The first time I met her, she saved my life. The last time we met, she saved the universe. But she's gone now. I can never see her again, and she doesn't even remember me. Things were supposed to be alright with her. I wouldn't mess her up, because we were just mates. Best mates.
Or rather, they were. The Doctor and Donna. I just have their memories.
But I did mess her up. Technically speaking, I messed her up just by coming into being. When she touched the hand, I was created. And she was doomed.
I told Rose everything we did together, everywhere we went to, and even that crazy hat box she brought with her, but that's all I have of her now – words. She was amazing, and I lost her. It was all my fault.
He entered the ward and headed towards the new patient. "Ah, Doctor," the nurse began, and he grinned, still not over the brilliance that he had chosen the one job that would allow him to keep his name. But as he saw the face of the patient, his smile slid away. It was Donna. Donna, here, in this universe. Donna, lying in a hospital bed. Or at least, a Donna – not his Donna. All the same, the sight of her face so white and expressionless, with closed eyes, sent fear shivering down his spine.
"Car accident," the nurse told him. He shuddered; Donnas in parallel worlds seemed to have more than their fair share of car accidents, he thought, remembering the incident with the fortune teller on the planet Shan Shen, when she met Rose, just before the events that led to the metacrisis.
"She was knocked out but other than a broken arm, she seems alright."
"Thank you," he replied, and he meant it, as relief flooded over him. She was alright. And now he knew she was fine, his grin returned, just from seeing her again, like when he saw Sarah again after all those years. Donna was here.
He was there when she woke, although that wasn't really coincidence.
"Hi," she said, assessing him. He wondered what she saw – a skinny boy in a suit? Certainly not a spaceman.
"How are you feeling?" he asked.
She looked at him. "Brilliant," she replied, sarcastically, in such a typical Donna way that he couldn't hide my smile.
"I've sorted your arm out, so it will be in a cast for several weeks, but you were lucky. A car accident could have been a lot worse. Is there anyone you would like us to phone to tell them what's happened, and maybe to pick you up?"
"Well I've just crashed my Mum's car, so there's no point phoning her."
"What about a grandparent?" At Donna's suspicious expression, he quickly continued, "or maybe a friend, or–"
"No, it's fine," she interrupted. "I'm free to leave now, aren't I?"
Leave. They had only just met. Or re-met... Parallel worlds were so confusing, even for a timelord brain.
"Yeah. 'Course. See you around, Donna Noble."
"Yeah. Thanks." And just as she was about to leave, she added, "Oi, skinny boy. What's your name?"
"I'm the Doctor," he said, on default.
"Yeah, I got that. But what's your name, you Dumbo – Doctor Who?" She was using that voice, as if he was as thick as a tree trunk, and he loved it.
"Well, John Smith, but... call me the Doctor. Everyone does."
"Right," she said. "Bye then... Doctor." She paused slightly mockingly before that word, to show how odd a name she thought it was, but she smiled before she turned and left.
And she was gone, as quickly as she had come.
So there it is, the first chapter of my story about the human doctor and a parallel Donna. Please please review :)
