Skinner knocked on the door to the stall quietly.
"Mulder, you okay in there?"
Getting no answer, he knocked again - louder this time.
"Mulder?"
Mulder groaned and stretched up to unlock the door. Pulling the door open, Skinner was shocked to see his agent still dry-heaving, clutching onto the rim of the bowl for support.
"Jesus Mulder. Are you okay?...Stupid question really, I can see you're not. What I really meant was, should I get Scully in here?"
He was stunned to here the vehement 'no' come from Mulder, the strength of his refusal marred only slightly by the weakness of his voice. Little did Skinner know, that was exactly what Mulder wanted - for Scully to come in and comfort him. However he knew that she was too sick and he didn't want to be a burden.
"Sorry sir. I didn't mean to snap. I'll be fine in a minute....where is Scully? Is she okay?"
"She's fine Mulder - well she's still sick but she's sitting just outside, waiting for you to take her home."
Mulder was not positive that his stomach had finished trying to force its way up through his throat but he knew that he had to get Scully home. Pushing himself upright with shaky arms, he turned to face Skinner.
"Right sir. Off we go then."
"Are you sure Agent Mulder? Maybe I should get a car to take you both home - or to the doctor's."
"No sir - I'm alright now. I need to get Agent Scully home. Sir...don't tell her about... this...she needs to concentrate on getting better, not worrying needlessly about me."
"Mulder, she already guessed that you came in here to throw up. She was all set to follow you in but she still isn't exactly steady in her feet. The only way I could get her to sit down before she collapsed was to promise to check on you myself and report back to her. Even still, if I wasn't her boss she would no doubt be in here anyway."
"We better get out of here then, she will knock the door down if she has to - well she would if she wasn't sick."
Mulder splashed his face with cold water from the sink and rinsed out his mouth. He was careful to dry his forehead and cheeks thoroughly since he knew it was a sure sign that he had been sick if he left them wet. Scully would pick up on it, sick or not. Having done that he made his way towards the door on unsteady legs. He caught the concerned look on Skinner's face and made a conscious effort to stop the shaking.
He opened the door and gasped in alarm. Scully was sitting on a chair across the corridor, her chin resting on her chest and her hair covering her face. Mulder rushed across to her, scared that she may have passed out again, and let out a sigh of relief.
"She's asleep."
"Thank God....I thought.... At least now you can get her home without any more fuss from her."
"Should we wake her up sir? I don't think she'd very much appreciate being carried through the building."
"Give it a shot Agent Mulder but you could be wasting your breath. She looks dead to the world to me."
"You might be right sir but she'll never forgive me if I don't at least try. Scully... Scully..."
Mulder gently shook her shoulders and smiled tenderly at her when Scully moaned and tried to move away from the interfering arms. As she shifted to find a more comfortable position, she tipped sideways off the chair falling into Mulder's arms. The sudden jolt caused Scully to open her eyes but when she saw that it was Mulder holding her, she closed them again and snuggled closer to him.
"She's gone straight back to sleep sir. It looks like she'll have to be carried out of here after all."
Mulder was trying hard to hide from his boss how happy he felt with Scully in his arms. 'This feels so right' he thought. Reluctantly, he started to shift so that he could stand up. Realising he would fall if he did, he leant his back against the wall, contemplating what to do next.
"Here Mulder. I'll carry her to the car. You're sick as well, let me do it."
Mulder was loath to give Scully up but he knew that his boss was right. If he had been feeling 100 he would've had no problem carrying her anywhere but he wasn't and he couldn't. Skinner knelt down beside him and moved to take Scully from his arms. Scully however had other ideas. Feeling herself being pulled away from the warmth of Mulder, she put her arms around his neck and pulled herself back towards him.
"Sir, I think I'm going to have to do it. She's not letting go."
To Scully he whispered in her ear; "It's alright. I've got you - you're safe."
Scully relaxed into his arms once again and loosened her death grip hold on his neck. Mulder felt warm inside knowing that Scully didn't want to leave him, even if she was asleep.
"Um, could you give me a hand up sir? I think I'll fall if I try to stand holding her. If you could just keep me balanced as I get up, I can do it."
Nodding, Skinner gripped Mulder's elbows in his hands, being careful not to move Scully away from Mulder. Together, the two men rose slowly, balancing each other and Scully.
"You got her Mulder?"
"I think so sir, let go slowly and I'll tell you if I don't."
Mulder's legs felt very shaky under him and the weight of Scully mad his arms begin to tremble as well. He clenched his teeth tightly together and tensed his limbs to try and overcome the shaking. Skinner watched his agent fight it with concern but, just as he was about to suggest that he carry Scully again, Mulder won his fight and stood up straighter, ready to go.
"Okay Mulder, let's get a move on. She should be in her bed."
Mulder nodded and set off down the corridor, praying that his arms and legs would hold up until he had Scully safely in the car.
"Mulder, you okay in there?"
Getting no answer, he knocked again - louder this time.
"Mulder?"
Mulder groaned and stretched up to unlock the door. Pulling the door open, Skinner was shocked to see his agent still dry-heaving, clutching onto the rim of the bowl for support.
"Jesus Mulder. Are you okay?...Stupid question really, I can see you're not. What I really meant was, should I get Scully in here?"
He was stunned to here the vehement 'no' come from Mulder, the strength of his refusal marred only slightly by the weakness of his voice. Little did Skinner know, that was exactly what Mulder wanted - for Scully to come in and comfort him. However he knew that she was too sick and he didn't want to be a burden.
"Sorry sir. I didn't mean to snap. I'll be fine in a minute....where is Scully? Is she okay?"
"She's fine Mulder - well she's still sick but she's sitting just outside, waiting for you to take her home."
Mulder was not positive that his stomach had finished trying to force its way up through his throat but he knew that he had to get Scully home. Pushing himself upright with shaky arms, he turned to face Skinner.
"Right sir. Off we go then."
"Are you sure Agent Mulder? Maybe I should get a car to take you both home - or to the doctor's."
"No sir - I'm alright now. I need to get Agent Scully home. Sir...don't tell her about... this...she needs to concentrate on getting better, not worrying needlessly about me."
"Mulder, she already guessed that you came in here to throw up. She was all set to follow you in but she still isn't exactly steady in her feet. The only way I could get her to sit down before she collapsed was to promise to check on you myself and report back to her. Even still, if I wasn't her boss she would no doubt be in here anyway."
"We better get out of here then, she will knock the door down if she has to - well she would if she wasn't sick."
Mulder splashed his face with cold water from the sink and rinsed out his mouth. He was careful to dry his forehead and cheeks thoroughly since he knew it was a sure sign that he had been sick if he left them wet. Scully would pick up on it, sick or not. Having done that he made his way towards the door on unsteady legs. He caught the concerned look on Skinner's face and made a conscious effort to stop the shaking.
He opened the door and gasped in alarm. Scully was sitting on a chair across the corridor, her chin resting on her chest and her hair covering her face. Mulder rushed across to her, scared that she may have passed out again, and let out a sigh of relief.
"She's asleep."
"Thank God....I thought.... At least now you can get her home without any more fuss from her."
"Should we wake her up sir? I don't think she'd very much appreciate being carried through the building."
"Give it a shot Agent Mulder but you could be wasting your breath. She looks dead to the world to me."
"You might be right sir but she'll never forgive me if I don't at least try. Scully... Scully..."
Mulder gently shook her shoulders and smiled tenderly at her when Scully moaned and tried to move away from the interfering arms. As she shifted to find a more comfortable position, she tipped sideways off the chair falling into Mulder's arms. The sudden jolt caused Scully to open her eyes but when she saw that it was Mulder holding her, she closed them again and snuggled closer to him.
"She's gone straight back to sleep sir. It looks like she'll have to be carried out of here after all."
Mulder was trying hard to hide from his boss how happy he felt with Scully in his arms. 'This feels so right' he thought. Reluctantly, he started to shift so that he could stand up. Realising he would fall if he did, he leant his back against the wall, contemplating what to do next.
"Here Mulder. I'll carry her to the car. You're sick as well, let me do it."
Mulder was loath to give Scully up but he knew that his boss was right. If he had been feeling 100 he would've had no problem carrying her anywhere but he wasn't and he couldn't. Skinner knelt down beside him and moved to take Scully from his arms. Scully however had other ideas. Feeling herself being pulled away from the warmth of Mulder, she put her arms around his neck and pulled herself back towards him.
"Sir, I think I'm going to have to do it. She's not letting go."
To Scully he whispered in her ear; "It's alright. I've got you - you're safe."
Scully relaxed into his arms once again and loosened her death grip hold on his neck. Mulder felt warm inside knowing that Scully didn't want to leave him, even if she was asleep.
"Um, could you give me a hand up sir? I think I'll fall if I try to stand holding her. If you could just keep me balanced as I get up, I can do it."
Nodding, Skinner gripped Mulder's elbows in his hands, being careful not to move Scully away from Mulder. Together, the two men rose slowly, balancing each other and Scully.
"You got her Mulder?"
"I think so sir, let go slowly and I'll tell you if I don't."
Mulder's legs felt very shaky under him and the weight of Scully mad his arms begin to tremble as well. He clenched his teeth tightly together and tensed his limbs to try and overcome the shaking. Skinner watched his agent fight it with concern but, just as he was about to suggest that he carry Scully again, Mulder won his fight and stood up straighter, ready to go.
"Okay Mulder, let's get a move on. She should be in her bed."
Mulder nodded and set off down the corridor, praying that his arms and legs would hold up until he had Scully safely in the car.