Maggie Scully watched from the doorway as her daughter continued to comfort her partner as she had been doing for the last hour. As she moved closer to the pair of them, her footsteps alerted Scully to her presence and she tore her gaze away from Mulder's to look at her mother. She smiled softly at her but her face soon screwed up in pain as she began coughing. Standing up, she moved round to the other side of the bed intending to get a cup of water but, as she passed by Maggie, her steps faltered and she stumbled against the bed. She put out a hand to catch herself but she missed the bed and only the quick actions of Maggie stopped her head from hitting the cold floor as she passed out.

Maggie gently laid Scully's head on the floor and quickly got back up to press the nurse call button on the side of Mulder's bed. The nurse quickly ran into the room thinking that it was something to do with Mulder but when she entered and saw Scully lying on the floor with Maggie kneeling beside her, she hurriedly went to get the doctor. Dr Wilson responded rapidly and within minutes he and his medical team were organising for a second bed to be brought in and they lifted Scully onto it.

"What happened?"

"She stood up to get a drink of water and then her legs just gave way and she collapsed."

"Did she hit her head on the way down?"

"No, I caught her before her head hit the floor."

"Okay, then we're not dealing with a head injury also. She must have whatever Agent Mulder has."

"What do you mean 'whatever Fox has'? - I thought he had pneumonia."

Dr Wilson looked away from Maggie's accusing and bewildered stare then, turning his attention back to Scully and ignoring her question for the time being. Maggie realised that he was avoiding answering and was about to repeat her question when Scully began seizing. Realising that Dr Wilson needed his full attention on her daughter and that her question could wait, she retreated to Mulder's bedside and sat in the chair recently vacated by Scully. She watched on in horror as the doctors worked furiously to control Scully's seizing and it took several moments before she realised that Mulder was becoming agitated once more. When his feeble movements and anguished cries got through to her in her worried state, she immediately took his hand in her own and began to try and soothe him.

"Scully."

"Fox...it's Maggie. Calm down Fox."

"Scully...where's Scully?"

"Dana's sick too Fox...the doctors are looking after her just now. She'll be okay though...you both will."

Mulder was too weak to protest much more and had fallen asleep before Maggie had finished her sentence but she continued speaking, attempting to reassure herself more than Mulder. She kept a hold of Mulder's hand and her gaze alternated between both of the sick agents, praying for their safe return to health. Scully stopped seizing and Dr Wilson made to leave the room after giving the nurses strict instructions as to both of the patients' medications. Maggie's call halted him as he was about to go through the door and he reluctantly turned back round to face her.

"Yes Mrs Scully?"

"Dr Wilson...what's wrong with them? You have to tell me."

"Alright Mrs Scully...I suppose it's time for you to know anyway. Come with me."

The ominous tone in which Dr Wilson was speaking alerted Mrs Scully to the seriousness of the situation and she got up immediately and began to follow him out of the room. As she let go of Mulder's hand though he began stirring restlessly on the bed and all eyes turned to Scully as she began to do the same. The nurses tried in vain to calm them both down but soon stopped as they realised that their attempts were futile and looked questioningly at Dr Wilson in the hope that he would provide a solution. He looked just as helpless as they did and eventually it fell to Mrs Scully to make a suggestion.

"Try pushing their beds closer together - if they can reach the other then they'll calm down."

"Dr Wilson?"

"Do it - I don't want to sedate them as it would only complicate the situation more. Especially if it can be resolved without any medication."

The nurses followed Maggie's suggestion and everyone watched in wonder as the two sleeping patients stretched out with their hands until their fingers were laced tightly together. Seeing the uncomfortable position that their arms were now in because of the side rails of the bed, Dr Wilson lowered both of them and pushed the beds even closer so that they were right alongside each other. Both Mulder and Scully turned onto their sides so that they were facing each other and the hands that were not linked together came to rest on the other's hip. Dr Wilson shook his head again as he realised that both of his patients were now completely calm and looked as if they were just sleeping. After watching them for another minute, he ushered Maggie out of the room and down the corridor to his office where he sat her down across from him at his desk.

"Okay Dr Wilson - what's going on? You said that this was just pneumonia."

"It is pneumonia but it is a highly resistant strain. It has mutated almost past the point of recognition so that none of the medication is having any effect on it. We are treating the symptoms - the fever and the vomiting - but we just don't have a way to treat the virus itself.

"What exactly are you saying Dr Wilson?"

"I'm saying that the two of them are going to have a hard struggle ahead of them if they're going to make it through this. Both of them are going to have to fight this as hard as they can."

"You mean...it could kill them?"

"I'm afraid so Mrs Scully...even the common strain of pneumonia can be fatal - especially to the old, young or weak. This one could be fatal to even the strongest, fittest, healthiest adult."

"God..."

Maggie bent her head down and dropped her face into her hands, unable to believe what she was being told. Twice she lifted her head up and made as if to speak but both times the look on Dr Wilson's face stopped her from uttering a sound. She remained silent and still for almost fifteen minutes just staring at her hands in helplessness. Suddenly she stood up, squared her shoulders and bid goodbye to Dr Wilson, walking quickly back along the corridor to the hospital room where her daughter and her partner lay.

Peering around the door she saw that, in her absence, the pair had moved even closer together and were now completely entangled on the bed, still peacefully sleeping. Knowing that there was nothing else to be done but wait, hope and pray, she sat down on the chair beside the now double bed and allowed the tears to fall.