It was deadly quiet when Diane stepped out of Sam's office. She put on a forced smile and called out to the bar.

"Okay gang, I'm ready to begin. Guys.. what can I get you? Norman, would you like a beer?"

He shook his head no.

Diane was astounded. This was the first time in the man's life that he had ever turned down a drink.

"Okay but just one."

She looked around. No one was drinking. Cliff, on his break from his delivery route, wasn't looking at her, neither were the regulars. Tim who usually had a wise crack looked at Norm and then at Cliff but did everything he could to avoid eye contact with Diane.

"What's going on in here? I demand someone tell me what's going on in here? Sam, what is going on?" Diane asked, frustrated.

"It's nothing. Some of the guys had a side bet going on. Barney Rubble vs. Fred Flinstone. You know, the usual."

"I don't think so. Wait a minue.. something's not right. Where's Carla?"

Everyone looked down.

"Where is Carla? I demand an explanation for the silence and the disappearance of my fellow coworker!"

"Diane," Cliff spoke up in his Bostonian accent. "It seems Sam and Carla had a falling out. She's gone. History."

"You fired her?" She looked at Sam.

"No sweetheart, she quit."

"She quit? Well you can't just let her quit. You have to do something about this. You have to go after her!"

"I'm afraid I can't do that."

"Why not?"

"It had to do with something we don't see eye to eye on," Sam explained as tactfully as he could.

Being as intelligent as she was, it didn't take Diane too long to realize that he was talking about her. "It had to do with me, didn't it? She quit because of me! Well I can't let this happen. I must go to her and make her see that things aren't what they appear to be."

"Are you sure that you want to do this? I mean it's nobody's business…"

"I, Diane Chambers, have cancer, and I will not let it ruin anyone else's life nor will I let it ruin my own," she declared proudly. Everyone stared at her in shock. No one had expected this. Norm finished up his beer and motioned to Sam for another one.

"Diane… I don't know what to say," he began.

"That's all right. I don't want your pity. I don't want anyone's pity. I want my life to go on as it has. Let your jokes continue. Let your laughter live on. Let my legacy be remembered as that of one as a fighter, a champion, a person who did not give up. "

"Diane, you're not dead yet," Norm pointed out. Everyone glared at him.

"I'm just saying she shouldn't give up. She's young and she should be fighting this thing, and not worry about how she would like to be remembered."

Suddenly Woody began to cry, harder than anyone had ever see him cry before. "Oh Miss Chambers, I don't want you to die. I don't want you to go through this. I am a bad person, not you."

She ran over to hug him. "Oh Woody, don't cry. You are the most honest, most sincere person I have ever met. You don't deserve anything. None of us do."

"You don't understand. I told a fib once. I once took some of my mother's clothing and put it on the sheep and told her that my cousin Russell did it. I'm a liar and I don't deserve to live," he wailed.

Now everyone felt bad.

"I'll have another one," Norm ordered.

"I'm ready for one too," Cliff asked.

Soon the whole bar was placing their orders. Sam could barely keep up while Diane was doing her best to comfort Woody.

" May I see you in the pool room Woody?"

"Of course. It's about the sheep thing isn't it?" he asked.

"No," Diane smiled.

Once back there, she took his hands in hers. "There is something I would like for you to know. "

"What is it?"

"I'm your friend and I'll always be your friend. In fact you'll always be my friend. I've never told you this but I love you Woody."

Woody was aghast. "Miss Chambers! You're Sam's girl!"

Diane chuckled. "Not like that. It's possible to love a friend in a compassionate, caring way, the way a mother loves a child. Haven't you had a pet that you cherished, one that you would do anything for?"

"Of course I have."

"That's how I feel about you."

Woody wasn't quite sure he understood what she was getting at, but one thing was clear: he was more scared than he had ever been in his life.