Category: MSR Rating: PG-13 Spoilers: For "Triangle" Disclaimer: The character portrayed herein belong to Chris Carter, 1013 Productions and Fox Television. No money may be made from this story and no copyright infringement is intended. Archive: Nowhere, thank you. ======== PROOFS by CiCi Lean, 1999 cicilean@yahoo.com ========= ^^^^^^^^ X X X X X X X X ^^^^^^^^^^^^ I should have checked his prescriptions the evening before. But no, I trust my colleagues, even if they appear to have graduated from the "Dr. Nick School Of Medicine." Helloooo everybody, indeed. "How are you feeling today, Mulder," I'd asked when I returned the day after his "Queen Anne" adventure to giving his chart a quick look through, cleaning up his night table and putting Skinner's now- wilted flowers into an empty water jug. Felt him take my hand, and draw me away from my straightening. "I'm fine," he smiled. "How are you, Scully?" I returned his smile, then peered at him closely, looking for further signs of the strange delirium he'd exhibited the evening before. Hmm, relaxed gaze, odd, beatific smile, peaceful expression, calm demeanor. He seemed all right. "By the way, I still love you," he said, sweetly. Or maybe not. Oh, lord, I groaned inwardly, he was still incoherent, damn it. Good heavens, if this continued much longer, it might be a sign that he was permanently brain-damaged. Sighing, I realized that if things didn't improve quickly, I might have to feed him through tubes. Keep him sedated. Stuff him into a straight-jacket. Even hire a damn lawyer to sue Dr. Nick for him. Oh, dear. "Lie back and rest, Mulder," I said, wondering if I could get him immediately transferred to a hospital whose doctors practiced pain management with a much more moderate approach. "I'm perfectly rested. But, you look a bit edgy, Scully," he said, still holding onto my hand with a much stronger grip than a disabled man should have been capable of. "Are you sure you're okay?" I took a deep breath, and plastered on my most placating smile. Didn't want to upset him with the news that he was probably going to go into seizures at any moment. "I'm fine, Mulder. Don't you worry about me, now you just stay calm, and if you feel your eyes rolling back, just go with it, all right?" He stared at me for a long, silent moment. "This is going to be like the extraterrestrial thing, isn't it?" he sighed. I blinked. "Excuse me?" He sighed again. A sigh that was probably some respiratory side effect of all those damn drugs he'd been filled with. "Scully," he said slowly. "I'm not delirious in any way, shape or form. I'm not going to go into convulsions. I'm not even feeling the slightest bit peckish." "Of course, you're not," I said with fake cheer. Wondered inwardly if I should get the restraints ready. "And I -still- love you," he insisted. "Of course, you do," I replied comfortingly. "Now, how about some Jell-O?" I picked up the little bowl that was on his lunch tray, and jiggled its contents at him. "Look, it's nice and green and sweet." He shook his head slowly. "This denial thing runs awful deep with you, doesn't it, Scully?" Maybe Valium would help. I had a couple in my purse residing there for emergency situations. This could turn into an emergency, if I wasn't careful. Biting my lip, I put down the Jell-O and waved a limp slice of regulation hospital bread at him instead. "Num, num," I said, making a small chewing pantomime at the bread's crust. "Try it, Mulder. It's very good." His eyes rolled, but only in what seemed to be an ironic gesture of disbelief. "Oh, for God's sake," he muttered, sinking back into the pillows. Ah, the hysteria was finally wearing off. I put the bread down and patted his shoulder. "Don't worry about a thing, Mulder. I know you'll be back to normal in a day or so. You just have to hang in there and..." Slowly, he sat up. Crooked a finger at me, motioning for me to come closer. I pointed at myself with a questioning shrug, and he nodded. Emphatically. Cautiously, I crept an inch closer, watching closely for further signs of instability. He shook his head, and crooked his finger again. Another inch closer I came, but kept my eye on the emergency button next to his TV remote. He waved his entire hand at me, telling me to come closer still. I hesitated, but, seeing two heavy vases within arm's reach, I decided to take the chance. And when I saw him lunge for me, I moved back quickly, but he was quicker. Raptor-quick as a matter of fact, entwining his arms around me with a surprising strength, speed, and agility. I gaped at him, squirming in his arms; too... too shocked to speak. He pulled me against him, and his face was so close to mine, our eyelashes brushed. I felt myself become breathless as I stared into his eyes, mostly because... because... Because I'd forgotten to breathe. "Just in case I never get to do this again," he whispered, as I gawked at him. Heard him whisper it once more -- right before he kissed me. Hard. Passionately. It was a kiss the likes I'd never felt before, one bereft of hesitation or fear, a kiss that knew exactly where it was going, and what it was doing there. As if it had been there before. The kiss of a madman, I reminded myself, before I pleaded insanity with myself and responded in kind. Helplessly. Like a madwoman who'd been deprived of her rightful behavior for far too long. But...luckily, I soon regained my senses. More or less. Gasping for air, I shook Mulder off, and rose. To my absolute horror, I felt my fingers tighten into a fist, my arm loop back uncontrollably, the entire force of my swing zeroing in right on the lump that was already jutting out from Mulder's jawline. There was no way to stop myself, deja vu was in the air, and I felt as if somewhere, somehow... I'd been there before. He ducked just in time, as the inertia of my swing carried me forward, and gravity's undeniable force deposited me right into his lap. He bent over me, his eyes shining and his hair tickling my brow. "I was ready for you, Scully," he whispered, kissing my forehead. "Been there, done that." "Nurse..." I burbled weakly, still too shocked to think straight. "Nurse..." Laughing, he let me go, and threw himself back against the pillows. Smiled brilliantly, as I shakily rose and tried to straighten out what was left of my self-control. Watched as he reached over the side of the bed and jangled the restraints at me, with a gleam in his eye. "You can use these now, Doctor Scully," he said coyly. "But be gentle, I still have a couple of bruised ribs. Oh, and as for that Jell-O...." Trembling, I took a shaking step backwards, and with one final gape at him... I ran like hell. ******** The day after he was released, Mulder was back at work, still smiling, like the cat who'd eaten the canary. A redheaded canary, who still could feel his lips against her's and wondered what she had done to deserve such happi... Horror. Yes, that's it. Horror. "Good morning, Scully," he said, tossing a file down onto my desk, where it landed with a "plop." "Good morning, Mulder," I said, as frostily as I could manage, which, under some circumstances, had been known to reach a virtual temperature of under twenty-two below. For some reason, he didn't seem very impressed. "I have some little green men for you in there," he said, leaning in and giving me that outrageously confident feline smile "No such thing," I replied with a sniff. "Oh, I know," he said breezily. "But how about humoring a crazy man for a little while longer?" I folded my arms across my chest and didn't reply. His expression softened with the slightest hint of a plea shining in his eyes. "Just a -little- while longer, Scully. Come on. What do you say?" I looked up at him. Tapped a finger against the file. Bit my lip. Then shrugged. "All right, Mulder. I'll humor you this time," I said, rising, and taking the file with me as I walked away. I stopped. Whirled around and gave him a feline glance all my own. "But remember, Mulder. For every crazy claim you make, I'll need proof." He nodded, an impressed grin spreading across his face. "Oh, I'll prove it to you, Scully. Believe me, I'll prove it to you." And turning back around, continuing my journey down the F.B.I.'s endless hallways, I couldn't help but smile at what -exactly- that proof, someday, might turn out to be. ====== the end cicilean@yahoo.com