Title: Emergency Author: Rotem Shahar Feedback: LaughsR@prodigy.net Rating: PG Category: SA Keywords: Pre X-Files, Character Death Spoilers: None Summary: Dana is called home from summer camp... Disclaimer: The characters from The X-Files are not mine. They belong to Chris Carter, 1013 Productions and FOX. No money is being made and no infringement is intended. ~~~~ 6:17 a.m. Dana had just finished getting dressed when there was a frantic knocking at the cabin door. She rushed to the door, hoping her campers hadn't been awakened. It was her day to set up the day's activities, so she assumed it was Shauna, another counselor at the camp, coming to make sure she was almost ready. She was right about it being Shauna, but not about the purpose of the visit. Shauna grabbed Dana's wrist and pulled her out the door. "What's wrong? What happened? What's going on?" Dana asked as she realized where they were headed. "Your mom is on the phone," Shauna huffed, hurrying along. As they walked, Dana wondered, 'Why is mom calling? She never calls me here. Unless something happened...' She started worrying, multiple possibilities running through her mind. Her mother had only called her one other time during camp, and that was when Missy had run away. For three days they had no idea where Missy was, and finally called Dana for her insight. She and her sister were pretty close, and their parents knew that Missy told Dana things that she told no one else. But now Missy was in college, Bill was in the navy with their father out at sea, and the only person left besides herself was Charlie. Dana gasped. 'I hope Charlie's okay,' she thought. They entered the office and Dana grabbed the phone. "Mom? What's wrong?" she asked into the receiver as she leaned against the wall. "Oh, Dana," her mother drew in a few shaky breaths, trying to steady herself. "Mom? What happened?" Dana asked, afraid to know what made her mother so upset. "Charlie is in the hospital. The doctors don't know if he's going to make it." Her mother exhaled slowly. She'd obviously just found out. Dana felt like some one had stolen the air from her lungs. She slid down the wall and put her head between her knees. Tears rolled freely down her cheeks. She and Charlie had been close. She had always made the time to play with him when neither Missy nor Bill would. She'd help him with his schoolwork when Bill and Missy would make excuses. In turn, Charlie looked up to Dana; he'd do anything she asked of him. Dana waited a few moments before speaking. "What - " she sniffled and tried again. "What happened?" "Charlie was riding his bike to Sam's house when he fell of his bike," she took a deep breath before continuing. "The driver. He didn't see Charlie in the road." Dana gasped as the scene played in her head. "I, I need to go home," she told Shauna, who for the past few minutes had been standing there, unsure of what to do. Shauna nodded and went to talk to the camp director. Shauna soon came back, flight arrangements in hand. Dana was still on the floor, clutching the phone even though the phone conversation had ended. She stared straight ahead, not seeing the world around her. "Dana?" Shauna asked, sitting on the floor next to her. Dana slowly turned her head to look at her friend. Tears started flowing again and Shauna pulled her into a hug, offering her whatever comfort she could. Someone placed Dana's bags in front of her. "You're packed and ready to go," the person told her. "Come on Dana," Shauna told her, pulling her to her feet. "We have to go." ~~~~ She was silent on the way to the airport and when she got her boarding pass. She kept quiet as they waited for her flight to be called. When her flight was called, she hugged Shauna goodbye and waved to the person who drove them, still saying nothing. ~~~~ The plane was surprisingly full for a relatively early flight, and Dana had to move her things off the chair next to her when a young, good-looking man sat down next to her. She turned away from him, resting her forehead on the window, not wanting this stranger to see her cry. The plane took off and Dana tried to sleep. Her mind kept wandering. 'What's going to happen? Would Charlie make it? The doctors might not think so, but there's always that slight possibility...' she tried to reassure herself. 'What would happen if he didn't?' Dana angrily wiped the tears off her cheeks as she sniffled. "Are you all right?" the stranger asked, looking up from the book he was reading. "I'm fine," she said, not looking at him. He shrugged and went back to reading his book. A few seconds later he looked at her again. "Are you sure you're okay?" "I'm fine," Dana told him again. A few more moments passed when he prodded, "You sure?" "Yes, I'm sure. Now I'd appreciate it if you'd leave me alone!" she angrily stated, curling herself into a ball, still facing the window. "Sorry," the man said. Dana sniffled in response. ~~~~ Half an hour later... "My brother. He was in an accident," she swallowed before continuing. "He was riding his bike to his friends house and fell. The driver," she paused for a moment, not allowing the tears to fall. "The driver didn't see him. He's in the hospital now, but the doctors don't think he's going to make it." Dana finished without ever turning to look at him. "I'm sorry," the stranger said compassionately. "My sister disappeared eight years ago. I was supposed to be watching her." He wasn't sure why he had just shared that information with her. Some one he'd never met before. Some one who wasn't very happy with him talking to her. Yet he had felt compelled to tell her. "Did they ever find her?" she asked. He shook his head sadly. "I'm sorry," she paused, unsure of whether to ask her next question. She decided to ask. "What was her name?" "Samantha." "What's your brother's name?" he asked her. "Charlie." Something clicked in the young man's brain. "How old is he?" "He just turned thirteen." "Was he going to go to camp this summer?" "Yeah, he goes to this basketball camp every summer." "Camp Kobe. He's been going there for four years now." "Scully? Is that your last name?" "Yeah, it is..." she said warily. "I was your brother's counselor for the past two years." She thought for a moment. "Fox, right?" The man nodded. "He talks about you all the time. He'd write us letters from camp...Fox said this, Fox taught me how to do that..." Fox blushed, making Dana grin. "Well, that's not fair. He only had one coach. But he has two sisters." She considered making him guess, but thought better of it. "I'm Dana," she told him. Fox was about to speak when the pilot announced that they were beginning their descent. Dana faced forward in her seat and gripped the armrests. "I hate landing," she muttered. Fox placed a comforting hand atop hers, and they stayed like that until the plane stopped at the gate. "Where to now?" Fox asked as they disembarked. Dana looked at him quizzically. "I'm coming with you," he stated. "Fox, you don't have to - " "I know," he told her, not letting her finish the sentence. "Missy is supposed to pick me, us, up," Dana replied, looking through the sea of strangers, hoping her sister was in their midst. She sighed, seeing no sign of her. "Dana!" they heard a voice yell. Both she and Fox spun around, searching for the source of the voice. "Missy!" Dana and her sister hugged. "This is Fox, Charlie's basketball coach," Dana introduced as they walked out of the airport and into the parking garage. Missy didn't question his presence. They were quiet on the ride to the hospital, each lost in their own thoughts. ~~~~ Thirty Three minutes later... The trio approached a nurse, asking where they could find Charlie. She kindly led them to his room, suggesting they go in one at a time. They nodded and said thank you, and the nurse left them to themselves. Missy went in first, leaving Fox and Dana alone in the hallway. "When Missy comes out, I'll tell him I brought someone special to come see him. He'll be thrilled to see you again," she told him sadly. Fox wanted to reassure her that everything would be okay, that everything would turn out fine, but he couldn't. Missy exited the room in tears a few minutes later, and Dana entered. A few seconds later she emerged with tears in her eyes. Motioning for Fox to enter, she went back into the hospital room. ~~~~ Charlie was kept over night; their mother making the doctors and nurses promise to call if there was any change in his condition. ~~~~ 4:28 a.m. The phone rang, tearing Mrs. Scully from her dream. She listened to the person on the other end intently, and after a few minutes she hung up the phone. A tear rolled down her cheek, but she put her emotions in check; she needed to be strong for the rest of the family. She picked up the phone again and called the navy base her husband and eldest son were stationed at, telling them the tragic news. She slowly got dressed and woke Dana, Melissa, and Fox. They quickly realized what had happened when Mrs. Scully didn't say a word. Words of joy and excitement would be flowing from her mouth if the news was good, but instead, they saw her face, stained with the tears she had shed for the loss of her youngest child. ~~~~ The End.