"Marty?" Dr. Murdoch called from somewhere outside the small hospital room, his voice brimming with some half-restrained emotion which was rapidly becoming volatile. Whether it was rage, fear, confusion, or all of the above, Marty wasn't entirely sure.
"I'm in here," he replied, raising his head just in time to see a flush-faced Dr. Murdoch standing in the doorway. "Calm down, Doc, we were just playing cards," he gestured helplessly to the little girl.
"And I'm kicking his butt," Sara added, flashing a look of utter happiness at Marty.
For a moment Dr. Murdoch only gaped at the pretty little child that was smiling so warmly towards the vampire sitting at her bedside. Of course, this was certainly better than the mangled corpses he had been anticipating and thus he was relieved. His hands which had until that instant been balled into fists slowly relaxed.
"It's true, my butt is officially being kicked by a nine year old," Marty laughed.
She stuck out her tongue at him, "If it helps I'm gonna be ten in two days."
"Nope, that really doesn't help the situation Sara," he ruffled her hair and smirked.
"We should be going, Marty," Dr. Murdoch's voice sounded reluctant and the comment seemed forced as he gazed at the child who began to wring the harsh fabric of her blanket between her fingers at the mention of losing her playmate.
"Couldn't I stay a little while longer?"
"Can he?"
"Please?" their voices joined in unison on the final plea like a pair of toddlers desperate to convince their mother that letting them have a sleep over would the best possible thing in the whole wide world ever.
"I wish it were possible but..." he couldn't resist taking on the fatherly role in the midst of all the genuine childishness, "...it's almost your bedtime, Marty."
Marty squinted his eyes in puzzlement and then it struck, the chime of some internal clock that screamed of the approaching dawn. "I really do have to go," he said, then he leaned closer to the girl and grinned impishly as Dr. Murdoch tensed. He whispered in her ear, "I'll come by and see you again."
She smiled at his words and turned her head so that she could see him, "Promise?"
"Yeah," Marty stood up and drew an 'x' across his chest with his index finger like a peculiar target, "Cross my heart."
"Okay," she was suddenly resplendent, "Bye Marty."
"I'm in here," he replied, raising his head just in time to see a flush-faced Dr. Murdoch standing in the doorway. "Calm down, Doc, we were just playing cards," he gestured helplessly to the little girl.
"And I'm kicking his butt," Sara added, flashing a look of utter happiness at Marty.
For a moment Dr. Murdoch only gaped at the pretty little child that was smiling so warmly towards the vampire sitting at her bedside. Of course, this was certainly better than the mangled corpses he had been anticipating and thus he was relieved. His hands which had until that instant been balled into fists slowly relaxed.
"It's true, my butt is officially being kicked by a nine year old," Marty laughed.
She stuck out her tongue at him, "If it helps I'm gonna be ten in two days."
"Nope, that really doesn't help the situation Sara," he ruffled her hair and smirked.
"We should be going, Marty," Dr. Murdoch's voice sounded reluctant and the comment seemed forced as he gazed at the child who began to wring the harsh fabric of her blanket between her fingers at the mention of losing her playmate.
"Couldn't I stay a little while longer?"
"Can he?"
"Please?" their voices joined in unison on the final plea like a pair of toddlers desperate to convince their mother that letting them have a sleep over would the best possible thing in the whole wide world ever.
"I wish it were possible but..." he couldn't resist taking on the fatherly role in the midst of all the genuine childishness, "...it's almost your bedtime, Marty."
Marty squinted his eyes in puzzlement and then it struck, the chime of some internal clock that screamed of the approaching dawn. "I really do have to go," he said, then he leaned closer to the girl and grinned impishly as Dr. Murdoch tensed. He whispered in her ear, "I'll come by and see you again."
She smiled at his words and turned her head so that she could see him, "Promise?"
"Yeah," Marty stood up and drew an 'x' across his chest with his index finger like a peculiar target, "Cross my heart."
"Okay," she was suddenly resplendent, "Bye Marty."
