Chapter Three: You're A Doctor?
September 13th, 2016.
10:45 a.m.
Washington D.C.
Jeffersonian Institution.
Fox and Dana followed behind Agent Booth and Dr. Brennan as they walked up the steps of the Jeffersonian. Scully had heard a lot about the establishment, and if she was being honest she had always wanted to explore the laboratories of this institution. Being a doctor she was highly curious as to what high tech equipment was being used inside these walls. The Jeffersonian had a reputation for hiring the brightest minds in the scientific field, and if she wasn't working on the X-Files a place such as this would be on Scully's radar.
The long time partners followed behind the younger pair as they entered the building and onto an elevator. Mulder looked down at Scully and noticed the slight smile on her face as the elevator climbed. The metal doors dinged and they exited to metal box. The pair followed Bones and Booth down a long hall before they turned left coming face to face with large glass doors. Bones pulled a key card from her pocket and swiped it through the security reader. The light on the box turned green, and the doors in front of them clicked open as they walked into the lab. As soon as Scully entered the facility her mouth fell slightly open,
"This is amazing," she stated looking around in awe.
"Yes, it is," Bones said with a smile. "Our facility is state of the art."
"I can tell," Scully replied looking at all of the lab equipment as she walked through the lab, "If the F.B.I. had this type of equipment at their disposal, I don't think I'd ever leave the lab," Scully said looking up at Mulder. He now understood why she had a smile on her face in the elevator. This place was basically Disneyland for Scully. Mulder looked away from his partner with a frown. Mulder knew that if it wasn't for him and his crusade, Scully would likely be working at an institution such as this. Deep down he always knew that working on the X-Files was holding Scully back from her true potential as a medical doctor. Mulder's thoughts were interrupted as Bones looked back at Scully,
"You're a doctor?" Dr. Brennan sounded a bit shocked as she spoke.
"Yes, I'm a medical doctor," Scully confirmed.
Mulder noted the surprised look Bones gave her partner.
"What do you have your medical degree in, Dr. Scully?" Bones asked with a hint of respect in her voice.
"Forensic Pathology." Scully said with confidence. Mulder was beginning to realize that science and IQ was what really matter inside of this lab.
From somewhere in the lab someone shouted "King of the lab, baby," and both Bones and Booth laughed. Mulder looked at Scully and mouthed "King of the lab," she looked back at him and shrugged.
The pair followed behind Bones and Booth into the autopsy room,
"Well, here are your bodies," Booth said gesturing toward the two covered forms lying on cold metal tables.
"I'm going to need to preform autopsies on both of these bodies," Scully said moving closer to the bodies before Dr. Brennan stepped in front of her,
"We have our own pathologist who can perform the autopsy."
Scully stood up straight and crossed her arms over her chest,
"If I am not mistaken, you brought us on this case to help you out. I am more than capable of performing these autopsies on my own. And," she stepped forward, "As good as your pathologist may be, they won't have any idea what they are looking for, and I do."
Dr. Brennan considered her statement for a moment before stepping aside,
"I would like to observe your autopsy," Brennan paused, "If you do not mind. I am curious as to what you think you might find."
"You are more than welcome to stay but," she turned to Mulder and Booth, "I do not need an audience." And before the two men left she said, "Where is the unidentified specimen you found at the crime scene?"
"It's in a different part of the lab," Booth answered.
"I'd like to take a look at that," Mulder replied. Booth nodded and led the way out of the room.
Bones and Scully changed into gowns and masks in silence. Bones was not quite sure what to think of the smaller redhead as she placed latex gloves over her hands. She was obviously not afraid of a challenge, and from what Bones gathered so far, Scully was a lot smarter than Bones originally gave her credit for.
Scully made her way over to the first body and pulled back the sheet. The faceless man that was revealed did not shock the redheaded in the slightest,
"You do not seem bothered by this man's appearance," Bones said watching her closely.
"I've worked on more odd cases than you could possibly image. This is not the strangest thing I have ever seen," Scully said glancing up at the brunette before making her way to the other corpse. Scully pulled the sheet back, and Bones noticed the redhead clench her jaw slightly before covering up the corpse again.
Seeing the burned body brought back memories of Casandra Spender, and how she had died in a similar fashion. It was also not lost on Scully that she had once almost been killed in a similar way.
"I cannot perform an autopsy on that body, it is far to burned. I'll need to call in a forensic anthropologist," Scully said making her way back to the first body.
"No need," Dr. Brennan stated, "I'm a forensic anthropologist. I'll be examining the body."
"Aren't most forensic pathologist out sifting through dirt in search for old bones," it was Scully's turn to get a small dig in. Bones watched as Scully performed the Y-incision on the body with perfect technique,
"I deserved that," she said in a monotone. "But, yes, you are correct. Most people in my field are digging up old bones, and not helping the F.B.I. solve crimes." Across the table Scully continued her autopsy as talked,
"How did you end up here?"
"It was not something I planned. I had just come back from an excavation mission in South America, and was asked to work on a case with Booth," Scully noticed the smile on her face when she talked about her partner. "We actually did not get along at first, but we made a great team. After we solved the case realized I there was a whole side of my field that I was missing out on," she leaned back as Scully began removing organs. "I am not what you call a "people person" so I had a hard time at first interacting with actual living people. Being out in the field with skeletons for years on end doesn't exactly build social skills."
"You don't seem to have much of a problem with people now," Scully placed an internal organ on the scale, "Beside from being rather blunt."
"If it wasn't for Booth I probably would have left a long time ago. He has helped me grow as a person more than I could have ever possibly imagined. And, I apologize for underestimating you," Bones said, "I just was a little thrown as to why a medical doctor, who seems to have great skill, would be working in a unit such as the X-Files."
Scully stopped what she was doing for a moment so she could answer,
"Most people see what Mulder and I do as a joke. No one takes what we have to say seriously because we chase after aliens. When I first started working with Mulder, I did not believe in the work. I thought The X-Files was a ridiculous division, but I came to found out that not everything we investigated was just a write off case. Now, unlike my partner I do not believe every ghost story I am told. I need scientific proof, which makes some of the cases we work on together rather difficult. Especially, when Mulder goes around asking people if they have seen Big Foot," Scully smiled and rolled her eyes. "But, we have uncovered things that other people have tried very hard to cover up."
"You are talking about government conspiracies?" Bones questioned as Scully began her work on the body again.
"I know it sounds implausible, but there are forces in our government that control so much more than you could ever possibly imagine."
"You are right, that does sound implausible," Bones stated.
"I used to think that too," Scully said in a low voice and continued her work.
Scully removed and weighed several more organs before speaking again,
"So, you and Booth seem rather close," she asked with slight curiosity.
"Our partnership isn't exactly what you call conventional, considering the fact that we are married and have two children," Bones proclaimed.
Scully looked up from her work,
"Isn't that against F.B.I. regulations?"
"Well, like I said before, I don't work for the F.B.I." Brennan smiled.
"How long have you two been married?" Scully asked.
"For three years, but we were together for two years before that," Bones said looking down at where her wedding ring would be if didn't have on autopsy gloves.
"And, how long have you been working together?" Scully asked.
"Eleven years."
It did not go unnoted by Scully at how much she and Brennan had in common when it came to their partnerships.
"Are you married Agent Scully?" Brenna asked her with a slightly raised eyebrow.
"You can call me, Dana."
"Alright, Dana," Bones confirmed, "And please call me Temperance."
"And no I am not married." Scully answered noticing her raised eyebrow. "I've never been married actually."
Temperance looked from Scully to a spot across the lab. Scully looked up to where Bones had looked, and saw it was where Mulder and her partner were standing.
"Did you think that Mulder and I were together?" she asked not looking up at Temperance. The room was quiet for a moment,
"Actually, yes. It did not go unnoticed by me the way the two of you gaze at one another," Bones stated in her bluntness.
"I do not gaze at Mulder, Temperance," she shot back.
"If you say so, Dana," Temperance smiled. "But, people do not go on the run with just anyone."
"You know about that?" Dana asked as she kept performing her autopsy.
"Yes, the two of you have quiet the reputation at the bureau," Temperance answered.
"Our reputation never bothered us," Dana kept silent for a few moments before she spoke again, "And, you weren't exactly wrong. Mulder and I were together, but not anymore," Scully confirmed.
"And, yet you agreed to come back to the F.B.I., and work together with him again?" Brennan countered.
"Like I said before, our work is very important. And we have always been partners before anything else, that has never changed."
Brennan respected the level of trust Scully seemed to place in her partner. She knew the type of connection you could build with a person with that level of trust.
"Can I give you some advice?" Temperance asked.
Scully considered her question for a second,
"Yes."
"I do not know what happened between the two of you, but you both obviously still care for one another," Brennan continued, "Don't ignore it. Especially, if you mean as much to one another as I think you do."