The dark days

A broken heart and a broken spirit. This is how the Doctor came to live his lonely life upon a cloud


Chapter 1: Where to start?

River had been the last to leave him that night. He'd dropped her off at the edge of the University campus that she had once attended. 'Unfinished business' she'd told him when he'd questioned her about her choice of drop off place. She'd pressed a kiss firmly against his lips, sworn to him that they'd meet again 'soon' and after a whisper of love she'd turned and skipped off into the darkness. He'd promised himself that he wouldn't cry; and despite himself, he had managed to hold off the tears until she was gone. Alone now he slid down the Tardis doors, the endless onslaught of tears streaked his face. He sobbed, helplessly and hopelessly alone in his console room. The Doctor cried and cried until he could cry no more. When he awoke he was still in a heap at the doors of the Tardis. Sniffing, he looked around the deserted console room; still alone.

For reasons unbeknown to him his legs managed to walk him to the controls. He sighed, a long heavy, tired sigh. Leaning over the panel he closed his eyes. The Ponds had been his world. They'd been his everything, his reason to exist in this endless tumultuous life. Silence surrounded him. Silence. The thing that had followed him his whole life since he'd come to exist in this body.

"Silence," he muttered, "Silence, will, fall," he shook his head, he could feel the building emotion, he was hurting, and he wasn't done yet, "Silence. Silence will fall," he lashed out wildly, kicking hard at the stubbornly faithful machine's console, "Well silence has fallen now!" he yelled at the universe, "It's fallen! It's over! It's done! Are. You. Happy. Now!?" The poor console accepted its relentless beating as the Time Lord's fury unleashed itself within the control room. He was angry, so angry. Nothing would slow his beating hearts as they raged to the point of almost bursting out of his chest. The machinery yielding to his temper sparked and broke under the strain. Nothing in the universe could stand up to the fury of a Time Lord; especially one as broken as the Doctor. An electrical surge powered through his body as he beat his fist down to further dent the control panel closest to him. The Doctor was thrown across the control room by the small explosion, finally skidding to come to rest on the glass floor. His muscles twitched as he lay there, clothes singed and smoking, completely unconscious.

With what functions remained online the Tardis operated the dematerialisation lever and limped itself back to Earth. History told the damaged machine that it was the only place able to heal a wounded Time Lord. Especially this Time Lord, wounded in his own, sad and unique way.