"It was just a side-effect in my case", the Doctor was telling. He didn't know if Victoria could understand him better than before, but he just needed to tell her something, because since the misadventure to the future where the poor kids had been nearly brainwashed (Jamie was still in the sick bay, blood being returned to his body instead of chemical liquids mixed in) Victoria was following him everywhere. She even waited for him next to the bathroom door! "They tried to shrink my brain, but shrunk all of me. I reversed the process in the main mechanism, and it made me become big once more... Victoria, I think it's time to visit Jamie. He must be better now".

He was right. After such a long sleep and all needed condition healthy colors returned to Jamie, and he finally reacted to the surrounding world: as soon as two pairs of feet sounded against the floor, he stirred and squinted, like a woken owl.

"Hello, Jamie", the Doctor softly called out. Jamie turned his head and attempted to smile, but consequences of the almost-surgery-operation took over him. "It's all fine, you'll soon be in the finest shape".

Victoria toddled to the bed on which Jamie was supine, stood on her toes and pointed at the needle sitting in Jamie's arm - the communication between the vein and the blood bag.

"Ow?"

"No, it's not needed anymore. It's not going to hurt, Jamie..." The Doctor pulled the needle out, and the only sound after this was the tiniest sigh. "There's a brave little Scot. Now let's sit up. Slowly, you don't want to get dizzy".

Jamie's head nodded after he sat up, but then he looked up at the Doctor and rhythmically flexed his fingers curled around the adult's thumbs.

"How are you now?"

Jamie shook his head, but then his eyes half-rolled into his head.

"No, don't shake your head at me", the Doctor tutted and helped him lie back down. "I appreciate that you have your own point of view, but now I don't advise you to make too brisk moves. You need to restore your strength, otherwise you'll fall like dead. Remain here, fine? If you need me, just call for me. I'll be in the console room. Come along, Victoria".

While they were making their way to the console room, Victoria tugged on his trouser sleeve:

"Jay-mee?"

"Don't worry. Jamie needs some rest, and every caution is considered. And I see that you both remained sensible", the Doctor assured. "I need to check fuel amount that remained. Yes-yes-yes, it's to be done from time to time".

The Doctor was almost unseen under the console and Victoria was looking through a huge book of old fairy tales when the TARDIS suddenly jerked in a violent way, and both rolled to the wall (which decided to turn into floor despite gravity field being present). Luckily their landing wasn't as hard as it could be, but nevertheless it scared Victoria so much that she couldn't help shrieking with fear.

However, the next moment the TARDIS straightened, and both released the breath they both were holding against their will. And realized they had company.

Jamie, holding a mop with both hands, was standing in the doors and turning his head in search for possible danger.

"Jamie!" The Doctor stood up. "Get back to bed, you little fool, you're going to faint once again!"

Jamie shook his head and held the wooden stick in a threatening way.

"Did you think that someone got into the TARDIS?" the Doctor asked, having recognized one more habit. "And you decided to protect us?"

The boy nodded, his dark eyes darting from side to side. He even seemed a bit disappointed at the fact that no one was there to fight. But the fact remained the fact: even in this infant form Jamie kept his defending nature. Having observed the room one more time, he put the mop onto the floor and stared at Victoria, who had already recovered from the sudden shake.

"Tor-ee-ah?.. Doka?.."

"It was nothing but turbulence. Nobody's going to jump from behind the corner", the Doctor assured.

The habits ended. Both children walked up to him and wrapped their arms around his legs in search for protection. The Doctor patted them both on dark-haired heads:

"It's all fine, you two. Jamie, I'm sorry for being harsh, but you still need to recover. I don't want you to catch another disease".

"Do-o-o-oka..." Jamie said reproachfully, and the Doctor imagined his adult self saying something like 'I'm not afraid of...'.

"I know that you fear nothing and nobody, but now you need to recover. Come along".

The duo obediently toddled after him. Jamie felt dizzy in the middle of the way, so the Doctor scooped him up.

"What did I tell you? As soon as you recover, we'll go to some place free of danger and have fun together. What about the... m-m... the ice cream planet?"

Victoria laughed the same way she had done after she had stepped into the TARDIS.

"Universe is infinite, and that means nothing is impossible, my sweet", the Doctor told her and started - without realizing it he kicked something light and flat forgotten on the floor so that it flew towards the wall and crashed against it. This was a small dagger, made specifically for Jamie and right on time: it could cut almost anything, apart from thinking matter - conscious living beings, for instance, so no one could cut him- or herself on it. A useful and very rare kind of metal items, it was, and Jamie even now didn't listen to advantages of not carrying weapons. The Doctor gathered it and with a mock-posh face gave it to its owner. "Yours, little sir", he said, trying not to explode with laughter.

Jamie dropped the dagger and threw his tiny arms around the Doctor's neck.

"Do-ka..."

"Only to you two", the Doctor mumbled, wondering what color his face just became - scarlet or cherry.