The X-Files

Once, when she was a girl, a very little girl...

...Dana was in the woods.

It was autumn. She had always been a tomboy, unlike her sister Melissa.

For her birthday, Dana's brothers gave her a BB gun and were showing her how to use it.

Their father had told them only to shoot at cans.

But in a patch of grass Bill Junior found a garter snake.

And the boys began shooting.

Wanting to fit in with her brothers, Dana also shot at the snake.

It squirmed wildly, fighting for life...

...but as the boys continued to shoot, the snake began to bleed.

When she realised what she had done...

...Dana began to cry with irrevocable guilt.

Through her tears, she was saying that something was missing from the snake.

She had taken something that was not hers to take.

Although afraid of snakes, Dana held the animal...

...as if sheer human will could keep it alive.

The snake, its blood on her hands, died. Nothing she could do would bring it back.

It's too soon, Mrs Scully.

We can't give up.

That day in the woods, I felt for my daughter.

But at this moment...

...I know how my daughter felt.

We should stop.

Sir... Sir, you can't go in there!

Who brought her here? How did she get here?

- Would you... - How did she get here!

Ms Scully was in this condition when I arrived.

- If you step outside, Dr Daly... - Is that Daly? Are you Dr Daly?

- What the hell is going on? - Settle down...

Was it paramedics, FBI, military? Answer me right now!

You saying she just appeared?! Who did this to her?!

- Sir... - I wanna see her admission forms!

I wanna see what tests were done!

If you're with them, if you're hiding anything, I swear I will do anything!

Whatever it takes, I'll find out what they did to her!

Dana is listed in critical condition. Comatose.

There is unawareness of self or environment.

No evidence of language comprehension or voluntary responses to external stimuli.

My apologies, but no one here can determine how Dana arrived at the hospital...

...or how she was attended to in such a critical condition.

Um...

Because of the absence of Dana's recent medical history, I'm at a loss for a prognosis.

I can't determine with certainty how long she's been in this state.

You haven't said why she's like this.

We just don't know, Mrs Scully. There are no signs of injuries, traumatic or non-traumatic.

I can't find signs of degenerative or metabolic disorders.

- We have conducted every test possible. - I'd like her examined for trace evidence.

She's been bathed and cleaned since her admittance.

Also there is a situation which I don't know if you're aware of.

The FBI has notified us of the terms of Dana's living will.

- What is it? What did she say? - Well, Dana is a doctor.

Her criteria for terminating life support is quite specific.

She states that if her Glasgow Outcome Scale lists her...

She doesn't wanna live in this condition.

You signed the will as her witness.

I've been told not to call you Fox.

BY Who?

Dana. Just now.

Dana talked to you just now? If she'd talked, the EEG would've moved.

Her soul is here.

Hi, Mom.

I'm glad you could come, Melissa.

You're Scully's sister?

Dana's choosing whether...

...whether to remain or move on.

You can feel her.

Here.

She's not here.

Your anger... your fear is blocking any positive emotions she needs to feel.

I need to do more than just wave my hands in the air.

May I help you?

Dana Scully, please.

Frohike?

Hey, Mulder! This is weird.

- Good work sneaking out these charts. - Tucked 'em in my pants.

There's plenty of room down there.

You look down, Mulder. You're welcome to come over on Saturday.

We're hoppin' on the Internet to nit-pick inaccuracies of Earth 2.

- I'm doing my laundry. - The chart shows abnormal protein chains.

The amino acid sequence is in a combination I've never seen.

I downloaded Scully's data to the newest Lone Gunman.

- He goes by the name "The Thinker". - (Byers) This guy's a hacking genius.

What?

He reports the protein chains are the by-products of branched DNA.

- Branched DNA? - The cutting edge of genetic engineering.

Biological equivalent of a silicon microchip.

Way beyond cutting edge. This is technology 50 years down the line.

- What's it used for? - Could be a tracking system.

- Developmental stages of a marker. - You mean a hi-tech identity card?

Or something as insidious as grafting a human to something... inhuman.

Good theories, but all for naught.

This branched DNA is inactive. It's waste product.

Whoever experimented on Scully is finished. Now it's just a biological poison.

Will she live?

Um...

Her immune system has been decimated.

And, uh... I doubt even a healthy human body has the ability to fight this.

Mulder, there's nothing you can do.

Dana?

Dana, honey? I know you can hear me. This is Nurse Owens.

I'm here to take care of you, sweetheart.

Watch over you. Help you find the way home.

I know you're far away from home tonight...

...and that where you are is peaceful.

It would be nice to stay.

But, Dana, you must leave here only when it's time.

I'll be here when you need me, dear.

Excuse me, sir. I have to take some blood.

- Code blue! Crash cart. - Crash cart coming in.

Let's go)!

- Let's get an airway in. - She's asystolic.

- BP 80 over 60, dropping. - Let's shock her. Paddles. 200 joules.

- Clear! - Clear.

- What have we got? - Got a catheter in. Dropping...

- Let's go again. Clear! - Clear.

Hey!

- I didn't expect you here. - A man took Scully's blood.

- Forget him! - Get that gun away!

This compact SigSauer is pointed at your head...

...to stress my insistence that your search for who hurt your partner desist now!

You ignore my call, then expect me to do what you say? Go to hell!

You got him killed! You got her killed.

That's not going to happen to me.

You're my tool, understand? I come to you when I need you.

You're heading in a direction that can lead them here.

- What are you talking about? - You can't know. That's the point.

I owe her more than just sitting around doing nothing.

She was a good soldier, but there is nothing you can do to bring her back!

She's not dead.

Listen to you.

Listen. You're a damn schoolboy, Mulder. You have no idea. No idea.

OK, then tell me. Tell me!

I used to be you.

I was where you are now.

But you're not me, Mulder.

I don't think you have the heart.

Walk away, grieve for Scully and then never look back.

You will be able to live with yourself, Mulder...

...on the day you die.

Federal agent!

Federal agent. You know I'm armed. Don't turn around.

Put your gun very slowly on the ground.

Put your hands behind your head, interlock your fingers.

Turn right towards the machine and put your head on it.

Face me.

Who wants this?

Who wants it?!

All right, let's go. This way.

Stay there.

Wait!

You wanna see what it takes to find the truth, Agent Mulder?

You wanna know the things I know?

I'll attend to this.

Discontinuing the respirator does not necessarily mean ending her life.

Karen Ann Quinlan lived for nine years after cessation of mechanical ventilation.

I do believe, however, this is not the case with your daughter, Mrs Scully.

My guess is that she's been like this since her disappearance, and she will not improve.

Is she below the criteria established in her will?

It's possible branched DNA can be treated with designer antibiotics.

I don't know where you got this diagnosis, but you are in no position to continue...

You've never provided an answer as to why she's here or what's wrong with her.

- We must study her. - She's not a piece of evidence.

She's here because of unnatural circumstances.

She's dying.

That's perfectly natural.

We hide people because we don't wanna look at death.

We have machines prolong a life that should... that should end.

That's a much more unnatural circumstance than any cause of her death.

That's very politically correct.

That's very human.

I love her.

And this is right.

Dana... has made our decision.

Fox.

You and Dana had a friendship built on respect.

Now, in the last year, I have lost my husband...

...and God knows I don't wanna lose my baby girl.

But, like you, I have always respected her.

Fox, this is a moment for the family.

But you can join us if you want.

Read it. It's all there.

If you're having trouble sitting on Mulder, Assistant Director Skinner...

...I'm sure you know we'd have no trouble.

Uh-uh.

Yeah, come in.

Sit down.

I called you because of rumours about an incident at the hospital.

Is this about the tooth found in the cafeteria Jell-O?

The rumour has it you were involved in the laundry room?

- No, sir. - A man was executed.

- I was with Scully. - Traces of her blood were found.

- May I see the police report? - There is no report or body. You know that!

Since I am unfamiliar with the incident, how would I know?

- Knock it off! - How does it feel?

Constant denial of everything, questions answered with a question.

- I wanna know what happened, dammit! - Him! That's what happened.

Cancer Man is responsible for what happened to Scully.

- How do you know that? - It's a rumour.