CHAPTER 10 : FINALLY OUT
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Skinner entered the room. It was perfectly square, with a low ceiling, and he had the strange feeling that the four walls met too quickly. A simple bulb was hanging from the ceiling to light the scene and it made it seem ethereal. He spotted Mulder standing - or, more accurately, leaning - in a corner while an Agent was trying to ask him questions. He looked as if he was attempting to become one with the wall, and to disappear into it. He held his arms tightly around him in a protective gesture and seemed unable to grip anything other than his gray T-shirt. Skinner quickly understood his action because he had unfortunately witnessed it too many times, and he also had suffered from the same cause himself. Mulder was holding his ribs fiercely, even if many might be broken, so as to prove to himself that he was indeed alive, and that he could still feel pain. As Skinner saw the laborious breathing of the younger Agent, he understood that all the things that had been said concerning what had taken place in this room were true.
A chair, a table, a bulb: the furniture in the room was very sparse. He swallowed hard when he got a glimpse of what had been put down on the table: a knife, a baseball bat, a cattle rod, a whip. He stopped his listing right away, fearing the urge of an unexpected trip into the cool air of the night.
The body hadn't been covered yet. It was still lying flat on its back with a hole in the middle of its face. The blood had yet to dry and was still very red, and he could see it glistening from where he was standing. A gun had been discarded on the floor a few feet from it, dried blood covering its butt. The man who had used said gun was still lurching as he was trying to stand in the darkest corner of the room, his legs not far from collapsing under his weight.
Skinner walked in his direction and came across more red puddles on the floor. He noted that the dead man on the floor was not the only one who had lost blood during the fight.
"Agent Mulder ? How are you feeling? "
Mulder's back wasn't totally facing him but Skinner was unable to see his face. Realizing that he wouldn't move further except if he was forced to, he put his hand on his shoulder, hoping that he would react. The effect he was expecting didn't quite happen and instead Mulder quivered and almost slipped to the floor. Skinner caught him at the last instant and he was finally able to see his "state".or lack thereof.
His pants were torn on his right knee and left hip -blood had dried on the beige cloth. His T-shirt collar was misshapen as a result of the violent grips and tugs it had endured; it was also torn in the middle of it's back by numerous vertical lines he recognized immediately. His neck bore purple marks as well as one side of his face, which seemed to be swollen. His lower lip was split and blood was still dripping from the wound. His eyes were bloodshot and one of them was starting to take on a dangerous shade of green. Dried blood covered his cheeks and it was possible to see its reddish streak which started somewhere in his hair. When Mulder brought his right hand up in order to catch the blood dripping down his chin -shadowed by a five days' beard- he saw that his fingers were the same colour as his neck. Not even one had had been spared he noted, catching a glimpse of his other hand.
"You have to be taken to the hospital, Agent Mulder. Let me help you get out of here. "
"Cou.could you hand me my shirt, please?" He didn't understand the meaning of his words, but he turned his eyes to where Mulder was pointing. The simple act of *pointing* looked difficult for him.
"Mulder, " he added, forgetting the 'Agent' for a while. "You need medical care right now. Don't you think that your *shirt* can wait?"
"Scully. She'll be here soon and I.I don't want her to see me like this. "
He stared at him and finally understood what he really meant by his imploring look: his agent had been almost beaten to death but his only thought was about the reaction of his partner. In a way it was reassuring, it proved that they hadn't hit his head too hard. He was still acting the same.
He picked up Mulder's black shirt, which had been hastily put on the chair and handed it to him. Strangely, it was clean and didn't bear any bloodstains.
Mulder took it from him as best as he could but he failed miserably when he tried to put it on. Skinner helped with all the kindness and care that he could but Mulder couldn't suppress low moans once in a while in the long and difficult process. Skinner reached for the buttons but the younger agent had already put his arms back in place, and held the tails for dear life.
They had only managed to move a few feet when Scully entered. Her face was a mix of sadness and relief. Her eyes shone with unshed tears, which finally fell freely even before she reached Mulder. His reaction could only been read on his face, for he didn't dare move about when she put her hands on his shoulders and buried her head in his neck.
It was hard to see who was really holding the other, but when Mulder uttered a sound that only deep pain would have caused, she pulled back, fear visible on her features.
"Mulder?" she said, putting her hand on his cheek. She wanted to add something but her words were caught in her throat; reality had struck home and it was painful. She stared at her partner as if it was for the first time.unable to tear her eyes away. Tears of both fear and pain now replaced her tears of joy. She stepped back and put the hand that had been lying on Mulder's cheek over her mouth.
"Dear God . !" she choked
Mulder moved his arms but, as he was trying to reach her, he moved them too quickly. He was rewarded by more pain for his efforts and decided not to move his arms ever again in the near future.
"Scully? Everything's all right, now. " he said, resting his hand on her hair as she came closer. She gripped his hand tenderly and looked at it closely. When he saw her reaction, he pulled back immediately.
"You have to be taken to an hospital right away, Mulder. You need medical attention."
"I'm fine, Scully." he answered in a lower voice than he expected.
"For crying out loud Mulder, look at you! Your head is bleeding, your skull might have suffered serious contusions and." Her sobs make her unable to carry on her too-long list of injuries.
She knew that she had to put her feelings at bay but it was very hard for her to suppress them when the only thing that she really wanted to do was throw herself into his arms and cry for days against his chest.
After an uneasy silence, Skinner decided to intervene: "We should go out. I guess you're through with this place. Paramedics are waiting outside, they will be able to start taking care of you."
By stepping outside, reality struck home for Mulder too: five days had passed, without him noticing them, whilst he was held captive and tortured in this cave. When he moved his legs again, he felt his throat constricting and as if his head was about to explode.the ground seemed very welcoming as he let the darkness take him one more time. His vision was blurred but he managed to catch a glimpse of fiery red hair hovering above him before losing consciousness.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
".dehydrated, he really needed that IV."
"Eh ! He's back."
The first thing he noticed as he regained conscience was Scully's hand, which was holding his tightly. He thought at first that he was in another damned hospital but when he finally opened his eyes he saw the same stars in the sky as he had seen before he had passed out. He was lying on a gurney, in the back of the ambulance. He felt really sleepy and only wanted to close his eyes again.but when he heard the words "take him" and "hospital" he quickly changed his mind and began to stand up.
"No!" he yelled, louder than he thought he was able to given his state, while his head begged him to stay quiet. He managed to put his feet on the ground and to straighten up, although he forced himself not to breathe because of the dull pain he felt coming from his broken ribs.
"Mulder?!" she sounded totally taken aback
"I won't go to the hospital, Scully. It's out of the question." he was out of breath, and he wished he were able to say more.
"You're joking, Mulder ?! You could have died not fifteen minutes ago . And who knows how badly they hit your head. You could have injuries that we're not able to see right now. Do you realize you could.you could."
".die, yes I know. But I.I don't want to.I would prefer to die right here, right now on this filthy concrete than in the cleanest hospital."
"Mulder." she pleaded in a very small voice
He then realized that he had gone too far. He sighed loudly, put his arms once again around his ribs, and motioned to Scully to join him. She finally sat as close to him as possible.
"Mulder."
".Sshh. Come here." He put his right arm around her shoulders, and even as the pain became almost unbearable, he put it aside for a while.
"I was really scared...I thought you, I..."
"I know, me too. It's over, and I don't want it to carry on... That's why I just want to go *home*."
"Mulder, you could..."
"Dana..." the fact that he called her by her given name caught her attention, for he never used it outside of their apartments "...I *won't* go to the hospital. Not tonight anyway, please. I just want to.to forget about it for the moment." She said nothing as she stared at him with eyes full of unshed tears. She didn't have the heart to refuse him anything right now, and she finally realized that he was only trying to tell himself that nothing had really *changed*.
"You're probably wondering what good denying what happened will do me in the near future but."
"I think I understand, Mulder..." He sighed again, exhausted by all the things he tried to make her understand in the last few minutes. A paramedic approached them and gave them a blanket that Scully put on his trembling shoulders.
"Stay here... I've got to make a phone call." He nodded his head but seemed halfway in wonderland.
Skinner came closer. He had been really worried when his agent passed out. "How is he? Is he still refusing to be taken to a hospital?"
"Yes...but I think I've found the perfect solution."
"What is it?"
"He doesn't wish to go to the hospital tonight.and I understand his reasons. However, I can't take him to his apartment, or to mine for that matter. It wouldn't be safe for him to stay in a car for that long.but my mother lives not very far from here, about 10 miles away. I could drive him there for the night, he would feel safe."
"He looks seriously injured.seriously enough that he should have immediate medical attention..."
"I am perfectly aware of his state... But you and I both know how he reacts when he needs medical care." He smiled briefly, but he was still preoccupied by his agent's condition.
"Then take care of him... He'll need a great deal of care for a while. I don't want to see you in the office before Wednesday.we'll see later for Agent Mulder."
"Thank you, sir..." she was ready to go
"One more thing... I won't be able to keep our agents away from him for any more than 24 hours. I hope he will be prepared.they're going to ask him painful questions."
"I know, sir. Thanks again for your help..."
"You're welcome." she smiled
"Oh, Agent Scully?"
"Yes?" she was already near her car
"Sleep if you can, you look as if you could do with some."
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
"Mum? It's me, Dana..."
"Darling, is everything all right? Has something happened?"
"Mum, listen to me. Can I come over tonight?"
"Of course! But tell me.is something wrong?"
"Mulder will be with me, he...God mum it's painful to see him..."
"Take him to the hospital if he feels that bad sweetheart..."
"Well, he doesn't want to go there...tonight...and we're not very far from your house and I just thought that..."
"Okay, bring Fox here...I'll dig out my first-aid kit from the bathroom cupboard while I'm waiting for you two to arrive..."
"Boil some water too, he'll need some stitches..."
"It's that bad?! What happened to him?"
"I'll tell you that once we're at your house.I have to go, I don't think he's feeling very well."
"See you soon then, sweetie."
"Bye"
TO BE CONTINUED
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Sorry about the wait. This chapter was hard to write, and I would like to thank Abi for her great work at correction. I wouldn't be able to carry on without you!
Unlike my others chapters, I translated this one from French, and it's a lot harder than when you start in English from the start: you don't have to think in both languages. So if anyone is interested, or might think it would be fun, I can post this chapter in French.as Chapter 11.
Thank you so much for all your reviews!
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Skinner entered the room. It was perfectly square, with a low ceiling, and he had the strange feeling that the four walls met too quickly. A simple bulb was hanging from the ceiling to light the scene and it made it seem ethereal. He spotted Mulder standing - or, more accurately, leaning - in a corner while an Agent was trying to ask him questions. He looked as if he was attempting to become one with the wall, and to disappear into it. He held his arms tightly around him in a protective gesture and seemed unable to grip anything other than his gray T-shirt. Skinner quickly understood his action because he had unfortunately witnessed it too many times, and he also had suffered from the same cause himself. Mulder was holding his ribs fiercely, even if many might be broken, so as to prove to himself that he was indeed alive, and that he could still feel pain. As Skinner saw the laborious breathing of the younger Agent, he understood that all the things that had been said concerning what had taken place in this room were true.
A chair, a table, a bulb: the furniture in the room was very sparse. He swallowed hard when he got a glimpse of what had been put down on the table: a knife, a baseball bat, a cattle rod, a whip. He stopped his listing right away, fearing the urge of an unexpected trip into the cool air of the night.
The body hadn't been covered yet. It was still lying flat on its back with a hole in the middle of its face. The blood had yet to dry and was still very red, and he could see it glistening from where he was standing. A gun had been discarded on the floor a few feet from it, dried blood covering its butt. The man who had used said gun was still lurching as he was trying to stand in the darkest corner of the room, his legs not far from collapsing under his weight.
Skinner walked in his direction and came across more red puddles on the floor. He noted that the dead man on the floor was not the only one who had lost blood during the fight.
"Agent Mulder ? How are you feeling? "
Mulder's back wasn't totally facing him but Skinner was unable to see his face. Realizing that he wouldn't move further except if he was forced to, he put his hand on his shoulder, hoping that he would react. The effect he was expecting didn't quite happen and instead Mulder quivered and almost slipped to the floor. Skinner caught him at the last instant and he was finally able to see his "state".or lack thereof.
His pants were torn on his right knee and left hip -blood had dried on the beige cloth. His T-shirt collar was misshapen as a result of the violent grips and tugs it had endured; it was also torn in the middle of it's back by numerous vertical lines he recognized immediately. His neck bore purple marks as well as one side of his face, which seemed to be swollen. His lower lip was split and blood was still dripping from the wound. His eyes were bloodshot and one of them was starting to take on a dangerous shade of green. Dried blood covered his cheeks and it was possible to see its reddish streak which started somewhere in his hair. When Mulder brought his right hand up in order to catch the blood dripping down his chin -shadowed by a five days' beard- he saw that his fingers were the same colour as his neck. Not even one had had been spared he noted, catching a glimpse of his other hand.
"You have to be taken to the hospital, Agent Mulder. Let me help you get out of here. "
"Cou.could you hand me my shirt, please?" He didn't understand the meaning of his words, but he turned his eyes to where Mulder was pointing. The simple act of *pointing* looked difficult for him.
"Mulder, " he added, forgetting the 'Agent' for a while. "You need medical care right now. Don't you think that your *shirt* can wait?"
"Scully. She'll be here soon and I.I don't want her to see me like this. "
He stared at him and finally understood what he really meant by his imploring look: his agent had been almost beaten to death but his only thought was about the reaction of his partner. In a way it was reassuring, it proved that they hadn't hit his head too hard. He was still acting the same.
He picked up Mulder's black shirt, which had been hastily put on the chair and handed it to him. Strangely, it was clean and didn't bear any bloodstains.
Mulder took it from him as best as he could but he failed miserably when he tried to put it on. Skinner helped with all the kindness and care that he could but Mulder couldn't suppress low moans once in a while in the long and difficult process. Skinner reached for the buttons but the younger agent had already put his arms back in place, and held the tails for dear life.
They had only managed to move a few feet when Scully entered. Her face was a mix of sadness and relief. Her eyes shone with unshed tears, which finally fell freely even before she reached Mulder. His reaction could only been read on his face, for he didn't dare move about when she put her hands on his shoulders and buried her head in his neck.
It was hard to see who was really holding the other, but when Mulder uttered a sound that only deep pain would have caused, she pulled back, fear visible on her features.
"Mulder?" she said, putting her hand on his cheek. She wanted to add something but her words were caught in her throat; reality had struck home and it was painful. She stared at her partner as if it was for the first time.unable to tear her eyes away. Tears of both fear and pain now replaced her tears of joy. She stepped back and put the hand that had been lying on Mulder's cheek over her mouth.
"Dear God . !" she choked
Mulder moved his arms but, as he was trying to reach her, he moved them too quickly. He was rewarded by more pain for his efforts and decided not to move his arms ever again in the near future.
"Scully? Everything's all right, now. " he said, resting his hand on her hair as she came closer. She gripped his hand tenderly and looked at it closely. When he saw her reaction, he pulled back immediately.
"You have to be taken to an hospital right away, Mulder. You need medical attention."
"I'm fine, Scully." he answered in a lower voice than he expected.
"For crying out loud Mulder, look at you! Your head is bleeding, your skull might have suffered serious contusions and." Her sobs make her unable to carry on her too-long list of injuries.
She knew that she had to put her feelings at bay but it was very hard for her to suppress them when the only thing that she really wanted to do was throw herself into his arms and cry for days against his chest.
After an uneasy silence, Skinner decided to intervene: "We should go out. I guess you're through with this place. Paramedics are waiting outside, they will be able to start taking care of you."
By stepping outside, reality struck home for Mulder too: five days had passed, without him noticing them, whilst he was held captive and tortured in this cave. When he moved his legs again, he felt his throat constricting and as if his head was about to explode.the ground seemed very welcoming as he let the darkness take him one more time. His vision was blurred but he managed to catch a glimpse of fiery red hair hovering above him before losing consciousness.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
".dehydrated, he really needed that IV."
"Eh ! He's back."
The first thing he noticed as he regained conscience was Scully's hand, which was holding his tightly. He thought at first that he was in another damned hospital but when he finally opened his eyes he saw the same stars in the sky as he had seen before he had passed out. He was lying on a gurney, in the back of the ambulance. He felt really sleepy and only wanted to close his eyes again.but when he heard the words "take him" and "hospital" he quickly changed his mind and began to stand up.
"No!" he yelled, louder than he thought he was able to given his state, while his head begged him to stay quiet. He managed to put his feet on the ground and to straighten up, although he forced himself not to breathe because of the dull pain he felt coming from his broken ribs.
"Mulder?!" she sounded totally taken aback
"I won't go to the hospital, Scully. It's out of the question." he was out of breath, and he wished he were able to say more.
"You're joking, Mulder ?! You could have died not fifteen minutes ago . And who knows how badly they hit your head. You could have injuries that we're not able to see right now. Do you realize you could.you could."
".die, yes I know. But I.I don't want to.I would prefer to die right here, right now on this filthy concrete than in the cleanest hospital."
"Mulder." she pleaded in a very small voice
He then realized that he had gone too far. He sighed loudly, put his arms once again around his ribs, and motioned to Scully to join him. She finally sat as close to him as possible.
"Mulder."
".Sshh. Come here." He put his right arm around her shoulders, and even as the pain became almost unbearable, he put it aside for a while.
"I was really scared...I thought you, I..."
"I know, me too. It's over, and I don't want it to carry on... That's why I just want to go *home*."
"Mulder, you could..."
"Dana..." the fact that he called her by her given name caught her attention, for he never used it outside of their apartments "...I *won't* go to the hospital. Not tonight anyway, please. I just want to.to forget about it for the moment." She said nothing as she stared at him with eyes full of unshed tears. She didn't have the heart to refuse him anything right now, and she finally realized that he was only trying to tell himself that nothing had really *changed*.
"You're probably wondering what good denying what happened will do me in the near future but."
"I think I understand, Mulder..." He sighed again, exhausted by all the things he tried to make her understand in the last few minutes. A paramedic approached them and gave them a blanket that Scully put on his trembling shoulders.
"Stay here... I've got to make a phone call." He nodded his head but seemed halfway in wonderland.
Skinner came closer. He had been really worried when his agent passed out. "How is he? Is he still refusing to be taken to a hospital?"
"Yes...but I think I've found the perfect solution."
"What is it?"
"He doesn't wish to go to the hospital tonight.and I understand his reasons. However, I can't take him to his apartment, or to mine for that matter. It wouldn't be safe for him to stay in a car for that long.but my mother lives not very far from here, about 10 miles away. I could drive him there for the night, he would feel safe."
"He looks seriously injured.seriously enough that he should have immediate medical attention..."
"I am perfectly aware of his state... But you and I both know how he reacts when he needs medical care." He smiled briefly, but he was still preoccupied by his agent's condition.
"Then take care of him... He'll need a great deal of care for a while. I don't want to see you in the office before Wednesday.we'll see later for Agent Mulder."
"Thank you, sir..." she was ready to go
"One more thing... I won't be able to keep our agents away from him for any more than 24 hours. I hope he will be prepared.they're going to ask him painful questions."
"I know, sir. Thanks again for your help..."
"You're welcome." she smiled
"Oh, Agent Scully?"
"Yes?" she was already near her car
"Sleep if you can, you look as if you could do with some."
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
"Mum? It's me, Dana..."
"Darling, is everything all right? Has something happened?"
"Mum, listen to me. Can I come over tonight?"
"Of course! But tell me.is something wrong?"
"Mulder will be with me, he...God mum it's painful to see him..."
"Take him to the hospital if he feels that bad sweetheart..."
"Well, he doesn't want to go there...tonight...and we're not very far from your house and I just thought that..."
"Okay, bring Fox here...I'll dig out my first-aid kit from the bathroom cupboard while I'm waiting for you two to arrive..."
"Boil some water too, he'll need some stitches..."
"It's that bad?! What happened to him?"
"I'll tell you that once we're at your house.I have to go, I don't think he's feeling very well."
"See you soon then, sweetie."
"Bye"
TO BE CONTINUED
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Sorry about the wait. This chapter was hard to write, and I would like to thank Abi for her great work at correction. I wouldn't be able to carry on without you!
Unlike my others chapters, I translated this one from French, and it's a lot harder than when you start in English from the start: you don't have to think in both languages. So if anyone is interested, or might think it would be fun, I can post this chapter in French.as Chapter 11.
Thank you so much for all your reviews!