The Doctor stayed up in the late lethargic hours of the night. The silence of the world dawned on him, inducing him with loneliness. When daylight evaporated from their side of the world and darkness ruled the sky, the life of Rhodes Island was reduced accordingly.
Unless there were late-night drinkers. They were in their corner, enjoying life. If he received an invitation to their party, he rarely joined because of his feeble tolerance for alcohol.
The Medical Department also stayed up to tend to patients. There were no shortages of souls staying up, but it was less than the day.
The Doctor's office picked up any noise produced nearby—a banging on a pipe, voices from passing operators, or the scribble of his pen. In short, it was very silent.
If the Doctor needed an assistant during the night, it would be Ptilopsis or Silence, but both were busy with patients. Weary of the long periods of peace, the Doctor reached into the drawers connected to his desk to unveil a bag of chocolate-covered pretzels. He had ordered them from Dur-nar's snack network.
The Doctor continued his paperwork and snacked on delectable sweets until he heard a knock at the door. He attributed it to an arbitrary noise. He signed his signature on a recruitment file, but the knock became pronounced.
The Doctor stood up and approached the door. He hesitantly opened the door and a heartbreaking sight greeted him. Popukar stood outside with a tearful expression. Her trembling silhouette was visible. The red bunny plushie she held was wrapped in her arms to provide herself some solace.
"P-Popukar, what happened?"
Popukar said nothing as she pressed herself against the Doctor's body, embracing him. Taken aback, the Doctor held his hands in surprise. But when the Doctor realized Popukar was seeking comfort, he wrapped his arms around her and waited for her tremors to subside.
Several ideas rampaged through the Doctor's mind. After a minute of thinking, the only possibility he arrived at was the prospect of a nightmare. There was only so much a child could do in the middle of the night. The one that left Popukar in tears narrowed it down.
When Popukar's breathing softened, the Doctor took the time to ask her a question.
"Did you have a nightmare?"
When he felt Popukar nod, it confirmed his speculation.
"Do you want to stay here for the rest of the night?"
Another nod.
"Okay, have a seat wherever you like. Next to me, on the sofa, or the assistant's office chair. It doesn't matter to me. But let's wipe those tears from your eye first."
Popukar closed her eye until he finished. She loosened her grip around the Doctor's torso and clasped onto her plushie before it fell. As the Doctor walked to his desk, Popukar tagged along, following him like a duckling would to a mother. Her bunny-shaped slippers echoed in his office with every step. When he stopped, the rhythmic sound also paused.
"Wait right here. I'll bring a chair for you to sit on." The Doctor said.
The Doctor moved the assistant's office chair next to his office chair. Popukar looked at him and handed her plushie to him. The Doctor accepted her plushie while Popukar positioned herself in the office chair. Once she finished, the Doctor placed the plushie in her lap, where her arms hugged it.
"Are you comfortable? Do you need anything else?" The Doctor asked.
The Doctor wasn't convinced he was the correct person to comfort a crying or frightened child, but in the past, Suzuran had made her way to his office during a thunderstorm. Shamare and Popukar also appeared after Suzuran. Maybe all he needed was to deliver on the trust they had for him.
"How about some snacks?"
Popukar nodded her head. "C-Can I please?"
The Doctor rummaged through his drawers, debating what a child wanted after a horrific nightmare. He settled on a bag of peanut butter cookies and transferred it to Popukar's hands. Popukar didn't hesitate, diving into the bag of sweets. It was to reassure herself the nightmare was an unrealistic dream and not an authentic component of existence.
When the Doctor turned around to continue through his arduous journey of paperwork, he heard Popukar's timid voice arise.
"Thank you, Doctor..."
The Doctor smiled underneath his mask and patted her on the head. "If you have any more nightmares in the future, don't be afraid to visit me."
"Are you sure…? But what if you're sleeping?"
"Oh... Er, if I'm sleeping, you can try the Medical Department, where either Miss Ptilopsis or Miss Silence should be awake. If all else fails, I guess you can try to wake me up. You know, just a little shake and I'll be awake."
"I don't know about that… I don't want to interrupt your sleep, Doctor. But if you are asleep, I'll try my best to let you get some rest."
"Or you could try knocking on Kal'tsit's door."
Popukar's eye glinted with concern. His silly suggestion prompted Popukar to stumble over her words. "Um… W-Wouldn't Miss Kal'tsit get furious if I knocked on her door in the middle of the night?"
"Well, she has a soft spot for children, so I think she'll excuse it if you tell her it was a nightmare. Would I recommend doing it? Perhaps not."
Popukar stared at the Doctor, forcing him to chuckle. His laugh brought Popukar to crack a smile at his lame attempt at a joke. However, the smile was enough to light the room and color it with brighter tones compared to Popukar's first entrance into his office.
"Then what happens if you do it...?" Popukar asked.
"If I do it?"
"Yeah, I want to know..."
The Doctor pondered the chaos that would unfold. His brain illustrated the imagery of Kal'tsit, conjuring Mon3tr to hunt him. But Popukar didn't have to know that. All the Cautus child had to know was the lighter side of his punishment.
"I'm not sure. She'll probably give me an extended chastisement for waking her up like a child in the middle of the night."
Popukar giggled, the remaining twinkle of fear evaporating into the air. "If that happened, that would be funny, but I guess not for you, since you would be the one punished… Does that mean I have to step in to protect you, Doctor? I wouldn't want you to fight with Miss Kal'tsit..."
"Only if you're brave enough."
"Okay, I'll protect you, Doctor! If Miss Kal'tsit tries to hurt you, I'll make sure you, uh, stay safe…!"
Determination wavered on Popukar's features as she tried to muster up the courage to protect the Doctor on his behalf. It was adorable.
First, it was Suzuran who offered to administer solace to him if he got scared. Now, it was Popukar's resolve to defend him if he incurred Kal'tsit's wrath. And Shamare was always handing Morte into his possession if he needed to talk to someone.
"You're a good girl, Popukar." The Doctor said, ruffling her hair.
Popukar giggled, rubbing her head against his hand like always. "Thanks, Doctor… Um, Doctor, can I stay here for the rest of the night? I'm still a little scared to spend the rest of the night in my room."
"I don't see a problem with that. There are no time restrictions; stay here as long as you please.
"Wow, okay! I promise I won't interrupt your work, Doctor!"
And so Popukar kept him company, snacking on cookies and watching the Doctor work. However, Popukar only stayed up for so long before she nodded off. It didn't take long for the Doctor to notice her drowsiness. The Doctor attempted to move her to the sofa, but Popukar looked at him in surprise as his office chair croaked.
"Sorry, Popukar... Here, let me take you to the sofa, so you can sleep in a comfortable position."
Popukar didn't answer, allowing the Doctor to roll the office chair to the sofa while she buried her face into the plushie she embraced. The Doctor scooped her in his arms and laid her on the sofa with a pillow beneath her head and a blanket over her.
"Sweet dreams, Popukar."
"Wait, Doctor…"
The Doctor waited, biding his time for Popukar to speak her mind.
"Could you read me a bedtime story before you go back to work?"
Not a single part of the Doctor could reject her innocent request. If the cheerful bedtime story wiped any remaining traces of Popukar's nightmare, he was willing. Paperwork could wait until later.
Author's Note: When you're a kid, nightmares sincerely suck. The funniest thing is I always forget them the next day.
Except for nightmares about zombies. I'll always fear thunderstorms and zombies until the day I die! And going on airplanes! And being in a dark forest alone! And drowning! And… Ah, you get the point. Just the normal things people are afraid of.
With comforting love from your favorite writer, Out4Lunch!