Headers and Disclaimers in Part 1
 

Nurse Ricardo set about getting Mulder's vitals while
the other nurse ran toward the door to track down the
doctor.  She almost collided with Skinner as he came
barreling through the door.  He moved aside to let
the nurse pass, holding the hot beverages over his
head.  "What the hell is going on?" his booming voice
demanded.

"AD Skinner, I didn't see you come in," Scully looked
ashen with stress.  "He's in excruciating pain.  He
might be trying to pass that stone."

"That's a good thing, right?"

"Not if it's too large to pass."

Mulder continued to cry out as each new spasm hit
with increasing intensity.  The pain came in waves,
each one seeming worse than the last.  Nurse Ricardo
tried to get his attention.

"Mr. Mulder, the doctor should be here soon.  Until
he gets here, I want you to listen to me and try to
do what I say."

Her patient was still unable to answer due to the
intense pain.  His eyes were red and streaming with
misery.

"I want you to take a deep breath and hold it."

"Can't . . .hurts too . . .much!" he gasped.

Scully continued to rub his back.  "Listen to her,
Mulder.  It will help.  I promise."

"Can't!  Gonna be sick!"

The nurse scrambled to get a basin for him.

Between the retching and the pain, Mulder felt that
he was near death, and was praying for a quick end to
his misery.  "Damn those crab cakes!"  As soon as the
thought of the seafood buffet came to mind, his body
went into new paroxysms of pain and gagging.

The doctor walked in to near chaos.  After hearing
the details, he ordered a different pain medication
and told the nurses to get him ready for transport.

"I want that IVP now!" he shouted and grabbed the
phone to make his wishes known to radiology.  "Hang
in there, Mr. Mulder, we're going to get to the
bottom of this.

"Can't take much more of this!" he gasped.  "Just
shoot me."

"I don't think we need to get that drastic," Dr.
Southard grinned, patting him on the back.  "Just try
to slow your breathing down."

"Easy for you to say," he groaned then managed to
take a deep breath.

"Good, keep slowing it down, Mr. Mulder.  They should
be ready for us downstairs.  Let's just take his bed.
I think that will be easier all around."

The nurse started unhooking equipment while the
doctor unplugged the bed.  "Nita, let's take a drug
box with us."

"I'll get that right now."

In just a few minutes they managed to get Mulder to
lie back down and continue to slow his breathing
rate.  When Nita returned with the drug box and
someone from patient transport, Mulder was on his way
to radiology.

After the IVP, Mulder finally managed to doze off
thanks to a creative drug cocktail that combined some
strong painkillers and sedatives.  Scully and Skinner
sat silently by his bedside, waiting for the doctor's
report.  Fortunately, the doctor didn't keep them
waiting long.

"Hello," the doctor greeted them.  "I'd rather Mr.
Mulder be in on our conversation, but he needs to
sleep.  He's pretty worn out after that last bout of
pain.  I see on his chart that you are listed as his
medical surrogate and next-of-kin, Miss Scully?"

"That's correct."

"Then I won't beat around the bush.  Mr. Mulder does
have a kidney stone.  It has probably been forming
for quite a while and the dehydration from his
illness exacerbated the condition, sort of a domino
effect."

"What treatment are you considering?"  Scully
inquired.

"We'll use lithotripsy and if that doesn't do the
trick we'll do a percutaneous nephrolithotomy."

"How soon can you get him scheduled?"

"We were lucky, Miss Scully.  We can get him in at 8
o'clock."

"That is fast."

"Forgive me, but my medical knowledge is rather
limited.  Just what does this procedure do?" Skinner
asked.

"To make a long story short, it uses sound waves to
break the stone into smaller pieces, which should
then pass without any further trouble other than a
little pain, which should be far less intense than
what he has been experiencing."

"He's had more than his share of pain these past few
hours," Skinner stated.

"I agree and we will do everything in our power to
keep him comfortable."

"And what is the other procedure you mentioned?"

"It involves a tiny incision in the back.  Once we're
in, we use an instrument called a nethroscope to
locate and remove the stone.  I really don't
anticipate having to do that procedure.  While the
stone is fairly large, the lithotripsy should be able
to break it up."

"All right, Dr. Southard.  I assume I'll need to sign
the standard permission forms?"  Scully was anxious
to get everything in order so that there would be no
delays later.

"Yes, I'll have the nurse bring them in after they're
filled out."

"So, do you think this kidney stone might be the
cause of all the complications he's endured?"
Skinner questioned.  He had taken on his 'official
stance', standing tall with his arms crossed over his
chest.

"Well, it has certainly been a contributing factor."

"What kind of recuperation are we talking about?"
Skinner continued to question him, very much like he
would interrogate a suspect.

"He'll be quite sore from the lithotripsy for a short
time, but that should be a piece of cake compared to
the pain he's been suffering lately.  He's still
quite weak from the food poisoning, so I'd guess that
he'll need to take it easy for at least two weeks."

Skinner and Scully exchanged glances, each of them
thinking that it would be difficult to keep him down
once he started feeling better.

"If you don't have any further questions, I'll see
you after the procedure."

"Thank you, doctor," Skinner said, shaking his hand.

After the doctor left, Skinner stood beside Scully,
looking at Mulder who seemed to be sleeping
comfortably for the time being.  "Scully, I think I'm
going to postpone the seminar until noon so that I
can be here with you."

"I don't think that will be necessary, sir.  It's a
pretty simple procedure and Mulder should sleep for a
while after it's over.  I'll be able to rest while
he's sleeping."

"I know that, but I'd feel better if I was here."

"Why don't we compromise?  I'll call you if I think
you need to come back."

He thought it over for a few seconds and reluctantly
agreed.  "I do expect you to call if there are any
complications.  Do I make my self clear?"

"Crystal, sir."

"Good."

They went back to their vigil.  After almost an hour,
Mulder began to stir, his body becoming more restless
and fidgety as he came to.  Scully immediately left
her chair to stand beside his bed, her hand
automatically taking his.

"Mulder, can you hear me?"

"Uh-huh."

"How's the pain?"

"Don't ask," he groaned, feeling soft fingers
stroking his sweaty brow.  "Nice," he thought.

"Mulder, you have a kidney stone.  You're going to
undergo a procedure in a few hours that should
eliminate the intense pain."

"Surgery?"  His eyes widened at the prospect.

"No, but you will be under anesthesia."

"Okay, as long as it works, don't care." he agreed
then shifted in the bed, unable to get comfortable.
"Scully, it hurts bad."  Her fingers tightened their
grip and he squeezed back.

"I know, Mulder.  It has been described as one of the
most painful conditions known to man."

"Tell them they're right.  How did this happen?  Why
me?"

"Evidently, the stone had been forming for quite some
time.  The severe dehydration you experienced didn't
help matters and the stone finally lodged high in
your right ureter.  The doctor described it as a kind
of domino effect."

"Lucky me," he sighed.  "Oh, shit!  It's starting
again!"  His body tried to curl itself into a tiny
ball while the fresh pain pushed tears down his face.
Scully's heart went out to him, reminding her how she
hated seeing him in agony.  It had happened far too
many times.

"Mulder, listen to me.  Take a deep breath and let it
out slowly.  Just like before.  Can you do that?"

He did and groaned with the pain as he let his breath
out.

"Do it again and try to focus on something pleasant."

He complied, shakily.  "I'm trying but it isn't
helping.  Can I get some more pain medication?
Please!"

"Let me see what the doctor ordered.  I've got to go
to the nurse's station to look at your chart.  Try to
hang on and I'll be back as quickly as I can."

"Okay, but hurry!"

Scully really looked undecided.  She knew that her
best bet would be to get the nurse to page the doctor
again to attempt to find a combination of painkillers
that would be effective, yet she wanted to stay with
her partner and try to talk him through the pain.
Either way, she hated to leave him when he needed
her.

Skinner rose from his chair to stand beside Scully.
"Go and see what the doctor ordered.  I'll try to
help Mulder."

"Thank you.  I'll be back as soon as I can."

Skinner took Mulder's left hand.  "Squeeze my hand if
it helps, as hard as you like."

"Don't want to hurt you."

"I'll take my chances."

"Unngh!  Sorry to be such a wimp," he gasped.  "Worst
pain ever.  Shit!"

"You're not a wimp, Mulder.  You're in excruciating
pain so cry, scream, curse, do whatever helps.  I
won't think any less of you.  Besides, after a tour
in 'Nam I'm pretty hard to shock."

"Don't want Scully to see me like this, but I can't
help it."  Tears started to flow freely down his
face.

Skinner reached for a cool washcloth and gently wiped
them away.  "Don't fight it, Mulder.  It's okay.  You
don't have to prove anything to me."

"Oh, shit!"  He squeezed Skinner's hand until he
thought it would break.  "Where's Scully?  Shouldn't
she be back by now?"

"She'll be back as soon as she finds out what the
doctor ordered.  Try to stay calm."

"Trying, but it hurts so damned bad!  Feeling sick
again," he groaned, panic rising in his voice.

Skinner held the basin while Mulder tried to vomit
without success.  "It's all right, Mulder.  Just hang
in there.  You'll be feeling much better in just a
few hours if you can just hang on."

The retching finally stopped and Skinner wiped
Mulder's face with the washcloth once again.  He sank
back onto the pillows, his face a deathly shade of
pale, and his chest heaving with exertion.

"Trying to hang on," Mulder cried, his voice almost a
whisper.

Skinner continued to wipe the tears away as Mulder
cried silently, trying to work his way through the
pain.  Skinner felt so helpless, wishing he could do
more to quell the terrible pain afflicting his agent.

After a few minutes, Scully returned, with nurse
Ricardo in tow, who was carrying a small bag of IV
solution.

Skinner moved out of the way as Scully took her place
beside Mulder.  "Sorry it took so long, Mulder, but
we had to speak to the doctor and then wait for the
pharmacy to deliver the new medication.  You're going
to receive a continuous dose of pain medication until
your procedure.  Hopefully, you'll get some relief,"
Scully explained as the nurse added the bag to the
ones already hanging on the pole.

"This is some pretty strong medicine, Mr. Mulder and
I'm also going to add a little something to help you
sleep.  The doctor wants to keep you pretty much out
of it until your procedure."

"Sounds good to me," Mulder breathed wearily.  "Never
had to handle this kind of pain before.  Sorry."

"Mr. Mulder, you are experiencing some of the worst
pain imaginable and you have handled it like a
trooper.  You have nothing to be ashamed of.  Now, I
need to get your vitals and your temp and then I'll
leave you alone."

"S'ok, you're not botherin' me," he assured her, his
voice slurred from the added medication.

She finished her duties and showed Scully that the
reading on the Thermoscan was 103.2.  Scully frowned,
shaking her head.

"What'd I do now?" Mulder wailed morosely, showing
his sad, puppy-dog eyes.

"Nothing, Mulder.  It's just that your temperature
isn't going down any longer."

"But, I'm trying," he protested, blinking his eyes as
he tried to fight off the medication and fresh tears.

"I know, Mulder.  Don't worry about it right now.
Just try to rest."

"Does the medication seem to be working?" the nurse
inquired hopefully.

"Mmmm, yeah, think it is.  Scully, there are two of
you," Mulder answered as he started to drift off to
sleep.
 

~~~
 
 

The Domino Effect-Part 12

Headers and disclaimers in part 1
 

"I'll leave you all alone now.  Perhaps Mr. Mulder
can get some rest."  The nurse took one last look at
the IV bags and turned to leave.

"Let's hope that he can stay asleep for a while.
Thank you, Nurse Ricardo."  Scully looked up from her
place beside Mulder.

"Please, call me Nita.  After all we've been through
this morning, I feel like we're old friends."  The
nurse gave her a big smile.

"I understand," Scully smiled back.  "I'm Dana."

"And, I'm Walter," Skinner supplied.

"You know, I don't usually do this, but I'm going to
stick around after my shift to see how this turns out
for Mulder.  I feel like I have a vested interest in
the poor guy now."

"Oh, Nita, thank you, but you don't have to do that.
I know you must be tired.  Mulder has really kept you
on your toes during this shift," Scully protested.

"I can rest while I'm waiting.  For some reason, I
feel compelled to see this through."

"Then, we would appreciate your company," Skinner
accepted.

Scully looked at her boss, a questioning look on her
face.

"Yes, agent Scully, I've decided to stay here until
the procedure is over.  I just can't leave here not
knowing how he's doing.  He's been through more than
anyone should have to suffer in the last few days.
I'm getting ready to call the hotel so they can
contact the participants."

"Yes, sir, we appreciate it."

"Why don't you two try to get some rest now?  They
will probably come to get him around 7:15, so you
still have about two hours to take a little nap."

"Thank you, Nita.  We will."  Skinner assured her.

"All right, then.  I'll be in and out checking on
him.  Please let me know if you need anything."

Nita left and Scully pulled her chair a little closer
to Mulder's bedside.  Inwardly she hoped that her
partner's abused body didn't pull its usual stunt of
shrugging off medication that would normally keep two
small elephants down for a week.  She sent up a
silent prayer that he could have some respite this
time, but she knew his system all too well not to
feel anxious about it.

"Scully, why don't you lie down until time for the
procedure?"

"I'd rather stay close by his side, sir.  He's so
heavily sedated that I want to keep an eye on his
breathing," Scully explained, wishing she could
simply have the pleasure of watching him breathe when
his health wasn't in jeopardy.

"All right.  I understand.  I'd just be wasting my
breath if I tried to talk you out of it."

"You're right about that, sir."

"You know, I think it would be proper if we used
first names in this situation," Skinner proposed.

"All right, Walter," Scully agreed, rotating her
stiff neck a little.  She was still pretty fatigued
and hadn't had much real sleep for worrying about
Mulder.

"I'm going to go out and make that phone call.  If
Mulder wakes up, tell him that he'd better get his
butt in gear and get over this because I'm going to
insist that both of you take some of that comp time
you've built up.  I have a time-share in a condo in
Destin.  It's available next week and the following
week.  I'd like for the two of you to use that time
to recuperate from this and rest up, maybe even have
a little fun."

Scully looked rather surprised.  "Um, I'll talk to
Mulder about it when he's feeling better.  He might
prefer to make different plans for himself."

"Trust me on this one, Dana, anywhere would be fine
with him as long as you're there.  I shouldn't be
gone longer than ten minutes or so."  He left
quickly, a huge grin on his face.

Scully shook her head to clear it.  What had just
happened here?  It almost sounded like Skinner was
trying his hand at matchmaking.  Now, that just
couldn't be.  Could it?

Mulder stirred restlessly in his sleep and started to
mumble as he tried to pull the oxygen cannula from
his nose.  Scully grabbed his hand to stop his
flailing actions.  He continued to mumble as he
squeezed her hand gently.

"Love you, Scully," Mulder voiced clearly.

Scully realized that she was staring straight into
his open eyes, dull with fever and pain.  She
dismissed his words as fevered ramblings until he
squeezed her hand again.

"Scully, love you.  Love me back?" he pleaded, his
words trailing off as he slipped back into his drug-
induced sleep.

"Now, that's strange."  Mulder was under the
influence of a lot of drugs, but she had a feeling
that those words had come straight from his heart.
Could he have discussed his feeling with Skinner?

That didn't seem likely, but Skinner's offer of the
condo to both of them was a rather confusing
coincidence.  "Something's going on here," she
decided.  "Mulder, I can't wait until you're feeling
better, because I sure have a lot of questions."

She realized that she was still holding Mulder's hand
and made a move to remove it.  Instead, she boldly
decided to wait for Skinner to return, just to gage
his reaction.

She didn't have long to wait.  When Skinner came back
in she was holding his hand lovingly against her left
cheek.  Mulder was oblivious to her action, but it
wasn't lost on Skinner.

"Any change, Dana?" he asked, trying to erase the
shit-eating grin from his face, but wasn't entirely
successful.

"No, Walter.  He's still sleeping," she smiled back
at him.

"Best thing for him.  Are you sure you don't want to
lie down?"

"Yes, I'm sure.  I'm quite comfortable here."

"I think that's good for him too," Skinner commented
on her open affection for her partner.

"Well, that pretty much confirmed it," she thought.
"Those two had definitely been talking."  She sighed.
"I wonder when Mulder will finally get up the nerve
to talk to me?"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Skinner left for his coffee date with a promise to
meet her in the waiting room.  Shortly after the
shift change, Nita came in wearing street clothes and
carrying two cups of coffee.  She offered one cup to
Scully.  "I got this from the vendor downstairs.
It's freshly brewed and is usually pretty decent.  I
didn't know how you liked it, so I brought plenty of
everything.  She reached into her pocket and pulled
out packets of creamer, sugar and sweetener.

"Thank you, Nita."

"I see that Walter already had a coffee date," the
nurse commented as Scully went about fixing her
coffee.

"It seems that way.  Mulder's ER nurse, I think,"
Scully answered, blowing across the very hot coffee.
She inhaled the aroma deeply and realized that for
the first time in days, her stomach actually felt
normal.  "Poor Mulder," she sighed as she thought of
the living hell he was still enduring.  "I wish he
felt well enough to enjoy this coffee."

"He will soon," Nita comforted her.  "How long have
you two been together?"

"We've been partners for almost seven years."

"Oh, I didn't mean at work.  I meant how long as a
couple."

"Nita, we're not a couple, yet," Scully was surprised
when she emphasized that last word.

"Well, what's keeping you?"

"It's . . . complicated," Scully hedged.

"How complicated can it be?  He loves you and you
adore him.  You're made for each other."

"I expect when Mulder starts to feel better we'll be
having a long talk about the whole thing."

"Well, let's hope you do more than talk," Nita
giggled as Scully blushed.

There was a knock on the door and soon the room was
taken over by a crew of people getting Mulder ready
to go to pre-op.

Scully and Nita met Karen Bower and Skinner in the
surgical waiting room.  The female agent had to admit
that having all of those people with her helped the
time to pass.  It seemed like it was almost no time
at all before she was sitting beside Mulder in the
recovery room, holding his hand again, relieved that
he was now hopefully on the mend.

The recovery room nurse said that he had been awake
briefly, but should start coming around a little more
any time.  She was right.  In less than five minutes
Mulder moaned loudly and opened his eyes.

"Scully?"

"Right here, Mulder.  How are you feeling?  Is the
pain any better?"  She squeezed his fingers to let
him know she was there for him.

"Um, yeah.  Pain's better.  Still feel like crap
though."

"You still have a urinary tract infection, but that
should start to clear up pretty quickly with the
antibiotics you're on.  The lithotripsy broke the
kidney stone into lots of little pieces.  You may
still feel a sharp pain from time to time as one of
the larger pieces passes, but I think you might even
be allowed to get up and try to walk tonight."

"Too tired," he sighed, rubbing her fingers.

"That will get better.  You need to concentrate on
getting your strength back.  Skinner is insisting
that we use our comp time and he wants us to spend it
at his time-share condo in Destin."

"Us . . .together?"  Mulder had a shocked look on his
face.

"Yes, us.  I was a little shocked myself when he
suggested it."

"I like the idea though.  Oh!"

"What is it?"  Concern replaced the light-hearted
talk as his face twisted into a grimace.

"Um, one of those sharp pains you were talking
about."

Scully reached over and pushed a control attached to
a cord wrapped around the side rail.  "This is
attached to a pump.  Whenever the pain gets really
bad, just push the button."

Mulder shifted his eyes to look at the control and
then looked back to Scully.  "Okay.  Tired, but we
have to talk later."

"I agree.  You rest now.  I'll be here when you wake
up again."  He leaned into her hand as she stroked
his face and brushed the hair from his eyes.

"Good, love you."  He smiled sleepily and then
drifted back to sleep.

"I love you too," Scully whispered in his ear,
feeling her eyes tearing up unexpectedly.  She didn't
really want to leave him, but got up to visit the
waiting room and report on his condition.
 

```
 
 

The Domino Effect Part 13
 

Headers and disclaimers in Part 1
 

The crowd said their goodbyes and went their separate
ways.  The nurses went home to sleep and Skinner went
back to the hotel to shower and get ready for the
seminar.  Once again, Scully found herself alone by
Mulder's side.  He was sleeping comfortably at last.
She contented herself with having the simple pleasure
of watching his chest rise and fall and knowing that
he was over the worst.  His face reflected a much
more peaceful look, in contrast to the painful
episodes he'd had before the procedure.  The storm
had come and now the waters were calm again.  She
hoped.

Poor Mulder, he'd been through seven kinds of hell
the past few days and Scully was happy that he was
finally getting some relief.  She hated to see him in
such pain, this time feeling particularly helpless to
ease his suffering.  When he was in pain, she
realized with some clarity, so was she.

A nurse had been in a few minutes earlier and had
announced that he had begun to pass pieces of the
stone.  His last vitals check had revealed that his
temperature had dropped to 100.  Things were looking
up.

In response to his fever breaking, Mulder had begun
to perspire heavily.  Scully began to bathe his face
with a cool washcloth, smoothing his damp hair off
his forehead in gentle movements so she didn't wake
him.  He'd been so uncomfortable the last few days
that she would do anything within her power to keep
him from suffering now.  She carefully untied his
gown, folding it down in order to bathe his chest.
She treated herself to a few seconds of just looking
at him like this, chiding herself the next for
enjoying the view too much.  She started sponging
him, barely touching.

"Umm, feels good," Mulder sighed.

Scully jumped back, startled.  "How long have you
been awake?"

"Not long, just since you untied my gown."  He gave
her a dopey leer that resembled his usual self,
giving Scully the immediate impression that this
scenario was ranked fairly high on his list of
fantasies.

"Feeling any better?"

"Actually, I think I do, but my back is really sore.
Goes well with my stomach muscles."

"That's from the lithotripsy.  Push the button on the
pump if you need pain medication."

"I'm okay, just happy to see you.  How about you?
You feeling okay?"  His long fingers stretched out to
meet hers, stilling the hand that was sponging him
off.  She hoped she wasn't quivering too much as he
gazed intensely at her.  His eyes were full of
meaning, despite the drugs coursing through his
system.  Her throat was suddenly very dry.

"Uh-huh."  She began to bathe his chest again,
seamlessly reclaiming his hand in the one that wasn't
sponging his pectorals, squeezing his fingers in
reassurance as she did.  "I feel pretty good now.
Just give yourself a few days and you'll be feeling
much better too."  She could feel herself starting to
feel very warm now and hoped that he wouldn't mistake
that flushed look for lingering illness.

"I've been pretty out of it, huh?"  His fingers were
absently stroking her palm as his eyes momentarily
left hers and flickered to the movements of the
washcloth over his skin before shifting back to her
face.  Scully smothered her sharp intake of breath
with a chuckle.

"Yes, you've had a rough time of it, especially the
last eighteen hours or so."

"Don't remember much."

"It's probably just as well."  She patted him dry and
pulled his gown up and re-tied it.  "There, that
should help for a while."  And a cold shower for me,
she thought unbidden.

"Thanks.  When do I get to go home?"  Mulder grimaced
as he shifted in bed.

"Maybe in 48 hours or so if you continue to do well,
and home is a relative word right now."

"I don't understand."

She smiled.  Compusure regained.  Just.  "First,
you'll need to rest at the hotel for a day or two,
and then Skinner has offered us the use of his condo
in Destin for the next two weeks."

He nodded, a look of delight passing over his
features as he processed the implications of that.
"Yeah, I vaguely remember you mentioning that in the
recovery room."

Scully noticed a look of pain on his face and noted
that he pushed the button to release a dose of pain
medication from the pump.

"We'll talk about it later.  You need to rest for a
while."

"Will you be here?"

"Of course, Mulder."

"Don't wear yourself out.  Remember you've been sick
too."

"There's a fold-out bed right over there.  I'll lie
down if I feel I need to."  She gave him her best
smile, absently rubbing his fingers as she held them.

"Promise?"

"Yes."

"Need to sleep now," he yawned.

"You go right ahead."

Mulder smiled and closed his eyes.

When he woke again Scully was sitting patiently by
his side.  They were connected as one by the clasp of
their hands, unspoken comfort that filled his heart
with warmth he'd rarely had the joy of knowing.

"Still here, huh?"

"Where else would I be?"

"Lots of other places would be nicer," he suggested,
his hand slipping from hers to cup her cheek,
smoothing his thumb over her jaw, his eyes sparkling
with indefinable emotion when she didn't pull away as
he'd expected.

"But you wouldn't be there."

"Thanks, Scully."  He reached for her hand again and
gave it a gentle squeeze.

She squeezed back, grinning, her own eyes shiny with
emotion.  "They brought some water in while you were
sleeping.  Would you like to try a sip or two?"

"I guess so.  Fair warning, though, if I puke again
I'm giving up taking anything by mouth."

Scully chuckled.  "Something tells me that you won't
need to get that drastic.  Think positively.  This is
going to stay down."

She held the cup while he took a quick sip of the
ice, cold water.

"Oh, that was nice," he sighed.

"One more.  Let's not push our luck."

Mulder took a longer sip then relaxed back onto his
pillow.  "More later?"  Scully ruffled his hair and
she placed the cup back on the nightstand.

"Let's wait at least fifteen minutes then you can
have two more sips.  If you keep this down you'll
probably get some broth and jello for dinner."

"I hate to admit this, but that actually sounds
good," he grinned.

"What sounds good to me is hearing those words come
from your mouth."

"I am feeling better, except for, ow!"

"Ow?"

"Another of those sharp pains.  It's easing off now."

"You're sure?"  Scully reached for the pain
medication control.

Mulder caught her hand.  "I'm sure.  No pain meds
right now, okay?"

"All right, Mulder, but there's no need for you to be
in pain.  You've had enough of that already."  She
hoped that good sense would over ride his stoic
tendencies.  He nodded, closing his eyes.

The day shift nurse came in and his eyes sprang open
again with apprehension, especially after she spotted
the large instrument tray she was holding.  "Hello,
Mr. Mulder.  I see you're finally awake.  I was
beginning to think you were trying to avoid me."

"Depends on what you need to do," he answered warily.

"Just the usual, Mr. Mulder.  I need to take you
temperature, get your pulse and BP, check your IV and
get a urine specimen.  All you have to do is lie
quietly."

"No needles?"

"Not at this time."

He visibly relaxed.

"You've had a pretty rough time over the past 12
hours Mr. Mulder.  We're not going to cause you any
pain unless it's unavoidable.  Let me get your temp
first."  She smiled as she finished and ejected the
sanitary cover into the trashcan.  "Still coming
down.  You're at 99.8.  Now, let's get the rest."

His BP and pulse were both within normal range.  The
nurse changed out the urine collection bag after she
secured the urine sample, and noted that several
pieces of the kidney stone had passed.

"When do I get rid of this?"  He pointed to the new
collection bag.

"You'll have to ask your doctor about that."

"Oh, I intend to.  Ow!"

"Another sharp pain?" Scully inquired anxiously,
moving in close to him.

"Uh, yeah, um, a little sharper than the others."
Mulder began to pale as the pain continued.

Scully took his hand and urged him to squeeze as hard
as he needed. Then she reached over with her free
hand and pushed the button for his pain medication.
Mulder didn't comment as he concentrated on blocking
out the latest painful assault on his body.  His
breathing was coming in fast little gasps.

The nurse and Scully stood by ready to help in any
way possible when she felt him suddenly relax.
"Phew!  That was intense," he announced, his voice a
little shaky.

"Is the pain completely gone?" the nurse questioned.

"Seems to be.  How many more of those things do I
have to pass?"

"Mr. Mulder, I honestly don't know.  The only comfort
I can provide is that most of the pieces are small
enough that you're not even feeling them as they pass
through."

"Well, that's something I guess.  Could I have
another sip of water please?"

"Sure." Scully reached for the pitcher and began to
pour water into a cup.

"Oh, that reminds me!" the nurse interjected.  "I'll
be back in a minute to post an input/output sheet.
You'll need to write down everything that you drink
and how much.  We'll take care of recording your
output until the catheter is removed."

"I'll be sure to record everything that he drinks."
Scully promised as she held the cup for Mulder.

"Thank you.  I'll be right back with that sheet."

Mulder finished drinking and shifted in bed, turning
to face Scully.  "Ohhh!  Big mistake!"

"Pretty sore, huh?"

"Yeah, but it was worth the pain just to see you more
clearly."

She gave him a rueful smile has she perched on the
side of the bed.  "I honestly don't know why you
would make the effort right now.  I'm pale as a
ghost.  I didn't put on any make up and these jeans
are not my top of the line wardrobe."

"Scully, you're a beautiful woman whatever you're
wearing and as far as I'm concerned, you don't need
any make-up.  As for your pallor, perhaps we can work
on that while we're in Destin.  I'm sure I'm a little
pale too."  Scully was pleased to see his boyish
smile return.

"You're right.  You're not your usual golden self,"
she laughed.  "You mean you actually intend to take
Skinner up on his offer?"

"Only if you promise to be there too."  Mulder's
eyelids began to grow heavy.

"I wouldn't miss it for the world."

"Gotta sleep, Scully.  Maybe I can stay awake longer
the next time.  Wanna talk to you."  He took both her
hands into his own, intertwining their fingers.

Scully leaned in and kissed him on his forehead, her
head pressed against his for a long, silent moment.
It was their special communication.  No words needed.
Finally she sat back, observing his exhausted but
delighted face.  A small nod, a sleepy grin and he
lay back.  "Sleep, Mulder."

"Umm, nice," he mumbled as he drifted off, his
fingers slipping from hers almost immediately as
sleep claimed him.
 

~~~
 
 

The Domino Effect Part 14
 

Headers and disclaimers in Part 1
 

The first thing that Mulder noticed when he woke
again was Scully, holding his large hand between her
two smaller ones.  She was holding them next to her
right cheek while she dozed with her head propped on
the side of his bed.  She was so beautiful that she
took his breath away.  The thin strip of sunlight
coming in between the closed drapes hit her hair in
such a way that it appeared to be on fire.

He decided to lie quietly and watch her as she slept.
She was so wonderful in every way, that he counted
himself a lucky man just to have this brief
opportunity.

The air-conditioning unit kicked on softly.  Mulder
observed the dust motes stirred up by the moving air
as they swirled about Scully's head.  He suddenly
felt the urge to sneeze, no doubt from the dust set
into motion by the air conditioner.

He tried to stop it.  He'd done it before in the
middle of important meetings, boring meetings,
stakeouts, you name it.  He was usually successful.
This time it was most important that he stop that
sneeze.  Despite the fact that he knew it would cause
a dizzying, excruciating, all encompassing,
unbearable pain across his stomach muscles and back,
that wasn't his main concern.  No, Scully was
sleeping and he would do anything to insure that she
would stay that way.

He brought his free hand up to his nose just in time
to stop the explosion.  Ah!  Success!  Just as he
pulled his hand away the dust swirled again and took
him by surprise.  Try as he might, there was no
stopping the reaction this time.  He let loose a
manly sneeze, one that nearly took his head off.

As he recovered from the force of the sinus explosion
and the resulting muscle pain, he heard three dainty
sneezes erupt next to him.

Scully sat up, looking somewhat dazed.
"You all right, Scully?"

"I think so.  What about you?  That had to hurt."

"I suppose I'll live to sneeze again."  He managed to
paste a smile on his face despite the lingering pain.

"What brought all of that on?"

"Air conditioner started, stirred up some dust and
got to both of us."

"Evidently," she agreed, rising to a sitting
position.  "You sure you're okay?"

"Uh-huh.  Just hurts a little now."

"It was an interesting way to wake up."

"I can think of more interesting ways to awaken."  He
leered at her.

"Oh, really?  Care to share?" she asked playfully as
she reached for a tissue.

"I'd rather demonstrate instead, but that would
require a much different setting."

"And, what would that be?"

"Scully, I need to ask you something first.  If I
don't I may get slapped when I tell you about my
alternative methods of awakening."

"All right," she agreed hesitantly.

"Okay, here goes," he thought.  "I'll either crash
and burn or be a very happy man, but I have to know."

"Well?"

"I've been pretty much out of it the past couple of
days, but I know I didn't dream this.  I told you
that I loved you, several different times, in fact,
but I don't remember receiving a response."

"I know, Mulder.  I wasn't entirely sure you were
aware of what you were saying."

"I meant every word, Scully."

"Then you deserve my reply.  I have the same feelings
for you, Mulder.  I love you too.  I'm so glad we
finally have this out in the open."

Mulder's face broke out in a shy, shit eating grin.
He could hardly contain his joy.  For a moment he
thought he would cry, but he took a deep breath to
steady his next words.  "Me too, Scully.  The big
question now is where are we going to go with this?"
he asked softly.

"Oh, I think Skinner has given us an opportunity to
explore that."

"The condo in Destin?"

Yes, but I'm still trying to figure out what made him
offer it to us."

"I honestly don't know, but I'd like to take him up
on it."

"So would I," Scully agreed with a huge smile.

They moved toward each other, closing the gap
literally and figuratively, and their lips met in a
kiss.  Neither of them pulled back as they deepened
the kiss, tongues exploring.

Finally, Mulder had to reluctantly break the kiss,
his breathing ragged.  "Scully, I'd like to do that a
little more, but I'll have to get some of my strength
back to do it properly."

"Yes, uh, you certainly do need to get your strength
back.  I'm, um, looking forward to that because that
was pretty amazing as it was," she stammered.

"We'll just have to keep practicing, then," he smiled
at her.

"In the meantime, would you like to tell me about
those alternative methods of awakening?"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Skinner made a quick stop in the ER to say hello to
Karen then went straight up to check on Mulder.  He
was quite surprised when he found Scully sound asleep
on the foldout couch while Mulder was sitting on the
side of the bed, his long legs dangling.

"Come on in, sir, Scully's dead to the world right
now.  The nurse just came in to help me walk around
the bed and she didn't stir."

"Is she all right?"

"Yeah, just tired, I think," Mulder answered, looking
toward her sleeping figure, affection showing on his
face so much that it almost shone from him.

"It looks like you're feeling much better."

"The nurse said my temperature is still slightly
elevated and I'm weak as a kitten, but I feel much
better.  Thanks."

"Great, Mulder.  I'll have to admit that you had me a
little worried early this morning."

"Thankfully, I don't remember much.  Have a seat,
sir."

"Thanks, Mulder.  I can only stay for a few minutes.
I have a dinner date then I'm heading back to the
hotel for a good nights sleep."

"I'm sorry that I kept you up all night, sir."

"Nonsense, Mulder and would you please call me Walter
when we're not working?  I think six years of working
together and a friendship has afforded us that
privilege."

"Thanks, Walter.  I'll try to remember that," he
grinned, rubbing his back.

"You must be pretty sore."

"Yeah, I am.  I feel like I've been beaten.   It's a
side effect of that procedure."

"Let's hope that clears up pretty quickly.  Any idea
when you'll be discharged?"

"Maybe in 48 hours if I'm lucky."  He rolled his
eyes.

"I'll have to admit that it looks like you could use
a change of luck.  You've had one hell of a week,"
Skinner commented.

"Can't argue with that."

"Have you and Scully discussed my offer of the condo
in Destin?"

"Yes, we have and we've decided to take you up on
your offer," Mulder reported happily.

"Great!  I think you'll enjoy it.  One bedroom has a
king-sized bed with a large whirlpool bath, while the
other has twin beds.  There's a small kitchen along
with a nice living room, a dining area and another
full bath.  There's also a heated pool and it isn't
very far from the beach."

"Sounds wonderful, Walter."

"Well, you two need some time to recuperate and just
kick back and enjoy each other's company."  Skinner
noted the shy expression on Mulder's face all of a
sudden.  Was that a blush?

"That's just what we intend to do.  Looks like you .
. .er, could win the office pool after all."  Mulder
grinned when he saw the astonished look on Skinner's
face.

"Mulder, I . . .how did you know about that?"
Skinner stuttered, blushing.

"I'm 'Spooky' Mulder, remember?"  Oh! Damnit!"

"Mulder, what's wrong?" Skinner inquired, standing up
to steady Mulder as he began to sway.

"Passing another piece of that stone," he gasped,
hugging his midsection momentarily.

"Here, let's get you back in bed."  Skinner helped
him get situated, keeping a wary eye on him the
entire time.  "Should I call the nurse?  Get you
something for pain?"

"No, thanks.  Got everything I need here," Mulder
replied painfully, pushing the control for his pain
medication.  "It's starting to ease off a little."

"How long will you continue to have these pains?"

"No idea, Walter," he sighed wearily.

"Mulder, I hate to leave you like this but . . ."

"Go on, Walter.  I'm okay now."

"You're sure?"

"Yeah, go, but could you do me a favor?"

"Sure, if I can."

"Take Scully back with you when you're finished?"

"Of course, I was going to suggest that anyway.
Karen only gets a 45 minute break, so I should be
back up here in about an hour."

"I'll make sure she's ready to leave."

"I'll see you two in an hour then."  Skinner grinned
as he left for his date.

"Trying to get rid of me, Mulder?" Scully asked,
rising from the sofa.

"Never, Scully.  I just want to be sure you get a
good nights sleep."

"I know that.  Thank you."

"How long have you been awake?"

"Oh, a few minutes at least.  How's the pain?  Gone
now?"  She gave him a quick kiss on his forehead
before sitting down in the recliner and taking his
hand once more.

"All gone for the time being anyway.  I hope that was
the last one."

"Maybe it will be.  How about eating some jello for
me before I leave?"

"Sure, I'd do that for you, Scully.  I'd even eat
green jello if you insisted."

"Oh, I don't think I would force you to do that," she
laughed.

Nita entered the room carrying a plastic container of
red jello and a plastic spoon.

"Looks like your lucky day, Mulder," Scully chuckled.

"What do you have for me, Nita?  Strawberry or
cherry?"

Nita looked at the label.  "Strawberry."

"Wow, my favorite," he said sarcastically.

"Mulder, behave, or I will insist on lime," Scully
warned him with a smile.

"Behaving now, Scully," he grinned as he accepted the
jello and spoon from Nita.

"How's it going, Mulder?  Still having those sharp
pains?" she asked as she prepared to take his blood
pressure.

"Some, it passes pretty quickly."

"What about the nausea?"

"I haven't had any since I woke up in the recovery
room," he reported happily.

"Fantastic.  I'll make a note of that and I'm sure
the doctor will adjust your diet accordingly.  Your
blood pressure and pulse are normal and I'll come
back and take your temp later.  Can I get you
anything or do anything for you while I'm here?"

"Can't think of anything, Nita.  Thanks for the
jello."

"Not a problem.  Dana, you look tired.  Why don't you
go back to the hotel where you can really rest?  I
promise we'll take good care of this guy here."

"I know you will.  Thanks for your concern, Nita.
Walter will be picking me up soon."

"Looks like you have all the bases covered.  I'll
just go and find someone who needs me," she joked.

""Thanks for all of the help you've given us, Nita,"
Scully started.

"Just doing my job, Dana, and making some new friends
along the way.  It has been my pleasure."

"Well, you've been more than helpful."

"I second that, Nita.  I don't remember much until I
woke up in the recovery room, but I'm grateful you
were there for Scully," Mulder chimed in.

"Stop it, you two.  You're embarrassing me."

"Okay, Nita.  We'll stop for now." Scully promised.

"Well, okay.  If I don't see you before you leave,
Dana, get a good nights sleep.  Mulder, I'll see you
later."

"Oh, I'm looking forward to it," he grinned, rolling
his eyes.

"Well, it looks like I'll have to see what nasty
procedure we can put you through," Nita threatened
with a grin.

"All right, all right.  I will be eagerly awaiting
your next visit."

"That's better.  See you later."

Nita left, and Scully got up and sat on the side of
the bed.  "You're going to behave until I come back
in the morning.  Right?"

"Right.  You won't get any bad reports on me."

"Good."

"My goal in life now is to keep you happy all of the
time."

"Wow, Mulder.  I don't know what to say."

"Just say you love me and give me a kiss."
 

~~~
 
 
 

The Domino Effect Part 15
 

Headers and Disclaimers in Part One
 

When Scully returned the next morning, Mulder was
sitting in the recliner, sipping some ginger ale.

"Well, I wasn't expecting this."  She entered the
room with a huge smile, pleased that her partner was
out of bed.  She leaned forward and kissed him
deeply, savoring the ginger taste on his lips.

"Got tired of lying around so I thought I'd have my
breakfast here," Mulder explained.  "The view's not
that great and the food isn't much better, but it'll
have to do.  Things definitely started looking up
when you walked in."  His hands reached for her
fingers.

"So, what did you eat?"  Scully looked at the tray.

"A few of my old favorites like beef broth and
strawberry jello.  I hear that if I'm a good boy, I
may get chicken noodle soup for lunch."  He waggled
his eyebrows.  She laughed.  Yes, he was definitely
on his way back to being her usual Mulder.

"Looks like you have been a good boy.  I don't see
anything left.  So, I guess since you were able to
get this down you're feeling better?" she asked
hopefully.

"Yes, I am."

"Any more pain?"

"Not a bit since you left last night.  My temperature
is normal.  My back and stomach are still sore but
much improved.  They took some blood earlier, and the
verdict is still out on that, but for the most part
it looks like I just need to get my strength back,"
Mulder reported, trying to pull her in closer.

"I'm so glad you're feeling better."

"Not half as much as I am.  I think I'm ready to get
back in bed now."  She could see him tiring again,
reminding her that he had a way to go yet before he
was back up to par.

"No sense in wearing yourself out.  Do you need any
help?"

"Um, this is a little embarrassing, but could you
move that uh . . .that thing?"

"The urine collection bag?  Not a problem and it is
not embarrassing."

He gave her a wry smile.  "Well, embarrassing or not,
I'll be glad to see it go."  Mulder climbed back into
bed slowly, giving in to his sore muscles.  He sighed
with relief as he sagged back into the pillows.

"You should be getting rid of it soon."  Scully
informed him as she hung the bag on the side of the
bed.

"Let's hope so.  Come here."  He snagged her hand,
pulling her over.

"What, Mulder?"

"I just like having you close."  He moved over and
patted the space beside him.

"Mulder, I'd love to climb in with you, but you need
your rest and I don't think you'd keep that in mind
with us being so close.  I need you to get your full
strength back for our visit to Destin."

"Scullee. . ."

"Quit whining, Mulder.  Besides, you should remember
how busy hospitals are in the morning.  Your doctors
will stop by and probably order tests.  The nurses
will want the aids to give you a nice bed bath and
change your bed . . ."

"Okay, okay.  I get the picture.  Did you pack some
sweats or pajama bottoms for me to wear in case I do
get rid of this torture device today?"

"Yes, I did, along with a change of clothes to go
home in when you're discharged.  Hopefully tomorrow,"
she emphasized.

"I like the way you think."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Mulder was back in his room at the hotel.  Scully had
gone to find a pair of scissors to cut off the
hospital bracelets around his right wrist.  The
sooner all traces of that place were removed the
better.  He couldn't wait to begin his voyage of
Scully discovery at Skinner's condo.  His heart did a
little giddy flip at the thought of what delights lay
ahead.  Still, he tamped down thinking about it too
much.  They needed to take this one step at a time.
It wouldn't do to screw it up by acting like an
overenthusiastic puppy.
 

Skinner had already said his goodbyes earlier at the
hospital where he had happily given them the key to
his condo.  After a short visit with Karen Bower, the
AD left to catch a flight back to the cold, snowy,
Nation's Capital.

"There you go, Mulder."  Scully cut off the plastic
bands then handed him a bottle of water.  "Drink up.
Remember, the doctor wants you to drink lots of
water."

Mulder unscrewed the top and drank almost half of the
water in a couple of gulps.  Scully nodded her
approval and came around to the other side of the
bed, kicking her shoes off.

Mulder excitedly held the covers up while she slid in
beside him.  This was somewhat unexpected.  "Mmm, you
feel good," he whispered, putting the water bottle on
the bedside table.  He turned back around and pulled
her closer.  "I think it's time to practice."

"Practice?" Scully questioned, confused.

"Kissing.  Don't you remember?"

"Oh, now that you mention it, I think I do," she
purred, stroking his face.

They kissed deeply and hungrily.  Both of them were
breathing hard when they broke apart.

"Um, I think your technique is wonderful.  I don't
think we need any more practice," Scully decided.

"Perhaps not since I can't see any room for
improvement on your part either.  I guess we can by-
pass the warm-up and go straight in without a net."
He smiled broadly and then covered her mouth with his
own again.

After several minutes of intense kissing, Scully
broke away.

"What's wrong?"  Mulder already missed the feel of
her lips.

"I think we need to slow this down.  You've only been
out of the hospital for an hour and you need to rest
up."

"Oh, I am resting up."  He emphasized the last word,
grinding into her.

Parts of him were certainly up to speed and raring to
go, she mused.  "I noticed, but I don't want to do
anything that would jeopardize your recovery."

"I think I'll be in jeopardy if we don't continue,
not to mention downright uncomfortable," he groaned,
his breathing coming in heavy pants.

Scully's hand found its way under his shirt where she
began to caress his still tender abdomen and chest.
When he didn't flinch she continued her exploration
to more pleasingly sensitive areas.  He was gasping a
little now as he leaned into her touch.

"I'm still a little sore, but I think a little
movement might help to work the kinks out."  He began
placing light kisses all along her jawbone and down
her neck.  Oh boy, she needed more skin.

"Um, some movement might be good," she agreed,
pulling his shirt over his head and off.  "But, I
wouldn't want to spoil our trip to Destin by
practicing everything before we get there."

Mulder began to slowly unbutton her blouse.  "Not a
chance of practicing everything.  I've been waiting
almost seven years for this little rehearsal and the
many moves I have in mind will need a lot of detailed
choreography."

He pulled her blouse off and tossed it on the floor
where it landed on top of his t-shirt.

"So, you're going to be the director?" she asked.

"Co-director," he informed her, kissing her once
again.

"Yes, co-director," Scully agreed between kisses.
Their hands began to roam and explore.  "Let's get
this production started."

"Great idea.  Should we continue with Act I or
advance to Act II?"

"Definitely Act II."

"Act II of the Mulder-Scully production is now in
full rehearsal," he announced, deftly unhooking her
bra.

"Any directions for me?"  Scully moved so that he
could pull the undergarment away, his eyes widening
with pure love and lust at the sight or her bared
skin.  He almost cried at her beauty.

"Just tell me you love me and let me show you my
love."

"Yes, try stopping me," Scully agreed breathlessly.
"I love you."

Mulder kissed her once again, then all thought of
patience or direction flew out the window.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

On a plane making its way to Washington, DC, Walter
Skinner relaxed and thought of his two agents fondly,
then remembered to make a note to find out who won
the Mulder-Scully office pool.  He was sure it was
his for the taking, though.  He'd made a special
effort to enter it earlier when he'd realized that
they were becoming much closer, and it didn't hurt to
be in the position of matchmaker either.

He sat back and pondered what he would do with his
winnings.  Maybe he could buy them an extra week of
time at his condo.  It would make a great wedding
gift.
 

End Part 15