Forged in Ice (Doctor Who AU Novel)

Chapter 8 Monsters come out at Night to Play

Robbie stood next to his mum, clutching the wibbly box against his chest with one hand and his mother's hand with the other. Convinced the man he considered dad would be just as funny and bouncy as ever when he saw him, the six-year-old stared wide-eyed.  Daniel lay deathly quiet, except for the heavy breathing that sounded all wheezy and scary. His eyes went from his dad to the monitor quietly beeping a steady heartbeat and watched as the nurse quickly checked Daniel's blood pressure. Robbie didn't know what to say, or even if he should touch his dad, who clutched Nana Addie's hand. He watched Nana Addie lean over, whispering softly to Daddy that he should try to stay awake because he had a special visitor, but his daddy just groaned like he did when he had a bad headache. Robbie swallowed, glanced at his box, and pulled his hand free from his mum.

"Dad needs this, it'll make the night monster go away," he announced to the grown-ups with absolute seriousness.  

Mary walked around the end of the bed and knelt in front Robbie. "What's this box do, Robbie?" she asked, glancing up at Nora, then back at the boy in front of her.  

"Dad made it so the monsters that come at night to scare you are taken away. When the monster comes, the light comes on and you hit the big red button," he explained.

"Time and space," Daniel muttered sleepily.

A smile crept across Robbie's serious expression.  "See, he remembers. It sends the monsters into time and space, so they can't ever come back. Dad needs it; he'll sleep better with it."

Mary took the box, handed it up to Nora, then placed her hands on his little shoulder. "Alright, Robbie, I know that you are really excited to see Daniel, but he is my patient and I have to look out for him. So, here are the rules. First, you have to keep your best inside voice. His ears are sensitive, and noises that are quiet to us, are really loud to him. His body hurts, so you need to be still when we put you up next to him. Make sure you don't jostle him, okay? His ribs still hurt, so don't hug his chest. Let him hug you if he wants. You can kiss his cheek, but be careful of his bandage, understand?"

Robbie nodded solemnly.

"Good, he still struggles with names because of how he hurt his head, so if he calls you -- oh I don't, something like dog breath," she smiled when Robbie giggled, "don't get upset, or laugh, because -- if you do, he may get upset. Even that won't be his fault though, okay?"

Robbie's eyebrows knitted in sudden fear. "He won't hit me like Ian?" 

"Honey, your dad isn't going to hit you, but remember his brain is hurt, so he's fuzzy headed. We can do this later if you want after he sleeps," the nurse advised.

"But if he doesn't have the box, the dreams might come. Mum?" Robbie glanced at his mum, unsure if he'd made himself understood by the stranger.

"Yeah, they might. Are you ready to give it a go, then?" Nora's voice cracked when she answered, rubbing his shoulder.

Robby nodded.

Nora picked him up and moved to Daniel's bed. "Hey, you," she called. "You've got company and he has a present for you."

Robbie smiled when Daniel turned toward him, blinking sleepily. Robbie didn't see Daniel's worn expression or the pained confusion in his eyes. He just saw the same gentle grin that had made his heart soar since the day he met him. "Hi, Dad."   

"Snowman, you're my snowman, aren't you?" Daniel directed his confusion to Nora. "Am I a dad?" he asked, the strain of staying awake plainly evident in his voice.

She took the flannel from his forehead. "You're a stepdad," Nora explained.

"Really? A stepdad, eh -- I like that. Used to be a dad a long time ago. Gone now."