[ Siren Wailing ]
Monongahela. We're en route with a male cardiac, age 62. E.T.A. in 1 2.
[ Woman ] Copy. E.T.A. in 1 2. Crash unit standing by.
How's he looking, Leonard?
-[Monitor Beeping] - Up to his ass in alligators.
-[Beeping Erratically] -[Man Gasping]
- Is he going into arrest? - No, he's not.
[Gasping Continues]
[Air Hisses]
- What did you do? - Aspirated his chest.
He has a tension pneumothorax pressing on his heart. It looked like a cardiac.
- Nice catch. How did you know? - Because he's dying of cancer.
It's already eaten through one lung.
That’s amazing. How did you know, Leonard?
[ Moaning ]
Leonard?
[ Gasps ]
Oh, God.
Leonard.
[Thump]
- Hello? -[Thump]
Pretty cozy. Who'd ever want to leave?
Well, whoever happened to get locked in here last night, I guess.
Well, that would be one Leonard Morris Betts, age 34.
But it should probably be noted that when Mr. Betts arrived here last night,
he was sans head.
He was decapitated when his ambulance crashed.
He was an emergency medical technician for this hospital.
A very good one, apparently. A slew of commendations.
- Write-ups in the local paper. - What about the morgue attendant?
Somebody cold cocked him and stole his clothes.
He didn't see who. No alarms tripped, no sign of a break-in.
- It's weird, huh? - Mulder, what are we doing here?
Did I mention that Mr. Betts had no head?
Yes. So? I mean, you're not suggesting that a headless body...
kicked its way out of a latched morgue freezer?
Are you ? Because it's obvious this is some kind of attempt at a cover-up.
- Meant to conceal what? - My guess, body snatching for profit.
There's a shortage of teaching cadavers at medical schools.
An unscrupulous medical supplier might pay top dollar, no questions asked.
But why take a headless one and leave top-dollar bodies behind?
-[Door Opening] -Sir? Those video grabs you asked for.
We found something.
These are from the emergency room camera, taken at 4:1 3 this morning.
There's your perpetrator, wearing the stolen uniform.
Unfortunately, you can't see very much on these.
What's-- What's all this stuff here?
Bad video. The security system isn't exactly state-of-the-art.
If this is our guy, what did he do with the corpse he stole?
Well, maybe he got spooked and was forced to abandon it.
We combed the facility. Where could he hide a body where it couldn't be found?
I'll show you.
All hospitals operate some form of medical waste processing.
This unit disposes of surgical remains:
amputations, excised tumors.
They're ground up and heated with microwaves,
and the result is a sterile soot that's used as road fill.
Well, then there's probably nothing there for us to find.
That depends how often they dispose otherwise.
Hopefully, only once every few days.
We're in luck.
Are you sure about this, Scully? 'Cause if you’re not sure, I don't see...
that there's any reason to disturb all this stuff just--
Mulder, I'm gonna need your help. Your arms are longer.
Oh. I think I got the toy surprise.
- Leonard Betts. - That's his head. Where's his body?
There's not enough room in here. Maybe he didn't dispose of the body.
Maybe he got it out of here somehow.
Well, why'd he take the time to dispose of the head?
I don't know. Maybe there's an answer here. Something you should check out.
We know how he died, in an automobile accident. What more is there to know?
Maybe nothing, but it's all we got to go on right now.
You should see if you can find a place where you can examine Betts' head.
- While you do what? - Check out his house.
We know how he died. I want to see how he lives.
- Lived. - Lived.
Case number 226-897. Leonard Betts.
Remains are incomplete, all observations refer to a decapitated head.
Weight, 1 0.9 pounds.
Remains show no signs of rigor mortis or fixed lividity.
Nor do the corneas appear clouded,
which would seem inconsistent with the witnessed time of death,
now... 1 9 hours ago.
I'll begin with the intermastoid incision and frontal craniotomy,
then make my examination of the brain.
Oh! God!
-[Man] Which one? -[Mulder] This one here.
[Keys Jingling]
- Thanks. I'll lock up. - Okay.
[phone Ringing]
- Mulder. - [ Scully] It's me.
Uh, I've run into kind of a unique situation here.
- What'd you find? - So far, not much.
I did a PET scan on Leonard Betts' remains.
Actually four times now. And each time the images come out degraded,
uh, like it's fogged somehow.
- Like the security footage. - This is cutting-edge technology here.
The technicians say the machine is working perfectly.
They also say the only thing that could account for this image distortion...
is some form of radiation.
But I don't see how or where it could be emanating from.
What did your examination uncover?
Well, l-- I haven't exactly performed an examination yet.
- Why not? - Well, because l, uh--
I experienced an unusual degree of postmortem galvanic response.
The head moved.
It blinked at me.
I mean, I know exactly what it is.
It's residual electrical activity stored chemically in-- in the dead cells.
Blinked or winked?
- [ Sighs ] - You're afraid to cut into it.
Scully, you're not saying that-- that-- that it's alive, are you?
No. I am certainly not saying that at all.
But has it crossed your mind that it's not quite dead, either?
- What do you mean? - I'm standing here in Betts' apartment.
Whoever we saw in those video grabs, his clothes are strewn all over the floor.
Made himself at home. Maybe he was home.
- Leonard Betts. - Yeah.
- Without his head. - Yeah.
Mulder, I don't even know how to respond to that.
I'm gonna call the P.D. and have them put the building under surveillance...
just in case whoever it is comes back.
I'll be in touch.
Michele? Michele Wilkes?
- Yes? - I'm Fox Mulder. I'm with the F.B.I.
You're the person responsible for the disposition of Leonard Betts' remains.
He didn't have any family. No friends either, as far as I could tell.
- Except you. - I liked him.
But I wasn't really his friend. He didn't let people get that close.
I'm not sure I could call myself his partner. Mostly I stayed out of his way.
- What do you mean? - Leonard was an amazing technician.
He could diagnose illness better than any doctor I've ever seen.
You know how they say some people can look at you and tell you what's wrong?
- Mm-hmm. - Leonard could do that.
Especially with cancer. I told him he should have been an oncologist.
He used to volunteer at the cancer ward. Read to patients, stuff like that.
Did you ever notice anything about him? Anything odd?
No. Well, he never got sick.
That was pretty amazing, doing what we do.
- He was the picture of health. - Was he ever injured on the job?
No. Never. I mean, until--
- Oh, yeah. - I'm sorry.
I-l don't know what all this has to do with someone stealing Leonard's body.
I mean, it almost sounds like you’re investigating Leonard.
No, no. Thanks for bearing with my questions. I appreciate your time.
This procedure is called biopolymerization.
It's basically a high-tech mummification process.
The remains are dipped in the epoxy, and once it's cured,
the specimen can be sliced for examination.
Or you got yourself a nice paperweight.
At any rate, we should have some autopsy answers for you soon.
I'm starting with an anterior slice from your Mr. Betts,
one favoring the frontal lobe.
- Well, this is certainly strange. - What?
There's something wrong with the image?
In a manner of speaking.
Here, see for yourself.
Oh, my God. His entire brain looks like one giant glioma.
- He had cancer? - He was riddled with it.
Every cell in the sample. Every cell, essentially,
in his entire head and brain was all cancerous-- it's completely pervasive.
- Could you live in this condition? - Live?
This man would have been dead before reaching such a metastatic stage.
How do you explain it?
Maybe the polymerization process distorted the sample somehow.
Maybe we're not really seeing what we think we’re seeing.
Mmm. Maybe we’re just seeing it clearly for the first time.
What are you suggesting?
Let's get a slice to go.
[Woman]Monongahela, 1-3-6enroute with a male not responding to C.P.R.
please advise.
Dispatch, somebody pick up, please.
Allegheny Catholic, 2-0-8. I know you're up to your ass in alligators,
- but your patient maybe in shock. - Michele?
- Leonard? - Treat with point three milligrams...
- epinephrine autoinjector. - Let's go here. Michele! Come on!
[Woman On Radio]Hey, that seems to be working. Good call, 208.
- Thanks for the tip. -[Man On Radio]Glad I could help.
Oh, wow. I've never worked with a sample of human tissue before.
What exactly were you looking to find?
- I'll tell you if we find it. - Excellent.
Are you ever asked to defend this as a legitimate scientific process, Doctor?
Only if you’re not happy with the results.
Chuck did some of the pioneering work in Kirlian photography in the U.S.
Although I prefer the umbrella term "auraphotography. "
Basically, by applying high-frequency electricity,
I am able to photograph an organism's coronal discharge.
- Coronal discharge? - Coronal discharge. Life force.
The Chinese call it chi. It's an accepted fact in most Eastern cultures.
And the theoretical basis of holistic medicine, of acupuncture.
But what is its application here?
It may account for the fogging of your PET scan of Leonard Betts' head.
You know, with this equipment, I have been able to capture phantom images...
of whole leaves that were cut in half,
or the vestigial image of a lizard's tail long after it's been cut off.
Which you have to admit is pretty cool.
It looks like we got somethin' here.
Oh, yeah.
Now, I don't know exactly what you're looking for, but--
Oh, yeah. There's definitely some kind of energy happenin' here.
Chuck, would you believe that this man's head had been decapitated?
[ Laughs ] Oh, come on. No way.
Way.
Are we happy with the results?
I don't know, Scully, but those sure as hell look like shoulders to me.
I don't even know how to explain that photo, or even what it proves.
- What if it proves Betts is alive. - Mulder!
You said that Betts' tissue was riddled with cancer.
Now, what is cancer but normal cells growing rapidly out of control,
usually caused by some damage to their DNA?
I don't know where you’re going with this.
What if there was a case where the cancer was not caused by damaged DNA ?
Where the cancer was not a destructive or an aggressive factor,
but was rather the normal state of being?
Even if that were possible, he's been decapitated.
What if this man's life force, his chi,
whatever you want to call it, retained a blue print of the actual man himself,
guiding rapid growth, not as cancer, but as regeneration.
You think that Leonard Betts regrew his head?
The fluid that I found in Betts' bathtub was povidone-iodine.
It's used by researchers on reptiles and amphibians to aid regeneration.
We both know that salamanders have grown entirely new limbs-- regenerated.
Salamanders are one thing, but no mammal possesses that regenerative power.
There isn't a creature walking this earth that can regrow its head.
Worms. You cut a worm in half, you get two.
Mulder, they're worms.
I'm just saying it's not unheard of in nature, that's all.
Unheard of or not, someone is going to great lengths to dispose of evidence.
Well, maybe Betts is trying to protect his secret.
[phone Rings]
Scully. Yeah.
Okay. Great. Thanks.
Well, apparently Leonard Betts did have some secrets.
One of them being that he had an alter ego named Albert Tanner.
Who?
I had Danny run the fingerprints. Two names came up.
The second one was Albert Tanner, but unlike Leonard Betts,
Albert Tanner has a living relative,
Elaine Tanner, his mother, who just happens to live here in Pittsburgh.
Hmm.
[Door bell Rings]
- Elaine Tanner? - Yes.
I'm Agent Scully. This is Agent Mulder. We're with the F.B.I.
- Oh. What can I do for you ? - Is your son Albert Tanner?
We'd like to ask you some questions.
Please excuse me for one second. I've got something on the stove.
Scully.
- Mrs. Tanner, is this your son? - Yes. That's Albert.
We know this man as Leonard Betts. Are you familiar with that name?
- No. - You know if your son used other names?
Why are you asking me about him?
Mrs. Tanner, are you aware that your son has recently died?
What do you mean, "recently"?
When did your son die?
Six years ago.
He was killed in an automobile accident. Why?
Would it be possible to get the death certificate or some verification?
Of course.
- Confused yet? - Yeah.
Excuse me. I'm-- I'm looking for an E.M.T.,
the man driving unit 208.
The new guy. Yeah.
208's over there. He just went off shift, but you might catch him.
Thanks.
[Radio Dispatch Chatter]
Leonard?
Oh, my God. It can't be. How can it be?
Leonard, is it you?
Hey, Michele.
It's okay.
[ Breathing Unevenly]
I just wish you hadn't found me, that's all.
What are you talking about? Leonard?
- I'm sorry. - [ Gasping ]
I'm sorry. I'm sorry.
[Man] Hey! You there!
Hold it!
Come back here!
Stop where you are!
Stay there. You son of a bitch.
Ronny? Oh, pick up, man.
- [ Man On Radio ] Go ahead. - We got a situation in the parking lot.
This guy just attacked some woman.
She's up at the ambulance parking area.
You'd better get a doctor right away.
[Cracking Sound]
I'm gonna check on that guy.
[Radio Dispatch Chatter]
Siskel or Ebert?
What's the story?
Michele Wilkes was murdered, but we wouldn't know that...
- if the guard hadn't witnessed it. - Why is that?
I found a spent auto injector in the grass.
She was given a lethal dose of potassium chloride. It's an electrolyte...
found naturally in the body, and a coroner doesn't usually check for it.
Betts was here, Scully. She must have discovered that,
and then he had to kill her to protect his secret.
Well, the security guard did I.D. him as her attacker.
He worked as an E.M.T., but his coworkers said his name was Truelove.
Do you know how this man escaped? He tore off his thumb,
because he knew he could regrow another one.
Mulder, it just doesn't work that way.
Is it unimaginable? Is Betts' ability to regenerate any greater a leap forward...
than our ancestors' ability to communicate or to walk upright?
But language, evolution-- it's a process of steps, not leaps.
Recent evolutionary theory would disagree.
What scientists call punctualism or punctual equilibrium,
it theorizes that evolutionary advances are cataclysmic, not gradual.
That evolution occurs not along a straight graphable line,
but in huge fits and starts,
and that the unimaginable happens in the gaps--
the gap between what we are and what Leonard Betts has become.
But what you’re describing is someone so radically evolved...
that you wouldn't even call him human.
Well, on the other hand, how evolved can a man be who drives a Dodge Dart?
Oh, my God.
" Myeloid sarcoma, epithelial carcinoma."
These are all cancerous tumors. This is surgical waste tagged for disposal.
- What do you think he wanted with them? - You may not want to know.
Scully, there's a great possibility that Leonard Betts not only is cancer--
But that he needs it for survival?
- So, you're saying that this is-- - Snack food.
I mean, wouldn't it make sense that-- that evolution, or natural selection,
would incorporate cancer, the greatest health threat, as our genetic makeup?
Why do I think that Charles Darwin is rolling in his grave?
Ask yourself, why is Leonard Betts an E.M.T.?
Why does he regularly visit cancer wards? Access.
The car's registered to one Elaine Tanner, 31 08 Old Bank Road.
- Betts' mom. - Do you think Mom knows...
her dead son is tooling around in her car?
Elaine Tanner? We have a warrant to search the premises.
Mrs. Tanner, we know your son is alive and that you’re in contact with him.
You need to tell us where we can find him.
Last night, he murdered a woman in cold blood.
By lying to protect him, you are considered an accessory to murder.
Can you tell me what you use this for? It's a pretty big bottle.
You get a lot of cuts?
When my son was eight years old,
there were two boys who picked on him because he was different.
He just ignored them. He knew he was better than they were.
One day they cornered him walking home, beat him up.
He didn't even try to fight back, just lay there, taking the blows.
So, I don't believe you when you tell me he killed anyone.
But if he did, he had his reasons.
What reasons, Mrs. Tanner?
God put him here for a purpose.
God means for him to stay, even if people don't understand.
And that's all I've got to say.
[TV:;Sports Announcers Chattering]
[pool Balls Clicking]
[Announcer] To the corner. Twelve-footer. It’s good!
- Tigers tie it! - [ Coughing ]
[ Coughing Continues ]
[Coughing]
Excuse me.
I'm sorry, but you’ve got something I need.
Excuse me. Scully?
- Find something? - No sign, not even a sock. Just this.
- A receipt for a storage locker. - The key with the number 112 on it.
- Let's check it out. - Mm-hmm.
[ Grunting ]
[ Groaning ]
[ Screaming ]
[ Screams ]
Scully.
[Car Engine Starting]
Mr. John Gillnitz, death from massive blood loss...
due to what I can only describe as a skillful removal of his left lung.
- It's Betts. - Doing what?
Guaranteed, Scully. This man's medical records will show he had lung cancer.
- And Betts was in need of what he had. - How would he have known that?
His partner told me he had an exceptional ability to diagnose cancer.
Maybe his need provided a heightened sense.
Well, whatever he was doing, he's taking the secret to his grave.
Yeah, for the second time.
Mulder, Leonard Betts is dead.
Of that I am absolutely certain, and he is not coming back.
- You'd have said the same about Tanner. - I don't understand.
Six years ago Albert Tanner dies in a car accident. His mother buries him.
Several days ago, the same man shows up as Leonard Betts. Explain that to me.
Obviously, someone's lying. Maybe the first death was staged.
You want to bet on that?
Ugh.
Will the real Leonard Betts please stand up?
Mulder, these men may be no more than monozygotic twins.
I don't think so, Scully. I think what we're standing witness to here...
goes way beyond the regeneration of a thumb or a limb, or even a new head.
Mulder, I don't know what you’re getting at here. Regeneration of an entire body?
I don't know why I'm listening.
Because I think that the fiery crash that killed this man was a decoy...
and that this man lying here is still at large.
I'm scared, honey. The F.B.I.--
They seem to know all about you. They dug up the coffin.
They found your friend.
I don't think they're ever going to leave you alone.
And you're weak. You have to restore your strength.
You know what you have to do.
- [ Whimpers ] - I'm your mother.
And it's a mother's duty to provide.
[ Moans ]
If this man really exists, what makes you think he'd come back here?
The only person connected with Betts who knows his secret is his mom.
If we’re gonna get him, it'll be through her.
[Siren Wailing]
[ Siren Continues ]
- Get out of the truck! - Federal agents!
Get out of the truck!
Whoa! Whoa! What the hell?
- What are you doing here? - We gota call.
Elderly woman with massive chest trauma and blood loss. 31 08 Old Bank.
- Believe me, that’s all we know! - Stay here.
Mulder, get the E.M.T.s up here!
Guys, get inhere!
She has an open wound. A surgical cut.
Three guesses what was removed.
He did this to her, and then he called an ambulance.
Judging by the response time, he might still be here.
Betts is gone. He must have taken off on foot.
Well, she's gonna be okay, Mulder. She's not out of the woods,
but I think we might be able to get where he went out of her.
You stay with her. I'll call local P.D. and have them cordon off the area.
Okay.
This is Mulder with the F.B.I. I've got an emergency situation in progress.
I need all units to 31 08 Old Bank Road. I'm searching for a murder suspect.
[Radio Dispatch Chatter]
Mulder, it's me. We've got Mrs. Tanner going into the E.R.,
but she took a downturn en route.
They defibrillated her to try and get her heart back,
but there's no chance of getting anything cogent from her.
Not tonight, anyway. What about on your end?
We're going house to house here. That's the only thing I can think to do.
We've got a chopper coming, but I'd say Betts has a good chance of getting away.
If he steals a car or gets a ride, he could get away for good.
I mean he obviously worked this thing out pretty well, Scully,
so if there’s anything you can get out of Mrs. Tanner tonight, anything at all,
at this point we don’t have much else to go on.
Mulder, get over here right now.
- What? - Get over here right now.
Oh!
I'm sorry.
But you’ve got something I need.
[ Grunting ]
[ Defibrillator Turns On ]
Oh, my God. Let's get a crash cart.
[ Moans Softly]
They pronounced Betts ten minutes ago.
- He's dead? - As near as anyone can tell.
His mom's alive, due to the fact that Betts dressed her wounds so carefully.
She's gonna pull through, at least for the present.
- Cancer. - Yeah.
Uh...
"metastatic rabdomyo sarcoma," to be precise.
She was treated for it previously.
Got a clean bill of health about three months ago.
You did a good job, Scully.
You should be proud.
I want to go home.
[ Coughing ]
Closed-Captioned By Captions, Inc. Los Angeles
Subrip by drEAmEr(C)