"Time of death… 5:18 p.m," she said, her eyes on the girl in the bed, her heart breaking. She ripped off her gloves and dropped them to the ground, breathing hard as she hurried out of the room.

She ran past people in the hall, bumping into nurses, and apologizing as hot tears began to fall. She reached blindly for the handle of a door, opened it, and slid to the ground as she leaned against it. Drawing her knees up, she wrapped her arms around them, sobbing heavily.

Why? Why did she have to die?

"God," she sobbed. "Why?" She cried for all the nights she'd sat with her, checking in and finding her awake, as her mother slept tiredly on the uncomfortable pullout couch.

They'd had conversations far beyond that of a usual ten year old. Discussions of after life, death, religion, her family, and the worry for her mom if she were to die.

"What if I don't get better, Doctor Scully? Who will take care of my mom? My little sister?"

"Veronica… Ronnie, I'm not gonna let that happen."

"Everybody dies, Doctor Scully. I know about my disease. I've read all I can about it. I'm just glad my sister doesn't have it. If she was sick… in pain…" She had looked up with tears in her green eyes and Dana Scully, still rather new at calling herself doctor, had stared at her with a wobbly smile. "I'm glad it's me and not her."

"Oh, Ronnie." She had risen from her chair and held Ronnie as they both cried, Dana promising her she would do all she could to help her.

Days of research, even as she had seen Ronnie beginning to deteriorate, she had missed family dinners and even a date with a doctor who she had been flirting with a few weeks before.

It had not mattered though, as she had begun to see an improvement, Ronnie feeling happier and more alert.

But then… a week ago, Ronnie had to be intubated and after speaking to her mother, holding in her arms as she cried, Dana had gone into the locker room, turned on the shower and let the falling water cover the sound of her crying out her fears and frustration.

Ronnie had maintained on the ventilator, waking up and locking eyes with Dana, tears rolling down her face and falling into her ears. Dana had wiped them away, whispering how sorry she was, asking for her forgiveness. Ronnie had nodded, her eyes closing as she weakly squeezed her hand.

That had been the last time she was conscious, and now… now she was gone, despite Dana's very best efforts to save her.

"It's not fair," she whispered into her knees and took a deep breath. "I'm so sorry Ronnie. I'm so very sorry. I tried… I…" Breaking down again, she cried until she felt like an empty shell of herself.

Raising her head, she wiped her face and opened her eyes to find a man sitting on a small sofa staring at her with kind hazel eyes. She scrambled quickly to her feet and shook her head in confusion.

"Have you… have you been here this whole time?" she asked, her voice low and raw.

"Uhh… yeah," he admitted and she stared at him in disbelief.

"Why would you… I was…"

"I know."

"You saw… all of that… you heard."

"Yes."

"Why wouldn't you say anything? That was a very… very private moment."

"I agree," he said softly with a nod. "I… I was in here, waiting to visit a friend, when you came in and um… I didn't want to disturb you."

"In here…" She looked around and realized she was in a waiting area, having blocked the only door in and out. "I'm sorry…" She began to breathe heavily and he stood up, coming to her side and leading her to a chair.

"Sit. Deep breaths. In. Out. There you go," he said softly, his hand on her upper back as tears started to fall again, shocking her as she was sure she would never cry again.

She closed her eyes and covered her face, shaking her head as his hand rubbed in small circles, and she took in big breaths and cried. He said nothing and when the door opened, his touch left her for a second, before returning again, the room silent.

Wiping her face again, she took a deep breath and sat up straighter, silently asking him to move his hand. He must have understood as she felt the comforting weight of his hand disappear.

She sniffled, her nose stuffy and her head aching. Opening her eyes, she saw him standing in front of her with a box of the thin hospital tissues. She nodded slightly as she took a couple, blowing her nose and wiping her eyes.

"Thank you," she whispered, blowing her nose again.

"You're welcome," he responded quietly, holding the tissues out, and she took the box, setting it in her lap.

"I lost a patient," she whispered. "She was… I have to speak to her mother. I…" She stood up and the tissues fell to the floor. "I'm sorry. Excuse me."

She left the room and did not look back, walking down the hall and back to Ronnie's room, not at all ready to face this part of being a doctor.

She stepped into the elevator, letting out a heavy sigh as she leaned against the wall. Two days ago, she had been at Ronnie's funeral and today was her first day back, after some much needed time off.

The funeral had been hard, breaking her down many times as she had listened to people speak about Ronnie. Her little sister had run to her, clinging to her as she cried, Dana unable to stop her tears as she had held her.

Her mother had held Dana's face in her hands and stared at her, telling her it was not her fault.

"You gave us more time with Ronnie. Even one day was a gift. All you did for her, for us, I could never thank enough."

"But I… I couldn't… I'm so sorry, Marie. I truly am."

"Doctor Scully, Dana, we both knew the course of her prognosis. The timeline. It was blind faith in which we placed our hope. You did so much for her. More than even I know. She always spoke so highly of you." Dana had nodded, tears falling down her face, Marie wiping them away gently before pulling her in for a hug. "Thank you for every day you gave us."

Tears filling her eyes, she swiped them away as the elevator dinged and stopped. Turning around, she let out a breath and hoped she had gotten all the evidence of her tears as she turned back around and froze.

"Hi," the man with the kind hazel eyes said and she let out a breath. He searched her face and smiled gently. "How are you?"

"Um… I'm…"

The elevator stopped again and they were forced to stand closer together as a Hispanic family stepped inside, speaking in rapid Spanish and laughing heartily. He held her elbow gently, holding her steady, not even aware she had suddenly become off balance.

"Breathe. Breathe in," he whispered, his eyes never leaving hers. "Deep breaths. Good."

He smiled and she felt herself calming, the sounds of the family in the elevator growing quieter as she focused on his eyes, words, and touch. The elevator stopped and the family left, leaving them alone as the doors closed.

"Okay?"

"Okay," she whispered, nodding as she let out a breath.

"Which floor?"

"What?"

"Which floor do you need?"

"Oh… um three. No.. five. It's five." He nodded and stepped to the panel, pressing the five and turning back to her with a smile. "Thank you." He nodded again and she looked down, thinking of what she should say to this man who she did not know, but who had been there, twice now, when she had desperately needed someone.

"Which… which floor did you need? You didn't make a selection."

"I will once I know you're where you need to be."

She stared at him and felt something she had not felt in a very long time. A sense of butterflies in her stomach, even as she felt guilty in her time of grief. It did not feel right, but he was kind and attentive when he had no reason to be.

"Why?" she asked, feeling as though she was suddenly drowning, thinking of Ronnie and her green eyes full of laughter.

"Because… everyone needs someone to look out for them."

"You don't even know me," she said, her eyes filling with tears. "You…"

"You're a doctor. You care for others. It's your job, but it's also a calling," he said with a soft smile. "It can also break your heart and pull you down, leave you drowning."

"Yes," she whispered as her tears spilled onto her cheeks.

"Yes," he agreed quietly as the elevator dinged, announcing its arrival to the fifth floor. The doors opened and she stayed rooted to the spot, unable to move. "This is your floor."

"Right," she said with a nod, wiping her face. He stepped to the side, allowing her to pass and leave the elevator.

The doors closed as she turned around, realizing she had not thanked him properly, and in fact, did not even know his name. Sighing deeply, she started to turn back around when the doors opened and he was standing before her, smiling as he handed her a business card.

"Fox Mulder," he said softly, holding out his hand.

"Dana Scully," she whispered back, taking his hand and holding it gently.

"Doctor Scully." The doors began to close and he caught them, smiling at her with a nod. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"You too. Thank you for..." She sighed, unable to finish her sentence, and he nodded again, stepping back and allowing the doors to close.

Looking at the card in her hand, she saw he was a psychologist, with a practice not too far from the hospital.

It was meant to be, she heard and it sounded like Ronnie, casually discussing kismet and undeniable coincidences, as they had so often in the past.

She looked up and for a second she saw her standing before her, smiling happily, her green eyes positively shining. Dana blinked her eyes and Ronnie was gone, but she knew what she had seen.

Smiling with tears in her eyes, she slipped the business card into the pocket of her lab coat, promising herself she would call him, she let out a breath as she adjusted the stethoscope hanging around her neck.

Carrying Ronnie in her heart, she stepped forward, ready to help the next patient who needed her.