Soft music brought him out of a deep dreamless sleep. He turned to see he was alone again in the bed. Well unless you counted the wall of pillows she used to create a comfortable sleeping space these days. He knew expectant mothers were prone to 'nesting' he didn't realise actual feathers were quite so involved. Waking up at 3am alone wasn't uncommon in recent weeks. Usually he got up and made her a cup of herbal tea or a sandwich. Each night, including tonight, he hoped it would be to take her to the hospital and have this baby - finally. But it was safest for him to just make the tea and not bring that up. Especially tonight as in just two hours he would be leaving her for his work, again. At least this time he had her support. He needed to do this profile, if for no other reason than turning it down would raise questions as to why he needed to stay behind with her.
He found her at the window, looking out into the night the moonlight casting her silhouette across the floor. Her arms sat around her enormous belly rocking softly from side to side to the music as if she already cradled the baby on the outside. She was listening to Billie Holiday; something a little different to her usual taste in music. He set two steaming cups of tea down on the table and encircled her in his arms from behind. "Everything ok?" That was code for 'are you in labour?' He stopped asking that at this time of night around a week ago, when he had almost worn the cup of tea.
She rubbed her hands over his forearms and nestled her cheek against his leaning over her shoulder. "He's restless tonight."
"Are you sure it is him who is the restless one?"
She bowed her head a little having being caught out. "I'm fine."
He squeezed her a little more. "Maybe I shouldn't go. I can call them and tell them I got sick or something."
"You know you can't do that. I'll be fine, we'll be fine." She rubbed her belly again. "He's not showing any signs of wanting to come out in a hurry anyway. I have my mother and you'll only be gone a few days."
He sighed heavily and spun her gently to face him, their foreheads met, their eyes closed. He rocked them in time to the music, a slow lazy dance as trumpet, symbols and words of romance filled the air. "I love you." He whispered.
"I love you too."
Walter Skinner tucked the heavy file under his arm a little further to free his hand up again so he could knock. He just needed Agent Scully to sign at the bottom of a few of these pages. He knew she hadn't had the baby yet and was well over due so thought he was doing her a favour by saving her a trip to the Hoover building. He took a great sigh of relief and pride knowing that this was likely to be the last thing she had to do for the FBI before taking a much needed break from the stress and worries of the job and enjoy a little of the good life for a while. He was slightly taken back when Margaret Scully answered the door looking very concerned. "Hi."
"Good afternoon Mrs Scully, I'm sorry is Agent Scully here?" He took a cursory glance through the open door and didn't see her. "Is this a bad time?"
"Mr Skinner!" He was uneasy at how excited she seemed to be to see him and very concerned as to why it was she was dragging him into the apartment. "Thank goodness! You might be able to talk some sense into her."
He stumbled a little over the door mat as he was dragged over it and the door shut definitively behind him "I just came for her signature on a few things." He tried as she continued to drag him through the apartment. In previous visits, he hadn't been further than the living room and today he hadn't planned on taking a little trip through Agent Scully's private property. They finally stopped at a closed door and Mrs Scully pulled him down to her level so she could talk to him under her breath. "She won't come out of the bathroom."
Oh what had he walked into? "Ok. Why?"
"She's in labour but she is trying to convince herself that she isn't."
Skinners stomach did a little flip he certainly was not prepared for this, he looked around the room trying to plan his escape "Ah, I just need a signature." He laughed nervously.
Mrs Scully took a step back and put her hands to her hips "Well, you may have to deliver a baby first!"
Skinner sighed heavily the smile dropping from his face. "Are you sure she is in labour."
"I've had four babies, Mr Skinner, I know what labour looks like."
"Ok and how long has she been in the bathroom?"
Maggie looked at the door. "She told me she was going to take a bath, she told me it was just false labour pains but she locked the door and has been in there for over an hour."
"I can hear you, Mom." Both Skinner and Maggie looked at the door when Scully called frorm behind it.
Maggie jiggled the door handle but found it still locked. She faked a calm voice "Unlock the door, Dana. Mr Skinner is here, he needs you to sign some paperwork."
"I'm in the bath Mum, I'm sure Mr Skinner doesn't want to see me like…" her voice trailed off as she held her breath, obviously through a contraction.
Maggie jiggled the handle again "Dana? Dana are you ok?" She looked at Skinner nervously "Dana answer me!"
"I'm fine mom." She was out of breath.
"Dana Katherine Scully!" She no-longer sounded calm. "You are not fine you are going to have this baby today. Now get out of that bath and open this door!"
Skinner took a few steps back, hoping he could just slip the files on the table as he slid out the front door.
Maggie caught him "No you don't, you can't leave you have to help me get her to the hospital."
He looked between Maggie and the closed door, not sure what to do. "I just need some papers signed." He said hopelessly.
"hummmmmmmmmmm." A long mewling sound came from behind the door.
Maggie pleaded silently with him. He threw the file down on a nearby bureau and stepped heavily to the door. "Agent Scully" He banged his fist against the solid wood. "Agent Scully, open the door." She didn't answer him and he couldn't hear any movement behind it. "Agent Scully please don't make me break this door down. I can't imagine you want me to drag you out of that bath."
Maggie tapped his arm in a thank you gesture. They both huddled closely against the door, waiting for something to happen. They nearly fell backwards when it opened suddenly. Scully clung onto the handle, wearing a giant towel robe, hunched over in the middle "I need to go to the hospital." She said out of breath. "My water just broke."
5 hours later
"Breath honey, breath." Maggie rubbed circles over Scully's back as she leant over the delivery bed rocking her hips side to side through a very strong contraction.
"Oowwww. Oowwww Stop telling me to breathe!" she snapped "Oooooooow!" She leant her head into the firm mattress. The OBGYN came through the door looking far too calm and sounding far too cherry. "How are we doing in here?" She asked snapping on some latex gloves.
Maggie looked out through the open door before it closed behind her and saw Walter Skinner still sitting in the same spot she had left him four hours ago. His eye caught hers briefly and he raised himself a little in his seat trying to ask her if everything was alright. She smiled at him in reassurance. The ride in had been anything but easy and she felt a tinge of guilt for dragging him into this situation this morning, sure he had expected anything but spending his day outside a delivery room. The poor guy had aged 10 years just in the last few hours. When they piled into his car to get to the hospital Scully's labour had been far more advanced than she had realised. Unable to sit down she had travelled the entire journey to the hospital on all fours in the back of his government issued BMW groaning periodically. At one point Maggie had leaned in from the back seat and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "Slow down Mr Skinner, please. I promise you we won't be delivering this baby in your nice car. We do need to get to the hospital in one piece, though."
Scully looked pained up at the OBGYN "Good!" she lied, straightening herself into a more up right standing position, hands nestled in the crook of her back, pushing her stomach out as if the muscles could stretch any further.
"Good." She looked at Maggie who wasn't as convinced as Scully was that everything was 'good'. "Let's get you up on the bed and see how dilated you are now."
Scully hoisted one then two legs up onto the bed awkwardly trying to turn herself onto her back. The baby had dropped considerably and she now felt like a giant bowling ball was sitting low down between her thighs making it almost impossible to manoeuvre herself effectively. As she finally got onto her back that awful wind up began deep in her lower spine. The contraction gripped her pelvis and abdomen painfully ripping through her tighter and tighter. She gripped the sheets of the bed and moaned loudly, when she couldn't hold back any more she cried out "Oh GOD! Oh GOD!"
"Breathe honey." Maggie tried stoking her arm softly
Scully's eyes snapped open and she pinned her with the look of death, her breath coming in puffs as she rode through the contraction "I swear to god if you tell me to breath one more time!"
Maggie took a step back and looked nervously at the OBGYN who had positioned herself at the end of the bed waiting to do the examination. "That's a good contraction Miss Scully, how far apart are they now?"
The contraction had ebbed for now offering a brief moment of calm in her body. She covered her face with her hands fighting back a few tears. These moments of rest were getting shorter and shorter, the lack of control over her own body was starting to make her a little scared. She felt guilty that she was angry at her mother, its just it wasn't her voice she wanted to hear right now. She needed him but she couldn't tell them that. She stayed hidden behind her hands, completely ignoring the Doctors question, willing the examination to hurry up and be over with.
Maggie looked at her daughter seeing that she needed a moment to herself "Three minutes." She answered the Doctorr for her.
"Ok. I'm just going to do the examination now, Miss Scully."
Scully nodded but didn't come out from hiding under her hands.
"I know it's hard but I need you to try to relax. Ok."
Scully didn't nod this time, she just stayed safely behind her hands. If she couldn't see it then maybe it wasn't happening.
When the exam was completed the OBGYN stood snapping off her gloves and threw them into a nearby bin. Scully finally peeked through her fingers at her but refused to look over at her mother. "The baby has come right down now as I'm sure you can feel and you are about 9cm dilated. We're almost there, it's almost time to push." She tried to make that sound exciting but Scully could feel that pain begin to wind up again. Like someone held a giant vice around her entire middle and very slowly began to squeeze. Every muscle in her body tensed, every nerve in her spine fired, every single cell in her body seemed programmed to push this child from her body. She rolled onto her side then up onto her hands and knees. It was just too painful to stay lying on her back with the baby's head now pressing painfully against her lumbar spine. She gritted her teeth and pressed her face into the pillow "EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE" she yelled into it rocking back and forward, her body instinctively finding the right position to assist the descent of the baby.
This time Maggie didn't touch her, she didn't speak. She felt completely helpless, unable to do anything for her was becoming too much to bear but there was no-one else. She needed a moment, she wanted to walk out the door and compose herself but was too afraid to leave her alone. No-one should be alone like this.
The OBGYN moved a monitor up to Scully on the bed and waited for the contraction to pass. "I need to listen to the baby's heart beat." She spoke calmly as she helped Scully off the bed. She leaned on her elbows and bent right forward so the weight of the baby hung off her back for a while. The Doctor took the wand of the Doppler and smothered it in cold aqueous gel. Scully didn't protest when she lifted her hospital gown and placed it on her over heated skin. The sound of the babies heart beat was loud and seemed to drum off the walls around them. The Doctor left it there for a few minutes, wanting to see if there were any changes in the steady rhythm during a contraction. She didn't have to wait long. Scully began to sway again "aah….. aaah….. aaaah mmmmmmmmmm" She tried to stay as still as she could for the Doctor who was doing a good job at keeping the device steady over the babies back. The heart rate accelerated with the contraction seeming to accentuate his mother's pain. As the contraction eased the heart rate slowed again.
"Ok. Good. Well done Miss Scully. The baby's heart rate is good, nice and strong but just a little faster than I would like it to be." She packed the monitor away and pushed the machine back against the wall.
"Is that a concern?" Maggie asked. "Is something wrong with the baby?"
Scully kept her head on the bed as exhaustion started to take a hold of her. She could no longer be the one to reassure everyone she was alright.
The doctor addressed Maggie directly. "It's been a long day, I just think Dana has become a little dry. I'm going to send the nurse in to place an IV and get some fluids started." She smiled reassuringly then turned so Scully could see her. "Dana, I know you said earlier that you didn't want an epidural but I'm just going to ask you one last time. As you know, once you are fully dilated an epidural is no longer an option."
Scully lifted her head off the bed her hair now wet with sweat "I don't need an epidural. I'm fine. Thank you." Her voice was hoarse now, her vocal cords dry from over use.
"Dana…" Maggie started, desperately wanting her to change her mind.
"I'm fine, Mom!" She didn't give her the chance to voice her opinion. She scanned the room looking for an excuse to get her mother out of sight for a while. Her eyes fell on her water jug now empty "Maybe you could get me some more ice chips?"
Maggie was actually grateful for the reprieve "Of course honey." She grabbed the empty Jug from the locker "I'll be right back."
Scully watched her mother and the doctor leave and caught a glimpse of Walter Skinner sitting in a chair outside her door. She was surrounded by good people and loving support and yet she felt like she was completely alone. As if the realisation wasn't enough to break her, another painful contraction violently ripped through her making her feel as though she may split in two. "AAARRGH …..AAAARGH!" This time when she cried out she couldn't help but sob and a few tears escaped and silently streaked down her weary face.
"Dana?" Her mother came back into the room and Skinner stood at a safe distance behind her. Both looking incredibly concerned about the torturous noises she was now making.
"I can't do this!" she sobbed as the contraction left her. She took a few laboured breaths and wiped the tears from her cheeks. "I can't do this! I need him! I need him here!"
The silence seemed to stretch out between them. Skinner and Maggie staring dumbfounded at her. The jug in Maggie's hand dripped and started to make a puddle at her feet as the ice melted away inside it. "Do you want me to find, Ethan?" Her mother finally said.
Scully laughed at them, they looked so silly standing there with a stupid look on both of their faces. All of a sudden she found this all inappropriately funny, she laughed again and then pinned them both with a determined glare. "Don't look so smug. Both of you know damn well who the father is!"
Maggie swallowed nervously and Skinner reached into the breast pocket of his jacket and began pushing buttons on his phone. Everyone in the room watched and waited for someone to pick up the call at the other end. "Yes, this is Assistant Director Walter Skinner. I have an urgent request please. Yes…... I need someone to locate Agent Fox Mulder…. NOW!"
Mulder's heart thudded loudly in his chest as he watched the numbers climb slowly in the hospital elevator. He had been off the grid for 24hours now, knee deep in crime photos and witness statements when a message came through the hotel speaker asking him to come to the reception desk. He had expected to hear they were bringing in another victim, that he needed to work faster. He was completely unprepared for what he got instead. The note read TO: Agent F Mulder. FROM: AD W Skinner. "Baby. Come home now." That had been two hours ago, the trip from there was now a complete blur. He didn't know what he was expecting when he got to the hospital but he knew it wasn't to bump into his boss. As he exited the lift he saw him standing outside one of the many delivery rooms down the hall. Two hours had gone by, had he missed it? Was he too late? Skinner was pacing impatiently, his tie hung loosely around his neck his hands were planted firmly on his hips. When he spotted Mulder he made a bee line straight towards him "Finally!" He exclaimed patting him on the shoulder and ushering him quickly towards one of the doors.
He hadn't showered or shaved in 24hours and had survived on little more than caffeine and the odd pastry. He was sure he looked a complete wreck. "Did I miss it?"
"No." Skinner smiled at him like a proud father. "But you better hurry up." He said pushing him through one of the doors.
"PUSH!" Someone was yelling.
He scrambled quickly through the room. From this angle he could only see Mrs Scully and a nurse standing either side of the bed. The back of the bed was raised blocking his view of her and the Doctor. He could hear her though. God, that sound she was making made his knees give a little. Maggie looked up and caught his eye, giving him the strength to compose himself and take her place at Scully's side. He stepped up and Maggie stepped aside, he took hold of her hand, his eyes as big as saucers as he scanned her up and down. She was sitting upright, her knees held impossibly high and wide and there was a doctor sitting between her thighs her hands buried high up under Scully's hospital gown. He gripped her hand and bent down to kiss her on the forehead. Her face was flushed and hot against his lips. Her hair wet with sweat slicked back in a giant tangle against the pillow. Her head was thrown back against it, her jaw set tight then relaxed completely when she opened her eyes and realised it was him now holding her hand. "You're here!" She croaked sounding completely exhausted.
He kissed her again when her eyes closed apparently too heavy to hold open. He kissed each eyelids in turn, her nose and then her lips, pausing there for a moment. "Shhh I'm here. " He whispered against her mouth. She pressed a shaky hand that had a large Intravenous line tapped to it to the back of his head and he kissed her again. "I'm here."
The doctor's head appeared from beneath the bottom of the gown and Scully shifted forward, her hand began to clench painfully around his "Ok, here we go again." The Doctor announced Mulder looked down towards her, her hands were holding something up there. Oh God, it was really happening, that something was a baby, his baby. Scully's legs were shaking and she started to make that awful sound again. "PUSH DANA!" the Doctor called loudly.
Mulder looked back up to Scully. "Push" he repeated.
She bore down, her face twisted with pain her eyes becoming wider and wider. Her mouth opened in a silent cry as she pushed as hard as she possibly could.
"Take a breath" the doctor instructed and Scully gasped, her knees shaking wildly from exhaustion. The nurse on the opposite side of the bed gripped behind Scully's knee and pulled it to her hip letting her knee brace against her side. She nodded to Mulder to do the same thing. He copied her carefully picking up her knee with his free hand and letting her rest it against him. "Now PUSH!" The doctor called again. He felt her nails dig into the flesh of his hand and her knee push painfully against his hip as she pushed again. He dared a peak where the Doctor had her hands and he saw a flash of the head, oh God he couldn't believe he was looking, he couldn't believe that it was joy he felt at what he was seeing. She relaxed again as the contraction ended. Her knee went limp at his side and the circulation began to return to his fingers as she loosened her grip. She tossed her head back and forth on the pillow and began to sob.
Mulder brought his face right up to hers again. "He has brown hair Scully. I saw his head and he has brown hair."
She shook her head back and forth again and sobbed. "I can't do it, I can't do it anymore."
He stilled her head with his hand "Shhh" He tried to calm her brushing the wet strands of hair from her face.
"I can't do it, Mulder." She continued to sob "It hurts… It hurts too much!"
"Yes you can!" he said with conviction brushing more hair from her forehead.
"I can't" She opened her eyes and pleaded with him. "I can't"
"Yes you can!"
Her features tightened again and he gripped her knee this time, determined to help in any way he could.
"PUSH! PUSH!... PUUUUSSSH!" The Doctor yelled this time
"I can't" She shook her head again from side to side fighting the urge forging through her. "I'm too tired. I can't!"
Mulder locked eyes with her "Yes you can! Push Scully … PUSH!"
She hiccupped and drew a deep breath. Her teeth gritted together and he felt every muscle in her body tighten as she pushed with everything she had left in her. He peaked back below the gown again and saw the head slowly glide through the Doctors hands. The babies little face was scrunched up, his nose and mouth wrinkled, eyes closed tightly. "Oh my God!" He exclaimed. The contraction faded away and her leg almost slipped out of his grasp.
"The head is out now Dana. Just one more contraction, one more big push and you will meet your baby." The Doctor announced to the room.
Mulder smiled giddy at her and kissed her sweaty brow "I saw his face, he's amazing, Scully."
She was breathing hard as she eyed him up and looked at him viciously. "I'm never letting you touch me again!" she yelled
The nurse snickered beside them. He suspected she had heard many woman say that at this point but he was very conscious of the ears standing at the door who likely just heard that and felt himself blush slightly.
She tensed again, gripping his arm as hard as she possibly could and "AAAAAAAHHHHHHHH"
The baby seemed to stretch as he was pulled into the world, all long limbs and slippery skin. The Doctor clamped the cord and cut it. Mulder held his breath as he waited for the first cry, some reassurance that everything was ok. The Doctor was wrapping the baby in a towel, rubbing it vigorously trying to stimulate its first breath. A soft croak and then a gentle cry came from beneath the towel and then a hearty screech as air filled the baby's lungs. A tiny pink face emerged from the towel as the doctor placed the baby gently down on Scully's now flatter stomach. Instinctively, Scully reached down to her child and pulled the baby up to her chest. The baby continued to wail loudly apparently quite put out by having had his peaceful little slumber disturbed. Scully was crying and laughing, she was so exhausted it took more strength than she had left to lift her head and gaze down at the sweet little face now nestled between her breasts. Mulder leaned over her, one arm on the babies back and one braced around Scully's head. "Look at that!" he rested his forehead against hers and both of them looked down at the baby who was starting to settle apparently deciding being nestled by his parents was ok after all. A tiny hand peeped out of the towel and Mulder took hold of it between his fingers marvelling over their size against his. "He has your hands."
"He has your hair." She replied
"He has your nose." He stroked his son's tiny nose.
"Thank God!" she squeaked and they laughed.
Mulder leant forward and kissed the crown of his head "What are we going to call him Scully?"
"Well…..