"I don't know how you can stay with me," Niles said as he and Daphne walked.
Daphne kissed his cheek. "That's rubbish. It was just a minor car accident, and the doctor says you'll be home tomorrow or the day after. You're already walking, and you've only been in the hospital since last night!"
Niles sighed. "Yeah, but I have to walk with this cane. What's David going to think?"
"Is that what you're worried about?" Daphne asked. "He sees your father with a cane all the time. And you'll only need this for a couple more days."
"But David thinks I'm his hero. He thinks the world of me. What will he think when he sees this?"
"He'll still love you," Daphne said. "You're a wonderful father, and David knows that. This cane won't change a thing."
Niles didn't look at her. This whole thing was his own stupid fault. He'd been working much too late, and when he drove home, he was more tired than he'd realized. He closed his eyes for less than a second, only to find that he'd hit a guardrail. Worse than the pain and physical injuries was knowing that Daphne had gotten a call from the hospital late at night. If the situation had been reversed, he would have been terrified.
Daphne could tell that Niles was upset. She knew he needed a distraction, to keep him from dwelling on his perceived failures as a parent. "Come on, let's go back to your room." She gently guided him as he turned. Being a physical therapist for so many years came in handy at a moment like this.
Reluctantly, Niles did as she'd asked. He was a well-respected doctor, a man with a PhD, and here he was, reduced to walking the halls of a hospital. It was hard not to have flashbacks to the weeks after his father was shot. He had spent many hours coaxing the former policeman into doing this very same thing. But he looked at Daphne, remembering how that bullet wasn't simply an ending; it was a beginning for all of the Crane family. The greatest blessing which came out of it was standing right beside him. Daphne was an angel, he was certain of that. He'd done nothing to deserve her presence in his life, and he vowed to remind her of that as soon as he was out of here.
Slowly, they made their way back down the hall. They reached the door to Niles' hospital room. Because of his status as a doctor himself, he'd been upgraded to a private room. But, instead of the room being empty, Niles was surprised to see someone inside.
"Daddy!" Four-year-old David got up from the bed, racing toward his father.
"Be careful, David. Your father's still a bit unsteady on his feet," Daphne said. She smiled at her father-in-law.
David slowed himself to a walk. "I begged Grandpa to bring me here to see you. I missed you, Daddy." He slipped his little arms around Niles' waist.
"I missed you, too, buddy," Niles said, patting his son's back with his free hand. "I'm sorry I might not be able to play with you for a couple of days."
"That's OK, Dad. I'm just glad you're safe." David hugged his dad one more time.
Martin got up then, making his way over to where his son stood. "What, you were so jealous of my cane, you had to go out and get one of your own?"
Niles wasn't fooled by his father's humor. He could tell Martin was covering his fear. "Dad. Thanks a lot for watching David." He hugged his father tightly.
"Hey, what are grandpas for?" Martin asked. "I told Ronee she could come too, but I think she felt this was kind of a family moment."
Niles nodded as he let his father go. He loved his former babysitter turned stepmother, but he was secretly glad she wasn't here. He didn't want anyone else to see him like this.
David broke the silence. "Dad, I gotta show you this cool comic book Grandpa got for me. It's Archie!"
Niles smiled at the book his son held. That was his father's response to tragedy: give a kid a comic book.
David reached for his dad's hand, wanting to pull him toward the bed.
"David, Daddy can look at that later, all right? I think right now it's best if he just gets some rest." Daphne helped her husband get back into bed. When she was sure that Niles was as comfortable as possible, she walked over to her father-in-law. She smiled at him before kissing the old man's cheek. "Thank you for bringing David. I think Niles really needed this."
"No problem, Daph. Call us if you need anything." He looked at her for a long moment. Without a doubt, Daphne was the best thing that had ever happened to this family. There was no way he could've put that into words, but he had a feeling Daphne knew how he felt anyway. He turned to David. "Come on, let's leave your dad alone. Your mom will come get you in a little while. You can show your new comic book to Ronee when we get home."
"Bye, Dad," David said, standing near the bedside. "I love you."
Niles' heart nearly broke at the expression on his young son's face. But his previous fears about losing his son's respect were gone. "I love you, too. Be good for Grandpa and your mom, OK? I'll be home soon."
David nodded, reluctantly following his grandfather out of the room.
Daphne watched the two leave. "There, you see? David loves you just as much as ever."
Niles nodded. "He's such a wonderful boy." He leaned forward as much as he was able. Daphne leaned down, and they shared a long, passionate kiss. Niles hoped it would let her know that he hoped to make up for all of this as soon as he was released. "At a time like this, it's hard not to be grateful for one's life, after seeing how fragile it is. I haven't thought like this since Dad was shot. But now I see that that was actually a miracle, because it brought you into all of our lives."
Daphne knew there were tears in her eyes. She felt the same. She was always aware of what a wonderful husband Niles was, and how much she loved David. But, right now, she felt her heart might burst. Not only with love for the two of them, but also for Martin. He was the best grandfather her son could have asked for. But more importantly, years ago, he'd insisted on hiring an eccentric Englishwoman to help with his physical therapy. That, Daphne knew, was the biggest miracle she would ever experience.
The End