Did you find what you were looking for?
No. No. But I... I found something I thought I'd lost. Faith to keep looking.
Scully smiled at him and he tried to smile back, but he felt so tired and he was not sure it came out properly. He closed his eyes and heard her breathing beside him, but the sound calming.
"I'm sorry about your sister," she said quietly and he forced his eyes open, turning his head to stare at her.
"It wasn't…" His throat burned as he tried to speak and he closed his eyes from the pain as he felt her grasp his hand.
"Don't speak. Your throat is quite raw. It needs to heal." He nodded and squeezed her hand. "It wasn't your sister, I know. But I'm still sorry." He opened his eyes and stared into hers as he exhaled a breath. She smiled and he closed his eyes.
"You should get some rest," she whispered, squeezing his hand, and then loosening her hold. He squeezed and made a sound in his throat, asking her to stay without the ability to speak the words.
"Okay," she breathed in response, her grip tightening. "Sleep, Mulder." He nodded as he squeezed her hand weakly, exhausted from the small effort it took to stay awake.
When he opened his eyes again, it was nearly dark outside, and Scully was gone. His throat was on fire and he was desperate for a drink of water. His eyes rolled in his head, still fighting sleep. They must have him on some strong medication.
Licking his dry lips, he forced his eyes to stay open and wake up fully. Not finding a call button and knowing he could not yell for help, he attempted to sit up. His head spun and he took deep breaths through his nose to stop it.
He pushed back his blankets as he turned his body and hung his legs off the bed. Taking a moment, he closed his eyes and took a few more deep breaths. Standing to his feet, his knees buckled and he nearly went down, but hands caught him and held him upright.
"What are you doing, Mulder?" Scully said softly, yet her tone was firm. "You shouldn't be out of bed. Not without help at least."
She helped him sit back down and he let out a heavy breath, dizzy and sweaty from the exertion. She kept her hand on his back, rubbing small circles, as she hummed softly.
"Geez, can't leave you alone for a minute," she said and he opened his eyes. Looking up at her, he saw she was smiling and he nodded.
"Thirsty," he rasped out and she nodded, her hand stopping the soothing circles.
"Don't move. I'll go get you some water. Don't try to stand up again." He nodded in agreement and she left the room. He closed his eyes, focusing on the thought of water cooling his burning throat instead of the pain in his muscles.
The door opened again and he opened his eyes. Turning his head, he saw Scully walking in with a small plastic pitcher of water and plastic cup. His mouth began to water at the sight of it and he sat up straighter.
"I'm only giving you a little at a time, until I see you can drink it well enough," she said as she poured a small amount into the cup and handed it to him. "Drink it slowly, okay?"
He nodded as he brought the cup to his lips, trying to go slow, but the feel of it in his throat was too overwhelming and he drank it faster.
"Mulder… slower," she admonished him, taking the cup from him gently. "You need to be careful you don't aspirate it. If you start to cough, it's going to really hurt." He nodded, his throat feeling better, but still incredibly thirsty.
"Scully," he begged, but she shook her head, her expression firm.
"No. Slowly, or I have to take it from you." She stared at him, her eyes so blue and open, her worry shining through. He nodded as he closed his eyes, licking any remaining drops of water from his lips.
"Good. Here, a little bit more. Slower this time." He nodded again and took the cup from her, drinking the small amount of cold water slower. "Good. Feel better?" He nodded and she smiled.
A few more small cupfuls and he was laying back in bed, exhausted and ready to sleep. He took a deep breath as he felt Scully adjusting the blankets, his eyes closed and his forehead once again sweaty.
"You rest now. Here's the call button." She placed it by his hand and he inhaled with a nod. Her fingers brushed through his hair back and he sighed contentedly, leaning into her touch. He heard her chuckle softly and he smiled. "Sleep, Mulder."
He found her hand, still by the call button control, and grasped it tightly. She squeezed back, her other hand still in his hair.
"Thank you," he breathed out and she hummed, the steady stroke of her fingers the last thing he remembered.