February 2010

"Doctor Scully? Your phone was ringing. Normally I wouldn't have noticed, but it kept ringing. I thought it must be important."

"Oh, thank you, Shelley. I thought I had left it in the office, but I haven't had time to go back and get it."

Scully took the phone from her and looked at the screen. Five missed calls. Two from Mulder and three from an unknown number.

And one voicemail.

Panic filled her heart as she walked away from Shelley, her blood pounding in her ears. Breathing hard, she stepped into an empty room and listened to the voicemail.

"Hello, this is Bryan Crook. I'm an EMT with station 25. We answered a call at 227700 Wallis Road for Fox Mulder. He asked us to call you. He's had a fall. He is alert, but has most likely sustained a broken arm and possibly a concussion. We'll be taking him to Mercy Hospital. It is… two fifteen right now. Goodbye."

Letting out a deep breath, not realizing she had been holding it, she looked at her watch. It was two thirty now. If she hurried, she might beat the ambulance to the hospital.

Leaving the room, she took off her lab coat and hurried to her office to get her things.

"Hello," she said to the woman at the check in desk in the emergency room. "I'm here to see a patient."

"What's your emergency?"

"N… no. I don't have an emergency, I'm here to see someone who has had one. He should be back there. I saw the ambulance out front."

"His name?"

"Fox Mulder."

"Mulder… Mulder… no, I'm not seeing it here."

"It has to be there," Scully said, taking out her wallet. "I'm his partner. Dana Scully. Doctor Scully. I work at Our Lady of Sorrows. I was called by an EMT and told that Fox Mulder was being brought here. I saw the ambulance outside, and while I know there may have been more than one emergency today, I think it's him. Can you check again, please?" She handed the woman her drivers license and let out a deep breath.

The woman took it, looked at it, and smiled gently as she typed into the computer.

"Okay," she said, nodding her head. "Yeah, I see it now. Arrived by ambulance. They have him in a room and…" She started to chuckle and then looked at Scully. Handing back her driver's license, she cleared her throat. "It says here, when she arrives, send her straight back because he won't stop asking for her." She laughed again and Scully's cheeks reddened.

"I'm his… we're…"

"Oh honey, I get it. You find a man who loves you so hard, he asks for you under physical duress, he's a keeper," she said with a nod. "You go stand by that door over to the left and I'll buzz you in. He's in room eight."

"Thank you," Scully said, putting her license back into her wallet and walking over to the door. When it buzzed, she opened it as she took a deep breath.

Room eight was directly across from her and she hurriedly walked into it, sighing at the sight of Mulder in the bed. Putting her wallet into her bag, she set it onto the chair and approached the bed.

"Oh, Mulder," she whispered, running her fingers gently through his hair.

"Mmm," he moaned, turning his head toward her, his eyes remaining closed.

She looked at the splint on his left arm and she shook her head.

"What happened?" she asked and he moaned again, his eyes struggling to open.

"Heeeey Doc," he said. "Fancy seeing you… Christ, my arm hurts. And my head."

"What were you doing? Did you slip on something?"

"No. I… just fell. Felt the pop of the bone… and then my head started to hurt.

"But what did you-"

"Hey there," a man's voice said and Scully turned her head. "I'm Doctor Evans. Heard you had a fall. Let's see what's going on. Get you in for some x-rays. Luckily it's not too busy right now. Shouldn't take too long." He smiled at Scully. "Are you his wife?"

"No," she said, taking a step back to allow space for the exam.

"I've asked, Doctor. Believe me," Mulder said, his eyes closed. "You find a woman like her, you ASK."

"Mulder," she whispered warningly, but the doctor only chuckled.

"I agree. But however it works, is all that matters. Now let's see what's going on."

An hour later, Mulder was back in his room. He had been given some medicine for the pain of what was confirmed to be a broken wrist and he was breathing deeply as he lay in the bed.

"Scully," he said, his voice low and slurry.

"Yes?" she asked, stepping closer to the bed.

"We should get married. I think it would be nice."

"Mulder, we're not going to talk about this when you're doped up on painkillers."

"I think you would make a lovely bride," he said, licking his lips. Rolling his eyes to look at her, it took him a second to focus on her face. "Hi. When did you get here?"

"Mulder," she said, shaking her head and laughing.

"Are we at the hospital? Did something happen? Ohhh, I feel good." He smiled and reached his right hand out, fingers moving slowly. "Scully, give me your hand."

She obliged him and placed her hand into his, holding his fingers gently. He hummed, running his thumb over her fingers.

"Do you feel that? That humming sensation? I don't know where it's coming from, but it's like I can't stop hearing it." He hummed again and she held back a laugh, stroking his hair and smiling. "It's the universe, Scully. I think we're holding it in our hands. Whoa… I always thought it would be bigger."

At that, she did laugh, though she kept it quiet, not wanting to disturb anyone else in the hospital.

"The universe, huh?" she asked, pressing her lips to his forehead. "I think some people might be interested to know we have it."

"Hmmm… have what?"

"Mulder," she laughed, kissing his forehead again.

"Sorry to interrupt," Doctor Evans said, stepping into the room.

"You're not," Scully said, straightening up, still holding Mulder's hand.

"Hey, you're a doctor," Mulder said, forcing his eyes open. "Doc, meet Doc and then do the opposite. Doc, Doc, Doc. That sounds weird."

"So he's been given painkillers," Doctor Evans said, chuckling quietly and Scully nodded.

"He's always had a low tolerance to the strong stuff."

"The bigger they are…" He smiled as they watched Mulder fall asleep, his mouth open. "Someone will be coming in soon to cast his arm. He doesn't have a concussion, just a good sized bump. But as a doctor, I know you know the signs to watch for in the coming days. If anything changes, let us know. Aside from that, once his arm is casted, you'll be free to go."

"Thank you."

"Whoa," Mulder said as they walked carefully up their porch steps. Her left arm was around his waist, her right hand using the railing for leverage.

"Don't worry, I got you," she said and he hummed.

"You always do, Scully."

"Yeah. Come on, one more step. You got it. Phew." She paused, taking a second to catch her breath. "Alright, now inside and to the couch. You can sleep off the painkillers there and then it's only ibuprofen from now on. You're too hard to maneuver when you're on anything stronger."

"That's why you're the doc, Doc. Doc… it still sounds weird."

"Mmhmm, come on."

She unlocked the door, helped him through it, and then guided him toward the couch.

"What's all this?" he asked and she ignored him as she helped him sit down slowly so as to not jostle his arm. "I love you, Scully."

She stopped and looked at him. He smiled, his eyes heavy.

"That's what I was doing. Why I fell. Ohhh…" He laughed, holding onto his arm, and she shook her head. "Why I fell. Emotionally, yes, but also literally today."

"What?"

"Gaze upwards for the answer, Scully." He tipped his head back and she did the same.

"Mulder," she breathed. "You idiot."

"Adorable idiot, I think you mean," he said and she shook her head again.

Hanging from the ceiling by clear string, were hearts made from printer paper. He had cut out strips of the paper and formed them back to make the heart shape. As she watched them, they spun around slowly.

"You were doing this when you fell? Mulder…"

"I was getting off the ladder… wait, where's the ladder?"

"Maybe the firemen put it on the side of the house," she said, watching the hearts moving.

"I ran into some trouble, so there are only three," he said.

"But why did you do it?"

"It's your birthday soon. And Valentine's Day. It's not something we do, but this year…" he said, his voice low and sleepy.

"I love it."

"I have more to make, but I'm gonna have to pass on it this year."

"Exactly what the doctor would suggest. But I still love it. And besides, it's the thought that counts." She turned to smile at him and saw that he was asleep.

Laughing through her nose, she looked back at the three white hearts, thinking of all the worst case scenarios that could have happened as a result of him putting them up, and she shivered.

Shaking her head, she took off his shoes and helped him to lie down comfortably, taking care to not touch his arm unless it was necessary. Brushing her fingers over his casted hand, she sighed.

Picking up the blanket on the back of the couch, she covered him and then kissed him softly.

"I love you too, you adorable idiot."