The Protective Agent

                     ***NOTE: Not written by me***

      "Anything happen while I was gone?"  Agent Mulder climbed in the
passenger door of the rental car.
      "Nope.  This has got to be the most boring stakeout I've ever been
on. What are you expecting to see out here, anyway?"  Scully looked
dismally across the acres of cornfields tht stretched out around them in
all directions.  They were in central Iowa, investigating the strange
disappearances of a couple of high school students.  Scully hoped Mulder
didn't really believe that aliens had abducted the two teenagers, and she
was just about to tell him that when she felt the sudden, overpowering
urge to sneeze.  Knowing she wouldn't be able to find a tissue in time,
she raised her right arm and buried her mouth and nose in the crook of
her elbow.
      "Ahhh-shhhhh!"  the sneeze was muffled and fairly delicate, but
the force of it caused her head to jerk forward slightly at the force. She
glanced quickly over at Mulder, hoping he hadn't noticed, but he was too
busy scanning the sky.  Scully noticed with dismay that the another
sneeze was slowly building.  She hadn't been feeling quite herself since
she woke up that morning, and when Mulder had left the car to relieve
himself a few minutes ago, she had taken some Apsirin for her growing
headache.  The last thing she needed right now was to be sick, especially
with Mulder acting so protective since "the incident" with Duane Barry. 
Luckily, he seemed so intent on spotting a UFO that Scully thought she
could could keep her physical discomfort a secret until they got back to
the hotel, where she could take a nice hot bath and crawl into bed.
      The sneeze was building rapidly now, and Scully once again buried
her face in her sleeve.  "Ahhhh-shhhhhh!"  This sneeze, though muffled
by her coat, was louder than the first, and caught Mulder's attention.  He
looked at her with a slightly amused look on his face as she pretended to
be fascinated with the cornfield outside her window.
      "Bless you, Scully.  You know, I think that's the first time I've ever
heard you sneeze.  Imagine that, weve been partners for more than a
year, and I'd never heard you sneeze.  I guess you don't sneeze very
much, huh?"  She shook her head, hoping he'd drop the subject and
keep looking out the window.  A third sneeze had taken hold immediately
after the second, and she was desperately trying to keep it from
escaping with Mulder staring so intently at her.  She hated sneezing
around other people, mostly because she often couldn't stop once she got
started.  When the feeling got so intense she couldn't stand it, she
rubbed the end of her nose gently and sniffed.  "Bad idea," she thought,
too late.
      "AHHHH-CHHOOO!"  She barely had time to make a loose fist to catch
the sneeze that caught her off guard.  Now Mulder was staring.
      "Scully, are you all right?"
      "I'm fine."
      "Well, you don't look fine."
      "I told you, I'm fi... fihh... heehhh...  AHHH-CHOOO!!"  With that,
Mulder pulled a handkerchief from his jacket pocket and held it out to
Scully.
      "You're not fine, you're sick.  And I'm taking you back to the hotel. 
Come on, switch seats, I'm driving."  She opened her mouth to aruge,
then thought of that hot bath and warm bed she wanted so much.  As
Mulder got out to walk around to the driver's side, she slid into the
passenger's seat and closed her eyes.

                      *          *          *
         "Scully?  We're here."  Scully opened her eyes to the bright neon 
lights of their motel, and realized she had fallen asleep on the hour long
drive back from Mulder's "secret observation place" in the middle of
nowhere.  She lifted her head groggily off the head rest, and realized
she felt even worse than she had before.  Mulder had gone around to
open her door for her, but she dismissed his offer of a hand to help her
out of the car.
         "I'm fine, Mulder, I--"  Even using the car for support, her
strength left her and she leaned into his waiting arms.
         "Whoa, it's okay.  I've got you.  Can you walk?"  Still clutching his 
left arm, she started to take a step, but the dizziness that overcame her
was painfully obvious to Mulder.  "Okay, that's a no." She was too weak
to protest as he scooped her into his arms and carried her into her hotel
room.

         As Agent Mulder laid his partner gently on the bed in his motel
room, he couldn't help think how small and fragile she looked.  He
thought of the many times this little womean with an incredible spirit had
saved his life, or stayed by his side as they waited for death to come and
steal them away from this world.  But somehow, they had always managed
to survive, and whenever he woke up, Scully was always right there,
sitting beside his hospital bed, or lying in the one next to his.  Now, as
much as he hated to see his partner suffer, even from a simple virus, he
was grateful for the chance to take care of her, in return for all that she
had done for him, simply because he loved her.
         "Mulder?"  There was a trace of panic in her weak and hoarse voice
as Scully opened her eyes to find herself in the motel.  "What happened,
 Mulder?"  She tried to pull herself into a sitting position, with much 
difficulty.
         "Shh, it's okay Scully.  I'm right here."  He sat on the edge of the
bed, handing her a small glass of water.  "Here, drink this."  He held a
small cup of water to her parched, feverish lips and helped her sip some
of the cool water.
         "What happened, Mulder?  How did we get back here?"  He could tell
she was confused, and didn't like not having control over the events in
her mind.
         "I drove you back Scully.  You're sick, and you need to rest."  He
saw the look on her face and quickly said, "Don't try to argue with me,
Scully.  You look like a ghost, and you fainted when you tried to walk in
from the car."  He felt her forehead with the back of his hand. "And
you're burning up.  I'm going to see if I can find a thermometer to take 
your temperature.  Why don't you take your coat off and lie down." He
was pleased to see she didn't argue with his request, and he hurried into
the bathroom to look for a first aid kit.

to be continued....