As soon as Doggett left with Scully, Taylor and Mulder made their way to Monica's room where a doctor followed them in. With quiet objection, the doctor disconnected the machine and allowed the two agents to carry her out of the hospital by having her arms around their necks and allowing her limp feet to drag along the ground.
"Shit." Taylor winced. Sure the painkillers had worked a little bit. But this was putting unwanted strain on them.
Mulder went to go the opposite way, "This way." Mulder said.
Taylor turned the other way, "The car's out that way." He said since he didn't want to help carry someone's limp body all around the hospital wards.
"But so is the café." Mulder said, "That's where they are." He swung them back to his direction.
Taylor winced again, "Ok. But be gentle."
"Monica can't feel anything." Mulder stated.
"I was saying that on behalf of me Agent Mulder." Taylor shot back, "Good God."
"Come on." Mulder rolled his eyes, "You don't want to be here when he figures Monica is missing do you?"
Taylor nodded and followed Mulder. Not like he had much choice in the matter. Occasionally they got glances from people walking past, but the doctor that was in front of them was giving them the ok look so they were pretty much left to their own devices.
THE CAFÉ
Doggett savored his steak and egg. Scully was expecting him to wolf it down, but he ate it slowly, "You can't keep doing this." Scully said, "You really look beat."
"Monica feels worse." Doggett said, "I want to make sure she's not alone when she wakes up."
Scully bit into her salad without saying anything.
"You know if anything happens to her…" Doggett's voice trailed off it was a horrible thought, "If anything happens to her. If she doesn't make it through, I'll find the bastards responsible."
Scully could tell he was serious. He could have a hot temper at times and that was worrying. She swallowed hard.
"What?" Doggett said.
"I didn't say someth –"
"Tell me you didn't." Doggett suddenly said, "Tell me you didn't. Is that why you brought me here?" Doggett banged his knife and fork on the plate and stood up, "I can't believe you'd do this." His voice took on the flat tone. Doggett was more than pissed.
"Agent Doggett." Scully called out as she followed him.
"You're a bloody doctor Dana." Doggett didn't break stride, "You know the risks." He walked into Monica's hospital room and it was totally empty. And all the machines were still there but disconnected. Right now, he's never ever felt more betrayed and there was only one person was in his firing line, "Damn it." Doggett shook his head, "How could they do this to her? How could YOU let this happen?"
"John?" Scully wanted to diffuse this ticking time bomb, "I know you're not thinking rationally right now."
"Rationally?" Doggett took a step closer and Scully attempted to take a step back, "You call taking a terribly sick woman out of the hospital rational?" Before Scully could respond, Doggett's mobile phone rung, which was probably a good thing. She breathed a sigh of relief.
"Who is this?" Doggett didn't take his eyes off the cornered Scully.
"Agent Doggett?" The voice on the other end asked, "This is Agent Taylor. I assume you're back in the room now."
"Oh Agent Taylor is it?" Doggett said with a certain amount of venom, "I suggest you get yourself and Monica back here so I can kick your ass." There was no time to start playing nice.
"I can't do that Agent Doggett." Taylor's annoying voice came back.
"You don't have a choice Agent Taylor." Doggett said, "I'll make sure you're out of the FBI so fast your ass will be on fire."
"God's sake John Doggett!" This was the only time he dared calling him by his first name, "Listen to me… I know what's going on."
"In fact there'll be a few people getting their marching orders." Doggett was referring to Scully and Mulder.
"Listen to me Agent Doggett. Listen very carefully. Agent Scully and Agent Mulder didn't have any choice in this matter. I –" Taylor replied, "I blackmailed them into helping me. If you're going to get pissed John Doggett. Get pissed at me."
Doggett hung up the phone and Scully just watched him pace back and forth in a short amount of paces, "Where'd they go?" He shouted.
"I don't know." Scully answered. They hadn't told her, so technically she didn't know.
"Where'd they go?" He asked again.
"They didn't tell me."
"That's BS. They sure as hell didn't take her without discussing it with you first." Doggett said. It felt as if they were back on their first case. Scully cringed, it was scary how one course of action can break trust so easily.
"You want the truth John?" Scully challenged, "I'm not telling you. You want to know why? Because you're going to go over there charging like the wild bull you are."
Doggett grunted in response, "To hell with what you all say… I'm going to have your badges."
DANA SCULLY'S RESIDENCE
Mulder and Taylor carried her to the bed of Scully's house and Mulder nonchalantly got her changed as Taylor downed another painkiller, "You sure you're right Taylor?" Mulder asked.
"Wow." Taylor said, "You called me Taylor."
"Earth to Taylor." Mulder clicked his fingers, "You awake?"
"Sorry Agent Mulder." Taylor went and got a damp flannel and placed it on her forehead and sat beside her, "I think these are making me foggy." He looked at the painkillers, "Must be the side effects." And the pain he decided not to add.
It was a waiting game at the moment and there was nothing more they could do. Taylor's heart jumped as his phone rung, "Agent Taylor here." A number appeared on his phone but it didn't match any names in his address book.
"It's Agent Scully." Scully said, "I'm going to drive to my mothers for awhile."
"What about the patient?" Taylor enquired.
"I'll be there soon. I'm absolutely positive that John's tailing me." Scully answered.
Taylor rolled his eyes, "Well we're keeping her cooled down."
Scully hung up.
It was impossible to tell what time Scully had arrived at her apartment. Mulder had fallen asleep on the couch while Taylor had fallen asleep on the chair in Scully's bedroom while keeping a watchful eye. Scully carefully got a blanket out and placed it over Taylor so his head was just popping out. Then she grabbed another to place over Mulder. He stirred.
"Scully?" He opened his eyes, "Did you lose him?" Mulder grinned.
"Shush." Scully said, "I'm just going to check her temp." She was barely whispering.
"Ok." Mulder brought the volume of his voice down, "Why are you whispering?"
"Agent Taylor's out like a light." Scully said, "I think we should all be soon."
The bed creaked as Scully sat on it and she placed the thermometer in her mouth and checked her out. Taylor squirmed in the chair after the lights were turned on. Mulder watched Scully. As she flicked through the notes she had taken off her hospital charts then closed the book and left the room.
"How's it looking?" Mulder asked.
"I think it's too early to tell. I'll check in a couple of more hours." Scully said. It wasn't hard to get into the swing of playing nurse all the time, "How was Agent Taylor?"
"Ok." Mulder said, "He was in a bit of pain and wouldn't take his eyes of Monica at all. Until he fell asleep I guess."
The next time Scully came into check Monica's vitals, Taylor awoke slightly disorientated, "How is she?"
"Her temp's come down a little." Scully said, "Her pulse is alright."
"Just down a little?" Taylor asked he got off the chair and boy he felt stiff.
"What did you expect?" Scully asked, "For her to be fine and up and about?"
"Well yeah." Taylor did expect a miraculous recovery. She was away from it now.
"Are you ok Agent Taylor?" Scully looked at him with concern.
"Yeah I just slept wrong." Taylor answered. He wasn't sure if there was any right way to sleeping in a chair, "But does the recovery look on track."
"It's too early to tell." Scully said.
Taylor thought for a moment. Christ, he was no expert, "What if I'm wrong?" He hadn't meant to say it aloud.
"I don't think you are." Scully said, "God you got to give it time."
Taylor still didn't look convinced, "We weren't sure where to put her, so Agent Mulder and I just put her on the bed." He said just before leaving the room and into where Mulder was waiting.
"You're up." Mulder stated the obvious, "Look I heard you in there. If we didn't think you were right, there was-no-way-knowing we would have gone with this action."
Taylor nodded, if they thought the course of action was wrong of course they would have stopped him, "I'm going to have one hell of a report to type out." He sighed with a smile. The thought of pages and pages that needed to be sifted through and put into order was extremely daunting, "Thanks." He took the coffee that he was offered.
It had been daylight for over an hour now. It had just turned eight o'clock. Scully acted more pleased with Monica's recovery, but she wasn't out of the woods yet. Someone at the door began knocking with such ferocity that it made everyone jump. The knocking continued until Scully answered the door. She didn't have time to invite Doggett in.
"Are they here?" Doggett asked, "Is he here?"
Scully stepped aside, "Yes." She answered, "Monica's in the bedroom. She's -."
He had stopped listening since he spotted Taylor sitting on the couch. He watched him approach but really didn't assume that Doggett would do anything, especially since he was in someone else's home and with company. But you know what they say about assume don't you? Assume makes an Ass out of u and me. With strength drawn from anger, Doggett lifted Taylor to his feet by grabbing his jacket just beneath the collar. It happened so quick, Taylor didn't have time to react.
"John!" Scully yelled.
"Doggett." Mulder shouted as well. But their cries were unheeded. All of Doggett's attention was directed at just one man.
"I told you not to discharge her." Doggett shouted in Taylor's face, "I told you what I'd do to you."
"Hey." Taylor pleaded his case.
"Did you think I was joking Agent Taylor?" Doggett shouted, "Did you think I would just let you take her?"
"Wait a minute." Taylor continued to plead.
"After I take you down." Doggett wasn't listening to a word, "I'll have your damn badge. You got that straight?!"
A/N: Thanks for taking time to vote on my poll. I thought people would have totally voted no. But guess people kinda like Agent Taylor.
I thought this would be a good cliffhanger to leave this chapter on...