By Caitlin "Jinx" Wasson
Chapter Eleven
1000 Roses
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David Spencer walked through the brightly lit hospital corridor as fast as her could. It was late, really late, especially for some one who'd been on a plane for four hours. Needless to say, he was tired but he has to see her, had to see that his Sweetheart was okay.
He rounded the corner towards her room.
Visiting hours had been over four hours before but he had special permission.
The door was open and he walked into Rianna's room. She looked so small in the baggy hospital gown and under the white sheets. Her already pale skin was almost white as well. Only her snarled red curls were vibrant and full of life.
David sighed with relief. She was okay, for now at least. He glanced around the room. The other bed was empty, its starched sheets pulled up tight.
He set his two bags on the floor by her bed and sat in a chair beside her and that was where he stayed all night.
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Mulder and Scully walked into Rianna's hospital room. Mulder carried a bouquet of lilacs, hyacinths, daisies, and tulips and Scully brought Rianna's computer, a few books and magazines, and the two-dozen white roses Skinner had sent with them. Scully had a feeling Skinner had a bit of a crush on Rianna.
When they glanced over at the bed, they noticed a lanky, dark haired man sleeping in a chair, resting his head on Rianna's bed.
"Who's that?" Mulder asked.
"David, probably," Scully replied, setting the vase of flowers on the table.
A nurse walked in carrying a thick stack of files.
"Good morning," she greeted them. "We decided to let them sleep in a bit but I've got to wake them up now if you need to talk to them."
"When did he get here?" Scully questioned.
"Sometime last night," the nurse replied. "He was given special permission." The nurse proceeded to wake up the sleeping girl and her boyfriend.
Rianna's eyes flew open and instantly brightened when she saw David. "Hey Sweetie, when'd you get here?"
"Late last night," he replied. "I didn't want to wake you though."
"You should've woken me up," Rianna protested, pouting.
"I'm, sorry Miss Pouty Face. I hope this makes up for it." He leaned over and kissed her softly.
Rianna smiled gently as he pulled pack. What was I pouting about?"
They both giggled and kissed again.
Mulder and Scully shifted, uncomfortable to witness the tender moment between the couple.
"Dr. Heart, you do have other guests," the nurse said pointedly.
Rianna glanced over at Mulder and Scully and blushed. David looked at them and flushed too.
"Hey guys," Rianna greeted them, embarrassment tinting her voice. "David, this is Mulder and Scully. Scully and Mulder, this is David."
"Hi," they all said.
"So who are the flowers from?" Rianna asked.
"The roses are from Skinner. The others are from Mulder," Scully told her. "I brought your computer and some magazines. It was just a random grab at the newsstand so sorry if they're not what you like."
Rianna looked at the titles; Cosmo, People, Seventeen, Modern Medicine, Newsweek, Science Today. "There's no way this was random," she said. "I read all of these regularly."
Scully grinned. "Honestly, I was just guessing."
David looked back and forth between the two women. "Hey, you two look a lot alike. Did anybody else notice that?"
"He doesn't know?" Mulder asked.
"Know what?"
"No, I haven't told him yet," Rianna replied.
"Told me what?"
"David, my parents aren't my biological parents," Rianna said. "I was adopted. Scully is my sister and her parents are my parents."
David stared, dumfounded. "And when were you going to tell me?"
"Today," she answered.
"Why don't we give you two some privacy?" Scully said, grabbing Mulder's sleeve as she backed out of the door. Once outside, they shut the door but they could still hear muffled voices.
For a few minutes, it was just low murmuring.
"What!?" Rianna's shriek was startlingly clear.
He repeated whatever he said.
"You don't spring that on someone who's lying in a in a hospital bed, waiting to find out how long they're going to live!"
David's voice was still low.
A minute later, he walked out, carrying his bags.
Mulder and Scully thought the worst, bracing themselves to comfort Rianna after David broke up with her.
The girl was just staring straight forward. "I know what you're thinking. It's the opposite. He asked me to marry him."
"What?" Mulder asked.
"That's what I said," Rianna replied. "I told him proposals like that should happen with him on a white horse and us surrounded by a thousand red roses, no in a hospital room with monitors beeping and me in an ugly hospital gown."
Mulder and Scully looked at each other, both wondering the same thing. What had her answer been?
"I didn't answer," she told them. "I told him to think about it."
Dr. Readen walked in. "Good morning Miss—er—Dr. Heart. You'll be glad to know you're files came in late last night. This will make things much easier." He held up a stack of papers two and a half inches thick.
"Whoopee!" Rianna said sarcastically. "How long am I going to be here?"
"As soon as we get your tests results and determine a path of treatment," he told her. "In fact, you're due for a brain scan right now. So into your carriage, little lady." HE grabbed the wheelchair from outside the door and wheeled it to the bed, setting the brakes.
Rianna stared at it. "I can walk."
"Yeah, you probably can," he agreed. "But you're going to ride."
Rianna glared at him but sat down in the chair. "You guys can go if you want," she told Mulder and Scully. "I'll call you later so we can make arrangements to get me to Scully's mom's house later."
"Okay. We'll be back later," Scully told her.
"Let's go," Dr. Readen said, wheeling Rianna down the hall.
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As a nurse wheeled Rianna back to her room, she saw another nurse and a deliveryman arguing.
"You can't leave them in there! They're a fire hazard. They're covering everything," the nurse argued.
"Look lady, I'm following orders. It says 1,000 red roses to room 204. Not 999, not 1,001 but 1,00 red roses," the deliveryman insisted.
Rianna gasped as she was wheeled into her room. Everything was covered with vases filled with red roses. A sign was attached to the window. "Look outside," it read.
Rianna got out of the wheelchair and walked shakily to the window.
"I couldn't find a white horse. So I guess grey will have to do," David said from a tall grey horse's back. "They wouldn't let me bring him inside."
"Wha?" was all Rianna could say.
"Don't say anything," David told her. "Rianna, I love you and I always will, even in the worst of times. I want you to be my wife, to have and to hold forever, 'til death do us part. Please, just think for a minute."
She thought. "Do you have a ring?"
He nodded.
"Let me see it."
He handed her a small velvet covered box. She opened it and looked at the beautiful 14-carat gold and 2 ½ carat diamond engagement ring. She slipped it on her finger.
"It's too big," she said. "You have to get it resized."
David looked at her hopefully.
"My answer is yes, David. I want to marry you."
He dismounted and ran to the window, throwing his arms around Rianna and kissing her.
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Okay, so I'm a hopeless romantic and a bit of a jewelry fanatic (my aunt and uncle own a jewelry store) but whatever, that's who I am. Lol. R&R!
Luv Y'all!!
Cait
