The Explorer and the Doctor - John and Lily Dolittle

Chapter Three - An Eccentric Doctor and a Fearless Pirate

Dolittle and Barry's tiger therapy continued for one full hour daily. By the third day of their scheduled therapy, John was already seeing vast improvements with the depressed tiger cub. Small steps, he reminded the youngster, were the key to larger success. 

"Do the animals always follow him around like that?" Rassouli questioned, watching from his balcony - which had a perfect view of the harbour and any approaching ships - as Dolittle made his way through the colourful marketplace, his group of animals right at his heels.

Lily chuckled.  "Most often, yes."

"How peculiar." The pirate king watched as the crowd dispersed to make room for the group to pass by.

"Don't judge, Papa."

"No, no, of course not."  

"Remember how much he is helping Barry."

"Si, that is very remarkable indeed."

Father and daughter began walking through the market themselves.  They walked in comfortable silence, observing their kingdom. This was until Rassouli stopped suddenly in the middle of the path. 

"What in heaven's name-"

Lily looked to see what had startled her father so much-

They had reached the harbour on their walk. The doctor was kneeling on the docks, his head submerged in the water. Based on the look on Rassouli's face, he was definitely judging.

The water surrounding Dolittle's head began to bubble, and moments later his head broke the surface, burst into the open air, sending a splash of water around him.  Lily saw now that he had goggles on, and he was taking deep breaths after holding his breath on the water.

"Oh, hello there," he called, smiling, noticing the king and princess. "Just conversing with the fish."

Lily giggled at the way his eyes bugged out beneath the goggles, and how his hair was dripping all around him. She found it incredibly endearing. 

"How strange..."

"Papa!"

"Qué?"

"Stop judging him!"

"I'm not!"

"Yes you are! I know that look!"

"All right, maybe a little..."

Rassouli headed back to the palace while Lily stayed by the docks. Dolittle was running a towel across his wet hair to try and dry it some.

"It will dry quickly in the heat," she told him.

"Yes, that's what I was thinking."

"Oh, you've got a little something there - or someone..." Lily chuckled, pointing to his cheek.

He touched the side of his face where she was gesturing to - where a small pink starfish was stuck.  "Oh-" He removed the star.  "Sorry about that, my friend. There you go." He knelt back down and let the starfish back into the water. 

"It seems you made a friend."

"Yes, it would appear that I did. Although I think I scared your father away."

They chuckled.  

"You're just very different from any doctor he's dealt with before," she told him.

"A good sort of different?"

She smiled.  "I would say so." And he smiled back. 

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