Ahab's Legacy

by Rachel Rudd

Scully shifted her overnight pack onto her right shoulder.  Her presence had been requested at a hospital in Babylon, Washington.  Skinner had recommened her for what looked like an outbreak of smallpox.  She was really worried and didn't want to spend the night at a hotel.

She saw a large, dark park.  That would be a good short cut.  She headed into it without a second thought.  As she walked through the park; she noticed a very ominous air about it.  She at first ignored it, then she wished she had her gun at her waist.  But, she didn't want to stop and get it.  She just wanted to get out of there as soon as possible without raising suspicion.

She continued to walk, thinking she was just being paranoid.  But, something was eating away at her composure and self-assurance.  She walked faster, nearly blinded in the oppressing dark.  Then suddenly something broke the dark.  She saw a faint glow of a cigarette, about 10 feet away from her, then it disappeared.  Her heart was throbbing her chest.  She walked faster.  She was almost running, when she tripped.

She winced and stood back up.  This time she walked with a little limp.  She walked slow, knowing that another trip could cost her her life.  With a twisted ankle, a heavy bag on her shoulder, the pitch dark, and the fact she was unarmed were all against her.  He would also have the advantage of surprise.

Out of the corners of her misty green eyes, she saw the cigarette glow, again.  If she were a lesser woman; she would've freaked out.  She saw the glow coming closer.  She found herself formulating all these stupid options.  She began to wonder what would happen if the smallpox outbreak was what she thought it was.  Alot more depended on her getting through the park safely than her life.

She was 3/4 through the park.  She was still too far away to be safe.  Her ankle ached worse.  The cigarette glow was very, very close now.  Then suddenly, a white Alsation dog trotted up to her.  It was the kind that police used, and it was nothing short of huge.  It stopped and sat next to her legs, as if waiting patiently for her to continue walking.  It wore no collar.

She stood there for a moment.  Despite her postition, she was almost overwhelmed with the dog's beauty.  Majesty surrounded it, as it just sat there.  Dark blue eyes look up at her, and it's coat was so white.  It must be a stray, but it looked like it was kept like a pedigree.  She finally came to her senses and started walking.  It walked with her like it was her pet.  With this large dog along side her, Scully felt better.

She continued walking, and except for her limp she was walking normally.  The dog stayed with her to the street, even as she crossed it.  When she got to the hospital door, she wondered what to do.  She already felt attatched and indebted to the dog.  And, anyone could see the dog loved her.  Scully bit her lip.  Then she went inside taking the dog with her.

A nurse opened her mouth to object, but Scully stopped her by asking, "Is there any place I can leave this dog overnight?"

The nurse closed her mouth.  "Well, there's a veterinarian who is across the street from the hospital…"

"Good,"

Scully interupted, "I'll take…" she glanced at the dog on its belly, "I'll take him there."  So, Scully dropped the dog off with the vet, paid the overnight fee, and then went to the serious business.

"We don't know what's wrong with these people."  said Dr. Kerrigan, gesturing towards the swollen victums.  "We put in a call to FEMA, but somehow this FBI agent, uhm,"  snapping fingers to remember, "Skinner!  Yeah this man named Skinner took the call, and we gave him a desription of what was happening.  He mumble something about 'small', but that's all we heard.  He said you've seen things like this before?"

"Yes," Scully said, "Could I see their blood samples?"

The doctor nodded, "They're right this way."

Scully looked at the samples.  She let out a breath of relief to see that theyweren't infected with the Black Oil.  But, they had suffered a left over fromthe Project.  "I want you to start treating these people for smallpox immediately." Scully anounced coolly as possible.

The doctor nearly laughed, "This can't be the smallpox.  No one gets that anymore."

"This is small pox," Scully said firmly, "You can deny that if you want, but you need to start treating these people accordingly."

The doctor took another look at the blood samples, while Scully took the opportunity to win the medical staff over to her.

The fact that she was a Federal Agent, the proof she offered, and the fact that everyone was feeling vulnerable and jittery was enough.  They had already started when Dr. Kerrigan came out, again.  She had no choice but to submit.  Besides, looking at the samples, again had stirred her to reconsider.

By the time it was started, it was 5:00.  Scully felt exhausted.  Her ankle had gotten a little better, though.  Seeing that she was no longer needed there, she went to get a hotel.  She slept that night, as if the world had been lifted off her shoulders.  And, it felt good.  Well, for the few hours left she did sleep.She decided to keep the dog.  And, as she dreamed, she felt like a child.  She could feel her father holding her in his arms.  She could hear him tenderly say, "Call me Ishmael.  Several years ago, never mind the proper time, having little or no money in my pocket…"  She would call the dog Moby.  It was as white as the whale.

Next day, she went to pick up the dog from the vet.  He was very glad to see her.  "Come on, Moby" she said in a sweet voice.  The dog ran up to her, jumped up, and knocked her to the floor.  He began to immediately lick on her face.  "Down Moby," she said, gently pushing the dog off.  The vet raised his eyebrows at the name, the said, "You do need to get his shots, get him registered…"

"Which will be done immediately, as soon as I get to my vet." Scully said.  With that she took a recently purchased leash, put it on the dog's newly bought collar.  The vet kept his distance, that's when Scully noticed that Moby didn't care too much for people other than her.  So, to avoid discomfort she immediately took the dog out.

She crossed the park.  'So very pleasant in the daylight,' she thought ironically.  Moby jumped playfully around her legs as she walked down the sidewalk.  She decided to camp around the city for a day or two, so she could see if there was anything suspicious.  She bought a tent, got into the rented car, and headed out to the country surrounding the city.

She took a quick glance at the dog's cheap collar she had bought.  Her name and address was written on it with a sharpie.  Well, at least no one would pick it up until she got a real collar with a good ID.  She turned off the road; the dog stuck his head out the window.  She stopped on a hilly area near a creek.  Well, it was sort of a hill.  She looked down the slope.  It was very rocky, and the creek was moving fast.  She decided to keep the tent away from there.

With some trouble, she got the tent up.  The dog came up wagging his tail; he also had a stick in his mouth.  Scully took it and tossed it as far as she could throw into the woods.  Spending quality time with the dog, and making sure the area was safe.  It killed two important birds with an easy-to-throw stone.  Soon enough Moby came running back.

Scully had to wrestle the stick out of him that time.  But, she finally got it and threw it, again.  She sat down and relaxed against a tree.  She waited idly, until Moby came back with the stick.  She smiled and reach out to get it, but Moby wouldn't relinquish the stick.  She tried to wrestly it out of him, again, but he wouldn't let go.  So, she finally gave up and got her lunch out.  She threw scraps to Moby every once in awhile.

The sun was beginning to set.  Scully watched as the horizon became edged with magenta, fuschia, purple, dark, purple, and black.  She watched as the stars began to appear.  She was awakened from her contemplations by the dog nuzzling under her arm.  She let him crawl into her lap, and she rested her right arm on his albino back.

The dog was such a comfort to her, she realized that up till then she had always been alone in her adult life.  Touched, but never held.  When she had lost Emily, she realized just how alone she had been.  If it weren't for the priest, and the Nephilum, she might have given into her angst. Then she would have given up on life altogether.

But, thoughts no longer tortured her.  Fr. Gregory made it clear she had a purpose.  And, his visit had made her heart lighter.  She felt calm and in control.  Yet, she hugged Moby closer to her, taking pleasure in his warmth, and his soft, white fur.  She no longer bore anything against Mulder for taking that time away from her life.  For contact with him was indeed necessary for her to fulfill her purpose.  She smiled at the trouble Moby would've given him if he were here.  But, it was best that he was gone.  And this, was the last time she would ever think on her ex-partner, again.

The stars quickly appeared and Scully fell asleep with Moby in her arms, not even bothering to get into the tent.  When she awoke the next morning, it was to Moby licking her face.  She began to move, then the dog lept a few feet away from her, turned back to her and started to playfully bark.  She woke up and went down to the creek with the dog to get water.  She poured it through a filter, then headed back up the steep, rocky slope.

After taking a few sips, Scully was startled by Moby barking.  He barked a few times, then went into the woods.  "Moby!"  Scully called, getting up to go get him.  She carelessly walked through the thrushy area.  Suddenly a horrible feeling came upon her.  She turned around to see a huge man behind her, making to hit her with his gun.

She gracefully dodged him, using her leg to trip him at the same time.  He fell face forward.  He quickly turned onto his back, aiming the gun at her.  She kicked it out of his hand effortlessly.  She kicked him in the face, and suddenly another man came up behind her and kicked her in the back.

She fell into a thorn bush, causing her new attacker to hesitate.  "Now, you shouldn't kick a lady in the back."  Scully said vehemently.  She sprang out of the bush and knocked the guy to the ground.  She quickly stood up making the attacker stand up as well, she knocked her forhead into his face.  Then she kneed him in the stomach.  When he bent over, she gave him a right hook of her fist in the face.  Then placing her right foot on his chest, she shoved with all her might.  He fell tumbling down the opposite side of the hill.

Then she turned to the first attacker, he was no longer there.  She spread her legs apart, bracing herself for any impact coming towards her.  She had her hands up in a fist.  She looked every which way on impulse.  Once, when she turned her head around to see if anyone was behind her. She felt a foot on her chest that shoved her to the ground.  Without warning the first attacker held her up, as a third man punched her in the stomach with all his strength.

Scully bent over in pain, while the guy holding her shoved down, and her head it a rock, scraping the side of her forehead.  She went dizzy with that blow.  But, she managed to turn on her back.  And, using both legs she kicked the third man in the stomach; he went back.  She immediately kicked the first man in the groin.  By now, she recovered, sort of, so she sprang up and kicked the first man across the face.

The third man came back up and swung at her face.  She easily ducked to the side.  She stepped on the guys right foot it was so far spread, and used the other leg to kick him hard in the knee cap area.  He yelled in pain and fell to the ground.  Scully slowly backed away bracing herself for either one of them to strike, again.  Then she felt a pain the back of her head that nearly caused her to black out.

She fell to the ground and looked up.  The second man had hit her in the head with a small log.  Everything was sort of spinning.  And, things would darken every now and then.  She almost swore she could see little birds.  Scully felt herself being picked up and heard them say between each other, "Where's the gun?"

"I don't know, the ramera kicked it out of my hands."

"Wait, I see a creek over there, let's drop her down."

So, they took her past the tent she'd made, and to the edge of the rocky slope.  She looked down and felt herself being shoved down.  She fell uncontrollably down, she could feel herself hit against rocks and the like.  After a few seconds, she felt the icy plunge of the water.  There, she finally passed out in the darkness.

When she awoke, she saw white.  She felt a gentle breeze on her face, and a warmth upon her.  'I must be dead.'  The suddenly the white came down and licked her face.  She woke up totally and saw Moby.  He slightly wimpered and barked, but when he saw Scully move she wagged his tail and playfully hopped around.  When she tried to get up, he gently put his head under her arm and tried to pull her.  He did a good job.

He dragged her slowly up hill.  When she put her hands on the rocks to help get herself up, she saw blood on them, lots of  it.  She continued up and began to see more blood on the rocks.  'Oh Sweet Lord, how much have I lost?' she asked herself mentally.  Being a doctor, she began to worry if she was really seriously injured.  She and Moby finally made it to the top, where Scully collapsed for awhile.

But, Moby wouldn't stop nuzzling her head.  She finally got up, grabbed the tent, and shoved it in the black seat along with the rest of the stuff.  She painfully opened the door, and Moby hopped in.  She sat in the driver's seat, and drove herself to the nearest hospital.

When she got there, nurses immediately came to her assistance, and took her to the ER.  There, she passed out.  When she was conscious, again she was in a hospital bed, bandaged up.  She looked around the white room and saw something dark in the corner.  "Who's there?" she said, bolting up in the bed.  Then she gasped with the pain that bolt had caused her, and she fell back into the pillow.

The dakr figure rushed forward and placed its left hand on her right shoulder.  The hand seemed out of proportion.  She knew that it was Krycek, although his left arm was basically finished, it did have awhile to go.  She looked up at him, as his face came into focus.  "How are you, Dana?" he asked.

She grinned painfully and said, "I feel like Hell."

He seemed concerned, but he gave his explanation, first, "The smallpox outbreak was done to lure you here, where they could kill you without any intereference.  I see now, that I found out about it, too late.  I didn't know where to look, so I checked here, expecting the worst." He smiled, "I'm glad you made it."

Scully groggily smiled and said, "Where's Moby?  Where's my dog?"

"He was taken to a kennel.  When you're ready to leave the hospital, he'll be waiting for you." Krycek replied.

Then Scully asked, "Wait, how did you know about Moby?"

"I saw him get out of the car, he tried to follow you into the ER."  Scully smiled, Moby was so protective.  She placed her hand on Krycek's and said, "Thank you for checking on me, Krycek." she said softly.  She looked up at him, Krycek slowly bent forward and whispered, "If I can call you Dana, call me Alex."  His lips brushed across her forehead, then he stopped relinquished her and left the room.  She folded her head across the stomach and looked around.  She grimaced at the room and immediately wanted to get up; she couldn't wait to get out of this hospital.

The End

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