A/N: No excuse. I suck. That's final.
The room was completely dark, dim light emitted from the lighting unit at the head of the bed. The lights had been dimmed so they could rest comfortably, but no one was sleeping. Elli's lay on the bed in a pediatric hospital gown decorated with blue whales. A breathing tube extended from her mouth to the ventilator and an IV pumped various fluids into her body.
Dana Scully sat in the cold plastic chair beside her daughter's hospital bed. Her chin rested on the bed and she whispered soothing words in Elli's ear while holding her hand. Dawn was peaking through the slits of the blinds and Scully's eyes had yet to close.
"Scully." Mulder leaned against the door frame, "You need to eat."
"I'm not leaving her." Scully traced a hand through Elli's red curls.
"Can I bring you something?" He offered, walking over to her and resting his hands on her shoulders, "Some juice and a muffin? I wouldn't trust anything else in the cafeteria."
"Sure. Fine. Whatever." Scully shrugged, not moving her eyes from Elli's comatose frame.
"She's gonna make it Scully, she's a fighter." He squeezed her shoulders reassuringly.
Scully sniffled, "I'm afraid to blink."
"She's not going anywhere."
"Mulder," Scully whispered, "Please just let me sit with my daughter."
He nodded, "I'll get you some breakfast."
With that, he backed out of the room.
--
"Els, please wake up." Scully whispered in Elli's ear, pressing a kiss to her temple, "I know I've messed up a lot, Kiddo. There's a lot of things I could've done better - I should've done better. I'm sorry, Elisa, so sorry. If you just wake up, I promise to make it up to you. I'll be a better Mommy."
Tears fell freely from her blue eyes and she felt so useless. She was a doctor and she could do nothing to save her daughter. It was up to time and Elli's body on whether or not she'd wake up. Scully tucked the plush alien in beside Elli, securing him between Elli's side and her arm.
"Dink's here, Elli." She never understood her daughter's dependency on the stuffed alien, but it had a calming affect on her and Scully prayed that whatever power Dink held over her daughter would work now.
"Baby Girl, you've gotta wake up. I need you, Els. So does Daddy and Grandma Maggie and your little Brother." Scully pressed her hand to Elli's feverish forehead and fingered the cross around her neck.
--
"Hey Kiddo, it's Daddy." Mulder pressed a kiss to his daughter's forehead, "I know you're wore out, Elli. You've fought really hard kiddo and you need a rest, but you gotta keep fighting. Wake up for Daddy."
They had been taking shifts for almost twenty-four hours now. It had been the only way that Scully would leave the room - to have someone there constantly with Elli, someone that they trusted. Mulder tucked a lock of Elli's curls behind her ears.
"We've got a lot we have to do Els. We've got those tickets for the Yankees game, remember? You and Me in two weeks, sitting right behind home plate? I'll even get you that Derek Jeter jersey you've been begging me for. Just wake up Els."
The heart monitor beeped and the ventilator compressed on cue, but Elli made no indication of being there at all.
--
Maggie Scully was at a complete loss; she'd been the mother to the sick, the wife to the ill, but she'd never been the grandmother to the near death. It was no secret that Elli was hanging by a thread and they were all praying for a miracle.
In the small chaple of the hospital, she lit a candle and took a seat in the pew towards the back. Hands clasped together and head bowed in reverence she sent up a prayer for the healing of her granddaughter and peace to her daughter.
A few moments later, a hand rested on her shoulder and she looked up, "Dana."
"Help me pray, Mom." Scully whispered, "It's been too long and..."
Mrs. Scully nodded, taking her daughter's hand and whispering the prayer.
--
Thirty-seven hours in and the moment they'd been waiting for happened. Scully had been asleep with her head resting on the bed beside Elli's, fingers interlaced with Elli's right hand. Elli's fingers squeezed her mother's. When Scully opened her eyes, she saw Elli's dark blue eyes staring back at her.
"Elli?" She sat up, "Can you hear me?"
Elli blinked her eyes.
"Mulder!" Scully called and he rushed in from the hallway where he'd been resting, "She's awake."
A/N: I'm not Catholic, but I wanted to include a scene with Mrs. Scully praying, so I hope it worked out okay. I'm gonna quit making promises for when I'll update, hopefully soon.