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Chapter 8
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FBI Headquarters
July 18, 2001
As Mulder expected, Scully had wanted to go into work the next day despite his protests, and here they were, sitting outside Skinner's office, waiting to see him. They hadn't been sitting there long, but they were getting pretty impatient.
"He'll see you now," Kimberly, Skinner's secretary, said, hanging up the phone.
Mulder and Scully rose in unison and walked towards Skinner's office, Mulder placing his hand at the customary spot on her back, leading her in. Sitting in their usual places in front of Skinner's desk, they made themselves comfortable for what they knew would probably be a very long meeting. Mulder knew exactly how it would play out. He and Skinner would insist that Scully take a medical leave, but she would argue, saying she wanted to work. She would win, like always.
"Agent Scully," Skinner began, once they were seated, "I have learned that your cancer is back, and I'm very sorry. I suggest you take a medical leave from here unto an undeterminable time." He said, knowing that there was no way in hell that she'd ever go for it.
He was right, "No, sir, I do not want to take a medical leave. I need to work. If I sit at home from now until I die, then I might as well kill myself now." She insisted.
Skinner had seen Mulder flinch and shudder at her mentioning dying, and he knew that Mulder would never deny her this one last wish, but Mulder surprised him. "Scully, I think you should take a medical leave," he said.
Scully looked at Mulder, angrily, "Do you doubt my ability to do my work?" She asked, and Mulder visibly blanched.
"Of course not, Scully. There is no one I would have watch my back than you, you know that," he said, and then added softly, "I'm just worried about you."
Scully looked at him and whispered, "Mulder, I love you, but this is ridiculous and you know it. My working is not going to place me in any more danger than before, and my cancer doesn't change that. I kept working just fine last time and you can't deny that."
"This is different," Mulder stated.
"Different how?" Scully asked.
Skinner watched in silence as they battled it out, knowing that Mulder would never win, but that eventually they would reach a compromise.
"Because this time, there's no therapy that can treat you. The doctor's already told you that chemo won't work. I just want to keep you safe, Scully. I don't want to lose you," he said.
Scully sighed, "I know that Mulder, but I can't think of anywhere I'd be safer than with you. Now, if you really want me to take a medical leave, you know I will," she said, and Skinner was surprised, he had never seen her give in before, then she continued, "I'll do it because I love you and I respect you, but please Mulder, don't make me die before I have to," she said, pleading with him.
Mulder looked at her and knew that he could never deny her anything, "Ok," he relented, "But no field work."
"Thank you, Mulder." She said, and they turned back to Skinner who was, by this time, trying to hide a grin. "Ok, you two, listen up. Scully, there is no way I'd let you go back into the field anyways, and if I think that you need to stop working, I will put you on medical leave, do you understand?" He asked, and she nodded. Skinner turned to Mulder, "Mulder, I'll do my best to keep you out of the field also, but I don't know if I'll be able to do that, but I will not send you alone. If you must go into the field, I'll have to send someone with you, but we can work that out later. Now, how 'bout you two take a long weekend, and report back to work on Monday." Skinner said, and Mulder and Scully left.
Chapter 8
****************************************
FBI Headquarters
July 18, 2001
As Mulder expected, Scully had wanted to go into work the next day despite his protests, and here they were, sitting outside Skinner's office, waiting to see him. They hadn't been sitting there long, but they were getting pretty impatient.
"He'll see you now," Kimberly, Skinner's secretary, said, hanging up the phone.
Mulder and Scully rose in unison and walked towards Skinner's office, Mulder placing his hand at the customary spot on her back, leading her in. Sitting in their usual places in front of Skinner's desk, they made themselves comfortable for what they knew would probably be a very long meeting. Mulder knew exactly how it would play out. He and Skinner would insist that Scully take a medical leave, but she would argue, saying she wanted to work. She would win, like always.
"Agent Scully," Skinner began, once they were seated, "I have learned that your cancer is back, and I'm very sorry. I suggest you take a medical leave from here unto an undeterminable time." He said, knowing that there was no way in hell that she'd ever go for it.
He was right, "No, sir, I do not want to take a medical leave. I need to work. If I sit at home from now until I die, then I might as well kill myself now." She insisted.
Skinner had seen Mulder flinch and shudder at her mentioning dying, and he knew that Mulder would never deny her this one last wish, but Mulder surprised him. "Scully, I think you should take a medical leave," he said.
Scully looked at Mulder, angrily, "Do you doubt my ability to do my work?" She asked, and Mulder visibly blanched.
"Of course not, Scully. There is no one I would have watch my back than you, you know that," he said, and then added softly, "I'm just worried about you."
Scully looked at him and whispered, "Mulder, I love you, but this is ridiculous and you know it. My working is not going to place me in any more danger than before, and my cancer doesn't change that. I kept working just fine last time and you can't deny that."
"This is different," Mulder stated.
"Different how?" Scully asked.
Skinner watched in silence as they battled it out, knowing that Mulder would never win, but that eventually they would reach a compromise.
"Because this time, there's no therapy that can treat you. The doctor's already told you that chemo won't work. I just want to keep you safe, Scully. I don't want to lose you," he said.
Scully sighed, "I know that Mulder, but I can't think of anywhere I'd be safer than with you. Now, if you really want me to take a medical leave, you know I will," she said, and Skinner was surprised, he had never seen her give in before, then she continued, "I'll do it because I love you and I respect you, but please Mulder, don't make me die before I have to," she said, pleading with him.
Mulder looked at her and knew that he could never deny her anything, "Ok," he relented, "But no field work."
"Thank you, Mulder." She said, and they turned back to Skinner who was, by this time, trying to hide a grin. "Ok, you two, listen up. Scully, there is no way I'd let you go back into the field anyways, and if I think that you need to stop working, I will put you on medical leave, do you understand?" He asked, and she nodded. Skinner turned to Mulder, "Mulder, I'll do my best to keep you out of the field also, but I don't know if I'll be able to do that, but I will not send you alone. If you must go into the field, I'll have to send someone with you, but we can work that out later. Now, how 'bout you two take a long weekend, and report back to work on Monday." Skinner said, and Mulder and Scully left.