Gavin stood behind the kitchen counter, the sound of the kettle growing in the background, examining the strange man who stood on the other side. 'The Doctor', as he had called himself (though that seemed like a thoroughly ridiculous name, Doctor of what?), stood jittering, like he had never been asked to stand still for more than one minute. His hands never stopped moving, almost aching for a task to take up. His head moved from side to side like a meerkats and settled on the television, the Doctor's face lighting up like a Christmas tree at the sight arresting him.

'Dancing', he exclaimed, 'I love dancing, especially at weddings, best place to dance, weddings.'

Gavin noticed his eyes tinge with sadness as he finished speaking, as if mourning a loss, his words holding much more meaning than they seemed. Gavin realised he may have much more in common with this strange man than he initially thought. As he stood pondering this the kettle clicked off and he could hear the water furiously boiling behind him.

'How do you take it?' he asked, turning round to sort the coffee.

'I don't know', he said, his eyes lighting up with confusion and what looked like excitement, 'haven't drunk coffee like this yet, exciting!'

The Doctor rubbed his hands together and leant forward. Gavin looked on, bewildered by the circumstances he was finding himself in with this man, at this point he felt things couldn't really get any stranger.

'Do you take milk?' he said helpfully.

'Milk!' the Doctor exclaimed triumphantly, 'sure, why not, good for you, milk, keeps your hearts strong, or so I'm told.'

He gave Gavin a wink over the counter and Gavin could do nothing but gape openly, very aptly resembling a goldfish. This man got stranger by the minute, and Gavin was sure he'd heard him say hearts instead of heart, which made no kind of coherent sense. After a good thirty seconds he shook himself out of his stupor.

'Alright milk, any sugar?' he asked, his voice wobbling on the last word, slightly apprehensive of the answer he would receive.

'No, I'll try it like this' the Doctor asserted, smiling.

Gavin handed the coffee over to him and watching him take a hearty swig, no standing on ceremony with this one.

'BLAAAHHHH' the Doctor cried, spitting his coffee back into the mug, 'sugar!'

Gavin handed the sugar pot to the Doctor who proceeded to put four teaspoons into the cup. He then took another hearty swig, and once again loudly spit it back into the mug, much to Gavin's disgust.

'Sugar, yuck, horrible, no, needs something else', the Doctor rambled before running to the pantry and rummaging furiously through the cupboard, much to Gavin's indignation.

'Peanuts!' he exclaimed, holding the peanut-butter jar triumphantly.

Gavin looked on utterly bamboozled, what the bloody hell did this man need peanut-butter for? His bewilderment only grew when the Doctor proceeded to put a large teaspoon of peanut-butter into his mug and stir it vigorously, so that globs of melted peanut-butter floated to the top of his already disgusting cup of coffee. Gavin then watched on in horror as the Doctor took a swig and for the first time, actually swallowed, grinning at the end.

'Much better' he said with a smile, but once again it slid from his face.

The Doctor leaned heavily against the counter, looking sadly at his cup of peanut-butter coffee.

'I've done this before' he said, his voice laced with loss, 'fish fingers and custard.'

He looked up at Gavin, whose face wore an expression of utter confusion. The Doctor smiled sadly at him, before letting his eyes roam the apartment properly for the first time, anything to take his mind off his memories. He was met however with a torrent of Gavin's. The Doctor's eyes scanned the many pictures on the walls and came to rest on one in particular, covered in dust like it was too painful to remember, but still left standing, like it was too heart-breaking to forget. It stirred in him a sense of sadness and empathy for the man standing across from him, they both knew what it was to lose someone they loved.

'We're very similar, you and me', he remarked with a small smile, tilting his head at Gavin.

From a across the room he heard an exasperated bark, 'Oh, for goodness sake!'

The Doctor whipped his head around to behold the border collie he had seen earlier, lying on the couch, her muzzle resting on the arm, watching the exchange between the two men.

'Hello old girl, forgot you were here', he said, putting down his mug and walking over to give her a pet.

'That's Maggie, good dog she is' Gavin grunted, his attachment to the dog seeping through the gruff tones.

The dog huffed and shook her head indignantly, 'My name is Margaret, how many times.'

'Margaret!' the Doctor exclaimed, jumping up from his crouched position in front of her.

'What's that?' Gavin asked, evidently confused.

The Doctor however was not listening and was very excitedly shaking Margaret's paw.

'It's a great pleasure to meet you Margaret, I'm sorry I didn't realise sooner' he said, grinning from ear to ear, 'I'm guessing that's the friend you were telling me about.'

The Doctor gestured to Gavin and Margaret barked joyfully in response, 'Yes! He's far too melancholy, never takes me on walks, stays in the house day in day out, and doesn't wash, I tell you the smell is getting to be unbearable, you'd never catch a dog smelling like that, all human and sweaty.'

'Well he is human and sweaty' the Doctor grinned, looking at Gavin with a wink.

'Who's human and what?' Gavin said indignantly, a look of incredulity dissipating over his features.

He seemed to look like that a lot, the Doctor thought, it was endearing in a way, but frustrating in another.

'Margaret says you smell, and I don't blame her, says you should take a bath, which is good, baths are great' he said rubbing his hands together.

'Let me get this straight', Gavin stated, his face suggesting that in his head the situation was anything but, 'My dog told you, to tell me, to take a bath. My dog, told you.'

'Yes Gavin' the Doctor sighed, sounding exasperated but the glint in his eye suggested he enjoyed this, 'and Margaret is only concerned about your wellbeing, sent me a note to come and help you, which I intend to.'

Gavin stood looking at the Doctor, opening and closing his mouth in what could only be described as an utter loss for words, or any form of intelligent communication. The Doctor looked down at Margaret, whose eyes nodded to him in silent agreement and encouragement. The Doctor looked up at Gavin again, a glint in his eye and a smile on his lips.

'Come with me, I have something to show you.'