Fic: Borrowed Time (3/11)
Title: Borrowed Time (Part 3 of 11)
Author: lemon_pencil
Rating: G
Characters/Pairings: Ten, Donna
Disclaimer: Rusty is fail, so I'm taking over. But they're not mine, I'm afraid.
Warnings/Spoilers: Series 4; Planet of the Dead.
Word Count: About 1,200
Summary: Donna wants to go on one last adventure before it's too late...
Author's Notes: Thanks so much for all your support so far :)
Part 1, Part 2
After explaining the situation to Wilf and Sylvia - Wilf had told Donna to go out there and do what she had to do, while Sylvia had been far less enthusiastic - the duo set out to begin work. Donna remembered that there was a victim of the mysterious condition who lived only a few streets away, so the first stop was to go and see her to find out what it was that they were dealing with.
A few phone calls later, they had the address. Since it was so close, they walked the distance, and arrived just as Donna’s watch was telling her it was half past eleven. Not a sociable hour to make a house call, but it was unavoidable. The man who answered the door had a harrowed, exhausted look in his eyes that immediately made Donna’s heart go out to him.
“Yes?” he asked heavily. “If you’re reporters then please, leave us alone. We’ve had enough. My wife is not a freak show, she’s a very ill woman.”
The Doctor whipped out the psychic paper. “No, no, we’re not reporters. We’re from the government - investigating the condition so that we can find a solution.” He flashed the paper, which was now headed with the words ‘DETECTIVE INSPECTOR J. SMITH’. He’d have to get a better alias one of these days, he thought idly. “And this is D.I. Noble. You want your wife back to normal, yes?” The question was not brusque, but gentle. The man nodded. “Then would you mind if we came and had a look at her?
The man sighed. “You’d best come up. My name is James Coombe, and my wife is Alice. But I suppose they told you that?”
“Oh, yes,” the Doctor replied quickly, following James upstairs. “But it’s nice to meet you, James.”
“I wish I could say the same thing, but I’d rather have my wife - as she was - still with me and not be meeting you, if it’s all the same to you.” Donna looked sympathetic. “She’s in here. We’ve had to lock her in - she’s a danger to the kids, doesn’t recognise anybody, you see.” He tried to sound matter-of-fact but she could tell he was fighting to maintain his composure.
“Don’t worry,” soothed Donna kindly. “Hopefully we’ll be able to help once we’ve got enough information.”
James glanced at her gratefully, before unlocking the door and pushing it open.
“Alice? Alice sweetheart, I’ve brought some people to see you. They’re going to make you better,” ventured James, speaking as though she was a little girl.
The Doctor and Donna stepped through the door, and Alice stared at them. She looked like an ordinary woman, thirty-something and blonde with hair tied up in a ponytail. But the expression on her face was not human; it was primitive and child-like and somewhat menacing. If one looked closely, the characteristic greenish tinge of the skin was just perceivable. She emitted a deep, growling noise and, losing interest in the visitors, turned and bent down to pick something up. When she turned back, they saw that she was holding a plate, which she banged loudly on the bed whilst glaring fiercely at James.
James blanched, but kept any sign of fear out of his voice. “You want something to eat? I’ll go and get you something, love, just wait a minute.”
It was clear that she understood nothing of what her husband was saying. She flung the plate to the floor where it smashed loudly, and lunged suddenly at him with an almost feral cry. For a second he wrestled with her, trying to keep her from hurting either him or herself. The Doctor and Donna came to his assistance hurriedly. The Doctor restrained Alice while Donna pulled James away from her.
“Get out of the room!” the Doctor cried to James, who took one last fearful glance at his snarling wife before hurrying out of the door. The Doctor managed to place his fingertips to Alice’s temples while she clawed at him viciously, and within seconds she had slumped into his arms. He lay her down on the bed, panting.
Donna looked visibly shaken, and the Doctor put one hand on her back reassuringly.
“That was awful,” she whispered. “How can he bear it? His own wife, and she doesn’t know who he is.”
The Doctor was struck by the memory of Donna glancing at him like he was a stranger, after he wiped her memories. “Donna, I was just going.” “Yeah, see ya.” He said nothing, instead ushering her out of the room before softly closing the door.
Outside, James was leaning against the wall with his head in his hands. He turned to the two anxiously, and there were tears in his eyes.
“I’m sorry,” he said, his voice cracking. “I just - I don’t know what to do. The kids are asking what’s wrong with their mummy. I have to fight with Alice most times I take her food. She keeps me awake at night banging on the wall when she wants something. This has been going on for a week now - I’m at my wit’s end. Please tell me you can do something,” he begged, desperate.
“We’ll do all we can, James,” assured the Doctor. “And we’ll keep in touch. Just be careful, now. It might seem as though you can bring her out of it by talking to her, but you can’t, and it’s too dangerous. I know it’s hard but you have to protect yourself.”
They felt terrible leaving him behind like that, but there was nothing else they could do yet. As they walked back to her house, Donna was very quiet. The Doctor guessed that it was all a bit much to take in so soon. He remembered their first meeting, and how much he’d scared her with how terrible the universe could be. It was a little like that all over again, he supposed - becoming reacquainted with facing awful things. To a certain extent, you had to become slightly desensitised or you’d go mad, living the way he did.
“Well, at least we know what we’re dealing with now,” said the Doctor, breaking the silence. “There’s something I think we need to do if we’re going to get any more information. There’s only been one death so far - you heard about it?” Donna nodded. “The most useful thing to do would be to go and see the body. Do you want to come, or stay here?” he asked, aware that it might be a distressing experience and not wanting her to feel pressurised.
Donna took a deep breath. “I’ll come,” she answered. “We’ve got to help him. James, I mean. You have to find a way to cure his wife. And the others. You have to.”
“Well then,” said the Doctor. “I’m definitely going to need to get somebody good to help me. Somebody with experience of investigation; somebody who’s intelligent and who notices things.” His eyes twinkled.
“Got anyone in mind?” asked Donna, frowning.
The Doctor chuckled. “Maybe you’re not as smart as I thought. I mean you, Donna!”
“Oh!” she said, surprised. She smiled awkwardly, but the Doctor’s grin faded a little. He wished that her acceptance of how marvellous she was, that she’d finally found on The Crucible as the DoctorDonna, could have lasted.
Next part
Author: lemon_pencil
Rating: G
Characters/Pairings: Ten, Donna
Disclaimer: Rusty is fail, so I'm taking over. But they're not mine, I'm afraid.
Warnings/Spoilers: Series 4; Planet of the Dead.
Word Count: About 1,200
Summary: Donna wants to go on one last adventure before it's too late...
Author's Notes: Thanks so much for all your support so far :)
Part 1, Part 2
After explaining the situation to Wilf and Sylvia - Wilf had told Donna to go out there and do what she had to do, while Sylvia had been far less enthusiastic - the duo set out to begin work. Donna remembered that there was a victim of the mysterious condition who lived only a few streets away, so the first stop was to go and see her to find out what it was that they were dealing with.
A few phone calls later, they had the address. Since it was so close, they walked the distance, and arrived just as Donna’s watch was telling her it was half past eleven. Not a sociable hour to make a house call, but it was unavoidable. The man who answered the door had a harrowed, exhausted look in his eyes that immediately made Donna’s heart go out to him.
“Yes?” he asked heavily. “If you’re reporters then please, leave us alone. We’ve had enough. My wife is not a freak show, she’s a very ill woman.”
The Doctor whipped out the psychic paper. “No, no, we’re not reporters. We’re from the government - investigating the condition so that we can find a solution.” He flashed the paper, which was now headed with the words ‘DETECTIVE INSPECTOR J. SMITH’. He’d have to get a better alias one of these days, he thought idly. “And this is D.I. Noble. You want your wife back to normal, yes?” The question was not brusque, but gentle. The man nodded. “Then would you mind if we came and had a look at her?
The man sighed. “You’d best come up. My name is James Coombe, and my wife is Alice. But I suppose they told you that?”
“Oh, yes,” the Doctor replied quickly, following James upstairs. “But it’s nice to meet you, James.”
“I wish I could say the same thing, but I’d rather have my wife - as she was - still with me and not be meeting you, if it’s all the same to you.” Donna looked sympathetic. “She’s in here. We’ve had to lock her in - she’s a danger to the kids, doesn’t recognise anybody, you see.” He tried to sound matter-of-fact but she could tell he was fighting to maintain his composure.
“Don’t worry,” soothed Donna kindly. “Hopefully we’ll be able to help once we’ve got enough information.”
James glanced at her gratefully, before unlocking the door and pushing it open.
“Alice? Alice sweetheart, I’ve brought some people to see you. They’re going to make you better,” ventured James, speaking as though she was a little girl.
The Doctor and Donna stepped through the door, and Alice stared at them. She looked like an ordinary woman, thirty-something and blonde with hair tied up in a ponytail. But the expression on her face was not human; it was primitive and child-like and somewhat menacing. If one looked closely, the characteristic greenish tinge of the skin was just perceivable. She emitted a deep, growling noise and, losing interest in the visitors, turned and bent down to pick something up. When she turned back, they saw that she was holding a plate, which she banged loudly on the bed whilst glaring fiercely at James.
James blanched, but kept any sign of fear out of his voice. “You want something to eat? I’ll go and get you something, love, just wait a minute.”
It was clear that she understood nothing of what her husband was saying. She flung the plate to the floor where it smashed loudly, and lunged suddenly at him with an almost feral cry. For a second he wrestled with her, trying to keep her from hurting either him or herself. The Doctor and Donna came to his assistance hurriedly. The Doctor restrained Alice while Donna pulled James away from her.
“Get out of the room!” the Doctor cried to James, who took one last fearful glance at his snarling wife before hurrying out of the door. The Doctor managed to place his fingertips to Alice’s temples while she clawed at him viciously, and within seconds she had slumped into his arms. He lay her down on the bed, panting.
Donna looked visibly shaken, and the Doctor put one hand on her back reassuringly.
“That was awful,” she whispered. “How can he bear it? His own wife, and she doesn’t know who he is.”
The Doctor was struck by the memory of Donna glancing at him like he was a stranger, after he wiped her memories. “Donna, I was just going.” “Yeah, see ya.” He said nothing, instead ushering her out of the room before softly closing the door.
Outside, James was leaning against the wall with his head in his hands. He turned to the two anxiously, and there were tears in his eyes.
“I’m sorry,” he said, his voice cracking. “I just - I don’t know what to do. The kids are asking what’s wrong with their mummy. I have to fight with Alice most times I take her food. She keeps me awake at night banging on the wall when she wants something. This has been going on for a week now - I’m at my wit’s end. Please tell me you can do something,” he begged, desperate.
“We’ll do all we can, James,” assured the Doctor. “And we’ll keep in touch. Just be careful, now. It might seem as though you can bring her out of it by talking to her, but you can’t, and it’s too dangerous. I know it’s hard but you have to protect yourself.”
They felt terrible leaving him behind like that, but there was nothing else they could do yet. As they walked back to her house, Donna was very quiet. The Doctor guessed that it was all a bit much to take in so soon. He remembered their first meeting, and how much he’d scared her with how terrible the universe could be. It was a little like that all over again, he supposed - becoming reacquainted with facing awful things. To a certain extent, you had to become slightly desensitised or you’d go mad, living the way he did.
“Well, at least we know what we’re dealing with now,” said the Doctor, breaking the silence. “There’s something I think we need to do if we’re going to get any more information. There’s only been one death so far - you heard about it?” Donna nodded. “The most useful thing to do would be to go and see the body. Do you want to come, or stay here?” he asked, aware that it might be a distressing experience and not wanting her to feel pressurised.
Donna took a deep breath. “I’ll come,” she answered. “We’ve got to help him. James, I mean. You have to find a way to cure his wife. And the others. You have to.”
“Well then,” said the Doctor. “I’m definitely going to need to get somebody good to help me. Somebody with experience of investigation; somebody who’s intelligent and who notices things.” His eyes twinkled.
“Got anyone in mind?” asked Donna, frowning.
The Doctor chuckled. “Maybe you’re not as smart as I thought. I mean you, Donna!”
“Oh!” she said, surprised. She smiled awkwardly, but the Doctor’s grin faded a little. He wished that her acceptance of how marvellous she was, that she’d finally found on The Crucible as the DoctorDonna, could have lasted.
Next part