Reaction fic to "Journey's End" (6/9)
Still spoilery. Another one down to te_non_sum, with thanks.
Nine Ways Donna Noble Had a Fantastic Life
by Christina K
copyright 2008
6.
Rodney hated, hated, hated the hospital. His mum said that it was only for a couple nights, while he was getting his tonsils out, but still. It was cold and scary, and lonely without his family there. 'Specially Mum. His mum told the best stories; stories about her and his dad, going to the beaches and bazaars in South America, and Kilimanjaro, and Mount Olympus.
She'd been there earlier, but the school had called about Ella, saying she'd got into a fight with some boy. Mum had promised she'd be back "as soon as I've sorted out little Miss Loves-to-Fight. Be a good boy, and I'll bring you a coloring book and tell you another story when I return."
He sighed, punching his pillow, then smiled when the attending physician came in. "Hullo, Rodney. How're you feeling?" She pulled out his chart and checked the numbers, then looked up with a smile. "Getting bored yet?"
"Been bored for ages. Mum was telling me a story, but she had to leave."
"Ahh? What about?" She smiled and hung his chart back up, settling into the chair next to him.
Rodney grinned and held up his coloring book. "Dinosaurs! Mum's a paleontologist. Like in Jurassic Park. Dad's an anthropologist. No dinosaurs. Mum promised I can go with them next year, when they go to China."
"Oooo, that's splendid. Which one's your favorite?"
"The pteranodon! See?" He pointed at his picture, and then tilted his head. "I think they'd be red. But mum says they'd probably be more boring colors, green and brown and all."
"There's no way to be sure, is there?" His doctor leaned her chin on her hand, and raised her eyebrows at him. "Why can't they be red?"
"See! You have to tell my Mum that." Rodney yawned. "Can you tell me a story?"
"I don't know much about dinosaurs. Sorry." She looked thoughtful. "Hmmm. Right. Well... once upon a time, there was a girl who won the lottery."
"The whole lottery? Wow."
"I know! The whole thing. So she went on a trip around the world. And while she was traveling, she figured out that one of the things she liked best was to help people." She paused. "Especially children."
Rodney grinned at her.
"So. Even though she was very, very old to be going back to school, and she hadn't used to think she was very smart, she had enough money and time to do it slow, and do it right, so... she decided to be a doctor." She poked out a finger to tickle Rodney, and he giggled. "So now she can tell little kids when they're going to be just fine, even if they're worried about people yanking out their tonsils."
Rodney snickered, then calmed down, settling into his pillows. "I'm not as worried as I was before, Doctor Donna. Swear."
"Good. But if you get worried again, you know to call for me, don't you?" He nodded firmly, and Doctor Donna smiled back at him, pushing his hair out of his face. "Right. I'll be there tomorrow, and so will your mum and dad, and after the operation, it's ice cream and pudding for days and days! What's to worry?"
"Dr. Noble? Is Rodney all right?"
Rodney waved to his mum, standing in the doorway. "It's all fine, Mum. Doctor Donna was just keeping me company."
"He's good, Mrs. Rush. No worries." She patted Rodney's mum's arm, and Mum looked relieved and a little embarrassed. Doctor Donna turned back to point at him. "But I want to hear about those dinosaurs when you get your voice back, right, Rodney?"
"Right, Doctor Donna."
Nine Ways Donna Noble Had a Fantastic Life
by Christina K
copyright 2008
6.
Rodney hated, hated, hated the hospital. His mum said that it was only for a couple nights, while he was getting his tonsils out, but still. It was cold and scary, and lonely without his family there. 'Specially Mum. His mum told the best stories; stories about her and his dad, going to the beaches and bazaars in South America, and Kilimanjaro, and Mount Olympus.
She'd been there earlier, but the school had called about Ella, saying she'd got into a fight with some boy. Mum had promised she'd be back "as soon as I've sorted out little Miss Loves-to-Fight. Be a good boy, and I'll bring you a coloring book and tell you another story when I return."
He sighed, punching his pillow, then smiled when the attending physician came in. "Hullo, Rodney. How're you feeling?" She pulled out his chart and checked the numbers, then looked up with a smile. "Getting bored yet?"
"Been bored for ages. Mum was telling me a story, but she had to leave."
"Ahh? What about?" She smiled and hung his chart back up, settling into the chair next to him.
Rodney grinned and held up his coloring book. "Dinosaurs! Mum's a paleontologist. Like in Jurassic Park. Dad's an anthropologist. No dinosaurs. Mum promised I can go with them next year, when they go to China."
"Oooo, that's splendid. Which one's your favorite?"
"The pteranodon! See?" He pointed at his picture, and then tilted his head. "I think they'd be red. But mum says they'd probably be more boring colors, green and brown and all."
"There's no way to be sure, is there?" His doctor leaned her chin on her hand, and raised her eyebrows at him. "Why can't they be red?"
"See! You have to tell my Mum that." Rodney yawned. "Can you tell me a story?"
"I don't know much about dinosaurs. Sorry." She looked thoughtful. "Hmmm. Right. Well... once upon a time, there was a girl who won the lottery."
"The whole lottery? Wow."
"I know! The whole thing. So she went on a trip around the world. And while she was traveling, she figured out that one of the things she liked best was to help people." She paused. "Especially children."
Rodney grinned at her.
"So. Even though she was very, very old to be going back to school, and she hadn't used to think she was very smart, she had enough money and time to do it slow, and do it right, so... she decided to be a doctor." She poked out a finger to tickle Rodney, and he giggled. "So now she can tell little kids when they're going to be just fine, even if they're worried about people yanking out their tonsils."
Rodney snickered, then calmed down, settling into his pillows. "I'm not as worried as I was before, Doctor Donna. Swear."
"Good. But if you get worried again, you know to call for me, don't you?" He nodded firmly, and Doctor Donna smiled back at him, pushing his hair out of his face. "Right. I'll be there tomorrow, and so will your mum and dad, and after the operation, it's ice cream and pudding for days and days! What's to worry?"
"Dr. Noble? Is Rodney all right?"
Rodney waved to his mum, standing in the doorway. "It's all fine, Mum. Doctor Donna was just keeping me company."
"He's good, Mrs. Rush. No worries." She patted Rodney's mum's arm, and Mum looked relieved and a little embarrassed. Doctor Donna turned back to point at him. "But I want to hear about those dinosaurs when you get your voice back, right, Rodney?"
"Right, Doctor Donna."