Eleven O'Clock Number

MUSICAL #28: THE SOUND OF MUSIC

28: TOBY THERAPY: LESS CLINICAL, MORE AWESOME

« you know how sister berthe always makes me kiss the floor after we've had a disagreement? well, lately, i've taken to kissing the floor whenever i see her coming, just to save time. »

LYDIA'S KEPT IN hospital for the following few days. This makes sense to Allison, which naturally means Lydia finds it absolutely ridiculous. I'm fine, she keeps insisting. I might as well have stayed in the damn coma. My activity levels are about the same.

Toby's made it his personal mission to keep Lydia entertained as much as he can, which is why when Allison stops by the hospital after swim just in time for the last half hour of visiting hours, he's already there, and the two of them are watching The Sound of Music.

Well, Toby is. Lydia's rolling her eyes every zero point five seconds and making catty remarks about the quality of the vocal dubbing.

"I love Julie Andrews so much," Toby is sighing when Allison enters the room, dropping her bag by the door and heading over to the two of them.

"You know, somehow, I think I got that, Toby," Lydia replies. "Since you've literally been saying it every five seconds."

"Hey," Allison says, kicking off her shoes and just managing to squeeze in beside them on Lydia's bed. "Toby, do the musicals never end?"

"I saved Lydia," Toby responds seriously. "She was basically dying from boredom, right, Lydia?"

"That much is true," Lydia admits. "But you haven't exactly saved me, considering I'm watching The Sound of Music."

"What's that meant to mean?" he retorts with injury. "The Sound of Music is amazing! Right, Allison?"

"Uh," says Allison as an old nun starts singing to Maria about how she needs to climb mountains. Lydia snorts.

"Allison!" Toby pouts. "You were meant to back me up."

"Sorry," Allison apologises, running a hand through her hair. "The, uh, The Sound of Music is, um...good?"

Lydia snickers again, and Toby mutters something under his breath that Allison can't quite catch over the music playing from the television screen but she's pretty sure is something along the lines of this is not how I raised you.

"I haven't seen The Sound of Music since, like, second grade," Allison says by way of weak defence. She's tired, and pretty sure the exhaustion is seeping into her tone, by the way both Toby and Lydia turn away from the screen to face her with identical narrowed eyes.

"You're tired," Lydia says immediately. Allison looks away from the two of them and tries to pretend she doesn't hear Toby's hum of agreement. "Why?"

"Just swim," Allison mumbles, keeping her eyes fixed on the screen, where Climb Ev'ry Mountain is now coming to its end. "You know I get tired after."

Lydia looks unconvinced, but before she can investigate further, Toby says: "Let's go get coffee from downstairs, then. Lydia, stick with the movie, we'll be back in a few."

He's gotten up by this point, and Allison is being dragged off the bed before she can even respond.

"You know, the idea is that you two are the ones that watch the musicals," Lydia points out.

"We've both seen this one before," Toby brushes off. "Right, Allison?"

"Yeah," Allison mutters a little absently, putting her shoes back on. She thinks she hears Toby tell Lydia that they'll be right back, then he's put a hand to the small of her back, pushing her gently out of the room.