This was initially going to just be a little bit of fun putting pen to paper. Instead it evolved and found myself getting quite emotional by the end, and I've actually become quite proud of what I've written here. I hope you enjoy it (as best as you can, given the storyline :P). It doesn't really need a backstory, just picture a Doctor and his companion having travelled for years and years before she goes off to have a normal life.

I tagged 11 as I imaged him as I wrote it, but nearly any Doctor and nearly any companion would fit into this... it's so versatile!

Le Sigh, I do not own Doctor Who

Coming to, the first thing she noticed was she was on her back... and EVERYTHING hurt. She tried to move her arm but couldn't, and appeared to be covered in blood. Her head was aching worse than anything else, and on quick inspection she discovered a gash on her forehead was the main source of the pain... and blood.

She tried to sit up, leaning on her one good arm for support. Bloody hair draped over her eyes, making it difficult to see without an extra good arm to brush it away. Squinting through the hair she could see the car had been flipped. She couldn't remember how it happened... a deer perhaps? It didn't really matter. Suddenly she was overcome with pain and fell back to the floor (or, as it happened, the roof of the car). She grabbed her stomach with her good hand and cried out in agony, tears flowing freely.

She had lost track of time; it seemed like she had been laying there in pain for an hour but according to her watch it had really only been several minutes. But finally the pain subsided, and she shuffled with all her might to the back of the wreck where her bag was last seen. Thankfully it had not fallen far and she could easily access her phone inside. On closer inspection though she noticed there was no reception, and she resisted the urge to throw it out the crushed window. Next best bet was to try the next town, though she knew she was still at least 3 kilometres away from there. Her final option would be a passing car, though she had been driving for hours and only passed 5 in that time, so she wasn't too hopeful.

Groaning in pain she struggled onto her knees. For the first time in her life she was grateful to be short, and lack of space in the banged up car was not hindering her attempt to escape it. With great effort she managed to slide out the broken windscreen, when a shard of glass detached from the frame and embedded itself in her thigh. Gasping, she instinctively pulled it out before realising her mistake, and quickly placed her hand across the wound to try and stop the flow of blood that now poured through. She lay on the road; her bleeding head and now bleeding leg were making her dizzy.

Of all the days to not wear a belt, she thought, of course it would be today.

In fact, all she was wearing was a dress and the rest of her belongings were crushed and trapped in the boot of the car. The pain in her stomach was escalating again, and she rolled to her side to retch blood.

Rolling back once she was done, she couldn't help but look at the stars above her. It was a particularly bright night, with no nearby towns to pollute the sky with light. Her thoughts quickly turned to the Doctor. What was he doing? Where was he? What wonderful adventure was he on? Tears formed as she remembered their first adventure. No sooner had they met they found themselves in dire circumstances. She was sure they'd die, and confided to the Doctor that her greatest fear was to die alone and frightened. Of course the Doctor knew they would escape and go on to have hundreds more adventures, but he made a promise to her that when that day came he would be by her side... he would not let her die alone. Now it seemed likely he would break that promise, but she didn't blame him. After all, how could he possibly know where she was?

oOoOo

"Come on, come on... what's wrong?" the Doctor yelled at the TARDIS.

He had made it very clear he wanted to go to the planet of Yaros, but she had quite suddenly decided to pull a full U-turn and go in an entirely different direction, in an entirely different era. Picking up his hammer he started to whack the console with it, then proceeded to flick and push and pull all the controls he could. When that didn't seem to work he shrugged, took a seat and let her do what she wanted (or perhaps needed) to do. He knew there was no sense in fighting her when she was like this.

oOoOo

She was laying on the ground on her side, legs outstretched and broken arm resting across her stomach. She had retched blood twice now, and found that she seemed to have an endless supply of tears (though they were now falling silently, with no energy left to cry out loud). Now she was just waiting, pondering all the "what-ifs" and thinking of the one person in her life who made a difference, and who made her a better person. Her heart ached at the thought of never seeing him again, and as her eyes started to get heavy she even thought she heard the TARDIS. She had no energy left to lift her head; she had lost too much blood. But her eyes could see a flashing blue light coming from several metres behind her. The noise and flashing stopped, and she very faintly heard the sound of the door opening and footsteps walking around the wreckage. Suddenly they stopped...

"No," he said quietly, voice thick with emotion and disbelief.

He pulled out his sonic screwdriver and started to scan her but even in the dark she could see the doubt on his face, that there was anything he could do to help. He put his screwdriver back into his pocket, and with a sigh he covered his face with his hands and brushed them through his hair.

"S'ok," she managed to mutter with a smile. "You came."

He sat on the road next to her, and gently lifted her head onto his lap so she was facing him. She could see tears on his cheeks, and as they started to fall she managed to lift her good arm up to his face and wipe them away, with great effort. The Doctor strained a smile and lightly brushed his hand over her face, to her beautiful red hair where he proceeded to softly brush his fingers through.

"I promised I'd come. Though I must admit if it weren't for the TARDIS I might have been too late."

"Good ol' TARDIS. Couldn't have got you here an hour ago?" she replied cheekily, before violently coughing into his lap.

"Shh, shh, it's ok you're ok," he muttered (really more to himself than her), continuing to brush her hair with his hand and rub her back.

"I am now."

She laid back into his lap, and stared into his eyes for what seemed like an eternity to the Doctor. For her it felt like only moments later when her head started to swim, and her chest started to feel like lead.

"I think it might be time," she managed to whisper, taking his hand in hers and willing herself to hang on.

"Then you go," the Doctor cried, squeezing her hand. "I'm here; you don't have to be afraid. I'm not going to leave you until you go."

With a smile she closed her eyes, and with her last breath came the words-

"Thank you."