**This story kinda jumps around a bit. I tried something different and I'm not sure if it worked too well. The case is more of a sub-plot with a Scully POV for the story. A lot of the information is repeated but that's so you don't get carried away with the case and focus more on the characterisation **
MARCH 3rd 2000
"He'll talk to me."
The four men standing around the table were silenced by her quiet voice. Mulder stepped over to where she stood and placed a hand on her shoulder, trying not to stare at the long wound that started on her right temple and burrowed into her hair.
"No Scully. This guy has missed too many opportunities to really hurt you. We…I…don't want to give him any more."
"Mulder," her eyes pleaded with him and he caught the flare of anger that exploded behind them. "It's the only way." She watched the array of emotions play on his face as he sought other possibilities.
"Okay, but it had to be somewhere public and I want the place flooded with agents."
She let him reel through all the insurances he's have in place for her but her mind drifted back to when she first met David.
FEB 10th 2000
Scully stepped out of the lift into the dimly lit narrow hallway and sighed. With a short walk to the office she pushed open the door and found Mulder lounging in his chair, his feet propped up on the table and a half eaten sandwich balancing on his knee.
"What did Skinner want?" he asked looking up from the paper he was reading.
"I've been assigned a new case from the Local PD. Requested for actually, by a Detective David Blake." She dropped her case on her own desk and went over to him, leaning against his desk, beside his legs.
"Why have they asked for you?"
"Word has spread Mulder," she smiled as she reached for his sandwich. "I'm a fantastic investigator, with superb Medical expertise." She half lifted a slice of bread to examine the contents of his lunch. "Not to mention my charming personality and stunning beauty."
He smiled as she took a bite, leaving a tell tale spot of mayonnaise on the corner of her mouth. His eyes gleamed when her tongue jumped out and licked it off.
"So why does he really want you?"
She playfully slapped his leg and returned him his sandwich.
"Someone has been performing surgery on the locals."
"I was just reading about that," he held up the paper.
"After three victims and no clues the local PD have asked for FBI assistance and apparently my medical expertise will enable me to gather some insight and hopefully help with the case." She walked over to her own desk and switched on her laptop, pulling the files she needed from her case.
"And this guy asked for you specifically?"
"Yes, he said he has followed my career for quite some time. Having said that I don't know of many other FBI agents with medical degrees."
"Don't sell yourself short Scully," he finished his sandwich. "I'm sure your charming personality and stunning beauty had something to do with it."
She smiled at him and fit on her glasses. Mulder watched her, over the rim of his paper, as she worked through the file. Her face showing no sign of disgust or distaste at the pictures of the crime scene he knew she'd be studying. After her hair fell into her face one time to many she let out a sigh and reached into her desk for a hair tie. He watched as she leaned her head back, her eyes never leaving the screen. She ran her fingers through her thick red locks before fastening it up, exposing her slender neck, which was gently brushed, by strands that refused to be tied.
"Quit staring Mulder and find some work to do," she said without looking up. He walked over to her desk and perched on the corner.
"Need a hand?"
"Want to try an autopsy?
"Eh no not really. I was thinking more along the lines of a profile or background search."
She passed him the case file and as he started to skim through it she knew he'd remember it all.
"Knock yourself out. I've got to go and meet Det. Blake."
She stood and slipped on her jacket. Putting the laptop back into its case she left him sitting at her desk his mind already formulating a profile.
The police station was alive with activity, the noise level deafening. As she walked through the double doors a hand grabbed her elbow roughly. Startled, she turned to find an elderly inebriated man cuffed to a chair, leering up at her.
"Excuse me…" She pulled her arm away from his free hand and made her way up to the desk sergeant. She held out her badge and waited for him to turn to her.
"Det. David Blake?" she asked.
"That's him over there by the window in the black shirt."
Scully's eyes followed the Sergeants hand and saw a tall man leaning on the window ledge. She pushed past the half door and made her way through the cluttered room of desks and chairs. He stood with his back to her and she could see a cup of water in his right hand, full and untouched.
"Detective Blake?"
Slowly he turned and the frown he wore was instantly replaced by a soft smile that didn't quite expel into his dark, almost black eyes.
"Dana Scully." He said rather than asked transferring the cup into his left hand he held out his right. She took it and shook it firmly.
"Yes. I got your file this morning."
"Great."
"I am going to go down to the morgue to see the bodies."
"Yeah…be warned, it is pretty gruesome." He grimaced, "But I guess you've seen worse in you line of work."
"Assistant Director Skinner told me that you were familiar with my work."
"Oh yes. I've been following it for quite some time. Amazing stuff."
"How did you come to be so aware of my work?" she asked her curiosity bubbling.
"When I started here, being the newest I had the arduous task of compiling the city database of crime for this precinct and your name popped up a lot through our FBI collaborations. I delved a little deeper and became truly intrigued."
Scully blushed slightly at his words and looked away from his intense gaze.
"Shall we start?" he said noticing her embarrassment and led her over to a table by another large window that showed a beautiful view of the city. He wheeled over a chair and Scully was surprised when he placed it next to his own and not across the table.
"You have all the details?"
"Yes…so far 3 victims, each with a vital organ extracted, incision left open. A small puncture, thought to be pre-mortem, was found on the body with trace amounts of Rocuronium in the blood stream."
"I looked it up…" Blake shuffled though his desk papers looking for a missing file.
"It's a paralysing substance," she offered. "Once it has been administered the victim will be rendered paralysed in 60 seconds. With rapid onset like that it would explain the lack of struggle."
"It can be reversed though," he said reading from the elusive file.
"Yes, but these victim underwent surgery during the paralysis and probably bled to death."
"No struggle, no evidence."
"No evidence, no Suspect."
Blake sighed loudly his shoulders slumping slightly. "Whoever this guy is he is careful."
Scully noticed the despair in his voice but failed to find any words to comfort him.
"I have to go to the morgue," she got up from the table. "I have an appointment with the coroner."
"Sounds lovely," he smiled openly at her and she saw the light in his eyes brighten and she found she was unable to stop smiling back. Before she could walk away he reached out to her and took her by the arm. He held out a card for her.
"All my contact details are on this." Wordlessly she took the card and slipped it into her case and left.
The autopsy lab was cool for the cadavers but as she stood over her third body of the night she felt hot beneath her lab coat and facemask but preferred it to the stifling smell that would cling to her clothes without them. Letting her head roll around loosely on her neck she gently stretched. Her phone rang loudly and she welcomed the distraction. She dragged herself away and tossed the gloves into the bin and pulled the mask down to her neck.
"Scully" she said clearly into the phone.
"Hey Scully, it's me." Mulder's voice was low and hushed.
"Mulder, what are you doing?"
"Eh…nothing. How's the autopsy going?"
"I'm just finishing with the last victim. Found the drug, Rocuronium in all of them."
"Yeah I read about that in the coroners report."
He heard her sigh into the phone and felt the tiredness in her voice.
"Whoever did this had access to medical supplies and a good working knowledge of the human internal system," she said.
"You're thinking a doctor? Someone with Medical experience…"
"I'm not sure…Mulder, why are you whispering?"
"I'm eh…back stage at Mc Kinley hall. Waiting to go on. I just wanted to call and see how you were doing."
"Oh right, your lecture is tonight. Sorry Mulder I completely forgot."
"Don't worry about it Scully, I'll see you tomorrow."
"Good luck with the speech. I'll be thinking of you."
After she put the phone away and grabbed a fresh set of gloves she found herself standing over the body again. Shaking her head in an effort to rid her self of the tiredness, she worked on and almost didn't feel the next two hours pass. Behind her the door groaned in protest as it was opened slowly. She turned and found Det. Blake standing in the doorway unsure if he wanted to enter or not.
"How's it going?" he asked.
"I'm just finishing up."
"Find anything?"
"Nothing that the coroner hadn't already uncovered."
"He says it was probably someone with a medical background."
"Yes I agree."
She threw her lab coat into the bin provided and covered the body with a light blue sheet. Covering a yawn with her hand she slipped into her coat.
"Well goodbye Det Blake."
"David, you can call me David."
"I'll see you tomorrow."
"Can I give you a lift?" he asked hopefully and Scully caught the tension in his voice.
"No thanks, I have my own car."
He seemed to be disappointed but Scully ignored it and brushed past him, quickly making her way to her car. Trying not to think of why he would be at the morgue so late she drove home quickly.