The Doctor staggered to his feet, coughing as he waved the dense smoke away from the TARDIS console. All he'd wanted to do was put together a simple tracking mechanism that would help him find Clara, the barmaid/Dalek who he'd been trying to find since last Christmas. All he wanted was a friend-he hadn't meant to blow a hole in the Time Vortex!
"I know, dear, I know," he muttered as he leaned against the console, trying to get a good look at the readings. He blinked in surprise, then peered closer. He seemed to have left the universe...but where was he? More importantly, how could he get back?"
"Well, let me think," he said aloud. He checked the power readings. "Power readings normal...Should just take us one good push to get home, that's after the TARDIS has calibrated..." He smiled. "Well, then, let's have a look outside, shall we?"
As he walked to the door, the Doctor realized that he had started talking to himself again. Being alone was taking its toll.
The Doctor smiled as he stepped out of the TARDIS. He was in a peaceful woodland-almost could have been Earth, by the looks of it. No aliens, no danger...just calm and quiet.
He almost hoped that it would last.
The Doctor started walking. He figured it would be at least twenty-four hours before the TARDIS would be anywhere near ready to travel back to his own universe, but he didn't mind. Truth be told, he needed a break from trying to find Clara. He'd been looking for her for a couple of months, and he was starting to think that he would never find her, that the whole thing had just been a fluke. It was breaking his hearts. And of course, he still missed the Ponds...
"Yarrakkaa!"
Jolted from his reverie, the Doctor crouched, holding his hands over his head, and looked around wildly. "What? Who is it?"
A crow landed on a branch near the Doctor-a massive crow, almost as big as he was. "Kakarraka! How you dare come into the domain of Magru?"
"Oh, is this your domain? Sorry, I was just passing through, I didn't realize-"
"Harrraa!" The crow spread its wings. "Silence, strange creature! You must suffer for your ignorance, rakaraka!"
The Doctor turned and ran with little grace to speak of. But he was too late. The crow was soon upon him.