Chapter 9

"Bloody hell!" I exclaimed as something brushed my hand.

"Relax, it's just me," I heard the Doctor say, although I couldn't see his face. His hand found mine again and he started leading me.

"Can you actually see where you're going?" I asked.

"Not real-" I heard a bang and the Doctor fell back into me for a second.

"Did you just run into the wall?" I asked.

"Well technically it was the door, but yes."

I laughed at him.

"Oi now, don't laugh! You think you can find your way out of here?"

"No, probably not," I admitted.

"That's what I thought, now I think I've found the door."

I heard a click and the Doctor lead me into the hallway.

"Alright, I think we need to go left," he told me.

"You think? Are you not sure?"

"Well, sometimes the hallways change, so I can never really be sure."

"Well that's reassuring."

"Oh shut up and follow me."

"Alright Mr. Bossypants, I'm following you."

He didn't make a comment, but lead me around twists and turns. It felt like we wandered in the dark for a good hour or so. I had no idea how the Doctor knew where he was going, but he walked with purpose, never letting my hand go. Our footsteps changed from tile floors to metal.

"Alright, here we are. Watch out for the steps," he instructed me.

I felt with my feet along the floor looking for the steps. I almost fell when I hit them, but I caught myself on the railing. I felt my way down the stairs until I hit the solid platform.

"So what are we going to do?" I asked.

"Well if we tried to leave, we'd end up walking into the time vortex. If I try and fly her nothing will happen because there isn't technically any power in the TARDIS right now."

"So we're basically stuck?" I asked.

"Basically. Don't worry though, I'm sure I'll think of something soon," he told me.

"Well while we're waiting for that brilliant brain of yours to work, do you have a torch anywhere?"

"Right," I heard a bit of clanging from the other side of the room, "here we are!" A bright beam shone across the room, blinding me.

"Well I think it's bright enough," I commented.

"Sorry," he said averting it from my eyes and throwing me a torch, "it's going to be a good hour or so until I can get the TARDIS up and running."

"So what do we do in the meantime?" I asked.

"Well it is the TARDIS. We can do whatever we want," he told me, "So I ask you Ida, what do you want to do?"

"Hmmmm..." I pondered this for awhile. Then a memory came to me, "Race you to the swimming pool."

Before he had time to react, I was off. I could hear him chasing after me, so I ran faster. I didn't even know where I was going, but my body knew and it carried me all the way to an open arch. I shined my torch inside and saw a vast pool that was perfectly clear. I heard the Doctor's foot steps slow down behind me.

"Doctor we appear to have forgotten a key part of swimming."

"And what's that?" he asked.

"Swimming suits," I stated.

"Oh that's really not a problem."

Next thing I knew, the Doctor had thrown me over his shoulder and was walking towards the pool.

"Don't you dare," I said, knowing what he was going to do, "Put me down!" I demanded, but he kept walking. He was right on the edge of the pool, "Put me down!" I yelled.

"Alright," he said, and then put me down... In the pool.

I felt the water swell up around me as I sank. I opened my eyes, and saw darkness. There was nothing, just dark. No up, no down. I was afraid to take a chance in one direction because, knowing the TARDIS, this pool could go on forever. Suddenly, a light shined in front of me, and I hoped that it was the Doctor with one of the torches. I swam towards it, then my head broke the surface.

"Ahhh, there you are," the Doctor said mockingly, "I was worried you'd forgotten how to swim."

"I didn't forget how to swim," I told him, "I just couldn't figure out which way was up. It's pitch black down there."

I gripped the edge of the pool and pulled myself out, leaving a giant puddle. I stood up with water dripping of my clothes and hair. A smile crept across my face.

"No," the Doctor said, reading my mind, "Ida don't you dare."

He tried to run away but I was too quick. I pulled him into an embrace and got his entire body soaking wet.

"That's what you get for throwing me into the pool," I told him.

He examined his clothes and groaned, "The TARDIS's drying system isn't on because the powers out, so we're stuck like this."

"Well you should've thought of that before you threw me into the pool without a swimming suit," I told him. He glared at me, "Can't we just find the closet?" I asked.

"Oh you saw the closet, it'll take us ages to find any clothes that would work."

"Well now what do we do?" I asked, "because I'm not too fond of sitting around in soaked clothes."

The Doctor examined his clothes, "Well I could try and find us some towels..." he looked around the swimming pool like they might just magically appear, "Alright stay here, I'll go look for some towels."

I nodded my understanding, and watched him walk away. I picked up the torch I had dropped when he picked me up and shined it across the room. I could tell it was a beautiful room, but I could only try and put together the little bits and pieces that my beam allowed me to see. How I longed to go and explore the entire TARDIS, but I knew I couldn't without getting lost. So I admired my room, and waited for the Doctor to come back.

"Alright," he said coming back, "I found some towels, and some blankets." He handed me a towel and some blankets. I got up off of the floor and let out a yawn, and then started drying myself off. The Doctor didn't seem too concerned with his clothes, and let me use all the blankets.

"Why don't we try and find your old room? I'm sure we can find some dry clothes in there," he told me. I nodded in agreement. I wrapped my blankets around me and let the Doctor lead the way. He looked back every so often to make sure I was keeping up. After a while, I started to lag behind a little, it just seemed like he was walking so fast.

"Doctor could you slow down a bit?" I called after him when I turned a corner and could no longer see him.

He walked from around a corner and walked up to me, "Why are you walking so slow?" he teased.

"I'm tired," I said with a yawn.

"Oh alright," he said and put an arm around me and started leading me, "I understand, what, with all the pie making you've been doing."

"Oh shut up," I laughed. I started to stumble a little bit, too tired to move my own feet properly.

The Doctor caught me as I fell, and supported my weight.

"Just a bit further," he told me.

I nodded, but I could feel myself slipping away. Suddenly, my entire body collapsed, but the Doctor caught me and carried me like a bride.

"Goodnight Captain," I heard him say.

"Goodnight Soldier," I murmured back.