[A/N: Thanks for all the reviews; I appreciate it! :)]

It hadn't taken much convincing to get the hospital to release Chell to her home. There was nothing they could do for her except "make her comfortable," and since she would be more comfortable at home, they had released her under the condition that a nurse stop by every few hours to check in on her. That had brought a slight smile to Chell's lips, since she had no intention whatsoever of remaining at home, but she had agreed.

"Are you sure you'll be all right?" the nurse who had brought Chell to her house asked her. "I don't know when you're not going to be able to move about anymore. I can stay if you'd like."

Chell shook her head, knowing that a nurse-as-babysitter would never let her leave the house, let alone reach Aperture. "No. But, um, thank you. Maybe when…maybe when it gets worse."

The nurse nodded. "All right. I'll go ahead and leave you, then, unless there's something else you'd like me to do."

"No," Chell said, "there isn't. But thank you again."

The nurse smiled. "Just press the button on the side of your wristband if you need anything."

Chell returned the smile, but it was forced, and as soon as the nurse was gone, she stood up and, with some effort, made her way over to her Companion Cube. "She's gone."

"Finally," came GLaDOS's voice. "Here is what you need to do to reach the Enrichment Center." She then proceeded to give Chell a long list of instructions that left her head spinning, ending with "…and take the Weighted Companion Cube with you."

"I can't," Chell said. "It's too heavy."

GLaDOS sighed. "Fine. Then do not have difficulties reaching the facility, because I will not be able to assist you."

"You almost sound like you care about what happens to me," Chell said with a small smirk. There was a brief pause before she received the expected response:

"Protocol. I am required to do whatever I can to help you reach the Enrichment Center. I still do not care in the slightest, and I have told you that."

"Yeah, okay," Chell shrugged, still smirking. "If you say so."

"I do say so," GLaDOS said, sounding irritated. "If you are going to go, do so now. The Aperture Science Brand Repulsion Gel will have rendered you unable to walk in approximately six hours."

"And let me guess, it'll take me 'approximately six hours' to get to Aperture?"

"Correct."

"Great," Chell sighed. "Then I guess I'd better get started." She turned and slowly made her way out the door, each step a trial, never hearing the whispered "good luck" that emanated from the cube once she was out the door.

Back at the Enrichment Center, GLaDOS pondered why she had wished that woman luck, and determined that it had been just because she wished to perform more tests. Yes, that was definitely the reason. It was certainly not because she cared for her in any way, shape or form.

Or was it? Chell's sickness seemed to be making Caroline more determined than ever to reassert herself. After GLaDOS spent some time examining the human psychology texts she had on file, she learned that it had something to do with human mothers' unconditional love for their children.

That could be a problem.

And there she was now, the problem, dragging her way through the field of wheat to the shed in the middle. The same shed she had been released from six months ago, because the entrance was the closest to the town in which Chell had decided to make her home. The difference between then and now—other than the obvious, of course—was that GLaDOS would NOT be allowing Caroline to sing her daughter another lullaby.

Well, maybe just one—NO.

Above Chell's head, a camera zoomed in on her face, but she either didn't notice or didn't care, just kept trudging on. When she was just a few yards from the shed, however, she tripped and fell on the ground, causing GLaDOS to stare at the screen with bated breath. There was nothing she could do to help her until she was safely inside the Enrichment Center.

Chell didn't move, and after a moment of considering the few options she had, GLaDOS creaked the door to the shed open. Chell heard it, and with some effort, lifted her head. A look of determination crossed her face as her eyes locked onto the open door, and as GLaDOS watched, she grasped the ground with her hands and began dragging herself along.

It took her almost fifteen minutes to reach the shed. She crawled into the elevator and leaned against the wall, eyes shut, panting heavily. The door closed behind her as the elevator started to move.

She was in.