Yep, Richard pulled it off. But was there ever any doubt …? Not in my mind because I know how the man operates.
Lunch at Bobcat Bonnies, chocolate cake, a gift card to Meijer and two scratch-off lottery tickets (one for me; one for Sharon).
Richard was mortified that he forgot to bring the birthday candles - the “7” and the “6” - but the waiter scrounged a little yellow one from the inner recesses of the restaurant and provided a lighter, so the occasion was not without a little fire to blow out.
Mulder and Scully meet up during her lunch break from the hospital to celebrate her birthday. After a meal, gifts, and some flirty banter, a sudden accident befalls them, leaving both of them slightly injured and worried about the other.
This was a fun one to write quickly in order to have it done in time for Scully's birthday. Hope you enjoy it!
(I’m not entirely sure if @patientxphile is the creator of this drawing, but I am tagging them just in case. I did reach out to them to let them know their drawing inspired a tweet, which then inspired this story. ❤)
February 23, 2011
12:30 p.m.
Mulder sat waiting at Maria’s Mexican restaurant for Scully to join him for her birthday lunch, the small gift he had bought for her in his jacket pocket. He thought of what the look on her face would be when she opened it, and he smiled. No doubt she would get a kick out of it.
“Can I get you something to drink?” a waitress asked, smiling at him with a pen in hand.
“Could I get two glasses of water and two margaritas without alcohol?”
“No alcohol?”
“No, my… lunch date needs to go back to work and I have to drive home.” He smiled and she nodded, writing it on her pad. “Also, some chips and salsa, please.”
“Be back in a few minutes.”
“Thank you,” he said, smiling again.
Alone again, he looked at the menu, nodding when he made his decision. Closing the menu, he glanced round, but did not see Scully. Chips and salsa were set down on the table and as the server walked away, he felt a hand on his back.
“Hey,” Scully said, trailing her hand over his shoulder and squeezing his upper arm. “Sorry I’m a little late. Had to stop by and see a patient before I left.”
“Not a problem, Doc. I personally, have got nothing but time,” he said, as she sat down across from him with a smile. “Patient okay?”
“Yeah she is, just needed a little reassurance.”
“No one better to reassure her than you.”
“Sweet talker,” she said as she opened her menu and he chuckled softly with a nod.
“Here are your drinks, sir,” the waitress said, placing their drinks on the table. “Are you ready to order or do you need more time?”
“A few minutes more, please,” Scully said and the waitress nodded, walking away to the next table. “Margaritas, Mulder?”
“No alcohol,” he replied, sliding hers closer to her. “Gotta stay sharp.”
“Hmm,” she said with a smile, picking up her glass and bringing it to her lips.
“Wait,” he said, picking up his own glass and holding it out to her. She smiled again as she touched her glass to his. “Happy birthday.”
“Thank you,” she whispered with a half smile, her eyes shining. He nodded his head and winked as they both took a drink. “Mmm, the lack of tequila is obviously there, but… it’s still good.”
“Can’t have you getting fired, Doc. Who will keep me in the lifestyle into which I’ve grown accustomed if you are?”
She laughed and took another drink, licking her lips, her teeth then scraping across the bottom one. He cleared his throat as he shifted in his seat, exhaling loud enough for her to hear. She shrugged slightly and held his gaze as he exhaled again.
“I only have an hour. If you keep looking at me like that, we’ll need to leave,” she said, her voice low and arousing.
“Me? You’re the one licking your lips that way.”
“Which way?” she asked. “You mean like this?” She did it again, only slower this time.
“Scully,” he growled and she smiled as she took another drink, watching him over the rim of her glass.
“So have you decided?” the waitress asked and Mulder inhaled deeply as he sat back, setting his glass down.
“Yes,” Scully said, setting her own glass down and glancing at her menu. “I’ll have the chopped salad and a bowl of chicken tortilla soup. Honey, what will you have?” She looked at him, a smile tugging at her lips.
“Yeah,” he said, clearing his throat and shaking his head. “I’ll have the beef fajitas and also a bowl of the tortilla soup.”
“Great. I’ll have that out for you as soon as possible.” She smiled and collected their menus before walking away.
“Honey?” he asked and she shrugged with a smile, reaching for a chip and dipping it in the salsa. He smiled and took one for himself, shaking his head as he took a bite. “So anything else happen today at the hospital, sweetie?”
“Well, honey, now that you’ve asked…” She smiled and began telling him about some patients and how she was happy with their progress. He nodded and smiled, happy that she was happy.
Their soups arrived and soon after, their meals. Asking for refills on both drinks, Scully picked up her napkin and unrolled it, taking out the silverware and laying the napkin in her lap.
“Oh, wait,” Mulder said, putting a hand up to stop her from taking a bite.
“What?”
“I have something for you,” he said, reaching into his jacket pocket and taking out her gift.
“Mulder,” she said, taking the slim rectangular box from him. “If this is a really long keychain…” He laughed and shook his head as she smiled.
Lifting the lid, she laughed as she took out the gift. Looking up at him, she grinned as she shook her head.
“Like it?” he asked with a smile.
“I forking love you,” she read, turning the fork around in her fingers. “I love it.” She smiled at him, squeezing his hand and laughing again. “You big weirdo.” He wiggled his eyebrows and squeezed her hand before letting go.
“There’s something else in there. It’s not just the fork, although it is a pretty great gift. Especially as it’s true.”
“Well, I forking love you too,” she said, smiling as she set the fork on her plate and picked up the box. “Oh, Mulder. This is beautiful.” She took out the bracelet he had purchased, smiling as she ran her fingers over the small diamonds set within it. “Thank you… honey.”
“You’re welcome, babe.”
“No,” she said, shaking her head as she handed him the bracelet and stuck out her right arm. He smiled as he fastened it around her wrist, placing a kiss there when he was finished.
“Ohhh! Do we have a birthday today?” the waitress asked, smiling as she set their drinks down, looking at Scully, who’s eyes had gone wide.
“No-” she started to say, but Mulder interrupted her.
“Yes. We are celebrating,” he said, nodding vehemently. “It’s this beautiful woman’s birthday today.”
“Happy birthday! I hope you enjoy your day.” She winked at her and Scully forced a smile before glaring at him as the waitress left the table.
“Mulder! You know what it means now that she knows.”
“I do, yes,” he said with a chuckle. “I wish I had a camera. Oh… right I have my phone! I almost forgot.” He took it from his pocket and laid it on the table.
“No,” she said, shaking her head. “You better not.”
“Oh, but I will. Now eat your food, your hour is nearly up.” She stared at him and he grinned. “You want some of mine?” He pointed to his plate and she nodded curtly, causing him to laugh.
They shared their meal between them, Mulder adding some salsa to his portion of the salad, finding the mixture of it with the dressing to be very good. Coaxing Scully to try it, he smiled when she nodded her approval.
Plates cleared away, she kept her fork, licking and then wiping it clean on her napkin. Smiling, she placed it back into the box.
“It’s a really cute gift. And I love the bracelet,” she said, touching it on her wrist. “Thank you.” She leaned forward and he did the same until he could reach her lips, kissing her softly.
“Hey hey! We have a birthday here today!”
Mulder opened his eyes, staring into Scully’s now wide open ones. He leaned back and she shook her head as he grinned. The waitress and five other servers gathered around their table and a large black mariachi sombrero, with silver designs, was placed on Scully’s head. She stared at him as she sighed. He laughed and picked up his phone, turning on the camera and recording her discomfort.
“Everyone! Todos! Nosotras tenemos un cumpleaños. Ayúdanos a celebrar!” They clapped and Mulder smiled as Scully shook her head, the silver balls hanging from the hat, bouncing back and forth.
“Cumpleaños feliz!” they all began to sing and Mulder laughed silently. “Cumpleaños feliz! Te deseamos todos! Cumpleaños feliz!”
Whooping, clapping, and cheering followed as a plate was set down in front of Scully. Small churros covered in whipped cream and caramel sauce held a single candle glowing brightly. She blew it out and more cheering occurred, an extra empty plate set in front of Mulder. The hat was taken off and she smiled her thanks as they all walked away.
“Happy birthday, Doc,” Mulder said and she blinked at him slowly, flipping him off as she scratched her chin. He laughed and ended the video.
“That wasn’t embarrassing at all,” she said, taking the candle out and laying it on the table.
“Can’t imagine why it would be,” he laughed, taking a churro and placing it onto his plate.
“Hmm,” she hummed, picking up a churro and taking a bite. “But damn that’s delicious. Worth it, I suppose.” He nodded and she rolled her eyes, smiling as she took another bite.
Their bill paid, her gift in hand, they left to choruses of happy birthday. Mulder took a huge handful of mints from the bowl and shoved them into his pocket, and Scully shoved him out the door with a reprimand.
“What? That’s why they’re there,” he said, defending his actions as he unwrapped a mint.
“A whole, huge handful? No.”
“Oh come on. You want one?”
“You know I do,” she said with a sigh, sticking out her hand.
He grinned and took one from his pocket, unwrapping it and holding it between his thumb and index finger. Offering it to her, she raised her hand higher. He shook his head and she smiled as she leaned closer. Licking her lips, she opened her mouth wide enough for him to place the mint inside.
Rubbing it across her wet lips first, he then placed it onto her tongue, bending his head to kiss her lips. She hummed, grabbing onto his jacket, as he held her hip. Their lips stuck together as he pulled back, the candy sticky sweet, and they both chuckled.
“Minty,” he whispered, licking his lips and kissing her again.
“An hour, remember? I need to get back and this isn’t helping.” He laughed and kissed her once more before stepping back with a nod.
“I’ll walk you back and then head home. Anything in particular you want for your birthday dinner?”
“Not really. This has been good, so anything will be fine.” She smiled at him and he bumped her shoulder, taking her hand and lacing their fingers together.
Walking down a couple of streets, they crunched their mints and discussed possible dinner plans, Scully shrugging with a smile, unbothered by any decision.
As they neared a corner to cross the street, many things happened at once and later it would be hard to pinpoint exactly what happened in what order.
Tires screeched. Someone screamed. A dog barked. A voice yelled. Then many voices. Everything echoed and then a dog, a large dog, came barreling around the corner and directly into Scully’s path.
He hit her legs, sweeping them out from under her. Her hand was pulled free of Mulder’s as she fell, and he stumbled forward, landing hard on his knees, catching himself on his hands. He groaned as he heard voices calling out and feet rounding the corner. A dog whimpered as he turned to check on Scully.
“Scully?” he said in a hoarse voice, his knees and hands killing him.
“Oohhh what… what happened?” she groaned, lying on her side. She struggled to sit up and he went to help her.
“Oh my God,” he said, stopping at the sight of her.
She had blood rushing down the left side of her face, dripping onto her shirt and blazer. Reaching up to touch it, it then covered her shaking hand, and she blinked up at him.
“What…?” She did not finish her sentence. Her eyes rolled back and her body went limp. He caught her and struggled for a second to lift her, his knees and hands screaming, her body like a dead weight to pick up.
“Oh my God! I’m so sorry! He slipped off the leash! I couldn’t catch him!” a scared voice said. He glimpsed a young boy, about eleven, with tears on his face and then turned around. “Is she okay? I’m so sorry!”
“She will be. I need to get her to the hospital. Keep a hold on your dog.”
“Yeah. I… I’m so sorry.” Mulder could now hear him sobbing, others soothing him, but his only concern was for Scully.
She was breathing, he could feel it against his neck, but she was still bleeding; he could smell it on her. He knew head wounds bled a lot, but that did not stop him from worrying that she was bleeding too much.
“You’re okay. We’re almost there, honey. Can you hear me?” She did not answer and he increased his speed, now feeling the dampness at his knees, knowing he was also bleeding.
Ignoring his own pain, he held her tighter and continued his hurried steps, the hospital now in sight. Crossing the parking lot, he entered the emergency room, her blood dripping to the ground as he called out for help.
________________
“That feel okay?”
“Yeah,” he groaned, the antiseptic stinging his cuts. “Well, not exactly okay…”
“No, I’m sure it’s not. You had a hard fall.”
“Yeah. Not as bad as Doctor Scully, though. When will they be back, do you know?” Mulder asked, seething as the nurse cleaned his wounds.
“Considering she lost consciousness, they’re doing a CT scan to assess her for injuries.”
“Yeah,” he said, knowing she had gone back for that test, among others. “How long should it take though, ballpark figure?”
“Mr. Mulder,” the nurse said, looking up at him and smiling kindly. “I understand your worry, but she’s in good hands.”
“I know she is,” he said, nodding his head. “I just want to know she’s okay.”
“Should be soon, I’m sure.” She smiled again and continued cleaning his knees. He sighed, closing his eyes as he dropped his head back, jumping slightly when she hit a particularly sore spot.
“She lost a lot of blood,” he said softly and she hummed, patting his leg gently.
“The face and scalp have many blood vessels close to the surface of the skin, so it’s common for there to be more bleeding when there is an injury.”
“I know, it just… it all happened so fast.” He sighed and shook his head, scrubbing a hand across his face, the light bandages covering them soft against his skin.
“She’ll be okay. You’re okay too, though I’m sure you’ll be sore for a few days. You’ll be bruised, definitely, but we’ll get you some medication and that should help you out.”
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” She patted his leg again and he sighed. “I’ll let this dry and get the bandages ready. Have you all set for when Doctor Scully comes back.”
“Thank you,” he said again, raising his head and looking at her. “I’m sorry I don’t know your name.”
“Tricia.”
“Thank you, Tricia. I appreciate your help.”
“You’re welcome, Mr. Mulder.”
_______________
Wearing a pair of light blue scrubs, which Tricia had kindly given to him seeing as how his own clothes were bloodied, he waited for Scully to be brought back to the room. His knees were throbbing, but Tricia had gotten him some ibuprofen to help with it.
Glancing up, he saw Tricia walking toward him, a young boy by her side. With a frown, he realized it was the boy with the dog that had knocked Scully down. Standing up stiffly, he nodded as they arrived at the room.
“Mr. Mulder, this is Carson Stevens. He said he knows you?” Tricia said and the boy nodded, his eyes red and full of tears.
“Is she okay? Your wife?”
“Well, she’s not my wife, but she’s going to be okay,” Mulder said, smiling kindly at him.
“I’m so sorry. My dog got scared of another dog and slipped out of his leash. He was too fast for me to catch him. My dad was behind us, but he couldn’t catch up either. He almost got hit by a car, the dog, not my dad, and it was… I was… I didn’t mean for him to run into you guys.”
“Hey, I know you didn’t,” Mulder said, touching his shoulder. “Is your dog okay?”
“Yeah,” Carson said. “We took him to the vet and he made sure he was okay.”
“That’s good.” He squeezed Carson’s shoulder and smiled.
“I’m really sorry,” Carson said again, sniffling and wiping his eyes on the sleeve of his jacket. “My dad said… said that I should do something to… to help you and your girlfriend. But I don’t know what I can do.”
“No. You don’t have to do anything, Carson,” Mulder said, shaking his head. “She’s going to be okay. You just make sure you keep your dog safe and… maybe get a harness for him.”
“Yeah, okay,” Carson said with a soft sob of laughter. “We already got one at the vet.”
“Good.”
“Thank you. And I really am sorry.”
“You go take care of your dog and thank you for checking on us, Carson.” He squeezed his shoulder once more and let go, stepping away with a smile.
“Okay. Goodbye.” He turned around and started to leave when he turned back, taking something out of his jacket pocket. “Oh, this was on the ground. I think it’s yours.” He handed him Scully’s birthday gift box and Mulder nodded.
“It was her birthday present,” Mulder said, opening it to make sure the fork was still safely inside.
“It’s a funny gift. That’s what my dad said, anyway. I didn’t get it.” He shrugged and said goodbye, waving at him as he walked out of the room, Tricia following behind him with a smile.
________________
Mulder watched Scully sleeping, with the help of a sedative, and sighed with relief.
Her CT scan had come back showing no sign of internal bleeding, but she had needed six stitches at her hairline from cutting it on something as she fell. She also had a bruised rib, a hairline fracture on her left wrist, and a large bruise on her left thigh where the dog's head had hit her before she fell.
While not the best news, it could have been much worse and he was grateful she would recover from her injuries, although she would be in pain and discomfort for a few weeks.
“Mmm,” she moaned, moving her head, frowning in her sleep.
He jumped up and bit back a groan as his knees nearly buckled. After not moving for a while, they had tightened up, the sudden movement unbearable.
“Ohhh,” she breathed and whimpered as she drew in a deep breath. “Mul… der…”
“I’m here. Lie still okay. You have a fractured wrist, a bruised rib, stitches, and some other bruises along your body.”
“Jeeee… sus…” she whispered, trying to open her eyes.
“Yeah.”
“So… not… not the best birthday…” she said with a moan, her eyelids finally cracking open, though her eyes were unable to focus on him.
“It could have been worse.”
“Hmm,” she hummed, closing her eyes and reaching for his hand. He took it and kissed her forehead softly.
“I’m so sorry,” he whispered and she hummed, squeezing his hand gently.
“Not your fault,” she breathed. “Is the dog okay? They… they catch him?” He exhaled a laugh against her brow and kissed her again.
“Of course you would want to know if the dog was okay.”
“So he is?”
“He is, yes.”
“Good.”
___________________
February 25, 2011
11:30 a.m.
“You do know that I am right handed, right?” Scully said, smiling at him. He held a bite of food close to her lips as she lay propped up comfortably in bed and he sat beside her.
“And?” He raised his eyebrows as she took the bite, smiling as she chewed. “I’m doing this because…” He pointed to the words written on her birthday fork, and she laughed and then moaned.
“Don’t make me laugh,” she whimpered, closing her eyes and taking some small breaths.
“Sorry,” he said, rubbing her leg softly and smiling at her. She opened her eyes and smiled back. “You want to save this for later and take your pill instead?”
“Hmm, yeah.”
“Okay, I’ll be right back.” He kissed her forehead and stood up slowly, suppressing a groan.
“Get one for you too. We can take a sedative nap together.”
“Okay,” he chuckled, carefully walking down the stairs, taking her plate of food to the refrigerator and placing it and the fork inside.
Filling a large insulated water bottle with ice and water, he capped it, grabbed a soft cloth ice pack and the bottle of pain pills, and walked slowly back up the stairs. He placed the ice pack on her ribs, over her shirt, and she exhaled a moan. Giving her one of the pills, he held the water bottle for her as she drank and swallowed her pill.
Taking a pill for himself, he drank only a minimal amount, leaving the water bottle on her nightstand. She smiled, tapping the bed beside her with her casted arm, and he smiled with a nod. Picking up the blanket at the end of bed, he covered her before walking over to his side.
Lying down, he sighed and closed his eyes, overwhelmingly tired from the stress of the last couple of days.
“You wanna hear my takeaway from all of this?” she asked and he smiled, turning his head to look at her.
“What’s that?”
Shifting a little with a moan, she looked at him, grasping the tips of his fingers.
“You should be allowed to enjoy at least one alcoholic beverage on your birthday, because you never know if a frightened dog, who chose flight over fight, will come and knock you off your feet causing you to wake up in a hospital bed broken and bruised.”
He laughed softly and shook his head. Squeezing her hand and letting it go, he turned onto his side, pulling the blanket over himself. He moved closer to her, but did not touch, as her left side seemed to be one continuous angry bruise.
“We’ll have a do over when you’re better.”
“Here at the house would be preferable.”
“Or we put you in a protective bubble as we leave the restaurant, ensuring your safety.”
“Logical. I like the way you think.”
“I’m picturing a giant squishy hamster ball. Wow, think of all the gas we would save if you simply rolled yourself everywhere.”
“Oh, don’t make me laugh,” she said again, breaths coming out in painful gasps.
“Sorry. Again.”
They lay quietly for a few minutes. He gently stroked her fingers sticking out from her cast and listened to her breathing.
“I forking love you,” she mumbled and he smiled.
“I forking love you too,” he replied. “When we’re better, we can expand on that as we spoon.”
She hummed a laugh and then groaned, squeezing his fingers weakly. He smiled, breathing deeply as he felt the effects of the pain pill begin pulling him to sleep.
I had a beautiful outing with one of my friends on the day Biden won his presidency! She treated me to a delicious lunch and nail session for my birthday, then we went back to hers and binged on a few episodes of Schitt’s Creek. We had a Oreo and Cream doughnut and shared two slices of Ferraro Roche Choc Cake. Then I headed home and did some dusting for my plants - so now it looks shiny as!
09/11/2020 9:30AM
Woke up this morning not as early as I would’ve liked but started working on the next section of Human Biology: Skeletal System - Bones and Bone Structures. There are six major chapters I’ve to cover in the textbook and I’m only on the first one. Happy that I managed to gain a solid understanding of Bone Markings before I headed off to work.
