Ride the Whirlwind
Chapter 9
oo~oo
Sitting down on the bed in a daze, absently running the ponytail through my fingers, I realized the shower was running. Sitting back in relief, I noticed the light in my head was gone, and when the light is gone, the shadows return. You can't really kill a shadow.
The lights were down past forty percent now, the room was pretty dim. Maybe the Doctor had ordered the TARDIS to dim the lights while I was unconscious, but they should have brightened the moment I moved.
My boots were lined up at the foot of the bed, but I ignored them and padded to the bathroom door. Knocking softly I called the Doctor's name. He didn't hear me, but I heard him singing. Smiling, I rubbed my hand across the door. Nothing to worry about, the Doctor was just on the other side, a few feet away.
Finding a place to hide the golden curls so the Doctor didn't see them was the next priority. Somehow I didn't think he'd believe I didn't do it. The curls were in my pocket after all. I almost didn't believe it myself. I didn't want to leave his room, and there really was no hiding place in here that he wouldn't immediately see.
With a sigh, I stuffed them down on of my boots and climbed back in the bed. I'd pretend to be asleep when the Doctor came out.
The singing stopped and I heard a thud inside the bathroom. Hesitating only slightly, I pushed the door open and saw the Doctor lying halfway out of the shower, water still running. Pulling him all the way out by his shoulders, I knelt down and bit my lip. He was unconscious and burning with fever.
"Doctor." I whispered softly, running my hands across his chest, not knowing what to do beyond checking his hearts. "What should I do?"
At that moment the bedroom door crashed open and into the wall.
"You bastard! What've you done to the Doctor!" Jack leaned heavily against the door, his hair all damp and stuck to his forehead. He'd taken off his coat and jacket and was down to shirt and braces. "Well you won't get the TARDIS! The Doctor set the coordinates for Torchwood." He staggered towards me.
"Help me!" I cried dragging the Doctor further out into the room. "Something's wrong with the Doctor!"
Jack snarled and bent to grab me, but fell headlong onto the floor. Wasting no time on him, I stood and lifted the Doctor, stepping over Jack to carry him back to bed. After covering him, I went back and dragged Jack out of the bathroom door and onto the bedroom carpet out of the way. He was burning with fever also, but not my first consideration. The Doctor came first. Always.
Grabbing some towels, I ran back to dry the Doctor off, absently noting the lights were dimmer and dimmer. Tossing clothes out of drawers, I found his teddy bear pajamas and dressed him quickly, telling him over and over it was going to be ok. By the time I got him dressed and under the covers, the lights were almost gone. His face was calm and still, I'd never seen his face that still.
"It should be me, not you. I should be the one. The shadows are inside me after all. You're too alive to be like this. Wake up, please wake up."
Looking out into the hallway, I could see those lights were almost out too. The shadows were coming. I patted the Doctor's face frantically begging him to wake up. Before the lights were completely gone, I climbed over the Doctor and pressed up against him, one hand over his chest, fisted in the pajamas, the other holding tightly to his.
I wasn't alone, he was here. He wasn't awake, but he was here. Even Jack was here, not that I wanted to be with Jack, but it meant I wasn't alone. The shadows couldn't get me, I was a Time Lord. They couldn't get the Doctor either as long as I held on to him. Close your eyes so they can't get in. Doctor's eyes were closed and so were Jack's. The shadows couldn't get us.
That's not laughter, shadows don't laugh.
Lie still. Jack said we were going to Torchwood. They'd help the Doctor. They had to. Lie still so the shadows won't know you're here. Keep very, very still.
oo~oo
Stop peeking, you idiot. I want to see. You want to see the shadows? What for? You know they're out there, it's too dark, the room is full of shadows. You want them to get in your head? I hear something. Shadows don't make noise. Stop your whimpering, that's what you hear. Be still, you want the shadows to hear you, puppy?
oo~oo
The Doctor's burning up, go get a wet cloth and wipe him down. Shadows. I don't care if the room is full of shadows. So what? You want the Doctor to burn up from fever? Get up and crawl to the bathroom if you have to, but get a wet cloth. Hurry up. And turn the damn shower off. Why did you leave it running? Doctor. Yeah? That was hours ago.
You can't hear anything over the water anyway. Oh, and throw a wet cloth on Jack as you go by. The Doctor won't like it if you just let him lie there and burn up. They'll hear when I turn the water off. Quit complaining and get in there. It's dark. Of course it's dark, the lights are out. How stupid are you?
About damn time. The shadows can see you moving no matter how slowly you go, so you might as well have hurried and gotten it over with. Find the Doctor some more pajamas, these are all wet, he's burning up. Some Time Lord you are, can't even find a pair of pajamas in the dark. The Doctor would be ashamed of you. Loves me. Yeah? Why would the Doctor love such a pathetic thing as you? You know.
No, NO! You idiot, wipe him down, then put on the clean pajamas. Honestly, do I have to do everything myself? Those don't match. Dark. Yes, it's dark. Any fool can see they aren't the same color. You think the Doctor wants to be found in mismatched pajamas? Get back over to that dresser and get the right ones. Shadows. Quit whining about shadows and take care of the Doctor. You're the one threw them all over the floor. Look at everything he's done for you and you just sit there whining about shadows.
oo~oo
Peeking through my eyelashes, I saw the lights bobbing and weaving down the hall, before I heard them whispering. Something worse than the shadows then, shadows didn't carry lights.
"Where's that coming from? It's a Dalek, I've heard that sound before."
"It's not a Dalek, just sort of sounds like one. Why would the TARDIS be broadcasting a whispering Dalek voice?"
"It's a Dalek I tell you."
"Shut up. You wouldn't know a Dalek if it bit you on the ass. Daleks don't whisper. Check every room."
"Why? The Doctor wouldn't send a dark, empty TARDIS to Torchwood."
"Then look for some damn clues where the Doctor and the Captain might be."
"Oh my…LOOK!"
The lights shone in the doorway, bouncing across me and the Doctor. I held him tighter and turned my face into his shoulder.
"Who is that? Listen, he's whispering." The lights came closer. "What's he saying?"
"EX-TER-MIN-ATE. That's the same sound. It's him. Who is that?" The voices got louder. "Must be playing a recording through the TARDIS."
"It's the Doctor! And someone else…" Covers were jerked down and I turned and snarled at them, keeping tight hold of the Doctor. Wasn't going to let them get the Doctor, even if they had lights.
"YOU!" The lights hit me in the face. Held my hand up to block the light, letting go of the Doctor.
"The Captain's here on the floor. He's unconscious. Help me."
"What did you do to the Doctor and the Captain, you monster!" The voices became shapes and hands, pulling at me and the Doctor, tearing us apart.
"No!" I shouted holding onto the Doctor and trying to hide my face. "NO, leave me alone!"
"Shoot him! It's the Master!"
"NO!" I screamed as they pulled me away from the Doctor, fighting the hands that held me. "Doctor!"
"Dammit, shoot him!" More voices and shouting and then silence.
oo~oo
AN: Rescue is at hand, for some people anyway. The TARDIS opened the door at Torchwood, which let the rescuers in and the shadows out. What could possibly go wrong now?
