27A/N I meant to have this chapter out around Christmas, but failed to do so. To make up for it, you get two chapters! This chapter is inspired by Matthew 15:32-39 and Mark 8:1-10.
By the third day of wandering in the wilderness with Jesus healing and teaching (sometimes back and forth and sometimes at the same time), Hope's stomach growled. Since they left a basket of scraps in Tyre with Abner and they emptied the last basket yesterday, the apostles were worried about the food situation.
Hope wasn't the only one who needed food. Some of the crowd were dragging their feet from hunger, yet still determined to follow Jesus. Others were just better at hiding it.
They returned to the shore of the Sea of Galilee where there seemed to be boats waiting for use. The apostles eagerly rushed over to them to get away from the pressing crowd. They readied the boats and called out "My Lord, please come with us!"
Jesus stopped walking and called His disciples to Himself saying, "I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now continued with Me three days and have nothing to eat. And if I send them away hungry to their own houses, they will faint on the way; for some of them have come from afar."
Then His disciples trudged back up to Him and answered Him, "How can one satisfy these people with bread here in the wilderness?"
"Yeah, where could we get enough bread in the wilderness to fill such a great multitude?"
Jesus asked them, "How many loaves do you have?"
"Seven, and a few little fish."
So He commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground. Hope would have collapsed if her walking stick didn't help ease her down. Finally, we can eat!
The group she sat with shared the same sentiments.
"I don't want to sound rude, but it's about time we got to sit down today." "Oh my aching feet. This is just what I need." "I'm so hungry, I could eat a whole cow."
And He took the seven loaves and the fish and gave thanks, broke them and gave them to His disciples to set before them; and they set them before the multitude.
It's a bit more communal this time, not that that's a problem.
Hope reached in the basket and grabbed a half loaf of bread. More barley. No Doctor with butter this time. Doctor…
She imagined the Doctor sitting next to her, offering her butter and his sonic screwdriver to heat up the fish. It's a different fish this time. The Doctor would go on about the type of fish this is and it's history.
Even in the crowd, Hope felt a little lonely. With the perception filter around her neck, no one noticed her. Since Hope still wasn't wearing period clothing, she was scared to take it off and risk being called out again. She was safe as is, but had no one to talk to. She didn't realize until now that she hadn't said anything aloud since the storm. Since she last saw the Doctor.
Doctor… Should I apologize? If I hadn't insisted on seeing more, we would be traveling together again. Then again, I wouldn't have had the accident which led to this once-in-a-lifetime chance to walk with THE Jesus Christ! I miss you, Doctor, but…
Sooner than she would have liked, the disciples came by and picked up the remaining food. Hope counted seven baskets in all. The crowd was a bit smaller than the last big meal, so Hope assumed those who had eaten were about four thousand, besides women and children. That's what she remembered her Bible saying, anyway.
The crowd dispersed while the apostles loaded up the boat. Hope sat in the middle of the empty space, not having moved from her eating spot. I've been too quiet. I have to say something, even if no one hears me, but what?
"I miss you, Doctor," she mumbled. No! That is not enough!
Hope glanced at the apostles who were loading the last basket onto the boat. She turned away from them. Hope took a breath and spoke more clearly and at a normal volume, "I miss you, Doctor." Well, at least my vocal cords still work. It still doesn't feel right, though. Probably because I'm speaking to nothing. The Doctor can't hear me. Right?
Hope thought long and hard about what to speak next. Finally, she said, "Thank you for this opportunity." She hadn't quite decided who she was thanking or what she was thanking them for, but at least she was satisfied enough to be quiet for the foreseeable future.
Peter and Andrew got ready to shove the boat offshore. Not wanting to be left behind, Hope quickly got up and hobbled over to the boat. She settled at Jesus' feet, knowing it was probably the safest place on the boat should something happen during the ride. The gentle waves rocked her to sleep with her head on Jesus' lap.