A soft knock on the door broke into Daphne's thoughts and she hurried to answer it. When the door was opened, she found herself gazing into the eyes of her brother in law and father in law.
"I-I didn't mean to drag you out of bed to come over here. It's awfully late and-."
Frasier smiled and took her hand. "Daphne, Niles is my brother and I love him dearly. But you must know that I love you too. Perhaps even more than if you were my own sister."
At his kind words, Daphne mouth began to tremble and she collapsed into sobs in Frasier's outstretched arms.
The tears fell relentlessly while he held her and his calming words did little to ease her pain.
"I-I'm sorry..."
Martin gently nudged his eldest son and provided a warm embrace; one that Daphne happily accepted.
"I'm awful!"
"Aw, come on now! I don't want to hear talk like that! You know that's not true, Daphne!"
She drew back from Martin's embrace and went to David's crib, placing the child into his grandfather's arms.
"Daphne, when's the last time you got a good night sleep?"
"W-well, I've been so busy taking care of David. A-and Niles... he's been so upset and-."
"Damn!"
At Frasier's outburst, Daphne looked up sharply. "What?"
"Well I was hoping that he'd snap out of this by now! I don't know why he's still fixated on that damn patient!"
Daphne fumed at her brother in law's insensitivity. "He's depressed, can't you see that? Because I sure can!"
Her yelling startled David who began to cry, but at that moment she was so upset that she just didn't care. Her voice quivered and then broke, and she just couldn't seem to stop. "I'm sorry that I'm not a bloody psychiatrist like you who can fix these things, but I can't! But I'm not stupid, I-."
"Daphne, of course you're not-."
"I know me husband's hurting and I have no idea how to make him feel better! God how I wish I did! I just love him so much and when I think of what that horrible woman did to him-."
When she began to cry again, Martin sighed and returned David to his crib.
"I-I'm sorry." Daphne sobbed into martins' chest as he hugged her.
"Daphne, stop being sorry okay?" Martin said as gently as possible. "It'll be fine; everything will be fine."
Alone in his crib and clearly confused about what was happening around him, David continued to cry. And seconds later footfalls could be heard coming on the stairs.