".......worried?" Ryker asked.

"That's... a bit of a strong word." he said.

"Concerned? Eh... maybe a smidgen..." he then admitted.

"More just... confused, actually." he said. "I've never seen you ask for something so... light." he reasoned.

"But hey, if that's what you want, then that's what I can make." he told him with a shrug.

"Fruit salad with nuts it is."

Ryker made his way downstairs, and started rooting through the fridge and freezer.

"Hm." he mumbled.

"Yeah, should have enough." he said.

He then paused again, and thought for a moment.

"Yeah." he said to himself, as he got to work.

Meanwhile, Aly had made her way back to the door to Eke's room, and knocked on it.

"Eke?" she called in.

Aly entered the room, and smiled softly at him.

"How are you doing?" she asked.

"Ryker looked a bit sad when he passed me." she went on.

"...you spoke to him about what I said, didn't you?" she asked after a pause.

"How did he take it?"

"...that IS a symptom, yes." Aly sighed quietly.

"But that is manageable as well." she told him.

"I can make a caplet that you'll need to take twice a day, but it should keep your appetite strong." she said further.

"Eke, I can't stop the flow of time." she then muttered. "But I CAN make it so that you're remaining time is comfortable, and free of suffering." she said further.

"You'll see." she added with a small smile.

"Well, that's not normally something to cause concern or alarm." Aly replied.

"A varied diet is ALWAYS good." she said.

"All we can do is wait and see if this trend continues." she then told him.

"For now, let's not worry about it TOO much, okay?" she suggested.

"Just focus on the here and now."

"Not particularly." Aly replied.

"Sometimes you do, but given your situation, that's natural." she assured him.

"We just need to make sure you don't fall into the trap of dwelling on your future too much." she then said.

"How about this?" she then asked.

"You think no further ahead than... 5 months." she told him with a small smirk.

"That work for you?"

"......." Aly was silent as Eke blanked out again, before sighing.

She then waited for a moment or two, and then snapped her fingers in front of his face, bringing him back to reality.

"That is a little concerning." she admitted.

"These bits where you cannot remember something, and blank out? It's worrisome." she told him.

"I..." she started to say further, before going quiet.

"Nevermind." she finished, looking away slightly.

"....I can't." Aly replied.

"I was going to suggest you get help, but that would probably do more harm than good, given your history. What you've told me of it." she then said.

"So... never mind. Just... forget it." she said quietly.

"I just worry about these memory blanks, and how you get all foggy when you try and remember them." she admitted further.

"It's not a part of your condition, so it worries me that you might have something else going on that we don't know about." she then added.

"..." Aly was silent for a moment, before returning the kiss.

"All right." she replied.

"I think I understand." she told him.

"It sounds very confusing and concerning, but... I trust you." she then said with a smile.

"And I trust Ryker as well."

Aly was a bit shocked to see Eke slide down the banister, but smiled a little and chuckled. She then quickly made her way down the stairs as well.

"You still have so much energy." she told him when she got to the bottom.

"I'm almost done!" Ryker called to the two of them.

"Decide what you two want to drink!" he then added.

"What do you feel like having, Eke?" Aly asked her new fiancee.