Scully woke up without opening her eyes and, as she breathed deeply, she found that the smell of Mulder saturated her pillow. Smiling, she turned over in bed, thinking she would find him lying next to her but instead found only his jacket. Puzzled, she picked the jacket up off her pillow and pressed the button on her bed to raise the head up so that she was in a half-sitting position. Still sleepy it took her a few minutes to remember the events of the night before and she looked round the room, hoping to find her mother to ask her if she had found Mulder. Realising that her room was empty, she pushed the nurse-call button, hoping that her nurse would know where her mother had gone. Moments later the door opened and Susie came through the door with her breakfast tray.

"Morning Dana. I'm slightly early with this but I thought you would want to get going as quick as you could so I brought it in just now."

"What do you mean? Get going where?"

"Did your mom not tell you? I thought she came in to tell you."

"No. I haven't seen my mom since I went to sleep last night. She was going to find Mulder for me. Do you know if she did?"

"Oh Dana. I'm sorry. I didn't realise you still didn't know or else I would have woken you sooner."

"Know what, Susie?"

"Um...you see...it's Mulder."

"What's Mulder? What's happened? ...Susie please, you're scaring me here."

"There was an accident yesterday Dana. Mulder was involved."

"Is he okay? What kind of accident?"

"It was a car accident. Mulder wasn't looking where he was going as he crossed the street and a car came round the corner too fast - there was no way the driver could have stopped in time although he did try."

"What about Mulder...he's not...he didn't ...die?"

"No. He was brought straight into the ER and went to surgery. Right now he's in ICU with your mom."

"Tell me what his injuries are. I want to know exactly what happened to him."

"I thought you might so I checked up on everything so I would know what to tell you. It's not very good news I'm afraid...are you sure you want to know Dana?"

"Yes. Please Susie...I need to know."

"Okay. They lost his pulse while he was lying in the road but the driver started CPR almost immediately and then the doctors that went out shocked him to bring him back."

"How many times and at what charge?"

"Dana..."

"I need to know about possible permanent damage Susie."

"All right. They had to shock him three times before they got a pulse - the last one was at 350. When they brought him in they found that he had a right pneumothorax so they had to put in a chest-tube. They then did a peritoneal lavage, which was positive for blood so he was taken straight up to the OR for a laparotomy. The surgeon had to remove his spleen and repair multiple lacerations to his liver. They nearly lost him again in the OR from hypovalemic shock but they upped his fluids and he pulled through."

"What about spinal injuries and head trauma."

"His X-rays showed no spinal injuries although he did break his right femur, dislocate his left shoulder and fracture quite a few of his ribs."

"God. ...You never mentioned head trauma ... what aren't you telling me?"

"He hasn't woken up since it happened. At the moment he's in a coma and the doctors aren't sure when, or if, he'll come out of it."

"Oh my God...I need to go to him Susie, take me down there."

"You need to eat your breakfast Dana to keep your strength up. You know you're still weak and I'm sure you want to see Mulder before you're ready to sleep again. So eat up and then I'll take you down to see him, okay?"

"But... okay."

Realising that she would not win the fight, Scully meekly agreed to eat her breakfast knowing that the faster she ate, the sooner she would be able to go see Mulder. Now that she had finished being Mulder's 'doctor' she had time to think about how serious his injuries were. Unable to trust her voice not to break when she spoke, Scully looked down at her plate and just concentrated on shovelling down her cereal and toast. Half way through her meal Susie left the room leaving Scully to finish it on her own. She was just wondering where Susie had got to when she returned with a wheelchair for Scully to sit in when she took her to ICU. She shook her head when she saw it and opened her mouth to protest but she recognised the stubborn glint in the nurse's eyes and once again backed down. Settling into the wheelchair, Scully realised that it was pretty cold compared to her bed and was glad when Susie brought a blanket out of her cupboard and tucked it around her bare legs.

Susie pushed her patient as fast as she dared down the corridor and into the elevator pushing the button for the fourth floor. Glad that there was no one in her way when they came to their floor, she pushed the wheelchair off the elevator and continued going quickly as they neared the Intensive Care Unit. She left Scully at the nurses' station as she went to find out what room Mulder was in. When she got back, she was surprised to find the chair empty but, looking in the room that she had just been told to go to, she was not surprised to find Scully already in there. Maggie was sitting in the chair by his bed with her eyes closed but she jolted awake when Scully touched her gently on her shoulder.

"Hi mom."

"Good morning honey. I must have dozed off for a minute there."

"Not a problem mom. You must be exhausted - Susie said you've been here all night."

"Yes, I have. I came down to tell you about Fox earlier but you were still sleeping. I thought it would be better if you got some more rest. I'm sorry...I didn't want to leave him for too long either so I came straight back up without telling the nurses to make sure you knew...I'm really sorry."

"It's okay mom, I understand. How is he?"

"He seems so peaceful Dana. He just looks like he's asleep except for all these wires."

"I know... Have the doctors told you anything?"

"They say the longer he remains in the coma the less likely he is to wake up but other than that, they just don't know."

"Oh..."

"They had thought he would have shown signs of improvement by now...Dana... they think he's given up. They think he's not fighting.

"What...no. Mulder wouldn't...mom?"

"I'm sure he's trying Dana. He wouldn't give up... Do you want to sit down? You look pale...Are you still tired?"

"I am a bit but I'll be alright. You should go home and get some rest - I'll stay with Mulder now."

"Dana..."

"Please mom. I need to be with him."

"I know honey. Just make sure you sleep when you need to."

"I will mom. See you later."

"I'll be praying for him honey. He'll make it through this - you'll see."

"I hope so mom. I hope so."

Maggie took one last look at Mulder lying on the bed and, after brushing a soft motherly kiss on his brow, she walked out of the room. Scooting the chair closer to the bed, Scully sat down on it and reached out to hold Mulder's uninjured hand in hers. A stray tear escaped her eye and she brushed it quickly away as she watched the ventilator cause his chest to rise and fall. She talked to him for a while about trivial things, knowing the importance of talking to a comatose person from her own personal experience. As time wore on she grew weary and, just as she lay her head down on the bed next to his chest she whispered to him.

"Please fight Mulder. Why aren't you fighting?"

Closing her eyes to prevent further tears from spilling out, she took a deep breath and tightened her grip on his hand. Her eyes remained closed, the rhythmic noises of his monitors and ventilator soon lulling her to sleep and, as she slept, she dreamed.