'Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
in hopes that the Doctor soon would be there.
The children found no rest from sleep in their beds,
while fever-borne nightmares caroused through their heads.
And mamma in her 'kerchief, and I in my cap,
prepared to lay down for a long winter's nap.
When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.
The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow
Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below.
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a blue wooden box in a manner most queer.
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
in hopes that the Doctor soon would be there.
The children found no rest from sleep in their beds,
while fever-borne nightmares caroused through their heads.
And mamma in her 'kerchief, and I in my cap,
prepared to lay down for a long winter's nap.
When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.
The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow
Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below.
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a blue wooden box in a manner most queer.
The Christmas Doctor
Somewhere in New England
24 December, 1953
8:29 PM
Calvin Robinson kissed Samantha's forehead. It burned like a radiator. The little girl looked at her father with sad eyes.
"Daddy?" she asked. Calvin paused in the middle of rising and sat back down on the side of his daughter's bed. He took Samantha's hand in his own and answered, "Yes, Samantha?"
"I'm scared." Her eyes glistened. Her cheeks were flushed with fever. "I don't want the nightmares again."
Calvin smiled and caressed the child's hand. In a low voice, he asked, "Would it help if I read you a bedtime story?"
Samantha nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, daddy. It would."
Calvin quietly leaned over to the bookshelf and grabbed a large red picture book. A Visit From St. Nicholas, by Clement C. Moore.
Later that night, as the children slept, Calvin lay in bed next to his wife, Irene.
"I'm so worried about the children," she said. "When is the doctor coming out to check on them?"
Calvin sighed. "He can't come out until the day after tomorrow."
Irene shook her head and clucked disapprovingly. "The man's a doctor, for goodness's sake. I understand tomorrow's Christmas, but that doesn't mean people aren't still sick!"
Calvin sighed again, shoulders slumping. "I just wish they could be better and enjoy Christmas. You know, Avery's started coughing now in addition to everything else."
Irene gave a long look to her husband, and opened her mouth to speak when a curious sound entered the room. It was coming from the window. Her eyes went wide and she smacked the man. "Calvin," she whispered through her teeth, "what's that noise? Go see what it is!"
His brow furrowed, Calvin rose from bed, wearing only his nightgown and cap. He walked over to the window and unlatched it, throwing up the sash. He stuck his head from it and his jaw dropped. There was a blue police box on the lawn amidst the falling snow, just like the ones they had in Britain. It was the bluest blue he'd ever seen, and it was making an awful noise.
He pulled his head back into his room and turned to his wife, not sure at all what to tell her. She looked at him with raised eyebrows, head tilted ever so slightly to the side. "Well, what is it?" she asked.
Calvin blinked several times and started to say something, then realized how absolutely insane she would think him for telling her what he'd seen. Then he said it anyway. "I... I... Irene, there's a blue box on the lawn. Like a phone booth, but it's blue and has this light on the top."
Her jaw dropped slightly and her eyebrows managed to rise even further. "What, do you think I'm stupid? Our babies are sick and you're making some joke?"
He shook his head, eyes wide. "No, really, come see for yourself."
The door of the TARDIS swung open, warm light coming from inside. It was about fifteen yards from the front porch of the gablefront house, and nothing but unblemished snow, about a foot and a half deep, lay between the ship and the house. Though there were slow flakes still coming from the sky, the clouds had dissipated enough that a bright moon illuminated the whole yard with fairytale ambiance. The home was out in the countryside, and the next door down was so far down that one had to strain to see it. Across the road, which was unpaved, there was a downward slope, and one could see the twinkling lights of the town which lay down in the valley. All in all, a magical setting for a Christmas tale.
"Daddy?" she asked. Calvin paused in the middle of rising and sat back down on the side of his daughter's bed. He took Samantha's hand in his own and answered, "Yes, Samantha?"
"I'm scared." Her eyes glistened. Her cheeks were flushed with fever. "I don't want the nightmares again."
Calvin smiled and caressed the child's hand. In a low voice, he asked, "Would it help if I read you a bedtime story?"
Samantha nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, daddy. It would."
Calvin quietly leaned over to the bookshelf and grabbed a large red picture book. A Visit From St. Nicholas, by Clement C. Moore.
Later that night, as the children slept, Calvin lay in bed next to his wife, Irene.
"I'm so worried about the children," she said. "When is the doctor coming out to check on them?"
Calvin sighed. "He can't come out until the day after tomorrow."
Irene shook her head and clucked disapprovingly. "The man's a doctor, for goodness's sake. I understand tomorrow's Christmas, but that doesn't mean people aren't still sick!"
Calvin sighed again, shoulders slumping. "I just wish they could be better and enjoy Christmas. You know, Avery's started coughing now in addition to everything else."
Irene gave a long look to her husband, and opened her mouth to speak when a curious sound entered the room. It was coming from the window. Her eyes went wide and she smacked the man. "Calvin," she whispered through her teeth, "what's that noise? Go see what it is!"
His brow furrowed, Calvin rose from bed, wearing only his nightgown and cap. He walked over to the window and unlatched it, throwing up the sash. He stuck his head from it and his jaw dropped. There was a blue police box on the lawn amidst the falling snow, just like the ones they had in Britain. It was the bluest blue he'd ever seen, and it was making an awful noise.
He pulled his head back into his room and turned to his wife, not sure at all what to tell her. She looked at him with raised eyebrows, head tilted ever so slightly to the side. "Well, what is it?" she asked.
Calvin blinked several times and started to say something, then realized how absolutely insane she would think him for telling her what he'd seen. Then he said it anyway. "I... I... Irene, there's a blue box on the lawn. Like a phone booth, but it's blue and has this light on the top."
Her jaw dropped slightly and her eyebrows managed to rise even further. "What, do you think I'm stupid? Our babies are sick and you're making some joke?"
He shook his head, eyes wide. "No, really, come see for yourself."
The door of the TARDIS swung open, warm light coming from inside. It was about fifteen yards from the front porch of the gablefront house, and nothing but unblemished snow, about a foot and a half deep, lay between the ship and the house. Though there were slow flakes still coming from the sky, the clouds had dissipated enough that a bright moon illuminated the whole yard with fairytale ambiance. The home was out in the countryside, and the next door down was so far down that one had to strain to see it. Across the road, which was unpaved, there was a downward slope, and one could see the twinkling lights of the town which lay down in the valley. All in all, a magical setting for a Christmas tale.
