Chapter 2

Clara sat, her post by the side of the Doctor, as it had been for the last three days. It was unnerving to see him so still and quiet. She was used to him up and running about, a bundle of energy that the universe could hardly contain, and yet here he was, sleeping so deeply that he resembled one of those effigies you saw on old tombs.

The macabre image made her shiver, and she took the Doctor's hand for the thousandth time, willing him to wake up. After his collapse, the Havens had brought them both to this set of rooms, in a wing on the other side of the Traveler's Rest. Outside the double doors there was a large garden with a pool and waterfall, but that was where the similarities to their old quarters ended. Beyond the garden was a nature preserve, where she could see animals roaming. Even worse, the only boundary between their garden and the preserve was a line of bushes. She kept expecting to look at the windows and see a salivating beast ready to eat them, but so far, they'd been ignored. She prayed that all of the animals out there were too stupid to figure out how doors worked.

There had been other differences between these quarters and their previous rooms. For one, there was no use in describing the place as "rooms." It was one giant room, divided by screens and curtains when privacy was needed. The wall behind Clara was an enormous floor-to-ceiling mirror. The only other mirrors in the room were small ones on stands. Why was one wall a huge mirror and all the others so small? Her suspicion told her that they were being watched through that wall-mirror, so as a precaution, she kept herself seated between it and the Doctor whenever she could. He was drugged and asleep and she would protect him to the best of her ability, as small as it was.

If not for the fact they were prisoners, Clara reflected, she would be enjoying herself. This place was nice and comfortable and so far, all her needs and wants had been fulfilled by Liora and her ever-helpful minions. They brought her meals, books, games she could play by herself…if not for her worry about the Doctor, then she would feel as if she were on holiday!

Aside from the Havens bringing meals and other things, she and the Doctor had been left largely alone, except for what she thought of as "the medical." Once the Doctor had collapsed and they'd been taken to this room, they'd laid the Doctor on the bed and despite her protests, began to examine him. She hadn't been able to keep them from listening to his hearts and breathing, looking down his throat with some sort of scope, swabbing the inside of his cheek, taking a blood sample, and cutting a lock of his hair. Even scarier had been the number of instruments they'd hooked him up to. Even asleep, she could tell that he'd felt them and that they had been painful, and no matter how much she shouted at them and tried to push past them to disconnect the machines, her puny human strength had been able to accomplish nothing. They'd simply kept her away from the Doctor until the wretched machines were finished running, and then they'd all trooped out, already discussing their findings.

The worst part was that they had taken the tool that the Doctor relied on most. They'd taken the sonic screwdriver.

Gits.

Clara turned her attention back to the Doctor. He had to wake up sometime. He had to. She could see that he was still breathing and every now and then he would shift around in bed, so he was still alive. What she didn't understand was why he'd been asleep for so long. Once, during one of their adventures, she'd remarked on how awake he'd seemed when she was absolutely exhausted.

"That's because Time Lords don't need as much sleep as humans," he'd stated. "For some of us, we don't need more than an hour's worth at a time."

"If you don't need more than an hour's worth, then why the heck are you still sleeping?" Clara asked his recumbent form. "Wake up, Doctor. Please."

His only answer was to turn on his side and sigh, which made Clara sigh in answer.

"Hello, Clara," Liora said brightly as she entered, carrying a tray. "Are you hungry?"

"Not really," Clara confessed. Oh, how she hated this woman! She wanted to tear those remarkable eyes out of her head and use them for golf balls!

"That's a shame, the cooks have sent up a feast for you," Liora informed her. "At least try to eat. Is the Doctor still sleeping?"

"As you see," Clara said coldly. "Just exactly how much of that stuff did you give him?"

"Enough to make him sleep," Liora answered. "Mind you, we had to guess a bit at the dose, but it was effective."

"Effective?" Clara repeated in shock. "I can't believe you! You had to guess at the dose? You gave him enough to keep him asleep for days! How do you know that you haven't poisoned him with it? What if he sleeps for the rest of his life?"

"Oh, I'm sure that won't happen," Liora said brightly. "He'll be fine."

"Look at him!" Clara ordered, pointing at the Doctor. "Does that look fine?"

"He's asleep," Liora said. "He's fine."

"That's just it!" Clara shouted. "He doesn't lie still anywhere at any time! He's all energy, up and bounding around like an overgrown puppy! He doesn't do quiet!"

Liora gave her a long, thoughtful look. "Clara, it looks as if you're overwrought. Would you like something to help calm you?"

"Oh, no," Clara said firmly. "No way, lady. You've done your worst already. Please leave us alone."

"As you like," Liora said. "I'll stop by later, all right?"

Once she was gone, Clara gave vent to her feelings by pelting the mirror wall with pillows. If someone was on the other side of it they were probably amused, but at that point she didn't much care. The room had plenty of pillows and cushions and the like and she was able to keep it up for a while without having to re-gather her ammunition. When she was bored with throwing pillows, she went to see what had been left for her lunch. There was soup, salad, and bread. Nothing too exciting. Oh, well.

She ate, sipped at some water, and then re-took her seat by the Doctor's side. A feather had worked its way free of its pillow and she busied herself for a while by playing with it. She blew it from hand to hand, threw it up in the air and caught it on her head, and once, it landed on her nose. The sudden tickling was overwhelming and a second later, she sneezed.

"CARALLUS 6!" the Doctor shouted, suddenly bounding out of bed and darting across the room. "The whole planet is nothing but caves formed from purple crystal! It's breathtaking, Clara! Are you game?"

As quickly as he'd started, he slid to a stop and looked around the room. Then he spotted Clara. "Oh, it wasn't a dream," he said bleakly. Then he sank into a chair and grasped his head. "Nope, definitely not a dream. Why did they have to give me something with a headache from Hades as a side effect?!"

"Doctor," Clara sighed in relief. "It's good to see you awake."

Still holding his head, the Doctor looked at Clara. "It's good to be awake," he said. "I tried to wake myself up when I wasn't dreaming. How long was I asleep?"

"Three days and this morning," Clara reported. "How do you feel?"

"Extremely well-rested," he admitted. "That, and an awful headache! Ouch!"

"Is there anything I can do?" Clara asked.

The Doctor held his head in both hands and groaned. "I'm thinking. Um…is there a bathtub anywhere?"

"Yeah, over here," Clara said, showing him. The WC was the only place that had its own walls, but the tub was just outside it, curtained off from the rest of the room by free-standing screens. It was long enough and deep enough to immerse oneself completely, and Clara had enjoyed more than one bath in it.

"Perfect," the Doctor said as soon as he spotted it. "And clothes?"

"In the chest," Clara said. "A bath is going to help your head?"

"That, and the fact that I've been in bed for the past three days, I feel like I need one," the Doctor confessed. So saying, he took a fresh set of clothes from the chest and disappeared behind the screen. A second later Clara could hear water running and then splashing as the Doctor slipped into the tub. "Oh, COLD! Very, very COLD!"

"Why didn't you run the hot water instead?" Clara called, wondering how anyone, even a Time Lord, could forget the hot water for a bath.

"Because cold will help my head!" the Doctor called back. "I'm going under now; I'll talk to you some more once I've resurfaced!"

Time Lords could hold their breath to an impressive degree, Clara reflected once the Doctor had come back to the surface. He let out most of the cold water, ran some hot, and she could hear him scrubbing and splashing. Finally, at long last, he emerged from the screens, dressed in new clothes and rubbing his hair dry with a towel. "Ah, I feel better. So, fill me in. Tell me what's been going on."

She reported and she noticed that the more she talked, the grimmer he looked. "Right. I see."

"Is that all you can say?" Clara demanded. "Where are your lightning-fast Time Lord wits?"

"Still frozen from that bath," he said lightly. "But don't worry; they'll thaw soon enough, and then they'll have enough to do. We're going to have company."

"How do you know that?" she wanted to know. She'd been thinking this whole time that was soon as the Doctor was awake he would have a plan to escape and they would get away and everything would be all right again. It was childish to think that way, she supposed, but she'd also come to expect it over her time with the Doctor. In her experience, he always had a plan and a way to get out of tight spots.

He smiled at her, a smile that had frightened entire armies and brought despots to their knees. "Because I'm awake."

He was right. Within ten minutes, Liora and two of her minions had shown up, all smiling and looking as if they wanted nothing more than to talk with him.

"Hello, Doctor!" Liora said brightly. "How are you feeling?"

He gave a calm smile that promised trouble for the Havens. "Very well-rested. I had no idea there was anyone left in the universe who knew about Gallifreyan drugs. I'm impressed."

"With enough study, one can learn anything," Liora said. "Are you hungry? Thirsty?"

"No, thank you," the Doctor answered politely. "I don't have time right now for another nap."

A chuckle ran through the Havens and their eyes shifted color so much that Clara was dizzy.

"There is no need now to drug you, Doctor," Liora said, her tone clearly conveying that she felt the Doctor was silly for being so suspicious. "You are here in the area we've prepared for you, and you've already been examined."

He stared at her and folded his arms. "Examined for what?"

"To make sure you were in good health," Liora stated. "I'm happy to report that you're in perfect health, if a trifle thin. Muscle tone is good, both hearts are strong, and everything else is functioning well. Do you have any questions about your exam?"

"Who gave you permission to examine me?" the Doctor asked immediately, his tone heavy with cold anger. "I don't recall consenting to an exam."

One of Liora's minions spoke up. "Consent was not needed, Doctor."

Clara stared at him. "Excuse me? What do you mean, not needed? He didn't give his permission for an exam or anything like that to be done! Don't you remember me trying to stop you and telling you that you had no right do anything of the sort?"

The smile he gave her was, Isn't she cute? "Consent is not needed for one of the species we protect. If it is for the species' benefit, then we will do whatever is necessary for the continued health and well-being of the species."

"I truly hope that you're not saying what I think you're saying," the Doctor said, pacing back and forth. "The question has to be asked, though. Am I prisoner here?"

Liora tilted her head in thought. "Well, we intend to make you as comfortable as possible. That way, we hope you won't feel the confinement too keenly."

The Doctor groaned. "Confinement is confinement, no matter how you look at it, and I've always hated it! I've been confined in a whole range of buildings, from palaces to dungeons, and not one of them was pleasant, and believe me, I've felt the confinement pretty keenly every time!"

"You'll have a great deal of freedom, though, Doctor," Liora hurried to assure him. "You'll be allowed to wander the Traveler's Rest in the afternoons, you'll have use of all the facilities, and we'll be planning excursions for you. You won't just be locked in this room all your days with nothing to do and nowhere to go and no one to see."

"I want the freedom to leave," the Doctor stated firmly with gritted teeth. "False freedom is not freedom at all."

"If you can find a way out, then you deserve to leave," Minion 1 said, smiling with anticipation. "Searching for a way out will at least give you something to do if you become bored."

"But we don't intend to allow you to be bored," Liora said soothingly. "There is plenty to do here at the Rest, and there are other places…"

"No," the Doctor said. "I do not want to stay here and have activities planned for me. I wish to go."

"That is not possible, Doctor," Liora said. "You are the rarest species in the universe now. You must stay here, where you will be safe."

"I don't want to be safe. Safe is boring," the Doctor complained. "I'm not going to stay here."

Clara, who had been thinking all this time, spoke up. "You said that he would be allowed to go where he liked in the afternoons. What will he be doing in the mornings that you would only specify the afternoons?"

"In the mornings will be observation," Liora told them.

"Observation?" the Doctor echoed. "Observation for what?"

"It won't be difficult," Liora promised. "You need do nothing special, and I can tell you that you won't even know anyone is there during observation."

It dawned on them both at the same time.

"I am not a zoo animal!" the Doctor shouted furiously.

"You can't do this to him!" Clara protested. "Why on earth do you need to put him on display like this?!"

"Of course you're not a zoo animal," Liora said pertly. "We don't view you that way, but it is necessary for observation. People need to know about the Time Lords and one of the best ways to do that is observation."

"What if I don't cooperate?" the Doctor wanted to know. "It'll be pretty hard for me to be observed, won't it, if I don't cooperate with your plans?"

"That isn't a worry, Doctor," Liora said. "I know that this is hard to accept for you, but in time you'll adjust."

Clara stared at this woman, unable to believe her ears. "What if he doesn't adjust? What if he can't?"

Liora shook her head. "It will only take time, Clara. Not to worry."

"Oh, I'm worried," Clara snapped.

The Doctor was pacing by this time, his entire frame radiating fury.

Liora watched him for a moment. "Doctor, if there's anything you would like, now would be the time to ask for it."

He kept pacing, his jaw working as he ground his teeth. "Books. I'm going to need plenty of books."

"All right, anything else?"

He paced a moment, thinking. "Mine and Clara's things," he said. "I don't know where you've put them, but we'd like them back."

"We can do that," Liora assured him. She watched him pace for a few minutes. "Doctor, I get the feeling that you're agitated."

"Of course I'm agitated," he snarled, still pacing. "I've just learned that I'm a bloody zoo animal in the universe's biggest zoo! Who could be calm about that?"

"Being so overwrought over time can be detrimental to your health," Liora warned. "Please endeavor to calm yourself."

The Doctor stared at her in disbelief. "Of course, we can't have anything detrimental to my health happen! You don't want to lose your star exhibit!"

Liora's eyes turned cold. "We shall return when you have calmed yourself, Doctor. Have a pleasant day."

They trooped out, leaving the Doctor and Clara to themselves. Clara, furious, grabbed up a pillow and hurled it at the door.

The Doctor just watched her. "Feel better?"

"A bit," she admitted. "So, what do we do?"

"It's logical to assume that they're not only watching but listening to us as well," he said. "That limits what we can talk about openly."

"Oo-day ou-yay ink-thay ay-they ow-knay ig-pay atin-lay?" Clara asked, taking a chance.

"Oh-nay idea-way," the Doctor answered with a smile. "It would be easy enough to figure out, though."

Clara thought about it. "Probably. I just thought I'd try."

"We have to think of a way to communicate if they are really listening to us. We could try...thinking...at each other, but it could be difficult for you if you're not used to it."

"I don't know if we could keep that up for very long," Clara said. "I mean, doesn't your brain jump around a lot?"

His eyebrows shot almost to his hairline. "My brain? MY brain? You're human, Clara. Humans haven't won the prize for clear and logical thinking, you know."

"You're right, we probably got our thinking habits from you popping in and out of our history all those times."

"And there's the sass I was expecting," the Doctor groaned, dropping into a chair. "That's not helpful."

"It's not helpful when you insult species," Clara pointed out.

"All right, I'm sorry," the Doctor said. "I only insult species when I'm upset."

"Since anyone would be upset over this, that's okay," Clara said, patting her friend on the shoulder. "It's not everybody who wakes up to learn that they're now the prize exhibit in a zoo. You've a right to be upset."

"Mmm-hmm," the Doctor agreed. He sat up straight and looked at her. "Still, I don't see many options. Would you be willing to try it?"

Clara thought about it. "You're talking about reading each other's minds, right?"

He nodded.

"Okay. Can humans read your mind?"

"Some have," the Doctor admitted. He shrugged. "I was surprised, but it was useful. I'm thinking, that with all of the things we've been through together and all the things you've seen, it would be easier for you. Are you willing to try?"

Clara grinned. "Geronimo."

It took a few minutes, but together they were able to communicate. For Clara it was bits and pieces of thoughts. She had to admit that they'd taken the sonic screwdriver and that she hadn't seen it since. She shared all the information she could about their quarters and things she'd overheard and seen for the past few days. At last, the Doctor broke the link and sat back in his chair. "Hmm."

Clara sat in the chair beside his. "Yep."

The Doctor stayed where he was, thinking. Finally, he got up and started to pace.

"What are you thinking?" Clara asked.

"It's still...nebulous. I'll have to think some more."

The door opened, revealing Liora. She carried a large satchel full of books and a smaller bag, as well as the duffel bag that Clara had brought along from the TARDIS. "Here are the books you requested, as well as your things, Doctor. Is there anything else you'd like?"

"A fruit basket would be nice. Fish fingers with custard. Some cold drinks. See what you can do. If you're my keeper, then it would be your job to see to that, right?"

"You don't require a keeper, Doctor, but I'll see if those things can be obtained for you," she said. "Just one question: Fish fingers and custard?"

"Yeah, good luck finding that," Clara said, taking the bags from Liora. Immediately she opened her duffel and began to rummage through it.

"You heard her, good luck," the Doctor said.

Liora took the hint and left. Once she was gone the Doctor hurried to Clara's side and began to paw through the bag. "Please say you have something useful in here."

"I don't know what you would find useful," Clara said doubtfully. "You're welcome to have a look, though."

He looked through the bag, but at last he closed it and sighed. "I don't know. I'll have to think." He started pacing. "Clara, what do we do if I can't think of anything?"

"Don't be stupid," Clara answered. "There's the two of us. We'll manage."

Her tone and the way she grinned at him made him grin in return. "Yes, we will."