The Orphan in the TARDIS

Chapter Six

*In Harry's Office*

    "Well then, Old Girl," Harry says, setting his stethoscope down on the counter, "Everything seems to be in working order. Any pain anywhere?"

    "My tummy hurts!" the girl declares to the doctor.

    "What have you eaten recently?" he asks, suspecting it has something to do with her recent meals.

    "I had ten biscuits, on the TARDIS," she declares, and then realized she probably shouldn't have mentioned the time-traveling spaceship.

    "Ah, the TARDIS, a friend of the Doctor, are you?"

     Sophie's face lights up in delight, "You know the Doctor?"

     "We travelled once upon a time. It was a long time ago. Now your stomach-ache is most likely caused by those biscuits. Ten, my the Doctor should be more responsible." He mumbles the last part, but Sophie hears him.

     "He wasn't there, his friend, Miss Rose, was, she let me eat them."

     "Rose, eh, he's still travelling about with her? I say still, for all I know he left UNIT all those years ago and ran directly into you."

    Sophie shrugs, not really understanding exactly what he's saying. "Can I go now, Dr. Sullivan, or are there more tests?"

    "No, old girl, you're fine, clean bill of health. My orders are to call the Brigadier from here." Harry walks over to a phone hanging on the wall. He has a short conversation with the person on the other end of the line.

    A few short moments later the Brigadier and Mrs. McLough arrive at the door. Harry helps Sophie off the table and turns to address the two.

    "I'm giving her a clean bill of health, although I'd keep her away from biscuits. It seems the Doctor let her over indulge herself."

    Sophie smiles sheepishly toward the doctor. "It wasn't him, it was Miss Rose," she corrects.

    The Brig looks down at the small child. "Come along, Miss McCoy, Mrs. McLough will take you to the care home you will be staying at. I'll be sure to tell the Doctor where you are, if I see him again."

    The girl walks up to the Brig and gives him a hug. "Thank you, Brigadier." Then she turns towards Dr. Sullivan, "Thank you, too," she gives him a hug as well.

     "Of course, old thing, just lay off the biscuits."

     "Believe me, I will." She turns and faces Mrs. McLough, who ushers her out the door.

    The Brigadier faces Harry Sullivan, "I guess we know what she was like as a child, don't we, Sullivan?"

    "That we do, sir. She's not exactly what I expected. I'll admit, I was expecting her to be a bit more like she is as an adult." The Brigadier nods and leaves Harry to do his work.

*In a car on the way to the care home*

    The two sit in a vaguely uncomfortable silence.

    "I hope you understand, Miss McCoy, I've found this house to be a nice, comfortable place. I hope that a family wants you as their child."

    Sophie timidly nods her head, hoping to see the Doctor again soon. He had promised they would see each other again.

    When they arrive at the home Mrs. McLough leads Sophie inside. The woman in charge rushes over, in a hurried manner, and talks to the older woman, although Sophie doesn't listen to what they say.

    The woman turns towards Sophie and says, "Hi, dear, I'm Deborah, I run this home, I'm told that you'll be staying with us?"

    Sophie nods, while looking at her feet. She's fearful as to what is to come, and she really misses her parents. And the Doctor.

    She's led to a back room, where there are more girls crowded around. Deborah faces them, "Alright, girls, this is Sophia, she'll be  joining our group. Please, be nice. Mary, if you could be so kind as to show Sophie around?" Deb says all this in the span of a few seconds, she seems to always be moving quickly.

    A girl with long, curly blonde hair steps forward, she's clearly a teenager. She holds out her hand as a greeting, and Sophie heartily shakes it. "Hi, I'm Mary. I guess I'll show you about." She offers a kind smile, of which Sophie returns.

    Mary leads Sophie up a flight of of stairs, showing her around a room with a lot of bunk beds.

    "We all sleep in bunk beds here, um, I guess this bottom one here is yours." She's gesturing to a bed in the corner. The mattress looks like it's falling apart. It's not the best looking place, but at least Sophie has a place to sleep, "It's kinda messed up, but at least it's a bed, right?" Mary says, voicing the younger girls thoughts.

    "It's fine," Sophie shrugs off, "bunk beds are cool!" she declares sitting down on the bed, "If this is my bed, where's yours?"

    She points to a top bunk across the room, it has comfy looking plushies laying on it, it looks very nice, "If you need anything, I'm right over there."

Hi my lovelies,
    Okay, a lot happened. Harry Sullivan knowing Rose comes straight from a Ninth Doctor comic, one that I absolutely adore, with the Brigadier. This chapter is kinda short, and I'm sorry. I mean it pretty much is just setting up everything else. I need names for the other girls in the care home, so any suggestions will be very much appreciated. Also, don't worry, the Doctor will be back before you know it, but it won't be Ten.
                                                                                Ta Ta For Now (TTFN),
                                                                                               theatregirlsmp