A/N: This is only a short chapter. I didn't want to have too much Doctor just yet - preserve the mystery and all that shizz, right? :p

Chapter Eight

Doctor In Distress

The Doctor regained consciousness with a strangled cry in his throat. He was immediately aware of the awful strained feeling in his chest that he got when one of his hearts had stopped beating. He launched himself to his feet with a gasp and punched himself hard in his chest. He staggered around, knocking things over that he just couldn't register, and thumped himself over and over to try and kick start the stationary heart. He stumbled backwards, slipping and sliding on the wet floor and slammed into the wall. He let out a splutter as his heart fluttered, and then fell still again. He blundered around, blind with the pain of his single heart taking all the strain. He hated the feeling. He had no idea how some people managed with only one heart. He slipped on the wet patch on the floor again, this time unable to regain his balance. He landed hard on his back, and that was just what he needed.

His heart pounded into life.

'Oooh yeah…' he breathed out in relief.

The Doctor lay there for a moment, allowing his body to recover from its brief drama. It took him a couple of seconds to realise that he was wet. Not just wet – soaked. He was drenched from head to foot with ice cold water. The cold didn't bother him much, but the fact that yet another suit was probably ruined did. He sat up and looked down at himself. Yep, ruined. His clothes clung to his body uncomfortably. He also noticed that he was still wearing Ashley's scarf around his neck. With a frown he unravelled it and dropped it on the floor beside him. He reached in his pocket to check that the sonic screwdriver didn't have any water damage, but instead his hand touched something soft and cold. With a confused frown he pulled out the offending object.

'Oh… oh urgh…' He held the defrosted, severed hand between his finger and thumb and grimaced at it. It hung limply, an awful fleshy white colour and tinged blue on the fingers. He tossed it aside and it landed with a wet slop on the concrete floor. 'That's the last time I walk around with frozen body parts in my pockets.' He muttered, dusting his hands off.

He managed to get to his feet, still feeling a little groggy, and looked around the room for the first time. There were no corners – just one big circular brick wall surrounding him. The objects he had knocked over had been a table with a metal bowl on it and a standing lamp beside it. There was only one other piece of furniture in the room; a wooden armchair that looked like it had seen better days. Behind it was a glass-less window. The Doctor headed over and peered out.

'Well, well,' he breathed, looking out at the vast landscape. 'Talk about a room with a view.' He peered down and estimated that he must have been about thirty stories up. Jumping out the window was out of the question then.

He turned away and patted his pockets, discovering the sonic screwdriver in his inside pocket. He pulled it out, checked it and was delighted to discover it was still working. Beaming happily, he strode across the floor to the large wooden door and tried to open it. Of course, it was locked.

'A locked door,' he scoffed. 'As if a locked door is going to stop me.'

He pointed the sonic screwdriver at the lock, and then his grin dropped. He frowned and kicked the door angrily.

'Deadlock seal!' he exclaimed. 'Why does everyone have a deadlock seal these days?'

A light thud on the other side of the door caught his attention and he leaned forward, pressing his ear against the door. He heard more movement.

'Hello?' he called. 'Is there someone there?'

He got no reply.

'Because… you know, I'd quite like a towel or something. I'm a bit wet. Oh, and I'd like to know what I'm doing locked in the top of a tower. I get that you're all fond of locking people in towers around here, but it's normally the damsels and the princesses. And in case you hadn't noticed, I'm not wearing my ball gown and tiara today.'

There was shuffling on the other side of the door again. There was definitely someone there and the Doctor knew that whoever it was wasn't sure what to do. Probably just a guard, and if there were guards, it meant there was someone in charge. This wasn't just a case of a disgruntled, rampaging ice dragon.

'Tell you what,' the Doctor said as casually and friendlily as he could manage. 'Just go get your boss, eh? I'm guessing I'm here for a reason so if you could just have someone up here and explain to me what's going on then I'd be much appreciative.'

There was silence on the other side. The Doctor was just about to speak again when he heard the lock click open. Grinning, he stepped back.

'Thank you,' he beamed as the door opened. 'I've never really liked being locked in rooms on my own you see…' He trailed off at the sight of the being that filled the doorway. His smile dropped a little. The guard filled the whole doorframe, about eight feet tall and huge across his armour-plated shoulders. He had auburn hair that was plaited and hung down his broad chest with a dull metal helmet perched on his head. He had a strange Viking look about him, apart from the fact he was obviously a Troll.

The Troll stared at the Doctor with small, beady red eyes. The skin around them was a dull green, although it was covered in dirty smears. He blinked lazily.

'Right,' the Doctor tried to grin again, but it felt a lot harder. 'Well then. I'm the Doctor.' He held out his hand. The Troll just looked at him so he pushed his hand into his damp pocket. 'Yes, well… Um, I'm just wondering why I'm here. I know I'm in high demand with some people, being the charming, intelligent, witty man that I am.' He beamed but the Troll continued to blink silently at him. 'Of course you would understand that because you seem to be exactly the same. Well… when I say exactly the same I mean the complete opposite obviously. Although what some people lack in brains they can make up in appearance.' He paused. 'But I think you lost out on that too, didn't you?'

The Troll narrowed his beady eyes. The Doctor took this as a warning.

'Right then.' He clapped his hands. 'I take it you're here to take me to someone, right?'

The Troll blinked once again, and then reached forward with an impossibly huge hand. He grabbed the Doctor roughly and dragged him out of the room.