Pratt has acquired pizza and soda, shoved through the not-so-locked-down window by one of his friends. He has friends? Since when? I received no memo. I take back everything I ever said about you, Pratt, Chen sighs, digging into her slice. Pratt gets excited, but Chens totally all, Psych! You still suck. Carter busts out with the news that young Adam remember him? Neither do we is out of the woods because his fever broke. They all toast him, and each other, for surviving the plague. Pestis Puerorum, Stan says suddenly. They shoot him surprised looks that say, Give the man a green bathrobe and he suddenly speaks Latin? Stan explains that hes referring to Black Death, a plague that started in China and infected Italian sailors, who brought it to Sicily in 1347 and ultimately killed 25 million people with it. They gape at him, because they neither asked for nor invited intelligent conversation. Renaissance philosophy, Stan shrugs, flushing. Does he mean history? If not, I so want to take that class: Philosophy of Plagues Through The Ages. Pratt cant believe Stan studied philosophy. Taught it, amends Stan. Pratt snorts, because hes about as charming as a shoe dipped in moldy orange juice and painted in Christina Aguileras image. Curious, they ask Stan what happened. Things, he says sadly. Things happened. Things always happen. Carter stares at the floor. Youre sober now, he offers, darting a quick glance at Abby. Not by choice, Stan says. Abby meets Carters eyes and silently dares him to keep thinking what hes thinking. A coconut drops off a palm tree in Miami, a bird flies into a building in Sydney, and suddenly an anvil lands on the front desk. Chen offers to hook Stan up with some counseling and perhaps an alcoholism program. I killed my daughter in a DUI, Stan blurts out. Theres no counseling for that. Thanks for the pizza. He shuffles off down the hallway, lost and alone. Chen yanks her foot out of her mouth, grabs her pizza, and announces that shes going to eat dinner in bed. Sounds good to me, Pratt leers. Alone, Chen says pointedly. Abby and Carter reject Pratts offer to hang out in front of the TV, so he toddles off and leaves the star-crossed whatevers alone at the front desk.













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