Disclaimer: *sigh* I'm back to owning nothing. Well, nothing except Springfield, Newaki, and the plot. But anyway, Chris Carter and Fox and 1013 own the X-Files. And Hersheys owns Hugs. BTW, I'm trying desperately not to completely butcher Mulder and Scully's characters. Tell me if they're terrifyingly OOC. Oh, and Tim, I'm sorry you didn't get it. Watch the show more, my friend! Although I'm not sure it would help… Oh well, do it anyway. And type up the Cliffhanger Wars story and send it to me (you know the one ^-^), I want to post it. You probably want me to shut up and get on with the story, don't you? DON'T YOU?!? *sniffle* You know what, I probably should ^-^;; ANYWAY, here it is:
Blinding Color
Bethesda Hospital, New York City, 9:17 A.M.
[MULDER and SCULLY are at the service desk. MARY, the service desk lady, is directing them to SPRINGFIELD's hospital room.]
MARY: …then turn left, second door to the right, Room 248.
SCULLY: Thank you.
[They proceed to the room. SPRINGFIELD has dark glasses on, and is leafing absently through a magazine, not even bothering to look at it. She glances toward the door at the sound of it opening.]
MULDER: Agent Springfield?
SPRINGFIELD: (still staring at the ceiling) Yeah.
MULDER: I'm Special Agent Fox Mulder-
SPRINGFIELD: (snorts) Ah. Spooky. So now I'm an 'X-File'?
MULDER: (ignoring it) and this is Special Agent Dana Scully.
SPRINGFIELD: I already told everybody what happened.
SCULLY: Do you mind telling us?
SPRINGFIELD: (sighs) I found Mallett, arrested him, got dizzy, got called by Agent Newaki and was told to "get out of there", got dizzy again, dropped my phone, grabbed a lamp post, got this vision where everything was bright red and/or green, saw white, then saw black. (she removes her dark glasses. Her eyes are unfocused) I haven't seen anything but black since. (she replaces them) (pause) Then, I got dragged here by my mother and Agent Newaki, despite the fact that I seem to be in perfect health—for a blind person, anyway—and they spent days trying to figure out what made me go blind. And they got absolutely nowhere, so I don't see what makes you think you're going to.
MULDER: We specialize in these types of cases.
SPRINGFIELD: Agent Mulder, this has nothing to do with your little green men from Mars.
MULDER: They're not green; they're gray.
SPRINGFIELD: (snorts) Fine, then. It has nothing to do with your little gray men from God knows where.
SCULLY: However, it's still an unexplained phenomenon.
SPRINGFIELD: (sighs) Go on, then. Prove to me that the whole X-Files office is not a waste of the FBI's time and money.
[MULDER and SCULLY exit.]
MULDER: So, Scully, what's your theory?
SCULLY: There could've been something wrong with that lamp. Electrical surge, maybe.
MULDER: Yeah, they (he gestures around the hospital) came up with that too. It would work… if there was any sign at all of electrical burns on Agent Springfield's arms or hands.
SCULLY: How did you get this case, anyway, Mulder?
MULDER: Oh, I've wanted the Mallett case for awhile now. Didn't stand a chance of getting it until now, since no one who was on the case wants anything to do with it.
SCULLY: Because of what happened to Agent Springfield and…?
MULDER: Who said anything else happened?
[SCULLY just looks at him.]
MULDER: Her partner. An Agent Newaki. Apparently, the guy was red/green colorblind. Around or exactly the same time Agent Springfield went blind, he was seeing red and green. He actually had a flash of red and green as well.
[They approach the car and get in. MULDER looks at SCULLY expectantly.]
MULDER: Well?
SCULLY: Well what?
MULDER: Aren't you going to provide me with some scientific reason for Agent Newaki's sudden ability to see red and green?
SCULLY: Nope. Just keeping you guessing, Mulder.
[They pull up in front of NEWAKI's home. MULDER rings the doorbell. REBECCA Newaki pulls it open partway.]
REBECCA: Whatever you're selling, we don't want any. (she moves to close the door. MULDER catches it before it shuts.)
MULDER: Mrs. Newaki? (REBECCA nods her head slightly) I'm Special Agent Fox Mulder, and this is my partner Dana Scully. We'd like to speak with your husband regarding Brandon Mallett.
REBECCA: Where's your ID?
[MULDER and SCULLY pull out their badges. REBECCA opens the door.]
REBECCA (unapologetically): I'm sorry. We've been getting a lot of door-to-door salespeople lately. (up the stairs) Dan! (she exits to the kitchen)
NEWAKI: Becca? (he spots MULDER and SCULLY) You want something?
MULDER: Agent Newaki. I'm Special Agent Fox Mulder and this is my partner. You might recall that we've taken over the Mallett case?
NEWAKI: Oh. Yeah, that. What'd you want to ask me?
MULDER: Do you have any suspicions that you may not have put into the file?
NEWAKI (looking slightly uneasy): No. Everything I found when I was working is in the file.
MULDER: Anything you thought of recently?
NEWAKI (very uncomfortable): Um, no.
MULDER: Alright then… How is your relationship with Agent Springfield?
NEWAKI: You're talking like I'm a suspect!
MULDER: That doesn't answer the question.
NEWAKI (getting mad): Fine! My 'relationship with Agent Springfield' is absolutely fine!
MULDER: More than fine?
NEWAKI (softly): What are you suggesting?
MULDER: Nothing.
NEWAKI: Get out of here. (MULDER looks like he's about to say something. NEWAKI cuts him off.) And I promise to call you if I think of anything.
MULDER (shrugs): Alright.
[SCULLY looks apologetically at NEWAKI before she follows MULDER out the door.]
SCULLY (glaring): What was that about?
MULDER: What was what about?
SCULLY: You waltzing in there and practically accusing the man of cheating on his wife whilst he has to deal with the impossibility of his eyesight correcting itself and having his partner in the hospital with an impossible eyesight problem! What the hell were you thinking?
[She slams the car door. MULDER looks thoughtfully toward the kitchen window of NEWAKI's house.]
TBC…
A/N: Anybody who finds the reference to "The Amazing Maleeni" gets a nonfat rice tofutti dreamsicle… or a cookie. Or maybe a piece of cake. Just ask and you shall receive! Reviewers in general get hugs (Hersheys Hugs that is!).
