THE GRAND TOUR OF OKLAHOMA
Chapter Twelve The Doctor and Rose followed Suri to the other Gate of Time and went up some steps to the street. While they were following him, they were quietly discussing what they'd seen, trying to ignore Suri who was staggering along the sidewalk. When they caught sight of First Church, Rose slowed down to get a look at it and the Doctor slowed his pace as well. "It is beautiful," she said, admiring the brick church when they finally stopped across the street from it. "Yeah, one of those old brick churches. And look up there," the Doctor said, pointing to a rose shaped stained glass window near the roof. "I think that's the window that got damaged in the blast. Did you see the remains of that window frame when we saw that little girl's shoe?" "Yeah, I wonder how long it took everyone to recover from the blast. It's amazing that…" "Are you coming?" Suri called when he reached the street corner and saw they were standing there. "WAIT A MINUTE!" the Doctor bellowed at him, finally at the end of his patience. "We have to get inside before the door locks!" Suri yelled. "Wow, wouldn't that be heartbreaking," Rose muttered. "Just wait a minute, we still have twenty minutes and Rose was trying to tell me something. We'll be there on time, just wait! Now…what were you going to say?" he said, turning his attention back to Rose. "I was just thinking that's it's amazing more people weren't killed because you have to figure in breaking and flying glass shards from all this," Rose said as she and the Doctor started moving again. "I agree," the Doctor said, following Suri who turned the corner and went around the side of the church. "A lot of people were lucky that day." "Well, there were the five who died outside the building, but only five which is amazing," Rose said. "Well, four actually, Rebecca technically died inside the building when the debris fell on her." "That's right. But everyone else that died was, what, within the car park or in those other buildings between it and the Journal Record building, yeah? I mean, as big as the blast was…" They crossed the road, turned the corner of the church and Rose sighed angrily when Suri was at the other corner waiting for them. "We'll lose him tonight, Rose, when we go to Bricktown and go on the boat ride, go on with what you were saying," the Doctor said when Rose glowered at Suri. "Anyway…" Rose said, turning her attention back to the Doctor, "I wonder how long it took the city to recover from all this, must have taken ages. It took awhile for New York to clean up after 9/11. Oh look, that's a pretty stained glass window too," Rose said, slowing down and pointing up to a stained glass window on the side of the building. The Doctor stopped with her and waited while Rose got out her camera. He glanced at Suri and noticed he was angry. Rose snorted when the Doctor told her about him being angry. "Why do you think I stopped?" she muttered to the Doctor. "I'm gonna drag my feet as much as I can and piss him off in the meantime." "That's my girl," the Doctor said while Rose chuckled. She took a picture of the window and then took a picture of the Doctor in front of the steps leading up to two sets of glass double doors. Then Rose took the Doctor's hand and they resumed their conversation while they walked to the end of the building and turned the corner. They were in the parking lot and they followed Suri to a set of concrete stairs that went up to the main entrance of the church. "Wow, this is a big church, it looks smaller from the front," Rose said to the Doctor. "I think because this is a newer section. It looks more modern," the Doctor said to her while they climbed the steps. "The front section looks like it was built in the early 1900's." Rose nodded. They walked along the sidewalk to a set of white steel double doors on the side of the building by the main entrance. Suri opened the door and waited. "He's just gonna make damn sure we go inside," the Doctor muttered to Rose while she giggled softly. "Blast, I was all ready to run as soon as he went inside," Rose muttered to him. "Actually, that was my plan, I thought of it first," the Doctor muttered back while Rose giggled. They walked inside with Suri and looked around. They were in the music room and there were tables set up in two rows with black plastic chairs. Another table beside them had napkins, Styrofoam cups, and a dispenser for water or ice tea. Beside that was a large bowl of ice with a scoop and some plastic silverware, salt, pepper and sugar packets. A table next to it was empty. In the front was a flat screen TV and DVD player on a stand. They saw two empty chairs side by side at the table in the front row nearest the empty table and walked to it. There were about twenty other people inside the room, most of them looked a bit haggard and some looked unkempt. They heard Suri calling for Mary as the Doctor and Rose sat down and then they saw him coming up to them with a short, thin Caucasian woman. She was in her early forties and had shoulder length brown hair. "This is John and Rose," Suri said, pointing to them. "They just arrived in Oklahoma City today. This is Mary." The Doctor and Rose stood up and shook hands with Mary. "Nice to meet you, I'm Mary. Welcome to Friday Night Alive," she said in a pleasant slightly high-pitched voice. "We're having a movie night tonight so get something to drink and the food will be out shortly." The Doctor nodded and Mary went to make the rounds and greet everyone else. Suri sat down beside Rose and watched while the Doctor offered to get the drinks. "Tea or water?" he asked her. "Um," Rose said, looking back at the dispensers. "Water, not that fond of cold tea." "Be back in a jiff," the Doctor said, getting up. "Are you married to him?" Suri asked Rose when the Doctor went to the dispensers. "No," Rose said to him. "Lovers?" Rose said nothing and looked back at the Doctor who was scooping some ice into their cups. "I said, are you lovers?" Suri said. "I'd rather not say, alright?" Rose said angrily. "Alright, geez, don't need to get so fucking defensive," Suri said. "Well, what we are is mine and his own business, yeah?" Rose said. "Alright, geez," Suri muttered. The Doctor finished getting them water and turned back to the table. He noticed Rose's pissed off look and he leaned in as he sat the glasses on the table. "Problem?" he asked. "No, no problem," Rose said softly. "I was just asking if you two were lovers," Suri said to him. "And I said it was none of his business and he got cross with me." "That's right, it's not your business," the Doctor said, sitting down beside Rose. "Fine, I won't ask again," Suri said angrily. Rose looked at the Doctor and rolled her eyes while the Doctor gave her an amused grin. Suri watched while the two of them leaned their heads in close and began to talk in hushed whispers. He noticed how into each other they were and how they gazed into each other's eyes while they talked and snorted softly. "Yeah, you're lovers," he muttered under his breath. "Anyone can see that." While they were talking, Mary came up to Suri and gave him a hug. "So, Suri, how have you been?" she asked him. "I just got out of jail again," Suri said. Hearing this, the Doctor and Rose fell silent and stared at each other while they listened. "Again?" Mary said in exasperation, "what did you do this time?" "It wasn't my fault, this jackass hit me and I beat the crap outta him and the police take me away when he was the one who started it." "Suri, you need to start coming to the anger management classes," Mary said. "I will but this wasn't anger management, I was defending myself." The Doctor grinned and mimed hitting Rose on the chin. Rose bit her lip to keep from laughing. She leaned into his ear. "You hit me, I need to defend myself so watch it, I'm gonna kick your arse across this room," she whispered to him. She leaned back up and giggled at the feigned look of fear on the Doctor's face. Mary walked away and they watched while she walked over and hugged an elderly homeless man. "I do have an anger problem," Suri said to the Doctor and Rose. "But it wasn't about that. I was minding my own business and this asshole punches me. I could have killed him though, I'm a third degree black belt in karate and my hands are registered because they're considered deadly weapons." "I'm a twelfth degree black belt in Venusian Aikido and my whole body is a deadly weapon," the Doctor said to him. Rose held her laughter in when she noticed the confused look on Suri's face. "There's no such thing as twelve degree black belts or….what was it?" "Venusian Aikido." "Never heard of it," Suri said. "Not many people have, it's a very secret and deadly art and I'm an expert at it." "Well, I can kick your ass before you can blink." Rose sighed at that and shook her head. "Look, you don't know him like I do and you don't wanna get in a fight with him, trust me." "I'm not afraid of your boyfriend," Suri said. "This guy who punched me, I beat the shit outta him with a baseball bat two weeks ago because he stole my stuff." "And you're surprised he came up and punched you back?" the Doctor said. "No, I figured he'd try something but I taught him another lesson and he ended up in the hospital." "And you ended up in prison." "Jail. I went to jail, I've never been to prison," Suri said defensively. "What's the difference?" Rose said. "There's a hell of a lot of difference between jail and prison," Suri said. "Well, I've never been to either," Rose said smugly. "So, you'll have to pardon my ignorance." "I've been to jail," the Doctor said. "Numerous times. Wasn't on Earth though." Rose snickered at the odd look on Suri's face. "Yeah, that's funny," Suri said dryly. "Seriously and let me tell you, you need to be tough to survive the Alpha Centauri prison. It's a nightmare." Suri rolled his eyes and the Doctor winked at Rose when she looked at him and grinned. Suri was about to say something else to him when suddenly… "G! Hey, G!" "Oh no," Rose muttered when G came in the room and called out to Suri. "G, haven't seen you in awhile," G said, stumbling over to him. "Yeah, been in jail," Suri said. "Ah man, you were in jail, G?" "Yeah, the cops threw me in jail for defending myself, bunch of Nazis!" Suri said. "I hear that. Rose G!" G said, turning his attention to her. Rose plastered a smile on her face when he shook her hand. "You and G come up here for the food?" G said, pointing to the Doctor. "Yeah, me and…G…came up here for the food," Rose said while the Doctor turned his head to hide his laughter. "Alright! Rose G, getting some food!" G said, swaying back and forth. "Hey, G!" he said, calling to someone at the other table. "How's it goin', G?" The Doctor laughed silently while Rose shook her head and rolled her eyes. Both of them blinked when a young black woman went past their table. She had a blue jean hat and she'd shoved the brim down until it was past her eyes but she still managed to walk without bumping into things. "How the hell does she see where she's goin'?" Rose whispered in the Doctor's ear. The Doctor grinned and shrugged. Everyone fell silent when Mary came up to the front. "Okay, we're going to get started in a minute but first I want to say something and then we'll have prayer," Mary said. "I know that things are tough and it's tough being out on the streets but God is watching over all of you and loves you and will see you through, no matter what happens. It's a hard life when you're homeless but Jesus will be there with you, so trust in him. And now, let's bow our heads for prayer." The Doctor and Rose sat in a respectful silence while Suri and most of the other people bowed their heads while Mary prayed. When they were finished, a side door opened and a man brought in a metal trolley loaded with pizza boxes. On the lower shelf was a huge bowl of salad and dressing and a tray filled with assorted cookies. The Doctor and Rose noticed everyone was beginning to line up by the first table so the Doctor took Rose's hand and they stood up and joined the queue.
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