the Return of the Doctor

[nevermindtherunning]

Who: the Doctor, Mina, Donna
Where: on the docks
When: Late night of Day 82/early morning of 83
What: The Doctor returns back after his escape attempt, only he's not exactly the same Doctor Kore may remember.
Warning: language, mental instability


When a Time Lord is created, since no actual birth is given, the first sense they acquire, or at least notice, is time followed by sound, then vision. I am a sentient being. The first thought crossed the Doctor's mind, I walk through eternity.

Waves crashed against the shore, and dark eyes blink open. His vision is blurry as he pushes up on his arms, trying to push himself in a sitting position. He's aware of a string of drool, begging the question of how long had he been there with his mouth open, as he raises his hand to wipe it away. And that's when the first impulse of the most intense headache he could recall feeling strikes him. It catches him completely off guard and physically startles him, causing him to lose his balance in the process and slip off the dock into the ocean.

Engulfed by the waves, he struggles, fighting to figure out what's up from down, and shortly afterwards his respiratory bypass kicks in just in time for him to slam into the adjacent dock where he manages to pull himself up, roll over to his side and out of the way from fear of falling off again, and resigns himself for the night. His body felt heavy, mind clouded, everything slowed down as if he had been drugged, which was a very real possibility.

Comments

[primogen_vampirate]

As was so often the case, bored and thrumming from the silence of an empty house, Mina had taken to the docks that evening. She swam between pylons, her white body flashing silver in the moonlight. And when she felt some measure of peace, she retired to the woods nearby to dress herself again.

The night was nothing out of the ordinary, all things considered, and she intended to take a walk around the clinic before returning home. But a noise from behind her caught her attention.

Immediately, she pulled one of her pistols. Since arriving in Cape Kore, she'd only fired three times and she wasn't in the mood to waste bullets, but an instinct was an instinct. Besides, who would be smart enough to call her bluff?

It was a good question. One she intended to answer.

Quietly, still barefoot, she crept forward, moving back to the dock. "My kingdom for a Centurion," she muttered to herself. She was anxious to beat the living daylights out of something.

[nevermindtherunning]

"Almost." He whispered a weak reply, "I've seen 'em plenty of times." Her figure was nothing but a shadow in the dark, and he couldn't quite focus on anything just yet. Although that voice... He could place it somewhere.

The Doctor struggles to sit up, taking note he was quite soaked and vaguely wondered if anything was in his pockets weighing him down.

[primogen_vampirate]

"Bloody hell."

And with that, Mina was off and running, barreling onto the dock and dropping her pistol to one side. She hadn't expected to hear that voice again, and the surprise was enough to kickstart her medical instincts.

She was kneeling down beside him in the next instant, already checking for signs of injury.

It was another moment before she remembered just how he'd departed from the village.

[nevermindtherunning]

He remains sitting there, palms on the ends of his knees, head down as if it's too much to keep it up. "I don't know... where I am." Time was all off, his senses were betraying him, and his mind was so heavy, thick with fog. And what was that strange impulse of a headache just a short while ago?

"I don't know where I am." He repeated, bringing a hand to his face, tracing the bridge of his nose before sliding it into his hair, tugging at his short locks, struggling to remember. "Everything is so bloody heavy."

[primogen_vampirate]

She grabbed his chin, turning his face toward her. Perhaps a little bit more forcefully than was necessary, but she was angry. Well. She would have to deal with that later. For now, she checked his eyes. Not that she had a bloody clue what the symptoms of a concussion were for a Time Lord.

Or if they even got concussions.

"Do you know who you are?" she asked him, utterly businesslike, if a little snappish.

Yes. She would have to sort out that anger later.

[nevermindtherunning]

The quick jerk of of his head, caused another impulse headache, go away just as fast as it came on. His eyes widened as a result, a name being at the tip of his tongue, "I'm the Doctor!" His hand reaches up, catching her wrist, and ripped it away from him.

There was a quick bout of anger in his action, until his eyes focused and realized it was Mina before him, and again he touches his face. "I'm still me." He says it like it's something of a shock.

[primogen_vampirate]

"Calm down," she told him evenly.

She folded her hands in her lap, trying to appear contrite. Non-threatening. Hopefully, it would calm him down. And it allowed her fingers to very carefully slide over the keys of her communicator. She wasn't an expert with the thing, but she had been practicing. Hopefully, it would serve her well.

"You're in Cape Kore," she said, trying to catch his eyes, to keep his attention on her face. "You were here before. Do you remember?"

Meanwhile, she punched out a message to Donna:

Docks. Get here. NOW.

Of course, who knew what the spelling looked like?

[nevermindtherunning]

"Some." He replied, bending himself in half, slipping both hands in his hair, as if struggling to fish through memories.

"Sarah, is she alright?" He asks quietly, "I-I shouldn't have left her; that ridiculous girl..." There was another impulse of pain, and he clenched his teeth, "No.. this is Kore... Not Skaro. No, not Skaro... Why did I think this was Skaro? It doesn't smell of it, taste of it..."

He snaps his head back up, "Mina Barrett!" He knew he recognized her as his eyes were starting to adjust in the dark.

[primogen_vampirate]

He was positively mental.

Not for the first time, Mina found herself wondering if her mind-influencing abilities would work on a Time Lord. She didn't think they would on a normal one, let alone one who was completely mad. So what was she left with? Her delightful bedside manner, of course. The same that had gotten her unceremoniously evicted from the clinic.

And medicine that was undoubtedly antiquated, from his perspective.

Oh, this was just getting better and better.

Mina held up three fingers. "How many?" she asked him.

[nevermindtherunning]

"Three. What does that have anything to do with anything?" He snaps his reply, before attempting to stand, but his knees quickly buckle at his weight.

There was a groan as he pressed his forehead to the wood of the dock, "What... did they drug me wiiiith? Spectrox toxemia? Radiation? What is it? What is it? What is it?" Another impulse of a headache, and again his fingers dug into his scalp, pulling at his hair.

"Teeth, tall? Brown hair? Curly hair? A bit pudgy? Blonde? White? No, hair's not to thick... Who am I? Peri? Ace? Rose... Where's Rose?" His head shoots up a look of shock, he finally grows quiet. "They're here, aren't they?" He places a finger to his lips indicating silence, "The little pitter-pattering... tiny little eight legs, although not really tiny at all, really. The crystal... That's what they wanted." He stuffs his hands in his pockets and his eyes move back to Mina's. "Empty. All gone," A pause, "THEY TOOK MY SCREWDRIVER."

[primogen_vampirate]

She was surprised. Not by his incoherent babbling. She'd been around enough madness to be accustomed to that. But that it hurt her so much, that it ate away at her anger. That was a surprise.

"Look at me," she said, taking his face in both of her hands, trying to hold him still. "I don't know what happened to you. I don't know where you've been and I don't know how long you've been gone, from your perspective. But I will help you sort it out. If you trust me. If you come with me. Can you do that?"

Or what? What was the alternative? She didn't know. Although the idea of a pistol to the back of the head had some appeal.

[nevermindtherunning]

His breaths were coming in pants as he struggled to keep his emotions in check, and he squeezed his eyes shut with a final nod, "Dry clothes would be nice."

He blinks dark eyes open again as he bring a hand to one of hers, curling cold fingers around her hand, "Tell me," He searches her face, "Please, just tell me... How many died? Are they all dead?" He looks past her, struggling to look at the town behind her in his moment of lucidity. "I failed, didn't I?"

And his face falters with eyes burning with tears threatening to fall. "I saw it... the TARDIS. Waiting for me, but it was all wrong. Everything was wrong. Everything... falling." He swallows hard, voice changing to something dark and robotic, "Burnt orange skies burning brightly, with fire... the screams as buildings fell and dome shattered. Fields of red grass reduced to not even ash, but giving way to waste. Royal mountains leveled to rubble, bodies of brothers and sisters staring lifelessly as their blood stained my hands. Regenerations missed. Time lost. Time... Time..." He hadn't been that candid about the Time War, ever, as it was something he'd much rather forget as the tears trailed down his cheeks.

[primogen_vampirate]

Damn it, where was Donna? Mina was sure she was better equipped to deal with this. Mina was not a people person. Not like this. And she found herself at a loss. She didn't know what to do.

Get him out of the wet shirt. A small voice in the back of her head whispered it.

Well. That wasn't so hard to do. She started to work the buttons on his shirt. Dry clothing wouldn't be a problem, but she was quite sure she couldn't carry or drag him to her flat by herself.

Keep him talking. The little voice was back.

"No one is dead," she told him. "Some people were hurt, but no one died."

[nevermindtherunning]

"I don't want to remember." He commented as he leaned back, raising his hips to pull down the wet garment that clinged to his skin.

"But I don't forget; never forget... but it's there, yes? Tucked away so very far away... She knew it. How did she know it? I don't just tell anyone. Who is she? We met in the wrong time... Not even in the biography section; now that would be ironic. Which name would be on the cover? Doctor 'Who'?"

He bends down, trying to unlace his shoes, which must've looked very comical given his trousers were already half off. It was all the wrong order, he determined, so much like his life.

[primogen_vampirate]

She could have gone over to help him. And a part of her did, like a child. But she held back. Regaining his agency would be an important step in the recovery process, she well knew.

Instead, she turned her attention on the water, seemingly focused on getting the temperature just right.

Like Donna, she desperately needed a break herself.

[noblexcompanion]

Once the water in the kettle is boiled Donna pours some into a cup, onto a teabag and plenty of sugar - just the way the Doctor liked it - sans milk. She made her way back to the bathroom and leaned against the door frame.

"How's the patient doing? I made tea."

[nevermindtherunning]

By the time Donna had returned, the bath was drawn and the Doctor sat there, legs drawn up and forehead pressed to his knees. It was a bit uncomfortable sitting like that, but at this point in time, nothing was comfortable.

He peaked over at Donna, "You had something on your back... but so did she, Sarah Jane. A spider. Did I ever tell you that?" He inhaled and released a shaky breath as another headache ripped through him.

"I want to regenerate." He whispered with desperation, "It's not my time; not my prophecy. Fuck the prophecy!"

The Doctor moves quickly, grabbing Mina's hand and bringing it to the corner of his chest, "One bullet, close range! That's all it'll take! Just one, let the shards break through the tissues, take out a heart. Please... Please!" He releases her hand and resumes fingers threaded through his locks as he withdraws into himself.

"They were in my mind. Searching... probing... raping... like a fucking lobotomy."

[primogen_vampirate]

Mina was aghast. Was he actually asking her to shoot him? She couldn't say the prospect wasn't tempting. But in more of a far off, frustrated sort of way. She would never actually do it. This wasn't a mercy kill. This was....she didn't know what, just yet.

"There won't be any shooting inside of the house," she said crisply. "Although, Donna might smack your properly if you keep this up. No more talk of death do you hear me?"

Now that Donna was back, Mina could escape, she supposed. Take a few moments to compose herself. "I'm going to see about finding him something dry to wear," she told Donna, giving her a look which communicated exactly how she was feeling at the moment. "Look after him?"

[noblexcompanion]

"Take all the time you need, Mina." Poor Mina. If seeing the Doctor like this was killing Donna, she could only imagine what it was doing to Mina. It went without saying that she would look after the Doctor. He was her best mate, of course she would do her best to care for him.

She knelt beside the tub and guided his hands to the mug. "There. Good cup of tea to settle the nerves. It alright if I touch your hair or would you prefer me to keep my hands well away?"

[nevermindtherunning]

He nods silently, "It's fine." Like a child, he brought the mug to his lips with both hands and slowly he took a sip. Honestly, HR couldn't remember the last time he ate. "How long have I been gone?"

The Doctor closed his eyes as Donna ran fingers through his hair, it was settling his mind, believe it or not. At least for now. The idea of regenerating still was enticing, given these headaches.

[primogen_vampirate]

As soon as Mina left the room, she knew she couldn't indulge in any kind of emotional outburst. Not right now. Because once she started, it was entirely possible that she wouldn't be able to stop.

And how had that happened? How had she let him get to her? Let him slip in without realizing it? She was usually much more careful.

Shaking her head, she walked up to the master bedroom. She had a rather large collection of men's clothing, although no pajamas to speak of. She herself just slept in a button-down. Ah well. If it was good enough for her, it would be good enough for him.

Fingering through the contents of her closet, she chose a blue shirt, made of a particularly soft fabric. That would do.

[noblexcompanion]

The Doctor had that effect on people. He managed to worm his way under their skin, even if he was an annoying prawn half of the time. It was alright to hurt, natural even.

"You've been gone almost a week," Donna told the Doctor, continuing to run her fingers through his hair lightly, pressing soft kisses to his temple - almost like a mother comforting a child - ironic really, considering he was so much older than her.

"We were worried." And rightly so, it seemed. "I'm glad you're back."

[nevermindtherunning]

"I'm not." He speaks darkly, with bitterness laced in his tone. After a couple more sips he gives the cup back. It was making him sick, after having an empty stomach days upon days; he had grown used to it.

There's a shaky sigh as he pressed his forehead back to his knees. "I'm sorry. I can't... bloody think straight."

[primogen_vampirate]

"So don't try to think at all," Mina said, walking back into the bathroom with the shirt folded over her arm. She tried to sound a bit more confident than she felt, more poised, more sure.

If nothing else, she was good at pretending.

She set down the shirt on the sink. "We'll get you cleaned up, dried off, and tucked into bed. The rest of it can all wait. None of us are going anywhere."

[noblexcompanion]

"See? You got to listen to Mina because she's a real, proper medical doctor so you have to do what she says. It's like the law or sommat." Well okay, that was a lie. But it was always wise to listen to the medical professionals at times likes these.

And hey, at least the Doctor had managed a few sips of tea so he was less likely to die of dehydration - though to be honest Donna wasn't sure whether Time Lords could suffer dehydration. Maybe she should ask the rude blonde one some time.

"You want to take it in shifts, Mina? I can do the daylight hours and you can do the night-time ones or sommat?"