From: kalynn95@juno.com (kalynn w)
Date: Mon, 6 Jul 1998 19:52:31 -0400
Subject: Coma (1/2)



Title: Coma (1/2)
Author and E-mail: Kalynn
feedback please!  kalynn95@juno.com
Homepage: Kalynn's Fan Fiction
http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Shadowlands/5579
(please visit and let me know what you think of it or my stories!)
Rating: PG
Classification: S/A
Keywords: M/S (it's safe for no-romos and shippers and all in between)   
Summary: Mulder is attacked while meeting with an informant.
Spoiler: (minor) Avatar
Timeframe: well, it's post season three, but it doesn't really matter.

Archive:  Okay for Gossamer, others ask first, thanks!  You'll probably
get it, just please email me first.

Author's Notes:    I had to get away from the heavy emotional angst, this
is back to the old time Mulder Angst / Torture I used to write.  Please
let me know what you think!  Feedback is a wonderful thing! :-) 

If you don't get both parts, please email me or visit my homepage.  I'll
be glad to send you what you are missing!  thanks- kaly

Disclaimer: Straight simple and to the point:  Mulder and Scully are
property of FOX Television, 1013 Productions, Chris Carter, and probably
a bunch of other people. If I owned them, I wouldn't need student loans. 

Coma

The first thing that Fox Mulder was aware of was his telephone ringing. 
Cursing under his breath at being woke up, since for the first time in
several nights he had managed to fall asleep, he walked over to where his
phone was.

"Mulder," he managed to not let his voice betray his sleepy state.

"Go to the park over in Arlington, meet me there."

Suddenly wide awake, Mulder spoke roughly into the phone.  "Who is this?"
 Silence was his only answer.  "Listen buddy, who are you?  Why should I
meet you?"

A gruff exhale responded to his questions.  "Be there, Mulder. 
Forty-five minutes.  I have information for you."

"Yeah, you and everybody else.  Who is this?"

"Forty-five minutes.  It is imperative to your work."  The line went
dead, and Mulder found himself very curious as to how these people always
managed to find him.  He decided he would have to look into getting an
unlisted number.

A familiar instinct in Mulder kicked in, and within minutes he was
finding his keys and his gun.  He knew that there was probably little
this mysterious informant could tell him, but he couldn't help but go. 
Since it was nearby, he figured he would go talk to him and be home long
before anyone would think to question his location.  It wasn't like he
was ditching Scully again, after all.

Traffic was light as he traveled the roads between his apartment in
Alexandria and the small city park in Arlington.  He still had fifteen
minutes and was nearing the park, so Mulder found himself obeying the
speed limit, which was something he rarely did anyway.  

He realized that his route to the park would take him by the street which
led to Scully's apartment.  For an instant he considered going to tell
her about the meeting, but decided not to wake her up for this.  Instead,
he continued driving toward the park, stopping the car just outside the
park and proceeding inside on foot.

Several minutes later, he heard the sound of a twig breaking beneath
someone's weight.  Turning in the direction of the sound, he found
himself looking at a man not over twenty years old.  "So what was so
important that you drug me down here in the middle of the night?"

The young man inched forward to where Mulder was standing until they were
less than two feet apart.  "I needed to tell you something . . . "

Before he had a chance to finish, a loud noise sounded behind him.  He
half turned and both noticed a moving shadow.  The would-be informant
turned toward Mulder.  Seeing his upraised arm, Mulder went to block a
blow, but wasn't quite prepared and fell under the force of the blow.

The first blow to his head had left him dazed, and when he tried to stand
back up Mulder found himself being kicked back to the ground.  "Tell you
. . .   there's nothing . . .  you can . . .  do."  Mulder heard his
panicked words, between blows.  Something had spooked him, but he had no
idea what it was.  The next kick to his ribs forced all the air out of
his chest, and he found himself unable to recover from the continuous
blows.

Mulder had no idea how long the blows continued to fall, as he struggled
to stay conscious.  After a lull, he opened his eyes, hoping to see that
he had gone.  Instead, what he saw was the man's shoe flying toward his
head.  Turning just a bit, the kick landed on the side of his face
instead of full in the face.  The last thing Mulder knew was the feeling
of another blow landing on the side of his head.

Pain exploded to fill Mulder's world when he next awoke.  Struggling to
keep his eyes open, he first made sure that he was alone.  Still confused
by what had happened, he managed to lean up against a tree next to where
he had fallen and somehow regain his feet.  Ever so slowly he neared his
car and crawled in the drivers side door.

Pain wracked his body, especially on his left side.  A source of
adrenaline he didn't know he had surged within him, allowing him to start
his car.  Curing the fact he had left his cell phone on the table near
his computer, he put the car in gear and drove off.  His left arm hung
uselessly at his side, and he forced all his attention on staying on the
road.  It took only a few seconds of thought to decide where to go.  He
knew of only one person that would care enough to take care of him. 
Scully.

The only thing he could think of to be grateful for that night was that
the meeting had been scheduled in a park so close to where she lived. 
What felt like hours later to Mulder, he pulled up outside of Scully's
apartment building.  After getting out of his car, he began to walk
toward the building.  Eventually he reached the front door, but the
longer he walked the more weary he became.  While waiting on the
elevator, he found himself grateful that no one was out at such a late
hour to see the beaten man standing in the foyer.

The hallway to her apartment had never seemed to go on for so long.  By
the time he reached her door, he had the energy to knock on her door. 
After knocking a second time, he felt what strength that had been in his
legs give out.  Leaning against the door, he felt himself slowly slide
down until he connected with the carpeted floor.  He fought to keep his
eyes open, but knew it was a battle he was doomed to lose.

***

Dana Scully stirred in her sleep, searching for the source of what had
interrupted her slumber.  Several seconds later she heard the noise
again.  Having managed to wake up a bit more, she recognized it as
someone knocking on the front door.  Getting up, she pulled on her robe
and walked into the living room.  She switched on the overhead light, and
rubbed the sleep from her eyes.

Looking through the peep hole she didn't see anyone in the hallway, and
began to go back to bed.  For a reason she couldn't explain, she still
felt compelled to open the door and check anyway.  Unlocking the door,
she slowly pulled it open looking out into the hallway.

Before she saw Mulder, she felt a weight fall over onto her legs. 
Jumping back, she looked down to find the unconscious form of her partner
falling into her apartment.  Dropping down onto her knees beside him, she
searched his neck for a pulse and breathed a sigh of relief when she
found one.  Lifting up an eyelid, she was alarmed to see that his eyes
had rolled up into his head.

Mulder was still laying half in the hallway and half in her apartment
when she ran over to grab her telephone and dial 911.  She hung up the
phone and pulled Mulder into her apartment and closed the door behind
them.  Brushing some of Mulder's hair away from his forehead, she
couldn't help but wonder what had happened to him.  The left side of his
face was covered in matted blood, and checking his ribs, she was sure at
least two were broken.

Scully heard the paramedics rushing down the hallway, and pulled open the
door before they reached the door.  The three men rushed in and began to
see to Mulder.  Scully watched as they performed a quick check and loaded
him onto a stretcher.  Having picked up her car keys, she started to
follow them out into the hall when one man placed a hand on her arm.

"Ma'am, we're taking him to Georgetown Medical.  You will probably want
to change first."  He turned and followed the others down the hallway and
to the elevator.

She watched for a second as they carried her partner away and looked down
at herself.  In her haste over Mulder's condition, she had forgotten that
she was dressed in only a silk button up nightgown and a flimsy robe. 
Jogging back into her apartment, she threw her keys down from where she
had grabbed them in her rush.  Heading straight for her bedroom, she
wasted little time in finding a pair of jeans and a baggy tee shirt to
wear.

Again grabbing her keys and picking up her cell phone, she locked the
front door behind her and ran to her car.  Getting in her car, she
quickly put the key in the ignition and started it.  As she drove out of
the lot, she saw Mulder's car parked several spots away.  Pulling out
onto the road, she picked up her cell phone and punched in Skinner's
number.

Three rings later, she was answered by a very sleepy sounding AD Skinner.
 "Yes?"

"Sir?  It's Agent Scully."

Skinner sat up on the edge of his bed, instantly on the alert.  "Agent
Scully.  What's happened?"

Looking down she saw that the odometer on her car was pushing past sixty,
but didn't care.  She was dividing her concentration between staying on
the road and talking to Skinner.  "It's Agent Mulder.  He was just rushed
to the hospital."

"What happened to Mulder this time, Scully?"  Skinner sighed and looked
over at the clock, three a.m.  He stood, and walked over to the closet. 
As he listened to Scully, he began pulling out the pieces of a suit.

Passing a car on the nearly deserted streets, she responded.  "I don't
know, Sir.  Not quite a half and hour ago, I was awoken by a knock on my
front door.  When I opened the door, I found Mulder collapsed in the
hallway.  It appeared he had been beaten, but I don't know why."

Skinner pulled on a pair of dress slacks before speaking.  "No
outstanding cases, Agent Scully.  Nothing that you haven't let me in on?"

"No, Sir.  Nothing like that."

"Okay, Agent Scully.  Which hospital did they take him to?"

Scully pulled into a parking spot at the hospital, and got out of her
car.  "I'm at Georgetown now, I need to go, Sir."

Skinner nodded, although he knew it was merely instinct.  "Okay."  The
conversation finished, he continued to get dressed.  Within minutes he
was walking out the front door.

Scully punched end on her phone, and walked the final ten feet toward the
hospital.  Walking through the automatic doors into the emergency room,
she proceeded to the nurses station.  A couple of minutes later, she was
able to speak with one of the on duty nurses about Mulder.

"I'm looking for Fox Mulder.  He was brought in a few minutes ago."

The nurse scanned several clipboards of information before speaking to
Scully.  "And you are?  Are you family?"

Scully closed her eyes for a moment, doing her best to keep her temper. 
"I'm Agent Dana Scully.  Agent Mulder is my partner and the closest
you'll find to a family.  Now tell me, when can I see him?"

Seeing Scully's best attempt at civility, the nurse looked over the notes
on Mulder.  "Agent Scully, all I can tell you is that he is in surgery. 
When they are finished, I'll tell the doctor that you are here.  Please,
if you will please just have a seat."  The nurse returned to her work,
and Scully found herself with nothing to do but wait.

It was half an hour later that Scully heard someone call her name. 
Turning, she saw Skinner walking toward her from the main entrance. 
"Sir?"

Walking up to sit next to Scully, he continued.  "Agent Scully, I need to
know where to start with this.  Do you think there is adequate cause to
search Mulder's apartment?"

"Sir, I'm not sure.  I don't even know where to begin figuring out what
happened.  His car was parked near mine, which tells me he drove to my
apartment after he was attacked.  Although I have no idea how he managed
to do that."  Scully exhaled slowly, and rubbed her hands over her eyes. 
"I'm afraid the only one who can help us understand what happened is
Mulder."

Skinner nodded, but remained silent.  It was only a few minutes later
that a woman dressed in green scrubs approached Scully and Skinner. 
"Agent Scully?  I'm Dr. Collins, I operated on Agent Mulder.  He's your
partner, correct?"

Scully nodded.  "Yes.  How is he?  Can I see him?"  Standing, she
actually stood at eye level with Dr. Collins.

"The operation took longer than we expected.  It appears that he was
kicked repeatedly.  Two ribs were broken, and one other was cracked.  One
lung was punctured, but it was minor and relatively easy to repair.  The
internal bleeding was the hardest part to contain.  One of the ribs
caught an artery, he was slowly bleeding to death in his chest cavity. 
His spleen was ruptured, and we were forced to remove it."  

She paused for a moment before continuing.  "What is the cause of the
most concern is the head injury.  He received at least two major blows to
the left side of his head.  The inter cranial pressure is fluctuating. 
If it
spikes to high, we might be forced to relieve the stress.  The next few
hours are most critical.  If he wakes up, he should be in the clear. 
However only time will tell."

"Can I see him?"  Scully asked after listening to the doctor describe
Mulder's condition.

Dr. Collins nodded.  "He's in recovery right now.  Then we'll move him to
ICU and I'll clear it for you to visit him.  If you'll excuse me." 
Scully and Skinner watched as the doctor walked back toward the operating
area.

Skinner looked at his watch, surprised to see that it was already well
after four a.m.  "Agent Scully, I'm going to stay here until they let you
go back to stay with Mulder.  After that I'll head into the office and
see what I can do on that end to discover who did this to him."

Scully looked over at where Skinner sat, and considered the man sitting
next to her.  Over time she had begun to realize that more often than not
Skinner would back the two of them, often forced to face the judgement of
those in the chain of command above him.  Still, if it hadn't been for
Mulder, Skinner would have been found guilty of a murder he hadn't
committed.

It was almost six when Scully was finally allowed to see Mulder.  Skinner
left when she walked toward the ICU to find Mulder.  The walk to the ICU
was one that Scully was familiar with, having followed Mulder there on
several other occasions.  It was because of this that she knew what to
expect when she walked into his room.

The sounds always hit her first.  Before she was close enough to quite be
in the room, she would hear the beep of the heart monitor.  Walking into
the room, she found a chair and pulled it up to sit next to him.  An I.V.
ran into the back of his right hand, and she was careful not to jostle it
when she picked up his hand and held it lightly.  Even though his face
was tilted slightly to the left, she could see the marks of purple
bruises that were blossoming on the pale skin.

Watching Mulder, blissfully unconscious and unaware of his injuries, she
was as confused as ever about how this had happened to him.  Even more
so, she was curious about how he managed to drive to her apartment in
search of help.  It was aggravating that the only way she was going to be
able to have any of her questions answered was for him to wake up.

She heard a low noise come from Mulder's throat, and looked to see him
working to focus his eyes.  A wave of relief washed over her when his
fuzzy hazel eyes met her own.  "Hey there."  She couldn't help smiling,
like she smiled every time Mulder woke up and found her sitting at his
bedside.  She saw him look over to a water pitcher sitting nearby and she
poured him a small glass from which he drank greedily, before dissolving
into a coughing fit.

"Hey," he managed a hoarse whisper.

"How do you feel?"

Mulder appeared to be concentrating on something for a moment before
answering.  "My head hurts."  He paused for a moment.  "You found me?"

Scully nodded briefly.  "Yeah.  What happened to you Mulder?"

"I got a call.  He wanted me to meet him in the park not far from your
apartment."  He paused to catch his breath.  "Before he had a chance to
tell me anything, there was a loud noise.  He got scared and caught me
off guard.  Next thing I knew I was on the ground with the wind knocked
out of me."

Scully listened to Mulder's story, nodding occasionally as she took in
the details.  "And he left and you drove to my place."

Mulder attempted to shake his head and was wracked with pain as a result.
 "No.  Then he kicked me on the side of the head.  Twice, that's the last
thing I remember before waking up and him not being there.  Then I drove
to your apartment."

"You were unconscious before?"  Scully was surprised to hear the rest of
Mulder's explanation.  "I found you outside my door about two thirty this
morning.  What time did you leave your apartment?"  She wanted to know
how long he had laid out in the middle of a park with no one finding him.

Mulder tried to remember what time it was when the phone call had woken
him up.  "A little before midnight I think.  I was ticked because I had
managed to fall asleep.  He wanted to meet in forty-five minutes.  We had
only been there for a minute or two before he was scared off and went
crazy.  Couldn't have been any later than ten till one when that
happened."

Scully closed her eyes, he had been out there for between an hour and an
hour and a half.  "Damn, Mulder.  Why didn't you let someone know what
you were doing?"

"Scully . . . "  His voice was a plea, and he seemed to visibly shrink
back into the bed.  "Don't be angry.  I didn't ditch you.  I thought I
wouldn't be gone long enough for it to matter.  And I thought about
driving by your place, but I didn't want to wake you up."

"So instead, Mulder, I'm woke up only to find my partner lying
unconscious in the hallway."  She sighed, and continued.  "Don't be
angry?  Mulder why do you always chase these invisible threads?"

He looked down at his hands, almost pouting.  "Somebody has to."

An awkward silence fell over the room after Mulder's statement.  Mulder
couldn't help but notice that his head was really beginning to hurt. 
However, rather that be yelled at by Scully again he kept quiet.  He knew
she would either be angry or concerned and he didn't want to worry her
any more than he had already.

The uncomfortable stillness was broken by a knock on the door.  Both
Mulder and Scully looked up to see Maggie Scully standing in the doorway.
 Her attention diverted, Scully missed the wince of pain that filled
Mulder's features when he moved his head to quickly.  Closing his eyes,
Mulder tried to steel himself against the pain, hoping it would pass
quickly.

"Mom?  What are you doing here?"  Scully stood up from where she had been
sitting ever since entering Mulder's room.  Walking over to where her mom
had entered the room, she found herself receiving a warm hug.  "Is
something wrong?"

Maggie Scully almost laughed.  "Fox being hurt is what's wrong, Dana. 
Assistant Director Skinner called me this morning and told me where you
were.  Hello, Fox."  She smiled warmly and walked over to where Mulder
was lying in the hospital bed.

"Hi, Mrs. Scully."  Mulder managed a small smile, but was still
struggling to cover up the pain.  "You didn't have to come."

She smiled, more brightly this time.  "Of course I did, Fox."  Mrs.
Scully brushed a lock of hair away from Mulder's forehead, and Mulder
found himself again reminded of the similarities between mother and
daughter.  "You were hurt, you needed me.  Haven't you figured out yet
that you're part of the family, Fox?"  Mulder smiled again, the pain was
growing more intense, but his determination was stronger.

>From near the door, Scully watched the interaction between Mulder and
her mother.  For an instant, she thought she saw Mulder grimace, but it
passed so quickly she decided she must have imagined it.  Shaking her
head to clear it, she walked over to stand beside her mom.

Turning to face her daughter, Maggie Scully spoke again.  "Dana, honey,
why don't we go down to the cafeteria so you can get something to eat?"  

She could see a look of protest forming on Scully's face, but before she
could continue with her argument, Mulder took up the cause.  "Why don't
you, Scully.  I'll be fine."

"Mulder . . . "

"I'll be fine," he insisted.

Mulder watched as Scully's mom managed to lead Scully toward the door. 
"Come on, Dana.  You need to eat."  With one last look back at Mulder,
Scully let herself be led from Mulder's room and toward the cafeteria. 
Mulder held eye contact with Scully until she was through the door and
out of sight, then he leaned back onto the bed and closed his eyes. 
Relieved that Scully hadn't noticed, he concentrated on ignoring the pain
in his head.

***
end part one of two, to be continued in part two.


Title: Coma (2/2)
Author and E-mail: Kalynn
feedback please!  kalynn95@juno.com


Coma

***

When Scully and her mom reached the cafeteria, they walked toward the
food lines.  Maggie Scully managed to convince her to buy a muffin and
cup of coffee.  Convincing her to sit long enough to eat was another feat
only a mother could manage.  "How are you doing, Dana?"

Swallowing a bite of her muffin, she looked at her mother.  "What do you
mean?  Mulder's the one who managed to get himself beaten up."

Smiling, her mother continued.  "Honey, I know the two of you.  When
something happens to one, the other inevitably is hurting too.  I've seen
the looks you were giving him, you're still concerned aren't you?"

Pushing away the uneaten portion of her muffin.  "They say he should be
out of the woods.  But I don't know, something doesn't feel right . . . "

She was interrupted by an announcement over the PA system.  "Dr. Collins
to room 412 stat.  Dr. Collins to room 412 stat."

Scully was on her feet and sprinting across the cafeteria before she had
a chance to stop and think.  All she needed to know was that her
instincts had been right.  Something had been wrong with Mulder.  She
stuck her hand in between a set of closing elevator doors, and Maggie
just managed to get into the same elevator before it closed.

"What is it, Dana?"

Shaken, Scully answered.  "I don't know.  But it's not good.  It must be
the head injury."

***

The monitor checking Mulder's inter cranial pressure had began to emit a
shrill tone, which brought several of the nurses on duty running.  Dr.
Collins arrived only a couple of minutes later, to find a chaotic scene
filling Mulder's room.  Checking the measurements on the monitors, she
ordered a medication regimen different from the original pain medication.

Scully arrived a couple of minutes later, her mother close behind.  She
ran into the room to find Dr. Collins standing near Mulder's bed making
notes on his chart.

"Dr. Collins?  What happened?"  The longer it had taken to reach Mulder,
the more nervous Scully had became.

Looking up, Dr. Collins acknowledged Scully's question.  "It was his
inter cranial pressure.  I was hoping he wouldn't take this turn.  He had
dropped into unconsciousness, and by the time I arrived he had already
fallen in a coma.  We've changed his medication, hoping to reduce the
pressure faster.  If the pressure doesn't fall on it's own, we'll be
forced to operate."

Scully listened to the doctor's description of Mulder's condition, the
color slowly draining from her face.  It was all she could do to keep
from wanting to slap Mulder senseless for keeping it from her that he had
been in pain.  What kept her calm was the knowledge that she hadn't been
looking for the symptoms any more than he had been letting them show.

"Operate?"  Mrs. Scully's words mirrored the thoughts in her daughter's
mind.

Dr. Collins glanced over at her patient before responding.  "If and when
it becomes necessary, I'll call in a specialist and have him check out
Agent Mulder and come and speak with you."  Her statement was directed at
Scully, whose gaze never left her partner.  "Hopefully it won't come to
that.  If you'll excuse me, there are some matters I need to attend to. 
I'll be back to check on Agent Mulder in a while."  She then left the
room, walking down the hall to the nurses desk.

Maggie recognized the look that had settled on Scully's face, she knew it
all too well.  "Dana, it wasn't your fault."  She watched as Scully
walked over and sat in the chair, and picked up Mulder's still hand to
hold between her own.  "Honey, this was no one's fault but whoever did
this to him."

"I saw the signs Mom, I just didn't pay attention.  At least not closely
enough."  Leaning forward, she brushed away a lock of hair that had
fallen across his forehead, careful to not hit the ventilator tube that
ran into his mouth.  "Come on, Mulder.  Fight this.  You have to wake up
so that you can give me your wild theory.  How was this guy supposed to
help you?  I won't get angry at you for not calling me, I promise."

As her mother watched, Scully continued for several minutes to plead with
Mulder before the sound of the 
door opening startled them.  Turning, they saw Skinner walking into the
room.  "Agent Scully.  Mrs. Scully.  How is Mulder?"

Scully placed Mulder's hand back down on top of the starched sheet before
turning to speak with her boss.  "He's fallen into a coma as a result of
the head injury, Sir.  How did you even know to come?"

Skinner regarded Scully carefully before answering.  "One of the nurses
called my office to tell me that he had taken a turn for the worse.  And
that you were taking it rather, shall we say, personally.  Agent Scully,
you know as well as I that no one is at fault here except the person that
put him here, least of all you.  It's not as if it's the first time
Mulder has charged head long into a situation without stopping to look at
all of the facts first."

"Have you found out anything yet?"  She had listened to Skinner's attempt
at ending her guilt, but felt the best way to deal with his words was by
moving on.  They still needed to find out who caused Mulder to be lying
in a coma in the first place.  "Any clues at all?"

Skinner shook his head and was about to respond when a nurse walked in
the room.  "Excuse me, there really shouldn't be so many people in here."

"Dana, you go talk with Mr. Skinner.  I'll stay with Fox."  Mrs. Scully
moved to sit in the chair Scully had just been sitting in when she saw
the look on her face, staring at Mulder.  She attempted to address her
concern before she could protest.  "Don't worry.  I'll stay with him."

With one last look at Mulder, Scully followed Skinner out of the room and
down the hallway to a waiting area.  Crossing her arms in front of her,
she waited on Skinner to continue.  "You were saying?"

Skinner gestured toward two of the oversized chairs along the far wall
before replying.  "I sent a team over to Agent Mulder's apartment.  No
sign of anything there, but I didn't really expect as much.  A check of
his car, still in the lot by your apartment, revealed blood and dirt
samples.  However, the blood was all Mulder's."

"Did you check the record of incoming calls into his apartment?  He said
someone called him, and that was why he went out."

"I've got someone on it.  The last time I checked, they still didn't have
anything.  Agent Pendrell was checking the samples from the car, but I
doubt they will reveal anything helpful.  How much was Mulder able to
tell you?"

Scully closed her eyes for a moment, attempting to remember the
conversation she and Mulder had shared such a short time before.  "Only
what he knew, which wasn't very much.  A phone call woke him up about
midnight.  A man asked to meet him, something about his work.  Mulder
being Mulder, he couldn't resist checking into it."  She smiled at the
description of her partner.  "They met at a park near where I live, but
not long after arriving something scared the guy and he jumped him."  Her
face darkened as she recalled the rest of what happened.  "He managed to
catch Mulder off guard, and knock the wind out of him.  After kicking him
in the ribs, he placed two blows to the side of his head.  The second
caused him to lose consciousness."

"And when he woke up, he managed to drive to your place," Skinner
finished for her.  "I still don't understand how he was able to drive. 
You go back to Mulder's room, I'm going to find a phone and call the
office and see if anything else has turned up.  I'll let you know what I
find out."

Both agents stood and began to walk out of the sitting area.  "Yes, Sir. 
And Sir?"  Skinner turned to face Scully, a silent acknowledgment of her
question.  "Thank you."  He nodded his head, and walked toward the nurses
station while Scully went back to Mulder's room.

Two hours later, Dr. Collins returned to check on Mulder.  She found
Scully again sitting beside Mulder's bed, but Mrs. Scully wasn't there. 
"Agent Scully?"

Scully turned at hearing her name, and saw that the doctor had walked in
without her knowing.  "Dr. Collins.  I've been watching the monitors, the
pressure in his brain seems to be dropping."

The doctor moved to check the monitor, and nodded her head in agreement
with Scully's assessment.  "He's not out of the woods yet, but I would
say it's too soon to jump the gun and operate.  If the pressure continues
to fall, we won't have to operate and he should regain consciousness."

"But how long?"  Scully's question was directed as much to herself as to
the doctor standing nearby.  Her gaze never lifting from Mulder's still
form as she said it.

Dr. Collins quickly checked the stitches from where she had operated on
Mulder early that morning to ensure they were healing well.  "I'll come
back by in a little while, and I will be alerted if anything changes
suddenly."  Scully nodded her head, and glanced over her shoulder at her
quick retreat from the room.  It wasn't long before Maggie returned to
check on both of them.

"Here, Dana.  Drink this."  She offered Scully a cup of tea, hoping to
try and help calm her nerves.  She knew no matter how hard Scully tried
to hide it, what the waiting was doing to her.  "Go on."  Scully took the
steaming cup from her mother and sipped at it's contents, the honey lemon
flavoring exploding on her tastebuds.

As the hours continued to pass, both Scully and her mother watched as the
reading on the inter cranial pressure monitor continued to slowly fall. 
The closer it came to a normal level, the more anxious Scully became for
Mulder to wake up.  Dr. Collins had been in to check on him several
times, and was encouraged by the improvements in the monitors readings.

***

Skinner returned to the hospital that evening.  And entered Mulder's room
to find Scully curled up in the chair next to Mulder's bed.  Maggie
smiled to see the older agent look at Scully with a look of wonder at how
she managed to fall asleep in the small chair.  Waving her hand, she led
the senior agent out of the room and down the hall toward the sitting
room.

"How is he?"  Skinner knew that Mrs. Scully would be able to answer his
questions as well as any of the nursing staff.

Sitting near the window, she motioned for him to do the same.  "The
pressure in his brain that caused the coma has fallen.  That's the good
news."

Confused, Skinner asked, "Good news?  That would mean there was bad
news."  He waited for her to finish the statement she had began before he
had interrupted.

"Bad news being that he hasn't woken up.  The doctors told us that the
first forty-eight hours were the most vital.  After that..."  She paused,
looking out the window.  "After that it's anyone's guess when he will
wake up."

Shifting in his chair, Skinner weighed the information he had just
received.  "How's Scully, Dana, doing?"

Maggie found herself touched by his obvious concern for the well fare of
those under his command.  "She's stubborn, like always.  Refuses to leave
Fox's side."  Smiling she added, "Like always.  I know you're looking
into what happened to Fox, do you mind me asking if you've found
anything?"

Skinner regarded the woman sitting before him, and was able to see where
Scully got her strength and compassion.  "We were able to trace the phone
call that lured Mulder out of his apartment.  As for who made the call,
we're looking into it."  She nodded her head, listening to the assistant
directors explanation of the newest events.  "I'm curious, Mrs. Scully. 
How is it you are able to call Mulder Fox?"

Maggie laughed.  "I'm not sure, Mr. Skinner.  For some reason, he just
never corrected me.  Dana has, time and again, but Fox never seemed to
mind."

Skinner looked at his watch, startled to find that it was already after
six in the evening.  "Mrs. Scully, are you going to be going home this
evening?  I need to go back to the office, and I could escort you to your
car if you would like."

"No, thank you, Mr. Skinner."  Standing, she again smiled at Skinner.  "I
appreciate the offer, but I need to stay with Dana for now.  I don't want
to leave her alone right now.  Especially since we still don't know how
long it might be until he wakes up."

***

After she returned to the quiet hospital room, Mrs. Scully watched as
Scully finally began to stir.  The night passed uneventfully, and the
next morning, Scully found herself watching the clock as it passed the
twenty-four hour mark.  It wasn't much later that Skinner entered the
room.

"Agent Scully, any change?"  She looked up and shook her head silently,
and found herself again looking at the clock.  Twenty five hours.  "We
have a suspect in custody."  At this news, Scully jumped up out of her
chair, and walked over to face Skinner directly.  "As I told your mother
last night, we were able to trace the call made to Mulder's apartment
just before midnight."

"Who was it?"  She was all business now, Skinner noted.

"No one that we can link to any of your outstanding cases.  We can't
figure out how he became interested in Agent Mulder.  However, we found
soil samples in his shoes that match the samples taken from inside
Mulder's car."  He paused before continuing.  "And there were traces of
blood as well.  Agent Pendrell was able to match them to Mulder's blood."

Scully turned to look back at where Mulder lay.  "Then all that's left is
for Mulder to wake up and identify him."

Skinner stayed in the room with Scully while her mother went downstairs
to get some breakfast for both of them.  There was little conversation
between the two.  The only words were those that Scully spoke to Mulder. 
Although she didn't remember anything from the outside world while she
had been in a coma, it didn't stop her from making an effort.  If he
could hear, she wanted to make sure there was something to hear other
than beeping monitors and the hiss of the ventilator.

At some point, Skinner left to go back to the office.  Scully noted him
leaving and her mother walking back into the room, but her attention was
focused on Mulder.  Talking to Mulder kept her from looking at the clock,
and remembering that time was ticking away and there was nothing she
could do to make him wake up and get better.

Thirty-six hours came and went, but Scully merely glanced at the clock. 
Mrs. Scully went to Scully's apartment to find her some clothes and pack
her a bag.  When she arrived back at the hospital, Mulder's condition
hadn't changed.  She noticed that Scully had fallen back asleep in the
plastic chair.  Maggie knew it worried Scully that the reason for Fox's
coma had passed, but he had yet to wake up.

When Skinner arrived the next morning, it was just after the clock hit
the forty-eight hour mark.  He noticed that Maggie Scully was not there.
"Agent Scully.  I wanted to tell you that our suspect confessed."

She looked up at his announcement, startled.  "Sir?  He confessed?"

"Yes, although he has yet to say why he contacted Mulder.  Only that he
did.  Any change with Agent Mulder?"  His gaze fell on the still agent,
and he almost winced at the sight of the bruises on his face that were
beginning to change color.  Gone was the livid purple, but it was being
replaced by a sickly yellow-green which made him appear even worse.

Scully stood, stretching her tired muscles.  "No, Sir."

"That is something we need to discuss."  Dr. Collins' voice came from the
doorway.  "We need to talk about our options as time progresses."

Scully looked at the doctor, stubborn refusal blazing in her eyes.  "What
you are implying doctor is not an option.  My partner will wake up, and
he will be fine."  In an instant, both Skinner and the doctor had no
question that if strength of will could heal someone, Mulder would have
little choice but to do what Scully had said.

"Okay, Agent Scully," Dr. Collins said.  "For now we wait and see."  That
said, she checked the readings on the several monitors and made a few
notes in Mulder's chart.

The doctor having left, Skinner watched as Scully walked around the room.
 He recognized the signs of restless energy, and having been sitting for
too long.  "Did your mother finally go home, Agent Scully?"

Nodding, she responded.  "Yes, late last night.  I finally convinced her
to go and get some sleep.  She should be back any time now, actually."

"That's good.  I need to get back to the office, I'm spending more time
on the road between here and there than in either place.  Keep me
apprized of any changes, Agent Scully."

"Yes, Sir."  She watched him leave and sat back down beside Mulder.  She
was tired of there being nothing she could do.  So she began speaking to
him again.  "Hey, partner.  If you stay asleep your going to keep missing
all the attention you're getting.  Skinner just left, he's been here
quite a bit actually.  I think you and all of you're annoying stunts are
starting to win him over.  You might even get on his good side one of
these days."

She paused, gathering her thoughts.  "Come on, Mulder.  You can't give
up. <We> <won't> give up."  She stopped speaking, and laid her head down
on her arms on the edge of Mulder's bed.  It was when she thought she
felt a movement that her head shot up and she looked up at Mulder's face.

His eyes were open just a bit, and she could see his mouth struggling
against the ventilator tube.  Smiling, she pressed the nurse call button
and instructed for Dr. Collins to be alerted.  Within minutes she was
rushing into the room, and soon after that the ventilator tube was
removed.  Scully had to fight laughing when Mulder finally spoke. 
"Catheter.  Out."  His words were a struggled hoarse whispered version of
his true voice, but no one cared.

Scully followed the doctor out into the hallway when she was finished
seeing to Mulder.  "I would have to say, Agent Scully, that your partner
is one lucky man.  For now, I want to keep him under observation to make
sure we don't have another relapse.  If he's stable for the next
twenty-four to forty-eight hours or so, I'll sign off on his going home. 
Provided he will be looked after."

"Of course," Scully agreed.  "Believe me, you don't want to be around him
when he starts to feel better.  He's a royal pain in the ass when he's
stuck in the hospital."  To Scully it felt good to laugh, and have less
worry plaguing her heart.  After Dr. Collins left, she walked back into
Mulder's room.

"How do you feel?  Seems like I recall asking that once before quite
recently."

Mulder smiled, and a little more of the tension that had built up in
Scully relaxed.  "Tired.  How long?"

She sat down in the very familiar chair beside him before answering. 
"Almost fifty hours.  You had us worried, partner."  She ran a hand
through her hair, remembering how long it had been since she had been
woken up in the middle of the night just over two days ago.  "I'm glad
you decided to join us again.  Want some water?"

He nodded his head, and carefully held the glass she handed him.  He
proceeded to drink the water as quickly as he dared.  "I couldn't let you
down."  She tilted her head to the side just slightly, and at her
confused look he explained.  "You said we wouldn't give up."

Scully sat up a bit straighter in her chair.  "You heard me?"  Her voice
sounded small, betraying her surprise.

"Of course I heard you.  Everything was dark, and there wasn't any sound.
 Then I heard you.  It was really distant at first, and it grew more and
more distinct.  I knew it was you.  I followed your voice like a tether
back."

"I'm glad you're back, Mulder."  She smiled and blinked away the
offending moisture that threatened to fill her eyes.

"Fox!  You're awake."  Maggie's surprised, but obviously happy voice came
from the doorway where she had paused at seeing him conscious.

"Hey, Mrs. Scully.  Come on in."

***

"Mulder would you please sit still?"  He had only been awake for a day
and a half and Scully's patience was already wearing thin.  She knew if
she looked back at all the other times she'd stayed with Mulder in the
hospital, he was usually driving her crazy after so long.  "Dr. Collins
should be here at any minute and she said she would probably let you go
home today."

"Scully, I just want my clothes.  Is that too much to ask?"

She laughed.  "Until you're cleared to leave you're not getting your
clothes.  It's my back up assurance you won't make a run for it.  Seeing
as how you would expose yourself to half of the nursing staff before you
managed to get off the floor."  Seeing his patented puppy dog look, she
laughed even harder.  "I've got protection from those eyes, Agent Mulder.
 You won't get very far."

"We'll see."  There was a veiled threat in his voice that reminded her of
some of their most interesting discussions over the past few years.

By the time Dr. Collins arrived, Scully had managed to control her
laughter.  Mulder, however, still was working on looking dejected. 
"Well, Mr. Mulder.  I think it's almost time for you to leave our fine
establishment.  However, there are conditions."

Somehow, Mulder managed to look even more anxious.  "Conditions?  No one
mentioned any conditions to me."

"Well, first and foremost you're on desk duty until you're cleared. 
Between the internal injuries in your chest and the head injury the
length of time will depend on how well you behave.  No strenuous
activities, or anything that might stretch or tear the stitches in your
chest.  The ribs will be sore for a while, so this shouldn't be the
hardest part.  Be careful to not jar your head.  As I understand it,
you're going to be staying with Agent Scully's mother for the next few
days.  After this amount of time, it should be safe for you to return to
your own apartment."

Scully laughed.  "I don't know, you haven't seen his apartment."  Mulder
cut her an evil look at the verbal jab, but backed down when she
continued.  "No arguments, Mulder.  It's come to Mom's or don't leave the
hospital."  She watched as he slouched even further into the bed, pouting
at being out-flanked.

"Okay, Scully."

"Well, I'll leave you two.  Good bye Agent Mulder."  He nodded to the
doctor as she walked out of the room.

Handing Mulder his clothes, Scully also walked toward the door.  "Get
dressed, Mulder.  It's time to finally get out of this place."  Just
before reaching the door, she paused.  "Besides, you have to get better
and come back to the office.  There are some expense reports with your
name on them."  

Walking out into the hall she heard him whine.  "Scully . . .  Not the
expense reports, I've been in a coma.  Those damn things will send me
into another one . . . "

fin

end part two of two.  if you're still here please email me and let me
know what you thought!
kaly   kalynn95@juno.com

Kalynn's Fan Fiction Page (XFIies and Profiler):
http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Shadowlands/5579
Always remember to forget  The friends that proved untrue
But never forget to remember  Those that stood by you.  --  Irish
Blessing