The Mysterious Dr. Scully
by Susan

Classification: vignette, Other POV
Spoiler: I Want to Believe
Archive: No archive without permission.
Disclaimer: This character is mine. Mulder, 
Scully, and the other characters from the
movie that are briefly mentioned are not.

Notes: I watched I Want to Believe again. 
I had an idea. This is the result.:)

Summary: Dr. Dana Scully, as seen through the 
eyes of a nurse who works with her at the 
hospital.

~~~~

Dr. Scully didn't say much, that first day.

I took care of two of her patients, and she was 
both polite and professional around me, but 
distant.

Of course, most of the doctors I've worked with 
over the years are pretty much that way, but I 
don't know. There was something different about 
her.

She was confident and competent, yet guarded, 
and though I tried to be as friendly and helpful 
as I could towards her, she didn't smile at me 
once.

Sure, a lot of it was probably nerves...after all, 
it was her first day at Our Lady of Sorrows...yet 
I got the distinct impression that there was 
something more to it.

I liked the way she treated her patients though, 
and I looked forward to working with her again.

~~~~

As the weeks went on, Dr. Scully started speaking 
to me more, not just about how she wanted me to 
care for her patients and accompany her on daily
rounds, but about other things.

We weren't really best friends or anything, and 
we didn't hang out after work, but if we were 
both in the break room at the same time, we'd 
talk about stuff over a cup of coffee.

Of course, I'd usually end up doing most of the 
talking, and most of it was about my five year 
old Brian, but she seemed interested in all the 
silly things he did and said so I talked about 
them.

Working with the sick children the way we do, 
seeing them in such pain all the time...I guess 
maybe she needed me to talk about my "normal" 
son and all his goofy escapades, and I was more 
than happy to oblige.

~~~~

After about two months of working together, Dr. 
Scully and I were on our way to check on one of 
her patients one day when her cell phone beeped.

Knowing that she usually kept her phone in her 
office when she was making her rounds, I was 
surprised to hear it beep, but what surprised 
me even more was the look on her face when she 
pulled the phone from her pocket and read the 
text message that was on it.

As soon as she read it, everything about her 
demeanor changed. Her lips curved into a slight 
smile, her eyes immediately softened, and her 
shoulders relaxed. 

But only for a moment.

Before I could say anything to her about it, 
she quickly put the phone back in her pocket 
and started talking about her patient, and it 
was then that I knew that what I'd suspected 
was true.

There *was* someone else.

I'd never come right out before and asked her 
if she was married or if she had any kids, and 
she never volunteered the information, but I 
was pretty sure that there was a significant 
other in her life.

After being around these children all day and 
seeing what their parents go through, going 
home to Matt and Brian was my refuge, and I'd 
always wondered if she had someone to go home 
to at the end of the day too.

That day, I knew for certain that she did.

~~~~

I saw Dr. Scully's significant other today.

It was by accident, really.

I was in the parking lot getting out of my car, 
and she was getting out of hers, but from the 
passenger side.

Looking through the back window of her car, I 
could tell that there was a man in the driver's 
seat, but I couldn't really see what he looked 
like.

I could, however, see her walk around to his 
side, lean down enough to stick her head in 
the window and kiss him goodbye.

Grabbing my purse, I closed the door and quickly 
hurried towards the entrance before she could 
see me.

~~~~

For the next few months, I continued to work 
alongside Dr. Scully, even assisting her in an 
occasional surgery now and then.

And I continued to wonder about her.

She was obviously a smart, confident, and 
independent woman who knew what she wanted to 
do here at the hospital, and yet she still 
remained guarded around me.

But why? 

Why was she so secretive about the man I'd seen 
her kissing out in the parking lot?

Was he married to someone else?

~~~~

Yesterday, I spoke to a gentleman who came to 
the hospital looking for her. He was wearing a 
dark suit and a trench coat, and he wouldn't 
tell me why he was here. He just wanted to know 
where Dr. Scully was.

The scowl on his face and abrupt demeanor made 
me feel uneasy, but I told him where he could 
find her.

Ten minutes later, I saw her leaving her office, 
and I didn't see her again the rest of the day.

~~~~

The next day she came in later than usual. She 
didn't say anything about the man who came to 
see her yesterday, and I didn't say anything 
either.

She seemed distracted though, and I couldn't 
help noticing that she had her phone with her 
when we went on rounds today.

It never rang.

~~~~

There was a meeting today about Christian, one 
of our young patients. From what I understand, 
Father Ybarra's concerned that Dr. Scully's 
making decisions about his next course of 
treatment, and I can't say I blame him.

What she's proposing would be extremely painful 
for the boy, but I also know that she wouldn't 
have suggested it as an option unless she was 
certain that it would help him.

I just hope she's not making a mistake.

~~~~

He came to the hospital today looking for her.

At first, I didn't know who he was. I just 
thought he was another guy visiting a patient 
here, but then he spoke.

"I'm looking for Dana Scully. Do you know where 
I could find her?" he asked, his voice etched 
with concern.

I hadn't seen her since Christian's surgery and 
really wasn't sure where she went, but suggested 
that he try her office.

"I've already been there. Is there anyone else 
here who can help me? I really need to speak 
with her," he said, the crease in his forehead 
deepening as he anxiously looked down the 
hallway, then back at me. "It's important."

From the look in his eyes, I had no doubt that 
it was, just as I had no doubt that he was the 
man I'd seen her with in the parking lot before.

"I'll see what I can find out for you," I said, 
not really sure what I could do to help, but 
wanting to try anyway. 

Turning towards the nurses' station, I noticed 
that Barbara was behind the desk, and I quickly 
headed her way. If anyone would know where Dr. 
Scully was, it'd be her. She's worked at the 
hospital for twenty years and knows every 
doctor's schedule better than they do.

And just as I suspected, she knew exactly where 
to look.

After getting the information I needed, I walked 
back over to where Dr. Scully's mystery man was 
anxiously awaiting my news.

"She's in the locker room down in the basement. 
It's right next to the O.R.," I told him. Sensing 
his urgency, I pointed to the stairwell and added, 
"The stairs are probably faster."

"Thank you, Karen," he said gratefully, glancing 
down at my ID badge, then briefly touching my 
forearm before hurrying down the corridor.

Pleased that I was able to help him and noting
the fact that he wasn't wearing a wedding ring,
I watched him until the stairwell door closed. 

~~~~

He was here again.

I thought I'd seen the last of him when I spoke 
to him earlier, but he was back again tonight, 
and he didn't look good. He was nervously 
pacing the floor and completely oblivious of 
everyone around him.

And then she walked in.

They were awkward around each other at first, 
but then she touched his hand as they talked, 
and though he still seemed on edge when he took 
his hand away from hers, it was obvious to me 
that they cared deeply for one another.

After a few more words, she took the folder he 
was holding out of his hands, and then the two 
of them headed down the hallway without another 
word.

One of my friends on the second floor told me 
later that night when I was on break that Dr. 
Scully and her mystery man had visited that 
former priest's room, the one I heard was a 
convicted pedophile. 

But why? 

What reason could they possibly have to talk 
to someone like him? 

~~~~

I really wanted to ask her today.

I wanted to ask her to tell me about the man 
who'd come to the hospital at least three times
now and why they'd gone to visit the priest on 
the second floor last night, but as much as I 
wanted to know the answers to my questions, I 
wanted to preserve our friendship even more.

I respected Dr. Scully too much to invade her 
privacy, and she respected me, and so I said 
nothing.

Of course, that didn't stop me from wondering 
though.

"Are you feeling all right tonight, Karen?" 
she asked as she jotted down a few notes on 
the patient's chart, then set it down on the 
counter at the nurses' station. "You seem a 
little distracted."

"I'm fine," I answered, silently scolding 
myself for speculating about something that 
really wasn't any of my business. 

She studied me for a moment, no doubt trying 
to decide if she believed my response or not, 
then said, "Well, okay. Let's go check on 
Christian next." She picked up his chart, 
looked it over. "It says here that the fever 
he had two hours ago is gone."

"Yeah, he's doing much better now. In fact, 
the last time I checked on him, he asked me 
for something to eat."

Just then, the phone at the nurses' station 
rang, startling us both.

"Dr. Scully, it's for you," said Barbara, 
handing her the phone. "It's the police."

Trying to hide her panic, but doing a terrible 
job of it, she took the phone and listened, 
nodding her head a few times and nervously 
licking her lips. "I'll be right there," she 
said quietly, handing the phone back to Barbara.

"I've got to go," she said, her voice shaky as 
she quickly pulled her cell phone out of her 
pocket and hurried down the hallway.

I didn't see her again for the next two days.

~~~~

Knowing that today was the day Christian was 
supposed to undergo his second surgery, I 
expected her to be here even though she'd been
gone a couple days, and she was, showing up at 
the hospital nearly two hours before it was 
scheduled to start.

She looked exhausted and preoccupied, and though 
I knew she wouldn't confide in me about what was 
on her mind, I asked her anyway. "Is everything 
okay, Dr. Scully?"

She thought for a moment, brushed her hand over 
her hair. "I just want everything to go smoothly 
today."

"I'm sure it will," I reassured her. "And I'm 
sure that Christian's going to be just fine."

And he was fine, thanks to her.

Despite her earlier demeanor, she was nothing 
but professional and thorough in the O.R., and 
Christian's now been taken to the recovery room, 
where he'll be monitored for the next several
hours.

As for me, all I wanted to do when we were done
was speak to my own little boy, and I couldn't 
wait to go on break and call him at home.

Since Dr. Scully had left the recovery room 
shortly before me, I was expecting to see her 
in the hallway when I left, but when I came
through the door, she wasn't the only one there.

Her mystery man was back again, but unlike the
last time I saw him, he had a bandage wrapped
around his hand and wrist and a cut above his
eye.

Had he been involved in a car accident? A skiing 
accident?

Or was he a cop who'd gotten into some kind of 
altercation when he was out on a call?

Whatever it was, it was probably the reason why
the police had called before and why I hadn't
seen her the past two days.

And the reason why she'd seemed so distracted 
before.

But she wasn't anymore. 

Standing next to him now, her hand touching his 
bandaged wrist, she was completely focused on
him, just as all of his attention was on her, 
gently tucking some loose strands of hair behind 
her ear as they spoke.

Not sure if I should walk past them and draw 
attention to myself or wait to take my break, 
I decided on the latter, but not before taking
another look at them.

Yeah, there was definitely something intense
going on between them all right. 

And there was nothing mysterious about it.

Watching as he leaned in even closer and said 
something to her, I smiled to myself, then 
turned around and walked the other way.



~end~


Thanks so much for reading. 

possibilities
http://possiblities.bravehost.com/

Originally posted May 2010.