Chapter 9: The Game Started
Dana was sent to the operating room. Jack completed the procedure, and tried to tell Mr. Carter – the hospital director – that he should hide all information about this special patient from the media. When he went back to the waiting room, he saw Mulder sitting there, with his hands on his head.
"Hey, she'll be OK soon." Jack said, and then he sat beside Mulder.
"OK, I hope so."
"Her family will come here in some minutes…"
"Yeah…"
"Mulder… How did you find us?" Jack asked suspiciously.
Suddenly, Byers appeared right in front of them. He smiled, and sat on the chair next to them.
"You don't know how Mulder has gone mad He came to us, asked for anything that may help him to find his friend. We are childhood friends. My father was a private detective – Bertram Byers. We asked him for some help, and he did investigate something really interesting. There was a man who saw the car Scully was. Fortunately enough, we found that house…" Byers explained.
"Oh… Bertram Byers. He's very famous…" Jack replied, but he didn't seem to completely believe it. Mulder nodded. He knew that an Oxford law student like Jack just couldn't easily believe that kind of explanation. But he couldn't think of a more convincing story. He tried to get some help from FBI, but Skinner declined his request, said he didn't want to interfere in Mafia's affairs. Mulder understood that the genuine reason is that Skinner wouldn't want him to be out in the light. He knew that he would be in danger if he tried to rescue Dana, but he didn't care.
"JACK!"
Fortunately, Melissa approached and called Jack so he couldn't question him anymore. She came along with Charles and Tara.
"Oh Jack? How's Dana?"
"She's having an operation. We'll have to wait…" Jack replied.
"Oh God…" Melissa whispered. Suddenly she realized Mulder was there, too. She stared at his blood-drenched shirt.
"Oh Mulder, are you wounded?"
"No…" Mulder shook his head. It's Dana's blood. I came there too late…" Mulder said mildly.
"Mulder, Jack told me. We owe you many thanks. You save her life." Tara said gratefully.
"If only I could come a little sooner…" Mulder replied frankly.
"Missy, is Bill OK now?" Jack asked quickly.
"Bill's OK. He always says that it's just a flesh wound. But he's doing his…business. Maybe he'll come here in 30 minutes…" Melissa said very mildly. Jack understood, "doing his business" meant he was "taking care" of the Jonas family. But they couldn't say it out loud in a public hospital.
Mulder, with his ability of psychological analyzing, didn't find it hard to understand what they meant. But he pretended not understanding, and kept staring on the operating room door.
"Mulder, you should go home and take some rest…" Melissa said tenderly. "You must be very tired."
"No, I'll wait until she wakes up." Mulder whispered.
"Um… I'll call you when she wakes up. The operation will not end soon. I asked a staff member and he said it would take some hours. You should change your clothes, and take some rest… And, you know, Bill is coming…"
Melissa looked at him; it seemed that she was begging him to leave. DANG! That was exactly what she wanted him to know – Bill Scully. Mulder recalled Bill's reaction when he saw him that night… "Maybe it's unwise to stay…" Bill might blame him for making Dana leave, or might question him about everything, especially how he could appear in time at the desert house. "Better leave." Mulder thought.
"Yeah I understand. Please call me when the operation ends." He said, and then he took a look at the operating room. He was very worried about her, but he couldn't stay with her no more.
"Goodbye, Melissa." Mulder said. "And goodbye to you all, Jack, Charles, Tara."
"Goodbye Mulder. See you soon. Thanks for saving her life." Charles smiled friendly.
Mulder nodded, and walked out of the hospital.
"Ting." The elevator door opened widely. Mulder went inside his apartment and decided to take a bath. He recalled a white-faced, blood-soacked Dana Scully lying in his arms. She must have been facing the death. "My God. Please, take care of her." Mulder whispered.
Mulder tried but he couldn't sleep. He sat on the couch watching some of his favorite movies. The film scenes went through his head and he didn't really care what was happened on the screen. Every single thought in his mind was about her.
"Ring ring…" The phone suddenly rang. Mulder started, quickly grabbed the phone. News from Scully family?
"Fox Mulder"
"Hi Fox. Rescue mission accomplished?" It was a familiar male voice. He started to laugh very gently.
Mulder clenched his fist.
"She's safe now."
"You believe me now?"
"Yeah… But… but why did you help me?"
The stranger laughed out loud, and then he said sarcastically.
"An interesting question. You ask me why? Well I cannot let her die easily, that's why. Our game has just started. Hahaha"
"What?" Mulder asked, but the stranger quickly hung his phone. Mulder put his hands on his face.
"Game? His game?... How long does he want to play this game?"
"Dana…"
Dana heard someone called out her name, she felt that everything around her faded to white. There was a male voice called her very gently: "Please, Dana… Don't give up…" Mulder? She felt she was bleeding badly, but he just held her tightly in his arms.
"Don't give up…"
Everything faded to black…
"Dana…"
Dana slowly opened her eyes. She could see everything a little bit clearer.
"My God. Dana, you wake up!"
Melissa held Dana's hand; a little tear ran down her cheek. Scully smiled, she tried to calm her down. She wanted to speak something to Melissa, but it was very difficult to open her mouth. She spoke very mildly.
"Hi…"
"Oh honey… You shouldn't say "Hi" to me like that." Melissa laughed. "…You're OK now. I'll go and tell everyone."
"Where…is…he?" Dana asked. She felt a great pain in her stomach.
"Who?" Melissa seemed surprised, looked at her confusingly. "Bill is waiting out there; I'll call him for you."
Dana shook her head.
"Jack?"
Dana shook her head again. Melissa thought for a while, and then she smiled, gave Dana a wink.
"Oh, yeah. I understand."
Scully blushed.
"He was here, but I asked him to leave, some hours ago. He shouldn't meet Bill right now. But I'll call you when you wake up." Melissa stopped, she smiled, looked at Dana. Her sister was very pretty. "Oh yes, Fox saved your life."
Some hours later, Dana could speak more easily, but the pain hadn't gone away yet.
"Dana…"
Bill stepped in to the room, and then he sat on the empty chair near the bed. When he looked at her eyes, he quickly turned away. It wasn't easy; they just had a big huge argument some days ago.
"Bill… I'm sorry…" Dana started the conversation.
"It's OK, Dana. You are safe now..." Bill said hesitantly. "…and it was my fault, too." Bill felt ashamed. It's not easy to say that everything is your fault, right in front of your younger sister, especially if you are the man of the family. "I promised that I'd never let anyone hurt you… after your trouble with Cullen… I'm sorry. I, I was like…"
Bill said in a very moving way. He really loved Dana, he loved her even more than he loved his own life. He would do anything to protect her, even if it was a crime. However, he always seemed to hurt her in some indirect way.
"Ok Bill, I'm fine… Bill,… I love you"
Dana slowly extended her hand. Bill held her hand firmly. There were some needles pinned on her arm.
"I love you too." He smiled.
"Bill… About Mulder…"
"Aw…." Bill frowned slightly when he heard Dana mention this man. Bill didn't like Mulder, and never thought he would like him. He tried to find many reasons, but actually he felt Mulder could take his younger sister away, or he could hurt her badly. Bill wasn't ready to give away Dana, a lovely sister he lived with for 20 years. However, Bill couldn't deny the fact that Mulder saved his sister. He had to leave Dana behind; the thought that she may die scared him so much.
"Dana. I don't like him very much."
Dana didn't say anything.
"But he saved your life…and I owe him that. So, er… I will try not to hate him. And I won't treat him badly."
Dana smiled. Bill was a quiet man, and he didn't reveal his feeling too often to anyone. But she now he really loved her, and what he said meant he gave Mulder another chance.
"Thank you, Bill..."
Bill kissed her on her forehead. "Honey, everything is for you…"
Mulder received a phone call from Melissa. "Thank God, Dana is fine now." He just wanted to visit her immediately at the hospital… "But Bill… A fearsome adversary." Mulder thought.
"May I visit her tomorrow…?" Mulder asked very gently.
"Tomorrow?" Melissa seemed to be surprised. "Well sure…"
"But Bill…"
Melissa understood what Mulder meant. "Don't worry, tomorrow Bill won't come to the hospital… I think Bill and Dana have some nice talking… Bill will try not to be… too impolite with you." Melissa laughed.
"Oh… Thank you Melissa."
"Call me Missy."
"OK."
"Goodbye Mulder."
"Goodbye."
Mulder stood in front of the recovery room and wonder if he should knock on the door or not. He didn't want to see Bill inside with Dana. He took a deep breath.
"Knock…"
"Hey Fox…. C'mon" Melissa opened the door.
"Not Fox. Call him Mulder." Dana recalled that he told her how he hated of being called by his first name. "It's not a name, really."
Mulder stepped in, with a bunch of flowers in his hand. He looked very confused.
"Hi, how are you?"
"I'm fine."
They looked at each other and smiled. They don't know what they should talk about, or where should they began.
"Um Dana, I need to go out. Mulder, take care of her for me, will you?"
Melissa felt that she was blocking them and she decided to go out. She didn't forget to give Dana a wink.
"So… um… so…" Mulder sat on the chair near her bed. He started to rub his hand together, didn't know what to do next.
"It's not like you." Dana giggled. She made Mulder felt unease.
"Mulder…" Suddenly, she spoke with a serious voice. "Thank you."
"It's all right, Scully. I think everyone should do that for his friends."
"Yeah… friends..." Scully tilted her head.
"Friends." Mulder repeated, although he didn't even sure what he was talking about. Just friends?
No Mulder, no. You don't kiss your friend, you don't drive like crazy in the middle of the night when you know that she is kidnapped. You don't face the risk of being revealed as a FBI agent just because of your friends. No, it's not you, Mulder. You're not the Mulder you used to be. You are not the frigid, intelligent FBI agent Fox William Mulder… before Dana Scully came into your life.
But, if not a friend, then who is she to him? Mulder don't know that, too. He can't find a word to describe it. Not exactly a friend, and if she knows who he really is, he'll never be her friend. Mission! That's what Mulder uses to justify his relationship with her.
"Mulder?" Dana called his name, brought him back to the real life.
"Ah uhm… No, I'm just thinking about pizza."
"Pizza?" Dana giggled.
"Oh course, when you get out of this hospital."
"Yes!" Dana laughed, gave him the puppy dog eyes.
"You're a big fan of pizza."
"No. I just couldn't have a pizza without being disturbed." Dana pretended to sigh, and Mulder laughed.
That's right. Pizza…
A/N: Sorry if this is a boring chapter? I just want to explain what Mulder felt But don't worry, their love will be in bloom soon *I really hope so* because I can't wait any longer. It won't be 8 years… yes, I'm sure. hehehee.
