"Hello, is someone there?" The frail voice asked from the bed, she knew the end was near for her, she had sent out messages to all of her old friends, asking for their time, wishing to share one final moment, with Jo, with Kate Lethbridge-Stewart, Maria, with Martha and Mickey, with all of them. Luke was home again, she was happy for that, Rani and Clyde visited for hours on end every day, sharing stories, telling her about their lives, K-9 was still always there, always alert, ready to do whatever his Mistress needed him to do. Mr Smith was there too, a constant companion, offering her comfort, stories from other cultures of what would happen, what was awaiting her. Sarah-Jane just knew, she was tired, tired of it all, and sad. The one message she had sent that she had hoped for a response for more than any had been unanswered. All of her old friends had come by, all who were still here, they had came to her, spoken to her, reminisced with her, all but one. Though she was not surprised. He didn't like goodbyes, she knew that better than almost anyone.
She had stopped another invasion, it seemed Earth was destined to find itself attacked nearly weekly, but she had stopped this one, sending them packing, as the Doctor would have done, not with violence, but with words where possible. Sadly, it had not been without cost. She had been hit with one of their weapons, and despite the best efforts of Mr Smith and K-9, she knew this was it. This type of wound couldn't be healed with some stitches, the cure for it would take millennia to be created, millennia was something she did not have, not without a TARDIS. She knew she would have to take solace in the fact that the Earth was safe.
'That, is worth my life, any day.' Sarah thought to herself before she was interrupted by a knock at the door.
"Come in!" Sarah called, forcing a smile onto her face, letting it drop as it was just Rani.
"Can I get you anything for the pain, Sarah Jane?"
"No, that's alright, thank you, Rani." Sarah coughed, wiping some blood away as she did. "Could I….Could I trouble you for something?"
"Anything." Rani promised.
"Has there been any word from him?"
"No, I'm sorry." Rani frowned. "We haven't heard anything from him. We made every attempt we could think of to contact him. All we can do is hope he comes, and if not...hope he comes at….the service." She finished awkwardly, not wanting to mention it around Sarah-Jane.
"I don't mind. I'm dying. I'll need a funeral, after all. I hope he does come then, to remember me as I was, if he won't come as I am." Sarah-Jane said with another cough. "Thank you, Rani." She smiled, a gentle dismissal, as Rani left the room, leaving Sarah-Jane to her thoughts and memories once again.
'I wonder what the Brigadier would think if he could see me now?' Sarah mused to herself. 'I imagine he would shake his head, tell me to get up and about, and to shake it off, or something to that affect.'
She laid in the bed, listening to the world pass by around her, until she moved with a start, she had heard that noise before, countless times! She knew who that was, it was the TARDIS, and with the TARDIS, came the Doctor!
"Rani!" Sarah-Jane called out excitedly, coughing as she did, Rani rushing into the room.
"Are you alright, Sarah-Jane, what's wrong?" She asked, eyes full of worry as she took in her friend's excited state.
"Did you hear? Did you see it?"
"See and hear what, Sarah?" Rani asked, confused.
"The TARDIS! The Doctor!" Sarah told her.
"I'm sorry, Sarah, but no." Rani stated gently, trying to let her friend down without hurting her too badly.
"I could have sworn I heard..." Sarah trailed off, feeling suddenly weaker than she had felt in weeks. If Rani hadn't seen or heard anything, how could she let her imagination get away with her?
"Are you ok, Sarah-Jane?" Rani asked her with another worried look.
"I'm fine, I'm sorry, Rani, I think…I think I need to rest for a little while. Please, can you go?" Sarah-Jane asked her sadly, as Rani nodded.
"I'll be downstairs if you need me, for anything." Rani told her.
There was another knock at the door. Sarah rolled her eyes, as she moved to get out of the bed. Maybe she did need to stand, talk a walk around the room at least. There was another tapping on the door, four knocks over and over.
"Alright, come in, Rani!" She called, finally pulling herself out of the bed as she heard the door close behind Rani.
"What do you want now, Rani?" She asked, looking up from the floor, to see a blonde woman in a trench coat and suspenders. "Who are you? What do you want?" Sarah-Jane asked, looking confusedly at the woman.
The stranger simply smiled before saying "Hello, Sarah-Jane."
Her eyes widened at that, taking in the new features, the eccentric style of clothing, and realising who was before her.
"Hello, Doctor." She said, her eyes welling up with tears at the sight of her old friend.
"I am so, so, sorry for what you've had to go through, what has happened because of me not being here for you."
"What are you talking about? This isn't your fault, you can't be everywhere, all the time, Doctor." Sarah-Jane tried to reassure her.
"I could have done more, stopped this, stopped everything." The Doctor rambled, tears coming to her cheeks as Sarah-Jane came around to her, cupping the Doctor's face and wiping away a stray tear.
"Doctor?" Sarah-Jane asked, gazing into her eyes as she did.
"Yes, Sarah-Jane?" The Doctor replied, unable to look away herself from her old friend.
"Let's run away together, one last trip?" She smiled.
"Anywhere in Time or Space, it would be my honour." The Doctor grinned, offering Sarah-Jane her hand, as she slipped her hand into the Doctor's, she knew, that the story would never truly end.
May even add more to this one day if wanted.