Fly Paper/4

Fly Paper Chapter 4 =Thursday. March 31, 2005=

Epilog
The drug used by the clones to immobilize abductees is designed to be countered by an antidote. With no antidote, Doggett does not regain consciousness very quickly. By the time he first wakes up, Reyes is by his side.

Monica looks up from her book and notices John is watching her. "You sneak! How long have you been awake?"

John tries to talk but only croaks. Monica brings him a drink. John feels refreshed and sits up and takes the cup of water from Monica. John is certain that nothing ever tasted better. He hands back the cup and says, "I'm not sure how long I've been awake, but I'm glad you were here." He realizes he is very hungry.

Reyes offers to call for food, but Doggett refuses the offer. "Hospital food? Let's get out of here. Where are my clothes?"

Reyes says, "Why don't you get up and look for them?"

Without hesitation, he gets up, wearing only a diaper. He checks his own diaper and says, "Not bad, but I feel like I could use a shower."

Monica says, "The nurse was here an hour ago giving you a sponge bath."

Doggett laughs. "You got to watch?"

Monica nods, "I told her I was your body guard and not allowed to take my eyes off of you."

"Hey, hey. What did she say to that?"

"She said I was a luck lady."

Doggett finds his clothes in a drawer and dresses. "Monica, I'm so glad they came after me and not you."

She looks troubled and raises a hand to her chin. John buckles his belt and strides to her, grabbing hold of her shoulders. "They tried to abduct you too?"

She nods, still looking confused. "Its all like dream. I was attacked in the U of M Medical Center parking lot and that's the last I remember. My gun was found, clip empty." She puts her arms around John and leans her head on his chest. "We all woke up on a beach this morning. I'm missing a few days of memories."

Doggett can't believe his ears. "We? You said 'we'? Everyone is back?" He pushes her away to arm length looking for clues in her face. He sees that Monica is crying. He holds her close again, gently rocking her.

Finally she can talk. "Everyone is back except Dana. Mulder and the Lone Gunmen are like me, with scrambled memories. We have no real leads on Scully."

John asks, "What do you mean 'real' leads? What do you have?"

Monica straightens up and wipes her eyes. "We all have memories of seeing Dana, alive. But those memories are almost like dreams. But-" She fights off more tears. "I remember her telling me that she did not want to come back."

Doggett can't believe what he is hearing. "Wait a minute. You saw Dana while you were abducted?"

She nods. "We all have memories of seeing her. We went through some sort of- indoctrination. I do not know how to describe it. It was like a school or something. Between sessions we were with Dana. She was the only one not going through the indoctrination. Between the sessions she kept telling us to try to remember, but it is so hard, John, like dream you feel slipping away, drifting out of your mind."

Doggett does not know what to say. Monica adds, "Mulder is crushed. And I remember this; Mulder arguing with Dana, telling her not to do it. That's what he kept saying. 'Dana, don't do it. Dana, don't do it. There is another way.' And Dana kept saying that she had to try, had to try something different."

Doggett is totally confused. "Different than what?"

Monica shakes her head. "I don't know. It makes no sense. Its just a jumble of fragments. Maybe it will come back in time. But Mulder is terribly depressed."

Doggett has never seen such a look of loss and bewilderment on Monica's face. He tries to think of something to say that will snap her out of it. He opts for simple truth. "Come on Monica. I have not eaten in days and I'm very hungry. Let's get out of here. I'll buy you beer. And I want to hear everything you remember." He buts an arm around her shoulders and they walk out of his hospital room together.

But nothing any of the abductees has to say ever has more coherence than their initial debriefing statements. Their memories of the time of their abductions fade into a stereotypical story of Dana telling them that she would be happy staying with her abductors. Mulder's theory is that they were put through some alien brain-washing program and that Scully was tricked into staying with the aliens. He is left with a strange obsessive ritual of looking up at the Moon at night and wondering where Scully is.

End
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