Time Well Spent-2- The Discovery
I followed Doggett out into the hall, leaving Sam behind. I could feel her eyes on my back, as intense as Mulder's once were, until I closed the door. I leaned against it, thankful for the support the strong wood lent me.
" What is it, Agent Doggett?" I asked impatiently. Doggett swallowed hard and looked away. He had never showed any sign of unnecessary emotion. " I don't think I've ever seen something stranger than what I witnessed today. All those cases we went on, the bat, the legless man, all those were nothing compared to this..." he trailed off again, and I wondered whether he planned to make a habit out of it. " What's going on?" I asked, angry that I was left out. Doggett looked up at me, and his eyes were full of an indescribable emotion. " Scully, Mulder appeared in FDR Memorial hospital last night. Nothing was wrong with him ,he just walked up to a nurse and asked to see Doctor Scully. Everything was in turmoil last night. No one could find you, so we just put him in a holding cell. He didn't seem to mind, just requested, quite seriously, that he needed to see you."
I tuned out after I heard that Mulder was found. My whole world was flipped upsidown. I had lived seven years with Sam, seven years filled with self-pity and tears. My eyes filled with tears for the second time today, and I swiped angrily at one that slid down my cheek. Doggett stepped forward and laid a hand on my shoulder. I reeled back from the foreign touch, not having been touched by a man in seven years. " Don't." I said simply. Doggett nodded. No matter how much of an asshole he was, he knew about my feelings. I ran my hands self-consciously through my hair. " I have to go see him... He's gotta see Sam and we have to talk, and, and, and..." I slid to the ground, tears sliding down my cheeks as I sobbed hysterically. Doggett looked around uncomfortably. " He's over at-" his cell phone cut him off. " Doggett." he answered. " Yes, I'm with her right now... I'll get her ready." he hung up the phone, and I lifted my head. " Who was that?" I asked, my voice unnaturally high. " That was Skinner. He's beinging Mulder here, and you're to meet him in his office when he gets there. I'll see you around." he turned and walked to the elevator.
I composed myself, and went back into Mulder's office. Sam was sitting at the desk, flipping through a case file, a few more stacked next to her. When she saw my face, she leapt to her feet and ran over to me, her face full of concern. " Mommy, what did Mr. Doggett say?" she asked.
I sat down and pulled my little girl onto my lap. " Sammy," I said. Sam dabbed at my face with a tissue that she pulled out of her pocket, fixing my makeup. " Sammy, remember how I told you that Daddy was missing?" I asked her, my voice cracking. Sam nodded. " Well, last night, Daddy was found at a hospital, and we're going to see him a little later." I said, more tears slipping out of my eyes. I looked to Sam to see how she was taking it. She was looking thoughtfully at me, her eyes so like Mulder's. I swear I could see Mulder looking out at me from Sam's eyes. " Sam?"
" It's OK to cry, Mommy." she said as I swiped again at my face. I laughed despite my sadness and swept my special little girl up in a hug. " Come on, Sammy. Let's go meet your Daddy."
TO BE CONTINUED...
I followed Doggett out into the hall, leaving Sam behind. I could feel her eyes on my back, as intense as Mulder's once were, until I closed the door. I leaned against it, thankful for the support the strong wood lent me.
" What is it, Agent Doggett?" I asked impatiently. Doggett swallowed hard and looked away. He had never showed any sign of unnecessary emotion. " I don't think I've ever seen something stranger than what I witnessed today. All those cases we went on, the bat, the legless man, all those were nothing compared to this..." he trailed off again, and I wondered whether he planned to make a habit out of it. " What's going on?" I asked, angry that I was left out. Doggett looked up at me, and his eyes were full of an indescribable emotion. " Scully, Mulder appeared in FDR Memorial hospital last night. Nothing was wrong with him ,he just walked up to a nurse and asked to see Doctor Scully. Everything was in turmoil last night. No one could find you, so we just put him in a holding cell. He didn't seem to mind, just requested, quite seriously, that he needed to see you."
I tuned out after I heard that Mulder was found. My whole world was flipped upsidown. I had lived seven years with Sam, seven years filled with self-pity and tears. My eyes filled with tears for the second time today, and I swiped angrily at one that slid down my cheek. Doggett stepped forward and laid a hand on my shoulder. I reeled back from the foreign touch, not having been touched by a man in seven years. " Don't." I said simply. Doggett nodded. No matter how much of an asshole he was, he knew about my feelings. I ran my hands self-consciously through my hair. " I have to go see him... He's gotta see Sam and we have to talk, and, and, and..." I slid to the ground, tears sliding down my cheeks as I sobbed hysterically. Doggett looked around uncomfortably. " He's over at-" his cell phone cut him off. " Doggett." he answered. " Yes, I'm with her right now... I'll get her ready." he hung up the phone, and I lifted my head. " Who was that?" I asked, my voice unnaturally high. " That was Skinner. He's beinging Mulder here, and you're to meet him in his office when he gets there. I'll see you around." he turned and walked to the elevator.
I composed myself, and went back into Mulder's office. Sam was sitting at the desk, flipping through a case file, a few more stacked next to her. When she saw my face, she leapt to her feet and ran over to me, her face full of concern. " Mommy, what did Mr. Doggett say?" she asked.
I sat down and pulled my little girl onto my lap. " Sammy," I said. Sam dabbed at my face with a tissue that she pulled out of her pocket, fixing my makeup. " Sammy, remember how I told you that Daddy was missing?" I asked her, my voice cracking. Sam nodded. " Well, last night, Daddy was found at a hospital, and we're going to see him a little later." I said, more tears slipping out of my eyes. I looked to Sam to see how she was taking it. She was looking thoughtfully at me, her eyes so like Mulder's. I swear I could see Mulder looking out at me from Sam's eyes. " Sam?"
" It's OK to cry, Mommy." she said as I swiped again at my face. I laughed despite my sadness and swept my special little girl up in a hug. " Come on, Sammy. Let's go meet your Daddy."
TO BE CONTINUED...