Scully awoke slowly at around ten thirty the next morning in a strangely familiar bed, unable to recall where she was. Keeping her eyes shut against the dazzling sunlight coming through the partially open curtains, she thought back to the last thing she could remember in order to make sense of her surroundings. Her head pounded as she struggled to recall anything beyond passing out in the basement office and she gave up. Opening her eyes slightly, she turned away from the sun's glare and found her whole body protesting at the movement. Just as she was trying to sit herself up, the door opened and her mother walked in with a steaming mug full of hot orange and honey and a bottle of aspirin.

"Dana?...You awake?"

"mmmfff"

"Hey...I was getting a bit worried about you there, honey. You've been asleep for almost seventeen hours. Here, I made you some hot orange and honey to soothe your throat - it must be pretty sore from all the coughing you were doing in your sleep."

"Thanks, mom."

"No problem. Do you need anything else? You're still running a bit of a fever - I'll get you a cool cloth."

Scully just nodded her thanks as she blew gently on the hot liquid, trying to cool it down some before drinking it so as not to burn her tongue. Her head was still throbbing in pain so she took two of the aspirin her mom had brought in and, leaning her head back against the wall, she closed her eyes. As she lay there, pieces of conversation that she had overheard in the car on her way to her mom's house started to come back to her. She realised that Mulder had driven her here on her mother's request. Almost immediately after that realisation came the fact that Mulder was not with her and was quite possibly on his own and feeling just as ill as she was.

She looked over to the bedside table and spotted the phone hidden behind a box of tissues that her mom must have put there for her. She stretched over and lifted it up, relaxing back into the pillows as she brought it over to rest in her lap. Dialling Mulder's house number, she yawned as she waited for him to pick up and winced at the pain it caused in the back of her throat. After six rings the answering machine picked up and she hung up the phone not really knowing what to say in her message. She didn't think he would particularly appreciate her saying that she was calling to check up on him and she was too tired to try and come up with a plausible excuse for her call. She tried to reach him on his cell-phone but it went straight onto its answering service signalling that the phone had been turned off. Knowing that Mulder rarely went anywhere without making sure he had his cell and that it was turned on, Scully was puzzled at this unexpected revelation. She was still staring at the phone, deep in thought, when her mother re-entered the room with a basin of water and a facecloth.

"Mom where's Mulder? I tried to call him just there but he's not picking up either at home or on his cell-phone."

"He's probably at work honey - he said he needed to get back."

"But Mulder's sick too - he shouldn't be at work. Are you sure he went back?"

"He did look a bit pale but he said he was just tired - I didn't realise he was sick. I'm pretty sure he was going back to work when he left here though - do you want to check?"

"I'm not feeling up to talking to A.D. Skinner at the moment - would you call and see if he's there?"

"Sure Dana."

After getting the number for Skinner's extension line from Scully, Maggie tucked the covers back up round her daughter's body and, after kissing her brow tenderly, she got up from her seat on the edge of the bed. She turned off the light as she walked out of the door and made her way downstairs to her other phone, not wanting to disturb Scully's rest. Picking up the phone she dialled the number and then sat down on a nearby chair to wait for someone on the other end to pick up.

"Assistant Director Skinner's office. How may I help you?"

"Hello, this is Margaret Scully, I'm looking for Walter Skinner please."

"I'm sorry, A.D. Skinner is in a meeting just now. Can I ask what this is about?"

"Umm...I'm Agent Dana Scully's mom, I was phoning to check whether her partner, Agent Mulder, is at work at the moment."

"He isn't actually. He went home yesterday with your daughter - A.D. Skinner said that he had sent them both home, as they were too ill to work. Is there a problem Mrs Scully?"

"No...not really."

"Oh...the meeting's just finished Mrs Scully, I can put you through to him now if you like."

"Yes please. Thank you."

Maggie waited worriedly as she was put on hold before being connected to Skinner. Hearing his assistant confirm what Scully had said about Mulder being ill also made her feel guilty for not realising it when he had been there the day before. Her concern for his well being grew as she realised that, if he was not at work, then he should be at home and therefore answering the phone. Since he had not answered when Scully had called then there could well be something very seriously wrong with him.

"Skinner."

"Hi...This is Margaret Scully, Agent Scully's mother. I was trying to reach Agent Mulder but your secretary said that you'd sent both of them home, not just Dana. Is that right?"

"Yes, I sent them both home yesterday after first Dana passed out and then Mulder vomited rather violently in the bathroom."

"Oh my gosh. Do you know where Fox is?"

"I had presumed he was either with Scully or at home. Is he not?"

"No. Dana's with me at my house and Fox left yesterday after dropping her off saying he was going to go back to work. There was no answer at his apartment when we phoned. His cell phone's turned off too, he..."

"Okay Mrs Scully, don't panic. I'm sure he's just sleeping or something."

"Dana has a spare key - I'll go and check up on him."

"Alright - If there's anything I can do to help at all just let me know."

"Thank you. I'll call later and let you know if things are okay."

"That would be great. Bye."

"Goodbye."

They both hung up their phones and stared at the receivers for a long moment, processing the information that they had just learned. Mrs Scully soon shook herself out of it and got ready to go across town to check on Mulder.