Aly had noticed this, and looked at him.

"Hey Eke?" she said.

"Are you all right?" she asked.

"Hm?" Ryker muttered, looking at Eke.

"Holy crap, you look tired." he said.

"Yeah, you okay?" he asked, echoing Aly's question.

Aly and Ryker watched him go, before they followed.

Ryker got Eke's shoes off of him, and Aly tucked him in comfortably.

The two of them then looked at each other, nodded, and left the room, allowing Eke to sleep.

Aly left the house, saying she needed to get home, and Ryker saw her off, before going and sitting down on the couch.

"Well, seems things have improved for him." he commented.

"Good."

"Yeah!" he heard Ryker call back.

Ryker was in the den, sitting on the couch, and sighed.

"Hm." he muttered.

"He slept late." he said.

"Well, means he slept WELL, at least." he added with a shrug, as he waited for Eke to find him.

Ryker just smiled at him.

"Hungry?" he asked.

"Cool." he said.

"What do you want?" he asked. "Anything in specific?" he asked further.

"Or... you know, any preferences?"

Ryker thought for a moment.

"A walk sounds good." he said.

"And... something sweet?" he asked.

"Hmmm." he mumbled.

"I think I know what to do." he told him.

"Feeling like brownies?"

"Well, 'breakfast'." Ryker replied, doing air-quotes with his fingers.

"It's getting close to noon." he chuckled.

"Which, if I recall, is when Aly's coming by." he then told Eke.

"Regardless, brownie waffles?" he asked.

"Yeah, I think I can try my hand at that." he told him, getting to his feet.

Ryker froze for a moment when he heard that... and smiled softly.

"Heh." he chuckled.

"Sure." he said.

"Come on and help me." he told him.

"And really? The river bridge?" he asked.

"Are you sure?"

Just as they had finished up making the batter, they heard a knock on the door.

"Hello!" they heard Aly call in.

"Yo." Ryker said.

"You'd better answer the door." he told Eke.

"I'll finish up here and start making the waffles."

Ryker watched him go, before wiping his face clean.

Meanwhile, as the door was answered, Aly blushed deeply at the greeting.

"Oh, you are a shameless flatterer." she commented.

"Anyway, good afternoon." she greeted him.

"You seem to be in a chipper mood."

"Oh, of course." she replied.

"By the way, did you take your medication?" she asked.

"The bitter pill?" she clarified.

"You need to take one EVERY day for it to be effective in the long-term." she then warned him.

"DID you?"