Chores
Where is she?
He stalked down the corridor as it twisted and reconfigured ahead of him. He stopped, crossing his arms over his thin chest.
"Jenny?"
There was the slam of a door, and Jenny came jogging out. She stopped in front of him, hands behind her back. She smiled up at him, breathing between her teeth.
"Yes?"
"Didn't you say you'd add the mercury and water to the lubrication chute for the fluid links?"
"I….Oh." Her eyes widened.
"You forgot?" He quirked a dark eyebrow. Her face fell a bit.
"Yeah." She said, pale face contrite.
The Doctor stared down at her. He gave a small sigh. "Jenny, I asked you to do that, what? Eight hours ago? You said you wanted to help around the ship. Those are the kind of things you can help me with. But I need to be able to trust you. Do you know what would have happened if I'd started the ship without checking the fluid links?"
Jenny looked up at him. "No?"
"The links would explode, the helmic regulator would snap, and we'd be in rather a nasty state of dissolution." He gave her a clear picture of the event. She winced slightly.
"Sorry."
Her father's eyes held hers. "I don't need you to be sorry, Jenny. I need you to remember. Remembering to check the mercury levels, loading the dishwasher, picking up your shoes after your run-"
She started. "I did!"
"No, you didn't, I found them in the main bathroom. Simple things like that. Just simple things, all right? Pick up after yourself and such. You're pretty much old enough to do that. Work on it, okay?"
Jenny's face had gone still, her eyes fastened on his. She nodded stiffly.
"Yes, sir. I will, sir. Sorry."
It felt like a wall had gone up in her, all ice and anger. The Doctor took a step forward. "O, now don't be-"
"I'll go and lubricate the links now."
Turning on her heel, she strode away. The Doctor gazed after her, eyebrows rising nearly to his hairline. He'd meant to tell her off. He'd expected her to be contrite, maybe a bit embarrassed. He hadn't expected her to react like that. He took a step after her- then stopped. No. He wasn't going to apologize. She needed to learn to remember her obligations. And if that took her getting a bit wounded, even if she was like an icicle in his head at the moment, then so be it.
Yet his annoyance had still slid halfway into guilt.
Maybe I shouldn't have come down so hard…
She could have imploded the ship
Well, a mistake…
Mistakes can kill you.
Oh, this is useless.
Unable to go after her, unable to go back to his own work, the Doctor stood still in the corridor. He stuck his hands in his pockets, and sighed to himself.
Teenager.