A/N This is for the lovely Northman Maille/Alisonbynumbers! Feel better! In lieu of reviews, please leave well wishes for Ali!

Eric

After waiting for the elevator, I said fuck it, and took the stairs, throwing Max under my arm. It was only a few flights. He wriggled in my arms. "Dad, where we goin?"

"We're going to see Alison. She's a friend of mine." It was Saturday, so Sookie was off with Tara having their brunch. Saturday afternoons were man time.

"Why's she here?"

I shrugged. "She needed to see the doctor for a bit. We're going to cheer her up. You got the brownies?" The brownies were from this amazing bakery in Chelsea I'd discovered years before, when I was stoned out of my mind with Pam. Oh, how things had changed.

"Right here!" He held the brown bag tightly in his hand. "Does she like brownies?"

"What woman doesn't? Always remember that. Chocolate is the answer. Always."

He nodded. "Chocolate. Got it."

"Good. So we won't stay too long, because she needs her rest."

"Ok. Dad?" He turned his head to look at me.

"Yea?"

He gave me that look, and I knew what he was going to say, even before he said it. "I have to go to the bathroom."

"Ah. Of course. We'll find a bathroom first." I set him down, and we found a bathroom.

"Does Alison know Mom?" I helped him reach the sink, and made sure he washed his hands well. Kids were germ factories. Not great at the hospital.

"Nope, but she knows Liz." Liz had pointed me in Ali's direction, when I mentioned I was looking to do some research on sex and second marriages. I'd veered away from the hardline research, with prostitutes and at clinics, and turned to more relationship based research, which I was actually enjoying. It made it easier to go home and not feel like society was crumbling around me. That was not a view I wanted to have when rearing a child, especially one that seemed to be awfully good at picking up my moods. "Liz is her doctor."

"Cool. I was born in the hospital." Max liked having the story of his birth retold. We, of course, left out the events of the afternoon before, but always smirked at each other as we told him he was late.

"You were, but not this one." I couldn't help but smile when I thought back on his birth. It was certainly one of the, if not the crowning achievement in my life. It made hospitals not so awful. I had bad memories of both of my parents in places like this, but Max's birth had reminded me that they were also where life began most of the time, and where people got the help they needed. I found a nurse and asked for directions, and we walked to the end of the hall to a private room. I pushed the door open, and poked my head around the corner. "Hey Ali. You up for some company?"

"Goodness yes. Hi Eric." She smiled brightly. "Is this your little one?"

"The one and only. This is Max."

Max eyed the bed. "We brought brownies." He held the bag out. "They're for you. I had one already."

"Well thanks boys." She patted the bed. "Come on in now." I sat on the edge of the bed, and helped Max up beside me. "Max, you're a regular chip off the old block there."

"Thank you. What does that mean?" He cocked his little head at her.

"You look like your old man. Your dad."

"Mom says that too. What are those buttons on your bed?" He eyed the call button, and the bed adjustment knobs.

"I can make the bed sit up and down, and that one calls the nurse."

"You talk funny."

"She's from England. You know how sometimes Aunt Pam and I talk funny? It's an accent."

He nodded. "I like it."

Alison smiled at the two of us. "How's Malcolm?"

"Oh he's been such a dear. You know him." He was a good man. I glanced around, looking at all the flowers.

"You're popular."

"Oh, my book club sent those."

"Those ones kind of look, well, lewd." I winked at her.

She laughed. "Oh, the girls sent those. It's a joke from one of the books we read. The male lead, this vampire, sends them to the heroine. They're supposed to look like, well, you know." She grinned. "Like what you think they look like."

I nodded, a smile creeping across my face, while Max looked oblivious. "They're lovely."

She turned her attentions back to Max. "Do you want some candy? I have a whole drawer full, and I'm not so hungry these days."

He looked like he won the lottery, and she confirmed that he, indeed, had, when she opened the drawer beside her bed, which was full to the brim with treats. "I'll have the Tootsie Pop, if that's okay Alison." We'd worked very hard on manners, and I was always impressed when our efforts showed.

"That's all? Take what you want love. Maybe some for later." She looked at me. "There's a little bag over there Eric. Fill it up."

I looked at her, and put a few pieces in the bag, including a Kit Kat bar for me. "Ok, but Max, only a little bit at at time. We'll save it for another day." He got wiry with too much sugar, and he was my problem all afternoon.

"Can I have the Tootsie Pop now?" He looked up at me, his blue eyes huge.

I shrugged. "Sure." Ali plucked it out of the drawer and handed it over, and I unwrapped it and handed to him. I grinned, as she handed me one too. It was then I noticed the iPad beside her bed. "Look at you, all fancy with your toy."

She looked at me surprised. "You don't have one yet?" We were both Macs.

"I'm sure I'll get one. It'll be handy for work, or that's how I'll justify it at least. Do you like it?"

"Oh it's great. Very handy. Do you want to see it?" She reached over and handed it over.

"Yea, sure." I hadn't played with one yet. She was right, it was pretty great. I'd just got a iPhone, and it was like a big one. "Are you still doing some writing?"

"Oh, a bit, with some friends. How's your research going?"

"Oh, not bad. This guy keeps me pretty busy, and his mom works pretty full-time, so I'm not producing as much as I used to, but that's fine. I did that all when I was younger, so not as much is expected of me now. A good paper a couple of times a year, and my textbook, and the sex and relationships one that I'm starting will keep me relevant."

"Publish or perish huh?"

"You know it." I glanced over at Max, who was starting to look bored. He'd been pretty good, and Ali looked tired. "Let me know when you're feeling better, and we'll go for lunch, or maybe you and Malcolm can come over for dinner." I liked Alison. She had a great spirit, and a sense of humour only matched by her fantastic wit. I leaned down and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "You look good Ali."

I heard a chuckle, and then Malcolm appeared in the doorway."Are you moving in on my wife, when she's unable to fight you off?" He grinned broadly. "Hi Eric, and this must be wee Eric."

"Hi Malcolm. Yea, this is Max." I helped him down, and he ran up and shook his hand. Malcolm looked at him, amused.

"Pleased to meet you. Your wife is very nice, and she has a lot of candy. You talk funny too. We brought Ali brownies, but there's a bunch so you can have one too."

"Thanks little man."

"I like your beard." He looked at it, a bit in awe.

Malcolm laughed. "

"Well, we should get going so you two can have a proper visit." I grabbed Max's hand. "Give me a call when you're better, and we'll go over your part in the book."

"Thanks for the visit you two. I do love it when handsome men stop by to see me." She grinned at us, and then at Malcolm. "Enjoy your candy Max. Don't let your dad eat all of it."

"I won't Alison. It was nice to meet you." He waved, and stuck his sucker back in his mouth. I gave a little wave, and we headed down the hallway. "She was nice."

"Oh yes. She's very nice. What do you want to do now?" I held him up so he could push the button on the elevator. He liked buttons, and I was impressed he hadn't asked to adjust Alison's bed. I could tell he wanted to. He was a really good kid.

"Let's get Lily, and go to the park, and see if she'll catch the Frisbee."

"She's not going to catch the Frisbee, but we can throw the Frisbee."

"Okay. That sounds good. Dad?"

"Yea?"

"Why don't you have a beard?"

"Your mother doesn't like them." I'd grown one the winter before, when we were on holidays, and she hadn't approved. "Remember, I had one last year."

"Oh yea. When will I be able to have one?" I imagined tiny Max with a beard and stifled a laugh.

"Oh, it'll be a while yet." I didn't want to rush that. "Maybe when you're like eighteen. You can grow some before then, but it won't be very manly."

"Cool. Can we get hot dogs for lunch?"

"Sure, but you've got to eat all your real food for dinner. Deal?"

"Okay Dad."