I'm really sorry for the delay updating this. I promise that the next chapter will be longer and I'll try not to take too long to write it :D

Thank you for your feedback:

zaramcmillan30: Prepare yourself for the next chapters hahaha

Paige who: And that's why timelords have two hearts, they need a spare one ;)

Nint3ndozzzz: Thank you! I'm really glad that you liked it.

last1stnding: Oh, no no… that wasn't the sad part of the story… (evil smile)

poppytownie: Thank you for your review. I hope you like the next ones too :D

Calgarry: Thanks again for your incredible work beta reading this.

One more time, she was unable to control her emotions and that really frustrated her. A tear was forming in her eye when the Doctor spoke again, looking confused. "In what possible biological way could I be a hen?"

She smirked at that, but then her face turned sad again. "I need you to do something for me."

"I'm not hugging you again."

"Please…if…if I choose to start the treatment...I need you to tell me that everything is going to be alright."

He shocked his head. "It'd be a lie."

"Then lie to me," she said, with pleading eyes.

.

Chapter 10: Close your eyes

.

Clara was looking at the ceiling. She didn't know whether she had made the right choice, but something worried her.

"Are you staying?" she finally asked him.

The Doctor looked at her with a serious face. "Do you really think I'm going to leave you alone with this…impostor cupcake brain?" he said, pointing at Smith, who was starting to prepare the treatment.

Clara raised an eyebrow. "Cupcake?"

"His brain is so small that it can't even be pudding."

Smith just rolled his eyes. "I'm right here, if you don't mind."

"Yes, that's why I'm saying it aloud."

Clara glared at her friend. "Doctor, behave. He's just doing his work," she told him reproachfully.

The young man finished attaching the needle of the vial on her arm; but before allowing the solution to pass it, he looked at her, wanting to make sure she knew the risk.

"Miss Oswald, this remedy works, but there is a drawback that I hope the cantankerous alien over here has told you."

The girl looked up hopefully. "So, it works. That is good, isn't it?" Seeing that neither of them changed their serious expression, her hopes were dashed once again. "What's the problem?"

The physician checked the monitors. "The problem is that it's a very strong treatment, and right now, your body is weakened by the injury suffered. It'll be very painful, and we can't administer any painkillers, because it could affect the treatment. Maybe your body wouldn't hold on." She was sure she saw a hint of fear in his eyes as he talked, and that unnerved her. "I'll start it when you are ready."

The girl felt a lump in her throat. She stretched out his hand, looking for something to hold onto, and the Doctor took it at once. Then she nodded, and the medic opened the vial so the liquid could enter the needle.

"Ok. It's starting. Now we can only wait for it to take effect," Smith said as he wrote some numbers down in a folder.

The Doctor approached him. "Well, if you don't mind, it would be great if you close the door."

"Of course."

The Time Lord just pointed at him. "From the outside!"

Smith shook his head, and looked back at Clara "One thing: just because this lunatic calls himself 'the Doctor', doesn't mean he has any idea about medicine. If you need anything, just press the button, I'll be outside." He went to the door and left them alone.

"You know…you should be more kind to him, he's a nice man," she said, as she rested her head on the pillow. "Even I would say it seems he knows what he's doing"

"More than that. He is brilliant," the Doctor said.

She seemed surprised. "Then why do you keep messing with him?"

"Because if I told him how good he is, he could be overconfident and could make a mistake. Besides, I still have to find out who he is."

"For heaven's sake. Are you still thinking about that?! Do you know that only in my country there must be a half million people whose name is John Smith?"

The Doctor shook his head. "I've seen his face before. But I can't remember where or when!"

"Maybe it's because he has a common face, like his name?" she suggested.

"Perhaps…" he said, tired, as checked the monitors next to the bed. "Do you feel anything?"

Clara looked at the vial. The dropper was letting the solution to enter into her arm. "Only a tingling. Is that good or bad?"

"No idea," he said, worried.

The liquid kept flowing through her veins until it reached her heart, like a time bomb. It began to pump throughout her body with each heartbeat. It was then that she felt it. Immediately, her muscles tensed. It was as if fire was flowing through her veins, burning her guts from within.

She wanted to scream, but the pain was paralyzing her. When her body was able to react, her hand closed in a death grip, squeezing the Doctor's hand so hard that her knuckles turned white. He didn't feel it, too worried about seeing her writhing in pain.

He managed to hold her by her shoulders, being careful not to hurt her wound. "Clara, Clara…you have to lay still, or your stitches will open."

She fought to free herself, but soon her strength abandoned her as she collapsed against the pillow again. "Please, Doctor…it…it really hurts!"

"I know. It can be difficult, but try to think of something else."

"I can only think that I'm burning!"

"No, no! Don't do that. Think about something relaxing. What do you humans do to relax?"

"Really?"

"I don't know! Eat cereals?"

"How on earth could cereals be relaxing?!" Over-exertion had taken its toll, though, and she gasped in despair. "I'm sorry, but I can't…"

"Yes, you can. You must be strong."

She began to moan, suffocated, and didn't know how in the world she would ever survive that treatment. She was shaking so hard that she started to curl into a ball.

"I'm sorry, but I don't know if I can hang on much more," she sobbed, hiding her face in the pillow, embarrassed that he had to see her like that.

He put away the hair from her face and used a very calm voice. "Clara, I need you to close your eyes."

Her eyes opened wide, afraid to feel alone. "No, no, please."

He shuddered to hear her so scared.

Gently, he took her head in his hands, and turned it so he could see her face. Tears edged the corners of red-rimmed eyes. She looked down, ashamed.

"Hey…I'm here, and I'm not going anywhere. Close your eyes."

She reluctantly did as was told.

"Good, now try to concentrate on my voice. I want you to imagine somewhere else. Where would you like to be?"

A new bolt of excruciating pain ran through her body. She bit her lips, trying not to scream again, trying to mentally push the pain from her body. It wasn't working, so she opened her mouth now and then, trying not to clench her teeth.

"Focus, where would you like to be?"

"Somewhere with water, a lot of water…I'm burning! Please, Doctor, make it stop! Please!"

She felt his fingers running over her cheeks until placed on her temples. Before she could react, she felt a small electrical current, and her body went completely limp.

She opened her eyes at once. An orange sky was above her, illuminated by two big suns "How?" She sat up, and discovered that was on a beach. "How could I be here?!"

She heard footsteps behind her and saw the Doctor approaching.

"Because we're not," he said sitting next to her on the sand. "This is a projection I'm putting in your brain."

She looked ahead to where the water splashed against the rocks, leaving behind an intense and fresh fragrance. She breathed deeply, relieved to see how the pain had subsided.

"So none of this is real." She glared at him sceptically. "Not even you?"

He didn't answer her at first. "This is your mind. It must be private. Do you really want me to be here?"

"You didn't answer my question."

"Neither did you."

She looked at the sunset silently, enjoying the peace that place gave her and knowing that he wasn't really there. He had never been so still for so long.

Then she spoke again "It's ok. I suppose it's better if your real self don't see me like this."

She took his arm and laid her head on his shoulder.

"Clara, even if I'm a projection, I'm still not a fan of hugs."

"Oh just shut up! I can't believe that you're so annoying even in my imagination. Besides, you're not very huggable. You are all bones. I wonder where you keep all the sugar you eat?"

"I do a lot of running."

She laughed at that. "Yeah… that's true." The sunset was darkening. "How much time we have?"

"I don't know. But not much."

"So I guess I should take the opportunity to ask you something before it's gone." He raised an eyebrow, but she kept talking. Maybe he should have told her that he was as real as her.

"I know you're just a creation of my imagination, and it is probably ridiculous to ask you this, because you're going to answer what I want to hear but…I need to hear it from your lips, even if it's not true. Doctor…what am I to you?"

He looked down at her head, a bit worried, thinking that maybe the solution were beginning to reach her brain.

"Well…I don't know how to say this but…I think that you are the worst soufflé cooker in all the universe."

She released his arm to look at his face. "You can't be serious…" To her surprise, he just vanished. "What?!"

And then everything went black.

The link was broken. He blinked several times until his vision became clear again, then looked down at the unconscious form of Clara on the medical bed. Her fingers were clenched tightly. Clearly, her body was still hurting, but her face was more relaxed.

It hurt him to know that she would never have dared to ask him that question if she'd known it was his real self. But he understood her, because he would never have answered her if she had been conscious.

"You were the first face this idiot face saw. I trust you so much, I regenerated in who I really am… more or less. I know, it wasn't the best choice, but somehow, I knew that you would accept me as I am." He stroked her hair. "You'll always be important to me, Clara Oswald."

Thank you so much for reading it, and don't forget to leave a comment if you like it! :)