Meeting the doctor 049 x oc)

Chapter 17

Eleanor wraps her arms around the doctor. She tightens her hold on him squeezing him into a bear hug, fearing the consequences of letting go. The doctor was not bothered. He settled her into his lap as she nestled herself into his chest. He wrapped an arm around her waist as he rested his head on top of hers, whispering assurances in her ear and stroking her hair.

"I am here, darling. You are safe." He spoke in his soft metallic voice. "You are alright."

His support helped her calm down. His presence alone was enough to stop her tears and relax her spirit. The doctor felt the tension leave her body as her hold on him loosened. Eleanor finally felt safe.

"What troubles you my love?" The doctor asked.

She took a deep, shaky breath, nesting herself more into his grip. "I had a nightmare. I was captured. I was nearly ... violated."  She shuttered at the last part.

Her hold on him tightened again. Her thoughts were plagued with the person she was running from. The dark room she desperately tried to escape from.

The doctor became tense. The thought of Eleanor being forced against her will was horrendous. He would protect her by whatever means necessary. Though he's never killed a person in cold blood before, he would not hesitate if it meant keeping Eleanor safe.

He takes a deep breath to calm himself. There was a damsel in distress that he needed to take care of.

"Darling, I will have no such act happen to you. You have my word." He leans down to give her a kiss on her forehead.

Eleanor nods as she continues to rest on his lap. The kiss she received left a warm sense of security. She felt balanced as her fears and worries melted away. When she came back to her senses, she remembered the room that she was in. She hadn't noticed the shelves containing books before. She remembered her old medical books before her mother burned them. The notes she worked so hard to take. She moves away from the doctor to look up to him.

"May I look over your notes since mine were destroyed?"

The doctor gives her another kiss, but this time on her lips. "Of course darling. You are always welcome to them."

Eleanor blushes at the romantic gift, but smiles to him. He hands her the small leather booklet. She opens the book seeing a language that she isn't familiar with. The doctor was teaching her his wrightings before but didn't get far with the recent events. She frowns, embarrassed by her lack of knowledge . The doctor, sensing her difficulties, speaks up.

"I can read them to you if you like." He offers.

She smiles "Yes please. Thank you dear." She gives him a kiss on his beak.

Eleanor settles herself back onto his chest. After finding a comfortable position, the doctor wraps his arm around her. He begins to read his notes aloud. He explains the changes and techniques he's used on his patients so far as well as his observations and potential treatments. Eleanor listens intently to soak up as much information as possible.

Suddenly, the doctor stops reading. his body becomes tense and his mind on alert. He averts his sights on the door. The change in atmosphere causes Eleanor to look up to him.

"Darling, are you alright? What is the matter?" she asks in worry.

He gently lifts her from his lap and stands. "I fear we may be watched." His focus still on the door.

He gestures her to stay behind, in case of danger. She nods. Her heart rate picks up as she feels her anxiety grow. The doctor approaches the door slowly. Cautiously, he turns the knob and opens the door. He steps out of the room and observes his surroundings. He's met with silence and stillness. The dark of the night covers the hallways. No signs of life are found.

He stays in the hallway for a few more moments before confirming the scene is safe. He turns on his heel and goes back into the study. He closes the door behind him as Eleanor walks up to him.

"Is everything alright?" she hugs herself to calm her nerves.

"Yes my love. My apologies for frightening you. I found nothing out of the sort." He gathers her in into his arms and plants a kiss on the top of her head.

His embrace helps Eleanor to relax. The doctor, however, is still tense. Having incredibly sharp senses had him wary about possible threats. Even though his eyes didn't detect these threats, his other senses told him otherwise. He could see traces of the pestilence that lingered in the area. As much as he wanted to investigate this, he couldn't expose Eleanor to a possibility of harm. A yawn escapes from the damsel in his arms, pulling him out of his thoughts.

"Oh dear, would you like to sleep darling?"

"I suppose." She snuggles more into his arms. "You make a great pillow."

The doctor giggles. "I'm happy to serve you." He gathers her face in between his hands "sleep now my love."

Her eyes drop at the sudden wave of sleepiness. He feels her body become heavy having to entirely support her. Her breaths become steady and her heart beat evens out.  Having entered sleep, the doctor scoops her up into his arms. He takes great care in placing her on a couch. He unfolds a blanket and covers her so she wouldn't be cold.

He felt guilty for putting his lover to sleep, but this would give him the opportunity to investigate their unwanted guest. He would apologize later.

The doctor makes his way out of the study, locking the door from the inside behind him. After ensuring that the door could not be opened from the outside, he began his search.

During his sweep of the mansion, the doctor noticed a very familiar trace of the pestilence. He followed the trail leading him to a tall set of doors. He slowly opened the doors and entered the room. Both of his gloved hands form into a fist. The familiar trace of pestilence brought him to the person who he truly loathed, Henry.