A Week Later

"Ugh, you suck!" Naomi exclaimed playfully as she slapped her cards down. Barney was snickering as he took her cash. Lee tossed his cards into the pile, having folded and was relieved to have. AJ had also folded and was smiling despite looking tired.

"I told you he has a wicked poker face," he told Naomi, making Lee snort.

"But I had the cards!"

"Clearly not," Lee chortled. "You just thought you had the cards." Naomi shot him a look, and he just smiled back at her. The only person missing was Emily, but Lee was pretty sure she wasn't the poker playing type. Barney, however, always cleaned up, which was why Lee always folded when he kept raising the bet or started bouncing his heel on the floor.

"Maybe we should let you rest," Naomi said now, looking at AJ. Lee didn't like seeing him so pale if he was honest.

"I'm fine," AJ dismissed. Naomi looked like she was going to argue but decided to drop it. Lee noticed she grew a bit anxious towards AJ at times but had been doing better lately at not fussing over him as much. He hoped she had someone to talk to about this; if it was majorly hurting Emily, it had to be doing the same to her.

"Another round?" Barney asked.

"No," Naomi retorted. "I have rent to pay."

"I still don't fully understand what I'm doing, so I'm gonna pass," AJ added, making Barney scoff lightly.

"Christmas?" he asked.

"Nope."

"Why is your last name Christmas anyway?" Naomi inquired, looking at Lee now. He shrugged.

"It just is."

"Super vague. That's not a red flag at all," she countered. He flashed a quick smirk before tossing his cards at Barney, who failed to catch them and had to pick them up from the floor. Lee didn't feel too badly. The man had won enough cash in an hour after all.

"I gotta go to work," Naomi said now, standing up and cracking her joints lightly. She gave AJ a kiss goodbye and squeezed his hand with hers tightly.

"Have a good shift," AJ said as she left. She waved and then was gone.

"Ah, it's Tool," Barney said, frowning at his phone. "Give me a minute." He left as well, phone pressed to his ear. Lee looked at AJ, who had his eyes closed. It went through Lee's mind again that this young man was terminally ill, and it made him feel like he couldn't breathe for a moment. How many times had he stood at the barrel end of a gun? Been at the tip of a knife? Almost gotten blown up? Had hands around his necks strangling him? And yet here he was alive and well with an injury that was supposedly going to get better, and AJ was going to die. It just didn't seem right...or fair.

"You know what the worst part is?" AJ said, startling Lee a bit out of his thoughts.

"What?"

"My sister and my dad are gonna drift apart."

"Why do you say that?"

"She's mad at him for heeding my wish to stay away," AJ answered. "And they weren't really close to start with, but this gives her a reason to not talk to him. They'll only have each other when I'm gone, and I don't want them to lose each other."

"I don't think anyone can control that except Emily and your dad," Lee advised. AJ made a slight grimace with his face and sighed.

"You ever wonder what's after this?" he asked after a moment, and Lee's stomach clenched. He did wonder, and it scared him, not that he'd ever admit that out loud.

"I try to just live in the here and now," he answered finally.

"It's kind of hard to do that when the here and now is going to be there and then in the near future," AJ stated grimly. Lee licked his lips nervously, chewing on his lower lip after and trying to think of a response. He didn't know what to say.

"I really don't know what to say," he confessed out loud.

"I know. No one does," AJ sighed. "Turns out people don't like talking about death even though it's in the cards for everyone at some point."

"It's not the greatest for table talk," Lee agreed.

"Can you promise me something?" AJ asked now, turning his head to look at him.

"Erm, sure." Lee nodded.

"When I'm gone, can you look after my sister? If she doesn't have Dad, she won't have anyone, and I think she will really need someone to help her be okay."

It was a big ask. Lee didn't really know Emily all that well, but he had an idea that she would object to this request big time. He also wanted to get out of here and return to New Orleans and get his life back.

"I don't think she'd want me to," he finally said.

"Are you kidding? She likes you," AJ retorted, which made Lee feel surprised.

"I somehow doubt that..."

"If she didn't like you, she wouldn't talk to you," AJ stated firmly. "She'd pretend you didn't exist. I've seen her do it. It's scary."

Lee was still surprised. They bickered more often than not, but when he thought about it harder, he recalled certain times he'd caught her watching him only to bite her bottom lip and turn her head away quickly.

"I...I guess I can," Lee conceded.

"Can or will?"

"I will," Lee corrected, getting the sense that this was very important to AJ, and he suddenly didn't want to let him down. And really, it would probably only be a check in on Emily once in a while anyway. He could manage that.

"Thank you. I really appreciate it."

"No problem."

"Hi, hello," Emily said, breezing in then with her usual greeting and the smell of flowers coming in with her. "Sorry I'm late. I got hung up at a studio arguing over backdrops of all things." She set her bag down on the floor next to the spare chair and went to smooth a hand over AJ's forehead. "How are you?"

Lee watched her every move, suddenly unable to look away. She was wearing a black skirt that hugged her frame and ended at her knees with a white long sleeved blouse tucked into it and a black tie. Her hair was loose and slightly curled, and she had a bit of eye shadow that gave her a smoky look.

Lee swallowed.

"I'm okay," AJ answered, giving her a small smile. Emily took her hand back and reached to pull the chair closer to him.

"What were you doing?" she inquired, eyeing the cards on the table. "Not gambling I hope?"

"Not me," AJ promised. Emily looked at Lee now for confirmation. It made his stomach drop, which was new. What was happening to him? Was his crush turning into something deeper?

"He folded on every hand," Lee advised, putting a hand over his heart. "Scout's honor."

"The joke's on Barney," AJ said now, a smirk growing on his lips. "If I die owing him money, he'll never see it because I don't have any."

"Oh stop," Emily scolded. She shifted in her chair and looked uncomfortable now.

"You have to stop pretending that I'm going to get better," AJ said to her softly. "It will only make it worse..."

"Do not talk to me about death right now," she ordered, cutting him off. "I mean it."

"You can't ignore it, Em..."

"I bloody well can!" she burst out, making Lee flinch a little. "I just want to be here with you and spend time with you and not think about how it might be the last time! I don't want to think about you dying because that means thinking about how I'm going to do life by myself! And that's unbearable! So don't make me feel that pain right now!" Her hands were shaking as she tried to steady her breathing and calm back down. Lee saw Barney start to walk into the room and quickly turn on his heel during this outburst. He felt slightly jealous that his friend could get away so easily. Lee didn't really want to witness this conversation. He felt it was too personal, but he was bloody well stuck there.

"You have to face it sometime, though," AJ insisted. "We talked about this." Emily got to her feet abruptly, snatching her bag from the floor.

"I'm not doing this," she said, moving to leave. "I'm just not. See you later."

AJ heaved a long, heavy sigh when she was gone. Then he looked at Lee. "You'll have your work cut out for you."

"Don't worry about it," Lee replied, moving to get into his chair when he saw what time it was...Martha's warning be damned. He could do this.

"You should probably wait..." AJ started, but Lee held up a hand to stop him. He was just about ready to slide off into the chair when Martha caught him.

"I have to say," she commented as she came and assisted him much to his chagrin. "You are making me a lot of money, mister."

"Come again?" Lee asked, twisting his head to look up at her.

"People like to bet on stubborn patients," she replied.

"Oh, really," he said sarcastically.

"Yep." She began to push him out, and Lee was going to stop her, but his hand wasn't doing well today again, so he scowled and glowered and kept quiet.

"You want me to come with you?" Barney asked when they came upon him hiding down the hallway.

"No."

"Alright. Tool's got a short job for me coming up, so I'll be leaving in a day or two."

"Good for you."

"I'll see you later?"

"Fine." Lee didn't want to admit having Barney leave caused him to feel lonely, even though he had AJ and, fine he'd admit it, Emily. He was feeling rather grumpy in this moment, though, so he stuffed those feelings down.

Martha was humming happily to herself as she steered him down to physio.

...

Emily was outside pacing and muttering angrily to herself. She then whacked her bag against the bricks as hard as she could twice before her shoulders dropped and she lost her fire. AJ was right. She had to face this sooner than later.

It just hurt so damn much.

She went back in, knowing she had to talk to him when she saw Lee being wheeled to physio. For some reason, she decided to go watch. She had no idea why, but it was a great way of procrastinating her apology to her brother.

"You making bets too?" Lee asked snarkily when he saw her. She shot him a dark look back.

"Excuse me?"

"Everyone's having a good laugh at ol' Lee and his misery," he went on. Nicky was ignoring him as she finished getting ready to start. "Making money off my pain is apparently a good and fun thing to do around here."

"I told her it was a bad idea," Nicky said now a bit absently.

"I should sue for emotional pain," Lee snapped.

"Go right on ahead," Nicky replied easily. "Martha can afford it."

Emily watched as Lee muttered and cursed under his breath before Nicky stood in front of him.

"You ready?" she asked.

"Fine."

"I'll hook you up..."

"No harness."

"Lee, I have to..."

"No."

"Yes," Nicky shot back. The bicker fest went on until she threw up her hands and let him have the win, telling him to start after making him sign off he was going against recommendations.

Emily sat down now, crossing her legs and asking herself why she was really here watching this. She could tell Lee was self-conscious and embarrassed. It looked painful, his process. She could see his hands shaking on the rails as he held himself up. He took two steps and then dropped to his knees.

"Good stuff, Lee," Nicky said encouragingly as she went to help him up. Lee batted her hands away and curled into himself almost, resting his head on the mat and his fists on either side of his head while breathing hard and heavy. Nicky gave him space, wearing an empathetic expression now. Emily felt badly for him. She couldn't imagine the level of frustration he was feeling with not being able to walk normally. She put herself in his shoes and felt all the emotions he must be feeling and the thoughts he must be thinking.

She couldn't help herself. She got up and went over to him, kneeling in front of him. As she placed a hand on his shoulder, she asked herself if she would have done this if he hadn't comforted her last week.

She did not have an answer.

"Hey," she said softly. "You're gonna get there, Hot Wheels. I know it." Lee said nothing, just released an aggravated type sound in his throat.

"Hot Wheels," Nicky mused, smiling. "I like it."

"Laugh it up," Lee muttered, slowly lifting his head now.

"No one's laughing," Emily told him when he met her eyes with his. "I know it's hard, it sucks, and you can't get fixed overnight, but you're progressing as best as you can, and you have to be okay with that."

"Don't you have a dress to sell to someone? Why are you here?" he asked her. It was a good question...a fair question. She ignored his dig about her job.

"I don't know," she answered quietly. "I just am."

He was still looking at her, and she resisted placing a hand on his cheek to try and comfort him. She didn't want him to take it the wrong way. She didn't really even fully understand what she was doing right now.

"I was strong," he said now, his voice trying to hide his emotion and not fully succeeding.

"You still are," she countered. "Because it takes strength to do what you're doing here. Trust me. Don't dismiss that."

Lee didn't say anything, just took some breaths and closed his eyes briefly. She felt warm inside when he reached to rest his hand on top of hers on his shoulder.

"Alright," he said, meeting her eyes again and nodding. "Thank you."

"Just paying you back," she replied, and he gave a small smile, squeezing her hand lightly. Then he took it back, and she did the same. Nicky helped him up, and Emily backed away and left him there to finish up for the day. She suddenly couldn't be in his presence because it made her feel dizzy and like she was falling.

...

Lee wasn't sure what to feel around Emily now. It would seem they had both shared a vulnerable moment with each other without intending to, and they'd reacted in a rather surprising way that stepped out of bounds of their usual behavior around one another. It felt strange, and he didn't know what to do with it.

It didn't stop him from razzing her, though.

"You call this chicken?" he said, prodding the contents of the container with his plastic fork. AJ snickered, and Emily rolled her eyes.

"I didn't make it, did I?" she countered. "I just bought it."

"We have to survive on lousy grub in here every day, so if you're gonna bring something from the outside, make sure it's not worse than what's in here," Lee ordered. She made a huff of annoyance.

"I was told it was good," she insisted.

"By who?"

"Andrea..."

"Well, Andrea has bad taste," Lee stated firmly.

"I agree," AJ said with his mouth full. They both looked at him. "What? It's still food, and I really don't want to eat hospital food tonight."

"I think this is what a chicken tried to be before it gave up," Lee commented, still prodding at it. Emily leaned forward and speared a piece with her own fork, giving him a look as she stuffed it into her mouth. He lifted a brow in amusement as he watched, and within seconds, she was grimacing.

"So good," she said forcefully around it before swallowing it. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Liar," he pointed out.

"I'm not!"

"Does your face always look like that when you eat?"

"I wouldn't know. I don't look at myself in the mirror when I eat."

"I'm sure you can feel a scowl on your face."

"I know I can, but I don't think you can," she retorted, gesturing with her hand. "It's your look. Hell, they should just name it after you. The Lee Look."

"I do not scowl all the time..."

"You're scowling right now!"

"No, I'm not."

"Don't live in denial, Lee. Own your face."

"I kind of have to...it's the only one I've got."

AJ had graduated from a chuckle to a cackle to full out laughing now. Both Lee and Emily stopped their bicker fest and looked at him in surprise. He had a hand over his mouth as he laughed, and it got harder and harder as he went on.

"What the hell is so funny?" Emily demanded when he didn't stop. Tears were coming out of his eyes now.

"You just...you two..." he tried and then burst into laughter again.

"We get it," Lee said sarcastically. "We're hysterical."

"Nevermind," AJ said as he coughed and cleared his throat. "I'm not gonna say it."

"Say what?" Emily asked.

"Nothing."

Lee didn't have to hear it. He knew what AJ was going to say. He and Emily had built a tension between each other with their back and forth that it would be obvious to anyone witnessing it. He looked down at his hands, suddenly feeling strange.

"Eat your slop," Emily instructed AJ now. "I won't be bothered to bring anything else ever again since you can't appreciate it."

"Just get a pizza like Naomi did or something," Lee said, unable to help himself. "Or a steak. Or a freaking burger. Hell, even something vegetarian. Anything but this."

"Fine," she said tightly, but her eyes didn't reveal she was upset. If anything, it looked like she was experiencing some feelings herself. He wondered if his eyes gave away his.

He was trying to ignore it when his hand dropped his fork without his permission. He made a sound in his throat, feeling embarrassed. Why was it that he couldn't do something so simple as eat? How the hell was he going to hold a gun or throw a knife if his hand couldn't even hold a fork? He really wanted to chuck that damn fork across the room, but he had no power to do so. His hand was now useless for the time being.

"Yea, I give up on it too," Emily said, dropping her fork as well. "You win. This food sucks."

Lee gave her a grateful look, knowing she'd seen what happened and made it seem like something else entirely. She simply held his gaze briefly before wiping at her mouth with a napkin and looking away.

"You remember the time Mum tried to make chili?" AJ asked her.

"Oh God," Emily said with a laugh. "Vividly."

"I mean, how do you mess up chili?" AJ laughed too. "She must have gotten bad beans or meat or something. I dunno. She felt so bad watching us choke it down."

"Dad ate most of it," Emily added. "I give him a lot of credit for that."

"He didn't want her to feel bad."

"And spending the whole night in the bathroom was clearly worth it."

"Hey, he loved her," AJ said.

"Yea," Emily agreed softly. "He did."

Lee enjoyed when Emily and AJ reminisced. They got lost in the stories and sometimes tried to beat each other to finish one. Their laughter always made him smile, or moments like this where they shared something meaningful, it made him see the bond they shared with each other. He knew that Emily was avoiding talking about reality with AJ for right now; he hoped she would soon, though. He knew it would make AJ feel better to know she'll be okay.

"Please don't be mad at him," AJ said to her now. "He's just respecting my wishes."

"I don't want to get into this with you right now," Emily replied, her voice a bit hard. She tossed her food containers into the garbage and stood up. AJ looked a little bit sad that she was leaving.

"Don't go," he said.

"I actually have a work thing," Emily told him, her face softening now. "I'll be back tomorrow."

"Okay."

Lee averted his eyes as she went to hug and kiss AJ's head lightly. He gave a slight wave when she lifted her hand in his direction before she started to head out.

And that's when Lacy walked in.

What do you suppose Lacy is gonna get up to? Dun, dun, duuuuun