Darkness and silence, that was all Yaz could feel, never ending blackness and suffocating silence. Time didn't seem to have any meaning, hours, minutes or seconds could've passed since her last conscious thought. Something began to reach through the gloom, a strong hand on her shoulder and the occasional mumble. Her senses returned almost at once, her eyelids were so heavy that they felt like hundred pound weights. With tremendous effort she managed to force them apart only to have her vision swarmed with yellow, "What did you say her name was again?" she just about picked out the words through the mental haze.
Slowly memories began to rush back, the pillar, the explosions, the crash of the plate slamming into the ground and something else, "Jessie," she managed to force the words out, "where's Jessie?"
"Barret and Tifa are trying to help her," her vision slowly focused on the blonde haired man with unusually vibrant eyes, "It's Yaz isn't it, " he continued, "we met in the pillar."
The man's name slowly came back to her, "Cloud," she replied, "did you remember my name or did someone remind you?" Cloud said nothing, merely passing her a glass vial that she remembered Jessie taking earlier. She swallowed the contents in one go, the bitter taste almost forced the liquid back up her throat, "I can't do much about the taste," Cloud added.
"How long was I out?" she asked, "and do you have something to take that disgusting taste away?" The potion had an almost instant effect, her aches and pains had almost completely disappeared. Her energy levels were suddenly through the roof, if someone had asked, she probably could've run a marathon.
The swordsman slowly stood up, "I think you'll be fine," to Yaz's surprise he offered his hand. The police officer accepted the offer only to find herself hauled to her feet like she weighed absolutely nothing.
Cloud walked away without further conversation, Yaz could see the large form of Barret crouched over someone who she assumed was Jessie. She took a moment to take in her surroundings, by some miracle she was back in the same playground where the TARDIS landed. People were huddled together, wide-eyed and visibly shaking from their brush with death. Looking over at the dividing wall between the Sectors and ominous glow emanated from Sector 7. Smoke and dust polluted the air, not enough to mask the fact that she could see the night sky overhead.
In the far corner, standing tall, proud and remarkably undamaged was the TARDIS. Despite the piles of debris now scattered over the park from the fallen Sector 7 plate, the blue Police box looked undamaged. She couldn't see the blonde haired pilot of the ship though, perhaps she was helping the injured civilians.
Shuffling towards Barret and the others, she finally spotted Jessie on the ground. Her hair, no free of it's ponytail, was splayed across the dirt. Underneath the dirt and soot, her face was deathly pale and her lips were dull and cracked. Someone had removed her breastplate, confirming that a bullet had pierce her chest, "How is she?" she asked quietly.
"Not good," she heard Tifa's voice but she was mostly obscured by Barret, "we've done all we can with materia without proper medical care", she sighed and her voice trailed off. Yaz knew what she couldn't say though, she wasn't an expert but Jessie was clearly in a bad way.
A thought flashed across her mind, "Maybe the Doctor can help," she suggested, "that title of hers isn't just for show."
"Bit of a problem there," Barret grunted, "your friend rode off in a Shinra helicopter just before the plate fell."
Yaz couldn't believe it, why would the Doctor fly away and leave her behind? Her heart skipped a beat as the shock slowly turned into denial, "No, she wouldn't leave me behind like that."
"Well believe it girly," Barret shot back hotly, "your friend left you behind to get squashed like a bug."
"Barret!" Tife scolded the man, "have a little compassion." The gun-wielder grunted but didn't continue to push his point home.
"Maybe she was captured too," Cloud tried to offer her a small crumb of comfort, "Shinra took a friend of our too, is there any reason they'd want to take your friend?"
Pushing aside her doubts, Yaz replied, "If they found out she's an alien, would that interest them?"
She saw Cloud and Tifa look at each other in disbelief, they hadn't been present for the initial conversation in Seventh Heaven. Barret though wasn't so quiet about his scepticism, "Enough with that shit already," he turned hotly towards Yaz, enough so she could see the veins pulsing in his head, "you don't need to convince me that you're crazy anymore."
Yaz's fist shook, rage building in her chest. Instinctively her other fist clenched tightly around her TARDIS key, "Then perhaps you'd like me to prove it to you," she hissed, "the TARDIS is just over there, it must have something that can help Jessie onboard." The trio didn't move, their glance flicking between Yaz and the out of place blue box in the corner, "Fine, I'll go look by myself."
Her footsteps were deliberately heavy, kicking away the dirt and stones in frustration. To her surprise, Tifa called out to her, "Wait," Yaz stopped and slowly turned around, "can you help Jessie?"
Letting out a deep sigh, Yaz replied, "The Doctor would know for sure," she watched the small glimmer of hope behind the raven haired woman's eyes beginning to fade, "but it can't hurt to look. If she stays out here, she probably going to die so taking a look around must be better than doing nothing."
Tifa nodded slowly, "Barret, Cloud, one of you pick up Jessie and bring her over."
"You can't be serious," Barret called back. Tifa's head shot around, Yaz couldn't see her expression, however, based on the speed that Barret picked up Jessie, it couldn't have been a pleasant one.
Yaz lead the way, reaching the TARDIS in no time at all. Turning the key and pushing the door open, she hopped up to the central console, desperate to see if the Doctor had left any kind of message. The crystal pillars were slightly duller than usual, perhaps the TARDIS registered that her pilot hadn't returned.
Sighing with disappointment when she couldn't find anything of importance, she turned back to the entrance where Cloud, Tifa and Barret were staring at the ship in amazement, "It's bigger on the inside," Cloud commented.
"Told you she was an alien," Yaz resisted the urge to tease Barret though, Jessie's life was much more important, "if the Doctor was here, she'd give some speech explaining why it's bigger but I haven't got a clue," she shrugged apologetically, "sorry."
"Not the most important thing right now," Barret replied once he regained the power of speech, "you said there's something in this wacky box that can help?"
"I said there might be," Yaz began, "I've travelled on and off with the Doctor for a year. I've found a library, games room, cinema, a swimming pool combined with a library, six squash courts and the biggest wardrobe I've ever seen. If all of that's onboard, there must be an infirmary somewhere."
"All sounds a big vague to me," Cloud began, "and we're running out of time."
Grasping a hand to her forehead, Yaz fired back, "I know, thing is this ship is massive. The Doctor once said the inside of the TARDIS was infinite," she stopped for a moment, recalling that conversation several months ago. Her eyes widened as she remembered something useful, "She also said the ship was sentient," she upwards into the never ending darkness above, "so if that's true, we need your help. A friend of ours is injured and the Doctor's not here, can you point us in the right direction."
Yaz wasn't sure what she was expecting in response, the Doctor hadn't expanded on how sentient her ship truly was. The Time Lord often exaggerated or stretched the truth so Yaz and the others often took her words with a pinch of salt. This was one time she had to hope that the Doctor had been honest.
Silence reigned for several long seconds and the agitation amongst the group was clearly. Just as Yaz was about to give up hope, a light illuminated through the darkness directly above a doorway. The police officer grinned, "Thank you," she said to the ship, "quickly, bring her through here."
The corridor was poorly lit, only the occasional spotlight illuminated the way. Yaz chewed her lip, hoping this was the sentient ship's way of showing them the way to go. A couple of left turns later, they arrived in front of a door practically glowing with light. It slid open automatically when the group approached and the overhead lights flickered into life.
Sitting in the middle of the room was a large bed, surrounded by various piece of monitoring equipment. Otherwise, the room was bright, sterile and extremely bare, "Well, it's a bed at least," Yaz commented, "lay Jessie down and I'll see what I can find."
She explored the room, hoping to find a cabinet, storeroom or something that could be used to treat Jessie. Unfortunately, the bed and monitors were the total contents of the room. The equipment wasn't useful either, the displays and controls weren't written in English. Instead they were decorated in unusual circular patterns, "I can't understand any of this," Tifa sighed, carefully running her gloved hands over one of the screens.
"I've seen this writing before," Yaz's eyebrows furrowed together until she realised where she had seen the patterns, "they're all over the console room," she gasped, "this must be the Doctor's native language."
"Let me guess," Cloud sighed, "she hasn't gotten around to teach you," Yaz's eyes glanced towards the floor and she shook her head, "great, what use is this then."
"You're a ray of sunshine, aren't you," Yaz's head whipped around, there was a new voice in the room. Standing behind the group was a tall, thin man with wild grey hair and the thickest pair of eyebrows she'd ever seen, "I hope you never get a job with the Samaritan's," he added with his thick Scottish accent.
Instantly, the native Gaian's assumed a defense position, or at least tried to. Cloud tried to pull his sword from his back, however, the magnetic holster was jammed, "TARDIS protocol, no weapons allowed in the medical bay or anywhere on the ship," the new arrival added, "the old girl likes weapons even less than I do."
Yaz looked at the man, taking in his dark trousers, Doc Marten boot and velvet coat. She gasped loudly, wagged a finger him, "The white haired Scotsman," she wheezed, remembered the first she met the Doctor, "you were the Doctor, that's what she said," she cleared her throat and quoted, "half an hour ago I was a white haired Scotsman."
The 'Doctor' raised one of his impressive eyebrows, "She said that?" he asked, "well, isn't that a twist. Clearly your Doctor must be senile this time around and hasn't gotten around to updating her holograms."
"Yo, can we come back down to the Planet," Barret called, "who are you and what are you doing here?"
Turning his grey eyes towards Barret, Yaz watched as the large man cowered under the man's gaze, "I haven't got time to explain to a pudding brain like you," the 'Doctor' replied, "so I'll put it into small words that you can understand." He slowly approached Jessie, "In the event that the Doctor is unable to operate the equipment in the medical bay, the TARDIS will summon an holographic assistant to help," he gave a small, mocking bow, "you're welcome."
Yaz breathed a small sigh of relief, until she realised what the 'Doctor' said, "Holographic?" the grey haired image nodded, "are you a hologram that can touch?"
The 'Doctor' flashed a grin, "I can see why I like you in the future," he cast his grey eyes over the group, "anyone here have medical experience?" Slowly, everyone shook their heads, "No Rory's then, slightly disappointing so we'll have to do this the easy way." He pointed at the monitor nearest Yaz, "Push that button there and let's see what I'm working with."
The police officer did as instructed and the machine whirred into life. As she couldn't understand the output, she only had the 'Doctor' expression to go on. The grim expression etched into his features told it's own story, "We may have to bend a few temporal rules here," he said slowly, "we're on Gaia, correct?" Yaz nodded in confirmation, "At least it's not the Middle Ages, what we're about to do would get you burned at the stake for witchcraft."
"That nearly happened to you," Yaz offered him a small smile, "well, they tried to drown you for practicing witchcraft but same thing."
"Sounds like an interesting future I'm going to have," the 'Doctor' smiled, "there's a panel near your side of the bed sword guy," he pointed towards Cloud, "inside should be a small medical cylinder, I need you to inject your friend."
Cloud frowned but he slowly followed the 'Doctor's instructions, pulled out the plain silver cylinder, "What's inside?" the blonde asked.
"Something that the cat-nurses of New New York don't know that I stole," the hologram offered a sly grin. Cloud and the other Gaians though stood passive, "You want to know more?" the blonde nodded stiffly, "Very well, it's a concentrated nanite solution designed to fully repair any damage to the human body. This can cure anything short of total brain death."
"Is there a catch?" Tifa asked, rubbing her hands together whilst sparing the odd glance at Jessie.
"Other than the fact it won't be invented for billions of years?" the 'Doctor' replied, "she'll probably want to avoid driving for several days and keep away from dogs for a while but otherwise no, she'll be absolutely fine in a few hours."
Yaz watched as the Gaians hesitated, sparing each other a glance, "I say it's worth a shot," Tifa finally spoke.
Barret though merely grunted, "Your call spikey," Yaz noticed he turned his back to the others, like he was washing his hands of whatever happened next.
Cloud slowly approached Jessie, keeping his eyes on her pale face. For a moment the cylinder hovered above her arm until he swiftly jabbed it down. A hiss of compressed air shot out the cylinder and Cloud took a couple of steps back. Everyone stared hopefully at the monitors, willing to see a positive sign. After several long seconds, the 'Doctor' said, "The nanites have been accepted by her body, she'll be fine."
Collectively, everyone released the breath they'd been holding, "Thank you," Barret said the hologram.
The 'Doctor' nodded, keeping his neutral expression, "Call me again if you need me," with a small flash of light, the hologram disappeared.
With Jessie's life no longer in the balance, the mood of the room felt a little brighter, "Alright," Barret, "next stop Marlene. You said she was in Sector 5, right?"
Cloud nodded, "She's with Aerith's mother," he turned to Yaz, "your friend said not to worry, she'll be back soon," he added.
Yaz offered a small smile, however, the grim expressions of the Gaian couldn't lift the heavy feeling in her chest, "You don't believe that, do you?"
"She's been taken to Shinra Headquarters," Tifa sighed, "no one leaves if Shinra don't want you do."
The police officer though held her head up, "I believe in her, if there's a way out she'll find a way." She turned away quickly, not wishing to see how they reacted to her statement, "I'll keep an eye on Jessie, we're not going anywhere," She didn't add that she couldn't leave, without the Doctor the TARDIS wouldn't fly. Hearing footsteps slowly retreating, Yaz began her quiet vigil with Jessie, hoping she would see the Doctor again soon.