Author's Note: Thanks once again to Andrea (iloveromance) for allowing me to continue another one of her wonderful stories. "The Kind Heart" is an AU story, so if you haven't read that yet, you should do so first, because this will make more sense that way. Also thanks to Leigh Ann (leighann415) for providing the title.

Daphne walked down the familiar hallways of one of Seattle's largest hospitals. Working in a place like this wasn't exactly what she'd hoped to do as a physical therapist, but she needed the experience. And she enjoyed knowing that she was able to use her skills to help people. Though she hadn't quite learned the ropes yet, people frequently commented on her bedside manner, her ability to connect with patients. She hadn't told anyone, but she knew that was because of her psychic powers. It wasn't as if she could foresee what a person was about to do, or predict lottery numbers or anything like what those so-called 'psychics' talked about on TV. No, her gift was a sixth sense that told her when a person was hurting and needed a little extra kindness. She'd even been able to help a nurse the other day, when her boyfriend got tired of her hectic work schedule and broke up with her out of nowhere. She'd told her friend then that she was sure she would meet Mr. Right very soon. And Daphne had been right, because another nurse had arranged a blind date with a paramedic, and the two hit it off.

Daphne wished she could cure her own loneliness that easily, but she'd had no luck so far. So she threw herself instead into helping the patients at this hospital. Now she made her way down the corridor on the 5th floor. Just up ahead of her was the spot where she'd seen that handsome man the night before. Her heart broke all over again, remembering how sad he'd looked. No wonder, when his father had come into the hospital with a gunshot wound he'd received while trying to stop a convenience-store robbery. She checked her watch, and saw she had about another ten minutes left on her break. Perfect, she thought. Just enough time to pay the father a visit. She'd promised to look in on the man when she had a chance, and she had no intentions of breaking her word.

When she reached the door, she stopped and glanced in. The man lay there, motionless in bed. He was staring into space, looking nearly as bad as his son had the night before. Daphne knew immediately that fate had brought her here for a reason. She took a quick breath to compose herself, and went in.

Martin nearly jumped when the young woman entered his hospital room. The nurses in this hospital just couldn't leave him alone. He began to wonder if they got a bonus for getting as much blood as possible from their patients. And now they'd sent this girl in. He could tell she was new at the job. Great, Martin thought. She probably won't even be able to find my damned veins. He was caught off-guard when she smiled. It wasn't a fake smile, like the ones nurses gave while they shoved a needle into his arm. No, this was a real smile.

"Hello, I'm Daphne."

She had an English accent. Martin noticed it right away. "Hi," he replied, more to be polite than because he cared. "I don't want any magazines to read, I don't need more painkillers, and I sure as hell don't need another injection," he said.

Daphne was shocked. She knew people weren't always in a good mood when they were in the hospital. It was to be expected. But this man was downright unpleasant. She forced herself to ignore the sting of his words. "I didn't come here for any of that. I'm a physical therapist. But this is just a social call."

"Look," Martin said. "I'm not really in the mood for visitors. Both my sons have already been here. I know they mean well, but if I hear one more word about 'moving on with my life,' I think I may just ask for a lethal injection!"

Daphne moved closer, reaching over the railing to grab the man's hand. "I'm sure both your sons are only saying that because they care. They've nearly lost their father, and I don't doubt that scares them."

Martin hadn't thought of it like that. "Well, maybe you're right. But still, I can't wait to get out of this damn hospital so I can just go home to my own bed and my own dog."

"Oh, you have a dog?" Daphne asked. She liked hearing about patients' personal lives. It made her job more interesting, and it helped put them at ease.

Martin nodded. "Jack Russell terrier. Name's Eddie." He picked his wallet up from the table nearby. "I've got his picture in here." He held it up so she could see.

"Oh, he's adorable. I've always wanted a pet, but me mum said no. She had enough to contend with just keeping an eye on me brothers. Can't say I blame her, though."

Martin couldn't help himself; he liked this Daphne person, even though he barely knew her. For a split second, he remembered his beloved Hester. Even though she'd loved both Frasier and Niles, she occasionally mentioned that she wished they'd had a girl. But somehow, they'd never gotten a chance to. It was one of the things he regretted most, now that she was gone. There was something about this Daphne person that made him think of Hester. It was almost as if, had they had a girl, this is what she would've been like.

"Listen, I'm sorry I was so rude to you earlier. I guess I should've introduced myself. I'm Detective..." he shook his head. No, he wasn't Detective Crane anymore. "Martin Crane. Some of my buddies call me Marty." He held out his hand, and Daphne shook it immediately.

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Crane." With patients, Daphne always went out of her way to be polite.

Martin smiled. "I think I'd like to take a nap now, if you don't mind. But it was nice talking to you. Will you...come visit me again? I mean, if you have a chance?" He almost couldn't believe he'd said that. Sure, the hospital was lonely, but so far, he'd dealt with it. Being alone suited him just fine. But he felt a connection to Daphne, and he couldn't quite understand it.

Daphne smiled again. "Of course. It was a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Crane." She leaned over, kissing his cheek gently. "You get well soon, all right? And don't be so hard on your sons. I have a feeling things are going to get better for you before long." She squeezed his hand once last time, then left without another word.

Once again, Martin was left alone in the silence of his hospital room. But he found that he didn't hate being here quite as much as he had earlier. Maybe Daphne was right. Maybe things would get better. Or maybe they already had.

The End