**********
Chapter 10
**********
Skinner walked up to Mrs. Scully, taking in her calm expression. 'She's been here too many times' he said to himself. "Hi, Mrs. Scully," he greeted her.
"Hello, Mr. Skinner, where is she?" Maggie asked.
"I don't know, Mrs. Scully, they won't tell me a thing. Why don't we go ask," Skinner said.
Maggie laughed, "Are they waiting for next-of-kin to show up?" She asked.
"Actually yes, but why is that funny?" He asked.
"Because I'm not listed as Dana's next-of-kin, Fox is. We always figured that if she was going to be admitted to the hospital, it would be work related, and he would always be there. We never expected this to happen twice." Maggie said, her calm exterior diminishing, and she began to cry softly.
Skinner didn't know what to do, so he just wrapped his arms around her. She cried softly into his shoulder and then moved back, wiping her tears, "Thank you," she said, smiling. "Now, I plan on getting some information about my daughter," she said, walking up to the nurses' desk, Skinner following closely behind.
"Excuse me, but could you help me?" Maggie asked the first nurse she saw.
The nurse looked like she had been working for too long, and was exhausted, "Yes, what do you need?"
"Yes, my name is Margaret Scully, and my daughter Dana Scully was admitted to this hospital about a half an hour ago. Could you tell me where she is?" Maggie asked.
"Dana Scully, Dana Scully," the nurse said, checking the computer, "Yes, the doctors are examining her now. You will be able to see her in a couple of hours. Right now, I need you to fill out these forms for me," the nurse said, handing her a stack of papers.
"Thank you," Maggie said, and took the papers to sit on a couch in the waiting room. "Did you call Fox, Mr. Skinner?" She asked, filling out the forms.
"He's in Georgia, but I did call him. He's on his way home now, I just hope he doesn't kill himself breaking speed laws. He'll be here late tonight, and call me Walter," Skinner said.
"Ok, Walter, as long as you call me Maggie. I can't believe this is happening again. Fox would be devastated if she were to, to . . . die," Maggie said, forcing herself to say the word that she knew was on everyone's minds.
Skinner noticed how badly her hands were shaking, and reached out to take the pen from her, "Why don't you let me fill out what information I know, and then I'll ask you for the rest, ok?"
Maggie smiled, grateful, "Thank you, I think I'm going to go and get some coffee. Would you like some, Walter?"
"Coffee would be nice, thank you," Skinner said, and got to work filling out the information he knew on the forms. He was just finishing with what he knew when Maggie came back with 2 coffees, "I didn't know how you liked your coffee, so I brought some cream and sugar with me," she said.
"Thank you, Maggie," Skinner said, accepting the coffee. "I filled out all of the information that I knew, why don't you fill out the rest," he said, putting some sugar into his coffee, and handing the forms back to Maggie.
Maggie accepted the forms, and was amazed at how much information he knew about Dana. Quickly finishing the forms, she brought them back up to the desk. The nurse accepted them, "By the way, Mrs. Scully, they've moved your daughter up to ICU on the 3rd floor. You and your husband can wait for her up there," the nurse said.
"Thank you," Maggie said, not even bothering to correct the woman's misdeduction about her and Walter. She walked back in his direction, "Walter, they've moved Dana to ICU on the 3rd floor. We can wait for her there," she said, and they walked to the elevator and rode to the 3rd floor. Telling the nurses there who they were waiting on, they once again settled in to wait. It was about 5:00pm before the doctor came to talk to them, "Who's here for Dana Scully?" He asked, and Maggie and Skinner stood up and walked towards him.
"You're the patient's parents?" He asked.
"I'm her mother," Maggie answered.
The doctor nodded, then turned to Skinner, "And you are.." He asked.
"I'm Agent Scully's boss, is she all right?" He asked.
"Well, I'm sure you're aware that Dana has cancer, and that's what's caused her to collapse. She's breathing on her own, but right now she's sleeping, and I suggest you let her. All that can help her right now is rest. You can see her if you like. She's in room 310. Tomorrow she will have the choice to go home. There's nothing we can do for her here. I'm very sorry," he said and walked away.
Maggie was in shock, she knew this was coming, yet it didn't take away the shock. Skinner led her down the hallway to room 310, and they very quietly walked in, both shocked at the number of wires and tubes coming out of her small body. Following the doctor's advice, they decided to let her sleep and sat down on the couch. "Maggie, I have to go somewhere, but I need you to do me a favor. If I'm not back in one hour, I want you to call this number, ask for Albert Holstein. Tell him I told you to call and he'll understand what I want him to do," he said, writing a number down on a piece of paper and handing it to her.
"Wait, Walter, I recognize this name, who is this?"
"He's an Indian friend of Mulder's and Dana's. You met him when Melissa was shot. Remember one hour," Skinner said, and walked into the hallway pulling out his cell phone, and heard the voice on the other line answer, "Hello,"
"Hey, so Mr. Lung Cancer, do you know where I am?" Skinner asked, walking outside the building.
"Now, how would I know that, Mr. Skinner?" Spender asked.
"I'm at the fuckin' hospital, and you better have some answers for me." Skinner said.
Spender sighed, "I'm working on it, Mr. Skinner, I'll meet you at 9:00 tomorrow morning."
"She could be dead by then, and if she dies, there's nothing to stop Mulder from killing your ass, because she is the only thing he lives for."
"That's the best I can do, Mr. Skinner. Remember 9:00am sharp." Spender said, and hung up.
Skinner sighed, and nearly threw his cell phone, but stopped himself in time. Walking back into the hospital, he decided to climb the stairs back to the 3rd floor, and spotted a familiar face in the stairwell, "Krycek, what the hell are you doing here?" He asked.
"Just a little warning, Mr. Skinner. She was never meant to live this long. Don't leave her side. Don't leave this hospital," Krycek said, and walked out onto the 1st floor. Skinner didn't know whether to believe him or not, but he decided not to take any chances and raced back onto the 3rd floor. He'd only been gone about 15 to 20 minutes, and when he walked in, he noticed that Dana was still asleep, and Maggie was sitting just as he had left her. "Why don't you get some sleep, Maggie. I'll wait until Mulder gets here, and then I'll wake you."
"Ok, Walter," Maggie said, and fell asleep. Reassured that they were both safe and sound, Skinner sat down in a chair by Dana's bed, and wished that Mulder was there
Chapter 10
**********
Skinner walked up to Mrs. Scully, taking in her calm expression. 'She's been here too many times' he said to himself. "Hi, Mrs. Scully," he greeted her.
"Hello, Mr. Skinner, where is she?" Maggie asked.
"I don't know, Mrs. Scully, they won't tell me a thing. Why don't we go ask," Skinner said.
Maggie laughed, "Are they waiting for next-of-kin to show up?" She asked.
"Actually yes, but why is that funny?" He asked.
"Because I'm not listed as Dana's next-of-kin, Fox is. We always figured that if she was going to be admitted to the hospital, it would be work related, and he would always be there. We never expected this to happen twice." Maggie said, her calm exterior diminishing, and she began to cry softly.
Skinner didn't know what to do, so he just wrapped his arms around her. She cried softly into his shoulder and then moved back, wiping her tears, "Thank you," she said, smiling. "Now, I plan on getting some information about my daughter," she said, walking up to the nurses' desk, Skinner following closely behind.
"Excuse me, but could you help me?" Maggie asked the first nurse she saw.
The nurse looked like she had been working for too long, and was exhausted, "Yes, what do you need?"
"Yes, my name is Margaret Scully, and my daughter Dana Scully was admitted to this hospital about a half an hour ago. Could you tell me where she is?" Maggie asked.
"Dana Scully, Dana Scully," the nurse said, checking the computer, "Yes, the doctors are examining her now. You will be able to see her in a couple of hours. Right now, I need you to fill out these forms for me," the nurse said, handing her a stack of papers.
"Thank you," Maggie said, and took the papers to sit on a couch in the waiting room. "Did you call Fox, Mr. Skinner?" She asked, filling out the forms.
"He's in Georgia, but I did call him. He's on his way home now, I just hope he doesn't kill himself breaking speed laws. He'll be here late tonight, and call me Walter," Skinner said.
"Ok, Walter, as long as you call me Maggie. I can't believe this is happening again. Fox would be devastated if she were to, to . . . die," Maggie said, forcing herself to say the word that she knew was on everyone's minds.
Skinner noticed how badly her hands were shaking, and reached out to take the pen from her, "Why don't you let me fill out what information I know, and then I'll ask you for the rest, ok?"
Maggie smiled, grateful, "Thank you, I think I'm going to go and get some coffee. Would you like some, Walter?"
"Coffee would be nice, thank you," Skinner said, and got to work filling out the information he knew on the forms. He was just finishing with what he knew when Maggie came back with 2 coffees, "I didn't know how you liked your coffee, so I brought some cream and sugar with me," she said.
"Thank you, Maggie," Skinner said, accepting the coffee. "I filled out all of the information that I knew, why don't you fill out the rest," he said, putting some sugar into his coffee, and handing the forms back to Maggie.
Maggie accepted the forms, and was amazed at how much information he knew about Dana. Quickly finishing the forms, she brought them back up to the desk. The nurse accepted them, "By the way, Mrs. Scully, they've moved your daughter up to ICU on the 3rd floor. You and your husband can wait for her up there," the nurse said.
"Thank you," Maggie said, not even bothering to correct the woman's misdeduction about her and Walter. She walked back in his direction, "Walter, they've moved Dana to ICU on the 3rd floor. We can wait for her there," she said, and they walked to the elevator and rode to the 3rd floor. Telling the nurses there who they were waiting on, they once again settled in to wait. It was about 5:00pm before the doctor came to talk to them, "Who's here for Dana Scully?" He asked, and Maggie and Skinner stood up and walked towards him.
"You're the patient's parents?" He asked.
"I'm her mother," Maggie answered.
The doctor nodded, then turned to Skinner, "And you are.." He asked.
"I'm Agent Scully's boss, is she all right?" He asked.
"Well, I'm sure you're aware that Dana has cancer, and that's what's caused her to collapse. She's breathing on her own, but right now she's sleeping, and I suggest you let her. All that can help her right now is rest. You can see her if you like. She's in room 310. Tomorrow she will have the choice to go home. There's nothing we can do for her here. I'm very sorry," he said and walked away.
Maggie was in shock, she knew this was coming, yet it didn't take away the shock. Skinner led her down the hallway to room 310, and they very quietly walked in, both shocked at the number of wires and tubes coming out of her small body. Following the doctor's advice, they decided to let her sleep and sat down on the couch. "Maggie, I have to go somewhere, but I need you to do me a favor. If I'm not back in one hour, I want you to call this number, ask for Albert Holstein. Tell him I told you to call and he'll understand what I want him to do," he said, writing a number down on a piece of paper and handing it to her.
"Wait, Walter, I recognize this name, who is this?"
"He's an Indian friend of Mulder's and Dana's. You met him when Melissa was shot. Remember one hour," Skinner said, and walked into the hallway pulling out his cell phone, and heard the voice on the other line answer, "Hello,"
"Hey, so Mr. Lung Cancer, do you know where I am?" Skinner asked, walking outside the building.
"Now, how would I know that, Mr. Skinner?" Spender asked.
"I'm at the fuckin' hospital, and you better have some answers for me." Skinner said.
Spender sighed, "I'm working on it, Mr. Skinner, I'll meet you at 9:00 tomorrow morning."
"She could be dead by then, and if she dies, there's nothing to stop Mulder from killing your ass, because she is the only thing he lives for."
"That's the best I can do, Mr. Skinner. Remember 9:00am sharp." Spender said, and hung up.
Skinner sighed, and nearly threw his cell phone, but stopped himself in time. Walking back into the hospital, he decided to climb the stairs back to the 3rd floor, and spotted a familiar face in the stairwell, "Krycek, what the hell are you doing here?" He asked.
"Just a little warning, Mr. Skinner. She was never meant to live this long. Don't leave her side. Don't leave this hospital," Krycek said, and walked out onto the 1st floor. Skinner didn't know whether to believe him or not, but he decided not to take any chances and raced back onto the 3rd floor. He'd only been gone about 15 to 20 minutes, and when he walked in, he noticed that Dana was still asleep, and Maggie was sitting just as he had left her. "Why don't you get some sleep, Maggie. I'll wait until Mulder gets here, and then I'll wake you."
"Ok, Walter," Maggie said, and fell asleep. Reassured that they were both safe and sound, Skinner sat down in a chair by Dana's bed, and wished that Mulder was there