TITLE: DENGUE FEVER
by: mulderache


Reply To: tgw080160@aol.com


DEDICATION: THIS IS DEDICATED TO ONE OF MY READERS "' LINDSEY'
WHO HAD TO SUFFER THROUGH THIS UNFORTUNATELY WITH THE
COMPLICATIONS OF HEMORRHAGIC SHOCK. THANKFULLY SHE IS WELL TODAY
AND IS ATTENDING NURSING SCHOOL. SHE ACTUALLY GAVE ME THE IDEA
FOR THE STORY AND THE INCENTIVE FOR WRITING THIS PIECE. THIS ONE
IS FOR YOU LINDSEY!

SPOILERS: NONE SO FAR!

DISCLAIMER: THEY DO NOT BELONG TO ME. THOUGHT I JUST MIGHT NEED
TO LET YOU KNOW THAT THEY DO BELONG TO MULDER, SCULLY , CHRIS AND
1013 PRODUCTIONS. I AM HUMBLE SO THE REST WILL BELONG TO ME, AND
ONLY ME.

SUMMARY: MULDER IS ILL BUT HE IS SLOW TO REALIZE JUST HOW ILL HE
REALLY IS THIS TIME.SCULLY IS MISSING ALONG WITH THE THREE
GUNMEN. MULDER DEVELOPS COMPLICATIONS AND IS NEEDINGA  LITTLE
HELP.


BARTLEY'S STORAGE WAREHOUSE

NEW YORK CITY


"Mulder, our plane will leave La Guardia in two hours. Can you
please hurry!" She was tired of waiting for her partner. He had
been sent a note from an anonymous source indicating that he
would find a clue to some type of UFO activity. Now they were in
this cold dark warehouse in the middle of New York City. She was
getting impatient with his inability to accept that it had been a
cruel joke.



His head popped out of the crate that was labeled: Thailand:
Cargo. "Scully, I'm almost finished." Pausing for a second he
continued," Unfortunately I think you're right. The only thing
I'm getting out of this crate is a few bug bites." He threw his
legs over the crate and walked over to his partner. "Sorry for
the wild goose chase Scully. Guess I just got carried away."


She looked down and picked up his right arm. The sleeve had been
rolled up and now his arm was covered in small red dots. " Mulder
what bit your arm?" her face was a full-blown Dr. Scully look.



He shrugged his shoulders and looked around the large dusty
building, "Probably flees. This place is a breeding ground for
most anything and everything." He picked up his jacket and rolled
his sleeves back down and pulled it on and then his coat. "You
want to stop at Starbucks and get a latte Scully?" he winked and
started towards the door.



She followed him towards the exit," Mulder, you've never had a
latte in your life." Her voice showing her irritation with the
whole find the crate and you'll find all the answers to your
questions scenario.


He turned around and gave her a lopsided Mulder grin," Scully I
will try anything at least once." He paused for a second and
spoke again," I have a woman partner don't I?



He didn't have time to dunk before the glove hit him in the head.



FEDERAL BUILDING
WASHINGTON D.C.
3 DAYS LATER


The office was dark when she opened the door. Her hands were
filled with files that she had reviewed over the weekend. She
laid then on Mulder's desk and looked around for her partner.
After a small search she put her purse in the drawer and placed
her coat on the rack and then proceeded back out of the office to
find a cup of coffee. He would show up soon, actually she thought
to herself it was still early and he probably overslept. The
three stooges had probably kept him up late again hunting for
more mysterious crates. She closed the door and started towards
the elevators.



When she returned he still was absent and she took a seat at his
desk and picked up the phone. She sat her coffee down and punched
in his number.


The thunderous shrill of the phone awakened him from his sleep.
He was feeling as if someone had let the wind out of his sails.
His head was doing the rumba behind his eyes and his whole body
ached. He had been so tired the night before that he had gone to
bed at seven, that had been a new record for Fox Mulder, alien
boy, he thought to himself. He pushed himself up on his side and
pulled the phone over into the bed," Mulder." He answered, noting
that his voice sounded as weak as he felt.


" Mulder, where are you?" the familiar voice chimed into the
phone. After a short pause she added," And what's wrong?"



He took a second before answering to glance at the clock, 'shit'.
It was already eight o'clock, he scrubbed at his face and he
gathered his composure and tried to perk up his weak tone
"Sorry, guess I overslept."




" Well get it together partner, Skinner wants us in his office at
0845am sharp. Mulder that is less than forty-five minutes away so
move it!" her voice sounding quiet irritated.


" I'll be there Scully." He placed the phone on the hook and
pulled himself to the side of the bed. He pushed himself upwards
and felt the ache in his joints. He grabbed his cell phone from
the bedside table and strolled to the charger that set on his
desk and placed the phone inside. He had forgotten to charge it
the night before. He them proceeded to the bathroom to take a
shower.



A.D SKINNER'S OFFICE
10:30AM



When Mulder opened the door and strolled into the room he noted
the venomous stare of his partner and the irritated look of his
A.D. " Sorry." It was the only thing he could manage out of his
suddenly dry mouth.


He continued over to the familiar seat and sat down beside his
partner. He wanted to go to his basement office and find the
cause for the rash he had found over his entire body in the
shower this morning, but instead he just sat down and awaited the
tongue lashing from Skinner and the one he would get from his
partner later.


" Agent Mulder glad you could join us this morning. Agent Scully
and I were talking about the 302 you submitted on the 'Fuge
Case'. It reads like a bad novel Agent Mulder. Do you think you
could explain the reasoning for the request to investigate a case
that has been closed for nearly thirty years Mulder? Also maybe
you could explain to your partner and to myself your intrigue
with an animal that is suppose to fly and yet can crawl on all
fours?"



The aches in his joints were overriding any questions that could
come from anyone right now. The rash felt like little pricklies
throughout his whole body and he wanted to go somewhere and take
some Tylenol for the pounding in his head. He knew that the A.D.
wanted some answers now but he knew that he could not sit much
longer. " I'm rescinding the 302 sir. You're right it sounds like
a bad novel. So if you don't mind I will relegate myself to my
office and see if there is something more significant that I can
investigate." He stood and was almost to the door when he heard
the distinct sound of his partner's voice.



"Mulder. What's wrong?" her voice was dripping with concern.


He knew that she would find out sooner than later and Skinner was
still in shock that he wasn't fighting for the ' Fuge Case' so he
didn't stop to answer the question. He proceeded to open the door
and exit as quickly as his feet would carry him. He felt
miserable and his joints and head hurt in a drumlike way and he
knew that he had a fever. He headed straight for his office
without even a stop at the elevator, the stairs would be fine.


He pulled the keys from his pocket and opened the door and fell
inside, his back against the rough wooden grain of the door to
assist the itch. He was about to moan in pleasure when he heard a
small knock and he knew that either Scully or Skinner was
standing outside the door. He turned and pulled it open with a
jerk. He was met by a surprise, "What are you guys doing here?
Where did you get those badges?"


They fell into the room like a scene from a bad Keystone Cops
film. "Mulder are we secure?" Beyers asked as he passed by Mulder
as he entered the small dark office carrying a briefcase and a
brown paper envelope.


" About as secure as my apartment." He replied sarcastically as
he made his way behind his desk. " What is this about? Or should
I ask what kind of adventure do you have for me today? Another
crate? Maybe a trip to the zoo to check out some elephant dung?"


" Seriously Mulder. We have a case that we think might interest
you and maybe even the scrumptious Agent Scully." Frohike voiced
as he stood beside of Beyers, who was putting together a slide
show.



"Actually it will mostly interest you Mulder." Beyers voiced as
he turned off the lights. "We now have proof of extraterrestrial
life Mulder."


Langley stood and moved to the slides on the projector," You are
not going to believe this Mulder. It's a animal that can
transform shapes."



" Guys, my head hurts and I feel like I'm getting the flu. Get to
the point. Where is it and why should this concern me?"


Langley walked over and stood by Mulder," We have reports from a
very reliable source that the creature was last seen in the Great
Smokey Mountains. It was seen near a trail, located near Cades
Cove. The trail is called Abrams Falls Trail. The creature was
seen by several hikers near the waterfall."


Frohike turned with the slide projector control and flipped to a
blurred picture of a creature with bear like qualities but it
walked upright. " The hikers stated that the creature was
crawling then it stood and walked like a man then it turned into
a man. They stated the man was tall and fully clothed when the
change occurred." Frohike flipped the picture and another blurred
picture of a man dressed in clothes was walking down the trail
but the man looked familiar, even though the picture was blurred
the man was the Alien Bounty Hunter.


 Mulder was certain that he could see the Alien Bounty Hunter in
the picture but he stood and walked over and placed his glasses
on and studied the picture. His head was pounding, especially
behind his eyes and the sensation of pressure was like a kettle
brewing and boiling. He was overwhelmed with the desire to just
lie down somewhere and sleep but he would have to wait for that
luxury." He looks familiar." His voice was almost a whisper and
he was leaning heavily on the desk with his hands tracing the
features of the creature.



Beyers walked over to Mulder," How does it look familiar Mulder?"
a look of confusion was covering his face.



" Let's just say that we've run into each other a few times." He
paused for a few minutes and shook his head. " This is too good
to pass up. Skinner will never grant me a 302 on this
information, so keep it quiet boys. We need to take a little trip
to the woods." He pushed himself up straight and walked back over
to the desk, the rash was beginning to really itch and his head
was like a power drill." I'll take a few days off and we'll leave
this afternoon." He turned to Byers," You're in charge of the
plane tickets to Knoxville and we can rent a vehicle. The trip to
Cades Cove will take a few hours so rent a van or sports utility
vehicle. I'll be at home, call me when you get the airflight
times."


Frohike started to pack up the pictures, " What about the lovely
Miss Scully? Won't she get mad it you if you just ditch her?"



" It's not a ditch. I'll leave her a note or I'll leave her a
message telling her where we'll be going. Anyway, she's getting
tired of my wild goose chases. Maybe she'll take a little time
off herself." He was rubbing his eyes and yawning. He needed to
take some Tylenol and grab a nap, he'd feel better if could just
take a nap and get rid of this rash. He looked up to find that
all eyes were on him and that made him feel uncomfortable. " What
are you looking at?" He asked the staring eyes, he couldn't let
them know that he was feeling ill, they would run and tell
Scully.



" Poison ivy Mulder? Langely asked as he pointed to the pink
scattered rash.



" Yeah." He lied as he grabbed his coat and headed out the door.
" Call me at home and let me know the time of the flight. Hurry
and leave before Scully gets back."


They all nodded in unison, Frohike grabbed the slides and they
headed out the door behind Mulder.


HEGAL PLACE
ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA
4pm


He had fallen to sleep around noon and the ringing of the phone
was again tearing at his ears. He reached for the ringing sound
and pulled the phone to his aching head. "Mulder."


"Hey Mulder, where are you? The plane leaves in thirty minutes."
Beyers asked as he stood at the gate awaiting to be boarded.


Mulder shook his head and looked down at the watch he had
discarded earlier. It was irritating the rash that had spread
over his chest, abdomen, back and now his arms. He pulled himself
up on the couch and felt the ache in all his joints but
especially his calves and his back. "Postpone the flight for me
until a later time. I fell asleep but I'm getting up to get a
shower. Call me back with the time." He hung up the phone before
Beyers could give him an answer. He needed to call Scully and let
her know that he was going out of town on personal business but
first he would take a shower.


Beyers had called back with the flight changes and instructed him
that they would just hang out at the airport until he arrived.
Now he had to call Scully and let her know that he would not be
back to work until Friday or Saturday. He hit his speed dial and
awaited Scully to pick up but the recording came on instead, he
shrugged his shoulders and left the message on the machine. He
stiffly stood and grabbed his bag and left for the airport.



The drive to the airport had been difficult in the afternoon
traffic but he had made it and now they were on their way to
Tennessee. The rash had actually started to fade and the headache
was actually relieved by the Tylenol he had taken before
boarding. Unfortunately he was still very tired and extremely
sleepy. He fell asleep on the plane and when the plane had taxied
into the Mcghee-Tyson airport Frohike reached over to his seating
partner and shook him but it was hard for him awaken, never had
he been this tired.




After several minutes he was able to open his eyes but he felt
confused. It took a few minutes to get his bearings. Frohike was
still shaking his shoulder and calling his name," I'm awake! I'm
awake!" he was able to manage out of his dry throat. " Are we in
Tennessee yet?" he asked as he scrubbed his face with his hands
and started to stand. The headache had returned with a vengeance
and the aches in his calves and back had also returned and turned
into a deep-rooted pain. He felt like someone had punched him
from the inside out. He attempted to stand but was met with pain
that put him back into his seat.


" Mulder are you okay man, you look bad." Langley was now hanging
over the seat and staring at the man.


" I'm fine, my legs went to sleep." He lied again. He decided he
would just grin and bare the pain. He managed to stand but the
pain was bad. Two days of pure agony, he must have the flu. He
knew that he had a fever and that he was getting chills but was
sweating at the same time. His only good thought was that the
rash was gone and he felt that was an improvement. He walked down
the ramp and felt like he had walked a mile. He finally had to
sit down for a while he could not go any further and he wasn't
about to let the three stooges in on his health problems. They
would be trying to call Scully in a heartbeat.


" Mulder, just admit it, you are sick. You look like hell."
Frohike spoke it low but he wanted to hear the truth from his
friend. Langley and Beyers had gone to get the rental to get the
car.


Mulder realized that the little man was sincere in his concern.
"Listen Frohike I have the flu but if you tell the other guys I
will never let you borrow from my tape collection again.
Understand?" His fevered eyes were suddenly staring up at his
friend begging for silence.


" Sure Mulder. Whatever but I will call Scully if you get any
worse. I'm not your mother." He grumbled and proceeded to walk
over to the magazine store to buy a local paper.


Mulder laid his head back on the plastic chair and hoped that the
pounding behind his eyes would just go away. Nausea was his
newest symptom since he awakened on the plane and he was feeling
rather miserable. Would it be worth trying to find his
shapeshifter nemesis? He closed his eyes and awaited for the
three men to come back.


He must have fallen asleep because Beyers awakened him. He was
shaking his shoulder and calling his name. He just wanted to lie
down and take a nap. His energy level was zero and he knew that
he was going to have to vomit," Bathroom. Hurry!" was all he
managed to get out of his mouth and then his friends were
assisting him to the yellow room. He vomited for a long time and
then he sat down on the cold floor with his face pressed against
the cool tile.


" Mulder." Beyers was bent down on his knees beside his friend.
"We booked a room near the airport. Do you think you can walk out
to the van?"



He did not speak for fear of getting the vomiting started again
but just nodded his head. The pain in his calves and back was
preventing him from standing. He just shook his head and Langley
and Beyers lifted him from the floor. Unfortunately he could not
walk due to the pain and he felt that his head would surely
explode. Beyers eased him back to the floor so that Langely could
grab a wheelchair from the first aide room. He felt like he was
going to die, the flu had never been this bad before.


Langley returned with the wheelchair and they lifted him into the
seat and rolled him out to the van. Frohike was at the wheel of
the van. Langley and Beyers were assisting Mulder into the seat.
They handed him a paper bag just in case he needed to throw up
again. "Mulder, maybe we should call Scully." Beyers commented as
he climbed into the seat beside his friend.


"No, it's just the flu. I just need some aspirin and some sleep
and I will be fine." Well at least he hoped because right now he
could never remember feeling this bad.


The rest of the trip to the motel was in silence and Mulder just
lay still and hoped that he would just pass out from the pain.
When they arrived, Beyers and Langley got out and went to the
front desk. Soon they came back and together they got him into
the room on the lower floor. They pulled back the sheets and
helped him shed his clothes. They knew he had to feel pretty bad
to let them assist him with getting into bed. Beyers grabbed a
trashcan and sat it beside the bed. He would stay with Mulder the
first part of the night.



TWO HOURS LATER


"Beyers!" He paused," Frohike!' he tried to roll over but he was
so sick and his body was so sore that he knew that death was
coming to get him and to Hades he would go. He needed to puke
again and he needed help just to move. The pain in his head was
monumental and the cramps and aches he was feeling in his legs
and back were debilitating. He was surely dying. Nobody could
feel this bad. " Somebody help me!" Suddenly hands were assisting
him and he could hear somebody in the room talking to him but
oblivious to whom that person could possibly be and he really
didn't care. They rolled him over and the emesis flowed from his
throat and his head hurt just that much more.


Frohike and Langley were helping assist Mulder with his vomiting
and retching. Beyers picked up the cell phone and dialed Scully's
home number on Mulder's speed dial.


" Hello. Scully." The sleepy voice answered.



" Agent Scully this is Beyers. We have a problem." Beyers spoke
in almost a whisper so that Mulder would not hear the
conversation in the adjoining room.


" What's wrong? Did someone shoot him? Did he fall and break a
bone? Did he get attacked by a vampire or a large big foot
creature? Did he meet up with an alien and get sprayed with alien
green goo? Her voice was tired and there was a sarcastic tone to
her questions.


Beyers was taken aback with her tone of voice but knew that
Mulder was always getting into trouble. " No Agent Scully he is
sick. He has a fever and he has been vomiting since we got off
the plane. I'm really worried about him."



" He has the flu. Take him to the hospital in the morning if his
symptoms persist. Call me back if he is near death and only if he
is near death. Also relay this message, 'I don't appreciate the
ditch!'" then she hung up with a loud click.



Beyers ended the phone call with a look of confusion and
disbelief on his face. Frohike was curious as he looked at his
friend's expression," What did she say? Is she coming?"



"No. She told me to take him to the hospital in the morning if
his symptoms persisted. She seemed ticked." Beyers put the phone
down and peeped through the adjoining door to see his friend's
head hanging off the side of the bed retching again.



"Frohike shook his head," he needs to stop ditching her and she
wouldn't get so mad at him." He stepped back into Mulder's room
with Beyers following. " How are you feeling my friend."



Mulder shook his head and moaned out loud, "I think I need to go
to the hospital. I really think I'm dying guys." His face was
sweaty and the rash that had disappeared had started back but was
a whole lot worse. His head felt like it would explode and his
stomach was doing backflips. A small amount of blood could be
seen on his lip from his gums that had started to bleed while he
was retching.



Beyers walked over to the bed and knelt down," Mulder, do you
really want us to take you to the hospital?" Langley and Frohike
were looking on with surprise that Mulder would ask to be taken
to any hospital, they both knew that he must be in pretty bad
shape.



Mulder opened his eyes and looked up at his friend, he nodded. He
did not have the energy to talk. He hurt so badly and he felt
that it was possible that he was dying.


"Can you walk Mulder?" Beyers asked as he reached for the bedside
phone.



He shook his head. He didn't think he could take a good breath
with all the pain he was having in his legs and back. He didn't
even have the strength to roll back over.



Beyers started dialing 911 and began to tell the location and the
symptoms of his friend. When he hung up the three men went to the
other room." Should we call Scully back?" Frohike asked as he
started pulling Mulder's stuff back into his bag.


" She gave specific directions. Maybe after the emergency room
doctor takes a look at him and we know more then we will give her
a call." He grabbed his bag and handed it to Langley. " I'll take
Mulder's cell just in case she decides to call first." He left
the two men in the room and went to stay with Mulder.



The sirens were deafening as they arrived at the small motel.
They came to the motel door and knocked," Paramedics!" They
yelled through the door. Beyers opened the door and was met by
two paramedics." Is this the patient?" he asked as he pointed
towards Mulder who was retching again into the trashcan.


" Yes. His name is Fox Mulder. He became ill on the flight here
and has been complaining of muscle cramps in his legs and back
and vomiting since we arrived. He doesn't seem to able to walk
due to the pain." Beyers filled them in on the pertinent
information as the paramedics started their assessment.


" Mr. Mulder my name is Kevin and my partner is Drake. We need to
get an intravenous line into your arm and get some fluids
started." He reached down and picked up the limp arm and noted
the thickly scattered pink rash. " Mr. Mulder have you been
exposed to anything recently that you are allergic to or taken
any new meds or ate any new foods?


He shook his head to the negative and watched as they put the
tourniquet on his left arm. They stuck the large sixteen-gauge
needle into his antecubital vein and started fluids wide open.
The doctor on the radio wanted immediate transport, they would be
taking him to St. Mary's Hospital. He did not feel like he could
be moved without wanting to vomit again. They gently lifted his
very painful body onto the stretcher,secured him then headed out
the door to the ambulance. He could hear Beyers giving out his
medical history even his allergies to Ativan and Compazine. Did
everybody know his allergies or was he just in the hospital that
often that it was common knowledge?



The ride to the hospital with Beyers remaining at his side was
excruciating to say the least. They rolled him into the ER and
into the cubicle. A nurse came in to help assist getting him into
the bed and a lab tech was taking blood from his right arm and
then they were stripping off the rest of his clothes observing
the very prevalent rash.  Within minutes the room was buzzing and
a doctor was listening to his lungs and pushing on his very sore
abdomen. The need to retch had been calmed by the drugs that they
had given in the ambulance. " What's his temp?" someone to his
left asked.


" It's one hundred three point four aurally. His blood pressure
is eighty four over sixty." The voice was definitely female and
she was now placing monitors on his chest and watching the
heartrate on the monitor, " His heartrate is sixty and regular.
No ectopy noted." The nurse was calling off the numbers and
hooking up more monitors and tubes. " O 2 sat is ninety percent."


He was alert enough to know that they were causing him discomfort
but he was also a little hazy from the drugs. He was not vomiting
again but he was still nauseated. The doctor then started giving
orders that he did not like, 'Foley cath and nasogastric tube',
time to respond with a little Mulder attitude. He tried to sit up
to let his feelings be known but was gently guided back down to
his place on the stretcher. He felt the tube slide into his
bladder and almost gasped at that extremely uncomfortable
feeling. Another nurse was yelling " No output!" and another hand
was coming at him with another tube towards his nose. No way was
he going to allow this without some kind of fight. He grabbed the
tube as it came down and held on to it tightly. He was
simultaneously grabbed on both sides and restraints were placed
on both wrist. Another voice was saying something about him being
delirious from the fever. The tube started again and they started
to push the tube down but he gagged and was unable to let it pass
down his throat. Within a few more minutes he was feeling numb
from more drugs and he quit fighting and fell to sleep.


Beyers had stayed in the room until they had to restrain Mulder's
hands to insert the nasogastric tube. He was getting a little
nauseated himself and relegated himself to the waiting room with
Frohike and Langely." How's he doing" Frohike asked as Beyers
entered the room.



" Not good. They had to restrain his hands when I left to put
down a tube. I told the nurse to let someone know that we were
here." Beyers sat down on the old sofa and pushed his head back,
his hands automatically coming up to his face." Do you guys think
I should call Scully back?"


Langely and Frohike looked at each other and nodded. Beyers stood
to go find a pay phone. He would suffer the wrath of Scully
either way.


Dr Holland walked out to the waiting room and found Frohike and
Langely." Hello my name is Dr. Holland. I've been taking care of
Mr. Mulder. Are you his next of kin?"


The boys nodded and tried not to look too guilty. The physician
sat down facing the two men. " Mr. Mulder is very ill. We are
running some tests to find out what is going on with him but
right now I am very puzzled by his symptoms. The rash is
perplexing and the high fever and joint pains. He is definitely
dehydrated and his output is basically nothing. We are loading
him up with fluids though. Has he had any exposure to any unknown
substance or toxic chemicals?



Langely spoke up, "Not that we know of but Agent Mulder does deal
with the unknown element in his line of work. He is a Federal
Agent with the FBI."


"Well that is interesting. Do you think I could talk with his
partner or his boss? He really is sick and I need to get as much
information as I can to diagnose him correctly.



"Our friend went to call his partner, who also is a medical
doctor. She can give you a call if that would help." Langely
explained.



"Yes that would be great. Have her call the emergency room and
ask for me. I will let the staff know that I am expecting her
call." He stood and started out the door but turned, "If you
could get her to call as soon as possible it would be
appreciated."


" Sure. She will call in a few minutes." They both stood and
started towards the lounge with the phones.



The doctor returned to the ER and found that his patient was
awake. "Mr. Mulder, how are feeling?"


He looked up at the doctor and tried to speak but the tube was
making his throat sore and raw. His voice was hoarse when he
spoke softly, "Like hell."



" Well I can guess why you feel so bad. Your white count is low
and your pressure is trying to bottom out on us. We have you on
some medicines that will assist the pressure in staying up and we
are giving you some fluids for hydration. We also have you on
meds for your high fever and intravenous analgesics for pain." He
pulled out his stethoscope and listened to Mulder's chest and
then to his abdomen. He noted that the rash was terrible but
noted that his patient was not complaining of any itching.


"What's wrong with me?" he asked weakly. He was still feeling the
pain in his legs and his back but it was more tolerable but his
headache was centered behind his eyes and he felt like someone
had turned on a furnace.


"We are still trying to figure that one out and we are going to
have to do a spinal tap and several other tests to rule out
certain things. But at this point we are at a loss of what type
of disease process we are dealing with." The doctor was starting
to gather some packages and setting up a table. A nurse came over
and helped him roll on his side. " Your next of kin told me that
your partner is a medical doctor. Do you think she could offer
any insight into what is causing your symptoms?"



"She is a forensic pathologist. She probably could do my
autopsy." He murmured as they placed the cold betadine over the
lower area of his back. " Though she has saved my ass on several
occasions." He groaned as he felt the nurse position his legs and
bend his head down to touch his chest. The pain that movement
brought almost took his breath.



The physician continued to do the task at hand," You're going to
feel a little stick." He pushed the numbing medicine into his
patient's back and heard a moan of discomfort but his patient did
not move. "I don't think you will need an autopsy but I would
like her input into your medical condition if you don't mind."


He did not answer any more questions but concentrated on not
crying. He felt like his back was going into spasms and his head
was ready to explode. The physician knew that his patient was
just trying to maintain his control over his pain. After he
withdrew the fluid he bandaged the area and they rolled Mulder
flat on his back. "I really am hurting. Can you do anything for
the leg and back pain or even the headache?" he moaned, he knew
that sounded pitiful and he hated to beg but he was feeling
terrible and for once bravery would not get him anywhere.



"Sure Mr. Mulder. I will increase your pain medicine. I'm also
going to start you on some heavy duty antibiotics until we can
diagnose your illness, even though I believe that it is viral."
He gave the orders to the nurse and went out the door with the
vials, he would take them to the lab himself.


FLIGHT 704 TO KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE


After she had hung up the phone with Beyers she had not been able
to sleep so she had called and booked a flight to Tennessee. Now
she sat on the plane wondering what it was that she felt that he
was probably in trouble. Because he is Mulder and he is just
capable enough to get in more trouble than any human being that
ever inhabited this planet. 'So help me Mulder if you are not as
sick as the boys say your are I am going to shoot you and I will
enjoy it. I will at least have some satisfaction.' She thought to
herself.


The flight was delayed due to snowy weather. She was getting
antsy sitting beside a woman who could not seem to stay in her
seat for more than two minutes. 'Must be cystitis or an urinary
tract infection.' She almost decided to change seats so she could
have a moment of not having to stand up and let her out but she
had no desire to sit beside a window and look down some 27,000
feet. She was going to tolerate the irritation. Though she might
need to fulfill the urge to take out her gun and shoot her or at
least pretend to shoot at her and never miss.



ST. MARY'S HOSPITAL


They had moved Mulder to an isolation room in critical care for
one on one care. He was sleeping soundly when he was startled
awake by an unfamiliar voice. " Mr. Mulder it's time to wake up
and let me do an assessment." The nurse whispered as if she was
trying not to awaken him.



He nodded and attempted to open his eyes but the pain that was
exploding behind them prevented him from opening them fully. He
did manage a small slit and could see a blurry image of a tall
woman with blond hair with a white mask wrapped around her face.
She looked middle aged and she had that don't mess with me
attitude. He moaned to let her know that he did hear the question
but was unable to respond any better.



The nurse must have understood the pitiful sign of pain and she
gave up on any verbal replies to any questions. Instead she
started to pull and tug at his wires and tubes. She reattached
some tape and listened with her cold stethoscope to his chest and
abdomen. The NG tube was retaped and secured, where he had
sweated during the night with his fever. He wanted to know the
time but was afraid to try to ask any questions. The nausea had
returned and the headache was pounding behind his eyes and the
pain he felt in his legs and lower back was beyond the word
excruciating. He needed more pain med and the pump that was
delivering was not giving him the relief he needed.


" I have some bad news for you Mr. Mulder. Your friends have been
quarantined until we know what's going on with you and what you
have been exposed to and the treatment." She reached over his
head and flipped on a light that almost blinded him through his
closed eyelids. She was looking at the rash, which basically
covered his whole body. " I'm going to put some calamine lotion
on this rash and Dr. Holland wants you to have some intramuscular
Benadryl."



" Call Dr. Scully. She is a scientist. She can help" his
sentences were short and almost a whisper. He needed Scully and
his friends also needed her.


Your friends have been trying to call her for a while but there
has been no answer. Your phone had to be taken for isolation
purposes but it has been ringing a lot in the past hour according
to our staff in isolation. Maybe she is trying to call you." The
nurse flipped off the light and reached over to the tray she had
brought into the room and picked up the syringe. "Okay time for
some Benadryl." She assisted his sore body in turning over and
she rubbed the cool pad over his exposed hip. His gown had been
disposed of during the night and a cooling blanket had been
placed underneath him to help with the high fevers. The needle
hit the sore skin and slid into the sore muscle. He could feel
the liquid enter and slightly burn. "Done. Can you roll back over
or do you need some help?"


He nodded, his strength almost zapped from the few things he was
asked to do for his nurse. She assisted him in turning back over
and before he could ask any questions his tired body slipped back
to sleep.


The nurse finished her tasks and left the call light in reach.
His fever was starting to climb again and she would need to
return within the hour to give him something for the fever. She
exited the room, quietly pulling the door to behind her as she
left.


St Mary's Emergency Room
0645am


"I'm looking for a Fox Mulder. I have reason to believe he was
treated here within the last twenty- four hours." She pulled out
her FBI badge and flipped it open. " My name is Agent Dana Scully
and he is my partner."


The nurse at the admitting desk started to pull up the name in
the computer. " Here he is Agent Scully, he's listed as a patient
in the critical care. He is in isolation though. Maybe you can
speak to his physician, Dr. Holland."


"That would be great. Let him know that I will meet him in the
critical care and he can update me on Mulder's status." She
started to walk away and she turned to ask if they had admitted a
Mr. Frohike, Beyers, or Langely.


She looked again and there was an affirmative to the question and
they were all in quarantine. After getting directions she started
towards the elevators. She had been unable to get anybody on
Mulder's cell phone and had pretty much called all the local
hospitals looking for her partner. She finally had called and the
operator had told her that a Mulder was treated at the hospital
but could not give any other information. She felt terrible that
she had been so abrupt with Byers. She would make it up to them
somehow.



Critical Care Unit
0730am


A tall man walked into the waiting area and was looking around,"
Dr. Dana Scully?" he asked as he spotted a red haired woman
standing across the room.


She nodded and walked half way across the room, Dr. Holland
meeting her the other half. " Yes I'm Dr. Scully. You must be Dr.
Holland."


" Yes. Mr. Mulder told me your were a doctor and his partner. He
is in the quarantine area of our critical care unit. His
relatives were also quarantined basically because we just don't
know what is going on with Mr. Mulder. Would you like to see his
chart? The doctor asked as he started leading her towards the
isolation ward.



Scully looked puzzled, "Relatives?" she thought for a second that
there just may be another Fox Mulder.


" Yes a Mr. Beyers, a Mr. Frohike and a Mr. Langely. They are in
quarantine until we can establish a diagnosis for your partner.



Scully couldn't help but smile. They had probably had to lie to
get information. They arrived in the quarantine area of the CCU.
Dr Holland handed Mulder's chart to Scully. She sat down at the
desk and started to read the test results.


CRITICAL CARE UNIT
QUARANTINE AREA


The nurse had brought in some more medicine for his pain and he
was actually feeling better than he had since his admission. He
was even thirsty for the first time since he was admitted but the
nasogastric tube remained and he really didn't want to vomit
again for a couple of days, his stomach was still sore. There was
a firm knock on his door and he raised his head to get a glance
at whom it might be since everybody was now in quarantine thanks
to him.


The door opened and Scully stuck her head in without a mask. She
had a small smile on her face and Mulder felt that he was about
to be set free from the white sterile room. " Hey. How are you
doing Mulder?"



He tried to raise his aching head but decided that it was too
painful." Better now that you are here."


She smiled a bigger smile and walked over to his bed reaching
down and placing a small kiss on his forehead." Well, I believe
we know what is going on with you Mulder. Dr Holland and I
believe you have Dengue Fever.


" I have what? Dhen Gey fever?" he asked with a perplexed look on
his face.


" Mulder it's a viral infection, usually common in the tropical
regions of the world. The most common areas are India, Viet Nam,
the Caribbean and Thailand. I t is usually transmitted by a
mosquito." Scully started to explain as she pulled up the plastic
chair beside his bed.



" I haven't been out of the country Scully." He closed his eyes
feeling the headache starting to build up behind his eyes again.
Hadn't he just gotten some pain medicine?


" You're right Mulder but I remembered the bites on your arm a
few days ago in the warehouse. I believe that you were either
bitten by the Aedes albopictus or the Aedes aegypti mosquito.
Someone set a trap for you Mulder. I called the warehouse and
they said the crates were gone and there was no record of them
ever being there in the first place." She looked down at her
partner's reaction, which was nothing short of shock.



" They needed me out of the way. They knew I would come here
Scully. They knew I would find the shapeshifter and discover
their secret." He raised his sore body up in the bed and stared
at his partner with glassy fevered eyes.


" Mulder what are you talking about?" she asked worriedly. She
was concerned about his sudden agitation and knew that it was not
good for him to get upset. She had left off the complications of
the disease. Hemorrhagic fever or Dengue Shock Syndrome which
both could be fatal. " Mulder you need to lie down and get
quiet."



" Scully don't you understand?" he was now sitting up in the bed
and was starting to push the sheet away exposing his gownless
body. "They set me up Scully. They wanted me out of the way and
now they will get by with whatever it is they are doing up there
in the mountains. I need to get out of here Scully. I need to go
there and take a look for myself." He was searching the room for
his clothes hoping that they did not get destroyed when he was
placed in isolation.


" Mulder, you are not well and you are not going anywhere." She
stood and grabbed the sheet he was trying to push back from his
body. "You are going to stay here and get better." She gently
pushed him back into the bed, which wasn't difficult due to his
weakened status. " I will get the nurse to give you something for
agitation and I want you to sleep. Rest is the key to getting
better."


He had the biggest pouty face on but Scully was immune to it and
she was pushing the call light telling the nurse to bring in
Valium 10 MGS IV. He was about to panic. He just wanted to find
out what they were trying to keep him from finding. But Scully
was in doctor mode and if he didn't calm down he would be drugged
until discharge. "I'm sorry Scully. You're right. I'm
overreacting." He lied through his teeth. She would eventually go
to check on the boys and he would make his escape. " Please no
drugs. Please Scully." He hoped that he pleading would work, he
needed to get to the trail. He would find some answers, this was
what the crate message was all about. He was so close to finding
the answers to his questions and Scully was going to drug him
into a semi coma.



She shook her head and crossed her arms." I know you too well
Mulder and that will not work. I will send the boys to the trail
and they can check it out but you, my friend, aren't going
anywhere except to sleep." Her voice held that I won't change my
mind because I know what you are up to and it will not work.


He closed his eyes and tried to think for a few minutes but the
nurse entered the room with the syringe and with Dr. Holland in
tow. " Is our patient giving you a hard time Dr. Scully?" Dr.
Holland asked as he took the syringe and uncapped it and walked
over to the IV line. He was prepping the port with the alcohol
gauze when Mulder reached down and pulled out the IV line.


Scully and Dr, Holland looked at him like he had committed
murder. " Mulder, what are you doing?" she asked as she grabbed a
towel and held pressure to his forearm.


He shook his head and sat up shakily on the side of the bed," I
said no more drugs!" he pushed his self up and stood, the pain
returning to his legs and his lower back with a vengeance. "I am
going home." He started to pull the tube from his nose when his
legs buckled and he was caught by three sets of hands. They
gently put him back into the bed and the nurse went about
restarting his IV. Scully tried to comfort him but he was mad at
the situation but not at the people who were trying to help him.
Again they had won. He could feel the drug as it hit his veins
and within minutes he was sleeping.


Room 405C
4 days later

He awakened feeling very confused. Had he slept for hours, days
or weeks? He felt itchy and weak. He looked around the room
noticing that he had been moved. He didn't see his partner and he
really didn't want to see anybody anyway. He was still angry at
the drugs that they had pumped into to him to make him sleep. He
rolled over and stared at the door for a few minutes and then
tried to sit up but found he was too weak. He felt like hell and
he just wanted to go home. He was about to hit the call button
when he heard a small knock on the door. He did not answer, he
did not feel like company.


A hand reached into the door first and then a body, it was
Skinner. "Mulder, how are you doing?" he asked as he crossed the
room.



" Fine. They drugged me." He felt miserable and he wanted
everyone to know just how miserable he actually felt.


" They did it for your own good Mulder. You have a tendency to
want to do things that are potentially harmful to yourself and we
have to curb that desire." He leaned against the wall near the
window and looked down at his agent who seemed to be fairing
better than he expected. Dr. Holland had told him that he was in
the respite stage and that his fever would return and so would
his rash. Basically he would going to get worse before he got
better and due to his recent bleeding in his gums and a positive
hemoccult of his stool they were keeping him quiet. They were
watching for hemorrhagic shock. His blood pressure still remained
low as well as his pulse.


" Sure. Whatever." He pulled himself up in the bed and pushed his
head back against the pillow. " Where is Scully, speaking of my
jailer and the three stooges? His voice asked in a dry sarcastic
tone.



Skinner looked down at the floor and tried to not look at his
agent. The reason he had traveled to Tennessee was because the
threesome and Scully were missing and that was going to be a
little difficult to tell his friend. He paused for a second and
decided that the straightforward method may be the only way to
give Mulder the news. "They are missing Mulder. They did not
report in two days ago after reaching the trail. We have a search
party out looking for them now."


Mulder looked panicked and he quickly threw back the covers." We
need to find them."



" Mulder we have people looking for them. You are going nowhere."
He walked over and placed his hand on Mulder's shoulder. " We'll
find them."



Mulder nodded and lay back down, he had learned a lesson, if he
fought then they would drug him into oblivion. He would wait for
his opportunity and then he would go to search himself. He could
find them.


2 HOURS LATER


 They had given him the privilege of removing the Foley catheter
and the nasogastric tube. He was actually feeling better. He knew
that it was around noon and that he could probably get out of the
building without too much notice but he had to make sure that
nobody would stop him. He found the bag Frohicke had brought to
the hospital and his clothing and belongings except for his gun,
which had to be locked up in admitting. He slid out of the bed
and went to the bathroom. He was definitely weak but he had to
move quickly, his nurse would be returning soon.


He went down the steps and out to the pick up area. He had taken
a minute before he made his escape and called a cab. He would go
to a rental company and get a vehicle and a map. He needed to go
and see what had happened to Scully and his friends. The cab
pulled up and he quickly opened the door and got into the
vehicle. They were pulling away when he heard a page for Dr.
Holland.


ABRAMS FALLS TRAIL
GREAT SMOKEY MOUNTAINS


The place was swarming with FBI and other agents. Skinner was
talking with the ranger who had spotted the creature earlier in
the week. He remembered seeing Agent Scully and three other men
start up the trail two days ago but had seen nothing since that
day. Skinner's pager went off and he pulled out his cell phone,
hoping that it would reach with all the mountains. He dialed the
number and Dr. Holland answered.



"This is Assistant Director Skinner. What's wrong with Mulder?"
he asked knowing that his agent had probably flown the coup.



" He left without a discharge. He is a pretty sick guy. I am
really concerned Mr. Skinner. If you see him will you bring him
back?" Dr Holland asked as he flipped through his patient's
chart.



" Absolutely. He'll probably be showing up soon. I will have him
coptered back to the hospital in restraints if necessary. About
how long ago did he disappear?" Skinner was motioning for a
couple of the agents as he talked on the phone. He would have
them put out the word to look for Mulder.



" Approximately an hour and a half ago. His nurse was getting
ready to change his pain medications when she found him missing.
I figured he probably went to look for his missing partner." The
doctor was pulling out the latest results of Mulder's blood work
and was stunned to see the significant drop in hematocrit and
hemoglobin. He was fairly sure that Mulder was actively bleeding.
" Mr. Skinner I'm looking at Mulder's lab work and he may have
developed the hemorrhagic shock. I'm seeing a significant drop in
his numbers. We need to get him back here as soon as possible. He
could bleed to death if not seen soon." His voice was conveying
the concern for his patient.


Skinner sensed the urgency of the matter and explained to the
agents that Mulder was ill and needed medical attention. He now
had not only the responsibility of finding one agent and the
three amigos but an agent who might be dying. He quickly dialed
Mulder's cell phone and hoped that he had taken it with him when
he has escaped to find Scully.



To be continued in part 2/2


TITLE: DENGUE FEVER ( PART TWO/TWO)


Mulder heard his cell phone ringing but he was not going to
answer yet. He knew that they had probably notified Skinner about
his escape. He needed to get to Cades Cove and find his partner.
He could feel the cramps in his legs and back returning. The
intravenous drugs had probably given him a false security
regarding his pain. The fever was creeping back up too, he had
stopped and purchased some Tylenol and bottled water. He just
needed a few hours and he knew he could find them.


He had rented an all terrain vehicle and now he was almost to his
destination. He looked down at the map, careful not to miss the
steep curves that wound up the mountain. The road was slick with
icy spots and the sides of the mountains were covered with
icicles. It was beautiful. He just hoped that his partner and the
three gunmen were somewhere warm at least. He turned up the heat
and continued the drive towards Cades Cove.


CADES COVE
ABRAMS FALLS TRAIL


The hike up the trail two days ago was not so difficult but now
they were off the trail due to the creature. They had followed
the shapeshifter from the trail and now they were lost. Byers had
brought provisions for a day's trip, which now was stretching,
into the third day. Scully was trying not to look ticked but she
was wearing her discontent with the situation on her shoulder.
They all knew that she was concerned for Mulder. She was not too
happy about looking for the creature but she had done it for
Mulder.


" Where the hell are we Byers?" she asked feeling like she needed
to verbalize some anger with the situation. She was tired and she
was cold and she was hungry. She pulled out her cell phone again
and tried to dial 911 but was met with dead air.



Byers and Langly were using the compass and trying to get a
direction to walk in and not become even more lost, if that were
possible. The creature had disappeared into the forest and had
not been seen since. Frohike had taken the lead and was trying
not to look too afraid of the unknown. Scully pulled out her gun,
why hadn't she thought of it before now. She held it up high and
shot off a couple of rounds. The echo of the shots rang through
the forest.


ENTRANCE TO CADES COVE


Mulder drug himself out of the car. The fever and rash were both
on the rampage again. His head had started the drumming again and
the pressure behind his eyes made his head feel like it was going
to explode. He had to find Scully and his friends. He needed to
find the creature because his answers were there and he needed to
find them. He was too damned close not to follow.


He had taken off his coat earlier when the fever had started to
rise again. He was feeling too warm to place the coat back on
afterwards. As he walked around the car he had every intention of
retrieving the coat but he saw the creature. It was standing
about fifty yards away from him and he knew that he needed to go
after it so he started running as fast as his aching legs would
allow.


He was sweating from the fever and from the run. The creature had
taken off leading him now only god knew where and he was
shivering. The lack of coat and the fever were reeking havoc on
his sick body. What had he been thinking? He sat down on an old
stump, the creature was no where in sight and he was lost. This
was too good, lost and nobody knew where he was, might as well
give up and die now. He looked around at the snow covered ground
and shook his head. He felt a cool liquid on his lip and reached
up with his bare hand and wiped at his nose and lip. He stared at
his hand and saw bright red blood. This was great, a nosebleed.
He held the pressure to the bridge of his nose and hoped that
some miracle would occur and someone would happen along.


ABRAMS FALLS TRAIL


They had been found thanks to Scully's gunshots. The rescue team
had found them rather easily after that and now the paramedics
were looking them over, assessing for frostbite and dehydration.
Actually they were doing well despite the frigid temps and the
lack of food. Now there concern was more directed at Mulder's
disappearance and the rescue team was now directed at finding
him. The rangers had found his rental car with his coat inside.
The footsteps leading into the thick forest were coupled with
another's and both Skinner and Scully knew that he had followed
the creature.



Skinner walked over to the medic truck and looked inside to see a
very anxious Scully arguing with the paramedic who was trying to
start an IV of warm fluids. He stepped up into the vehicle and
closed the door. "Scully you need to let them take care of you.
You are not doing yourself or Agent Mulder any good by denying
yourself medical care."


"Agent Mulder is my primary concern. I talked to Dr. Holland and
he feels that Mulder's health is seriously compromised right now
and considering that he went running after this creature without
even a coat on makes me think that he is not thinking too well
due to fever or blood loss." She paused for a few minutes and
took a deep breath and composed her emotions. "He is very sick
and I doubt very seriously that he is aware how sick he is right
now."


He shook his head, "He is the most stubborn human I've ever had
the pleasure of supervising. We are looking for him Scully. We
will find him."


She looked down as the paramedic was inserting the needle and
grimaced for a second. She was tired and needed a good sleep but
she was not going anywhere before they found Mulder. Looking up
at her boss she nodded and spoke softly. "Hopefully they will
find him soon. He will need medical attention quickly."


He stood to exit but then turned, "I'll be back in few minutes. I
need to check on the progress and will update you as see on as I
get some information." He then opened the door and stepped out
into the cold air. Night was falling and he knew that he needed
to find his agent.


SOMEWHERE UNKNOWN

He was now coughing and shivering. He was bringing up specks of
blood. It had taken a long time for his nosebleed to stop. Now
when he coughed he was having splatters of blood. He knew that he
needed to find his car but it was getting dark and he needed a
warm place to stay the night but all he could see was the trees.
He just wanted to go to sleep. The urge was strong and he just
wanted to lie down where he stood. He finally stopped moving and
went down to his knees and then he curled up into a ball. He
would surely freeze to death. The shivers were causing his body
to convulse and he wanted to close his eyes and rest. He felt
strong hands lift him and then he saw nothing but darkness.



When he awakened he was in a cave and there was a fire. He tried
to roll over but as in the hospital his body felt too weak and
the rash was worse. The fever was definitely back and he was very
nauseated. He wondered who started the fire but he felt warm and
he felt safe. He knew that he shouldn't feel safe but he did not
fear anything. A few minutes later the creature entered the room
but he changed his appearance and now he was the Alien Bounty
Hunter." Where am I?" his feeble voice croaked.


The man looked down at him and smiled," It does not matter. You
do not need that information." He walked over and pulled a cup of
liquid off the rock and brought it over to Mulder. " You need to
drink." He lifted up Mulder's head and helped him take a few
sips. " You are very ill. I can not heal you though. It would
take too much energy and I need it to complete my mission."


Mulder took the offered liquid but ended up coughing and choking.
He finally settled down and the ABH covered him up with a thick
blanket. "Why should you care what happens to me?" he took
another sip of the liquid and pulled the blanket up around his
neck. He would not look a gift horse in the mouth.



He shook his head and sat the cup down in Mulder's reach. "You
are not suppose to die. You are important to the project. We will
need you later." He stood and walked over to the other side of
the cave and pushed back a thick canvas and then Mulder saw the
task at hand. The pods held people with the tubes inserted down
their throats. The look of terror was pasted on their faces. He
felt like vomiting up the liquid but knew he might start bleeding
and die anyway, regardless of the ABH'S wishes.



Mulder tried to sit up on the make shift cot but was too weak.
"What's wrong, need some more food for your offspring?" his voice
was filled with sarcasm. He felt the anger spreading up through
his weakened body and he was shaking again. He was shaking though
due to his anger, not that he was cold. "Is this your mission? Is
this the reason you came back to find more food for the farm?"


The ABH continued to tend to the pods and ignored the comments.
His nemesis was too weak and would not cause him any delays. He
fixed the settings on the pod and adjusted a few knobs to change
the temps to accommodate the heat in the cave. He could not allow
the meltdown, the smaller creatures were too weak to live. He
knew that he must collect a couple more specimens and he would be
leaving. He pushed the canvas back into place and walked back
over to Mulder. " You were to be placed in a position that you
could not interfere. You are too stubborn for your own good." He
laid his hand on Mulder's forehead and felt the heat radiate from
his skin. "You will need medical attention soon so I must hurry
and complete my task ahead of schedule. So sleep so that I can
get my work done."




Mulder tried to keep his eyes open and watch his enemy. He did
not trust him but his eyes grew too heavy to keep open and he
fell to sleep.



ABRAMS FALLS TRAIL ENTRANCE

The rescue team has stopped their search for the night due to the
extreme darkness. They were sleeping by campfires and the Medic
trucks still had their passengers intact and secure to IV lines
and they were taking warm fluids. Skinner stood outside watching
and hoping for a miracle. He knew that Mulder could pull things
out where no one else could survive. He hoped this for his agent
now, the mountain was cold and the wind was kicking up. He looked
over to the trail that was now vacant and dark but he thought he
saw something move. He pulled out the flashlight from his pocket.
He flashed the light towards the path but saw nothing. "Must have
been my imagination." He muttered to himself. He placed the
flashlight back into his pocket and walked back towards the Medic
truck.



He stepped into the Medic truck and saw that Scully was sleeping
and the medical team had changed. He sat down on the rubber mat
and pushed his head back against the metal wall. He would start
the search again at daybreak.



Somewhere Unknown


Mulder awakened to screaming. He opened his eyes and was met with
a very scary sight. The ABH was inserting a tube into a very
naked man but the man was unable to fight back and the fear on
the man's face was unparalleled to anything he had ever
witnessed. He tried to move but found that he was too weak too
even push back the blanket. He wanted to help the man but found
that he was useless. He finally closed his eyes and continued to
hear the gurgling from the man's throat. Soon the struggle
stopped and the man was placed into the tube and the knobs were
turned and the pod started to cool. The ABH pushed the canvas
back to cover the deed from the sick man.


" It was his time. He has to serve a larger purpose." His voice
was loud enough to filter into Mulder's stupor. " How are you
feeling?"


" Your are not God. What gives you the right to say when a
person's time is up?" his voice was weaker that earlier and he
just wanted this nightmare to be over with and he wanted to find
Scully and his friends.



" They have been chosen to serve a higher purpose Mr. Mulder. You
will understand someday. Right now you must concentrate on
getting better. Your job is greater and you will be called to
show what you are made of but not now. You are too weak and we
will need you at your strongest." He picked up the cup that was
still half-full and held it to Mulder's dry lips. "Drink. You
will get sicker if you do not drink."



He took a few sips and was careful to go slow, remembering the
choking spell from earlier. The anger had subsided and he was
just too sick to argue with the devil," They are human and what
you are doing is nothing short of murder."



The ABH stood and turned towards the cave wall and shook his
head, " You do not understand Mr. Mulder. It is murder of my own
race if I fail my mission. It must be done. The task is almost
completed." He walked back over to Mulder and touched his head
again and felt the heat, " You need to sleep. Go to sleep." And
Mulder closed his eyes and darkness came again.



CAMP




Skinner stood beside the makeshift wood stove staring out into
the thickly wooded area. The deer were feeding in the adjoining
field, the only other movement noted except for the rescue team.
The light was filtering through the trees, though the sun still
had not risen and the frozen water glistened off the leafless
branches. The rangers and agents were gathering to ready plans
for the search for Mulder. He pulled his coat tight and took a
sip of hot coffee. The wind was gusting and the bitter cold stung
at his cheeks.



The locals had been very kind and had provided food and drink for
the search teams for the past few days. They had also helped in
the search and provided their hunting dogs to assist. He hoped
that Mulder was safe but common sense was tugging at his mind and
that meant he may need to accept his friend's death. The
temperature had dropped down into the teens with wind chill
factors of ten to fifteen degrees below zero. Nobody could
survive that kind of temperature drop without a coat or fire to
keep him warm. Scully and the gunmen had at least been prepared
for an emergency but Mulder had nothing, no barriers against the
cold.


Skinner's thoughts were interrupted by a soft voice, " Do you
think he survived last night?" her voice was low and full of
concern.



Skinner turned to see a very sad face. He could only respond with
a shrug, afraid if he spoke that his emotions would convey his
despair over his friend.



She nodded and turned towards the grazing deer. " I want to help
look for him. He left the hospital to come and look for me and
his friends." She paused for a second to gather her emotions, "I
want to be there when you find him."



Skinner's face grimaced and he shook his head," Shouldn't you be
hooked up to an IV Agent Scully?" trying to deter his agent from
possibly finding her partner frozen in some field.



" I'm hydrated and fit for duty sir." She looked over at the
groups of men who would be leaving soon to search for her
partner. They did not hold much hope for finding him alive. She
knew if he had by some stroke of fortune survived that he would
need certain medical assistance. She was a medical doctor and
would be the best person to assist. She knew her partner and he
would need her strength. "I am his partner sir and a medical
doctor. He will need me."



Skinner shook his head," We'll find him Scully. He is a
survivor." She had been very dehydrated and weak just hours
earlier and did not want her to push her limits. He knew that he
had to get her to see that he would need her more after he was
found.


" He is sick sir. The disease process is in its second phase. The
rash and fever have returned and his symptoms are complicated
with the hemorrhagic shock. He is need of plasma and fluids. He
needs a warm hospital bed and rest, not an environment of wild
animals and bitter cold weather." The tears welled up into her
eyes, the stress of the past few days finally catching up with
her emotionally. She needed Mulder to be alive, they had too much
work to accomplish." Please don't deny me the ability to help
find him sir. I need to find him."


" You can help Agent Scully by staying here and waiting. When we
find him, and we will find him, we will need your expertise and
we will need you well. He will need you to be his strength." The
emotion in Skinner's voice was evident and Scully knew that he
was truly Mulder's friend.


She did not argue but would be prepared for his return. She felt
that Mulder would be found. Skinner would not give up until he
found him either dead or alive. She nodded and turned towards the
medic truck to go and prepare for his return.


Skinner joined the rescue team and they dispersed into the woods.
The dogs were given to each team and locals, who knew the woods
and its many taverns and caves, joined in the search.


SOMEWHERE UNKNOWN


Again he awakened to blood curdling screams. When he opened his
heavy eyelids this time he was struck by terror in his heart and
in his mind. The sight before him was frightening, a small girl,
maybe nine or ten was standing before the ABH. Fear was the only
expression that the child could manage as the tube was being
passed down her throat. She was paralyzed by either fear or by
the ABH's ability to control her movements. She seemed to be
gasping for breath and her little hands were holding onto a doll
tightly.



He struggled to sit up, to move to assist the child but his
weakness was now so profound that he was unable to move and could
barely speak." Leave her alone you bastard!" his pathetic voice
was betraying him and his words were no more than whispers. His
eyes filled with tears as he watched the unemotional placement of
the feeding tube. He then watched as he lifted the small child
and placed her into the pod and injected her neck with a thick
yellow substance. The pod was closed and the ABH turned the knobs
and inside the pod the child dropped the doll and her expression
of terror froze into place.


" You bastard! Let her go!" he tried to give his voice strength
but it continued to be low and weak. His own death seemed eminent
and he felt that he might be able to bargain for the small
child's life. "Take me, let the child go, please." His voice was
pleading but the ABH paid him no attention but continued to do
his job. He gathered what strength he had and pushed himself up
on the cot and pointed to the little girl in the pod, "Let her
live. I do not care to die. Just let her go." He leaned up
against the rock and stared at his nemesis, hate his only
emotion.


This statement halted the ABH's movements, he turned and looked
down on the fragile man. "This is not your mission. You were
meant for other things. Do not interfere with what has to be
done." His voice was level and unemotional.


Mulder closed his eyes, the tears were now streaming down his
pale face, " You took her too! You took my sister and tested on
her and drove her to the point of wanting to die. You are nothing
but monsters. Babykiller." He took a deep breath, he could feel
his strength leaving him and he fell back down on the cot,
"Heartless bastard!"



The ABH heard the low voice and the words of hate and he turned,
somewhere a need to let the man know that he was not the only
evil in the world," She was alive when we returned her but your
government continued the tests that drove her to death. We took
away her bad memories and gave her back to her father."  The ABH
walked over to the cot and looked down at Mulder, " She was
alive."


Mulder stared up at his nemesis. This creature had no compassion,
only a focused desire to help his own race, regardless of the
task. As he pointed at the frozen pod he struggled to get the
words out, "Let her go, she is just a child. And as for my sister
you gave her back to a murdering son of a bitch. You owe me a
sister. You owe me!"


" We owe you nothing Mr. Mulder. We gave you your life many times
and we gave your partner back. This is the child's task. She will
serve a greater cause. And as for you Mr. Mulder, when you
finally realize your true mission, only then will you truly be
free."


The words of the ABH conflicted with his own words spoken that
night not long ago when he learned of his sister's fate and the
words stung. He hated his weakness and he felt powerless to help
the child. He could only watch as the ABH pulled back the canvas
and then the cave grew dark. Suddenly a great blinding light
flooded the room.


He was unable to open his eyes due to the brightness of the light
but he heard the voice of his enemy " You're day is coming soon
Mr. Mulder. Be prepared to show your will to live and your
strength to overcome the most intense pain and suffering. You
will be tested soon." Then he was gone and so was the light and
the darkness of sleep came again.



NOON


The search had brought them to a new area of the thick forest.
The dogs were howling and they seemed to onto Mulder's scent. The
teams were doing their best to keep up with the excited pups.
Skinner was following close behind when he heard a voice yell."
We found him. He is alive!" his breath was nearly taken away by
the words. He hurried towards the cave where the teams were
gathering.



CAMP


Scully received the news over the short wave radio and started
giving orders to the paramedics. His condition was serious. He
was having some active bleeding as evidenced by his rapid pulse
and his low blood pressure. His shirt and sweater were covered
with blood and he seemed to be very weak according to the
paramedics reports.


She stood at the Medic truck ready to transport to the awaiting
helicopter in the adjacent field. She had the fluids and the
volume expander hanging and ready for her partner's arrival. The
copter would airlift him back to ST. Mary's Hospital. They had
stabilized him and were bringing him from the cave where he was
found. The gunmen were also awaiting their friend's arrival.


ONE HOUR LATER


They could hear the humming of the copter's blades in the field.
The deer that had scattered earlier when the copter landed had
returned to gaze at the unusual bird. Scully looked down at her
watch for the hundredth time. She felt the impatience and was
hoping that Mulder had no complications during the trip back to
the camp.



She was getting ready to radio the group when she saw the party
coming down the trail with the gurney carrying Mulder in tow. She
ran to his side, the only evidence of someone on the gurney was
the tubes and wires that reached out from under the thermal
blankets. She guided them back to the Medic truck and when he was
secured the vehicle moved towards the copter, again the sound of
the vehicle startled the deer. Scully pushed back the thermal
blankets to see her partner's pale features. She started hooking
up monitors and hanging the fluids and volume expanders. He was
also given a unit of plasma and started on Dopamine to get his
pressure stabilized. The paramedics were placing oxygen on his
face and one noted that his O2 SATS were low and informed Scully
of the low number. " Let's intubate." She pulled out the
intubation tray. Within a few minutes they were bagging him and
giving him plenty of oxygen and she noted a quick improvement in
his color.


As they boarded him on the copter Mulder started to awaken. This
time when he awakened he did not see a horror show but his
partner's smile. He could not speak due to the tube down his
trachea but his eyes spoke volumes to Scully. What happened? Was
she okay? Were the gunmen okay? She could read him like a book.


" I'm fine and the gunmen are fine. And you my friend are on your
way back to Dr. Holland and St. Mary's Medical Center. She could
not help but grin as she watched her partner roll his eyes
upward, she knew that her partner was still intact, "Oh Mulder,
Skinner told me to tell you that the hand restraints were his
idea."


Mulder nodded and found the humor in the statement but he had
been intubated too many times and knew that the restraints were
to keep him from pulling out the tubes. He reached out his hand
as far as his restraints would allow and was met with a warm
hand. She gave him a small but strong reassuring squeeze. Within
minutes he was asleep again, a combination of drugs and
exhaustion.



ST. MARY'S HOSPITAL
ONE WEEK LATER


A soft voice was calling his name and he knew he must leave the
comfort and safety of the darkness. It was difficult for him but
he pushed his eyes open and he managed to keep them open. She was
standing over him a worried look covering her features. He felt
tired and exhausted but the sight of his partner and friend
helped him to manage a small grin.



" Hey." Her voice was quiet and comforting.



He nodded and she quickly placed a spoonful of ice chips into his
mouth. The act of swallowing almost took his breath away. The
tube must have been down for days, he thought to himself.


" You're doing much better Mulder. You've had a few complications
with bleeding but that is controlled and your fever is down.
Unfortunately you skin is scaling and it will feel very sensitive
for a while but you are doing so much better." She was in
professional mode and he listened intently as he could but the
lethargy was making it hard to concentrate but she would repeat
it later. She picked up his hand and took it to her lips. The
warmth of her lips as it touched his sensitive skin brought tears
to his eyes.




The memories of the cave flooded his mind and he wanted to tell
Scully what he had experienced but he was tired and his voice
would not work. Instead he cried and he was comforted by Scully.
He cried for the little girl and for the sister that he had lost
so long ago, but he could not feel sorry for himself because for
some reason he was alive and a little girl suffered for some
alien being.



" Hey it's okay Mulder. You are fine. You're getting stronger
each day. The disease can really cause havoc with your body but
you are improving. Dr. Holland wants to move you into a private
room tomorrow. He has been really amazed at your recovery." She
reached down and kissed his forehead, his tears abating. " He
feels that it will take a while to recover fully but I will help
you and when we get back home you are coming to stay with me
until you regain your strength. Understand?"


He nodded his head weakly and tried to speak, to explain all that
he had seen in the cave. It was not a fevered dream. And it was
not purely coincidence that he had survived or that he now had a
renewed purpose. He had to find his mission, his reason for
being. Only then could he really be set free.


" Shhh. Don't try to talk. Everything is fine. You're safe. We're
safe now." She cooed and comforted as she stroked his face and
wiped at the tears that stained his cheeks.



He nodded but inside he knew the truth, a day would come. A day
promised by the ABH that he would not be safe. A day that nobody
would be safe again. He had witnessed things to come and he was
scared. He closed his eyes and let Scully's words and her gentle
touch comfort him and soon he fell asleep again.


The end
Hope you liked Lindsay!