"How is he?" she asked again.
The doctor looked at her and saw her hand fumbling for Mulder's. "I'm afraid we're not sure what's wrong. Did he have a cough before inhaling all that smoke?"
"Well, he was coughing a little a few days ago. Why?"
"He has the symptoms of pneumonia, but he could also have meningitis."
"Meningitis? Oh God," she choked out. Mulder stood a little closer to her and cautiously put a comforting arm around her shoulders.
"Now, we do have very effective treatments for both, but if it is pneumonia the smoke inhalation will complicate things. It's good that we caught this when we did. When they are so young it is imperative to treat them as soon as possible."
"When will you know for sure?" asked Dana, drawing herself up a little taller.
'That's Scully,' thought Mulder. 'Never let them know it hurts.'
"The test results should be back tomorrow. For now we're giving him antibiotics and a fever reducer. We're keeping him as comfortable as possible. The best thing you can do now is get some sleep. The hotel next door has 24-hour check in so you can rest there. We'll call you if anything happens," said the doctor kindly.
Dana pressed her lips together and nodded. "Can I see him?"
"For a few minutes. We need to get him to the ICU as soon as possible." He stepped aside and let Dana through, but when Mulder tried to come in he said, "I'm sorry sir, family only." Mulder looked over the doctor's shoulder at Dana who was talking to one of the doctors who came over to the window and opened the blinds so he could at least see Ethan. Dana threw a small smile over her shoulder at Mulder who returned it and went over to the window to look inside.
"Hey little guy," Dana said tenderly as she stood over Ethan and ran her hand over his soft blond hair. His cries died down into soft whimpers as he latched onto her slender finger. "I know you don't feel good, but you're gonna get better, ok?" She sniffled. "You gotta fight this; for me, for Daddy, all right? Oh, I love you sweetie." She leaned over to place a gentle kiss on his forehead and defiantly wiped away a stray tear. "I'll be back in a few hours. You get better, ok? I love you so much." She kissed him once more and turned to the window to see Mulder watching them with a sad expression on his face and one hand pressed against the window. She spoke to one of the doctors briefly before walking out of the room, glancing back at her precious baby boy one last time before coming to stand by Mulder.
"You ready to go?" he asked.
"Yeah. Let's go." They left the hospital walking, or in Mulder's case limping slightly, side-by-side, each lost in their own thoughts.
**********************I know it's kinda short, but I wanted to get this chapter done at least before I started working on my other story. As always, read and review please! You all have been great! ~ATX~
The doctor looked at her and saw her hand fumbling for Mulder's. "I'm afraid we're not sure what's wrong. Did he have a cough before inhaling all that smoke?"
"Well, he was coughing a little a few days ago. Why?"
"He has the symptoms of pneumonia, but he could also have meningitis."
"Meningitis? Oh God," she choked out. Mulder stood a little closer to her and cautiously put a comforting arm around her shoulders.
"Now, we do have very effective treatments for both, but if it is pneumonia the smoke inhalation will complicate things. It's good that we caught this when we did. When they are so young it is imperative to treat them as soon as possible."
"When will you know for sure?" asked Dana, drawing herself up a little taller.
'That's Scully,' thought Mulder. 'Never let them know it hurts.'
"The test results should be back tomorrow. For now we're giving him antibiotics and a fever reducer. We're keeping him as comfortable as possible. The best thing you can do now is get some sleep. The hotel next door has 24-hour check in so you can rest there. We'll call you if anything happens," said the doctor kindly.
Dana pressed her lips together and nodded. "Can I see him?"
"For a few minutes. We need to get him to the ICU as soon as possible." He stepped aside and let Dana through, but when Mulder tried to come in he said, "I'm sorry sir, family only." Mulder looked over the doctor's shoulder at Dana who was talking to one of the doctors who came over to the window and opened the blinds so he could at least see Ethan. Dana threw a small smile over her shoulder at Mulder who returned it and went over to the window to look inside.
"Hey little guy," Dana said tenderly as she stood over Ethan and ran her hand over his soft blond hair. His cries died down into soft whimpers as he latched onto her slender finger. "I know you don't feel good, but you're gonna get better, ok?" She sniffled. "You gotta fight this; for me, for Daddy, all right? Oh, I love you sweetie." She leaned over to place a gentle kiss on his forehead and defiantly wiped away a stray tear. "I'll be back in a few hours. You get better, ok? I love you so much." She kissed him once more and turned to the window to see Mulder watching them with a sad expression on his face and one hand pressed against the window. She spoke to one of the doctors briefly before walking out of the room, glancing back at her precious baby boy one last time before coming to stand by Mulder.
"You ready to go?" he asked.
"Yeah. Let's go." They left the hospital walking, or in Mulder's case limping slightly, side-by-side, each lost in their own thoughts.
**********************I know it's kinda short, but I wanted to get this chapter done at least before I started working on my other story. As always, read and review please! You all have been great! ~ATX~