Doctoring the Doctor
By Sonic Jules
.
Previously, in chapter six...
"Doctor!" She yelled his name, her hands on his shoulders as she shook him roughly. "What're you doin' down here?"
As quickly as she was trying to wake him, Donna stopped to stared at him. How long had she been sleeping, anyway? All the wounds she'd cleansed on his face were gone. Healed. His skin looked as if it had never been marred.
Reaching beneath the blanket he was wrapped within, Donna found one of the bandages she'd placed over a deep cut near his shoulder. Tentatively, she pulled the tape and cloth away, revealing only a tiny little scratch.
"No bloody way!" she whispered, touching the mark as she leaned in closer.
So engrossed with the little injury she remembered clearly as close to needing stitches, Donna was caught off guard when the Doctor's eyes suddenly opened. She gasped, falling back on her rear in front of him.
"Hello!" he said enthusiastically, smiling at her.
.
Chapter Seven:
Enlightenment
.
"Donna? Are you all right?"
"Yeah, course I am. You, you just ... surprised me a bit, that's all. How are you feelin'?"
"Oh, a little chilled, perhaps. I suppose it was necessary to have me starkers at some point?" he asked.
"Oi! I was tryin' to make you better, git!"
"Really? With what method?" His face was frowning, but his voice was definitely teasing. Finally he smiled, and Donna laughed nervously.
"You were hurt, too," he spoke softly, his fingertips brushing lightly against the bruise on the apple of her cheek.
"Yeah. But I'm all right." Donna took a deep breath and finally pulled back from the Doctor enough to look him over. "What about you? How'd you end up here, on the floor?"
"I'm not quite sure," he answered, then suddenly stood, startling Donna. He held out his hand to help her up. "Come on - let me take a look at you."
When Donna stood up she leaned heavily into the Time Lord.
"Sorry," she apologized. "Long day."
"Understandable," he answered knowingly. But when the Doctor was suddenly leaning into Donna, she was more than a little surprised.
"Doctor? What's wrong? Are you dizzy?" She didn't wait for him to answer, leading him over to the closest chair.
"I'm all right," he began, sitting down in the seat. "I just keep seeing these flashes. They're a little off-putting, actually."
"Flashes? What sort of flashes? Things that have happened? Things that are going to happen? What?"
"No, no. Nothing like that. It's gold. Sort of like a flash of yellow, all shimmery and sparkling," he answered distractedly, clearly thinking about what he'd just seen.
"Hmm. Like that gold dust in that box we found?"
"A bit, yes," he began, and Donna could imagine the wheels turning in his mind. "In fact, it's a lot like that, actually." Suddenly the Time Lord stood again, nearly knocking Donna over as he did. He grabbed hold of her shoulders just in time to stop her from losing her balance. "Oh yes! Yes! That's exactly what it's like! Donna Noble, you're brilliant!"
She eyed the Doctor warily, wondering how many seconds it would take before he passed out again.
"It's obvious that I must be having some sort of reaction to the dust! Come on, let's get you up on the table - I need to check you over," the Time Lord spoke enthusiastically as he lead Donna to the examination couch.
"Me? I'm not the one seein' flashes!" she protested, still sitting on the bed they stopped beside.
"No, but you were hurt, and I need to make sure you're all right, because I may very well need you later," he said ominously.
OoO
The Doctor went over to the counter where he'd seen his clothes piled upon and began pulling many items out from the pockets of his jacket, all the while looking over his shoulder at Donna now and then, making sure she stayed where she was. She was weak, and very pale, and he was worried about her. Gathering some tools to help mend her, he walked back toward his companion and began examining her.
"Wow, I must've been out a long time," Donna said as the Doctor used the dermal regenerator on her left hand.
"Hmm?" he began, glancing over his glasses at her for a second before returning his attention to her scratches. "Why do you say that?"
"Your injuries. I mean, you were hurt pretty badly. Yet you're walkin' around and talkin' and the cuts I cleaned up on you? They've healed already!"
"Oh, well, it doesn't take me very long at all. My body heals itself much faster than a mere humans - no offense."
"Shut up."
"No, really," he said, finishing up his work on her abrasions.
"That's impossible."
"Obviously not. Time Lord here, remember," he answered, placing her hand in her lap. "There. Good as new," he said, putting the tool on the trolley beside them. "Now then, where's that fanciful box you liked so much?"
"I don't know."
"You don't know where the box is? But I thought you wanted to keep it?" the Doctor questioned.
"I did, but I was a little preoccupied tryin' to get your broken and unconscious body back to the TARDIS," Donna snapped. "I wasn't thinkin' about the box."
She looked at him, waiting for a comment about multitasking or some other smart remark, but instead only found him staring blankly into space.
"Doctor!" She shook his shoulders as she yelled his name, and he blinked a couple of times before meeting her gaze. "Another flash?"
The Time Lord nodded. "Yes. I think I'd better go get dressed. We need to get back out there and find that container before this gets worse."
.
OoO
To be continued...
OoO
.