I'd had the scar around the base of my neck since I was a baby, and it was the first time anyone had notice it, at least to my knowledge, when I was wearing anything less revealing than a bathing suit. I'd spent a couple of days with a baby-sitter and one of the older kids had put a rubber band around my chubby little neck. It hadn't be discovered until my mom was brushing my hair the night they'd picked me up, and by then whatever cut there had been began to heal over the rubber band. There'd been an e.r. visit I'm fortunate enough not to remember since it involved cutting the skin. It'd barely noticeable, so I thought my fib was believable enough. Apparently not.
I hastily explained the story to them, but they both shook their heads. "How do you know that's what happened?" Agent Mulder asked me.
"Because my parents told me that's what happened, and they wouldn't lie to me about it."
"Your parents never lied to you?" He looked like he found that hard to believe. I fleetingly thought of my parents' promise that we'd never move again which had been broken twice more after they made it.
Agent Scully, however, was a little more tactful. "I think it would be best to have it checked out, just to be on the safe side."
I'm not thrilled by the idea of doctor's visits that don't involve life or death illnesses. " What would 'checked out' entail?" I asked nervously.
"Just some x-rays. That's all that was needed to discover the thing that was put in my neck."
"By aliens." Mulder chimed. What was with him and aliens? I wondered if he was a star trek fan. He probably went to conventions dressed as Spock, the unfeeling alien was probably an easy act for him to emulate.
"Well...If it's just X-rays..." I could handle x-rays, I'd had a series done before. Besides there would be no getting rid of them until I agreed, so it would be best to get it over with as soon as possible.
The most annoying thing was the waiting around for the x-rays to be developed. Apparently there's no such thing as a rush job, even it's requested by an FBI agent who happens to be a doctor as well. The x-rays themselves were no big deal, but I did want to ask to be shown the ones of my knees. I've always wondered if they're shaped wrong or what. I didn't get the chance to ask though, since agent Scully wandered off with the x-rays as soon as they were handed to her. I thought that was a bit rude, so I trailed along after her.
She pursed her lips and started at the x-ray she first put up on the light. Model skulls are all smooth surfaces and regularity, but our real skulls are shaped funny. At least mine is. There didn't however, seem to be anything in my neck, which suited me fine.
Frowning, she slapped the x-ray of my right hand up next to it. Looking at it, it's sort of surprising that all the bones in it are prefect. Being the right hand for very little, it's been far more frequently injured (usually while holding something for use by the other hand) than it's more useful mate. I've yet to break any bone though. Knock on wood. Vynce managed to break both arms and a wrist all at once, so I'm not sure why I haven't since it looks like mom passed along her breakable bones to at least one of us.
Scully went through the rest of the x-rays while I watched. I may not be a doctor, but even I could tell that there weren't any random implants in any of them. "Nothing there, right?" I asked.
"Right." She said, not sounding like the answer pleased her. I hoped it was more because she didn't like being wrong than out of disappointment that I didn't have a cancer-causing implant.
"Is agent Mulder likely to believe you when you tell him?" I pressed.
"He'll believe me. Even he doesn't doubt my medical opinion."
"Ok, then. I'm going home now, and I'm going to believe this is the last I'll ever hear about alien abductions. If little green men show up at my house, I've got your card and I'll give you a call."
"They're gray."
Whatever. I shrugged and got my stuff while she went to talk to Mulder. I didn't hang around long, but he almost looked disappointed. It must be upsetting to be wrong so often. After I left I realized I never did get a look at my knees. It wasn't worth talking to them again, so I told myself it didn't matter.