but I think that my heart belongs somewhere else.” Horace stood up, looking into Myra’s tear-filled eyes. “You really mean it?” Horace asked. “You don’t want us to be courtin’ anymore?” “I’d like for us to be friends.” “It’s Hank, ain’t it? You’re in love with him!” “I don’t know, Horace,” she cried. “He’s awfully kind to me.” “He runs a saloon and he makes men pay for his whores!” “Horace, I know what kind of man people think Hank is. But it ain’t true. He’s got a good heart. He just don’t let people see it all the time.” “What kind of life can Hank give you, Myra? You’ll be second best to all of his girls!” Myra looked away. “I don’t know what I want yet, Horace. I just don’t think that we should be courtin’ anymore. I think we’d be better off as friends. Look at us fightin’ now.” “It ain’t my fault that we’re fightin’.” “I know, Horace. I’m sorry I’m hurtin’ ya. I’m just tellin’ ya how I feel. I hope ya won’t stay too mad at me. I couldn’t string ya along and lie to ya.” Myra walked out of the telegraph office, leaving Horace heart broken. She was walking over to the clinic to talk with Dr. Mike when Hank spotted her. He saw that she was crying, and he knew he should do something to comfort her. To hell with his reputation. The woman he loved needed a shoulder to cry on. Wait! The woman he loved? He was in love with her? “Myra?” Myra saw Hank and she wanted to scream and run in the other direction. She wanted to hide her feelings for him, but she couldn’t run away. She knew in her heart that she was in love with him. “Hank, I ain’t ready to talk right now.” “We don’t gotta talk. You look like you could use some fresh air. Walk with me?” He held his arm out to her, and Myra looked up at him with her big, teary eyes, and she accepted his arm, wrapping hers around his. They walked off in silence, and slowly, Myra began to relax and enjoy the beautiful February afternoon. But her mind kept wandering back to Horace, and she could only hope that he was alright. *~* Later that afternoon, the children had gone home, and Michaela was finishing up at the clinic. She had no patients in any beds, and she had had a fairly easy day at work. She was upstairs straightening the pillows on one of the beds. She heard the door open and looked up to see Sully. He was smiling, and she couldn’t help but smile back. “Oh, I suppose it’s time to head home,” Michaela said with a yawn. “We’ve got awhile,” Sully replied. “I just thought we could spend a little time together first.” He closed the door and walked over to the bed. Michaela sat down and he sat beside her. “Now that we’re alone,” Michaela started, her voice lowering to a whisper, “what shall we do?” “Well, I figured,” he began, “that we could work on makin’ a baby.” He began to kiss her neck and Michaela’s face blushed. “Sully!” she exclaimed with a giggle. “We can’t do this here.” “Why not?” Sully asked as his hands wandered to unbutton the back of her dress. “Because it’s not . . . it’s not . . .” “It’s not what?” Sully asked as his lips found her neck again. Michaela’s head rolled back and she was at a loss for words.” “I . . .” she whispered. She was too taken in by Sully’s kisses and caresses. She wrapped her arms around Sully’s neck and they both fell back onto the bed, forgetting all of their doubts and worries, and basking in the love they showed for one another. It was then that they both knew that even if Michaela wasn’t expecting, they were definitely going to enjoy working to make their family grow. |