Chapter 11 Dogs and Deception Shado installation Private recovery room exact location classified

"Dr. Scully? How are you doing?"
"I've had a lot of time to think, Nurse."
"Do you want more pain medication?"
"Morphine doesn't work on broken hearts, Nurse Manjunah. Nothing works on broken hearts."
"You mean your partner?"
"Yes, my very ex partner. Why hasn't Ed come to see me?"
"He's been here."
"When?"
"You were wheeled into this recovery room. He stayed with you. You were semi conscious."
"Where is he now?"
"He went to London for something. He did not specify what for, but he said to tell you that he'd be back soon."
"I don't even know his phone number." Scully began to cry, looking at the telephone next to her bed.
"Poor thing. Let it out. Oh how silly I am to forget! He left a package for you. We have been busy tonight, Agent Mulder shot two of our guards, fortunately they survived, but it was touch and go for a while. Agent Mulder recovered well, he is in our security section, he won't be going anywhere in his condition. I have something I thought you would like to see. Here, have more tissues."
"I never want to hear the word Mulder again." Scully blew her nose, sighed. "Here is your package."
"Strange. It isn't a gold box and its huge. Ed always sends me roses in a gold box. White ones."
"You are so lucky, that is so romantic. You will forgive me but I have a confession to make. I have always had a crush on the Commander. "
"I can see where any woman would. Have you known him a long time?"
"May I call you Dana? My name is Kama. I was born the youngest into a large family, we were very poor. My parents died in a motor accident and my older sisters and brothers scattered when I was still young so I depended on my eldest brother Aadi to look after me. Aadi took any work he could find to afford to feed us, and soon he came home with a lot of rupees. One day he did not return home and British strangers came and asked me many questions. I had learned a little English from the radio and from Aadi. Basic words. These strangers asked me about Aadi and I was very frightened. They told me he was dead. My world just fell apart. Then a good looking man came in, American, very slim, very serious. I thought he was an angel with his big blue eyes. He asked me about the medical books in our house. I told him I wanted to be a nurse. He told me Aadi had been killed by very bad men, and that Aadi had worked for him. He said my brother was a good man, and in his will he had left me money to pay for nursing school. He said he would take me to England because that was Aadi's wish for me. He was your Ed. Much, much later I learned that Aadi had been in Shado, and been killed by aliens. I learned about Shado, and I became a nurse. Your Ed was very kind to me, but he was very aloof. He seemed sad, too. If I had been braver, I would have asked him to go on a date with me. I never did. I have a boyfriend now, but I still find Ed dreamy." she chuckled.
Scully smiled.
"I know so little about him but I love him. Ordinarily I would never be drawn to a man I hardly knew, not to mention my being so determined to keep him in my life. "
"Watch this tape. All areas of this installation are monitored by closed circuit cameras, including our critical care unit, and my boyfriend Adam works in security. Part of his job is to archive the video tapes. This is the tape of what happened after you got shot. My boyfriend is working tonight so he is not taping me showing you this so Ed won't know. I think you will learn a little more about Ed from it. A revealing look," she giggled.
"Is this some kind of joke, Kama?" Scully asked, irritated.
"Just watch. I will come collect the tape when my shift is over. Do you need help opening the box? I don't want you to strain your shoulder."
"No. Goodnight, Kama."
"Goodnight."
Scully shook the package, puzzled. Carefully she opened it. She squealed. Inside was a toy stuffed dog, a cream and gold Pomeranian. There was an index card attached to its velvet collar. In handwriting she recognized as Ed's was written : I like redheads. My name is Embie, M B for Moby Dick. "Somehow Ed must have known about my poor Queeg queeg. There's nothing he doesn't know about me but I don't even know his private phone number. Damn, now I'm crying again, Embie."
Scully lifted the dog out of its box to hold it close and noticed another index card underneath it. It said I love you Dana. Your Ed. P.S. Look in the bottom night table drawer.
Scully set the dog aside, and opened the drawer. Inside was a smartphone. She turned it on, went over the apps on it. She came to the speed dial section and her heart lifted when she saw that 9 was marked Straker. She hit the button.
"Straker. I'm not available at the moment but-" There was a click. "Dana, how are you doing. I didn't think it would take you long to find my connection. Don't worry, I'm told that dog Embie is housebroken."
"Are you?" she teased him.
She listened with pleasure to his soft chuckle.
"I promise to go on the paper, chase the postman and fetch your fuzzy slippers. Are you still sore? "
"Some. The doctor came and saw me, told me I shouldn't have any problems recovering. Ed, where are you?"
"In my car, driving back to the installation. I was with you shortly after you came out of the sedation. I thought it would be better to allow you to sleep. I left you for a while, slept for a while myself, then picked up that toy from Miss Ealand and gave it to the nurse. Dana, I'm sorry, I really am sorry about Mulder. He was being controlled by an alien device in his skull, but he's fine now."
"Ed, he doesn't exist for me anymore."
"He thought he was protecting you. I spoke to him briefly and said you were all right. I usually don't beat up people who are recovering from gunshots but it did cross my mind after seeing you so helpless. Dana, he-"
"He put me in this damn bed. How is that protecting me? He would have shot you too. What are you doing driving around after being so sick?"
"Dana, I'm recovering fast. The doctors discussed doing some corrective internal surgery on me to make me appear a little more physically human."
"Nobody's touching you without me there. I mean it, Ed. Do you think it matters to me that your body is different? Ed, did you really ask me to marry you?"
" I did indeed. How do you feel about moving into my house? You could keep your place too. We can see one another as often as possible. Or we can go house hunting together."
"I'm not going back to the FBI. I'll practice medicine here at Shado. Or anywhere. Or I'll iron your shirts and cook you dinner. As long as we're together it won't matter."
"Dana, you experienced the trauma of being shot by your partner, a man you worked with for years. It's bound to shake you up, make you anxious and desperate and liable to make rash decisions that aren't well thought out. "
"Don't second guess me, Ed. I know what I'm doing."
"You couldn't quit medicine no more than a bird could stop chirping. If you wanted to continue your investigational work here you'd have a choice between working at the installation or at New Scotland Yard. I have contacts there. Whatever you decide, my advice is to take all the time you need before you make a choice."
"Ed when are you getting here?"
"About an hour."
"I miss you. Damn it, I'm over emotional tonight."
"Anyone would be. You went through a difficult time."
"Do you miss me?"
"I miss Embie, we grew very close in the short time I knew her."
"Ed, will you stop joking around, besides how do you know its a she?"
"She told me, of course."
"Ed, you're making me jealous of a stuffed dog. So you knew about Queeg Queeg?"
"Yeah, strangely enough it was in the dossier we had about you. I've always liked dogs. I had one as a pet when I was young, oh, six or seven years old I'd guess. My father didn't appreciate animals, so he got rid of it. Supposedly it nipped him, and he shot it. That dog was the gentlest, most loving soul I ever knew. I didn't believe my father then, nor do I believe him now. I must have cried for days. My mother was under my father's heel so she just accepted it. Funny that I remember that after all these years. You needn't be jealous of Embie, she prefers redheads."
"Will I meet your parents?"
"My parents are dead. My father shot himself, and my mother got the news that my phantom had been shot down in Vietnam, and had a fatal heart attack."
"Shot down? Ed, what happened?"
"Well, I'm surprised you and Mulder didn't dig that far back into my history. I was a p.o. about two years. Eventually I led a group of fellow prisoners in an attempt to escape. Now before you call me a hero, I was kind of forced into it. A priest was my designated senior officer, I'd gotten to know him through tap code, and he froze when it was time to take action. I took over. Most of us didn't make it, and I was shot up pretty badly, lost some mobility in my arm and shoulder. It still gives me a lot of trouble. That's all old news, sweetheart. You get better, for now that's all you need to concern yourself with. We'll decide about your future together."
"I know so little about you. Ed, please come back soon. I need you."
"You probably say that about all the Shado commanders who trick you into being assigned to their organizations."
"Damn it, Straker. Come home."
"On my way, redhead. Oh, and tell nurse Manjunath to destroy that video tape she snuck to you after you watch it. If she tries that again, she'll be shoveling sacred cow dung out of the Ganges river for the rest of her life."
"How did you know?" Scully laughed.
There was a click signifying he'd hung up and she pouted.
"Embie, just so we're clear about things, he's all mine. Now let's watch a movie."
Scully inserted the tape into the player. She cringed at the sight of Mulder threatening Alec and the others. She heard Straker's moan.
"Freeman just up and leaves my Commander? Oh. Oh my God. Wait, what? My God, now Ed's an action hero? The IV! Oh real smooth, Ed, bleed to death. Wait, was that his penis-" Scully giggled. "What a darling little dog! May I watch with you? My shift is over, so I thought I'd bring your dinner. I promise no jello. Ed hated it."
"Kama, he has no idea that he's naked. " Scully laughed. "Dinner smells good, I almost forgot I was starving."
"He was too worried about you. He didn't seem to care that his vein was open. Alec has always said he was an accident waiting to happen on two scrawny legs. Then he jumped off the bed. Generally he is introverted and serious, an intellectual thinker. It is easy to forget he is an athlete skilled in martial arts and a marksman."
"Kama, I talked to him a moment ago. He knows about you giving me this tape." Scullywarned.
Kama was pouring Scully's coffee, now she removed the chrome cover from her plate. "Chicken and potatoes, a roll and a sundae. Smells wonderful. Very delicious. You eat it all now, Dana."
"Kama, aren't you in the least concerned about him knowing?"
"Dana, he rang here and told me to do it in the first place!" Kama giggled. Scully's mouth dropped open.
"Doesn't anyone tell the truth around here?" Scully mock complained."Not even you?"
"Dana, he knew it would raise your spirits. There is something else. Mr Mulder is very anxious to see you."
"No. I don't have the slightest interest in seeing him, sorry."
"He is in room 19, if you change your mind. He refuses to eat. He is very scared, under guard. I know you feel upset, but take the high road, and talk to him. It would be good for you too. For now, use the power wheelchair. I will see you tomorrow and transfer you to your private room. Take care, Dana. I look forward to working with you again in Shado."
"Thanks for everything, Kama."
Scully watched the tape several times while she ate.
He loves me. I miss you so much, Ed. Now what do I do about Mulder?
She finished her meal.
"Embie, we might as well go face Mulder and say goodbye." she said to the stuffed toy. "After that I write my resignation letter to Director Skinner."
Goodbye FBI. Hello Shado, Scully thought. No Ed, this is no rash decision. I've finally come home. To Shado, to love, and to you, my Ed. Somebody has to keep you from bleeding!
Scully chuckled to herself, content.

Kama Manjunah put down Mulder's tray on the wheeled table. He couldn't help noticing that she was exotic, dark skinned with waist length black hair, and hot, but he didn't trust her at all.
"If Scully is all right like all of you Shado dark ops vultures tell me, then I want to see her. I don't buy your lies about something was put in my head that screwed with my thinking. You nick my head and expect me to swallow that crap? So forget it. I demand to see Scully now!"
"Dana is becoming my friend, and soon she will be my boss, which delights me. She does not want to see you. I don't blame her. Now eat your food. You shot my Shado colleagues, my friends, they nearly died. They have families, wifes and children too. We aren't the enemy but you fail to see the very truth you chase. Good night."

Scully, why won't you come see me? They've victimized you, I know it. You were always a sucker for romance and a sob story. He buys you some lousy flowers and you're already planning your trousseau? I'm going to figure out a way to break out of here, and I'm taking you with me. I've been crazy about you for years. I just didn't know how to tell you. The X files got in my way. You just wait, and I'll make you see that Straker is poison, and not for you. You've left your science far behind you. But Spooky Mulder is the one g-man who knows what's good for you, babe. So just wait. I'm going to take you home.