Story 197: "Get Up Mulder" by Tesla

[wendelah1]

This story was nominated by write_out but it's one of my favorites now, too. Confession time: the first time I read it, I thought Mulder was being a little whiny. But I love him better now, so it's all good. Tesla's writing is smooth as silk and no one writes a better Mulder voice. Enjoy!

NEW: "Get Up, Mulder"
Author: Tesla
Rating: PG-13 for language
Keyword: MSR, spooning, post-movie

Summary: Mulder recalls the trip back

Spoilers: To "Fight the Future"

Mod note: It says "MSR" but I think it's noromo friendly.

Now I really need to give tesla321 her own tag. Seriously, is there anything of hers we haven't read? See, we do use the suggestions from our nomination post, so go suggest some more, please.

Read "Get Up, Mulder".

Comments

[estella-c.livejournal.com]

Well, I don't *think* we've read "Sense Memory," but I could be wrong. I remember kind of reversing my opinion on that one. Possibly elsewhere.

[estella-c.livejournal.com]

Not only can I be wrong, but I WAS. Okay, going now for the caffeine.

[write-out.livejournal.com]

Ah, I LOOOOOOVE THIS STORY. But I need to drink my tea first before I can properly comment. Thanks for selecting this one, wendelah1!

[wendelah1]

You are welcome!

[nailseabelle24.livejournal.com]

This is my first attempt at commenting on an XF fanfic story since I joined LJ...so I'm kinda nervous about being among such illustrious critics, having read your comments over recent years with great enjoyment and admiration. But enough of the flim-flam!
I did enjoy reading this story and don't think I've ever read this one before, which was quite a surprise to me (I thought I'd read almost everything worthwhile in the entire fandom). The recurring "Get up Mulder" theme gives the narrative a certain rhythm and shape, and it's also an intelligent fill-in-the-blanks kind of story, which had me thinking: " Ahh, so THAT'S how they could've got back" (well, give or take a few gaps here and there, but I don't mind that). It was also a relief to me that this was a no-sex story, and realised I was holding my breath whenever there were any bed scenarios...don't misunderstand me, I do like my NC17 in the right context, but really dread those long-winded, overly-descriptive sex scenes which fanfic writers almost feel obliged to include even when the protagonists are sick, or physically exhausted. I'm usually pretty good at suspending my disbelief when reading fanfic, but some of those kind of scenes are often stretching the point to say the least!
This was fun to read, & the characters were believable to me; Mulder enfeebled (but with good reason) and Scully was doctorly, caring and firm with Mulder without coming across as too much of a bitch(why do some people think Scully has to be portrayed as a ball-buster in order for her to appear empowered and strong?).

[infinitlight.livejournal.com]

Welcome :).

I wonder about the way Scully's portrayed in fic sometimes. I think some writers genuinely don't like her as a character (which I personally can't understand at all). I thought "Get Up, Mulder" had a great "voice" for her, though.

Welcome aboard!

[wendelah1]

I did enjoy reading this story and don't think I've ever read this one before, which was quite a surprise to me (I thought I'd read almost everything worthwhile in the entire fandom).

I think that myself and then amyhit comes up with a hidden jewel.

I am more convinced that I've read all of the good casefile stories in the fandom.

The recurring "Get up Mulder" theme gives the narrative a certain rhythm and shape, and it's also an intelligent fill-in-the-blanks kind of story, which had me thinking: " Ahh, so THAT'S how they could've got back" (well, give or take a few gaps here and there, but I don't mind that).

Yes, I think write_out suggested it when we were reading Justin Glasser's "Certitude," which I like even better as a gap-filler in FTF. You should read it if you haven't already.

It was also a relief to me that this was a no-sex story

It's always a relief to me to find a no-sex story. There are several good stories which have been spoiled for me by their obligatory, wooden sex scenes.

why do some people think Scully has to be portrayed as a ball-buster in order for her to appear empowered and strong?)

I'm not sure how to respond to that except to say that your "that Scully-is-a-ball-buster" is another reader's Perfect Canon Scully. See "Our Scullys" by Punk. We all have a Scully we carry around in our head, and perhaps our heart.

[littlegreen42.livejournal.com]

I'm never really sure what to say in these fic discussions (which is one of the reasons I rarely comment here), and I'm sure "I love this story" (and I did!) is not really sufficient. So. I think it works for me on several levels: 1) it answers the question of "How did Mulder and Scully make it back to Antarctica?" and it even takes account of the fact that Mulder hadn't finished healing from his gunshot wound (something FTF didn't really deal with; he went from limping along after having recently woken from a coma to being able to clamber around the precarious environment of a subterranean spaceship, managing to avoid nearly falling to his death); 2) I guess I just have a soft spot for "poor, bedraggled Mulder." Yes, he complains a lot, but he often does so with his trademark cynical wit; 3) I liked how Scully took care of Mulder in a way that was both tender but also very matter-of-fact -- she's very much the no-nosense doctor here, but without veering into stereotypical "Ice Queen" territory. As I said, she's still quite tender and very caring. But not overly so -- she's not the excessively "mothering" type to a woobified Mulder that's seen in some fics.

So, hey, I managed to write a fairly substantial comment after all. :)

[infinitlight.livejournal.com]

I agree, I really liked the way this story gave us more detail on what happened after FtF. I like stories that fill in the gaps in canon we never get to see.

[wendelah1]

Yes, this story slots into canon nicely, and not just FTF.

I too prefer cynical, witty Mulder to woobified Mulder. In addition, I think this is a very sympathetically written Scully, especially considering the viewpoint is from a concussed, exhausted, and/or nauseated not-very-patient Mulder. He is surely the most unreliable narrator she's ever written, but it's easy to read between the lines. LOL.

[amyhit.livejournal.com]

Okay, well. Hmm.

What I like about this fic is the premise. I’ve always liked FTF Antarctica gap-filler fics, and this is certainly one of the better ones, at least plot-wise.

From the edge of the crater in the ice, to an international weather station (Where? That’s what I want to know), to a cargo vessel, to an airplane bound for Caracas, to another airplane bound for D.C. The details tesla fills in do a pretty good job of grounding the radical situation Mulder and Scully have found themselves in, at least considering how short the fic is. Scully coughing up goo, Mulder being violently seasick, Mulder telling Scully he was shot in the head, them having to wait in Caracas for Scully’s passport to arrive, those are all parts I like. (Not wild about being told Scully is shitting goo, though. Some things I genuinely believe are better kept ‘off camera’.) I also find it interesting the way they keep knocking against each other emotionally, instinctively hanging onto each other while everything around them is transient and foreign.

The problem is, I really don’t care for this Mulder characterization. The whole fic feels like Scully fussing over him, and him being fussy and difficult, when he’s not being suddenly stricken by moments of frat-boy lust.

This was clearly a point where a nice guy would
let go of his partner's firm little ass, and wake
her up. But Mulder had already warned her he
wasn't nice, right?

Ew. It’s not that his hand is on her ass, or that he wishes to keep it there. Those things are understandable. It’s the way it’s phrased: “firm little ass” and the way he justifies copping a feel. “You’re fault, Scully, I warned you I’m a prick.”

He does have some nice moments (like when he is worried about her respiration and Scully catches him with his ear to her chest, that’s a sweet moment and I thought the fic could have made a lot more of it). But for the most part, when he’s not being a prick or showing his concern, I find him rather boring. He doesn’t have the kind of rich inner life that I look for in a Mulder characterization.

Also, he calls Scully “honey,” at which I think my brain actually made a needle-scratch sound.

I don’t know what I think of Scully’s characterization. I like that she seems fairly on the ball in this fic, but her persistence in doctoring Mulder gets kind of boring, especially when for the most part he just does his best to wave her off. And I don’t recall there being a single description of her fixing anyone with an incisive look, or studying them with an intent gaze, or any such thing. She doesn’t do anything "stoic" or "stern" or "determined" or "deliberate" or "careful" or "cautious"; there are certain descriptors commonly used in reference to Scully (far more of them than I’ve listed, of course), and this fic seems to have almost none of them. Minute to minute I’m mostly fine with her characterization, but by the end, as a whole, it just feels wrong.

One other thing that confuses me is this:

Mulder felt frightened, really frightened, by how
close everything had been. And yet, Scully had
not seen the ship. She saw a crevasse of snow and
dirty ice, she saw Mulder passed out beside her,
but she didn't see the ship.

And it had only been seconds. Seconds. One late
connection, one wrong turn, if he had even sat
down once to think about he was doing, one or
both of them would be dead.

I like that it's a moment of serious reflection on the epic danger they just faced. But this seems to be implying that if Mulder had stopped or been held up for a moment at any point in his journey to Antarctica, he would have been too late, which is (probably) not the case.

[littlegreen42.livejournal.com]

Ew. It’s not that his hand is on her ass, or that he wishes to keep it there. Those things are understandable. It’s the way it’s phrased: “firm little ass” and the way he justifies copping a feel. “You’re fault, Scully, I warned you I’m a prick.”

Yeah, that part bothered me, too.

Also, he calls Scully “honey,” at which I think my brain actually made a needle-scratch sound.

I kind of hand-waved that away by thinking, "Oh, well, Mulder has a head injury and is not really himself right now..." But I, too, had a "needle-scratch" moment when I read that. I actually had to double-check to see if I was reading it right!

[wendelah1]

The problem is, I really don’t care for this Mulder characterization.

This is not Mulder at his best, I grant you. It's true, there is a complete absence of a rich inner life. He's lying on the ground unconscious, and these are his uncensored thoughts and memories during that interval, being punctuated by Scully yelling at him to get up. His brain is not being filtered, so it's all right out there, including Scully's "firm little ass" and her unguarded remarks about what her stools look like. (She was still in shock and I gather wasn't filtering much either at that point.) The memories themselves are not exactly stellar. He was also in shock, suffering from a head injury, exhaustion, dehydration, and hypothermia. He'd just drunk a cup of coffee laced with whiskey, too.

And I don’t recall there being a single description of her fixing anyone with an incisive look, or studying them with an intent gaze, or any such thing. She doesn’t do anything "stoic" or "stern" or "determined" or "deliberate" or "careful" or "cautious"; there are certain descriptors commonly used in reference to Scully (far more of them than I’ve listed, of course), and this fic seems to have almost none of them.

But the story is very tightly written in third person, limited to Mulder's POV. He wouldn't be remembering her as any of those things right now. He's lying unconscious, with his memory being jogged by her yelling at him; he's remembering events that happened while he was falling asleep or barely conscious or tossing his cookies.

I like that it's a moment of serious reflection on the epic danger they just faced. But this seems to be implying that if Mulder had stopped or been held up for a moment at any point in his journey to Antarctica, he would have been too late, which is (probably) not the case.

There was a deadline—I looked it up—96 hours to administer the vaccine to Scully. I'm hard pressed to see how he made it there at all, let alone within 96 hours. They barely got far enough away from the ship in time to miss being buried by the avalanche created by the ship taking off. And both the thought and his memory of it are being generated under less than ideal circumstances. Even if his fears aren't logical and objectively true, couldn't he still be feeling them, lying on that cot right after they've arrived at say, McMurdo Station? He's still afraid they're going to take her from him, too. He's remembering it, that moment of pure fear, knowing that he could have failed. He's so afraid, he's putting himself between her and the door, lying down next to her on the cot.

Taking a deep breath, Mulder picked up his pillow and took the one step to her bed. "Then move over. If someone else wants to get you, at least I'll know about it." And, surprisingly, she slid over against the wall, pulling down the rough blanket and stiff cotton top sheet as she moved.

This moment of vulnerability between them makes my throat catch.

But if the fic didn't work for you, well, it didn't. You might change your mind. I know I liked the story much better this time around.

[wendelah1]

What I like best about this story is its structure. Though I didn't know for certain until the ending, this story isn't taking place during FTF at all. It's all taking place during an off-screen early season six case set sometime while Mulder and Scully were exiled from the X-Files, when they were on "fertilizer duty" for domestic terrorism. (In a post 9-11 world, that's no longer where FBI fuck-ups get posted. But anyway, that's where they are.)

Scully's telling him to get up now, but he's too warm and he's too tired. He'd rather think about the long trip home from Antarctica, despite the fear and the fatigue and the pain and the nightmares. There's something about that experience that he gravitates to when he's this unfiltered, when he has lost consciousness. Everything that happens in this story is being narrated to us by a man who is lying unconscious on a concrete floor after being cold-cocked by a faceless terrorist.

"Get up, Mulder" is the first line, almost the last line, and it's the Greek chorus of this play. As Nailbelle has pointed out, its repetition provides structure, by changing the scene; however, every time Scully says it, she's yelling to the unresponsive man lying on that concrete floor, whose concussed brain then spirals back to another memory of the trip home.

Just as M&S get away from the ship just in the nick of time, before it takes off and blows a huge hole in the Antarctic ice shelf, Mulder wakes up and gets up off the floor and out of the building just in time to escape being blown up by the bomb. (Just like they nearly got blown up in Dallas, back at the very beginning of FTF.) He saved her, she saves him. It's what they do. It's been a tough year and so I forgive Mulder's somewhat churlish reply, murmured under his breath as he's herded to the ambulance. It's his narrative so he gets the last word. "I'm up."

I didn't find one word of this story boring. I have some more thoughts but I need to get to sleep.

[littlegreen42.livejournal.com]

He saved her, she saves him. It's what they do.

Yes! This is what I love about The X-Files. :)

[amyhit.livejournal.com]

Um, I have NO IDEA how my comment ended up posted twice, and now I can't delete it because there are replies on both posts.

I was having internet connectivity issues while attempting to post, but I checked to make sure it hadn't posted the first time I tried. I guess my computer wasn't showing the updated thread quite yet. Like I said, issues.

*cringes* Sorry to be obnoxious, everyone.

[estella-c.livejournal.com]

Hooray! You figured it out! I thought there was something like this going on, but I thought I'd have to reread and didn't have the heart. It's really a clever, clever mode of storytelling.

I just have to do a rave on Tesla. For personal preference reasons I haven't read everything she's written--there's a Scully-hate factor that screwed things up for me at one point--but I would say that she is the sveltest, slickest, most economical stylist that every inhabited Xdom. She and Kel; they share the honors. Her prose is light and pleasurable to consume like whipped cream, but like the cream one whips it is thick and rich with implication. It is also, for the most part, good-tempered and funny. Even when she turned Mulder into a vampire.

As for Mulder being Mulder: of course he isn't. He's unconscious and wounded and in pain, and he's dreaming about being unconscious, wounded, and in pain. His lizard brain is recalling bits and pieces of his difficult history, each of which Scully stars in, and his attitude is compounded of aggravation, lust, and a profound desire for oblivion. He shamelessly refers to Scully's firm little ass *because he's unconscious, wounded, and in pain on a cold stone floor." It wouldn't be all that surprising if he fantasized a rape because she is really irritating him. Lizard brain. Cut the guy a break.

What actually comes through here is how much Mulder depends on Scully, how thoroughly he has accepted her partnership and cherishes her loyalty. That is what the repetition of "Get up, Mulder" signifies; she gets him going and brings him home.

[write-out.livejournal.com]

Considering I'm the one who recced this, I feel like I should have some essay on why I love it so. But, I don't. I just like it. I like FTF gap-fillers and there aren't many out there that do it for me, but this one surely does. But I love Tesla's stuff (with the exception of her M/O series, which really rubs me the wrong way and not just because it's M/O) and this one of my favorites.

I get the criticism that both of them might be slightly OOC, but I figure they've been shot, frozen, intubated and generally screwed over in just about every way. By this point in the movie, they have been traumatised in so many ways (the bombing, the hearings, the resignation), so for me, everything in this fic reflects that. Mulder's "honey" is not at all jarring to me. It works for me given the overall circumstances and I actually like that little bit.

[wendelah1]

I love Tesla's fic, too, same exception.

I don't accept that either of them are out of character.

By this point in the movie, they have been traumatised in so many ways (the bombing, the hearings, the resignation), so for me, everything in this fic reflects that.

That, plus Mulder is remembering it all while lying unconscious on the floor of the garage.

[badforthefish.livejournal.com]

So I was gonna post this a few days ago but the internet ated it. *grumbles*

Once more - with feelings:

This was pretty good. There are nowehre near enough "return from Antarctica" fics out there. (and I was quite underwhelmed by certitude to be honest - found it quite tedious in places and some of the characterization didn't work for me.)

I can buy exhausted, concussed, borderline whiny Mulder, considering he's actually bleeding out on a concrete floor. Not my fave portrayal of him but it still works, so in this respect the story is doing its job.

The 'honey' threw me though. Right there with you Amyhit, my brain too made a needle scratch sound (such a perfect way to describe this feeling, when something pulls you out of a story abruptly.)

I'm surprised though that Scully seems relatively unscathed. (loved the TMI about the retching and shitting goo - very efficient way to 'anchor' things down.) If I were to write an Antarctica piece I think my Scully would be more banged up and disoriented than that. But hey, YMMV

I must be the only person who thought the 'firm little ass' mention was hot - I don't mind it too much when Mulder is being all macho and inappropriate. Could be a cultural French thing. Our men are plenty inappropriate but we still love them. *shrug*

[wendelah1]

The 'honey' threw me though. Right there with you Amyhit, my brain too made a needle scratch sound (such a perfect way to describe this feeling, when something pulls you out of a story abruptly.)

I grew up in a family where it's always "Honey, can you...?" Honey, please..." "Honey, what can I get you?" "Honey" in my part of the world (and maybe my generation?) is all-purpose, and being that Tesla's a middle-aged writer from Alabama, I bet it is for her, too. Mulder would have to be very unguarded to say that to Scully. I think you could argue that he is during that section. But I can see where you're coming from.

I must be the only person who thought the 'firm little ass' mention was hot - I don't mind it too much when Mulder is being all macho and inappropriate. Could be a cultural French thing. Our men are plenty inappropriate but we still love them. *shrug*

I like Tesla's Mulder a lot, and I think one of the reasons is that he sounds like a guy. She doesn't try to neuter him.

I thought it was hot, too.

[(Anonymous)]

When I initially left a comment I appear to have clicked the -Notify me when new comments
are added- checkbox and from now on every time a comment is added I recieve 4 emails with the same comment.
There has to be a means you are able to remove me from that service?
Many thanks!

[wendelah1]

You have not signed your name so I have no idea who you are. I'm sorry you are getting multiple notifications from us. But I am not in charge of LJ and those emails are coming from them, and are not being generated from my community. If you have an account here, sign in, go to your notifications and unsubscribe yourself to whatever you no longer wish to receive. If you don't have an account, perhaps you subscribed via a reader? Otherwise, how would LJ "know" who to send it to? If you leave your lj/Twitter/whatever name, I can go into my membership list, look for it and try to unsubscribe you myself, but without it, I can't do anything.

[bmerb.livejournal.com]

Wow lots of controversy over this one. Well I'll just wave my years-to-late flag and say I like it. And I guess I've gotta weigh in on the Mulder ass grabbing section. Nope, didn't bug me. Particularly because he WASNT ass grabbing exactly. More like passed out deeply with Scully snuggled right up against him, and then waking to find his arm was around her holding her, and his hand happened to be on her butt. It is clearly stated that he couldn't move his hand as his arm was wedged between her body and the next seat, and he didn't consciously grab at her, SHE snuggled into him. Body size mechanics being what they are it's fairly natural that his hand would come to just about there.
To my reading Mulder had already sort of pushed Scully away in an attempt to NOT cross certain boundaries and remain respectful (at least internally). I'd say this was evidenced when she was massaging him in the ship and he complained that she was hurting him rather than take it somewhere inappropriate, or when he refused to crawl under the sheets with her without underwear, despite her telling him to come to bed.
I read the ass holding sentence as exhaustion allowing him to override his guilt about not waking her up and also not fully waking himself in order to do so. He clearly never intentionally maneuvered to grab her ass, and that line about not being very nice? I see that as cover, considering he told her that after being overwhelmed by her kindness and extended touch on his naked body, and finding an excuse to reassert physical boundaries. She tells him she's just trying to help him, what's he supposed to say, "gee sorry I was just getting turned on and overwhelmed by your touching me." Nah, I don't think so, not from the Mulder in my head or anything I've seen on screen.

Ok all done now! Again, I liked this one. I like all good explanatory canon compliant stories!

[bmerb.livejournal.com]

Damn where is the edit function? Ok the internal I told her I'm not a nice guy about holding her ass is assuaging his own guilt. Meh. And seriously where is the edit function??