"An Unlikely Meeting"
Clara gently ran her fingers throughout the Doctor's hair as she sat next to the bed where he had lain, unconscious for the past few hours. Her eyes roved over the layers of bandages that covered his fore head, the shocking white a stark contrast to his deep auburn hair. There were also bandages covering his chest, making it rather difficult to make out it's
steady rise and fall with each deep breath he took.
They were on the planet of Praxius VII, in a very high tech medical unit. Clara had managed to pilot The TARDIS there after The Doctor being the numpty he was managed to get himself thrown from that planets equivalent of a horse. The unit's doctors were originally a bit put of by his strange physiology but eventually managed to patch him up, deciding that they couldn't ascertain anything else until he woke up. When he would wake up was the question that deeply worried Clara.
The light plodding of footsteps on linoleum (yes they did have linoleum) brought her out of her reverie. She looked toward the door to find a pretty blonde nurse standing in the door way "No change huh?" the nurse stated more than asked, her tone disappointed.
"No,I just keep thinking, it's been so if he really isn't okay? What if he doesn't wake up?" Clara said and burst into tears. The nurse hurried forward and sat next to Clara, gently taking her had and patting it consolingly.
"There,there, mustn't think like that. He'll be perfectly fine,you'll see. I'm positive he'll wake up any time now. There's no way he'd leave a pretty thing like you."
Clara smiled appreciatively and furtively tried to wipe away her tears.
"Thank you. I know my line of thinking is rather bleak but I can't bear the thought of losing him." a fresh round of tears sprung up. "I just told him how much I love him before this happened and he said he loved me too. My whole life I've waited for that moment. Never, have I ever loved someone as much as I love that man right there." she gestured to The Doctor then composed herself. "Sorry, I didn't mean to burden you with all of my problems. It's just a bit lonely for the moment" she apologized to the nurse.
"Oh it's not a burden at all." the nurse assured her. "He's a very lucky man to have a girl like you looking after him. My name is Christine by the way, Christine Chapel."
"Nice to meet you Christine." Clara replied. "I'm Clara Oswald and as you probably already know this," she pointed to the unconscious Time Lord. "is The Doctor."
Christine nodded and smiled warmly then stood.
"It's very nice to meet you Clara. I have to check on my other patients now but if you need anything at all just get an attendant to page me. I look forward to meeting
your boy friend." her eyes sparkled with mischief as she left the room.
Clara smiled for a moment, then sighed deeply. She was all alone with her thoughts once more. Soon, from the sheer lack of anything better to do she fell into her
old habit of brushing The Doctor's hair from his eyes. Hours passed unnumbered as Clara continued watching over The Doctor. Christine stopped by a few times to check The Doctor's vitals but never stayed long. By dawn Clara had given into exhaustion and was curled up on the bed next to The Doctor. She wasn't sure if the hospital allowed
this but wasn't in a caring mood at the moment.
She was just on the edge of sleep when The Doctor stirred next to her and hazily opened his eyes. She barely concealed a squeal of joy and wrapped her arms around his torso, hugging him
with all the strength her little body could muster. He awkwardly returned the hug and appeared quite confused.
"I was so worried about you." Clara declared, tears of joy trailing down her face
"I thought you were never going to wake up." she buried her face in the crook of his neck so as to hide the tears. He didn't reply and inched away from her, making her feel a little more than hurt. "Whats wrong Doctor? Did I hurt you?
Doctor?" he just stared at her in fear and confusion. She sat up and stared right into his eyes. "Don't you remember me?"
he blinked in course he remembered her. How could he not? His brain was just more than a little sluggish at the moment. He concentrated on her face, willing the proper memories to click into place.
If only he could get past the pounding head ache reminiscent of a jackhammer pounding his skull,then he might be able to keep his eyes open for more than a few seconds. Wait, when HAD he closed his eyes? He couldn't seem to remember. And wasn't he trying to do something important? Something definitely
very, impossibly important. Impossible. Why was that word so important? He knew of many impossible things. Hell, he probably did six before breakfast. (If only he could remember breakfast.) But this one impossible thing stuck of memory and colours played through his mind like a broken record. A deep red dress, singing, something about a cloud and a very bad Sherlock Holmes impression. It was at the tip of his tongue. Red,a red dress. But who wore the dress? A Dalek? No, Dalek's aren't that pretty A governess? Maybe But it felt more like the future. Claire? Clarabella? No... Claire-a? "CLARA!" he opened his
eyes and sat bolt upright. "Clara!" he looked around the room, finally noticing it's emptiness. But how? She was just right here He stopped when he heard
voices coming from outside the room.
"Thank you so much for talking to me Christine. I don't know what I would've done without you. I really must be checking in on him now. I understand if you have to tend to your other patients." a very Clara like voice said.
"Oh it's no problem at all. And I don't have to leave just now. We could talk for a bit longer if you'd like." another voice said
"I would like that very much. Come on in." the voice got closer and in walked Clara and another older woman. Clara noticed The Doctor's return to consciousness immediately and she rushed over to the bed. The Doctor smiled at his impossible
girl and was just about to speak when he noticed Clara's own hesitance. He sat up with some difficulty and cupped her cheek, concern written all over his face.
"Whats wrong Clara?" he asked her. "Did something happen?"
"You remember me? You REALLY remember me?" she managed to choke out.
"Of course I do! How could I possibly forget my Clara?" he declared in surprise."You're the most important, impossibly wonderful thing in my life. I could never EVER forget you. Not the girl who I've known for all of my lives. From Gallifrey to now"
Clara smiled warmly at this and pulled him in for a passionate kiss. He wore a vaguely dazed expression when they pulled away making Clara giggle. She turned toward the door and smiled at Christine who had been waiting patiently.
"I'd like you to meet The Doctor. Doctor, this is Christine Chapel. She's a nurse
here.
"Nice to finally meet you Doctor. Clara has told me a lot about you." Christine greeted
him with a smile."
"Same to you Christine. I just wish we could've met under better circumstances. My thought process is a bit rubbish at the moment,as Clara can definitely attest
to." The Doctor replied sheepishly.
"As do I Doctor. And you're surprisingly well focused for a man with a concussion. Most of my head trauma patients can't tell up from down when the first wake up.
"Ah,well my brain is wired a bit differently than humans. Trust me, if you were part of my species right now you could barely understand me."
"Yeah,and unfortunately for me I know exactly what he means. His pronunciation is plain rubbish and forget about tenses. What is it with you and tenses? I thought Time Lord's would be good with time related words." Clara quipped, a hint of a smile in her voice.
"It's not my fault!You know that English and Gallifreyan tenses are completely different. And if you haven't noticed the only reason I can speak coherent English right now is because The TARDIS is helping me translate. Honestly, never have I ever learned a more difficult language. How do you English cope?"
"You are a very strange couple." Christine observed. "What are you talking about? I can hear that you're both speaking English. And what's Gallifreyan? I have never heard of any language with that name."
"Actually I'm not speaking English. I'm a telepath you see. My ship is translating as I seem to have forgotten proper English pro, pronun, Uh... what Clara said. And you
wouldn't have heard of Gallifreyan. It's the oldest language in the universe and
you're looking at the two of the three last speakers in the universe." The Doctor revealed, an undertone of sadness in his voice that made Clara hug him closer.
"I'm so sorry. I had no idea..." Christine trailed off.
"It's fine. Really. It's in the past and nothing can change it." The Doctor said with a fake smile.
"Yes well, if you don't mind my changing the subject. How do you feel?" Christine questioned The Doctor.
"Not too bad. Of course my bodies natural pain killers have kicked in by now but other than that I've been worse." Clara rolled her eyes at this and The Doctor grinned like a maniac.
"Well then, I'm glad you're feeling better. If only my other patients healed up as fast as you. Taking care of four hundred and thirty lives in a crisis is definitely a time when speed is of the escence." Christine smiled at the couples confused expressions. "Let me explain. I am only here while my ship restocks our med-bay. I work on a star ship. The U.S.S Enterprise. I don't suppose you've heard of it, we stick to the outer reaches of the galaxy. In fact, we should be leaving rather soon. I just wanted to say good bye before I left." Christine finished and smiled brightly.
Clara stared wide eyed at Christine and nodded her head than got a hold of herself and hugged the pretty nurse. "Thank you so much. I would've gone mad without you. Good luck!" Christine pulled away from Clara and mayed her way to the door, waving at The Doctor and wishing them both well.
It was only when she left the room that Clara dropped her facade and gaped in awe.
"Whats wrong Clara?" The questioned her.
"I didn't recognize her until now. I can't believe it. I used to love her when I was little. Her and Doctor Mccoy made me want to go into medicine."
"What do you mean you recognized her? She was born centuries after you. There's no way you could know her. Unless... Clara? Have you been hanging around strange glowy cracks? I thought I fixed them all but there could be a stray one lose." The Doctor rambled.
"No, Doctor. Christine Chapel. U.S.S Enterprise. THE FUTURE! We've landed inside a Star Trek episode. I used to love this show when I was little. I would watch it with my dad whenever I got the chance.
The Doctor merely stared at her in confusion.
DW. DW. DW. DW. DW. DW. DW. DW. DW. DW. DW. DW. DW. DW. DW. DW. DW.
"I met the strangest couple today Doctor." Christine told Doctor Mccoy once they were back aboard the Enterprise.
"Yeah? I've met a few weirdoess in my day. What of it?" Doctor Mccoy replied in his usual gruff fashion.
"Oh Leonard. They weren't weirdoes. I've just never seen anyone like them. I was rather fond of one of them, a young Brit by the name of Clara. She was here with her boyfriend who had a nasty head injury. I talked to her for a while, the poor thing was worried sick."
"That doesn't seem very odd to me." the doctor replied from his place behind his desk. "It would be concerning if she wasn't worried about him. What type of head injury did he have Christine?"
"Just a mild concussion, he was out for a while though. And that wasn't what was odd. All though he appeared to be human the scanners couldn't find a match for his species. And he spoke of this odd language that I have never heard of. Gallifreyan. Apparently he and Clara spoke it. Have you ever heard of such a language Doctor?"
"Maybe. What was the guys name Christine?"
"Just, The Doctor. A strange name if you ask me but who am I to critisize others?
The Enterprise's CMO sat in contemplation for a second before dropping his pen and going slack jawed in astonishment.
"What is it Doctor?" Christine questioned, mystified by his actions.
"Christine, have you ever heard of a show called Doctor Who? It was on oh, fifteen, twenty years ago?"
Christine was silent for a moment before starting in surprise."You don't mean."
"I do."
"Then he is real?"
"Obviously."
"We will never speak of this to any body. They'll think we're mad."
"Agreed."
"I think I'm going to get a coffee. Would you like one?"
"No thank you."
"Good bye Leonard."
"See you Christine."
And with that an astonished Christine Chapel left an equally astonished Leonard Mccoy in hopes that she wasn't as mad as she thought.
FIN.
