Jurassic TARDIS Ch. 11

Haley pulled at the door handle, letting out a distressed sigh when she found it locked. In her emotionally compromised state, she began banging against the metal, tears threatening to fall. The Doctor slowly lifted his right arm from his side and pulled his sonic out of his inside pocket, a smirk playing at his lips. "There's no need for all that."

The screwdriver whirred in its usual key, sending sparks flying around the hinges as the door jutted open. Clara put a hand on Haley's shoulder as the Doctor passed her the sonic. It was covered in red.

Looking at the two broken forms in front of her, one crying from remorse and one holding his side in pain, Clara realized she was the only hope in saving the day. It was time for the Impossible Girl to do something Impossible.

The velociraptor was still in the cage, and had begun barking when the door had blown open. Caine was staring at the three figures with nothing but fury in his eyes. "How did you manage that?"

The Doctor limped forward another step. "You're not very good at tying knots. It's no wonder you're still single."

A flash of a grin appeared on Clara's face before the Doctor heaved a great sigh and closed his eyes. "Doctor, let me handle this."

His blue eyes looked into hers with thankfulness and he quickly leaned against the wall, barely standing. Clara glanced to Haley and took her hand. Together they stepped forward.

"What; do you think you're going to stop me? It's a bit late for that, sweetheart. The message has been sent. Reinforcements are coming. Now, you wanna do this the easy way or the hard way?"

Clara crossed her arms in defiance, though her heart was hammering in her chest. Caine's lips curled into a sneer. "Ah, come on! You've lost! Just go home. Toddle on. Leave this to the big boys."

Haley's hand fell out of Clara's grasp. Her eyes were lit. Her eyebrows were furrowed. Her shoes padded across the floor in five steps and the hand that had been holding Clara's whipped across her head scientist's face in a flurry of movement. Clara blinked a few times to make sure all of this had actually happened.

Caine rested a hand on his pink cheek, the sneer still stuck on his lips. Haley stood tall in front of him. "This woman is more of what society refers to as a 'man' than you could ever be, Caine."

"Do you think I care? I've won. My research will continue. I'll be the most famous paleontologist in all of time. All I need is the tracker and the screwdriv-"

Caine froze. Every muscle. Every inch of him. His eyes were still staring into Haley's, but they now held only fear. "Wh-where'd you put the screwdriver?"

Clara held up the device, raising an eyebrow. "Why does it matter?"

Caine took a step back, his face falling. "Put that thing outside. Right now. Do it!"

Haley looked at the Sonic and back at the scientist. "Sir?"

"You idiots don't get it? Every one of my experiments has been signaled to it. I was going to disconnect it from here when you were killed. Now put that thing-!"

The door banged against the wall beside the Doctor, reverberating the sound through the whole lab a few times. Clara's eyes widened to their largest size possible. "Oh my God."

The Doctor ran as fast as he could over to where Clara and the scientists stood. Another velociraptor stood in the doorway, trailed by a small Dodo bird. The dinosaur in the cage was frantically banging against its prison, struggling to get out and reach its friend and prey.

Clara grabbed her human and Timelord companion by the shoulder and ushered them slowly backwards, towards the door to the garage. Caine fumbled his stun gun into his hands and shot at the raptors, sending them slowly to sleep as they lost their footing. "You bloody menaces!"

Clara couldn't tell if he meant them or the dinosaurs, but in either case, she quickened her pace, practically dragging her emotionally and physically wounded comrades through the chaos. The door to the garage was difficult to budge, especially with two full grown adults in tow, but Clara managed it with the adrenaline spurring her forward.

The sight of the glowing blue box lifted the young human's spirits as she pulled out the key, letting the others rest leaned against the doors as she did so. Her hand shook anxiously, but somehow she found the keyhole and pushed her way into the beloved time machine, the light flooding her like a welcome banner. The Doctor and Haley clumsily made their way into the ship, The Doctor grunting and Haley sniffing, and Clara followed soon after, shutting the doors heavily behind them.

She eased the Doctor to the floor and glanced at his injuries, which only seemed to be getting worse, before turning to Haley with determination written in her eyes. "I have to go stop him."

At this, the Doctor opened his eyes and attempted to stand, but Clara gently pushed him back down to lean against the console. "Clara; no; don't go out there on your own."

"Someone has to set this right."

Clara wrapped his coat tighter around him and put a hand on his face. "I'll be back soon. Just stay here and take care of yourself."

Clara stood as the Doctor's eyes fluttered closed. Quietly, he breathed her name. It broke her to see him this fragile, but it also sparked an anger in her she had never really known. The man whose voice had turned armies away; whose mere presence sparked fear in the cruelest of people; was now reduced to a whisper, curling in on himself. Her Doctor; and Caine had hurt him. Hot red sparks flew around Clara's subconscious. Maybe later there would be time for thinking and debating, but for now there was action to take.

Haley was hugging her knees on the floor, staring into a spot in the distance. Clara knelt in front of her. "Hey, Haley? I know how awful this day has been, but I really need you to watch him for me, okay? Don't let him be an idiot. If anything happens, tell me. Okay?"

Haley nodded in agreement. Clara stood nervously, gazing at the doors with growing hesitation. "I'll be back soon."

After one last look at the small forms of her friends, Clara exited the safety of the TARDIS with one thought on her mind: she was going to save the Doctor, Haley, and all of those dinosaurs if it was the last thing she ever did.