Chapter Nine: Reciprocating the Favor
"Please, Mulder, just go to the hospital! If you don't, you'll have a huge scar," Scully pleaded with him as they walked out of school later that afternoon."
"It's fine, really. And besides," Mulder continued in a quieter voice, "I don't want to have to answer any questions.
"But what if it becomes infected?" she offered.
Mulder shook his head.
"Wait! Isn't there a free clinic around here somewhere?" Scully asked. "They don't ask questions."
Mulder groaned.
"There is! Where is it?"
Resigned, Mulder agreed to go. He turned left out of the school parking lot, towards the free clinic.
The receptionist, a bright, cheery woman in her early fifties, told Mulder to head down the hall to the second room on his left. Scully sat down in the waiting room with her French book to study while the volunteer doctor bandaged his wounds.
Mulder sat on the butcher paper-covered examination table in the sterile room, swinging his feet nervously. Minutes later, a doctor came in with a smile on his face.
"Good afternoon," he greeted his anxious patient. "What seems to be the problem?"
Mulder lifted his hair out of his face, revealing his bruised and swollen forehead.
"Wow, you really did a number to your head!" the doctor exclaimed. "You'll be needing stitches."
Mulder cringed.
The elderly doctor patted his knee, "Don't worry. It won't hurt nearly as much as this wound did. "It'll only take a few moments," the doctor said as he prepared the needle and surgical thread.
As the man began stitching Mulder's wound, Mulder let his eyes wander around the room, trying to keep his focus off his head.
"Is that your girlfriend in the waiting room…the redhead?" the doctor asked.
"Uh-huh," Mulder replied, trying not to move.
"She's a pretty young woman," the doctor continued.
"I know. She's wonderful," Mulder said, matter-of-factly.
"Did she make you come to the clinic?"
"Yeah."
The doctor finished the stitch and cut the extra thread. "You're lucky she did. It looks like you have an infection brewing. Can you afford prescriptions? If you can't we can compensate."
"No, no. It's fine. I can pay for it," Mulder replied.
"Okay then," the doctor said as he scribbled on his notepad, "take this prescription to Becky's Drug Store on the corner of third and Fairfield Avenue. Tell her Dr. Scott sent you; she'll give you a discount. Apply this ointment three times daily for eight days. After eight days, come back and I'll remove the stitches and write you a prescription for another kind of ointment."
"Thank you, sir," Mulder stood up, shaking the old man's hand.
"If," the doctor said, stopping Mulder as he was out the door, "you ever need any more medical attention, you know where we are."
Mulder nodded and gave him a small smile. As he entered the waiting room, Scully closed her textbook and stood. "How'd you do?"
"Eight stitches," Mulder said. "He gave me a prescription. Do you mind if we pick it up before we go home?"
Scully shook her head. "No problem." As they walked to his car, Mulder began feeling sick. Scully did not notice how he paled until his stuck his car keys out in front of her. She grabbed them, concerned.
"You okay?"
Mulder shook his head. Scully opened the passenger door and made sure he sat down without bumping his head. She ran around to the driver's seat, a little anxious. She'd only ever driven her Toyota, which was a lot smaller than his full-size Chevrolet. She drove down Fairfield Avenue, turning left onto 3rd Street and into the parking lot adjacent to the pharmacy. She turned off the ignition and shifted in the seat until she was facing Mulder.
"What's the matter?"
"I…I feel so funny."
A piteous smile formed on Scully's lips. "Mulder, have you ever had stitches before?"
Mulder shook his head. Scully laughed.
"You just feel queasy because of the stitches. I thought you said you liked all that biology stuff," Scully mused.
"Just as long as I'm not the one being dissected," Mulder murmured.
"I'll go get the prescription. Don't get out of the car 'cause if you stand up you're liable to pass out. That's what happened to Charlie when he had to have his finger sewn. You haven't eaten anything since lunch, which I interrupted. I'll go buy you a soda and a candy bar. Oh! I need the prescription."
Mulder handed her the white slip of paper and a handful of crumpled bills. Scully entered the drug store and grabbed a Coke and a Mars Bar for Mulder while the lady found the ointment. The lady rung up Scully's purchase, "That'll be twenty-six seventy-four."
"Oh! I'm supposed to tell you Dr. Scott sent me," Scully exclaimed. "Sorry!"
"No problem, child," the lady smiled. "Okay, now it's seventeen twenty-two."
Scully handed her two ten-dollar bills and a quarter and waited for her change. She thanked the lady before returning to Mulder's car. She found Mulder resting his head against the cool window.
"Here, eat this," Scully thrusted the soda and candy into Mulder's hand. Scully drove in silence, glancing over at Mulder to make sure he was eating. When he had finished, she reached over for his hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. Mulder smiled and held onto her hand as she tried to pull it back. She drove the rest of the way one handed.
Scully pulled his car into his driveway after noting that Mr. Mulder's car was no where to be found. She guided him to his front door and used his keys to let them both into the house. He was walking steadier than earlier as she led him into his bedroom.
She had never been in his room before. She flicked on the light switch as she looked around the room. It was messy and dark, even with the light on. Scully tossed a pair of his jeans that were sitting on his bed onto his desk chair and eased Mulder into his bed. She pulled the blankets from the foot of the bed over him. She motioned for him to sit up.
"I'm gonna put your medicine on before I leave."
"Scully, don't leave, please?"
"You have to get your rest. You can sleep off your headache and queasiness. Here, take this aspirin, okay?"
Mulder obliged and sat ready to let her put the ointment on his wound. Scully sat on the side of his bed, one leg curled under her, the other foot dangling down the side of the mattress. Gently, Scully lifted his hair away from the gash after unscrewing the cap off the tube of ointment. She concentrated on his cut as she dabbed the sticky medicine on his head. After she was done, Scully sat back and viewed her work.
"Starting tomorrow, once in the morning, once after school, and once before you go to bed, okay?"
"Yes, Doctor," Mulder smiled, feigning obedience.
Scully took his hand in hers, "You okay?"
Mulder nodded. Scully leaned in and gently kissed him. Mulder returned the gesture, deepening the kiss. His hand moved to the back of her head, his fingers becoming entangled in her hair. Scully groaned as he wrapped his other arm around her waist, pulling her closer. Scully pulled away, knowing he needed sleep, but not being able to resist another quick kiss.
Mulder smiled, "Much better."
Scully returned the smile, "Okay, now I really have to go. You take care of yourself." Scully hugged him before turning to leave.
"Wait!" Mulder called Scully back to him, "You don't have any way to get home. Here," he tossed his car keys back to her, "Take my car. I won't need it until tomorrow."
Scully tossed the keys onto his dresser, "No, I'll cut through the yards. It's not a long walk. Oh, and Mulder," her tone became serious, "if anything…happens, you call me, okay? It doesn't matter what time, okay?"
Mulder nodded. "I'll be fine."
Scully gave him a small smile before letting herself out.
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A/N: Don't be harsh, it's just a filler chapter. More interesting stuff to come!