Bent on Winning
Disclaimer:
Mulder and Scully are, I mean are not mine.Madeline Eastman was washing her hands, preparing for work when
Dr. Westley Grover came in the door. She and Westley had been casual
dating for some time now.
"Hello, Madeline, I have a fun evening planned for you," he said
handing her a chart with a grimace.
Although a full time nurse here, she was just coming off a week's
vacation. She however, was glad to be back to work. Madeline looked over at
Westley. She was very glad to be back to work.
"Hello, West, oh do tell," she said learning against the stink with
her back.
He loved it when she called him West, even if he pretended he didn't.
Letting out a sigh he explained, "Well, about 48 hours ago, an FBI
agent was brought in with a bullet in his upper femur. As if that wasn't bad
enough, turns out almost 2 years ago he was shot in the same place. In
surgery we had some complications with him, because of the scar tissue
from before. Anyway, you have him on your floor tonight."
"He's stable right?" Madeline asked him with intense curiosity.
"Yes, but he's still in ICU," Westley said fidgeting a little.
"Okay West, what's the real deal then?" Madeline asked him with a stern
face.
Westley Grover, a well-spoken adult suddenly looked as a child caught
eating cookies before dinner.
"He has been causing some problems lately," Westley started out with.
"How can a man in ICU be a problem? Is it that he's FBI?" Madeline
asked folding her arms against her chest.
"No, the FBI part isn't the bad part. Although some nurse have told
me it is a little intimidating," Westley said pulling out a folder to make
it look like he was examining it.
"West, if I wanted to pull teeth, I would have been a dentists
assistant," Madeline said looking at him. A smile grin was getting the best of her
mouth when she had made eye contact.
"His wife is a doctor, she is also FBI, and she's not there now,"
Westly hesitantly said.
"So, the guy is married, it happens," Madeline said and at that moment
she thought she could hear her biological clock yelling. "If it
happens, why aren't you married?"
"Well, we had problems last night with his sleeping," Westley replied.
"Did you give him something to help him?" Madeline asked the head
physician on call.
"That is just the problem, the patient didn't want anything. However,
he had hardly slept that day. I remember hearing he complained of bad
dreams. Well, his wife had been in his room since the time he was out
of surgery. During this time, there were no problems. When she left,
that's when everything went to hell. I was about to give him something to
calm him, and make him sleep, when she came back in."
"Yes, and," Madeline said with a tint of frustration.
"She kicked me out, locking the door. Well, I went and came back with a
key and was about to give her a piece of my mind. However, when I
returned to the room, he was asleep. She gave me this gloating smile
and told me to leave," Westley said taking off his glasses.
"Ah, a power struggle," Madeline said sarcastically.
"Haha, see how you like it." Dr. Grover said gathering his files to
leave and pecking her on the cheek.
"Sounds like you can't take the fact that a woman has control over
you," Madeline said with a chuckle as she left, holding the door for him.
"Yes, I missed you," Westley said walking through the door with a shy
grin.
Before she went into the famous room 82, she stopped at the
nursing station.
"I heard you pulled duty for the Fed, sorry about that," another nurse
Kate Darcy said. Madeline nearly smiled, and asked "What's so bad about
him?"
"You haven't heard?" Kate asked in almost disbelief.
"Yes, West filled me in, but I just don't get how everybody is so
turned on their heads for," Madeline said writing in her notebook when the pen
died.
"Who?" Kate asked with an innocent look on her face. She knew the
answer would incriminate her friend and she couldn't wait to catch her.
Madeline had always been so conservative.
"I meant, Dr. Grover," Madeline said avoiding making eye contact with
Kate in the fear of laughing at her own slip of the tongue.
"You two are getting to be very good friends," Kate answered back
handing her a new pen.
"Stop it Kate, we are friends, that's all," Madeline said reaching
over her and taking a different pen.
"Well, once you see the Fed, it is all over." Kate Darcy said with a
school girl like sigh. "Gotta go, good luck," she grinned. "With both of the
men on your list tonight!" Kate called back to Madeline as she walked away.
Madeline let her words flow over her for a minute. Some times Kate knew
what she wanted more than she knew herself. Then Madeline dropped her
notes and decided it was time to start her rounds.
When she opened the door she found the patient asleep. Now she
understood what Kate had said about seeing him. Mr. Fox Mulder, as the
chart said had a very handsome engaging face. If a face was a map, his
was a undiscovered exotic island. However, part of the charm he held
over her right now was how delicate he seemed.
A woman who looked as she could be his mother was sitting at his side.
"Hello, I am nurse Madeline Eastman," she quietly said as to not alarm
this woman. Surely this couldn't be his wife. It was probably his mother.
"Hello, my name is Maggie," came the woman standing up from her chair.
Madeline quickly scanned the paper, to see what his wife's name was,
Dana Katherine Scully.
"Are you his mother?" Madeline asked as she checked the machines he was
hooked up to, and the information they were displaying.
"Yes, and no. I am his mother-in-law." Maggie said letting go of his
hand. "I'm sorry," Madeline said in a slightly distracted tone. She was
concentrating on recording her findings.
"Word of the wise, don't wake him up," Maggie said with a smile.
"I am being as quiet as I can Maam, but I need to check a few things,"
Madeline said. As she did so she lost control of her clipboard almost
dropping it. For the first time Madeline was afraid. Afraid she
would wake this man. She had been warned by everyone this man was impossible,
even by his mother-in-law. Maggie surveyed the scene and decided he
would be fine till she returned.
"I am going to the cafeteria. Dana said he should sleep for a while,"
Maggie said picking up her purse on a chair nearby.
"Whose Dana?" Madeline asked his mother in-law. Almost the second she
asked though she knew the answer.
However, the way this woman talked made it sound like her daughter was
the only one in charge. Maybe she was.
"My daughter, his wife. There are FBI agents, so she is closing the
books on their last case," Maggie said as reached the doorway.
Madeline looked up as she finished and nodded, with that Maggie left.
Another woman came in a few seconds later.
"Excuse me, have you seen Maggie Scully?" Another middle aged woman
asked stepping into the hospital room.
"Yes, she went to the cafeteria. Are you his mother?" Madeline asked
as she came around his bed.
"No, I am his aunt," Allegra Sincair said with a modest smile. Her eyes
lingered on the men in the bed for a second.
"I'm sorry, I just assumed his parents would be here," Madeline
remarked in all honesty. If he was going to be a supposed problem, she wanted
to know what names she could use to establish power and get him to listen
to her.
"No, they aren't here. I'm sorry would you excuse me," Allegra said
as she exited the door. Her eyes breaking contact with the man she had
learned was her nephew.
Madeline chewed her lip for a second then moved on.
She was almost done when he moved.
Suddenly he was awake.
"Scully?" He asked in a soft whisper.
"No, Mr. Mulder, I am Nurse Madeline Eastman."
"Don't call me Mr. Mulder please," he said to her after yawning.
"Okay Fox," She was interrupted by his tender voice.
"What I meant was don't call me Mr., call me just Mulder please. Not
Fox."
So far Mulder, as her patient wished to be called, was a calm, polite
man, although very vehement. So far she didn't see anything she couldn't
live with.
"Where is Scully?" He asked Madeline, he seemed to her very anxious
about this person.
"Scully who?" Madeline asked handing him a glass of water.
"Dana Scully," Mulder said taking it.
The fun was about to begin she had a feeling. He started out so
composed, and sweet, now he was growing worried and restless.
"My wife," Mulder paused giving her more information as he laid his
head back against the pillows.
"She is finishing up some work from your last case. That is what your
mother-in-law said at least," Madeline informed him.
"What she is actually doing is testifying that killing a man was self
defense," Mulder said. He tried to reposition himself on the bed, but
failed. Any energy he had was already spent.
"You need to rest. I'll go now, and check on you later," Madeline said.
"Why don't you just pump me up with drugs, then I'll rest," Mulder said
with a gritty voice scattered with contempt.
"Sir, Mulder, the staff only wanted to help you sleep," Madeline said
trying to explain. She felt as throw he had just slammed her against a wall.
In all of her years as a nurse, she had never met a patient who knew their
rights better.
"They just wanted to shut me up, I was a problem to them, not a
patient, a problem," Mulder said his eyes almost fluttering shut.
"Sometimes being bent on winning is not the right attitude," Madeline
said. "This is not a game. I just don't want to be here," his voice seemed
to break into a thousand pieces.
The effect of such raw emotions caused her to lose her voice.
His eyes were pressed shut, his jaw clenched together. Madeline could
have sworn she saw his lips mouth the word, "Scully."
"Sir," she started. To her he seemed to think the whole world was out
to get him. These efforts she deemed as survival in his eyes. However,
to everyone else it was just an inconvenience to have such an inquisitive
patient. Madeline was beginning to understand her situation and how to
deal with more now.
He opened his eyes and gave her a cold look.
"Mulder, I am the nurse on duty. If you don't calm down I am going to
have to recommend a sedative," she said changing how she addressed him.
"That's your answer to everything isn't it," Mulder said his voice as
sharp as a razor.
She was not going to give up without a fight, and it seemed neither was
he. Madeline though respected his will, even if he didn't notice.
"My job is to help you get better. You feel better and get out of here
sooner if you rest," she said evenly.
"I would feel better if I saw her," he said with conviction.
Madeline walked around to the other side of his bed and checked the
monitors. His facial expression didn't change, he remained just as
intense.
However, there was something in his eyes that told her it was all just
a front. From the men she knew, none of them were very open with their
feelings. This man was. The price he obvious paid was he tried to
convince people he wasn't open by acting in a cold manor.
She walked over and turned all of the lights off, except for one.
This light would serve as a night light. She had a feeling it was
going to be a long night. She also had a feeling he and the dark were old friends.
Madeline looked over at him again. So many emotions bordered in his
eyes. The eyes that screamed volumes of unspoken words.
"Can I call her?" Mulder asked lifting his head just off the pillow.
"What? We don't have phones in ICU rooms. Just lay back," Madeline
tried to say in a soothing tone.
"I have a cell phone somewhere. Let me call her, please,"
"No need," a short woman with red hair said coming into the room. The
only light in the room from the night light cascaded over her face.
Madeline knew this had to be his wife.
With a watchful eye, she noticed his body language.
Instant relaxation, is what occurred.
She would have anticipated his eyes drifting shut but instead they
stayed focused on her. He let out a barely audible sigh.
He had relinquished all control to her. This woman took the role with
great pride, and ferrous veracity. The relationship in front of her
was like watching some lost art form nearly discovered.
By the time his wife reached his side, he was so happy, Madeline
thought he might scream. The quiet joy kept leaking out in every possible way.
She placed her hand on his check. He turned his head in her hand.
At that moment Madeline's watch alarm went off ringing in the next hour.
Sky rocketing open Mulder's eye's showed panic.
"It's okay," his wife's voice told him. She had placed herself on his
bed sitting to his side.
He was obvious to everything but her at that moment. The expression on
his drooping eyes reflected basked him in contentment.
Then this woman looked over at her.
Madeline feared the worse. She swore she would stand her ground.
Dana Scully's facial expression melted into a silent thank you.
All of a sudden Madeline was jealous of Mulder. Everybody is searching
for such a person to love them to such a degree. When you see it, your
whole concept of a relationship is altered forever. The feelings she
felt inside of her were like electricity. Madeline left them alone,
planning only to return when she did her final rounds. They deserved the privacy.
Besides that, time would allow her a chance to see West again.
In the wee hours of early morning, Madeline opened the door to
room 82, to find her patient asleep in his wife's arms. They looked
as if Michelangelo had sculpted them that way. She lay carefully on his
left, uninjured side. His head was tilted fitting right into her neck.
Her right arm was wrapped behind his head, and was lingering in his hair. His
left hand was joined in her left. Madeline had a feeling no one had dared
disturb them. An intoxicating feeling flushed her body. She would be
the last person who would tattle on them, they needed each other.
Quietly in the background from the nursing station she heard music.
"I'm your only friend I'm not your only friend But I am a little
glowing friend But really i am not actually your friend but i am
Blue canary in the outlet by the light switch
Who watches over you
make a little birdhouse in your soul"
Madeline was half way out the door to their room planning on turning
down the music, when she heard they were awake.
She also noticed the light she had left on last night, had been left
as such. As the music went on, the woman asked the refrain from the song, "Who
watches over you?"
He snuggled his face into the crevasse of her neck, "You do."
"Your right Mulder, I do," Dana Scully-Mulder replied stroking his hair.
Madeline was not a very religious woman. When she had heard the words,
"I do," she thought back to her own response of that question early
that night. "Looks like we both got her way," Madeline muttered under her
breath with a giggle shutting the door. With that the night shift came
to a close.
El fin
comments, questions, critiques, flames. whatever...
Willa Dedalus =
paperhearts4ever@yahoo.com"The human heart has hidden treasures. In secret kept,
in silence sealed; the thoughts, the hopes, the dreams, the
pleasures, whose charms were broken if revealed."
--Charlotte Bronte