CHAPTER 2 --Scully POV--
St Jude's Emergency Room.
Mulders eyes are boring into me and I can feel his gaze hotly against my face so I turn towards him and see him watching. Skinner follows my but one of the ER doctors is calling us over so we walk away. With Skinner to my left, and the ER Technician on the other side of the tall counter, I feel so much smaller then I have done in so long. Maybe it's the flat-heeled trainers I was given along with the well used but clean pair of scrubs. The material is itchy against my skin and I am longing for a shower but there is so much to do first. I doubt I'll see the inside of a shower for more than a few hours yet; I muse as I pull my mind back into the room.
"Saxotoxin," the tech says as I focus on the conversation. "It's an organic poison that's all but untraceable in the human body. But seeing as we have a sample of the liquid they drank it was easily caught."
"And treatment?" I hear myself asking, but my mind is still haunted by the look that was on Mulders face when he walked out.
"It was a fairly weak dosage. The vomiting caused by the ingestion of the drink has caused more harm then the actual poison itself."
"How many survived?" Skinner asks and I look up to his concerned face. His eyes are red and tired and his lips have all but disappeared under his grimace. They talk about the survivors and treatment for them both physically and mentally but my mind refuses to comply.
"Agent Scully?" I look up and he is watching me and I notice only then that the technician has left. "Are you feeling okay?"
"Yes sir."
"I understand it was a daunting sight today. You should go back and get cleaned up."
"No sir. I'm fine." I manage, but he doesn't believe me. I run loose fingers through my hair and take a deep breath.
"What about Mulder? He seemed more then a little harrowed earlier."
"Sir?" I'm surprised he's bringing it up but I shouldn't be, knowing it's probably written all over my face that I've been thinking the very same thing. "It's been a long day. For all of us."
"Yes. Well the briefing is in..." he glances down at his watch. "In an hour. Will you be tied up here?"
"No sir. I'm all but done here. I'll go back and get cleaned up and meet you there."
Skinner nods with a little bow before leaving. I take a moment and lean against the counter, bending at the waist to let my head drop onto the cold metal surface. Deep breaths feel good as the weariness is pushed to the back of my mind and I go back to the chaos outside.
Signing off on a few reports and procedures, I take a few minutes to chat with the resident doctor before calling a cab and getting back to the motel as quickly and smoothly as I can. My shower is fast and perfunctory. With no time for a bath I have to make do. As I dress I glance outside and see the rental car still parked by the stairs where Mulder abandoned it earlier, so I run a brush through my still damp hair and gather my medical notes from the ER. Locking the door behind me, I see him stepping out of his room with his files tucked neatly beneath his arm, his tie loose about his neck and his jacket collar twisted and turned.
"Mulder!" I call out and he tosses a casual glance in my direction before making his way to the stairs. Oh no, I sigh as I hurry to catch up with him. "Mulder!" My voice is higher and angrier then usual and he looks up surprised.
"Are you ready?" he asks as he unlocks the passenger door and opens it for me. "Meeting starts in ten minutes."
"What's wrong?" I ask after he climbs in and belts up. He is concentrating on the drive, too much I notice but he won't be able to ignore me for long.
"How is Melissa?" he asks when we reach a straight stretch of road. He doesn't glance over at me and I can see his fingers are tight around the wheel, his knuckles baring the brunt of his frustration.
"She's doing alot better." Turning my head slightly, I can see him from the corner of my eye without making it obvious. He is staring straight ahead and watching the road with diligence but I know it's all a facade. His eyes are focused and strained beneath his furrowed brow and his fingers grip the wheel tighter. "She has suffered a serious trauma," I continue but still there is no reaction. "But hopefully we'll be able to track her family down soon. All the families of all the victims."
"Families?" He chances a quick glance at me and his frown deepens.
"Fingerprints are being run to search for relatives. They will all need to be located and for the right treatment to continue."
Mulder's silence is unnerving. It usually means he's mulling something over, something that will bring a revelation into the conversation. But with his eyes as dark as I can see them now I know better. He is biting the inside of his cheek and his fingers have loosened their death grip on the wheel to tap rhythemlessly against the smooth leather.
"I need to talk to Melissa."
"Mulder-" I start but he turns to me shaking his head.
"Scully I have to talk to her!" he pleads his eyes wide with need. I look away before I drown.
What for Mulder? I wonder internally, watching the streets pass by. Why would you need to talk to her? What connection is it you need to re establish?
"Scully?" He has parked outside the command centre and shuts off the engine without my even noticing.
"Okay Mulder. I'll get you in to see her but..." I'm hesitating. Say it Dana. Say it. I'll let you see her as long as...as long as...as long as...dammit! I can't even think it! As long as you come back to me! I roar in my head and look over at him with the insane notion that he might have heard. He hadn't. "But you have to be very careful. She's been through a traumatic experience."
"I will. Thanks."
We walk through the command centre in silence and I take pleasure in the gentle weight of his hand resting on my back, a little higher then usual. His fingers assert a little extra pressure as we walk into the crowded room and I turn to see a small smile curve his lips at me. His eyes are bleary and he looks tired. I smile back and we take our seats at a desk to the left of the room.
Skinner stands at the top of the room and coughs gently to get everyone's attention and I'm not surprised to see how quickly the chatter ceases. There is a short pause while the Agents and Swat members take their seats and Skinner moves to the centre of the room. He glances at me before he passes the sheets around.
"Okay. Time to tie the knots and sort the loose ends." I watch as he scans the room and gives an almost imperceptible nod to Agent Wilcox who is leading the SWAT Team.
Wilcox stands up and gives a short but detailed account of how his team conducted the investigation. He mentions with disdain how Mulder had shed his coat to reveal no weapons and walked towards the temple with his arms raised in peace. I ignore the glances the other agents throw at us as usual and stare at Skinner. When he is done Agent Wilcox sits down and Skinner turns his powerful gaze towards Mulder.
"Agent Mulder? You're report?"
A/N: chapter 2 here is a little shorter but the next one is a bit of a whopper. The calm before the storm.