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See Part 1 for Notes and Disclaimer . . . ************************************************ Georgetown Memorial Hospital 22 May 1999 11:46 AM EST The death of Agent Diana Fowley quickly became a FBI matter. Within a couple hours her murder had made it to every local news channel, and by ten it had become one of the headline stories on CNN. Scully observed all of this not >from her personal involvement in the investigation-- she had steered clear >from the bureau since she had found Diana's body earlier that morning-- but >from the small television in the hospital waiting room. The doctors had informed her that Mulder had been in and out of consciousness since her departure the previous evening. She rested her head against the cushion behind her. Sinking more deeply into her drowsiness, she started to lapse into a light sleep. That came to an end as the door buzzer rang close to her ear. "Dana Scully?" A young dark-haired doctor she had not met before entered the room. In his hand he carried a chart, which she presumed must be Mulder's. "Yes." She said quicky, once more alert. She stood, smoothing her rumpled skirt with one hand while shaking the doctor's hand with the other. "I'm Dr. Santiago. I'm one of the physicians assigned to your partner's case." Scully nodded in acknowledgement. She wasn't sure if this new addition to Mulder's care team was trustworthy, but pushed the thought aside for a moment in interest of seeing his current condition. "Is he awake?" "Yes, and he's calling for you. He's been weakened by his seizures and sedatives, so we ask that you not stay long with him. I wouldn't recommend it at all considering the often volatile nature of his illness, but I was informed that there was an exception to be made for you. I take it the two of you are close?" Santiago grinned. His new patient had most of the staff afraid to slip food through the door, while the small-statured woman before him could enter his room without a backward glance. One couldn't help but appreciate that level of trust. You have no idea, Scully thought wrily. "You could say that. Can I see him now?" "Right this way." ***************** Room C14 22 May 1999 11:52 AM EST As they approached Mulder's cell Dr. Santiago gave Scully the obligatory precautionary warnings and regulations. He entered the passcode on the keypad, and the light above the door turned green. "I'll be right outside the door in case of trouble. They're keeping an eye on the monitors in the next room. Just in case." With a parting glance he held the door and let her pass through. Scully had scarcely made it through the door before Mulder had stumbled to his feet. Saying nothing, he wrapped his arms around her in a tight embrace. "Scully..." "Miss me?" Scully said with a suprised laugh. She stepped back and saw that his eyes were red-rimmed and moist. "Mulder, what is it?" She questioned, taking both of his hands in her own. "I need out of here, Scully. I need out of my head." Mulder answered in quiet desperation. "I have news." "I know." Scully paused, wondering if Mulder had any idea of the magnitude of what she was about to tell him. "Try me." Startled, she looked up. "You can understand my thoughts clearly now?" "Apparently. I have since you were in the hall." Mulder looked nonplussed by this knowledge, as though he was admitting he had taken up a new hobby during his confinement. "But how?" Scully asked, still wildly disconcerted. "You're the scientist. You tell me." Mulder responded with a bit of humor. "Mulder." "The static is gone, Scully. I don't know what else to say. It's a bit cloudy at times, but I can interpret your thoughts almost as well as I can my own." He continued "What did you find out?" "Well, it's good you have this ability, Mulder, because I wouldn't want to risk this reaching the wrong ears." Reaching into her suit jacket she pulled out the envelope Skinner had given her earlier. She handed it to Mulder without a word. The information inside was stunning. She had studied it intensively upon her arrival at the hospital. Someone had taken what she assumed were excised parts of Mulder's missing chart and cross referenced the notations with another set of records. Records that belonged to... "Gibson Praise." Mulder said simply, not lifting his eyes from the document. The letter went on to outline astounding correlations between the two cases. PET scans were compared, symptoms were analyzed. Whomever authored this was certainly well connected to both Mulder and Gibson. While it was never stated that they felt the situations were identical, it was hypothesized that perhaps Mulder would respond to the same "treatment" that the boy had undergone. Gibson's whereabouts weren't known, but if this information was correct his telepathic tendencies could now be controlled. Remembering the child, Scully shuddered slightly. She didn't want to know by whom. Gibson had a gift. In the wrong hands it could have innumerable ramifications. She offered a silent prayer that he wherever he was, he was safe. Mulder rested his palm against her face, letting his thumb trace gently under her cheekbone. "He's okay, Scully. He's much too valuable to too many people." He read for a few more lines. "There's a way of shutting this off?" "If this is indeed the same thing, there is a drug that can essentially stop the telepathy and the accompanying effects. The pain, the seizures...whether the condition or the sedatives are causing them it can be stopped. The question is do you want it to be?" Mulder looked around the small room. "Would I be able to regain it?" "There's no way to say conclusively. We can't be certain that this is indeed the same type of situation as Gibson. What I can be certain of is that by letting this continue you are putting yourself at great risk. Between the seizures and the prolonged exposure to the sedatives you are in grave danger of permanent brain damage." Scully said emphatically. "I don't want to lose you, Mulder. Not to something that can be stopped. Is this worth risking your life and your sanity? The truth we've been searching for won't do you any good if I have to come wipe drool for you during visiting hours." "You would do that for me? Scully..." "I do have some personal interest, you know." Mulder chuckled and considered this. He turned Scully's chin up and planted a soft kiss on her lips. Meeting her eyes, he said "Diandibarvanal?" ***************** Georgetown Memorial Hospital 24 May 1999 6:11 PM EST If Scully had found it difficult to find the obscure drug, getting it to Mulder unnoticed was quickly proving to be impossible. She couldn't simply go to the doctors with her discovery; she didn't know who she could trust. In addition, if news got to Them about her acquiring the medication it could seriously compromise Skinner, placing all of their lives in jeopardy. Skinner. She wondered about his whereabouts and safety. They hadn't spoken since their last meeting. Did he know something about Fowley's death? The investigation into her murder was still going strong. Scully felt certain that Skinner wasn't responsible; the crime was too obvious and high-profile for a man in his position. Once she and Mulder were teamed again their first priority would have to be to do everything in their power to secure Skinner's freedom. Not knowing the nature of the virus or Krycek's whereabouts would make it a difficult task indeed. But first she had to free Mulder. Scully had been visiting him at regular intervals for the last 48 hours, and had assisted the staff while medicating her partner. Since her arrivals at the hospital had become much more frequent the staff had noticed a remarkable difference in Mulder's behavior patterns, and his violent outbursts had become far less common. He did still suffer from the seizures, but they too had lessened in intensity. Now as she watched him on the monitor she knew it was time to make their move. Twenty minutes before each meal Mulder was given a small dose of Phenylbarbital. Her only option was to replace that syringe with the one containing the Diandibarvanal and hope that the new drug didn't interact negatively with the preexisting meds already in his system. Walking into the hall she found an orderly pushing the evening meal trolley toward Mulder's wing. Quickly Scully intercepted him. "I'll take the one in C14." The kind-faced older man stopped the cart. "I appreciate the offer, miss, but he requires the doctor. Special case." "I am the doctor." Without waiting for an objection she grabbed the tray with Mulder's room number and continued quickly down the hall. Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out the replacement drug while slipping the barbituate >from the meal tray into it's place. "Dr. Scully!" Turning around, she smiled at the approaching Dr. Santiago. "Perfect timing. I decided I would help with Mulder tonight, but realized I needed someone to open the door." "Why not wait until rounds? You're slightly early." Scully had no answer for that. She had wanted to avoid just this type of situation. She hadn't needed someone to unlock the door. One of the many advantages of having the person on the other side able to read minds. Kind of gives away the game. "Sorry, apparently my timing is a little off." Scully replied nonchalantly. "Not a problem. I appreciate your help." He stepped ahead of her and entered the code. Standing back, he let her enter. Mulder rose, then crossed the room as Scully set his dinner on the tray hanging from the door. He eyed Santiago, then returned his gaze to his partner. "It's okay, doctor. I'd like to stay with him if it's alright with you." "Absolutely. Need help with his meds?" "I think I can handle it." Scully responded lightly. "I'll call you if I have any problems." Dr. Santiago left, leaving the two alone. "I take it you got it?" Mulder asked, searching her eyes with his own. "Yes." Scully said, reaching for the syringe. "Do you trust me?" "Always." "That's good, because this can do one of two things. You can walk away from here without fear of seizures or psychosis. Go back to your relatively normal routine." Pulling back the plunger, she started to lift Mulder's sleeve. He grasped her wrist. "Or..." "Depending on your makeup it could kill you, cripple you or render you catatonic." "Ah." Mulder looked slightly nauseous. Scully gave him a reassuring smile, and prepped the injection site. Right before she she inserted the needle, Mulder stilled her hand. "Scully... This couldn't have been easy for you. You've risked so much to help me, and ask for nothing in return. I know I don't say it often enough, but thank you. For everything." Touched deeply, she wondered if he knew how much she loved him, and if he felt the emotion as deeply towards her. "Always." ***************** Apartment 42 30 May 1999 9:17 AM EST One week later Mulder was released from the hospital, free from the seizures and any evidence of the invasive thoughts that had both enriched and plagued him. He wouldn't return to active duty for several weeks, but he took the opportunity to start an informal investigation into the events of the last month, from Skinner's biological captivity to Diana's murder, which remained unsolved. While that aspect concerned him, he couldn't become overly moved by her death. He grieved for the woman he had known in the past, not the duplicitous agent that had reentered his life a year earlier. He regretted not trusting Scully's instincts earlier; it was not until the night before his hospitalization that he had learned some of her true motivations. It saddened and disturbed him, until Scully Diana was the most important person in his life; a devoted partner. He turned as he heard Scully enter his living room, hair tousled and and clothed in one of his older dress shirts, blinking from fresh sleep. It was not until Scully that he knew he had a partner in every sense of the word. ******** THE END ********* Well, if you made it this far you must have an opinion! Send the good, the bad, and the Foul here: UberSpooky@aol.com, UberScully@aol.com
