Eve and Adam had just fed when Eve's phone began to ring. She extended a lazy arm to retrieve it, not intent on moving from Adam's lap for no good reason. She glanced at the screen before taking the call and holding the phone to her ear.

"Hello, Hal."

"Hey..."

Eve sat up. "What's wrong? You sound ill."

"Yeah. I've been so high on pain medication for the last three days that I couldn't drive, so I'm a bit low on supplies."

"Oh dear," Eve fretted. "Your treatment was last Saturday, wasn't it?"

"Yeah."

Eve had gotten up at this point, wandering aimlessly around the room and house. Adam remained on the couch and watched her calmly.

"Well, can't your family take you out?" Eve asked. "I know it's late, but if there was something you needed —"

"They're all gone on vacation."

"They left you there by yourself?" Eve demanded. Adam glanced sharply at her, but she knew his look wasn't directed at her.

"I'm watching the house until they get back week after next."

"Oh, honestly, Hal! You'd think they'd have the sense not to do that."

She shared a meaningful look with Adam. Adam gave her a small nod, and Eve let out a breath.

"Do you need me to come up and see you?" she sounded a lot calmer now. They were given a hand, and they had to deal with it.

"I don't want to trouble you! But... do you mind coming over? I've been feeling a little crazy up here by myself."

"It's no trouble." Eve slipped on her shoes and headed upstairs as she spoke. "I'll stop by and take you shopping, then I can stay in with you for a few hours, if you want."

She could hear the smile in Hal's voice. "Okay. Thanks, mom."

"Oh, shush," she scolded. "Get some rest. I'll be over soon."

Eve took the car and left Adam to his tinkering and music-making for the night. Hal's family lived in a quiet neighborhood about half an hour from Adam's house by car. When Hal answered the door, she looked like she'd just woken up. Her hair was a mess, she was paler than usual, and she wore nothing but a cami and a pair of shorts even though, judging by how she was bundled in a fluffy blanket, that wasn't enough for her to keep warm.

"Come on in," Hal waved her in and began trotting down the foyer into the living room. Eve shut the door and followed, glancing around the dimly-lit house as they went.

"Sorry about the mess," Hal apologized, collecting a few books and DVD cases off the couch and setting them on the coffee table, which was overrun with crumpled napkins and dirty dishes. It seemed Hal had been too ill to do anything over the last couple days.

"It's fine," Eve assured her. It wasn't like she or Adam were tidy people in any context, even if they didn't leave trash and dishes everywhere... "What were you watching?"

Hal was shutting down the television.

"I was just letting it play. I just woke up, actually," Hal shrugged. She reached for a tunic top and shoes that she'd stashed by the couch and threw them on. "Are you ready to go?"

"Ready when you are," Eve smiled.

Hal grabbed a jacket and a bottle of water before they left. Eve figured it was refreshing to have a human friend that she didn't have to pester about such things. It was a thirty-minute drive from the nearest twenty-four-hour shopping center. During the drive, they chatted animatedly over one of Hal's CDs playing quietly in the background. The shopping center they went to had a large but empty parking lot, and the shopping center itself was similarly eerie.

"The employees look kinda scared when they see us," Hal chuckled. "'What the hell are two customers doing in here?'"

Eve smirked, eyeing the contents of the shopping basket on Hal's arm. A lot of instant food. Hal had also picked out a package of hot dogs, bologna, some fresh bananas, and another loaf of Wonder Bread. Not the healthiest diet for a human, but Hal couldn't be to blame. It wasn't like she, (or anyone in her family, really), could sustain herself on fresh foods. It either took too much energy to prepare or it upset her stomach.

"It's the sunglasses," Eve finally said, watching another employee over her shoulder. "How've your eyes been, by the way?"

"They still don't know what's going on," Hal shrugged, and tried to distract herself immediately. "So I'll just live by night and wear sunglasses indoors. Y'know, like a weirdo."

"Hey," Eve poked her lightly. Hal only laughed at her, so Eve poked her repeatedly until Hal squealed in protest and darted away. Eve smiled after her. She was glad Hal was feeling at least a little better.

They checked out and took their time driving home. Hal stared quietly out the window, humming along to the radio every so often.

"Are you tired?" Eve asked.

"A little," Hal admitted. "How much longer can you stay?"

Eve considered it. It was about three in the morning now, and it was a half hour's drive back home...

"I could stay for a movie," she offered.

"Okay," Hal perked up a bit. "What do you want to watch?"

"Anything is fine," Eve said. True, she had her preferences, but she'd watch anything to spend time with Hal. "We could watch a long one. You mentioned you had some new ones?"

Once back at Hal's house, they put away the groceries and put in one of the foreign films Hal had only seen years ago. Hal and Eve sat together on the couch, draped in blankets and settled against each other. Hal nibbled on a bowl of Goldfish as the watched. At one point, Hal absentmindedly offered the bag to Eve.

"No, thank you," Eve declined slowly.

Hal stuttered for a moment, obviously taken aback by her own idiocy. She thrust her arm out instead, wrist up and exposed for Eve to drink from.

"No, Hal!" Eve pushed her away, knowing full well that Hal knew better and wasn't serious.

They watched the rest of the film in comfortable silence. Hal lied when she said the movie wasn't sad, but she shed tears quite gracefully in the final act. Eve quietly soaked up Hal's tears with a tissue, and Hal put up with it for a time.

"You can play this song, can't you?" Eve asked as the end credits rolled.

"Yeah," Hal nodded and smiled, pulling away to grab the remote off the coffee table. "That's enough of that."

She pulled up the menu and browsed the bonus features. She started the "making-of" featurettes and settled back against Eve again. Eve's phone began ringing from where it sat on the arm of the couch. Eve picked it up and hit a button. She'd set an alarm so she didn't lose track of time before the sunrise.

Hal politely pulled away and stretched.

"Well, thanks for coming over," she said. "And taking me shopping."

"It was my pleasure, dear," Eve smiled at her and kissed Hal's forehead. "If you need anything, you can always call, and I'll do what I can."

"Thanks," Hal smiled. The two of them stood, Hal wrapping herself in the blanket, and headed to the front door.

They said their goodbyes and hugged one last time, then Eve went home and Hal was alone once more.