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Title: Mother Nature Rock and Roll
Author: Waddles52
Spoilers: Drive
Rating: PG 13
Summary: Written for the MR
"Act of God" challenge for April, 2004.
Classification: MT, MSR
Disclaimer: Property of 1013 and Fox. No copyright
infringement intended.
Mulder had been driving for what seemed like days but
in reality only an hour had passed. He glanced to
his right where his partner sat, ramrod straight and
staring straight ahead. To say that Dana Scully was
pissed would be putting it mildly. He thought of
something to say, just to break the silence but
decided at the last minute just to let it go. Scully
would speak when she was good and ready.
Another hour passed and suddenly Scully turned to
face her partner who was now prepared for the verbal
onslaught he knew was coming. "Mulder, of all the
dead-end, crazy, hare-brained leads we've chased over
the years, this one takes the cake. You've brought
us six hours from the closest town of any size for
absolutely nothing. That man was so drunk I'm
surprised he only saw one flying saucer. He could
have envisioned 'The War of the Worlds' in
Technicolor and I think you would have believed him."
"You're right," Mulder agreed staring at the road
ahead.
"Of course, I'm right. That's it? No argument?"
"No argument. I admit that I should have checked
that guy out a little more. I just got caught up in
his story and the chance to get out of that boring
office. I'm sorry."
"Well, Skinner did sign off on it and the scenery is
gorgeous."
"We'll be back to civilization in a few hours and I
promise I'll check us into a nice motel and spring
for a decent meal. In fact, I'll pick up the entire
tab. Uncle Sam can't afford what I have in mind."
He turned to her and waggled his eyebrows.
"And what do you have in mind?" She countered with a
raised eyebrow of her own.
"One room, king-sized bed, hot tub, champagne on ice,
you know, the usual."
"I like the way you think but I doubt we'll find
anything that luxurious in the middle of nowhere."
"Oh, ye of little faith. I already made reservations
and we should be there in about five hours." He
chanced a glance at his partner and was pleased to
note the smile on her face.
"Right now I'd settle for a soft drink and a chance
to stretch my legs." Scully shifted in her seat and
tried to stretch.
"I've got a cooler with some drinks in the trunk. I
forgot all about them. As soon as this road widens
out a little I'll pull over."
"Great! It is a little narrow through here isn't it?
It almost looks like we're in a canyon."
Mulder looked up. "Yeah, you're right. Those rock
formations are interesting. I read that some of them
have been precariously balanced for thousands of
years and haven't budged an inch."
"Yes, I've seen similar formations in the Appalachian
Mountains. It really makes you wonder how they defy
gravity." The tired and thirsty redhead looked out
the passenger side window. "Oh, look. It seems to
be thinning out on my side. Maybe we'll be able to
stop soon."
"Maybe sooner than you think!" Mulder slammed on the
brakes and Scully jerked her head up in time to see
one boulder after another tumble and bounce down the
steep incline on Mulder's side. With a sinking
sensation she realized that there was no way to avoid
the rockslide.
A medium-sized boulder bounced off the hood as Mulder
struggled to keep the car under control. He thought
he might have a chance until a whole assembly of
rocks began to make their way down the hillside,
chased by a monster-sized boulder. Before he could
even shout a warning, he felt the car being pushed to
the side. He put his right arm out to steady his
partner and thought that he was glad he had purchased
insurance along with the rental. At least his estate
wouldn't have to pay for a replacement.
Taking a deep breath, he squeezed Scully's left hand
and stared at her lovely face. He wanted it to be
the last thing he saw. The crunch of metal and
splintering glass was the last thing he heard as
their car was pushed into the rock outcropping on the
right side of the road.
Scully choked on the dusty air, trying to manufacture
enough saliva to rid her mouth of the annoying
particles. Thank goodness the rockslide ended
quickly and she didn't seem to be injured. Maybe the
car wasn't too badly damaged and she and Mulder could
move the rocks aside and be on their way.
All such hopes were dashed when she turned to her
partner and found him mere inches from her. The
large rocks had crushed the driver's side door,
pushing him onto the console where he was held in
place by his shoulder harness. With trembling hands
she reached out and touched his face.
"Guess those rocks got tired of defying gravity," he
winced. "You okay?"
"Yeah, I think so. What about you?"
"I may have a bruise or two. Let me undo this
seatbelt and see about getting us out of here."
Before Scully could protest, he had the seatbelt
unbuckled and was trying to extricate himself from
the shoulder harness. It was obvious that he was
injured as he struggled to get the harness over his
head.
"Here, let me do that." Scully had already removed
her own seatbelt.
"Thought you'd never ask," he gasped as she brought
the harness carefully over his head.
"A bruise or two?" Scully cocked her eye brow as she
looked him over.
"I'm sure you'll find bruises."
"And what else? Where does it hurt?"
"Pick any place on my left side. Ow! That's a good
place to start!" Scully had lightly grazed his
shoulder as she struggled to get the seat belt out of
the way.
"Sorry."
"We need to get out of here. I think I smell
gasoline," he pointed out.
"I think you're right." Scully looked around "I
think we'll have to get out through the passenger
side window. All of the doors appear to be blocked."
"After you." Mulder watched as his petite partner
easily made her way through the window. "This is
really going to hurt," he thought as he pushed off
with his right arm to work his way over the console
and into the passenger seat.
He quickly became aware of the extent of his
injuries. While he had initially thought that just
his shoulder and ribs were involved, it didn't take
long for him to realize that his left hip and leg had
also sustained some damage. Despite the pain, he was
able to slide his body over the gearshift and come to
rest in the passenger seat.
"Mulder?" Scully questioned when he stopped moving.
"Gotta rest . . .maybe a minute or two." He tried to
hide his pain from her but his body betrayed him as a
groan escaped his lips.
"Okay, rest a minute. I'm going to see if I can get
through to anyone on my cell." She scrambled up the
rocks to have a better shot at getting a signal.
Mulder's head buzzed loudly and for a moment he
thought he might pass out. Damn, he hurt! He tried
to slow his breathing and will his pain away. He
still had to push himself through that window and it
was going to take quite a bit of effort on his part.
Scully's voice brought him back from his ramblings.
"Please hurry!" she pleaded loudly. A chill passed
over her as she ended the conversation. She had been
informed that help would be forthcoming but it might
take a while. Severe thunderstorms were popping up
all over the region and as a result all helicopter
flights were grounded until the weather cleared. The
sun was quickly becoming obscured by an ominous
looking bank of clouds.
Scully carefully made her way back to the car where
her partner rested. His breathing had slowed, but it
was evident that he was in a great deal of pain. She
glanced toward the sky and then back at the car. The
smell of gasoline was no longer prominent. With
threatening weather approaching it might be better to
stay in the car. "Mulder, we need to talk."
She explained the situation. "So, we have some
decisions to make. I'm not as concerned about a
potential fire and explosion as I am about the
weather right now."
"Could be iffy either way. Rain would dilute any
gasoline that may have spilled and this car is wedged
in tight. I think we'd be safer from the wind and
weather here. On the other hand, a lightning strike
or any spark could cause the car to go boom."
"True, so I'll leave it up to you, Mulder."
Mulder closed his eyes and tried to take a deep
breath. "The car . . .let's stay here."
"I agree. I'm going to get the first-aid kit from my
suitcase and I'll be right back."
Thunder began to rumble in the distance and the sun
was almost completely covered by the rolling, black
clouds. Scully quickly located the first-aid kit and
the cooler with the drinks. Maybe she could use the
ice on some of Mulder's injuries. Pulling them from
the trunk, she made her way back to the passenger's
window.
Mulder hadn't appeared to move an inch. His eyes
were still closed and his breathing was still rather
fast and shallow. His eyes quickly opened when
Scully dropped the cooler to the ground with a thump.
She leaned in and began to roll the back window down.
"What're you doing?" Mulder inquired, his eyes
squinting through the pain.
"Unless you want to move back over, I'll have to
climb in the back to get to the front seat."
"Don't feel like moving."
"I thought so." She threw the first-aid kit onto the
driver's seat and set the cooler in the back seat.
Quickly hoisting herself up, she was in the back seat
in no time and a few seconds later she was in the
driver's seat, preparing to examine her partner's
injuries.
"Fill me in, partner." She began to unbutton his
shirt. "And be truthful. I know you're hurting and
I need to know where and how much."
"'Kay."
Scully eased the man's shirt down his left arm. She
barely managed to contain her surprise when she saw
the deep bruising that had formed in a matter of
minutes. "Start at the top, okay?"
"Mmm, okay. Shoulder hurts."
The FBI agent/doctor began to gently examine him and
stopped when Mulder cried out in pain. "Your collar
bone is definitely fractured. Please don't try to
move your arm. That bone is really unstable."
"Not gonna be . . . a problem." He tried to steady
his breathing after the strong waves of pain he'd
just endured. Before he could protest, his partner
was pressing the area over his lower ribs. The
ensuing pain robbed him of the little breath he'd
gotten back. "Scully, stop! Please!" he managed to
wheeze and then began gasping for breath.
"Slow it down, Mulder or you'll start to
hyperventilate."
"Trying . . .hurts!"
"I know and I'm sorry. I couldn't feel anything but
I wouldn't rule out a couple of fractured ribs. How
about your neck and back? Any pain there?"
"No," he grunted, still trying to regain his
composure.
"Good. Any place else hurting? How about your
stomach?"
"Stomach's fine. Knee and hip . . .pretty sore."
His breathing was beginning to slow down to a more
normal rate although he still couldn't breathe
deeply.
"Do you think your hip or leg might be broken?"
Scully was trying to examine his hip through his
jeans.
"Hip's just sore . . .leg feels broken." Mulder
winced as she pressed the area over his hip. Her
hands moved down his leg and she had to adjust her
position to feel his lower leg. When the petite M.D.
felt the lump on his left shin he let out a yelp of
pain.
"Looks like you might have a fairly serious break
there. I'll have to find something to splint it."
Mulder tried to nod but was stopped by the pain in
his collarbone. There was a bright flash and an
almost deafening clap of thunder. "How's the weather
looking? Can't turn around."
"It's not looking good I'm afraid. It looks like
we're in for a pretty strong thunderstorm. I can't
seem to find anything close to make a splint. I'll
have to search some more after the storm passes."
"Just stay with me for now." He began to shiver.
"Cold, damn it, hurts!"
"I know. Just try to keep your breathing slow and
even. You have some cuts on your face and head. I'm
going to clean and bandage them now."
"Go for it."
A gust of wind shook the car. The agents looked at
each other. Mulder seemed particularly concerned.
"Don't worry. We're wedged in here so tightly that I
don't think we're going anywhere," Scully pointed
out. "The sky is really starting to look weird
though."
Mulder gritted his teeth against the pain. "Describe
weird."
"Well, the clouds are really rolling and the sky has
this strange, greenish hue."
"Damn! Keep your eyes open. Looks like we might be
in for some real trouble."
"What do you mean?" Scully took another long look at
the sky.
"Maybe a tornado."
"And if it is?"
"Let's hope this car is wedged in as tightly as we
think it is." His words were accented by a huge
crash of thunder as huge drops of rain began to
pepper down.
"Looks like it's just about here." Another gust of
wind caused the car to shudder. Both agents were
startled by a loud crash and then another. The
already splintered windshield threatened to give way
as golf ball sized hail began to bounce off the car.
"Can you see the clouds?" Mulder asked anxiously.
"It's hard to tell. Everything seems to be
swirling."
"Scully, get under the dashboard!" Mulder directed.
"What? Are you crazy?"
"No! Just do it! Curl up into a ball and cover your
head. Hurry!"
"But . . ."
"No buts, Scully. There isn't much time."
She began to position her body under the steering
column, an area made even smaller when the boulder
crashed into it. "Mulder, what about you? Can you
get under the dash on your side?"
"Don't worry . . .putting my seatbelt on." It took
every ounce of willpower and strength that he
possessed to maneuver the safety harness back over
his shoulder and abdomen and secure it.
Mulder wanted to cover his partner's small body with
his own. It was his stupid lead that had brought
them here and with the full force of the storm upon
them, all he could do was hope and pray that the car
would stand up to whatever Mother Nature decided to
throw at them.
Scully had shoved herself under the dashboard as far
as she possibly could. Always the curious scientist,
she wanted to observe the meteorological turmoil that
was upon them while her heart wanted Mulder beside
her, holding her close to protect her.
Though she rarely admitted fear, this situation was
pushing her to the limit of her endurance. Not only
did she fear for her partner's life, but her own was
in peril as well.
Mulder tried to cover his face with his right arm but
it wasn't enough. He felt the sting of tiny pieces
of glass as the windshield began to collapse under
the weight of baseball sized hailstones. The
stalwart agent cried out in pain as the changing air
pressure made his eardrums feel like they were
bursting.
"Scully," Mulder screamed, hoping he could be heard
above the roar of the wind. The thunder and
lightning were almost continuous and he could feel
the car straining against its rocky prison. Fear
that his love would be sucked from the car into the
storm's heart urged him to call again. Damn the pain
and the dust that threatened to choke the life from
him. He had to know that she was all right.
After what seemed like hours, he felt her small hand
on his left foot. She gave it a reassuring squeeze
then all went black as the rear window gave way and
he was pelted with glass and debris. His body
slumped to the left, saving his life as a large tree
limb flew in from the back window and embedded itself
in the hood of the car, coming to rest where his head
had been minutes earlier.
Scully held onto Mulder's foot for dear life.
Somehow she felt that as long as she could feel him
they would both be all right. Minutes later the wind
and hail ceased and the sky became lighter. Only
then did she allow herself to relax.
The small FBI agent pushed herself out from under the
steering column and gasped when she saw the tree limb
occupying Mulder's space. Fear once again reared its
head as she brushed broken glass aside and forced
herself onto the driver's seat. After rising to her
knees she opened her eyes. Tears of joy slid down
her cheeks when she saw that her partner was still in
one piece and breathing. With a mighty heave she
pushed the limb through the windshield and onto the
hood of the car.
Mulder's neck and face were covered with new cuts and
scratches but Scully was encouraged by the steady
rise and fall of his chest. She combed the glass out
of his hair with her fingers and began to look for
the first-aid kit. Amazingly, it was right where she
had left it. She pulled out what she would need and
began to clean the numerous cuts and scratches on his
face.
Mulder had been sure that his life was over when he'd
slipped into unconsciousness so he was quite
surprised to feel the sting of the cuts and
antiseptic as he returned to awareness. "Sc-Scully?"
"Shh, you're okay. The storm's over and you just
have a few more cuts and bruises for me to practice
my skills on."
"You're all right? We're alive?" he asked
incredulously.
"Yep, we're just like a Timex watch. We take a
licking and keep on ticking."
"Can't believe we lived through that."
"If we hadn't been wedged in here so tightly from the
rockslide, we'd be goners." She cleaned the last of
his facial wounds and eyed the tree limb on the hood
of the car. "The twister even delivered your
splint."
"Just about took my head off." Mulder grimaced when
he tried to turn to face her.
"Don't try to move, okay?"
"No more reminders needed. Got any painkillers in
that kit?"
"Uh-huh, but nothing injectible. You'll have to
settle for the Vicodin you refused to take when you
sprained your ankle three months ago."
"Thought I pitched those."
"You did." Scully shook the brown prescription
bottle. "I rescued them, all 36 of them."
"This is one time I'm glad you went behind my back."
"She shook three of them into her hand. "I don't
normally recommend going against the prescribed
dosage, but in this case I think you need a little
more of the narcotic effect until we can get you on
an IV and pump you full of the good stuff."
Scully reached into the back seat and found the
cooler lying on its side still tightly closed.
Grabbing a couple of drinks, she turned back around
to face her partner. After opening one of the cans
she placed the tablets in Mulder's mouth and held the
drink while he washed them down. Setting the opened
soft drink on what was left of the dashboard she
opened the other one and slugged down almost all of
it, following it with a rather unlady-like burp.
"Why, Scully," Mulder grinned. "I don't even think I
could top that."
"I always won the burping contests at home and later
in my dorm."
"Bet you were the life of the party."
"Want to hear me belch the alphabet?"
"Um, no, I'll take your word for it. Could I have
another drink please? Hurts too much to reach for
it."
"Oh, sorry. Sure."
Scully was certainly full of surprises and such fun
when she let herself go. After a few sips, Mulder
had all he could handle. "We'll have to set up a
contest of our own when my ribs heal."
"You're on, partner, but you know you're gonna
loose."
"We'll see."
"As soon as those Vicodin kick in, I'm going to
splint your leg."
"Okay. What about the weather? Are we in the clear
now?" Mulder hated not being able to turn around but
he disliked the pain even slight movement brought to
his shoulder and ribs. Scully would have to keep him
apprised.
After a long look at the sky behind them, Scully
informed him that there were no more threatening
clouds, only the rain that pattered steadily against
the roof of the car.
"How long before help arrives?"
"The state police dispatcher promised to have a
chopper in the air as soon as the storm passed
through their location, so I'm hoping no longer than
an hour."
"Gonna take some manpower to get to this car."
"Yes, I'm sure it will take a little work, but
they're prepared for it." The doctor in her surfaced
again as she felt for his pulse, relieved that it was
strong and steady. "You're doing all right though.
You're pretty banged up but you don't seem to have
any life threatening injuries."
"I'm getting a little woozy from the pain pills.
Time to get that splint on."
The next few minutes were the things nightmares were
made of. Scully found that she needed more room to
maneuver, which meant moving Mulder's seat back. His
injuries prevented him from moving so she had to do
it herself. Of course, the seat jerked when it
moved, adding more pain.
Mulder tried so hard not to show the overwhelming
torture that movement had caused. He thought he was
doing an excellent job of hiding it until he felt
Scully wipe his tears away. "Sorry . . .can't help
it . . . trying not to."
"Shh, Mulder, it's okay. You don't have to hide it
from me. I'm a doctor and I know what kind of pain
you're in. Just let it out. I won't think any less
of you for it."
"Love you."
"And I feel the same way. You're a very brave man,
partner."
He managed to raise his right hand to capture her
small, left hand. "Think I'm ready for that splint
now."
"Are you sure you don't want to rest a few more
minutes?"
"No, let's go for it."
After breaking off two suitable lengths of wood from
the tree limb, Scully climbed back into the front
seat. Grabbing a roll of gauze from the first-aid
kit she took a deep breath and positioned herself to
straighten Mulder's left leg. As she tugged on his
limb to bring the ends of the bone back into
alignment, she realized that her friend had just
about reached the limit of his endurance.
His screams for her to stop made her pause and
consider doing just that. The part of her that was a
doctor waged a fierce battle with the part of her
that was Mulder's friend and lover. She cried
herself as she secured the splint with the roll of
gauze. As soon as she finished Dana Scully was back
at her partner's side, speaking to him softly, trying
to soothe him.
Although he was trying his best to ignore the
excruciating waves of pain that riddled his lower,
left leg, Mulder couldn't work through it. He began
to shiver almost convulsively as his body began to go
into shock.
"Mulder, are you still with me?" Scully was becoming
more anxious as he was unable to respond. She felt
his pulse and found it so rapid that she had trouble
keeping up with it for a count. "Come on, now. Try
to concentrate on my voice. Let's talk about what
we'll do after we get you patched up. After those
ribs heal a little I thought we could find an out of
the way cabin with a big front porch. You could prop
your leg up on the railing and catch up on your
reading, or maybe if it has a phone you could surf
the web for all of those crazy websites you like to
visit."
At first Scully's voice seemed far away and barely
audible over his pounding pulse, but his
concentration began to improve when she mentioned
getting away to an isolated cabin. "What kind of
bed?"
His voice was weak and a bit short of breath but his
partner was thrilled to hear it. A huge grin spread
across her face as she answered, "King-sized, of
course."
"Jacuzzi?"
"On the back porch. We can wrap your cast in plastic
to keep it dry."
"Fishing?" A grin managed to form to replace the
painful grimace that had at once covered Mulder's
face.
"I don't think you'll have time to fish. Physical
therapy will take a large portion of the day."
"Oh, as in re-hab or Dr. Scully's patented method?"
"A little of both, with much more emphasis on Dr.
Scully's methods of exercise and body manipulation.'
"Count me in but please pick a warm location without
tornadoes or rockslides." The injured agent
continued to shiver, though not as violently as
before.
"I'll be sure to pick a warm locale." Scully smiled
again. "Because clothing will be optional."
Mulder's eyes had been drooping but both of them
opened wide at Scully's last declaration. "You're
not making this up are you?"
"No way! As soon as we get back to civilization and
I know you're stable, I'll get in touch with a travel
agent. Any suggestions on the location? I was
thinking maybe the Poconos or the Adirondacks."
Mulder thought it over. "Both of those are still too
close to home. What about Hawaii?"
"Um, that's a possibility, but I'm not sure that the
Scully budget can handle that. Kersh wiped me out
when I had to pay expenses on the Crimm case," she
sighed.
"Bastard," Mulder groaned as he tried to shift in his
seat. "Don't worry, though. If you really want to
go to Hawaii, the Scully-Mulder budget can handle it
quite comfortably."
"How do you figure that?" Scully normally kept to a
strict monthly budget and was just beginning to
replenish her savings account after Kersh had
punished her for Mulder's ill-advised involvement in
a case that took him through several states behind
the wheel of a stolen car, and ended at the Pacific
Ocean with a dead passenger.
"I sold all of Dad's property and stocks. We could
go to Hawaii quite comfortably on the monthly
interest alone."
Scully's jaw dropped in surprise. "I had no idea.
Why do you still live in that small apartment and
drive that crappy car?"
"For the most part, I use that money to work against
Them."
"Is that how you were able to get to Antarctica so
fast?"
"Yes."
"Mulder, that was a lot of money . . .I'd."
"Now, listen to me for a minute. Skinner was able to
get most of that money refunded and anyway, you're
worth it. I'd spend every penny of mine and my
father's if it meant having you safe by my side."
"Thank you, Mulder."
"So, are we on for Hawaii?" Mulder asked hopefully.
"Hawaii sounds wonderful."
"Good, first class all the way?"
"You bet." Scully smiled broadly.
Both of them were startled when Scully's cell phone
chirped. Mulder was still surprised that she had
been able to get a signal in the middle of nowhere.
She spoke briefly and then turned to him. "That was
the state police dispatcher. The chopper is in the
air and will be meeting up with a ground crew near
our location. It seems there's no place to land the
chopper close by. It could be another half hour to
forty-five minutes before they reach us."
"What about the weather?"
"The front has passed us. We're in the clear."
"That's a relief," he sighed. "Could I have
something else to drink? All of a sudden I'm really
thirsty."
Scully checked his pulse again then noted the beads
of perspiration on his brow and upper lip. "How are
you doing?" she asked as she held the soft drink
while he drank.
"Starting to feel a little shaky."
"I thought as much."
"Can't get anything by you."
"That's so right and you should try and remember
that. Now, what's different from a few minutes ago?"
"Starting to feel nauseous. Might be the pain meds."
"That's a possibility. Are you having any difficulty
breathing?"
"No."
"Hang in there, partner. It won't be as long as it
has been." Although Scully's smile returned she was
still concerned that she'd missed something. She
began to go through a mental inventory of symptoms
and what could be causing them. None of them left
her with a particularly good feeling. "Just close
your eyes and rest. I'll be right here with you to
watch your back and make sure the rescue team gets
you out."
"Never had any doubts. Gotta rest, Scully." His
eyes closed as he lost the battle to stay conscious.
Scully checked his pulse and reminded herself that
she needed to put a blood pressure kit in with her
first-aid supplies. She went over all of his
injuries and symptoms again in her mind and began to
suspect that he might have some internal bleeding,
probably from his spleen. Hopefully the rescue team
would shave a few minutes from their expected arrival
time. Mulder needed every minute they could spare.
She debated leaving her partner for a few minutes to
go to higher ground to make contact with the state
police dispatcher and urge them to hurry, but she was
afraid to leave his side. She got her answer when
Mulder groaned loudly and opened his eyes.
"Scully?"
"I'm still here," she assured him.
"Don't leave," Mulder was barely able to get the
words out.
"I'm not going anywhere."
"Hurts . . .bad. Need another pill."
"Where does it hurt? Can you show me?"
He tried to move his right hand to show her but found
that he was suddenly so weak that his body wouldn't
cooperate. "Left side . . .under my ribs. Make it
stop!"
"Mulder, listen to me. You may have internal
injuries. I'm afraid to give you anything else by
mouth."
As if to illustrate her fear, he began to retch,
bringing up the soft drink he'd recently downed all
over the front of his shirt. "Sorry," he moaned,
observing the mess he'd made.
"That's okay. You couldn't help it. The rescue crew
will have to cut your clothes off anyway."
"Gonna be much longer?"
"They should be here any minute."
The sound of a helicopter could be heard in the far
distance. "Do you hear that, Mulder? The rescue
team is almost here."
"They'll give me something for pain?"
"Yes, I'm sure they'll give you something to make you
feel more comfortable."
Mulder closed his eyes again. "Come on, partner.
Try to stay awake until they get here."
"S'hard. Hurts . . .so tired."
"I know you are but just try to hang on for a few
more minutes."
"I'll try. Promise me."
"Promise you what?"
"If I can't go, you go anyway . . .Hawaii."
Anger flashed in Scully's eyes. "No, I will not
promise you! You're going to recover and go with me.
Nothing else is acceptable."
"I'll try."
"Stop with this 'I'll try' shit! You will recover.
Do you hear me?"
"Loud and clear."
"You need to suck it up and hang in there for a few
more minutes." She paused. "I can hear them coming
now."
Her attention was drawn to a sound on the other side
of the rockslide. "Agent Scully? Agent Mulder?
We're going to start clearing these rocks away.
We're sending someone over with supplies to start
treating your injuries. We'll have you out of there
in no time!"
Scully looked back at her partner, best friend and
lover to find that he had slipped back into
unconsciousness. Fearing the worst her right hand
went to his neck, searching for a pulse. She sighed
with relief when she found it, weak and somewhat
irregular but there.
"Please hurry! Agent Mulder doesn't have any time to
spare!"
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Mulder sat on the patio of the beach front rental,
his broken leg propped up on another chair on top of
several pillows. "Scully, are you sure I can't go
parasailing? We could wrap my cast up in lots of
plastic. Please," he pleaded.
"Fox Mulder, you are certifiable! You've only been
out of the hospital for ten days. You have pins in
your collarbone. Your ribs are still healing and I
just removed the staples from your spleen repair this
morning!"
"And your point is?" he asked innocently.
"My point is that you are in no condition to do
anything but sit here and soak up some Hawaiian sun.
Besides, I just heard the weather and it looks like a
typhoon is headed this way."
"Uh, Scully, as much as I love this house, don't you
think we should be heading inland?" Apprehension was
evident in his voice.
"Relax, I'm way ahead of you on this one. I've
booked us into a first-class hotel toward the center
of the island. We've lived through two natural
disasters in the past month and I intend to sit out
the next thing Mother Nature throws at us in comfort.
Come in and change clothes. The cab will be here
soon."
"All right, but can I go parasailing once the typhoon
is over?"
Scully shook her head in disbelief. "No way! I am
glad about one thing, though."
"Oh, what's that?" Mulder limped over to her and
enclosed her in his arms.
"That you're recovering well and you haven't changed
a bit."
"Oh?"
"Yep, you're my Mulder and I wouldn't change a thing.
Now, hurry and get changed. The faster we get to the
hotel the quicker we can start the next phase of your
re-hab."
"Hmm, that sounds interesting."
"Now that your incision is healed we can step up your
program." She gave him a quick peck on his cheek
which he returned.
"I'm all for that," he smiled. "Guess I'd better
change then so we can get going. Can't wait to see
what that new program entails."
Scully watched as he limped into the house. "I'll
help you get dressed and fill you in on the details."
She followed him through the door a smile on her face
and a lilt in her step.
End
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