"I was watching PBS the other night in my study and they were showing this documentary on the Great Depression. Vintage Steinbeck - desperately poor people escaping The Dust Bowl, their meager possessions strapped to rickety old trucks heading to what they thought was their salvation. Then there was this scene with this scruffy boy being handed a brand-new pair of shoes by the Salvation Army. Frasier, if you saw the look on that boy's face. It was a look of pure and utter happiness. I have never experienced that kind of happiness, not in my whole life."
David Hyde Pierce as Niles Crane, My Coffee With Niles
Daphne seemed to be having a very hard time of getting to sleep. Every single time she closed her eyes, they just snapped open again -- and when she managed to keep them shut long enough, a very interesting image came into her head: The younger Dr. Crane.
That was puzzling. Of course, she had been thinking about him more and more often, but she assumed that was because of his attraction to her... and his face had never shown itself in the late hours of the night.
At least, not that she could recall...
She sighed and rolled over, trying several different positions before finally deciding to go fix herself some hot chocolate. Amazingly enough, when she left her bed, Dr. Crane seemed to follow her.
When she reached the kitchen and began to set up the hot chocolate things, something very odd began to happen. Every single time she turned around, or when she was facing the small island in the kitchen, she could feel someone leaning over her and carefully smelling her hair. She would, of course, turn around very quickly... but no one would be there. It continued until she brought her mug to the table and sat down, but then...
"Do you mind if I join you?"
Dr. Niles Crane, in crisp three-piece-suit, was standing before her with a matching drink and an inquizitive look on his face.
Daphne looked from her hot chocolate to Dr. Crane, and then discreetly pinched herself. She wondered if seeing and hearing people was possible if one was very tired.
"Go ahead," she said weakly.
He did. First taking out that familiar white handkerchief and wiping down his chair, then slowly sitting down and setting his mug on the table. He smiled.
"So," he said. "How are you, Daphne?"
Apparently insane, she thought.
"You're not insane," Dr. Crane said with an amused laugh. "The thing is, your subconscious is bringing up images like this one" -- he gestured to himself -- "because you're thinking of me."
"I'm thinking of you?" she said, raising her eyebrows. "I just thought you wouldn't leave,"
He smiled again. "I'll leave whenever you want me to," he said. "But I just want to say that I think you're conjuring up all these pictures and memories of me because you want to ask me something. Or some things -- however you want to put it. You noticed me smelling your hair earlier... Could it be something to do with that?"
"Well, I don't know," Daphne said, furrowing her eyebrows. "I mean, it's a very strange thing to find out that one of your very good friends has been in love with you for six years, and you didn't even notice. All these questions come up -- like When did it start? or How did it start? It even makes a person wonder if there weren't instances where you mistook something they were saying... For example, every single time you ever said 'I love you'..."
Dr. Crane's mouth became a very thin line, and his eyes seemed to darken. "I meant it," he said quietly.
"Oh, hell," she muttered. "...There are just some things that I want to know about... this. I won't ever find out if I don't ask you, but I'm sure you can understand why I'm slow to do that after I mentioned you smelling my hair..."
"Maybe you should go talk to me," he replied.
"I am talking to... oh. Do you think you're awake?"
"I'm fairly sure,"
The car drive to the Shangri-La was a very nervous one. Daphne hadn't bothered to get dressed properly, and she was rather afraid of showing up at Dr. Crane's house in her pajamas... But the Dr. Crane sitting in the front seat of her car assured her that everything would be absolutely fine.
"I'll be delighted to see you," he said.
When Daphne reached the door to his room, she took a very deep breath. I'm going to be fine, she told herself. Absolutely fine. Dr. Crane will be delighted to see me, I'll get my questions answered, and then I'll be on my way.
She knocked. A few seconds later, a very awake Dr. Crane answered the door, his eyes wide and his eyebrows raised.
"Daphne..." he said quietly. "Shouldn't you be asleep? It's very late,"
She took another deep breath, and held it slightly longer than usual. Another caring statement from Dr. Crane. It was very near to being heartwrenching.
"I would be asleep," she replied. "but I'm afraid I have a few thoughts plaguing me, and you're really the only person who can help me get rid of them."
Her nerves died down slightly when he invited her in. It'll be fine, she told herself again. Dr. Crane's my friend. I'll be out of here in no time...
Things are rarely that easy.