The Perfect Christmas

By Waddles 52
Waddles52@wmconnect.com

Summary:  While transporting a prisoner, Mulder and
Scully are forced to spend Christmas away
from home.
Rating:  PG
Category:  MSR, MT
Disclaimer:  Not for profit.  Just for fun.  No
copyright infringement intended.
Archives:  Written for IMTP X-Files Virtual Season 10
Holiday Special.  Others please ask.
Feedback:  I'd love to hear from you.
Waddles52@wmconnect.com
 

"Were you able to get a flight out tonight?" Mulder
asked, his voice sounding like he'd gargled with
glass.  He was nursing the Mother of all colds and a
sprained knee only added to his aggravation.

"You've got to be kidding," Scully griped.  "I
couldn't get anything until the 27th.  I thought
Louisville was much more metropolitan than this."

"With the city-county merger in January, Louisville
will become the 16th largest city in the U.S.," Mulder
informed her.

"I guess I should just be thankful that our prisoner
decided to get appendicitis near a hospital with a
prison ward.  He'll be well guarded until he's ready
to travel, then the local field office will make sure
he's transported back to D.C."  Scully shrugged out
of her coat and sat on the side of Mulder's bed.
"How are you doing?"

"They're ready to release me.  Just a sprain," he
answered, trying to hold back a cough.

"The next time a 250 pound prisoner decides to pass
out in the aisle of an airplane, try to get out of
his way," Scully grinned.

"I'll keep that in mind.  Did you find us a place to
stay?"

"Yes.  The local office is handling that.  Agent Mike
Sumner should be here soon to take us to the hotel.
He said it wasn't far from the hospital."

"As soon as they put my knee in a splint and hand me
some crutches I'm ready to roll, er hop.  I'm sorry
we're stuck here for Christmas.  Why don't we rent a
car and drive back to D.C.?"

"I don't think your knee is up to a 12 hour drive.
We'll just hang out at the hotel and find a nice
restaurant for Christmas dinner," Scully decided.

"That's okay for me, but what about your family?  You
deserve to be home for Christmas."

"They will get along just fine without me.  I'll be
able to spend some time with them when we return.
They won't be leaving until next week."

"Looks like I'll have you all to myself," Mulder
grinned.  "I could think of worse things."

"Let's not think about those things.  Let me check
with the nurse about your discharge."

An hour later Mulder was looking out his hotel
window, watching a barge make its way down the Ohio
River.  He turned as the door opened and Scully
stomped in.

"I can't believe this city!" she fumed. "They roll up
the sidewalks at 6 o'clock on Christmas Eve.  If we
have a Christmas dinner it will have to come from
room service."  She plopped down on the bed.  "And
how did you manage to get a room with a nice view?
All I can see is the building across the street from
my window."

"Doesn't matter."  He turned and made his way over to
the bed, moving carefully with his crutches.  "You'll
be here with me, so you can look at the river all you
want.  Of course, I'd like to be included in the
sights you want to see but if you want to look at
water and barges, my window is at your disposal."

Mulder carefully laid on the bed.  "I feel like crap,"
he sniffed.  "You wouldn't happen to have any cold
medicine in your first-aid kit?" he asked hopefully,
then began to cough.

Scully turned to feel his forehead.  "You're a little
warm.  I checked and I didn't pack anything like
that."  She looked at her watch.  "Since the
sidewalks rolled up 30 minutes ago I doubt I could
find a drugstore open.  I can ask at the desk
though."

"No, don't bother.  I got some pain medication at the
hospital.  Maybe I'll just take a couple of pills and
sleep until this cold runs its course."

"You haven't taken anything yet?"

"I really didn't want to.  I hate to feel groggy."

Scully was off the bed in a flash getting a glass of
water.  "Take them now.  Maybe the rest will do you
some good."

"How can I rest when I can't breathe?"

"You're breathing or I wouldn't be able to hear you
whine.  Just take them and sleep," she ordered.

Two hours later Scully was flipping through the TV
channels, sampling what Louisville had to offer.
"Thank God for cable," she muttered as Mulder snored
loudly.

The pain medication had hit him like a ton of bricks.
Between that and his worsening nasal congestion, his
snoring had become very irritating, not to mention
loud.

There was a knock at the door.  Scully got up to
answer it, fully expecting a member of management
demanding them to turn off the buzz saw.  Agent Mike
Sumner greeted her instead.

"Agent Scully," he greeted her, confusion evident on
his face.  "I thought this was Agent Mulder's room.
I'm sorry to bother you."

"Come in, Agent Sumner.  This is Mulder's room, but
since he's developed a rather nasty cold in addition
to his knee injury I thought I should keep an eye on
him.  He's taken some pain medication and he's not
too steady on his feet."  Scully's explanation was
punctuated by several window-rattling snores.

"I could tell he wasn't feeling well when I brought
you here.  Actually, that's why I came."

Scully directed him to the sofa as she turned off the
TV.  At least the Louisville office arranged for them
to stay in one of the best hotels available.  The
Galt House was leagues above their usual
accommodations.

"I was telling my wife, Carol Ann, about your
situation.  She's a physician's assistant at one of
the Immediate Care Centers in town.  I mentioned
Agent Mulder's cold and she insisted that I see if he
had any medication to take."

"No, he doesn't," Scully sighed, " And I'm afraid
he's developing bronchitis."

"If you could write down his symptoms and a brief
medical history, I'll give her a call.  She wants to
run it by the doctor there and he'll prescribe some
medication for him.  They have loads of samples and
she'll bring them home when her shift ends at 10:00."

"That's very kind of you.  I'm surprised that there
is something open on Christmas Eve."

"They're open 365 days a year.  She also insisted
that I ask you to share our Christmas dinner.
Neither one of us could get enough time off from work
to go home for Christmas so it's just us and our two
children."

"Thank you for your offer but I don't think we should
expose your children to this.  It's a pretty nasty
bug," Scully declined.

"Agent Scully, our two toddlers are in day care.
Odds are they've already been exposed.  In fact, they
may have already had it.  They're both getting over
colds."

"We wouldn't want to put your wife to any extra
trouble.  She sounds like she has her hands full with
the children and work."  Scully wrote Mulder's
information as she talked.

"Carol Ann will cook enough for a small army whether
you come or not.  You could help put a dent in the
leftovers I'll be eating for the next week," he
laughed.  "I'm not taking no for an answer.  I'll
pick you up around noon.  That will give Carol Ann a
chance to doctor Agent Mulder and let him rest before
we eat, around 3 or 3:30.  I guarantee you it will be
much better than room service."

"All right, Agent Sumner.  You've got two guests for
Christmas dinner.  We'll be ready at noon," Scully
agreed as she handed him Mulder's information.

"Great!  I'll call this in to Carol Ann and she'll
have everything ready when you get there.  Oh, and
dress is casual."

Christmas day found Mulder's cold to be much worse.
Soon after their arrival at the Sumner household,
their hostess whisked Mulder off to a bedroom where a
vaporizer was already set up.  After a brief
examination, Carol Ann determined that he did indeed
have bronchitis with a temperature of 100.8.  She
turned on the vaporizer and administered the
prescribed medications.  An ice pack for his knee
completed Mulder's treatment.

"Agent Mulder, I'd like for you to rest here until
dinner is ready.  I'm sorry the kids are so rowdy,
but they're still excited with all the toys Santa
brought.  I'll try to keep it down to a dull roar out
there."

"Thanks, Mrs. Sumner.  You've really gone out of your
way here," Mulder said, his voice barely a whisper.

"No problem.  Just relax and let the medicine start
to work.  You'll feel much better soon.  I'd better
go and check on your partner.  The boys may have her
tied up and surrounded by now."

Mulder laughed.  "I'd like to see that."

"Don't laugh.  They'll probably come after you when
you come out for dinner, so rest.  You'll need your
strength."

Mulder slept soundly for an hour or so, then woke with
the uncomfortable feeling that he was being watched.
He opened one eye and found two little boys staring
at him.

"Mister, you gots a big boo-boo," the oldest
informed him, touching the splint on his right leg.

"Yep, I guess I do," Mulder agreed.

"Does it hurt?"

"A little."

"Maybe your mommy will kiss it and make it better.
I'll go get her."

The two boys turned to leave.

"Boys, wait a minute," he called after them, but they
were already gone.

A few minutes later Scully came into the room.  "I
hear you have a big boo-boo and your mommy needs to
kiss it," she grinned.

"Oh, yeah.  Where do you want to start?" Mulder
grinned.

"You must be feeling much better," she laughed.

"I'll live."

"That's good because dinner is almost ready."

"So, what have you been doing while I've been in here
breathing this wonderful, mentholated air?"

"Oh, I've played about a hundred games of Candyland
and Chutes and Ladders.  I'd probably be doing the
same thing at home.  Micah and Jacob are really
cute."

"Which is which?"

"Micah is the oldest.  He's almost four and Jacob
just turned two."

"Okay.  Could you hand me my crutches?  I guess I
should wash up before dinner."

Scully handed him the crutches.  "Take it easy.  You
might be a little light-headed from some of the
medications," she warned.

"Thanks, Mommy," he teased as he stood up.  "Wanna
come with me and check my hands and face after I've
finished?"

"I think I'll save that inspection for later, after
we get back to the hotel."

"You've got a deal."

Micah and Jacob were fascinated when Mulder made his
grand entrance to the dining room.

"Look Mommy!  He gots crunches," Micah announced.

"Yes, sweetheart.  He has to use the crutches because
he has a sore knee," Carol Ann replied, emphasizing
the correct pronunciation.

"Can I have some?" Micah asked innocently.

"Me too!" Jacob joined in.

"Looks like you've started a trend," Scully quipped
as they sat down to eat.

Later, Mulder followed Scully into the hotel room
and shed his coat.  He sat on the bed and very gingerly
lifted his leg and stretched it out.  "Damn, my knee
hurts like hell.  Must be the cold, damp weather," he
groaned.

"You don't suppose it could have anything to do with
getting on the floor and acting like a three year old
do you?"

"Aw, Scully. I haven't played with Legos since I was
a kid.  We had a pretty neat fort under construction,
and the Hot Wheels race set was really cool."

"Especially when one became airborne and landed in the
left-over cranberry sauce," Scully giggled.

"Well, Mike said he wanted help getting rid of the
leftovers," Mulder explained.

"Other than your knee, how do you feel?" Scully
asked, feeling his forehead.

"I'm pretty tired, but I think I've turned the corner
on this bug."

"I think you have too.  I don't think you  have a fever
now.  Just remember to keep taking your meds."

"I will," he promised.  "And how do you feel?  Still
missing your family?"

"Of course, but I must admit Micah and Jacob were
great substitute nephews.  I'll see my family in a few
days and we'll still have plenty of time to catch up
on all of the news."

"I'm glad you're okay with being stuck here.  I'm sorry
we can't leave for another day though."

"Well, it just so happens that Carol Ann has tomorrow
off and we've decided to hit the after-Christmas sales.
It seems that Louisville has several large shopping
malls and we've already mapped out our strategy.  We're
going to start early and shop until we drop."

"Well, I guess that's a good plan.  I guess I'll just
hang out here and watch some of the bowl games,"
Mulder said, his disappointment evident.

"You know, Mike has the day off too.  He's planning
on playing with the boys and watching the games.  He
said he'd love to have some company to help eat some
of those leftovers."

"Now you're talking!" Mulder exclaimed.  "Carol Ann
is a great cook.  Maybe I'll even be able to taste
a little more by tomorrow."

"I'm sure you will.  We can drop you off on the way
to our first mall."

"So, I guess this wasn't the worst Christmas ever?"
Mulder asked.

"No, it wasn't.  We were together and we made some
new friends.  Actually, I'd rate it pretty high on
my list of favorites."

"Me too.  You know, I have some gifts for you but
of course, they're at home.  I didn't think we'd be
spending Christmas in Kentucky," Mulder explained
as Scully took off her shoes and laid on the bed
beside him.

"Same here, but I think we've overlooked our biggest
gift."

Mulder looked puzzled.

"We're here together, in reasonably good health with
the promise of many more Christmases together," she
explained as she leaned in to kiss him.

As Mulder turned to accept her kiss, he caught the
view from the window out of the corner of his eye.
It was beginning to snow.  It only served to accent
what was quickly becoming the perfect Christmas.
 

The End