Puppy Love 2/2Title: Puppy Love Author: Waddles 52 Summary: Running an errand for Skinner turns deadly when the agents are ambushed. Injured and stranded in the woods, will they find help in time? Rating: PG 13 Spoiler: Beyond the Sea, Detour Disclaimer: Just for fun. Not for profit. Archives: Yes, but ask first. Feedback: I would love to hear from you. Waddles52@insightbb.com Thanks: To Carla for all her encouragement and to Lisa for a top-notch beta job. The puppy cozied up next to Mulder and hadn't moved for quite some time. As Mulder continued to endure one hard chill after another, he really appreciated the pup's company. Several times he had laid his hand on the young dog, fearing he was dead, but the steady rise and fall of the animal's chest assured him that he was hanging on. Somehow, he felt that if the small dog could survive, so could he. Mulder had slept for a while himself thanks to the last dose of Demerol that Scully had sneaked past him. He was worried about her to put it mildly. He brought his arm up and forced his eyes to focus on his watch. She should have made it to the road barring any setbacks. He prayed that she had made it without any problems. If she fell . . .well, he tried to keep that thought out of his mind. She had to make it. Anything else was unacceptable. She had to come back to him. Another muscle spasm gripped his leg and he roared with the pain. The puppy woke with a jerk and looked at him with sad eyes. "Hang in there, boy. Scully's gone for help. Just a little bit longer and we'll get you some water and puppy treats, guaranteed. She won't let us down. When she makes up her mind she won't give up until she gets it done." The puppy settled down again, snuggling close to Mulder's side. "No offense, little guy, but I wish Scully was snuggling up next to me." Mulder sighed and then another spasm sent him into agony and this one wouldn't ease up. "Scully, can't take much more of this. I need you. Be safe but please hurry." The fever and the pain overwhelmed him and although he tried, he couldn't stop the tears from flowing. As soon as he wiped them away more appeared. Mercifully, his brain realized that his body couldn't handle any more. His eyes closed as he drifted into unconsciousness. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Scully had been sitting on the guardrail for almost ten minutes and hadn't seen one car. What luck to stumble through the woods, in unbelievable pain, only to find the road deserted? What else could happen? Weariness and pain took over and the first tears started to trickle down her cheek, followed by a torrent of uncontrollable weeping. She rarely allowed herself to lose control that way, but her body refused to cooperate. The agony of body and spirit was such that she almost didn't notice the pick-up truck heading her way. Just in time she realized that she needed to get the driver's attention. She leapt up and began waving and screaming for all she was worth. The pick-up squealed to a halt in front of her and its two passengers were at her side just as she collapsed. When Scully became aware of her surroundings again, she was inside the truck and the driver was preparing to start the engine. "Wait! Stop! You can't go!" she managed to croak. "Miss, we need to get you to a hospital." "No! My partner! He's been shot! In the woods. Help him, please." The driver reached behind him where a cooler sat on the jump seat. He pulled out and uncapped a bottle of water and handed it to the disheveled redhead. She drank greedily and then cleared her throat before attempting to speak again. "My partner's been shot. We were jumped by someone yesterday. He's lost a lot of blood. Please, you have to help him." "Okay. We will. Let me call this in and get an ambulance out here." The driver reached for the mike on his CB radio. "We're paramedics in the next county over," he explained when he saw the puzzled look on Scully's face. "We took the day off to do a little huntin' and it looks like we found more than we counted on." Scully sipped the water as he called in their location. "Can you give us an idea where to look?" the passenger asked. "About a mile and a half, maybe two miles in. There's a clearing." "I know the place. Jess, I'm gonna grab the first- aid kit and some supplies from the tool chest and head on in." "Good idea. I'll stay here until the sheriff and the ambulance gets here." "I'll go with you," Scully offered, starting to move across the seat. "I'm a doctor." The driver gently took her arm. "Now, hang on a minute. You're in no shape to head back in there. Bruce is the best paramedic in this area. Won a bunch of awards. Believe me. He knows what he's doing." "Can you give me an idea of what his condition is?" Bruce asked as he opened the passenger door. "One bullet grazed his head. He was unconscious for over half an hour but he's been conscious and lucid since. I think he is concussed but there were no signs of a skull fracture. The other round hit him in the right thigh, through and through with a possible fractured femur. The exit wound was quite large and continued to bleed so I cauterized it last night." "Ouch," Jess grimaced. "I didn't have much choice. I had to stop the bleeding. He's febrile and in considerable pain." "All right, Miss . . .sorry, but you haven't told us your name." "Dana Scully. Special Agent Dana Scully, F.B.I. My partner is Fox Mulder, but please call him Mulder." "All right, Agent Scully. I'm going to carry in the basics along with some saline IV solution and water. I want to go on and get him started on some fluids but I don't have anything for pain. He'll have to wait until the rescue team gets here, but I'll try to make him as comfortable as possible. In the meantime, why don't you let Jess have a look at your leg?" "Thank you, just . . .please hurry!" "I'm going to jog in. I promise I'll take good care of him." Bruce jumped out of the truck and opened the tool chest in the back. He brought out the items he wanted and transferred them to one of the backpacks that had been packed for their hunting trip. He slipped it over his shoulders and jogged toward the trees. Scully watched the man as he disappeared into the woods. "Bruce will find him. It shouldn't take more than a half hour or so for him to get there," Jess assured her. "Now, why don't you lay back and let me take a look at that leg?" XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Mulder heard someone saying his name. He was so tired that he could barely get his eyes open. When he was finally able to focus he saw a large man standing beside him. "Who are you?" "Name's Bruce Chesser. Your partner flagged us down." "Is she okay?" The man removed his backpack and knelt beside Mulder. "She's in pretty good shape for what she's been through. More worried about you than herself." "Thank God she's okay." "Yeah, my partner's with her now. We're paramedics takin' the day off to do a little huntin'. Just happened to be in the right place at the right time. Here, let me help you sit up and you can have a drink. I brought some water for you." After he carefully helped Mulder up, he twisted the cap off the bottle and handed it to him. The injured man grabbed it and took several gulps. "Take it easy, man. You'll make yourself sick," Bruce warned. "Sorry, but I was really thirsty. Got anything we could use to let the pooch have a drink?" Bruce held his hands out. "This'll have to do. Pour a little in here." Mulder complied. As soon as the pup smelled the water, he wobbled over to Bruce and drank from his hands. The puppy lapped up every last drop then sat down as if waiting for more. Bruce pulled an IV set- up from his pack, along with some alcohol pads. After cleaning his hands he prepared to start the IV. "Do you have to?" Mulder asked weakly. "Yeah, it'll make you feel better. Sorry I don't have anything for your pain but the rescue unit should have plenty when they get here. Shouldn't take too long." Mulder sighed and offered his left arm. The paramedic set about cleaning the area he intended to use. "Gonna be a little stick," he warned. "Why do you guys always say that when you know it's gonna be a big stick?" "Sounds like you've had one of these before." "Yeah, one or two. Just get it over with." Bruce was efficient and soon had the IV in and flowing wide open. "Man, I've got to tell you. I feel like we've met before. Ever been to Raleigh?" "Yeah, but it's not one of my most pleasant memories." "I've got it! You were shot at some boathouse. Left leg, wasn't it?" Mulder nodded yes. "I started your IV there too, only I had a much harder time. You had a bunch of us hoppin' that night. You almost bled to death. Got you to the hospital just in the nick of time." "Don't remember much about it," Mulder admitted. "Probably for the best. I decided to move to the country not long after that. Too much violence in the city and here you are, a victim of violence out here in the boonies. Small world, huh?" "Guess so." "Buddy, I hate to do this but I need to check your injuries and clean 'em up a little better." "Scully did the best she could," Mulder hedged, not really wanting to endure the pain again. "I know she did. She told us what she had to do. You are one strong guy. I'd probably still be passed out or screamin' my head off." Bruce pulled a bottle of sterile water and a stack of gauze pads from his pack. "It wasn't pleasant." Mulder eyed the supplies warily. "Its just water, Mulder. Nothin' that'll sting." "Good," he sighed, relieved. "Thought it was alcohol." "Nah, I wouldn't do that to you, but I really would like to clean you up and put on fresh bandages. I think your partner would expect me to." "Yeah, she would. Go ahead then." "I'll work on your head first while you're still sittin' up. I'm gonna pour a little water over the bandage to try and loosen it up." "You're the boss." "For the time being. I have a feelin' as soon as we get you back to the road that partner of yours will start giving orders." Bruce carefully began to work the bandage loose. "Yeah, you can count on that. Ow! Take it easy!" "Sorry. I'm being as careful as I can. That partner of yours is somethin' else, I'll tell you." He kept talking, hopefully, to distract Mulder from the pain he was causing. "She wanted to come back here with me. We had a hard time convincing her she needed help herself. She was exhausted and her knee had to be killing her. That's loyalty for you." "Yes, she is very loyal," Mulder agreed, beginning to smile. "Is she married, or dating anyone steady? I wouldn't mind askin' her out if she isn't committed. All of that loyalty, caring, smart and a looker to top it off." "She's involved," Mulder stated plainly. "Are you just about finished with my head? I really need to lie down." "Yeah, one more piece of tape should do it. There, let me help you get comfortable." Bruce helped him ease back down and started cutting off the makeshift bandage on Mulder's leg. Mulder immediately tensed up and cried out in pain. "Sorry, man. This is gonna hurt. Ain't no two ways about it. I'll be as easy as I can. Your partner, Dr. Scully, she did a good job on these bandages. You said she was involved?" "Yeah." Mulder forced himself to concentrate despite the pain. This guy was very interested in Scully and he needed to find a way to clip his wings before it went much farther. "How involved? Just steady dating or something more permanent?" "Definitely something more permanent." Mulder hoped this man would hurry up and get finished. This hurt more than Scully's poking and prodding. "You're the one, aren't you?" Bruce began pouring water over the wound. "What do you mean?" Mulder asked through gritted teeth. Who knew that plain water would hurt so much? "You're the one she's involved with. You're one lucky son of a bitch!" "If you only knew," Mulder mumbled under his breath. He tensed up again as the paramedic gently cleansed the leg wounds. "How much longer?" "I'm ready to bandage it up now. You gonna get married?" Mulder couldn't believe the persistence of this guy. "You know, if you want the real scoop on Agent Scully's love life, why don't you ask her?" "Guess I should shut up about it, huh?" Mulder nodded tiredly while Bruce put the finishing touches on the bandage. "Just try to hang in there, Mulder. The rescue team should be here soon and I promise they'll be able to give you something for pain. I know you've got to really be hurting." "Yeah, some." The physical pain was increasing by leaps and bounds but his worry over Scully and his need to see her was all consuming. Bruce began to gather up the trash, allowing the puppy to move in closer to Mulder, who reached his right arm out to pull him closer. "Cute pooch. He belong to your partner?" "No, we were bringing him to our supervisor. That's kind of the reason we're in this mess. Long story. Scully would like to keep him though. I may have to find her one like him when we get back." Mulder found that he couldn't keep his eyes open any longer. At first he could feel the paramedic check his pulse, adjust the IV, lift the bandages and heard the man urge him to stay awake. The little dog began to yip furiously. The agent thought the barking sounded hollow and farther and farther away and then the noise and pain stopped. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX If Scully had been able to pace, she would have worn a path around the ambulance, but Jess had taken over her care as soon as the ambulance arrived, allowing that team and the sheriff to go into the woods to bring Mulder out. Jess had done a thorough job of splinting her leg and starting an IV, thus limiting her movement to the back of the ambulance. He'd even managed to slip in some morphine when she wasn't looking. Damn him! She wanted to be awake when they brought Mulder out and now she was fighting tooth and nail to stay conscious. Her knee did feel a lot better though Scully lifted her left arm to look at her watch and found that it took all of her strength. Her arm felt like it weighed a ton due to her overall exhaustion and the morphine in her system. The agent did manage to determine that the rescue team had been in the woods for over an hour. They should be back any minute. Now, if she could just will her eyes to stay open. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Scully jerked awake when she heard the ambulance door open. "Agent Scully? You awake?" Jess called. "We brought you some company." "Mulder?" She looked to her right just as the stretcher locked into place. Thank God they'd found him! She forced herself up to her elbows on the bench where she lay but she couldn't see much through the paramedic who was attaching leads from a cardiac monitor onto Mulder's chest. Mulder tried to push the man's hand away. Those things always got stuck in his chest hair and it hurt like hell to pull them off. "Agent Mulder, welcome back. You've been dozing off and on since we found you. We gave you a little bit of pain medicine in your IV right before we started to bring you out of the woods, remember?" "Mmm." Mumbling was all he could manage for the time being. "Agent Mulder, you need to keep your hands at your side so we can do our jobs. If you can't we'll have to restrain you. Understand?" "Uh-huh." "Mulder?" Scully's voice called. "Z'at you, Scully? You okay?" "I'm right here and I'm fine. Let them do what they have to, Mulder." "Mmm," he acknowledged before drifting back to sleep. "Mulder?" Scully called again, struggling to see him. "He's asleep again, Agent Scully," the driver informed her. "I'm getting ready to start the rig and head for the hospital. Now, you need to stay put, all right?" The puppy peeked over the front seat and yipped. "And that means you too, little guy." Scully began to feel very sleepy again. She looked up just in time to see the paramedic pull a hypodermic out of her IV port. Damn him! Must've put in more morphine. She heard the puppy bark again as the ambulance pulled out onto the road. She finally decided not to fight any more and joined her partner for a nice, little nap. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Mulder became aware of his surroundings gradually. It seemed like he had been trying to wake up for hours. His mind began to gather clues a long time before his eyes opened. First, he realized that he was no longer in the woods. He'd traded in the scent of wood smoke for the antiseptic smell of a hospital. The next thing he noticed was that the puppy was gone. He no longer felt the warm, little body next to him and he missed it. The sounds around him had changed too. The woodland noises had been replaced by the hum of the monitors around him and the voice of the PA system calling out names, codes and numbers. The last clue he put together came as a great surprise. Scully was there! Sitting to his left, he could smell the scent of her perfume. He shifted his body so that he could face her and was forcefully hit with another more unwelcome clue. Pain! "Ow!" That was all he could manage for now. He was able to open his eyes to a slit. Evidently, Scully sensed what he needed. She rose from her chair rather awkwardly and pushed the control button for his pain medication. Mulder was grateful as the strong medication worked its way through his system. He'd have to talk to Scully about the pain situation. He thought she'd jumped the gun on the control button, but he decided a nap was in order first. Scully groaned as she sat back down. The leg splint was hot and uncomfortable but it was necessary to keep her knee immobilized while it healed. She had spent 24 hours in the hospital as a patient herself and the only way they would release her was to promise that she would wear the immobilizer until she returned to DC and saw her own doctor. She pushed the recliner back and made herself as comfortable as possible. Mulder would probably sleep for another hour or two at least thanks to the morphine she'd sent into his system. She dug into her pocket and found the bottle of Vicodin that the doctor had prescribed. Although she hated the tired feeling it gave her, she knew that she too needed some pain relief or she wouldn't be able to stay by her partner's side. Mulder woke again two hours later and felt a little stronger. He'd been able to open his eyes all the way this time and he finally located his partner sitting in a recliner on his left. She appeared to be sleeping and he decided not to bother her. He took in the forest green leg splint and remembered that she had hurt her knee rather badly. From the look of it, they would both be on desk duty for a while. Mulder's leg wound was a raw, itchy, mass of misery. He debated on whether to push the button and drug himself into oblivion, or to wait for his love to wake up. The decision was taken from him when a nurse entered the room. "Miss Scully, it looks like you finally have someone to talk to." The nurse grinned when she reached Mulder's bedside and saw that he was awake. "Hello, Mr. Mulder. I'm Sharon Gleason and I'll be your nurse until this evening. How are you doing?" "Tired. Leg hurts." "Sounds pretty normal for what you've been through. I need to do a few things while I'm here and one of them is to check your surgery site. After that, I'll need to re-bandage your wound. It's going to be pretty uncomfortable so don't hesitate to push the control and give yourself a dose of morphine." Mulder tried to smile at the nurse. He really wanted her to shut up and leave him alone because he wanted to talk to Scully. He had to be sure she was okay. "You have a wonderful smile, Mr. Mulder. I'll bet you'd feel a lot better if you got cleaned up and brushed your teeth. As soon as I finish up here I'll send in a patient aide to help you." Mulder nodded and then felt someone reach for his left hand. Scully! "You should be sitting," he admonished. "I have. Now, I need to stretch a bit." Mulder groaned when the nurse began to remove the bandages. He realized that his leg was in an immobilizer also, navy blue by the look of it. They sure did make them fashionable these days. He felt Scully stretch over him to get a better look when his wound was exposed. "It's looking good, Mulder. You've had some infection but it seems to be clearing up nicely," Scully reported. "What about you?" he asked. "It's a pretty bad sprain but nothing that rest and a little physical therapy won't help. We'll probably be able to go to re-hab together." "I'm all for together." He winked at her and then closed his eyes. This was wearing him out. Why did he feel so weak when he was only lying in bed? "Mulder, you lost a substantial amount of blood and you've had some pretty high fevers. They replaced your fluids but you're going to feel tired and weak for a while." "Damn! How does she do that?" Mulder thought. It was almost as if she could read his mind. Sometimes he thought that they should call her "Spooky" too. "All right, Mr. Mulder. I'm through bothering your leg for the time being. Now, I need to check your IV site." Mulder held out his arm and found that the area around the IV was really sore. "Ow!" The nurse examined the site and then apologized. "I'm sorry. I'll have to call the IV nurse to start another line. That one has infiltrated." Scully checked the site also and agreed. It was pretty swollen and very painful. The nurse switched off the IV pump. "It's just pumping the medication into your arm, not your vein. That's why it's so swollen and sore. It will eventually be absorbed by your body." Mulder nodded that he understood. It had happened the last time he was shot in the leg so he was familiar with the routine. "While we're waiting, why don't I change your urine collection bag?" Scully had to giggle at the face Mulder made. The nurse moved quickly and efficiently to accomplish her tasks. After she finished taking his vitals she declared that she was finished. Mulder breathed a huge sigh of relief. Being in the hospital wouldn't be so bad if they would just let you lay there and get better, but instead it seemed like there was a revolving door to his room letting in unwelcome visitors and hospital staff, determined to drive him crazy. "Mr. Mulder, I'm going to call the IV nurse and remind her that she needs to get here soon and then I'll make sure someone comes in to change your bed and help you get cleaned up." Mulder rolled his eyes, eliciting a look from Scully that warned him to behave. "Do you have any questions before I get out of here and leave you alone?" "Water?" "Good question. I forgot all about that and that's not good. Sure, you can have some. Just start out slow at first. We don't want you to get sick. I'll have the aide bring in some ice and cups when she comes in. Be sure that someone records how much you've drank on the input/output sheet. Anything else?" Neither Mulder nor Scully could think of anything so the nurse left them alone. Scully leaned in to give her partner a quick peck on the cheek. "You call that a kiss?" "Uh-huh. That's my glad to see you kiss." "Come here." Mulder pulled her down and kissed her thoroughly. "That's my glad to see you kiss." "I think I like yours better," she smiled. "Maybe we need to practice techniques." "We will later. Skinner mentioned last night that he would be back down today to see how you're doing and to get his car. He also said that there was some sort of problem with the dog." "What? He's okay isn't he?" Mulder asked, very concerned. "I really miss the little guy. He really kept me company while you were hiking through the woods." "I gathered as much. He started crying in the ambulance when they wouldn't let him go to you. The paramedics really had a time with him, I'm told. You two really must have done some bonding." "Well, he is a cute little pooch when he isn't yipping all the time." "Maybe we can find one like him when we get home," Scully suggested. "Thanks, but it wouldn't be the same. So, what kind of mood has Skinner been in?" "From what I understand he has handled the whole thing quite well. He's been very concerned about you, you know." "I was afraid he'd be highly pissed." "No, the car was found in pristine condition. I think the thief even had it washed; however, there were some fingerprints left behind and they nabbed him at his girlfriend's house. The puppy was a little dehydrated but he perked right up, so there was no problem there. All in all, Skinner has little to gripe about. He realizes that we didn't purposely walk into an ambush." Mulder yawned and tried to stretch. "Remind me not to do that again, okay?" he stated through gritted teeth. "Oh, Mulder, I'm sorry. Where is that IV nurse? You really need some pain medication." "No, I'm okay now. I just moved the wrong way. Any idea what kind of name the pooch got stuck with?" He wanted to move the subject away from how he felt. He wanted to talk to Scully without having her fuss over him. Even though he'd been out of it for the last two days he'd really missed her. "I have no idea. Every time I mentioned anything about the puppy, Skinner acted rather strange. I assume he'll let us know what's up when he gets here." The IV nurse arrived and within a few minutes Mulder was the proud owner of a new IV. Scully pushed the control button and he felt blessed relief course through his veins. "Thanks," he whispered, his eyelids growing heavy. "I love you." "I love you too. Now, rest so that you'll be up for a visit from Skinner and then we can practice those kissing techniques to your heart's content." "Sounds like a plan." He smiled and closed his eyes. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Skinner smiled as he entered Mulder's hospital room. Both of his agents were asleep. Mulder occupied the bed while Scully's head lay on the side of the bed, her left arm stretched across her partner's chest. He really hated to wake them but he had some urgent business to discuss. "Ahem, agents . . ." Scully's head snapped up and just as quickly she removed her arm from her partner's chest. "Sir!" she squeaked. Mulder came around a bit more slowly, hampered by the large amount of drugs in his system. "AD Skinner?" he croaked, his eyes sluggishly coming into focus. "Agent Mulder, Agent Scully, I must say that you're both looking much better than the last time I saw you." "Thank you, sir. I feel much better. Once I had some rest and fluids I was just fine," Scully reported, smoothing back her messy hair. Skinner eyed her splinted knee skeptically but didn't comment. "I'm on the road to recovery too, sir. It may take a few weeks before I'm 100% but I'll get there." Even though he wasn't on top of his game, Mulder had no problem noticing that his supervisor was standing rather awkwardly and was having difficulty keeping still. "How is the puppy adjusting to his new home?" Scully asked, also noting Skinner's strange movements. "That's what I came to discuss with you." Suddenly, a little, brown and black fur ball shot out from under Skinner's jacket with a loud, "Yip!" and leapt onto Mulder's bed. Scully was able to intercept the puppy just before he would have landed in the ailing agent's lap. "Shhh!" she admonished the pup, giggling. Mulder reached out to pet the dog, a puzzled look on his face. "That poor little guy has been crying just about the entire time he's been out of your sight. He wouldn't have anything to do with Erin, who was very disappointed by the way, and he wouldn't eat. All he did was mope around and cry." "Oh, poor puppy," Scully soothed, bringing him to eye-level where the little Yorkie proceeded to lick her face. "I finally realized that the little fellow had spent enough time with you so that he thought he belonged with you. I took Erin to the pet store and she picked out a miniature poodle. She named her Fluffy and they are both extremely happy. I decided to see if you two were interested in keeping the puppy before I took him back to the kennel." The little dog scrambled out of Scully's arms and Mulder scooped him up, carefully avoiding his injured leg. "What are you proposing? Some kind of time share between Scully and me?" "I'm not so sure that would work, Mulder," Scully hedged. "No, I'm not proposing a time share. I'm asking if the two of you want to keep him." The two agents looked at each other, surprised that their secret relationship was fast becoming a known fact, and relieved that it seemed to be acceptable to their immediate supervisor. "Uh, Scully? I'll leave it up to you." Mulder gave in. Scully had fallen in love with the pup at first sight and despite his initial complaints, she knew that the puppy and Mulder had a special bond. "Well, sir, I think we can work something out," Scully answered, treating Mulder to a big smile. Both Skinner and Mulder breathed a sigh of relief. Though he would never admit it, Mulder wanted to keep the pup in the worst way. The puppy must have sensed that his future was secure. He yawned widely and settled down for a nap on Mulder's chest. "I do have one condition, however," the petite red head announced. "I get to name him." "Just as long as it's not Fluffy or Muffin or some other cutesy name," Mulder agreed. "You've got a deal. That leaves only one other thing to settle for now. Who's going to keep him until we get home?" "I guess that would be me," Skinner volunteered. "Just make sure the pup understands that I'm only his temporary master. I need at least a few hours of sleep every night." "We'll do our best," Mulder agreed, yawning. "It looks like you need to join your puppy for a nap," Skinner observed. "I'm going to leave him with you while I get my car from the impound lot. The nurses know about him, but please try to keep his presence low-key until I can get back to pick him up." XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Skinner had been gone only a few minutes when Mulder turned to Scully. "How weird was that?" "Very. I wonder how long he's known about us?" "I don't know. The important thing is that he's okay with it." "I guess you're right. Any ideas for a name?" The dog continued to sleep contentedly on Mulder's chest. The injured agent reached for his medication control and pushed the button. "What do you say we sleep on it?" "That's a great idea." Scully leaned over and gave him a peck on the cheek. The pain medication kicked in quickly and Mulder was asleep as soon as his eyes closed. Scully wasn't far behind. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX When Skinner returned he peeked in the door and found his agents and their puppy sound asleep. He noted that all of them looked happy and relaxed. A huge grin appeared on Skinner's face. It was about time the X-Files division had something to smile about. The puppy raised his head and took note of Skinner. The young dog seemed to smile, and with a wag of his tail he settled back down and re-joined his masters in sleep. AD Skinner closed the door and headed for the cafeteria. He looked forward to a hot cup of coffee and some time to look at the book he'd picked up in the gift shop. He paid for his drink and sat down at an empty table. It was intended to be a gift for his agents, but it wouldn't hurt to glance through it. He took a sip of what was supposed to be a rich, Columbian brew and opened the book, "Popular Pet Names," to page one. The End