Another day, another sale, as the mantra went.
It's been three weeks or so since the Drekker incident and even though the pair knew that they couldn't do anything, it still weighed heavily on them.
Inevitably, Matt concluded that they couldn't dwell on the matter anymore, it wasn't getting them anywhere, and it's weighing them down.
Despite how he felt, it's for the best.
In the three weeks, the pair passed along more messages from Karen and Arthur, they looked happy in their pictures, and Arthur looked visibly tanned from spending a lot of time under the red sun. They've been asking the pair what's been going on their end and neither them told the couple about the elephant in the room, not yet.
Other than that, it's been a relatively quiet three weeks, the wind's chillier out, and it's starting to get darker early.
It'll be October soon and by then, it'll be Matt's birthday once again and Ripley needed to decide what to do for Samhain.
Ripley wanted to do more sugar skulls, not just Jamie and Mercy like last year, she wanted to make ones for her Jodie, Lupus, and Berkley. She'll have to think what Berkley would've drank if he'd lived to adulthood. Lupus' always preferred mulled wine and Jodie liked her stouts.
Won't take too long to find them, as Ripley knew where to look for them.
As for Matt, he's planning his 29th birthday.
It'll just be him and Ripley as it's been for a couple of months and he'll think of something to do.
It won't be at the amusement park again, but he's still thinking about it. Of course, his mother and his aunt's have talked to him about his inevitable 30th birthday. He knew they only meant well and that they just wanted him to be happy.
It'll be interesting when he'd inevitably bring Ripley home with him and this time, they're together.
He could imagine it already, his father and uncle both chortled and his mother and aunt wanted all the answers they can get out of him.
Ripley's trying to keep a brave face as they inevitably start asking her questions about herself and then some.
Matt's thinking about what to say when his family started asking Ripley about hers, or lack of thereof.
He never even told his family what he really did in her shop. Never told them about the TARDIS or even anything about his trusty Sonic Screwdriver.
Though Matt hated not telling his family, he didn't want them caught up in the sort of troubles he and the others get into, and he didn't want them getting scared.
Another thing he's having issues, delicately telling his family that Ripley's from a parallel universe. Explaining what happened there, well, forget it, Matt won't tell them that. It's better for them not to think much about it.
He'll keep a sharp eye on what goes on in their world and if it got to that point, he'll tell them the truth.
That day's still a little way away, so he has time to think about what he'll inevitably say to his family.
On this day, it would've been a normal day, but Matt's come down with an upset stomach, sniffles, and a nose that leaks mucus profusely. The change in weathers between universes finally caught up to him and his body's terrorizing him for it.
It's not something Matt wanted, considering he dealt with the Drekker just weeks ago, but thankfully he kept rosemary candles.
He kept them lit near constantly.
Just for a peace of mind.
Ripley's coming over with some things he asked her to bring him and he's sitting in his bed, blowing his reddened nose into a thinned tissue. He heard the door opened, sounds of footsteps, and bags crumpling.
Tossing the used tissue in the bin, Matt spotted Ripley and Jodie through the opened doorway into his room, carrying bags with them towards his room.
"Alright, got you more tissues, daytime stuff, and nighttime stuff, and something to help you breath better," Ripley sat the pair of bags she carried with Jodie next to her with her pair on his bed.
Digging out the tissues, Ripley handed the boxes to Matt and he thanked her, in an inflected voice, and immediately popped the top of one box. Yanking out a sheet, he proceeded to blow his nose, before throwing the used tissue in the bin.
Ripley handed him a juice bottle and a cap filled with brimming orange liquid for the daytime hours. Matt begrudgingly thanked her as he forced the terribly tasting orange liquid into his mouth and chased it down with some raspberry cream.
"Eck, why can't they make these things tase betta?" Matt coughed as he hated the taste of the liquid, even despite the juice. Ripley comforted him as she told him that they probably couldn't.
With a thermometer, Ripley stuck it in his mouth, under his his tongue, and held it as it took his temperature. She waited until she heard the beep and slowly pulled it out of his mouth. Checking it with a hand over his forehead, Ripley sighed, "Thirty-six, it's coming down slow."
She asked how he felt and Matt replied that he's so glad there's no Drekker right now.
A brief smile appeared on Ripley's face as she nudged his cheek with the knuckle of her left hand. She comforted him, "Like hell they'd get you."
Giving him the remaining stuff, they bought from the supermarket, Ripley and Jodie helped clean up his flat, covered in used tissues that missed the bin, among other things.
"Just think he should redecorate," Jodie chimed in on the interior of Matt's flat. She deemed that's too much a bachelor pad that hadn't been paid attention to in a while and it needed a total makeover.
Ripley shook her head as she spoke out against the idea.
"His flat," she pointed out.
Considering Ripley hardly done anything with her flat except toss a mirror on the wall in the den, she's not the one to talk about redecorating.
She helped clean up Matt's flat and when they're done, Matt thanked the women for helping him out.
"What're mates for?" Ripley shrugged her black jacketed shoulders.
She asked Matt if he wanted something to eat and he replied that he's having hankerings for some specific sandwiches from his favourite place.
"Don't you think you'd want something a little light?" Jodie brought up that Matt wanted heavy sandwiches and considering he's not keeping things down; those sandwiches won't help him.
Ripley stepped in and said she'll get Matt only one sandwich, some soup, and some cider to wash it down. Just enough that it won't bother his already fickle stomach.
"Thanks, Rip," Matt smiled as Ripley went over to him and poked him on the nose. She responded as she did, "Just don't eat too fast, okay?"
Ripley ordered the food and waited with Jodie out in the den while Matt sat on his bed, blowing his nose, when the food arrived, Ripley paid the delivery man and Jodie took the food to the kitchen.
There she sorted it for Matt and he hobbled out of bed, his nose barely registered the meal waiting for him.
"Alright, I gotta head back to the shop. A customer's coming by to look at the furniture. Jodie's gonna keep an eye on you for me in case you need anything," Ripley tugged on her jacket as she handed off the change to Matt.
As Matt received the change he asked, "You sure you don't want her to help out at the shop?"
Ripley replied that she's capable of running it by herself and she'd come by to collect Jodie.
"Only if you're sure," Matt coughed into his pale exposed forearm.
Ripley hugged him and gave him a quick kiss on the lips, before pulling away.
"Stay safe," Matt dreamily said as Ripley went towards the door.
Ripley told Jodie to call if anything happens and cheerfully, Jodie held a hand over her forehead as she exclaimed, "Aye-aye, boss!"
Watching Ripley leave, Matt proceeded to hobbled towards his kitchen island and grabbed his sandwich an unravel it.
Still warm so he left it to cool and popped off the lid to his soup, stirring it with the provided soup. The steam opened his nose a little and he could smell faintly the herbs used in the soup.
Sipping on the soup lightly, Matt felt the warm liquid drip down his sore throat down to his stomach, and he sighed as he sniffled.
"Ah, chin up, lotsa people get sick this time of year," Jodie tried to cheer him up as she sat at the kitchen island.
Matt replied disdainfully, "I hate it!"
Jodie reminded him that he ought to be thankful he lives in a medically enhanced world, else it's a death sentence for him.
Matt's taken aback by this and Jodie affirmed that he'd be "blowing both ends!"
However, she assured him that she has plenty of medical knowledge that if anything ever went wrong with Matt, she'll keep him upright.
It's in her directive that she keep an eye on him, Ripley told her as much!
Sighing, Matt sipped on his soup before reaching for the cider and sipped on it. Checking on his sandwich, it's cool enough for him to grab and he took bites out of it, slowly chewing as he felt mucus running down his throat.
"Ugh, why me?" Matt murmured to himself.
He talked to Jodie as he ate his lunch and when he finished, he blew his nose, and tossed the used tissue in the bin.
Shuffling to the loo, Matt washed up, peeling off dried skin and mucus from his nose, and spitting up mucus that lingered in his throat. Cleaning himself up, he went out of the loo, and directly back to his jelly bed.
Laying on his bed, Matt periodically reached for the tissue box and tossed crumbled up wet tissues into the bin. When the time came, he took more medicine, and waited for it to kick in.
"Isn't fair, I'm the Doctor. I shouldn't be sick," Matt bemoaned his sickness.
Jodie, in earshot, responded, "Doctors get sick, too, you know!"
Considering there's still a lot about Jodie they don't know, Matt wasn't sure how to respond to her response, and instead tried to sleep it off.
It helps that for the first time, Ripley's staying at his place after she closes her shop for the night to keep him company, on the account he can't really move further from his loo, and he couldn't wait.
A couple of hours until she returned to his flat to check up on him and to settle for the night.
Jodie's going back to the shop afterwards, assuming she doesn't want to keep him company, too.
Ripley made a point on the phone when she revealed the plan to him that while she'll gladly keep him company, she'll sleep on the couch. Just in case.
While he wanted her near him, it'd be selfish to risk her getting sick, too. It's as good as it'll get for the time being, but Matt's willing to take anything. He just wanted this gone and his nose and stomach to stop bothering him.
Closing his eyes, Matt tried to sleep, and he dazedly did, until he felt movement across his legs.
Opening his dark green eyes, Matt looked down to his pale exposed legs, but didn't see anything, and thought it's a breeze.
He ended up closing his eyes again and tried to sleep.
They opened quickly when he felt something heavy moving on the empty side of his bed and looked over, but didn't see anything.
Matt looked around his room and didn't see anything or anyone.
Groaning, he closed his eyes one more time and felt himself drifting, when he felt his nose itch. He scratched it and mumbled under his breath, but it kept coming back, and he kept scratching his nose. He felt something wet on his nose and thought he'd scratched his nose too hard and slowly opened his eyes to a sight he'd never expected.
Sitting on his chest, staring him in the eyes, a ferret with a chestnut brown body and white face, a tiny pink nose, and walnut sized brown eyes.
"Huh?" Matt blinked confusingly.
