Needing his Ponds
AN: I don't own Dr Who. This is set sometime after 11 has left them. No spoilers really though.
Pairings: Amy/ Rory, 11/Rory friendship
The sudden frantic knocking at the late hour had surprised them. The Ponds were sleeping. Rory had woken first. He was used to waking up quickly, odd hours meant nothing to him.
Amy had taken longer to stir. When she felt her husband move from the bed, she had woken slightly.
When she heard his panicked yells, she was awake.
Rory POV
Who could possibly want us at this hour? Even the Doctor has more grace than this!
The knocking seems to get less urgent...
When I see who is there I can only gasp in surprise and horror. Its him. Its The Doctor.
But he looks in bad shape. His empty eyes usually filled with childish glee look up at me. "Rory" he says softly sounding relieved. He coughs harshly before gripping the door frame to steady himself.
Well his sick for one. I reach my arm around his waist to support him and he stiffens. Still he allows me to lead him into the house. He leans into me as he coughs again. The cough shakes his frame badly. What has he done now?
Once on the lounge I turn on the light and take a look at him. He is paler than usual and shivering. His clothes are tattered and hang off him. His thinner than I have ever seen him...not great. His eyes look sad and confused, as if he has lost all his happy thoughts. He keeps his eyes fixed on the ground, not reacting. I hug him tightly. He looks surprised before he says brokenly "I tried. I couldn't. I couldn't..."
He seems so far away. I brush his hand and he looks up with surprise. "You can tell me" I say gently.
"I didn't want to be a bother. I couldn't live without you guys. I...I don't mean badly" he stammers.
"Your not a bother. We want you here. Tell me what happened." I say firmly.
"I kept forgetting stuff. I forgot why I was happy. I forgot the point of it all." he replies brokenly.
Taking my phone I dial a number. After a moment I hear the hospital receptionist. "Yes I can't come in to work tomorrow. It a family emergency...yes my son in law is sick...he needs me"
The Doctor looks tired but every time he falls asleep, he quickly wakes himself up again. A habit. I must insist though...gently I speak to him. "You need to sleep."
He looks suddenly frightened. He mutters quickly starting to panic, "No sleep, no night mares. Don't make me. Please?"
I frown. "I'll stay with you. I'll protect you okay?" I offer.
He seems to be thinking about it. "Promise?" he asks childishly.
"I promise. I'll stay the whole time." I say.
He accepts this. Tiredly he curls up into a corner of the lounge. I grab a blanket and pillow and wake him. He seems to be confused. "Lie down. You won't hurt your back that way. Come on." I say gently.
He looks more confused. "What about you?" he simply asks.
"I can get a chair or something."I reply.
He looks upset now. "Don't go" he yells leaping into my arms "How will I know you are here?".
"You want me to lie with you?" I ask surprised. I'm sure he doesn't understand how odd that is to a human. But his sad resigned eyes at this is enough to convince me. When I don't say anything more he starts to sob. "Settle down. I will lie with you okay? I said I would stay didn't I?" I say calmly.
This is worse than I thought...he will need us. Thats a thought for tomorrow as I disengage the sobbing timelord. He seems to calm slightly. He settles on the lounge and squishes back. Making sure the blanket covers him, I join him. I try not to act surprised when I feel his tight hold on me. To anyone else this might look sexual but its just comfort to a timelord who desperately needs us. Soon his breathing evens out and his asleep.
Soon his peace is broken by whimpers. He thrashes about breathing hard. Soon his whimpers turn to sobs and pleas. I try wake him. I put my hands through his hair and mutter comforts. After too many minutes pass, he stirs awake. I keep a comforting had on him as he wipes away the tears and sweat. He clings to me as the nightmare fades from his mind.
Tomorrow I will need to properly assess him. He needs a change of clothes too.
When he wakes again, its morning. The timelord is a mess of limbs and sweat soaked clothes. After his last nightmare he had relaxed his hold on me. He seems oddly silent as he wakes...too silent.
A silent still Doctor is never good news.
When I return with coffee I silently observe his state. He looks around confused, a sad look on his face. When I put my cup down he jumps. His face slips into a mask of a grin. It doesn't reach his eyes though and that betrays him.
"Rory the roman!" he says loudly, excited. Of course I can tell his fake normal Doctor act by now.
I usually let it go but not this time. I send him a stern glare. "Doctor, you are going to let me take a look at you. Then you will shower and change into some clean clothes. After that you can tell me whats been happening with you." I direct him.
He looks startled. "Please Rory? I'm fine now. Maybe all I needed was sleep?" he says nervously.
I glare back. "Last I checked I'm the nurse and you are not fine. So we will do things my way."
He hesitates but gives in. I nod approvingly and take him into Amy and my bedroom.
He opens his mouth to speak but I interrupt him "Don't say your a doctor because you never tell me what you even studied."
He tries to glare at me but its half hearted.
I check him over. He is still pale and I can feel a fever. His cough hasn't fully gone away yet either. He still seems shaky on his feet too.
"Tell me how your feeling."
He knows better than to protest or lie. "Dizzy but not as much as before. Headache. Feel like being sick too." he says calmly.
As I would have predicted by the way he was acting last night.
"Have you always had such bad nightmares?"
He freezes up and stares defiantly at the wall. "You saw that?" he asks carefully. "Well not sure exactly...few hundred years maybe?"
Thats not great. No wonder he looks so tired all the time. "When did you last sleep proper?"
He looks away again. "A few months" he says quietly.
So how can he even be here? Not even timelords are immune to exhaustion.
I decide to mention it later. I take his sweaty jacket and shirt off. The wet clothes are thrown into a pile for later. What I see shocks me.
He misreads my emotions of course. Wide scared eyes lock with mine and he shuffles back. "Its hideous isn't it? Who could love someone like me?" his tone is both cold and sad.
How could he even think that about himself? Would he really think we valued him for something so physical?
I mean its only hideous in the sense that he is so unhealthy. For gods sake I can see his ribs! He has bad bruising and some minor cuts as well. He obviously got into a fight. I check his back and he has a dark bruise on his shoulder. When I prod it the Doctor winces. Fractured I think.
Of course thats not the most horrifying part. His arms are littered with small cuts of varying healing stages. He did this to himself.
"Your staying here with me for a while. How could you hurt yourself so much? I am not taking no as an answer either. If you don't stop and heal, your going to end up dead long before a darlek or cyberman or whatever else kills you." I say firmly.
The alien seems to accept the idea. Or at least agree. I don't know which is scarier.
I hand him some fresh clothes "shower". I simply say.
He just takes the offered clothes and does what his told.
What to do for the timelord now?
I mean it is good he is more awake now but he is so far from healthy. He needs sleep for one so I must find out what he can take for that. Maybe help him relax. Maybe even help him face his nightmares.
He needs food too. But what are timelords allergic too? He may look human (and I timelord to him) but he is vastly different. Still I need to get him back to healthy weight.
Thats not even mentioning his sick!
And of course the depression and cutting. Nothing for that but talking...what a long few months (though probably longer) it was going to be.
I pick up my phone and text Amy at work. When I get a panicked phone call, I have to suppress my own panic. Amy is right to panic. We both are. But I am the strong rock and the calm nurse, so I stay steady. I tell her what we are going to do and that he will be okay. She must know I am only acting but needs the comfort more than truth. So she accepts it and promises to help me.
I do feel slightly better about this plan now actually...
I hear the shower water stop and go to check on my newest charge.
The Doctor is looking better and even seems to have a genuine smile on his face. That sadness still stays but its further away. The clothes (which I know would have fit him only months ago) still hang off him but when it comes to the stubborn timelord, you take what victories you can.
AN: as usual read and review