But he wasn't fine. Not really. No matter how many times he said it, Donna knew the truth of the matter. He was trying to be cheerful for the sake of her and Kiam but his smile barely reached his eyes. He had lost so much recently.
After leaving Martha they had headed for the largest Library ever, after receiving a mysterious summons on his psychic paper. There he ran from the piranhas of the air, called the Vashta Nerada and tried to figure out what happened to the 4000 people in the library, all the while trying to save a group of archaeologist led by a Professor River Song. She had unnerved him more then he cared to admit, by claiming to know him in the future. She had his sonic screw driver and she had known his name. Nobody knew his name, not even his own son, but she had whispered it in his ear.
Then to save everyone she had died. He had wanted to sacrifice himself but she knocked him out and he woke up handcuffed to a pipe. He pleaded with her to let him take her place but she wouldn't listen and he watched her die. He sat there, not trying to escape as he waited for someone to come rescue him. All he could do was stare at the place she had been.
He had saved her to the library mainframe using the sonic screwdriver she had carried, after realizing his future self, would have given it to her for a reason.
He needed a break, somewhere relaxing and that is why he had landed the Tardis at the Leisure Spa on the beautiful planet Midnight. Donna was eager to relax but he wanted to explore. He tried one last time to convince her to come with him and Kiam.
"Sapphire waterfall. It's a waterfall made of sapphire. This enormous jewel, the size of a glacier reaches the Cliffs of Oblivion, and then shatters into sapphires at the edge. They fall a hundred thousand feet into a crystal ravine.
"I bet you say that to all the girls." Donna replied.
"Oh, come on. They're boarding now. Four hours, that's all it takes."
"No, that's four hours there and four hours back. That's like a school trip."
"I'd rather go sunbathing."
"You be careful, that's Xtonic sunlight."
"Oh, I'm safe. It says in the brochure this glass is fifteen feet thick."
"All right, I give up. I'll be back for dinner. We'll try that anti-gravity restaurant. With bibs."
"That's a date." She replied. "Well, not a date. Oh, you know what I mean. Oh, get off."
"See you later."
"And you be careful, all right?"
"Taking a big space truck with a bunch of strangers across a diamond planet called Midnight? What could possibly go wrong?"
He hangs the phone up and climbs aboard the shuttle. He walks to the front of the aeroplane and sets Kiam down on his seat and buckles him in, before taking his own.
"That's the headphones for channels one to thirty six. Modem link for 3D vidgames. Complimentary earplugs. Complimentary slippers. Complimentary juice pack and complimentary peanuts. I must warn you some products may contain nuts."
"That'll be the peanuts." He says happily.
"Enjoy your trip."
"Oh, I can't wait. Allons-y."
"I'm sorry?"
"It's French, for let's go." He smiles at her.
"Fascinating."
An older gentleman leans over the seat and offers shakes his Hand.
"Hobbes. Professor Winfold Hobbes."
"I'm the Doctor and this is Kiam. Hello."
"It's my fourteenth time."
"Oh. Our first."
"And I'm Dee Dee, Dee Dee Blasco."
"Don't bother the man. Where's my water bottle?" He ask as they lean back.
"Ladies and gentlemen, and variations thereupon" The hostess begins. "Welcome on board the Crusader Fifty. If you would fasten your seatbelts, we'll be leaving any moment. Doors." The Doors close. "Shields down, I'm afraid the view is shielded until we reach the Waterfall Palace. Also, a reminder. Midnight has no air, so please don't touch the exterior door seals. Fire exit at the rear, and should we need to use it, you first. Now I will hand you over to Driver Joe."
A voice comes over the intercom. "Driver Joe at the wheel. There's been a diamondfall at the Winter Witch Canyon, so we'll be taking a slight detour, as you'll see on the map. The journey covers five hundred kliks to the Multifaceted Coast. Duration is estimated at four hours. Thank you for travelling with us, and as they used to say in the olden days, wagons roll."
The shuttle shakes a bit as it starts on the journey.
"For your entertainment, we have the Music Channel playing retrovids of Earth classics." A screen drops down showing a video of some woman. " Also, the latest artistic installation from Ludovico Klein." A hologram appears. "Plus, for the youngsters, a rare treat. The Animation Archives." A projection of Betty Boop onto a screen in front of the drivers cabin door. "Four hours of fun time. Enjoy."
He watches her head to the back of the aerobus and frowns at the bombardment of noise. He looks at Kiam who is rubbing his right ear, with the look he gets right before he starts to scream and then turns to look at the woman across the aisle who looks up at him very unhappy. He pulls out his sonic screwdriver and turns everything off. As it goes quiet he hears Hobbes behind him say "Well that's a mercy.
"I do apologize, ladies and gentlemen, and variations thereupon. We seem to had a failure of the Entertainment System."
"Oh." He says trying to sound disappointed as he unbuckles Kiam and pulls him on his lap. Rubbing his back soothingly.
"But what do we do?" A woman calls out.
"We've got four hours of this? Four hours of just sitting here?" A man calls out next.
He props himself up on the arm of the seat with Kiam still in his arms. "Tell you what. We'll have to talk to each other instead." He grins at the other passengers.