Velox Sanitas
Author Note: All familiar ideas stem from Russell T. Davies, not me.
Clara reached the fifth room on the left. She opened the door, and was faced with silver and TARDIS blue-striped walls. A fuzzy image of an older man with long grey hair caught her eye, which she thought had morphed into someone now with black hair in a Beatles-type haircut and additionally thinner face, but when she looked back at that area - it was gone, as if it had disappeared in a similar way to mist. She came to the conclusion that she must have imagined it. Then it clicked in her head.
"Aw, how sweet of the Doctor to lend me his bedroom." she whispered, smiling. Her last thought was how the Doctor had said 'rest that worried little brain', and she did. The next dream was confusing, flashes of an older self, dark colours, and a subconscious dizzy sensation. What she didn't know was that the Doctor had been waiting outside his bedroom, silently ready for trouble. Back under the covers, Clara began to twitch, rolling over in her sleep very fast. Hearing a slight creak of the mattress, the Gallifreyan tiptoed in, only to see his brunette companion jerking slightly in slumber, and whispering 'not the abyss'. He realised immediately.
"Clara dear, wake up." he muttered, gently shaking her, quite a feat due to her twitch. "Clara..." he said, a crack in his voice. He couldn't let another soul go through hell.
Suddenly as he stroked the velvet of her dressing-gown, she woke up.
"Wha- Doctor?" she croaked. He smiled at her, green eyes full of care. "Wha-?"
"Another nightmare." he said gently. Clara paled, whispering 'not the abyss' again. "What happened this time? Another fast-forward?" the Doctor asked.
"Flashes of grey and black, me with grey hair and then..." Clara trailed off as she burst into tears. As she wailed, hazily looking at the duvet, the Oncoming Storm peaked through, a look of maddeningly angry defiance crossing the alien's face. He hugged Clara as he sent a telepathic message to the Tardis - Volex Sanitas, and fast. The ship sped up. Clara felt the lurch, and questioned the Doctor with a look.
"I'm taking you to a treatment planet. Sort of an outer-space hospital..."
"...but planet-wide? First amusement park planets, now medical planets?" Clara asked, her old teasing tone creeping back into her voice, which filled the Doctor with relief. Clara smiled, knowing he'd found a solution. For a moment, at 'medical planets', the bowtie-crazed man's mind lurched back to the Judoon - in a way, Martha's hospital had become what Clara seemed to suggest when it ended up on the Moon. He laughed when remembering what he'd said at the main computer.
"Judoon platoon upon the moon..." he muttered, a smile gracing his face.
"So I'll be OK, rid of the nightmares?" Clara pondered in seriousness despite her voice being rid of weakness. The Doctor nodded, grateful he'd put the Tardis on autopilot so he could comfort the impossible girl next to him.
"Yep. Shoulder honey, pomegranate foot massage - don't look at me that way!" he exclaimed, for Clara had started an unhealthy fit of the giggles and couldn't stop.
"P-p-pomegranate f-foot m-massage?!" she laughed. "Water, we Earthlings can cope with, but pomegranates? I suppose the juice is used there in place of water?"
"Nope!" the eccentric alien responded, popping the 'p'. "Actual pomegranates! The feet get soothed as the skin meets the fruit layers!" he said. Clara shook her head.
"Nuts. Madness..." she smiled. The Doctor stroked her hair.
"There's that smile!" he grinned. "Few days on Volex Sanitas, and you'll be cured!"
"Volex Sanitas? I've gotten used to unusual names... but that boggles me."
"Didn't you pick up Latin terms at school and university?" the Doctor smirked.
"Clearly not enough, Mr. Clever!" Clara teased, hitting him lightly with the dressing gown belt. "So, what's the translation of Volex Sanitas? If it's something obvious..."
"Obvious considering what the planet's known for. You see, volex sanitas literally means 'quick health'. Kind of silly, really." the Doctor said with a grin. Clara laughed.
"Well if there's a remedy for my nightmares..." she shivered. The Doctor held her gently, humming in Gallifreyan. Once his humming had sent her off to a calm sleep, the impossible girl's head hit the pillow, and with a kiss on her forehead, the Doctor scribbled down a note 'the Tardis noise should wake you gently if we arrive at V.S. Hope you had a pleasant sleep. Doctor, x'. When Clara's mouth opened in deep exhale, the Doctor suddenly emerged with a Sanitian remedy, a spray bottle of chocolate chloroform that he just happened to have, and sprayed it into her mouth.
"Endorphins and relaxed muscles, just what she needs. Enough to tide her over, at least." he said once he was back in the console room. But nothing to could mask that worry on the inside. His hearts tensed as he thought of Clara's nightmares. After a quick detour around a couple of nebulae, the pinkish-white glow of the atmosphere told him that they were quite close to Velox Sanitas. Weirdly gentle thuds across a corridor floor caught his ears and the old alien smiled. He turned around.
"Found my slippers?" he joked. Clara, still drowsy, grinned back. She appreciated that she hadn't been plagued for once. The Doctor's damn slippers, though...
"I'm ironically getting tired of these frequent naps. Though I'd try for a little walk. These slippers, however are-" but she was cut off by the Doctor's laugh.
"Those slippers are quite large on your little feet, I'd imagine, Miss Oswald! But it appears like you've woken up at the right time. That's your 'medical planet'." he said, pointing to the monitor that was acting like a window. Clara smiled and took her cue to get properly dressed. As the Doctor straightened his bow-tie and dried his cashmere coat, Clara emerged in a red dress with white polka dots. The Doctor smiled as the TARDIS made its noise, and the duo stepped out onto the green pavement of Velox Sanitas. Clara inhaled the air with its rose-like scent and immediately got a clearer head. The Doctor was thankful for this, since he'd been seeing a mistiness in her chocolate-brown eyes which naturally made him worry.
"Right Clara, time to help you for good. Let me just..." he trailed as used the sonic as a compass. "...right, off to NUM." he said with a pensive grin. Clara was confused.
"Numb?" she asked, hoping injections weren't part of her treatment.
"N.U.M. It means Nox Ultra Medicinam - night-time remedy." the alien responded. "You thought numb as in injections and needles? Oh come here." he said gently, picking her up and spinning her slowly. They both smiled, grateful for the closeness.
For a brief second, Clara thought that within that caring face, she saw a determined scary look in his eyes - maybe this was the legendary 'oncoming storm' he had mentioned. But if that was so, she knew it was determination for her. When he put her down, they headed off. Soon enough they were at the N.U.M. clinic, where what looked like a sofa was in the first room to the right. The Doctor looked down at Clara.
"Now, that vibrating bed can easily put you to sleep and spray-"
"I'm not going into a gas chamber." Clara stated promptly, tiptoeing up and showing her fierce face. The Doctor smiled empathically and shook his head at her.
"It's nothing like a gas chamber. You lie down, and as you nod off, the chocolate chloroform swirls around you and you breathe it in. Being what it is, it soothes your muscles and gives your brain the happy kick-start to fight off the nightmares."
"For the record, I've been staying off the cheese." Clara defended. The Doctor's laugh rumbled in his chest, and Clara thought she heard 'Earthling myth'.
"You, dear Clara, should know that the old cheese story is a load of zemno." the alien said cheerfully. At the last word, Clara looked at him like he'd gone truly bonkers.
"Zemno? What is that, some alien matter? I got the tone, you know." she said.
"Zemno!" he said gaily, clapping his hands. "Means 'rot' in my native language."
"I was close then." she teased. The Doctor gave her that look - the caring but amused look he always seemed to give her. "So, that vibrating bed." she prompted.
"Ah! Just like I said, basically Sanitan anesthetic - I gave some to you when I'd hummed you to sleep - just happened to have on me. Only mine was a bit stale. This should work so much better." he smiled, and with that, they reached the medical official, a pale-blue squid-humanoid. Before the Doctor could think 'ood', it spoke.
"Hello, I am Videlicet, the head of NUM. I judge this young lady needs treatment?"
"Yes I do." Clara spoke, feeling oddly relaxed around the department head. "I've been having lax control over frightful nightmares." she explained, voice cracking. The Doctor rubbed circles on her back as Videlicet looked sympathetic. "I understand your chocolate chloroform should rid that." Clara finished. Videlicet nodded.
"It's true. It mixes up the ideal situation in the brain to neutralise the dark thoughts that occur." she said, her hair flipping to the left. Clara smiled.
"My good friend told me it's the perfect cure." At this, the Doctor spoke up afterwards.
"I've had to retreat to this humble planet a few times. Often with a scarf or cream-coloured frock-coat - although I prefer this purple cashmere now!"
"You seem to be well-acquainted with our customs, good sir. Now I'll lead Miss-"
"Oswald. Clara Oswald." Clara smiled loosely, growing to like Videlicet moreso.
"-Miss Oswald to the comforter." And with that, Clara was guided to the bed, a pensive look gracing the Doctor's face. As Videlicet glued a few crucial wires to Clara's head, the patient blinked. As green met brown, the Doctor stepped forward.
"Sleep well, Clara. My Clara." he smiled, pressing that oh-so-familiar kiss to her forehead. Videlicet grinned modestly - there was obviously deep chemistry there.
"See you soon, Doctor." Clara whispered, relaxing in preparation. As the nozzle was switched, she breathed in and mumbled 'cocoa and swimming pools...' before her eyes drooped. As soon that happened, she could've sworn she heard a whisper in that vividly calming tone she'd come to adore. The Doctor had said some nonsense that sounded like 'Ipkolar uwil fodarijul pekpeks', but maybe that was just the mixture getting to her. Then she was out. Soon enough, the Doctor pacing in a waiting room. An hour later - or, the hair-pulling stage - Videlicet tapped him on the shoulder.
"She's fine. Should be waking up just now. But be quiet - she'll be woozy."
"Of course." the Doctor responded, a wobble to his voice. He tiptoed to Clara's treatment room and saw those brown orbs open, their sparkle bright as ever.
"Hey." she mumbled, throat constricting due to after-effects. Her smile was back.
"Lomoesh, Clara." the alien responded, sweat on his brow. Clara looked puzzled. "Sorry, I slip into Gallifreyan when worried. Afternoon." he said, mouth twitching.
"Afternoon. I trust that I'm OK now?" she said, voice returning. The Doctor grinned.
"Zos onunatap imul - whoops, I mean you must trust me." he said, orbs gleaming.
"Of course I trust you - why wouldn't you tell whether I was OK?" Clara asked, locking onto the green eyes she confided so much in. She tried to get up.
"Woah there tiger." Videlicet laughed lightly, her hand on Clara's. "Your conscience has just been wrung like a sponge. Movement isn't the best idea. I'm your doctor, not him." she smiled, winking at the Doctor for the pun.
"Just take it easy, and like I said, maybe a few days?" the Gallifreyan soothed Clara.
"OK, Doctor. For you." the brunette whispered, listening to the dual heartbeats.
AN: Alright, slight Whoufflé if you squint, or maybe some see it as platonic friends, but Clara's OK, yay! Next up, more Sanitian remedies and maybe a familiar face.