Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who
Chapter 7: So Four Billion Years Ago
"Brand New Face, first time on." - The Doctor
Amy leaned back in the TARDIS chair as the Doctor practically fondled his control board. Twisting levers and setting different controls as he prepared for their new trip.
"So..." The Doctor drawled out, grinning at Amy as she twirled the chair around, "Never got to ask. What d'you think?"
He held his arms off, looking down at himself like he was still unsure about his new body and needed reassurance.
"Rose said...different. What does that mean?" He mumbled to himself.
Amy snorted, "It means 'different'. You're cheerier than before, not so...brooding."
"Brooding!" The Doctor scoffed, "I have never, nor will I ever 'Brood'."
Amy laughed outright at that, "Whatever you need to tell yourself to sleep better at night."
"I don't!" He defended, pulling a lever which came right off the console. He looked at it in his hand, then gently put it back down, "It's suppose to do that."
Amy shook her head, and got back to her point, "Yes you do, You get all pouty faced and dark eyed."
"Pouty!?" He scoffed again.
"Yes." Amy nodded, "Kind of like right now."
He rolled his eyes at that, looking a lot like his previous incarnation, then pulled out a roll of duct tape and started to work at reattaching the lever.
Amy looked at his nervous demeanour for a second and smirked,
They were waiting for Rose, who was still packing up her bag and getting ready to go. She had insisted on staying another day in order for her to go shopping for new clothes as their travels were not exactly clothing friendly.
She had shocked them both when she'd come back later that day with a new cut, coming just below her chin. It suited her very well, showing off her sharp jaw line and pouty mouth enough to draw the Doctor's eyes there more than a few times.
"She'll get used to it." Amy told him, knowing that he was still worried about that.
"Oh, I'm sure she will." He smiled to himself softly like he was sharing a particularly happy memory, before he shook his head and continue to wrap the console, "Yeah, I mean I didn't change that much."
He was right, he hadn't really. In fact he had acted like this before in his previous incarnation, whenever he and Rose had gotten particularly deep into conversation. Amy wondered if either of them had noticed how much of an impact the blond shop girl had had on his new appearance. If fact Amy would bet her left foot that he had become younger in a subconscious effort to match closer to Rose's age.
The door to the TARDIS swung open and Rose stepped in, holding a bag over her shoulder.
"Okay, I'm ready." Rose grinned, dropping her bag on the floor. She quickly shed her outer jacket and hat.
Amy jumped up and walked over to the console as the TARDIS dematerialized.
"So, where are we going?" Rose giggled, standing beside him at the controls.
He gave her a wide grin, "Further than we've ever gone before!"
"In theory." Amy couldn't help but add.
The Doctor looked affronted, "Oi!" He shot back as Rose laughed.
He pulled down the newly duct taped lever and then twisted to pull another.
The console smoked a bit and then it calmed.
"There we go!" The Doctor nodded, "See, all it took was a bit of...persuasion."
Amy looked down, "Are we dressed alright?" she asked. Jeans and a jumper might work in modern London, but who knows what kind of riots it would cause out there.
"Oh yeah!" The Doctor waved, "Bit conservative for the time, but nobody will bat an eyelash. Probably write it off as a religious thing."
Amy looked down. It was no mini-skirt but she wasn't dressed like a nun or anything, "Conservative?"
"Yep!" The Doctor grabbed his new coat and pushed his arms in before walking over to the door, holding out his arm, "Shall we?" He winked at Rose.
She ran over, giggled, and took his arm. Amy followed behind as they wandered out the door.
"Oh, boy." Amy gasped as she was met with a gust of wind. "Weather could be better."
"Oh, it's always like this here." The Doctor waved, "Much stronger air currents than Earth had, but still manageable."
Amy noticed he was right. While the wind was strong, the air was warm and the sun was shining all around them.
Amy walked a bit further, gathering her extremely long air and pulling it back into an elastic. Rose was gasping at the city in front of her.
It was beautiful. Huge skyscrapers that dwarfed anything they had on Earth. Lines of flying spacecraft sped in and out of the city like freeways.
"It's the year Five Billion and twenty-three." The Doctor explained to his gaping companions, "We're in the galaxy M87, and this...this is New Earth."
"Really?" Amy laughed, "They couldn't have come up with a more creative name."
"That's just...that's..." Rose was staring at the city in wonder. They hadn't really been anywhere like this before. Space stations and ship and time travel, yes. But this was the distant future, another planet. Rose burst out laughing in wonder.
"Not bad." The Doctor nodded, "Not bad at all."
"That's amazing! I'll never get used to this! Never! Different ground beneath my feet!" Rose jumped up and down ecstatically.
Amy looked down at the ground, "Doesn't look all that different."
"What's that smell thought?" Rose looked around. Amy took in a deep whiff and knew she was right. There was a sweet smell in the breeze.
The Doctor bent over and plucked a few strands of grass, "Apple grass." He explained. Amy leaned forward to smell it and was delighted by the scent of apples.
"Wow," She plucked it out of his hands and studied it, "Is it native to the planet? Or do they make it?"
"You know?" The Doctor furrowed his eyebrows, "I dunno, I'll have to ask them."
"It's beautiful!" Rose complimented, turning to gaze up at the Doctor with a wide smile, "Oh, I love this. Can I just say..." She linked her arm with his, " Traveling with you...I love it."
"Me too." The Doctor grinned.
Amy shrugged, "Meh, I could do without." The Doctor looked at her and she flashed him a large smile to let him know she was joking.
"Oh..." He turned away, trying to look mad but ultimately failing, "Come on!"
He grabbed Roses hand and took off, Rose whooping with laugher.
"Wait up!" Amy yelled and then took of after them.
"Human! They're pure-blood human!"
"Closer...Closer!"
Amy finally caught up with them when Rose tackled the Doctor to the ground where they were laying and looking at the city.
Amy collapsed beside them with a huff.
"Oh, caught up did we?" Rose teased, poking her tongue between her teeth.
Amy grabbed a handful of apple grass and threw it at her.
"So, the Year Five billion!" The Doctor continued from earlier, "The sun expands, the Earth gets roasted-"
"That was our first date." Rose reminisced.
The Doctor leaned back, "We had chips!" He remembered fondly.
They both giggled.
"So anyway, planet gone, all rocks and dust, but the human race lives on, spread out across the stars." he explained, "Soon as the Earth burns up - oh yeah, they get all nostalgic - big revival moment...but find this place! Same size as Earth...same air...same orbit...lovely! Call goes out, the humans move in!"
"Did anybody live here before?" Amy asked.
The Doctor nodded, "Sort of. The Humans live in harmony with them. No war, no bloodshed."
"What's the city called." Rose looked up, trying to push her hair out of her face as the wind whipped it around.
"New New York."
Rose looked at skeptically, "Oh, come on!"
"It is!" He defended, "It's the City of New New York." He paused, thinking, "Strictly speaking, it's the fifteenth New York since the original. So that makes it New New New New New New New New New New New New New New York...What?"
Rose was staring down at the Doctor, who was looking a bit self-conscious.
"You're so...different." Rose said. Not sad or angry, just pointing it out.
He grinned, "New New Doctor!"
Rose giggled at him and Amy couldn't help but laugh herself.
"Impossible! I recognize that child. Her face! Show me her face!"
"Closer! Closer! Face! Face! Face!"
Rose stood, looking at the city, "Can we go and see it New New york - so good they named it twice."
The Doctor got up as well, "Well - I thought we might go there first."
Amy looked over to what he was pointing at and saw a sail shaped building with a half-moon on the side. It was right by the water and several vehicles were heading towards it.
"What is it?" Amy asked, frowning at the symbol. She had seen it before somewhere before, she was sure.
Rose helped the Doctor get his coat on and then turned to face him.
"Some sort of hospital." The Doctor nodded, "Green moon on the side - that's the universal symbol for hospitals."
"What happened to the red cross?" Amy asked, but remembering that she had seen the symbol on other buildings and places the Doctor had taken her.
He waved his hand, "Red crosses were so four billion years ago." He reached into his jacket and pulled out the familiar brown cover, "I got this. A message on the psychic paper."
Amy grabbed it and read it. "Ward 26 - Please Come."
"Someone wants to see me." The Doctor looked nervous.
"Hmm." Rose tsked, "And I thought we were just sight-seeing. Come on then! Let's go and buy some grapes"
He linked one arm through Roses and held out the others for Amy and they quickly link together.
"We're off to see the wizard." Amy sung under her breath as they started to walk.
"Rose Tyler! And Amelia Williams! I knew it! Those dirty...assassins!"
"They're coming here, mistress!"
"This is beyond coincidence! This is destiny. At last I can be revenged on that little-"
They walked into the hospital and the Doctor scrounged up his nose.
"Don't like hospitals." He muttered under his breath.
Amy stared at him, "You're the Doctor."
He shrugged, "Can't help it! I don't like hospitals - they give me the creeps!"
"The Pleasure Gardens will now take visitors carrying green or blue identification cards for the nest fifteen minutes. Visitors are reminded that cuttings from the gardens are not permitted."
"Very smart." Rose noted, looking around at the very large and white lobby. Nurses walked around dress very much like nuns, with even their faces covered. "Not exactly NHS"
"No shop." The Doctor frowned, "I like a little shop!"
"I thought this far in the future, they'd have cured everything."
"The human races moves on, but so do the viruses. It's an ongoing war."
A nun without her veil down walked by and Rose and Amy both stared.
Rose pointed, "They're cats..."
She was right. They walked like humans but their faces were that of cats. Amy was pretty sure if they took down their hats there would be two pointy ears beneath them.
"Now, don't stare." The Doctor rolled his eyes, "Think what you look like to them, all..." He looked her up and down, "Pink and Yellow. That's where I'd put the shop. Right there." He pointed over Rose's shoulder.
Rose looked behind her to see were the Doctor wad pointing , but he kept walking. Amy walked with him and they stepped into the lift.
"Ward 26, thanks." The Doctor spoke and the door started to close.
"Wait!" Amy cried, seeing Rose running on the other side, but it was too late and the door shut, "Oh great."
"Oh, too late." The Doctor frowned, "I'm going up."
"It's all right," Rose yelled back, "There's another lift."
"Ward 26!" The Doctor yelled, "And watch out for the disinfectant."
"Watch out for what?"
"The disinfectant!"
"The What?"
"The di- oh, you'll find out." The Doctor shook his head exasperated.
Amy looked at him, warily, "Doctor, what's the disinfectant."
He gave her a grin which made her very uncomfortable.
"Commence stage one - disinfection."
And suddenly it was raining.
"Agh!" Amy yelped as she was suddenly drenched in tepid disinfectant. Beside her the Doctor rubbed his face and hair like he was in a shower.
Amy's extremely long hair plastered to her face and her makeup was running down her cheeks.
"I hate you." She gasped out, his stiff from the shock of the sudden blast.
The shower stopped but Amy didn't move, just letting the liquid drip down over her face and clothes, which were now extremely uncomfortable.
The second surprise came when jets hidden in the wall shot out a white powder covering them head to toe.
Amy, blinded, tried to clear the powder from her eyes, simultaneously glaring at the Doctor who was trying hard to hide his laughter.
Then a burst of hot air came from the floor, a blow dryer. Amy's hair shot straight upwards, blowing around her face as it dried. She had to push her jumper down to make sure it didn't go flying over her head.
The Doctor opened his arms, letting his coat fly all around him with a grin on his face.
The blow dryer was pretty effective, but not all of Amy's hair dried. She looked at her extremely long tresses and couldn't help but think about Rose's short and manageable cut.
The lift opened into what Amy assumed was Ward 26. There were rows of beds, different patients in each one. Judging by the glamour and spectacle of it, it was a ward for a rich and powerful.
One of the Cat nuns came forward and introduced herself as Sister Jatt.
Jatt the Cat. Amy tried to hide her smile.
"Nice place," the Doctor complimented, "No shop, downstairs. I'd have a shop. Not a big one - just a shop. So people can...shop."
Sister Jatt looked at him in surprise, "The Hospital is a place of healing."
"A shop does some people the world of good. Not me! Other people."
They walked along the rows and Amy couldn't help but take looks at the other patients, one of which was completely red. She wondered if that was his species or if it was a disease.
Well they were in a hospital...so probably the latter.
"The sisters of Plenitude take a lifelong vow to help. And to mend." Sister Jatt sounded like she was repeated a mantra as she brought them down the line.
The Doctor paused at one bed holding an extremely fat man who was groaning in pain. Amy noticed that the man was slowly turning into stone in some places, a horror she could relate with all to well.
"Excuse me!" A very stern looking women with blond hair tied tightly back stormed forward. She was wearing sharp glasses and had very thin lips that were pursed tightly, "Members of the public may only gaze upon the Duke of Manhattan with written permission from the Senate of New New York."
"Yeesh." Amy winced and the Doctor sent her an amused glance.
"That's Petrifold Regression, right?" The Doctor asked, looking at the Duke.
"I'm dying, sir!" The Duke cried, obviously no longer caring about bureaucracy. "A lifetime of charity and abstinence. And it ends like this."
The women stifled, "Any statements made by the Duke of Manhattan may not be made public without official clearance.
"Frau Clovis!" The man gasped, and the woman rushed to his side. "I'm so weak."
The women turned to the cat nun, "Sister Jatt! A little privacy, please!"
Sister Jatt quickly lead us away, "He'll be up and about in no time." She assured us with a tight smile.
"I doubt it." The Doctor said grimly, "Petrifold Regression? He's turning to stone. There won't be a cure for...oh...a thousand years? He might be up and about, but only as a statue..."
"Have faith in the sisterhood." Sister Jatt lightly scolded, "But is there no on here you recognize?" The Doctor scanned the room, "It's rather unusual to visit without knowing the patient."
"No...I think I've found him."
Amy turned to see who he was looking at and gasped.
"The Face of Boe?" She whispered. She could still remembered the extremely strange conversation she had had with the head back on Platform One.
He had known her name, and River. It had been...strange.
They walked over to the face nervously, until they were standing in front of him. Another cat nun, this one much younger, sat beside the jar.
"Novice Hame." Sister Jatt nodded at the younger cat, "if I can leave this gentleman in your care?"
"Oh, I think my friend got lost." The Doctor mentioned to sister Jatt. Amy looked around and noticed that Rose hadn't joined them. She bit her lips and tried to squash the bad feeling that was climbing up her throat. "Could you ask at reception?"
"Certainly, sir."
She left the Doctor and Amy to study the Face of Boe.
Amy looked at the cat as she left, "Do you think Rose is alright."
"Hmm?" He looked at her and waved his hand, "Oh, she'll be fine."
Novice Hame turned and looked at them apologetically, "I'm afraid the Face of Boe's asleep. That's all he tends to do these days. Are you friends, or...?"
"We met just the once on Platform One." The Doctor frowned, "What's wrong with him?"
"I'm so sorry. I thought you knew. The Face of Boe is dying."
Amy looked down at the smoke-filled jar, "Of what?"
"Old age. The one thing we can't cure. He's thousands of years old. Some people say millions. Although, that's impossible."
The Doctor smiled at that, "Oh, no...I like impossible." He knelt beside the jar, "I'm here. I look a bit different, but it's me...it's the Doctor."
Amy thought she could feel a hum of something in her mind, something that didn't belong to her. She grabbed her chest, because it hurt. Like the strongest nostalgia she had ever felt in her life.
But in a moment it was gone. She looked at the Face of Boe and wondered, not for the first time, who exactly he was.
"Hope, Harmony and Health. Hope Harmony and Health."
Amy rubbed her forehead. That PA was really starting to get on her nerves. It reminded her a bit too much of Appalapucia. They were still siting there, waiting for the Face of Boe to wake up, and for Rose to join them.
"Something's wrong." The Doctor frowned, "They haven't been able to find her."
Amy frowned, "Should we go find her?"
The Doctor sighed, "She might just be lost. If she is then she'll come here."
"We could always split up." Amy suggested. He sent her a look and Amy nodded, "Bad idea, I know."
"Let's just...wait a bit."
Amy nodded. The Doctor went wandering around, looking at the different patients.
"Ow." She hissed, grabbing her head. A sharp pain forced to the front of her mind before quickly disappearing.
She frowned, shaking her head. It had happened a few times before, at christmas back on the Powell estate.
"Headache?"
Amy jumped and turned to see one of the Cat nuns looking at her curiously.
Curiosity kill the cat. Amy giggled to herself and then nodded to the nun.
"Er-Yeah, small ones."
The nun nodded and pulled out a small device, "I should do a scan. Could be a number of diseases or disorders. Might just be your basic brain tumor. Nothing to worry about."
Amy stared at her in disbelief and then shook her head, "I haven't got any money or.."
The cat nurse looked at her in pity, "You're from one of the outer systems? No, here in New New York all Medical care is free."
Amy blinked at her, "I don't have any I.D. or-"
"Everybody deserved basic medical care." The Cat nun waved her off, bringing out the scanner, "The scan is a simple thing. If you should need a tumor removal or treatment you may run into some issues, but nothing too serious.'
"Um..." Amy was about to say no, thinking about Adam and Satellite five, but she was starting to feel a bit paranoid from all the tumor talk, "Alright."
The cat nun took the scanner and zipped it over Amy's head, "Turn." Amy slowly turned in a circle. The device beeped as it finished.
The Cat nun looked at the results with something akin to a purr. But then it frowned, "Nothing life threatening...in fact." The Cat nun furrowed its face, "No abnormalities at all."
"That...good right?" Amy asked, curiously.
The Cat nun nodded, "Yes...however I suggest coming back for another scan in a few months. In the meantime." She handed Amy a blue card, like a credit card, "Feed this into the prescription machine. You'll get some basic pain medication if the headaches get worse."
Amy nodded and pocketed the card. She didn't know if she was going to use it, but she felt better knowing that she had it.
She turned and walked over to the Doctor who was talking with Novice Hame about the Face of Boe again.
"What's that?" The Doctor asked, looking at the card.
"Pain meds." She muttered, "Headache."
He nodded, leaving it at that. Amy didn't know why she expected him to interrogate her, but he just accepted it and moved on.
"Am I the only visitor?" The Doctor asked.
Novice Hame smiled gently, "Another woman once, but that is all. The Rest of Boe-Kind became extinct. Long Ago. He's the only one left. Legend says that the Face of Boe had watched the universe grow old."
The Doctor smiled.
Amy looked at the Boe-Kind with a fond grin, "Reminds me of someone else I know."
"There's all sorts of superstitions around him. One story says that just before his death, the Face of Boe will impart his great secret. That he will speak those words only to one like himself."
The Doctor nodded, not getting it, but Amy understood immediately. She looked at the head sadly, knowing this must've been why he had brought them here.
"It's said..." Novice Hame continued, "He'll talk to a wanderer. To the man without a home...The Lonely God."
A/N: Not even sorry about all the Cat jokes. I love this episode so much. It makes me smile every time I watch it, partly for The Doctor/Rose-ness of it all, and partly for Cassandra being the fucking Queen that she is.
I was actually going to write more than edit and post, but I figured you guys have been so awesome I can do one more update before christmas break. Not that you'll have to wait long - I'm home on friday so...
On a more personal note - I cannot remember the last time I was warm. The heating in my dorm is still on the fritz and as I type this I'm in two sweaters. Still studying every day when I can find a place in the study room. In between I've been re-watching Series 5, mostly just in the background of whatever I'm doing.
WHO SAW THE SHERLOCK SERIES THREE TRAILER? I actually thought that was going to be the day tumblr finally died forever. I don't think the fandom was prepared for that much sherlock all at once. BBC fucking rolled a critical on the whole fandom.
I'm seriously avoiding any and all pictures and posters and footage for the christmas special so I have nothing to report. Mostly cause I'm gonna be a wreck. I know I'm gonna love Capaldi but at the same time, Matt was my baby. So Im gonna be sad to see him go.
On a side note, am I the only one who's gonna be disappointed if Capaldi's catchphrase isn't "Fuckity Bye?" No...just me then...?
Shout out to kamiam714 who was my 100th reviewer! I cannot believe that I have this many reviews already you guys are the best.
Gah, I don't even know what else to say. Probably nothing, sorry it's late where I am - I'm probably going to go to sleep right after I post this.
So review with any thoughts, questions or concerns! I love hearing from you guys!
Until Next Time,
-Ash