"William James Scully!! Get out here this instant!"
"Mom..."
"NOW!"
Maggie had only heard the tail end of her children's conversation but she had heard enough to know the gist of it. She stood just inside the door of Mulder's room, holding the door wide open purposefully, gesturing to Bill to leave his sister alone and join her in the corridor. Bill looked for a moment like he was going to refuse his mother's 'request' but after another look at the stern expression on her face; he relented and left his place at the side of the bed. He approached Maggie, expecting her to just talk to him there in the doorway but she bustled him angrily out into the corridor and closed the door to Mulder's room, leaving Scully in peace. Bill looked frustrated that his mother had interrupted his cajoling of his sister to leave the man who he considered a pathetic waste of space. Maggie was not deterred from her mission by the look of irritation on her eldest child's face however and, after checking that they were at a safe distance from any patient's rooms, she began.
"What the hell do you think you're playing at Bill?"
"What are you talking about mom?"
"Oh don't play dumb with me, Bill. Remember I am your mother and I know fine well when you're lying. I'm talking about all that nonsense you were spouting out in Fox's room to Dana. You know, the stuff about us all being better off if Fox weren't here."
"Mom I was just saying it like it is. We all know the truth; it's just that Dana pretends she doesn't because she thinks she owes him or something."
"Is that why you think she's in there just now - because she thinks she owes it to him to be there?"
"Why else would she be sitting there?"
"Because, Bill, he's her friend - her best friend - and he is in pretty bad shape. He sat by her side while we thought she was going to die and now she's having to do the same. Not because she thinks she has to or should but because she wants to, she needs to."
"Needs to, my ass..."
"Bill!"
"Sorry mom - I didn't mean to swear."
"I was not objecting to your language Bill, but to what you meant by the comment. Yes, she needs to be there. He's dying for goodness sakes Bill. The most important person in your little sister's life is dying and all you can do is cause her more pain than you already have."
"Already have? ...What pain have I caused Dana? Mulder's the one who's ruined her life, who put her in this hospital to begin with. He's the one who lost her when she was missing. He's the one who got Melissa shot and..."
"Enough Bill. I will not listen to your incessant assumptions - which, by the way, are totally unfounded - any longer."
"For God's sake mom. Now you're taking his side? This is just too much."
"His side? His SIDE?!"
Maggie's raised voice caused a number of nurses to turn towards the pair of them standing in the middle of the corridor. They looked disapproving until they saw how it was and, since gossip spread faster than the diseases they treated, they all understood what was going on. They all turned back to what they were doing before the disruption, all privately glad that it seemed like Bill was getting what was coming to him at last. Maggie blushed slightly at the realisation that she was causing a scene and so she went to a great effort to lower her voice before continuing.
"Bill, if I may remind you, Mulder's the one lying in a hospital bed being kept alive by half a dozen machines. Exactly whose 'side' should I be on? ...Yours? I don't think so. You may be my son but you're the one who practically caused all of this, Bill - indirect though it might have been. Although I know Fox would never say that to anyone. He probably will blame himself more than anyone when, or if, he comes out of his coma."
"I caused this? Mom, Mulder was run over. The only people to blame are the driver of the car and Mulder as you said yourself."
"I did not say Mulder was to blame. I said he would probably blame himself like he always does. He doesn't need you or anyone else to blame him for everything that's gone wrong in Dana's life - he does it just fine on his own."
"Good. I'm glad he has more sense than I thought. Now, let's get back to how this is supposedly MY fault."
"This is partially your fault, Bill, because had you not lied to Fox about Dana's prognosis and then told him to go away, he would not have stepped foot outside this hospital. He would probably still be with her in her room and not lying in his own hospital bed in a coma which the doctors aren't sure he'll even wake up from."
"I didn't lie to him."
"Bill, please. One of the nurses overheard your conversation with Fox. I know every single damn thing you said to him and I'm not happy about any of them. Why on earth would you say any of that to him? It was totally wrong of you, not to mention it wasn't your place to say any of it - even if it had been true."
"Well at least I got him to leave."
"Bill you just don't get it, do you? Dana wanted him to be there yesterday when you so wrongly sent him away."
"Why? He wasn't going to do her any good.
"Bill. You had no right to stop him from seeing her or, now, her from seeing him. They are both adults and can make their own decisions. Dana does not need, and never really has needed, you to run her life for her. She can choose her own friends and boyfriends, just like you do."
"Boyfriends...you don't mean she and Mulder are...?"
"I don't know Bill, I don't think so but I'm pretty sure it can only be a matter of time - if they have any time."
"Thank God for that. At least he's not going to be alive for her to make such a stupid mistake."
"That is enough Bill! I will not listen to you anymore. I have been patient with you and your silly, uncalled for hatred of Fox and have mostly ignored your misplaced blame but I will NOT stand by quietly while you tell me that it's a good thing that he is going to die. Fox is a good man and he has helped your sister countless times, as she has done for him - more than that, he respects her and cares for her, both of which I am seriously doubting you do judging from your behaviour yesterday and today. I would never have believed any child of mine would say what you just did about anybody if I hadn't just heard it come out of your mouth. I thought I had raised you better than that - obviously not. If you can't support Dana in her choices that she has made then I forbid you to go back into that room. You are going nowhere except home Bill, and by home I mean your home back in San Diego."
"Mom..."
"I don't want to hear another word! You are going to go back to my house, pack up your stuff and then you are going to leave. I will not have you staying in my house for one more day."
"What?"
"You heard me Bill. Now go!"
Maggie watched Bill walk away from her towards the elevators and she shook her head in disappointment at his attitude towards Mulder. She turned to walk back up the corridor to Mulder's room and knocked gently on the door so as not to disturb her daughter if she was sleeping. Receiving no answer she walked in and, after a moments hesitation, hurried over to Scully's side.
"Mom..."
"NOW!"
Maggie had only heard the tail end of her children's conversation but she had heard enough to know the gist of it. She stood just inside the door of Mulder's room, holding the door wide open purposefully, gesturing to Bill to leave his sister alone and join her in the corridor. Bill looked for a moment like he was going to refuse his mother's 'request' but after another look at the stern expression on her face; he relented and left his place at the side of the bed. He approached Maggie, expecting her to just talk to him there in the doorway but she bustled him angrily out into the corridor and closed the door to Mulder's room, leaving Scully in peace. Bill looked frustrated that his mother had interrupted his cajoling of his sister to leave the man who he considered a pathetic waste of space. Maggie was not deterred from her mission by the look of irritation on her eldest child's face however and, after checking that they were at a safe distance from any patient's rooms, she began.
"What the hell do you think you're playing at Bill?"
"What are you talking about mom?"
"Oh don't play dumb with me, Bill. Remember I am your mother and I know fine well when you're lying. I'm talking about all that nonsense you were spouting out in Fox's room to Dana. You know, the stuff about us all being better off if Fox weren't here."
"Mom I was just saying it like it is. We all know the truth; it's just that Dana pretends she doesn't because she thinks she owes him or something."
"Is that why you think she's in there just now - because she thinks she owes it to him to be there?"
"Why else would she be sitting there?"
"Because, Bill, he's her friend - her best friend - and he is in pretty bad shape. He sat by her side while we thought she was going to die and now she's having to do the same. Not because she thinks she has to or should but because she wants to, she needs to."
"Needs to, my ass..."
"Bill!"
"Sorry mom - I didn't mean to swear."
"I was not objecting to your language Bill, but to what you meant by the comment. Yes, she needs to be there. He's dying for goodness sakes Bill. The most important person in your little sister's life is dying and all you can do is cause her more pain than you already have."
"Already have? ...What pain have I caused Dana? Mulder's the one who's ruined her life, who put her in this hospital to begin with. He's the one who lost her when she was missing. He's the one who got Melissa shot and..."
"Enough Bill. I will not listen to your incessant assumptions - which, by the way, are totally unfounded - any longer."
"For God's sake mom. Now you're taking his side? This is just too much."
"His side? His SIDE?!"
Maggie's raised voice caused a number of nurses to turn towards the pair of them standing in the middle of the corridor. They looked disapproving until they saw how it was and, since gossip spread faster than the diseases they treated, they all understood what was going on. They all turned back to what they were doing before the disruption, all privately glad that it seemed like Bill was getting what was coming to him at last. Maggie blushed slightly at the realisation that she was causing a scene and so she went to a great effort to lower her voice before continuing.
"Bill, if I may remind you, Mulder's the one lying in a hospital bed being kept alive by half a dozen machines. Exactly whose 'side' should I be on? ...Yours? I don't think so. You may be my son but you're the one who practically caused all of this, Bill - indirect though it might have been. Although I know Fox would never say that to anyone. He probably will blame himself more than anyone when, or if, he comes out of his coma."
"I caused this? Mom, Mulder was run over. The only people to blame are the driver of the car and Mulder as you said yourself."
"I did not say Mulder was to blame. I said he would probably blame himself like he always does. He doesn't need you or anyone else to blame him for everything that's gone wrong in Dana's life - he does it just fine on his own."
"Good. I'm glad he has more sense than I thought. Now, let's get back to how this is supposedly MY fault."
"This is partially your fault, Bill, because had you not lied to Fox about Dana's prognosis and then told him to go away, he would not have stepped foot outside this hospital. He would probably still be with her in her room and not lying in his own hospital bed in a coma which the doctors aren't sure he'll even wake up from."
"I didn't lie to him."
"Bill, please. One of the nurses overheard your conversation with Fox. I know every single damn thing you said to him and I'm not happy about any of them. Why on earth would you say any of that to him? It was totally wrong of you, not to mention it wasn't your place to say any of it - even if it had been true."
"Well at least I got him to leave."
"Bill you just don't get it, do you? Dana wanted him to be there yesterday when you so wrongly sent him away."
"Why? He wasn't going to do her any good.
"Bill. You had no right to stop him from seeing her or, now, her from seeing him. They are both adults and can make their own decisions. Dana does not need, and never really has needed, you to run her life for her. She can choose her own friends and boyfriends, just like you do."
"Boyfriends...you don't mean she and Mulder are...?"
"I don't know Bill, I don't think so but I'm pretty sure it can only be a matter of time - if they have any time."
"Thank God for that. At least he's not going to be alive for her to make such a stupid mistake."
"That is enough Bill! I will not listen to you anymore. I have been patient with you and your silly, uncalled for hatred of Fox and have mostly ignored your misplaced blame but I will NOT stand by quietly while you tell me that it's a good thing that he is going to die. Fox is a good man and he has helped your sister countless times, as she has done for him - more than that, he respects her and cares for her, both of which I am seriously doubting you do judging from your behaviour yesterday and today. I would never have believed any child of mine would say what you just did about anybody if I hadn't just heard it come out of your mouth. I thought I had raised you better than that - obviously not. If you can't support Dana in her choices that she has made then I forbid you to go back into that room. You are going nowhere except home Bill, and by home I mean your home back in San Diego."
"Mom..."
"I don't want to hear another word! You are going to go back to my house, pack up your stuff and then you are going to leave. I will not have you staying in my house for one more day."
"What?"
"You heard me Bill. Now go!"
Maggie watched Bill walk away from her towards the elevators and she shook her head in disappointment at his attitude towards Mulder. She turned to walk back up the corridor to Mulder's room and knocked gently on the door so as not to disturb her daughter if she was sleeping. Receiving no answer she walked in and, after a moments hesitation, hurried over to Scully's side.
