Doctor Who_ Return of the Living Dad - Kate Orman [89]
‘Can he be moved?’
‘Probably not a good idea,’ said Roz. ‘He’s got a head injury.’
‘We’re right out in the open here,’ said Isaac. ‘Are you sure —’
‘Give it a few hours,’ said Roz.
‘Right,’ said Isaac. ‘We’ll make camp.’
‘Tent,’ Roz told Chris. He picked it up. Isaac opened the back door and Chris hopped out. Roz stopped to spread the blanket over the sleeping bag.
Jason was peering in Keith held inside his oversized coat. His eyes widened at Benny lying half-naked in a sleeping bag with the Doctor.
‘Hypothermia treatment,’ she told him.
‘Er,’ he said. He and Isaac looked at each other. ‘Will you be all right?’
‘All right, said Benny.
Roz gave her a nod and shut the door. Benny’s ears rang in the sudden silence.
She cradled the Doctor’s head in the crook of her arm.
‘Guess it was my turn to do the sleeping-bag bit.’ His hair was still wet, soaking her shoulder. ‘Guess...’
Benny burst into tears. ‘I can’t think of anything clever to say,’ she whispered. ‘Please don’t die.’
Chris spent half an hour and a whole box of matches trying to build a fire out of damp wood.
Ms Randrianasolo fussed over the Admiral, making him sit in the heated van while she and Roz struggled with the tent. They were taking turns to hold the single torch when Isaac switched on the headlights.
Isaac and Ms R ended up in an embarrassed tangle inside the small tent, staving off the hypothermia with a hug.
It was cold and clear, the stars burning down. Roz zipped the tent shut and went back to the fire, where Chris was stretched out, trying to make the most of the pale heat.
Roz surprised him by lying down in front of him. He hesitated, then put an arm around her. They relaxed into the shape of one another.
For a long while, they just watched the fire, tracing the path of the tiny red specks that drifted down to the ground.
‘We’re not in love, are we?’ Chris murmured.
‘No,’ said Roz. ‘You can keep nibbling on my neck if you want, though.’
Chris sighed, his breath warm across her ear. ‘I love you.’
‘Yeah,’ said Roz.
She turned in his arms, and they kissed again. This time Roz relaxed, let the warmth flow into her mouth and down through her body.
You love everybody,’ she told him, when they came up for air. ‘You fall in love on every planet we visit.’
No,’ pleaded Chris. ‘Oh no. This isn’t like that. It’s... If we’re not in love, then what are we exactly?’
Roz rested her head on his chest. ‘I guess we’re two good friends who fancy one another,’ she said.
‘Oh...’ Chris gave a little gasp of surprise.
‘Yes,’ said Roz. She pushed a hand up under his pullover’ feeling him shiver at the touch of the cold air, her cold fingers. ‘You’re so handsome it’s bloody ridiculous’ all right?’ Her hand was sandwiched between them, pressing against the strong muscles of his stomach. ‘Doesn’t mean I’m going to shag you, though.’
‘Oh, no,’ said Chris earnestly. ‘Of course not. I mean, whatever you like.’
‘Guess you’re pretty surprised to hear me say you’re cute,’ she said.
‘Not really, not that,’ he said. ‘But you almost never come out and say that we’re friends.’
He hugged her, the way he might hug a sister, and rolled onto his back. She nestled in the crook of his arm.
‘We’d never make it as a twosome anyway,’ said Roz.
‘Not while we’re with the Doctor. Look at Benny. She’s so worried her family’s going to get hurt, it’s like she’s been paralysed ever since we got here, too scared to jump in any direction.’
‘On the other hand,’ said Chris, ‘ carpe diem and all that.
We might not get out of this alive.’ He turned his head, glancing at the van.
Roz gave a small shrug. ‘Every dawn you don’t know if you’ll see the dusk,’ she said. ‘You know something?’
‘What?’
‘I’m not worthy of you,’ she said. She went on before he could object. ‘You don’t need a grizzled old grump like me.
You need someone with a few more years left in them.’
‘Hey, c’mon,’ he said.
‘You need someone as... as happy as you. As optimistic.’
He held her tighter.
‘You’re good for me, Chris,’ she whispered. ‘I need you.
Don’t