Pincushion by Sian
Synopsis: Daft little fic on one possible way the Doctor and Martha could meet.
Characters: The Doctor (Ten), Martha and a little bit of Jack
Spoilers: Spoilers for series 3
Notes: Based loosely on spoilers and location reports for series 3, though I have absolutely no idea what's really going to happen. And I have to have Jack in there somewhere of course. Oh, and I'm assuming Jack and the Doctor have met and made up. That's actually a different story that I'll be posting later.
Martha made her way through the hospital corridors. From the looks of the rooms she was passing, no one had received treatment here for some time. Maybe she misheard the directions, or more likely this was a big wind up and one of her fellow students would jump out any minute wearing a fancy dress costume.
She reached room 78b and hesitated. The glass in the door had been blacked out so she couldn't see who or what was in there. What if there were Doctors in there, guards maybe. What if it, whatever it was, was dangerous? Oh to hell with it, she thought. She tapped in the security code she'd been given and slowly opened the door.
When she entered the room, she stopped and stared. "It's you."
"Last time I looked," he agreed.
"Don't you remember me?"
"Yesterday in the city centre."
"Yeah... I must have the wrong room."
"Who were you looking for?"
"Why are you restrained?"
The Doctor sighed. "Apparently I'm either dangerous or a flight risk, or possibly both. Why are you here?"
"Some of the other students, there's a rumour," she gave an embarrassed smile. "You'll laugh."
"Try me."
"No, it doesn't matter."
"Oh go on. I've been strapped to this bed for the last 29 hours. I've been poked and prodded and had every test known to man, and some that shouldn't be known to man yet. I could do with a laugh."
Martha was studying the monitors though, not listening to him. "You... this can't right. You have two hearts?"
"Yes."
"And, your organs are wrong."
"And I have a body temperature that's not capable of sustaining life," the Doctor added. "If you're not going to make me laugh, then you could at least tell me what they're planning to do with me."
She picked up the Doctor's test results and started to read them "If these MRI readings are correct, they'll probably cut you up," she said without thinking. "Sorry, that wasn't very tactful."
"Not very, no."
"Like I said, I'm a student. I'm not really supposed to be here. They said there was an alien being kept in here. I'm here on a dare." She started to search the room, looking for something sharp. "Here we go." She picked up a scalpel and returned to the Doctor's bed.
"Alright, let's not be hasty here..." he began and stopped when Martha cut through one of the arm restraints. "What are you doing?"
"Releasing you. They can't just keep people tied up in here. This is a hospital, it's wrong."
"I think they might argue that I'm not people."
Martha stopped and looked at him. "Are you trying to talk yourself out of being freed?"
"No. Keep cutting. Aren't you going to get into trouble for this?"
"Probably." She unfastened the restraint around his neck. "I would imagine that as soon as I take these monitor pads off your body, they'll be alarms sounding somewhere. Why are there no guards?" she wondered.
"Not got a clue," the Doctor responded. "There were earlier, but they left." He pulled the sticky monitor pads off his chest, head and abdomen.
"You'd better run then, before they get back," she told him.
"Yeah. I don't know whether you've noticed, but I'm a little naked here. I'm thinking running through the streets of Cardiff in a state of undress may not be a good idea."
Martha had noticed. She was actually trying not to notice, but it wasn't easy. "Clothes. Right. Wait there. If anyone comes in... I don't know, think of something."
"Thanks, I'll try and do that."
Martha checked each room along the corridor, looking for something the Doctor could wear. Why is it in films, there's always a convenient locker full of uniforms for occasions like this? she pondered. In the fourth room she tried she found a pile of clothing in the corner. It was crumbled and the trousers had a rip in them, but they'd have to do.
She ran back to the Doctor's room. "Here. Do these fit?" She handed him a blue t-shirt, white shirt and brown pinstriped trousers and jacket. She'd even found his white Converse trainers.
The Doctor grinned. "They'll fit nicely. No underwear then?" When Martha glared at him, he grinned again.
As soon as he was dressed, she led him out of the room and through the deserted corridors to the exit. "You'd better hurry," she told him.
"What about you? You're going to be in trouble, big trouble."
"I'll be alright. Probably get a bollocking, but I'll be fine."
"Come with me," he offered. Why do you keep doing this, just picking up random stray girls? You're going to get a reputation, he told himself.
"I don't know who you are."
"And you just released me, do you make a habit releasing potentially dangerous patients?"
"No you're the first. I'm Martha by the way."
"I'm the Doctor. And that sounds a lot like people shouting and running this way. Come on."
He was right. People were converging on them from both sides. They ran through the hospital car park and out onto the street. He stopped then and looked up and around.
"What are you doing?"
"Trying to work out where we are," he told her. "This way." He took her hand and led her through the city streets to where he'd left the TARDIS.
"They're gaining on us."
"Well if you were wearing slightly lower heals," he pointed out.
"I was at a party," she objected as she kicked her shoes off and they picked up the pace. As the rounded a corner, more people appeared from the other direction. "Oh my God, they've got guns."
"Doesn't matter, we're here." He opened the TARDIS door and pulled her inside. He left her standing on the gantry while he set the coordinates on the console for ten miles away. "Hold on," he told her as he activated his ship.
"How is it bigger on the inside?"
"It's complicated," he replied as the TARDIS materialised ten miles from the hospital.
"Oh my God. The man was right. You are an alien."
"What gave it away? The two hearts?"
"This is a spaceship."
"What man?" he asked.
"Sorry?"
"You said the man was right. What man?"
"A bloke I was talking to at the party. He was really charming actually. Bought me a couple of drinks and we danced. Then he told me there was an alien being held in one of the disused rooms. He gave me directions and the access codes and dared me to go and have a look. I thought he was winding me up."
"Did he say who he was?"
"No. American, tall, dark."
"And handsome?" the Doctor asked.
"Funny, but yes actually he was."
I know, the Doctor thought. "Is that hospital connected with Torchwood by any chance?"
"Torchwood," Martha shook her head. "I don't think so. What's Torchwood?"
"Doesn't matter."
"You really are an alien aren't you?"
"Wish you hadn't rescued me now you know that?" he asked.
"No. What sort of a way is that to make first contact? So, what do you think of our planet?" she asked.
The Doctor's grin lit up his face. "Oh, I'm very fond of your planet. So what are you going to do now?"
"Go home I suppose. I think I may be getting kicked off my course after tonight. I'll go back to my parents. Actually no I won't, all I get is lectures about how great my brother is with his... never mind. I'll get a job somewhere else, away from Cardiff."
"You want something to eat before you go?"
"Is it safe to go out there now?"
"We're not there anymore. We're about ten miles away, probably, hopefully. But anyway, I have a kitchen, I'll make us something."
Martha nodded and followed the Doctor through the TARDIS. Staring in amazement at the ship as she went.
Back at the hospital, Jack smiled to himself. I can pick 'em, he thought smugly. Knew she couldn't resist the bet. Didn't think she'd actually go with him though. He knew he could have freed the Doctor himself, and if there'd been no other choice he would have. But this way was less messy. Arrange for the guards to be mysteriously absent for 30 minutes or so and then find a student with a conscience. He couldn't have his name linked with the Doctor's, not while he still worked for Torchwood.
As he left the now empty hospital room, his mobile rang. "Hey," he smiled as he answered it.
"Thanks," the Doctor said.
"Not a problem. You're okay?"
"Apart from feeling like a pin cushion and having my suit ripped. I'm fine."
"Is she with you?"
"Yes."
"Take care of her, she's cute."
"Have you ever met anyone you didn't think was cute?"
"Now you come to mention it, I'm not sure I have."
END