Frasier did end up ordering a wheelchair for Nora after she told him to while she was wide awake. She only needed it from time to time, but it did come in handy on the days she was just too tired to walk everywhere.

"Hey, sweetheart," Martin said as he walked into the living room.

Nora's face lit up, "hi, dad." Martin leaned over to hug his daughter. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to spend some time with you, of course." Martin took a seat next to Nora. "How are you holding up?"

"I don't know," Nora sighed, "it changes daily. There are times that I feel I have taken a few steps back. My doctor is pleased with everything, and the infection in my brain is gone."

"Well that's good," Martin smiled at her.

"Yeah, I just wish the rest of my body could," Nora couldn't think of what she wanted to say, "I don't know."

"I know you are frustrated right now, but if your doctor is happy with where you are then you are where you should be. That means you are getting better. You had heart surgery and that's going to make your recovery more difficult."

"Thank you," Nora smiled at her father-in-law.

"Anytime, now, how about we go for a jog around the block," Nora laughed with Martin at his comment.

"Hi mama," Frederick said as he walked into the house later that day.

"Hey," Nora kissed his cheek when he reached her, "how was school?"

"It was good," Frederick usually kept it short because he didn't want his mama to feel bad that she was missing out on stuff. "How are you?"

"I'm alright, but are you not telling me something?"

"Like what?"

"You just seem, umm, I don't know."

"I have to start my homework, but do you need anything before I do?"

"No thank you, sweetheart."

Frederick hurried up to his room, but Nora knew that he was hiding something. She decided to go ask Frasier. Frasier was in the kitchen when he heard his wife's walker coming down the hall. "Hey, are you hungry?"

"No, I just have a question, but I need to sit."

Frasier looked and saw that his wife was too exhausted to walk the rest of the way. He took one of the kitchen chairs over to where she was and helped her to sit. "Better?"

"Yes, thank you. Now, is Frederick doing something in school that he doesn't want me to know about?"

"Why do you ask that?"

"Before my stroke, he was more open about what he was doing in school. Lately, he's kept it short."

Frasier thought before remembering the science fair, "I can go talk to him if you'd like?"

"Sure, but can you help me lie down first?"

After Frasier helped Nora he went upstairs to his eldest son's room. "Hey, son, can we talk for a moment?"

"Sure dad," Frederick closed his school book, "what's up?"

"I think we need to tell your mama about the science fair."

"Why?"

"Well, she knows that you are hiding something from her and it's really bothering her."

"I just don't think that we should."

"Look, tonight at dinner I'll tell her for you."

"Okay," Frederick didn't want his father to say anything but knew he would eventually.

Once it was dinner time, Frasier helped Nora into her wheelchair and wheeled her to the kitchen table. It was easier for her to sit in her chair there. "So, Frederick here is participating in his school science fair," Frasier announced enthusiastically.

"That sounds like fun," Nora said.

"I guess," Frederick said unhappily.

"When is it?" Nora asked.

"Why?"

Nora chuckled, "so I can come. Why else?"

"You don't have to come. I'm sure it would be too much for you."

"Nonsense, I, umm, I want to," Nora couldn't believe she was able to finish that thought.

Frederick just stared at the woman, but Frasier broke the silence, "it's on the form he handed me I'll..."

"I don't want you to come," Frederick blurted out, interrupting his father. What was worse was the hurt look on Nora's face.

"He's just saying that because he's worried you'll exhaust yourself," Frasier tried to cover.

"No, I'm not," Frederick didn't know if he wanted to elaborate.

"Will you at least tell me why?" Nora asked.

Frederick hesitated, "I'd rather not."

"Why don't I take the little ones to clean up and to the playroom?" John suggested and Frasier nodded.

Once they had left Frasier looked to his son to start speaking. Frederick looked down because he felt guilty for how he was feeling. "Frederick, what's going on?" Nora asked. Frederick mumbled something, "I'm sorry sweetheart I couldn't hear you."

"I'm embarrassed!" Frederick yelled.

Nora was shocked, "of, of me?"

"Yes, can we please just forget about the science fair? I don't even care about it anymore," Frederick got up and stormed out of the room.

Frasier took his wife's hand in his, "you alright?"

Nora shook her head as the tears began to fall. Frasier maneuvered his chair and her wheelchair. He lifted his distraught wife onto his lap and held her as she broke down. "Bed, please," was all Nora could choke out. Fraiser stood with his wife in his arms and carried her to their bed. As he placed her on the bed, Frasier had a feeling that these emotions would hang over Nora for quite a while.

It had been three days since the argument with Frederick and Nora had stayed in bed for all of them. Everyone had tried to get her out of bed. Diane and Cliff even tried to annoy and bored her to the point that she wanted to leave. Nora kept staring at a photograph on the wall by her side of the bed. It was the photo taken the day that Frasier proposed. Frasier and Frederick were both down on one knee. Frasier had asked Nora to be his wife and Frederick had asked her to be his mama. She always wore that opal pinky ring he gave her.

"Darling," Frasier walked into the room and saw what his wife was looking at. "You have a doctor's appointment today. We should start getting you ready." Nora allowed Frasier to get her ready and carry her to the car. Nora hadn't really been eating the past three days, so she was too weak and unsteady to walk.

Frasier wheeled his wife into the exam room and the two waited for the doctor. The doctor walked in and greeted the couple before getting down to business.

"Nora, you've lost some weight since the last time I saw you," the doctor pointed out.

"I haven't had much of an appetite."

"Are you depressed?"

"My step-son and I had a fight, so I am a little."

"Unfortunately, I can't help you with that, but you do need to eat. If you don't start eating, you will have to be hospitalized and probably need a feeding tube. I can give your husband some ideas that are light and give you the nutrients you need." Nora nodded her head and the doctor wrote down and explained things to Frasier.

Once they were home, Frasier went to make Nora one of the protein smoothies the doctor had suggested.

"Here darling," Frasier placed the glass on the table in front of her, "there's more, but I figured you'd want to start small."

"Thank you," Nora took a small sip, "it's good."

"You know you can always talk to me? I won't shrink you."

Nora smiled, "I know and I'm sorry I've been such a mess lately."

"You don't have to apologize. I'm sure you would have reacted the same way before your stroke. It's just more harmful now than it would have been then."

"I feel like in twenty years, you're going to pay me back for all of these hospital visits."

Frasier smiled, "I would except that would mean that I would have to stay in the hospital, and I don't want to."

Nora laughed and Frederick walked into the room, "Hi," he said solemnly.

Frasier looked at his watch, "shoot, I didn't realize it was time for your bus to get here."

"Pop met me," Frederick stood there unsure, "dad, can I talk to mama alone for a little bit?"

Frasier looked at his wife, who nodded, "I'll be...somewhere that isn't here if you need me."

Frederick took a seat across from Nora, "I'm really sorry that I hurt your feelings. I'm sorry that I feel that way. I keep trying to get rid of these feelings."

"Frederick, do you remember the first time you came to stay with me and your dad?" Frederick nodded, "you asked me if you could say 'I love you'. Do you remember what I said?"

"You told me if that's what I was feeling then I could say it."

"I've always told you to say what you are feeling because if you keep it bottled up it will do more harm than good. Sometimes those feelings may hurt someone else. I can understand your feelings. I just wished you had said something sooner because you kept them bottled up."

"And they did more harm than good."

"Look, I couldn't love you more if you were my flesh and blood. Next time just come and talk to me. I knew you felt bad because I saw the look on your face whenever I asked about school."

Frederick got up and ran to hug Nora, "I love you, mama."

"I love you too sweetheart," when Frederick pulled back, Nora cupped his face and kissed his cheek, "feel better?"

"Much, thank you."

"Anytime, now can you go find your dad so he can take me to the living room?"

"I can do it." Frederick stood there as Nora stared at him, "I can and I'll get dad to help you move to the couch. I want to help."

Nora smiled, "oh, alright."

Frasier was in the living room and smiled when he saw his son wheeling Nora into the room. "Everything okay?" he asked.

"Yeah, we're good," Frederick said, "right?"

Nora laughed, "yeah, we're good."

Frederick locked Nora's chair and Frasier took her hands to pull her up and over to the couch. "Mama, dad can show you the flyer for the science fair. I honestly can't remember the date. Maybe you can help me with my project?"

"I'd love to, but what's the project? Science really isn't my specialty," Nora chuckled.

"I haven't really decided yet. It's a project for my science class to be demonstrated and shown at the fair. That's how they do it this year." Frederick stared at Nora while he thought, "I've got it! I'll make a model of a pumping heart."

"You figure out how to do that and I'll help," Nora smiled. Frederick turned and ran towards the computer, excited.

"Darling," Frasier said, "the fair is in a month. Maybe you'll be more steady then."

Nora looked at her husband and smiled, "maybe," She turned to look towards where Frederick had run off, "you better find my cane because I'm determined to be using it by then."

"That's my girl," Frasier smiled as he gave Nora a side hug.