Before Rose
-NobleWriterofWho
Author's Note: Hello! It's hard to believe it's been so long since I updated this. Obviously it can't end like that. Warning: this story continues to be dark. Read at your own discretion.
Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who.
…...
Chapter 5: Time Enough
They didn't let him shower alone now. Three weeks had passed since the incident. It seemed there were no lengths they wouldn't go to to keep him alive. He was watched all the time and not just by Dr. Valter. He'd had his chance. Multiple chances in fact and he couldn't seem to get it right. There was no chance of escape. Yaran Heights served just as much as a prison as it did a hospital. He had a feeling some of the patients were criminals. Not that he was allowed to interact with anyone much. They'd deemed him too unstable.
Physically he had made a full recovery. He ate because if he didn't they'd force feed him one way or another (he hated that tube). Now they wanted to focus on his mental health.
After dinner every day Dr. Simoan came for his session. He'd come and talk. Try to get the Doctor to open up. He couldn't force him to. He'd be here any second now. The Doctor prepared himself breathing deeply. It would be over soon. The man only got an hour. There was a knock on the door before he entered. He smiled brightly at the Doctor before taking a seat beside him and turning the chair so he could face him. He was quite young with tan brown skin and yellow hair. He looked human but insisted he was Endonian. The Doctor sat up slightly but stared at the wall. Just like he always did.
"How are we today?" Dr. Simoan asked pulling out his notebook.
"Tired."
The Doctor only responded with one
word answers and that was on good days. Some days he didn't say anything at all.
"Are you having trouble sleeping again?"
"No." That was a lie. He was but it wasn't just that. He honestly didn't need that much sleep. Some but not much.
"What is it then?" he asked, prodded.
The Doctor shrugged. He was tired of these sessions. He was tired of this place. Mostly he was tired of living. He was too tired to even try remedying that again. He'd lived a long life. He'd done so much, seen so much. It had been a full life. There were good times and bad. A lot of bad towards the end but still. He had a right to be tired. All he wanted was what he deserved. Let it end. Let him end. He'd seen too many false gods and goddesses to believe in any so he sent those thoughts to the universe. The universe seemed to say time enough Doctor. Time enough. He hated it.
"We're going to try something different today," Dr. Simoan said abruptly.
The Doctor groaned. He meant to do it internally but it just came out. Dr. Simoan gave him a disappointed look. He rolled his eyes. Then something strange happened. Dr. Valter walked in. No one ever interrupted the therapy sessions. She walked briskly to them ears bobbing up and down. The Doctor smiled hoping this meant his time with Simoan ended prematurely. Instead Simoan stood and she sat down in the chair he'd been in. He murmured something into her ear. She nodded pulling out her own notebook and turning to the Doctor. For some strange reason he felt betrayed. There had to be some rule against her, his primary physician, also acting as his therapist. There had to be. He asked quietly.
"Usually there is. We're making an exception for you. Sometimes psychiatrists and their clients do not suit each other. It's no one's fault," Simoan said. "Dr. Valter has all the credentials necessary and since she seems to be the only one you can stand in our staff we're going to try to make this work."
Then he left giving Valter a pat on the shoulder before slipping away. She seemed nervous. Her hands gripping each other tightly. Fingers twitching as she turned her gaze to the Doctor.
"Have you done this before?" he asked watching her closely.
"Yes but not much or recently. I'd prefer pumping your stomach. Er-or anyone's really. But I want to help and Dr. Simoan thinks I can," she said taking a calming breathe.
The Doctor laughed. She seemed more nervous than him and they were supposed to talk about his 'trauma'. He frowned because he did want to talk to her. Not about his problems, he didn't want to talk to anyone about those. He definitely wouldn't mind talking to her about anything else.
"What if we do this: I talk and you just listen. Make this easy on both of us." He hoped she would agree. Please give me this.
"Alright but just for today. Therapy is more than just sitting and listening you know," she said softly but firmly.
He nodded. He could tell she was relieved. The tension flowed out of her as her hands unclenched. He began telling a tale from his 4th life about an ark and the last of humanity. She found it very amusing. She even laughed a few times. For a moment he thought he felt something other than being tired. The feeling was gone as soon as it came.
