Unwilling To Stay, Unable To Leave

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Sully Byron sat on the floor of the prison. Even though it was fairly warm outside, it was frigid inside his jail cell. Tears ran down his cheeks as he thought about Dr. Mike. Dr. Michaela Quinn, his fiancée. He wept because he knew that he probably never be freed to marry her or free, period.

"Sully!" he heard a familiar voice.

"Michaela!" he jumped to his feet and wiped the tears from his eyes and cheeks. "What are you doing here?" he asked in a low voice. Before she could think of an answer, he said, "You shouldn't be here! Take the kids and leave for Colorado as planned."

"I can't leave you!"

"Yes, you can. You have to! Don't worry; I'll sort this out."

"You'll sort it out? You and I both know that isn't going to happen."

Sully knew this was far too true. But Dr. Mike had to go back to Colorado as planned!

"Sully, I won't leave you!" Dr. Mike pressed against the bars holding Sully captive. Sully grasped Dr. Mike's small hand in one of his, and drew her chin close to the bars with the other, and they kissed. Tears began to flow from both's eyes.

Then the guard told Dr. Mike that her time was up. He led her out of the prison and into the glaring yet cold sunshine.

In anger, Sully kicked the wrought iron bars with one soft deerskin boot-clad foot. And the odd thing was that it didn't even hurt.