IX
Drowning
Manchester
1775
April only remains sitting alone in the Tardis for a few minutes after Rose left before she too decides to leave. Although Rose only says that she is going for a walk, April is well aware that it isn't just a walk Rose wants. She has a mission and she wants to complete it. Both April and Rose continue to keep their own business to themselves and not opening up to each other much. Rose has more concern on the happenings in the city and April has more concerns about her nightmare.
A few nights ago, April listened in as Rose spoke to the Doctor through the DVD he had left them. Rose was informing him of April's mental state since she woke up and the Doctor only just replied saying that April had to figure things out for herself. And that is exactly what April intends to do.
April sticks to her theory about trying to feel the ice she feels during her nightmare and the only solution she can think of is to meet that temperature when least expecting it. The temperature tends to feel colder when met unexpectedly.
It is early autumn and the sun still hangs in the air, but the breeze is chilly and leaves goose bumps on April's skin.
With her arms crossed tightly across her chest, April finds herself walking alongside the river. She eventually stops at the edge where the drop is deep enough and it isn't too close to the main roads. Standing with her toes just hanging over the edge of the road, April peers down at her own reflection on the surface of the water. The water is calm as it flows smoothly along the currents, yet it is almost black and dirty. April isn't able to see any fish that swim in the river.
Over to her right is an old man and woman, curious as to what April is doing. Clinging onto each other for support, the elderly couple look over the edge and down at the dirty water as if they believe that April has found something of use in the water. April studies them and the rags they wear and they seem interested in the strange clothes April is wearing. But they soon realise that they are unwanted, rather intimidated by her scowl before they turn and walk down one of the alleyways. April is alone again on the road. She needs to be alone to think.
She looks back down at the drop below her and suddenly starts to feel a little uneasy from the depth of the drop. The drop is very deep and she knows that there are more shallower areas along the river. She takes a few cautious steps away from the edge and paces in a circle in the middle of the quiet, empty road.
April does not know exactly what she is doing and what will happen if she does manage to reach that depth of coldness during her unconscious state. She doesn't even know how to go about it.
However she knows that she is feeding off reckless ideas. The adrenalin that rushes through her every so often motivates her to find out what is going on: why is she constantly tortured from this nightmare? What is it trying to tell her and is there a way she can get rid of it?
April knows that there must be a way to rid herself of it. Even if the Doctor, Terry or Rose try to help her, no one understands the pain and the torment she constantly lives through and how she really fears to sleep. But to help herself, April knows that she has to start somewhere. She has to feel the ice again. Even if it kills her in the end.
April does not hesitate before she runs across the road and jumps over the edge.
She feels the force of the wind as she hurtles downwards before she hits the surface of the river with a smack.
At first there is a sharp stabbing pain when she first meets the water. The cold waves engulf her and April falls down into a dark pit of coldness. The darkness from the river surrounds April and she closes her eyes as the dirty water stings her.
April slowly sinks deeper and deeper down in the river. The light of the surface above her getting further and further away.
The cold water fills up her nostrils and April ignores the part of her brain that is urging her to rise to the surface. She starts to feel the pressure around her head. April soon starts to realise that she is happy to keep sinking and let the cold water crush her body. But the water is not cold enough. Not even the shock of hitting the water is enough.
That is when she starts to realise that nothing will ever be as cold as her nightmare. The idea to jump into a river has been nothing more than a suicide attempt. She knows that drowning herself in a river is a solution to rid herself from the Island. It seems natural to April to drown herself, thinking that it is for the better.
Only then does she realise that she is losing her life and she is okay with it.
April slowly opens her eyes and isn't too sure whether or not she is still alive. She can just about make out a few screams coming from the land above and April does not think twice about it.
Instead she looks at the ghostly figure of the Doctor floating in front of her. His face is horror struck as he looks at April's nearly lifeless body. April stares back at the Doctor as he mouths the words "Hold on." Is he there or is she imagining this? April doesn't know as she struggles to keep her eyes open.
"Hold on." The Doctor mouths again.
Hold on to what? April thinks. There isn't much that April wants to hold on for. Her life is no longer worth living. She doesn't have anything. She wants it to be the end now. And drowning herself seems a lot less painful than she originally thought it would be.
Her vision starts to blur and the water starts to get darker. The Doctor's ghostly figure is almost hysterical and he frantically, but silently calls out to April.
A wave comes over her and all the bubbles from the splash above her disintegrates the image of the Doctor.
There is a sudden tight grip on April's upper arm just as she blacks out.
Pulling his twin sister up by his side, Max Hollerford swims as fast as he can. Her body almost hit the bottom of the river but he desperately hauls his sister up to the surface. The light from the sun is above them and Max grits his teeth together, keeping hold of his breath as he reaches the surface.
Max takes in a deep gulp of air once his head is above the dirty water. A moment after he is out the water he is met with cheers and applause from the crowd on the road that has watched the scene. Max holds April's limp body to his side, keeping her head above the river's surface as he brushes her dark hair away from her face.
Yet his sister does not respond. Her eyes are closed and there is no sign that she is still alive.
A rope is thrown into the water and Max takes hold of the end of it as everyone up on the pavement helps the hero and the woman come back to land.
Max's and April's bodies falls heavily on the stone pavement but April's body just rolls lifelessly to the side. The crowd continues to cheer but some starts to realise quickly that although Max has saved this drowning woman, she is not moving. Someone gasps and everyone crowds around. A police officer tries his best to keep the crowd at bay.
Max rushes to April's side and rolls her onto her back. Using the heels of his hands, Max uses as much strength as he has left and starts pumping her chest, wishing to God that April will wake up again. Tears fills his eyes but he continues to pump at her chest. He does not care that CPR is never going to be performed until the 1900s and this form of saving someone's life is a couple hundred years early, but he is not going to let his sister go.
Max feels a heavy hand on his shoulder and when he frantically turns around to see who it is, he only finds the police officer looking rather solemn.
"Son, I do not think she is coming back," The officer says softly.
The words hit Max like a bullet and he suddenly feels more hateful than sorrowful. His maid, Edina, stands amongst the crowd, watching him with sorrow in her eyes.
Max has waited so long to be reunited with his sister and now she is gone before they even had the chance to talk to each other again. He doesn't want to believe it. He is going to bring her back to life no matter what.
Just as Max turns to his sister, wanting to continue CPR on her, April's eyes suddenly flickers open and she takes in a deep, gasping breath.
It is as if fate has brought her back to life. Max isn't going to part from her just like their mother said.
The crowd erupts into applause as April rolls onto her side, clutching onto her stomach as she coughs out the last of the water in her lungs. She takes in deep breaths between her coughs. Max cups April's face in his hands and starts crying with relief. April looks at Max with a harsh scowl upon her face.
"What the hell were you thinking?" Max says as he holds onto his sister tightly. He then notices the look on her face. At first she looks at him like he is a stranger. And then the realisation sinks in.
April looks shocked to see Max. She scans his face as her scowl starts to become even more prominent. She suddenly remembers her childhood with her twin brother. Everything comes back to her. And all this time since her parents were killed, her memory of her own twin brother vanished. Until now.
"Three cheers for the new hero of Manchester: Maxwell Hollerford!" A man from the crowd shouts as he raises his fist into the air. "Hip, hip."
"Hooray!" The crowd choruses together.
April looks at Max fearfully as she weakly starts to move away from him. The name that is always called out in her nightmare. The only connection she had left to her brother and all this time she never knew. Max's face drops as he watches his sister looking shocked and scared.
"April, it's okay," Max says softly. "You are safe."
But April shakes her head. "How could I have forgotten you?"
