Shades of Similarity pt 2

by Cheryl De Luca
Disclaimer:  These characters are not mine, and I thank Chris Carter for allowing me to take them out and play with them for a while.
Category:  Doggett / Scully Fic. Doggy POV

Feedback:  Please.  Emiliod@sympatico.ca
Spoilers:  Through TINH, with some minor forshadowing for Dead Alive.
Summary: Scully is thrown into a situation where she is forced to come to Doggett for help

I’m in dire need of coffee so I wait for her contraction to end and leave Dana to her catnap. Making my way to the kitchen I grab some three hour old coffee and a glass of ice and water. What the hell does Magnesium sulfate do, anyway? Wandering back into the living room I note that it is now thoroughly dark outside.

She is still resting as I take my seat on the coffee table once again. "Agent Scully?" I gulp down a couple of mouthfuls of the thick tar like liquid and cringe like hell as it hits the hole in my stomach.

Her blue eyes flutter open. "I brought you some water." I hold the glass out to her as she pulls herself up a little only to be rocked by the onset of another wave of pain. Damn it Kathy hurry.. It has only been minutes since I called her, but I want her here now.

The water ends up back on the coffee table as my hands move back to her abdomen. Lamaze training was a long time ago, another life time, yet I have never forgotten it. I apply light pressure to the tightening muscle. A few moments later the pain is gone. And a slight smile escapes my partners lips for the first time in months. "Thanks... can I have some of the water now?"

I can’t help wondering if she wishes it was Mulder’s hands on her instead of mine. She moves up onto one elbow as I bring the glass to her lips. Her red hair falls about her face as she takes a few sips, and not for the first time since I met her do I tell myself that she is beautiful. I can understand Mulder’s love for her.

Suddenly, my front door flies open and I am on my feet instantly my eyes seeking out the comfort of my gun.

"John!" My brother’s voice breaks the relative quiet of the room, as he and my sister in-law rush in. Jesus! Placing the water glass on the table I head over to the place by my chair where my weapon is perched. I've been caught without it way to often lately. And my sister in law accepts what I do for a living but the gun makes her nervous so I and grab it and slide it into the waste band of my jeans.

Kathy is immediately across the room, as Dana let’s out another moan. "Jesus John.... what the hell is going on here?" She eyes the IVs and looks up at me, for a moment. Waiting for an explanation. It occurs that all of this is very surreal. Here I am two sheets to the wind with a pregnant and in labor woman looking like she is going to give birth on my couch.

"Can you hook it up for me." She looks at me like I am insane and picks up one of the bags reading the label.

"Mag sulfate?" She looks from me to Dana and back again. "This will stop her labor John.."

This is news to me.

"Please.." Dana’s voice breaks through the tremors rushing through her. "You have to stop it. Please Doggett, I can’t have this baby now, not here...." Exhausted she closes her eyes and her hand shaking heavily as she brings it to her eyes to wipe away a few stray tears

"Kath, just do it."

My sister in-law looks at me in something akin to horror and then places her hand on My partner’s wrist. "I need a piece of paper and a pen and some rubber gloves."

My brother passes me a pen from the pocket of his work uniform as I grab my phone bill from it’s holder on my wall.

"In the bag..." Dana’s hand drops to the floor her finger pointing in the general direction of the black suitcase I had opened earlier. "Everything you need is in there."

Kathy pulls out some more clothes and retrieves a sizable black case from the bottom. Opening it she gives me another questioning look, and then removes a stethoscope and BP cuff with a small self reader. Holy shit do I feel like a lost cow in the middle of the woods. This is clearly all part of something well planned, yet somewhere along the way either someone forgot to let me in on it, or more likely than not I was never supposed to know but somehow, something went terribly wrong.

"John help me get these tights off and Tim get me a blanket." My brother, who has been hiding in the corner since they arrived, looks decidedly pale. He’s a mechanic, the insides of cars are what he knows and I am sure that that is by choice. He wouldn’t even go into the delivery room with Kathy when she was having their babies. It seems that now he might get more than a basic carnal tour of the female anatomy.

"In the closet beside my bedroom." I direct him as I pass by and make my way over to my partner. Her face is contorted again and another gasp escapes her parted lips as my hands find their way back to her belly. Rubbing away, I look at Kathy more than a little confused. I’ve seen IV’s before and usually there is no need to undress the patient.

She slips on some rubber gloves as the contraction subsides. She must have seen the look on my face.

"I need to give her an internal examination before I can give her this stuff, John. If she is too far progressed it will do her no good at all." Kathy has grabbed the BP cuff from the bag and is placing it around Dana’s arm.

Sucking in my breath I wrap my fingers around the waist band and tug gently. I want this to be over with quickly, because this is clearly more of my partner than I need to, or want to see. Yet, the last thing I want to do is cause her any pain, so I move slowly waiting for her as she adjusts her body to accommodate my actions.

"You can leave her underwear on." Kathy informs me in a matter of fact way.

That’s good because I wasn’t planning to take them off. Just taking her pants off is bad enough.

The tights slide easily down her legs once they have cleared the bulk of her abdomen, I discard them onto the floor and pull the oversized Nike top she is wearing down as far as it will go. My hand skims her legs as Tim passes me the blanket he has returned with, and not for the first time do I realized how tiny she is. Her stomach is huge but other than that I’m sure she has gained nothing. Bridgette when she was pregnant gained a about 50 lbs, and it gave her a beautiful flush that made me love her even more.

Dana Scully has not carried this pregnancy well. She has been to stressed out and too busy grieving to take care of herself and this is where I have failed her. I should have been there more, even if it was just to listen. But then that would have required someone to do some talking.

Covering her, I move out of the way as Kathy takes a seat beside Scully on the couch. "Hold her hand." She orders me as I begin to skulk away. I’d much rather join my brother on the front porch, but I move up by her head and take my partner’s hand anyway.

"Okay honey, I need you to spread your legs and take a deep breath. This may hurt a little." Kathy pulls the blanket up to her knees and looks over at me.

"Hurry.." The words from Dana’s mouth are grating as she gives into another contraction.

I watch as my sister in law slathers her glove with some kind of jelly and then moves her gloved hand under the cover. I know exactly what she is doing, but I would prefer to live in denial, so I look at Dana’s face. Kathy’s movements are clearly not pleasant for her, so I dip my free hand in the glass of water that I brought for her earlier and run my fingers over her forehead, hoping that this helps a little.

The snap of the rubber gloves draws my attention back to Kathy, as she removes them and tosses them on the table. Wordlessly she moves back to the IV box and begins removing stuff. "I think she’s close to 3 centimeters dilated, and only about 10% effaced. It’s been a long time since I worked L&D... She can have this, but I don’t know how long it will work for. She needs to go to the hospital John."

Tell me something I don’t already know.. "She won’t."

As if appealing to her would do any good my sister in-law bends over and repeats herself to Dana. "Honey, you need to be in the hospital."

"No...." Dana shakes her head and lets out another sharp breath. "It’s too early I’m only 7 and a half months along. Hook up the Mag... first hour 20 ml per, bump it up 10 after that..."

"Honey, you’re small and you may need a section and if labor doesn’t stop this baby is going to need a lot of help. The best place for you and the baby is in a hospital being looked after by a physician."

"No Doctors, I need to be in Florida when I deliver.."

Florida? Holy shit in a hand basket. "Florida?" Both Kathy and I say in unison. Clearly both of us agree. Travel is not a good idea.

"There is no way you should move around with this in your system, let alone travel. The side effects can be lethal and you need to be monitored very closely." Then she looks at me as if to say that this is all my fault. "I could lose my license just doing this and I would really like to know what fucking doctor let this woman loose with a whole supply of this stuff, anyway.."

"I’m a Doctor.. Please.." My partner’s hand grasps mine as she sinks into another round of pain.

"Kath, please just do it.." I look at her pleading. What more can I do?

"Damn... Here.." Passing me the IV bag she begins to mess with the tubing. "You need to hang it up somewhere. And tell Tim to go home. The girl next door is watching the boys, she’s only 12." Relief bounds through me. God bless you, Kathy. The last thing I want to do is be left alone with this situation.

Pulling the picture off of the wall behind my couch, I hang the bag on it’s nail and make my way over to the front door. "Hey Tim.."

My brother doesn’t look much like me. He’s about 4 inches shorter, considerably darker than I am. When we were kids people would always imply that he might be the mailman’s. And I have to admit there are times that I have wondered. Right now, I am not surprised by the fact that he is sucking back on a cigarette and downing a beer that he acquired from my fridge. He gave up smoking years ago but every once in a while he’ll have one just to calm his nerves.

He turns to look back at me. A sly grin spreading across his face. "Pretty, who is she?" Did I mention that he and I have a totally different outlook on life? Or that we are nothing alike personality wise? "My partner."

He nods his head in acceptance. "Is it yours?"

"No.." I wonder what he would think if I told him that my pretty partner believes that she might have been impregnated by aliens. That’s also something she and I have never discussed. We need to have a long talk after this medication takes effect and I have sobered up enough to be somewhat coherent. I think I’ve earned that much considering the fact that it is my couch she is crashed on. "Tim go home.. Kathy’s goin’ to stay here with Dana and she’s worried about the boys."

"Sure man..." I think this is the escape he was hoping for, so he waves at me and heads towards his pick up. "Catch ya later.."

Shaking my head I return to the living room, in time to see Kathy connect the tubing to the bag.

A small huff emanates from the prone form on my couch and I immediately move to her, despite my desire to seclude myself in my bed. My adrenaline high is wearing off and I am beginning to feel the thick cottoniness of the 30 oz of JD I ingested. Right now I could probably use another glass, but Agent Scully is ultimately more important than my needs, so I take her free hand in mine as I watch Kathy slip the catheter into her other wrist. She looks like she is napping again.

Kathy’s very good at what she does, and I’m grateful for this. A few flicks of the wrist and the fluid is running down the line and into my partner, accompanied by the contents of a second larger bag. "How long will it take?"

"A couple of hours maybe... We should know soon if this is going to work. But after this bag she should be able to take it orally. If she has any." She picks up the blood pressure cuff and wraps it around my partner’s arm, giving a grunt of satisfaction when the gage gives her a good reading.

I look down at Dana as her eyes flutter open. A sudden look of pain flits across her face and she places my hand on her belly once more. I feel the intense tightening and begin to massage again until all traces of the tension are gone.

My sister in-law smiles at me. "You’re a natural, John." Despite our differences both she and my brother were there for me when everything went down, and I love them dearly, They are all I have. They know what I have been through and with them there is always open arms and acceptance.

Speaking of family, I wonder why my partner didn’t go to her mother’s instead. I am the last person that I would have expected her to turn to. Besides Mrs. Scully should be here for her. "Dana..." I wait for her to look at me and then move closer to her so that she can see my face fully. "Do you want me to call your mother?"

A look of panic crosses her face momentarily before she shakes her head. "No.." She clears her throat and reaches for the water. Kathy scoops it up before she can grab it and heads off into the kitchen to get her some fresh stuff. Seconds later she is back and holding it to Dana’s mouth.

"She should be here." I persist. There is obviously more to this than she’s willing to tell me, but I deserve some answers.

"She’s visiting my brother in California." Agent Scully’s eyes veer away from me and this is how I know she is not being totally forthcoming.

"I can call her." I suggest, knowing now that this is something she doesn’t want.

"My sister in law, Tara is bedridden with her 2nd pregnancy. She’s needed there." A low grunt issues forth and I begin to massage again. This time the tightening isn’t quite as strong and doesn’t last nearly as long. I wait until the last vestiges of pain have gone and then continue.

"She’s needed here, and I know she would want to be here for this. Since it is apparent to both you and I that her newest grandchild is goin’ to be born soon.." I know that she doesn’t have the strength to argue with me now. She is fighting her exhaustion. Normally I wouldn’t take advantage of someone her state, but I need some answers.

Her eyes open fully at my suggestion, the blue in them a little clearer. I can tell by the look on her face that she is judging me. Clearly whatever doubts she has are easing. "She doesn’t know..."

Her words hang there, as I stare on in shock. She went through the last seven months completely alone? Jesus.

"Well don't you think she should?" Is about all I can manage.

She shakes her head a familiar air of fear settling over her. Her eyes are pleading and I don't have the heart to do this to her anymore, so I don’t argue. I know now what her nightmares are made of and I will not force her to face them tonight. Another contraction hits it is still strong, but she gets by with me simply holding her hand.

"Kath..." I call to my sister in law, as she shuffles in from the kitchen holding a mug of my wondrous coffee. There are dark circles under her hazel eyes and she looks considerably older than her 40 years. What I have done to her is not fair. She worked all day and here she is helping me out, no questions asked. She’s pulled her dark hair back off of her face, and is staring at me waiting for more orders, or possibly hoping for an explanation. "I think this stuff is workin’.."

She nods. "Good." Moving back over to Dana and takes another blood pressure.

My partner’s eyes are closed now and her breath has slowed, she’s sleeping, but looks decidedly uncomfortable. "Can we move her to my bed?"

"She shouldn’t be moving around." Kathy checks the lines and slows the drip of the larger bag.

"I’ll carry her. If she sleeps here she won’t be able to walk in the mornin’."

"That might not be a bad thing, John. What she said about going to Florida, she can’t be serious. This medication she’s on, has to be monitored carefully. Her blood pressure could get all fluky, there’s hypokalemia, hyperglycemia and heart arrhythmia's to worry about. It is supposed to be checked every ½ hour, by someone qualified." Her hands go to her hips, the look on her face somewhat accusatory. "On top of that she is very very small. I have no doubt that her Doctor has told her she may need to be sectioned. Your having her here is insane."

I really am at a loss. All of the medical mumbo jumbo means nothing to me, but the side effects sure as hell sound serious. But how do I force Dana to do something she doesn’t want? I refuse to go behind her back, since she has placed her trust in me. Yet, what kind of a friend, or partner would I be if I let her risk her own life and the life of her child? This is all way to much for me to deal with now. I need to sleep, let the alcohol wear off. "Let’s just get her into the bed."

I slide my hands underneath her as another contraction ripples through her.

"Wait." Kathy looks at me a glint of amusement in her eyes. "Maybe I should go change the sheets."

After Bridgette took her life, I became the ultimate bachelor living the high life. I am not proud of myself, but in all honesty there were only a few nights for about a two year period when my bed contained only me. And most times the women keeping me company were a one time only prospect. Truthfully, it was what I thought I wanted, yet I came to realize at some point that this was only hurting me. The void I was trying to fill was not something that could be taken care of with meaningless sex. It has been a while but I am sure Kathy remembers that time in my life quite well since it often spilt over into her and Tim’s life. I grimace at the memory. "They’re fresh. My housekeeper came in today." My one concession to bachelor hood. I am far from a neat freak. I need someone to clean up after me at least once a week for fear of living in a garbage can.

"Okay.." She grabs the bags from their place on the wall and follows me into the bedroom.

Fortunately it is only a few feet away, since the last of my energy is slowly sinking. I did not sleep well last night with the prospect of today facing me. Not that I planned anything like this, it's just that I had the damn mobile hanging over my head.

My partner lets out a small moan as I place her on the bed. She is somewhat awake but very drowsy. Another contraction is moving through her, and I eye Kathy as she hangs the bags up on another picture hook. "Is this drowsiness normal?" I massage her belly again as the pressure subsides.

"Yeah, it can be one of the side effects. Listen why don't you get some sleep. It’s going to take a few hours for this to run through and I'll keep an eye on her until then."

The clock on my night stand says 9:30 pm, yet somehow it feels as if I have been up forever. "Don't you have to work tomorrow?"

"No.. I wasn't supposed to work last weekend but I covered for someone, so I have the tomorrow off." She turns from the room and goes to retrieve some of the medical gear left in the other room.

The blanket I had covered Dana with earlier has at some point during transport, partially slipped off revealing the creamy smooth skin of her legs. Small goose pimples pock the exposed area mercilessly. I pull the cover back into place. I don't like to see my partner hurting or vulnerable. She is one of the strongest people I have ever met, yet laying like this in my bed she has allowed me to a hidden part of herself. One that is marked by the fragility of her situation. In coming here she has shared something more of herself.
Rising from my seat beside her I move to my dresser searching for a Christmas gift that I have never felt the need to use.

Kathy has returned BP Cuff in hand. "She looks like she's doing okay."

The contractions seem to be slowing since the pain is only enough to draw her partially out of her sleep.
"Yeah.." I mutter, digging through my drawers. It has to be somewhere in here. A moment later I spot the red flannel material poking out from the back of my shirt drawer. "Do you think you could help her get into this?" I ask Kathy, holding up a large red night shirt with a life-sized picture of the Grinch on the front of it.
She giggles slightly, no doubt remembering the look on my face when my nephew gave it to me a few years ago. He'd picked it out and paid for it with his allowance money. I didn't have the heart to tell him it was as ugly as hell. "Sure, you look pretty rough go get some sleep."
Rough is an understatement. I smell like a bar, and feel like shit. She doesn’t ask any questions and for the millionth time I am thankful. Taking one last look at my sleeping partner, I turn and make my way back onto the living room couch. On the floor, a pile of Dana's clothing still lays strewn from where it had been hastily thrown earlier, so I pick them up one by one, placing them carefully back into the opened bag. I feel like a voyeur handing her personal items. They all sport the same fresh clean smell that I have come to associate with being uniquely Agent Scully.
Underneath the mound I find a picture of her and Mulder in a small brass frame. It is clearly a professional photo, since both are wearing suits, and ID badges. I search their faces for evidence something that betrays their love and affection, something that will share with me the nature of their relationship. I know they were in love, yet they were so careful never expose themselves in public. Except for his hand placed in the small of her back, I see nothing that would give way to any emotional truth. It must have been hard for them to never be able to touch or hold each other in public. It must have been one hell of a life to live.
I place the frame and it's contents carefully back into the bag. There are bets being placed on who the paternity of this child belongs to. I’ve held my own thoughts to myself waiting for the appropriate time to approach her about it. Despite the fact that it is really none of my business, I need to know. Curiosity very typical to most humans and I am afraid I am fallibly so.
Placing my gun the table beside me, I lay on the couch beckoning sleep. It is a short wait and emotionally drained, I don’t fight it when it comes.

* * * * * * * * * *

I awake the feeling of someone nudging me, my hand immediately fumbling for my gun.

"John.." Kathy’s voice breaks through the haze, and draws me up into a sitting position.

"Yeah.." My head is on fire and my mouth is full of cotton baton.

I used to drink.

Right after my son’s death, I used to drink a lot. Now I only touch the stuff casually, over dinner or at a party. I has been a long time since I actually drank to get drunk, and my body is no longer used to it.

"It’s late, Hon I have to go home." She is standing over me waiting for me to come to my senses. The clock on my VCR says it’s five in the morning. Jesus, she went way beyond staying a while.

"Kath, you should have woken me up." I swipe at my eyes trying to chase away the remains of my sleep.

"Nah.." She pats me on the shoulder. "When the bag was finished I gave her some of the stuff orally and grabbed a few winks myself. She’s okay, but she’ll need to take another dose at 7. The contractions have stopped, but she needs to be careful. And you really have to talk her into going to the hospital. She should be there."

Talk about information overload. I need a coffee. "Okay." I tell her trying to appease her.

"John?" Kathy stares at me here her hazel eyes betraying the fact that she really hasn’t gotten as much sleep as she said.

I nod at her, knowing what is coming next.

"Who is she?"

"My partner.." Surprisingly enough I have not discussed Agent Scully with my family. We have been working together for 6 months, but I have kept both her and the x-files close my breast, revealing nothing of them.

"Why doesn’t she want to go see a doctor? You would think that being one herself she would know better." Kathy reaches for her coat on the arm chair and slips it on.

As much as I am in the dark about many things, this is a question I do know the answer to. But the story is way too involved for me to get into at this time in the morning. "She’s had a tough time of it."

The vagueness of my answer is enough to tell her that it is not something I want to discuss. "Take my truck home. The keys are hangin’ on the hook beside the front door. I point in that general direction I’ll pick it up somehow in the mornin’."

"It’s okay I called a cab it should be here any minute." The words are barely out of her mouth when a flash of lights spans the window, signaling it’s arrival.

"Here." I rise from the couch and reach into the pocket of my overcoat. Pulling out a $20 I pass it to her. My brother makes a decent living but he has a house and two children to support.

"No, John.." She turns to leave as I shove it into her pocket.

"Then give it to the boys." Kath gives me a quick hug and disappears out the door and a chill passes through me. I am on my own now.

Continue To Part 3