"I'll take alive." Both as a description and of her current state of being. She suspected she came very close to not being so.

She was grateful for his outstretched hand - she wasn't sure that her pride would have let her reach for his help on her own. She had a tendency to think in absolutes. She either needed his help all the time or none of the time. She was standing on her own, and she wished that meant she could do everything on her own, but the wobbliness she felt in her knees said otherwise.

She led him support her for the slow but steady walk to the couch. Once seated, though, she didn't let go of his hand. She didn't want to ever let him go.

"Watch some 'I Love Lucy' with me? They say laughter is the best medicine." And his laugh never failed to make her happy.