Surprise! I'm not dead! Well, university is slowly killing me, among other things *stares at screen while eating an unhealthy amount of unhealthy food and refuses to exercise*
Anyway, sorry for the long wait and the short chapter. And thanks for the reviews!
Chapter 8: Plus-One
Lioma removed the needle from the Doctor's neck as his body went limp. She had no choice. This was the worst yet. She had feared he might start remembering while he was here. She had tried avoiding him whenever she could. Yet the times she was in his presence and his eyes clouded over with the familiarity of the past she knew he was remembering.
She wanted him to remember. She felt guilty for a long time after what happened with the neural block. As time passed though, she knew that there was a reason he was the one who forgot and not just because she tampered with the device.
"Look at you, with your eyes, and your never giving up, and your anger, and your kindness. One day, the memory of that will hurt so much that I won't be able to breathe, and I'll do what I always do. I'll get in my box and I'll run and I'll run, in case all the pain ever catches up. And every place I go, it will be there."
He said that once, a very long time ago. And now here he was, the pain catching up anyway. She couldn't believe it when she saw him in those cells. He didn't belong there, especially not as a slave. He belonged in his box, among the stars, saving people and entire solar systems.
Were the circumstances any different she would have considered leaving him where he was. She knew how often he got into trouble and that he could find his way out again. Usually. A while back she had, accidentally, been in the same place as him. His smart mouth had gotten him locked up, but he easily escaped. This time though, she couldn't leave him. The thought never even occurred to her.
She sat in the chair next to his bed where he lay sleeping. Hopefully without the torment of old resurfacing memories. She really wanted him to remember, but how would he act if he knew who she was? They can't travel together anymore. She loved travelling with him, but it wasn't a good idea. Just look at how things ended up. No, even if he regained all his memories, she couldn't travel with him again. No matter how much she wanted to.
Maybe she didn't want him to remember at all. It would be better that way.
His eyes flitted open as he jerked awake. He didn't remember falling asleep, or even going to bed last night. So, what..?
"Good morning." Lioma's voice greeted him.
He turned and spotted her in the chair next to his bed. Maybe he should hide the chair, he didn't like being watched while he was sleeping. A bit creepy.
"How did I get here?" he grumbled, pushing himself up onto his elbows.
"Magic," she quipped. He only frowned at her, not finding it funny at all.
She saw his glare and decided now wasn't the time. "We carried you."
"We?" He didn't like being carried. "Why? What happened?"
"Me and Alton. Okay, mostly Alton." She narrowed her eyes. "You're deceptively heavy, do you know that?"
Muttering, the Doctor swung his legs over the edge of the bed, Lioma keeping her gaze focused on him.
"You still haven't answered my question," he looked at her, waiting for an explanation.
"Do you remember what happened last night?"
He opened his mouth to speak, but the words didn't come and he frowned. Last thing he remembered is going down to find her and then… nothing. He was growing tired of this memory of his. Maybe old age is finally catching up to him, he thought bitterly.
"It's alright," she said quickly, noting his irate expression. "It doesn't matter." Just one of the lies she kept telling herself.
"It matters to me. What happened?" His voice was cold. He was done acting nice.
Lioma regarded him, eyes not quite meeting his. She sighed, not really knowing how to go about this when he's clearly upset and fixated on getting an answer.
"Well?"
"You had some kind of attack," she lied, seeing his skeptical eyebrows rise. "Seeing as how you're recovering nicely, I'm guessing it's the Bitterweed." Would he buy it? "It's never happened before, but it's possible that your system reacts more drastically to it."
He stared at her. Did he believe her? She gave them those leaves, she could just as well have planned to poison him. Though, given how many times she could have done him harm, heck she could have just left him at the slave market, he didn't think she would resort to something as dull as poisoning him. It doesn't mean he trusts her yet, there's still something she's hiding from him and he intends to find out. Even the Bitterweed excuse, what else could it be, seemed entirely fabricated.
She took his silence as a sign of acceptance. He didn't believe her, she could tell. Why he didn't push for more information, she didn't know. She hoped he trusted her enough to help with the plan. Well, only way for her to know is to ask him.
"Listen," she said as he stood, following him. "I need your help."
"Again? Didn't I already do my part?"
"Last time, I promise." She waited for him to object, but he kept quiet. Possibly curiosity. "It's last resort, I wouldn't have asked you, but something happened and well, plans change. In a few days, there's going to be…" she searched her mind for the right word, "…an event at the palace."
He narrowed his eyes. Where was this heading?
"No," he said firmly. He looked at the small pin in her hands. The red triangular stone glimmered against the dark metal it was set in. It was beautiful in a warped and twisted way. He wagered that stone was mined by someone in one of the camps, could even have been him. He shook his head. No way was he going through with this.
Lioma held the pin tighter. "Please, I need your help."
"Not going to happen."
She held out the pin towards him. "If there was someone else I wouldn't be asking you now. But you're the only one. I can't do it alone."
He stared at the pin. Then at her, at those pleading eyes. Were they getting bigger? Seems like they're inflating. The longer he looked at those big eyes, the less he wanted to say no. He wanted to help. And if he helped, he could get away from this planet sooner.
"Fine," he grumbled. "You have your plus-one." This was a very bad idea.
Her face lit up immediately. "I know it's a lot I'm asking from you. Thank you." She handed him the pin.
Even though she had held it for a while it was still icy cold in his palm. He looked at it in disgust. This pin was their invitation to the ball held at the palace. Their entrance ticket. Those who mined this stone have never known luxury, never mind a ball where everyone attending is just basically bragging about their riches. Hopefully that will change soon.
"Oh, I almost forgot. You're going to need a formal attire," Lioma smiled at him.
He cringed.
Not my finest chapter, I know. I promise the last two (yes, only two remaining) will be better *laughs wickedly while disappearing into shadows*
