5 days later
Skinner knocked and entered Mulder's hospital room. Mulder was sitting on the bed, fully dressed, packed bag next to the bed on the floor. He was dangling his legs like a small boy but almost looked disappointed when he realised it wasn't Scully that had entered.
"Mulder", Skinner nodded, a gesture that Mulder returned. "How are you feeling?"
"Ready to spring this joint", Mulder quipped. "Just waiting for Scully. She was dropping off the release papers but insisted I wait here." He sounded slightly incredulous as if he had no clue as to why she made him stay.
He looked a lot better than five days ago, when they had found him severely dehydrated in the Nevada desert.
"I've got some news, Mulder. A bit of light into the question why Mr. McNamara tried to kill you. Not definite proof", he added when Mulder's eyes grew as big as saucers, "just a possibility."
Mulder sat up straight, eagerly awaiting Skinner's news, but before Skinner could say anything Scully entered the room.
"You ready to leave, Mulder?" she called and then noticed Skinner. "Oh, hello Sir. How are you?"
"I was just about to tell Agent Mulder what I found out about Mr. McNamara", Skinner started for a second time. "It was more difficult than I thought it would be, because wherever I ran his name there was no record whatsoever that was any help. Only when I started looking into his family background I got lucky. Looks like he grew up with his mother, never knew who his father was until he died about two years ago. His mother had always refused to tell him about his father up until his death."
"Who's the father, Sir?" Scully asked.
Mulder's mouth felt too dry to speak at all. Skinner stared at Mulder intently. Then he cleared his throat getting ready to speak.
"Monty Propps."
These two words were followed by a ghostly silence. Mulder's mouth opened, but no sounds came out of it. Scully almost dropped her handbag. After a long minute of silence Mulder, who had been reminiscing about his very first profiling case that earned him a dubious reputation, found his voice again.
"Guess I know why his mother never told him."
Skinner shrugged. "Apparently he wanted to learn all about his father, got obsessed with him, even sort of worshipped him. Looks like he wanted to take revenge because he figured if you hadn't caught his father he'd have grown up knowing him. At least that's what his mother told me he said."
"You talked to his mother?" Scully queried.
Skinner nodded. "She was devastated by the news about the death of her son but also by what he had done. She said she thought he was just talk, that he had more of herself than his father. She asked me to tell you she's sorry, Mulder."
Mulder shrugged. "Don't see how it's her fault but if you speak to her again, tell her it's okay. I'm alive, that's all that counts." He looked at Scully and smiled at her.
Scully jointed in on the smile, went over to him and kissed him on the lips. "Yes, you're alive… and well. Ready to go?" She held out her hand to him.
He took it and rewarded her with a big smile that melted her heart, grabbed his bag and got up. "You bet I am."
Hand in hand they left the hospital room, a grinning Skinner following in their wake.