Chapter Ten

The FBI swat team descended the stairs and threw smoke bombs down onto the floor.

The gas erupted from them and they pulled their gas masks down over their faces, their hands on their guns holding them steady, ready to shoot at the sign of danger.

They reached the bottom of the stairs and there was a sound from the far end of the vast room of struggling and coughing, and they aimed their weapons into the darkness.

'THIS IS THE FBI! WE HAVE THE BUILDING SURROUNDED! PUT YOUR HANDS UP NOW!'

The leading agent shouted from the front, and they waited until he showed his face. Scrambling forwards, the maniac finally made his way out of the darkness, coughing and spluttering desperately, his eyes watering from the gas.

'Please…. Help…. Me…' He gasped.

'PUT YOUR HANDS UP! NOW!'

He held his hands to his throat and a horrific gurgling sound came from his lungs as the gas suffocated him, but they waited – they weren't going to take any chances, plus this man was murderer – and A.D. Skinner had said that he wanted him alive if all possible – but the gas wouldn't kill him – just knock him unconscious.

'Please…. Heeeelp..' He gasped weakly, as his hands strangled around his neck desperately.

'PUT YOUR HANDS UP OR WE SHOOT!'

'Please…. Pleeeeease…' He begged again, and slowly they started to see him attempt to raise his hands up in surrender, but then he fell forwards, the gas overpowering him and he crashed down to the floor face first.

Skinner swerved around the corner as they followed behind the ambulance, but it swerved and went towards the ER.

'STOP!' Scully cried out at him as he started to go towards the car park, and she slammed her hands on the dashboard tearfully, making him slam on the brakes. A car swerved around them and blasted it's horn as it nearly went into the back of them. Before Skinner could stop her, she was jumping out of the car and running across the busy road, tears blinding her eyes as she sped towards the entrance to the hospital.

Flashing her badge as she smashed the double hospital doors open she was met with wide, urgent looks and stares.

'I'M AN FBI AGENT!' She shouted. 'My partner was brought in here just now, Agent Mulder! Where is he?!'

She scanned the doctors and nurses faces who were staring at her with slight disapproval.

'Please Mam, just calm down.' A female doctor said to her, trying to calm her down.

'I just want to see him!' She begged tearfully, then tried to regain her composure. 'Look, I'm a medical doctor, I can help you.' She pleaded, trying to lower her voice, suddenly realizing that she may be coming across slightly irrational, but she couldn't help it. Her heart raced in her chest. She realised that she had all eyes on her, looking her up and down. She was aware that she must look alarming to the normal eye, her bullet proof vest and weapon clearly visible on her gear.

'He's just over here Agent Scully.' A voice came from behind her.

She turned as she felt a hand on her shoulder, and realised it was one of the medical agents who had arrived on the scene and helped. She took a breath and tried to steady herself. 'It's all right, please just come with me.'

'All right.' She said with a nod, and tried to stop the craziness in her head from making her scream and shout again. She needed to calm down. He was in a hospital now, and she was going to do everything she could to save him.

'Agent Scully, he's stable, but we are still trying to find out what is wrong with him.' The agent said in a gentle voice, knowing that she was emotional. He brought her around a corner and led her to a room, and Scully saw him suddenly through the window. She felt a stab in her gut as she saw him lying there and swallowed down a sob. She just needed to get in there, she was desperate to hold his hand and comfort him – as if her presence could just bring him back to normal…

'Thank you. I'll be all right now.' She said in a low voice, as the medical agent looked at her with concern. She brushed back a tear from her eye and took a deep breath. 'What was your name again?'

'Agent Martin, Tom. Tom Martin. I erm… my partner was…. With you today..' Agent Martin said, and lowered his face to the floor as he spoke, his voice now breaking. Scully did a double take away from Mulder and towards him in shock, as she suddenly realised what he was trying to say. She felt a huge stab of guilt hit her as she saw his pain – and she suddenly felt foolish at her actions, as least Mulder was still alive.

'I'm so, so sorry.' She said in a hushed whisper as she saw his reaction. 'I… I don't know what to say… thank you for all of your help with Mulder.'

'Of course, I know what you're feeling right now. We were very close too.' He said, breaking a sad smile from the edge of his lips. Scully saw tears glisten in his eyes and she was speechless. She knew that nothing she could say could change the way he felt right now. She paused and considered asking who his partner was, but she stopped herself, knowing that it would be too painful.

'Agent Scully? Was it... quick?' He asked with dread evident on his face. Scully blinked and considered her answer, it hadn't been pretty, it had been carnage. But she couldn't say that. She felt a sickening in her stomach as she tried to find the words.

'They were all very brave. I think it was quick..' She started, then cleared her throat as tears threatened to fall again as she remembered the sight of them being gunned down right in front of her, 'Yes, it was quick.'

There was a dreadful silence as he took in her words. She nodded silently and looked back at Mulder tearfully, grateful for now that he was in her safe hands, and thanks to their quick actions they were both still alive. She didn't have to be told how lucky they both were, they knew that already – the amount of times they had brushed with death.

'I'm so sorry.' She said again, but then when she turned around to speak to Agent Martin again, he was gone.

She looked around for him, but he was nowhere to be seen.

After a moment of confusion, her stomach turned again as she looked back at Mulder.

Taking a deep breath, she opened the door and went in.

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Mulder & Scully Forever xXx