Disclaimer: No, I do not own Doctor Who, nor have I ever nor will I ever
The Black Plague
"Doctor!"
"Hold on, V!" The pair of travelers rocked back-and-forth, the TARDIS acting out as the Doctor tried to gain back control.
The Time Lord and Human had just left Montana, the latter of the pair having a rather important exam that she needed to finish in order to keep her A in the class. The Doctor had dropped her off back in her room, and until she had returned he tinkered with the engine of his ship, making sure that all was well; he treated his TARDIS with the utmost care and love. And when he had finished that, he found himself lying on Eve's bed, staring up at the ceiling. Normally, the Doctor wouldn't have sat idly, but Eve had insisted that she would only be a bit. She also didn't trust the man to wander on his own. And so, on his honor, he had promised to stay put.
When the Doctor finally sat up, his eyes had begun to scan the room for something interesting. He raised a brow as he stood up and placed his hands on his hips before he blinked, noticing a spine of a thick book stuffed underneath the student's bed. He raised a brow as he crouched down and pulled it out before he blinked. His gaze softened as he flipped the book open, reading the passage that was written on the title page before he stood up and placed the book on the desktop; it deserved a far better sitting place than under the bed.
Finally, after ten more minutes, Eve had returned, stating how easily she had conquered the exam, the Doctor smirking as he teased her; it probably would have taken him half the time it took for Eve. They walked back into Eve's closet—where the TARDIS sat, and they stepped inside, ready for their next adventure.
He had asked the young woman where she had wanted to go next. He was happy to take her anywhere she wanted to go. She always chose such interesting places and she was always ready for the next stop. He was happy that he had someone who could keep up with his rapid pace and high energy. It distracted him from the truth. So much so that he had forgotten about the darkness that waited at the end of his rope. Because it seemed that Eve was the light guiding him through to the end.
"Well! Where next, V?" the Doctor asked as he bounced around his console with enthusiasm. She thought for a moment before shrugging.
"I've picked the last three places. Why don't you take a run?" The Doctor blinked before he began to grin.
"I know just the place!" he said as he looked up to the screen in front of him. The TARDIS sat in space, waiting for its next command as the Doctor typed in new coordinates. Eve peered over his shoulder as he glanced at her, ready to remark about her back-seat driving; she had a tendency to always try and tell him how to drive his own ship.
And that was when it happened.
With a moan, the TARDIS jerked, causing Eve to fall into the Doctor, who fell onto the console and then to the ground. He face planted, Eve following him and landing on his back. She winced as he groaned before feeling the young woman roll off of him. He quickly stood to his feet before he shot for the controls, Eve using the railing to catch her balance.
"Doctor, what the hell is going on?" she cried out as the TARDIS continued to rock, the ship sparking in miscellaneous areas.
"We've run into a cosmic storm!" he shouted as he pressed a few buttons and keys. He quickly tried to steer his ship around the energy, failing to miserably.
With a cry, Eve fumbled to the floor, the Doctor quickly running to her side and helping her to her feet. The two stumbled once more as the TARDIS squalled before it began to spin out of control. "What the hell does that mean?!"
"We're crashing! The cosmic storm jolted the TARDIS and now we're crashing through time," he explained as he quickly helped Eve to the console. She cried out as the Doctor did his best to stabilize conditions.
Within seconds, they crashed.
§
Evelyn! Said young woman groaned as she tried to move, her body heavy and her head pounding. She tried not to groan as she opened her eyes, her vision blurry. She blinked several times and raised a brow as she found a man staring down at her. His face was longer than the Doctor's with wrinkles near the corners of his eyes and aroundh is lips, and his eyes were a faded blue tint. Her brows furrowed inward as she continued to stare, his thin lips opening as he spoke but no words resounding. He was different. He was a stranger, and yet she knew him well.
"Evelyn!" Said woman opened her eyes once more and gasped, the Doctor staring down at her as he cradled her in his arms. He relaxed and sighed as the woman in his arms caught her breath, looking up at him quizzically. Confused by the strangeness of her stare, the Doctor frowned.
"What's wrong?"
"N—Nothing. I just…" Shaking her head, Eve sat up straight, rubbing her temples for a moment before speaking. "I'm just not feeling right, is all."
"We took a hard fall," the Doctor said, understanding why she was feeling as such.
Helping her to her feet, the Doctor soon walked over to this glitching screen as he tried to make out where exactly they landed. Evelyn approached the Time Lord's side before she squinted at the screen. She glanced at the humanoid beside her as he grimaced before looking to his friend. He motioned for her to follow him as they walked to the TARDIS doors; they were going to find out the old-fashioned way.
The Doctor pulled the door opened and stepped outside, Eve following him. They blinked as they stepped out onto snow, their feet imprinting into the ground. Eve raised a brow as she looked at the Doctor, his eyes scanning the area before he quickly turned back around and rushed back into the TARDIS. Eve followed suit before she stood at the end of the ramp, watching the Doctor. He typed a few codes into the system before he blinked. He turned to look back at Eve as she looked back at him with a raised brow.
"What is it?"
"You may want to change out of those clothes."
"What for?" The Doctor chuckled at that.
"Fashion's a bit behind from 2013." Eve blinked at that before she looked back over her shoulder and out the open door of the blue box.
"Where are we?"
December 2, 1349: London, England
"I can't believe I'm in London, in the past." Eve walked alongside the Doctor as he nodded his head, keeping is hands in his long, brown coat. He glanced at the young woman beside him before he began to chuckle, Eve shooting him an irked face.
"Shut up! This is what you told me to put on!"
"No, no! I'm not laughing at that," the Doctor defended—for the emerald overgown Eve was wearing actually suited her quite well. No, that wasn't what the Doctor found amusing.
It was the headpiece that went with the entire ensemble.
Noticing where his gaze was drifting to, Eve glanced up before she glared at the man, ripping her hood off and shaking her head. "Why is it you don't have to change?"
"I look good in this," the Doctor countered flippantly as he glanced down at his blue suit. Eve rolled her eyes as they walked through the snowy path.
"According to a blind man? Because let me tell you—"
"Do you always have to start a fight?"
"Do you always have to act like a child?" The two stopped walking as they turned to argue with each other, ignoring the peculiar stares they were receiving from others. They seemed to forget that they were trying to keep a low profile, the Doctor giving Eve an unenthused stare as she glared back at him with her arms crossed.
Before they could continue with bickering, they both stiffened as a shrill scream filled the brisk air. They blinked at each other before Eve led the way, running in the direction in which she heard the scream. The Doctor grinned before he followed after the headstrong woman, letting her take the lead for just that moment. As they ran together, the screaming continued, the townspeople gathering as well in order to see what was wrong.
"Please!" Eve pushed through the crowd as she stopped, her eyes widening as she stared down at a woman cradling her son in her arms. The Doctor stopped beside her as he stared down, his expression falling at the sight. "Please! Someone! Save my son!" The Doctor stared hard for a moment, the young boy in his mother's arms coughing into a handkerchief; it was stained with red.
"Everyone! Step back!" the Doctor immediately called out as he turned to the crowd, the townspeople blinking before they did as instructed. The Doctor continued to usher people back as Eve blinked before she stepped forward, making sure to stay a safe distance away from the pair. The Time Lord glanced back at Eve as her eyes examined the young boy and then his mother before she stood up and turned to look at the Doctor.
"Doctor, when exactly are we?" She watched as the brunet gave her a grave stare before he glanced down at the boy, his mother sobbing into his hair. He ignored the young woman's question, knowing she already knew the answer. Instead, he approached the pair as he knelt down beside them.
"Hello, I'm the Doctor," he introduced, catching the woman's attention. She ignored the strange clothes the man was wearing as hope began to sparkle in her eyes; if he was a doctor, it mattered not what he wore.
"Please, help my boy."
"How long has he been sick for?" he asked as the woman looked down at her son.
"Three days." That caused the Doctor to grimace.
"…I'm sorry." The woman blinked before her eyes went wide.
"No!"
"I'm so sorry."
"Please!" she begged as she began to sob before she held her son tightly in her arms.
"…Doctor?" Said Time Lord looked over his shoulder as Eve stared at him solemnly. He frowned back at her, the pair speaking without words. He shook his head as she shook her head back at him, motioning at the young boy. He rolled his eyes as he shook his head once more before Eve crossed her arms and glared at him. He shot her an irritated gaze, the two locked in a staring contest before the brunet sighed, admitting defeat. Eve smirked triumphantly before she took a step towards the woman and her child.
"What's your name?"
"Mary-Ann."
"Mary-Ann, I'm Evelyn, and this is the Doctor," Eve introduced as the Doctor stood with his hands in his pockets. "We're going to help you."
§
A fire roared in a small home as a pair of visitors sat at a round table. They sat silently, staring into the dancing flames for a moment before the female of the pair sighed. Then, she looked upon the Doctor's unhappy face before she rolled her eyes.
"What's got your knickers twisted?"
"We shouldn't be here."
"Your TARDIS is the one that brought us here!" she snapped in return as the Doctor glared at her.
"It was a cosmic storm."
"Either way, we're here. What's the harm in helping this woman?" Eve inquired as the Time Lord turned to stare back into the flames.
"…June 1348, a ship pulled into a harbor in Dorset. That ship carried Yersinia pestis."
"Yeah, the bacteria that caused the spread of the Black Death through China, Europe—nearly everywhere. I've learned all about this in class, Doctor," Eve pointed out as the Doctor looked at her and leaned forward.
"Exactly. You've learned all about it. It's a part of the world's history—a fixed point in time."
"Fixed point in time?" The Doctor nodded as he stared deeply into the fire.
"It's exactly as it sounds. It's a moment in the space-time continuum that can't be changed."
"And you know what fixed points in time are?" Eve asked as the Doctor nodded solemnly.
"It's a burden I've carried for too long…" he muttered as the woman beside him frowned. She thought for a moment before she glanced in the direction in which the mother of the sick boy had gone before turning her attention back to the Time Lord.
"What happens when you change a fixed point in time?" the 21 year old asked as the Doctor shook his head.
"The whole of time will collapse on itself—well, depending on the fixed point," he explained as Eve frowned. She leaned back in her seat for a moment as she stared at the Doctor, the man wearing a dark expression.
"You talk like you've experienced this before." The Doctor blinked as he turned to Eve, the Young staring intently at him as she leaned in closer towards him. They gazed at each other for a long moment before the Time Lord tore his eyes from Eve's.
"Not exactly."
With a sigh, Eve shook her head. "Look Doctor, I'm not asking you to heal every, single person with the bubonic plague. Because that would probably be impossible—even for you," she said with a smirk as the Doctor gave her a pout. "All I'm asking is for you to help this one boy. I mean, what's the harm? December 1349 is when the plague began to die out anyways."
"It's too—"
"Too what? Dangerous? I think you're just using that as an excuse," she snapped as the Doctor blinked before scoffing.
"Excuse for what?"
"Because, you're scared." The Doctor blinked as Eve stared into his brown eyes. "You're a Time Lord, but that doesn't mean you're void of emotions, you mad man," she stated evenly. "What if us coming here is a fixed point in time? What if us saving this one person is supposed to happen?" The Doctor stared at Eve silently as she gave him a pressing look.
Before the two could go on, the mother of the sick boy emerged from the small corridor.
"Thank you so much," she said with a tired smile. "There's no one in town that will brave coming close enough to even look at my son."
"With good reason," the Doctor said as Eve shot him a glare before elbowing him in the side. He winced as he glared back at the young woman, who ignored him and smiled at the mother.
"What symptoms has your son shown?" Eve asked curiously as Mary-Ann began to guide the curious woman to her son's room. The Doctor stood behind as he watched Eve go. He tried not to smile, failing as he shook his head before following after the pair of women.
"He had a fever a few days ago. I thought nothin' of it," she explained as she and her guest stopped at the doorway of her son's room. "But then, his fever grew worse and he was always so cold. He had a hard time swallowing and then he started coughing—coughing blood." The woman choked on a sob as she covered her face with her hands, Eve frowning as she looked at the Doctor, who wore a sympathetic look on his face.
"Sounds like several symptoms of the bubonic plague."
"The what?" the woman asked as Eve quickly shook her head. "Would it be alright if I took a look at your son?" she asked as the woman nodded. The Doctor smiled as he placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. He then moved past the mother, who smiled before walking away, disappearing down the hall.
"Well, looks exactly like how I would imagine someone with bubonic plague to look like in person," Eve stated as she frowned down at the sleeping child. The Doctor stood beside her as he raised a brow before pulling out his sonic. Eve watched with curiosity as the man scanned the young boy with his tool before his brows furrowed.
"What's wrong?"
"…Something's not right," the Doctor said quietly as he read the readings from his screwdriver. "There's something off about his DNA."
"What?" Eve's eyes widened before the Doctor turned to her.
"I need to take a blood sample." Eve blinked as she watched the Doctor pull out a needle-syringe. She raised a brow as she watched the Time Lord extract blood from the young boy's arm.
"…So, do you just carry things like that everywhere you go?" the Doctor ignored the rhetorical question as he stared at the blood he'd drawn. He stared at it with narrowed eyes before he sighed and looked to Eve.
"Looks like we're here to stay until this is solved." Eve smirked before she thought for a moment.
"What exactly are we solving? I thought he was just sick with the plague?" The Doctor shook his head. Before he could answer, the pair heard a loud thump outside. Immediately, the brunet ran out, Eve following closely behind. They ran out into the sitting room before their eyes widened, Mary-Ann lying on the ground unconscious.
"Mary-Ann!" Eve knelt down to the woman as she pressed the back of her hand against the woman's forehead. With a shocked gleam in her eyes, she looked up at the Doctor as he stared with a disturbed gaze.
"She's burning up." Swiftly, the Doctor held out his screwdriver, pointing the blue tip at Mary-Ann. It hummed before he read the results. His eyes widened as Eve looked at him with concern.
"What is it?"
"This can't be…" the Doctor trailed off as he muttered to himself, standing to his feet and staring at his sonic. Eve frowned as she watched the Time Lord pace, a bewildered expression on his face.
"Doctor! What is it?" the student snapped as said alien looked back at her with wide eyes.
"My sonic—it reads that Mary-Ann's body is four days into the plague." Eve blinked.
"Wh—What?" Standing to her feet, the Asian woman shook her head. "That's not possible, Doctor. You and I both saw her! She was perfectly fine!"
"Oh, that's what makes this so tricky!" the Doctor yelled out with an incredulous look upon his face. "Mary-Ann's symptoms suddenly flare, which means that she would have already been infected by the Y. pestis."
"But that can't be right," Eve pointed out. "Her symptoms would have happened gradually over the incubation period. Not just suddenly all at once. And if her son has already been ill for the last few days then she should have been showing her own symptoms long before this."
"Exactly!" the Doctor exclaimed as he grinned. "So! What does that tell you?"
"Uh—" Eve shook her head as she frantically racked her brain for the answer. "It means—It means—" And then a light flashed in her eyes.
"It means that something's causing the bacteria to progress at a faster speed than it normally should." The Doctor grinned.
"Stubborn, cranky, wonderful V! Right you are!" Eve carefully laid Mary-Ann on her rug, covering her with a blanket before she stood up and faced the Doctor.
"What do we do, then?"
"We—" A man's scream caught Eve and the Doctor's attention as they ran for the door without a second thought. They burst through the way and ran out into the snow, their eyes widening when they found an old woman lying on the ground convulsing in the man's arms. He sobbed as he held the woman, the Doctor quickly rushing up to the old lady and holding her head in his hands steady. He looked up at Eve as she broke from her stupor and quickly ushered the man away from what was to be assumed as his mother. She held the man as he tried to reach for her, the Doctor carefully holding her head in his lap until the episode passed.
A few minutes later, the two watched as the elderly woman's jerking ceased, her breathing returning to normal before the Doctor looked up at Eve. She grimaced deeply but said nothing as the Time Lord took a moment to examine her with his sonic. The crowd murmured quietly as he worked but no one dared to speak up as he did whatever he was doing; there were few people who knew what to do about the plague, so if this Doctor could do something with that toy of his, then no one would stop him.
"…Doctor?" Eve called out as the brunet looked up at her and nodded his head. Her eyes widened before he looked to the man, Eve letting him go and watching as he shot out to his mother. The Doctor watched with sad eyes before he turned his attention to Eve, who stared at him with shock on evident upon her features.
"What's wrong with her?" the man shrieked. "She was fine just a second ago!"
"…I'm afraid she's very ill," the Doctor stated evenly as the crowd began to murmur, backing away from the man and his mother.
"It's that sickness that's been killin' everyone!"
"I thought it was finally comin' to an end!"
"They're spreading it! They're causing it!" The crowd began to grow restless as Eve tensed up. She glanced around at the frightened people before she looked at the Doctor, the taller one of the pair giving her a knowing look. He quickly shook his head as she gave him an irked stare. She then shrugged as he pointed at her in an accusing manner before she flicked his finger and stepped forward.
"Please! Everyone! Calm down!" Eve yelled out as she caught everyone's attention. She forced a smile across her lips as the Doctor watched her, closing his eyes and mentally face-palming himself. "Listen! My name is Evelyn, and this here is the Doctor!" She smirked at said alien as he shot her an annoyed stare before stepping forward, giving a very thin smile to the people.
"…Hello."
"We're here to help you!" Eve continued on as she watched everyone's expressions lighten. She sighed, relieved that the heat had been lifted from the man and his sick mother; the last thing that this situation needed was a riot. "For now, everyone stay in your homes and try not to make any contact with those who may be ill. And make sure to cover up and cover your mouths when you cough!" The Doctor watched as Eve rallied the troops, and for a moment, he was rather entertained. He smiled softly as the young woman spoke with a smile across her face, reassuring the people that all would be well again soon; she almost had him convinced.
"Above all else, everyone, please—just stay calm." Eve watched with relief as the people began to disperse, doing as she instructed. She smirked at her handy work as she nodded; in times of stress, it was natural for humans to look for a leader to guide them. She turned to look at the Doctor, a smug smile across her lips as he scoffed and crossed his arms.
"Oh, don't look so pleased with yourself."
"You get to do it all the time," Eve shot back as he shook his head before turning to the man on the ground with his mother. The Doctor's expression morphed as a heaviness sat in the air. He leaned closer to Eve's ear, keeping his voice quiet and hushed.
"Do you have any idea what you've just done?"
"Honestly, not a clue." Eve smirked wily at the Doctor as he looked at her before grinning back.
"Alright then! Time to get down to business," he said as he clapped his hands together. He began shrugging his coat off, not bothering to say anything as he handed it to Eve. The young woman would have protested but then she realized just how cold she was feeling now that her high level of energy was withering away. She quickly draped the Doctor's jacket over her shoulders as he knelt down beside the peasant, pulling out his sonic screwdriver in order to scan her once more.
"What witchcraft is that?" the man inquired fearfully as the Doctor chuckled before throwing up the sonic and catching it smoothly.
"Not witchcraft. The future!" With a cheeky smile, the Doctor turned to Eve, all playfulness gone.
"From the swelling in her glands and the way her skins a pinkish tint, I'm afraid there isn't much time left for her."
"H—How much time?" the man asked helplessly as the Doctor helped him stand, the son holding his mother carefully in his arms.
"…Two days at most."
"Two days?" Eve repeated as the blue suited man nodded. She sighed before glancing at the saddened man before she frowned. The Doctor noticed the way her eyes seemed to linger on the man before she turned back to him and nodded. "Then that means we have two days to figure out what the hell is going on around her."
The Doctor eyed Evelyn for a moment as he watched her carefully. She stood in his jacket as she met his gaze fully with a quirked up brow. He then began to smile as he shrugged. "Are you sure you're prepared for this? It could be dangerous."
"If I let you go off on your own, who knows what you'll botch up."
"I seem to recall a time where I had to save you from—"
"Alright, alright. That's enough out of you!" The Doctor laughed as Eve smirked before the pair looked over at the confused man. The Doctor stepped forward as he nodded his head.
"Don't worry. We'll get to the bottom of this."
"Thank you! Thank you so much, Doctor!"
"Don't thank me yet," the Time Lord said as he turned and began to walk away. Eve followed after him as a serious expression came over him. "I have to figure out what's behind this before I can stop it."
Bubonic plague! Not sure how people are feeling about my idea of this, but you'll have to wait and see where exactly I decide to take this. I will say that this will be a two-part chapter. There are going to be a couple chapters like that in the future, just as a warning to whoever is reading.
Thank you for reading and following and favoriting! I'm very pleased to know that there are readers who do enjoy looking at this story. I'm also relieved because I know I can't be doing horribly if there are at least some people that enjoy it! And that's what matters. That, and my rather gloomy mood has dissipated since I've started doing this, so that's also a good sign. And although this all started because of a suggestion from a friend, I don't intend on abandoning this story in any way! I've got a plan and I'm going to stick with it!
Please let me know how you feel about what I've been posting! I'm open to all suggestions and to all critiques. I like being able to do better and work harder, so if I need to fix something then I would like to know from you readers. I usually go through myself to make sure the chapter is the way I want it, but a second opinion is always good, especially if it's from people who are taking the time to read and enjoy. If there's something I need to do better, then by all means, tell me. If there's something that you like that you want me to continue, then definitely let me know! Just as long as you are all happy with what you're reading.
Also, just a moment to say that I LOVE THE NEW DOCTOR. I've finally caught up on the new season, and although he's rather opposite from Smith's Doctor, I love him all the same. He's still got a few similar quirks and he's still the funny and witty Doctor. And his relationship with Clara is just precious, although this last episode killed my feels. Hopefully if you haven't watched, you do because if you don't, you're truly missing out!
Anyways, moment is now over.
Hope to see whoever is reading in the next chapter!
Reviews:
Littlebirdd: Success! Another new smiley! Not sure how many people can actually make but I'm happy every time I see you post one :D Thank you so much for reviewing and letting me know how you feel. Hopefully you'll continue to enjoy this story and hopefully I'll be seeing another smiley face in the future!
Black-Sakura-44: Hello there! First off, thank you so very much for reviewing! I'm extremely relieved to know that you really do like this story, and I hope that you will continue to enjoy reading this in the future. I'll do my best and work hard on this story! As far as where I plan on taking this story, There are DEFINITELY going to be corresponding moments with the series later on in this story. I'm not going to say how or which episodes or anything, but if you end up reading through, you'll understand what I mean! There is also going to be some progression with their relationship (Eve and the Doctor). I can't say for sure if they'll end up into something more just because I want to sort of play out Eve as a character and see just how things end up, but more than likely, there will be something more :) I'm happy to know that you like Eve as a character! I've definitely put lots of work and thought into her and then her relationship with the Doctor and I wanted her to be relatable as well as realistic, so I'm glad you think that so far it is! Thanks again for the review and for telling me what you think! I do really appreciate it!
Lady Artimes Blaine: I'm glad you're enjoying this so far. Yes, I think Eve does keep some triscilate for herself. I haven't really thought about writing this in, but in my head I picture just a small shelf full of souvenirs from all of her adventures with the Doctor in her room, hah!
Nonuser: Ah! I'm so very excited that you're so excited about this story! Thank you, thank you! Thank you for reading and thanking you for reviewing. I usually update every day, no more than every other day, so there will always be an update waiting for you!
Love: I'm happy to hear that you like my story thus far! It's always reassuring for me to know that whoever reads this enjoys it. I put a lot of thought into the character and the relationships and the story, and I'm glad that it shows! I didn't want Eve and the Doctor to just start off hunky-dory just because, if you think about, some stranger just shows up unannounced in a suspicious place...how are you supposed to react? I imagine that meeting someone like the Doctor brings out different reactions, and even though I would probably squeal and die like the fan that I am, Eve's reaction and attitude towards the Doctor can only be expected. And great relationship takes effort and time, so that's what I'm going to give Eve and the Doctor! Thank you for your input, thank you for reading, and I can only hope that future chapters will have you stick around.
Reader's anon: Yes! There will be definite progression with the Doctor and Eve. I'm not going to say anything else because I don't want to give away anything...although my answer in itself has probably already given enough away XD I will say that I originally decided to start Eve and the Doctor off as friends because it seemed to make more sense with how I planned Eve's personality and with the story. And I suppose it's always nice if something comes out of something with someone you hold close and that is a good friend! I'm glad you like that! Hopefully you'll continue to like once more chapters are posted! Thank you again for reviewing! I'll do my best in the future!
