Chapter 7

Diane knocked on her co-managing partner's apartment door soon after seven pm, holding a six-pack of beer in her right hand. She realized she was still dressed in her lawyer-style outfit from work, but she was pretty sure that Will wouldn't mind. She chuckled at herself holding the case of beer – she didn't drink it very often, but Will had asked her to bring some over because his older sister had thrown everything out that had expired in his fridge and pantry.

Will opened the door, and smiled when he saw Diane. "Hey there," he said. She saw under his shirt that he was still wearing some thin bandaging from his bullet wounds. His hair was brushed, but not styled, and unusual for him, he was sporting a Blackhawks t-shirt and jeans. "Hi Will," Diane replied with a smile.

"Oh, please come in," Will waved her inside and shut the door behind her. "Thanks for coming over."

"No problem," Diane said as she put the six-pack on Will's kitchen island. She looked around his apartment, smiled, and said, "This isn't nearly as organized as your office," she said.

"Nope," Will replied, smiling like he died when he was happy. "I don't really care about my apartment that much. Only people close to me ever actually see it, and if they like me enough then they won't mind."

"Like Dr. Suess said," Diane replied. "Do you mind if I sit?" He nodded in reply, so she sat down and continued talking. "Shouldn't you be sitting down? I thought you were supposed to be recovering, not requesting beer."

"Diane," Will began as he got another glass of water, "My doctor said: Will, drink lots of water, make sure you take all your meds, and stay away from coffee because coffee and meds don't mix well. And made sure you show up for your appointment next week. And get some sleep. He didn't say a single thing about alcohol, so I'm not breaking the rules."

"Alrighty then," Diane said. Will fumbled around one of his kitchen drawers until he found a beer can opener, and he proceeded to toss it to Diane, who caught it and opened two bottles of beer. "She put the opener and lids aside, passed a bottle to Will, and held the other one up in the air. "Here's to a speedy recovery," she said with a smile and positive attitude. "Cheers to that," Will said, smiling. After a few sips apiece, Will asked, "So how are things at LG?"

"Well," Diane said, putting her beer down on the table, "I told all the partners that you had been shot and had been hospitalized, but they don't really know much. They know that you've been discharged today though, and they're looking forward to seeing you soon."

"That's nice to hear," Will replied. "I miss work already. I've been a little bored since I got home."

"I'm sure," Diane said. "I know what it's like to have a routine and how weird it feels when you're thrown out of it."

"Exactly!" Will smiled, and took another sip of beer. He finally decided to sit down on one of the chairs next to the kitchen island. Diane decided to ask, "Does anyone else outside the firm know what you've been going through?"

"Both of my sisters, and Cary I think," Will replied. "And Alicia, of course," he added on immediately. "She agreed to help me get home today, but Josephine beat her to it. I just managed to yell loud enough to get her out of my apartment about an hour ago."

"Josephine flew all the way out to see you?" Diane asked, surprised. "You haven't talked to her in, well…" she couldn't finished, so Will finished. "Yep, fifteen years."

"Yikes," Diane said. "How'd Cary find out? Alicia I presume."

"Yeah," Will replied, sipping his beer again. "He got worried about her after she was out of the office for a few hours when I was in surgery. She said he promised that he wouldn't peep, though."

"Kalinda was at the hospital with me too," Diane said. "She was just as worried as Alicia and I when you were in emergency surgery."

"Tell her that I look forward to seeing her again soon, will you?" Will asked hopefully.

"Of course," Diane replied. "Speaking of work, when are you allowed to come back?"

"I actually don't know," Will began with a confused look on his face as he tried to remember if his doctor had said anything. "I guess I'll find out when I go back for my follow up next week."

"Okay, but feel free to come visit whenever you like if you get bored. Or Alicia and I can take you out to dinner if you're allowed to have a drink." Diane smiled, and sipped her beer.

"Alicia like the idea of dinner too," Will said.

"You spoke to her today?"

"Yeah, she wasn't very happy that I had left her hanging at the hospital."

"Nice job, Will."

"I apologized, and it's all good. But Josephine thinks that something's going on between me and Alicia when there isn't, and she keeps bringing it up. Really annoying."

"Is she really wrong?" Diane asked, tilting her head.

Will looked at her sternly. "I will admit, she's not fully wrong. There's still feelings between us. But there isn't anything more than that going on."

Diane laughed. "We'll see if that changes."

"Why do you ask that?"

"Come on, Will, if you had seen Alicia in the hospital, she looked more like your girlfriend who was worried sick about you than an old friend checking up on you," Diane said, waiting for Will to say something. Instead, he finished off his beer, and didn't reply for a few seconds. The apartment went silent.

"Do you remember the day I woke up? When I wouldn't let go of Alicia's hand?" Will asked Diane, breaking the silence. Diane nodded in reply, and he continued. "Before I became conscious, they must not have taken me off all the sedatives at once because I began to hear what people were saying before I became fully conscious. I heard Alicia talking to me, and once I felt Alicia's hand, I just couldn't let go. It was like my brain felt like holding her hand was the fastest way to break out of the unconsciousness I was in.

"And I heard her say I need you, Will. I heard her say that. She doesn't know that I heard her say that yet. Those words opened up something within me, and I don't know what I'm going to do. I want to be with her again, and I thinks she wants to as well. But it can't happen. She's the First Lady of Illinois. And Peter's wife."

"Nothing's impossible," Diane says. She put her bottle to her lips, then put it back on the table and sighed. "Wow, I'm finished already. Looks like I really needed that."

"Me too," Will said, standing up to put the two bottles and lids in the trash. He put the opener back in the drawer it had come from, and sat back down. "If you were in my situation, what would you do?"

"Well," Diane began, thinking deeply. "If I really wanted to be with someone who could be classified as legally unavailable, then I would talk to that person about how much both of you wanted a relationship again. And how much that person wanted to get out of it. But I'm telling you right now – Alicia won't want to cause the political scandal of the year."

"By divorcing Peter?" Will asked. Diane responded with a small nod. "I think it's almost hilariously romantic that you two have feelings for each other."

"Thanks a lot, Diane, that's really nice of you," Will replied. "Do you think she and I would ever have a chance? I now that's a weird question to ask?"

"It's none of my business, really, but if you are willing to take my opinion, I will say what I said earlier. Nothing's impossible," Diane said. She looked down at her watch. "Sorry Will, I'm exhausted and I need to get some rest. At least three court appearances next week."

"At least you have the weekend," Will said. "I don't know what I'm going to do. I feel like my weekend is going to last a week."

"Give me or Alicia a call if you want to come and hang out. You'll be most welcome," Diane said, smiling, as she walked towards the door. But she then turned around and said, "And Will, I know you've cared about Alicia for a long time. Don't give up on her, because she cares about you too." When she was done talking, she turned around and let herself out. After the she pulled the door shut, she smiled to herself, hoping that Alicia and Will would somehow work it out.

She thought they made a good pair.