From: spkyteach@aol.com Date: Tue, 24 Apr 2001 07:26:06 EDT Subject: xfc: Vignette: Watching and Wondering (Pizza Man POV) Source: xfc Title: Watching and Wondering Author: Spookyteacher Rating: PG Category: V, A Subcategory: MSR Spoilers: Empedocles Summary: Scully's treatment at the scene and departure for the hospital through the eyes of the "Pizza Man." Feedback: Please send all comments to spkyteach@aol.com. My other stories, can be found at my archive, http://www.geocities.com/spookyteacher (Spookyteacher's Classroom X). Disclaimer: Mulder, Scully, the Lone Gunmen, Skinner, Krycek, and the Smoking Man, et al, are the creative property of Chris Carter, Ten Thirteen Productions, and Fox Television. You guys have written them so well I can't resist having a go at it myself. I really am a classroom teacher, which is synonymous with POOR. Hint, hint... Author's Notes: at the end ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Watching and Wondering Pizza Man POV ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ She seemed to be in a lot of pain. They gave her something for it, so she looked really sleepy. She actually didn't say much at all. For the extremely long ten minutes we waited for the ambulance to get there after I called 911 she just leaned against him. She was sitting on the couch hunched over, holding her stomach. He held her, rubbing her back, telling her they'd be there soon. Every two minutes he asked me to check the hallway to see if they were coming. Who was he? I've been bringing her pizza for the last couple months and he's never been there before. Large veggie supreme to Scully in apartment thirty-five. She's usually alone. A couple times there's been an older lady I assume is her mother. There's been that bald guy, too, but I think he's just a friend. This guy seemed different. She seemed different with him there. He's gotta be the father of her baby. Has to be. But, if he is, where's he been? I thought the father must be dead because about three months ago I delivered a pizza to the guy in apartment thirty-four, across the hall from her, and her place was crawling with people. While I was delivering his pizza, three weird guys came up and knocked on her door. They were all in black, one even in a black suit. The old guy with the ponytail looked really upset and smelled like a bar. I saw her when the door opened to let them in and she looked awful. Her mother was there and so was the bald guy. There were some other people there, too. Most of them were crying or looked like they had been. So, I assumed she was a widow or something. But then there's this guy who was acting all protective and everything. He sure gave me a strange look when he answered the door. I don't know what that was about. I immediately thought, "What a jerk!" But, he can't be too bad since he stayed right with her and took care of her. When the paramedics finally got there, I moved over into the corner. I didn't want to be in the way. And I didn't want to leave. I had to find out what was going to happen. I had to make sure she was going to be okay. I liked delivering her veggie supreme pizzas every couple days. He gave them all her information: her doctor's name, insurance information, age (I didn't think she was thirty-seven!), and how far along in her pregnancy she was. When they asked him who he was, he kinda mumbled something at first. Then, when they asked him again, he told them that he had worked with her and his name was Muller, or something like that. The lady paramedic asked if he was the father. He just kinda looked at the paramedic for a minute before he started to say something, but he didn't get to finish because she reached for his hand. He turned his complete attention to her and cupped her small hand between his large hands. After reassuring her, he removed one hand to push the hair from her face and stroke her brow as they put the IV in her arm. He paid close attention as the paramedics talked. He asked them a lot of questions and the guy paramedic finally told him he'd have to ask the doctor when they got to the hospital. He had to stop rubbing her forehead when they put that tube in her nose. Instead, he cupped her hand again. I looked at his face. His forehead was wrinkled and his eyes focused on her face. It was almost like he was looking through her. Then, his eyes shifted down and he was looking at her stomach. His eyes looked sad... no, it was worry. He was really worried. He closed his eyes and I figured he was saying a prayer. When he looked back up at her face, the paramedics had finished with that nose tube. He pushed the hair from her face, again, and tucked a strand of it behind her ear. Her eyes were closed and she hadn't said anything for awhile. "I'm here, Scully. Stay with me, please." He'd whispered it. I was watching so closely I think I may have read his lips. He bent down and kissed her forehead. Her face relaxed and I'd swear her lips turned up at the corners. It wasn't quite a smile, but it was... something. They moved the stretcher up to the couch. The paramedics started to pick her up, but he stopped them by gently scooping her into his arms. The lady paramedic started to protest, but the guy paramedic put his arm out to stop her. They watched as he carefully lifted her onto the stretcher and laid her out there. He smoothed her hair and straightened the tubes coming from her arm and face. Yep. He was the father. As they wheeled her out, he held her hand and walked by her side. I locked and closed her apartment door behind me as I followed them outide. The last image I saw was of him climbing into the ambulance after they'd loaded her inside. I saw her hand reach out for him. He took it in his and sat down next to her. Then, they closed the doors. As the ambulance headed off with the siren and lights going, I headed for my old Volkswagen with the Little Caeser's sign on top. I stopped before I started the engine and thought about what had happened. That's were I sat replaying the whole thing in my head. I could still see their faces. I could almost feel her pain, their pain. I looked at my watch. This delivery had taken me almost an hour and it'd be another ten minutes before I got back to the store. Kenny was gonna be screaming like hell at me! Well, he would just have to deal with it. I may have helped somebody save a baby tonight. Hey, that sounded pretty good. That's gonna make a good story, especially for Pamela. I was feeling pretty good about myself, but then I remembered their faces, again. The worry. The pain. I said a prayer that they wouldn't lose their baby and then I headed back to work. I hope I get a call from her next week for another veggie supreme. I might even bring him one. The End ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Author's Notes: I enjoyed immensely Mulder and Scully's scenes in Empedocles, especially when they were talking pizza and the Pizza Man. I wondered what must've happened after that Pizza Man called 911. That was the inspiration for this piece. Hope you enjoyed it. Please send feedback to spkyteach@aol.com. Thanks!