Chapter 3
"Hello Ms..ahh..what might your name be ma'am?" Michaela jerked her head up from the floor and looked at the kindly maid.
"Mrs. Michaela Qu...Sully." She lowered her head again. 'My selfish pride has kept me from using Sully's name...no more will that happen, he is my husband, and from now on I will use his name with pride...' She resolved to herself.
Looking around the room, she began to try to peice together what was happening. She tried to focus on one thing but everything was out of proportion. 'What's happening...' She thought.
The maid looked at her in wonder. 'A Misses...why on earth...' "Hello Mrs. Sully, my name is Isabel, and I will be your chamber maid during your stay here. Is there anything I can do for you before I unpack your things?"
Michaela raised her head again trying to see straight. "Umm, no thank you Isabell." Isabell nodded and turned toward the chiffarobe to unpack Michaela's clothes.
“What pleasure do we owe to your staying Mrs. Sully; we haven’t had visitors in quite a while.” She inquired trying to uncover the mystery to this beautiful lady.
When Michaela didn't answer she looked back toward the bed to Michaela pale as death.
"Are you alright Mrs. Sully?!" She rushed over to support her. Michaela swayed at her feet. "Yes, I…I’m fine...could I have a glass of water please...I'm just tired is all..." Michaela answered growing weaker by the second.
"Of course Mrs. Sully, I'll get it myself! Please lie down, and I'll have it up in a jiffy!" Isabel quickly left the room seeking out the kitchen.
Michaela tried to stand after laying down to get her medical bag, but as she did the room started spinning violently and she couldn't find anything to hang on to too keep her balance. Her feet crumpled under her and she fell to the floor slamming her head into the bed frame.....
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The birds had stopped chirping, everything was a blur, the horse underneath him was covered in foam. The need to find Michaela was overwhelming. Her scream inside his head kept repeating itself along with the nagging feeling of danger and death.
"MICHAELA!" Sully screamed as tears ran down his face from the force of the wind. He rode into town and up to the train station. He jumped clear off his tired horse, bedroll and bag in hand, and rushed up to the counter. "Horace, I need a ticket to Denver on this train." He nodded to train the had just pulled in. "I'm sorry Sully, but all the tickets are sold out!"
"Horace, I need on *this* train. It could depend on someone's life!" He felt himself cringe at that statement. Horace looked at him in surprise, "On someone's life? Well, I guess you could ride in the baggage car..." he started. Sully started running off to the car and was jumping into it when Horace yelled after him. "...but you still have to pay for a full price ticket!"
The trian started pulling out. "Have the kids use some of my money from the homestead when they get back into town! Oh, and tell them I love them, and I'll find their ma soon!" He shouted as the train crept farther out of the station. Horace looked at him with an awkward expression. "Ok I'll do it..." Then he thought for a second; "Is Dr. Mike in trouble?! What's happened?" Sully didn’t have time to answer; the train jolted making him lose his balance, and falling into a pile of baggage he landing with a soft thud.
For about an hour all was quiet except for the lulling effect of the train going over the tracks. “Michaela I’ll find you…I’ll find you if it’s the last thing I do…I promise…” He vowed as he drifted off into restless sleep.
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Everything was foggy, he couldn’t see much, it was so bright…but yet so dim…he saw long golden hair, a familiar person started walking toward him out of the foggy substance. ‘Could it be…’ he thought.
“Michaela?”
“Sully, I love you. I’ll love you forever...I don’t know…if I can..make it, hurry Sully…Ethan….”
“Michaela! NO!! Don’t leave me now!!! I need you Michaela! Hang on for a little longer!!!”
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He had been sleeping for couple minutes but jolted awake from the impact of his dream. “Michaela, I’ll get to you in time!! Please don’t leave me now!!! I love you!!!” He yelled. He lied back down in the pile of luggage and began to collect himself when something stirred behind him; Sully quickly opened his eyes and reacted fast enough before a revolver butt slammed into the luggage where his head had been resting. The figure rushed behind some tall baggage as if to try to conceal his identity.
“Who are you and what do you want?!” Sully said loudly.
Total silence elapsed for what seemed like hours. Sully began to think it was all a dream when a familiar voice came from behind the baggage
“I want you dead…” A man appeared from behind the baggage with a revolver drawn.
“Preston…..?!”
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“Why does my head hurt so much…why can’t I move my arm…” Sara’s eyes fluttered open. “Where am I?” “Brian? Where are you Brian?” She asked looking around the room.
She heard footsteps coming up there stairs and approaching the room she was in. A familiar face popped in the door.
“Sara! You’re awake! I’ve been so worried about ya! How are ya feelin?” Brian asked with a caring look on his face.
“I’m really sore,” she said; “But Brian, what happened, why am I so sore?” She asked trying to stay conscious.
Brian sat on the bed beside her, she winced but then calmed back down. “You don’t remember anything do ya?”
“Remember what Brian? All I remember is eating breakfast at Grace’s and then…” She gasped in terror. “I fell over the side of that cliff at the Red Rocks formations…” Brian looked at her tenderly. “And you asked me to…to…oh I don’t remember. What was it that you asked me to do?”
Brian’s expression was pained when he saw the love of his life in so much pain and confusion. “Never mind that, Dr. Nelson’s gonna be here in an hour and he’ll come right up and give you something for the pain, then you need to rest; Dr. Brian’s orders!” He finished giving her a light kiss on the lips. She smiled up at him at returned his kiss.
She suddenly she started coughing violently, Brian quickly handed her an awaiting glass of water and a handkerchief. She finally stopped coughing and handed the piece of linen back to Brian apologetically. She started to drift off to sleep as Brian cleaned up a bit. He accidentally dropped the handkerchief, he stooped down to pick it back up when to his horror, he saw that the middle of delicate linen was blood stained. He looked back up at Sara in alarm and there was blood trickling down her chin.
“Matthew, Jake!! Come quick!” He shouted out the door.
He heard heavy boots clomping up the stairs. “Brian what’s wro…” Matthew started but then saw Sara. There was silence for what seemed to be hours. Jake finally realized what was happening
“She’s got internal bleedin, nothin we can do till Doc Nelson gets here…” He said solemnly, looking down at the floor.
“No! There’s gotta be somethin we can do; we can’t just leave her there like that! We gotta do something!!!” Brian said desperately, pacing beside her Sara’s bed.
“Jake’s right little brother. There isn’t anything else to do but wait.” Matthew said looking at his little brother anxiously. “Brian, I know what you’re goin through, I’ve been through it before.”
“No one knows what I’m goin through…” He said looking up from Sara’s white face with red eyes. He left the room with reluctant tears on his cheeks.
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“Mr. Cooper! Mr. Cooper I need you at this very moment!” Isabel called as she frantically ran through the huge mansion in search of her employer. ‘Where is that rat of a man…’ She thought as she hurried to his private study.
“Mr. Cooper, are you in here?!” She yelled through the door.
“Yes Ms. Moore, the door’s open, you may enter.”
She breathed a sigh of relief. She opened the huge oak wood door into the dark rose colored room. “Mr. Cooper; Mich….Mrs. Sully has fainted and injured herself. She is no longer conscious; we MUST call the doctor at this instant.” She said quietly but very earnestly. “I have put her on her bed and made her comfortable, her head was bleeding pretty badly, I put a bandage and a cold compress on it but she requires proper medical attention!!!” She was now yelling. Her employer just looked at her in a dumbfounded stare. Isabel got red in the face with frustration. “Sir if you do not snap out of this I will be forced to do what I have to do for this lady.” She was breathing loudly when Ethan finally responded.
“Do it,” was all he said. Isabel nodded; turning around she walked very quickly in the direction of her charge’s room. ‘Why that man can’t even take responsibility for his own houseguests…or is she just a houseguest…my this is getting quite interesting.’ She thought. She stopped at the door of Michaela’s room. She heard a soft voice inside.
“Sully…Sully I need you…Sully where are you?!!”
‘Is not Sully her last name?’ Isabel thought to herself. She opened the door to find her charge still unconscious and still calling the name “Sully”, but growing weaker by the second. She rushed over to Michaela’s bedside. “Michaela, I don’t know if you can hear me, but please, you have to hold on a little longer.” She thought for a second. ‘This “Sully” must be her husband. Who else would she be calling for help?’ She looked at Michaela. ‘And if so, why on earth would Mr. Cooper have a married woman come to his house.’ The thought finally struck her. “Ms. Michaela Sully, I will find your husband if it’s the last thing I do.” She resolved to her charge and herself.
