28.
Australia.
2.29pm
(June 12th 2008)
Scully placed her stethoscope against her patient's swollen belly. The baby hadn't moved for a day. It had been a week since implantation and this didn't bode well. The baby had been due today. The lack of movement could be considered early labour preparation. Scully was concerned. Moving her stethoscope across 5385's stomach she strained to hear a heartbeat. There was nothing. Scully's face fell. A month's work had disappeared in that moment. She looked up at 5385, fighting the tears that were threatening to form.
"I'm sorry. I can't find a heartbeat."
"NO!" came the reply followed by 5385 storming out of the lab.
Scully hung her head. Everything had gone perfectly. The baby had been fine the day before. Why now? Why had it gone wrong in the final stages of pregnancy?
Scully returned to her laptop. Making notes about what may have happened. She heard #1's footfalls before she heard him. An army of Zigoran's marching down the hall. No doubt summoned by 5385. Scully sighed deeply. There was nothing she could do if the baby's heart had failed. The baby would need to be born and then buried. 'These things happen.' Scully thought.
#1 burst into the room slamming the door behind him. The others remained outside waiting for his words to be heard outside of the room. He stared at Scully who stood in front of him. She matched his stare. It wasn't her fault and she wouldn't take the blame for it. The silence could be cut with a knife. Minutes passed and eventually #1 broke the silence. His anger seemed to have settled. His face turned from fury to defeat.
"What happened?" he asked as he sat down on a stool at Scully's lab bench.
"I haven't a clue. What I do know is the baby needs to be born. All I do is check the baby is ok. I have no control over what 5385 does outside of this room. I'm not blaming anyone. Maybe something happened that I don't know about. Or maybe this is nature's way of saying there was something wrong with the baby anyway. I'm as sorry as anyone. We can try again."
"How soon can you get the clone out of her?"
"I can't remove it. Zigoran blood… well it'd kill me as soon as I made the first cut. She'll have to give birth."
#1 understood and nodded his head. He turned the laptop to face him. He saw Scully's work and looked at her again.
"Are these possible causes for the failure?"
"Yes. They may not be. It was just a brainstorm session. I really don't have the answers."
"I guess there is no chance of your doing an autopsy."
"Not unless you can protect me against the blood?"
"There might be a way. Let me get my technician's to work on it. The clone can be kept in the walk-in fridge in room F321 until you can. We'll talk later." With that he rose from his stool and left the lab. He spoke to 5385 and she dutifully entered the lab.
"You ok?" Scully asked.
"No. I'll survive though. Better get it over with so I can resume duties ASAP."
Scully nodded her head and prepared the labour room. It was going to be a long day….
==================
Washington DC
(June 11th 2008)
8.45am
Mulder sat in Skinner's car still reading the journal. He had reached November 26th and was scared. He remembered what had happened to him on Samantha's birth date. He just prayed it wasn't true. He had seen Scully that day, in pain. Scully had been inside his van. Not really but he thought he'd imagined it. Samantha had been astrally projecting for a month now. His thoughts kept going back to her birthday. It wasn't the fact it was his sister's abduction date. It was what had happened. Scully's face tormented him. The pain she had been in. He'd heard her scream his name. Had she seen him too? What if? It was stupid to think that Samantha could astrally project when in uteri. Or was it?
"What are you reading?" Skinner asked as he quickly glanced at Mulder whilst driving.
"An old journal of Dana's. It's when she was pregnant with Samantha."
"Oh." Skinner's face flushed guiltily for a moment, which Mulder noticed but chose to ignore. Mulder turned back to reading.
???????????????????????
November 27th 2002 (Its nearly 28th but who cares!)
Mulder,
Congratulations. You have a daughter. It was a hard labour but fast. I didn't make it to the hospital. I gave birth a block away in my Mom's car! She was born at 10.57pm. She is so beautiful. She has a mop of red hair and blue eyes that will change over time. I see you in her somewhere. I just can't pinpoint it. Mom says she looks just like me when I was born. I wish you had been here and in some small way, wherever you are, I know you were. I had the strangest vision. I saw you. I kept calling your name and you were suddenly in the car. You had a book in hand. You just stared at me like you couldn't believe it either. It's absolutely crazy. Just as you reached out to me, about the time they cut the cord, you disappeared. I so wanted you to see her. I wanted to touch you. I needed you and you were there. Maybe it was the pain making me see things. I just don't know. All I do know is that I miss you so much and wish you really were here to share in my joy at having a daughter.
Forever yours,
D.
???????????????
Mulder realised he was holding his breath because he exhaled very slowly but extremely deeply. Tears sprang at his eyes. It was true. Samantha had astrally projected Scully to him when being born. Strange. He didn't want to go to court but he had to for Samantha's sake. He couldn't take her on the run. In his head he prayed to a God he wasn't entirely sure about in the hope of being released from charges.
