Written by: Diane Schlichting

Copyright October 5, 1997

Warning: This story contains some adult scenes.

It was a lovely spring day. The rains of late had given way to clear blue skies. The forest smelled of fresh earth and new plants. The sun was beginning to give off sufficient warmth to warrant lighter clothing and Sully and Michaela were glad to leave their heavy coats behind at the homestead. They were enjoying their day of freedom. Colleen had promised to watch Katie and Brian was helping Matthew in town. They had the day to themselves and had packed a picnic lunch, planning to explore the hills as they used to do before Katie had been born.

They rode up into the hills, away from town and people. They were looking for solitude. It was nearly noon when they discovered the little glade that seemed just right. They dismounted, led their horses to the nearby stream and hobbled them.

Michaela withdrew their lunch from the pannier attached to her horse while Sully found a level spot beneath a large tree and spread out their blanket.

"It's so beautiful here," Michaela said softly as she sat down next to her husband. She put down the basket of lunch and smiled up at him. "I'm so glad you convinced me to take the day off. After all this rain and staying indoors it is so nice to be outside, breathing the fresh air again."

Sully leaned forward and kissed her lightly. "I'm glad you're glad." He kissed her again and then reached for the basket. "What did you pack? I'm starved!"

Michaela laughed. "You and Brian are always hungry. I think, between the two of you, you could eat a horse!"

Sully smiled and opened up the basket. He pulled out a bowl of potato salad and some fried chicken. "Ooh, what's this?" he asked, grinning at her like a little boy. He reached inside and pulled out a piece of chocolate cake. He held it up enticingly. "I thought you didn't want to eat sweets. Thought you were worried about your figure."

"I am. Colleen packed that for you. That's why there's only one piece."

"Well, I'll just have to share it with you then. I'm not going to eat this all by myself."

He began to unwrap the piece of cake.

"Sully!" Michaela admonished. "You're supposed to eat your dessert last."

"Oh?" He swiped a finger through the chocolate icing and tasted it. "Mmmm, this is delicious." He licked his finger, eyeing her from underneath his bangs. Then he swiped his finger through the icing again. He held out his chocolate coated finger to her.

Michaela met his eyes and felt the magnetism of their depths. She felt that familiar drawing deep within herself, the first stirrings of arousal. She opened her mouth and Sully put his icing-coated finger inside. She sucked off the chocolate and felt her heart beat faster as he withdrew his finger slowly, enticingly.

Losing herself in the depths of his eyes she leaned forward to kiss him. His tongue lightly brushed against her lips and she parted them slightly, meeting his tongue with her own. His familiar taste was altered now, overwhelmingly sweet and chocolately. This was interesting! She decided that they should try this more often.

When they drew apart, they were both breathing faster, their hearts beating quicker. Michaela smiled sweetly up at him and Sully cupped her face in his hand and kissed her lips once more.

"I love you, Michaela," he breathed.

"And I you," she whispered back.

Just then the horses neighed, startling them and causing them to turn to see what had happened. They saw nothing out of the ordinary and assumed the horses were just communicating with each other.

Michaela turned back to Sully and smiled, the intense mood broken but not completely dispelled. They could wait until later. "Let's save the cake for the end," she suggested, laying it down on the blanket, and Sully agreed.

They ate their meal slowly, enjoying the day and the quiet of their surroundings. They finished off with some cider and then both reached for the cake. Sully pushed it closer to her. "You go first."

Michaela smiled coyly and dipped her finger in the icing that had become quite soft in the sun. She was not interested in eating the cake, only in feeding Sully and in taking their earlier play a little farther.

She reached her finger up to his mouth and he took it eagerly. He licked it clean, kissing her finger, then taking her hand in his and kissing her palm. He kissed her wrist, a soft, sticky kiss, then reached for her mouth.

He kissed her softly, lips brushing lightly against her own. He ran his tongue over her lower lip, then sucked it between his own. He moved away, knowing that right now his teasing ministrations aroused her more than hard, deep kisses would. He kissed her forehead, each closed eye and then her neck.

Michaela leaned her head back as Sully's lips trailed across her throat. His fingers undid the top most buttons of her blouse and his burning kisses moved on over her shoulder and down to the hollow in her throat. He lightly ran his tongue over this sensitive area and Michaela shivered as the cool breeze passes over the wetness, raising gooseflesh.

She opened her eyes and reached up to undo Sully's shirt, kissing him passionately while she struggled with his buttons. His hands caressed her back, sliding down her sides and then up again, brushing against her breasts.

Michaela gasped and broke off the kiss. She gazed at him as she pushed off his shirt, baring him to the waist. She ran her hands over his shoulders and down his chest, feeling his nipples harden beneath her hands. She bent to kiss his shoulder.

Sully pushed her away. "I want to love you," he whispered hoarsely. "Let me love you."

Wordlessly she nodded as he began to make love to her with tremendous passion.  

Much later, when she awoke from a satisfied sleep, she noticed the sun was much farther along in the sky. She smiled to herself and snuggled against Sully, feeling his hand heavy on her bottom. He had pulled the blanket over them and she now lay with her head cushioned on his arm. She gently rubbed her hand over his chest, awakening him.

"Wake up, sleepy head," she teased.

Sully cracked one eye open and then closed it with a groan. "I think you have killed me."

"Oh?" Michaela questioned. She reached down to touch him and felt his immediate response. He groaned again. "I think you're still very much alive," she joked.

Sully laughed and rolled her over onto her back, looking down on her. "You will be the death of me yet. You are insatiable, woman." He nuzzled her neck.

After a few kisses he sat up, looking around. "Why don't we go for a walk. We might be able to find some of those herbs you said you wanted to collect."

Michaela nodded agreement. She could wait. Perhaps before they headed home they could love each other again. She smiled to herself as she got dressed again, looking over at Sully through her long hair. She admired his strong, firm body and felt herself stirrings just by watching him. Doing up the final buttons she reminded herself they could be together again later and went to join him by the stream.

"Why don't we follow this stream and see where it goes."

"Alright. I'll get my pouch for the herbs." She walked to the horses and retrieved her pouch, slung the strap over her head and shoulder so that it hung diagonally across her body and took his proffered hand.

They walked by the small stream for several minutes, holding hands and not talking, just enjoying each other's company. A little ways downstream the small brook they had been following joined a much larger one that seemed to head down the mountain.

"Oh, look, Sully. These are foxglove, for digitalis. I should gather some." She let go of his hand and bent to dig up some of the plant. She took only what she needed and made sure that some remained to encourage growth next season.

Sully picked a stalk of grass and chewed on the end while she gathered her herbs and plants. He leaned against a tree while Michaela ranged farther downstream.

"Sully! Come here," she called.

He followed her to a bend in the stream. The larger stream they had been following joined a large river here. It looked fairly deep in places and in others it looked fairly shallow. There were lots of rocks along the shore, but the water was moving fairly silently.

"Let's see where this goes," she said, turning toward him. She appeared child-like in her enthusiasm, enjoying the prospect of adventure.

"Michaela, we should be heading back soon. We don't want to stay out too long or the night will catch us."

"It's alright. You know the way home. Come on," she urged, pulling on his hand and smiled enticingly at him.

Sully gave in and followed her. They walked along the river and noticed that it began to move faster. It passed through a narrow point and more chop could be seen as the river swirled around rocks and overran the banks in some places.

They stopped to watch the water at a high point on the bank. The river was moving quite fast now, it's noise level increasing.

"The rains have swelled her," Sully said. "Look," he pointed to the opposite bank where the water was cutting out the soil from underneath a tree that was too close to the edge. "That tree was above the water line before. The river is swollen from all the rain and the melting snow. It's cuttin' the bank out from under the tree. Doesn't look like she'll last much longer."

Michaela watched the rushing water, mesmerized by its motion. "Sully look!" she cried as a small tree that had lost it's battle against the rushing torrent was carried by them. She shivered and leaned against him, suddenly feeling wary of the river. "Let's go back now."

"Okay. Just watch your footing. It's slippery here."

Michaela walked ahead of Sully. She reached out to a small tree for balance as she approached the small incline they had come up. As she made her way down, her foot slipped on the wet leaves and she fell. She put out her hands to catch herself, but her hands came down on the soft earth at the river's edge. The riverbank, undermined by the rushing water, suddenly collapsed and before she realized what was happening she fell to the side and down the bank.

"Sully!" she yelled in surprise and fear.

"Michaela!" Sully cried, reaching futilely for his wife as she slid down the muddy bank. There was a small splash as she entered the water then her desperate cry for help.

"Sully! Help me!" Michaela struggled against the water, feeling the current tugging her away from the bank, out to the middle of the river. The water was icy cold, from the meltwater of the snow-capped mountains. Numbness quickly set in. The water quickly soaked her clothes and her skirts dragged her down, tangling around her legs so that she couldn't kick very well. She tried to swim toward the shore, but found herself unable to do so. "Sully!" she screamed again, fear and desperation etching her voice.

Sully realized that he would have to go in to rescue her. Without a thought to his own clothes and how they might hinder him, he jumped in after her. He immediately felt the strong pull of the current as he tried to swim toward Michaela. He called out to her, swimming after her. His strokes were hard and strong, but the current was working against him in that it was rushing her downstream as fast as himself. He wasn't making any progress.

Michaela continued to struggle, trying to swim toward the shore. By the time the thought occurred to her to remove her heavy skirts and Michaela frantically tried to undo the many buttons, her hands were so cold from the water, that they refused to function properly and the buttons would not undo.

The river had picked up speed and more rocks had appeared. In its flight down the hill, the river had turned to white water, foaming and swirling around the ever-increasing rocks. The noise of the passing water had become louder and there was an odd rumbling sound farther ahead. She could see nothing except her immediate area. She groaned as she struck a rock hidden underwater, bruising her leg. She chocked on a mouthful of water. Her panic increased as she began to realize that Sully wasn't rescuing her and wouldn't be able to rescue her. In trying to rescue her he had put himself in danger as well.

Sully heard the increasing noise of the water and wondered at it. He continued to swim toward her, dodging the rocks, finally making some progress. They rounded a bend in the river, going through larger rapids. He scraped by some rocks, feeling a stinging sensation as they cut his skin.

"Michaela, hold on. I'm coming," he called, hoping she could hear him. The noise was louder now and he wondered what. . . "Oh my God," he thought as he saw the cloud of water vapour rising ahead.

A waterfall! They were heading toward a waterfall!

Fear renewed his efforts. He swam harder, pulling closer to his wife. If they went over the waterfall they could die. . .

"Michaela! Michaela!"

Michaela turned to look at Sully. He was closer now. Could he reach her? She struggled to swim toward him, but that was going against the water and the current was incredibly strong now. She was rushed along, bounced off rocks like the tree they had seen a short while ago.

"Michaela, go to the side!" he yelled. "There's a waterfall ahead!"

Michaela turned in shock. She looked ahead and saw the cloud of vapour, saw that the water just seemed to end in the mist. They were going to go over the falls! Frantically she tried to swim away, to reach the shore, but the cold water had sapped most of her strength. She could barely keep her head above the swirling water and her heavy clothes dragged her down. She was unable to make any progress.

The rushing sound got louder. It filled their senses, no other sounds could be heard. Michaela looked back with terror in her eyes. "Sully!" she screamed.

The edge was approaching quickly. Sully was near exhaustion, but he renewed his efforts again. He pulled through the water with powerful strokes as the rushing water filled his ears with it's terrible noise. He reached out to Michaela, he could almost touch her! A few more strokes and he reached for her again. His fingers brushed against the fabric of her blouse. Michaela met his eyes briefly, her own eyes wide with terror and disbelief. Her fingers touched his for a brief moment. Then she was gone.

Michaela felt the water give way, felt herself falling through the air. The sound of the rushing water filled her ears. She wanted to close her eyes, but she couldn't force herself not to look. Arms pinwheeling, feet pedaling, she looked down at the churning, foaming water that was fast approaching. It seemed to take minutes, this tumble through space, but it was actually only seconds. Then she hit the water and the rocks that were hidden in its depths. She felt pain explode in her arm, her feet, and her chest as the rushing water smashed her into the waiting rocks. She sunk below the surface, vainly trying to hold her breath. The water was swirling, pulling her in many directions, tumbling her head over heals.

She fought to reach the surface, managed to gulp a short breath of air before she was pulled under again as the violent current pushed her downstream. She banged into rocks, the water scraping her body past, urging her onward in it's never ending race down the mountain. Her panic rose as her chest grew tight and bright flashes of light burst upon her closed eyes. Is this how it was going to end? Would she and Sully die here, away from the children, where they might never be found? She tried to push away the thoughts of death although they threatened to consume her. Her lungs were near to bursting. She needed air.

Kicking and fighting the rushing water, she managed to reach the surface again. She greedily gulped air, taking in water as well. She coughed and gasped, breathing in as much water as air. She thought she heard her name. Sully! She thought briefly before being pulled under the torrent once again.

The rushing water tumbled over a small ridge, creating a swirling backwash against some rocks. Michaela didn't see the large rocks that loomed before her. She felt a sharp crack against her skull and then everything went darkness.

Sully was little better off. Having managed to pull himself to the surface much earlier than Michaela due to his lighter clothing, he was able to fight the rushing water with more success. He attempted to keep his feet pointed downstream and keep his head above water. This was, at times, unsuccessful and he was repeatedly pulled under the roiling surface.

Although badly bruised, Sully had so far escaped serious injury. He broke the surface again and managed to stay afloat. He saw Michaela appear briefly above water ahead of him and he called out to her. The moment was too brief though and his heart clenched with fear when she disappeared once again. Then he was falling over another waterfall, frantically trying to avoid the dangerous rocks.

He smashed into one with his left arm and nearly blacked out from the sharp pain that ricochet through his body. He floated through the water, barely noticing that the rushing had stopped for the moment. The water had collected in a small backwater, the current here turning in on itself. His feet touched ground and as his senses returned, he stood slightly, looking out over the water for Michaela.

A few moments later he saw her. She was floating further downstream, caught by a fallen tree. The sight of her floating on her stomach, partially submerged filled him with terror and a sudden rush of adrenalin.

"Michaela!" he screamed as he pushed off through the water, his own injuries forgotten. Terror rushed through him as he waded through the rushing water. He reached her and quickly turned her over. She lay limply in his arms. Sully pulled her through the water to the shore. He carried her onto the rocky beach and fell to his knees beside her.

"Michaela! Michaela!" He shook her, slapped her cheeks. When she didn't respond, he feared she was dead. He put his head down to her chest, listening for a heartbeat. There was one, but so faint and slow that he knew her life was in danger.

He held his hand over her mouth and felt nothing. She wasn't breathing! Not knowing what else to do, he bent over her and breathed into her mouth. He saw her chest rise with his breath and was encouraged by that. He tried again and again. Seconds passed into minutes. His fear and desperation grew.

"Come on, Michaela! Breathe! Breathe!" he shouted at her, breathing into her mouth again.

Suddenly, she coughed, spitting up water. He turned her over onto her side, noticing as he did so that there was a deep gash in her right temple. Michaela coughed up the water she had inhaled. She reached for Sully, but moaned as pain coursed through her and let her hand fall.

"Oh Michaela. Thank God." Sully pulled her up to him, clutching her to him. The adrenalin brought on by his fear suddenly left him. He began shaking as the cold registered. Shelter, he thought wildly. We need shelter. He looked down at Michaela who remained unconscious, but was now breathing steadily. He was torn between leaving her momentarily and getting some sort of shelter set up. Recognizing their need, he left her to gather some pine boughs for a lean-to. As he walked into the shadows of the trees, he reached for his tomahawk and felt his heart sink as his hand met fabric. The tomahawk was gone, worked loose during the tumbling waterfall.

Sully sighed and began tearing off branches by hand. This difficult task warmed him somewhat and he soon had sufficient branches for a small shelter. He headed back to the beach and picked up his wife, ignoring the bolts of white-hot pain that shot up his left arm. He carried her under the pine boughs and lay down, holding her close. The pain of his injuries and the exhaustion from the ordeal finally overwhelmed him and he closed his eyes and drifted off into a restless sleep.

Colleen locked the clinic door, Katie in her arms. She turned toward the wagon and handed her sister up to Brian. "We should get supper ready for Ma and Pa. I'm sure they'll be hungry when they get home." She reached up and grasped the seat, stepping up into the wagon.

"Sure," Brian agreed, bouncing Katie on his knee. She laughed and Brian smiled. He kissed her on the forehead then handed her back to his older sister. "What'ya gonna make? I'm starved."

Colleen laughed. "Brian, you're always hungry!"

Brian gently slapped the reins and urged the horses on. "I can't help it. I'm growin'. That's what Ma says, anyway."

"You'd better be careful or you'll be growing in the wrong way!" Colleen joked.

"Will not!" Brian retorted.

When they arrived at the homestead Colleen took Katie inside while Brian unhitched the horses and then went about the chores of the evening, feeding the animals and milking the cow.

Colleen finished supper and called Brian in from the barn. She carried over the bowls to the table as the door opened. She turned anxiously, expecting to see Michaela and Sully.

"Ma and Pa aren't here yet?" Brian asked, going to the sink to wash his hands.

"No, where were you?"

"I went out to the back garden. I though they might have come while I was gone. I wonder what's takin' them so long?"

"I don't know," Colleen replied, placing the last bowl on the table. "I hope they come soon."

"Well, maybe we could start eatin' and they'll come before we're done."

Colleen smiled at her brother. "Alright, come on. Let's eat before it gets cold."

They sat down at the table and, after saying Grace, started dinner, Colleen helping Katie to eat her meal.

The sound of a wolf howling woke Sully. He looked around the darkened shelter, confused, then gasped as the occurrences of the afternoon returned. A chill went through him as he remembered pulling Michaela from the icy river.

"Michaela?" he asked, turning to look at his wife who lay by his side. She lay still, her chest rising and falling ever so slowly. Her features were barely visible in the dimness. Sully passed his hand over her head, feeling the stickiness of blood in her hair and on her face. As his fingers touched the wound in her temple, Michaela groaned and tried to turn away. Her eyelids fluttered, as she struggled to wake up.

"Michaela. Wake up, Michaela." He squeezed her hand and stroked her cheek.

Michaela turned her head from side to side, moaning deep in her throat. "Sully?" she whispered, her voice low and ragged, her throat tight. "Where are you, Sully? It's so dark. My head hurts, Sully."

Sully kissed her hand and stroked her hair gently. "I know it hurts, Michaela. You have a bad wound on your head. You're bleedin'. I'm gonna fix you up though."

He tore off a strip of her petticoat and wound the material around her head, creating a makeshift bandage over the bleeding gash. She moaned and struggled to get away from the pain he was inflicting. At one point, as he pressed down inadvertantly on the wound, she lost consciousness from the intense pain. Fear surged through as he realized that. He quickly finished the job and began calling to her, lightly patting her cheek to wake her up again.

"Michaela. Come back, Michaela. Wake up. Come on."

A few moments later she opened her eyes again, moaning loudly. "Sully?"

"I'm here, Michaela. I'm here." He leaned down close to her, kissing her forehead.

Michaela continued to toss her head, moaning. She appeared not to have heard him. "Sully, it's so dark. Why is it so dark?"

Sully looked confused. "It's not that dark, Michaela. It's gettin' late, but there's still some light left."

"No. It's too dark. Turn on the light, Sully. I can't see you. Sully, where are you?"

Sully felt as though a knife had entered his belly. Michaela's ominous words hollowed out his stomach as a terrible cold washed over him. Could she not see? Oh God, what had happened to her?

"I'm here, Michaela. I can't turn on the light. You're right, it's dark out. Just lie still and try to get some sleep."

"Sully! Don't leave me, Sully." Her cries were desperate, filled with fear. She tried to reach for him, but her arm wouldn't lift very far without hot pain shooting through her body. Her hand fell back down and she cried out from the agony that caused.

"I won't leave you, Michaela. I promise." Sully lay down next to her, pulling her tight against him. She continued to murmur, begging him not to leave her. He stared up at the darkened boughs of the shelter and prayed. Prayed for help, prayed for strength and prayed that Michaela would be fine in the morning.

Colleen sat by the fire, a cup of tea in her hands. It was quite late, Brian had gone to bed hours ago. Yet she couldn't do the same. For some reason she felt there was something wrong. Surely Sully and Michaela had taken shelter elsewhere and yet she could not rid herself of that terrible feeling that fluttered around her heart.

"Colleen?" Brian's tentative voice came from the darkness behind her on the stair.

She turned, surprised to find her brother still awake.

"They're not back yet, are they?" Brian asked, walking to her and sitting down on the hearth rug. Although now a teenager, he still needed reasurrance from his big sister. He was terribly worried about his ma and pa.

"No, Brian." Colleen took a sip of her tea.

"D'ya think somethin' happened to them?"

Colleen met his worried gaze. Yes, she did think something might have happened, but she couldn't say that to her little brother. No matter how old he was. "No, Brian. I'm sure they just decided to camp out for the night. I wouldn't worry."

Brian thought for a moment and then looked back up at his sister. "Then why are you still up if you ain't worried?"

Colleen smiled. "Alright, I am worried, but that isn't going to do us any good, is it? C'mon, let's go back to bed."

Colleen followed her brother back upstairs. She said good-night to him at his door and then went in to her parent's room to check on Katie. The baby was sleeping soundly, but she had thrown off her blanket. Colleen laid it back over her, lightly stroking the soft downy hair.

"It's alright, Katie," she whispered, more to appease herself than the sleeping child. "Your ma and pa will be back soon. I promise."

With a heavy heart and a nagging worry, Colleen made her way back to her bed. She lay down and closed her eyes, but sleep was still a long way off.

"Sully!"

The shrill cry ripped him out of a deep sleep. He whirled around, his heart racing, to see Michaela sitting up, groping blindly before her. He took her by the shoulders and turned her toward him.

"I'm here, I'm here," he soothed.

Michaela clutched at him with her right arm, her left hanging by her side. Her breathing was ragged, wheezing in her chest. Sully held her tightly, pressing her head against his chest. He felt a sudden wetness as he did so and quickly held her off, looking at her in the early morning light. The mock bandage he had wrapped around her head last night was soaked through with blood. A trickle of blood escaped the saturated cloth and ran down her cheek, bright red against her pale skin. She must have reopened the wound, he thought wildly.

Now, in the light of day, he realized how battered they both were. As his heart slowed down, he became aware of a throbbing pain in his left arm and his head. He gently touched the back of his skull and felt the large lump there. He winced as the contact sent a sharp knife of pain through his skull.

Lookin at Michaela though, he realized that she was in far worse condition than he. Her face was badly bruised down the right side, leading up to the wound in her temple. Her left arm looked broken and she was bent forward at an odd angle. He reached out and gently touched her side and felt the bones of broken ribs give way slightly. Michaela cried out at the pain he caused, trying to pull away and causing only more pain for herself.

"Sully, where are we? Is it still night?"

She still clutched at his arm with her good right hand. Her face was contorted with fear, her voice ragged.

"We're at the river, Michaela. Don't you remember what happened?" He gently wiped away the blood from her face.

She winced at this. She tried to remember. "Yes. I remember now. We fell in. Are we out now? How did we get out? Is it still night?"

Sully stared at her. She was staring straight ahead, not looking at him. He waved his hand before her eyes and she didn't blink. He swallowed over the lump in his throat. "You hit your head, Michaela. Pretty hard. I think you can't see because of that."

She turned her head sharply toward him. She reached up with her right hand, feeling the sticky bandage on her forehead. Slowly, she let her fingers follow the cloth until she touched the area of the wound. She pressed lightly and nearly fainted again from the pain. She gasped, feeling the ache in her side as she tried to breathe.

"A concussion, Sully. Must be. Broken ribs, too. You'll have to bind those, so they don't puncture my lung. My eyes? Is there anything wrong with my eyes?" She pressed worried fingers against her closed eyes, feeling nothing out of the ordinary.

"No. Nothing wrong with your eyes. Is the concussion affecting your eyes, like it did Brian that time he fell out of the tree?"

She sat still suddenly, her hand paused over her face. She lowered it slowly and reached for him. Sully took her hand in his own, gazing with worry at her face.

"I hope not. Could be temporary. If I'm not better by tomorrow. . ." her voice trailed off. Would they be home by tomorrow?

Sully knew what she was implying. He had to get her to town, to Andrew. "Michaela we gotta get you to town, but how? We got swept downstream a long way. The horses are far away now. I don't know if we can get to town by tomorrow."

"Sully, we have to try. I'll do the best I can, but you'll have to help me."

Sully nodded then realized that she couldn't see that. "Right. I'll see if I can find something for us to eat. I'll be back in a moment."

He went off into the woods along the shore of the river. He was more worried now than before. A concussion was serious. The reason Brian couldn't see that time was because his brain was bleeding, that's what she had told him. Was that what was happening to her? Could she die? He felt the sting of tears in his eyes at the thought of losing her, his beautiful wife. He couldn't lose her now, not now when they had their whole life ahead of them.

Dashing his hand over his eyes, he wiped away the tears and began to look for berries. Once they had something to eat, they would have to make their way back upstream to find the horses. There was only one problem. They were on the wrong side of the river. They would have to cross it somewhere and that worried him more than anything.

Brian finished getting dressed and left his room. He walked down the stairs, smelling the wonderful aroma of baccon and eggs frying. He walked into the kitchen where Colleen was watching their morning meal, Katie sitting in her highchair, banging her spoon on the table.

"Mornin' Colleen. Smells good."

Colleen smiled at her brother. "Morning, Brian. I thought we'd go into town after breakfast and see Grace and Robert E." She flipped over the eggs and they sizzled briefly.

Brian put the plates out on the table and poured the milk. "D'ya think they'll be back today?"

"I don't know," she replied, bringing the pan to the table and serving out the food to their plates. She put the empty pan on the side plate of the stove to cool off. Then sat down in her chair. She tied Katie's bib on and cut up her egg. She smiled as Katie started to feed herself, mostly managing to get the food into her mouth.

"We'll see what Grace and Robert E. have to say. Maybe they'll help us look for them."

Brian nodded and reached for a piece of bread. Except for Katie's noises, their meal was a silent one.

After a small breakfast of some overripe blackberries and some edible roots he had found growing at the water's edge, Sully bound Michaela's ribs and put her broken arm in a splint and in a sling. Her petticoat had been used for all these bandages and she now only wore her shift and her outer skirt, which was still damp. She was cold and shivering as they started out from their small camp, her arm tucked into Sully's as he guided her footsteps.

It was slow going. Michaela was scared, unable to see where she was going and hesitant to walk where he led. As the morning lengthened, the sun was hidden by dark clouds and not long after it began to rain again. Sully cursed the heavens, knowing that the last thing they needed was rain.

They stopped to rest after a few hours. Michaela was shivering, her teeth chattering. Sully held her close, mindful of her injuries, trying to keep her warm. The rain came down harder.

"Michaela we have to keep going."

"I can't. Sully I can't do this."

He turned her to face him, forgetting for the moment that she couldn't see his face. "Yes you can. I'll help you, but we can't stay here. We have to reach the horses. Once we have them, it'll be easier. You have to try. Come on."

He pulled her to her feet and tucked her arm within his. He began to walk upstream again, seeking out the path that would be the easiest for her. She stumbled many times, falling a few times. Each time she fell she gave up a little more. Each time he hauled her to her feet and forced her to keep walking.

By noon she had had enough. When a raised root caught her foot and pitched her forward onto her knees for what seemed like the hundreth time, she stayed down, resisting Sully's efforts to pull her to her feet.

"I can't, Sully. I can't go on. Please. My head, it hurts so much. I'm dizzy, the darkness is spinning. Sully I just can't go on."

Sully knelt down in front of her. He felt cruel, asking her to do more than she could. He gathered her carefully into his arms and held her, stroking her back and her wet hair.

"I'm sorry. I know this is hard."

They sat together for a while, Sully comforting, Michaela weekly accepting his comfort. The rain continued to pour down relentlessly. Sully felt his hope fading. He didn't know what to do. It was clear that she couldn't go on like this. How would she ever cross the river? What should he do? Should he leave her and get the horses himself? Could he do that?

Sully kissed the top of his wife's head and held her as tightly as he dared. Leaving her and getting the horses himself seemed like the only reasonable thing to do. He could travel much faster than she could. He could get the horses and be back in a few hours. He was sure of it.

"Michaela?" he said softly, hesitantly, lighting kissing the top of her head. "I have an idea. I could go and get the horses alone. . ."

He wasn't able to finish his thought.

"No! Sully don't leave me alone, please!" she cried, reaching up to find his face, she cupped his cheek with her right hand. "Please don't leave me alone in the dark."

Sully looked at her stricken face, the fear in her sightless eyes. "Michaela it's the only way. You can't travel, this is too difficult for you. I'll get the horses alone. I won't be gone long. I promise."

"Sully please," she begged. The falling rain made it difficult for him to tell if she was crying, but he felt that she was. "It's so dark. I'm scared, Sully. Please don't leave me here alone."

Although his decision was causing him a lot of pain, he knew it was right. It was the only thing to do. "Stay here, Michaela. Don't move and I'll be back before you know it."

Quickly then, before he could change his mind, he kissed her firmly on the mouth and then ran off. He ran along the shore of the river, watching the ground and trying to shut out Michaela's plaintive cries.

"Sully! No! Sully come back. Don't leave me here, Sully! SULLY!"

Robert E. sighed and took another sip of coffee. Colleen had just finished explaining to him what she thought had happened and he didn't like it. It wasn't like Sully and Michaela to go off and not return when they were expected. Especially not when they were leaving the children alone. He looked out at the rain that was falling steadily.

"And you don't know where they went?"

Colleen shook her head. "No. They just rode off into the hills. That's all they said. They were going to spend the day together and they took a picnic lunch with them."

Robert E. looked over at his wife, Grace. "Well, I'll go saddle up my horse and help you look, Brian. Colleen, maybe it would be best if you stayed here with Grace and Katie. We'll fetch Matthew along the way."

Grace reached across the table and covered Colleen's hand with her own. She squeezed encouragingly. "Robert E.'s right, Colleen. I'm sure he'll find them. They probably just decided to wait out the worst of the weather. You stay here with me and let the men go searchin'."

Colleen nodded, giving Grace a faint smile. Not for the first time did she wish that she were a boy. At least then she could go out and look for them herself instead of having to wait at home. For now, though she would have to stay to look after Katie. She cuddled the small child closer to her, praying that her ma and pa were alright.

Michaela sat on the rocks where Sully had left her, the rain that was filtering through the overhanging branches falling headlessly upon her. He left her. He left her alone in the darkness, unable to fend for herself. She couldn't believe he had left her.

She drew her knees up to her chest and leaned back against the rock, groaning as her ribs were pressed together. She had never been so scared in all of her life. She imagined all sorts of terrible things, snakes and other animals that could approach her and she wouldn't even know it until it was too late. It didn't really occur to her that other creatures would not venture out into the wet weather any more than she would. Fear became her world.

She began to listen earnestly to her surroundings, seeking out any signs of possible danger. She could hear the rain hitting the leaves above her, the rush of the river several feet away. Beyond that she heard nothing.

She was cold, shivering in her wet clothes. She tried to huddle into a ball for warmth, but her arm and her broken ribs did not allow for such movement. She leaned her aching head against the rock and closed her eyes, willing sleep to come to take her away from her terrible situation. As sleep gradually overcame her, her last waking thoughts were of Sully and her terrible sense of loss and betrayal at his departure.

Sully scrambled up the slippery hill next to the waterfall that had caused them endless grief. He stood up on the high bank, surveying the swirling water. He knew he was close to the spot where they had fallen in. He only hoped that the horses would still be there in the meadow.

His guilt at leaving Michaela was gnawing away at him. It made him feel sick to his stomach, but he rationalized that it was the only way. He had moved much faster without her and would soon be at the spot where they fell in.

Shrugging off his guilt like he would a jacket, Sully forged ahead as fast as he dared on the rocky shore. When he reached what he thought was the spot, he realized that he would not be able to cross here. He would have to carry on further upstream to find a fordable spot. Half a mile upriver the water spread out over a high area of rocks. The water was waist deep, the current not quite as strong as it was further downstream. Gritting his teeth against the cold, he plunged in and crossed as quickly as possible.

Half an hour later he had arrived back at the meadow and was thrilled to see that the horses were still there. He quickly went to them, soothing and patting the frightened animals. He was lucky that they hadn't bolted. They didn't like the rain and had tried to escape their bonds.

Sully gathered their wet things together and mounted his horse, Michaela's horse's lead rope tied to his saddle. The animals balked when they approached the river, not wanting to enter the swirling water. Sully dismounted and led them across. He remounted on the other side and headed back to where Michaela waited for him. It wouldn't be long now, he thought, before they were back in town. He only hoped that Michaela would forgive him for leaving her.

BOOM!

The loud clap of thunder startled Michaela awake. She cried out in fear, reaching for Sully and finding nothing but empty space and cold, wet stone. The rain was coming down harder now and the wind had picked up. Thunder resounded again, frighteningly loud above her.

"Sully?" Michaela called out. There was no answer. She was still alone. She was terribly cold, seemed as though she had never been warm, that beautiful spring morning of yesterday seemed so far off.

She needed to get out of the rain. Perhaps if she went deeper into the forest, there would be more shelter. She carefully slid off the rock, finding her footing in the slick mud. She reached out with her hands, trying to find something to guide her. Her fingers brushed against leaves and she grasped them, working her way along the branch until she came to the tree. She leaned against it for support, feeling faint. The constant pain in her head worsened and she felt nausea rise within her. She bent over as she threw up the few berries she had managed to eat that morning.

When the nausea had subsided enough for her stop vomitting, she leaned back against the tree trunk, tilting her face to the sky to cool her fevered face. She felt suddenly very weak, but in a moment of strength, knew she could not give in and sit down again. She changed her mind about shelter for the moment and decided to get a drink of water to wash away the terrible taste in her mouth.

Thunder rumbled across the heavens again and she could smell ozone as lightening ripped across the sky. The rain seemed to come down harder, if that were possible. She listened for the sound of the rushing river and fearfully stepped forward in that direction. She shuffled a few feet before she tripped and fell heavily to her knees again. She cried out at the pain that rushed through her limbs, seeming to converge inside her head. A sob of fear and frustration escaped her as she gave in to her emotions.

"Sully!," she sobbed, crying out loudly. "Sully where are you? Sully!" She sobbed, her face pressed against the cold, wet mud of the ground. Her feelings of desolation over powered her and she lay sobbing for several minutes.

She gathered her courage again and decided that perhaps crawling would be better. That way she wouldn't trip and fall again. Reaching blindly forward with her hands, she made her way toward the river. Her hand sank into the mud as she approached the water's edge. She slipped on the rocks and paused, waiting for the waves of pain to subside. Slowly, she moved forward again. She put out her hand and felt the cold water rushing over it. She had made it. Greedily, she scooped up a handful of water and washed out her mouth and then drank.

There was a loud crack of thunder that was followed by the sharp smell of ozone as lightning struck a tree across the river. The hairs on Michaela's neck stood up, prickly with the surge of electricity in the air. She quickly backed away from the water, turning to face the forest.

The sound of snuffling caused her to freeze. A strong musky scent assaulted her nostrils. The snuffling grew louder, soft grunts in between. Fear raced through every fibre of her body. What was that? She wondered. Some kind of animal? She wished that she could see. Then she could take some sort of action. As it was, she remained frozen, on her knees in the mud, her right hand supporting her body.

The snuffling was very close now. Michaela became to tremble, her body rigid with fear. Was it a bear? Oh, God, please don't let it be a bear! She sensed the creature close to her, felt the heat from it's large body despite the rain that continued to pour, chilling her to the bone. She whimpered with fear, unable to stop herself from making a sound. She slowly lowered herself to the ground, trying to curl up, to be as unobtrusive as possible.

The creature growled and thereby dispelled any doubts she might have had that it was a bear. She put her arm over her head and pressed her face to the wet ground. Oh, God, Sully! Help me. Save me!

The bear nudged her with his heavy paw, pushing her over. Although she knew she shouldn't make a sound, she couldn't help herself. She screamed, loud and shrill. She was terrified, not knowing from where the attack would come next. She huddled on the ground, trying to protect herself. The bear growled loudly, showing viscious teeth that Michaela couldn't see, but she smelled his foul, hot breath. The bear swatted at her again, harder this time. His claws dug into the soft flesh of her broken arm, leaving deep gashes.

Michaela screamed in pain and fear as the bear rolled her over again. She made the mistake and fought him, this unseen attacker, afraid for her life. This only angered the bear who renewed his previous curiosity into a partial attack. He wasn't completely angered, just irritated at this loud, resisting creature he had found. His heavy paws battered her, claws shredding material and flesh, leaving deep gashes in her arms and shoulders.

As thunder once more rang through the heavens, Michaela's screams rang up and down the river, screams of agony, fear and desperation.

Sully reined in his horse, sure that he had arrived at the place where he had left Michaela. There was no sign of her. Perhaps he had been mistaken. Maybe it was farther downstream. He gently slapped the reins and moved on, soothing the frightened horses every time the thunder shattered the air.

Just then he heard screams! Michaela's screams! Fear shot through him and he urged his horse forward.

"Michaela! Michaela, I'm coming!"

The horse trotted as quickly as it could and when Sully reached the scene his heart seemed to stop. Michaela's loud screams overpowered the sound of the rain as the bear continued to manhandle her. He watched, momentarily stunned with shock as the bear sunk his teeth into her broken arm and pulled her away from the water's edge, Michaela's agonized scream slicing through the air.

"Nnnoooooo!" Sully's scream pierced the air. He jumped off the horse and picked up several rocks and heaved them at the bear who was dragging his screaming wife away, ignoring him. Several of the rocks struck the body of the animal and he turned, dropping Michaela who was now ominously silent. Sully picked up a large rock, took careful aim and threw it with all his might at the large animal. The rock struck the mark, hitting the bear in the head. He growled, shaking his head, took several steps toward Sully, then, when that rock was followed by a second, seemed to change it's mind and turned around. He quickly loped off into the woods.

Just to be sure, Sully picked up another rock before approaching Michaela. When he reached her side he sucked in his breath at what he saw. She lay on her stomach, her broken arm covering her face and she was covered in blood. The rain did little to dispel it.

"Oh my God, Michaela!" he cried. He rolled her over, wiping away the blood that covered her face, glad to see that her face was untouched. "Michaela?" he asked, shaking her slightly. Fear built inside him, fear that he had come to late, that she was dead. "Michaela!" He screamed her name hoarsely, throat constricted with threatening tears. He shook her roughly.

She moaned and turned her head, eyes closed. Sully felt relief wash through him. She was alive! "Michaela, oh God, I'm so sorry, Michaela." He was rambling, he knew. He had to take action, had to stop the profuse bleeding or she would die in his arms. He looked her over carefully. Her left arm was badly damaged with deep gashes from claws and puncture wounds from teeth. Her right arm and shoulder had several deep gashes as well. He rolled her over and saw several large gashes across her back. Blood was everywhere.

He quickly took off his shirt and wrapped it around her. He used the sleeves to tie the shirt tightly, despite her shallow moans. He hoped that the pressure would stop the bleeding. He went to the horse and retrieved their blanket from the pannier. Wet as it was, it would provide some warmth. He wrapped her tightly in the blanket and then mounted his horse, Michaela held in his arms, his own injured arm forgotten. He urged the horses on, going as fast as he dared downstream, towards town and towards medical help.

Robert E., Matthew and Brian reined in their horses and came to a stop. They had been searching for hours. The rain was coming down harder and thunder rumbled through the skies. Robert E. looked at the two, knowing that their search was nearly useless. Sully and Michaela could be anywhere in the hills. Without knowing a specific direction, they could search for days and not find anything. But how to tell that to young Brian?

"I think we ought to try up this way. Seems to me they wouldn't have gone up the mountain this time of year. Maybe they went up near the river. I hear it's sight to see in the spring time, all flooded and fast like."

Matthew nodded, looking at his little brother. He felt the same as Robert E., but he couldn't let down his little brother. "Brian, why don't you head back to town in case they've already returned. We'll look a little farther and come back by nightfall."

"Good idea, Matthew," Robert E. said.

Brian looked back and forth between the two men. He suspected that something was up, but didn't pursue it. It would be nice to get out of the rain anyway. Besides, maybe Matthew was right. Maybe they're back in town already.

"Alright. I'll see you later." Brian turned Taffy around and headed back down the path they had followed.

"C'mon, Matthew." Robert E. led the way up the hillside, off into the teaming rain.

By the time Brian reached town, it had stopped raining and was getting on near dark. He reined in his horse at the stable and dismounted. After securing her lead rope, he went around to the house where Grace and Colleen were sitting down to some stew for supper. Grace answered his knock, seeming disappointed to see him.

"Brian. Come in out of the wet. You must be starved. I'll get you some stew."

Brian looked up at Grace and then at his sister. Colleen looked away. "They ain't come back." It was more a statement than a question.

Grace put down the plate of stew and brushed Brian's wet hair out of his eyes affectionately. "No, Brian." He stared at her in silence for a moment. "Come and sit down, now. Come on," she urged.

Brian sat down at the table and picked up his spoon. As he tasted the stew, he could only think of his ma and pa and how maybe they were out in the cold rain, nothing to eat and nothing to keep them warm.

Sully had left the river's edge and was riding along a familiar pathway. He urged the horse on, feeling that time was running out. Michaela had grown still and quiet. He jostled her, shouting her name. She stirred slightly and that encouraged him.

The rain had finally stopped, but it was getting dark. It was close to sunset, but with the thick clouds it was getting darker faster. Panic was beginning to take over. He feared he wouldn't make it in time. He shifted Michaela slightly, his own injured arm snug against his side. He felt the sticky wetness of blood seeping through the blanket and looked down. In the dim light he could make out the smear of red on his bare chest. The bleeding hadn't stopped! Would she die in his arms?

Although Sully didn't know it, Michaela was in shock. She didn't respond to him when he yelled her name the next time. Barely moaned as he shook her. As the blood continued to seep from her many wounds, her life was slipping away. By the time Sully guided his horse onto the road to Preston's Hotel, she was nearing death.

Sully's horse pounded down the drive to the hotel entrance, Sully yelling for help. The front door opened just as Sully drew up to the steps.

"What is the meaning of this?" demanded Preston, angered that his guests should be disturbed by yelling in the drive.

"Get andrew!" Sully ordered. "Now!"

Preston realized that something was terribly wrong. He stood, watching as Sully carefully slid off the horse, Michaela in his arms. As Sully came around the animal and up the stairs, Preston was aware of the look of pain on Sully's face as the man ignored his injured arm to support his wife.

"What happened?" Preston demanded as Sully barged into the hotel, leaving muddy footprints all over Preston's expensive carpet.

"Where's Andrew? She needs a doctor, now!" Sully walked on, through the maze of corridors, searching for the doctor's office. He finally found it and kicked open the door, startling Dr. Andrew Cook and the patient he was examining.

"See hear!" Andrew cried before turning around. He gasped when he saw Sully, an unconscious Michaela in his arms. Blood dripped from the blanket down onto the floor as Sully stood before him.

"She's been attacked by a bear. She's bleedin' to death, Andrew. You gotta save her."

"A bear!" Preston exclaimed, shocked.

"Put her on the table. Mrs. Clark, you'll have to excuse me," he said to his other patient. The lady gathered her things and left in a hurry.

Sully carefully laid her on the table, groaning at the pain in his arm.

"You're hurt," Andrew observed.

"Never mind. Andrew, she's dyin'. Ya gotta save her. Please."

Andrew turned to Michaela. He carefully peeled the blanket away and gasped, shocked at what he saw. He looked up at Preston who had gone completely white. "I think you'd better leave. Go and find the children. I'll need Colleen to assist me if she can."

Preston nodded, not all put off by Andrew giving him orders. He quickly left the small room.

Andrew turned back to Michaela. Using surgical scissors, he cut away her torn clothing, exposing her shift, now darkened red with blood across the chest and across the thighs. Sully hadn't even realized that her legs had been injured.

He watched as Andrew peeled away the blood-soaked material, exposing the ragged wounds. "I'll have to clean the wounds thoroughly. There's a great risk for infection. Then she'll need to be stitched up. What happened to her head? Did the bear do that too?"

"No." Sully's voice broke and he cleared his throat. "No, we fell into the river, went over some falls. She cracked it on a rock. I think she's got a concussion from that."

Andrew unwound the bandage Sully had put on her head. "Mmm," he agreed, peering closely at the wound that had swollen together from the constant water. He pushed on the tender flesh and Michaela writhed in response, but did not waken.

"The bone feels fractured. She may have internal damage here."

"She can't see," Sully whispered, lightly fingering his wife's hair. "After we got out of the river, she couldn't see. She thought it was because of the head injury. Her left arm is broken too. A couple of ribs. She was already badly injured before the bear got her."

Sully's voice faded away causing Andrew to look up from his cleansing. He decided to ask about it later and went back to cleansing the wounds on her arms and chest. With Sully's help he turned her over and began to work on the wounds on her back. Andrew worked quietly, quickly, knowing that time was of the essense. He had begun stitching the worst of the gashes when the door opened and Colleen came in.

"Andrew, Preston got me and. . ." she stopped, her eyes on Michaela's bloody back. All the colour drained from her face and Andrew worried that she might faint.

"Colleen, I need your help. Can you do it?" His voice was strong, urgent.

She tore her eyes away from the terrible sight and met his. She felt his strength, his professionalism flow into her and nodded. "Yes. What do you want me to do?"

"I need you to clease and suture the wounds on her legs. We have to stop the bleeding quickly."

Colleen nodded and quickly disinfected her hands. She set about work on the gashes to her Ma's legs, closing off the terror she was feeling that this was her Ma! She tried to forget about that and concentrated on the task.

She disinfected the wound, flushing it out as she had been taught. She applied pressure until the bleeding slowed, then began stitching. She worked as silently as Andrew.

"How's she doing?" Sully asked, worried that they weren't saying anything. Andrew looked up at him. "I think maybe you should wait outside, Sully. It will be easier for you than to watch. We'll take good care of her. I promise."

"You ain't gonna let her die?"

The fear in his voice unsettled Andrew. "No. We won't."

Sully nodded and then, after a last, loving touch, went out the door to the hall.

"Sully!" Brian shouted, running down the hall to greet him. Sully caught the boy in an embrace.

"You're okay. I knew you would be. Where's Ma?"

Sully looked down at Brian, stroking his hair affectionately. "Your Ma's been hurt bad, Brian. Andrew and Colleen are fixin' her up now."

"Hurt? What happened?"

Sully looked up to see Matthew, Grace and Robert E. standing close. Preston hovered behind them, trying to look important.

"She was attacked by a bear," he revealed.

Grace gasped, pressing her hand against her chest.

"Dear God," Robert E. muttered, pulling his wife close to him.

"A bear?" Brian asked. "Is she going to be alright?"

"I hope so, Brian. I hope so."

Sully held his son and closed his eyes. He leaned back against the wall, feeling the strength leave him suddenly.

"Here. You need to sit down," Grace said. "Why don't you come over here and Preston'll get you some coffee."

Robert E. was at his side, guiding him to a chair. Sully went quietly. He held his arm against him, feeling the pain come back. He groaned as he sat, his wet clothes ruining Preston's expensive chair.

"Your arm, Sully." Grace took off her apron and used it to fashion a sling for his injured arm.

"I think I broke it in the river."

"The river. What happened to you two up there?" Matthew asked.

Sully leaned back in the chair and told them what had happened. He drank the coffee that one of the maids brought, relishing it's warmth. He ate some food as he talked, all the while thinking about Michaela and wondering if she would survive the night.

An hour later, as Sully dozed in the chair, Brian at his side, Andrew and Colleen emerged from the office. They both looked exhausted, worried and were covered in blood. Brian nudged Sully awake.

"How is she? Is she gonna be alright?"

Colleen looked up at Andrew for guidance. He cleared his throat. "She's alright for now. She's lost a lot of blood. She's very weak. We've stitched all the wounds, stopped the bleeding for now. Now we need to wait and hope that infection doesn't set in. As I said before, that is the main worry. She's too weak to fight off an infection."

Sully swallowed, hugging Brian to his side. Matthew squeezed his shoulder encouragingly. "Can I see her now?"

"Of course," Andrew nodded, looking around the group. "But first I need to attend to your arm."

Sully nodded and followed Andrew and Colleen into the room. Matthew came up to Brian, putting an arm around his little brother's shoulder.

Sully went over to the table where Michaela lay on her back. The right side of her face was a purple bruise from the bashing in the river. Her head was freshly bandaged. Her right arm was bandaged well from shoulder to elbow and her left arm was similarily bandaged down to the wrist. A sheet was drawn up to her chin, hiding the rest of her from view.

Sully lightly brushed his fingers against her cheek and through her hair. He stroked the top of her head and kissed her bandaged forehead. She lay still, her breathing low and shallow.

"Sully?" Andrew called, motioning to a chair. Sully crossed the room and sat down, allowing Andrew to remove the sling of Grace's apron. He examined the arm, straightening it, turning, feeling the bones within.

"You're lucky. It's not broken. Just a fracture. Still, you should try to keep it immobile for a while." He bandaged it up and gave him a proper sling. "Anything else we need to look at Sully?"

Sully tore his eyes away from the table and looked up at Andrew. "No. I think I'm alright. I got a bump on the back of my head, but that's all. Just bruised all over."

Colleen felt the bump he mentioned. She nodded at Andrew. "Just a bump, no cut. Should be okay."

Sully rose and pulled the chair over to the table. He sat down and took Michaela's right hand in his own. He brought it to his lips and kissed it softly, gazing with love and worry at her still form.

Colleen exchanged looks with Andrew, then walked up to him. Laying a hand on his shoulder, she spoke to him softly. "Sully. You should get some sleep. You both need rest to heal."

"I ain't leavin' her. I left her before and look what happened. I ain't leavin' her again."

Colleen and Andrew backed off, going out to be with the rest of the family. At Andrew's urging, Preston gave Matthew, Colleen and Brian rooms at the hotel for the night. Grace and Robert E. left, promising to return in the morning. Andrew went back to sit with Sully and Michaela for the night.

Sully maintained a vigil for most of the night. He sat by her side, alternately watching and praying. Only towards dawn did he finally give in to the exhaustion and fall asleep, his head pillowed on his arm on the table.

Michaela's thrashing woke him a few hours later. Andrew stood by her side, themometre in hand. "I'm afraid she's developed a fever. The wounds are becoming infected."

"No," Sully whispered as Andrew's ominous words sunk in. He leaned forward, turning her face toward him. "No, Michaela. Don't give in. Please."

She turned her head away from his touched, moaning softly, but didn't open her eyes. Nor did she waken.

Andrew gently pushed Sully aside as he continued his examination. The wounds in her broken left arm were causing the fever. The arm was swollen and oozing pus from the many gashes and puncture wounds.

"I'll have to sterilize the wounds again. This is going to hurt terribly. Sully would you hold her down."

Sully looked at him and then nodded, holding down her injured arm with his right hand. Andrew took out the bottle of distilled alcohol and poured some into the infected wounds. Michaela jerked on the table, her harsh scream echoed throughout the hotel as the intense pain ripped from her fevered sleep.

Sully grimaced at her cries, feeling her pain, but knowing that it had to be. He turned away as Andrew continued to work, opening the supporating wounds and flushing them with the alcohol.

Colleen burst into the room, fear in her eyes. "What's happened?"

"Her wounds have become infected. I'm using distilled alcohol to flush them out."

Colleen came to his side, watching, her stomach tight with fear and clenching with a sick feeling at the excruciating pain he was causing her ma.

"Will that work?"

"It should. This usually kills any infection. Unless gangrene sets in."

Sully looked up sharply. He knew about that. Heard about it during the war, long ago. Men lost limbs when gangrene set in. What would Michaela do if she lost her arm? How would she be a doctor?

Colleen uttered his thoughts. "Can she lose her arm?" she asked, horror tainting her voice. "How will she be a doctor if she loses her arm?"

"That doesn't have to happen. We can do other things first to help before it comes to that. We'll keep a close eye on her."

Finally finished, Andrew put away the bottle and Sully relaxed again. Michaela continued to toss her head to and fro, moaning and crying out against the pain that burned in her arm. The arm in question was wrapped in clean bandages and set over her stomach again. Andrew then gave her a shot of morphine for the pain. Within moments she quieted and drifted off to sleep again.

The day passed slowly. Sully stayed by Michaela's side while others drifted in and out. Only Andrew remained in the room, taking all meals there too. He only left his patient to go to the privy, returning quickly lest anything should change while he was gone.

Brian had gone with Grace to the store to take his mind off the terrible situation. Collen sat with Andrew at his desk, looking through medical books to find any information that would help them. Matthew had gone to the homestead to look after things there.

"Here," Colleen said, disturbing the silence of the room. "It says here that boiling water is sometimes used to kill infections in bad wounds."

"Boiling water?" Andrew asked. "Wouldn't that burn the patient?"

Colleen read on. "Yes, but it kills the infection so the patient is more likely to recover. You have to be careful how you do it."

Andrew made some notes on his folder. "If she worsens, we can try that."

They didn't have long to wait. By midafternoon Michaela's fever had climbed dangerously and her arm was swollen badly. The skin had turned hard at the edges of the wounds, which were oozing a foul smelling puss.

Andrew looked over at Colleen and Sully. "I think we ought to try the hot water. She's dangerously close to gangrene. She can't withstand this fever much longer. If the infection doesn't kill her the fever will."

Sully and Colleen exchanged looks. At her slight nod, Sully turned back to Andrew. "Alright. Do it. Whatever it takes to save her life."

Andrew nodded curtly. "Colleen, fetch the water from the kitchen. Make sure that it is boiling for at least five minutes. We want it to be pure."

Colleen rushed out of the room while Andrew prepared the area. He got out a large basin that would hold her arm and took out his scalples.

"What d'ya need them for?" Sully asked, holding his wife's right hand tightly. He was terrified at the heat he felt from her skin.

"I'll have to cut into some of the wounds to allow the water access. I may also have to remove some of the dead tissue."

"You gonna give her some chloroform"

"No. I can't do that. She needs to be conscious." At the stricken look on Sully's face he continued. "It's not safe to put her to sleep right now. She's in a lot of danger. She could die if I give her chloroform." Andrew paused as he looked at Sully, realizing that the man might not be able to bear seeing his wife go through so much pain again. "Perhaps you would prefer waiting outside. This will be difficult to watch. Colleen and I can manage."

Sully shook his head. "I ain't leavin' her again."

Andrew nodded and finished preparing while Sully began a prayer. Colleen came back with a large pot of water. She placed it on a small table by Andrew and took up a small cup. She looked down at the flushed, sweaty face of her mother and reached the cup out to Andrew. "You do it," she said softly. "I can't."

Andrew took the cup from her. He handed her the scalpel, directing her to cut open the largest wound that was festering. Sully braced himself as she made the incision. Andrew dipped the cup full and holding her arm down against the table, quickly poured the boiling water into the open wound.

Michaela's screams pierced the air. She twisted violently, jerking to the side, trying to escape the agony. Sully cried out in empathy, but tried to help Andrew by holding her down.

"Cut, Colleen. We have to do this quickly."

With tears streaming down her face, Colleen cut the next wound open and watched as Andrew poured on more hot water. She gritted her teeth and continued to cut, closing her eyes each time Andrew poured on the water and Michaela's agonized screams overpowered them.

When they were finally done, Michaela's screams continued to fill the small room and her arm was an angry red, scalded by the hot water. Andrew rinsed out the basin and placed her arm on a clean sheet.

Sully sank down into the chair and covered his face with his hand. He sobbed quietly and Andrew turned his back to give him some privacy.

Colleen remained by her mother's side, soothing her with soft touches and gentle words. Michaela's cries died down and she finally quieted, uttering only an occasional moan. Andrew gave her some more morphine then examined her arm again.

Brian sat out in the hall next to Dorothy on the bench. They talked quietly to pass the time. They watched as Colleen came back down the hall with the hot water.

"Whatcha' doin' Colleen?" Brian asked as she stopped before the door.

Colleen looked at her brother and then at Dorothy. "It's for ma. We have to sterilize her wounds."

Dorothy gasped, but Brian looked confused. Not wanting to discuss it, afraid about it herself, Colleen opened the door and disappeared inside.

"What did she mean, Miss Dorothy?"

Dorothy turned to Brian and wondered if she should tell him. The trust in his eyes convinced her. "They're gonna rinse the wounds with the hot water, Brian."

His eyes widened as he imagined that happening. "Isn't that gonna burn her?"

"Yes, I suppose it will. But it will probably help her too. I'm sure they wouldn't be doin' it otherwise."

Just then Michaela's anguished screams began. Brian jumped to his feet, wanting to go to his ma's defense, but Dorothy pulled him back down. She put her arms around him, holding him as she would a small child. Brian put his hands over his ears as the screams went on and on. Dorothy rocked him, comforting him, whispering soothing words as tears filled her eyes and overflowed.

Preston appeared at the end of the hallway, his own expression pained. This time it was clear that he was feeling for Michaela, not worried about what his guests would think.

When the screams died down, Dorothy and Brian continued to sit together, both of them crying. Preston turned away and went back to tend his guests. For Brian, the silence was almost as bad as the screams. He prayed that God would spare Dr. Mike, that He wouldn't take her as He had taken his birth mother.

Sully slept lightly, slouched down in his chair, head resting on his shoulder. When he felt the soft touch on his hand that rested on Michaela's bed he came instantly awake. He sat forward, taking Michaela's hand into his own.

"Michaela?" he asked softly. He felt her fingers move within his hand and felt a surge of hope. "Michaela. Wake up, Michaela."

Her eyes fluttered briefly then opened slowly. The light in the room was the dim, early morning light. She turned her head to face him, eyes searching for him.

"Sully?"

He barely heard her, her voice was so soft, so hoarse from a throat raw from screaming.

"I'm here, Michaela. I'm here." He kissed her fingers, pressed them against his cheek.

"Sully," she said again, then closed her eyes once more.

Sully felt a moment of fear, but then realized that she had drifted off to sleep. He put her hand down and felt her cheek. Her temperature was down. He rose and lifted the sheet off her injured arm and saw that the oozing had stopped and the swelling was down as well although the skin looked red and blistered.

Sully turned and went to Andrew who slept on a cot he had brought into the room. He shook the young man awake.

"Michaela? Is she alright? What's wrong?" He asked frantically, worried that she had worsened during the night again.

Sully allowed himself a small smile. "Her fever broke. Her arm looks good. She spoke to me Andrew."

Andrew looked surprised, then rushed to her bedside and examined her himself. He smiled at Sully. "You're right. Her fever is broken and the arm looks better. I think she'll make it, Sully."

The relief felt by both men was palpable. Sully put his hand on the young doctor's shoulder. "Thank you, Andrew. You saved her life."

Andrew nodded, feeling very pleased with the success of his drastic measures.

A week had passed since that morning when Michaela's fever broke. She had been moved to a private room in the hotel so that Andrew could be near her, tending to her needs. Her condition had improved throughout the week, her arm beginning to heal. Andrew had bandaged her eyes, to give them time to rest, hoping that when she had recovered enough from the shock of her experiences that the difficulty with her sight would have resolved itself.

Sully entered the small room, carrying a breakfast tray. He was pleased to see Michaela awake, sitting up slightly in bed.

"Mornin'," he said, smiling. He put the tray down on the bedside table and sat down on the edge of the bed.

"Sully?" She asked softly, reaching for him with her good hand.

"I'm here." He took her hand and kissed her fingers, then leaned forward and kissed her cheek. The bruising was beginning to fade, leaving behind a yellow tinge. Her pale skin had begun to regain some colour.

"Andrew said he'd take off the bandages today."

Sully sighed. He didn't want her to get her hopes up. If they were lucky, she would be able to see, but if not. . . He didn't want to finish that thought. If not, they would deal with it then. He reached for the plate.

"I brought you some breakfast. Scrambled eggs."

"I don't want any." She turned her head away.

"Come on, Michaela. You gotta eat. You won't get better if you don't eat. Please, for me."

Michaela relented. She turned back to him and opened her mouth. Sully spooned in a small amount of eggs and watched as she chewed and swallowed. He gave her a sip of milk then another spoon of eggs.

Just as she was finishing her breakfast there was a knock at the door.

"Come in," Sully called.

Andrew came in, followed by Colleen, Brian and Katie.

"Well," Andrew said, rubbing his hands together. "Today is the day. Are you ready, Michaela?"

She turned toward him and nodded. "Yes. Please."

Sully moved back, putting the plate back on the tray. He stood next to Colleen, taking Katie from her. Andrew sat down on the bed next to Michaela. He pulled out the scissors from his pocket and carefully snipped the bandage over her eyes. "Alright now. Don't open your eyes until I say to." He began to unwind the bandage, round and round until the last of it fell away. He took off the two small pads of cotton that were placed on her eyelids.

"Alright, Michaela. Very slowly now."

Michaela reached up her hand and touched her eyelids lightly. Slowly, she opened her eyes. She blinked rapidly as the light filtered in, filling her eyes with tears. Pain pinpricked behind her eyes and she shut them again.

"What's wrong, Michaela?" Andrew was concerned.

"The light," she said softly. It hurts."

Brian crossed the room and pulled the curtains shut. The room dimmed considerably.

"Try again, Ma. It's darker now."

Michaela blinked, opening her eyes a crack. Then, seeing the light, she opened them further. Her heart was racing with anticipation. She could see shadows, blurry images surrounded by bright light. She blinked rapidly then opened her eyes fully. The blurriness wavered, then cleared. She smiled, turning her head and looking at her husband.

"Sully."

"Michaela? Can you see?"

"Yes." She laughed a little, tears filling her eyes and spilling down her cheeks. Andrew backed away and Sully took his place. He held Katie on his lap. Michaela reached for him and he hugged her, careful of Katie between them.

Colleen and Brian hugged one another, smiling. Andrew turned to Colleen and welcomed her brief hug. "Thank you, Andrew. You saved her life."

Michaela leaned back against the bed and touched her daughter's face. "Katie? How's my little girl?"

Katie gurgled, reaching for her mother. "Ma," she said suddenly.

Michaela laughed, pleased to hear her daughter calling her ma. She gathered her close and then hugged Colleen and Brian as well.

"Okay everyone. I think we need to give Michaela some time. She needs to rest her eyes."

Colleen took Katie in her arms and left with Brian.

Andrew made to follow, but was stopped by Michaela.

"Andrew wait. I want to see my arm."

He looked at her then at Sully. "Are you sure? Perhaps it would be better to give it some more time to heal."

"No. I want to see it. I'm a doctor, Andrew. I need to see it."

"Alright." He came around the bed and gently picked up her bandaged arm. He unpinned the bandage and unwrapped it. He eased off the splints that were holding her broken bone steady and removed the final wrappings.

Michaela stared at her arm in shock. The deep gashes were healing well, but they were still red and hideous. There would be scarring, she could tell. The flesh was puffy and red around the wounds. She saw several puncture wounds as well.

As she stared at her mangled skin, she remembered clearly the attack. She felt again the pain as the bear bit into her arm and pulled her along the ground. She felt again the pain as his claws ripped through her flesh. Tears spilled down her cheeks and blurred the image before her.

"Oh Michaela," Sully cried, gathering her close. She clung to him, sobbing, fearing her days as a surgeon were over. He comforted her as she cried, stroking her back gently, mindful of her healing wounds. "It'll be alright, Michaela. You'll see. Your arm will heal, the bone will heal. You'll be able to use your hand again. You're still a doctor, Michaela. You'll always be a doctor."

Michaela pulled away from him. She wiped away her tears with her good hand and looked at him steadily. With bitterness edging her voice she said softly, "But I won't be able to operate again, will I?"

Sully looked over at Andrew, appealing for help. "We don't know that yet, Michaela. You still have a long way to full recovery. Later, when the bone has healed, then we'll find out if you can use your hand like you used to. For now, why don't you try moving your fingers."

Michaela looked at him, then down at her hand. She concentrated hard and tried to move her fingers. They remained straight, unable to follow her command.

"That's alright," Andrew said quickly, trying to hide his disappointment. "Let's just wrap it up again and give it some more time to heal."

Without further words, Andrew bandaged her arm up again. Then he left the room. Sully looked at Michaela. He reached for her hand, but she pulled it away.

"Go away, Sully. I want to be alone."

"Michaela. I don't think. . ."

"Sully, please. I want to sleep."

Rebuffed, his feelings hurt, Sully stood. "I'll be back later." He left her to sleep, hoping that would ease her pain, emotional and physical.

He met Andrew out in the hall. "Did you really mean it? Can she still use her hand?"

"There have been cases where the feeling did come back after such a severe trauma. We can only wait and see. After a few weeks, when the bone has healed, she'll have to start trying to use it, to force it to move. Maybe then it will respond and she could regain full use again."

"But she might not," Sully pressed.

"No. She might not."

The next weeks passed by slowly. Michaela's wounds healed and she went back home. Her arm was still splinted, wrapped in bandages. She worked around the house, only going to town occasionally. She didn't go to the clinic and Colleen was hard pressed to keep up with her patients.

"Ma, you have to come in today," Colleen pleaded, washing Katie's face as Michaela carried the dishes to the basin one by one.

"Colleen. I can't. You know that."

Just then a knock sounded and Colleen, putting Katie down on the floor, answered it. Dorothy stood there, smiling pleasantly.

"Mornin' Colleen."

"Miss Dorothy. Come on in."

Dorothy walked in. "Well hello there, Katie," she said happily as the youngster toddled over to greet her. She picked her up and gave her a hug and a kiss. "Hello Michaela."

Michaela smiled at her friend, then went back to taking the dishes to the counter. "What brings you out here, Dorothy?"

"You."

Michaela turned, startled. "Me?"

"I'm worried about you." Dorothy put Katie down and approached her friend. "Michaela you're my friend. I worry when you're hurting. I can see you're hurting now. You need to accept what's happened and get back to your life. Colleen has told me that your patients need you. You need to go back to the clinic."

Michaela turned accusing eyes on her oldest daughter.

"I'm sorry, Ma, but she's right. You won't listen to me. You need to go back to work. You need to get your mind off your trouble."

Michaela opened her mouth to retort, but then closed it again. Colleen was right. She knew it deep within her, but could she face her fear?

"We'll help you, Michaela. We'll be by your side. You're not alone in this."

"Thank you, Dorothy. For being such a good friend."

Dorothy smiled and hugged her, patting her back affectionately. "Come on now. Let's go."

And so Michaela eased back into her medical practice. Colleen helped her everyday and sometimes Dorothy joined in when Michaela need an extra pair of hands. As the month neared its end, she felt better about herself and about her future.

The day came when Andrew came to the clinic. He came into the room and smiled at her. "Are you ready, Michaela?"

She looked nervously at Colleen and Dorothy and at Sully who stood across the room. Michaela sat down on the examining table while Andrew cut the bandages. He removed the splints and the final bandage. They all stared at the pale while arm before them. It was crisscrossed with angry looking scars, but the swelling and redness had vanished.

"Try to unbend your arm."

Michaela slowly moved her arm, straightening it. Andrew smiled encouragingly.

"That's good. Now, try to move your fingers."

She looked up at him, then at Dorothy. Sully came to stand beside her. He gripped her good hand, giving silent support.

Slowly, she tried to bend her fingers. Everyone stared intently at her pale fingers, willing them to move.

"It's alright. Try again," Andrew encouraged, sensing her looming disappointment.

Michaela tried again. Slowly, slowly, her fingers started to curl. Happiness erupted around her. Colleen and Brian laughed, then hugged. Dorothy grinned, saying "Oh, Michaela!" pressing her hands on either side of her face.

Sully grinned at her. He hugged her tightly, whispering in her ear, "I knew you'd be alright. I knew it."

Michaela felt tears pricking her eyes. Tears of happiness. If she could move her fingers now, perhaps, with work, she would be able to move her hand fully again. Perhaps she could still be a surgeon. Although she knew that she probably had months of work ahead of her, hope filled her and overflowed. She hugged Sully tighter and cried tears of joy, finally able to begin putting the terror and tragedy behind her.

Below are links to my other Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman stories.

[ Dr. Quinn ] [ The Anguished Heart ] [ To Live with Fear ] [ Into the Fire ] [ The River ] [ Snowbound ] [ The Outlaw ] [ Beneath the Shadow of the Moon ] [ Avalanche! ]

Disclaimer: Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman and its characters were created by Beth Sullivan. This story in no way intends to infringe upon any copyrights owned by Ms Sulivan or CBS. If anyone associated with DQMW objects to this site and wishes for it to be removed, I will do so when asked in writing. The story content is my own and is copyrighted October 5, 1997. This story may not be stored on any other server without the author's prior permission. Links to this site would be appreciated, although please inform me when you do so.