"Evenin'," Sully said, pushing open Michaela's door and entering her room.  A smile like a rainbow after a storm brightened his face as he beheld his wife.  Brian sat in the chair beside her bed, with Colleen  perched on the cot opposite him.  Marjorie stood in a corner of the room, her face glowing with pleasure.

     "Sully," Michaela said, an equally joyous smile lighting her features.  She held out her hand toward him.

     "Here, Pa—you can take my place," Brian offered, quickly rising from his seat and making room for his father.

     "Thanks, Brian," Sully said, slipping into the vacated chair.  He took Michaela's hand and pressed it to his lips.

     "You look beautiful," he said, clasping her hand in his.

     "Oh Sully—you're very generous to say so, but I had Colleen bring me a mirror—I look terrible," Michaela said ruefully, as she self-consciously tried to smooth her hair with her other hand.

     "No," Sully corrected her, the vivid blue of his eyes nearly violet as he gazed at her raptly.  "You're beautiful—the most beautiful sight I ever seen."  And it was true—a healthy blush of color glowed in her cheeks, and the lines of pain he had seen in her face earlier had been smoothed away.

     "Well, just on the off chance that you might be a little prejudiced, I've asked Colleen to bring me some things from home so that I can make myself more presentable—like a brush, and a proper nightgown," Michaela replied, smiling.

     "Like the nightgown you wore on our honeymoon?" he said, grinning.

     "If you like," she said, a trifle coquettishly.

     "I do," he told her.

     "I promised Ma that when she's strong enough to sit up, I'd brush out her hair and put it up for her," Colleen said.

     "No—don't put it up," Sully said.  "I love your hair loose—flowin' down around you like liquid copper."

     "Why, Sully," Michaela said with genuine pleasure.  "How could I have lived with you for so long and not realized what a poetic soul you have?"

     "Guess all them years of readin' poetry finally rubbed off," he answered.

     "You look wonderful too—but so tired," Michaela said, distressed to see his drawn appearance and the pronounced shadows under his eyes.  She reached up to touch his face gently.  "And though your beard is very striking, I confess I miss seeing the face beneath."

     "I'm fine—no need to worry about me," he assured her, then rubbed self-consciously at his jaw and grinned.  "I am a might scruffy though, ain't I?  I 'spose I could use a bath and a change of clothes—and some time with a razor," he admitted.  "Maybe Colleen could bring me some things too."

     "Sure, Pa—whatever you need," Colleen said.  She noted her parents' intimate expressions as they gazed at one another.  Glancing at Marjorie and Brian, she said, "We should go so Ma and Sully can have some time alone."

     "Good idea, Colleen," Marjorie answered.  "Come on, Brian."

     "Sure," Brian agreed, also recognizing his parents' need for some privacy.

     "You all needn't go," Michaela protested, but not very strongly.

     "We'll see you later," Marjorie promised, smiling indulgently, and stepped into the hall.

     "We love you, Ma," said Colleen.  Brian grinned at her as well, and they followed Marjorie out of the room, closing the door behind them.

     "How you feelin'?' Sully asked more softly.

     "Better," she said.  "The pain has eased.  Andrew must have given me something."

     "Yeah, he did.  I told him you were hurtin'—he said he'd give you some morphine to cut the pain."

     "Morphine?" Michaela repeated, looking troubled.

     "What's the matter?" Sully asked, concerned at her sudden change of mood.  Then, as a thought struck him, he added, "Michaela—you ain't scared you're gonna become like Tom Jennings, are you?"

     Her downcast eyes told him his suspicion was correct.

     "Ever since—that incident with Tom—I've always worried more about administering morphine to my patients," Michaela admitted.  "I suppose—I *am* a little concerned about the long-term effect it could have on me."

     "It won't," Sully said confidentally.

     "How can you know that?" Michaela said.

     "'Cause I know you," he told her.  "You're strong—a lot stronger than Tom ever was.  You'd never give in to that kind of weakness."

     "I hope you're right," Michaela answered, still sounding doubtful.

     "I know I am," he assured her.

     "Still, I'm going to ask Andrew to give me only willow bark tea from now on," Michaela decided.

     "The tea works good, of course, but it ain't always strong enough, Michaela," Sully pointed out.  "I don't want you sufferin' needlessly.  If you don't want the morphine, couldn't you take laudanum?" he suggested.

     "Unfortunately, both morphine and laudanum are derivatives of opium," Michaela explained.  "I've read some articles in my medical journals which suggest that both can create the type of dependence that Tom suffered.  I would rather not take the risk, Sully."

     "I still think you're worryin' needlessly—but I know not to argue with you when your mind is set," he said.  "All right, Michaela--whatever you want," he agreed, leaning over to kiss her lips.  The firm, responsive feel of her mouth against his ignited a core of desire deep inside him.  With a great act of will, he forced himself to break the kiss and draw away.

     He could see in Michaela's eyes that she'd read what was in his mind, and shared his feelings.  She stretched out her hand toward him again, her fingertips gliding gently across his cheek to brush the waves of hair that fell past his shoulders.  "We never had our 'nap,'" she said, smiling regretfully.

     An answering smile of remembrance touched his eyes.  "We will," he promised.  He kissed her again lightly.

     "I miss Katie," she said, after a moment.

     "I know," he said sympathetically.  "But Andrew said we should wait till you're stronger to bring her to visit."

     "It pains me to admit it, but I'm afraid he's right," she sighed.  "But promise you'll bring her tomorrow?"

     "If you're up to it," he hedged.

     "I will be—please, Sully--promise?"

     He smiled at her indulgently.  "You know I can't refuse you nothin'.  All right, tomorrow it is."

     Satisfied, she relaxed against the pillows.  "How is she?"

     "Just fine," he told her.  "Our little bundle of sunshine, just like always.  She called me 'Pa,"" he confided, his face glowing with pleasure at the memory.

     "Did she?" Michaela said happily.  "Oh Sully, I'm so glad."

     "Like music to my ears," he said.

     "I thought—Matthew was coming with you," Michaela said, belatedly noticing the absence of her oldest son.

     "He was right behind me—guess he got held up," Sully answered.  "Truth is, I'm kinda glad he did.  I like havin' this special time together, just the two of us."

     "Me too," Michaela said warmly.  She was silent for several moments, then looked up at him earnestly.

     "Sully, I'm sorry," she whispered.

     He looked surprised.  "What have you got to be sorry about?" he said gently.

     "I'm sorry—for not listening to you that day.  If I had—none of this would have happened, and the army wouldn't know about you."

     "Shh," he said, laying his fingertips lightly against her lips.  "You ain't got nothin' to be sorry for.  You didn't have no choice, what with the washout and all."

     "Yes, I did," she insisted.  "We could have turned back, and gone the long way—Dorothy offered to take that route, but I was so anxious to get to town I didn't listen—to her or to you."

     "You were just worried about the folks in town, and wanted to get there fast as you could," Sully said.  "You were bein' a good doctor, Michaela, just like always.  How can I blame you for that?

     "'Sides, that's all over now--no need to dredge it up again," he added.

     "But there is," she persisted.  "When we talked last, I'm afraid I was too groggy to think clearly.  But I'm in possession of my faculties now, and we need to talk--about that day, and about everything."

     "Michaela, there ain't no rush.  You just woke up for the first time a few hours ago.  All of that can wait till you're stronger," he demured.

     "But I'm worried about you—and about your future," she said.

     "I don't want you wastin' your strength worryin' about me," he told her firmly.  "I'm doin' just fine, and the future will take care of itself."

     "But-"

     "Please, Michaela," he insisted.  "Let it rest for now."

     She still looked concerned, but reluctantly subsided.

     "There's one thing I *do* want to talk to you about," Sully said eagerly after a pause.  "You remember last time, I said that Rosalind gave us a special gift?"

     "I think so," Michaela answered, recalling a vague memory.  "I'm afraid I was falling asleep at the time," she added apologetically.

     "Yeah, you were—and that's exactly what you needed," Sully said.  "But I'd like to tell you about it now."

     "Please," she encouraged.

     "Well," he began, studying her slender, delicate fingers as they clung to his.  "You had us  kinda worried there for a while, after your operation.  You'd lost a lot of blood, and Andrew was concerned about your body makin' enough blood to replace what was lost.  He waited as long as he could, to see if you could make blood on your own.  But when you didn't get no better, he finally decided you needed a transfusion."

     "That's why I was unconscious for so long," Michaela said.

      "Right, as usual," he said, smiling at her. "Anyway, we had to decide who was gonna give blood to you.  I wanted to—fact is, I kinda bullied Andrew about it.  He told me the same thing you did, back when Loren and Cloud Dancin' needed blood—that it should be man to man, or woman to woman.  But I guess I wasn't in a mood to listen to reason.  Truth be told, I was feelin' kinda desperate."

     "Oh, Sully," she said softly.

     "But that's when a wonderful thing happened," he went on, his eyes kindling.  "Rosalind came in, and offered to give her blood.  I didn't know how I could repay her for makin' that kind of sacrifice—but she wouldn't accept no thanks.  Fact is, she insisted on doin' it.  She told me that her givin' blood to you was almost like me givin' it myself, 'cause her and me shared the same blood.  And she was right—it worked.  When Andrew told me you were gonna recover, I felt like Rosalind had saved two lives--yours and mine."

     "What a generous and remarkable person she is," Michaela said in awe.

     "That she is," Sully agreed.

     "I owe her such a debt of gratitude," Michaela added.

     "We both do," he said softly.

     "I want to thank her, Sully—I need to thank her," Michaela said earnestly.

     "You'll get your chance," he assured her.  "She'll be comin' to visit you soon—she just wanted to give the rest of the family a chance to see you first."

     "I almost feel as if she's been our 'lucky charm'—coming here when we needed her most," Michaela said.

     "Well, she certainly gave me a 'lucky charm,'" Sully said.  Reaching into his shirt, he withdrew the cameo.  "Remember this?" he asked, smiling.

     "But you gave it back to her," Michaela said in surprise.

     "Yeah, I did—but when I was fixin' to go out searchin' for you, she insisted I take it back—she thought it might help to protect me, and bring me luck.  And it did—I found you in time," he said, kissing her hand.

    "Havin' it with me—almost felt like havin' my medicine pouch back again," he went on thoughtfully.  "I felt like the Cheyenne spirits were watchin' over me—and the spirits of Rosalind and my ma, too."

    "I'm so glad," Michaela told him.  Her eyes were briefly shadowed with a private knowledge, but she didn't elaborate further.

    There was a soft knock on the door.

    "Come in," Sully called.

     The door opened to reveal Matthew.  "Hey, Dr. Mike," he said, smiling at her.

    "Matthew!" Michaela said, her eyes lighting up at the sight of her son.  "It's so good to see you."

    "You too," he said, coming into the room..  "And look—I brought someone with me."  He stood aside, and Robert E. appeared.

    "Good to have you back, Dr. Mike," Robert E. said.