LOSS AND HEALING
Chapter Five The Doctor opened his eyes and River lifted his head and smiled at him. "What time is it?" he said to her. River checked her watch. "Nearly eight in the evening. You've been asleep for about two hours," she said. "That's all I needed, energy is now recovered," he said. He listened and heard the faint sound of the TV upstairs. He asked River to move and she got off him and he sat up. She stood with him and held his hand while they walked to the stairs. As they climbed, the Doctor heard a male narrator talking about the Battle of Gettysburg. "See, Mommy, see how many people they killed?" he heard Michelle saying. "I know, sweetie, it was a very bad time in history," Lori said. The Doctor and River stepped up into the hallway and walked around the partition. Lori, Michelle and Brittany were sitting and watching TV while Rex lay in front of it. He perked up and went to the Doctor, wagging his tail. "Are you alright?" Lori asked the Doctor. "Oh yeah, I told you I didn't need to sleep long. I feel loads better," he said to her. "We're watching this show on the Civil War," Michelle said as she sat beside Brittany on the sofa. "I told Mommy I was studying it and she found this show so we decided to watch it. Wanna watch it with us and have a snack?" she said, pointing to the glass of Coke and bowl of crisps on the coffee table in front of her. "Mandy and Tom are in bed and Dad had to go to bed because he goes to work early," Brittany said to them while the Doctor pet Rex. "Creepy gets to stay up till nine and I can stay up till ten." "Cause she's older," Michelle said sourly. "You had to go to bed like Tom and Mandy when you were their age," Lori said to her. "When you reach fifteen, you can stay up another hour on school nights. But would you like something to eat or drink?" she said to the Doctor and River. "Pop and crisps will be okay," the Doctor said. "I'll get it, just relax," Lori said, getting up. The Doctor sat down beside Brittany while River sat in the empty chair. "Hey, wanna hear something interesting that happened at my high school today?" Brittany said to the Doctor. "Ooo, what happened at your high school today?" the Doctor said. "Well…There was this enormous fight between these two guys in the hallway between classes and the principal of our school got in the middle of it, grabbed one of the guys, slammed him against the wall and lifted him about two feet off the floor while he screamed at him to stop fighting." "And the other miscreant? What did your principal do to him?" the Doctor said to her. "Nothing. He wasn't the one that started it," Brittany said with a shrug. "What did you do then?" the Doctor said. "Watched." "Why didn't you jump in and stop it yourself?" the Doctor said. "Because the two people in question were on the football team." "So?" Michelle giggled while Brittany stared at the Doctor. "You see this little body I got?" she said, pointing to herself. "You see River over there?" the Doctor said, pointing to River. "River would have jumped in there, grabbed them both and spun them over their heads. And she's not much bigger than you are…and she's older so what's your excuse?" he said, his eyes twinkling with mirth. "I'm not you," Brittany said. "She's not me either but she can take on two burly men," the Doctor teased. "Hey," Lori said, coming into the room carrying the silver tray. "Did you want this back? It's very nice and it looks like an antique." "Nah, you can have it," the Doctor said. "The TARDIS made it for me although I think it's made from Neptunian silver by the looks of it." Lori paused as she put the tray down on the coffee table. "Are you serious? This is silver from outer space?" she said, pointing to the tray. "Let me have a closer look at it when you get done giving us the crisps and Coke and I'll tell you for certain," the Doctor said. Lori put a bowl of potato chips and a glass of Coke in front of him and carried the tray over to River. River stood up, took her bowl and glass and thanked her graciously. Lori nodded and smiled and took the tray back to the Doctor. Michelle popped a crisp in her mouth and watched while the Doctor studied the tray closely. "Yes, Lori, I believe it is Neptunian silver," he said, handing it back to her. "Okay, I'm gonna lock this thing up and never lose sight of it…ever," Lori said while everyone laughed. "Wow, the things I've seen since meeting you just blows my mind." "So, Brit, about standing around and watching when you shoulda been ass whooping those blokes," the Doctor said to her while Lori went back into the kitchen. XOXOXOXOXOXOX "Okay, kiddo, it's nine o'clock," Lori said to Michelle when the documentary ended. "You got school tomorrow so head for bed!" "Are you feeling better?" Michelle said to the Doctor as she stood up. "I am feeling heaps better now," the Doctor said. "Don't worry about me, I'll be alright. Just get some rest so you can do those mathsssss problems tomorrow." "Hey, he says in England, they called it maths instead of math," Michelle said to her mother. "Really?" Lori said. "Yup," the Doctor said. "I keep telling her to be British." "I don't wanna be British!" Michelle said while the Doctor sniggered. "You be American!" "Nah, I wanna be Time Lord," the Doctor said. River got up and waited while the Doctor hugged and kissed her cheek and told her goodnight. Then she did the same and Michelle took her empty bowl and glass back into the kitchen before coming out and kissing and hugging her mother good night. "See you tomorrow, Doctor, be good," Michelle said as she headed to her bedroom. "That leaves you alone with me, bwa ha ha," Brittany said to the Doctor. "And you can't even stand up to two American football players so what makes you think I'll fear you?" the Doctor said while River chuckled. They switched to Once Upon a Time and the Doctor munched on his crisps and drank his Coke while he watched the program with Brittany. When ten o'clock came around, Brittany did the same thing as Michelle and kissed and hugged everyone and wished them goodnight. She waved as she headed for bed. "Ah, child free at last," Lori said while the Doctor and River chuckled. "I love them but I also need to rest and recharge from time to time." "Perfectly understandable," the Doctor said. "So…they'll probably want to see you before they head off to school tomorrow," Lori said, pointing to the hallway. "And if you want, you both can accompany me and Mandy on some errands and I can show you more of Indiana." "That sounds wonderful," the Doctor said. "Jim will take the truck so that leaves us the car," Lori said. "I need to get a few more gifts for Shelly and do a bit of shopping." "If you want, you can use the TARDIS again for Michelle's gifts," the Doctor said. "You know, you spoil me with that ship of yours," Lori said. "I will do that if you don't mind but I still want to get out of the house tomorrow for awhile and I can show you around. It's something to do while the others are gone. And Mandy will want to spend some time with you too. I just know she will." "We would love that," River said. "Thank you," Lori said. She watched TV for another half hour before telling them she would be going to bed. She told them the house was theirs and to help themselves and the Doctor and River both wished her goodnight. Lori smiled and told them she'd see them in the morning before she turned and headed down the hallway to her bedroom.
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