This had to be the stupidest thing she had ever done, she thought as she ran behind the Doctor. The legends were real. Very very real. Her breath got heavier and heavier. She could feel her legs becoming weak, her vision and thoughts becoming cloudy, and she knew she was on the verge of a panic attack. She focused on the embers floating off of the Doctor's torch. The heavy and thunderous footsteps echoed behind her, she squeezed her eyes tight as she ran faster and faster, attempting to focus on her heavy breathing until with a small umph she collided with the Doctor's back and fell to the floor. Quickly she stood and dusted herself.
She looked behind her, she couldn't see the creature anymore, but she could hear its footsteps and its thunderous roar as it echoed in the cave. Not daring to look away from where she had just come from, she asked, "Why did we stop?" No response. She could hear the footsteps of the Doctor pacing behind her, her heart beating faster and faster, and the creature's heavy feet coming closer to where they were. "There's nowhere else to go." She whipped her head around to look at him, his voice was different, he sounded lost. She studied his face. His brows furrowed. He looked her dead in the eyes, sadness, and guilt written across them. Her heart sank. A heavy knot stuck in her throat. "So, what now?" She looked up at him, her eyes widened with hope, she'd been in countless situations just like this one, and the Doctor always found a way out. "There has to be another way out." Quinn continued as she started to pace. "We can go back out there and take a different route." The Doctor said nothing. She looked over at him. He stared at her. Concentrating as he watched her pace. He could see her work through plans, her eyes glimmering with a speckle of hope, and then dissolving into disappointment as she found a flaw. He watched her run a hand through her tangled long black hair. She turned to look at him, "Right, that's risky…" She rested a hand on her chin and tapped her chapped lips with her index finger. She looked around the limestone yellow walls. The room was small. Not much larger than 6 by 8 feet. No exit except for where they came from. She let out a hefty sigh, "Well, maybe we can use the sonic to make a door?" She glanced over at him. He frowned and stood still. Staring straight at her without a word. She didn't know what had come over him. It was as if he was no longer the Doctor, well, at least not her Doctor. Her Doctor always knew what to do. He always took charge and made her feel safe and now, she thought, it was up to her. She had to find a way out. She had to go home. She had to keep the Doctor safe. Her lips twitched and she shook her head. "No, you're right, the sonic isn't a weapon. Well maybe-" She started as she began to pace again. "SHUT. UP." The Doctor screamed at Quinn. She slowly turned to face him, tilting her head as her black hair flipped behind her shoulder and cocked an eyebrow up at him in the process. "Excuse me?" She questioned.
Suddenly, the Doctor dropped to the floor. Quinn dropped to her knees beside him. He placed his ear to the floor and placed an index finger on his lips telling Quinn to quiet down. She opened her mouth to speak, fully ready to give an earful. "Listen." He whispered.
Quinn froze. She sucked in her breath and held it. She wasn't sure why but something about it seemed right. She elongated her neck and focused on listening. Nothing. She could hear nothing. She opened her mouth, and suddenly a loud explosion rang through the air. The Doctor jumped to his feet, Quinn's eyes bulged, the two looked each other in the eyes. Each saying a million words without a sound. Quinn slowly nodded her head in agreeance with the Doctor. The two bolted out of the corridor the Doctor took a right while Quinn hanged left.
Quinn ran in the darkness, cursing herself for not having the foresight to bring a torch with her, her legs grew heavy. Each step she took became harder and harder to take. Her knees buckled underneath her and she fell with a thud. She could feel the blood pulsing to her hands and knee. The sting grew worse and worse with every second. She took a moment to slowly get up and continued running for her life. Not much of a life she thought. She had ruined every single relationship she had. She thought back to Dax as she continued to run through the darkness. His chiseled and tan face. His golden eyes and his smile. His smile she thought, it could make all her troubles disappear.
She thought back to that day, she sat in the passenger seat of a black SUV. Dax was driving her through New York City. She remembered the way his eyes crinkled as he laughed at her stupid joke. "You know Quinnie, you never cease to amaze me." He told her in his thick South African accent. She beamed at him, lowered her sunglasses, and peered at him over them while arching an eyebrow. "Whatever do you mean?" She asked as she attempted to match his accent. "After what happened last month, how do you manage to stay so- so- vibrant?" He asked as he turned his head to face her. She shrugged her shoulders at him, "It doesn't mean it doesn't faze me." She almost whispered at him. " I-I just don't think about. Makes it easier to separate myself." She finished. Dax stole a look at her, she was smiling but her eyes gave away her sorrow. He sighed and reached out to hold her hand. "It's okay to regret—" He started as he rubbed his thumb in circles over her hand. "I-I don't regret it... Not really." She cut him off as she abruptly moved her hand away from his. She looked out the window to avoid his gaze. He let a deep sigh. "Alright." He said as he ran his hands over the top of his head.
She smiled at him but it quickly faded, "Dax!" She yelled, "Look out!" With a bang, everything went dark.
Quinn woke up with a splitting headache. She could feel the cuts on her knee and hands oozing blood. A bright light shined above her. Was she in a cave? "Are you okay down there?" Yelled a familiar and British voice. It wasn't the Doctor. But somehow she knew she had heard that voice. She said nothing. She slowly sat up and surveilled her surroundings. Darkness and more darkness. Incredible. Only she could make the bad turn to worse.
The Doctor came around the corner, his eyes widening as he took notice of the figure standing above the hole Quinn had fallen into. "YOU!" Boomed the Doctor. The light that shown on Quinn moved. Quinn attempted to see what the commotion was but the voices fell to a whisper. However, she knew she heard the Doctor. His voice was unmistakable. "SHE'S WHERE?!" The voice boomed again. Yep. Unmistakably her Doctor. "Doctor?" She yelled. "Quinn, are you okay?" She could vaguely see the Doctor's face peer down from above. Slowly she stood and dusted her clothing. She looked above, "Yeah, just a little bruised. But... Uh... I'm alive. Is that thing gone?" She asked him as she scrunched her eyes in an attempt to see him better. "Incapacitated." He stated. "Quinn?" Called the familiar voice, "It's Bill. We met a few days ago." Right, thought Quinn. It was that redheaded man she met when she first landed in Egypt. But what was he doing here of all places, she wondered. Then again, she could ask herself the same thing. "Yes, I remember." She called out to him as she looked around the room. She couldn't see much but from what she could make out there was nothing.
"That thing won't be incapacitated for long." Called out Bill, "Is there anything down there that you can use to climb out of there?" He asked her. Without thinking, Quinn turned her head to the left, "Yeah, let me check," she muttered as she threw her hands in the air exclaiming, "Wow, there's a rope ladder right here!" She turned around to her right, and exclaimed again, "And oh, would you look at that?! Silly me didn't notice these stairs!!" She looked up at Bill and the Doctor, placed her hands on her hips, and arched her eyebrow while continuing "Give me one second. I'll be right up." She could see the Doctor smirking and thought she saw a glint of pride in his eyes. "You know, you don't have to be sarcastic. I'm just trying to help." Retorted a moderately annoyed Bill. Quinn let out a heavy sigh and muttered, "Yeah, I know but that was a stupid question so you're going to get made fun of a little bit." She walked around in circles tuning in and out while Bill and the Doctor went over ideas.
"Look, I know you're afraid but I can make it so she won't remember" Argued Bill while attempting to be as quiet as possible. The Doctor said nothing simply stared daggers into Bill.
"Quinn" came a distant voice. Quinn turned her head towards the voice, she squinted her eyes in the hopes of finding the person calling out to her. She saw nothing, pure darkness around her. "Quinn," called out the voice, "This way Quinn." The voice continued.
Quinn slowly walked toward the voice, holding her hands out in an attempt to find her bearings. She walked for what seemed ages, until she came across a dimly lit tunnel. She stopped and leaned toward it hoping to see further down. No luck. She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ears and took a deep breath. "Hello," she called out, "is someone there?" She waited. All she could hear was the heavy and rapid beating of her heart. No one called out. She turned to look at the darkness behind her. She stood frozen for a moment.
What should she do, she thought. she could turn around and wait for the Doctor and Bill to help her out of the situation or she could be brave and venture out into the unknown. She took a deep breath, her heart continuing to beat in her ears. There was no guarantee she would be able to find her way back to where she started. She could see the way behind her. So she did her best be brave and walked further into the tunnel.