Chapter 3 - Never Worry Again
February 2016
Cathy woke up abruptly, a pang in her heart. She checked the alarm clock and read 4:30 a.m. That was too early for her usual schedule, but she couldn't stay in bed, a lingering feeling that something terrible was happening or had happened circling in her mind.
Maybe she should have gone to Old Swedes and lit a candle to chase bad fate, whatever its face. That was too late now, and if she didn't want to overthink about it she had to busy herself in the lobby.
Soon, she was rearranging magazines and tourist flyers in a corner of the lobby, after a little chat with the night porter. Reading haphazardly some of the brochures about Philly, she discovered a 'guided tour of the most famous and unique tattoo shops' promising 'artistic revelations' and 'encounters of amazing maestros', from which you would certainly return with 'the tattoo of your life.' Putting back the paper on the shelf, Cathy wondered if it wasn't a sign for her to get a tattoo, at last. If she were honest with herself, what she would want to be engraved into her skin was all the powerful sensations the handsome/hottest/tall and small/FBI Agents couple had made her feel in her core through the years. However, she wouldn't even know how it could be synthesized or symbolized; maybe one of these maestros could take up the challenge.
As potential images of tattoos were circling in Cathy's mind, Agents Mulder and Scully entered the lobby. Cathy lost her breath for a few seconds to this unexpected vision and briefly wondered if she hadn't become a psychic.
Paralyzed in the shadowed corner of the lobby, Cathy observed the agents dealing with the night porter and picking up the keys of their rooms. They did it very quickly and pronounced barely a word, and soon they were stepping toward their usual corridor. Though, after just a few meters, Mulder mumbled something into the ear of his partner, then let her continue the way on her own.
Mulder stepped back and headed toward Cathy. Surely, he had spotted her when entering the lobby. He was an FBI Agent, after all.
"Good morning, Mrs Gold," Mulder said when reaching Cathy.
"Good morning, Mr Mulder. Did you ask for room 12? That room is still empty and clean, you can take it immediately."
"Mrs Gold… Something terribly sad has happened... We've lost Scully's mother and…uh… we… Dana..."
Sensing Mulder's trouble, Cathy quickly reacted:
"Oh! I'm so sorry! My sincere condolences... To both of you... Would you need something special? Maybe for breakfast?"
"Thanks, Mrs Gold, that would be nice. We just want to rest a couple of hours before returning to our investigation. Could you bring us breakfast at 7:30 a.m.? Something very sweet to eat and strong coffee to drink."
"Sure, that would be done."
"And, Mrs Gold, room service in number 13. We only need that room today, and also for the nights to come, if we have to stay longer."
"Yes, of course, I understand."
Cathy put her hand on Mulder's forearm and added:
"Try to get some rest and comfort. Same for your partner."
Mulder nodded in response and went away in long strides.
Cathy sighed, her previous indiscernible worries now gone. Finally, it seemed that she had woken up early for a reason; she had now to bake comfort food for the two grieving agents, a mission in the realm of her competences.
January 1997
Cathy was standing behind the counter, waiting nervously for guests to enter and come to her, unable to do anything else but wait. Usually, when alone at the desk, she didn't have time to overthink about daily worries or to be bored, because of all the messy paperworks and spreadsheets she always had to manage and fill.
But today wasn't an ordinary day.
Mulder's impolite short call early in the morning, an emergency visit to the church, then, later, sparse news about Agent Scully having been assaulted; that had been a lot to take.
Agent Mulder had indeed given news a couple of hours ago, telling he would need his room and would take care of Scully's effects, his partner having been admitted to the hospital in the morning.
Since then, Cathy had been waiting for his arrival, worried.
Somehow, a moment after Mulder's second call of the day, Cathy had overcome her angsty inertia and had baked some quick sweet treats, hoping to be able to gift them to Scully via Mulder. Soon, a comforting smell had invaded the lobby, smoothing part of Cathy's nervousness. Nevertheless, Cathy was still pretty wired, due to the coffee cups she had drunk all along the day. That hadn't been reasonable at all, and, right now, she once again had to go to the toilets because of the coffee.
When coming back from her imperative break, Cathy discovered the backs of two people standing in front of the counter, waiting for her. Hell, she really should watch her consumption of that damn coffee.
"Good afternoon, Mrs and Mr," Cathy said as she was hurrying toward her desk.
"Good afternoon, Mrs Gold," Mulder replied.
"Oh! I'm sorry, I was walking in haste and I didn't recognize you."
"Mrs Gold, I'd like to introduce Mrs Scully, Dana Scully's mother," Mulder said.
"Glad to meet you, Mrs Scully. I'd have liked to meet you in other circumstances. I'm very sorry for your daughter. How is Dana?"
"Thanks, Mrs Gold. She's fine, apparently, though very badly injured," Mrs Scully answered.
Cathy nodded but wouldn't know what and how to answer. Was it possible to be fine and badly injured at the same time?
"Mrs Gold… Mrs Scully would want to take Dana's room for a couple of nights. Is that possible? And is room 13 ready?" Mulder asked.
"Yes, sure... No problem… Here are your keys, we'll do all the formalities later. I suppose you'd want to visit Dana as soon as possible," Cathy said.
"Thanks, Mrs Gold," Mrs Scully replied, grabbing the two keys and picking up one of the bags lying on the floor.
"Mrs Scully, do I need to remind you to let me take your bag?" Mulder gently admonished, frowning his eyebrows.
Then, grabbing Mrs Scully's bag and his own, Mulder showed the direction to Mrs Scully. "By there," Mulder added.
"Thanks, Fox. I'm so glad I came with you. You always know how to lift one's burden," Mrs Scully said, while putting her right hand on Mulder's arm so as to be led.
Cathy watched the two of them heading toward their rooms, eyes wet. That was a harsh day today, yet, there was light and hope for better moments. Dana Scully's life wasn't in danger, and all the love she was about to receive from her mother and her partner would properly heal her wounds. Soon, in her hospital bed, she would be comforted by her mother's embrace and sweet words, then by Fox's strong forearms and intimate words -and all the discord and misunderstanding the agents seemed to have these last days would instantly vanish.
What could go wrong, at this point, for the handsome/FBI Agents couple?
Then, as she lost sight of her guests, Cathy wondered if Fox and Dana were exhibiting their intimacy in the presence of Scully's mother. Cathy suspected that they were, as Mrs Scully seemed to have entirely welcomed her daughter's partner as family. Cathy hadn't seen much in the few minutes of their exchanges at the counter, but, for her, the gestures and words she had witnessed between Fox and his mother-in-law were proof of a deep rooted bond.
Cathy sighed, relieved that the universe seemed to have returned to a more normal state. She promised herself to never again worry that much about the handsome/FBI Agents couple, and she thought that, maybe, she would even be able to do some paperworks before the end of the day.
