untitled
'GETTING
TO KNOW YOU'
By: Waddles52
Scully
had just finished meeting with her partner's doctors and
caregivers. She had been given the task of presenting their
suggestions to Mulder, and she dreaded it. He wasn't going to be
happy with any of it and she couldn't blame him.
The near-fatal gunshot wound to his left leg had left him weak
and in constant pain, yet seven days later the doctors were ready
to discharge him. Actually, the doctors were quite sympathetic to
his condition. The insurance company, however, had a different
agenda.
Too soon she found herself outside of Mulder's room. Scully took
a deep breath and pushed the door open. Mulder was seated in a
wheelchair with his left leg elevated. He had apparently been
looking out the window but now his head was bowed in sleep. She
turned to leave but Mulder's voice stopped her.
"How did the meeting go?" he asked in a voice that
still sounded weak to her.
"Well, Mulder, you are to be discharged tomorrow."
"Great! I was getting tired of this place anyway. How soon
can we get a flight back to DC?"
"Not for at least a week, I'm afraid," Scully answered,
waiting for Mulder's next question.
Right on cue he asked, "Why?"
"The danger of developing a blood clot is still fairly high
at this stage of your recovery. The doctors have also ruled out
traveling home by automobile for the time being."
"That's just wonderful!" he exploded. "Why are
they letting me leave then?"
"Actually, your insurance company made the decision for
them. Your doctors think you should stay at least another few
days. They tried to get the insurance company to reconsider, but
to no avail."
"So, what do I do in the meantime? I can't stay here and I
can't go home. I feel like a man without a country." He
tried to make light of it, but the smile quickly left his face.
"Mulder, you'll need to make some decisions."
"What type of decisions?" he asked warily.
"Your doctors would like to arrange for a week's stay in a
skilled nursing facility." Scully made the announcement and
waited for the explosion that was sure to follow.
"A nursing home? Forget that!" he exclaimed. "What
other options do I have?"
"Mulder, you're going to need some care for a few days at
least. Your insurance would pay for the facility. The only other
option is to stay in Raleigh for another week. Since you are from
out of town, your insurance has agreed to pay for a week at
someplace like AmeriSuites. They also agreed to pay for a
physical therapist to help with your ROM exercises and to provide
nursing care as needed. I would be glad to stay with you and help
in any way that I can."
"Scully, I couldn't ask you to do that."
"You don't have to. I've already volunteered," she
pointed out.
"Are those my only options?"
"That's all we could come up with."
"Don't you think you should be with your mother right
now?" Mulder asked, a serious look on his face.
Scully's face reflected his seriousness. "If she were at
home, yes. She went to San Diego with my brother, Bill. She's
planning on staying for several weeks."
"What about work?"
"My assignment is to stay with you until you are ready to
return to DC."
"I see," Mulder paused to think it over. "We've
spent many hours together in the office and in the field, but we
always had our own space at the end of the day. Do you think you
can stand to be around me 24/7?"
"Mulder, I don't plan to sleep with you," Scully
laughed.
"We'll be sharing a bathroom. That's almost as
intimate," Mulder said in his defense.
"I think I can handle it for a week," she assured him.
Mulder began to wheel toward his bed. "So, what do we need
to do to make this happen?"
"You just need to lie down and rest. I'll notify the doctors
of your decision and they'll take care of the insurance company.
I'll get your things together and do some grocery shopping before
you're released." Scully watched over her partner as he
maneuvered his wheelchair beside his bed and put on the brake. He
carefully lowered his injured leg then grabbed the nearby walker.
After pushing himself out of the chair, a few hops took him to
the bed where he slowly sat down.
Scully moved the walker out of the way. "You're getting
pretty good at that."
"Just wait until they let me have crutches. I'll be able to
move a lot faster then."
"I wouldn't count on it for a few days at least. You need to
regain some more of your strength."
"As soon as I'm able to eat something besides hospital food
my strength will return pretty quickly."
"Speaking of food, I plan to cook for us while we're at the
motel. Do you have any particular likes or dislikes? I'll
probably go shopping in the morning so I won't have to leave you
after we check in."
"Are you a good cook, Scully?" Mulder asked as he tried
to raise his injured leg up to get into bed.
Scully moved in to hold his leg up while he brought the good one
over. "I haven't had any complaints so far," she
answered as she carefully lowered his leg.
"I'll eat just about anything," Mulder said as he
situated himself in the bed. "I'm sure whatever you cook
will be wonderful."
"All right, then. What would you like in the way of snacks
besides sunflower seeds?"
"Beer, pretzels, chips, pork rinds, beef jerky, stuff like
that."
"Mulder, have you ever heard of fruit, raw vegetables,
juices?" Scully asked.
"Sure, I've heard of them. I just don't consider them to be
snack foods."
Scully rolled her eyes heavenward.
"Hey, I'm just teasing. Anything you get will be fine."
"I'll try to get a few of the items you suggested. I'll make
the arrangements then. Do you think you'll feel like watching
some videos? Not he ones from the adult video list," she
added quickly.
"Sure, just don't go overboard on the chick flicks."
"I think I can manage that, Mulder."
A nurse interrupted their conversation. "Mr. Mulder, the
doctor has ordered some blood work and a CT scan to be completed
before you are discharged. Someone will be coming for you
shortly. He has also ordered oral pain meds instead of the
morphine. I'm going to be removing your IV, so why don't you get
one last dose of morphine from the pump and I'll get to
work."
Scully pushed the button for him. "Mulder, I'm going to make
the arrangements, then I'll run some of those errands we talked
about. I'll see you in the morning."
"Sure, Scully. I'll be here. Ow!." He exclaimed as the
nurse began peeling the tape from his hand and arm. "I'd
like to keep that hair on my arm!"
Scully gave the nurse a sympathetic look as she exited the room.
After a stop at the pharmacy and a quick trip through the closest
McD's drive through, Mulder was resting in his AmeriSuites
bedroom. He had the remains of a Quarter Pounder with cheese in
his right hand and the TV remote in his left. After surfing the
channels to see what was available, he decided on ESPN.
After watching a few minutes of some obscure water polo game, he
wadded up the hamburger wrapper and threw it toward the waste
can. His aim was a little off and he hit Scully square in the
chest as she entered the room.
"Sorry," Mulder said, sheepishly.
"That's okay, Mulder. It's just like the office," she
replied as she bent over and threw the wrapper in the trash.
"I just wanted to see of you wanted a pain pill and some
water."
"Thanks, but I'm fine."
"Would you like for me to unpack your suitcase and hang your
clothes in the closet?"
"Scully, I don't want to put you to any trouble."
"You won't."
She lifted his suitcase up and put it on the stand. She spent the
next few minutes finding a place for everything and hanging the
contents of his garment bag. Next, she unpacked his carry on and
put his toiletries in the bathroom. The rest of his things went
into a dresser drawer.
"Mulder, you didn't pack any pajamas," Scully observed
as she closed the closet door.
"Manly men don't wear pajamas, Scully," he answered.
"What do you sleep in?"
"As little as possible," Mulder grinned.
Scully raised her eyebrow, a little quirk of hers that he
sometimes found endearing.
"I guess that's not acceptable?"
Scully shook her head no. "I'll get you some. There's a
K-Mart the next block down."
"I'll just end up giving them to Goodwill as soon as I'm
home. They're just not comfortable."
"You're going to be in bed for a good part of the next week
or so and you need to be comfortable. It's really too cool for
shorts and you need something with loose fitting legs to go over
the bandages. You only brought one pair of sweats and you're
wearing them. How about some flannel sleep pants and a
T-shirt?" Scully suggested, sitting down in the chair across
from the bed. "You can give them away when you get home if
you don't like them."
"Whatever you say, Scully."
"No, Mulder. It has to be whatever you're comfortable
with."
"Okay, I'll give them a try," he surrendered.
"But, I'm not making any promises."
"That's good enough. I'll just get one pair to start with
and if you like them I can always go back for more."
"Sounds fair."
"Before I leave do you need to go to the bathroom?"
"Scullee," Mulder whined.
"I just want to be sure you make it there and back safely. I
didn't plan on going in with you."
"All right, I'll go and then I'll take you up on that offer
of a pain pill."
"Good decision. You can rest while I'm gone. Need any help
getting up?"
"I think I can manage."
"Okay, but don't be shy about asking," Scully reminded
him.
"Just scoot the walker over a little closer and I'm on my
way."
When Scully returned Mulder was still sleeping off the effects of
the pain pill. She put a bag down outside his door and went off
to the kitchen to plan the evening meal.
Mulder awakened to the smell of cooking. He looked over at the
alarm clock and was surprised to see that it was 6:05 PM.
"Wow, that was some nap," he thought as he began to
maneuver his way to the side of the bed. When he looked up he saw
Scully standing in the doorway.
"I thought I heard you moving you around," she said as
she came into the room. She put the bag from K-Mart on the
dresser. "That was quite a nap. Are you ready for
dinner?"
"Yeah, I think I could eat. What's on the menu? It really
smells good."
"Nothing fancy, just chicken breasts, rice and salad. Why
don't you wash up while I put on the finishing touches? Do you
want to eat here or at the table?"
"I think I'd like to eat at the table. This room will get
pretty boring after a while. Maybe I can watch TV in the living
room after?" he asked hopefully.
"Sure, that's a good idea. Do you need any help getting
up?"
"I think I can manage it right now, although I won't rule it
out later on. It's actually a little harder to get back into
bed."
"That's why they want you to do the leg raises. Well, if you
don't need me I'll put the food on the table. See you in a few
minutes."
Although he felt hungry, Mulder found that it was difficult to
eat more than a few bites.
"Mulder, it's going to take some time before your appetite
returns to normal," Scully reminded him.
"But you went to all of this trouble," he started.
"It was no trouble, Mulder. I had to eat too, you know, and
we can have the leftovers for lunch tomorrow. Let's get you
settled on the couch, shall we?"
While Mulder lay on the couch and played with the remote, Scully
put the dirty dishes in the dishwasher and cleaned the kitchen.
Mulder watched TV for about an hour and announced that he was
ready for bed.
Scully rounded up his nighttime medications while he was on his
way to his room. When Scully arrived, Mulder had the flannels out
of the bag and was staring at them intently.
"What's wrong?" she asked as she breezed into his room
with his medications and a glass of water.
"Uh, I was just trying to figure out how to get these
on," he sighed. "My left leg doesn't exactly bend right
now."
"I'll help you. Between the two of us I think we can
manage."
After some very gentle maneuvering, Mulder was wearing his new
sleep pants with a colored T-shirt to match. Scully helped him
move his injured leg onto the bed.
"Thanks, Scully," Mulder said as he scooted back to sit
against the headboard.
"Wait until you get my bill," Scully teased as she
placed some pillows behind his back.
"Uh, will I be able to afford you?"
"I think so. If not, I'm sure we can work something
out."
"Like what?" Mulder inquired as Scully handed him his
medications and a glass of water.
"Well, you could clean up the office, clean out the coffee
pot, put the junk mail and old memos through a shredder,
re-organize and alphabetize the files."
"You don't come cheap do you?" Mulder asked. He felt he
should interrupt her before she came up with anything else.
"You're right. I don't, but I was really just trying to have
some fun with you. I wouldn't dare ask you to change your filing
system."
"Good." Mulder handed her the water glass. "But I
do agree that the office could stand a little cleaning. I'll work
on that as soon as I'm back on my feet."
"That sounds like a plan. Can I get you anything else before
I leave?"
"No, I'm fine. I'm just going to relax and watch a little
more TV."
"Okay. I'm going to unfold the couch and put some sheets on
it, but I'll probably be up for a few more hours. If you need any
help getting to the bathroom let me know," she ordered as
she turned to leave.
"Wait! Scully, you're sleeping on the couch?"
"Yes," she replied. "It's a sofa bed. They
wouldn't cover a two bedroom suite."
"Cheapskates. Those things have a reputation for being
lumpy. Why don't you let me take it?" Mulder suggested.
"It won't be any worse than some of the motel beds I've
slept on. Don't worry about it."
"But Scully, I do worry. I don't want you to suffer because
of me."
"Who says I'm going to suffer? Mulder, I went through a
medical residency, remember? I could sleep standing up if I had
to. You just concentrate on getting a good night's sleep.
Remember, if you need help getting out of bed to go to the
bathroom or if you need help to move your leg be sure to call me.
I'm a light sleeper so I'll hear you."
"Scully, I . . ."
"I mean it, Mulder. Call me," she said emphatically
"All right. I can see that I'm not going to win this
one."
"Now, you're catching on."
"Pleasant dreams, Scully."
Thank you, Mulder."
Mulder slept peacefully until the pain pill wore off and his
bladder began to send insistent messages. "Damn, that foley.
They always leave my bladder irritated for a while."
He was able to see the hallway and determined that all of the
lights were off. Scully had turned in for the night. He hated to
wake her up. She'd been through hell the past two weeks starting
with her father's death, then that bitch of a case and ending up
being his nursemaid.
He had promised to call her if he had to use the bathroom, but he
just couldn't make himself do it.
Mulder gasped as the pain hit his injured leg as he began to
slowly move it to the side of the bed. He eventually was able to
move it from the bed and let it hang down to the floor.
"Oh, shit! That hurts!" He took a deep breath and
reached for the walker. He pushed himself up and immediately
wanted to sit back down. Another pain pill was definitely in his
future if he didn't chew his leg off before he could find one.
Slowly, he made his way into the hallway. The bathroom seemed
miles away. He was panting with exertion by the time he reached
his destination. Why was he feeling so weak?
He wiped the perspiration from his eyes and pushed the walker to
the side so he could have a clear shot at his target. He leaned
his arms on the wall as he felt his weakness intensify. He
finished his business, but before he could even get himself
tucked back in he felt himself falling backward.
Scully suddenly awakened when she heard a loud thump from the
bathroom. "Mulder!"
She threw back the covers and shot out of bed. In no time she
reached the bathroom and pushed open the door. She found Mulder
slumped against the bathroom wall across from the toilet. Her
face turned bright red when she saw that he hadn't been able to
complete his personal task. Ignoring that, she knelt beside him
and felt his pulse as she looked him over for any sign of injury.
"Scully?" Mulder asked as he blinked his eyes in an
effort to rid himself of blurred vision.
"What happened?"
"I guess I was a little weaker than I thought and I blacked
out." His face turned a deep red when he discovered that his
most private parts were uncovered.
"Uh, sorry. Guess he needed some air," Mulder tried to
make light of it as he tucked himself back in.
Scully chose to ignore it. "Did you hurt yourself when you
fell?"
"I think I'm okay. My leg hurts like a son of a bitch but it
was killing me before I ever came in here."
"Let's get you up if you think you can make it."
"Yeah, I feel a little better now."
Scully helped him up as he pushed off with his good leg. He was
still a little wobbly as Scully positioned the walker in front of
him. She flipped the lid down on the toilet and ordered him to
sit.
"Just rest a few minutes. You're still pretty shaky."
"Mm . . .yeah," Mulder rested his head on the edge of
the sink. "Sorry about this, Scully. I should have called
for help."
"Now, 'Macho Mulder' knows better. Right?"
Mulder raised his head a few inches. "'Macho Mulder' has
given up for the duration." He lowered his head back to the
sink.
"I'm going to get you some orange juice and a pain pill.
Don't move."
When Scully returned Mulder was just as she had left him.
"Mulder, are you still with me?"
"Just getting comfortable. Can I stay here tonight?"
"Sorry, but I might need to use the facilities. Raise up. I
want you to drink all of this when you take your pain pill."
"Then I'll just have to go again later," he moaned as
he sat up and took the glass and pill.
"Then I'll help you up when you call," Scully
emphasized. "Drink all of it. I think your blood sugar is a
little low."
Mulder complied and handed her the glass.
"Feel like trying to get back to bed?"
"Yes, let's do it," Mulder decided and pushed himself
up.
"How are you?" Scully asked cautiously.
"Much better," he proclaimed as he began to hop back to
his room.
Scully straightened the covers for him and waited until he got
situated.
"No more nocturnal ramblings, right?" she asked.
"I promise. I will wake you if I need to get up again,"
Mulder promised solemnly.
He slept comfortably for almost two hours until his muscles
reminded him that he needed to shift position. Damn! This was a
lot easier in the hospital. At least he could pull up on that bar
they had attached to his bed. Shit! Why did this have to hurt so
much? "I'm not going to call Scully," he thought as he
tried to ease over onto his side. "Ow! I'm not going to call
Scully," he thought again as a groan involuntarily escaped.
"Mulder, do you need some help?"
His angel of mercy appeared at his door and it scared the crap
out of him. "Scully?" he gasped as he jerked in
surprise.
"Sorry I startled you, but I heard you moving around and I
thought I'd see if you needed anything."
"Is it too early for another pain pill?"
"No. You're allowed to take two at a time and you only took
one."
"Good. I'd like another one and some help moving to a
different position."
"I'll be glad to help you, Mulder. I know how difficult it
is to move your leg right now. Let's get you situated then I'll
bring you some more juice to drink with your pill."
"Aargh," Mulder groaned. "You had to mention
juice."
"Want to make a quick trip to the bathroom while I'm getting
that juice?" Scully inquired.
"Good idea."
Both agents slept a little later than usual. Mulder's senses
began to jump start at the smell of coffee brewing. Since he was
lying on his side it was fairly easy to roll out of bed. He made
his way from his room and found Scully sitting in the small
kitchen, savoring her first sip of coffee.
"Did you leave any for me?" Mulder asked, sitting down
carefully.
Of, course. I made a whole pot." She put down the
complimentary paper and made her way to the counter. Mulder
rifled through the paper looking for the sports section.
"So what would you like for breakfast?" Scully asked as
she put a steaming mug of coffee in front of Mulder.
He inhaled the aroma. "This will be fine."
"Mulder, you need to eat."
He made a face. "Maybe some toast? I'm really not very
hungry."
"All I ask is that you try." She dropped two slices of
whole wheat bread into the toaster. "What would you like on
it?"
"Uh, what's available?" he asked, expecting some very
healthy and tasteless choices.
"Well, we have margarine, strawberry jam or grape
jelly."
"Ooh, Scully, would there happen to be any peanut butter
lurking around to go with that grape jelly later?"
She opened a cabinet and presented him with a jar of creamy
peanut butter. "Mulder, I like to indulge in a good P, B
& J every once and a while, but for now, what do you want on
your toast?"
"Just margarine," he grinned as the toast popped up.
Scully quickly fixed his toast and margarine and put it in front
of him.
"Don't get crumbs all over the paper," she admonished.
"You actually read the sports section?"
"Mulder, I read all of the paper."
"Great, I just didn't picture you as a sports fan."
"I'm not particularly, but I like to keep informed. You've
got a busy day ahead of you."
"Oh?"
"Yes. Your physical therapist will be visiting, along with a
nurse to assess your condition and draw blood. She'll decide if
you need daily visits from a nurse, or if I can do what needs to
be done."
"Peachy," he griped as he took a sip of his coffee.
"So I'm going to have two extra people poking and pulling my
leg around today?"
"Yes, Mulder. You know, if your pain medication isn't doing
the job you need to let the nurse know so she can contact your
doctor."
"I didn't get much relief last night and I've been getting
muscle cramps from not being able to move around as much as I
need," he admitted.
"Then perhaps we need to add some type of relaxant to the
mix."
"Scully, I don't want to be comatose."
"I promise you won't."
"We'll see," he sighed, breaking a slice of toast in
half.
"Mulder, you need to bathe before they arrive. Were the
flannel sleep pants comfortable?"
"Yes, they were. Thank you for suggesting them, but I hate
to put you to all of the trouble of going out again to purchase
some more."
"I have a confession to make. I purchased two outfits, so we
can get you cleaned up and dressed and I can wait until this
afternoon to go out again."
Mulder pushed the remains of his toast aside.
"Well, you managed to get most of it down, but you'll need
to do better for lunch."
"I'll try."
"Are you ready for a sponge bath?"
"Sponge bath?" he asked, surprised. "I can't take
a shower?"
"Now with that dressing on your leg. Come on, let's get that
taken care of. I don't know when the home health people will be
here."
"Let's get that taken care of?" Mulder questioned.
"I think I can give myself a sponge bath."
"I'm sure you can take care of most of it, but can you reach
your lower legs and feet? Can you get dressed afterward?"
"No, but this is kind of embarrassing," he whined.
"Mulder, after last night you have nothing to hide
anyway," she reminded him.
Mulder blushed deeply. "Scully, I'm sorry about that. It
wasn't intentional."
"I know that. Try to put that aside and remember that I am a
doctor. I think I can help you bathe with a clinical
detachment."
"But can I?" Mulder thought. He'd already found himself
aroused by her several times in the past few months. It was
fairly easy to hide while wearing loose fitting dress pants, but
if he had to bare it all . . .Shit! He was in big trouble!
Mulder had to admit that Scully was very alert to his
embarrassment over the situation. She kept his lap covered with a
towel and encouraged him to wash as much as he could reach. The
only real problem occurred when she checked his bandages and
accidentally brushed against him. He was afraid the small hand
towel wasn't enough to hide his enthusiastic reaction, but Scully
finished her task and left him alone while she went to get his
clothes. He tried to coax "Junior" to assume a less
obvious position. Man, this was going to be tough.
He didn't have that problem with the nurses in the hospital, but
"Junior" was more than eager to stand at attention when
Scully was close. He hoped he could regain some flexibility in
that leg soon before he really embarrassed himself.
Scully was quite aware of Mulder's physical reaction. She tried
to be careful when touching him, but she noticed that the towel
began to rise before she even started. Was Mulder actually
physically attracted to her? If he was, the feeling was mutual
she had to admit. Next time she would fold up a larger bath towel
and let him cover himself.
Mulder had back-to-back visits from the physical therapist and
the nurse. Scully stayed to observe the exercise routine so that
she could help him repeat it in the evening. She knew he had to
be in tremendous pain but he didn't make a sound as he performed
the movements.
The nurse was somewhat concerned with the level of pain he was
still experiencing. Before she left, she had secured a
prescription for Tylox and Valium from Mulder's surgeon. She even
volunteered to pick up the prescriptions and have the agency
pharmacy fill and deliver them, thus saving Scully a trip to the
hospital.
By the time they were gone, Mulder was ready for some pain relief
and a long nap. "Scully, how long will I be like this?"
he sighed as she helped him into bed.
"Mulder, I see improvement every day. You know, a week ago
you were in the ICU, so weak you could barely talk. Today you're
walking and talking. It's going to be a slow process, but be
grateful for each small improvement you make."
"Yeah, considering the alternative. Ow!" he exclaimed
as Scully put a pillow under his leg.
"Sorry, Mulder. I'm going to bring you two pain pills and
some juice. Your new prescriptions probably won't be delivered
until this afternoon,"
"Thank you, Scully. I can't emphasize that enough."
"And I can't emphasize enough the fact that you don't have
to keep saying thank you," she added.
"But your family . . ."
"Is spread out all over. I'm going to check in with Mom
later on."
"Good, and if you need to go to her . . ."
"I know, Mulder."
The two pain pills did a great job for two hours and then the
muscle cramps returned with a vengeance.
"I can't handle this," Mulder moaned to himself.
"Got to get up and move around."
As he maneuvered his way into the living room, he could hear
Scully talking angrily to someone on the phone.
Scully noticed Mulder when he entered. "Bill, I'll call and
talk to Mom again in a few days. I really don't have anything
else to say to you at this time!" She slammed the phone down
and turned to greet Mulder.
"Did you get any rest?" she inquired, pasting a smile
on her face.
"My usual two hours. What's the matter? Is your Mom
okay?" The concern was evident on his face.
"Mom is doing well. Unfortunately, my older brother, Bill,
is being a royal pain in the ass as usual."
"Oh?" Mulder hopped over to the couch and plopped down.
"He just thinks he can boss me around like he did when we
were children," she explained as she put a pillow under
Mulder's leg. "But he's got another thing coming!"
"What is he going on about, if it's not too personal?"
"No, that's okay. He thinks I should quit the FBI and move
back in with Mom." Scully sat down heavily in the armchair
and crossed her arms.
"He's got his nerve, doesn't he?"
"Exactly."
"Is this what your mother wants?" Mulder inquired,
shifting to find a more comfortable position.
"I seriously doubt it. She raised four children mostly by
herself. I doubt she's afraid of being alone. It's just Bill's
idea of what we should do. I'm sure that's probably the last I'll
hear of it. Once he presents that plan to Mom she'll put him in
his place and I won't hear anything until he comes up with a new
scheme to control my life."
"You have other siblings, right?"
"An older sister, Melissa, and a younger brother, Charlie.
They manage to stay out of Bill's way as much as possible,"
Scully explained.
"Interesting."
"We could analyze my family's dynamics all afternoon Mulder,
and we would always reach the same conclusion. Bill is a pompous
ass. How about some lunch?"
"Okay."
"It won't take long. Leftovers, remember?"
"Fine by me," Mulder agreed.
"And I expect you to eat something."
"I'll give it my best effort."
The two agents fell into a comfortable routine over the next few
days. As Mulder grew stronger they spent time watching movies
together. Scully began to enjoy it as she got used to Mulder's
sense of humor. A lot of his comments were really off the wall
but she came to accept that as something that was uniquely
Mulder.
Mulder looked forward to spending that time with Scully also. She
was so easy to tease, but she could also give as good as she got.
He began to get a glimpse of a more carefree, less serious side
to her personality.
By the time the physical therapist had Mulder up on crutches,
both of them felt they had turned a corner in their partnership.
A firm friendship was beginning to take hold.
Two weeks later, Scully prepared to unlock the basement office.
She needed to check the mail before she headed to her space
upstairs. There was no sense hanging around here if Mulder wasn't
there. She was surprised to find the door unlocked. She pushed it
open to find Mulder sitting at his desk, his crutches propped
against the side.
"Hey, Scully. I talked them into letting me do some desk
work during the mornings and physical therapy in the
afternoons."
"I didn't think you'd be back this soon."
"My apartment was definitely beginning to close in on me.
Besides, I have a debt to repay."
Scully looked at him curiously.
"Remember our deal? I clean up the office. You boss me
around until it meets your approval?"
"Ah, I think I do remember something to that effect."
"Well, since I'm not exactly on my feet altogether
yet," he said pointing to the crutches, "I can't get it
all done today. However, I did put in an order for a shredder,
and if you will do the honor of throwing the switch, I'll run
through the first load of things we don't need any longer."
"I'd be happy to turn it on," she smiled.
The shredder began to whir and Mulder began feeding it old memos,
some from several years back. Scully nodded her approval.
"I'd also like for you to honor me with your presence at
lunch today. I'm buying and I'd like to take you out
someplace."
"Why, thank you, Mulder. I'd be happy to accompany
you."
"Great! You know, there's a new version of Trivial Pursuit
out. Do you think you might want to come over Friday or Saturday
night and give it a try?"
"Sounds interesting. I'm game."
"I'll be looking forward to it," he grinned as he
shoved another paper in the shredder. "This is kind of fun.
By the way, there's a file on the corner of my desk. How about
looking it over and letting me know what you think?"
"Guess it's back to business, huh?" she asked, reaching
for the file.
"I'm just happy that you have become a part of my
business," Mulder said. He blushed and fed another sheet of
paper into the shredder.
"Thank you, Mulder. I feel the same way."
Scully sat in the chair in front of Mulder's desk and began to
read the file. "Yep, here they were. Business as usual once
again, and it felt damned good!"
END
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