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Chandler stood next to Joey, watching him carefully as he tried to help Monica slice up onions while surreptitiously sneaking cookies. He had to try not to laugh at his friend's single-minded determination to get another cookie.

"Joey!" Monica laughed and slapped his hand. He looked at her, rubbing his casted hand in mock-distress and smiling crookedly at Monica. If Chandler hadn't known better, he would have thought that this was the old Joey.

Except he did know better. He watched his friend struggle to remember the names as conversation floated around the kitchen. Phoebe was there as well, sitting cross-legged on a kitchen chair with her guitar and stealing just as many cookies as Joey.

But he was getting better. At least that's what Chandler told himself to believe. It had been nearly two weeks since the accident now. He hadn't left Joey alone for more than an hour since, using all of his sick days at work to do so. But being with this new Joey was exciting, and watching him remember things that Chandler had taught him was even more so. This new Joey showed every emotion he felt (not that the old one had been so good at keeping his feelings at bay).

Chandler held down the rolling onion so Joey could cut it easier and was rewarded with a lopsided grin so unlike the old Joey's cool, confident smirk. Navigating the knife carefully, Joey managed to cut another too-thin slice and promptly ate it before Monica could even look their way.

Chandler nudged him, smiling. "Stop that. It doesn't even taste good."

"Yeah it does." Joey's casted arm pushed against Chandler as he tried to cut some more. The cast was the only physical remain of Joey's attack. His ribs, though still bruised, had healed themselves and even the hair that had been chopped off to accommodate the white bandage had started to grow back in its absence.

But not much else seemed to happen. Joey still couldn't recall anything past two weeks ago and the people who had done this were still not captured, since no one had seen them except Joey, who, of course, couldn't remember. It was a cruel cycle that would be ended only by Joey regaining his memory.

On their last visit to the hospital a few days past, Chandler had asked the doctor if there was any way to speed up Joey's memory. His answer was not a hopeful one.

"There isn't even a guarantee that he will get his memory back, and if he does, it could be a manner of days or weeks or years. Usually something from the past stimulates the memory. Just try to get him exposed to everything you can."

So Chandler was told, once again, that there was no "miracle-cure" for whatever Joey had. They would just have to wait and hope for the best, which Chandler was not very good at.

"Joey! There's almost none left!" Monica slapped Joey's casted hand again. Chandler turned to look at them, in the process moving the hand that held the onion the smallest amount.

The knife came down again, slicing into Chandler's hand, sending blood falling to the floor.

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