Summary:
Brand X missing scenes. What happened between the time Mulder was administered the nicotine to save his life and back in the office at the end?
Notes: For Spookyfish.
Spookyfish's request was for some missing scenes after Mulder was administered the nicotine and suddenly back in the office since it really left a lot to be desired. I just rewatched this episode and 100% agree with you. I hope you enjoy this fic. :) I took liberties with a few ideas I had re the mytharc. Thank you SO MUCH to Jeri for beta-ing this fic last minute as I wrote this, I don't know what'd I'd do without you! 3
Work Text:
Scully remained steadfast in her determination to cure Mulder from the tobacco beetle outbreak. She was served questioning looks from a dozen doctors and nurses as she asserted her authority. They probably thought she was crazy, but at this point, she didn't care. It came with the territory.
The outbreak had progressed rapidly as the larvae had manifested in his lungs shortly after exposure. As she watched helplessly from the other side of the glass, the doctors went to work. Scully couldn't help but think of the Smoking Man and contemplate that, somehow, he might have an indirect connection to all of this. Morley was his brand. The mere implication sent her into an internal rage.
It had to work. It had to.
As the minutes ticked on by, it felt like hours and hours felt like days. It all became a blur and the only thing she'd recall is Skinner stopping in to provide her with a cup of hot coffee and a meal.
"Go get some sleep," he'd insisted.
"I can't," she pleaded. "Not yet. Not until I know it's working."
Skinner heaved a heavy sigh, taking in the precariousness of the situation. "I'll stay, you go. Get some sleep."
"But-"
"That's an order, Agent Scully."
As she opened her mouth to protest, she saw the doctor round the corner and approach them carefully.
"How is he?" Scully asked.
"He's not out of the woods just yet, so to speak," Doctor Vaughn replied. Sensing he was about to be inundated with questions, he pushed on. "But he's making progress, the scans are indicating that the existing larvae in his system are deteriorating from the administration of the nicotine. May I ask how-"
"But it's working?" Skinner cut in suddenly.
"As I said, we're not out of the woods, but I think we can restart the ECMO and work on his lungs shortly. His blood flow is beginning to return. He's in for a bit of a recovery, but we have a fighting chance now."
Scully heaved a sigh of relief at the news.
"That's…that's great," she said quickly, taking a moment to compose herself. It was not lost on Skinner.
Doctor Vaughn nodded before making his retreat and Skinner once again turned to Scully. "He's going to be okay, Dana. Now please, go back to the hotel for the night. I'll take the next shift and update you if anything changes."
She was reluctant but gave a hesitant nod before making a hesitant retreat down the hospital corridor. Scully felt Skinner's gaze on her until she reached the elevator.
Skinner watched Scully's retreat and for a moment, he turned toward the direction in which Doctor Vaughn had retreated. He sighed before making his way back to the cafeteria. It was going to be a long night and like nicotine, fighting caffeine was a losing battle.
Air, he needed air. He quickly paid for a triple shot espresso in the hotel cafeteria and retreated outside into the frigid night air.
"Care for a smoke, Mr. Skinner?"
That voice never failed to have every single hair follicle standing on end.
Skinner turned on his heels as a puff of smoke offended the night's air. He should have known the smoking bastard played a role in all of this.
"Tell me why I shouldn't kill you right now, you black-lunged son of a bitch."
The face of the smoking man remained concealed by the shadows of the night but as a light from the hospital building flickered, a single pack of Morley's taunted him as it's owner withdrew another cigarette.
"I think you already know the answer, Mr. Skinner. You need me. I presume Agent Scully found Mulder's cure as I knew she would," he mused as he took another puff off of the cancer stick.
"No thanks to you."
The bane of his existence rewarded him with a chuckle. "Isn't it, though? You know, my son has truly made my life worth living."
He couldn't bear to listen to another minute of this.
"Go to hell," he spat before retreating inside.
"I've already been there and back, many times," he muttered to no one in particular as he released a breath, contaminating the air.
Of course, that asshole was immune. It was the nicotine. Not even cancer could claim that man, God willing. They could only be so fortunate.
Scully spent the night tossing and turning some, but she had gotten more sleep than she had in the past 72 hours. She glanced at her phone to double-check for any missed calls or texts before getting ready to leave for the hospital. No news was good news, right?
With a sigh, she took a quick shower and changed into whichever clothes she could find first. At the moment, she could have cared less whether everything matched or was perfectly pressed and ironed. She just needed to get back to the hospital. Foregoing makeup, she hurried out and nearly broke every traffic law on the way back to the hospital.
As promised, Skinner remained vigil in the waiting area, with what she guessed was probably his fourth or fifth cup of coffee in hand.
"Has there been any news?" she wanted to demand as she took several hurried strides toward him.
Skinner shook his head. "No, they did start on clearing his lungs just a few hours ago though. They should be done anytime now."
Scully nodded. "I can take it from here now, Sir. You've been up the past few days yourself."
Skinner stood, almost too quickly as he moved to toss his now empty coffee container into the trash. As Scully watched his movements, she could sense there was something he wasn't forthcoming about.
"Sir, are you alright?"
Skinner looked around for a moment, ensuring no one was within listening vicinity. "I think that… the Smoking Man might have played a role in this," he trod carefully.
Scully's stomach churned at the mention of her offender and bile beckoned at her throat. For a moment, she wasn't sure if it was because of the cancer man or because she hadn't eaten in over twenty-four hours.
Skinner watched her carefully. "Scully, are you alright?"
As she realized she had said a word in over a minute, she quickly shook her head as if to will away the discomfort.
"Yeah, um, I'm frankly not surprised. Morley is his brand. And to be honest, I've suspected his involvement since the beginning. I know it should come as a shock, but it doesn't."
Skinner nodded and she knew he was relieved getting that news off of his chest.
"Alright, well let me know if anything changes," he said with a gentle squeeze to her shoulder before retreating down the hall.
Scully sat down for a moment, pondering whether to push for more answers or continue to wait. Thankfully, she didn't have to think too hard before she saw the familiar doctor round the corner because if she were honest with herself, she wasn't sure she quite felt up to it.
She felt her head spin as she jumped to her feet to confront the doctor. She needed to get some food, but it wasn't her priority at the moment.
"Doctor, how is he doing?" she nearly pleaded.
To her relief, he smiled in return.
"Well, we managed to clear his lungs. We're moving him into recovery now. He should be awake in just a few hours. It's amazing really. How did you know the nicotine would kill the larvae?"
Before she could press further, she saw Mulder's lifeless body being wheeled out of the room and was immediately at his side. Ignoring the questioning glances of the staff around her, she looked him up and down before taking his hand in her own as they moved the gurney to its new destination. "Mulder," she whispered even though she didn't expect him to respond. She couldn't help but smile broadly despite herself.
Once they reached recovery, Scully suddenly felt light on her feet and felt herself nearly sink before a nearby nurse caught her arm. "Doctor Scully, are you alright?"
Before she could respond, she realized she had drawn the attention of all the nearby hospital staff. "Are you sure?" the voice next to her prodded.
As she rushed to her feet to gather herself, she nodded hurriedly. "Yeah, I just…I need to get something to eat," she managed with a quick smile before making her retreat from the room.
With a single glance back at Mulder, assuring herself that he would be fine, she made her way to the cafeteria to get something other than coffee to settle her stomach.
Scully sighed as she munched on a bagel with cream cheese and a small side of fruit. She'd gone much longer without food or sleep without an issue. She thought back to when she and Mulder had gone through the fertility procedures and how the hormone treatments wreaked havoc on her body. For a moment, she felt a dull ache in her chest and as soon as it had come, she willed it away.
She couldn't let herself go there. As much as she tried to convince herself that having children wasn't God's path for her, it still hurt.
Perhaps she just didn't have the stamina she used to.
A full stomach and an hour of fresh air later, Scully retreated to the recovery area and into Mulder's room. Once again, she drew the attention of the staff on shift, undoubtedly concerned about her well being. She watched the steady rhythm of the monitors beside Mulder's still form, hoping and willing him to open his eyes. Though realistically, she knew as a doctor that she had to be patient.
Taking a seat beside him, she reached for his hand and held it in her own, wondering what the effects of the nicotine would have on him and if it would be long-lasting. With a sigh, she closed her eyes as she held his hand to her cheek, her mind wandering as she waited.
As she felt the pull of sleep, she felt a twitch against her hand and was instantly alert. She gasped as she saw Mulder's eyelids fluttering and moved closer as his head shifted toward her. She watched as his eyes opened and settled on her.
"Oh my God, Mulder."
She watched the faint tug of his lips as he started to open his mouth.
So many worse case scenarios raced through her thoughts as she asked, "Can you talk?"
Her fear was immediately put to rest as his lips began to move. "Sup, Doc?"
"How are you feeling?" she asked, desperate to hear his voice.
Several moments passed before he responded.
"Like I could use a pack of smokes," he croaked.
Torn between irritation and joy, she said, with a grin from ear-to-ear, "that's not funny, Mulder."
He simply smiled in return.
"My God, Mulder. I was so afraid you weren't going to make it, but we found it, Mulder. We found why Daryl Weaver was immune to this thing. He was a chain smoker."
"Ah," he responded, clearly not up to the task of talking just yet.
"But, you're gonna be fine," she said, reaching for him with her free hand and cupping the side of his face.
"I think somehow the smoking man might have been behind all of this according to Skinner. I mean, I had my suspicions, but-"
Mulder shook his head, giving her a clear indication of not going there. Not right now.
A few days later, Mulder was discharged from the hospital at his insistence, and clearance to work was still forthcoming. He was eager, of course, he always was. Scully smiled as she watched Mulder retreat from the hospital bathroom.
The word on the street was that Daryl was stable and ultimately would be moved to Raleigh Correctional.
"You ready, Mulder?"
"Yeah," he rasped and followed it with a cough. "Damn hospital food. What does it take to get a burger and fries around here?"
Scully rolled her eyes as they left the room together. One the reached the first level of the hospital, she realized Mulder had come to a stop behind her.
"Mulder?" she started before she could see what caught his gaze. The cigarette vending machine.
She startled him by grabbing his hand and urging him forward. "Let's go, Mulder. Now."
The drive back home was still a few hours.
As a doctor, she knew it would take time for the nicotine to pass through his system. With a light smoker, it would generally pass within a few days, but the amount of nicotine pumped into him to kill the larvae could take months. They had urged him to stay a few more days, but he fought tooth and nail until they reluctantly conceded when she insisted that she would check on him.
Over the next few days, Mulder hadn't been up to talking much, other than to express his painfully obvious interest in getting back to work. But Scully had stayed with him, getting his favorite take-out meals, much to his delight.
It was difficult being in such close proximity each night, she wasn't going to lie. It wasn't long ago that they had been intimate for the first time and as much as she craved his closeness, that wasn't what she was here for and he physically wasn't ready, not after a near-death experience. The time would come, she just had to be patient. They had already waited for seven years.
Scully was unsure of what she'd find when she'd entered the office that morning. She knew Mulder had been reluctantly cleared to return to work despite protests from both her and Skinner.
She opens the office to see Mulder, looking, for the most part, himself as he sat at the computer.
"Hey. Good to be back?"
Mulder turned to face her with a smile. "Beats the alternative," he responded, his voice still hoarse.
"Well, you'll be interested to know that Morley Tobacco has subpoenaed all of our files on the case. They seem extremely interested in your recovery.
"What about Daryl Weaver?"
"He's, uh, well enough to have been moved to the hospital ward at Raleigh Correctional."
"It was the nicotine itself that was keeping him alive?"
"Well, his fingertips were stained yellow with it. He was a four-pack a day smoker- far heavier than any of the focus group members who died. You know, nicotine is extremely poisonous. It's actually one of the oldest known insecticides."
Mulder smiled. "It's good for killing tobacco beetles."
"Well, once we loaded your system up with enough of it, it acted as a sort of chemotherapy... except it almost stopped your breathing at the same time."
Scully watched as Mulder walked over to his desk and held up an unopened pack of Morley's that, somehow, she failed to notice before.
"That's not all it did. I bought these on the way to work."
Scully's eyes widened, this was one of her most pressing fears about the effects of the nicotine in his system. "You're not going to start smoking?"
"Well, they say the addiction is stronger than heroin," he said as he sniffed the pack.
"Mulder," Scully chided.
She watched as he suddenly dropped the pack into the trash, much to her relief. She nodded.
"Good. Well, Skinner is waiting for us in his office," she said, moving toward the door.
"I'll be right up," he called after her. He watched as she made her retreat before peering into the trash at the pack of Morley's he'd seen in the hands of the cancer man more times than he could count. As he imagined the taste of the tobacco sticks in his mouth, the temptation was becoming too much.
"Mulder!" Scully's voice startled him at the front door. "You coming?"
Shaking his head, he felt as if his hand was caught in the cookie jar. He jumped to his feet and hurried after her, hoping she hadn't seen anything.
END