It was some time late in the afternoon when Scully walked into the house, a little bit earlier than she had intended to. She hadn't finished half of the work she had wanted to do after Mulder had left her in the basement office. Sometimes it was better for both of them if they worked in two separate places when they weren't away, chasing ghosts in another city or state. Scully had meant to catch up on paperwork and overdue reports while Mulder had promised to go home and move the messy spot, that he called his home office, from the living room to the study. He had set up the bookshelf they had bought at Ikea and even picked up all the books that were laying around in the entire house but he still hadn't removed the rest of it and she hadn't been up to nagging, knowing that she shouldn't ask for too much at once.
It was on a Tuesday noon that he had left the office and she didn't really care whether he would go somewhere to pursue leads on some case that he considered interesting or if he'd actually go home and do as he had promised. Scully sat on his desk, slightly annoyed that she still didn't have her own desk by now, and was in the middle of typing up the most recent report when frustration got the better of her. She leaned back with a sigh, taking off her glasses. She pinched the back of her nose with two fingers and closed her eyes for a few seconds. She felt unusually tired today and there was just something about it that made her feel uneasy. There was a dull headache that had been bothering her all morning but she had simply brushed it off though it hadn't ceased as the hours had passed and the time spent in front of a screen hadn't worked in her favor.
Her eyes hurt and there was this damn cold that had been lingering inside of her all morning. Scully had ignored it though she should have known that it hadn't been the smartest thing to do. It didn't fade nor did she feel better as the hours had dragged by. Her own cheeks felt warm to the touch although she refused to believe it was of any significance; maybe her hands were just cold because she had been feeling chilled the whole time.
Even Mulder had remarked how quiet she had been ever since they had got out of bed in the morning; she hadn't been particularly talkative but she had blamed it on being tired and busy with work, later in the day. She sat in the silence of the office, knowing she should probably treasure and get some work done while Mulder was out but she felt uncomfortable and didn't care any longer. She hugged herself, opening her eyes with a sigh. Scully felt slightly queasy, not knowing whether it was because she hadn't eaten anything all day or whether it was vice versa; she hadn't eaten because she had felt slightly sick the whole time. She couldn't say but she wasn't in the mood to find out; the thought of any kind of food didn't seem too appealing at the moment.
By 4pm she decided to call it a day because she hadn't finished anything; her mind had been wandering and she couldn't help but feel miserable for herself. If she wasn't mistaken she had got a fever over the last few hours and she couldn't deny that every damn part of her body was starting to feel achy. For a little while she considered calling Mulder to pick her up but she refused to give in, thinking that she was still very capable of driving home herself.
The moment she pulled up in front of the house she hated herself for being so stubborn, realizing that it had been a bad idea and she was lucky she actually got here in one piece but truth be told she was too exhausted to be mad at herself. Everything hurt and her body was shaking when she climbed out of the car and it took everything she had not to start crying. She just wanted to crawl into her bed and sleep any not talk to anyone for the rest of the day.
Scully unlocked the front door and kicked off her shoes, Mulder looked up when she walked in.
„Hey Scully, you're early," he said but she hardly paid him any attention. She took off her jacket and a shiver ran down her spine but she really didn't want to sleep in it.
„Mhm," she murmured and dropped her bag on the couch.
„Everything okay?" he asked and watched her as she dragged herself up the stairs without looking at him. She didn't even notice that he had done absolutely nothing about his desk and he was getting a little worried. He hardly ever saw her like this and something about the whole thing alarmed him.
„Just wanna sleep," she whispered and with that she disappeared, then it was quiet. He couldn't hear anything, not even the bathroom door so he dropped his book on the coffee table and walked upstairs.
„Scully?" he asked quietly and walked into the bedroom to find her curled up on her side of the bed, still wearing all her clothes. He approached her quietly, crouching down by her side. She was fast asleep, looking far too pale for his liking.
„Oh dear," he said quietly. She had been unusually quiet this morning and he just now noticed that she hadn't finished her coffee earlier and that she hadn't had anything for lunch either. He hadn't given it much thought but it started to make sense now and it worried him just a little.
Scully was much better at this and he often found himself at a loss when caring for her when she was sick. He was always afraid of doing something wrong and he hated to see her suffer in any kind of way. Gently he touched her cheek with the back of his fingers and the skin felt too warm and a little sweaty to his touch, there was no doubt she was running a fever. He hadn't even noticed how poorly she was feeling all day and he just wanted to help her feel better somehow. He walked over to the drawer to get her pajamas and she didn't even stir when he started to take off her clothes. He didn't want to wake her, hoping it wouldn't creep her out that someone was undressing her in her sleep but something told him she wouldn't notice.
Mulder took off her trousers, feeling mildly relieved that she had chosen to wear a blouse today, it made undressing just a little bit easier now. He unbuttoned it, revealing her cream colored skin. At some point she was groaning softly but he figured it wasn't triggered by any kind of pleasant so he quickly dressed her in her pj's.
„It's ok, Scully," he said, not sure if she heard him. Mulder made sure she'd be tucked in properly before he picked up her clothes and lowered the blinds. It was just around 5pm in the afternoon and the sun was shining low but she didn't even see. He stopped before he left the room, turning around to go back to her. He leaned down and placed a soft kiss on her forehead; the skin felt warm to the touch.
Mulder went downstairs, not exactly sure what to do. For a moment he felt a bit lost. He had been waiting for her to come home because it's one thing he had got used to and relied on. She was here now but it did unsettle him a little that she wasn't feeling well, it made the house seem too quiet all of a sudden. He wanted to be with her and make sure she was ok, knowing that there wasn't much he could do now that she was fast asleep. He had a sudden urge to be beside her and make sure nothing happened but then again she wasn't a little kid who needed permanent supervision.
He was certain that she didn't want to be touched; sometimes when she felt unwell she couldn't stand it and sometimes she craved it even more and unless he could tell the difference he wouldn't bother her.
He could make tea because it always seemed a good idea when things didn't go quite as planned but on the way to the kitchen he ran his hand through his hair, remembering that Scully was asleep and he wouldn't wake her to have tea; she didn't even finish her coffee and that was quite unusual. He sighed, not knowing what to do with himself. He could go through their medicine cabinet but she was usually the one keeping track of its contents, the only thing he was familiar with was the usual pain medication.
With a sigh he looked at his desk and all the books and files piling up on it and decided to distract himself after all and a part of him couldn't wait to see her face when she saw that he had actually done as he had promised and she tried to hide her excitement about it. He picked up all the books that he didn't need at the moment and carried them to the other room where he didn't even bother to put them in some kind of order before he lined them up on the shelf by the window.
One by one the desk started to clear and after almost two hours he had managed to leave it with nothing but the files that he actually worked on; he had even sharpened his pencils but that was as far as he would go tonight. Now that most of the work was done he found himself going slightly restless so he picked up his phone, and the book he was currently reading. In the kitchen he fetched two small bottles of water from the fridge, thinking that Scully should have some sooner or later, should she wake up.
He thought he might as well read upstairs where he could keep an eye on her. She was still fast asleep in exactly the same position that he had left her in though he could see that her cheeks were flushed and there was a fine layer of sweat on her skin.
He dropped the bottle and his book on the drawer, walking to the bathroom to get a cool cloth to wipe her face, hoping it would make her feel a little better. Mulder opened the door to the medicine cabinet, coming across some familiar names. He remembered Tylenol and a few others, trying to figure out what Scully might need but she probably knew that better than him.
She groaned quietly when the cool cloth touched her forehead and stirred a little, rolling on her back but she didn't open her eyes.
„I'm right here, if you need anything," he said and folded the cloth to leave it on her head, knowing that it probably wouldn't stay cool for long. She was trembling and he was at a bit of a loss, knowing that there wasn't much he could do at the moment.
He got ready for bed without paying attention to the time, switching on the bedside lamp on his side before he disappeared into the bathroom. It could be a very quiet night if she slept right through it, knowing that he would probably be incredibly restless anyway to make sure she was doing ok. Mulder crawled into bed, trying not to make any noise or move too much and tried to focus on his book. Every now and then he found himself looking at her, wondering if this was as painful as true love would get.
He had never really given it much thought, especially not when they had been estranged for quite some time because there had been so many other things on his mind. As wonderful as it felt to be overwhelmed with joy and the love he felt for her he couldn't help but think that it was just as awful. It left him feel helpless when he saw her suffering like that. After everything they had been through a part of him still thought that Scully didn't get sick. She was so strong that he had no doubt she would pull through but seeing her absolutely shattered wasn't something he ever wanted to see again and he just wanted to protect her from it.
It was a normal thing that happened every now and then but it still didn't change that he had a constant urge to protect her from it whenever he could. When he could no longer focus on the story - he didn't even remember what was written on the last four pages - he decided to call it a night. He laid awake for a few more minutes listening to her even breathing, trying to resist the urge to reach out and touch her. She was so close to him and yet she seemed so far away.
The next time he opened his eyes he woke to sounds coming from the bathroom and he reached out, finding Scully's side of the bed empty. He heard faint sounds of retching coming through the bathroom door that she had left ajar. Mulder was immediately alert though not particularly delighted and climbed out of bed to make sure Scully was okay.
She heard him when he entered the bathroom though she didn't have the strength to look at him just yet while her body was still trying to figure out whether she was going to be sick again or not. A few minutes before she awoke with a start, immediately noticing that something was wrong. She had felt light-headed and her heart had been pounding in her chest and it had taken her a few moments until it dawned on her that the only reason her sleep had been disturbed was because she was going to be sick. She had hurried to the bathroom, making it just in time and now found herself kneeling in front of the toilet with a slightly pained look on her face.
She was pale and her cheeks flushed, every part of her body hurt and she felt disgusted by the feeling of cold sweat all over her body. She stayed where she was, afraid she might be sick again the moment she moved. She felt tears in her eyes and tried to focus on taking deep and calm breaths, hoping it would ease the nausea somehow. She didn't even look when she heard the water run and Mulder crouched down beside her.
„Go away," she whispered and leaned her head on her hand, closing her eyes.
„Don't be silly," he said, gently dabbing her face with it. She whined softly though it did feel quite pleasant until she felt a fresh wave of nausea overcome her and Mulder held her hair, one hand drawing slow circles on her lower back.
Scully groaned quietly, shivering at the disgusting feeling. She felt miserable, cold sweat covering her face.
„You think you gonna be sick again?" he asked after a few minutes when things seemed to have calmed down a little. She was leaning back against him; her eyes closed, a pained look on her face.
„No," she whispered, sounding a bit hoarse. „I don't know," she shook her head, sounding unusually poorly and tired. She decided to try to get up anyway and Mulder helped her, standing close by in case she needed help. Scully put both hands on the edge of the sink, taking a few deep breaths. She reached for a hair-tie, put her hair in a bun; god knows it might come in handy a little later.
„Tell me what you need," Mulder said and she just shook her head because she really didn't know at the moment. It was then that she realized that she wasn't wearing her work clothes but her pajamas and he had even taken off her bra she thought, feeling grateful that he remembered how much she hated sleeping in it. She wanted to tell him that, and so many other things but she didn't trust herself to speak at the moment; she still felt pretty damn awful.
She reached for the mouth wash and took a swig, rinsing her mouth to get rid of the sour taste in her mouth. When she was done she turned around and looked at Mulder, probably for the very first time since he had left her at work.
„Just wanna get back to bed," she whispered; maybe she could get a bit more sleep before she was feeling sick again. She didn't trust herself not to and she could feel that she was still running a fever. She swallowed some Tylenol before they left the bathroom, wondering if she'd be able to keep it down.
„I don't want you to get sick," she whispered when they walked back to the bedroom.
„I really don't care," he said seriously. She sat down on the bed, feeling absolutely shattered by the time she got there.
„What are you doing?" she asked without looking up and in no time he was back in front of her.
„Getting you a new shirt, yours is all clammy," he said quietly. He was also sure there was puke on it but he didn't tell her. She lifted her arms without any further protest and he helped her slip the fresh shirt on. Scully leaned back against the headboard, propped up against the pillows. Mulder put the blanket over her but she didn't move nor did she look comfortable; she still seemed miserable and something told him they wouldn't get much sleep in the next few hours.
„You want me to keep you warm?" he asked and got into bed on his side.
„No," she whispered, sounding pretty unwell. She wanted to be close to him and feel his presence, she wanted him to hold her and make her feel safe like he always had but at the moment she thought she couldn't bear to be touched by anyone. She felt terrible and all she wanted was go back to sleep but she couldn't even do that. Her troubled body was keeping her awake, always alert in case she might be sick again and Scully wondered if she should just be sleeping in the bathroom.
She closed her eyes and tried to concentrate on her breathing to ease the nausea that was still lingering somewhere inside of her.
„Whatever you need," he said. „Just tell me."
She nodded and tried not to move and finally go back to sleep.
What felt like an eternity turned out to be less than an hour until she was startled from sleep again with heavy labored breathing and they repeated the same routine they had gone through earlier until the nausea slowly faded. At some point she found herself laying on the bathroom floor and she didn't even care any longer. She was absolutely shattered and the cool bathroom floor felt wonderful on her flushed skin.
„Scully, you need to get back to bed," Mulder said when he returned to her. He felt sorry for her, hoping she would just be able to get some rest. The last three times that had brought her to her knees had sounded pretty painful since there was nothing left inside of her.
„Don't care, I'll just stay here," she whispered without opening her eyes. He knew he would give her everything she asked for, almost everything. He wouldn't let her sleep on a cold hard floor though because it was just a matter of time until the fever got worse again and she'd regret that decision. He brought her back to bed and tucked her in, leaving a bucket beside her bed just in case.
It was almost 5am by the time she finally seemed to be able to get some rest. The sun was already rising in the distance and she hadn't been sick in over thirty minutes so he was quite optimistic that she would get some sleep after all. She looked a little more relaxed though she was still running a fever; she hadn't been able to keep any of the medication down just yet but he was hoping they'd get there soon. Mulder had been drifting in and out of sleep until he gave up and left Scully to herself around six in the morning; she was asleep after all so he cleaned the mess they made in the bathroom and went downstairs to make coffee and call in sick at work.
There was no way he'd go in today and leave Scully all by herself. He didn't care that it might look somewhat suspicious but he would just go with the truth although Scully wouldn't like it for sure. There were times when he wouldn't have missed work for anything in the world but he could as well work from home - or not at all. Maybe his priorities had changed after all these years because his very first one was currently very sick and sleeping upstairs. Everyone at the Bureau knew they were living together so it wasn't a big deal, not anymore.
He poured himself a cup of coffee and a cup of tea for Scully although he wasn't sure she'd be up to drink it. Mulder remembered that he had been forced to go on vacation more than once during his entire time with the FBI and Skinner hadn't even asked questions.
„How are you feeling?" he asked and sat down on the edge of the bed on her side. She had opened her eyes, blinking several times when she came to her senses.
„You're not at work?" she asked and tried to sit up. He smiled at her, thinking that she had probably lost sense of time during the last few hours.
„It's too early, sleepyhead," he said. „And I'm not going anywhere."
„Mulder, you don't-"
„Don't worry, Scully," he tried to tell her. „I'll work from home and everyone's always bugging me to take some time off. How are you feeling?"
„Not sick anymore," she said and closed her eyes.
„That's a start," Mulder said. „I made you a cup of tea."
„Thank you," she said softly, still not sure whether it'd be a good idea.
„I'll get you some more Tylenol. I guess the last ones didn't do much to help you."
„Okay," she whispered and took whatever he gave her, it would do for now. A couple of minutes later Mulder crawled back into bed, reaching for the book he had been trying to read last night with Scully drifting in and out of sleep beside him.
