"Are you an idiot? No sir, I'm a dreamer. " Scrubs, Season Six
The words slip out before he has a chance to fully assess their impact. Mentally chastising himself – why did he bring her into a conversation with a man who is not only a judge, but his best friend, and therefore able to read him like a book – he braces himself against the bench, aiming to appear nonchalant.
He knows judges have a way with words, but he has a whole new appreciation after hearing Baker's disdainful assessment of Alicia.
His first instinct was to leap to her defence, mount a logical, researched argument outlining why she was perfect in a manner that would have every other judge on that basketball court rule in his favour. But that would give too much away. All he can do instead is remind him that her heart's in the right place.
Baker sees straight through him, though.
He attempts to distance himself, to dodge the question, but Baker had always been relentless. "Fingers crossed Florrick loses his appeal?"
Even to him, his reply sounds insincere, so he flicks his wrists and sends the basketball shotting towards Baker's chest.
But Baker can't leave it there – the ball is fired back at him, along with another round of interrogation.
"Not even in your head?" He turns and the ball swishes straight through the net. He hadn't thought it possible for anyone to be more inside his head then Alicia, but he'd clearly underestimated his best friend.
He ignores the girlfriend gibe, and instead focuses on the warning. He never saw himself as a knight in shining armour. He knew that Alicia had drawn enough strength from Peter's scandal to stand up for herself. But he also knew Baker, and he would be there for her if she needed him.
Because that's what friends do, he thought bitterly to himself, as the ball swished through the net again.