"Good morning, Dr. Oswald."
"Morning, Suzie." Clara replied the dark haired nurse behind the desk. "How are you feeling today? You and the little guy doing okay?" she asked, bending over the counter and smiling warmly.
"Been kicking me black and blue since last night." Suzie laughed and touched her swollen stomach lovingly. "Can't say I'm very rested today." She told Clara truthfully, looking over some papers then handing them to her. "Here's today's patient's files. Billy Samray's mum said they might not make it but will let us know. Dallas Audrey will be coming for her check-up. They got the results from the blood tests." Suzie told Clara lightly and with a tired smile.
Clara took the papers from her outstretched hand and looked at her nurse worriedly. Tucking the paper under her arm, she tiptoed on her heels so she could see Suzie better. "Have you thought about what I told you, Suzie?"
The brunette looked away and busied herself with other insignificant tasks. "I did, Dr. Oswald. But I don't think I'm going on maternity leave soon. Me and Ronald need the money."
"Suzie. I told you that I'd pay you fully during maternity leave." Clara replied sharply but not unkindly. "You're a great nurse and receptionist, but bless my stars, I don't want you to exhaust yourself. It's not good for the baby either."
Suzie looked up at Clara and gave her a weak smile and small shake of her head. "Thank you for your kind words, Dr. Oswald. But I'm fine, really! I just missed a bit of sleep last night. Promise I'll go to sleep early tonight and if I still look tired tomorrow, you can force me to go on maternity leave."
Clara laughed and tapped her pencil on the counter. "Fair enough. I'll be sure to give you and the little guy a check-up as well. "
Suzie nodded and gave Clara another smile. "That would be great, Dr. Oswald."
"So when's my first patient supposed to be coming in?" Clara asked, looking over the papers. Most of them were children coming for check-ups after having their regular blood tests done or having flu symptoms. The last file was Lorraine Jacks'. She was Clara's first child to get registered to her and one of her more complicated cases.
"That would be Thomas Murray, 9 a.m." Suzie informed her, typing away at the computer.
"Alright." Clara replied absent minded. "I haven't seen Lorraine in a while. Is she coming in for a regular check-up or…?" Clara raised an eyebrow at Suzie and the woman sighed in response.
"No. Her mum told me she fell while playing. She kept insisting it wasn't a bad fall at all but Lorraine has a horrible bruise on her leg… and that she had a nosebleed right after."
Clara gave a desperate grunt and rested her forehead on her fingers, massaging her temples gently. "And what else did she say?"
"That they've run out of anaemia medicine and will need another prescription."
"I swear, that woman is more daft than anyone I've ever met." Clara said, looking at Suzie with a hopeless feeling in the pit of her stomach.
Suzie looked back at her with the same worried look. "I know. Hopefully you can make her see sense soon."
"Hopefully." Clara said, almost a whisper. She blew a puff of air on her bangs to get them out of her face and went inside her office.
Placing her bag down, she shed her coat and muffler and exchanged them for a white coat from the wardrobe. She opened one of her drawers and looked down at the multiple types of candy that resided there. Giving them a once over, she decided on Jammie Dodgers, Haribo jellies and toffees. She poured the candy into two different jars on her desk and put back the bags with the remaining contents. Clara looked at the clock: 8:53. She plopped down on her chair and studied the files once more. She was studying a four year old's file when Louis, her other nurse, opened the door.
"Morning, ma'am." He said brightly.
"Good morning, Louis." Clara replied back. "Nice to see you're in high spirits!" Commented Clara with a small smirk.
Louis blushed and turned to look at the cupboard behind her. "I'm just a morning person, ma'am. Thomas Murray is here with his father. Shall I let them in?"
"Oh yeah, definitely."
Through the door came a boy with messy blond hair, short for his age and on the plump side. Right after him came his father, a tall, athletic guy with a friendly disposition. Weren't it for the eyes, the two of them wouldn't have passed for father and son.
"Hello, Dr. Oswald." Thomas greeted shyly.
Clara got up from her seat and went over to ruffle his hair. "Hey, Tom. How're you feeling today?"
Thomas shifted his legs nervously and looked at his dad, waiting for him to talk for him. He gave his son a small smile and put his hand on his back. "He hasn't been feeling very well. Runny nose, coughing and a bit of a fever. I'd have brought him in earlier, but he insisted he's fine and that he didn't want to miss any lesson." Mr. Murray informed Clara.
"I see." She nodded seriously. "Come on, Tom. Let's take a sit on the bed and we'll get to the bottom of it, what do you say?" Thomas nodded without saying anything and sat on the bed, his feet dangling a short distance from the ground, while his father took a seat in the chair across from the bed.
"Can you say 'Aaaah' for me? Promise won't take long." Clara told Thomas. He opened his mouth widely and Clara checked it for a few seconds. "Your tonsils are a bit inflamed. Have you been eating ice cream?" She asked him raising an eyebrow.
"I haven't, Dr. Oswald. It hurts when I eat anything, so I wouldn't eat ice cream even if I wanted to."
"Hmm, really? Does it hurt if I press here?" Clara asked him, pressing down gently on his throat, right under both sides of his jaw. Thomas nodded his head. Pulling her stethoscope out, she asked him to pull his shirt up for a bit. "It's going to be a tiiiny bit cold at the beginning, so sorry about that, pal." Thomas flinched when she touched him the first time on his back. "Alright, buddy. Inhale deeply for me. Good, good. Again, please. Another time and you're free."
After finishing, she pulled down his shirt and checked his temperature. She looked at the results and caressed Thomas' hair gently, turning to his father.
"His tonsils are infected again." She informed his dad.
"It's the fourth time this year." Mr. Murray rubbed his hands together.
"That's alright, don't worry. We could continue with the antibiotics, if you'd rather. But I recommend getting them out. Tonsillitis can get worse with each occurrence. Most kids get theirs out."
Mr. Murray laughed and dragged a hand through his hair. "I know. I had to have that surgery too. I was just worried it might be something worse."
"As far as I can see, Tom's doing great except for a cold and infected tonsils. Nothing warm tea and time off school can't cure." She replied, turning to give Thomas a small smile.
"But I don't want to miss school." Thomas intervened. "It's hard to keep up if I don't have the teacher to explain."
"You can do school work at home as well. You're going to get better in a week and then you'll be able to go back." She told him and he nodded.
Clara turned back to his dad. "He has a fever right now, so bed rest is required. Do you want me to point you to a surgeon for the tonsils?"
"Yeah, that would be great. Thank you."
Clara wrote them a prescription for children's cold medicine, a note for a surgeon over at Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children and saw them off at the door, but not before letting Thomas have some candy from the jars. "To eat when your throat gets better." She told him.
Clara's day had gone mainly in the same way with the exception of Lorraine's mother being a pain in the ass, as always. She kept insisting that her daughter only had anaemia and the only drugs she needed were vitamins. She had to bite her tongue several times, mindful of the skinny child before them. Clara highly suspected that Lorraine had chronic leukemia, but not matter how many times she'd told Mrs. Jacks, her pleas fell on deaf ears. She didn't know what was with that woman and her denial but they had already been taking chances this last year, not treating her daughter properly. Clara set them off with a prescription for vitamins and a note for blood tests. She had to practically beg the woman to get her child to take them. "Lorry is absolutely terrified of needles. I don't promise she'll be able to have them done." Mrs. Jacks told Clara when leaving and Clara had to hold back from calling her a daft fifteen year old who shouldn't have had children.
It was three in the afternoon when she heard a knock. She turned her chair around to face the door. "Come in." She said.
The door cracked open but nobody came in at first. Perplexed, Clara rose from her seat. "I said you can come in." She repeated when a head suddenly poked out from the door.
"Hello there!"
"John!" Clara exclaimed and John gave her a huge grin before stepping fully into the room.
"And me!" said another voice, accompanied by a flash of gold and yet another big smile.
Clara laughed and went over to them. "Rose, John, what are you doing here?" She hugged her briefly and gave John a peck on his lips.
"We brought lunch!" He replied, holding up two plastic bags. "Rose decided she wanted to have lunch with both of us."
Clara gave a small chuckle and a roll of her eyes. "And we all know when Rose wants something…"
"Rose will have it. Yeah, baby! Don't you two forget that." Rose finished for her, tongue between her lips and winking in their directions.
John put the bags on the desk and Clara and Rose moved two chairs closer. Rose had made muffins for desert, sandwiches and fish fingers – for John, obviously. She also bought juice and apples – "Ugh. But I hate apples, Rose.!" "Shut up, John.".
"What about the hospital, John?" Clara asked, mid-bite into a sandwich.
"The Doctor will page me I'm needed, don't worry." He replied, stuffing his face with another fish finger. "Wish we had brought custard."
Rose threw Clara a glance and smirked at her. Clara ducked her head so John couldn't see her lips twitching into a smile. She hadn't mentioned the hug to John yet, but Rose hadn't heard the end of it. It wasn't that she was afraid John would go in a jealous rage – because John just wasn't type – or because she thought she had done something wrong, she just forgot about it whenever he was around.
"Speaking of the Doctor…" Rose started and her tone made Clara look up at her sharply.
"What about him?" John asked, noticing her playful attitude. It got him intrigued.
She didn't say anything, just licked her lips, looking from Clara to John and back. "It's actually a funny story… isn't it, Clara?" she finally said, throwing herself back in the chair and getting another bit from her sandwich.
John turned his head to Clara, raising his eyebrows curiously. Clara couldn't help but laugh. She put her sandwich down and leaned her body towards her fiancé.
"I hugged the Doctor." She said, her voice edging on excitement.
John looked confused for a moment, then his face had gone through surprise, horror and finally merriment. "Did you now! How did that even end well?"
Clara was secretly relieved that John hadn't gotten angry about it. "I didn't say it also went well!" She told him on a laugh. "He was as stiff as a broomstick. Didn't even hug back!"
John gave her a sympathetic pat on her knee. "It's okay, Clara. If he doesn't hug me back, why would he hug you back?" John told her. "I mean, I'm obviously better looking and… I'm wearing a bow tie." He said and straightened his brown bow tie smugly.
Rose slapped his shoulder and told him reproachfully yet smiling. "Oi! Be nice to your fiancé, you twat!"
"Ow! Sheesh. It's always the mothers." John said, rubbing his shoulder and giving Rose a hurt look.
"You big baby!" Clara told him, going back to eating her sandwich. "I'm very huggable, thank you very much. Better than having your gangly limbs around their body."
"You know you love them, Clara"
"Stop right there, kids! I'm not ready to hear the sexual innuendoes about your sex life just yet. Give me another week." Rose told them.
The door opened and Louis entered the office. He looked positively distressed "Ma'am, sorry to bother you while you're having lunch…" Louis said and briefly glanced at Rose and lingered a bit on John. "Mrs. Jacks is back with Lorraine. She said her daughter suddenly started feeling unwell. She looks terrified and asked to see you at once.
Clara ate the last of her sandwich and got up. She threw the napkin in the bin and went over to Louis. "We'll have to cut this short, guys. I'm sorry." She told the two of them with a shake of her head.
Rose and John stood up as well and Rose started packing everything, except for Clara's share, which she left on the desk. John went straight to Clara and gave her a chaste kiss on her forehead.
"Good luck." He told her.
"Thank you, John." She gave him a quick nod of her head and left, leaving them to see themselves out.
"Dr. Smith?"
John turned his head from the clipboard in his hands towards the voice. "Yes? What's wrong?"
"Nothing, sir." The male nurse told him. John could see him move his hands awkwardly behind him and the way he seemed to blink more often than usual. His name was Anthony, fresh out of school, and his first week having started to work at the hospital. Handsome lad, with deep green eyes and jet black hair but a bit on the anxious side.
John put the clipboard away and walked to him cheerfully. "Well, there must be something going on if you wanted to see me, Anthony." John told him and clasped both his hands on the guy's shoulders, making him jump in surprise.
"Relax, Anthony. I don't bite!" He told him, getting his arms off his shoulders and clasping them together. "Well, Clara would have something to say about that…" He muttered under his breath, looking away for a second.
Anthony exhaled a breath he seemed to have been holding for a while. "I was just coming to let you know that it's time for your visits to the patients."
John looked at the time and frowned. "Yes, it seems to be that time already." He looked back at the man in front of him. "I don't know where the time went!"
"I have a list of-" Anthony said but John cut him short.
"Don't worry, Anthony. I know who I need to go see." He gave him a good natured pat on his back and existed the room. "Come on, now. We don't want to be even later, do we?"
"N-No. If course not, Dr. Smith." Anthony said and followed him.
"I told you to cut it out and just call me John, Anthony! We're all friends here, aren't we?" John said and gave him a smile over his shoulder.
Anthony got flustered and tightened his grip on the papers. " Ye-yes. You're right." Dr. Smith always managed to make him even more anxious than he already was, even if he was the most laid back of the doctors in their department. Anthony thought it must be nice to feel completely at ease with your surroundings. Then again, he'd been working there for a while and he was an excellent doctor. So why wouldn't he feel at ease?
Their first stop was an old lady whose name was Olenna Tyrell but liked to be called Lady Olenna. However, amongst most nurses and a few doctors she was called the Queen of Thorns because she had quite a tongue on her. John liked to think she was just witty and quite marvellously sarcastic.
"Lady Olenna, hello! How are you feeling today?" He asked her, plopping on her bed.
"Well if it isn't the doctor." She told him with a poker face.
"Well, not the Doctor. More like your doctor, Lady Olenna." He told her, giving her a smile.
"Oh, spare me, young man. A doctor, the doctor, my doctor. You're still all daft." She replied, inclining her chin upwards a bit. John thought she looked quite elegant, the fiery old woman.
"You wound me, Lady Olenna." He put a depressed face on. "I thought I did a good job on getting rid of your horrid headaches."
Lady Olenna briefly touched her temples before lowering her hand back in her lap. "I suppose you did. I have to admit you're not completely daft, you buffoon." Her words were sharp but a very small smile curved her lips.
John beamed at the sight of it and dared scoot closer to her on the bed. "So I get you're feeling better today? No more drowsiness? I'm sorry I couldn't make it yesterday to check on you, but the nurses tell me you've still got that astounding spit fire."
She scoffed and threw Anthony a glance over his shoulder. "Those giggling, simple nurses wouldn't know a spit fire if it exploded in their faces." She told him. "But no. I'm not drowsy anymore and my headaches are completely gone."
"Any problems with your memory? Control over your limbs?"
"I may be old, but I'm still the master of this body, doctor." She told him pointedly.
"Of course, of course! And you're managing excellently. I just wanted to make sure." John told her gently and smoothed her boney hands out.
Lady Olenna stared at him, her eyes softening the littlest bit. "Is it going to come back? I expect nothing short of the truth." She asked him.
John didn't stop caressing her hand but his smile had faltered. "There is a 60% chance of it coming back, I'm afraid." He told her and she sighed, turning her head to the window.
John felt compelled to grab both of her hands tightly into his. She turned back to him. "It might never do, Lady Olenna. But if it does, I'll be right here, waiting to sort that nasty tumour out again. And again. Until you decide you've had enough of my stupid face, alright?" He told her as earnestly as he could.
She gave him the biggest smile she had ever given him – which wasn't that big, mind you – and squeezed his hands weakly back. "As ridiculous as you can be, strutting around like a big oaf – and even if your chin might poke me in the eye if you come any closer – I'm afraid I won't tire of your daft face any time soon. Unfortunately for you." She said and patted his hand twice before letting go.
"Grandmother!" A feminine voice called out and before they knew what was happening, a beautiful young woman sat on the other side of Lady Olenna's bed.
"Margaery, child, what are you doing here?" Lady Olenna asked her granddaughter, secretly pleased at the unexpected visit. "Weren't you in your honeymoon the last time I checked? You better not have wasted my carefully planned and expensive marriage gift."
Margaery laughed, her thick hair falling in soft waves over her cleavage. John didn't mean to look, he really didn't. Her cleavage was just there. He looked back to her face, unperturbed, his thoughts slowly straying to an image of Clara on her back, in their bed, completely naked from waist up. Oh boy.
"Of course not, grandmother. The plane landed three hours ago. I would've been here sooner but the traffic was horrible." She said. "Nevermind that. How are you feeling? You have no idea how scared I was when Loras called and told me you were in surgery! I didn't even know you had – I'm really cross with you." Margaery told her in an angry voice, her eyebrows meeting into a frown.
"You can't be cross with me child, I'm your grandmother. Stop the nonsense." She told her granddaughter simply.
John interrupted their conversation before Margaery could talk again. "I assure you, your grandmother is recovering wonderfully."
Margaery looked at him as if that was the first time she'd notice him there – and maybe it really was. "And who might you be?" She asked.
"My name's John Smith. I was the one who performed the surgery on your grandmother. I'm the second in charge of the Neurosurgery Department."
Hearing that, her features relaxed, making her seem even lovelier than before. Her slightly wide face and funny nose reminded him of Clara. How he missed her. John couldn't wait to get off work – no matter how much he loved it – and get back home in his fiancé's arms.
"Nice to meet you, Dr. Smith. I'm Margaery Tyrell." She gave him a bright smile and extended her hand to him. To her surprise, instead of shaking it, John kissed her hand and smiled back.
"It's nice to meet you, too." He told her.
Margaery laughed and her grandmother scoffed. "Oh stop that. You look even more silly acting like a gentleman. Margaery, he's a buffoon."
"Oh, grandmother. You think everyone is either a buffoon or an oaf." Margaery told her then turned back to the doctor. "My brother told me the surgery went impeccably. Thank you." She told him.
John still got flustered whenever someone thanked him for having a successful surgery. That was his job in the end, wasn't it? To save people. A doctor saves people and he made a promise to himself long ago that he would do exactly that.
"You have nothing to thank me for, Mrs. Tyrell. Your grandmother hasn't shown any bad signs, such as memory loss or not having control over her limbs, which is good. I suspect she'll be able to come home in a day or two." He told both of them and got off the bed.
Anthony, who had been silent all the way through the visit, finally spoke up. "Dr. Smith, I'm sorry to interrupt, but we need to go…"
John looked at him and said. "I suppose you're right, Anthony!" he turned back to the women. "Lady Olenna, I'll be back to pester you with more questions tomorrow."
"God forbid." Lady Olenna shook her head but John could swear he saw a hint of a smile.
"Have a nice day, Mrs. Tyrell." He told the younger woman.
"You too, Dr. Smith."
They turned and left. John checked on all of his patients, taking more time than needed with each of them, making sure they weren't showing evident signs of post-surgery trauma. Or if they needed to have one, he made sure to explain them how everything would go. He found that most people always felt better after he explained what would happen during it. He was more than happy to be the one to prepare them. Talking to children was different, though. It had always made him both happy and sad. Children were containers full of joy and wonder who loved nothing more than to listen to him – not about their surgery, but rather stories he made up on the top of his head or give them trivia about loads of subjects. What saddened him was that these young souls had to go through hardships from such a fragile age. Sometimes they were so young, John felt the need to always be there before and after surgery. He went to see as many as possible in their lunch times and went out of his way to check on the ones that didn't receive a lot of visits. The other doctors told him that he doesn't have to do that, that his job doesn't stop at the surgery but he doesn't need to exhaust himself like that. Of course, he listened politely but still did as he wished. He smiled at the fact that he had Clara to support him with his antics and really, he didn't need anyone else.
After the visits, he had scheduled a surgery. It was a 30 year old man with a benign tumour. It all seemed promising and John was confident that the surgery would go well and the man will have a quick recovery. Of course, complications can always arise, but John liked to think that positivity helped the outcome be a good one.
After the surgery, he made sure the patient was stable and let his family inside before taking his leave. He washed up, changed his coat and went towards the lounge. He really needed a cup of tea. When he got there, Anthony and the Doctor were having a conversation while another colleague of theirs was cat napping in one of the beds. Looking at the window, he finally realised just how dark it had gotten. The clock on the wall showed 7:27 p.m.
"John, come join us. I was just about to make some tea. Would you like a cup?" The Doctor asked, calling him over.
John went and fell into a chair heavily. "That would be great, thanks. I really need one."
"Tiring day, sir?" Anthony asked him.
"When is it not tiring, Anthony? Nurse, doctor, janitor, receptionist…It's all hard work in here. Well, except maybe me. I'm always well rested!" the Doctor replied.
Both of them laughed and John was pleased to see Anthony more relaxed than the last time he saw him.
"How we wish we were as youthful as you, Doctor! You must tell us your secrets. Is it a youth fountain you have invented this time? Because I'd like to keep my face just as it is." Anthony joked.
John chuckled. "The lad's right. I'd like to look the same forever. I think Clara might like that."
"Maybe lose some of the chin… I'm afraid you'll have to see a plastic surgeon for that, John." Said the Doctor, turning back to the tea.
John sank even further in his chair and dropped his head in his palms. "Why does it always come back to my chin! It's not that big, for goodness sake."
"Weeelll, I'd beg to differ, John." A voice joined them. When they looked towards it, they were all surprised to see David – Tennant – already sitting at the table on a chair.
"Bloody hell, mate. How did you do that? Didn't hear the smallest of sound." John exclaimed.
David held up his leg and wiggled his foot in front of them. "Chuck Taylors, baby! Loving my new pair. Silent as…well, silence! You can't get more silent than that."
"What are you doing over here? I thought you were going to see Martha this week." Said the Doctor, while taking an extra cup out of the cupboard.
"I ended up not going." He said at once.
"I don't think I like your tone, David. What's up?" asked John
Anthony, feeling as if he shouldn't intrude on their conversation, excused himself out for a while. David looked at him go, but never turned his attention back to the other two. The Doctor handed out tea to the both of them and stared a hole through David.
"Stop looking at me like that, Doctor!" he said.
"I don't know what you're talking about, David."
"He might be talking about the holes you're boring through him. You know, the uncomfortable staring you do – which can be intimidating." John answered for him.
David looked at his friends and threw his head back, sighing. "Martha broke up with me."
Both John and the Doctor inhaled sharply.
"She said I spend too much time working and too little time being a good boyfriend." He sat up and sipped the tea before leaning on the table. " Oh, she also said I'm an egotistical twat who never says I love you back, who is obsessed with stars – how could she say that?! – and who is too busy with discovering to actually enjoy what he already discovered!" He shouted, getting progressively angry. "I know I sound angry, but I really am not. I mean – I'm upset. We had been together for a year and she was nice, but I never felt that spark."
"I'm sorry it didn't work out, David. I liked Martha. Martha was nice. But I never thought she was right for you, if it makes you feel any better." John offered.
"You'll find someone with that spark at some point, David. If not, you can join the old, single men club. There's always free spots available. " The Doctor said.
David laughed. "Nah, no thanks. I'm leaving my fate in the hands of the Universe, but not entirely."
"Fair enough." Said both John and the Doctor in unison.
"I want to go out. Guys' night out! What do you say?!" said David, grinning at them widely, apparently very excited at the idea.
"Better yet, why don't you come have dinner at my house? I'm sure Clara would love to have you over!" said John. Of course, he didn't mention Rose on purpose, afraid he might let it slip that David was her obsession since childhood. He grinned to himself. Rose would love him forever and beyond.
"I'd like to see Clara, yeah. Haven't seen her face in a while." Replied David, his grin still on. "Hopefully you meant dinner together with alcohol, John?"
"Oh boy. Drunk David will be fun to witness. It's been a while." The Doctor laughed and put his mug in the sink.
"Oh shut it! It's going to be fun! You're coming aren't you, Doctor?" said David.
"Of course. Wouldn't miss it for the world." He replied.
"Brilliant! How's this Saturday sound?" John asked them, getting up to put his own mug in the sink.
"As good as it gets!" David answered, following John to the sink and rinsing all of their cups.
Hey everyone! Did you say 5k update in two days? Wow, I don't know what's happening except for the fact that I'm handling a really bad headache at the moment.
This chapter is a little treat for you guys, but I wouldn't get used to updates every two days if I were you! Saves you the disappointment…
Strikingtwelve said she'd like to see some of Clara or John's doctor-y skills in actions and I thought "Hey! I want to see that, too!" so I did. No emergencies going on – I was never a fun of those – but more of what I think being a doctor is about – caring about your patients and letting them know they're in good hands!
I also want to address the fact that I've received a couple of private messages from two different people who hinted at the fact that they'd like to see more of John and Clara, rather than Clara and the Doctor. I know this fic has both ships in it (that's because I love both of them and I like writing them both), but at the end of the day, this ship is Whouffladi, and I want that to be clear.
As for Whouffaldi, I'm sorry there wasn't any of it in this chapter. I'm hoping to make it back to you with the next one!
See you guys next time!
P. S. Yes, they are THOSE Olenna and Margaery Tyrell. You just witnessed me doing a mini AU crossover with Game of Thrones. *giggles*