He thought he had chosen a quiet spot to take a break. Not a vacation, more like a pause between adventures. It was simple enough to find a time and place where nothing happened. There are plenty of places in the universe where no one ever looks. London had been an extra bit of trouble lately, so on this day he went to the States.
West Virginia, 1924 in particular, had a whole lot of nothing. He chose a wooded spot just at the foot of a mountain. There were no towns close by, no one should have noticed his arrival. That is why it came as such as a surprise when someone began pounding on the door.
He checked the screen to see a young girl outside. She looked thin and dirty. It was February, and the middle of the night, but she had no coat. He strolled to the door and opened a crack. "Can I help you?"
She shoved the door open and rushed past him. "Oh, bless you," she gasped, out of breath. "Kind stranger, bless you." She wore a filthy, shapeless gown. Her ash blond hair hung in greasy tangles. She was barefoot. "Please sir," she continued, "please, would you help me?"
He studied her for a moment. Human, obviously no weapons. "What's your name, girl?"
"Vivian, sir. Please can you hide me?" She leaned against a pillar for support.
"Well you're safe here, Vivian." He stood up a little straighter and flashed her a smile. "I'm the Doctor." It didn't get the response he expected.
Her eyes grew wide and her pale face turned a bit gray. "No," she wheezed. "No, no, no. You weren't supposed to come for two more days. No!" she finished in a choked scream.
"What do you mean by that?" He took a step towards her and frowned.
She scrambled back. "Don't touch me," she shouted. Then she turned and ran.
"Hold on," he called. He jogged along quickly, not letting her get too far away. "How did you know I would be here?"
She was rummaging through one of his supply bins. He became a little concerned when she turned on him with a large sort of gun.
"Stay back," she yelled. Her hand shook but her gaze was frightening.
He held both hands up. "Whoa, hold on. Tell me how you know about me."
"I heard them talking. Stay back, I say!" She now had both hands on the weapon.
"Who were they?" He inched toward her. "Tell me more."
"I said stay back!" She was terrified, her voice almost a squeak. "You will not take me." Suddenly she turned the weapon on herself. "I'd rather die."
He had to think fast. "Do you know how to use it?" He nodded toward the weapon she had pointed at her head. Her gaze faltered, just as he hoped. "Look around. Do you know where we are?"
She glanced past him just for a moment, but it was enough. He gently took hold of her arm and pulled the gun away. Her shoulders dropped as she looked around the room. "It's too late, is it not? It's already done." She turned and looked at him with tears in her eyes. "Please, just kill me."
Curiosity got the best of him. He placed his fingers on either side of her head and looked deep.
Gray brick walls, dimly lit room. She lies on a cot, curled in the fetal position. Insane laughter in the distance. So hungry, so afraid.
Strapped to a metal table, they force a leather strap between her teeth. Wet towels on her forehead. Nurse flips the machine on and the current vibrates through her thin body.
Lining up for shots. An orderly sidles up behind her. "I'll come by to check on you later, sweetheart," he whispers, giving her a squeeze to make his point.
The Doctor drops his hands and opens his eyes. She wobbles but does not fall. The fear is gone from her eyes.
His face shows sadness. "I'm not that kind of doctor," he says quietly.
"Then help me," she whispers.
"Of course I will. Like I said, you're safe here. You can stay as long as you like." Her eyes started to fill with tears. He couldn't have that. "On one condition. You are not allowed to shoot me." That almost got a smile out of her. "Now, let's have a look at you."
She allowed him to lead her to a bench seat near the center of the room. He did a quick sonic scan to make sure she had no internal injuries. She was dehydrated and severely underweight. There was moderate damage to her brain, exactly what he expected from the shock therapy. She had small round scars on the back of her neck where the electrodes would be attached. He applied balm to the rope burns on her wrists and ankles. The worst was her feet. No telling how long she had been running barefoot through the woods. The soles of her feet were so grimy he could hardly tell how extensive her injuries were.
He put his hands on her shoulders. "I need to work on your feet, or you'll get an infection. But it's going to hurt. Do you trust me?"
She looked at him hard. "I do. Just…" she glanced away, "could you talk to me while you work?"
"Funny thing, usually I'm told to shut up." He popped on a pair of glasses.
"It's been so long since I've had someone to talk to, and you have a kind voice."
The Doctor looked thoughtful. "Gets lonely, talking to yourself."
She nodded, looking surprised. "You really do understand."
"Make yourself comfortable," he said, patting the bench. Vivian ignored his changing the subject and rolled onto her stomach. He positioned her feet under a light and examined them closer. "This other doctor you were expecting in two days… is that who you were running from?"
The girl put her head down on her arms. "Can we have another topic please?"
"Fine, fine. Have you been watching Top Chef? I'd love to be one of those judges."
She turned her head sharply to squint at him. "Pardon?" A smile twitched at the corner of his mouth. She shook her head. "Glad I'm not the only insane one here."
"Would you like to pick the topic then?" He adjusted the light.
She paused. "You're not from around here."
"You noticed the accent, then. Have you ever traveled outside the States?"
"That isn't what I meant."
He frowned at her. "You're very perceptive for a small town girl." He pulled a thorn from her heel that made her catch her breath. "How long have you been put away?"
"Four years," she said quietly.
"Where were you headed?"
She put her head back down and didn't answer.
He sprayed antiseptic from a tiny hose onto her foot "You must be resourceful, to break out of that place. A strong will to live. Impressive. But where would you go? In the mountains, all by your lonesome in the middle of winter; no food, no shoes, not even a jacket. Were you hoping to freeze to death, or would you prefer to get eaten by mountain lions?
He waited a moment, but the girl kept silent. "I know a lot about running away," he continued. "Been running myself for longer than you've been alive. It takes a certain kind of guts; we have that in common. But when I left, I was prepared, and I took a whole lot more than just the shirt on my back. Didn't you think it through? What happened, Vivian, what changed?"
He paused, and took his glasses off. "Lunatic asylum, early nineteen-hundreds. The early evolution of psychiatry. Young woman, dropped off by her family for whatever reason. The drugs aren't working. Electroshock therapy isn't working. A traveling doctor coming in two days. The ultimate cure, the quick fix." He kneeled down beside her and saw that she had fallen asleep. "Poor thing."
Vivian awoke with a start and sat up. She had slept deeply, and it took her a minute to remember where she was. The Doctor was nowhere in sight, but he had covered her with a warm blanket. She remembered falling asleep to the sound of his intelligent voice. Sitting up, she noticed both her feet were wrapped up. Carefully she peeled back a little bit of the clean white bandage, then a little more, then the whole thing. Her foot looked completely healed. She tore the bandage off her other foot and looked it over as well. All she could find was a tiny pink scar across one of her toes.
She stood and looked around the strange room. A tug on her arm caught her attention. There was a clear tube taped to her arm. She pulled the tape off, but the tube didn't budge. She realized the tube wasn't just stuck to her hand, it was coming out of her skin. Panic started to rise in her chest. She tugged at the clear tube, but when it budged, she felt sick to her stomach. Why did she let herself trust a doctor?
Behind her, the door banged open and the man called the Doctor strolled in, a paper sack under his arm. "Oh good, you're awake," he began, then he saw the terror on her face. He rushed to her side, dropping the bag just inside the door. "What is it? What's happened?"
She held her arm out away from her body like it was a foreign thing. He set his jaw. "Is this worrying you?" She whimpered and nodded. "Would you like me to remove it for you?" She squeezed her eyes shut. "Hold still."
He crouched down, squeezed her wrist, and deftly pulled the tube out. Tossing it on the ground, he pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and held it firmly against her hand. With his free hand he caught her by the chin and lifted her face. "You're alright, it was just an IV." She stared at him blankly. "You are severely malnourished, I wanted to get some fluids in you to help the healing process." He sat her back down and covered her up with the blanket. "I'm sorry I didn't get to explain it to you before you fell asleep." Then he turned his back and busied himself with gathered up the scattered contents of the bag.
She was grateful he was giving her a chance to compose herself. She smoothed the blanket with her hands and tried to slow her breathing. Whatever that tube was, she had overreacted, she ought to be embarrassed; but all she could focus on was the deep concern in his eyes at how upset she had been. Maybe he really was different that the doctors she was used to.
Vivian was thrilled to discover that the contents of the bag were food. Pea soup and real bread for her. Comfort food she hadn't tasted since before she was put away. The soup was still warm and the bread was soft. She tried to remember her manners, but it smelled so good she couldn't help herself.
The Doctor watched her as they ate. She was so caught up in her meal that she didn't notice him chuckling at her.
After she got her fill, he showed her to a room where she could get cleaned up. He browsed through a cupboard, tossing bottles and tubes at her. "Can you read?" he asked, off handedly.
"Of course I can read, what do you take me for?"
He turned his gaze on her. "More than meets the eye." She ducked her head, feeling a little wave of panic, but it went away. He continued, "the instructions are right here, take as long as you like. I'll put out some clothes in your size. If I'm not here when you're finished, just sit tight, I'll be back soon enough. Whatever you do," he made sure he had her full attention, "do not go out. No matter what happens, you're perfectly safe as long as you stay inside."
The wash room was like nothing she could imagine. Something resembling a tub sat in the center of the small room, but odd pipes stuck out of the walls and ceiling around it. Vivian pulled off her hospital shift and stepped into the tub. After glancing over the instructions, she chose a button and pressed it. Water began to fall out of the ceiling, but she had braced herself. Warm water hit her back and she sighed with relief. It had been so long since she had bathed in anything but cold water. She stayed in the wash room a long time, using all of the various soaps and concoctions until she was cleaner than she'd been her entire life. She could almost see all the fear and pain of the last four years rinsing down the drain.
Just as promised, there was clothing laid out for her when she came out of the wash. But these were clothes like she had never seen. She wrapped herself in a soft, clean robe and examined some of the garments. One looked like a man's outfit, stiff blue trousers and a collared shirt. She picked up one of the dresses. The style was more familiar, but the material and pattern were bizarre. She settled on a blue-green cotton dress. It was a bit revealing, her knees and elbows would be exposed, but the Doctor had already seen her in her hospital shift without batting an eye.
She started to put it on, but suddenly felt self-conscious. Everything in this place was so open. She pulled the robe tighter, folded the dress over her arm, and went off to look for a dressing screen or somewhere private.
After taking a few wrong turns, she ended up back in the main room. She tried to retrace her steps back to the wash room, but only got more turned around. When she heard footsteps, she breathed a sigh of relief and turned towards the welcome sound. "Thank heavens, Doctor," she began, but the face she saw was unfamiliar.
The man looked just as shocked as Vivian felt. Then he smiled. "Hello there," his warm voice matched his charming expression.
She found herself unafraid. The Doctor told her she was safe here, and for whatever reason, she still believed him. She straightened her back and looked this man in the eye. "Since you're here, am I right to assume you work with the Doctor?"
"It's not all work," he chuckled. "You've got the idea. We sometimes travel together. And where did he find you?"
His tone made her want to blush, though she wasn't sure why. "He didn't. I found him."
"Either way." He winked. "I'm Captain Jack Harkness." He offered his hand.
"Vivian," she replied, and reached out to shake his hand.
He didn't shake her hand, but leaned in and kissed the back of her fingers. "Vivian. It's a pleasure to meet you."
Now she blushed in earnest.
He kept a light grip on her hand and looked deep into her eyes. "So, you and the Doctor, are you…." When she didn't' respond, he only grinned wider. "What I mean is, Vivian, are you spoken for?"
She couldn't find her voice, so she shook her head. She felt a little short of breath, and her heart was racing. He brought her hand back to his lips and kissed the back of her hand. His gaze had never left her face. His lips left her hand and started up her arm.
"Please, sir," she finally was able to say. She pulled her hand free.
His smile faded just a shade. "Call me Jack."
"Jack, please," she shook her head, struggling to find the right words. "I have known the desires of men…. only to cause hurt."
The smile was gone now. "I'm sorry to hear that." His eyes searched hers. "But they've been doing it wrong."
She studied his face. There was so much longing, and she sensed honesty, too. He didn't wish to take advantage.
He cautiously stepped closer to her. "May I try something? You can stop me at any time." Without waiting for her reply, he leaned down and kissed her softly on the lips. His fingers brushed gently against her hair. She closed her eyes and found herself starting to kiss him back.
He pulled away, just an inch, eyes still shut, and waited. She tried to slow her breathing. Her fingers clenched and unclenched. Finally she gave up and grabbed him by the shirt, pulling him close. His lips were on hers again. Explosions were going off in her head and she couldn't think straight. He stooped down and picked her up, carrying her around a corner and down a ramp she hadn't seen before, then through a doorway. There was a small bed against one wall, and he settled her down there, kissing her thoroughly.
The Doctor returned some time later, another crisis averted, smoke at his heels. The front room was empty and silent, which gave him a bad feeling. "Vivian?" He listened hard. "Jack?" He smacked himself in the forehead and took off running.
The men bumped into each other on the ramp. The Doctor gave Jack a stern look. "Where is she?"
"Who?" Jack grinned. The Doctor was not amused. "Vivian, you mean? Right in there, sleeping." Jack stuck his thumb back towards the doorway. "You worry too much, old friend."
The Doctor's eyes grew wide with anger as he looked at something on the floor behind Jack. "Do I, now?"
Jack followed his gaze to see a pile of blue-green fabric on the ground. "Now, don't get the wrong idea. She was not wearing that when we met." The Doctor shoved past him and started towards the doorway. Jack hurried behind. "Nothing happened!" The Doctor swung open the door and peered inside. Vivian was asleep on the mattress, with Jack's military jacket draped over her as a blanket. He quietly shut the door and stormed away, Jack following close behind.
When they were a good distance away, he turned fiercely on Jack. "Don't you ever think before you pounce? Do you have any idea what could happen? Do you even care? You know nothing about her. Nothing! Tell me I'm wrong!"
"It's not what you think. We only kissed." Jack grinned sheepishly, but his friend wasn't buying it. "More or less."
"You of all people should know better. And here? In my ship?" His rage was building. "Nevermind that. Vivian - do you know where I found her? Where's she been? Do you have even the slightest clue what she might be capable of? If she's dangerous? Did you even consider?"
Jack grew serious. "No, I didn't. She looked so…. helpless."
"Such a fragile state of mind she's in. You'd better pray you didn't make things worse. Care to know how she's spent the past four years? Locked up. Tortured. Drugged. Raped. Electrocuted. Starved. And she's only just escaped. I can't think of anything more dangerous."
Jack sighed in defeat. "She told me you didn't find her, she found you."
The Doctor shot him a glare. "For a man with military training, your discernment skills are severely lacking." He started to pace. "She found me. Did she ever. In the middle of nowhere, an escaped mental patient finds my Tardis without even trying." He turned towards Jack and grimaced. "She puts off that helpless vibe quite nicely."
Jack realized The Doctor was looking past him just as he felt the cold metal against his neck. Vivian was behind him, wearing his jacket, holding his own knife against his throat. "What's happening?" she whispered.
The Doctor inched towards them. "Vivian, hang on, love. Do you remember where you are? You recognize me?"
She shook her head but her eyes were unfocused. "I'm not sure." She seemed to remember the knife in her hand. "It wasn't my fault, he made me. I would never…" and she pulled the knife hard across Jack's throat.
As soon as Jack collapsed, she seemed to come back into focus. She looked down at the blood in horror and dropped the knife. "What did I do?" she whimpered.
"You killed him, but he'll be fine." He put his hands in his pockets. "Why did you do it?"
She closed her eyes. "He made me sin. I didn't mean to. Please don't punish me."
"Who told you it was a sin?" She said nothing. "Any chance, just a wild guess here, was it the same people who told you that your visions are a sin? The same people who punish you for speaking the truth about what you see?"
She gaped at him. "I never told you that."
"They wanted to shut you up for good, right? A doctor was coming in two days, he was coming to lobotomize you."
She collapsed on the floor. The Doctor kneeled down beside her and stroked her hair.
"But you escaped. You escaped, and you found me in the black of the night at the foot of the Appalachian mountains. I've seen too much to believe in coincidences."
She looked up at him, her face wet with tears. "I wasn't even looking for you, I swear."
"You must have been looking for something. What was your heart's deepest wish as you ran barefoot through the dark? A means of escape? Someone to rescue you? A safe place to hide? People who might accept you?"
She nodded, then began to sob.
"You found it," he went on. "Did you even see that? Everything you wanted most in the universe, and what did you find? My ship."
She looked around, really seeing the bizarre room for the first time.
The Doctor continued. "I said you could stay as long as you wish, and I meant that. But there are rules. For example- no killing my friends."
"I'm so sorry," she stammered.
He shushed her. "Just give him a moment."
He cradled her there on the metal grating until Jack returned from the dead. He coughed a little blood and sat up.
Vivian was stunned. "I thought I killed you," she whispered.
"You sure did." Jack slapped himself on the chest. "But I'm fine now."
"You probably deserved it," the Doctor said.
After a moment the two men grinned at each other. Vivian looked back and forth between them, until she found herself smiling too.
Days later, after the Doctor had mysteriously gone off on two separate occasions, and Jack and Vivian had apologized profusely to each other before Jack left, things seemed to settle down. Vivian was ready to talk. She found him in the main room, tinkering around with all the strange levers and switches, and muttering to himself.
"Got a moment?" she asked.
"Yup, just let me…" he turned a crank and something in the room chirped. "Yes!" He twirled around and grinned. "What it is, then?"
She couldn't help but smile back. He was like a little boy with a new plaything. "I just wanted to ask you some questions."
"Took you long enough." He hopped over to the bench seat and crossed his feet "Ask me anything." His eyes sparkled.
"You spoke of what I was looking for when I found you. You called this a safe place, and a way to escape. I believe you, but I don't understand. People will be looking for me, what if someone comes knocking here? You said I could stay here, but how do we escape and be safe?"
The Doctor nodded. "You think we're still parked at the foot of the mountain, just a few miles from where you broke free. Hmm?"
She frowned. "Of course we're still – wait, what do you mean, parked?"
He stood and held out his hand, which she took. He led her to the door. "Ready for this?" He didn't wait for her answer, and swung the door open wide.
Her breath caught in her throat. Just beyond the door was a lush jungle. Birds called overhead, and rain dripped down around them. Strange flowers grew nearby. A monkey swung past, startling her into laughter. She turned back to the Doctor. He watched her, looking pleased with himself.
"No human eye has ever seen this before today. We are deep in the Amazon rainforest, further than anyone will set foot for nearly sixty years."
She grabbed the sleeve of his jacket. "What are you waiting for then?" She tugged him out the door.
They were drenched in under a minute, but neither could stop giggling. He let her take the lead until she slipped into a mud bank, and in helping her out, they both became covered in wet slime, laughing.
Later that night over dinner, it was his turn to ask questions. "When do you first remember seeing things that no one else could?"
She sat back to think. "I don't remember this, but when I was three years old, I used to tell people I that angels would talk to me. No one took it seriously, of course. Until my older brother died." She gazed at the ceiling, deep in thought. "Then when I was fifteen, I dreamed about an accident in town, and then it happened just like I dreamt. They sent me to a monastery for eighteen months to get the devil out of me. I didn't tell anyone my dreams after that, I just wrote them all down."
She paused, and glanced over at the Doctor. He reached out and took her hand, nodding for her to continue.
"Then my cousin found one of my journals. I had written about my grandfather's death, a full month before it happened. The police questioned me, they even suspected me of killing him, but nothing would add up. Townsfolk started looking at us funny, and it was hurting my dad's business. So they sent me away."
He held his hand in both of his. "Does anyone else in your family have a kind of perception?"
"My mother's side, yes. My aunt could feel where people had died. My grandmother used to know when someone was going to get hurt, once she saved a child from drowning. My nephew was afraid of certain statues."
"Smart kid," the Doctor interrupted. "Do you know any further back? Great-grandparents? Anything? What about your dad's side?"
Vivian jerked her head up. "That's just it, I don't know. My mother had an affair, and my real father was killed before I was born. The man who raised me isn't my dad. I'm not even sure if he knows that."
"Did she ever tell you about him? His name, how they met?"
"She never called him by his name. He was some sort of teacher, though. That's all she ever mentioned."
"A school teacher? University?" The Doctor wrinkled his forehead in thought.
Vivian shook her head. "I don't know. That's all she ever called him. The Teacher."
"What?" The Doctor rolled his eyes. "No way. You've got to be joking me!"
The next morning Vivian woke to the sound of a pile of books being dropped beside her. The Doctor stood beside her, practically bouncing in his shoes. "Good morning, sunshine. We've got work to do. We're going to find your real dad."