7s_prompts -Apologize
'I'm holding on your rope, got me ten feet off the ground...'
Donna Noble was out the door before her mother had a chance to open her mouth. She was nearly sprinting, although not quite because, honestly, not really a sprinter, per se.
She was moving rather quickly, however, and when she reached the end of the street, she stopped abruptly to look both ways.
There was nothing.
It didn't surprise her, not really, and the wave of confusion was becoming more familiar all the time.
She jumped, screaming for just a moment when a hand closed over her shoulder.
The recognition was instant, and Donna placed a trembling hand over her heart and laughed. "You nearly gave me a heart attack."
The answering smile was gentle and worried. "You're stronger than that, Donna." Another small pat to her shoulder and then Donna's grandfather was looking off here and there. "Have you decided what you're looking for, love?"
Donna shook her head, her mouth slightly twisted. "No."
He nodded and took a very long, very deep breath. "You need to stop doing this, Donna. Even your mother is worried." His eyes twinkled a bit in amusement and, forced or not, it was welcome.
She bit down on the inside of her cheek. "I don't even know what it is that I'm doing, Gramps. I don't have a clue where to start." Her tongue made a soft clicking noise, quickly lost in the outside air. "I know I'm forgetting something important. I feel different."
Somehow, her grandfather's quiet sigh lingered for a moment around them. The feel of it was nearly tangible. "It's just your imagination. You need to find something to do. A hobby, perhaps -"
"Staring at the stars?" Donna's face was fixed and frustrated as she looked over at him. "Or, staying on the phone and talking about Top Model? That's what you'd do, or I'd have done, only I don't want to anymore and I don't understand why."
"Donna -"
"I'm not going to quit looking," she said finally. "I'm not going to quit trying to remember."
Gramps looked so resigned, and she couldn't have been sorrier for that.
"I can't quit. I'm sorry."
He hugged her then, and she wondered why it felt almost as much like goodbye as anything else.
Donna Noble was out the door before her mother had a chance to open her mouth. She was nearly sprinting, although not quite because, honestly, not really a sprinter, per se.
She was moving rather quickly, however, and when she reached the end of the street, she stopped abruptly to look both ways.
There was nothing.
It didn't surprise her, not really, and the wave of confusion was becoming more familiar all the time.
She jumped, screaming for just a moment when a hand closed over her shoulder.
The recognition was instant, and Donna placed a trembling hand over her heart and laughed. "You nearly gave me a heart attack."
The answering smile was gentle and worried. "You're stronger than that, Donna." Another small pat to her shoulder and then Donna's grandfather was looking off here and there. "Have you decided what you're looking for, love?"
Donna shook her head, her mouth slightly twisted. "No."
He nodded and took a very long, very deep breath. "You need to stop doing this, Donna. Even your mother is worried." His eyes twinkled a bit in amusement and, forced or not, it was welcome.
She bit down on the inside of her cheek. "I don't even know what it is that I'm doing, Gramps. I don't have a clue where to start." Her tongue made a soft clicking noise, quickly lost in the outside air. "I know I'm forgetting something important. I feel different."
Somehow, her grandfather's quiet sigh lingered for a moment around them. The feel of it was nearly tangible. "It's just your imagination. You need to find something to do. A hobby, perhaps -"
"Staring at the stars?" Donna's face was fixed and frustrated as she looked over at him. "Or, staying on the phone and talking about Top Model? That's what you'd do, or I'd have done, only I don't want to anymore and I don't understand why."
"Donna -"
"I'm not going to quit looking," she said finally. "I'm not going to quit trying to remember."
Gramps looked so resigned, and she couldn't have been sorrier for that.
"I can't quit. I'm sorry."
He hugged her then, and she wondered why it felt almost as much like goodbye as anything else.