After spending almost two hours in the ER waiting room, Maggie finally found a nurse who was able to tell her what was going on. As soon as she had the number of Mulder's room and the floor he was on, she made her way there quickly. Stepping of the elevator on Mulder's floor, Mrs Scully started to walk down the corridor to Mulder's room, speeding up when she heard the commotion coming from inside. She burst through the door into his room and found herself shocked at the scene in front of her. Mulder was struggling to get free of three nurses and the doctor who were all attempting to hold him flat on the bed. Tears were streaming down his face, mingling with his sweat and his expression was one of pain and fear. The words he was shouting were often interrupted by a cough or a cry of pain but it was obvious to everyone listening who he was shouting for.

"Scully...Sscu...lly."

"Where is my daughter...she should be here. What's happened to her."

"Who are you?"

"I'm Mrs Scully...Dana's mother. My daughter is the one that Fox is shouting for. She's the only one who'll be able to calm him down...didn't the doctor down in the ER tell you that?"

"He did but it is not hospital policy...no one except from family is allowed in the rooms. I even make family members leave if it is the best interest of the patient."

"With all due respect Dr.."

"Wilson. Dr Wilson."

"Dr Wilson...keeping Dana away from him is not in his best interest."

Dr Wilson fumed at the cheek of this woman who was trying to tell him how to do his job. He turned to the nurse nearest to him and motioned to her that she was to take Mrs Scully out of the room. The nurse was one of the ones who had attended to Mulder down in the ER though and, even as she moved towards Mrs Scully to obey the order she had just been given, she changed her mind.

"Dr Wilson...I really think you should reconsider. Now I know it is not the norm but if you could just see what effect Dana has on him I'm sure you would agree that it's best she stay with him."

"Are you questioning my order Nurse Innis?"

"Yes...I really think it would benefit the patient far more to have her in the room than it is just now keeping her out. Just...look at him, sir."

"Hmmm...the sedatives ARE having no effect I suppose..."

"Yes, and he does need to be kept calm to allow the cooling blanket to work and bring his temp down. The amount of effort he's putting into fighting us at the moment is causing his temp to remain high."

"Okay..go get this Dana woman. Let's see if she really can work miracles - although I doubt it."

Nurse Innis left the room with Maggie, both hurrying down the corridor to the waiting room. They walked through the door side by side and for a second they thought that it was empty. Turning to go back out and look somewhere else for Scully, they were stopped dead in their tracks by a low moan coming from one of the couches. They moved quickly across the room and looked over the high back to find Scully curled in a ball on one end of the sofa, weeping in her sleep.

Maggie reached out to try and wake her up and found that the moisture on her face was not just from tears but that she too was sweating. She shook her shoulder gently and called out her name, praying that she would wake up. After a couple of minutes, Scully opened her eyes and blinked her eyes sleepily, looking blearily around the room to try and discern her whereabouts. She stared at her mom in confusion for a second and the sat up abruptly, knocking her jacket to the floor.

"Mulder...where's Mulder?"

"He's still in his room sweetie. He's pretty bad though."

"I need to see him mom...Dr Wilson told me to go, he told me I wasn't allowed to stay."

"I know...he told us to come get you now though. He needs to get Mulder calmed down and it appears as if nothing will work. He keeps calling for you though. Maybe if you're there he'll settle down. Are you feeling up to it?"

"Of course I am mom. I'm fine."

"You are not fine Dana. You still have a temperature and if I'm not mistaken it's gone up since this morning."

"I just need some sleep...but I need to know Mulder's alright first."

"Okay sweetie. Let's go...but you have to rest when we get along there too. Nurse Innis here will check your temperature and everything, just to be sure."

"Mom..."

"Dana, your mom's right...you need to take care of yourself as well as worrying about Mulder. And if you won't...then we will have to. Remember, it is my job after all."

"Alright...fine. Now can we go see Mulder?"

The three women made their way back along the corridor, Scully in the middle being supported by the other two. Nurse Innis offered to get her a wheelchair when she saw how shaky she was standing up but Scully had adamantly refused. Scully pulled the other two faster as they got nearer to the heart-rending wails and they obliged, quickening their pace.

As Nurse Innis pushed open the door, Scully let go of both of them and moved as fast as she could to Mulder's side. He was still tossing and turning on the bed although he was beginning to tire which was evident in his facial expression. Scully stroked his forehead with the washcloth on the bedside table and bent down close so that she could whisper soothing words in his ear. As soon as Mulder recognised that she was there he began to calm and within minutes, he was lying almost peacefully on his bed. The only evidence of his illness was the pained expression that crossed his face whenever he coughed and the beads of sweat that still ran down his neck. Scully wiped them tenderly with her washcloth as Dr Wilson looked on, agape at the miracle he had just seen performed.