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Kinnetik — Brian is talking to his sassy secretary (whom we've never really seen enough of). She tells him Phil from the Art Department was trampled during the bomb and has a broken hip, but everyone else is present and accounted for. Brian says "I'll give him a call, and send some food. And porn." The secretary agrees that those are the basic essentials.

Ted wants to know why Brian is there; he should be home sleeping. But Brian says he couldn't sleep. Ted starts rambling on about contractors and inspectors and insurance. Brian wonders if Ted is forgetting something, like, say, Michael? Ted is relieved to hear that Michael made it through surgery, but he's still generally a zombie and can't cope with the idea of going to the hospital. Brian just stares at him, genuinely concerned.

Ben's class — For some reason, Ben has decided to teach today. His students are all up in arms about the bomb, of course, and being young and idealistic, they're sure they're the only ones who really understand activism and oppression. They're ready to fight back, and they tell Ben that he can afford the "enlightened way" because he makes a good salary and could pass for straight and generally lives in a bubble. Ben says, very simply, that his partner, his husband, was critically injured in the bombing and nearly died.

Ben: "If I live in a bubble, it just burst."

For once, I'm on your side, Ben. And your students look properly ashamed, and have finally shut the fuck up.

La-la land — Emmett is comforting himself with vanilla pudding and the silver screen. Drew wants him to go jogging, but Em is not about to leave the land of wallow. Well, he's not really wallowing; he's more traumatized than anything. Drew is not very understanding. But he gets some points for agreeing to speak at the candlelight vigil for the bombing victims — and for saying that it's not about being straight or gay, but is about being human.

Em, however, has no plans to go to the vigil. He's got pudding to eat.

The hospital — Ben is back, but Deb is not willing to take her turn at home; she's glued to Michael's bedside. Ben offers to get her some soup, but as he's about to go, Michael wakes up. Deb starts to tell him that "some lunatic planted a fuckin' bomb," but Ben wants to take the calm and comforting route. He goes to get Deb her soup — and there on the other side of the hospital room door is Hunter. Oh.

Justin's loft — Justin is painting, because when he was bashed, he learned that the best way to survive is to make something, to prove you're still here.

Brian's more interested in proving his love; he suddenly asks Justin to marry him. Justin is as incredulous as I am, and tells Brian to stop being ridiculous. But Brian says he means it, and I almost believe him. Rather, I almost believe he means it right now. Not later.

Justin's smart enough to say no, because he knows Brian's true nature and knows that Brian is just freaked out by the bomb. Brian is kind of stunned.

The hospital — Hunter explains that he has been at Disney World, playing Dopey the Dwarf. One little funny thing happens — Hunter explains that he hitchhiked to Disney World:

Hunter: "You'll be happy to know I didn't blow any of the drivers."
Michael: "You're a good boy."
Nurse: "I'll, uh... I'll check in on you later." [leaves]
Deb: "That's the last we'll see of her."

Hunter says he caught the first plane when he heard about Babylon; apparently it made national news.

Pudd'nhead Emmett — Em is still feeling freaked out and eating pudding. So Carl sits down next to him and tells him a story about a rookie cop whose first day on the job involved a run-of-the-mill domestic disturbance that turned into a double homicide. The rookie cop took to his bed and couldn't move his arms and legs, and then eventually realized that bad things happen, and you just have to be glad for every day, because that's really all you have. It sounds hokey, but the way Carl tells it is very convincing — and of course Carl himself was that rookie cop.

Babylon — Ted is talking to a contractor or something. Brian shows up and reveals that he has no intention of re-opening Babylon. He knows people will always associate it with "bombs and corpses." As he goes, he tells Ted he'll see him at the vigil, but Ted's expression says otherwise.

The diner — Lindsay is ordering food for Dusty's widow, Marie. Mel is talking with Justin about the shock of it all. Justin says it will eventually sink in. Mel says Marie has no legal right to the kids she had with Dusty, and if the anti-gay proposition passes, they can be taken away from her. Justin says it's a good thing Mel and Linds are both Gus and J.R.'s legal parents — well, duh, because Mel is supposedly a lawyer.

Mel and Linds smooch and say they're glad they've reconciled, and realized what they'd lost before it was too late. It should be sweet, but that entire scene was so choppy and rushed, it was kind of annoying. I blame that pesky kid, whatever his name is.

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