"Mr.
Dunne?" Ezra took a step back from his open door.
"Hi,
ah... Ezra." JD shifted uncomfortably on Standish's front step.
Ezra
cocked his head questioningly. "Come in, Mr. Dunne."
"Thanks,
Ez." JD smiled awkwardly as he stepped inside. Standish closed
the door behind him as JD looked around.
Ezra
stared at him.
"Um...
Happy Thanksgiving."
"Thanksgiving
was weeks ago," Standish told him, his voice sardonic.
"Oh
yeah. I know. I just..." JD winced. "You know when you
were sick, hurt," he stopped himself from saying dying,
"in the hospital?"
"I
have a vague recollection of a room in the ICU." Ezra grinned wolfishly.
"Yeah...
then! I was thinking about..." JD shifted uncomfortably, "things."
Ezra
sighed, exasperated. "Yes, Mr. Dunne?"
"Well,
I was thinking about you. I mean, not you." He chuckled
self-consciously. "Not like you think I was thinking about... you..."
his voice trailed off.
Ezra
stared at him.
"Ahem,
anyway." JD sighed. "I didn't think this would be so hard."
Ezra
lifted his hands, palms out. "Was there something you needed to
tell me, Mr. Dunne?"
"Not
needed. Wanted," JD told him. "I um... I mean, I just
wanted to let you know that, well..." he rushed the words,
"I'm glad you're on our side."
Grinning
wryly, Ezra slowly lifted one eyebrow. "As opposed to...?"
"I
mean on our team." JD shook his head as he blew the bangs off
his forehead with a sharp breath. "A friend."
Ezra
paused for a second and then said haltingly, "JD. I'm touched."
JD
stared hard at him, looking for any sort of deception. When he
didn't find any, he relaxed. "Just wanted to let you know that.
Thought you needed to know that." He paused. "Promised
someone I'd let you know that." He sighed hard. "And I
don't go back on my word."
"No,
Mr. Dunne. You don't." Ezra watched him thoughtfully.
"You're a good man that way."
JD
beamed. "Thanks, Ez."
"If
only you could remember my name, I would be forever grateful."
Ezra sighed dramatically.
JD
rolled his eyes. Taking a step toward the door, he shrugged.
"Well, just so's you know that." He smiled. "Guess
I'll be going." He opened the door.
"Thanks...
JD."
"Sure
thing, 'Ez'." JD grinned wryly and then turned and walked away.
The End
