A bit of clarification: So far, the perceived bad guys include CSM, Senator Pat Roberts, and Ronald Davidson of the State Department. Each is after his own aims. Mulder, of course, is caught in the middle, slightly befuddled himself…

The story began on Saturday, May 2nd. It is now Wednesday, May 6th.

And—I know I took a year to write this chapter. LOL. Enjoy.

Chapter 8: Severance

St. Mary's Hospice

Brenda, Maryland

May 6th

3:33pm

"Agent Scully?"

Dana Scully looked up tiredly; her eyes landed on the pudgy neck of the nurse in front of her.

"Mr. Whitfield is in stable condition, Agent Scully. You wanted to see him?"

Scully blinked, waiting for something to click. "…Ah, yes, yes…"

"Room 214, ma'am. I'll be down the hall, if you need anything." The nurse maneuvered her plump body around the knees of the people in the waiting room. Scully watched the woman's swaying bum, somewhat repulsed. She stood up, reluctant to leave the relative comfort of her chair.

Her heels echoed loudly in the empty hallway. Pungent odors of alcohol and anesthetic mixed with smells of ill health wafted up her nostrils, making her wince. She was reminded of the numerous times that she had been in hospitals just like this, at the bedside of her family or best friend, or sick herself, abject, waiting. She shook off the memories.

"Mr. Whitfield?" she called softly when she opened the door.

Casey turned his head slowly and met her eyes. His lips curled slightly.

"Agent Scully," he said, barely above a whisper.

"Hi." Scully closed the door behind her and moved a chair to sit by the bed. "How are you feeling?"

"Crappy."

Scully chuckled. "How's the wound?"

"Don't remind me."

They fell silent, neither knowing what to say.

At length Casey spoke up, awkward in the moment. "I, um…thank you…for being there when…it happened…if it weren't…I don't know…I…just…just thanks." He smiled ruefully.

Scully nodded, acknowledging his sentiments. She re-crossed her legs. "Do you feel like talking?"

Casey looked at her. "Do I have a choice?"

Scully stared back.

"I guess not."

"Any idea who may have wanted to hurt you?" Scully began.

Casey paused before answering. "Yes. Yes. I think so."

Scully raised an eyebrow.

"My uncle."

"Your uncle."

"Yes."

Scully waited. She had already guessed that Casey's uncle was the Smoking Man.

"He…um…" Casey scoffed a little. "He's not exactly gentle, you know?" He looked up at Scully. "He's…involved in lot of things, smokes a lot. Always has been. He's the only family I've got left…He sent the money to my grandparents when I was growing up. He wanted my help. But I screwed up."

"By talking to me?"

"He's not really bad, you know," Casey went on, ignoring Scully's question. "Just gruff. Thinks he's all that. But he really wants to help people, and—"

Scully held up a hand. "What does your uncle do?"

Casey puzzled for a moment. "You know, I really don't know. I know that he knows people in high places, but…I don't know."

"What did he want your help with?" Scully asked, watching Casey carefully.

"Agent Mulder. He wanted my help with Agent Mulder. To get him to come to the house." Casey seemed to wrestle a moment with his loyalties, but he shrugged it off. "Agent Mulder has a sister. I thought it was just to get them back together again, but then…How well do you know your partner?"

Scully frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Well," Casey cast a furtive look toward the door. "Well, Agent Mulder is part of a conspiracy that tests out biological weapons on the public."

Scully tried not to smile.

Casey closed his mouth. He had expected a shocked reaction, and Scully's response rendered him momentarily confused.

"You knew?"

"No. But go on."

"Oh. Well, Uncle found a victim, I think. He wanted Agent Mulder for information. And his brain cells. They're supposed to cure my aunt."

It was Scully's turn to look puzzled.

"He didn't tell me much. Just that my aunt has a brain disease, and Agent Mulder's cells would cure her."

Comprehension began to dawn. "Does your uncle want to operate on Agent Mulder? Transplant the cells?"

"It's already been done."

Scully started. "What?"

"It's done. The removing part, anyway." Casey caught a glimpse of Scully's face before she rearranged it. "Don't worry," he added. "Agent Mulder's fine. But he doesn't deserve it."

Scully shook her head, putting aside her worries. "Listen, Casey. Your uncle is wrong. I don't know what he's up to, but I do know this: Agent Mulder is innocent. He is not a part of any conspiracy, nor would he ever, even if his life depended on it, voluntarily hurt innocent people."

The fierceness of her words brought a stillness into the room. Casey swallowed.

"Who is your aunt?" Scully asked after a minute.

"My uncle's wife," Casey answered quickly. "I don't know her name. I didn't even know she existed until yesterday."

"Do you know anyone else who's involved in all of this?"

"As far as I know, there's Mulder's sister, Sammi—Samantha—I don't think she knows anything—and this other woman. Diana, I think—I only met her once."

Scully scowled. Of course.

"…And…a senator came to visit Uncle last night. The chairman of the intelligence committee or something. It seemed like he knew a lot."

"Okay. Okay." Scully stood up. "You've been a lot of help, Casey. Thank you. Do you think your uncle would mind if I paid him a visit?"

Casey tried to sit up. "I don't—how do you—no, no, of course not."

Scully nodded and turned to the door.

"Agent Scully—"

She turned.

"He'll kill me. I know it. I shouldn't have talked to you…He'd find a way…" Casey's eyes were wide with fear.

Scully smiled reassuringly. "It's going to be okay. I'll post guards outside your door."

Marilyn Drive

Brenda, Maryland

May 6th

4:21pm

Scully drove slowly up the street, stomach knotted with apprehension. She knew that guards would not stop the smoking sonofabitch, but there was nothing else she could do. Casey was immobile, and she had to be here. She had to see the Cancer Man.

When she was just a few houses away from her destination, Scully saw a tall, lanky man ahead of her on the sidewalk, strolling with his arm around another woman. Her heart hurtled into her throat. She pulled haphazardly to the side of the street and scrambled out, sprinting to catch up with the couple.

"Mulder!" she shouted breathlessly. The man turned, surprised.

"Mulder? Mulder, it's me…" Scully trailed off when Diana, too, turned around, and shared a long look with Mulder.

"I'll handle this," Scully heard Diana say softly.

Mulder shook his head. 'No, no, I'll do it. I'll be fine."

Scully glared at Diana's receding back, imagining a lion mauling her apart.

Mulder thrust his hands into his pockets. Scully looked up at him, brows furrowed in concern.

"Are you okay?" she asked. She reached out a hand to touch Mulder's arm, but Mulder backed away.

"Mulder?" Scully asked again, tentative, a little hurt.

"You shouldn't be here."

Scully felt her jaw slacken. "What? Mulder, it's me. I'm here to take you home."

"This is home."

The flat cadence of his voice frightened her.

"Mulder…Mulder, listen to me, they've been messing with your head, this is not home."

"It is. Samantha is here. And Diana. You don't belong."

"Mulder, no, no, that's not right. I know you, you would never settle for this—"

"You don't know me at all." He turned to go.

Scully grabbed his hand, held it in a deathlike grip. Her eyes shone with tears. "Mulder, you would never do this. What about the truth? What about your crusade, your fight, everything you've lived for…You would never do this, Mulder, not to me…" Desperation hung across her words, stretched tightly, on the verge of breaking point—

—And with a powerful motion, Mulder wrenched his hand out of Scully's grasp. He met her eyes for the first time.

"Don't ever come back."

A/N: Okey-dokey. I apologize for the one-year delay…:-) And, as always, I welcome all comments.