"All right, which one of you was it?" demanded Tegan, glaring at the four other women in their room in the hostel. "Who gave it to her?" Of course, they all denied any knowledge of it, but Tegan was sure somebody in this place was responsible, and when she found out who she was going to tear them a new one. "I'm gonna ask one more time, and I want an answer because I know Nyssa didn't do this to herself!"
The only response came from Nyssa, who was giggling madly and tugging on the zipper of Tegan's suitcase. She looked up at her friend with red-rimmed eyes and made a shushing gesture. "Tegan...you're going...shhhh! You're being unrea...unreas...shouting..." she slurred before dissolving into laughter and covering her eyes with her hands.
Tegan glared at the others one more time before kneeling down to Nyssa's level. "Come on...who gave it to you? Did you smoke it or was it in a brownie?" She needed more information. Nyssa wasn't human- for all Tegan knew it might poison her. If only the Doctor were here. He'd gone off to do something or other after the incident with Omega and left Nyssa and Tegan in Amsterdam for the weekend, but that was two days ago. "Do you know how much you had?"
Nyssa peeked out from between her fingers. "It was meeee..." she whispered, "I made teeaaa..." Apparently pleased by her rhyme, she leaned back against the bed and repeated it to herself a few more times.
"Tea? Nyssa..." Tegan looked over at a nearby table containing a kettle, two mugs, and a box that had been knocked over. Dried leaves spilled out of it. "Ah-HA!" she exclaimed, seizing it. "Somebody made her tea out of...catnip?" She sniffed it. It didn't smell like...well, not that she would know what that smelled like. Behind her, the other girls were muttering about places they needed to be and had started shuffling out of the room, but Tegan didn't notice. She brought the box over to Nyssa, who was now quietly staring at her hands. "Nyssa? Did you make tea out of this?"
Her friend nodded, the action clearly making her dizzy.
"That's all? Nyssa, catnip only works on cats. You can't get high from this!"
"Oooops!" she replied, slowly leaning over.
Tegan steadied her. "Okay, you're clearly affected by something. How much did you have?"
"Drank yours."
"What?"
"I drank your mug..." Nyssa whispered.
Tegan looked over at the two mugs. So...Nyssa had tried to make them both a cup of...catnip...tea...and apparently drank both of them? She was suddenly aware of Nyssa poking her in the stomach. "Tegan...Tegan...Tegan...Tegan..." Tegan grabbed her hand.
"What?"
"I think I'm hungry?" She asked, blinking slowly.
Yes, that was another symptom. Not that Tegan would know, of course. But she figured she better make a trip to the shops before Nyssa started experimenting with anything else. "All right, you wait here while I go find you something to snack on." She started for the door, then reconsidered. Nyssa, usually so level-headed and sensible was on the floor playing with the edge of the quilt. Tegan wasn't about to go off and leave her, especially if someone in the hostel deliberately drugged her. "On second thought, you're coming with me."
"Noooo," she whined.
"Yeesss. I'm not leaving you alone when you're like this. Come on..." Tegan tried to get Nyssa to stand up, but the other woman fussed, going limp like a toddler that didn't want to be carried. Eventually, Tegan got her way and Nyssa wobbled along beside her. "Here, put your arm around my shoulders."
"Mm-hmm," said Nyssa, and she hugged Tegan.
"...Or that, whatever keeps you upright." She put an arm around her friend and hauled her out of the room.
They left the hostel and made their way down the street in the late afternoon sun. Nyssa, who had been reluctant to walk at first, started to perk up once they were outside. Tegan thought she might be recovering, that the drugs were already working their way out of her system. Then Nyssa started trying to touch everything she saw- lamposts, flowers, brick walls, Tegan, bicycles, men's beards, Tegan... Not that she minded, but considering where they were...
Tegan grabbed Nyssa's hands as the smaller woman went to run her fingers through her hair again. "Stop it! People are starting to stare!" She only giggled and tried to do it again, completely missing and falling against Tegan, who caught her. Nyssa kissed her on the ear. Tegan shifted uncomfortably. If people hadn't been staring at them before, they certainly were now.
"Oh, look! We're here!" said Tegan, a bit too loudly as she grabbed Nyssa's hand and pulled her into a grocery store. She had just grabbed a basket off the stack when Nyssa took the lead and dragged her down one of the aisles. "All right, slow down!" Tegan let go of her hand for a moment to grab a few items off the shelves- crisps, biscuits, whatever could be eaten right out of the bag. Maybe they could get through with this quickly and get Nyssa back to the hostel.
Pssssshhhht!
Tegan looked up just in time to see Nyssa open up a large bottle of fizzy drink and start chugging it. "Nyssa!" She snatched it away from her. "No, we haven't paid for it yet," she said as Nyssa pouted and clumsily reached for it.
"But I'm really thirsty!"
"You can drink it after we buy it." Tegan pried the cap away from her and put it back on, wondering how she had managed to drink half the bottle so quickly. Nyssa frowned at her some more, then her attention drifted to the basket Tegan was holding.
"What's this?" She grabbed a box of biscuits and started trying to open it. Tegan gently took it away from her, and Nyssa picked up one of the bags of crisps. "What's it do? It feels..." She squeezed the bag as hard as she could. It popped with a very attention-getting BANG, and she peered inside.
"It's broken!" she gasped.
"Nyssa!"
Tegan snatched the bag away and instantly regretted her harsh tone, as Nyssa's face immediately fell. "You're cross..."
"No, no I'm not cross with you."
"The broken...thing...the things they broke and now...you're cross with the things...with me." Her lower lip trembled.
"No, I'm not angry at you," She reached for Nyssa's hand, but the other woman pulled away. "Nyssa..."
Nyssa walked off down the aisle and around the corner. Tegan hurried after her and heard a loud crash. Fearing the worst, she came to the next aisle over and saw Nyssa on the floor, a display shelf toppled beside her, and bags of baked goods strewn all over the floor. Tegan rushed over to make sure she was all right, but she didn't have to worry- her friend's mood had shifted just as suddenly and she was giggling again, squeezing a bag of buns.
"Tegan, look!" She thrust the bag into her face. "I fell!"
"Are you all right?" Nyssa only laughed and poked the bag again. Tegan helped her up and tried to get her to put the bag down, but Nyssa refused. "Okay, put it in the basket. We really ought to be going now..." She hurried to the front of the store before anyone noticed the ruined display. Beside her, Nyssa kept reaching out to feel objects on the shelves, and then she reached over and-
Tegan's face burned as she removed her friend's hands from her chest. "We're in public!" she hissed. Nyssa laughed and tried to do it again, but Tegan quickly thrust the open bag of crisps into her hands. "Try those. Go on!"
Nyssa was quiet as she munched on the crisps, relinquishing them long enough for the cashier, who was now giving them some VERY nasty looks, to ring them up.
Finally, they were out of the store and on their way back to the hostel. Tegan relieved that at least this time Nyssa's hands were busy with the snacks. She'd finished the crisps quickly and now she was ravenously tearing into the box of biscuits. If only she wouldn't go on about how good everything was...people were starting to stare again. Tegan wasn't sure whether she'd rather hide or just sink into the ground.
They were just arriving at the hostel when Tegan heard the most wonderful sound- the TARDIS materialising in the alley! Taking Nyssa by the shoulders, she walked them both towards it. As they drew closer, the door opened and a familiar grinning face appeared
"Ah, Tegan! Nyssa! I...Nyssa?" The Doctor asked, concerned.
"She's high," explained Tegan, trying to point Nyssa through the door. The Trakenite missed the entrance and slumped against the doorframe, staring at the Doctor's lapel celery. He put on his specs and snapped his fingers in front of her face a few times, then gave Tegan a disapproving look.
"Look, when I left you two alone in Amsterdam-"
"Not on purpose! I think somebody slipped her something." Tegan finally got Nyssa in the TARDIS, and then grabbed her hand again, pulling her away from the console. She dropped the half-empty grocery bag on the floor. "Listen- go to our room in the hostel. There's a box on the table that says catnip. We need to find out what's in it."
"Catnip?"
"It's not really catnip, catnip wouldn't do this to her!"
Nyssa was starting to sit on the floor and Tegan pulled her up again. "Just go get it. We've got to make sure whatever it was isn't going to poison her or something. I'm going to put her to bed. Let her sleep this off." Putting an arm around Nyssa, she led her through the the console room to the double doors on the other side that led to the rest of the ship. Nyssa started poking her in the stomach again. "Tegan...Tegan...Teeegannn..."
"Yes?"
She leaned in close with a conspiratorial smile and whispered, "It's bigger on the inside!"
"Yes, it is," agreed Tegan, trying to be patient as she steered Nyssa down the corridor and into their bedroom. She was pleasantly surprised to see that her own side of the room was exactly as she'd left it. How long had it been for them? Only a few months had passed on Earth. "You've been here before. And now it's time for you to go to sleep."
"Aww..."
"I know, but trust me, you're going to feel a lot better in the morning." She turned down the covers and sat Nyssa on the bed. "Come on, shoes off." Nyssa happily played with Tegan's hair while the taller woman removed her shoes.
"You feel nice..."
"Thanks." Nyssa flopped onto her side without having to be prompted or fussed at. Relieved, Tegan lifted her legs onto the mattress, tucked her in, and went to dim the lights. Better for Nyssa to sleep it off in her own bed than at the hostel. The poor thing was going to be embarrassed enough about this when she came to her senses.
She was about to leave when she heard movement behind her, and turned around just in time to see Nyssa stagger after her, missing Tegan by a good few feet and nearly knocking into the dresser before Tegan caught her. They both fell to the ground, Nyssa overcome with giggles again. "Where...where are we going to...going?"
"You're going to bed."
Nyssa shook her head and wiggled into Tegan's lap. "No...staying here." She tucked her head firmly under Tegan's chin.
As much as she'd like to stick around to see where things went, she really couldn't. Tegan sighed and started to half-carry, half-drag Nyssa back to bed. She had leaned down to pick up the sheets Nyssa had thrown to the floor, when she lost her balance and fell across the bed, Nyssa landing on top of her. Tegan tried to roll over, but Nyssa clung to her back. "Nyssa, get off."
"No. I'm comfr...comforb...'s nice," she mumbled.
Actually, it was very nice. It was a position Tegan might have enjoyed more under different circumstances. Craning her neck, Tegan could see that her friend's eyes were still unfocused and bloodshot. Nyssa leaned in and kissed her on the cheek. "Hi." Their arms dangled over the edge of the bed, and Nyssa waved hers around. "Looook! D'you see...it's lots of hands..."
Tegan fumbled around until she could get some leverage, Nyssa playing with her hair again, and pushed them both in a kneeling position. Nyssa only hugged her with both arms and legs and laughed. "Isss like the...that thing you told me about? The furry...thingy..." she slurred. Tegan shifted so they were facing the headboard and tried to peel Nyssa off her. "Koala!"
They fell forward and Tegan took the opportunity to roll over and try to disentangle herself, but Nyssa seemed to have other ideas and in the confusion managed to straddle her. Tegan froze, giving Nyssa an opportunity to lean down and kiss her. Tegan was surprised at first, then closed her eyes and deepened the kiss. For a moment, she felt as if everything was back to normal, like she'd never left the TARDIS in the first place, that she was finally home. Nyssa pulled back and leaned her forehead against Tegan's.
"Issnicet'beewthyoo."
Right. The tea...
"Nyssa," she began when she was cut off by another kiss and a hand sliding up her side. "Mmmm..." Above her, Nyssa's chestnut curls framed her face as she leaned back and pressed a finger to Tegan's lips, the other cupping her breast. Her hand slipped and dragged across her face.
"Ow. Yes, that's my nose." Tegan brushed the hand away.
Nyssa laughed again and trailed sloppy kisses down her neck. She fumbled with the buttons on Tegan's shirt. Or at least where buttons would have been if she had any. Instead, she ended up tugging at the fabric, hips wriggling as she shifted her weight. Tegan gripped the sheets and tried to ignore the heat that was starting to pool in her belly. Would it be so bad if they...? No, they really shouldn't. Nyssa wasn't responsible for her actions. It would be taking advantage.
Tegan sat up just as Nyssa managed to pull her tube top down. Oh, sure, now she was coordinated. "Nyssa, no," said Tegan, "We're not doing this now." She tried again to get Nyssa off her, but in the drug-induced haze, her friend seemed to think it was a game. Tegan was so busy trying to fend off clumsy, wandering hands she didn't notice the door swinging open.
"Now, I've scanned this box twice and there's nothing but pure catnip in-OH!" The Doctor slapped a hand over his eyes. "Ah, sorry!..I-I-I...ah..."
"Doctor, it's not what it-" began Tegan before she was cut off by Nyssa doing something lovely to her collarbone. The Doctor hurried out of the room, slamming the door behind him. Tegan pushed Nyssa away from her and pulled her top back up. "Nyssa, stop!" she said firmly.
"But..." Her lower lip wobbled, her eyes wide and confused.
"It's not right," Tegan explained gently. "You're stoned out of your mind." She oomph-ed as Nyssa tried to get up and collapsed on top of her, knocking them both back down, and mumbled something into her chest. "Later, when you know what you're doing. If you still want to." Another mumble. "I promise. But right now, you need to sleep it off. I'll come back and check on you in a few hours."
She moved to get up, but Nyssa held on tighter. "No!" She lifted her head. "Don't you'll get left away...left...leave...don't leave behind."
"Nyssa..." said Tegan, taken aback at the amount of concern in her face. "I'm not going to leave again. I'm still going to be on the TARDIS."
"Thought you were but you weren't," she said miserably, picking at Tegan's shirt.
"All right, how about I wait right here with you?" she offered. Nyssa nodded slowly. "I'll stay right here..." Tegan said soothingly, reaching up to stroke her hair, shifting them so they could breathe easier. Nyssa relaxed and lay her head down on Tegan's chest, sighing contentedly. "I'll be right here."
Tegan gently removed one more sneaky hand, then put her other arm around Nyssa. After a while, her breathing became more regular until she fell asleep. She ought to be back to normal soon enough, Tegan figured. It was the least she could do to play teddy bear for a few hours. In her sleep, Nyssa cuddled closer. Tegan smiled and closed her eyes.