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Chapter 72 – Logan's First Flight

The Doctor sat in the Control Room with his feet propped up in another chair that he had moved in front of him. He was nearly finished eating jam out of a jar using his fingers. He was wearing jeans and a dark blue oxford shirt.

Lance sat behind him at another station. Both of them were watching the large screen that had football game playing on it. Lance sipped his tea as he leaned back. "Did you see that game last weekend? Arsenal vs. –"

"All Stars!" he looked back and smiled. "Yes! Oh, that was amazing! Extra time? A shoot-out? That was a nail biter!"

Lance laughed, "No doubt! I was so emotionally drained after watching that I had to go to bed. I had nothing left."

The Doctor laughed at him. "My little brother and I watched it together. I remember at one point, he got so excited that he stood up on the sofa and shook me! Violently. Rattled my brain in my head. Tony Tyler is a mad man!"

Lance laughed. "Good thing he's only five years old. Imagine when he's older."

"I'm going to have to tie him in a chair. Restrain him so he doesn't injure me. Regeneration due to a crazed football fan. That will be a first."

"Why isn't he up here watching this one?" Lance asked.

The Doctor put his finger on his lips. "He's forgotten it's on. I'm recording it for him for when I need him to settle down and go to sleep. If you can ever get him still long enough, he's out."

Rose walked in unnoticed as they both jumped at the game. Arsenal had kicked the ball towards the goal and it had been saved. Both of them groaned. The Doctor went back to eating his jam. "Damn it. I was sure he had it that time."

Lance sat down his empty cup, sat back in the chair and crossed his arms. "Well, there's still 34 minutes left. They could turn this around."

Rose walked over and stood in front of The Doctor. He looked up at her and smiled with his jam covered fingers in his mouth.

She laughed at him. "How do you even eat that without getting sick? Isn't it too sweet?"

He smiled like a loon at her. "Then come and kiss me, sweet and twenty."

She smiled as she leaned down and kissed his lips. He took his feet out of the chair in front of him and she sat down.

"You feel more rested than you have in a while. I think taking a nap with Sam was a great idea." He told her.

Rose giggled, "Even if it was unplanned. Geez. I was just giving him a feed and the next thing I knew, it was hours later. Did you put him in the crib?"

He looked at the game and nodded his head. "Yeah. Where's he at now?"

"Lewis has him. Lance, I didn't know Lewis liked children so much." Rose told him.

"That's because he's a child himself." He said.

She giggled as she looked at the big window. "The stars aren't flying past. Have we stopped?"

The Doctor put the lid back on the empty jam jar and sat it on the floor. "Yep! The Andromedaens have been delayed and won't be getting to Plentitude until late tonight. We're just a few hours away so we stopped to give Logan some time in the small ships. He's doing pretty well."

Rose looked surprised. "Logan is out flying a ship?"

"Yep. Legate has one, and Logan is in another one. It's a great spot to learn to fly. There are no planets around to avoid. Just wide open space. I just got back with him. I showed him everything, and he really took to it! I'm really surprised! You only have to tell him something once, and he has it. It's wild. We're keeping an eye on things in here. Making sure they are alright."

"So, you've been out flying around while I was sleeping?"

He smiled at her. "I was training someone. And I told him he didn't have to wear a helmet. I still think that's stupid. Like that's going to help."

Lance agreed. "You know. I've never thought of that. You're right."

"Voice of experience on that matter, Lance. I'll tell you about it another time." The Doctor told him.

Rose rolled her eyes at him. He could sense she wanted to talk to him about something. He looked at her as she looked at the game on the screen. He rubbed his chin as his eyes followed her legs up to her cute, short skirt. She wore a tank top under one of his oxford shirts that she had tied up at the bottom and rolled up the sleeves on. He rubbed his beard as he wondered if she was without knickers again.

She smiled and looked back at him. "Old Man. I can tell what you are doing."

He rubbed his beard as he looked back at Lance. "My friend. Can you please-"

Lance tossed his hands up. "Don't give me some shit to do! I'll give you the room. Don't worry about it." Lance smiled as he walked out of the room. The Doctor chuckled at him.

Rose moved into The Doctor's lap. She straddled his waist as he sat in the chair. He ran both of his hands up her skirt and held her hips. She cupped his face with her hands as she leaned down to kiss him proper. She could taste the sweetness from the jam he had just ate.

He whispered to her. "Will you go out to dinner with me tonight?"

She smiled at him. "Of course I will." She met his lips again as he continued to rub her thighs under her skirt and kiss her.

He stopped kissing her and looked in her eyes. "Alright, Rose. Tell me. What's on your mind?"

He could feel her sudden fear and worry. Then, she quickly threw her shields up and he couldn't feel anything from her. He rubbed her thighs and shook his head. "What has you so worried? I can feel that."

Rose smiled at him. "I really am enjoying you rubbing my legs like that. They are sore from this morning and running."

He smiled at her. "Your back and shoulders are sore, too. I can tell."

"Well, no wonder carrying around this damn things all day!" Rose told him as she pointed at her breasts. "I mean really. Have you seen this?"

He had completely forgotten about his football game with the enlarged breasts she pointed at just inches from his face. "Oh, yeah. I've seen them. I'd like to get a really good look at them later."

Rose unbuttoned his shirt that she wore to show them to him. "They feel twice as big as they should be."

He was trying to keep his composure. "Ummm…. yeah. They look twice as big."

"Okay. I need The Doctor now. Is that normal? I mean, this child is eating like mad. Wouldn't him nursing so much make them smaller? I mean, I'm huge!"

He beat his head into the back of the chair he sat in and complained in another language.

Rose looked surprised at him. "Well, what the hell is your problem? I'm asking you about something here."

He rubbed his face with both of his hands. "Oh, man. I'm sorry. It's just. That. Rose, I can't….. Ugh! Oh, but I want to. Oh, I miss those." He looked longingly at her breasts.

She looked at his expression and followed his eyes to her breasts. "You are ridiculous. You are such a boob man!"

"Clearly not as much as my son is a 'boob man'." He laughed.

Rose put her hands on her hips. "I have a problem here and you just see boobs. Can I get an appointment here?"

He laughed quietly, "Oh, I'm sorry. Your body is getting ready for him to start eating a lot more. That's the reason it's doing that. I'd recommend you pump some of the milk out. That way other people could feed him and you could get some relief."

Rose dropped her shoulders and groaned. "Oh, I don't want to do that. I would really feel like a milk cow plugged up to one of those damn machines."

"Rose, it's a natural, normal thing. There's no reason to feel that way."

Rose sighed. "I don't know how long I want to do this. I'd like to have my body back. What do you think?"

"That's completely up to you." He insisted. "Don't –"

He was interrupted by a beeping noise. He turned to the panel and pressed a few buttons. "Oh, this isn't good." He said. Rose felt his mood change and she stood up.

Lance ran back into the room. "I'm here! What's wrong?"

The Doctor pointed at the screen. "Please tell me that isn't what I think it is."

Lewis pressed a few buttons on the station behind him. "Damn. Is he caught in it?"

"Yep! He doesn't realize it yet. Can you override the shuttles controls?" The Doctor asked.

Lance pressed a few buttons, and then shook his head. "No. He's too deep inside."

Rose had no idea what was going on, but it did seem serious. The Doctor pressed a button on the panel he stood at. "Logan. We're reading something in here that is going to give you a bumpy ride."

Logan's voice came over the speakers. "Yeah, it's beginning to shimmy a bit now."

Rose walked to stand next to Lance. She could see a line drawing of funnel directly underneath a shuttle. Lance looked up at the Doctor. "Looks to measure at 45.3."

"Damn. This is not good." He said quietly. He stood up and ran his hands through his hair. He turned to Lance and said quickly. "Get Lewis to the transporter room. Tell him what's happened."

Lance nodded. The Doctor turned back to the panel and pressed the button. He took a deep breath to steady himself. "Logan. You've managed to find yourself a Phantom Gravity Well. Your shuttle is caught in it."

Logan's voice came back across the speakers. "The shuttle feels like it is being pulled down from the bottom."

"That's what we're seeing here."

Legate came over the speakers. "I can go pull him-"

"No, Legate. Avoid the area. Come on back to the hanger. We need you in here." The Doctor told him.

Rose looked at Lance and whispered. "Can he get out of this?"

"First time pilot? Terrible luck. Poor kid." Lance shook his head.

The Doctor ran his hand through his hair. "Alright. Logan. This isn't a big deal. It's going to be a very scary ride for you though. You up for this?"

Logan said, "I don't think I have much of a choice do I?"

"Well, that's one way to look at it." The Doctor agreed. "Logan. Listen to me. Hear how calm my voice is? I need you to stay this calm with me so we can get you out of this. Alright?"

"Whatever you say, Doc'."

Lance whispered to Rose where Logan couldn't hear him. "I wouldn't want to be in that shuttle."

Jack ran into the room. "Gravity Well?"

Lance looked back at him. "Logan is in it."

"What does it measure?"

"Over 40."

"Fuck." Jack said.

The Doctor turned around and put his finger to his lips. "Okay, Logan. I need you to turn the craft into the direction the gravity is pulling you and put the shields up to 90% in on the nose. There's nothing down there to hit, but you are going to go down really far. I'll be able to talk to you though."

"Alright." Logan said.

Rose whispered to Jack. "How bad is this?"

Jack looked at her. "Experienced pilots get killed all the time in these that measure less than 12. It's bad."

Rose could feel the fear in the room. Even though The Doctor gave every appearance of remaining calm, she could feel he was as nervous as the rest of them.

"Alright. Logan. Reach up with your left hand and there's a dial there in the ceiling. Turn it counter clockwise slowly until your ears pop and you feel like you are putting on a hat which is much too small."

Jack looked surprised. He looked at Rose and whispered. "That might keep the cabin from imploding from the pressure."

Logan groaned. "Okay. Done."

"Now, I want you to press the light speed ignition and fly straight down. Do it….now."

Logan did it and the shuttle disappeared in a flash of light.

Lance laughed in disbelief. "Well, shit. Yeah, that would work! Brilliant, Doctor!"

"I call that the Professor Robertson Technique." The Doctor told them.

Rose could feel the entire room's relief. The Doctor held a finger up and spoke, "Logan. Still with us?"

"Yeah. I'm here."

"Turn off the light speed engine. Tell me when you come to a stop."

A few seconds passed. Then Logan said, "Alright. Stopped. Mostly."

"Look up on the top screen and read those numbers to me."

Logan read him a series of numbers. He seemed to be having a hard time breathing. As he read the last of the numbers, The Doctor turned and looked at Lance. Lance gave him the thumbs up. "Got him."

The Doctor sighed in relief. "Brilliant. Logan. Great job! Lance has control of the ship now. Now. I need you to take off your shirt and put it to your face."

"What? Take off my shirt?"

The Doctor smiled. "You're about to have yourself one hell of a nosebleed and then you'll pass out. We'll bring you back in. Go lay down in the back and we'll transport you to the med bay as soon as you're close enough. You'll be fine."

Logan's labored breathing came over the speakers again, "Alri-"

The Doctor looked back at Lance. "How long till we can transport him?"

"I can have him within range in 86 seconds." Lance told him.

The Doctor patted the panel, "Thank you, Lance! I'll be in the med bay. Transport him directly in there." He ran out of the room and down the hall. Rose and Jack followed him.

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