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Mulder trailed after Skinner through a succession of apartments. Although he said little, he knew Skinner was picking up on his occasional comment as they drove between the few apartments. The four they had found still available were all similar in size, rent and facilities. ‘Mulder, this is nice.’ Mulder nodded as he walked around. Of the four, just as he was beginning to give up hope of finding anywhere, Mulder liked this one most. It was well-maintained, the street it faced onto was clean and quiet and Mulder liked the layout – all the rooms opened off a central corridor which stretched almost the length of the apartment, ending in the living room. ‘Yeah.’ ‘Well, we’re half-way there. We’ve found you an apartment. Now we just need to find you a…’ Skinner’s comment stopped mid-sentence as the young man who was sub-letting the apartment came back in. ‘I just talked with the guy next door. He doesn’t have a car, so you can have his space.’ ‘Thanks.’ Mulder said, smiling. Skinner was immediately wary. Smiling Mulder was a front. It hid scared Mulder. ‘Um, can you give us a minute? Mr Mulder and I just want to have a last look round.’ ‘Sure. I’ll be next door. Kam’s looking after my fish while I’m away and I wanna make sure he’s got room for the tank.’ Mulder looked across to the large, well-stocked tank on a wooden table in the far corner of the room. ‘Uh, I could keep the fish.’ ‘Are you sure?’ Finally deciding to take the apartment, Mulder nodded. ‘Yeah. They’ll be company.’ ‘Okay. When you come round to drop your stuff in, we’ll go over what they need.’ ‘Right. I’ll come by Thursday night, around eight?’ ‘Great. This is a good apartment. Quiet, nice neighbors and good plumbing.’ When they were alone, Skinner said firmly: ‘Mulder, this is a big decision. Are you sure this is the place? We can see other places before you make up your mind.’ Mulder shook his head. ‘You heard him. It has good plumbing.’ Skinner laughed. ‘Okay, let’s go sign the papers.’ *************** Mulder came back from lunch and picked up the white envelope with the FBI seal in the top right-hand corner. Dropping his sandwich onto the desk, he lifted the flat and pulled out the single sheet. All thoughts of lunch forgotten, Mulder grabbed the letter and ran out of his office. ‘Kim, I need to see the Assistant…’ Skinner’s assistant was used to Mulder’s sudden, unscheduled, appearances outside her boss’s office. ‘He’s having lunch Agent...go right in.’ Kim finished sarcastically as she spoke to Mulder’s retreating back. Skinner looked up. ‘Agent Mulder?’ ‘I got this.’ Mulder dropped the sheet onto the desk and waited while Skinner read the single paragraph. Skinner looked up. ‘It’s routine Mulder. Random drug testing…’ ‘I can’t.’ Skinner stared at his plate. ‘It’s cannelloni Mulder. Do you have any idea what cold cannelloni tastes like?’ ‘Yes sir.’ Skinner pushed the plate towards him. ‘You can finish it. After you tell me why you’re gonna fail a drug test.’ Mulder stared at the carpet, ignoring the nausea which rose up at the combined sensations of his nervousness and the smell of the pasta. ‘Rob.’ Mulder said as if the single word told Skinner everything. ‘What?’ ‘Different…stuff.’ ‘How often?’ ‘Every week.’ Getting to his feet, Skinner let out an angry breath. ‘Dammit Mulder! You should have told me.’ Mulder made himself as small as possible and continued to stare at the carpet. Skinner pressed the intercom on his desk. ‘Kim, please find Agent Scully and ask her to join us.’ ‘No, sir, please…’ Angrily, Skinner snapped: ‘Quiet Agent Mulder.’ A few minutes later, Kim opened the door. ‘Sir, Agent Scully.’ ‘Thanks Kim.’ ‘Sir?’ Scully had been in the middle of her lunch, and, from the look of the plate on the table, Skinner and Mulder had been too. Then she realised there was only one plate. Which meant… ‘Sorry to take you away from…’ Skinner said apologetically. My lunch. Scully nodded. ‘No problem sir.’ ‘We have a problem Agent Scully. I’m gonna suggest a way out of it. If you’re at all uncomfortable with my solution, you can leave.’ ‘Problem sir?’ Skinner handed over the letter. Scully skimmed the contents. Then she looked across to Mulder. ‘Why can’t you pass a drug test Mulder?’ Skinner interrupted before Mulder was forced to answer the sharp question. ‘You take a blood sample, you take it down to the lab, you tell them, um, Mulder’s got a thing about needles so you took it yourself.’ ‘But sir, if I take a sample of Mulder’s blood, it won’t change the facts. He’ll still fail.’ Skinner looked across at Mulder, slumped in an armchair, head in his hands. ‘It won’t be a sample of Mulder’s blood Scully. It’ll be mine.’ ‘Sir…’ Scully protested. ‘Scully think about it! If Mulder fails, he’ll be fired. And the X-Files will be shut down. You’ll be transferred and I’ll have lost two of my best agents.’ Scully stood for a moment, looked from Skinner to Mulder, then turned on her heel. ‘I’ll go down, get the stuff and be back in a few minutes.’ ‘Scully, you don’t have to do this.’ Mulder was shocked at how pathetic his voice sounded. Scully looked at Mulder, his pale face and red-rimmed eyes having their usual effect on her. ‘I know Mulder.’ ************* ‘Press on it for a few minutes sir.’ Scully said, straightening up and pulling off her gloves. ‘Agent Scully…’ ‘Don’t sir. I’m doing this to protect Mulder, no other reason. If anyone finds out what I did, I’ll be fired along with Mulder.’ ‘They won’t.’ ‘Better hope not.’ Scully said, dropping the plastic bottle into the transparent bag. ************** Scully signed the form stating she had taken the sample from the person named in the letter she had with her. ‘How long for the results?’ The white-coated technician looked at her watch. ‘An hour or so.’ ‘Thanks.’ ‘Oh, and tell your partner that there was no need to be concerned about the blood sample. Any body fluid would have done.’ ‘I will.’ Scully said, continuing to walk towards the door. ************ ‘You’re anaemic Agent Mulder.’ ‘How the Hell do you know that sir.’ Startled by the sudden interruption, Mulder got up as Skinner walked in. ‘Showed up in your blood test.’ ‘Oh.’ Mulder wasn’t sure what, if anything, he was expected to say. ‘Next time, you’re on your own Agent Mulder.’ ‘Yes sir.’ Mulder said gratefully.
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