'How many times have you regenerated?' The interviewer's alley-cat smile extended past her ears.
'Eleven.' The Doctor rubbed his eyes. 'Well, something like that.'
'That makes you quite old.'
'Not really. Not as old as the universe.' He looked sad. He kept gazing around, at the silent aliens in the open-air arena, all waiting on his answers. His boots scuffed the ground idly.
The woman laughed, far too loudly, even though there was nothing funny about what he'd said. Her voice echoed across the stage; she adjusted the microphone on her breast pocket. 'Ah, but of course, Doctor! You and the universe…old pals, I presume?' Another annoying laugh. The Doctor gave her an irritated glance. 'And with Time too, isn't that right? Being the last of the Time Lords.'
Their audience chuckled. The Doctor just grimaced.
'But that's the pressing question, Doctor.' She said his name as though she thought it were utterly ridiculous. 'You have the whole of time at your disposal. Tell our dear audience, now, tell them – if you ever wanted to go back in time…and…oh, perhaps tell your old self something? What would that be, Doctor?'
The Doctor squinted at her. At the woman's short wiry hair, broad jaw and beady, luminous eyes. He strained against the thick straps that were tying him to his chair and knew that she wouldn't let him go until he answered. So he looked at the stars above him for inspiration, searching for a half-decent reply that wouldn't make this woman look like a complete idiot – even if she deserved it. After all, going back in time to have a chat with himself was absurd. Totally unnecessary. As he watched the tiny pinpricks of light, he came to the conclusion that most of them were dying. Sort of like his companions now. They only shone their light for a fraction of time – a fraction too short. Time after time, he was left in darkness.
'Well, I suppose I'd tell him…' he trailed off, and looked down at her skeptically. 'I really don't know. I suppose you'd expect me to tell him that he'd be better off alone. Then he'd have less to lose.'
The woman nodded, pretending to be engrossed in the conversation. The Doctor wasn't fooled.
'Well…why don't you, then?' she asked. More for her amusement than his.
He gave her a long look. A long, long look, drawn tight with pain. 'Because that would be a lie.'
He wouldn't tell her why, even though she pressed the question on him throughout the rest of the interview. But he knew that he'd rather lose every single companion he'd ever had, in a selfish way, than miss out on meeting them at all.