Vir paced back and forth in front of the door to Medlab, clutching a thick book in his sweaty hands, trying to work up the gumption to go in. He did not know why he was so nervous. He knew Lennier was recovering, so it wasn't as though he was worried about him dying anymore. It had been three days since Delenn had called Vir to tell him Lennier would pull through. Vir had immediately called the Minbari government back to tell them to inform Lennier's parents that their son's impending death was a false alarm, but luckily they had never been informed. They were on some sort of pilgrimage, and out of contact range. Vir imagined that Lennier, who worried so much about hurting people he loved, would be glad they never found out.

Vir had desperately wanted to see his friend ever since Delenn's call, but something had stopped him. He told himself that Lennier was probably still too sick to receive any visitors, even though Delenn had been there with him the entire time. But if Vir really thought about it, he wondered if maybe it was because he didn't want to be in the way. He and Lennier were friends, but Lennier and Delenn were very, very close, and Vir imagined that this was a sensitive time for them. They likely needed some time alone together. But now that he was here, nearly five days after Lennier had first awoken, he wondered if perhaps he should have come sooner after all. Maybe Lennier thought he had abandoned him. But that was probably putting too much stock in the strength of their friendship – a friendship founded primarily on sitting in a bar together. Vir probably needed Lennier more than Lennier needed Vir. Lennier had Delenn, after all. Lennier maybe hadn't even noticed Vir's absence.

Vir wasn't sure which one of all these possible scenarios he liked the least. But he had come this far, and he did desperately want to see Lennier. Even if it was only just to watch him sleep for a few minutes and convince himself that his friend yet breathed. Actually, Vir was pretty sure that was how this interaction was going to go – Lennier was likely very tired, and Vir would not wake him, no matter how badly he wanted to talk to him. And he wanted to give him his present, at the very least even if it meant just leaving it on the bedside table while Lennier slept. Vir took a deep breath and went in.

He paused outside the window of Lennier's ICU room and looked in. To his joyful surprise, Lennier was awake. The little Minbari was lying with his upper body supported at an angle by the raised bed, all wrapped up in a mountain of blankets and what appeared to be a shawl of lovely red and gold fabric. He was still so pale that it made Vir's heart automatically clench with worry, and the dark shadows beneath his eyes provided evidence of the terrible ordeal he had been through. And even beneath all the blankets, Vir could tell that his friend, already small and slight, looked thinner than he had before. But he was awake, lying quietly with a soft smile on his face as Delenn spoke to him, occasionally nodding or responding to something Delenn said with a word or two.

After a minute or so, Lennier must have noticed Vir moving a bit because his eyes met Vir's through the window. Vir shyly raised a hand in a little wave. To Vir's mild astonishment, Lennier's face suddenly lit up, his brown eyes sparkling with happiness. Lennier was happy to see him. He truly was. Vir felt all of the nervousness that had built up in his hearts for the past several days melt away. Delenn noticed Lennier's reaction and turned to look over her shoulder; when she saw Vir, she, too, smiled brightly and beckoned with her hand for Vir to come into the room. Vir eagerly obeyed.

"Hello, Vir!" Delenn got to her feet, laid her hand on Vir's arm and squeezed it warmly. "It's wonderful to see you."

"And you, Ambassador," replied Vir, rather taken aback by the genuine happiness at his presence that emanated from the both of them. People normally weren't that happy to see Vir. It felt good.

Delenn turned back to Lennier. "I need to go to the meeting that Ambassador von Bartrado was kind enough to allow me to reschedule. I will return to visit you this evening, all right?"

Lennier nodded, and for a moment it was as though he had completely forgotten Vir was in the room. "All right, Delenn."

Delenn smiled lovingly at him and pressed his hand tenderly before turning to leave.

"Do not keep him awake for just too long," she urged Vir gently. "He needs to rest."

"Of course," replied Vir, recognizing that though her words were directed to him, it was just as much a request of Lennier as it was of himself. "Thank you, Ambassador."

Lennier watched Delenn go, holding tightly to the shawl around his shoulders, a slight sadness in his eyes. But as soon as she was out of sight, he turned to Vir, his expression brightening.

"Hello, Vir!" His voice was even softer than normal, but the enthusiasm that Vir had so associated with his friend since the day they had met was there.

"Hi, Lennier." Vir sank into the chair Delenn had vacated, placing his present on the table next to the bed. His legs felt suddenly weak with relief. The last time he had seen his friend, he had been near death. Now, though obviously far from well, Lennier was awake and talking to him, and glad to see him. Even though Vir had been told that his friend was recovering, he had not realized how worried he had still been until now. "How…how are you?"

Lennier sighed softly, lowering his eyes to his blankets. "If I am to be honest, I…I have had easier weeks. But…" He ran his fingers almost absentmindedly along the fabric of the red and gold shawl that was wrapped about his shoulders. "…But I am feeling better than I was, and continuing to do so. And Delenn has been so wonderful to stay with me. So, in all, I suppose I have very little to complain about."

"Well, you're handling this a lot better than I would, if I were in your position," said Vir, incredulous at his friend's positivity. But then again, the importance of Delenn's attention for Lennier was no secret. Her constant presence no doubt comforted him and helped to ease his suffering. But Lennier's quiet strength was still amazing to Vir, and he found himself feeling a deep admiration for his friend.

Lennier smiled at him with a soft fondness. "It's good to see you, Vir."

"And it's really good to see you. Really, really good. I…" Vir broke off and swallowed past a dry throat, memories of the previous two weeks floating back to the surface of his mind. "I didn't know if I…if you would…it was really scary, Lennier."

Lennier dropped his gaze, looking simultaneously upset and humbled. "So I've been informed. I'm afraid I've caused everyone a great deal of worry. I'm terribly sorry, Vir."

Vir cursed himself for allowing his words to make Lennier feel worse. That had been the last thing he had wanted to do. "No! No, don't be sorry, Lennier. It wasn't your fault. We were all upset because we care about you a lot, that's all. I, for one, would have really, really missed you if you…you know…didn't make it. So I'm really glad you're getting better."

There he went, stumbling over his words again and saying all the wrong things. But then he realized that perhaps he had not said the wrong thing at all, because Lennier's smile had returned, small but grateful. It quieted Vir's insecurities enough for him to realize that he needn't worry about saying the wrong things. Lennier knew what he meant.

"Delenn told me that you came to see me while I was ill," said Lennier. "That was very kind of you."

"It was the least I could do," said Vir, once again regretting letting his fear of seeing is friend dying and being in the way of both medical procedures and relationships keep him from coming to see Lennier more often.

"All the same, it means a lot to me."

Lennier was trying to make Vir feel better, Vir knew, even though Lennier was the one who clearly needed to be made to feel better. He was awfully good at that – putting other people before himself, even in times like this. Vir wondered how he could reciprocate when he remembered his gift. He reached over to the bedside table, picked up the book, and handed it to Lennier, who accepted it with hands still connected to monitoring equipment.

"I…I got you a get well present. I know you're probably not up to doing much except sleeping right now, so it's okay if you don't get to it any time soon. But I know you're probably going to have to stay in bed for a while, and it's a really long book – exactly seven hundred pages - so maybe it will keep you from getting bored, or at least for awhile."

Lennier turned the thick tome over in his hands. "The Three Musketeers. It's in English."

Vir nodded. "A translation from the original French, apparently. It's an Earth book, from their nineteenth century. I haven't read it," he confessed. "I wanted to get you something to read, so I asked Commander Ivanova for a recommendation. I know you like to read nonfiction and technical manuals and such, and that this is a novel, but it's based on history and I know you like history, so…"

"It sounds very interesting." Lennier mercifully cut his rambling short. "I love to read novels, too, especially ones based in history and other cultures. I very much look forward to reading it. Thank you, and please tell Commander Ivanova thank you as well."

"You're welcome, and I will," replied Vir, grateful that his friend always seemed to know just the right thing to say. It was one of the things that made talking to him so easy when they met regularly at the bar. No matter what was happening in Vir's life, Lennier always knew exactly what to say to make it just that little bit easier. Vir was glad beyond measure that his friend was still around to talk to.

But at that moment, Vir decided that talking was maybe not the best thing for Lennier. His friend seemed to be getting rather heavy-lidded and lethargic. Vir recalled Delenn's caution and decided that it was time to let Lennier be for a while.

"You're tired," he observed. "I'll let you rest."

Lennier blinked a couple of times and then nodded.

"Thank you. For the book and for the company."

"You're welcome. I...I can come back and visit soon, if you'd like." Vir felt a familiar flicker of anxiety as he asked the question, but he should have known better.

"I would like that very much," replied Lennier, his voice sounding weak but grateful. He nestled into his blankets in preparation for a nap, so Vir turned to leave. But just as he was about to walk out of the room, he was stopped by Lennier calling him back.

"Vir?"

He turned back. "Yes?"

His friend's brow was furrowed in concentration, as though he were trying hard to remember something.

"I…I don't remember much that happened while I was ill. I was…quite feverish most of the time, and I am afraid most the memories I do have are too jumbled and twisted to recall. I know that Delenn talked to me for days on end and I wish that I could tell her that I heard and clung to every word, but the truth is, I am afraid that rarely did my consciousness surface enough to retain a memory of anything that was said to me. But…I seem to recall…" He stopped and shook his head. "Never mind. I must have dreamt it. The fever…"

"No, tell me," Vir urged, curious to know where he was going. He had wanted so badly for his friend to hear him as he had spoken to his unconscious form all those days ago. If what he had said had gotten through to Lennier even a little, had reassured him even the tiniest bit, then Vir would be happy.

Lennier thought hard. "It's just that, I seem to remember hearing your voice saying that when I got better, I could tell you about every ritual I'd ever learned in temple." He shook his head again, disbelief on his face. "But it can't be true. No one wants to know about all the Religious Caste rituals, not even other Minbari. They are too extensive." He paused, and suddenly his eyes took on just the slightest of playful sparkles. "But…if one were to say that to a very sick friend out of a desperate hope that they might hear them and use it as leverage to recover, I would think that that friend, once recovered, would release one from such a promise, out of mercy."

Vir's heart sang. So Lennier had heard him.

"Lennier, you know I think all of your stories from temple are really interesting. I meant it. Every word. And I am a Centauri of my word – I keep my promises." He straightened his back to emphasize his point.

Lennier's smile was at once grateful and amused. "Oh, Vir. You truly are a wonderful friend." He adjusted his position against his pillows and sighed affectionately. "All right. We will start with the highlights, and then see how we go. Does that sound fair?"

Looking forward to many future discussions in the bar, Vir nodded.

"It does indeed."

Lennier's recovery was painfully slow, Delenn thought, but she just had to remember to keep reminding herself that it was a blessing and a miracle that he was recovering at all. Not that she had forgotten, of course. Only it was so hard for her to see her dearest friend in Medlab for so long. Lennier seemed to get a little stronger every day, a fact in which Delenn delighted. And no matter how slowly his convalescence progressed, he kept his spirits up, which in turn kept up Delenn's. But worry seemed to be second nature to her by now, despite the fact that Doctor Franklin had reassured her time and again that Lennier was progressing well. Even though he was getting better, seeing her sweet friend so very weak was hard for Delenn.

On the eighth day after Lennier had first woken, Delenn came into Medlab after what had felt like the longest council session she had ever attended. Everyone was nervous about the growing activity in the outer sectors – for although only the War Council knew of the identity of their emerging enemies, the others were aware that something was wrong - and it fell to her to calm all of the panicky ambassadors down. But Delenn did not feel at all calm about the situation herself, which made that job very difficult. And Lennier was always in the back of her mind – his kidneys were still not fully healed, he was still connected to his oxygen cannula, and he still did not have the strength to sit up on his own. On days like this, everything seemed like it was on the brink of going wrong, even when it was going right. But, even though the session had been a long and difficult one, it was over now, and she was ready to see Lennier, who never failed to make her smile.

She trudged to the little ICU room, physical, mental, and emotional exhaustion all swirling around inside her, making her feel as though she were being dragged into the floor. But when she stepped through the doorway and looked up to see her friend, her heart skipped a beat, and then began to race with panic.

Lennier was gone.

Most everything else was there – the dialysis machine stood by the bed, the oxygen cannula lay on the table, and the electrocardiogram monitor still sat by the wall. But the patient to whom they had all been attached – her friend – was nowhere to be found.

Delenn stood in the doorway, trembling from head to toe, her shaking hands clasped in front of her, knuckles rapidly turning white. Save for the testing he had undergone when he had first been admitted, Lennier had not been moved from this room for the entire two weeks he had been hospitalized. He was much too weak to go anywhere, save for being transported by the doctor or nurses. But Doctor Franklin had not told her of any planned testing. Which meant something surely must have gone wrong. Lennier's miraculous recovery had been too good to be true. He had been so sick – everything had pointed to the near certainty that he would never survive this. But like a fool, Delenn had allowed herself to hope against hope that his body could fully recover from such an onslaught. And now something had gone terribly wrong and she would lose him all over again.

With a sob, Delenn turned and ran from the room and down the hallway of Medlab, searching wildly for any face she recognized, desperate to find her friend before it was too late. She came to a screeching halt, her shoes meeting the tile floor with a piercing squeak, when she almost collided with Franklin coming out of one of the patient rooms in the general ward.

"Oh, hey Delenn…" He stopped, taking in her state, her shoulders shaking and tears running down her face. "Delenn, what is it? What's wrong?"

"I…isn't that what you should be t…telling me?" she managed to choke out as another wave of panicked tears overwhelmed her.

"Delenn, I don't understand. Tell you what?" Franklin reached out to lay his hands on her arms as she sobbed, his dark eyes searching her face. Delenn balled up her fists in frustration. How could he not know?

"Lennier! His room is empty and I don't know where he's gone and oh Doctor, something's gone horribly wrong, I just know it!"

"Oh." Realization dawned on Franklin's face, and then it resolved into a smile. "Oh, Delenn. Go in and see."

He motioned toward the room he had just left. Delenn hiccupped and sniffled, but out of a lack of any better choice of action, she went in. And then she saw why the doctor had smiled. For on the bed was her Lennier, looking stronger than he had in two weeks. He was still attached to the fluid pump and antibody line via the intravenous catheter on the inside of his arm, but everything else – the electrocardiogram, the oxygen cannula, the pulse oximeter, and, most mercifully, the dialysis machine – were nowhere to be seen. And he was sitting up – he was supported by pillows, but he was not lying limply against the elevated bed as he had been before. Her shawl, however, was wrapped as ever around his shoulders.

Lennier seemed deep in thought, an unsettled and perhaps even worried look on his face. But he smiled widely when he saw her, clearly excited to share his progress with her. When he saw how upset she was, however, his expression quickly turned to one of concern.

"Delenn?"

Before he could even ask her what was the matter, she had run to him and thrown her arms around him, sobbing into his shoulder. Not understanding what was happening but able to see that Delenn clearly needed comfort, Lennier maneuvered his arms so that he could return her embrace without entangling the both of them in his fluid line. She dug her fingers into his shoulders and cried for all she was worth, the tenseness that had built up within her over the past few days and the culmination of it all in the ICU all flooding out with her tears. After a few moments, Lennier nestled his cheek against her neck and began to trace slow, small circles into her back.

"Delenn, what's happened? Why are you so upset?" His voice was fraught with worry, and she did not blame him. She drew strength from their embrace – the first one Lennier had been strong enough for since he'd fallen ill – for one more moment, and then separated herself and sank into the chair that Franklin had thoughtfully placed next to the bed in anticipation of her arrival, her legs giving out just before she touched the seat. Lennier reached out and took her hand, mirroring the action she had done so many times over the past couple of weeks. She inhaled shakily, another sob catching in her throat.

"Oh Lennier, it's nothing. I've just been a silly fool. But it my defense, it has been a very difficult couple of weeks."

"You are not foolish, Delenn; you are hurting," murmured Lennier, his wide eyes searching hers for the cause of her outburst. "I…I wish to help, if I can. Please let me help."

She sniffled but managed a smile. "Oh, Lennier. Just seeing you feeling better is help enough. I…I went into your room in the Intensive Care Unit, you see, and…" The memory of her panic, still so fresh, flooded over her again, and renewed tears swam in her eyes. But she needn't explain any more, she realized, because understanding flickered in Lennier's eyes.

"Oh. Oh no, Delenn, everything's all right. They've given me a new room in the general ward, see?" Lennier motioned to the walls around him, obviously desperate to prove to her that she needn't worry. "You were so busy with the meetings yesterday evening and today that Doctor Franklin wasn't able to tell you, but he said I…what was the phrase?... 'turned a corner' yesterday. I am not exactly sure what corner he meant. I think it is a metaphor. But he says my kidneys are fully healed, so I do not need to be on dialysis anymore. And when I woke this morning I just felt stronger. Since the doctor isn't worried about my heart or oxygen levels anymore, he said I could get by with less monitoring, so they moved me out of the ICU. It's quieter here, and easier to rest. I like it better." There was such earnestness in his eyes. His need for her to know that he was all right was clearly almost overwhelming to him. And Delenn longed to be able to show him that she was reassured, but now that her raw emotions had been brought to the surface, she just could not seem to push them down. Her weeping now a result of a combination of leftover panic and relief at the improvement in her friend's condition, she tried and failed to stifle another sob. Lennier seemed to wilt before her eyes when he realized that his attempts at comfort had been in vain. But he did not give up.

"Please don't cry, Delenn. I'm all right, really. I'm feeling ever so much better." That much too familiar look was back on his face, the one that said he was horrified that he had caused her pain.

"I'm so glad, Lennier," she whispered shakily. "And it isn't your fault I'm upset. It is just that I have been so worried about you. And now with every ambassador on the station in a panic over the movement in the outer sectors, I am afraid that it was only a matter of time before my strength wavered. And when I walked into your room and could not find you, my troubled mind told me that the only explanation was that something terrible had happened. And suddenly, that entire, awful week came flooding back to me. And all I could think about was you in that bed, shaking with fever and so far away from me, a breath away from the grave…and…and I…oh Lennier…"

The tears inundated her once more. Distantly, she felt Lennier take her other hand so that he held both of them in his own. And then, hesitantly at first, he began to run his thumbs over her knuckles, as she had for him so many times in the past days. The loving concern in his eyes combined with the sweetness of his actions finally began to bring comfort to Delenn's troubled heart and quell her tears a bit. Seeing that he was finally having some effect, Lennier continued his ministrations, silently reassuring her and giving her strength with each pass of his thumbs. After a long while, Delenn's weeping calmed to merely shaky breathing, and she moved her hands within Lennier's and squeezed them in thanks for his support.

"I am sorry, Delenn," whispered Lennier. Delenn looked up at him, fully expecting his gaze to be lowered in deference and humility. But to her surprise, he was looking directly at her. "I…I know it isn't my fault I was ill, but I still cannot help but feel terrible that you've suffered and worried so much on my account. It means the universe to me that you care so much. But that doesn't change the fact that I've hurt you." The slightest of trembles caught at the edge of his voice. "The very idea that I have caused you pain…Delenn, I…"

"I know," she murmured, knowing that reassuring him yet again that it was not his fault would not help this time. "I know you, Lennier, and so I know that even though there was nothing you could have done, this still hurts you incredibly. But try as you might, you cannot protect me from my own heart." Lennier swallowed and stared down at the blanket across his lap, but he met her eyes again when she laid a hand on his cheek.

"However, you can – and do – bring me all the joy I need to overcome the worries and the pain."

Lennier afforded her a tremulous smile, and it was enough to restore enough peace in her heart to chase away her worry and panic.

"And speaking of bringing me joy – just look at you! You are sitting up, Lennier!"

His smile brightened. "I am, and I managed it on my own, too. I really do feel stronger, Delenn."

"I am gladdened beyond words to hear that, my friend," she murmured. "But Lennier, when I first came in here, you seemed worried. I have been so caught up in my own anxiety that I am afraid I have neglected to ask you if you are all right."

Despite how quickly he quelled it, Delenn did not miss the flash of unease that ran across Lennier's gaze.

"It…it's nothing."

She pressed his hand. "Are you certain? It does not seem like nothing."

He smiled sadly. "Even if it was something, worrying about it would not make it any better. But it is nothing, so that is a moot point."

Delenn did not believe him for a moment, but he clearly did not want to trouble her with it. She wished he would confide in her; for in her mind, their friendship allowed them each to entrust the other with the burdens of their hearts and in turn receive comfort and reassurance. But she knew that for Lennier, becoming accustomed to this idea would take much longer. Delenn might see the two of them as equals, but Lennier had had nearly an entire lifetime of being taught that he should never ask anything of his superiors, let alone trouble them with his problems. He needed time, and for her to be patient with him; she knew from personal experience how hard it could be to teach oneself to disobey the ideals drilled into one in temple. And since he had seemed so upset over having worried her only moments ago, she did not wish to press him; instead, she resolved to keep a close eye on her friend's morale. Lennier's emotional strength had appeared to be holding together incredibly well so far, but she wondered if at least some of the time he wasn't putting on a show for her benefit. Lennier was incredibly good at hiding when something was wrong, which meant Delenn would have to observe him with extra vigilance.

His voice interrupted her thoughts.

"I know you have said you do not wish to trouble me with work-related matters while I am recovering, but I've been feeling quite out of touch with the world since I've been in Medlab. So please tell me, how was the council session?"

Delenn smiled warmly at him.

"No business – I am holding fast to that rule. I do not want you worrying about any of that until you are much more recovered. The Shadows are moving, but we think it will yet be at least some time before we are at war – that is all I will say on that matter. But…a story, I think, would not go amiss."

Lennier settled back more comfortably against his pillows. "It would not. Please, go on."

"Well, as I mentioned, everyone is quite on edge, but as you know, Londo deals with stress the way he deals with most everything – by talking very loudly to anyone who will listen. Well, he was boasting about the mighty and powerful Centauri empire…" She said those words whilst doing her best imitation of Londo's strong accent, and she felt her heart sing with joy when Lennier chuckled. "…for what seemed like forever when the Gaim ambassador finally interrupted him and said that if the Centauri empire was so strong, why could they not defend the whole galaxy from whatever new threat we might be facing, and have all of the other worlds indebted to them? They must not be very strong at all – or smart – to not have thought of that."

"And what did Londo do?" asked Lennier eagerly.

Delenn laughed to herself at the memory. "Do you know that dark purple coat he so often wears?" Lennier nodded. "Well, his face turned exactly the same shade as his coat!"

Laughter at the memory overwhelmed her, and to her delight Lennier joined in, though whether he was laughing at the story or out of sheer relief that she was no longer so upset, Delenn was uncertain. But it mattered not, because her friend was happy, or at least for the moment. With everything that had happened recently, Delenn had learned not to take a single moment for granted. And this moment, with her friend feeling better than he had in far too long, laughing with her, would be one she would treasure.