Waiting For Arthur

CHAPTER TWO-

"Merlin"

Jethro woke the next day with a bitter taste in his mouth. The mirror in front of his bed indicated that there had been drinking, crying, and fighting. The bruises on his face and puke all over his two day old shirt supported his theory. He frowned at his reflection and tried to remember what happened last night—the adoption papers, kicking and screaming, going to get a drink, passing out…

The memory wasn’t complete, as if a big block of unclear ice was blocking it. There were a few things he couldn’t seem to answer— like; how did he get back in the TARDIS? A question he didn’t want to be answered, though curious, unfortunately.

He got up from bed and had a mental debate; to go out of his room or not to go out of his room. Finally, due to common decency reasons and that he was still grateful he had the Doctor on his side; he mustered the energy to get up from bed.

So there he was, scrubbing himself vigorously in the shower, trying to patch up the bruises that don’t seems to cooperate with him. He sighed at his reflection and raised his hands in defeat as if to say, whatever you want, skin. And he was flying out of the bathroom in his own bedroom. He tidied up a bit, but being a man with genitals, he didn’t seem to have cleaned it well. But he felt good about it. The Doctor hates it when he comes in Jethro’s messy room.

He made his way to the console room where he found a rather upset Rory sitting by the staircase. Rory stood up when he saw Jethro and forced a smile. Jethro could see through the fake smile but managed to smile back. He figured it was probably his fault why he was faking it.

“Good morning,” he barely whispered. Rory nodded in reply.

Jethro walked passed Rory and went straight to the kitchen where he was greeted by an argument from Amy and the Doctor. At first, he didn’t understand what was happening, till he realized it was him they were talking about. He hurriedly kept himself behind the wall, pressing himself against it, eavesdropping.  

“Jethro’s just a child, Amy,” The Doctor calmly explained, “He has much to learn.”

“And are you planning to teach him that? Who knows what kind creature he is? You know what we saw!” Amy protested. He could hear the clicks and clangs of the spoon on the cereal bowl, as if dropped on purpose. He figured it was.

"Listen, I know I've run away a lot of times, we always do that, now don't we?" He'd blabber softly, citing examples of their very own adventures even before Jethro came, "I always run, yes? But Amy, look at me, Amy," He'd lift Amy's chin, locking his eyes, "This is Jethro. We can't just, you know, leave him," His hand spun, making a gesture that looks as if it was flying.  

Amy opened his mouth to protest some more, but the Doctor put his finger on her lips.

He sighed, smiling lightly, "Oh Amy... I would've done the same for you," he yelled across the room so Rory could hear, "And to you, too, Roman!"

Jethro heard Amy’s chair screech as footsteps indicated that she stood up, “And you think I don’t know that, Doctor? What about the club he set on fire with his mind? All the people who died?”

The Doctor sighed, “I know Jethro. He wouldn’t do that if he was in control of himself, Amy. I’d think you’d know that,” He added, “You can get off the wall now, Jethro.”

Jethro almost panicked. He hit his head on the wall and walked opposite directions till he found himself going back to the kitchen where he was greeted by a shock-faced Amy.

Amy blinked, “Jethro? How long have you been there?”

Jethro smiled sheepishly, “N-not very long…”