Chapter Text
Her mind runs a hundred miles an hour while her heart beats so fast it feels like it’s trying to break free from her. Inside her head images and voices overlap, but in that mess one idea is clear, Mulder is dying and their son is the key to his cure... everybody’s cure? Her body is paralyzed, tense with that sudden torrent of information. Before her mind imminently collapses she sees a room through someone else’s eyes. Is this a vision? A vivid dream perhaps? She has no time to analyze what’s happening. Her vision goes black and all she can feel is the carpet of their office pressing her cheek.
...
“Agent Scully?” Skinner’s at the door when he sees her feet behind the desk.
“Damn it, Dana!" He runs to her side, "Can you hear me?!” Skinner takes his phone and quickly dials 911 informing them of their location and the state of the FBI agent on the floor. He’s about to call Mulder when a hand on his arm stops him.
“Don’t. Don’t call him” She's pale.
“You know I can’t do that, Dana. He’ll kill me.”
Scully can barely keep her eyes open, “P-Please.”
Skinner sighs knowing perfectly well that he’ll regret this decision sooner than later and puts the phone in his inner pocket. After all these years, he keeps getting tangled up in whatever those two have going on. It's like their fates are intertwined, and he always arrives at the worst moment.
When the paramedics arrive and not knowing who else he can’t call, he takes her phone and accompanies them into the ambulance.
….
“Are you her husband?”
“Um no I’m her boss, but please tell me what is her condition” If Maggie were still alive he would have called her no matter what Scully might have said. That woman suffered so much for her daughter and that partner of hers. But now it’s just the three of them.
“I’m Doctor Joyet, her neurologist" Her face looks concerned, "We’ve done a series of tests. She has extremely abnormal brain activity.”
“Abnormal how?”
“When I say ‘abnormal’... I don’t see any damage, but I’ve never seen anything quite like this before. Neurologically speaking... her brain is on fire.”
“Can I see her?”
“What she needs right now is quiet, rest.” Her tone, commanding.
“I’m sure that’s what she needs, but I’m gonna stay here.”
When the doctor leaves the room, he takes off his jacket. No missed calls from Mulder. Skinner thanks god for not having to explain (yet) to his most insistent agent why her partner doesn’t respond to any of his calls. If history serves, a missed call from one of them usually meant impending danger.
As she lies there, Skinner wonders if what brought her once again to a hospital bed was one of those supernatural evils -that he himself had suffered- so common in their line of work or was simply the ordinariness of life that had finally decided to set its eyes on them, like any normal human being.
Then again, all those thoughts fade away as he sees her weakly open her eyes.
“You scared me there, Agent Scully.”
“Did you call him?”
“No. No, I didn’t” So stubborn.
“Thanks” Scully stretches out her arm, offering him her open hand.
He approaches the bed and squeezes her hand. She is burning, “But if he finds out, I won’t lie to him.”
Scully closes her eyes and shakes her head.
“I don’t want to worry him.”
He scrutinizes her face.
“Has this happened before?”
“No.”
Skinner is no Mulder, but that was a lie and a bad one, but he isn't there to judge her.
“Do you remember what caused the seizure?”
“No” Scully scratches her forehead. It's clearly difficult for her to stay on the conversation, “I was checking my mail a-and suddenly I was on the floor. Can’t remember anything.”
His brows furrow in concern “I should call your doctor. Tell her you are aw-”
“No. Listen to me” Scully grabs his arm tight, she has trouble breathing “I need to go back to the office.”
“Agent, you had a seizure” His tone is now more serious. “Your brain is on fire and the doctors don't know why. I can’t let you leave this hospital against medical advice” He rarely sees her so agitated. “If you worry about Agent Mulder discovering this, well don’t. I received a petition this morning from the VCS to assist with a case. He’ll probably be there all day.”
“You don’t understand” she winces in pain, “I need to find my son. Mulder is in danger.”
Now he is speechless “You are not making any sense, Agent Scully. You need to rest.”
“I can’t explain it, but I know it!” Scully takes a deep breath and buries a side of her face in the pillow, “Before I fainted I-I experienced something” She pauses for a moment, “Something strong, I can't remember what, but I can feel the danger.”
Scully locks her eyes on him.
“Walter, It’s me. I’m not an irrational person.”
He examines her face.
“Let me check with your doctor first” He leaves the room unconvinced.
….
When Mulder opens the door he expects to find her there, but the office is empty and a couple of papers are lying on the floor. He draws his phone out to call her when he hears footsteps behind him.
“Hey, where’ve you been all morning?” She’s rubbing a tissue on her nose, probably returning from the bathroom.
A smile instantly appears on his face. After all these years, only she can instantly warm his heart.
“Sorry Scully, I got asked to help on a murder in Fort Washington” She surrounds him and heads to the table “Forgot to tell ya.”
She raises an eyebrow, “Then how come you’re here so soon? Miss me already?” A shy smile appears on the corner of her mouth while she bends down to pick up the papers.
“Oooh, look who woke up all flirty this morning” he leans over and tucks a lock of hair behind her ear. “Damn, Scully. You’re hot as hell!”
“I know” She closes her eyes and lets her face rest on his hand, “I think a caught something.”
She must be truly sick, he thinks. Scully is not one to let others pamper her, not even him. He kisses her forehead.
“I came back for my sunflower seeds, but we can go home" They hug with his head on top of hers, "I’ll tell Crawford to mail me the fi-”
Skinner enters abruptly into their office, stopping immediately after seeing them.
“Oh. Agents. Sorry to disturb you. Uh- I was just… uhm” Skinner discreetly readjusts his tie and looks at Scully. After he came back to her room with the doctor, she was gone.
She doesn’t say anything but gives him a pleading look.
Mulder alternates looking at them both, not knowing what is going on in their silent conversation.
“Scully, are you cheating on me with Skinman?” His face is serious, but it is clearly a joke. A joke only he seems to find funny.
"..."
“…Scully?”
Mulder's increasingly worried face is enough to bring them back to reality. She nudges him in the ribs and raises one eyebrow, her signature move. "Mulder", a no-nonsense tone that tells him to stop. Meanwhile, Skinner takes something out of his pocket.
Looking this time at Mulder “Sorry, I’m in a hurry" Skinner says, "Here, Agent Scully. You left your phone in my office.”
And as fast as he entered, he leaves.
Mulder looks at Scully’s face, trying to comprehend what has just happened.
“Should I start looking out for apartments?” A grin now on his face.
“Oh, shut up Mulder.”