"ROSE!"
Mickey runs out of the TARDIS in a panic, knocking Jackie's hamper flying. Sandwiches and cakes go everywhere – there's pickle on the control panel, ham on the lever, crumbs all over the keyboard. The thermos of tea lies forgotten on the grille floor, just next to the unconscious Doctor.
What would the Doctor say if he could see that has been made of his beloved ship? What would he say if he knew that tea was dripping out of the flask and onto the electronic components under the floor? No-one knows, because both he and his ship are broken.
CRACK.
Sparks begin to fly as the tea spillage gets bigger. Small wisps of smoke rise up from the holes in the floor, close to the Doctor's head. Unconsciously, he inhales deeply. His head lolls gently from side to side, his eyes still shut tight.
ssssssssssssssssssssssssssss…
The electrical components splutter and hiss some more as the tea short-circuits them. The Doctor breathes in the smoke deeply, and sighs, sending a golden mist trailing off into the air. The mist flutters about the console for a moment before disintegrating gently.
All of a sudden, there is a movement that isn't in smoke form.
An eyelid flickers.
A finger twitches.
A brow creases.
Slowly, cautiously, the Doctor's eyes flutter open. He lies still for a moment, waiting for the room to come back into focus. He blinks a couple of times for good measure. Without moving his head, he glances around briefly. The TARDIS. He frowns.
How did I get here?Blinking a few more times, he lifts his head off the floor. Pain shoots through his brain, causing him to grimace and curl up. He rolls sideways, clutching his head in pain. After a while, the pain subsides enough for him to relax. He sighs.
Neurons still imploding. Just my luck. I'm stuck in here with no way of survival. I'm a dead man.
He opens his eyes.
What the …He frowns, trying to make sense of the sideways sight in front of him.
That's an early twenty-first-century Human Thermos flask … but how did it …Comprehension dawning, he slowly and gingerly sits up, staring all the while at the half-empty thermos flask next to him. As he looks confusedly at it, he begins to regain some of his memories through the fog in his pain-filled head.
There was a tree … pilotfish … and then the neuron implosion … they woke me up too soon … I need … I need …
He sniffs the smoke and his eyes widen. He stares unbelievingly at the flask for a few more moments before grabbing the thermos and, ignoring the redoubling pain in his head, downing its remaining contents in one gulp. He closes his eyes and lies back down for a second, breathing heavily, before his eyes snap open again and his breathing suddenly calms.
Tea. I need TEA.
As he slowly sits up and looks around, he hears shouting from outside. An alien language. He calmly gets up and pushes a button on the console, listening carefully. The grating, angry voice outside slowly shifts into English. Silence. He moves quietly towards the door and puts his ear to it, listening.
"Hold on, that's English."
"He's talking English."
"You're talking English."
"I would never dirty my tongue with your primitive language!"
"But if I can hear English … "
The Doctor smiles. He can hear Rose, hear the comprehension in her voice as it trails off. He knew they were ready for him. He opens the doors of the TARDIS, looks at the people looking back at him, and grins.
"Did you miss me?"