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Chapter 7
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7:00pm Eastern Standard Time
Scully's Apartment
They had spent the better part of the afternoon arguing over what to fix for dinner, and then going to buy the ingredients to fix the pasta that they had finally agreed on. Then, they had to fix it, of course, and were just getting it out of the oven when the doorbell rang. "Mulder, answer the door, while I finish getting everything ready," Scully called.
"Sure," Mulder answered, and walked over to the door. Opening it, he was greeted by Mrs. Scully. "Hello, Fox," she said, reaching up to hug him, "How are you doing?"
"Well, that's debatable," he said, hugging her back. She pulled back from him, "Why, what's wrong?" She asked, just as Dana walked into the room.
"Hi, mom," she greeted, going to hug her mother. Maggie embraced her daughter and wondered what in the world was wrong. "Hey, Dana," she greeted. "Will you please tell me what's going on here?" She asked.
"Why don't we eat, and I'll tell you the good news. I'm afraid the other news is not so good, but we'll talk about it after dinner, ok?" Scully said.
Maggie was confused, but she knew her daughter was serious, so she smiled, "Ok, Dana, what did you guys cook for dinner?"
"Well, Mulder attempted to cook the pasta, but that didn't work out, so he made the salad, and I cooked the pasta," Dana said, laughing. "Come and sit down, everything's ready."
Maggie followed Fox and Dana to the table, and picked up on the silent conversation that they had walking to the table. She knew something had changed between them, and knew instinctively what Dana's good news was, it was the bad news that concerned her. Sighing, she sat down at the table, and surveyed the food in front of her, "This looks delicious, Dana, Fox," she said.
"Thanks, Mom," Scully answered. Mulder just smiled. "Um, Mom, I, I mean we have some good news for you," Scully said.
Mulder was nervous. What if she didn't approve? He knew it was foolish, but he couldn't help it. He looked over at Scully, and noticed that she looked calm. She seemed to sense his nervousness, and reached over and patted his thigh, reassuring him.
Maggie looked at the happy face on Dana's face, and the nervous one on Fox's, and knew that her earlier guess had been right on the money. She couldn't take that look on his face any longer, so she decided to tell them that she knew, instead of letting them try to explain it. She smiled, "I know. I'm so happy you two finally found each other."
Mulder had never felt so relieved in his entire life, and he smiled at Mrs. Scully, "Thank you, Mrs. Scully. I take it you approve?"
Maggie laughed, "Of course I approve, and stop with all this Mrs. Scully nonsense. Call me Maggie," she said.
Scully looked over at Mulder, "See, I told you that you had nothing to worry about," she said.
"And you were right, as usual," Mulder said, smiling, "Let's eat." The rest of the meal passed in silence and some small talk. Maggie was worried what Dana's bad news could possibly be, but decided not to let her worry ruin their meal. The rest of the meal passed in silence, and after everyone was finished, they all went into the living room and sat on the couch. Maggie noticed how Fox sat close to Dana, and how she had his hand in a death grip, and wondered again what could possibly be wrong.
"Mom," Scully started, holding on to Mulder for dear life, "I really don't know how to tell you this. Well, here goes. Last night when I was getting ready to go to sleep, I started to get this really nauseous feeling. I had been getting it on and off for a couple of days, so I didn't think twice about it. I went to sleep. At 3:00 in the morning I awoke to find blood on my pillow. I got up to go to the bathroom when I felt very nauseous and lightheaded. I called 911 and was just getting ready to call Mulder when I must have fell unconscious, because the next thing I knew I was in the hospital and the doctor was telling me he had bad news." By now Scully was crying, and Mulder was rubbing her back, soothing her. "Mom, it's my cancer. It's back, and it's not good."
Maggie was shocked. Of all things, she had never expected this. "Can they operate?" She asked. Scully shook her head. "What's the prognosis?" Maggie asked, even though she was afraid of what the answer would be.
"Three to six months," Scully answered, tears falling unchecked down her face.
Maggie gasped, and reached out to gather her youngest daughter, the only one left, into a hug. Scully hugged her mother tightly, both of them crying. Mulder watched, and felt tears begin to fall down his face, also. Maggie noticed and reached out to hug him, too.
Chapter 7
***************************************
7:00pm Eastern Standard Time
Scully's Apartment
They had spent the better part of the afternoon arguing over what to fix for dinner, and then going to buy the ingredients to fix the pasta that they had finally agreed on. Then, they had to fix it, of course, and were just getting it out of the oven when the doorbell rang. "Mulder, answer the door, while I finish getting everything ready," Scully called.
"Sure," Mulder answered, and walked over to the door. Opening it, he was greeted by Mrs. Scully. "Hello, Fox," she said, reaching up to hug him, "How are you doing?"
"Well, that's debatable," he said, hugging her back. She pulled back from him, "Why, what's wrong?" She asked, just as Dana walked into the room.
"Hi, mom," she greeted, going to hug her mother. Maggie embraced her daughter and wondered what in the world was wrong. "Hey, Dana," she greeted. "Will you please tell me what's going on here?" She asked.
"Why don't we eat, and I'll tell you the good news. I'm afraid the other news is not so good, but we'll talk about it after dinner, ok?" Scully said.
Maggie was confused, but she knew her daughter was serious, so she smiled, "Ok, Dana, what did you guys cook for dinner?"
"Well, Mulder attempted to cook the pasta, but that didn't work out, so he made the salad, and I cooked the pasta," Dana said, laughing. "Come and sit down, everything's ready."
Maggie followed Fox and Dana to the table, and picked up on the silent conversation that they had walking to the table. She knew something had changed between them, and knew instinctively what Dana's good news was, it was the bad news that concerned her. Sighing, she sat down at the table, and surveyed the food in front of her, "This looks delicious, Dana, Fox," she said.
"Thanks, Mom," Scully answered. Mulder just smiled. "Um, Mom, I, I mean we have some good news for you," Scully said.
Mulder was nervous. What if she didn't approve? He knew it was foolish, but he couldn't help it. He looked over at Scully, and noticed that she looked calm. She seemed to sense his nervousness, and reached over and patted his thigh, reassuring him.
Maggie looked at the happy face on Dana's face, and the nervous one on Fox's, and knew that her earlier guess had been right on the money. She couldn't take that look on his face any longer, so she decided to tell them that she knew, instead of letting them try to explain it. She smiled, "I know. I'm so happy you two finally found each other."
Mulder had never felt so relieved in his entire life, and he smiled at Mrs. Scully, "Thank you, Mrs. Scully. I take it you approve?"
Maggie laughed, "Of course I approve, and stop with all this Mrs. Scully nonsense. Call me Maggie," she said.
Scully looked over at Mulder, "See, I told you that you had nothing to worry about," she said.
"And you were right, as usual," Mulder said, smiling, "Let's eat." The rest of the meal passed in silence and some small talk. Maggie was worried what Dana's bad news could possibly be, but decided not to let her worry ruin their meal. The rest of the meal passed in silence, and after everyone was finished, they all went into the living room and sat on the couch. Maggie noticed how Fox sat close to Dana, and how she had his hand in a death grip, and wondered again what could possibly be wrong.
"Mom," Scully started, holding on to Mulder for dear life, "I really don't know how to tell you this. Well, here goes. Last night when I was getting ready to go to sleep, I started to get this really nauseous feeling. I had been getting it on and off for a couple of days, so I didn't think twice about it. I went to sleep. At 3:00 in the morning I awoke to find blood on my pillow. I got up to go to the bathroom when I felt very nauseous and lightheaded. I called 911 and was just getting ready to call Mulder when I must have fell unconscious, because the next thing I knew I was in the hospital and the doctor was telling me he had bad news." By now Scully was crying, and Mulder was rubbing her back, soothing her. "Mom, it's my cancer. It's back, and it's not good."
Maggie was shocked. Of all things, she had never expected this. "Can they operate?" She asked. Scully shook her head. "What's the prognosis?" Maggie asked, even though she was afraid of what the answer would be.
"Three to six months," Scully answered, tears falling unchecked down her face.
Maggie gasped, and reached out to gather her youngest daughter, the only one left, into a hug. Scully hugged her mother tightly, both of them crying. Mulder watched, and felt tears begin to fall down his face, also. Maggie noticed and reached out to hug him, too.