Title: Missing Moments: IV
Author: Gillian Leigh
Disclaimer: See a previous chapter.
POV: Scully
An hour later, having finished dinner, Mulder dragged me onto the dance floor. To my surprise, it was actually fun. In years past, I hadn't had a 'date' per say when I went to the Ball, although I usually ended up dancing with Mulder, and occasionally with Skinner, it was nice to have a definite dance partner for the evening. I listened as the tempo changed, and the first few bars of "Walking in Memphis", by Cher, and I looked to Mulder in surprise. It wasn't exactly a popular song these days.
"You requested this?" I asked, arching my eyebrow. He flashed me a silly grin, taking my hand and drawing me in close to him, just as we had on that case with the "monster" with "gross lumps on his head and two mouths". I laughed. "Only you, Mulder." As we danced, he dipped me gently, and brought me back up. He put his face closed to mine and whispered something inaudible into my ear. I leaned back, and looked up at him.
"What, Mulder? I couldn't hear you," I said. He pushed my hair away from my ear and whispered again. This time I could hear him.
"I love you," he said, placing a gentle kiss on my cheek. I looked into his eyes, slightly surprised, and very happy, and I whispered back,
"I love you, too." To further prove the sentiment to one another, we locked lips, and I don't know how long the kiss would have lasted, had it not been for the pain that shot up my side. I clutched the spot, and Mulder looked down at me in concern.
"What is it?"
"I-I just felt a contraction," I said, fear in my expression as well as the statement. His shocked look told me he was as frightened as I was. John and Monica, who had been dancing nearby, noticed that I was doubled over and Monica turned to me, and Mulder said to John,
"Dana's gone into labor. I need you to go out and tell the valet we need our car. It's the midnight blue Dodge Intrepid. License plate TRG-4567." John nodded, and hurried to the front of the building. I looked up at Mulder, and said simply,
"I need to sit down." He and Monica helped me make my way off the crowded dance floor, and sat me at a nearby table. Skinner saw us as we passed him, and he followed, with Jessica in suit.
"Is everything alright?" he asked. I looked up at him, gasping as I was struck by another sharp pain.
"Fine, fine, perfect. I've just gone into labor at the most crowded FBI function of the year, and Mulder sent John to find the car, which if he doesn't do it pretty damn soon you'd all better put on some rubber gloves and hope that there's another doctor here somewhere," I said, practicing that breathing that had seemed seemingly pointless in Lamaze. I couldn't help asking myself why the labor was seemingly to progress so quickly. First time mothers were usually in labor for twelve hours or more before they could even start pushing, and most times they pushed for an hour or more. Mulder was kneeling down beside me, and holding my hands. He looked panicked, and he only got worse when he saw that I was crying. He put his forehead against mine, and said,
"It's gonna be alright, Scully. I promise." I was terrified, and he knew it. I thought this experience was supposed to be joyous. Of course, most first time mothers didn't have to worry about getting out of the FBI Ball in time to make it to the hospital before giving birth. I hadn't even noticed that Skinner had disappeared until I heard him at the microphone saying,
"Are there any medical doctors here?" There were several laughs, and a good ten or twelve hands shot up, and he added, "One who's only slightly intoxicated?" No one came forward, and I began to panic. Skinner stepped away from the microphone, and came back over to Mulder and myself as Monica us.
"Dana, how close are the contractions?" she asked.
"Too close," I said. "I-I'm not really sure, I haven't been timing them." She nodded seriously, and saw Agent Doggett coming toward us.
"Agent Doggett," Mulder called, seeing him heading straight for us at a brisk jog, covered in snow.
"Mulder, it's snowing like a bitch out there. You couldn't get an ambulance if you tried. You should take your time trying to get to the hospital," he said. "The car's running out front." Mulder helped me to my feet and then hoisted me up into his arms, carrying me up the stairs to the exit, with Monica in tow. She grabbed our jackets out of the closet for us, and Mulder covered me in mine as I cried quietly into his shoulder. He sat me in the back seat, and Agent Reyes climbed in next to me. The snow was coming down heavily, and there was a good inch on the road.
"Oh god," I said, feeling my heart racing. Traffic was crawling along, and in ideal conditions Northeast Georgetown was almost an hour away. Mulder looked back at me and saw the panicked look on my face.
We had been driving for a half an hour, going no faster than fifteen, when I had the sudden urge to push.
"Monica," I said to Agent Reyes, gasping, "I need to push. I-need-to-push!"
"Dana, you can't push yet! We're not even close to the hospital," Mulder called from the front seat.
"Then pull over, Mulder, cause I'm having this baby, hospital or no hospital," I said, fighting the urge to push. Mulder looked back to Agent Reyes.
"Do it, Mulder. She's got basic supplies in her First Aid kit. We're just going to have to do this and pray that nothing goes wrong. Get on your cell phone and call for an ambulance. Tell them where we are and what's going on. They'll make their way out here," she said, pulling latex gloves out of her pocket. As Mulder made a quick call to the 911 dispatcher, I focused on not pushing.
"Mulder," Monica said. "I want you to get out, and come sit behind Dana. I need you to support her back while she pushes." She was calm as ever, which was good, because Mulder and I were panicking to extremes. In a moment, I felt Mulder behind me, and I reached for his hand. He held on tightly, and I looked back at him once before bearing down to push. He wiped my damp forehead with his jacket sleeve and kissed the top of my head.
"Alright, Dana, give me a good fifteen second push," Monica said, readying herself on the receiving end. I said a quick prayer and pushed. The longest fifteen seconds of my life passed before I inhaled deeply, and tried to catch my breath.
"I can see the head, Dana. Give me a few more good pushes, and you'll have your baby." I nodded, and took a deep breath, and held it. I pushed, and took a deep breath before pushing again. I repeated the process two times, and Monica was suddenly very busy between my legs, and I felt the pressure being relieved as she pulled the baby out. I tried to catch my breath, and watched with tears in my eyes as she cut the cord and instructed Mulder,
"Give me your tuxedo jacket." He wore an expression of awe as he took his jacket off, and handed it to Monica, who wrapped the baby, which to my great relief, was crying to no end. She smiled and handed the baby to me, saying,
"Congratulations, you have a son." I looked to Mulder, who was crying, and he gently touched one of the baby's hands.
"We have a son," he whispered, and turned my face to his, kissing me. I faintly heard an ambulance siren, and saw the flashing lights. Monica hopped out of the car, and ran over to talk to the paramedics.
"Scully, that was the most amazing thing I've ever been a part of," Mulder said. "One minute it's just you and me, and the next, there's someone brand new. Someone who's pieces of us." I smiled at him, and then looked down at the baby, who yawned. "You feel alright?" he asked, resting his head on my shoulder.
"Exhausted, but so wonderful, Mulder," I said. He looked down at our son again, who had inherited my hair and eyes, but had gotten Mulder's nose and chin and cheek bones. I sighed, and kissed the baby's forehead. I moved the bottom of the jacket and lifted one of his feet out for Mulder to see. I laughed, and said, "Look at the size of those things!" Mulder smiled.
"How soon till we can start the whole process again?" he asked.
"Six weeks," I replied, and he groaned.
"Six weeks! That's a long time." I laughed.
"You keep track, Mulder. The day the six weeks are up...." I said, wiggling my eyebrows. He laughed, kissing me again. There was a knock on the window behind us, and Mulder opened the door. A paramedic stuck his head in, and said,
"Excuse us, sir, we need to get your wife and baby to the hospital." Mulder stepped out of the car, and helped the paramedics pull me onto the stretcher. As they loaded me into the ambulance and Mulder followed me in, I saw Monica standing in the snow.
"Excuse me," I said, "that woman is the one who delivered my baby. She needs to ride along as well." The paramedics nodded and let Monica inside. They closed the doors and we slowly made our way in the snow to the hospital.