"I don't understand how she could want him around," Bill spat out to his mother in the hallway outside Scully's room.

"She doesn't blame him for this. You shouldn't either."

"I can't believe you're on his side!"

"This is not about taking sides, Bill. This is about Dana getting well. You should see what I saw just happen in there. How is it that we couldn't get her to calm down, but he had her relaxed and sleeping in mere minutes? They love each other. Regardless of what you think, Bill, Fox is good to her."

"Oh that's just great. Just great. Well I'm sure they'll be very happy together. Or very dead together, because that's what eventually will happen if they keep working on this 'quest' of theirs. I'm going home, I can't be here anymore."

Bill grabbed his coat from off the chair and briskly walked away.

Two days later, Dr. Zuckerman met with Mulder and Mrs. Scully to discuss Scully's condition.

"Unfortunately, her fever has not subsided. I still believe that her body is trying to reject the chip. Her body has been through a tremendous amount of stress due to the prior treatments she received. Her immune system is too weak to fight off the fever. The tumor is now half the size it was, but the rate of shrinkage has decreased. If it is the microchip in her neck that is causing the tumor to shrink, then this fever is deterring that microchip from doing what it needs to do. I am unfamiliar with this technology, but I do know that the longer she has this fever, the less chance she has of surviving. I think by removing the chip, her fever will break..."

"But then the tumor will grow back," Mrs. Scully interrupted.

"Like I said, I am unfamiliar with how this microchip works. It's hard to say what would happen to the tumor. But a decision needs to be made rather quickly. We can keep the chip in and take the risk that the fever will break on its own, or I can take the chip out to give her immune system some time to recuperate."

Mulder finally let out the breath he was holding. This was all too familiar to him; sitting here with a doctor and Scully's mother, agonizing over the possibility that they could very well be losing Scully forever. The first time this scene played out, they were talking about taking her off life support. Now it was about the chip. How long will Scully continue to be subjected to this conspiracy against her?

"From what I know about the chip, removing it is what gave her the cancer in the first place," Mulder said. "Scully is the strongest person I know. She'll pull through this. I think we should leave it in."

"Fox, this isn't our decision to make. Dana needs to decide," Mrs. Scully stated.

"I'll leave you two alone to talk. Let me know soon whatever is decided." Dr. Zuckerman left the room.

"Mrs. Scully, I think she'll agree with me. Like she said before, you don't have all the facts. We've been investigating other abductions similar to Scully's and have uncovered some truths. But please, if you'll let me, I want to talk with her and get a feel for what she wants."

"Alright, Fox. I know that Dana trusts you. I want to be able to trust you, too."

"Scully, open you eyes for me. Scully, can you hear me?" Mulder tried to gently cajole Scully out of her fevered stupor. He gently brushed his fingers across her cheek.

Scully was torn from her sleep and thrown into reality. Hearing Mulder's voice, she slowly attempted to open her eyes. When she succeeded, she was rewarded by seeing Mulder smile, although her head was pounding and the back of her neck tingled.

"It's so good to see those beautiful blue eyes, Scully. How are you feeling?"

"Fine," Scully mumbled.

Mulder frowned. "Scully, don't..."

"Kidding..." Scully tried to smile but didn't quite succeed. "Feel funny...so hot..." Scully licked her dry, chapped lips.

"I know, Scully. You have a really bad fever." He ran his fingers through her hair.

"Why?" she managed to blurt out as she closed her eyes once more. The light was too much for her pulsating headache.

"The doctor thinks that your body is rejecting the chip. He wants to take it out."

"The tumor?" she asked.

"It's half the size it used to be. Scully, the chip seems to be working on the tumor, but it's making you very sick. I need to know what you want to do. Do you want Dr. Zuckerman to take the chip out?"

"I feel it, Mulder."

"You feel what, Scully?"

"The chip. It pulls me..."

"What do you mean, Scully?" Mulder was confused.

"Can't explain it...it tingles."

"Do you want the doctor to take it out?" Mulder asked again.

"No...it's working...so tired."

"Okay, Scully. You just rest." Mulder placed a kiss on her forehead and watched her fall back to sleep.