She smiled, feeling somewhat shy. "T-to us." She drank her champagne in one gulp, realizing immediately that it was a mistake. It didn't take long for the alcohol to go to her
head, but she held out her glass and asked Niles to refill it. He did so without question and that one glass of champagne turned into a few more. His handsome face began to
swim before her eyes and the room moved in circles.
"Daphne-"
She was completely unaware that she'd stood and was moving around the room until she felt his hands on her forearms. His eyes met hers, momentarily confused.
"I don't want you to fall." he said gently. And then he coaxed her over to the fainting couch. "Sit here."
Her hand went to her hand and she sighed.
"What's wrong?"
"I think that champagne went to my head." Suddenly she was so tired that she could barely keep her eyes opened. Before she realized what was happening, he'd covered her
with a blanket. "Just rest." He whispered.
She opened her eyes sometime later to see him head for the kitchen, returning almost immediately with a bottle of water. He sat down on the fainting couch beside her.
"Here. Take these." In his hand were two aspirin.
In the distance she could hear Baby squawking and her head throbbed even more. She hoped that the aspirin would work quickly.
"Ohhh..."
"Would you like to lie down in the guest room?" She
"No, I'll be fine in a little while. Thank you, Dr. Crane." Before she could say anything more she fell into a deep sleep.
But sleep, as welcome as it was, did not last long. She woke sometime later and gasped. "Oh no!"
"What is it?"
"My pills! I forgot to take them!"
"What pills?"
She stood up, faster than she should have, and regretted it immediately, but there was no time to waste. She rushed around the living room, and then frantically searched in
her overnight bag. She looked in every pocket and removed every item. But the orange bottle was nowhere to be found."
"Oh my god…"
"Daphne, what's wrong?"
She sank into the fainting couch and sighed, her head in her hands. "Oh God, how could I have been so stupid?"
"Daphne, you're not stupid, but I-what are you talking about?"
"I must have left me pills at your brother's! I was so upset when I left this morning that I completely forgot about them!"
"Daphne, what pills?"
"My thyroid pills! If I don't take them, I'm liable to faint dead away! Oh, why did I let her get to me like that?"
"Who?"
She glared at him. How could he have forgotten? "Who do you think? Sherry! If it hadn't been for her-what was I thinking, going off without my pills?"
"What can I do?"
Grateful for his concern, she smiled weakly. "I appreciate it, but there's nothing you can do. I'll just have to go back and get them. Will you be all right here while I'm gone?"
"No."
Her eyebrows rose. "You won't? But-."
"I can't let you drive to Frasier's now. Not in your condition."
"Oh I suppose you're right. Well, would you mind driving me home? I won't take long and we can come right back. I-."
"No."
She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Was he really refusing to take her home? Didn't he understand how badly she needed her pills?
"But Dr. Crane, I-."
"I'll take care of it. You don't have to go back to Frasier's."
She looked up sharply. "I don't understand."
"What's the name of your medication?"
She thought for a moment. "Thyroxine, I think."
He was scribbling something on a piece of paper. "All right. How often do you take it?"
"Um, I take two a night, but Dr. Crane…"
"All right, what's your doctor's name?"
She had no idea what was happening, but she knew that she had to trust him. Dr. Crane was a firm believer in his ethics and she knew that he would never do anything that
he didn't think was right.
"M-my doctor's name is Dr. Banchan."
Again he scribbled on his notepad. "And he or she is at-."
"The University of Washington Medical Center."
"All right. Just give me a minute." He said, scribbling on his notepad.
"Dr. Crane, where-."
Too tired to try and figure out what he was up to, Daphne watched him disappear into the hallway-the one that most likely lead to his office. But her eyes became heavy once
more and she returned to slumber. She was awakened sometime later by his gentle voice.
"Just stay here, all right? I'll be back in a little while."
She sat up in confusion. "Where are you going? To Frasier's?"
"No. Um, I-Can I get you anything before I go?"
"No thank you. I'm fine, but-."
"I'll be right back, I promise."
Before she could reply, he grabbed his keys and walked out of the front door, closing the door behind him.
Alone in his apartment, she climbed off of his fainting couch and continued her self-guided tour of his living room. But the dizziness that settled in made it difficult to
concentrate. She returned to the fainting cough and sat down. Her eyes closed almost immediately and she laid her head against the pillow that Dr. Crane had used earlier.
Seconds later she drifted back into slumber.