Thank you so much for the reviews! I'm sorry about giving you another short chapter and for taking so long to post it; I'm working on the next one it should be up sooner and it will be longer!

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Chapter 31: It Is Time

Cloud Dancing watched the man sitting down by the river. Sully had proven himself to be a quick study at the Cheyenne language, customs and way of life, and he was accepted in a way that few whites ever had been among their people. Indeed their practices seemed to bring peace to the part of his heart and soul that was torn asunder after the death of his wife. He had healed from his physical wounds over a month ago and over the last two months he had made leaps and bounds toward healing the ones on his heart and soul. Cloud Dancing and Dr. Mike had worked out a schedule to make sure she and Sully did not run into each other, however there had been a couple of close calls, with Michaela hiding in a teepee for a few minutes.

But it was time to stop hiding. Sully was ready, even if he did not think he was.

"Ha ho, my friend."

Sully looked up at the greeting. "Ha ho, Cloud Dancing."

The medicine man sat down beside Sully. He had long hair for a white man, to his shoulders now, and he wore buckskin pants with a white shirt; he looked a cross between a white man and Indian, it suited him though. "You have been doing well."

"Better," he nodded slowly. "Better since comin' here."

"Yes, but it is time for you to see your daughter and friends in town," Cloud Dancing stated firmly.

Sully over at him unnerved. "I'm not sure 'bout that…"

The medicine man was already shaking his head. "You are ready and it is time for you to start spending time among them. They are as much part of your life as our people are now."

His friend sighed. "Whadda I tell 'em 'bout where I've been?"

He calmly delivered news the first piece of news that he knew would shock his friend. "Dr. Mike and at least two others already know that you have been here these past months."

Sully's head whipped around at that. "What? How?"

Cloud Dancing looked over the river. "Dr. Mike has been friend to our people for some time now; when we found you, you were badly hurt. I sent for her to help; she cared for you until your fever broke. While she was here two others came to visit, Robert E and a woman named Myra, you do not know her I believe, but she is a friend of Dr. Mike's and helps her at the clinic and caring for Hanna." He looked back at the other man. "They have stayed away to give you time. Dr. Mike has been out to help care for the people, of course, but we made sure that you were away. It has not been easy for her, though. She has missed you greatly."

Sully looked down at the ground. "Have you seen…Hanna?" There was a deep yearning in his voice as he said his daughter's name.

"Yes, she grows quickly. Dr. Mike says she will be crawling soon." He was quiet for a moment before finally giving him the second piece of news that would shake his friend's would. "She is blind."

Sully's head shot up, distress clear on his face. "How?"

"Dr. Mike is not sure. She says that she noticed the blindness shortly after you left."

Sully stood and shakily made his way over to a tree to lean against it.

"Dr. Mike says that it is likely Hanna was either born blind or the blindness happened because of her difficult birth," Cloud Dancing explained.

"How – Why didn't she see it durin' one of the check-ups before?"

"Hanna was very young; it is not noticeable immediately, her eyes look normal." He let his friend absorb this news.

It took a few moments before Sully took a deep breath. "How's Dr. Mike handlin' it?"

"Well. Hanna goes with her to most places, though many people in town help as well. She has friends who are happy to watch Hanna, along with Hanna's grandmother and great-aunts."

Sully leaned back against the tree and slid to the ground, staring off over the river.

Cloud Dancing observed him carefully. "I will leave you to think, for now." He stood. "But I believe you should go to town tomorrow."

Sully nodded, but his mind was obviously elsewhere trying to deal with all of the information that had been given to him in such a short space of time.

The medicine man watched the other man for a moment longer; then quietly walked off praying for his friend to find peace with the news he just received.

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Again I'm sorry about it being so short! Thank you for reading!