Time Peared
It was one of those days. The Doctor was in one of his daydreams. He was somehow imagining... or was he remembering...? Anyway in front of him were a lot of school children in white shirts and grey jackets. They must have only been about 10 years old. He was standing up in front of them whilst they all sat behind wooden desks. He was teaching about... what was he teaching about?
"Doctor, I don't think we've got long until landing" shouted one of the boys in a high pitched feminine voice. "Doctor? Doctor? Hello?"
A hand landed on his arm, jolting him out of his reverie. He looked around and found Martha holding onto him.
The cloister bell rang as a small donk was heard. It looked like it had just come from outside the Tardis. A second donk occurred followed by a light shudder of the Tardis that gave the Doctor, for some reason, a sickly sweet taste in his mouth. An all too familiar taste but for some reason even though it was on the tip of his tongue, literally, he couldn't think of the right word. A third and fourth bouncing noise had since occurred on the outside of the door.
The Doctor was puzzled. Currently this point in space and time and in the vortex was only occupied by the Tardis. And yet something was bombarding the outside. It was only small. As there was nothing else here in the now the it should be investigated. The Doctor shook his head from the nonsense of that last thought and walked to the Tardis door.
"Doctor?" Martha asked curiously
"Oh don't worry, its probably just some time-space debris or something", he replied semi-reassuringly.
The Doctor opened the Tardis door and something green and oblong flew through the air, landing on a grating further back. However, just this single image did two things. The Doctor shouted and then fell over. He was stricken with abject horror.
"A CONFERENCE!"
"Doctor?" replied Martha, worriedly.
"Of all the things, a Conference. Of all the things we don't need, a Conference. Anything but a Conference. A Conference!" continued the Doctor
"Doctor, how can we have a conference? There's only two of us." stated Martha
"Pear", he said, abruptly changing mood to someone who had just gone through a great loss.
"Er, yes, there are only the two of us." Martha replied, mystified
"No a pear. A Conference pear! Ugh I can even taste it. Martha... wait Martha, I can taste it. Tell me I didn't..."
"You didn't...?"
"Eat a pear. Did I eat a pear?"
"Er... maybe?"
"When I was John Smith-"
"You taught a cover class on nutrition. There was a fruit bowl on that desk. I was hoping you would forget. I remember you collapsing after you took one bite from a green piece of fruit. I was really worried for you on that day." Martha explained
"A pear. They do not agree with Gallifrey biology. I suppose no matter what body I have, they will always have the same effect." replied the Doctor.
"Where do you suppose that one came from behind us?" queried Martha.
"I do not care, get rid of it. Now. Now, Martha!" commanded the Doctor.
Martha strode over and picked up the pear. She then turned around, walked over and opened the door. She nodded her head when she saw what looked like a slight ripple in the vortex and a duplicate Tardis nearby.
Martha threw the pear and watched as the impact sounded the cloister bell. The effects of the time ripple somehow caused the pear to keep bouncing. Both objects quickly started to fade and she shook her head. Some things were better off not knowing.