Skinner strolled towards them, a vague smile spread across his face.
"Good to see you out and about," he said as he neared them.
"It's good to be out Sir," Mulder replied.
"The doctors are saying you should be well enough to travel back to
Washington. You can continue your convalescence in Georgetown
Memorial,"
Skinner said as he lowered himself on to the bench.
Mulder groaned. "I just want to go home,"
"One step at a time Agent," Skinner narrowed his eyes in the bright
sun.
"I've
had some rather disturbing news from the Bellefleur Sheriff 's
department.
They've discovered some remains in the woods where you disappeared."
"What type of remains?" Scully asked.
"Charred human bodies, in shallow graves."
"How many?" said Mulder.
"Six so far, they're searching the area for more as we speak."
"Have any of them been identified?" said Scully.
"They've had to rely on dental records. The only one they've got a
match
on so
far is Billy Miles." Mulder and Scully exchanged glances as he
continued.
"It's a
safe bet that the other bodies will turn out to be your fellow
abductees,
it's just a
matter of time."
Mulder gently shook his head in disbelief. "What's the estimated time
of
death?"
"At least 3 weeks, they died about the same time you turned up here,
possibly
burned alive." Mulder rested his head in his hands and Scully placed a
protective
arm around his shoulders. "For whatever reason, you were spared. It
wasn't
Billy Miles that saved you that day..."
"I know," said Mulder. "It was Him. He told me I was different from
the
others, that I had a special purpose."
"The Bounty Hunter?" Scully frowned.
Mulder looked up then, a sudden wave of realization hitting him square
on.
"This child..." he said under his breath, then more emphatically. "This
child is the
special purpose."
"What are you talking about?" Scully couldn't hide the fear in her
voice.
"Just think about it. All that's been done to us over the years..."
he
struggled to
clarify his thoughts. "The tests, our exposure to the alien virus and
the
vaccine.
Don't you see?"
Scully's mind reeled and she was unable to speak.
"On a genetic level..." Skinner began.
"They must have known," Mulder took Scully's hand in his own again
and
gave
her a look only she could interpret. Scully returned the gaze. "That
any
child we
conceived would be unique in its genetic make up."
"How? How would they know?" Scully's tone was angry as she bit back
tears.
"Are you trying to say this is all part of some Master Plan? Like we're
rats
in a
lab?" she instinctively clutched at her stomach.
"Scully don't..."
"Don't what?" she snapped
Skinner shifted awkwardly in his seat. "I think I'll leave you two
alone,"
he said.
"I'll check in with the Sheriffs Department, see what kind of progress
they've made."
He rested a hand on Scully's
shoulder as he stood to leave. "I'll check in on you later."
They both watched him as he walked away and once more a silence fell
between
the two agents.
Skinner spent the rest of the afternoon with the County Coroner, Karen
Bell.
She had the grim task of identifying the blackened remains found in the
woods
and by the time he arrived at the Coroners office she had autopsied
four of
them.
Skinner averted his eyes from the corpses laid out on slabs in the
morgue
but
could not ignore the thick smell of seared flesh that hung in the air.
"Assistant Director Skinner, F.B.I."
"Oh yes, I was expecting you," Doctor Bell said extending her hand.
"I was
hoping you would be able to shed some light on what we're dealing with
here."
"I don't know that I can," he said.
"This is all way outta my league, I never seen anything like it
before,"
she
dabbed at beads of perspiration on her forehead with the back of her
hand.
"I
mean sure, I've seen plenty burn victims in my time, but this..." she
shook
her
head.
"Have you managed to I.D. any more of the bodies?"
"Yeah, two more," she reached for a clipboard on the nearest slab.
"They
were
found together, their hands linked. We've identified them as Deputy
Hosea
and
his wife Theresa," she flipped over a few pages on the chart. "Our
Chief
Medical Examiner made some reference to religious cults and mass
suicides,
would that concur with the F.B.I's findings?"
Skinner suddenly looked uncomfortable.
"Are you okay Mr. Skinner?" she said with genuine concern. "You look
a
little
pale."
"Yeah, I'm fine. Just a little nauseous, I think it must be the smell
in
here.
Would you excuse me for a moment?"
"Of course, I'm sorry. I guess I've gotten used to it. Please," she
gestured to the
back door. "Get yourself some fresh air."
Skinner was glad of the opportunity to escape outside. The nausea was
an
excuse though it was certainly a valid one. He couldn't begin to offer
up an
explanation to the Coroner. If Mulder were here he'd have no problem
but
then
he had nothing to lose, it was expected of him. Skinner however was a
different
man. If they wanted to believe that this was a ritual mass suicide then
he
wasn't
about to correct them. It would be futile to try and convince them
otherwise.
Mulder received the news he had been waiting for the following Monday
morning. He was being allowed home. There were conditions of course, he
would have to spend at least a week in Georgetown Memorial and the
physio
sessions were likely to continue for six weeks after that. Scully had
been
spending less time with him during the day and despite his
protestations
decided
that she could be of use to the Sheriff's department and the Coroner.
The
night
before he was due to be transferred back to D.C. she arrived back at
the
hospital
looking exhausted and haunted having spent the entire day at the
morgue.
"Hey Mommy," Mulder said brightly as she walked in.
"Urrghh," was the only response she could muster as she eased herself
in
to the
chair.
"You're overdoing it Scully,"
"Sometimes I forget I'm pregnant but on days like this..." she kicked
off
her
shoes. "My body won't let me forget!"
"Come here," Mulder pulled over another chair and sat down opposite
lifting
her feet into his lap. "Can I get you some ice cream and pickles, some
Saltines
perhaps?"
"A nice hot bath would suffice right now," she yawned and stretched,
settling
back to enjoy the welcome foot rub.
She was sinking into bliss when Mulder said. "Come on, it's late."
A makeshift cot had been set up for her by the nurses but it hadn't
been
used in
recent nights. They both undressed and settled into Mulder's bed.
Mulder
rested
his head on Scully's ever expanding abdomen.
"I think I was just kicked," he looked up at her and smiled. Scully
giggled and
ruffled his hair. "I've taught him well."
"Him?" he raised his eyebrows in surprise.
"I don't know, I can't explain it. I just get the feeling it's a
boy."
Mulder nodded and laid his head back down. He smiled contentedly as
images
of
his future son played in his mind. Sounds of seabirds and waves
crashing on
the
shore... a little boy and his father building sand castles on the
beach...
"Good to see you out and about," he said as he neared them.
"It's good to be out Sir," Mulder replied.
"The doctors are saying you should be well enough to travel back to
Washington. You can continue your convalescence in Georgetown
Memorial,"
Skinner said as he lowered himself on to the bench.
Mulder groaned. "I just want to go home,"
"One step at a time Agent," Skinner narrowed his eyes in the bright
sun.
"I've
had some rather disturbing news from the Bellefleur Sheriff 's
department.
They've discovered some remains in the woods where you disappeared."
"What type of remains?" Scully asked.
"Charred human bodies, in shallow graves."
"How many?" said Mulder.
"Six so far, they're searching the area for more as we speak."
"Have any of them been identified?" said Scully.
"They've had to rely on dental records. The only one they've got a
match
on so
far is Billy Miles." Mulder and Scully exchanged glances as he
continued.
"It's a
safe bet that the other bodies will turn out to be your fellow
abductees,
it's just a
matter of time."
Mulder gently shook his head in disbelief. "What's the estimated time
of
death?"
"At least 3 weeks, they died about the same time you turned up here,
possibly
burned alive." Mulder rested his head in his hands and Scully placed a
protective
arm around his shoulders. "For whatever reason, you were spared. It
wasn't
Billy Miles that saved you that day..."
"I know," said Mulder. "It was Him. He told me I was different from
the
others, that I had a special purpose."
"The Bounty Hunter?" Scully frowned.
Mulder looked up then, a sudden wave of realization hitting him square
on.
"This child..." he said under his breath, then more emphatically. "This
child is the
special purpose."
"What are you talking about?" Scully couldn't hide the fear in her
voice.
"Just think about it. All that's been done to us over the years..."
he
struggled to
clarify his thoughts. "The tests, our exposure to the alien virus and
the
vaccine.
Don't you see?"
Scully's mind reeled and she was unable to speak.
"On a genetic level..." Skinner began.
"They must have known," Mulder took Scully's hand in his own again
and
gave
her a look only she could interpret. Scully returned the gaze. "That
any
child we
conceived would be unique in its genetic make up."
"How? How would they know?" Scully's tone was angry as she bit back
tears.
"Are you trying to say this is all part of some Master Plan? Like we're
rats
in a
lab?" she instinctively clutched at her stomach.
"Scully don't..."
"Don't what?" she snapped
Skinner shifted awkwardly in his seat. "I think I'll leave you two
alone,"
he said.
"I'll check in with the Sheriffs Department, see what kind of progress
they've made."
He rested a hand on Scully's
shoulder as he stood to leave. "I'll check in on you later."
They both watched him as he walked away and once more a silence fell
between
the two agents.
Skinner spent the rest of the afternoon with the County Coroner, Karen
Bell.
She had the grim task of identifying the blackened remains found in the
woods
and by the time he arrived at the Coroners office she had autopsied
four of
them.
Skinner averted his eyes from the corpses laid out on slabs in the
morgue
but
could not ignore the thick smell of seared flesh that hung in the air.
"Assistant Director Skinner, F.B.I."
"Oh yes, I was expecting you," Doctor Bell said extending her hand.
"I was
hoping you would be able to shed some light on what we're dealing with
here."
"I don't know that I can," he said.
"This is all way outta my league, I never seen anything like it
before,"
she
dabbed at beads of perspiration on her forehead with the back of her
hand.
"I
mean sure, I've seen plenty burn victims in my time, but this..." she
shook
her
head.
"Have you managed to I.D. any more of the bodies?"
"Yeah, two more," she reached for a clipboard on the nearest slab.
"They
were
found together, their hands linked. We've identified them as Deputy
Hosea
and
his wife Theresa," she flipped over a few pages on the chart. "Our
Chief
Medical Examiner made some reference to religious cults and mass
suicides,
would that concur with the F.B.I's findings?"
Skinner suddenly looked uncomfortable.
"Are you okay Mr. Skinner?" she said with genuine concern. "You look
a
little
pale."
"Yeah, I'm fine. Just a little nauseous, I think it must be the smell
in
here.
Would you excuse me for a moment?"
"Of course, I'm sorry. I guess I've gotten used to it. Please," she
gestured to the
back door. "Get yourself some fresh air."
Skinner was glad of the opportunity to escape outside. The nausea was
an
excuse though it was certainly a valid one. He couldn't begin to offer
up an
explanation to the Coroner. If Mulder were here he'd have no problem
but
then
he had nothing to lose, it was expected of him. Skinner however was a
different
man. If they wanted to believe that this was a ritual mass suicide then
he
wasn't
about to correct them. It would be futile to try and convince them
otherwise.
Mulder received the news he had been waiting for the following Monday
morning. He was being allowed home. There were conditions of course, he
would have to spend at least a week in Georgetown Memorial and the
physio
sessions were likely to continue for six weeks after that. Scully had
been
spending less time with him during the day and despite his
protestations
decided
that she could be of use to the Sheriff's department and the Coroner.
The
night
before he was due to be transferred back to D.C. she arrived back at
the
hospital
looking exhausted and haunted having spent the entire day at the
morgue.
"Hey Mommy," Mulder said brightly as she walked in.
"Urrghh," was the only response she could muster as she eased herself
in
to the
chair.
"You're overdoing it Scully,"
"Sometimes I forget I'm pregnant but on days like this..." she kicked
off
her
shoes. "My body won't let me forget!"
"Come here," Mulder pulled over another chair and sat down opposite
lifting
her feet into his lap. "Can I get you some ice cream and pickles, some
Saltines
perhaps?"
"A nice hot bath would suffice right now," she yawned and stretched,
settling
back to enjoy the welcome foot rub.
She was sinking into bliss when Mulder said. "Come on, it's late."
A makeshift cot had been set up for her by the nurses but it hadn't
been
used in
recent nights. They both undressed and settled into Mulder's bed.
Mulder
rested
his head on Scully's ever expanding abdomen.
"I think I was just kicked," he looked up at her and smiled. Scully
giggled and
ruffled his hair. "I've taught him well."
"Him?" he raised his eyebrows in surprise.
"I don't know, I can't explain it. I just get the feeling it's a
boy."
Mulder nodded and laid his head back down. He smiled contentedly as
images
of
his future son played in his mind. Sounds of seabirds and waves
crashing on
the
shore... a little boy and his father building sand castles on the
beach...