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V: G:
Summary: Egnimatic forces intervene to make another switch.
Episodes dialogue: 1013 writers Vince Gilligan, Chris Carter et al

IN OTHER CONTEXT: Confused in Scullysville
ISMS ARRANGED by Mary Greten.
ORIGINAL MATERIAL by Mary Greten.

Scully leaned against the door frame of Alfred Fellig's darkroom.
Fellig puttered about his films and developing solutions making no
moves to flee overt or otherwise. She allowed herself a moment to
stretch the tiredness and tenseness out of her neck.

In truth, her exhaustion was more mental the physical.  Always, in all
causes and cases, Scully attempted to see all things through the clarity
of objectivity.  She stood back from the problem as if looking at a
dodecahedron.  She carefully examined every facet of the multi-
sided die that belonged to the Dungeons and Dragons game of her
mind.

Over the course of time, these facets became voices in her head.
Each voice proposed and defended its proposition until Scully found
logical reasons to eliminate it and the proponent voice from
deliberation.  Today, however, the voices were faced with the arrest of
a seemingly immortal alleged murderer, or at least of life span not
known to medical science.  Wrestling with Scully's honed sense of the
criminal psyche which staunchly resisted Fellig could ever have been
guilty of more than extreme lack of compassion, they could adequately
formulate no theory even to be discarded.

The voices were confused in Scullysville.

Scully decided to confront Fellig.

"Why are you this way?  I mean, if this is true give me something in
the way of proof...  help me find some science that I can hang this on."

"It has nothing to do with science.   Someone took my place...
You're very lucky, you know that?".

Scully's scientific curiosity mutated exponentially to consternation
to apprehension to dismay to fear to stark terror...

...Shielding her eyes from the harsh glare of the noon-ish light from
window behind the opened doorway curtain, Scully's was aghast that
"Shut up!" would be her last spoken words.  Not "pray for us sinners
now and at the hour our death" or some other pious utterance she
learned from nuns of her childhood as fitting the occasion.

When the bullet passed through her abdomen, the blinding glare gave
way to a bright red flare of pain then to a soft white effulgence she
recalled from far place a forever ago.   An essence brushed past her.
For a reason she could only feel, not explain, she knew the being to be
benevolent.

Scully watched through eyes not entirely her own.   Aiding her was a
woman 40 or so years old dressed casually in blouse and slacks.  Scully
did not recognize the woman, but still, she was grateful for the strength
she felt emanating from the stranger.

Agent Ritter left to get help.  At least, he didn't totally freeze.
Not that it would matter.

"I'm dead or will be anyway.  No way I could survive this...bloody
mess."

"Yes, you will.  Look." answered the woman to Scully's thought.

Scully saw another woman wearing a nurse's uniform she had once
seen in an exhibit at the Smithsonian Museum of Medical History.
The nurse was whispering in Fellig's ear.  He was desperately trying
to switch cameras to capture Death in the act hoping that the flash
would wisk Death's attention to himself and wrench him from his
wretched life.

The nurse whispered to him that she didn't mean to transfer Longevity
onto him.  It had been passed to her at such an early age that she grew
weary.  Neither did she understand that she was to look for a specific
person to be Longevity's next recipient.  She eventually found some
peace telling her story to the dying to ease their passage to the other
side.  In his Yellow Fever induced delirium, Fellig sought to repay her
kindness to him on his deathbed by doing what he mistakenly thought
she wanted - not to tell her Death was near.  He looked away...closed
his eyes.  When his fever broke, he had forgotten his delirious altruistic
motive and Longevity became his curse.

"The camera is not the way.", the nurse urged him.

"It hasn't worked all these years. Give the gift to Scully,",
she prodded. "Tell her what she has to do".

Finally, slowly, Fellig put down his camera.
Gently, his voice guided Scully.

"Do you see him?  Do you see him?"

Excruciatingly, Scully appeared to move her head.

"Don't look.  Close your eyes."

Scully hesitated.  Words suddenly formed in her mind.

"Not yet...Soon."

"It's all right, Starbuck", coaxed the woman next to Scully, "Ahab did
not know of our need of you when you saw him last.  'Soon' is a
relative term on this plane of existence."

Appeased, Scully closed her eyes.  Death took Fellig and the nurse
led a smiling Alfed Fellig to his new home.

"I have cautions to give you before I leave, Dana.", the casually
dressed woman continued.

"You will not remember this event until it becomes necessary for you
to change identities.  As your lives pass, you will tire.  Begin looking
for a worthy transferee.  One with your dedication, compassion,
fortitude, and capacity to love.  Don't deny Eros, Dana.  You are too
committed to use it loosely.  There is no reason you can't be happy
most of your lives...  I must go now."

"Wait!", Scully stopped her. "Can you do me a favor?" Scully inquired.

"I don't know", replied the woman.  Tell me what it is and I will try."

"I want to thank someone I've never met.  Her devotion helped me
make the most difficult decision of my life.  I want her to know how
much I appreciate her courage for what she tried to do for my
daughter."

"She knows, Dana", said the woman confidently.

"Could you make sure.  Please.  It is important to me."

"Dana...I am Roberta Sim."

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

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