PARENTHOOD

Chapter Thirty

New Gallifrey Hospital

"Ok, here we go," Adam said when he slid his four year son, David, under the blankets and David pouted, folding his arms over his chest. David was wearing Sponge Bob pajamas and Adam placed his teddy bear, Mister Bearlington, under the blankets. Marion had gone to the gift shop to get David some coloring books and crayons and David sighed, looking at the window.

"I want to go home," David said with a growling tone to his voice. Adam sighed when he sat on the bed and David snuggled closer, placing his head against Adam's arm. Adam understood his son's reluctance about being in the hospital and kissed the top of David's head. "I'm scared."

"Yeah, I was scared the first time I had to go to the hospital," Adam sighed and David looked up at him.

"When were you in the hospital, Daddy?"

"It was a long time ago. See, I woke up one morning and wasn't feeling good. I just thought my tummy was upset and didn't think any more about it. So, I decided to do some maintenance on my TARDIS and..."

"Was she broken?"

"No, it was just usual maintenance. Anyway, Mommy came in and sat down on my legs and we started talking. You do know what Mommy's like when she thinks there's something wrong with you, right?" Adam asked and David nodded. "Well, she noticed that I was all sweaty and looked sick and she go off my legs, helping me stand up. The thing was, when I stood up, it hurt. I felt like someone kicked me in the tummy and I couldn't stand up. Now, this was back when my TARDIS was still brand new and her medical bay wasn't up and running yet, so we couldn't use it to see what was wrong. So, I went to the hospital and they found out that I needed my appendix out."

"Where did they take it out?" David asked and Adam showed him the scar on his stomach. David gently touched the scar and Adam kissed the top of his head. "Did it hurt when they took it out?"

"Um, no, I was asleep the whole time. It did hurt when I woke up but it wasn't that bad."

"Did you get ice cream afterwards? Aunt Martha said I'll get ice cream."

"Nope, and that was because I wasn't hungry when I woke up. I did get some a few days later."

"Was Mommy with you the whole time?"

"Yep," Adam said, popping the "p".

"Was Mister Bearlington with you, too?" David asked and Adam smiled, looking at the teddy bear.

"Nope, but I wouldn't have minded if he was. The only bad bit was when I had to stand up a few days after the surgery."

"Why did it hurt?"

"Well, it was because I had been lying down for a few days. So, when I stood up, my tummy and the other stuff slid down and it hurt where my appendix used to be."

"Then why did you stand up?"

"If I didn't then all the other stuff would have gotten all knotted up and that would really hurt."

"Were you scared?"

"Yep, want me to show you?" Adam asked and David nodded. They closed their eyes when Adam thought back to when he had his appendix out, set up a privacy block up and leaned back against the pillow.

"No!" Adam shouted while Rose and the nurse stood near the bed and he folded his arms over his chest. The tube to the IV was taped to his hand and he was wearing a blue and white striped hospital gown. His hair was sticking up on the top of his head and stubble was scattered along his jaw line.

"Come off it, Love, you have to do this or your intestines will get all knotted up," Rose said and he painfully sighed.

"But, Rose, it's going to hurt!"

"Aunt Rose was there?" David asked.

"No, that's Mommy," Adam said.

"But you called her Rose."

"That's her real name. See, when we moved here, Rose, Mommy and Aunt Rosie were all called Rose. So we didn't get confused, Aunt Rosie changed her name to Rosie and Mommy changed her name to Marion."

"Oh, ok," David said and Adam smiled, ruffling David's hair.

"Of course it will but only for a few seconds," Rose said and Adam sighed.

"That's a few seconds too many," he grumbled and his lower lip stuck out.

"Are you a chicken?" she asked and Adam's eyes went wide.

"No," Adam said, shaking his head.

"Then get up," she said and Adam frowned. The nurse pushed the button as the bed slowly moved up until he was half sitting up and he looked at the ceiling. The nurse moved the blankets back as she helped him sit up and he held onto the IV pole while his feet dangled off the side of the bed.

"Just hold onto me," the nurse said as he nodded and gently placed his hand on her shoulder while she helped him stand up.

"HOLY....!" Adam shouted as a cartoon hand covered his mouth and David's head appeared over Adam's head and David smiled.

"Oh, don't be such a baby!" Rose said and Adam glared at her, holding onto the IV pole with both hands.

"Right, now I want you to move your left foot forward," the nurse said and Adam looked at her with wide eyes.

"No thanks. My left foot is fine where it is," he said.

"Just move it," Rose said as he sighed and slowly slid his left foot forward.

"Good, now move your right foot," the nurse said and he looked at her.

"Um, no, this is enough for one day," Adam said, shaking his head.

"Come on, Love, come to Mommy," Rose said as she held her hands out and he looked at her then arched an eyebrow. She wiggled her fingers at him when he sighed and held onto the IV pole. Slowly he moved his right foot forward and a dull pain moved up his side. Nodding, Rose wiggled her fingers at him as he moved toward her until he was in front of her and he was breathing hard through his nose. Rose gently slid her arms around his neck when she kissed him and he smiled, placing his forehead against hers.

"The one thing your mommy like the most was watching my naked bottom wiggling from under the hospital gown that I was wearing," Adam said and David softly giggled. "So, are you ok?"

"Yeah," David said when the door opened and Rose and Martha brought Christopher into the room. Christopher was wearing his Spiderman pajamas as Martha moved the blankets back on the bed next to the bed where David was lying and they looked at Rose.

"What's going on?" Adam asked.

"It looks like David's getting a roommate. Chris needs his tonsils out, too," Rose said and Adam looked at a miserable Chris.

"Where's Alan?"

"He's upstairs in the men's ward."

"Why?"

"That's the funny bit. He needs his tonsils out, too," Rose said when a big grin came to Adam's face and he kissed the top of David's head then got off the bed. They watched as he ran out of the room and Rose looked at Martha.

"Where is he going?" she asked and Martha shrugged.

"This sucks," Alan sighed as he sat under the blanket and slumped against the pillow. He was wearing blue and white striped pajamas as he folded his arms over his chest and looked at his feet. Suddenly he heard a loud screeching sound when Adam appeared in the doorway and grinned. "What are you grinning at?"

"Oh, this is too good," Adam said as he walked to the bed and sat on the end of the bed, looking at him.

"I'm glad you find my pain and misery amusing," Alan said, frowning.

"Sod off, this is nothing compared to my operation," Adam said with a smirk on his face. "All they're going to do is put you to sleep, open that big mouth of yours, press your tongue down, slip in a clamp to take hold of the tonsil, snip it off, stitch you up, repeat on the other side and you're done. I, on the other hand, was cut open, my appendix was removed, stitched up, had a drainage tube put in and nearly died."

"Ok, you win, but it still sucks. Time Lords are not supposed to get sick."

"True, but stuff like this happens."

"But not to me!" Alan said and pounded his fist on the bed.

"Oh, now I see what's wrong. You, Alonzo Arthur Timelord, are scared!"

"I AM NOT!" Alan said with wide eyes and Adam started clucking like a chicken. Growling, Alan pulled one of the pillows out from behind his back and swung it at Adam, who dived off the bed and crawled along the floor. "COME BACK HERE!"

"No!" Adam said when he grabbed the other pillow off the bed and smacked Alan in the back with it. Spinning around, Alan stood on the bed as he swung the pillow at him and whacked Adam in the head. They started laughed as they hit each other with a pillow until the nurse ran into the room and gasped.

"What the hell are you two doing?" she demanded as they sat on the bed and panted.

"He started it," Alan said as he shoved Adam and Adam bumped into him, smiling.

"Well, you were the one acting like a baby," Adam said and the nurse sighed, rolling her eyes.

"Right, you, out!" she said as she pointed to Adam and he nodded, handing Alan the pillow then left the room. "And you, get back into bed!"

"Yes Matron!" Alan said as he saluted her and the nurse sighed, leaving the room. Alan smiled when Adam peeked back into the room and Alan wiggled his finger at him. Walking to the bed, Adam sat down as Alan sighed and brushed the hair out of his eyes. "Ok, I admit it. I'm bloody scared."

"I thought so. Look, it's going to be ok,' Adam said and gently patted Alan's leg.

"Um, would you be here when they take me up to surgery?" Alan asked sheepishly.

"Isn't your brother going to be here?"

"He went off to help Jack with that rift thing and won't be here until after the surgery's over."

"Oh, then, sure, I'll be here," Adam said with a smile and Alan smiled back.

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