The Domino Effect Part 11
Headers and Disclaimers in Part 1
Nurse Ricardo set about getting Mulder's vitals while
the other nurse ran toward the door to track down the
doctor. She almost collided with Skinner as he came
barreling through the door. He moved aside to let
the nurse pass, holding the hot beverages over his
head. "What the hell is going on?" his booming voice
demanded.
"AD Skinner, I didn't see you come in," Scully looked
ashen with stress. "He's in excruciating pain. He
might be trying to pass that stone."
"That's a good thing, right?"
"Not if it's too large to pass."
Mulder continued to cry out as each new spasm hit
with increasing intensity. The pain came in waves,
each one seeming worse than the last. Nurse Ricardo
tried to get his attention.
"Mr. Mulder, the doctor should be here soon. Until
he gets here, I want you to listen to me and try to
do what I say."
Her patient was still unable to answer due to the
intense pain. His eyes were red and streaming with
misery.
"I want you to take a deep breath and hold it."
"Can't . . .hurts too . . .much!" he gasped.
Scully continued to rub his back. "Listen to her,
Mulder. It will help. I promise."
"Can't! Gonna be sick!"
The nurse scrambled to get a basin for him.
Between the retching and the pain, Mulder felt that
he was near death, and was praying for a quick end to
his misery. "Damn those crab cakes!" As soon as the
thought of the seafood buffet came to mind, his body
went into new paroxysms of pain and gagging.
The doctor walked in to near chaos. After hearing
the details, he ordered a different pain medication
and told the nurses to get him ready for transport.
"I want that IVP now!" he shouted and grabbed the
phone to make his wishes known to radiology. "Hang
in there, Mr. Mulder, we're going to get to the
bottom of this.
"Can't take much more of this!" he gasped. "Just
shoot me."
"I don't think we need to get that drastic," Dr.
Southard grinned, patting him on the back. "Just try
to slow your breathing down."
"Easy for you to say," he groaned then managed to
take a deep breath.
"Good, keep slowing it down, Mr. Mulder. They should
be ready for us downstairs. Let's just take his bed.
I think that will be easier all around."
The nurse started unhooking equipment while the
doctor unplugged the bed. "Nita, let's take a drug
box with us."
"I'll get that right now."
In just a few minutes they managed to get Mulder to
lie back down and continue to slow his breathing
rate. When Nita returned with the drug box and
someone from patient transport, Mulder was on his way
to radiology.
After the IVP, Mulder finally managed to doze off
thanks to a creative drug cocktail that combined some
strong painkillers and sedatives. Scully and Skinner
sat silently by his bedside, waiting for the doctor's
report. Fortunately, the doctor didn't keep them
waiting long.
"Hello," the doctor greeted them. "I'd rather Mr.
Mulder be in on our conversation, but he needs to
sleep. He's pretty worn out after that last bout of
pain. I see on his chart that you are listed as his
medical surrogate and next-of-kin, Miss Scully?"
"That's correct."
"Then I won't beat around the bush. Mr. Mulder does
have a kidney stone. It has probably been forming
for quite a while and the dehydration from his
illness exacerbated the condition, sort of a domino
effect."
"What treatment are you considering?" Scully
inquired.
"We'll use lithotripsy and if that doesn't do the
trick we'll do a percutaneous nephrolithotomy."
"How soon can you get him scheduled?"
"We were lucky, Miss Scully. We can get him in at 8
o'clock."
"That is fast."
"Forgive me, but my medical knowledge is rather
limited. Just what does this procedure do?" Skinner
asked.
"To make a long story short, it uses sound waves to
break the stone into smaller pieces, which should
then pass without any further trouble other than a
little pain, which should be far less intense than
what he has been experiencing."
"He's had more than his share of pain these past few
hours," Skinner stated.
"I agree and we will do everything in our power to
keep him comfortable."
"And what is the other procedure you mentioned?"
"It involves a tiny incision in the back. Once we're
in, we use an instrument called a nethroscope to
locate and remove the stone. I really don't
anticipate having to do that procedure. While the
stone is fairly large, the lithotripsy should be able
to break it up."
"All right, Dr. Southard. I assume I'll need to sign
the standard permission forms?" Scully was anxious
to get everything in order so that there would be no
delays later.
"Yes, I'll have the nurse bring them in after they're
filled out."
"So, do you think this kidney stone might be the
cause of all the complications he's endured?"
Skinner questioned. He had taken on his 'official
stance', standing tall with his arms crossed over his
chest.
"Well, it has certainly been a contributing factor."
"What kind of recuperation are we talking about?"
Skinner continued to question him, very much like he
would interrogate a suspect.
"He'll be quite sore from the lithotripsy for a short
time, but that should be a piece of cake compared to
the pain he's been suffering lately. He's still
quite weak from the food poisoning, so I'd guess that
he'll need to take it easy for at least two weeks."
Skinner and Scully exchanged glances, each of them
thinking that it would be difficult to keep him down
once he started feeling better.
"If you don't have any further questions, I'll see
you after the procedure."
"Thank you, doctor," Skinner said, shaking his hand.
After the doctor left, Skinner stood beside Scully,
looking at Mulder who seemed to be sleeping
comfortably for the time being. "Scully, I think I'm
going to postpone the seminar until noon so that I
can be here with you."
"I don't think that will be necessary, sir. It's a
pretty simple procedure and Mulder should sleep for a
while after it's over. I'll be able to rest while
he's sleeping."
"I know that, but I'd feel better if I was here."
"Why don't we compromise? I'll call you if I think
you need to come back."
He thought it over for a few seconds and reluctantly
agreed. "I do expect you to call if there are any
complications. Do I make my self clear?"
"Crystal, sir."
"Good."
They went back to their vigil. After almost an hour,
Mulder began to stir, his body becoming more restless
and fidgety as he came to. Scully immediately left
her chair to stand beside his bed, her hand
automatically taking his.
"Mulder, can you hear me?"
"Uh-huh."
"How's the pain?"
"Don't ask," he groaned, feeling soft fingers
stroking his sweaty brow. "Nice," he thought.
"Mulder, you have a kidney stone. You're going to
undergo a procedure in a few hours that should
eliminate the intense pain."
"Surgery?" His eyes widened at the prospect.
"No, but you will be under anesthesia."
"Okay, as long as it works, don't care." he agreed
then shifted in the bed, unable to get comfortable.
"Scully, it hurts bad." Her fingers tightened their
grip and he squeezed back.
"I know, Mulder. It has been described as one of the
most painful conditions known to man."
"Tell them they're right. How did this happen? Why
me?"
"Evidently, the stone had been forming for quite some
time. The severe dehydration you experienced didn't
help matters and the stone finally lodged high in
your right ureter. The doctor described it as a kind
of domino effect."
"Lucky me," he sighed. "Oh, shit! It's starting
again!" His body tried to curl itself into a tiny
ball while the fresh pain pushed tears down his face.
Scully's heart went out to him, reminding her how she
hated seeing him in agony. It had happened far too
many times.
"Mulder, listen to me. Take a deep breath and let it
out slowly. Just like before. Can you do that?"
He did and groaned with the pain as he let his breath
out.
"Do it again and try to focus on something pleasant."
He complied, shakily. "I'm trying but it isn't
helping. Can I get some more pain medication?
Please!"
"Let me see what the doctor ordered. I've got to go
to the nurse's station to look at your chart. Try to
hang on and I'll be back as quickly as I can."
"Okay, but hurry!"
Scully really looked undecided. She knew that her
best bet would be to get the nurse to page the doctor
again to attempt to find a combination of painkillers
that would be effective, yet she wanted to stay with
her partner and try to talk him through the pain.
Either way, she hated to leave him when he needed
her.
Skinner rose from his chair to stand beside Scully.
"Go and see what the doctor ordered. I'll try to
help Mulder."
"Thank you. I'll be back as soon as I can."
Skinner took Mulder's left hand. "Squeeze my hand if
it helps, as hard as you like."
"Don't want to hurt you."
"I'll take my chances."
"Unngh! Sorry to be such a wimp," he gasped. "Worst
pain ever. Shit!"
"You're not a wimp, Mulder. You're in excruciating
pain so cry, scream, curse, do whatever helps. I
won't think any less of you. Besides, after a tour
in 'Nam I'm pretty hard to shock."
"Don't want Scully to see me like this, but I can't
help it." Tears started to flow freely down his
face.
Skinner reached for a cool washcloth and gently wiped
them away. "Don't fight it, Mulder. It's okay. You
don't have to prove anything to me."
"Oh, shit!" He squeezed Skinner's hand until he
thought it would break. "Where's Scully? Shouldn't
she be back by now?"
"She'll be back as soon as she finds out what the
doctor ordered. Try to stay calm."
"Trying, but it hurts so damned bad! Feeling sick
again," he groaned, panic rising in his voice.
Skinner held the basin while Mulder tried to vomit
without success. "It's all right, Mulder. Just hang
in there. You'll be feeling much better in just a
few hours if you can just hang on."
The retching finally stopped and Skinner wiped
Mulder's face with the washcloth once again. He sank
back onto the pillows, his face a deathly shade of
pale, and his chest heaving with exertion.
"Trying to hang on," Mulder cried, his voice almost a
whisper.
Skinner continued to wipe the tears away as Mulder
cried silently, trying to work his way through the
pain. Skinner felt so helpless, wishing he could do
more to quell the terrible pain afflicting his agent.
After a few minutes, Scully returned, with nurse
Ricardo in tow, who was carrying a small bag of IV
solution.
Skinner moved out of the way as Scully took her place
beside Mulder. "Sorry it took so long, Mulder, but
we had to speak to the doctor and then wait for the
pharmacy to deliver the new medication. You're going
to receive a continuous dose of pain medication until
your procedure. Hopefully, you'll get some relief,"
Scully explained as the nurse added the bag to the
ones already hanging on the pole.
"This is some pretty strong medicine, Mr. Mulder and
I'm also going to add a little something to help you
sleep. The doctor wants to keep you pretty much out
of it until your procedure."
"Sounds good to me," Mulder breathed wearily. "Never
had to handle this kind of pain before. Sorry."
"Mr. Mulder, you are experiencing some of the worst
pain imaginable and you have handled it like a
trooper. You have nothing to be ashamed of. Now, I
need to get your vitals and your temp and then I'll
leave you alone."
"S'ok, you're not botherin' me," he assured her, his
voice slurred from the added medication.
She finished her duties and showed Scully that the
reading on the Thermoscan was 103.2. Scully frowned,
shaking her head.
"What'd I do now?" Mulder wailed morosely, showing
his sad, puppy-dog eyes.
"Nothing, Mulder. It's just that your temperature
isn't going down any longer."
"But, I'm trying," he protested, blinking his eyes as
he tried to fight off the medication and fresh tears.
"I know, Mulder. Don't worry about it right now.
Just try to rest."
"Does the medication seem to be working?" the nurse
inquired hopefully.
"Mmmm, yeah, think it is. Scully, there are two of
you," Mulder answered as he started to drift off to
sleep.
End Part 11
Headers and Disclaimers in Part 1
Nurse Ricardo set about getting Mulder's vitals while
the other nurse ran toward the door to track down the
doctor. She almost collided with Skinner as he came
barreling through the door. He moved aside to let
the nurse pass, holding the hot beverages over his
head. "What the hell is going on?" his booming voice
demanded.
"AD Skinner, I didn't see you come in," Scully looked
ashen with stress. "He's in excruciating pain. He
might be trying to pass that stone."
"That's a good thing, right?"
"Not if it's too large to pass."
Mulder continued to cry out as each new spasm hit
with increasing intensity. The pain came in waves,
each one seeming worse than the last. Nurse Ricardo
tried to get his attention.
"Mr. Mulder, the doctor should be here soon. Until
he gets here, I want you to listen to me and try to
do what I say."
Her patient was still unable to answer due to the
intense pain. His eyes were red and streaming with
misery.
"I want you to take a deep breath and hold it."
"Can't . . .hurts too . . .much!" he gasped.
Scully continued to rub his back. "Listen to her,
Mulder. It will help. I promise."
"Can't! Gonna be sick!"
The nurse scrambled to get a basin for him.
Between the retching and the pain, Mulder felt that
he was near death, and was praying for a quick end to
his misery. "Damn those crab cakes!" As soon as the
thought of the seafood buffet came to mind, his body
went into new paroxysms of pain and gagging.
The doctor walked in to near chaos. After hearing
the details, he ordered a different pain medication
and told the nurses to get him ready for transport.
"I want that IVP now!" he shouted and grabbed the
phone to make his wishes known to radiology. "Hang
in there, Mr. Mulder, we're going to get to the
bottom of this.
"Can't take much more of this!" he gasped. "Just
shoot me."
"I don't think we need to get that drastic," Dr.
Southard grinned, patting him on the back. "Just try
to slow your breathing down."
"Easy for you to say," he groaned then managed to
take a deep breath.
"Good, keep slowing it down, Mr. Mulder. They should
be ready for us downstairs. Let's just take his bed.
I think that will be easier all around."
The nurse started unhooking equipment while the
doctor unplugged the bed. "Nita, let's take a drug
box with us."
"I'll get that right now."
In just a few minutes they managed to get Mulder to
lie back down and continue to slow his breathing
rate. When Nita returned with the drug box and
someone from patient transport, Mulder was on his way
to radiology.
After the IVP, Mulder finally managed to doze off
thanks to a creative drug cocktail that combined some
strong painkillers and sedatives. Scully and Skinner
sat silently by his bedside, waiting for the doctor's
report. Fortunately, the doctor didn't keep them
waiting long.
"Hello," the doctor greeted them. "I'd rather Mr.
Mulder be in on our conversation, but he needs to
sleep. He's pretty worn out after that last bout of
pain. I see on his chart that you are listed as his
medical surrogate and next-of-kin, Miss Scully?"
"That's correct."
"Then I won't beat around the bush. Mr. Mulder does
have a kidney stone. It has probably been forming
for quite a while and the dehydration from his
illness exacerbated the condition, sort of a domino
effect."
"What treatment are you considering?" Scully
inquired.
"We'll use lithotripsy and if that doesn't do the
trick we'll do a percutaneous nephrolithotomy."
"How soon can you get him scheduled?"
"We were lucky, Miss Scully. We can get him in at 8
o'clock."
"That is fast."
"Forgive me, but my medical knowledge is rather
limited. Just what does this procedure do?" Skinner
asked.
"To make a long story short, it uses sound waves to
break the stone into smaller pieces, which should
then pass without any further trouble other than a
little pain, which should be far less intense than
what he has been experiencing."
"He's had more than his share of pain these past few
hours," Skinner stated.
"I agree and we will do everything in our power to
keep him comfortable."
"And what is the other procedure you mentioned?"
"It involves a tiny incision in the back. Once we're
in, we use an instrument called a nethroscope to
locate and remove the stone. I really don't
anticipate having to do that procedure. While the
stone is fairly large, the lithotripsy should be able
to break it up."
"All right, Dr. Southard. I assume I'll need to sign
the standard permission forms?" Scully was anxious
to get everything in order so that there would be no
delays later.
"Yes, I'll have the nurse bring them in after they're
filled out."
"So, do you think this kidney stone might be the
cause of all the complications he's endured?"
Skinner questioned. He had taken on his 'official
stance', standing tall with his arms crossed over his
chest.
"Well, it has certainly been a contributing factor."
"What kind of recuperation are we talking about?"
Skinner continued to question him, very much like he
would interrogate a suspect.
"He'll be quite sore from the lithotripsy for a short
time, but that should be a piece of cake compared to
the pain he's been suffering lately. He's still
quite weak from the food poisoning, so I'd guess that
he'll need to take it easy for at least two weeks."
Skinner and Scully exchanged glances, each of them
thinking that it would be difficult to keep him down
once he started feeling better.
"If you don't have any further questions, I'll see
you after the procedure."
"Thank you, doctor," Skinner said, shaking his hand.
After the doctor left, Skinner stood beside Scully,
looking at Mulder who seemed to be sleeping
comfortably for the time being. "Scully, I think I'm
going to postpone the seminar until noon so that I
can be here with you."
"I don't think that will be necessary, sir. It's a
pretty simple procedure and Mulder should sleep for a
while after it's over. I'll be able to rest while
he's sleeping."
"I know that, but I'd feel better if I was here."
"Why don't we compromise? I'll call you if I think
you need to come back."
He thought it over for a few seconds and reluctantly
agreed. "I do expect you to call if there are any
complications. Do I make my self clear?"
"Crystal, sir."
"Good."
They went back to their vigil. After almost an hour,
Mulder began to stir, his body becoming more restless
and fidgety as he came to. Scully immediately left
her chair to stand beside his bed, her hand
automatically taking his.
"Mulder, can you hear me?"
"Uh-huh."
"How's the pain?"
"Don't ask," he groaned, feeling soft fingers
stroking his sweaty brow. "Nice," he thought.
"Mulder, you have a kidney stone. You're going to
undergo a procedure in a few hours that should
eliminate the intense pain."
"Surgery?" His eyes widened at the prospect.
"No, but you will be under anesthesia."
"Okay, as long as it works, don't care." he agreed
then shifted in the bed, unable to get comfortable.
"Scully, it hurts bad." Her fingers tightened their
grip and he squeezed back.
"I know, Mulder. It has been described as one of the
most painful conditions known to man."
"Tell them they're right. How did this happen? Why
me?"
"Evidently, the stone had been forming for quite some
time. The severe dehydration you experienced didn't
help matters and the stone finally lodged high in
your right ureter. The doctor described it as a kind
of domino effect."
"Lucky me," he sighed. "Oh, shit! It's starting
again!" His body tried to curl itself into a tiny
ball while the fresh pain pushed tears down his face.
Scully's heart went out to him, reminding her how she
hated seeing him in agony. It had happened far too
many times.
"Mulder, listen to me. Take a deep breath and let it
out slowly. Just like before. Can you do that?"
He did and groaned with the pain as he let his breath
out.
"Do it again and try to focus on something pleasant."
He complied, shakily. "I'm trying but it isn't
helping. Can I get some more pain medication?
Please!"
"Let me see what the doctor ordered. I've got to go
to the nurse's station to look at your chart. Try to
hang on and I'll be back as quickly as I can."
"Okay, but hurry!"
Scully really looked undecided. She knew that her
best bet would be to get the nurse to page the doctor
again to attempt to find a combination of painkillers
that would be effective, yet she wanted to stay with
her partner and try to talk him through the pain.
Either way, she hated to leave him when he needed
her.
Skinner rose from his chair to stand beside Scully.
"Go and see what the doctor ordered. I'll try to
help Mulder."
"Thank you. I'll be back as soon as I can."
Skinner took Mulder's left hand. "Squeeze my hand if
it helps, as hard as you like."
"Don't want to hurt you."
"I'll take my chances."
"Unngh! Sorry to be such a wimp," he gasped. "Worst
pain ever. Shit!"
"You're not a wimp, Mulder. You're in excruciating
pain so cry, scream, curse, do whatever helps. I
won't think any less of you. Besides, after a tour
in 'Nam I'm pretty hard to shock."
"Don't want Scully to see me like this, but I can't
help it." Tears started to flow freely down his
face.
Skinner reached for a cool washcloth and gently wiped
them away. "Don't fight it, Mulder. It's okay. You
don't have to prove anything to me."
"Oh, shit!" He squeezed Skinner's hand until he
thought it would break. "Where's Scully? Shouldn't
she be back by now?"
"She'll be back as soon as she finds out what the
doctor ordered. Try to stay calm."
"Trying, but it hurts so damned bad! Feeling sick
again," he groaned, panic rising in his voice.
Skinner held the basin while Mulder tried to vomit
without success. "It's all right, Mulder. Just hang
in there. You'll be feeling much better in just a
few hours if you can just hang on."
The retching finally stopped and Skinner wiped
Mulder's face with the washcloth once again. He sank
back onto the pillows, his face a deathly shade of
pale, and his chest heaving with exertion.
"Trying to hang on," Mulder cried, his voice almost a
whisper.
Skinner continued to wipe the tears away as Mulder
cried silently, trying to work his way through the
pain. Skinner felt so helpless, wishing he could do
more to quell the terrible pain afflicting his agent.
After a few minutes, Scully returned, with nurse
Ricardo in tow, who was carrying a small bag of IV
solution.
Skinner moved out of the way as Scully took her place
beside Mulder. "Sorry it took so long, Mulder, but
we had to speak to the doctor and then wait for the
pharmacy to deliver the new medication. You're going
to receive a continuous dose of pain medication until
your procedure. Hopefully, you'll get some relief,"
Scully explained as the nurse added the bag to the
ones already hanging on the pole.
"This is some pretty strong medicine, Mr. Mulder and
I'm also going to add a little something to help you
sleep. The doctor wants to keep you pretty much out
of it until your procedure."
"Sounds good to me," Mulder breathed wearily. "Never
had to handle this kind of pain before. Sorry."
"Mr. Mulder, you are experiencing some of the worst
pain imaginable and you have handled it like a
trooper. You have nothing to be ashamed of. Now, I
need to get your vitals and your temp and then I'll
leave you alone."
"S'ok, you're not botherin' me," he assured her, his
voice slurred from the added medication.
She finished her duties and showed Scully that the
reading on the Thermoscan was 103.2. Scully frowned,
shaking her head.
"What'd I do now?" Mulder wailed morosely, showing
his sad, puppy-dog eyes.
"Nothing, Mulder. It's just that your temperature
isn't going down any longer."
"But, I'm trying," he protested, blinking his eyes as
he tried to fight off the medication and fresh tears.
"I know, Mulder. Don't worry about it right now.
Just try to rest."
"Does the medication seem to be working?" the nurse
inquired hopefully.
"Mmmm, yeah, think it is. Scully, there are two of
you," Mulder answered as he started to drift off to
sleep.
End Part 11