Title:  Good To Go


Author:  Waddles52


Summary:  Did you really think Mulder would stay out 


of the woods after he heard the ME's report?


Spoilers:  Post-ep for The Jersey Devil


Rating:  PG


Category:  MT


Disclaimer:  No copyright infringement intended.  


Just for fun.  Not for profit.


Archives:  After_the_Fact, others please ask


Feedback:  Wanted and treasured  DASWaddles52@aol.com








"Scully, we've got to go back," Mulder said 


emphatically as they walked down the steps of the 


Smithsonian.





"What are you talking about, Mulder?"





"We've got to find the offspring before Detective 


Thompson does."





"We are not even sure that there are any offspring.  


It could have been a stillbirth, or the child could 


already be dead, especially if it was very young," 


Scully countered as they reached the bottom of the 


steps.





"Scully, can we take that chance?  The child could be 


in trouble if there is no adult to look after and 


provide for it, and you know what will happen if 


Detective Thompson gets wind of any sightings."





"Mulder, you haven't completely recovered from your 


encounter with that beast woman.  You don't need to 


be traipsing through the woods."





"I'm fine, Scully.  Besides, I'll have a physician 


with me, won't I?" he asked hopefully.





Scully turned and began to walk away, leaving Mulder 


with a disappointed look on his face.  She turned 


back around.  "Are you coming?  We need to go home 


and change into some clothes more suitable for a hike 


in the woods.  And I also need to pack a first-aid 


kit," she said under her breath.





Mulder fell into step beside her.  "Great!  Let's get 


our things together and I'll pick you up in say two 


hours?" he asked, looking at his watch.





"Fine, Mulder.  You bring the insect repellant."











"Well, we're here.  Do you have the slightest idea 


how to go about locating this supposed offspring?" 


Scully queried, adjusting her backpack.





"Think like a kid, I guess," he answered, starting 


into the forest.





"Mulder, I know that will be an easy accomplishment 


for you, but this is no ordinary child, if there is a 


child," she emphasized.  "I'm sure that self-


preservation was taught from birth.  It's not going 


to come out and invite us to play."





"Kids are kids, Scully," he shrugged.





Scully stepped up her pace and followed him into the 


woods.





Several hours later





"Mulder, don't you think we should be turning back?  


We haven't found anything other than the normal 


woodland creatures, and I'd rather not spend the 


night with them."





"Scully, you mean you would pass up the chance to 


commune with nature, spend a night under a cloudless 


sky, gaze at the stars . . ."





"Mulder, I just saw something!" Scully exclaimed.





"Where?" he asked, turning quickly.





"Down the hill, by the creek bank."





Mulder turned just in time to see a flash of what 


appeared to be human flesh disappear back into the 


woods.  He threw down his backpack and sprinted down 


the hill.  Scully shrugged out of her pack and 


started after him.





About two-thirds of the way down, Mulder snagged his 


right foot on a tree root and tumbled down to the 


creek's edge, landing on his left side.  He tried to 


push himself up, but thought better of it and eased 


himself back down.





"Mulder, don't move," Scully advised, skidding to a 


stop beside him.





"I'm okay.  Go after it!" he ordered.





"Whatever it was is long gone.  Now stay still and 


let me see what the damage is."





Scully gently rolled him onto his back and found the 


front of his shirt was becoming saturated with blood.  


She pulled his shirt up and found that the wounds he 


had suffered one week earlier had broken open.  She 


pulled Mulder's left hand up and pressed it firmly 


over the wounds.





"Ow!"





"Keep pressure on that.  I'll be right back."





Scully made her way up the hill and soon returned 


with both backpacks.  She opened hers and retrieved 


the first-aid kit she had packed.





"Always prepared, huh Scully?" Mulder winced.





"I've found it pays to be prepared when traveling 


with you.  Move your hand."





She applied a pressure bandage to the wounds and 


checked him for any other obvious injuries.





"Are you hurt anywhere else?" she asked.





"I think I sprained my right ankle when I tripped 


over that tree root," he groaned, trying to sit up.





Scully pushed him back.  "Stay still.  I don't want 


you to aggravate that chest wound.'





She felt his lower right leg, satisfied that there 


were no obvious fractures, then began to rotate his 


ankle.





"Damn, Scully!  Take it easy!"





"Well, you've definitely hurt your ankle.  If I take 


your boot off the swelling will probably prevent you 


from putting it back on, and you certainly can't walk 


out of here like that, if you can walk," she added.





"It's just a sprain, Scully.  I've had them before.  


It'll hurt like hell for a while, but I'll be able to 


limp out of here," he assured her.





Mulder became the recipient of a "Scully Look", 


something he was becoming accustomed to seeing 


throughout their short partnership.  The arched 


eyebrow indicated that she seriously doubted his 


words, so he hauled himself up and tried to take a 


step.





"Oh, shit!" he cried as he began to lose his balance.  


Scully grabbed him around the waist and helped him 


back to a sitting position.





"Well, maybe I'll hop out of here," he moaned.  "Just 


give me a few minutes and I'll be good to go."





Another 'Scully look' found its target.





"Scully, just tighten that bandage around my chest 


and give me a hand up.  I'll be okay."





Scully fixed the bandage without saying a word, then 


rummaged through the first-aid kit and came up with a 


small bottle of ibuprofen.  She shook out three 


tablets and handed them to Mulder.  He accepted them 


along with the bottle of water she handed him next, 


and swallowed them down.





After she had put everything back into her pack, she 


extended her hand.  Mulder grabbed it and was soon 


back on his feet.  He tried to walk again and took a 


few steps, heavily favoring his right ankle.





"See?  Good to go," he announced, all the while 


thinking the he'd be lucky to make it up the hill.  


His ankle probably wouldn't get him out of the park, 


but he had to give it a try.





"Ready?" Scully asked, handing him his backpack.





"Yeah," he answered, hanging it carefully on his 


right shoulder, trying not to aggravate the newly re-


opened wounds.  "Like I said, I'm good to go."  He 


started up the hill, wincing with every step, Scully 


following close behind.





After two hours of walking and resting it became 


apparent to Scully that Mulder had reached the end of 


his strength.  She caught him as he stumbled once 


again and helped him ease himself to the ground.





"Mulder, no more," she pronounced, pushing him into a 


reclining position.





"Scully, just let me rest for a minute and I'll be 


good to go," he said, repeating the phrase she had 


heard too many times over the past two hours.





"Mulder, you are not good to go.  You are exhausted 


and you're bleeding again.  We've got to stop here 


for the night.  In the morning I'll hike out and get 


some help."





"As much as I hate to admit it, you're right.  I 


can't go any further tonight," he sighed.  "But we 


will walk out of here in the morning."





"Just try to rest, and we'll see how you feel in the 


morning.  Let me change those bandages and get your 


ankle elevated."





She pulled Mulder's backpack off his arm and placed 


it under his leg, then brought out her first-aid kit 


once again to get the few bandages left.  She cleaned 


the wound and applied antibiotic ointment in what 


little light remained.  She taped the last gauze pads 


over it and pulled his shirt down.





"Feeling any better?"





"I think I'm lying on a rock," he groused, trying to 


raise up.





Scully helped him up and removed the offending stone.  


He lay back down and sighed.  "Scully, I'm sorry.  It 


seems like I'm always dragging you into some big 


mess."





"Mulder, I wasn't forced to come with you."





"I know, but I still feel bad about getting us into 


this predicament."





"It's okay.  I'm just glad I'm here to help."





"Thank you."





"I've got some granola bars.  Would you like one?" 


she offered.





"Thanks, but my stomach is a little off right now.  


Maybe later?"





"Sure.  Just ask."





Mulder began to shiver.  "Damn!  Why am I so cold?  


It's still pretty warm out here."





"You're going into shock, probably from the pain and 


exhaustion.  Do you have a jacket in your backpack?" 


she inquired.





"Yeah.  I think so."





Scully opened the pack, trying not to disturb his 


injured ankle.  Luckily it was right on top.  She 


took it out and helped Mulder put it on.  She took 


her own jacket and placed it over him.





"Do you fell any warmer?"





"Yes, thanks," he closed his eyes.  "I think I'll 


just rest now."





Scully sat beside him and observed him while he 


slept.  "What have I gotten myself into?" she 


questioned for the umpteenth time since the start of 


their partnership.  He was so driven, out to find the 


truth even at the expense of his own well being, yet 


she felt drawn to him, drawn to his search.  She 


didn't have any answers to her questions, but somehow 


she knew that this was where she was meant to be.





She laid beside him and put her arm over him, trying 


to give him some of her body warmth.  He moaned and 


shifted closer to her.





"How odd," she thought, that they just seemed to fit 


together.





She closed her eyes and began to doze.  A short 


distance away, a small figure observed them for a 


time then disappeared back into the forest.








Scully was awakened by the distant rumble of thunder.  


She glanced at Mulder who was already awake, watching 


her.





"Mulder, what was that you said about a cloudless 


sky?" she asked, bringing herself to a sitting 


position.  Drops of rain were beginning to patter on 


the leaves.





"Well, it was cloudless," he sighed, pushing himself 


up on his elbows.  "Ow!"





"Be careful.  You don't want to pull that wound open 


again.  Here, let me help."





With Scully's help he sat up and handed her back her 


jacket.  "I think you might need this."





"Thank you.  Are you feeling any better?" she 


inquired, slipping into her jacket.





"Still a little shaky, but much better."





"You should probably try to eat that granola bar.  


How's the ankle?"





"Throbbing like a son-of-a-bitch," he winced as he 


moved it slightly.





"I'll get you some more ibuprofen," she offered.  She 


opened her pack and brought out the granola bar and 


the ibuprofen tablets and handed them to him.





"I've got another bottle of water in my pack," Mulder 


told her.





She retrieved it and gave it to him.  He swallowed 


the tablets and began to nibble on the granola bar.





"Still not hungry?"





"Not really."  He wrapped the bar back up.  "I'll try 


again later.  It looks like the storm is going to the 


north of us," he said as he observed a distant flash 


of lightning.  The rain had already stopped.  


"Scully?"





"Yes, Mulder?"





"Thank you."





"You're welcome, but for what?"





"Taking care of me and not saying I told you so."





"Mulder, we're partners and we should take care of 


each other, besides I did see something.  It could 


have been what you were searching for," she offered.





"I don't guess we'll ever know," he sighed and lay 


back down.





"We can always come back when you've recovered," 


Scully suggested.





"You would do that?" he questioned.





"Yes, I would, but I would bring a bigger first-aid 


kit," she grinned.





Mulder chuckled and then closed his eyes.  After a 


few minutes it was apparent that he was sleeping.  


Scully sighed and lay down at his side once again, 


hoping for the swift return of daylight.





They were both awake a dawn.  Mulder finished the 


granola bar and took some more ibuprofen.  Scully had 


already shouldered her backpack.





"Mulder, I'm going to go for help.  You should be all 


right until I return."  She turned to go.





"Scully, wait.  I intend to walk out of here with 


you, well maybe limp," he amended.





Another arched eyebrow zinged his way but she didn't 


say a word.  She stuck out her hand and helped him 


up.





Mulder took a few tentative steps, groaning with each 


one.  "It really stiffened up during the night, but I 


think I can make it.  I really don't think we're that 


far from the car, Scully.  Could you hand me my 


pack?"





She picked it up and slung it over her right 


shoulder.  "I'll carry it for a while.  You just 


concentrate on walking."





Mulder decided not to protest, and started moving 


very slowly in the direction of the car.  Scully 


followed closely behind, ready to catch him if he 


stumbled.





After half an hour Scully called a halt beside a 


fallen tree.  Mulder gladly sat down as Scully 


dropped his pack and eased out of hers.  They heard a 


rustle ahead of them and they both reached for their 


weapons. Then quickly put them down when Ranger 


Boulay came into view.





"Agents!" he exclaimed.  "I wasn't expecting to find 


you here.  I saw the car last night, and when it was 


still here this morning I thought I'd investigate.  


Are you all right, Agent Mulder?" he asked when he 


saw the dried blood on Mulder's shirt.





"Yeah, I'm okay.  I tripped over a tree root and got 


a little banged up."





"Agent Mulder has a badly sprained ankle," Scully 


explained further.  "Do you think you could help us 


back to the car?"





"Of course."





Several hours later in an Atlantic City emergency 


room, Scully strolled into Mulder's cubicle.  He was 


resting comfortably with his ankle propped up and 


iced, and sporting fresh bandages on his chest.





"Where have you been?" he asked.





"I called the office to let them know we wouldn't be 


in today.  Has the doctor read the x-rays?"





"Severe sprain.  Nothing broken.  They're going to 


put it in an air cast for the trip home.  I'm just 


waiting for that and then we're out of here."





"Good.  I also talked to Ranger Boulay, Mulder.  


There have been several sightings of what appears to 


be an eight to ten year old child in the past week.  


He's been keeping it quiet, but it's probably only a 


matter of time until Detective Thompson hears about 


it."





"Damn.  We were so close," he sighed.





"I know, Mulder.  A child that age might be able to 


survive.  We'll come back when your ankle is healed," 


she promised.





"I just hope it's not too late."





The nurse came in with the air cast and crutches.  


Scully helped Mulder put his shirt on while the nurse 


fastened on the cast.  The nurse went over his home 


care instructions and handed over a prescription for 


Vicodin with advice to get it filled at the hospital 


pharmacy.  Scully took it from her before Mulder 


could protest.  Mulder signed the forms and the nurse 


left to get a wheelchair.





"I'll get this filled while you're waiting for the 


nurse," she offered.





"Thanks, partner," Mulder smiled, thinking how nice 


it felt to be able to say those words and mean them.





"I'll meet you in the waiting room," Scully directed, 


thinking that the word partner was finally beginning 


to sound comfortable.





Scully left and Mulder leaned back, left to his 


thoughts of Scully and the feeling that he finally 


had a partner who would stay by his side.








End