Doctor Who: Love Handles - Chapter 3

The Doctor fidgeted himself around impatiently as Rose glanced down towards the floor, an inquisitive look spread over her features. He had always hated weighing scales. They caused more disruption than they did good.

Rose and him were both standing in the pits of Jackie's bathroom at the Powell Estate in among piles upon piles of hair products and make up which were scattered over the sink and small shelves. The Time Lord scrunched up his nose as he got another whiff of hair dye but was quickly put right when Rose grabbed his arm firmly for the fourth time.

"Stay still, Doctor." Rose spat as he leaned slightly to far to the left, causing the small red stick to flicker backwards and forwards over the numbers on the small device he was standing on.

"Why do I have to do this Rose, isn't it already embarrassing enough that I almost got eaten?" He replied with a dint in his pride.

"I've already told you," Rose began as she finally managed to keep him still, "I just want to see how much you have put on and these happen to be Tesco's finest weighing scales so keep still!"

After the Doctor finally managed to keep still, the little red bar flickered to a halt on a number Rose, and the Doctor, were quite surprised to see. "This says you've put on a stone from your original weight, Doctor." Rose told him, to which he scoffed in surprise.

"What?!" He exclaimed, looking back up from the weighing scales to the pink rimmed mirror in front of him to stare at his reflection. "That can't be possible..."

"This thing doesn't lie, Doctor." Rose said to him, watching his mouth open and close as he tried to figure out what to say. The Time Lord, undoubtedly confused, suddenly pulled out his sonic screwdriver from his tight jacket pocket and flicked on the blue light.

"Unless..." He began but didn't finish as he started to run the blue tip of the sonic screwdriver up and down his midriff carefully. Rose watched him inquisitively.

"What are you doing?" She asked him to which she got no response for a couple of seconds as the Doctor continued to scan his frame. Eventually, he stopped and flung the screwdriver up towards his face and stared at it with his eyes wide. "What is it?"

"I knew it..." He muttered under his breath, "In reality, I should have only have put on a few pounds but this is telling me otherwise." He turned his head to his companion as he shoved the screwdriver back into his pocket and continued explaining. "I've gained in mass and not just in weight."

It took a moment for Rose to process what the Doctor had just said to her. She had never been one for paying attention to Science in her school years, but she eventually caught on and looked into his big, brown eyes. "So, you're heavier, not just chubbier?"

"Oi! I thought we agreed you weren't going to mention that word, it's so...unattractive..." The Doctor quickly retorted with a shudder, turning his view back onto the long pink mirror. "But yes, that's right. The food must do something to the cells to make them, well, heavier, I guess. It just means it's going to take longer to work it off."

"It's not like we don't have the time." Rose stated, smiling slightly. The Doctor gave her a half smile through his reflection in the mirror.

"I suppose I wouldn't have figured that one out by myself," The Doctor admitted. "Thank you, Rose."

"Well, someone's got to look after you, you big idiot." She joked, giving him a playful pat on the side of his stomach. Suddenly, the sound of a door being thrust open emitted from outside and the Doctor and Rose quickly turned their heads to the closed pink door of the bathroom.

"It's my mum," Rose said, "She wasn't meant to be back this early." She made her way around the Doctor and pointed a finger at him. "Stay here whilst I go talk to her, maybe think about which galaxy has the best gym."

The Doctor raised his eyebrow at her in an unimpressed manner as he watched his companion slip open the bathroom door and step out onto the corridor. Instantly, he heard Jackie greet her but it wasn't a happy greeting. His keen sense of hearing picked up muffled sobs and puffs, and the Time Lord realised that Jackie was crying. He slowly stepped down from the white plated weighing scales and stepped over to the door, his curiosity deepening as he continued to listen. However, Rose had obviously escorted her mother into the living area and the Doctor was unable to pick up what was being discussed. Disgruntled, he turned back to face the clutter of the bathroom.

He noticed that a small, sharp pain was coming from his stomach as he shifted his body around, realising at the same time that he was also incredibly hungry. A groan of hunger emitted from his stomach and he rushed a hand to it in an attempt to cover it, teeth gritted when the pain suddenly began to get worse. He tried to shake it of and slowly crept to the mirror again, ignoring the pain as much as he could.

"Which galaxy has the best gym..." He muttered under his breath to himself in repetition of Rose's words. "Although if I were to pick one it would probably be-Ah!"

The sharp pain in his stomach made him loose his train of thought as it throbbed again with a much greater force. It was making him feel woozy and uncoordinated and as he glanced into the mirror, he saw that he was beginning to sweat, his forehead glistening slightly in the reflection. Hunger pains joined in with the sharp throbbing and he couldn't hold back the grunt of discomfort. He was hungry. But no matter how much he thought about banana's or beef, he was hungry for one thing and one thing only...

I don't need it...I don't need it...I don't need I-

The sound of a door shutting made the Doctor jump and he quickly withdrew the thoughts, wiping the sweat from his forehead as he heard Rose approach and open the bathroom door. She appeared, her blonde hair dancing as she entered. The Doctor could see there was something bothering her from the get go and he ignored the pain in his belly once again. "Rose what's wrong?"

"It's my mums friend, the one that's in hospital, she's not getting any better," Rose told him, "She was really upset, she want's me to go and meet her at the hospital now just for some support. She's already on her way there so she'll expect me in five minutes or so."

The Doctor nodded in understanding, seeing the slight fear in his companions eyes. "Do you want me to come with you?"

"No no, it's okay, I wouldn't want to drag you into something this domestic," Rose replied. The Time Lord took a quick step towards her and lifted his hand up onto her shoulder, stroking it with his thumb as she finished talking.

"Are you sure? Even though I don't like hospitals, I wouldn't mind."

"I'm sure, Doctor. It won't take long, I'll just stay there for a bit and then walk mum home."

"Okay then, I'll just go and tinker with something in the TARDIS, she's bound to need something fixed." He told her with a smile and pulled her into a comforting hug. She held onto him tightly for a moment or two, feeling his double heartbeat bounding against her ears.

"Don't you run away anywhere without me," She said to him as they retreated out of the hug to which he nodded his head.

"I wouldn't do such a thing, Tyler."