AN: Sorry if Chapter 2 was a bit choppy- it will come together soon...just hang with me! ^_^
Chapter 3: Rescuing the Doctor from Himself
Becca's POV
As I stepped inside the doors of the blue police box, an enormous room enveloped me. Some part of my brain tried to tell me that this wasn't possible, but the evidence of my other senses told me it had to be true. As I moved up the metal ramp, branch like pillars rose out of the metal floor and in the center of the room was a massive console with a pillar of light rising from it and reaching clear up to the ceiling. I would have stayed to take it all in, but the niggling in the back of my mind was pressing me forward toward a door on the other side of the room. Walking quickly across the room, past the console, I went through the door and into a hallway. As I followed the hallway, I found myself turning left and right at various intersections as if something was tugging me toward some unknown location. I stopped when I found myself standing in front of a heavy looking wooden door. When I raised a hand to the door it opened easily to the touch.
Taking a deep breath and not knowing what to expect, I pushed the door open and went inside. The room was sparsely decorated and reminded me strongly of a meditation room. The door closed gently behind me and suddenly I realized this room must be sound-proofed, because it had a 'dead' feeling to it, like everything else outside did not exist. As I looked around I discovered I was not alone.
Not far from me was a man huddled in a brown, pinstripe suit that seemed familiar to me. He was sitting with his shoulders hunched, one long leg tucked under his other bent one. His arms were wrapped around his knee; his head resting against them with his face hidden. He sat there unmoving and seemingly unaware of my presence. Was this the same man who had rescued me months ago? To see him so obviously despondent, so shattered…was a shock. His entire posture screamed of pain, a loss of hope and a sense of futility and resignation. Where was the animated and quirky man who had tea with me- if ever so briefly? What had happened to him?
"Doctor, is that you?" I asked tentatively. Receiving no reply I became deeply concerned and kneeling behind him, gently placed a hand on his shoulder. Immediately, strong emotions poured into my awareness….Guilt, anger, sadness, pain! These were the same emotions that I had awoken to! Oh the pain that radiated from the Doctor! The pain that consumed him was so deep and destructive and he felt so…alone. My heart went out to him, this man…this Doctor. Instinctively I tried to reach deep into that storm of emotions; to offer solace and at first I thought it was being tentatively accepted. Then I felt a harsh rejection of my presence and the impression of a door slamming shut as I was flung back into my own consciousness!
I had heard of people with mental abilities but had never met anyone who possessed any skill, let alone someone that could throw me out of their head so easily. I sat down completely for a moment shaking my head, feeling a little dazed. If he was not the one guiding me here and asking for help….who was? It didn't make sense, as far as I can tell he was the only one here. I hadn't seen or heard anyone else in this strange…whatever it was. One thing for sure it was definitely not just a police box! Then I felt the hair on the back of my neck rise and that faint niggling sensation again…
"Hello?" I said quietly, "Is there someone else here?" I glanced at the Doctor who still had not moved.
An impression of an affirmative and intense concern…
I wasn't sure why but someone or something had led me here and wanted me to help the Doctor. Problem was I wasn't even sure what was wrong or how to reach him. He hadn't responded when I spoke to him and if what had just happened was any indication, he didn't want me in his mind and was completely capable of keeping me out if he chose.
"What am I supposed to do?" I asked out loud.
A gentle push, an indication to try again…
Taking a deep breath and centering myself, I reached out a hand and touched the Doctor's shoulder again. This time I focused only on reaching the Doctor. I again felt the emotions rushing over me, trying to consume my mind…Anger, sadness, terrible guilt and pain! I let the emotions pass through me, and closing my eyes saw something in my mind's eye: The Doctor standing in the middle of a terrible battle scene…fire and smoke….strange metallic looking creatures….screaming and chaos…death…horrible death surrounding him….running….he was running toward a child…I observed this for what seemed like an eternity, repeating itself over and over again. I had no idea how much time passed…a minute…an hour? When suddenly, there was a flash of awareness and I was flung out of the visions. The force of the rejection was like that of a hard gut punch. I was flung away from him, my head cracking against the floor. Dazed, I let my body go limp..
The TARDIS
Things were not quite going according to her plan. She had landed outside the location of where the energy spark was located. A link had been established with the spark, which turned out to be a sleeping human. She soon realized that the energy patterns were the same as the girl the Doctor had saved, and that this girl was mentally and emotionally open in way the TARDIS had never experienced in a human before. So when the girl woke, it had been surprisingly easy to get her to come outside to where the TARDIS was waiting and to mentally guide her through the hallways to the room where her Thief was. He had been sitting there for quite some time, lost deep in his own mind…caught in cycles of guilt, pain and memories. She was desperately concerned at his lack of response to all her attempts to reach him.
The human girl has potential…and she instinctively knows how to reach out to others with her mind and heart. The Doctor simply has had more mental training and experience at keeping other beings out of his head. Over his multiple lives he has created many mental barriers and traps, and he was using them now to keep both the TARDIS and the girl out. It was so frustrating…how could they reach him? The idiot was just so stubborn sometimes! She had the power and knowledge to pull him back but he was blocking her from contacting him. The girl was able to briefly reach in his mind to where he was, but did not have the mental power or experience to combat his defenses.
The TARDIS had felt the impact of Becca's head and her body going limp. As soon as the Doctor had realized the girl was in his head, it was as easy for him to get rid of her as swatting a pesky bug. If only she could figure out a way to give the girl some of her knowledge and strength….she had never been able to "speak" to a human's mind before but she was desperate. Sometimes when things were most dire, miracles could happen…
Becca's POV
I opened my eyes slowly, rubbing the back of my head where it had hit the floor and could feel a goose egg forming. Well, that hadn't gone so well. The glimpses I had seen were horrible and had looked to me like memories of some kind of war zone. I was reminded suddenly of a conversation I'd had years ago with my Grandpa, we had been talking about war in my history course and I'd asked Grandpa if he'd ever seen one. His normally jovial face had become solemn and his eyes had filled with an emotion I couldn't understand then. Briefly he had described war to me as chaos, mental anguish and unbearable truths. The sight of suffering and death had driven all involved to their physical and mental limits. Some were strong enough to survive, he told me, most died, and some…some eventually went mad.
That memory, along with what I had glimpsed in the Doctor's mind helped me begin to understand some of the emotions I had felt in the Doctor. Glancing up, he was still sitting exactly as he had been before. Well now what? I thought to myself. I can't leave him like this, not after what I saw…nobody should have to deal with something like that alone.
Suddenly, the presence that had been tingling in the back of my mind intensified, like it was trying to tell me something. Tentatively, and only a little afraid, I opened to that feeling and allowed it more access to my mind. I was rewarded with a rush of gratitude and the feeling of great energy and effort.
I…can…help…knowledge…strength…
I was startled to recognize words formed in my head with intense emotion and energy behind it. What did it mean help? Was it saying I needed strength and knowledge or that whatever it was could provide the strength and knowledge?
Both…you can get in…I can defend…we can reach him…help…him
I sat for a moment puzzling out what the "voice" was trying to say. So I needed strength and knowledge that this other presence could provide. I was able to get into the Doctor's mind, and if this other being could somehow keep him from kicking me out again…together we could reach him! As soon as I finished reasoning this through, a feeling of relief and approval caressed my mind. This caused me to smile. Ok, so what do I need to do? I thought, hoping the presence could hear me.
Approval…impression of touching the wall…reaching out with mind…heart…
Standing, I went to the nearest wall and reached out tentatively to touch it with my hand. Then I relaxed and reached out with my mind like I had to the Doctor, not at all sure what to expect. Suddenly, I felt like I was being filled with a golden radiance and that a foreign presence was joining with me.
Now…together…he is lost and alone…but we bring back…you bring him back…
Dropping my hand from the wall, I went back to the Doctor, once again knelt behind him and taking a deep breath placed both hands on his shoulders. Reaching out to the Doctor with my mind again, I found myself swept along much quicker, buoyed by the golden light that filled my heart and mind. Closing my eyes, I mentally find myself again witnessing the scenes of war and destruction. This time however I see that I am much closer to the Doctor and start walking towards him. I feel when he becomes mentally aware of my presence; feel him try to push me away again, but this time I am being shielded by the brilliant golden light. In my mind's eye, the image of the Doctor turns around slowly and when he sees me….witness the moment of shock and disbelief that crosses his face. I can feel great power running through me, bright and burning. I try to pull back but find myself unable to do so…the other presence was taking control now that we had reached the Doctor…