Chapter 16: A Familiar Face

Still in the remnants of his healing coma, the Doctor slept all morning. Sunlight streamed in through the artificial windows, bathing the room in a warm golden hue. The Tardis purred outside. Cool air filtered in through vents in the ceiling. Red satin curtains fluttered gently in the breeze.

Clara had woken up hours ago but was trapped. At some point in the night, they had changed positions. Her back was now pulled up against his body, molded perfectly to his contours. The Doctor clutched her tightly to his chest, surrounding her with one leg draped over her own. He was warm and soft, like a weighted blanket. His double heartbeats thumped steadily against her back. They felt stronger. Slowly, he was getting better.

She wiggled slightly. Reflexively, he squeezed harder. Out of possessiveness or protectiveness, she could not tell. She smiled. Perhaps both. Cocooned in his embrace, she would have to pry his arms off if she wanted to leave the bed. The closeness almost felt wrong but to hell with it. She knew that when he awoke he would be horrified at his actions. Already picturing it, she giggled to herself quietly. Mr. "I'm against the hugging," indeed.

Hours passed. The afternoon suns shone high in the sky. Clara stayed with him faithfully, not wanting to leave the comfort of his arms. She sighed contentedly, basking in the moment. She nuzzled back into her silky pillow and listened to the monitor beep steadily. The sound of life. The Doctor's life.

Knowing Missy would need her help for the lunch rush, she reluctantly shuffled out of his grasp. He snorted but did not wake up. She chuffed quietly to herself. Perhaps it was best if he didn't know.

She synched her Apple Watch to the monitors so they would alert her if his condition changed. Next, she changed out his IV bags for fresh ones, checking the line to make sure it was not kinked. Finished, she stood there a moment, just watching him. Hair wild and snoring softly, he looked so peaceful.

She tip-toed away as quietly as she could, pulling the door shut behind her. Within minutes, she put on her makeup, changed into her royal blue uniform, and stepped out onto the checkered floors of the diner.

The sounds of utensils clacking against plates and unintelligible chatter filled the air. The diner bustled with activity. The very definition of organized chaos. Missy worked the bar while the hired help, Alycana, took orders and bussed tables.

For a moment, Clara worried about the possibility of somebody accidentally stumbling into the Tardis through the swinging kitchen door. She watched it shimmer like a heat wave and realized it was cloaked by a perception filter. Reassured, she made her way to the bar.

"What do you need from me, Missy?" she greeted the Time Lady.

Missy turned around, glass and rag still in hand. She put one hand on her hip, feigning surprise. "Wellll," she drawled. "Sleeping Beauty finally decided to join us, eh?"

Clara blushed sheepishly, feeling guilty that she had left Missy alone for so long. "Yeah, sorry about that."

"How's the Doctor?" Missy asked in her usual Glaswegian accent, busying herself by wiping out the inside of the glass.

"Still sleeping," Clara sighed, mirroring Missy by putting her hands on her hips. "I think he'll be asleep all day, so I'm at your service. Where do you need me?"

Missy pointed vaguely to the uniformed female Kapponian across the diner. "Help Miss Alycana take orders. She's swamped."

"Got it," she nodded. Carefully, she weaved through customers and tables to the young blue-scaled woman who clearly looked stressed.

"Busy day today, ain't it, Miss Clara?" Alycana quipped cheerfully as she cleared a table.

"Indeed," Clara replied with a raised eyebrow. She looked around the diner. It was stuffed to the gills with patrons. A line was forming outside the door, wrapping around the building. She was glad that she had hired somebody to help. There was no way she and Missy could have done this alone.

Clara stacked the plates on the table. "Here, let me help you," she offered. Alycana tilted her scaly head in thanks, taking the stack from her. She brought the dishes back behind the bar where she stuck them into a slot in the wall. A hissing noise emanated from behind the rubber flaps. After just moments, the plates popped back out, perfectly clean and steaming.

Alycana shook her head in wonder. She had worked in many restaurants before, but never one like this. It was like magic. She shifted her gaze to the kitchen door, wondering what laid beyond that the bosses were so secretive about. She hadn't even noticed it during her first few days, but as her curiosity grew, so did her desire to find out. She had already tried to enter, but it seemed to only open for them.

Finished with wiping the tabletop, Clara pulled out her pen and notepad from her apron and got to work taking orders.

The day dragged into evening. Being a Saturday, there had hardly been a respite from lunch rush to dinner rush. Customers of various creeds and races flowed in and out of the diner nearly constantly. Clara had even overheard some of them talking about how they had traveled from a faraway land to sample the cuisine at Clara's Diner. Hover cars and spaceships of all shapes and sizes took up almost the entire clearing the restaurant resided in.

Somewhere in the throng, a familiar face came through the doors, also eager to try out the new restaurant. Unnoticed, he took a seat at the bar.

The hectic atmosphere did not begin to settle down until the suns had long set from the sky. The diner crew was exhausted. They'd hardly had a break even for a sip of water. Finally, the dinner patrons left and only the night owls occupied the bar. The kitchen shut down for the night. Alycana finished clearing the vacant tables and then Clara sent her home. "I should give her a raise," Clara thought aloud, watching her walk to her junkyard hovercar. This place was busier than anyone could imagine.

Clara excused herself shortly afterwards to go check on the Doctor. Missy stood at the bar alone, serving cocktails with a skill that could only come from practice. She made herself a "Jack and Coke" and sipped at it slowly. Rundown, she leaned heavily against the bartop. It had been a long day. A long month, really.

The bargoers chattered amongst themselves but never to her. She tried to eavesdrop but never heard anything meaningful. So much talk but so little substance. Frustrated, she huffed into her glass. Damn tight-lipped Kapponians.

One by one, the customers paid their tabs and left. Missy began to close down the bar. She switched off the buzzing neon lights above and placed the liquor bottles back into their cabinets.

At the end of the steel bartop, one patron remained, nursing his third beer. He appeared nervous, tracing his clawed gecko-like fingers around the rim of the glass.

"Hey pal, it's closing time," Missy spoke over her shoulder. "Finish your beer and hit the road."

The patron took a swig and set the glass down loudly to get her attention. She peered over her shoulder with a side-eyed glare, annoyed. She squinted but could not make out his face in the shadows.

The tall Kapponian cleared his throat. "That's no way to treat a friend, is it, Missy?"

Missy snapped her head around. She turned to face him at full attention. Her eyebrows shot up into her hairline. "W-What did you just call me?" she stammered, taken aback. She had not told anyone her name nor was she wearing a nametag. How could he possibly know her name?

She approached the alien cautiously. As she drew closer, the details of his face came into view. She saw so many Kapponian customers every day that they all looked the same to her. But, something was familiar about this one.

She switched on the overhead lights with a click. A warm glow cast itself over his features, fully illuminating his frame. Immediately recognizing the figure, she almost let go of her glass. Her jaw dropped to the floor. Fear flashed in her eyes.

"Butch?!"

A/N: As always, don't forget to review!