Ok, this was fun. Serious fun. With no further ado, here is the end of "42"!
.10.
42
Part Four
My body is on fire.
Not like the vortex manipulator. No, that's a gentle burning in comparison to this overwhelming inferno. I stumble back, hitting the wall. I think I'm on my back on the floor now.
I squeeze my eyes shut as tight as possible.
Someone is screaming.
The pained, ripped feeling in my throat makes me think it was me.
Burn with me…
Something is inside me! Something is in my head!
I cry out again, flopping to my stomach, reaching out for nothing, nails digging into the metal floor.
I can fight this. I can fight this long enough for the Doctor to come back. He can save me.
Even with my eyes closed, the world is blinding.
Why oh why did I look into the sun? Isn't that the first thing they teach you as a kid? Don't look into the sun or a creature will inhabit your body, forcing you out, and kill all your friends!
My stomach cramps. I curl into a ball.
"Lily?"
My head automatically moves toward the sound of his voice.
"Stay away from me!" I cry. My voice is deep, demonic.
Two blessedly cool hands grip my face. The heat abates for a moment, but then the hands are gone and I want to weep for their return.
"What's happened?" a familiar voice asks. McDonnell?
I'm vaguely aware of a buzzing sound, then the Doctor's voice growling. "It's your fault, Captain McDonnell!"
My heart skips a couple beats. My muscles constrict and I open my mouth in a silent scream.
"Riley! Get down to area 10 and help Scannell with the doors. Go!"
Like something from a thousand miles away, I realize that the Doctor saved Martha and Riley. But… is the Doctor ok?
"Doctor," I say, strangled. My voice sounds almost normal.
Those two cool hands are back, one on my forehead and one around my waist, helping me sit up. "I'm here, Lillian."
"Did it get you?" My voice is barely even a whisper.
The cool hand leaves my forehead to wrap around my torso. My forehead is instead pressed against a cool neck. "No," he says. "I'm going to save you," he promises.
"I know."
I don't know if I actually said the words out loud. The world is spinning and I'm not far from the brink of fainting.
Burn with me.
I struggle to stay conscious. Distantly, I feel myself being lifted up, an arm under my knees and another around my back. I want to wrap my arms around the person's neck, but my limbs just flop around, useless. I think the person who's holding me is running now, by the way the world is bobbing around.
The Doctor's voice shouts from far away. "You mined that sun! Stripped its surface for cheap fuel! You should have scanned for life!"
"I don't understand." McDonnell's words are close to an adult from Charlie Brown.
"Doctor, what are you talking about?" Martha, I think.
"That sun is alive! A living organism! They scooped out its heart, used it for fuel, and now it's screaming!"
McDonnell's voice trembles. "What do you mean? How can a sun be alive? Why's he saying that?"
"Because it's living in me," I whisper.
At least, I think I whispered it. The world grows brighter. Human-like shapes shadow the brightness. Did I just open my eyes? I didn't want to do that!
"Oh my god…"
Something wraps around my eyes and the brightness abates. I squeeze my eyes shut.
Burn with me!
The Doctor's anger rumbles through his chest. "Humans! You grab whatever's nearest and bleed it dry!"
An especially intense pain cramps my stomach. I scream, ripping my throat in agony.
"You should have scanned!" His voice is becoming panicked.
"It takes too long!" McDonnell says. "We'd be caught! Fusion scoops are illegal."
I bury my face into the cool neck. "You've got to freeze me," I mumble against it.
"What?" the Doctor's anguish is echoed by Martha.
"Stasis chamber! You gotta keep me… below minus 200. Freeze it out of me!" I lift my head high enough that when I speak, I feel my lips graze an ear. "It'll use me to kill you if you don't! The closer we get to the sun, the stronger," my head rips back and another scream tears out of me. "It gets!"
"Lily," the Doctor's voice cracks. "A human cannot survive that."
The bobbing stops. I suddenly feel a cold hard surface on my back as more heat swirls around my mind. A hand grips mine.
"I don't know what else to do." A tear boils off my skin.
In the background, I hear other voices, possibly Martha and McDonnell, but they all fade away in comparison to the Doctor's.
A moment's hesitation, then the hand leaves mine. "I do." Two hands press against my cheeks again. "Lily, open your eyes."
My head jerks violently back and forth. "No."
"Lily, please. I can survive it. You can't."
A part sob, part laugh escapes me. "After I told you not to look into the sun? I tried to save you from being taken over, Doctor."
"Lillian Meyers, you brilliant girl, you're going to open your eyes now and we're both going to survive this. Tomorrow you can say hello to my next regeneration."
"Time doesn't always work like that."
"Impact in 7.30."
Stupid computer always interrupting serious moments.
Something presses against my forehead. Was that a kiss?
"Please. Open your eyes. For me?"
Taking a final shaky breath, I open my eyes.
"Burn with me," the words escape out of my chest.
For a moment, the inferno peaks and I think I'm going to melt.
Then, just like that, it's gone.
I sit up, gasping. Martha and McDonnell are staring at me, shocked. I'm sitting on the bed of the stasis chamber in the med center.
"Where's the Doctor?" I ask.
Before anyone can answer, I hear him. He's groaning in agony to my right. I look over the bed. He's laying there, twitching, eyes squeezed so tight, they're more like two thin lines.
Shit.
I roll off the bed, landing next to him. My knees give out.
"Help me get him in the stasis chamber!" I order, picking up his left arm and trying to scoop him up by his thin torso.
The two women break out of their shock and help me lift him up. Once he's placed there, Martha grabs what I think is an instruction manual.
"I can do it!"
The Doctor reaches out a hand. "Martha? Lily? Where are you?"
I grab his hand. "It's alright. I'm here."
Martha goes to his other side. "It's me. Here I am!"
The Doctor nods, then jerks into half a fetal position. "Stasis chamber, minus 200."
Martha nods. "You sure?"
"I can take it."
"No, you don't know how this equipment works!" McDonnell says. "You'll kill him! Nobody can survive those temperatures!"
Martha glares at her. "He's not human! If he says he can survive, then he can."
"Let me help you then!"
"You've done enough damage."
I squeeze the Doctor's hand as a particularly violent tremble rips through his body. "Where's Abi?"
"Helping Riley and Scannell with the doors," McDonnell says.
I nod. "Go switch with her. We could use her here instead."
McDonnell glares at me. I set my jaw, staring at her as if she doesn't matter anymore. With a final glance at the Doctor, she turns away and leaves the room.
The Doctor screams, jerking again. "Ten seconds. That's all I'll be able to take. No more! Martha!"
She looks up from the equipment, her face in agony, confusion, and sadness. "Yeah?"
I smooth the Doctor's hair from his forehead as he gurgles. "It's burning me up. I can't control it. If you don't get rid of it…" His voice changes, becomes deeper, sinister. "I could kill you. I could kill you all." His body unclenches and he's gasping for breath. He whispers, "I'm scared! I'm so scared!"
Martha takes control, thank god. I might weep if I try to talk right now. "Just… stay calm. You saved me, now I return the favor. Just… just believe in me." She turns her concentration back to the machine.
The Doctor starts rocking from side to side. "It's bloody killing me! Then what'll happen?"
I take a deep breath, nodding for Martha to continue working. "Shh…" I kneel down so I'm closer to him. "That's enough! We've got you!"
"Martha!" he cries. "There's this process. This… this thing… that happens… if I'm about to die."
I press a finger to his lips. "Shh… quiet now. Cause that is not gonna happen." I lean closer, whispering in his ear now. "I know how you regenerate, Doctor. It's not like this. Not at all."
Martha takes a shaky breath. "You ready?"
I nod, even as the Doctor cries out, "No!"
I release his hand as Martha presses in a series of commands, causing the Doctor's bed to slide into the stasis chamber. After a couple more seconds of button pressing, we lock eyes. I'm biting my lip. She's almost crying.
She presses a button.
I don't even want to describe the sound of his agony.
Stumbling away from the stasis chamber, I go to a wall, leaning my forehead against a wall.
"Heat shields failing at five percent."
I close my eyes.
This is officially too much for me.
A moment later, the stasis chamber cuts off.
I spin around.
The Doctor, already covered in ice crystals, screams out. "No! Martha you can't stop it! Not yet!"
She turns to me, panicking. "What's happened?"
McDonnell interrupts us. "Power's been cut in engineering."
Abi rushes to Martha's side and starts pushing buttons, trying to get everything back up.
"But who's down there?" I ask McDonnell. Then gasp and press both my hands to my mouth. Oh, god… it's Korwin.
Her face is set, knowing. "Leave it to me."
She leaves. To go kill her husband.
"Impact in 4.47."
Martha slaps the stasis chamber. "Come on! You're defrosting."
The ice crystals are gone already. I run to Martha and Abi, but there is little I could do to help.
"Lily! Martha! Listen!" the Doctor calls for us. We both peak our head inside. "I've only got a moment. You've gotta go!"
"No way!" Martha says.
"Get to the front! Vent the engines! Sun particles in the fuel! Get rid of them!"
I shake my head. "I am not leaving you!"
"You've got to! Give back what they took!"
Martha clutches the edge of the stasis chamber. "Doctor!"
He starts convulsing, screaming again. "Please! Go!"
Abi clears her throat. "I'll stay here. When the power comes back on, I'll take care of him."
Martha and I glance at each other. We nod.
"I'll be back for you," Martha promises, dodging away from the stasis chamber.
"Me too," I add.
"Impact in 4.08."
Taking a deep breath, I follow Martha, but turn back just before I leave the room.
"Lily!" the Doctor cries.
"Yeah?"
He's almost crying. "Are you sure I survive? Because it does not bloody feel like it."
I bite my lip. "Do you trust me?"
He doesn't even hesitate. "With my life."
I smile. It feels weird in the situation, but I can't help it. "You'll be fine."
"Impact in 3.43," the computer says as I run as fast as I can down the halls to the front of the ship. Martha is far enough ahead of me that I can't even see her at this point. "Survival element protection zero percent."
"Lillian! Martha!"
I've entered section six at this point, but slide to a stop at the sound of the Doctor's voice over the intercom.
"Doctor?" I shout. Martha echoes a second after me.
"What are you doing?" she continues.
"I can't fight it. Give it back or… Burn with me. Burn with me, Abi!"
Shit. Shit, shit, shit!
I turn around and run back through section 7. "Martha, get to the engines! I'm going back to the Doctor! Abi, just run!" Nothing. "Abi, answer me!"
"I'm here," she calls. She sounds breathless. "He left the med center, but he collapsed not far from it."
"Get to the engine room," I order her. "I'll take care of him."
At this point, we cross paths. Abi and I don't even look at each other as we switch places.
"Impact in 1.21."
I hear the Doctor's screams. I'm close now.
I jump through the last section and spot the Doctor laying on his side, unmoving. I scramble to him, sliding to my knees. I pick up his head and place it on my lap.
He begins to open his eyes.
I quickly cover them with both my hands.
"No, Doctor," I say, trying to sound soothing, but I think I'm coming across as scared. "Just a few more seconds and everything will be okay."
He starts to scream again. His body is glowing gold. It's not regenerative energy. It's because of the sun. He starts thrashing again and his moans are deeper and deeper still.
I do something very stupid.
I drop his head out of my lap. Not thinking twice about it, I sit on his chest, wrapping my feet around his shins to try to stop the thrashing. I hold down his arms, but then he starts to open his eyes. I leg go of his arms so that I can cover his eyes.
I swear to god, this is not sexual in the least for me.
With my free right hand, I grab his left arm and pin it between myself and his chest. Then I do the same with his right. The entire time, he's trying to toss me off of him. I've never been good at riding a bull, but so far, I've been keeping my balance.
"Just calm down, Doctor," I say, digging my knees into his thighs to calm his ministrations. "Fight it. Don't let it take over."
"Impact in 1.06."
I close my eyes and press my head against my hands, elbows out, trying to keep him pinned. My strength is quickly diminishing.
The Doctor screams, louder than ever before.
His hot breath causes me to jerk back.
The glowing abates.
I remove my hands from his eyes. He opens them. I flinch, but they are back to normal.
He's breathing hard. I just stare at him, shocked. He blinks up at me, confused.
Then I smile and collapse on top of him, hugging him to me as hard as I can. His arms wrap around me, and he returns the hug.
"Told you," I joke.
"Impact averted. Impact averted."
The Doctor laughs in relief, pushing my face into his neck. "Yes, you did."
His hand falls away from my head and I push myself up so that I can look in his now brown eyes. They gaze at me, questioning.
"Why are you on top of me?"
Blushing, I scramble off him, sitting against the wall instead. "You were thrashing a lot. I didn't want you to hurt yourself."
He rises to his knees, then sits next to me. He takes my chin in his hand, turning my head so I'd look at him. "Thank you."
His sincere tone makes my stomach jump. I don't know how to answer.
Eyes locked, we just stare at each other.
And I do the second most stupid thing I've done that day.
I run my fingers through his hair, thrilled at the texture. He caresses my cheek. When my fingers find there way to the back of his head, I yank him forward and our lips connect.
For a second, we're both shocked at my forwardness.
Then I sink into the texture of his lips and he grips my waist tightly in both hands. One of us groans; I can't be sure, but it might have been him. He pulls me closer and the kiss deepens. I tangle my fingers in his amazing hair. We're somehow laying down with him on top of me now. Just as his tongue connects with mine, I realize what the hell I'm doing and I push his chest.
He doesn't jump away from me. He flies.
I cover my mouth with my hand. He stares at me in shock, breathing heavily.
"Doctor!" Martha cries.
I scramble another inch away from him as Martha appears from around the corner. I drop my hand from my mouth, but my lips feel like they're swollen to double their size. Who knew the Doctor was a nibbler? No! No! Bad, bad thought! Just stop it.
I'm sure Martha is going to know what just happened between us.
But the Doctor tears his eyes away from me and stands, pulling Martha into a hug, lifting her off the ground. They're both giggling, happy to be alive.
I run my hand over my face and stand, using the wall to help support me. My knees feel like jelly.
"You're ok!" Martha exclaims. He releases her and she pulls me into a hug as well. "You're both ok!"
Over Martha's shoulder, I meet the Doctor's eyes.
I can't read them.
Later, we're standing in front of the Tardis, with the whole crew. Well, not really. We're minus Korwin, McDonnell, and Ashton. They couldn't be saved, unfortunately.
But Abi is alive and well, so there's something, I suppose.
Scannell and Riley are staring at the Tardis in awe.
"This is never your ship!" he says.
The Doctor grins. "Compact! Eh! And another good word, robust! Barely a scorch mark on her."
Martha comes around from the back of the Tardis. "We can't just leave them drifting with no fuel."
Abi speaks up. "We've sent out an official mayday. The authorities will pick us up soon enough."
"Though how we explain what happened…" Scannell scratches his head.
The Doctor pushed the Tardis door open. "Just tell them. That sun needs care and protection, just like any other living thing." He nods at the crew, then locks eyes with me and motions for me to follow him. I nod.
"Bye everyone," I say, waving. As everyone says good-bye, I follow the Doctor into the Tardis. Martha lags behind.
The Doctor runs a finger over the console as he walks around it. "What happened earlier…"
I gulp and interrupt him. "I think we were just both happy to be alive. It was nothing."
He pauses, then looks up at me. "I trust you with my life, Lily," his voice is low. "But I can't trust you with my hearts."
I think my mind just exploded. "I'm not asking you to!"
He pauses, taking that little nugget of information in. This is worse than when 11 kissed me. Much worse.
"How did you know about the fuel?"
I shake my head. "I can't tell you. You'll find out later."
He scratches the back of his head. "This is why I can't…" he drifts off.
I step forward. "Can't what?"
"Never mind."
I want to continue this conversation, but the door to the Tardis closes and Martha waltzes up to us, a silly smile on her face. "So! Didn't really need you in the end, did we?" Her smiles fades as she inspects our sad, distant faces. I would like to curl up into a corner and cry, though I don't exactly understand why. "Sorry. How're you doing? Both of you?"
I don't say anything as the Doctor suddenly starts punching coordinates into the console. "Now! What do you say? Ice skating on the mineral lakes of Calhan. Fancy it?"
Martha's shoulders drop. "Whatever you like."
The Doctor sighs and looks away from the console. He pulls something out of his pocket. "By the way, Martha, you'll be needing this." He dangles a Tardis key from his fist.
I repeat: he dangles ONE Tardis key.
I think my heart just broke.
Martha, however, is ecstatic. "Really?"
He grins. "Frequent Flier's Privilege." The key slowly drops into her waiting hand. Then he grips her shoulders and looks deep into her eyes. "Thank you."
She pulls the Tardis key over her neck when he releases her. "Don't mention it." He turns away to tinker with the console again. She gasps suddenly. "Oh no! Mum!" She goes off into a corner, clutching her cell phone.
I lean against a column, arms crossed. "I don't suppose there is anything in your pockets for me," I ask the Doctor.
He doesn't look at me. "No."
Why don't you just stab me, Doctor? It would hurt less.
"Right," I sigh. "So that's how it is?"
"Until I learn more about you, yes."
I close my eyes, trapping the tears that threaten to fall. I think about the texture of his lips on mine and a tear does fall.
"Right," I repeat.
And pray the vortex manipulator will take me away from here.
But it doesn't.