A Vision Softly Creeping
Chapter 3
"Doctor! DOCTOR!" Amy screamed as she tugged on the door. It wouldn't budge. The Doctor had just waltzed right in, unknowing that his companions remained locked outside. Amy grunted as she tugged harder. Something had trapped the Doctor and there was no way Amy was giving up.
"Get out of the way!" Rory commanded, rushing at the door and throwing his shoulder in it.
"Oh, Rory, are you okay?" Amy asked as her husband bounced off the door with a yelp.
Rory rubbed his shoulder as he turned to face her, eyes shut against the pain. "That actually really hurt." He complained.
He sucked in a breath and opened his eyes to look at her. Rory gasped and jumped back. He couldn't believe it.
"What?" Amy demanded. "What's wrong?"
"The TARDIS." Rory breathed
Amy looked over her shoulder. She nearly jumped out of her skin when her nose almost brushed the blue door of the TARDIS. The Doctor had parked it yards away. How did it appear here, right behind them, with no driver?
Amy quickly moved to stand next to Rory as the TARDIS began to slowly, so very slowly, blink out of existence, the sound of the universe filling their ears.
The Doctor once again awoke to find himself in his white-walled room. It was completely dark and there wasn't a sound in the air.
The Doctor pulled himself out of the bed. He expected the door to be locked, but it wasn't. There was no one in the hall, and, looking farther, he could see that the patient lounge and nurse's station were just as deserted. There was no one. Not even an orderly. What kind of institution was this?
There were doors lining the hall, each with its own little window. At the far end of the hall, opposite of the lounge, was a large door. It didn't have a little window and looked to be reinforced. The Doctor moved to one of the windows to peek inside. He expected it to be a room similar to his own with a patient sleeping inside, but aside from a bed it was empty. He looked into the next one. Again, nothing. What were the inmates? Why weren't they in their rooms?
The place was completely empty.
There was something intrinsically wrong with this place and knowing that the Doctor actually felt calmer, more at peace. He could handle this.
The Doctor moved to the exit near the nurse's station, but although his door hadn't been locked these were. The Doctor moved over to the nurse's station, intent on finding the keys.
The lights flooded the floor as they were suddenly turned on.
The Doctor whirled around to see Nurse English standing there, hands on her hips. "What do you think you're doing?" Even though she was trying to appear in control the Doctor could tell that the nurse was nervous. She was alone and one of her patients was on the loose, of course she was nervous.
"Admiring your chair." The Doctor chirped as he hopped into the nurse's chair, giving her a relaxed smile in hopes of putting her at ease. He really didn't want to be sedated again. "It's a very comfy chair."
"Mr. Foreman, I need you to get back to your room. I don't want to have to call an orderly."
His smile became a little more fixed at her reply. Mr. Foreman, she had called him. He hadn't been lying when he said that John Foreman had never been his name. Susan had put it on her school forms as the name of her guardian. The Doctor wasn't even aware of the name she had given him until Barbara and Ian had arrived in that junkyard so many centuries ago.
"Who told you my name was John Foreman?" The Doctor asked.
"It was written on your report." Nurse English stated, stress and worry coloring her voice.
"Yes, but who wrote it?"
"Dr. Fields."
"And how did he know to write it?" The Doctor pressed.
The nurse let out a huff. "I don't know. I suppose the Director told him."
"Who's the Director?"
"I think it's time that you go to your room." Nurse English stated slowly and carefully. "I need to begin sorting out the patients' medications."
The Doctor nodded and jumped up, gesturing with his hand for her to lead the way. The nurse cautiously started to walk down the hall, shooting the Doctor a suspicious look.
"Of course, I wouldn't bother. There isn't any other patient except for me."
Nurse English came to halt, before turning around to face him. "Mr. Foreman, I assure you all patients are accounted for."
"Then why don't you have a look in one of the rooms?" The Doctor inquired, smirking at the young nurse.
"I don't need to look. I can hear them."
The Doctor stopped and listened. He heard the sounds of snoring reverberating through the hall. When had that happened? The Doctor moved to one of the doors and looked in to see the Frenchman that had called him a traitor from the day before curled up and asleep on the bed.
"Satisfied, Mr. Foreman?" The nurse asked. The Doctor could see that it was now she who was looking at him like he was the idiot.
The Doctor tried not to pout. This asylum was ruining all of his chances to show off. The Doctor turned away, once again noticing the strange door at the end of the hall. "What about that room? Does it have a patient?" The Doctor asked.
The nurse glanced at the door. A look of guilt fell on her face like a shadow. "Let's get you back to your room, now."