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Title: With This Tear Summary: Scully gets a call during the night. The call came at 3:32 AM. Its shrill ring pierced the heavy silence that hung in my bedroom. I rolled onto my side and reached for the phone. There was only one person who would call at this hour; and I knew it couldn't be him. The next few minutes passed in a blur. I can only remember throwing the phone down onto its cradle, pushing the covers off my bed and jumping up. I pushed my wave of fear down, grabbed my coat and keys and ran out of my apartment. Only after I got into my car and was speeding through the vacant streets, did I let Skinner's words sink in. He told me that they had found him. He also said that he didn't think it was a good idea for me to go to the hospital. The baby kicked, and I glanced down at my lap. I was still wearing my pajamas. I reached the hospital within fifteen minutes of the call. I parked my car and rushed to the door. Immediately dismissing the look the nurse on duty gave me, I pushed the door to the Emergency Room open. She called behind me that I couldn't go in there. Try to stop me. I jogged toward the patient rooms and saw Skinner standing in the hallway with several people wearing uniforms and trench coats. "Where is he?" I demanded. "Scully, I told you not to come," he said tensely. "Will you excuse us?" he asked the officer he had been talking to. "Don't bother," I replied curtly, looking at the closed door beside him. I walked over to it and pushed it open. No one tried to stop me as I reached the motionless figure lying in the bed. The room was in darkness; the only light streaming in through the cracks between the blinds. My heart skipped a beat and my breath caught in my throat. The weak rhythm of the heart monitor mixed with the occasional sounds of the other medical equipment, alerted me of his condition. I walked over to the bed and peered at his face. A single tear made a path down his cheek, glistening in the scarce light. One of his eyes was swollen shut, while the other was open only a crack. Dark black bruises covered his cheeks and jaw line. On his cheeks, nose and brow there were several stitches, and a bandage was wrapped around his forehead. His lips were swollen and cut, and dried blood was matted into his hair. I leaned over him and carefully wiped the tear away with my fingers. His lips moved and he struggled to wake up. "Shh, Mulder," I whispered softly. He opened his eye and stared at me, breaking the delicate membrane that held his tears. "Scu-" He gasped. "It's all right, Mulder. I'm here now," I said softly, rolling the blankets back to find his hand. His entire arm was exposed by the short sleeved hospital gown. The skin was shades of black, and his wrist had a thick bandage on it. I took his fragile hand, then sat down on the bed. I entwined my fingers with his, and he attempted to squeeze my hand. The baby kicked again, and this time I moved both of our hands to my abdomen. As his fingers brushed across it, he narrowed his eye slightly. I leaned over him and pressed my lips against his forehead for a long, soothing moment. Only then did I let my relief hit me, and from behind my closed eyes, tears slid down my cheeks. FINIS mercury_999@hotmail.com
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