When Niles winced in pain, Daphne put her arm around him, her heart warming at the feel of his body. It was the first time she'd ever had such a strong reaction to a simple touch before. "Dr. Crane, are you all right?"
"I-ouch!"
"Oh, your poor hand! The pain pills have worn off, haven't they? Well, we should get you to bed so that you can rest. I said I would take care of you and I will!"
"No, Daphne. You've done too much for me already."
"Nonsense. Now, you can sleep in my room. I'll take the couch."
"Absolutely not." Niles protested. "I cannot and will not allow you to give up your room, Daphne."
Daphne glared at Niles' uncaring father. "I should make you take your father's bed. He and Eddie can sleep on the balcony! Or better yet at the dog park!"
"Are you calling me a dog?" Martin yelled.
"That's right, although I think Eddie probably cares for Dr. Crane more than you do!" Daphne said, fighting the tears that were threatening to fill her eyes.
"Now wait a minute!" Martin yelled. "I resent that! You've got some nerve-."
"STOP!" Frasier yelled, holding his hand in the air. "I refuse to listen to this bantering in the middle of the night! Now Niles, I insist that you stay in my room, at least for this evening."
But what about-."
"Don't worry about me. I'll be perfectly fine on the sofa."
Niles smiled and hugged his older brother. "Thanks, Frasier."
"Just let me get a few things and I'll be out of your way."
"Take your time, Dr. Crane." Daphne said. Smiling, she turned to Niles. "Now, I'm going to get you some water so that you can take your pain pills. I'm sure that your brother will loan you some of his pajamas."
"Of course I will." Frasier said.
While Niles waited in the living room, Daphne hurried to the kitchen for some water, returning as quickly as possible.
"Here you are, Dr. Crane."
He smiled and took the water from her. "Thank you, Daphne."
"Now go ahead and take those pills and I'm sure they'll start working in no time. Ill check on you every half hour or so to make sure you're ok."
"But you've done so much already." Niles said for the second time. "You must be exhausted."
She waved dismissively and tried not to let him see how tired she really was. "Don't worry about me, Dr. Crane. I'm perfectly fine. Besides, if I go to sleep now, who will take care of you?"
He sighed in mock defeat. "Okay, but please don't wear yourself out for me."
She smiled and leaned to kiss his cheek, the impulse gesture surprising them both. "I'd do anything for you, Dr. Crane." She whispered, smiling at how quickly his face flushed.
After he swallowed the pain pills with water, she took his hand. "Let's get you settled, shall we?"
When they arrived at Frasier's room, Daphne couldn't help but smile. True to his word, her boss had placed a pair of sweatpants and a KACL t-shirt for Niles to wear on his bed. "I'll just go into the living room and keep your brother company while you change. But if you need anything, just let me know."
Niles sat down on Frasier's bed and took off his shoes, placing them neatly by the door. But when he attempted to unbutton his shirt, he cursed under his breath a though he'd momentarily forgotten about his injury. Daphne's heart ached for him, because she knew how strong and independent he was.
"Here, let me help you."
He drew in a breath and his surprised gaze met hers. "Oh…."
"Just sit here and relax."
Dutifully he did as she asked and with trembling fingers she slowly began to unbutton his shirt. The sight of his bare chest surprised her in more ways than one, for he almost always wore t-shirts underneath, like Frasier did. But now…
"Daphne, is something wrong?"
She sighed, trying to slow her racing heart. "No, I…" Her voice trailed away and she continued to unbutton his shirt. When she reached the last button she swallowed hard. The faint scent of his cologne filing her senses. It was all she could do not to close her eyes and tilt her head back; imagining that he was trailing kisses…
"Daphne?"
The passionate imagine vanished at once and she felt her heart thundering.
"Are you sure you're all right?"
She forced a smile. "Yes, but I suppose you're right. I am a bit tired."
He took her hand and squeezed gently. "Of course you are. Look, I'll be fine now. Thank you for… um… well, thank you."
"You're welcome, Dr. Crane. Now get dressed and make yourself comfortable. Those pills are bound to make you drowsy soon. I'll be back to check on you later."
She glanced at him one last time before closing the door to give him some privacy. It would be nice to chat with Frasier for a while. They so rarely had the chance these days.
But as soon as she stepped into the hallway, her heart began to race again. Try as she might, she couldn't get Niles' sweet words out of her mind;
"I mean it, Daphne. You're the most beautiful angel I've ever seen."
A tear slid down her cheek and then another. She stared at the dim hallway, wanting so much to go to Niles, knowing that it was ridiculous. He needed his rest and so did she.
But if he truly meant what he'd said, she wasn't sure she'd ever be able to sleep again, not until she knew the truth.