From: The Emu <emu@zip.com.au>
Subject: Guillain Barre 01/14
Date: Tue, 5 Aug 1997

Guillain Barre
by The Emu
emu@zip.com.au

www.zip.com.au/~emu

Written: December 1996 - August 1997

Please archive.

Conspiracy, with some Mulder/other UST (but still shipper-
safe), with a dash of angst. Rated PG, I used the 'f-word' once.
No sex, no violence. (But please, read it anyway!)
Summary: Vaccinations have left a number of children with a
rare illness. Investigations and some help bring Mulder &
Scully revelations about the conspiracy. It runs a little higher
than they thought.

This is set after Herrenvolk, but before anything else
significant happens, because I wrote most of this in the break
between seasons three and four. Based on Red Museum, Talitha
Cumi, and especially Herrenvolk.

I'm going to send one post to XFF per day, every day. I promise.
So if anyone out there likes to read stuff as it is posted, don't
worry, I'll keep it coming.

Disclaimer: Dana Scully, Fox Mulder and the X-Files concept
belong to CC & Fox. They are used without permission, but
with a great deal of thanks. The story is copyright to The Emu,
1997.

Big thanks and huge, sloppy kisses to my editors:
Editor in chief, the ever patient Euphrosyne.
Cheryl Deluca, who probably doesn't even remember editing it,
and wouldn't recognise it if she did. (Cheryl edited GBS way
back in early February - like I said, this thing's been in the
works a while.)
And the BRC Round Robin:
Debbie Goldstein, CiCi Lean, Valoise Armstrong, the other
Deb, Emily Phelps and Jo-Ann Lassiter.
Special big hug and loads of X-Files joy to Kathleen Lietz for
running the BRC, the most wonderful thing since Skinner
joined the X-Files. I can't tell you all how wonderful the BRC
Round Robin is.

All e-mail welcome, whether it be sycophantic praise or in-
depth criticism, or just a note to let me know that someone has
actually read it. Send it to fictalk or emu@zip.com.au

Please note that Guillain Barre actually has an e with an accent
- but doesn't work on all computers so...

Guillain Barre
by The Emu
emu@zip.com.au

1/14

Mulder heard the office door open, and the familiar click of
Scully's heels, but didn't look up from the expense reports until
she tossed a magazine onto his desk.

"This is US Medicine."

"The swimsuit issue?"

Scully cocked her head. "Someone left it under my door at 4 am
this morning, marked at page 43." Mulder raised his eyes to
meet hers, curiosity flickering, and then flipped to the marked
page. It meant nothing to him.

Scully leaned against the desk and tapped a column at the side
of the page. It contained brief, random newsclips. "From
Brabham, a couple of hours north of here, population fifteen
hundred, ten twelve-year old children have been sent to the
children's hospital in Harrisburg with severe cases of Guillain
Barre Syndrome in the past month. Two died before they could
be treated."

"So it's going around?"

"That's just the thing, Mulder. GBS doesn't 'go around'. It's not
contagious. In fact, it's incredibly rare. Two cases in a town that
size are an anomaly. Twelve is..."

"An X-File?" Mulder offered. "So what does cause it?"

Scully tucked a stray hair behind her ear and then leaned back,
arms folded. Her own curiosity was already piqued. "We don't
know. Basically, it's an overreaction of the immune system to
an illness, operation or immunisation. The body's natural
antibodies go haywire, attacking the myelin - the covering of
the nerves, and in more severe cases, the core of the nerves.
That causes weakness and poor sensation. Paralysis can affect
the whole body, including the lungs and heart." She switched out
of teaching mode and paused for dramatic effect. "All these
cases appear to have been brought on by MMR vaccinations;
specifically the rubella vaccine."

Mulder was now leaning forward. He raised his eyebrows.
"Vaccinations?"

Scully nodded. "I did some ringing around. The CDC have
already investigated the children. They passed it off as
coincidence."

Mulder stood up, reaching for his jacket. "So, Scully, know any
cheap motels in Brabham, Pennsylvania?"

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Mulder and Scully waited by the nurses station for someone to
break free of the mayhem to help them. Doctors,
distinguishable from the visitors only by the stethoscopes
around their necks, wandered from room to room, getting in the
way of the purposeful bustling of the nurses. Tired visitors
leaned against walls or slumped in chairs outside rooms while
their patient was attended to, occasionally sharing pleasantries
with all-too-familiar staff.

Scully finally stepped into the path of a young nurse pushing a
medicine cart. "Excuse me, could you please tell me where I
can find Dr Fuller?"

"Agents Mulder and Scully?" broke in a deep voice from behind.

The nurse took a quick glance at the source of the voice. "I
guess he's found you." She headed off again.

Dr Fuller stepped forward shook their hands warmly, peering at
them through owl-like glasses. "Agents Scully, Mulder. I'm glad
to have all the help we can get. Really, this whole thing has us
stumped." He gestured to indicate that they should accompany
him up the hall, launching into his report with barely a space for
breath. "It's quite a fascinating case, really. Most GBS cases in
this part of the state are referred here. I consult for GBS in
both the adults' and children's hospitals, but I still usually only
see around seven or eight a year. We're hoping that if we can
isolate what's causing the cluster at Brabham, it could go a long
way to finding the cause of GBS."

Mulder hurried to keep up with the doctor's cracking pace. "Do
you have any leads?"

"Not yet. We've run full toxicolgicals on all the children, but
haven't found anything unusual for a GBS patient. Lumbar
punctures revealed the expected high protein levels, and nerve
conduction tests show poor conduction. We're concentrating
on their school, now - water supplies, ventilation, that sort of
thing. Nothing yet."

"Have you checked the vaccines?"

Dr Fuller crinkled his brow at Mulder, a little offended. "Yes,
of course. It was the first thing we checked."

"They could have been switched in the meantime."

"Switched? Why?"

Scully broke in before Mulder could scare the doctor off with
wild alien theories. "An attempt to avoid a malpractice suit?"

"No, we're certain. It's only a small town, so most of the
vaccinations were done in one afternoon at the school by the
town doctor, but a couple of the children went to other private
GPs. It would take a conspiracy to clear up that much evidence."

The agents' eyes met, briefly, but the doctor continued without
noticing their silent communication. "Besides, two of the
children vaccinated are showing no signs of Guillain Barre."

Scully considered for a moment. "Have you taken tissue
samples to check the vaccinations?"

He ran a hand through his greying blond curls. "Yes, we even
tried that. No dice. You really think that someone would do
such a thing to innocent children?"

"I... We just have to check all avenues."

Dr Fuller's brow creased slightly as he regarded Scully. "I guess
we do." He stopped and lowered his voice as they reached a
door. He checked inside, and then beckoned the two agents to
follow him in.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~
end 1/14

Guillain Barre 2/14
by The Emu

Please archive.

I'm putting in my dedications here, since this is a short post.
And because I can.

This is for all the gorgeous staff at the Royal Melbourne
Hospital.
And for Shannon, who held my hand through my GBS (and the
writing of this story). The poor guy just picks up a girlfriend,
and suddenly she turns into a helpless cripple. Thanks for
turning what could have been hell into a month-long holiday.
Thanks also to Shannon for editing on behalf of Mulder's
testosterone.

And while I'm here, a big ol' thank you to the many people who
helped with research - with a big sloppy kiss to Emily Phelps
& Mary Ruth Keller, who probably don't even remember what
I'm thanking them for.

Disclaimer: Mulder, Scully and the X-Files concept belong to
Chris Carter, 1013 and Fox. They are used without
permission, but also without intent to infringe. Guillain Barre
Syndrome belongs to a whole lot of people who really don't
want it.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Guillain Barre
by The Emu
emu@zip.com.au

2/14
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In the dim room was a single bed, surrounded by machines.
Behind the bed was a heart monitor, its glowing green screen
showing a slow, steady beat. The only noise in the room came
from a machine which sucked air in shuddering, hissing
breaths.

The last thing Mulder noticed was a lump in the bed, too small
for a twelve year old child, overwhelmed by tubes and wires.
As they approached the bed, he could just discern the slight
rise and fall of the girl's chest.

"This is Caroline. Caroline's sister, Lisa, was the first child
affected. Just over a week after the vaccinations, Lisa went to
bed early thinking she had the flu. Her nerves deteriorated in
the night, so fast she never had a chance. By the time Caroline
came to wake her up in the morning, she was already cold.
Caroline began to display symptoms a few days later. She's
been on the respirator for a week now."

Mulder's voice was a whisper. "How long will she be here?"

Dr Fuller lowered his gaze to the figure in the bed. "We have
no way of knowing... It could be months, or even years. Since
we don't know what causes Guillain Barre Syndrome we're
limited in how we can help. Basically we just have to offer
what little help we can and wait for their bodies to heal of
their own accord. The respirator is breathing for her because
her lungs aren't strong enough to supply her with the oxygen
she needs. We are monitoring her heart, because that is
weakened also. She has responded to treatment and the
Guillain Barre Syndrome is holding steady. But the
tracheostomy has left Caroline open to all sorts of pulmonary
infections. There are no signs of pneumonia yet, thank
goodness - I'm not sure we could handle that on top of
everything else." Dr Fuller glanced at Mulder, directing his
explanation to the layman. "When the patient doesn't have the
strength to swallow, they can't keep liquids from their lungs.
Pneumonia is always a danger." Mulder nodded.

"When she does begin to recover, there is no telling how long
recovery may take. She will have to learn to walk again, how to
feed herself... She may never fully recover her strength, or her
sensation. Some GBS patients spend the rest of their lives
experiencing phantom pains. We just have to wait and see."

Scully moved to the foot of the bed. "That's a pretty bleak
prognosis. Guillain Barre patients can usually expect an
excellent recovery."

"There's nothing usual about these cases, Dr Scully." snapped
Fuller. He stopped, realising that Scully hadn't intended to
second-guess him, but when he continued the growl remained.
"Generally, around twenty percent of patients deteriorate so
far that have to be put on respirators. Deaths are incredibly
rare. We have three children on respirators and two deaths,
out of ten children. By my definition, Dr Scully, that's bleak."

Scully nodded, understanding. She felt for the doctor as much
as she did for Caroline. Professional detachment was a phrase
to be bandied around in med school. No one could 'detach'
themselves from a girl imprisoned in her own body. And
certainly not when they were the person charged with saving
her.

All three fell into silence, lost in their own thoughts until the
quiet was broken by a buzzing.

Mulder looked apprehensively to the machines by the bed, but
Dr Fuller reached for his beeper. "I've got to go - I'm wanted in
another ward. I'll just introduce you to Meg Hill first, in ICU.
She's a bright girl, she'll keep you entertained. I'll get back to
you when I can, there's more to discuss."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

end 2/14

Guillain Barre 3/14
by The Emu

Please archive.

Mulder, Scully and the X-Files concept belong to Chris
Carter, 1013 and Fox. And so does my life. So *technically*,
this story is still theirs and I haven't really violated any codes
of conduct.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Guillain Barre
by The Emu
emu@zip.com.au

3/14
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

They made their way down the narrow walkway of the
Intensive Care Unit. The hushed tones of the visitors' and
staff's voices emphasised the harsh beeping of the machines.
There was a seemingly endless row of children, each with
their own set of machines. Some slept, and some talked softly
with their families. A few cried, or, even more painfully, tried
not to.

All the visitors shared the same lines of worry. Most milled
around the beds, afraid to get too close, unsure of how to
comfort through the miles of wires and pipes, still trying to
understand why they were here and why the child lying in front
of them seemed so unfamiliar.

They stopped at the feet of a young girl. She lay back on the
bed, smiling slightly at the woman beside her who was running
her hand over the girl's soft brown hair. The pair turned their
matching weary brown eyes toward their visitors.

Dr Fuller stepped forward. "Hey Meg. How are you doing?"

The girl's smile widened. "Hungry." The doctor nodded in
sympathy, and her mother smiled through her worry. "When
can I eat?"

"When that swallow of yours is a little stronger. We don't want
you to choke."

"This tube up my nose has got to go. I need to chew. I need...
Chinese... or... a chicken schnitzel." She sighed. "I'd kill for a
chicken schnitzel right now. A really, really greasy chicken
schnitzel, drowned in salt, like they have at that little shop up
the road from school. So greasy that the grease oozes through
the paper..."

The doctor threw up his hands in mock-horror. "If you keep
talking like that, Meg, I'm going to leave your naso-gastric
tube in permanently. What you really want is a nice lean steak
and fresh vegetables. Beans. Broccoli. Brussels sprouts."

Mulder smiled. The look that the girl was giving her doctor
was a mirror of the one Scully would give him when he came
up with a particularly wild theory.

Remembering his purpose, Dr Fuller stepped back to include
Mulder and Scully, and Meg's mother. "I have to go, I've been
summoned, but first I'd like you to meet Dr Scully and Mr
Mulder. They're agents for the FBI."

Meg's mother's eye's widened. "I - I don't understand. What's
going on?"

Scully stepped forward. "There's nothing to worry about, Mrs
Hill. My partner and I specialise in difficult and... unexplained
occurrences. We're just trying to work out why Brabham has
had so many cases of Guillain Barre Syndrome."

Mrs Hill nodded, but concern was still written in the creases
of her forehead. Dr Fuller excused himself and headed back
the way they had come.

The people around the bed watched him weave his way back up
the aisle. Meg took advantage of the pause to break into the
conversation. "You're from the FBI? Cool. I want to join the
FBI. I'm a big Clarice Starling fan. Can I see your badge?"

Mulder grinned. "Of course." He reached into his jacket, and
offered his badge to her.

She lifted her arm a couple of inches from the bed. "You'll
have to bring it closer, I can't reach any further."

Mulder's grin flickered, but held. He stepped forward and
placed the badge in the girl's hand, which sank back to the bed
under the weight. He took it back and held it in front of her
face. She peered at it eagerly. "I've never seen an FBI badge up
close. That's a pretty good photo. I thought that it was law for
all ID photos to make you look like you had a bad hangover.
How come the FBI gets nice pictures?"

Scully smiled. "You haven't seen mine."

They were interrupted by a nurse offering a breathing mask.
"Sorry Meg, time to check your lungs. Think you can break the
record?"

"Definitely!" Meg looked at Mulder. "I gotta blow in the spig...
spigometer to find how strong my lungs are. We're aiming for
1.1 litres." She took a long breath and then blew it out into the
mask that the nurse held over her face.

The nurse checked the readout. "1.0. We're getting there,
sweetie. Try again." She looked up at the two strangers. "She's
the only person in the whole place who can pronounce the
name of the thing. That's 1.0 again. Once more." Meg drew a
huge breath and tried again. "1.05. We'll get it next go."

Meg only nodded, unable to speak as she tried to get her
normal breathing back after the exertion. As the nurse turned
to leave, Meg lifted a hand slightly to stop her and crinkled
her nose in discomfort. "Could you check my feet, Sally?
They feel all twisted, it really hurts."

Sally pulled the blankets out from the bed, and peeked at
Meg's feet. She looked up apologetically. "Sorry, kiddo,
they're straight, it's just your nerves playing tricks on you. Is it
really painful?" Meg nodded, a pleading look on her face. The
nurse checked the clock. "I'm sorry honey, it's only been a
couple of hours since your last pain killer - I can't offer you
anything yet."

"That's okay. I can wait." Meg smiled reassuringly, but her
bottom lip trembled.

"I could rub them, that's supposed to help-"

"No don't touch them." Meg gritted her teeth at the thought.
"When someone touches them, it's like burning needles."

The nurse shifted uncomfortably for a moment. "Are you
warm enough? I could leave your covers pulled up over your
feet, and that way you can see for yourself that everything's
okay." Meg smiled again, more genuinely this time. The nurse
folded the covers back to reveal two small feet with toenails
that bore the remainder of an old coat of garishly pink nail
polish. With a quirky grin and a wink, she left.

Scully turned her attention back to Meg's mom. "Mrs Hill, did
Meg have to visit the doctor very often as a child? For vitamin
shots or extra vaccinations?"

Mrs Hill shook her head. "No. She only ever had the normal
vaccinations as a baby and tetanus shots as she grew up. I don't
understand it. Meg's always been so healthy. She's never had to
take a single day off school sick."

"Never?"

"She's never even had a cold."

Scully stared at the delicate figure in the bed. "What about
measles? Chicken Pox? Mumps? Tonsillitis? They go around
every school."

Meg interrupted. "Not mine."

"Nobody got sick?"

"Except Greg. He had German measles in the third grade."

"He had rubella?"

"He got really sick. He never came back 'cause he missed so
much."

Scully met Mulder's glance, and then turned back to Meg. "Do
you know Greg's last name?"

Meg's brow furrowed in exaggerated thought. "I can't
remember. Something like... Peters? Porter? It was something
like that, but I don't think either of them is right. He moved
away a couple of years ago, to California. I'm sorry."

Mulder grinned again. "Don't worry, we can find it. You've
been a huge help."

Meg blushed furiously. "Thanks. Um..." She paused, suddenly
shy, but was encouraged by Mulder's raised eyebrows. "Would
you visit me again? It's kind of lonely in here."

"Of course." He hesitated, and then reached for a scrap of
paper on a nearby table and pulled a pen from his pocket. He
leaned on the bed to scrawl something, then presented the
paper to Meg. "Here's my cell phone number - if you think of
anything, give me a call, okay?"

Meg's face lit up, and her mother gave her first genuine smile
since they had arrived. "Thank you very much, Mr Mulder."

Mulder and Scully said their goodbyes and left.

Scully leaned her head close as they passed through the door
of the ward. "You've certainly found a fan."

"Don't you know, Scully? I've always had a thing for younger
women."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~
end 3/14

Guillain Barre 4/14
by The Emu

Please archive.

The Emu wishes to apologise for the lack of Walter Skinner in
this story. I wrote this before I began Operation Walter took
effect. (It's been in editing ever since.)

Mulder, Scully and the X-Files concept belong to Chris
Carter, 1013 and Fox. They are used not with any sort of
malicious intent, but rather with a sort of grovelling respect
from a dedicated fan. And I really am dedicated. I even loved
El Mundo Gira.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Guillain Barre
by The Emu
emu@zip.com.au

4/14
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

They were heading down the corridor, hoping to find a
cafeteria where they could discuss what they'd learned when
they were hailed from behind.

"Dana Scully you haven't changed a bit!"

They turned to the source of the voice. Mulder watched as a
tall stranger threw her arms around his partner, taking her by
complete surprise.

The woman's face was obscured by Scully, and by her own
mass of brown curls, but he could see she had a deep tan,
proudly displayed by a light summer dress. The dress also
displayed legs which seemed to account for most of her
height.

Mulder cocked his head questioningly at his partner, but she
could only offer a puzzled frown in return.

The stranger drew back suddenly. "Please tell me I have the
right person..." Scully nodded, but before she could say
anything the woman's deep brown eyes settled on Mulder.
"And I must say, Dana, you're doing very well for yourself." A
playful smile curled her lips, revealing teeth that Mulder had
not known to exist outside toothpaste commercials.

Scully blushed slightly. "This is my partner, Fox Mulder."

That smile again. "I'm very pleased to meet you Fox." She
extended her hand to him. "I'll introduce myself, because I
don't think Dana's quite remembered who I am. My name is
Sapphire. I spent a few years growing up on the base with the
Scully troops."

Scully's jaw dropped. "Saff? I would never have recognised
you! You've grown up!"

Saff laughed. "It does happen. Except to you, I see. Still the
shorty. Actually, I have the advantage. I heard the rumour that
there was an Agent Dana Scully wandering around here
somewhere, so I've been keeping an eye out. All it took to find
you was the red hair."

"What are you doing here?"

"I'm in the hospital administration. Charlie told me you'd
joined the FBI. It suits you down to the ground."

"I didn't know Charlie was still in contact with you."

"We've been writing since you moved away."

Scully raised an eyebrow. "Charlie? Writing regularly for that
many years? You've got to be kidding."

"Actually, no. He owes me a letter or two. We lost contact a
few years ago."

"That's more like the Charlie I know."

Mulder watched the exchange with mild amusement, and a
little surprise. His Scully rarely strayed from her professional
demeanour. There were moments when they were close,
sometimes even intimate, but he'd never seen this side of her.
She was acting like a schoolkid. And Saff was something else.

Saff looked at Mulder. "I'm sorry, we're neglecting you. Tell
you what, I've got an early lunch break. Have you eaten?
There's a really nice cafe just down the street." She raised her
eyebrows. "They do a great cappuccino..."

"Well you've won me."

"Me too. We've got some catching up to do."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

They settled into a booth at the back of the cafe, where they
quickly gave their orders so that they could move on to more
important matters.

"So tell me everything!"

Scully shook her head. "You seem to know more about what
I've been doing than I do about you. How long have you been
working here?"

"Not long - I only moved here a week ago. I wanted to work in
DC, but this was as close as I could get."

"So you're in health administration? You know, I always
figured you'd go into the navy - follow your father."

The sparkle left Saff's eyes for a moment. "He was killed in
training three years after you left. That ended my naval
aspirations."

A shadow crossed Scully's face. She concentrated on
refolding the napkin for a moment. "I'm sorry."

"It was a long time ago. I heard about your Dad. I'm sorry too."

Scully nodded without lifting her gaze. The table drifted into
quiet for a moment, the two women's sorrow blending. Mulder
felt like an intruder.

Saff was the first to break the reverie with her soft voice. "It's
been so long. We should expect that things will change. There
has to be good things too. What about everyone else? How is
your mother? Bill and Missy?"

Scully lifted her head. "You didn't hear?"

"This is more bad news, isn't it?"

Scully's attention returned to the tablecloth. "Missy died a
little over a year after Dad."

Saff's hand reached across the table to rest on Scully's. "I'm so
sorry." She stared off into nothing for a while. "When you're a
kid you never imagine clouds in the future. We always
envisioned such big things. I was going to be the head of the
navy. You... you were going to be something different every
week. But it was always something important." One corner of
her mouth turned up. "It was always something tomboyish."

Scully couldn't help her mouth from twitching too.

Mulder began to relax. It was time to steer the conversation
onto safer ground. He leaned forward conspiratorially. "So tell
me... just what *was* Scully like as a girl?"

Saff darted a glance at Scully's mock-warning face, and
suppressed a laugh. "Dana was a classic Scully boy and a
princess, all at once." She broke into a chuckle over a new-
found memory, and looked back at Scully. "Remember the
New Year's Eve Dance?" Scully flushed red, and concealed a
smile. "Benny Miller made a crack about how shocked he was
to see her in a dress, how he had been expecting her to turn up
in a pair of pants. She poured a whole cup of grape juice on
him, and kicked him in the shins. He was limping for days."

"He was the sixth guy to comment. It was driving me crazy!"
Scully pretended to ignore Mulder's stifled chuckle. "Besides
- I didn't hear another comment all night."

When he began to regain his composure, Saff leaned toward
Mulder in the same conspiratorial way he had done earlier.
"So tell me... what is she like these days?"

Mulder grinned. "She hasn't changed a bit - but now she's
armed."

~
end 4/14

Guillain Barre 5/14
by The Emu

Please archive.

Mulder, Scully and the X-Files concept belong to Chris
Carter, 1013 and Fox. They also belong to David Duchovny
and Gillian Anderson and lots and lots of wonderful writers.
And the production crew. Kisses to you all. Big kisses to
Shibes, keeping the 'shippers in line. :-)

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Guillain Barre
by The Emu
emu@zip.com.au

5/14
~

As they drained the last of their coffee, Scully stretched and
stood. "This has been great, but I've got to head back to the
hospital. I want to pick up some blood samples of my own to
test."

Mulder nodded regretfully. "I'll come with you. I'd like to talk
more with Dr Fuller. I'll drive you up to the labs, and then I
want to head to Brabham, talk to the local doctor, take a look
around."

Saff frowned. "The hospital labs are over half an hour away,
and Brabham is in the opposite direction. If you drop Dana off
you'll hit rush hour traffic and you won't reach Brabham until
late, and then Dana won't have a car. I finish early today. How
about Dana takes the car, and I'll drive you?"

"I couldn't possibly - "

"Oh come on. This way I can get the dirt on Dana that you can't
tell me in front of her."

"Well now that you put it that way..."

Scully shot her best Look at her partner, but he returned a
wicked smile.

It didn't take long for Saff to convince them - particularly
Mulder - and so they divied up the bill and Mulder led them
out into the warm afternoon, back to the hospital.

When they reached main foyer, Saff pointed to a small coffee
shop. "I finish in two hours. When you're ready, you'll find me
in there." With a nod and a wave, she disappeared into the
maze of corridors.

Scully tipped her head toward Mulder. "Looks like you've
found yourself another fan. At least this one's your age."

"Would it bother you?"

Scully regarded him with surprise, examining him carefully
for a hint of sarcasm. She found none, but to her amusement,
he was turning red.

To his amusement, so was she.

They headed towards the reception desk to find Dr Fuller, and
were directed towards neurology. They were despairing of
ever finding the right ward when they bumped into him in the
hall. "I've been looking for you."

Scully folded her arms across her chest. "Dr Fuller, are you
aware that none of the children in this grade have any history
of illness?"

"Yes - well, almost. I was just getting to that when I was called
away. There were exceptions."

"Exceptions, plural?"

Dr Fuller nodded, and indicated that they should follow him
back the way he had come. "Remember I mentioned that two
of the children vaccinated are showing no signs of Guillain
Barre? Those two have experienced the usual childhood
illnesses. Coincidentally, neither of those children were born
in Brabham."

Mulder always found it fascinating to watch Scully's mental
cogs turning. She spoke slowly, her thoughts still developing.
"Okay. The MMR vaccinations must have sparked the Guillain
Barre, but they weren't the real cause. There was some pre-
existing factor which made these children susceptible to GBS
through Rubella. Some factor which existed before the healthy
children moved to Brabham.

"I need a copy of every child's and their mother's complete
medical histories, from every doctor they've ever had contact
with, incorporating full vaccination records."

Dr Fuller nodded vigorously. "We're in the process of
compiling their complete histories now. The mothers' may
take a little longer, we hadn't looked into the parents."

"I'm most interested in the pregnancies - I want obstetric
records to be top priority. I'd also like to take some blood
samples to test myself."

"No problem. I'll get the nurses to do another round."

"I'd rather do it myself, if it's all the same to you. Just to be
sure there's no... accidental mix-ups."

Dr Fuller looked a little surprised, but agreed. "I guess that it's
your option. You will have to seek special permission from
the parents if you are going to conduct the tests
independently, though. In which case, it's up to you. I'll send
for the equipment you'll need, and then we can meet the rest
of the patients so that you can get your samples." The doctor
sent a passing nurse on his errand, and guided the agents toward
the stairs.

Mulder suddenly remembered. "What about Greg Porter?"

Dr Fuller's face went blank. "Who?"

"Meg mentioned a boy, Greg, who got very sick in the third
grade. From German measles." Dr Fuller's eyebrows rose.
"She wasn't sure of his name, but she said it was something
like Peters, or Porter."

Dr Fuller stopped in his tracks. His hand, which had been
reaching out to push the door of the neurology ward open,
moved to his chin, rubbing thoughtfully. "Could it be Potter?"
Mulder and Scully shrugged, unknowing. "I never made the
connection, I'd forgotten where Greg came from. It would
certainly fit. There was a Greg Potter here, around that age,
four years ago. It wasn't the rubella that really made him ill,
though I'm pretty sure he hadn't been immunised. It was the
Guillain Barre which stemmed from it."

The agents stared.

"I guess we can rule out the vaccines, then."

Dr Fuller wiped his hand across his brow. "I can't believe I
missed the link. I certainly hadn't forgotten the case. Greg had
a case as severe as any that we are seeing now. He was on a
respirator for two years. As soon as he was ready to move into
rehabilitation his parents moved him to California - they had
relatives there, or something. I spoke to his doctor at rehab
about six months after he left. Apparently he was showing no
signs of regaining full strength. The doctor even despaired that
he would ever walk."

Mulder took a deep breath. "Do you still have a contact
number for Greg's family?"

The doctor's shoulders slumped and he shut his eyes for a
moment, shaking his head slowly. "Shortly after he was
released from the rehabilitation hospital he and his parents
were killed in a fire. Their house burned to the ground."

Unbidden, a cruel thought began to tap in Scully's
subconscious. "Dr Fuller?" She hesitated, not wanting to make
the thought real. "How did the fire start?"

"They don't know. They never found a cause." The thought
infected like a malevolent virus, and a shadow fell over the
party, settling in the pits of their stomachs.

Dr Fuller watched Mulder and Scully, wide-eyed. "You really
do believe this is some sort of cover-up."

The echoes of Dr Fuller's baritone faded away, leaving only
the ticking of their watches to answer.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~
end 5/14

Guillain Barre 6/14
by The Emu

Please archive.

Mulder, Scully and the X-Files concept belong to Chris
Carter, 1013 and Fox. Used without permission, but with all
due respect.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Guillain Barre
by The Emu
emu@zip.com.au

6/14
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The neurology ward was far brighter than the rooms they had
visited earlier, as though the building itself was feeling more
hopeful. Brightly coloured medical posters littered the
corridor walls and in the rooms themselves there was
allowance for more personal touches. The walls behind most
patients' beds held shelves of cards and flowers, and the tables
held writing pads, books, and other personal items not allowed
in Intensive Care. Most importantly, the curtains and some of
the windows were open in these rooms, drawing in the light.

The room Dr Fuller led them into was one of the brightest. It
held four beds, three of which were currently occupied. He
greeted them, and was met with a warm chorus of response. He
turned to Scully and Mulder and gestured around the room
like a game show host indicating a prize. "Welcome to our
very own Guillain Barre ward. Seeing as they're all school
friends, and they're all in the same boat, we decided to put
them all together. Guys and girls, these are Agents Scully and
Mulder. They're investigating your GBS cases. Dr Scully
would like to take some blood." He grinned at the chorus of
groans.

One girl mock-growled at Scully. "Boy, you sure know how to
make friends, don't you?"

Dr Fuller chuckled. "Welcome to the hit list, Dr Scully. This
bunch aren't very forgiving."

"I think we are, Dr Fuller," piped up the same girl, "We forgave
the CT scan and the lumbar puncture. We forgave you for
sticking great big tubes in our shoulders and draining our
blood. Repeatedly. We've even been quite forgiving about
your obsession with testing our Planter's reflex. When you
stuck this whopping great tube up my nose and down my
throat, it really pushed my limits. But no, I thought. He's
trying to help. I think it's only the electrocution that really
bothers me. Do it in a hospital and it's an EMG. Do it
anywhere else and Amnesty will start a letter-writing
campaign."

Dr Fuller was about to reply when he noticed the empty beds.
"Where's Joe?"

A blond boy in the next bed answered. One side of his face
was blank, like a stroke victim, and he slurred his words.
"Gone to urology for Plasma Exchange."

"But that was supposed to be finished. We were going to take
the catheter out of his shoulder today."

The blond shrugged. "Well the orderly just took him. If you
chase them, you can probably catch him."

The doctor turned to apologise to Scully for leaving her again,
but she just waved him off and leaned closer to Mulder, who
was looking confused. "Catheters aren't just for draining
*that*, Mulder. These kids are being treated with
plasmapheresis. They are put on a machine which takes their
blood out through a catheter into their sub-clavicle artery,
exchanges the plasma, and then pumps it back in. It works a
little like dialysis."

"And the electrocution?"

"It's a precise way of finding out how well the nerves are
conducting electrical signals."

"It's a painful way of finding out how well the nerves are
conducting electrical signals." interrupted the girl who had
complained earlier. "Since our nerves aren't conducting well,
they turn the voltage up. And I can't feel normal touch, but I
can feel pain. What did they call it?" She directed the question
at the blond boy. "Hypersensitivity?"

Scully gave a short, half-sympathetic nod to the girl, and
turned to address the adults beside the beds. "I'm going to be
doing my tests independently, so I'll need special permission
from you to take the blood." She received nods from all of
them. At that moment the nurse arrived with a cart full of
needles and vials, and a pile of permission forms. Scully
distributed the forms to the parents and then began to sort the
equipment into her preferred order.

Mulder wandered over to a girl who had been quiet during the
proceedings. She had been awkwardly scrawling large, uneven
words in what looked like a diary, but often looking up, clearly
interested in what was going on. She shut the diary and capped
the pen as Mulder approached, offering a shy smile. "Could
you please pass me a tissue? I'm Sophie, by the way. My
parents won't be in until later. They won't mind, though."
Mulder had to strain to hear her voice, which, like the boy's,
was slurred as though she had been to the dentist.

He pulled a tissue from the box which sat in arm's reach of the
bed. Normal arm's reach. "We'll wait for permission anyway.
What happened?" he asked, indicating a yellowish-grey lump
over her strangely wide right eye.

"I fell." She rolled her eyes, and ineffectually dabbed at her
nose, which was just within her reach, as she explained. "The
second time I sat up in a chair, I was left alone for a moment. I
wasn't totally comfortable, so I leaned forward a little. I didn't
realise I need muscles to *stop* leaning forward. I just kept
going and going. You never realise how far away the ground is
until you start to fall toward it head first and you can't lift your
hands from your lap to break the fall."

Mulder smiled. "Ow. Did you get your eye too?"

The girl stared, puzzled for a moment, before realising what
he meant. "Oh, no, my eye's different. The GBS has given me
this lovely winky eye and lopsided mouth. I can't wait 'til it's
better, it's hard to brush my teeth without drooling."

"Eating must be hard, too."

Sophie rolled her eyes. "At least I can feed myself now. I
couldn't lift my hand to my mouth before, so I was spoon-fed
by mom, like a baby. It was so humiliating."

Mulder grinned. "So you're getting better?"

"I rolled over in bed all by myself last night." Sophie sat up,
genuinely proud. "I won't have to call nurses every time I get
uncomfortable at night, now. I hated that. I was so excited I
couldn't get back to sleep. You're not a doctor, are you?"

"No, I'm the nice partner. I won't stick needles in you."

They turned to look at Scully, who was by now heading for the
loud girl, needle in hand. The girl was eying her warily. "I
didn't know the FBI had neurologists."

Scully took the girl's arm in her hand. "Actually, I'm a
pathologist."

A large, bearded man beside the bed laughed, a deep, belly
laugh. "Christ, the situation's not that grim, is it?"

"Roger! Watch your language!" The woman who had spoken
gave him a light slap on the arm. "You will have to excuse my
husband. We're all very tired."

"I understand perfectly, Mrs... Simpson." replied Scully,
quickly checking the name plate above the bed. "Your daughter
seems to be doing well, though."

Mrs Simpson nodded gravely. "Yes. I've seen some of the
others. We're very lucky."

"We'll have her out, mowing the lawn in no time." promised
her father, eyes twinkling.

"Like hell you will."

"Elizabeth!"

Elizabeth ignored her mother. "I'm gonna milk this for all it's
worth. I'm not doing any chores for a couple of years, at least."

Scully finished up, and moved toward the blond boy in the bed
opposite. He had shuffled to the far side, up against the bed
rails, and was shaking his head as vigorously as he could.
"Sorry, I don't have any left. I'm running on empty."

Scully snapped on a new set of gloves. "Come on. You're
getting how many needles a day? What's one more?"

"It's one more." He screwed up his eyes and turned his face
away as Scully gave his skin a quick wipe with alcohol. When
she had her sample he opened one cautious eye. "Hey. That
wasn't too bad. Do you practice a lot or something?"

Mulder's voice floated across the room. "Don't even say it,
Scully."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~
end 6/14

Guillain Barre 7/14
by The Emu

Please archive.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Creative Disclaimer:
Chris Carter, who art in Vancouver (and sometimes LA),
Hallowed by thy X-Files,
Thy pay cheque come, thy will be done
At Fox as it at 1013.
Give us this day our daily fanfic
And forgive us our trespasses,
As we forgive those episodes that trespass against us,
And lead us not into litigation
But deliver us from lawyers,
For thine is the royalties,
The power and the glory
For ever and ever.
Amen.

If other people can write stories where Mulder and Scully
have sex without precautions, then I can write a story where
Scully handles blood without proper precautions. So there.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Guillain Barre
by The Emu
emu@zip.com.au

7/14
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

After they had finished their rounds, managing to acquire the
permission of all the parents there, a total of eight samples,
Scully left for the lab, and Mulder headed down to find Saff in
the foyer.

As he approached, she swallowed the last of her coffee and
grabbed the remaining half of a large chocolate donut off her
plate with a grin. She waved goodbye to someone behind the
counter before hurrying out to meet Mulder.

Mulder eyed the donut. "I thought there was some kind of
women's law against eating anything that looks that good."

Saff raised the donut to him, offering a bite, but he held up a
hand in refusal. She shrugged and took another bite. "Life's too
short to diet." She covered her mouth as she finished her
mouthful. "Come on. My car's out this way."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The car flew along the highway, never dropping below the
speed limit, but never quite edging over it. Mulder kept a wary
eye on the speedometer.

"Don't worry, I don't speed. Not when ferrying around law
enforcement officers."

Mulder grinned sheepishly. "Do you often play chauffeur to
agents for the Bureau?"

"Only the good-looking ones."

She managed to say it without blushing. Mulder was
impressed. "You and Scully don't strike me as a pair. Except
maybe the Odd Couple."

Saff was silent for a moment while she concentrated on
changing lanes. "We weren't that close, I was more a friend of
Charlie's, but on a base where there aren't that many kids, you
tend to mix a bit, and ignore age differences. Sometimes,
anyway." She smiled at some distant memory. "When you
move around that often you learn to just make friends with
everybody. At least, that's what I did. I guess everyone finds
their own way to cope."

Mulder watched her profile. The smile was still there, but her
eyes had gained a sad quality that Mulder couldn't quite put his
finger on. She unconsciously pushed a strand of hair behind
her ear, and glanced at Mulder as she became aware of his
gaze.

He turned away, suddenly shy. He was grateful to see the turn-
off looming ahead.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Scully's concentration was broken by knocking. She looked up
from the microscope to see Mulder standing in the doorway,
offering a carton of Chinese and a steaming cup of coffee.
"Got time for a break?"

"Mulder, I could kiss you." He raised his eyebrows and
puckered up. Scully paused only long enough to peel off her
gloves and grab a vial of blood at random before heading for
the door.

She ignored his fish lips and took the coffee, then plonked
into a chair just outside the lab door. He looked around as he
pulled up a seat to sit beside her. "Where is everybody?"

"Mulder it's almost seven! Some people have lives, you know."

He offered her his most innocent look. "Yes, but they're not
nearly as exciting as ours."

"So did you make any headway?"

"We're having dinner at Saff's place tomorrow night."

Scully didn't even look up. "Seriously. What did you get?"

"A date." He smiled mischievously. "Seven o'clock, sharp."

Scully rolled her eyes. He wasn't just incorrigible - he was
serious. "I meant with the case."

Mulder concentrated on setting up his own carton before
answering. "I tried to track down the town doctor, but I don't
think you'll be getting much out of him. He died a few weeks
before the vaccinations."

"Suspicious?"

"No. A long-overdue heart attack. But it seems that he treated
all the children from their conception up until his death."

"Do you think there's a connection?"

Mulder shrugged. "I guess we'll have a better idea when we get
the kids' medical histories. But that wasn't the most
interesting thing I found." He leaned back and crossed his
arms, a smug turn on his lips. "They're quite an exceptional
bunch of kids. Apparently the whole grade was two years
ahead in their school work."

"Two years?"

"Minimum. And they all excelled in sports. Most of them
were competing at state level for more than one competition.
Very interesting, don't you think?"

"Very." Scully conceded. "But not near as impressive as what
I've discovered."

Mulder leaned forward in mock-challenge. "Impress me."

"I have nothing conclusive yet." She paused. "But I have found
anomalies."

"Anomalies?"

"I can't be sure. I have more tests to run." She dangled a vial of
blood in front of Mulder's eyes. "But this blood and every
other sample contains components which are organic but
unidentifiable."

Mulder took the vial Scully was displaying and stared at it,
spellbound. "This is alien blood?"

"I didn't say that, Mulder. It's definitely human blood. But
there seems to be other... elements present. I'm just guessing,
but I think these extra elements have enhanced their immune
systems, which would explain the lack of illness up to now. It
seems that in the case of rubella infections it worked a little
too well, sparking the Guillain Barre."

Mulder looked blank. "In English, Scully."

Scully took a deep breath as she sifted through her thoughts.
"GBS is basically a case of your immune system working
*too* well - your body overreacts to an infection, producing
too many antibodies, so the extra antibodies attack your
nerves." She hesitated, to ensure Mulder was still with her. He
nodded to show that he was. "In this case the children's
immune systems were strengthened by the extra elements
present. That's why they had never been ill. But for some
reason when these elements are present, the immune system
overreacts to rubella infections."

Mulder stared from Scully to the vial and back again. "Guillain
Barre is caused by alien DNA?"

Scully knew there was no point quibbling over terms. "Not
always. But in this case - these elements are the connection."

They lapsed into silence for a moment, each in their own
world as they tried to grasp the possibilities.

"That's why Greg Potter hadn't been immunised!" Scully jerked
out of her reverie, surprised by Mulder's outburst. He
struggled to explain. "Dr Fuller told us that Greg hadn't been
immunised against rubella. What if the town doctor was
involved? This could be the Delta Glen case all over again.
There doesn't seem to be any Red Museum-type control
group, but maybe they didn't need one this time. Maybe they
know that test children can't be exposed to rubella. The doctor
would have skipped the rubella vaccine. Since he died,
someone else gave the vaccinations - somebody who didn't know
the danger."

Scully's eyes were wide. It all made sense.

Suddenly Mulder grabbed his partner's arm. "Do you know
what this means, Scully? They've found the right balance of
human and alien DNA. They've begun their race of super-
beings."

They stared at each other for a moment, and then as one,
headed back to the lab.

Everything was gone.

The racks which had held rows of vials were empty, piles of
paper which had contained columns of calculations and
important notes ready to be typed up had vanished like they
were never there. The door of Scully's voice recorder was still
open, the tape removed. All of the slides had disappeared,
including the one on the stage of the microscope. Even
Scully's stained gloves had been taken.

The lab had been cleared of evidence like an alien crash site.

Instinctively, Mulder pulled the last vial close to his chest.

"My god, Mulder," Scully breathed. "They did all of this while
we were in the next room."

Mulder's grip on the vial tightened.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~
end 7/14

Guillain Barre 8/14
by The Emu

Please archive.

Here you go. It's the next X-citing installment of The Emu's
X-cellent X-pose! Is anyone else as X-asperated with magazines
and ad campaigns X-ploiting the X-Files' X-thing in the titles
to X-cess, to X-aggerate their stories as I am?

Mulder, Scully and the X-Files concept belong to Chris
Carter, 1013 and Fox. Used without permission, but with all
due respect.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Guillain Barre
by The Emu
emu@zip.com.au

8/14
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Scully crossed the crisp hospital lawn five steps ahead of
Mulder. These kids were going to just love being asked for
another sample. And the parents... <"Sorry Mr & Mrs Parent,
but men involved in an international conspiracy stole your
child's blood sample. Can I have another one?"> This was
going to be a bad day.

But she had no idea how bad.

As they reached the entrance a man in a security uniform
stepped out from behind a column, using his large bulk to bar
their way. "I'm afraid I can't allow you to enter."

Mulder stepped back in surprise. "There's been some kind of
mistake. We're FBI..."

"Agents Scully and Mulder?" They nodded. "No mistake. You
are not welcome on these premises."

Scully stepped forward. "Sir, you are impeding an
investigation." Her voice was clipped, carrying an authority
that would not accept argument, but he wouldn't budge.

Mulder tried again. "Sir, could you please at least call to
confirm your orders?" The man hesitated, but realising it
could do no harm, pulled out his two-way.

After a quick conversation, he slipped the radio back into his
belt. He addressed himself to Scully. "I'm authorised to
accompany you to the Director's office. Follow me."

Mulder shot Scully a dubious look. This wasn't a mere clerical
error.

Scully didn't return his gaze. Her mouth was set in a grim line,
and Mulder could see the tension in her jaw.

They were standing behind the security guard's enormous bulk
in the elevator, the only sound the soft hum of the engines,
when Mulder shifted over to Scully. "Is it my imagination, or
have I seen this guy in an Arnold Schwarzenegger movie
lately?" He was glad to see the corner of her mouth twitch.

As they headed down the corridor, Scully almost jogging to
keep up with the guard's pace, Mulder tried again, leaning
close and whispering a little too loudly in her ear. "I think he
ripped off someone's head and spat down their neck." He
noted with satisfaction that her warning look was tempered by
the grin that threatened to break forth, and her shoulders had
eased slightly.

He was about to try again when suddenly the man stopped and
turned to face them, blocking the corridor like a wall. They
took it as a sign that they were meant to go through the door.

A secretary ushered them into a lavish office. The silence as
they crossed the carpeted floor, and the stern gaze of the
small man in the severe suit in the big leather chair across the
desk reminded Scully of being in trouble in the school
principal's office.

The man indicated that they should sit. He didn't offer his
hand. He didn't speak, didn't stand, just sat and regarded them,
fingers playing at his lip. Scully knew this tactic - it was
exactly like being in the principal's office.

She wasn't willing to play. "Sir, could you please tell us why
you are impeding a police investigation? We will obtain
warrants if we must."

"I was under the impression that you were here in an unofficial
capacity. I do not believe that you actually have jurisdiction."
Both agents were silent. "I thought so." Satisfied that he had
established his power, he leaned back in the chair, arms
folded. "However, we were glad to accept your help. I am as
eager as anyone to know what has happened to these children.
As I understand you are eager. That does not excuse your
behaviour."

"I'm sorry sir?"

The director ignored Scully's interruption, except to slowly
raise his eyebrows as though she should know perfectly well
what he was talking about. "I have reports from the parents of
eight children, saying you took blood from their children
without permission."

Scully was struggling to stay seated. "What are you talking
about? We had permission for every sample we took!"

Mulder interrupted. "All the parents signed forms before we
took blood. Your hospital has copies of those forms."

"I have no such forms. But if you could show me your
originals, we could sort this whole matter out now."

Mulder looked questioningly at Scully, but she wouldn't move
her glare from the Director. When she spoke her voice was
even, barely controlled. "Our copies of the forms were stolen
last night. I don't suppose you could offer us an explanation,
sir?"

"I must say that is all very convenient for you. But I do not
appreciate the implication, *Miss* Scully."

The use of 'Miss' stung Scully. She heard the threat behind it,
and knew this man had the power to take her credibility away.
Knew he knew what a powerful weapon that was. She tried to
push back the panic that was rising from the pit of her
stomach. "But all the parents were present when..."

The director held up his hand, silencing her. "I am sure I do not
need to inform you of the gravity of the situation. You could
be stripped of your medical licence. I have no doubt you could
both be thrown out of the FBI."

Scully had gone white, though whether it was with shock or
anger, Mulder was unsure. He guessed it was a little of both.

Satisfied that the agents were properly scared, the Director
eased off. "Don't worry. I have no intentions of making an
official complaint. I see that you, like the rest of us, were
trying to help. Therefore I am letting you off with a warning,
and a request that you do not return to this hospital, or seek
further communications with any of the parents concerned. If
you do not comply with these conditions, I will be forced to
issue official reports to both the Bureau and the American
Medical Association. Do you understand?"

Scully's temper broke, and she shot to her feet, leaning across
the desk, into the Director's face. "Are you threatening us,
sir?"

The little man's face turned bright red. "Don't play semantics
with me, Agent Scully. It is you that has acted inappropriately.
I am perfectly within my rights to report you. I am being
generous enough to offer you a compromise. I advise you take
it."

Mulder hastily nodded, and pulled the still-pale Scully from
the office.

~
end 8/14

Guillain Barre 9/14
by The Emu

Please archive.

'The time has come,' The Emu said
'To speak of many things:
Of ownership - and royalties
Of writs the lawyer brings
And if fanfic hurts Chris Carter -
And whether pigs have wings.

The characters Fox Mulder and Dana Scully belong to Chris
Carter, 1013, and Twentieth Century Fox, as does the basic
concept of The X-Files. While they are used here without
permission, they are used with all due respect to Mr Carter and
the above-mentioned companies, and without intention to
profit. If I do in some way profit from this work, I would be
happy to forward all my earnings to the Chris Carter "Seinfeld
money" fund.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Guillain Barre
by The Emu
emu@zip.com.au

9/14
~

As soon as they stepped out into the sunlight, Scully swung to
face Mulder. "What the hell is going on? Why is it that every
time we find a lead it just disappears? Damnit, Mulder, they're
playing with us!"

Mulder took her arm, and was shocked to feel her quivering.
He'd rarely seen this temper. He led her gently toward a bench
on the grass, freezing when he recognised a figure sitting on
the next bench.

~

Mulder sat down before the man had even noticed his
presence. "How is your daughter, Mr Simpson? Up to mowing
lawns yet?"

Roger Simpson jumped, startled.

When he saw who was sitting next to him the surprise twisted
into fear. "I have nothing to say to you."

He went to stand, but suddenly Scully was in front of him,
blocking his way. "What's going on, Mr Simpson? Did you
really file that report?"

He ran a shaking hand over his head, pushing back imaginary
hair. "You took blood from my daughter without my
permission. I can't talk to you."

Mulder spoke again, his calm voice countering Scully's anger.
"Can't, or won't? Mr Simpson, we're trying to help. Do you
care about your daughter?"

The man snapped around to stare at Mulder with wild eyes.
"Yes. Yes I do. Please stay away." He rose abruptly, knocking
Scully back a step in the process, and hurried into the hospital.

The agents stared after him.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

At 7pm, sharp, Saff threw open the door, beaming. She was
wearing a light floral dress similar to the one she had worn the
day before, but her feet were now bare, and her hair was
caught back in a loose pony tail. Scully watched on in surprise
as Saff planted a light kiss suspiciously close to Mulder's
mouth before throwing her arms around her old friend. She
practically dragged them inside the cluttered apartment.
"Sorry about the mess, I haven't really started unpacking, you
know how it is. Can I offer you anything?"

Mulder offered a bottle of wine, which Saff took, nodding
approvingly at the label. "I didn't think you were supposed to
drink while on a case."

"Well, being sober certainly hasn't helped."

Saff's face clouded. "It's terrible, isn't it?"

Scully frowned, sneaking a glance at Mulder. He shook his
head. He hadn't told her. "Do you know why the hospital has
barred us?"

Saff stared at them, confused. "Barred you? Why?"

"We don't know. We were refused entry this morning, and
ordered not to come back."

"Why would the hospital do that? Surely they want any help
they can get?"

Mulder gave a derisive snort. "You would think."

Saff's puzzled face suddenly turned dark. "Then you haven't
heard." She dropped her eyes. "Meg Hill took a turn for the
worse last night. She stopped breathing. They put her on a
respirator but her heart stopped a couple of times. It doesn't
look good." She fingered the label of the bottle. "The doctors
are keeping a hopeful face for her mother, but they don't think
Meg will ever recover." She glanced up to see her companions
register the news before continuing. There was more. "And
this afternoon Beth died - complications, they don't know
exactly what yet."

Mulder felt like he had been punched in the stomach. "Beth?
Elizabeth Simpson?"

Saff hung her head slightly. "I'm sorry, that's all I know."

Mulder sagged against the wall. A few seconds passed before
he could bring himself to look at Scully. <Do you think..?
Because of us?>

She read his face like he had spoken the words aloud, and she
shook her head slightly. "It's not uncommon for a GBS patient
to relapse." But her eyes reflected his fears. <They couldn't...
they wouldn't...>

The silent communication passed so quickly Saff barely
noticed it.

~

Dinner passed in uncomfortable silence, the two agents lost in
their own thoughts, Saff not willing to intrude. Attempts to
push small-talk would only increase the discomfort, and
perhaps push them away. And Saff did not want that.

So she served the meal in silence, making frequent trips to the
kitchen to check the next course, and continually filling
undrained glasses in the hope that activity would disguise the
discomfort.

As the main course grew cold on the plates, Saff decided she
could stand it no longer. If they couldn't think about anything
else, then they would discuss the case. "Did you get anything
from the blood samples you took?"

Mulder pushed a pea around the plate with his fork. "They're
gone. They were stolen before we could get anything solid."

"But why would anyone steal them?"

Mulder and Scully were silent.

"Well, what are you going to do?"

Mulder stabbed the pea. "There's nothing we can do. All
avenues have been blocked. There's something here that we're
not supposed to know."

"You're just going to give up on those children?"

Scully's head snapped up. "We haven't given up. We just need a
new place to start. The blood samples are gone. I think we can
presume the hospital won't give us the vaccination records I
requested. So where do we go from here?"

Mulder's potatoes that were absorbing his frustration now,
being shoved into mounds with his fork. It was a while, even
for him, before he answered. There was something going
through his mind that Scully would not like. She watched him
intently, searching for a clue of what was to come. She
couldn't find it.

He finally laid his fork gently on the plate. "Sapphire." His
voice was soft, treading out shaky ground. "How good is your
access in the hospital?"

"Mulder, no." Scully's voice was firm, a warning, but he
continued.

"Could you get us a copy of the patient's medical records?"

A shadow fell over Saff's face, and she stumbled for a
moment, searching for the right words.

"You're our only hope, Saff. If we can't get those files we'll
just have to turn around and head back to..."

"Mulder!"

Silence fell like a pall, and he turned guiltily to meet Scully's
flaming eyes. "Scully, you know it's true."

"You have no right to -"

"I'll do it." The voice was so soft they almost didn't hear it.
Saff was twisting a strand of hair nervously in her fingers, but
her face was determined. "I have to do something."

Dinner grew colder.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"You had no right to ask her to go."

"She's our only chance."

He peeked out the window into the parking lot again. It was a
pointless action - if Saff's car had pulled up they would have
heard it. He picked up the television remote and began
flicking through channels. There was nothing on, just as there
had been nothing on five minutes before. He didn't want to
watch anything anyway.

Scully was standing by the bed, shuffling and then resorting
the Brabham file. Her laptop was open, but she was too on
edge to sit still. She had nothing *to* type. "But Mulder you
hardly know her. You have no right to get her mixed up in our
quest."

Mulder tipped his head towards her, but didn't meet her eyes.
<Like I got you mixed up in it?>

Scully mentally kicked herself. She knew what he was
thinking, and that hadn't been what she meant. "Mulder I
chose..." she trailed off. So had Saff. This was different
though. She wasn't quite sure how.

It was time to change the subject. "I'm going stir crazy. I need
to do something."

"She should have called by now."

"She'll call when she's got the file." Scully stared at the piece
of paper she was holding. 'School Water Toxicity Report'. She
slipped it into the 'Useless' pile. This was ridiculous. At this
rate she was going to come up with a filing system to rival
Mulder's. "That's it Mulder. I'm going to get some lunch."

"It's not even eleven yet." he replied, not needing to check his
watch.

"I've got to do something. Will something from the store up
the road be okay?"

He nodded absently, and checked the parking lot again.

~

A few minutes after Scully left the phone finally rang. Mulder
was there in a single stride.

"Mulder."

"Mulder?" replied a soft, uncertain voice.

"Saff! Did you get it?"

"It? What? Oh! No, I - I got caught." The voice wavered. "I'm
sorry."

Mulder closed his eyes and sat slowly on the edge of the bed.
"Are you okay? Do you want us to come to your house?"

"No. That's - that's why I'm calling. I - they - sent me home, I
was driving to your motel, I musn't have been concentrating...
There was an accident. I'm borrowing a phone."

Mulder was already reaching for his jacket. "Where are you?
I'll come and pick you up."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~
end 9/14

Guillain Barre 10/14
by The Emu

Please archive.

Super-boring disclaimer:
Mulder, Scully and the X-Files concept belong to Chris
Carter, 1013 and Fox. Used without permission, but with all
due respect.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Guillain Barre
by The Emu
emu@zip.com.au

10/14
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

When Mulder pulled back in to the motel parking lot, Scully
was waiting. "Damnit, Mulder, I'm going to have that phone
surgically attached to your..."

She stopped when she saw him help Saff from the car. She was
limping slightly, and there was a dark bruise still swelling on
her cheek. The elegant height she had carried the day before
was swallowed by her rounded shoulders, and lowered eyes.

Scully's doctoring instincts kicked in, but the expression on
Mulder's face told her to wait. He led Saff into the bathroom
to wash her face and then pulled back, shutting the door
gently.

"She got caught. She's been fired." Another entry on Mulder's
guilt checklist. "On her way here she says that she wasn't
concentrating, and she must have lost control. She hit a tree."

"But?"

"I saw the scene Scully. There was a second set of skid marks,
and damage on the left side of her car. She was run off the
road deliberately. I think she's just too hazy to realise. We
have to test the last vial as soon as possible."

"What?" They swung around to see Saff standing bolt upright in
the door of the bathroom. She was swaying slightly, her jaw
set, one white-knuckled hand gripping the door frame. Mulder
hurried over to help her to the bed, and then crouched in front
of her.

"I had no right to ask you to go. I'm sorry." He reached up to
push a strand of hair from her face. "I don't think it's safe for
you here. I want you to come back to DC with us."

Saff slowly unclenched her fists. For a moment she looked
like she was going to refuse. Mulder took her hands in his.
"For a while at least. You can stay with Scully or me. We can
go to your place, pack a few things. Let your friends know
you'll be out of town. How long will it take?"

Saff forged a smile. "I've only been here a week. Most of my
stuff is already packed, and I've got no friends. There's nothing
for me here." She sat up straighter. "I always wanted to live in
the capital one day."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Mulder rode in Saff's car back to DC. During the trip she
cheered up considerably. Soon she was cracking jokes and
sharing lighthearted memories of Dana's childhood like she
had in the cafe so long ago.

Over lunch, the two agents shared bewildered looks at her
resilience. She stayed close to Mulder though, rarely leaving
his side. Mulder didn't notice, but if he had he wouldn't have
minded. He was growing to like her company.

Scully took the brief moment while Saff was in the bathroom
to comment. "She's becoming very dependent on you."

"She's fine."

Scully snorted. "She hasn't left your side since the car
accident, Mulder. She just lost her job, her home... You're the
psychologist."

Mulder shook his head. "She's doing pretty well, considering.
She just needs some time. But if she feels comfortable with
me, maybe she..."

"You want her to stay with you."

"I always sleep on the couch anyway. My bed is just waiting
for someone to use it."

"Of course. The Office of Professional Conduct would just
love that. A female witness staying with a male agent."

Mulder took swallowed a mouthful of coffee, shaking his
head. "The Office of Professional Conduct doesn't give a
damn what we do. If they did, I would have been thrown out of
the FBI years ago. And so would you."

"They pay attention when it suits them. Why give them
reason?"

"It doesn't matter anyway. Saff's not a witness. She's an old
friend of yours who's going to stay in DC. Unless you want to
put your suspicions into the official report?"

Scully gave only a thin-lipped glare in answer. And then Saff
emerged from the toilets, and the matter was dropped.

~

Saff never questioned why she was staying with Mulder that
night, but seemed grateful. As they entered his apartment he
offered a half-hearted apology about the mess and picked up a
few token socks and shirts. She took them out of his hands and
threw them back on the floor with an understanding smile. "If
you put any of this stuff away you'll never find it again. I don't
want to be any trouble."

"Can I get you something to eat?"

She wrinkled her nose and rubbed the goosebumps rising on
her bare arms. "Not yet. I'd love to get changed, though. It's
getting cool."

He guided her to his bedroom and deposited her bag on the
bed. "As you can see, the bachelor decor extends to the
bedroom."

Saff grinned. "Exquisite." She reached over and began to
rummage through her bag. Mulder smiled at her back before
excusing himself. He was heading to the kitchen to boil the
kettle when the phone rang.

"Mulder."

"Agent Mulder you are in imminent danger. I have information
that is vital to your current case and the continuation of your
work. Meet me at the traffic circle on the Waterfront at 4pm."

"Who..." but the line was dead. The phone hung in his hand for
a only a moment before he swung into action. He checked his
watch. He would barely make it.

He headed to his bedroom to find Saff pulling a turtleneck
down over her bare mid-drift. "I have to go out. I won't be
long."

Her face fell. "Where?"

"Just to the Waterfront."

"Why?"

"I have to meet someone."

"Do you have to go right away?"

"I'm cutting it fine as it is. I have to be there at four."

"Please don't go."

Mulder halted. He hadn't expected this

Saff softened her voice. "I'm still a bit shaky. People don't try
to kill me every day." She smiled slightly, but the facade was
weak.

Mulder wavered uncomfortably. As much as Scully's 'I'm fine'
attitude bothered him sometimes, he was grateful for the
distance she left between them. But a tiny corner of his soul
warmed at the opportunity of being strong for someone.

He checked his watch again. He was cutting it very fine. "What
if I call Scully? I'll get her to come and stay while I'm out."

Saff stared at him for a moment, mind warring. She reached
out and touched his cheek softly. "I'm sorry. I was being silly.
You go. I'll be okay."

"Are you sure?"

She nodded. But as he reached the door he heard her soft
tones. "Hurry back."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The sun was still beating down on the docks, making children
even more irritable about being pulled from stand to stand, and
amplifying the smell of fish. Bike riders and rollerbladers
dodged sweat-drenched joggers. Burly, bronzed fishermen
lifted tubs of fish from trucks to the ground and tipped
buckets of ice over the displays to keep them chilled.

A man moved from stand to stand, comparing fish, but
resisting the vendors' valiant attempts to bargain with him.
Occasionally he spared a glance for the crowd, but from all
appearances it was of little interest. He paused to enquire
about a few prices, but soon moved on without making a
purchase.

He allowed himself a casual glance at his watch. It was right
on four, and there was no Agent Mulder in sight. He edged
closer to the traffic circle in case the agent was simply
obscured by the crowds, but there was still no sign.

As he turned to sink back into the crowd, he saw a face he
recognised. He stepped back, colliding into a woman on a
bike, the pair of them crashing to the concrete. Deaf to her
abuse he pulled himself out of the tangle and dashed back, past
the statue. He was pushing against the crowd now, incurring
the wrath of an endless stream of joggers. The people were
jostling him back toward the man behind. He spotted an
opening in the crowd to his left and dashed through. Into the
arms of another familiar face.

~

Mulder hurried forward through the crowd. It was just past
four when he finally pushed his way through to the statue. He'd
made better time than he expected, despite the traffic jam. He
searched the crowd for a face that was recognisable, or shifty,
or out-of-place, but everyone seemed to be going about their
normal business, absorbed in haggling over prices, or jogging,
or eating and talking. He settled down on a bench to wait.

A quarter past. Something was up. Mulder scanned the crowd
for the hundredth time, unease climbing. Sources did not set
up meetings and then arrive late. He'd been less than five
minutes late - they couldn't have been that impatient, surely?
He was in clear view. He couldn't have been missed. Mulder
shifted in his seat and brushed his hand over his hip, to
reassure himself that his gun was in easy reach under his coat.
He scrutinized the crowd again. But if it had been a trap the
meeting would have been at night, in a deserted place. Here he
was in full view. Unless... unless it wasn't a trap for him.

He yanked out his phone. His fingers stumbled to dial his own
number correctly.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~
end 10/14

Guillain Barre 11/14
by The Emu

Please archive.

Mulder, Scully and the X-Files concept belong to Chris
Carter, 1013 and Fox. Used without permission, but with all
due respect.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Guillain Barre
by The Emu
emu@zip.com.au

11/14
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The phone rang. And rang. A click. "You've reached the home
of Fox Mulder. Leave a message after the beep." Mulder's
chest tightened.

"Saff? Are you there? Saff, pick up!"

"Mulder? Is everything okay?"

His knees weakened with the sudden relief. "Yeah - I was
going to ask the same of you."

"Of course. I'm feeling much better." There was a pause. "Why
wouldn't I be?"

"I'm sorry, I'm just being paranoid. I'm on my way home now,
okay?"

"Okay. I'll see you soon."

He hung up and dialled again.

"Scully."

"Scully, there's something going on that I don't like."

"Mulder there's always something going on that you don't
like."

"I don't think we should wait any longer. I'll meet you in the
office at 6am tomorrow. We have to know what's in that vial,
Scully."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Saff headed for the living room as soon as she heard Mulder's
key in the lock. She pulled the door open for him and smiled
sympathetically at his downcast face. "You look beat." He
nodded as he walked in, sighing gently as Saff pulled his jacket
off and pushed him toward the lounge. She settled behind him
and began to rub his rounded shoulders. "Tell me about it."

Mulder shifted slightly, unsure whether he liked where this
was going. "It's nothing."

Saff's hands stopped. "It's got to be something."

"It's just been a very bad couple of days."

"What happened on the Waterfront?"

"It doesn't matter."

Saff pulled her hands into her lap, though he didn't notice. She
bit her lip and shut her eyes, silently counting to ten. She
looked at him. He was staring vacantly somewhere beyond the
far wall. His hair was a mess, and his clothes crumpled. He
looked like he needed sleep, not the third degree.

Saff moved to kneel in front of him, to gently removed his
shoes and socks. He came back to earth just enough to offer a
nervous smile. Saff smiled back. "Would you like anything?
Coffee?"

Mulder's smile broadened. "You read my mind."

Saff placed a hand on Mulder's knee as she stood, and kissed
him softly on the forehead. "Coming right up."

While the coffee was brewing Saff wandered back out to the
lounge room. Mulder's bag was open, and he was fingering a
small silver case like a thermos, with the same glazed look he
had been using for the wall. "What's that?"

His voice was soft, like it came from far away. "The last one."

"I'm sorry?"

Mulder heard her this time. "Nothing, don't worry about it." He
stood and brushed past her, heading for the kitchen.

Damn him! Her lips pressed together in frustration. She knew
this was no time to be pushing him. But when was?

"Well if you need me I'll be in the kitchen, baking or sewing,
or something, like a good little woman." Saff stalked to the
bedroom, pausing hopefully in the door for a reaction. Mulder
didn't even glance in her direction, just shoved the flask into
the fridge and began to fiddle with the thermostat. The
bedroom door slammed.

~

A few minutes later Mulder knocked softly on the door. When
there was no answer he pushed it open, to find Saff violently
shoving at a drawer which wouldn't close because it was full of
socks. She stopped shoving the drawer for a moment, and
began to shove the socks further in instead. She tried the
drawer again but it wouldn't budge. She kicked it and swore,
unaware of Mulder's presence.

He silently pulled his gun from its holster, gripping it tightly
by his thigh, just out of Saff's view. "Find what you're looking
for?"

Steely eyes turned to glare at Mulder. "I'm sorry?"

"Usually people have the decency to wait until I'm not home to
sweep the place."

Saff's frown held a moment longer before dissolving into
shock. "You think I'm searching for something?"

"I don't recall hiring your services as a maid."

"I clean when I'm angry. My dad used to make us clean the
house when we fought as kids, I guess the habit stuck."

He nodded, taking a moment to stare around the room. So
that's what colour the carpet was. The place hadn't been this
clean since he moved in. Which was strange, because he didn't
even live in the bedroom. "So what do you do when you're
depressed? Plant wiretaps?"

Saff swung to face him properly, hands on her hips, chin thrust
forward. "How dare you! I'm not the one keeping secrets here.
Don't you trust anyone, Mulder?"

He met her glare with his own, but she refused to back down.
"I can't tell you everything. Some things are..."

"Confidential? Mulder I lost my job for you, and now people
are trying to kill me or something. I at least have the right to
know why. What do I have to do to earn your trust?"

The look on his face was almost enough to make her regret
her tirade. She walked up to him and squeezed his hand in hers.
"I don't regret what I did, Mulder. I just need to know why." He
shifted uncomfortably, still unwilling. "I'm not asking to
examine your most classified files. But you're treating me
like a kid. Who tried to run me off the road? And why?"

"Someone wants to stop us from investigating those children. I
don't know who."

"Have they succeeded? Is this where we give up again?"

Mulder pulled his hand from hers, taking the time to measure
his answer. "When the lab was cleared I had one blood sample
in my hand. That vial is all we have left, but Scully thinks that
it might be all we need."

"What is it?"

Mulder took a breath, and then stopped. He wasn't ready to let
go that much. "I have no idea. Scully's going to do some tests
tomorrow."

Saff considered for a moment, and then her face softened and
she dipped her head in acceptance.

Mulder shifted uncomfortably, turning so that his companion
couldn't see him slip his weapon back into it holster. "Is there
anything you'd like to do?"

She smiled, and brushed her long fingers to Mulder's cheek,
and then leaned forward and kissed him softly on the mouth.
After the barest of hesitations Mulder stepped back, focusing
his gaze firmly on the floor. "I'm sorry."

Saff threw up her hands. "Spare me. I know the drill. You like
me *but*. I guess I just misread the signals. I'll take the
couch." She straightened her shoulders and walked out.

~

Mulder awoke in the middle of the night, uncertain. The room
was in darkness. Oh. He was in his bed.

He tensed as he heard movement in the next room. A creak.
The click of a cupboard. The soft whoosh of the tap. He
relaxed, and settled back. Saff. Getting a glass of water.

Saff. He rolled onto his back to stare at the ceiling. She was
beautiful. The idea of them sharing a bed tonight had crossed
his mind. But it didn't feel right. She was a friend of Scully's -
it would be kind of incestuous.

Before the movement in the kitchen silenced, Mulder had
already drifted back into to a peaceful sleep.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Saff looked up from her newspaper as Mulder let himself into
his apartment. "Shouldn't you be at work?"

Mulder smiled, glad to see that last night's tension was gone.
"Miss Scully gave me the morning off." He shrugged off his
coat, tossing it over a chair. "I'm not a scientist. I can't do
anything but wait and catch up on paperwork, and I can do both
here." He settled down at his computer. "Is there anything I can
get you?"

Saff shook her head, with a glance toward her still-full glass.
"I'm fine, and I can find the kitchen myself. You just get on
with your work."

After a few minutes Saff stretched, groaning as her back
cracked. "I'm going to go for a walk. You want anything from
the store?"

Mulder eyed the door warily. "I don't think that's a good-"

"Nonsense. I am not going to live like a prisoner. Do you want
anything from the shop?"

"I'll pass." Mulder watched, still worried, as Saff reached for
her coat. She stopped, staring at the bookshelf, her face
suddenly soft. "Is that you?"

It was a photo of him and Sam, taken at one of those
professional studios just before their last Christmas. The pair
of them were unnaturally well-groomed and standing stiffly,
like it was an old sepia photograph from the early days of
cameras. Typical studio photo.

Saff caught his eye and smiled softly, the same sympathy she'd
offered yesterday back in her eyes. "I've changed my mind.
Your paperwork can wait. Let's go for a drive. We'll take my
car."

Mulder was taken aback. "What if Scully calls?"

"Bring your cell phone."

Ten minutes later they were on the road.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Scully set all her equipment up before she started her
investigation. Good Scientific Practice. It was almost an hour
before she was ready to take the vial out of the flask and begin
peering through microscopes.

It wasn't possible.

She checked again.

And again - a different slide on a different microscope this
time.

And then she tried a couple of tests that she knew couldn't lie.

This wasn't the same blood.

Scully grabbed for her phone.

Answering machine. Damn. "Mulder? Are you there? Pick up,
Mulder!" There was no reply.

She punched in his cell phone number. <Thank god for
technology.>

There was no response.

Where the hell could he be? And how the hell did the blood
get swapped? It hadn't left Mulder's hands since the rest had
been stolen. No one had been near it except herself and
Mulder. And Saff.

That wasn't possible. She had to talk to Mulder. It had been in
his hands. But she couldn't get a hold of him. He was missing.
With Saff.

She scooped up her car keys and headed for Mulder's
apartment, chanting her mantra.

There's a perfectly sane, rational explanation for this.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~
end 11/14

Guillain Barre 12/14
by The Emu

Please archive.

CC x 1013 x Fox = FM + DS + XF
8^- = $0

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Guillain Barre
by The Emu
emu@zip.com.au

12/14
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"So where are you taking me?"

"Wherever."

"We can't go far. If Scully calls..."

"We won't go far."

Mulder sneaked a glance at the woman beside him while she
concentrated on the traffic. Her head was tipped slightly toward
him as she peered into the rear-view mirror, tendrils of brown
hair resting gently across her cheek. As his gaze followed her
body down, his phone caught his eye. The green light was off.
"Shit. The phone's off. How did that happen?"

Saff cast a puzzled eye toward it. "One of us must have bumped
it." She reached over and pushed the 'on' button.

Mulder glanced at the phone warily. "Scully's gonna kill me.
What if she's already got the results and she's been trying to call
me?"

Saff chuckled. "Give her time, gorgeous. She'll barely have
started."

Mulder reached for the phone. "I'd better call anyway."

Saff pulled the phone from his hand, grinning mischievously.
"Miss Scully gave you the morning off. If something happened,
which I'm sure it hasn't, she would call back."

Mulder frowned. "Saff, I'd better call."

As she pulled up at a deserted set of traffic lights, Saff held the
phone out of his reach. "Come and get it."

Mulder let out a frustrated sigh, but seeing Saff wasn't going to
give in, he lunged across her lap and grasped the phone. She
leaned over, breathing warm on his cheek. And then he felt a
prick and it all went dark.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Scully burst into Mulder's apartment. It was empty.

At least there were no signs of a struggle. She headed for Saff's
bags, stashed neatly in the corner, and began to rifle through.

A couple of syringes.

<Maybe she's diabetic>

A small bottle of sodium penthanol.

A file. Two files.

On Fox William Mulder and Dana Katherine Scully.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"What happened?"

"You fell asleep."

Mulder tried to untangle his thoughts. They were strangely hazy.
"No. No I didn't." The words were awkward in his mouth. His
whole body felt strangely heavy.

Saff sighed. "No. You didn't." She pulled the car to the side of
the road. "I had to make sure you'd come."

Mulder stared at her, uncomprehending. "Where?"

She shifted nervously. "I can't tell you."

Mulder twisted clumsily in his seat, and struggled with the door
handle, but his fingers wouldn't follow directions. "Let me out."

"You couldn't stand up straight if I did let you out. That stuff's
pretty effective."

"I'd have gone wherever you asked." He tried to shake his head,
to clear it. He turned a tired face to the woman beside him. "I
should have known."

"You don't know anything yet."

"I know I shouldn't have trusted you." His mouth twisted into a
scornful leer. "So that explains why you were spring cleaning
my house. Did you find what you were looking for?"

Saff pushed all the sincerity she had into her voice and gave him
a wide-eyed glance. "Please, trust me a little longer."

"Do I have a choice?"

She ignored the sarcasm. "I can let you go when that drug wears
off. But I have something you want."

Mulder turned to the window, expressionless. It was a mask
even Scully would have trouble reading through. But he did not
try to get out.

Saff drove on.

~

A little after noon they stopped for lunch in a small road house.
Saff opened Mulder's door and helped him stand. For a moment
he had to accept her support, as the world spun around him, and
his brain struggled to find his legs.

"It's going to take a bit of concentration to walk, but you should
be okay by now." Mulder transferred his balance from Saff to
the car, the most defiant protest he could manage. As he
prepared to walk, Saff grabbed his arm again. "You mustn't use
any of these people as some sort of escape attempt. You will
endanger their lives."

"Thanks for the warning." He pulled his arm back, and
concentrated on placing one foot in front of the other. As they
headed into the restaurant Mulder paused, staring at his captor
defiantly. "May I use the bathroom please?"

Saff's face hardened at his sarcasm. "You're not a prisoner."

She waited nervously, and was glad to see that he returned.

"So where are we going now?"

"Why don't you order some lunch? I've already ordered mine."

He shrugged, and stepped up to the brunette behind the counter.

"May I help you, sir?"

"I'll have... Just a burger with everything, thanks."

She frowned. "Are you okay, sir?"

He nodded, and smiled a little. "Have you ever had one of those
days?"

She smiled back. "I've had lots of them, sir. Would you like
anything to drink?"

"Sulphuric acid?"

She laughed. "That bad?" As she laughed her left eye crinkled
shut, and her mouth pulled slightly to the side. Almost as though
from habit, she lifted her hand to cover her winking eye. When
she pulled her hand away she caught Mulder staring at her face.
She rolled her eyes and grinned. "It's a leftover from a childhood
illness. I don't suppose you've ever heard of Guillain Barre
Syndrome?"

Mulder's jaw dropped, but before he could ask anything further
he felt a tug at his arm. "We have to go."

"No."

"We have to go. Now." Mulder resisted, but she leaned close,
breath hissing in his ear. "There's a man sitting against the back
wall, wearing a brown leather jacket. He wasn't supposed to be
here today. If he recognises you or me, we're all dead. You, me,
and the pretty waitress." The urgency in Saff's eyes and the
tugging which threatened to unbalance him left him no choice
but to follow her. He cursed himself for still trusting her, and
nodded a goodbye to the puzzled girl behind the counter, vowing
to return.

~

As Saff slid behind the wheel, Mulder scrutinised her. "You
didn't want me to know that woman had had GBS." There was no
reaction. "Why did you bring me here if you didn't want me to
know her?"

Sapphire's lips were pressed together tightly, and she refused to
move her gaze from the road. "You didn't need to know. It is not
good for you to know."

Mulder exploded. "*I'll* decide what *I* need to know!"

Saff didn't flinch. She spared him a brief, unreadable glance, but
she would offer no more.

He gave up and watched the scenery flash by. A while later his
brow creased. Some of the landmarks were familiar. "We've
gone in a loop. We're heading home."

There was no reply. The crease grew deeper. What was going
on?

They were halfway home when a familiar car appeared in the
distance. As it grew closer the driver became familiar too. Red
hair, and eyes that could barely see over the steering wheel.

"Congratulations, Mulder. You called her while you were in the
bathroom, right?"

On another day Mulder might have been triumphant. "You
shouldn't have left the phone lying around if you didn't want me
to use it."

"I wouldn't have if I cared. If it mattered, I would have cleaned up
my trail a hell of a lot better than I have. I would have cleared
my stuff out of your apartment. But it doesn't matter. I did what I
came to do."

Scully slammed on the brakes, sliding her car to a stop in front
theirs, and tumbled from her seat to point her gun at Saff.
Mulder pushed back a relieved grin. Good ol' Scully, action
hero.

Saff pulled up slowly. She raised her hands innocently, so that
Scully could see them.

"Step out of the car, Saff."

She did as she was told. Mulder climbed slowly out the other
side.

"Are you okay, Mulder?" He nodded. "Where's the blood sample,
Saff? What did you do with it?"

"It's gone."

Mulder swung to face her. "You stole the sample?"

"That's not important." Her voice was cold and flat.

"That vial was the only link I had to find my sister." Disbelief
raged in his voice. Hate welled up, threatening to hurl Mulder
across the hood of the car toward the woman who had betrayed
him, until it was stopped cold by her words.

"You found her already."

Both agents stared, not understanding.

The cold which had settled over Saff's features lifted, replaced
by gentle resignation. "Back at the roadhouse, the woman that
served you. That was your sister."

~
end 12/14

Guillain Barre 13/14
by The Emu

Please archive.

Mulder, Scully, Samantha and the X-Files concept belong to
Chris Carter, 1013, and Fox. These characters are fictional and
bear no resemblance to any person in the real world. The
science in this chapter belongs to the real world, and bears no
resemblance to the science of Chris Carter, 1013, and Fox.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Guillain Barre
by The Emu
emu@zip.com.au

13/14
~

Silence settled over the group. Scully stared at her old friend,
astounded. But Saff's attention was on Mulder, swaying back and
forth on his feet, mouth wide.

He grabbed for the driver's door handle. His urgency and the
final remnants of the drug left him unable to coordinate himself
well enough to open it, and so he just swung impotently on the
handle, frustration and shock building to break.

Saff circled the car to rest a hand gently on his, her presence
drawing his eyes to hers. "You can't Mulder. You must never go
back."

He stared into her eyes for a moment, and then suddenly shoved
her back onto the asphalt and jerked the door open. "No Mulder!
They've fucked with her mind! They don't intend for the process
to be reversible. If you try to bring her back you'll lose her
completely. Mulder I'm telling the truth."

Mulder sank into the car seat, shaking.

Saff continued, urgently seeking a way through his confusion.
"I've seen it before, Mulder. If they start seeing familiar faces,
those faces can jog memories. Even that brief encounter today
was dangerous to her. I've seen what happens to people who start
to remember. The human mind can't handle it."

"Sam was strong."

"Your memories of Sam are an altar to an eight year old. You
don't know her. She's fallible like anyone else. I've seen it
Mulder. Don't do it to her."

He tipped his head. "Who *are* you?"

"I'm trying to build the world that you're trying to destroy."

A derisive snort. "Then why would you show me my sister?"

"You've been an ignorant lackey for the darker plans of the
consortium since you were a child. You don't belong in the
game. Now that you have Sam you are no longer their pawn."

"But I don't have Sam."

"It's not just her memories we have to worry about. They keep an
eye on her. I did a lot of checking to make sure that the place
would be clear today. If they ever think you've found her, they
will kill her. They'll kill Dana." Saff paused to glance at her old
friend, who was watching in horror, before directing her gaze
back to Mulder. "If you're lucky, they'll kill you."

Sensing that she had finally gained his attention, Saff picked
herself up from the place where Mulder had pushed her to the
road and shifted toward him. She crouched in front of him, and
rested her hands softly on his knee. Blood seeped from the
grazes on her palms, staining his trousers. "Sam is okay. Take
peace in that."

He shoved the hands away angrily and stood up, using his full
height to loom over her. "What about the truth? I need to know
what happened."

"You don't want *the* truth, Mulder. There is no *the* truth.
There are only sides and opinions. You only know what we feed
you."

"I know that innocent people suffer for these men."

Saff's mouth settled into a hard line. "Innocent people suffer for
the greater good."

"What about all those children in hospital? Is that 'good'?"

"Those children were a wonderful success. They were advanced
mentally and physically. Before the accident with the rubella
vaccinations they had never been ill."

"How many unfortunate accidents? How many people have to
pay for your vision?"

"You understand nothing, Agent Mulder. They were vaccinated.
When vaccinations wiped out smallpox, it was a coup. This
vaccination could wipe out all disease. We should be
celebrating."

Mulder struggled, unsure of an answer, wondering how Saff
could be winning this argument. "They're not doing this for the
good of humanity. They're just trying to build better soldiers."

"The intentions don't matter. The project will never be finished."

"What do you mean?"

Saff stopped, caught. It was clearly something she hadn't meant
to let slip. Mulder took advantage of the unexpected high
ground.

"You don't entirely agree with the project, do you?" He had
found her weakness. Now to probe, gently. "How do you know it
will fail?" He walked slowly closer to her. "Are you sabotaging
them? That's a dangerous game to play, Saff. Or do you know
something they don't?"

Suddenly she clammed up.

Mulder pushed again, searching for the right buttons. "If you
believe in this project why are you helping us? Whose side are
you on?"

"I believe in the project. Your father believed in it too." She
regretted the comment even before she saw the pain whip across
Mulder's face, but she couldn't stop here. "Yes. Some people
abuse their power. But that is no reason to destroy the whole
project." Her voice grew harsh. "You haven't a clue what you're
up against. You're throwing blind punches, hurting the good with
the bad. You do nothing to further your cause, Mulder. You're
just a pawn for the people you profess to hate."

"You used me as a pawn."

Saff glanced at the road to gather her thoughts. Suddenly her
voice was quiet. "I did, too, didn't I?" She stood up and stared
into his eyes, begging him to believe her. "I used you to get to
the blood sample just like you used me to get the records. For
something I believe in."

"You lied to me."

"Like you were hiding your truth from me; to protect you."

"How can I hide truths I don't know?"

Saff thumped the car door in frustration. "Mulder you still don't
get it, do you? There is no truth. It's all semantics. You have no
idea just how big this thing is. Not even the men who believe
they are orchestrating it know. This is bigger than them. The
date is set."

"Damn you! I am so sick of everyone's stupid cryptic speeches!"
Saff and Mulder both stared at Scully, shocked at her outburst,
even surprised to realise she was still there, only inches from
their argument. "Just tell us what you mean! Do you know why I
was taken? Why someone put a computer chip in my neck? Did
you know that they are numbering the population like cattle? Do
you know why?"

"Their reasons don't matter. It is just a role they play."

"We need to know. I need to know."

"Knowing won't stop the project. It is decreed. They are
numbering us. They will cause all to receive a mark."

Scully's eyes rounded. She understood. "And he causeth all, both
small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark
in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might
buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast,
or the number of his name."

Saff stared for a moment before finishing the passage so quietly
the agents had to strain to make out the words. "Here is wisdom.
Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast:
for it is the number of a man; and his number is six hundred
threescore and six. Revelations, chapter thirteen, verses
fourteen to eighteen."

Scully took a deep breath. "You're saying - this is the start of the
end." Saff nodded, but did not look up. "The Smallpox
Eradication Program... They're using the cowpox virus to
number us. It's the mark of the beast. You're saying this is the
Apocalypse."

Saff stepped closer, shaking her head. "Cowpox hasn't been used
to immunise against smallpox for over fifty years. You should
know that. They've used the vaccinia virus for inoculations for
the last fifty years or so. Do you know where the vaccinia virus
came from, Dana?"

Scully shifted her head slightly. No.

"Neither does anyone else. More than a billion people have been
vaccinated with it, but no one knows where it came from or even
when we started using it. Some scientists believe the virus
evolved, but it's on a very different path in the evolutionary
chain to cowpox. And it's not derived from any other naturally
occurring pox virus, either."

Mulder watched Saff, enthralled. "So what is it?"

Saff laughed, bitterly. "Go home, Mulder. You can't fight God."

Scully stepped closer. "But you believe that some men abuse
their power. So show us a way to fight those men. You know we
won't let go. But you can choose a path for us, Saff. Our next
move depends on you. Are we going to be pawns, or do you want
us to police the men who are turning your good intentions to
their own purposes?" She held her breath. This had to be the
weakness in Saff's armour.

Saff contemplated Scully for a long time. Scully was beginning
to wonder if she would ever move, when suddenly she stepped
behind still-shaky Mulder, producing a gun from god-knew-
where and holding it against his neck. "Drop it, Dana. I don't
want to hurt him, but I value my life above his and yours."

Scully realised too late that her own gun was swinging idly at
her side. In the midst of the argument, she'd unconsciously re-
engaged the safety and then forgotten she was even holding it.
She flicked her gaze to Mulder's eyes, but they weren't fully
focused.

"He can't do anything, Dana. I drugged him earlier, and he's in no
state to fend off an armed assassin. I won't hurt him, I just want
to get out of here."

After a few more seconds of hesitation, Scully walked back a
couple of paces and crouched to put her weapon on the asphalt.
She stood slowly, gaze never leaving her former friend, and took
one more step backwards.

They stood and regarded each other in silence. Saff raised an
eyebrow, and glanced toward the gun. Scully kicked the gun off
to the side of the road. Tipped her head in challenge. Your
move.

As Scully tipped her head, Saff twisted her gun wrist and fired a
single shot.

Scully jumped and twisted, then spun back to find Saff already
had her unemotional mask in place and her gun back against
Mulder's neck. Mulder's head was twisted away, his right eye
screwed shut, in pain. The echo of the gunshot had to be echoing
around in his head - it probably would for days to come.

Scully turned again, only slightly, to see where Saff had fired.
Her car was leaning forward at an awkward angle, the front left
tyre flat.

"If you want to do something worthwhile, Dana, you go and find
him that hath understanding." Saff suddenly shoved Mulder
forward, spinning him toward Scully.

Before Scully could compose herself to find her gun, Saff was
already in her car. And then with a rev of the engine and a
screech of tyres, she drove away.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~
end 13/14

Guillain Barre 14/14
by The Emu

Please archive.

Aah, faithful readers. We're almost there.

You've probably realised by now that Fox Mulder and Dana
Scully belong to Chris Carter, 1013 and Fox. If you haven't, I
doubt this disclaimer is going to do much to convince you. And
if, after my many assurances, you still don't believe that I'm
doing this purely as a non-profit method of combining two of
my great loves, writing and X-Files, well, I don't think you ever
will.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Guillain Barre
by The Emu
emu@zip.com.au

14/14
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Somehow they made it home that evening. They went to their
respective apartments without saying another word, each
understanding the other's need to process their new information.

They never followed Saff. Just watched her slowly melt into the
horizon, knowing they had milked her of all the information
they were going to get. Would they see her again?

Who knew?

When Scully arrived in the basement the next morning, Mulder
was already there, shuffling half-heartedly through papers. On
closer inspection she could see that they were the lists of
numbers they had found in Jeremiah Smith's files. The Smallpox
Eradication Program.

"Wanna lay bets on who's got the 666 combo, Scully? I'm
putting sixty bucks on Michael Bolton." The joke sounded
forced, even to him.

Scully leaned against the side of his desk.

"Was it her?"

"I'll never know."

Scully tried to search Mulder's face, but he refused to look up
from the page he was studying. She let the question hang in the
silence, knowing that more would come if she was patient.

When he finally looked up she could see his Adam's apple bob.
"Yes, it was."

Scully gave no reaction but a shift in facial expression that only
Mulder could read.

He fixed his gaze on her. "Do you believe? What she said? Is
this all divine will?"

"People have been predicting the Apocalypse since the
beginning of time. Some people think Clinton's health program
is a sign of the second coming."

Mulder kept talking, lowering his eyes, as though he wasn't even
listening. "The woman at the roadhouse... her face was paralysed.
She'd had Guillain Barre Syndrome." Scully's face flickered.
"She seemed happy."

"Are you going to go back to the roadhouse?"

"What if Saff was telling the truth?"

Scully licked her lips, taking the time to choose her words. "Do
you trust her?"

Mulder tipped his face up again, brow wrinkling into a frown in
an almost mechanical gesture. "You know I trust only you,
Scully. But can we afford to take that sort of chance?"

He leaned back in the chair and stared at the ceiling, willing
himself the courage to open up. "I used to imagine finding Sam.
She was always searching for me too, or waiting for me to come
and rescue her. When I found her I would bring her home to
mom and dad."

"And live happily ever after."

He smiled sadly in agreement. "If we aren't ever going to find
justice, why are we here? Why did we get up this morning and
come to work?"

"Because we don't know what else to do." Scully picked up the
photo that was ever-present on Mulder's desk and studied the
eerily familiar features of the pig-tailed girl. "There's a happy
ending somewhere, Mulder. There has to be."

"I'm so tired, Scully. I'm tired of trusting no one, tired of
chasing shadows and never getting anywhere." His mouth twisted
into something halfway between a grin and a grimace. "Maybe
we should just chuck it all in and shack up together?"

"Not likely, Mulder. I've seen the way you live." She reached
over and took half of the pile of SEP sheets into her lap.

Mulder's smile became a little more genuine. "How do you do
it, Scully? Every time they kick us down, you just get back up
looking even more determined."

She contemplated him for a moment. "I've always wondered the
same about you." She sighed inside when she saw his brow
crease in confusion. And then she crossed back to her desk and
began to leaf through the paperwork.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

'I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of
getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his
hand. It's when you know you're licked before you
begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no
matter what. You rarely win, but sometimes you do.'
Atticus Finch
To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ END ~

Notes on the smallpox vaccine:

As for why Scully was talking about the cowpox virus in
Herrenvolk - well, I don't understand it.

Saff's little speech on the smallpox vaccine, and how no one
knows from where it was derived, is all true. Sometime in the last
50 - 100 years, we ceased to use the cowpox virus as the
vaccine, and began using the vaccinia virus. It was originally
assumed that the vaccinia virus evolved from cowpox, but recent
research has shown that it is actually from a different
evolutionary path, and is closer to (but not derived from)
buffalo pox. Scientists can't work out where it evolved from.

Hmm... I have been watching too much X-Files...

It's kind of cute, isn't it, how every animal has its own pox but us
- we just borrow all theirs...

If you're reading this, either you've skipped here to find out how
this ends (Stop that!) or you've finished. I'm impressed. Not
even *I've* read this far. So have you e-mailed me?
I've entertained you, for free, for at least an hour, so I think you
should e-mail me a 3000 word in depth critique. Criticism is
welcome, even begged for. Were Mulder and Scully in
character? What do you think of the ending? Too open? Too
much? Don't get it? This is essentially where I think CC is going
with the vaccinations - to the Apocalypse. What do you think?
What about Saff - did you like her? Hate her? Suspect her all
along?
Or if you've hated every minute, you should definitely write me
a strongly-worded letter of complaint for wasting your time.

Send it all to fictalk (any publicity is good publicity) or to
emu@zip.com.au

8^-
The complete works of The Emu are available at Gossamer or www.zip.com.au/~emu/xfile.html