A/N: Thank you again to all the readers for the shown support.
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Chapter 3
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"Mum?" A gentle voice called out to her.
"Mrs Kendall?" Another, deeper one called.
"Hmm…what?" Tegan asked drowsily and blinked.
It took a couple of moments before her eyes finally adjusted.
"Mrs Kendall, welcome back to the land of the living." The oncologist said cheerfully.
"What…happened?"
"Oh mum, I'm so happy you're okay." The girl hugged her excitedly with more strength than necessary but as always, she didn't mind. Nor did she mind the kiss on her cheek.
"First things first, how do you feel?" He asked.
She thought about it. "I feel…fine, as much as can be expected under the circumstances, I suppose…" She trailed off.
"And?" The oncologist prodded again.
"And I feel…strangely relaxed." She yawned. "Excuse me."
"That's quite alright, Mrs Kendall,"
"Tegan, please. I feel old when you call me that."
"Tegan," he said as if trying it out and then added, "It is understandable to feel relaxed since you have slept for two weeks."
"Two weeks! I was in a coma?"
"It appeared as though you were but—"
Her daughter cut in with, "But you kept mumbling something in your sleep. It sounded silly. You were calling for the doctor and mentioned something called a…um a TARDIS and holograms and—well it was just too much. The doctor said you were delirious but at least we knew you are still alive."
"And how long how you been here, dear?" She asked, as she ran her hand gently through her curls.
"As long as it took, mum."
"She has visited every day and you have had another visitor too. A man was here, asking about you—" The oncologist retorted
"Oh that's probably David—"
"No mum, it's not dad. I'm sorry. "The girl said sadly. "He called a couple of days ago to ask how you were and to say that he wasn't in the country, so he couldn't visit."
"But he did ask me if I wanted to live with him." She added bitterly.
"Ah David, old habits die hard," Tegan sighed.
"So how did this man look like? Did he introduce himself?" She asked.
"He looked very good actually," her daughter supplied at which Tegan narrowed her eyes at her.
"Well mum, I have eyes, you know and I'm not a little girl anymore."
"Yes," She smiled, "I can see that. But what did he look like—his clothes, appearance?"
'Could it be him?' she thought.
"Well that's the strangest thing. He sort of reminded me of a character from one of those sisters' Bronte' novels you read to me when I was little."
She frowned. "Really? In what way?"
"Well he had long brownish hair and sort of one of those old costumes from the 19th century, I think—an old white shirt, a blazer, cravat and a green frock. But I forgot about all of that when he said he was the doctor."
"Doctor?"
"Yes," The oncologist interrupted, "The gentleman introduced himself as Dr John Foreman. He claimed to be a cancer specialist from London and when I asked for some identification he said he was your friend and that he came to return the favour. So he stayed here and did some tests."
"He cured you, mum." He daughter supplied.
"She is right; the cancer is in full remission. I have to say I have no idea how he did it but you are going to be just fine."
'He died! The regeneration changed him!' Tegan suddenly realized.
"Oh, Doctor!"
"What is it Mrs—Tegan?" The oncologist asked worriedly.
But instead of answering she asked, "Is he still here?"
"Who?"
"That man—The Doctor?"
"Ah your friend? No I'm afraid not. He said he's glad that he helped you but he had a family emergency and had to leave."
"Typical, Doc," She said fondly.
"I take it he is your friend, then?" The oncologist asked.
"Yes, he's an old friend." Tegan replied.
"I'm sad that I didn't get to know him better. I wanted to thank him for saving you, mum."
"Did he leave a message for me?" She asked hopeful.
"No," the girl said, "But there was something odd about him. Like when I said my name was Nyssa, he hugged me and said 'Well of course you are!'"
Tegan laughed. "Yes, that's him. That's the Doctor."
"Yes, well I need to get back to school, so do you need anything?" The girl asked.
"No, Nyssa, everything is quite alright."
"Are you sure?"
She nodded and smiled at her.
"Okay then, I'll come back after school. Bye, mum" She kissed her on the cheek.
"Bye, Nyssa," she kissed her back and said, "I'll see you later."
The oncologist excused himself do to rounds and Tegan was left alone again.
She looked at the scenery through the window, hoping to see a big blue box somewhere.
"Oh, Doctor, why didn't you tell me?"
Some other time, in a different TARDIS entering another temporal orbit, the newest Doctor wondered the same thing.
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"In the End, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends." -M. Luther King----
Fin