Author's note: 2020 grinds on and on and on. I hope that this chapter finds you all safe and healthy! I'm sorry it's been a few months since I've updated, but it's been really difficult to try to bring together all the threads that I've been weaving for the past 400,000 or so words. And Jenny went quiet on me again. She is going to drive me insane at this rate! I hope to have the next chapter up in the next few weeks! Thank you all for sticking through this crazy year with me, inspiration has been hard to come by with the state of the world but I feel like it's finally back for a spell. Enjoy!
"I'm going to head into town for some more supplies." Jenny stood up from her perch besides Alec's makeshift bed, her eyes lingering on the pale features that hadn't improved in the last few days.
She was getting concerned with his wasting sickness and the fact that no matter what she tried to do, he didn't seem to be coming out of it. She tried to remember her own brushes with the illness after her regenerations, but other than the first one when she'd come back from being truly dead, none had ever lingered this long.
Alec struggled to shift position, unable to hide the wince that accompanied his movement even as he forced himself to sit upright. "Jenny, you can't keep leaving the Tardis. Someone will start to wonder where you're staying if you keep coming from the same direction where there are no homes or buildings."
Jenny crouched back down next to Alec, the concern that was written plainly on his face was almost painful to see and she hesitated for a moment before she shook her head. "You're not healing like you should be, Alec. It's been nearly two weeks and your leg hasn't begun to set at all. I don't understand why you're just wasting away, but I've got to figure out a way to get us some medical help. Or to get off this planet before it's too late."
Alec reached up to grab her hand as she started to straighten back up again, his grasp stopped her movement even as her eyes flew to his. "You can't go out there in a panic, Jenny. You need to stop and think about what you're planning to do and talk to me before trying to rush off in an attempt that may get you captured, or worse, killed. You know that you need to be calm and methodical, especially now on a planet where we don't know what's going on and one of us is injured."
Jenny took a deep breath and nodded, her hand gripping his tight before she replied, "You're right, Alec. I don't know what I was thinking. I can't risk you being trapped here alone if I'm caught by the authorities. As it is, I think we're going to need to find a way to move to a different town soon here. People are starting to get suspicious that I've been able to stay as long as I have without any of them knowing where I'm staying."
She nibbled on her lower lip, before she shook her head. "I'm just going to go out and get some food to hold us for the next few days, Alec. We'll plan our next steps and maybe you can help guide me through some more repairs of the ship to see if we can coax even a short journey out of her." She arched an eyebrow when he grumbled at the last comment, her eyes pointedly looking down to his leg before she murmured, "Don't be stubborn, Alec. You know that you're in no shape to be making repairs right now. Let me try to do the work for you." Alec settled back with a scowl, though he knew that she was right.
There was a faint hum that echoed through the large chamber in response to her words, but it was dim and barely recognizable, just like the light from the walls that seemed to get weaker with every passing day. Jenny smiled softly at the faintly glowing coral, feeling the faint flutter in her mind before the ship fell silent once more. She was concerned that Alec's wasting sickness was actually connected with the damage to the Tardis, and that as the ship slipped further away, she was dragging him with her.
Alec frowned softly, cursing his inability to move because of a broken leg that should have been well on towards setting and knew that he wasn't going to stop her from leaving the Tardis. He'd done all that he could in warning her to be careful, and there was no denying that their supplies were running low. He'd known that this trip outside the Tardis was coming for the past few days, it had only been a matter of time before she'd worked the courage up to make another trip out into the strange world beyond the ship.
"I'll see what I can do while you're away. It doesn't hurt as much now when I merge with the Tardis, maybe she can give me an idea of where she's still bleeding energy and we can patch her up a little better."
He didn't dare say that he was afraid it was only a matter of time before the infant ship succumbed to the horrific damage she'd suffered carrying him safely through the void and back into this universe. He didn't want to think about the void that would suddenly yawn open inside of him, and how that, though he could feel Jenny's hesitant presence in his mind, the loss of the bond with the Tardis would be completely debilitating.
Jenny took Alec's hand one more time, her grip caused him to lift his gaze to hers and he smiled softly at the tender look that he saw. "Come back to me, Jenny. You're all that we've got in this universe."
She nodded and on impulse, leaned close to brush a soft kiss to his brow. "I'll be back, Alec. Don't worry so much. This isn't the first time I've gone out on a supply run."
Alec couldn't shake that feeling that something was very different about this trip, but he couldn't pinpoint his concerns enough to properly convey them to her. And so, she pushed herself to her feet before she lost her nerve and quickly made her way to the opening in the side of the ship.
She paused there and looked back toward him one more time before she stepped out into the searing world beyond.
The Doctor led the way into the small town, his hand gripping the sonic screwdriver tight. He felt Donna and Wilf close behind him, but he couldn't keep the fear from building within him with each step.
He knew that whatever was happening on this planet may have been a direct result of the confrontation with the Master in Kasterborous, and that it was up to him to figure out what had happened and how best to fix it.
He glanced back at Donna, his hearts clenching hard when she boldly met his gaze with her head held high. The sensation from the temporal rifts on the planet was overwhelming and Donna kept shaking her head from time to time to try to clear some of the cobwebs from her mind.
When his thoughts connected with hers, he felt nothing but pure determination and conviction that no matter how difficult it was for her, she was not going to leave his side.
Wilf walked very close to her side, his aged face lined with concern as he watched the two of them fighting a mental battle the likes of which he couldn't even imagine. He didn't know half of what was going on, but the Doctor and Donna were frightened about whatever was going on here and that meant he'd better make sure that he kept a sharp eye out for anything that might be out of sorts.
"Doctor, how will we be able to understand people when we get to town? Have you been here before that you can speak the language?"
The Doctor's slowed down at Wilf's question, grateful for the distraction that pulled him out of his troubled thoughts and brought him back to the excitement a new companion always felt when they visited their first truly alien planet.
"You don't have to worry about that, Wilf. The Tardis translation circuits will take care of that for you. You'll be able to understand everything people say, and they'll be able to understand you too!"
Wilf guffawed and looked to Donna with a laugh, "Now you're really pulling my leg! I'm not wearing any special headphones or anything to get a translation! And how does your ship understand the language different people speak if you've never been to this planet before?"
Wilf thought he had caught the Doctor there and was quite proud of himself for catching the alien up, though by the smile on Donna's face he wasn't so sure that he'd caught the Doctor so neatly.
The Doctor beamed at Wilf, his old fun-loving self breaking through the melancholy that seemed to have settled over the man ever since they'd landed on this strange world. "She's in your mind, Wilf and translates the words for you even as you hear them. She's fluent in millions of languages, and if these people are of any species similar to any we've encountered over the millennia then she will be able to extrapolate any dialects to help you communicate effectively."
Donna laughed softly when she saw the thunderstruck look on her grandad's face, her mind flashing back to her first trip on the Tardis when she'd realized she was speaking another language. "It's really amazing, Gramps. My first experience with the translation circuits was during our trip to Pompeii, where I was speaking to everyone in Latin!"
The Doctor nodded enthusiastically as they finally arrived at the edge of the town and started to make their way through the dusty streets. Some buildings were tall with rather ornate windows and sculptures, while other newer buildings were built much closer to the ground with very few windows and what looked to be steps leading down into the dwellings.
"That's strange. Some of these buildings don't quite look like they belong in this type of climate."
The Doctor stepped close to one of the larger buildings, touching the white surface that felt remarkably like stucco back on earth though it had a grainier quality to it. He ran the sonic screwdriver over the surface and looked down at the reading with a small frown before he took a step towards one of the newer, shorter buildings.
Donna gasped when she saw the golden filament flicker to life nearly at her feet, the undulating strand led down the street and right to what seemed to be the middle of town. "Doctor."
"Hmm?" He turned back to look at Donna, his mind already on another tangent as he was fascinated with the two conflicting architectural styles in the town. He blinked a few times when he saw that Donna was staring intently down the street, her gaze looking right through the few locals who barely paused to notice the newcomers.
"What is it, sweetheart?" Wilf was standing close to Donna, though he couldn't help the curious look that he gave to the locals that were walking further down the street though a few looked up and one even waved in greeting before moving on about their business. "They look almost human, Doctor!"
"Keep your voice down, Wilf. We don't want to seem too surprised by their appearances, we just need to act like we're travelers on a journey and that we're passing through. No need to draw unnecessary attention to ourselves."
The Doctor's mind reached out to Donna's, his hands clenching for a moment when he felt the strange shift in his perception that he always did when he allowed himself to see as she did. He instantly saw the golden filament undulating along the ground at their feet, dancing lazily in some unseen current before fading away once more.
Donna looked up at the Doctor, her mind holding tight to his as she whispered, "What is it, Doctor? Why have I been seeing this all across the universe?"
Her voice cracked and for a brief moment she looked like she was about to burst into tears before she took a deep breath in order to try to steady her nerves.
Wilf was practically dancing on his feet at her side, his gaze darting from Donna to the Doctor and back again as he tried to figure out how best to help his granddaughter.
The Doctor frowned as he let his mind slip from hers once more, the loss of contact as always was almost painful but he couldn't afford to be distracted by any extraneous stimuli. Donna's perceptions, unfortunately, took all of his concentration even at the best of times.
"I don't know what it is, Donna. But it's obviously linked to whatever the augers saw if it's on this planet in this time frame. At least we know now to be on our guard and ready for anything that might happen."
He tried to force a smile on his face as he looked at Donna and Wilf, and he was itching to pull Donna into his arms but he wasn't quite ready to make a scene.
"Let's keep going and see what we can find. The main square or local market is usually a good place to blend in and ask questions without being too obvious."
Wilf tried to control the thrill of excitement he felt, which hardly seemed appropriate when his only granddaughter was distraught. But he was on an alien world!
Donna turned and brushed a soft kiss to his cheek. "It's alright to be excited, Gramps. This is your first real alien world. I'd be worried if you weren't excited."
Wilf jumped when Donna kissed his cheek, his eyes going wide at her words before he laughed softly and looped his arm through hers. "I keep forgetting you can read my mind now, Sweetheart. I'm going to have to watch what I'm thinking from now on."
Donna flushed at her grandfather's words before she replied, "Don't worry about that, Gramps. The Doctor told me how rude that was and I honestly didn't mean to do it. Your thought just sort of popped into my head."
The Doctor laughed as he led the way into the town square, his head turning to take in the locals who were bustling down the streets and entering in and out of some of the larger buildings. "You were thinking rather loudly there, Wilf."
"Now hold on a minute, how can a person think loudly? I was just thinking like I always do."
Donna chuckled and squeezed her granddad close as the Doctor turned and headed towards a street that was covered with colorful awnings and seemed to be busier than the square that they were in.
Donna gasped as the golden thread flickered into existence again. The faint ribbon flowed down a side street where she just saw a woman with dark hair duck into a small building with an unfamiliar sign over the door before the thread vanished again.
Shaking her head, she turned back as the Doctor started chatting about trade and commerce in the three galaxies in the seventh millennium.
Jenny walked into town on the southern access road though it was on the complete opposite end of town from where the ship was resting. She had made sure to circle wide out through the other side of the salt flats before joining the road as it entered the town.
She wore a light jacket that seemed at odds with the warmth of the air around her, but she'd learned rather painfully that exposed skin could burn very quickly in this harsh environment.
She'd never quite been able to take to the local custom of covering her head in the heat of the day, which seemed to further set her apart from the local population but then most of the off worlders never adopted that particular custom.
The people of Bir Tochter were a reserved people who seemed to have been beaten down through many adversities over which they'd had no control. Whatever had happened or begun to happen more than twenty years ago had trained them to keep their mouths closed around strangers and even more had led to an inherent mistrust of off worlders. They were never violent, or overly rude but they would let you know that you weren't welcome if you started to ask too many questions.
Jenny had enough money for probably another two or three weeks of supplies and then she was going to have to figure out what she was going to do if Alec didn't start to heal. As long as he was in the wasting sickness, he ate enough for three men and more often than not he was still hungry when she scooped up the last of their meager meal and gave it to him.
She had just found him and already she was afraid that he was slipping away from her faster than she could save him.
Her first stop was at the little butchers on the south side of town, the couple who ran the store was more welcoming to strangers than many others, most likely because of their chosen profession, but she never pushed more than was prudent.
"Ah, Jenny! I was worried you'd moved on. How is your friend faring?" Bardjuna, the shopkeeper, greeted Jenny with a warm smile that was always a respite in an otherwise hostile world. She was more talkative than her husband, Kedram, and she usually would reminisce with her for a while about the old days before he would admonish her to stop talking the poor girl's ear off. Jenny would always know that that was when she'd pushed her luck about as far as she could and she would bid them thanks and a farewell.
She returned the smile with a small look of concern though she noticed that Kedram was not in the small shop at the moment and she instantly felt a little more at ease. "He's still eating enough for three men, but then you know how men can be."
Bardjuna laughed softly and nodded in agreement, "Men do seem to be bottomless pits when it comes to their stomachs! What can I get for you this time? Unfortunately, supplies are low right now because the caravan hasn't come to town for the month yet and so we're having to ration what we have until it does."
Jenny felt a small thrill of alarm at Bardjuna's words though she tried not to let her concern show as she asked, "Is it normal for the caravan to be this late?"
Jenny pointed to several smaller cuts of meats that she knew she could make last longer if she cut them up and used them in stews with some small vegetables to fill out the meal. Though Alec never complained, she knew that he was tired of stew and, to be honest, so was she.
The shopkeeper pulled out the desired cuts of meat and began to carefully wrap them up as she shrugged, "It happens from time to time though this isn't the season for storms. I'm sure it's nothing and they'll be along any day now."
Jenny couldn't fail to notice the falsely cheery note in the woman's tone as she took the parcel and paid for her meat. She wanted to ask so much more but another customer chose that moment to enter the shop and she knew that she couldn't dawdle any longer. "Thank you, Bardjuna. Peace be with you."
Bardjuna smiled, "And with you, Jenny."
Jenny looked briefly at the other customer, a local who seemed to be a longtime patron of Bardjuna's who thankfully took no notice of her as she ducked out of the shop.
Jenny frowned as she stood outside of the butcher shop, her thoughts racing as she realized that it would be even harder and more expensive now to get supplies now that the caravan was delayed or missing.
Her small stash of money wouldn't last her for nearly as long as she thought it would. Maybe it was time she brushed off her skills as a soldier for hire and offered to go looking for the missing caravan. If anything, she could barter her skills for food and medical care for Alec.
She still had a few more stops to make before she made her way back to the ship, but her mind was already whirling with a million different possibilities as she walked out of the alleyway and brushed right past a silver haired older gentleman who seemed to be strangely out of place.
It was a measure of her preoccupation that she didn't even notice the man's strange off world clothing or the long brown coat that his companion wore. A coat that she hadn't seen in well over a century.