Tara trudged away from the gym, social anxiety overcoming her. She was being self indulgent for certain but she still felt wretched. The plan had been to go for a run. It was a strange activity, not something that anyone would have automatically associated with her. Today for some reason her dysphoria was heightened by the thought of it.
The previous day the gym had been rough. It had been more full than normal. Out of the glass window that sat in front of the tread mills she had been able to see a game. A netball game filled with fit, young cis girls dressed practically, intense concentration written over their earnest faces. Tara tended toward dysphoria as much as the next trans person and things like this just made it worse. As she felt her own body growing hot and sweaty through exercise, every inch of the ten years before medical transition, ten years of endocrine masculinisation felt heavier.
She didn't want that again today but it was important to stay fit. There were times that the gym really did end up being fun but she wasn't feeling it. As she approached she noticed that the main entrance was closed, undergoing building work. A well intentioned man with a hard hat and a friendly voice that her mood just didn't let her register was walking the same way. He pointed out the small side entrance that was serving the building that day. Tara stopped, feeling discomfort and all kinds of inconvenient emotions welling up inside her. She let out an unreasonable, "no way, not today." Accompanied by a "f#*king Gym! F*#king cis people."
As she turned around to beat a hasty retreat to the safety of her flat, a whirring noise and a gust of wind exploded in the air in front of her. A blue shape faded in and out of her vision becoming clearer and clearer. Then the noise died down and there it was, a blue police box straight out of the nineteen fifties or sixties. Large as life and so SO familiar.
Tara took a breath not knowing how this could be happening. Sure, Police Boxes really had existed once upon a time but this one, this one was only from stories. The Police Box's door creaked open and a tall man with an almost absurdly square jaw practically leaped out raising his hands into the air! He wore a red bow tie, a tweed jacket and had a fez perched on top of his head.
"TARA !" He cried out, pulling her into a fierce embrace. "Come here!"
A few moments ago she had been full of fear and pain but now she buried her face into The Doctor's neck, hugging back with everything she had. The Doctor spoke quietly into her ear.
"You're going to be all right." Then he pulled back from the hug, gripping her by the shoulders. He smiled and spoke again. "Come one. Follow me !" Taking her hand , he leaped back, pulling her into the TARDIS. "Wait until you see MY gym !"
She smiled, maybe sniffed back a tear too, albeit a good one but she smiled.