He awoke with a start and was instantly blinded by the light...what?
What was he doing in the White Room...no scratch that, how had he gotten inside the TARDIS?
For a few moments he laid there, his mind confused by it. Then a sly smile crossed his face...how convenient; now he could do what he wanted and when he wanted.
He got off the bed and he stood for a second, just to adjust to the bright light.
Time to get out of here.
At first it seemed like nothing was wrong as he walked from the White Room towards the console room.
Then he started to hear it...the whispering. He ignored it, thinking it was the TARDIS showing her displeasure at him. He turned another corner and stopped; the whispering continued and he was beginning to discern words.
He let out a derisory snort and laughed.
"Do you really think that scares me? You really shouldn't have let me in."
The whispering stopped and he carried on. The corridor started to stretch, but he wasn't falling for that; he knew her inside out.
He made several more turns and expected to see a door, but there wasn't one.
"Come one, you know I'll rip you open if I have to."
The door remained absent and when the lights began to dim...oh ho, she was going to play mind games was she?
The lights went out, not even an emergency light glowed.
The silence was deafening and then he heard it...not the whispering this time but the clicking of claws on metal.
He smelt it before it launched itself at him...the wolf.
He couldn't stop the scream as it sunk its teeth into his calf. It felt like fire and it boiled his blood.
Something deep inside him snarled and with strength born of dark rage he tore his calf from its jaws. The pain was almost crippling and he knew the damage was severe...but his own blood-lust was up and in the dark he grabbed the wolf.
Rough fur filled his hands and he felt the snarl it gave in response vibrate through his whole body.
The wolf leaned in with its whole weight and it began to crush him. He tried to hold it off, his arms trembling with the effort. With a snarl that came from way down he pushed, and with a supreme effort he threw the wolf off.
Suddenly the lights came on and the wolf was gone, as was the pain.
He blinked and slowly got to his feet and began to laugh.
"Is that all you've got!" he yelled up at the ceiling. "You think you can break me with your flea ridden mutt!"
He wasn't expecting an answer...there was just silence. Then he heard it; a distant rumble.
"What now, an earthquake...really?"
The rumble became louder and he frowned...what...a wall of water burst round the corner and engulfed him.
Seska flinched when he heard the scream that came from the White room; the TARDIS was being harsh. He couldn't even imagine what was going on in his mother's mind.
He felt a hand squeeze his...Martha.
"This is so not right," he said as another scream bled through the door.
"No, it's not, but it's necessary. Sometimes you have to walk through hell to find redemption."
"If it doesn't destroy his mind," he said.
"If it does, then we deal with it. But you should trust the TARDIS, she loves him too."
She stood and stretched; they'd been sitting on the floor for a while.
"I think we should get some rest."
Seska shook his head. "You should go. The TARDIS will not be a safe place if this doesn't work."
"Not leaving," she replied.
"Please Martha...she...I...we don't want you to get hurt."
She sighed. "Fine, but you're not staying alone. Do you think she'll allow someone else in?"
Seska closed his eyes and then said. "Are you sure?"
He looked up at Martha.
"Ash, she says only Ash."
She nodded. "He will be okay, I know it. The universe isn't ready for there to be no him."
She left then, albeit reluctantly and the TARDIS placed the door a few feet away. She placed a hand on one of the coral struts and whispered.
"Make him better."
She was greeted by surprised faces.
"Where's Ash?" she said.
"He's gone," Gwen said.
"What do you mean gone?"
"He said he wanted some fresh air, that was ten hours ago. Jacks' out looking for him. Why?"
"The TARDIS, she wants him and she won't wait forever."
He burst out of the water and took in a huge lungful of precious air. The water had been a complete surprise.
His eyes were blurry from salt water and he swam towards what he hoped was a shore.
He crawled onto the sand and collapsed and exhaustion took him.
He never took in his surroundings...he really should have.
On a distant cliff top a metal city glinted in the sunlight and small figures could be seen flying like busy bees and the faint cry could be heard...
"All Daleks will board..."