Eve had noticed a number of changes that her roommate Alice had gone through in the last few days. She had started to eat the cutlery rather than the meals she normally liked. She didn’t change her outward appearance into any of her normal favourites and most noticeable of all, Alice’s stomach had enlarged a whole lot. It was obvious to Eve that Alice was going to have her baby anytime now.

The Doctor looked up as Eve entered the Console Room. “How is she?” He asked, concerned for his companions well being.

“She seems fine.” Eve replied. “As far as I can tell. I have no idea what’s going on inside of her though. Last night it sounded like a cuckoo clock was being strangled in there.” She paced around the room. “I really think you should pop by and see her, she could do with a bit of perking up in my opinion.”

“You mean you don’t know what to do and you think that I might be able to do something?” The Doctor asked.

“If you like.” Eve said. “I’m going to spend a few hours getting smashed on alcohol free alcohol. It may just make me feel a bit better.”

“Crawling into the bottle won’t make your problems vanish Eve.” The Doctor lectured. “You need to confront your problems.”

Eve held her hands out. “Better give me a gun then.”
The Doctor threw his hands up in despair. “What you need, Eve, is Basic Humanity 101.”

“What I need is a good night’s sleep Doctor.” Eve scowled. “Is it too much to ask for?”

“Perhaps you need a room of your own.” The Doctor pressed a series of buttons on the console. “You’re across the hall from your old room and there’s optional soundproofing.”

“Thanks Doctor.” Eve rushed off to try out her new room and fill it with colour co-ordinated décor.

The Doctor sighed to himself. “If only everything was that simple to resolve. Better go and see the mum to be.”

Alice sat on her bed and took deep breaths. She could feel it moving around inside of her, slowly absorbing power from her to power its own systems. She was building it its very own power source so that it would become independent of her own supply. She heard a tap at the open door and the Doctor walked in. “Hello there.” She said to her second bestest friend. “I don’t think I can get up just now.”

“That’s ok Alice.” The Doctor sat down on the edge of the bed and put his ear on her stomach. “Quite a bit of activity going on in there.” He smiled reassuringly at his vulnerable friend. “Are you looking forward to the birth?”

“Oh yes.” Alice nodded her head vigorously. “I’ve thought about it a lot and I’m going for a nice simple toaster-style birth. I don’t like the other options they involve a lot of leakage.”

The Doctor smiled. “Well whatever you’re most comfortable with.”

Eve felt something. “Uh oh.” She said, holding the Doctor’s hand. “I think it’s starting.”

“Stay calm.” The Doctor said quickly. “Don’t panic. I am a Doctor, I’ve done this sort of thing before.”

“It hurts, it hurts.” Alice cried as internal cables snapped.

The Doctor mopped Alice’s brow with his palm. “Everything will be fine.” He reassured his pregnant companion. “Just initiate the correct protocols.”

“I can’t.” Alice cried. “The baby isn’t due for another day, I haven’t programmed my systems fully. You’ll have to do it on manual.”

The Doctor found the iris-like hatch on Alice’s stomach and three small buttons. “Which one is it?” He asked.

“The red one.” Alice shouted. “Quickly.”

The Doctor pressed the button and the hatch opened slowly. Inside he could see the baby nestled among cables and wires. “What do I do now?” He asked.

“There’s a large green and grey handle next to it, turn it clockwise until it stops turning.”

The Doctor followed the instructions and the cables pulled out of the baby one bay one until the final one came free. “There, the cables are all free.” Alice handed him something, it looked like a watch battery.

“Put it in the power unit.” She urged the Doctor.

The Doctor did so and the baby started to move on it’s own. It morphed through a series of shapes in his palm before finally settling on one. “It’s a Rubik’s Cube.” He announced to the new mum.

Alice cradled her baby in her arms. “I’ll call her Molly,” she announced.

“How do you know it’s a girl?” The Doctor asked tentatively.

“Does she look like a Nintendo to you?” Alice winked. “Where’s Eve at? I want her to be Molly’s Diodemother.”

“She’s asleep. She was tired out with all the excitement.” The Doctor explained to Alison. “Besides you will need the extra room for the baby, she’ll need clothes, a cot and lots of presents.”

Eve opened her eyes and yawned. Finally she had enjoyed some sleep. She got out of bed onto unsteady legs and got straight into the shower, it felt so good. Finally she stepped out of it and pulled the heavy woollen robe around her slender body and went to get dried and dressed. She found the Doctor and Alice in her old room, they were fussing over a cot. “Have I missed the birth?” She asked. “I’m so sorry Alice.”

Alice held up her baby. “Her name is Molly. I would love you to be her Diodemother. Please say that you will be, please.”

“I would be honoured.” Eve replied. “What does it involve?”

“Just helping with oil changes, getting her to eat her aluminium and making sure she grows up to be a big strong girl.” Alice passed Molly over to Eve. “She likes you already.”

Eve cradled the Rubik’s Cube in her arms. She wasn’t exactly sure what she was supposed to do so she just held it. She felt something warm on her hand and looked down to see a small pool of mercury collecting in her hand. “I think the fluid links could do with a top up Doctor.” She poured the mercury into a glass beaker.

The Doctor laughed and tapped Eve on the nose. “That’s my girls.”