 Scully learns from blood tests that the contaminated water causes rapid cellular damage and dramatically increases sodium chloride in the body . She tries to ration the drinkable water amongst the three , but discovers Trondheim attempting to hoard what little that remains . Trondheim locks Scully out of the sewage hold , forcing her to use minuscule supplies to keep Mulder alive . The corrosion eventually eats through the ship 's hull , flooding the hold and drowning Trondheim , who cannot unseal the hatch . The agents both lose consciousness shortly before Navy rescuers arrive at their former ship . Scully comes to at the hospital , where she is told that her written observations on the case helped naval doctors reverse their aging and save Mulder from near @-@ certain death . Scully says that she wants to return to the Ardent for more research , but the doctor tells her that the ship sank shortly after their rescue due to the flooding . 
