Date: Sat, 01 Feb 1997 01:38:51 -0500 To: x-files-fanfic@chaos.taylored.com From: Lee Ann Wagner Subject: NEW: Needles Please Do NOT Post to a.t.x.c ----------------------------------------------------------------- Rating: G DISCLAIMER: This is a fiction story based on the characters created by Chris Carter. No infringement of copyrights held by 10/13 Productions, Twentieth Century Productions, or Fox Broadcasting is intended. All unrecognised characters and plot- lines belong to me. Names, characters, and places exist solely within my imagination, or are used fictitiously. No connection to any person, living or dead, is intended, and any resemblance is entirely coincidental. Feel free to distribute, but please keep me as the author. ****************** Needles by Lee Ann Wagner lwagner@ntwrks.com ****************** Washington, D.C. FBI Headquarters Basement Office 11:21A.M. Special Agent Dana Scully paused while reading an autopsy report to glance over at her partner who was seated at his desk, feet perched on the edge, one resting on top the other, glasses perched on his nose, reading a file, and humming. Now under normal circumstances, this sight would have made her feel good. Her partner, Fox Mulder, was seated at his desk, which meant he was not out hunting UFOs, EBEs, sea serpents, or anything else that might get him hurt or killed. The fact he was reading a case file, a non-X-file case file, meant that they were not going to spend the night running around some cold, wet forest. Humming was usually a sign of a good mood and Mulder in a good mood was a thing to treasure indeed. But the fact he kept humming the same song, over and over again, made Scully want to scream. She had tried to be tolerant. She had ever tried to distract him with sunflower seeds. But to no avail. After thanking her for them, Mulder had put the seeds on his desk and went right back to humming again. That was infuriating enough, but when you add the song Mulder kept humming, well it was almost too much. Scully liked a wide range of music, but Rap had never interested her very much. *So what does Mulder pick to hum,* she thought, *Coolio's 'Gangsta Paradise'. I may have to do something drastic here.* She turned back to her monitor screen. Several minutes later, movement caught her eye. Mulder had stood up and was stretching. His glasses lay on top of the file folder. And, miracles of miracles, the humming had stopped. "How about I get us some lunch from the deli," Fox Mulder asked as he walked around his desk. "Sure," Scully replied reaching for her purse. "Just a salad and some ice tea today, Mulder," she said handing him a twenty. As soon as the door closed, Scully leaned back in her chair reveling in the silence. She took a minute to examine the basement office she shared with Mulder. It was decent size but cluttered. *I have more space in an autopsy room,* she thought, *but at least it does have a window in here.* But she also knew Mulder was happy with this office. She never understood this until the first time she visited ISU. The Unit was located out at Quantico in a space originally meant for a secure law enforcement headquarters during times of national emergency. There was NO windows as it was sixty feet below ground level. She shuddered just to think about trying to work down there. Shaking her head to clear the images out, she turned back to the autopsy report. But an hour and a half later, she was ready to send Mulder sixty feet underground herself. He had started humming that blasted song as soon as he finished lunch and showed no sign of stopping anytime soon. For a few seconds, Scully contemplated shooting him in the leg. She smiled at the thought. But then reality kicked in. *He'd look at me with those hurt puppy eyes and I'd feel bad,* she thought. *Then I'd have to take care of him. Which would be a pain. Then there's all the paper work I'd have to fill out. Not to mention the review board. Nope, that's not the way to stop this concert.* But then she remembered a memo she had seen on his desk about him needing to update his inoculation record in his medical file. She gave a quiet snort. *There's a snowball's chance in Hell of that happening voluntarily.* She considered the problem for a moment. *But as his partner and a medical doctor, it is my duty . . ., my obligation, . . . IT MUST BE DONE. After all, what good would he be to me if he's laid up with flu because he was too pip-headed to get a shot.* Smiling, she punched up his medical file on her computer, pulled out a notebook, and started making a list of shots she thought would benefit her partner. An hour and a half later, Mulder was still humming the same tune. Scully had listed all the normal boosters that his file mentioned. Then any new inoculations she found mentioned in the CDC bulletins. She looked over at her partner. He was scribbling notes on a yellow legal pad and he had stopped humming. *Maybe I'm being to hard on Mulder,* she thought. She reached for the list to rip it up just as Mulder started humming again. She turned back to her terminal and punched up the State Department web page. *Nope. If anything, too easy.* Forty-five minutes later, Scully had listed all the inoculations the State Department advised for travelers. Smiling, she sat back. *After all,* she reasoned, *Mulder has taken off on a moments notice. He went to Hong Kong, so there's nothing to stop him from ending up in Bangladesh or some other corner of the world. Now I have better add in all the vaccinations he should have gotten as a child. With Mulder's history, you can't be sure of anything.* Scully's thought were interrupted by a knock at the door. Without waiting for a reply, Skinner's temporary secretary walked in. The A.D.'s regular secretary was out on maternity leave. The women was dressed in a short, slinky dark red dress which was cut very low in the front. It complimented her dark hair and fair skin beautifully. She walked straight for Mulder's desk without looking anywhere else. "Agent Mulder," the secretary purred. "Assistant Director Skinner assigned this case to you and I thought it might be important. So I just thought I'd run it down to you personally." She leaned across his desk giving Mulder a clear view down her dress. Her hand 'accidentally' brushed his as she handed over the file. *Oh, brother!* Scully rolled her eyes. *Could she be more obvious? She's probably even wearing a 'Wonder Bra.'* Mulder flashed the women, one of his most appealing smiles as he took the file. *He's eating this up. It's going to be a long six weeks.* After watching the woman glide out of the office, Scully turned back to her list. *I wonder if the rabies vaccine that they give animals works the same way in humans. Well, I'll just put it on the list and find out later. Might as well put distemper on the list as well. After all, Mulder is always dragging me off to some woods. With Mulder's luck, I can't be too careful,* A half hour later, Scully's on-line search of the AMA journals was interrupted by her partner. "Hey, Scully," Mulder stated. "Looks like we have our next case." He handed her the file. She scanned it. "But this is a serial killer, not an X-File," she protested. Mulder sighed. "I know. But the agents in San Francisco can't get a handle on it and neither can ISU. So. . ." "Then they sent it to you," Scully finished. "I hate what these cases do to you, Mulder." He flashed her his best lopsided grin, "Maybe it would not be so bad this time." "Yeah, right. And maybe, NOW will endorse Dole." She relaxed her shoulders and slowly breathed out her anger. "So, when do we leave?" "Tomorrow morning," Mulder replied. "By the way, what have you been doing all day?" Scully grinned. "Just a little medical research." She closed her notebook and stuck it back in her brief case. --- Lee Ann Wagner lwagner@ntwrks.com NaXis #001, M&S, fictalk GFF#3 Firey Monkey with a Rat rising ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~