Yaz knew it was coming. She could feel it, slowly dumbing her senses and heightening the pain.
She had woken up that morning, and she had just known. She could feel the tingling in her neck, the dull aches in the back of her head. However, knowing she was going to be running around (as per usual in all their adventures), she swallowed back her emergency medication and went about her business. She hoped and prayed that it would kick in, just in time for the TARDIS doors to open to their next adventure.
Yaz had suffered from migraines throughout her teen years. It had been a terrifying experience the first time she had ever had one; she couldn't see, her body felt like lead and her brain was on fire. Since her diagnosis of chronic migraine, she had had many different types, some more debilitating than others. There had been periods in her youth when she couldn't get out of bed for days.
Her parents had fought her decision to become a police officer at first, concerned for her health. They would argue about the dangers, the late nights and unpredictable shift patterns that could make her worse. Get a steady job with a routine, they had begged her. Yaz wasn't going to let that happen. She had wanted to be a police officer since she was little, and she wasn't going to give up on her dream, just because of a medical condition.
Once they had seen how serious she was, they had conceded, and had even encouraged her to go for it. The thing was, they came and went; her migraines were not set in stone, and were not triggered by the same thing every time. They were unpredictable.
Since meeting the Doctor, Yaz hadn't had any. That was a miracle in itself, given that she was used to having a couple of bigger ones a week. It had been months, and Yaz couldn't have been happier. She hadn't needed to tell the Doctor because, well, she felt like she was cured.
Until reality set in and she cursed her optimism. Of course she wasn't cured. There wasn't a cure, only strategies to deal with them. She had just been extremely lucky for a few golden months.
Somehow, she'd managed to get through the most recent adventure intact, but her emergency medication hadn't worked. The dull ache had grown from the back of her head into a full fire, covering her entire cranium. She felt sick and shaky, like she couldn't hold her own body up. She glanced up at the console, the gold column blurring at the periphery of her vision. She needed rest as soon as possible, but she wanted to do it without alerting the others. She couldn't bear to have them think her weak, a liability.
The Doctor was dancing around the console, buzzing from the latest adventure. She was talking to them excitedly, happily, but Yaz couldn't hear her. At least, she could hear her voice, but not what she was saying. Yaz leaned against one of the columns that propped up the cavernous room, acting nonchalant. She tried to keep her eyes open, but the lights of the room were blinding her, so she closed them momentarily. The Doctor was distracted anyway, nattering away to the boys. She wouldn't notice if Yaz checked out for a moment –
'Yaz, are you alright?' Damn it. Why was the Doctor so observant? Reluctantly, Yaz half-opened her eyes, squinting in the Doctor's direction.
'Yeah, 'm fine,' she slurred, gripping tighter to the column to hold her up. This was a bad one. A bolt of pain struck her unexpectedly and she yelped, cradling the side of her head. She let go of the column and buckled over, coming to kneel on the floor. Needing something to hold on to, she knelt down even further, her head coming into contact with the cool grating of the floor. It was the first thing to offer temporary respite. She stayed in prayer position, grounding herself before even thinking about next steps.
Graham and Ryan looked at each other, then at the Doctor in confusion.
'Doc, what is it? Why is she in so much pain?' Graham asked in concern. He wanted to kneel down next to Yaz, but was unsure if that was the right thing to do. Ryan looked at her in alarm.
'She's not been hit with something, has she?' Yaz groaned at the raised voices.
'Please, please talk quieter,' she pleaded, her words muffled by the floor.
The Doctor had rushed over to Yaz, standing over her as Yaz worked her way to the floor. She chewed her lip, as she visually examined Yaz before approaching her. After a few seconds, she knelt down next to her, a gentle hand on her back, whilst the other one braced her against the floor, propping her up.
'Yaz,' she whispered softly. 'Talk to me, what's going on?' The Doctor could make out a couple of tears dripping down Yaz's face, and she was certain that Yaz hadn't even noticed. She took a deep breath, before wincing as another strike of pain hit her.
'Migraine,' was all she said. Or all she could get out. The Doctor nodded in understanding.
'Okay, we need to get you into bed. Have you taken medication?' Yaz nodded against the grate of the floor. 'Okay, that's good Yaz, it should kick in soon.' Yaz shook her head.
'I took it this morning. It's done nothing.' The Doctor's face fell, as she rubbed Yaz's back soothingly. She turned to Ryan and Graham, pleadingly.
'Boys, we need to get Yaz to her room. She needs rest and sleep. Ryan, help me get her up off the floor.' Ryan leant down to Yaz's side tentatively, whilst the Doctor held one arm around Yaz's back.
'Yaz, we're going to lift you in a minute. I know it's going to hurt, but we need to do this. Nod if you understand.' Yaz was still for a moment, then another flash of pain hit her. Once she recovered, she nodded slowly. 'Okay Ryan, on the count of three. One, two, three!' Together, they lifted Yaz into standing position. She inhaled deeply, the sudden movement causing more pain to flare up. The Doctor noticed, apologetic expression on her face.
'Well done Yaz, you're doing really well.' Yaz swayed on her feet, before falling into the Doctor. Luckily, the Doctor had anticipated this and managed to take her weight, as Ryan tried to pull her back to stop the fall. She brought her arms around the human, holding her in place.
'Sorry,' Yaz managed to get out.
'Nothing to apologise for. Try and put one foot in front of the other.' Together, the three of them managed to navigate Yaz to her room. Yaz was aware her friends were supporting her, their whispered tones going over her head as the pain raged inside her brain. She couldn't wait for her head to hit the pillow, praying that she would just be able to sleep it off. Sometimes, she had been unlucky and had had to wait it out, writhing in pain in the darkness, alone. She never felt lonelier than when she was having an attack.
Ryan and the Doctor set Yaz down on the bed, getting her to sit. She started to slump, feeling the sheets beneath her, her body just letting go. However, the Doctor protested.
'Sorry Yaz, you can lie down soon, I promise. We just need to take your shoes off. Make you more comfy.' Ryan held on to her whilst the Doctor bent down to unlace her boots. She glanced over her shoulder at Graham, who was looking on, concerned. 'Graham, go to the kitchen and grab some water. She's going to need a lot, so maybe bring a jug.'
'Sure Doc.' He left the room to go in search of water. The Doctor worked quickly, pulling the boots off Yaz's feet and discarding them at the base of the bed. She popped back up into Yaz's line of vision.
'You can lie down Yaz, we're nearly there.' The Doctor nodded at Ryan to gently lean her back, then he moved away. Immediately Yaz moved into foetal position, turning away from them.
Graham rushed back into the room, clutching a glass and jug full of water.
'Thanks Graham, set it down next to her bed.' He did as he was asked. The Doctor walked round to the other side of the bed to face Yaz. Before tending to her patient, she looked up at the lads and said 'you've done a good job, I can take it from here.' Both Graham and Ryan understood that as their cue to leave. Graham dimmed the lights on the way out. Once they were gone, The Doctor knelt down beside the bed and took Yaz's clenched hand in hers. Yaz's wet eyes blinked open slightly, squinting at the Doctor.
'Thanks,' she whispered, another wave of pain hitting her. The Doctor felt Yaz's hand beneath her's tighten. Yaz's anguish was palpable.
'What else can I do for you Yaz? Is there anything that helps when it's this bad?' Yaz could see the Doctor's expression was worried, so she tried to reduce her worry by dismissing the pain.
'I'll be fine, it's just a bad one.' Pain blocked all her senses for a second, momentarily blocking out The Doctor. She gritted her teeth, hissing in pain. Then, pulling her out of the agony, she felt a cool hand on her forehead. She could hear the Doctor making soothing noises. All she wanted was for the Doctor to wrap her up in her arms and stay with her until the pain stopped, but she had no idea when it would. She would be asking too much by asking the Doctor to stay.
Moments passed where they stayed like that; Yaz squirming from the pain, and the Doctor staying by her side.
'I wish there was something I could do to take the pain away.' The Doctor murmured, looking forlornly down at her. Yaz attempted a weak smile.
'You can go now, Doctor. I'll be okay.' Yaz whispered, closing her eyes. She didn't want to see the Doctor leave. However, the Doctor surprised her by saying:
'No, I'm going to stay.' Yaz opened her eyes at that.
'What?'
'I've got an idea. Can you roll onto your back?' The Doctor whispered. Yaz nodded, and followed the Doctor's instructions. Meanwhile, the Doctor took a seat on the edge of Yaz's bed, looking down at her. If Yaz wasn't in so much pain, she would have blushed at the intensity of the Doctor's gaze on her. The Doctor leant over her, and brought her fingers to the sides of Yaz's temples. Yaz looked quizzically up at her.
'Massage?' She asked. The Doctor shook her head.
'Nah, I've got a better treatment than that. But it's a bit complicated.'
'In what way?'
'Time Lords have a certain trick, or skill really. We're slightly telepathic.' Yaz's eyes widened.
'You can read minds?' She asked in a panic.
'Sort of, but only through touch, and only if you consent. I can't do it if you block me.' Yaz relaxed at that, before more pain surged through her.
'What are you going to do?'
'Well, if you let me, I wanted to see if I can reduce the pain in any way. Kind of like a mind anti-inflammatory.'
'Have you done this before?' The Doctor nodded.
'Don't worry, I wouldn't do this if it wasn't safe. Trust me?'
Without hesitation, Yaz answered. 'Yes.' The Doctor grinned.
'Good. Now just relax… as much as you can, and we'll begin.' She looked down to see the concern in Yaz's face. 'I won't go probing in your mind. If you feel me wandering around in an area you don't want me in, just picture a door. I won't peek. Promise.'
Yaz closed her eyes again, focusing on the Doctor's fingers at her temple. She should have been cataloguing this moment along with her other 'Doctor' memories, but she was in so much pain she couldn't fully appreciate it. Just as well, if the Doctor was going to go rattling about in her mind. She definitely didn't want The Doctor to open that door. At the front of her skull, she could feel some sort of energy, or light gently pushing its way tentatively to the forefront of her mind. It was bright, blinding, but also sparkling. Yaz could tell it wasn't coming from the outside world of her bedroom. She knew instinctively that this was The Doctor's mind. And it was beautiful.
At her thought, the light seemed to brighten just a little, as if accepting the compliment. Now Yaz should really be blushing. The light pulsated a little in response.
Yaz tried wiggling her fingers, suddenly aware that she couldn't feel her body. Before she could worry, The Doctor's voice loomed over her.
'Don't worry, I've got you.' The last thing Yaz remembers is the light exploding, before everything went black.
Xxx
Yaz opened her eyes slowly, coming out of her deep sleep. She sat up, momentarily forgetting about the pain that led to her being in her room. She glanced around her room, before the memory hit her. She'd been in pain – the Doctor had been there – she'd done some kind of mind hack –
The Doctor! Where was she? The last thing Yaz remembered was the Doctor hovering her, fingers intimately holding the sides of her forehead. Yaz reached up, tracing where those cool fingers had been. Yaz glanced around again, but the Doctor was nowhere to be seen.
Whatever she had done, it had worked. Yaz's pain was gone. Completely gone. She didn't even have the migraine hangover that accompanied bad attacks. Yaz grinned to herself. The Doctor was a genius! However, her smile slipped a little when she remembered the Doctor wasn't with her. How long had it been? To be fair to the Doctor, maybe Yaz had been out for hours.
Wanting to go and thank her friend, Yaz got off her bed and went in search of her team. As she made her way to the console room, where the Doctor was the most likely to be, Yaz's thoughts kept returning to that intimate moment just before she blacked out. The Doctor had been so cautious, and considerate, and it warmed Yaz's heart to know how gentle her eccentric friend could be. The fact that the Doctor had been in Yaz's mind filled her with so much joy, and gratitude, and… she stopped. That was weird, surely? For one, Yaz hadn't known the Doctor was telepathic until today. And secondly, what had happened was actually a very intimate action…
Before she could dwell on it further, her body had carried on while her mind had wandered. She was about to continue on when her mind was brought back to reality at the sound of clattering in the room just up the corridor. Curious, Yaz diverted and entered the room. She called out.
'Ryan, you alright in there?' At least, she assumed it was Ryan. He usually made the most noise. However, he didn't call out, so she turned the corner and found a sight that she would never forget.
Graham was on the floor, arm around The Doctor, who was hunched over on the tiled floor. Ryan stood in waiting, with a bucket poised ready, in case it was needed. The Doctor covered her eyes with her hands, trying to block the world out. Yaz's face fell in horror. The Doctor's face was contorted in pain, the occasional groan coming out through gritted teeth. Yaz checked for signs of physical damage from where she stood, training kicking in, but there was no blood or bruising. That was a relief at least.
'What happened?' Yaz asked, totally confused. What was happening? Ryan looked over at her, panic evident in his eyes.
'We don't know. She came back from looking after you, then just sort of, keeled over.' Graham looked over at Yaz desperately, looking her up and down, clearly looking for any damage.
'Are you alright, Yaz?' She nodded in the affirmative, coming down to their level.
'Yeah, I'm fine, The Doctor did something.' At her name, the Doctor winced in Graham's arms, closing in on herself. She tried looking up at them, tried to turn at the mention of Yaz, but the pain racked up a few notches.
'What did she do?' Ryan asked desperately, hating to see the Doctor so vulnerable. Before Yaz could answer, the Doctor beat her to it.
'I'm sorry,' she mumbled into her hands. Yaz moved away from Graham and round so that she was facing the Doctor. Yaz looked into the Doctor's scrunched up face, just as the Doctor pulled her hands away from her face. She opened her eyes, which were red-rimmed and much smaller than usual. She stammered. 'I-I didn't want you to – see me – like this.'
Yaz's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. What had happened to her? Was it something to do with the telepathy? Yaz brought her hand up to the Doctor's forehead, mirroring what she had done for her earlier. She was burning up, but she didn't recoil from the touch. The Doctor winced again, pain seeming to hit her at random times.
'Doctor, what did you do?' The Doctor looked at her directly, eyes piercing into her own. The Doctor had done something; it was flashing in her weeping eyes, but Yaz couldn't understand it. All she knew was that something had gone wrong with the telepathy.
'I'm sorry Doctor…' She tailed off, unable to finish the sentence. Graham looked between the women, clearly frustrated and confused.
'What's going on?' Before Yaz could explain, The Doctor froze, eyes widening, before going limp in Graham's arms. She lost consciousness, and the last thing she heard was Yaz screaming her name.