Health and Safety: Chapter 19 –Break from the Crowd
The slight groan of metal hinges wakes me, one of my eyes sliding open just enough to see the thin crack of light streaming in from the hallway. Beneath me, the Doctor is still fast asleep, one hand resting carefully on the side of my face while his other arm is draped protectively around me. The silhouette of a person peeks around the doorframe for a moment, before they pull back, shutting the door as softly as possible.
"Sorry, this one is taken, but I'm sure one of the other rooms has space." Ria's voice tells someone in a whisper, which is further muffled by the wall between us.
"Girl, there are multiple sets of sleeping apparatus in each room, this one cannot be full." Strax replies like a pouting child.
"I didn't say it was full. I said it was taken." She clarifies.
"London, what are you doing up?" Émeric hisses under his breath.
"Trying to get this one to settle in and preferably not disturb anyone in the process. Now hush, both of you. Strax, just pick another room, you'll be fine on your own, I promise you won't get left behind."
Strax's grumbling doesn't take on clear words, but his tiny steps can be heard shuffling farther away, and another door creaks open before slamming shut.
"Subtle." Ria sighs exasperatedly.
"What are yo-"
"What part of 'hush' was lost on you? Come on, back to bed."
"Well if you ins-"
"Remember who still has your keys before you finish that sentence." She suggests with a fake innocence as her quiet stride carries her away, a slight hesitation in her gait still.
Émeric's response is lost on me; they are too far away to hear now. With the noise gone, I tuck my head back down into the Doctor's chest, greeted by his double heartbeat and the feeling of the unfamiliar fabric he is wearing...
Here she was, Doctor Ilara Swan, watching Professor Wagg receive all manner of adoration for 'his' creation. Somehow, he and the other members of the Institute for Technological Advancement and Research seemed to be under the impression she was lucky to even be present at this party, considering she was supposedly a 'small time contributor' from Britain. Oh yes, she was so very 'small time.' After all, she was only the person who had established the theoretical framework for the beryllium chip which made this Atomic Clock possible in the first place... Ilara sighed, and was about to take another generous sip of her drink when it was almost knocked out of her hands as someone bumped into her from behind. She whipped around; fully prepared to give whoever this was a proper piece of her mind, but her mouth slackened when she saw him. He had long hair that curled slightly, an elaborate waistcoat and an incredibly charming expression. He apologized courteously to her, revealing his accent, and begged her pardon. Ilara noticed his name tag, which obviously didn't belong to him considering he was not in any way shape or form that oaf Professor Wagg, but she didn't say anything about it, instead giving him a coy smile and stepping out of his way. He inclined his head to her and led his companion; a woman she recalled being a member of the Institute, deeper into the crowd. Ilara returned to her drink, wondering what was going on, when another man appeared in front of her, dressed in a set of tails with his long brown hair slicked back… He offered her his hands before he spoke. "Come with me? We need to get back." He said kindly to her. "Back where? Why do I feel like I've met you before?" She asked him, feeling so safe but so confused, taking his hands anyway. Where had her glass gone? Where had the room gone for that matter? "Because you have met me before." He prompted, leading her forward, momentarily stepping them into darkness, but then through a field of tall, burnt orange grass that stretched endlessly around them, blowing in a gentle breeze and brushing softly against her legs. She smiled; there was something about this man that made her inexplicably happy...
My eyes flutter open, gently, there is no resounding snap, not even a crackle when they do, and I'm greeted by the sight of the Doctor who has a silly grin plastered to his face.
"Better that time?" I ask him timidly, after taking a few steadying breaths.
"Yeah, lots." He says, smile staying in place.
"How did we end up there? That was Gallifrey wasn't it?"
"I pulled us into one of my memories; let you come round slowly in a safe place instead of just forcing you to a realization like I tried before." He explains shyly.
"That way was much more pleasant."
"Good, see if you can sleep a bit more, dawn will be here soon enough, and unlike me I believe Walt is a man with a bit of a reverence for plans and timeliness…"
Even if I hadn't been watching out of the back of the wagon we'd been bundled into, I would have known the moment we left the city limits, as the bumps and the dust took over from the smooth tracks of the paved streets. The cover over the wagon definitely helps with the heat, which admittedly isn't bad since it is still quite early, but the canvas does limit what we can see. Being at the end of the caravan doesn't help the view either; there is nothing behind us except the trail fading away on the flat horizon and the hazy outline of Estevan off in the distance.
Émeric and the trio of Enforcement Officers who are sitting with us chat amiably enough, though only he seems to direct questions at us, and only polite ones at that. He is curious about us, but I think someone has told him not to pry.
As we roll over something that feels more like a canyon that a pothole, the Doctor's arm snakes around my waist to keep me from tumbling off the bench we are sitting on, and it stays there, holding me in place.
"The TARDIS is really not going to be happy with me after getting knocked about like this twice…" He groans apprehensively.
"Well it probably beats being left up on a cloud for who knows how long doesn't it?" I ask, trying to restrain a giggle.
Instead of saying anything, he inspects me carefully, like he is seeking the answer to a question. I had hoped this might stop, since we know why I am impossible now…
"What's that face for?" I ask, snippier than I meant to.
He just shakes his head slightly...
Not long after, Ria comes around the back of the wagon, astride a tall dark horse and leading her own little blue grey mare.
"Clara, you left this in Captain Wolfe's office yesterday after… you know…" She says, tossing the leather jacket I had completely forgotten about into the back of the wagon.
After I thank her, she turns to Émeric, her expression mischievous and a little taunting as she inclines her head to her horse. He regards her for a moment, before beaming at her silent challenge, gracefully hopping out of the back of the moving wagon and much less impressively struggling into the saddle. She leans over, fixing his grip on the reins before giving us a little wave and trotting off again.
"Why do you get the big one?" Émeric whines as he goes to follow her.
"Because Ardist is a lot more forgiving than Duran, she'll get you where you need to go!" She calls back bluntly.
Having come the quick way here, I'm not really sure how long it will take us to get back to Bordure. An hour or so into the journey, I think, we are properly surrounded by the open, dusty prairie once more.
Ria and Émeric fall in behind us now and again, she's making him look like quite the novice, periodically pulling her horse into an impressive prancing step beside him as he struggles, though she always helps him when he looks like he needs it.
Oddly, or perhaps not, he doesn't seem to mind any of it one bit.
When I listen to their laughter and let myself focus on the reassuring arm around my waist, I can almost forget how many problems there are right now… It's easy to just be a little bit happy, thinking about this moment instead of the ones to come.
"Clara?" The Doctor asks, a while after the two of them have disappeared ahead of the wagon again. My answer is cut off as we jerk to a stop, and I hear hooves clattering towards us. The Doctor stands up quickly, blocking me from view despite having to crouch because of the canvas roof over our heads. It's Ria who pulls to a halt behind the wagon though, Émeric catching up to her a few seconds later.
"Someone has a broken axel up ahead, Walt offered them our assistance and asked me to round up some help, can you three come with me?" She asks the Enforcement Officers, who nod and follow her. Émeric stays, dismounting and leaning against the back of the wagon, looking a little out of sorts.
"Remind me how sore I am feeling the next time I try to keep up to her..." He mumbles.
"Are we going to be stopped for a bit?" The Doctor asks him.
"Based on what MacEwan said I would presume so."
The Doctor offers me a hand, and helps me step down to the ground. It's nice to move around a bit, that bench isn't the most comfortable thing in the world, even with the Doctor… The sound of a rider approaching us becomes louder again, and Ria flies around the corner of the wagon, sliding to a stop and looking frightened.
"The people with the broken axel, most of them are high ranking representatives from Étoile Energy; they say they are out here to 'assess a potential investment'… and… they have the Etulians with them… Kelvia, and some of the others." She tells us.
Émeric looks lost as to why any of this is a problem, but the Doctor's face gets dark as he takes one step away from me before Ria forcibly halts him by steering her horse in his way. He frowns at her, before trying to get around her but she blocks him again.
"Doctor, stop, think! They don't know who you are, or who Clara is. That thing, the tracker they have, it must only work at short range right? That must have been what Hank and Ramon, who is now apparently dead, scanned you two with on the way to Bordure, remember?"
I had almost forgotten that incident what with all that has happened...
"Beyond giving them that intimidating glare, do you have a plan for what you'd do if I let you go?" She asks.
"No, but I am very good at thinking on my feet." He growls at her.
"Well, I happen to have a plan. Émeric, get your shirt off." She orders, turning to rifle through her saddle bags.
Émeric gazes at me, mouth agape, pointing at her like he wants confirmation I heard the same thing he did.
"Can you repeat that please?" He asks.
"You heard me, here, put these on, I know they'll probably be a bit tight." She grumbles, tossing him the Doctor's abandoned button down shirt and vest, he must have left them in the same room as my coat…
"Ria, what are you doing?" I ask, already having a bad feeling about what her idea is.
"They have seen me somewhere I shouldn't be Clara, and they know someone got me out…" She answers.
"No, not a good plan, in fact a very bad plan." The Doctor garbles out rapidly.
"I don't understand what you are doing, but I want to." Émeric pleads, taking a step closer and putting a wary hand on her arm.
"Hopefully I am pulling someone out of the way again, but this time I need some help, your help, if you'll come with me..?" She asks him, a vulnerability to her tone. He nods calmly and starts working at his Kevlar vest.
"I don't like this idea." I tell her plainly.
"We'll be fine, I blatantly show them I'm here and then disappear, take the scenic route to Bordure. They won't be able to come after us, not without raising suspicion, which Walt has in abundance. But if they see me running away, well, usually you only run when you're guilty... or scared." She reasons.
"Why would you do this?" The Doctor asks her.
"Because I can, because it will help, because they won't be able to catch me, because it will give them someone to focus on and hopefully stop them from just taking random girls and or Clara, take your pick."
"Why are you all like this?" The Doctor asks angrily.
"Like what?"
"Brave. You're always brave. Someone once asked me how many people have died in my name, I can't honestly tell you, I can't keep track, but that isn't the worst of it, because you're not even dying in my name, you do it for 'the Doctor,' a name I can't even live up to all of the time."
"I'm not dying and this isn't all about you!" She snaps, ire evident in her voice.
"How is it not? This is happening because Clara and I are here, the Etulians want us, it's my fault!"
"You came here, yes, but do you know what you didn't do?"
"What?"
"You didn't make the energy magnates and marketers greedy and selfish. You didn't make them willing to exploit everyone for their own gain. They took advantage of people long before you got here, and they will keep doing so long after you leave!" She asserts, climbing down from her saddle and marching towards him, cutting off his reply.
"And I'm not doing this in your name; I'm doing it in my own. I don't know who you are, but I know why I want to help you both. You are ridiculously protective of the people you love, but you also genuinely care about people you don't know, or have just met, you both try to make things better. It's just what you do, and I will help with that if I can." She argues, swallowing before turning to me.
"You've still got that bowtie right?"
"You don't have to do this; we can all just hide back here, they won't notice us, we can think of something else later, trick them maybe…" I try to convince her.
"I know I don't have to. I do too much hiding as is though, might be time to break the habit. You two try and come up with a more long term solution while we're gone okay?"
Émeric finishes buttoning the Doctor's vest, which is indeed too tight across the shoulders for him.
"Congratulations, you are now the Doctor." She tells him, still looking at me as I pull the crumpled bowtie from my pocket and press it into her hand reluctantly.
"Sorry, what?"
"There are aliens hunting someone, Clara I think. They don't know that she is who they want though, and they have an interest in me. So, I'm going to make it look like I am the one they want. But, in order to make this convincing… I'll need my own oddly dressed Doctor. Have you seen these two at all? You don't find one without the other, and the Etulians know it." She explains softly, wrapping the silk around his neck, tying it carefully.
"Actually I have been a bit too worried about you to pay much attention to them."
"Good work, you're playing the Doctor's part already." She mutters, getting up onto the dark horse again.
"Victoria."
"What?"
"I meant it."
"Come on, get up here and hang on to me…" She tells him, offering her hand. He takes it, and settles behind her, arms wrapping around her waist, probably tighter than is strictly necessary, not that I would know anything about that...
"See you in Bordure then." She says to us uneasily, looking at the Doctor.
"We'll see you there." He promises.
"Keep each other safe." I add hurriedly.
"I wouldn't make a very good you if I didn't do that would I?" She chuckles tensely, wheeling the horse about and thundering off.
A/N: Hey, hey look, we've got Clara and the Doctor all by themselves...