Doctor And Assistant (Chap. 12)
Chapter Twelve: There's A First For Everything, Lilly
/Lilly\\
"You know," Rachel smiled, sitting on the edge of Lilly's new bed in the TARDIS, "they have a library onboard."
Lily looked up from her moping, crossed-leg position and smiled back at her Spirit Guide's friendly apparition. "Really?" she asked excitedly.
"Yup! Come on, follow me."
So Lilly hoped off of her bed and followed Rachel down the hallways that seemed to go on forever. "How does one survive living in a place as tortuous as this?" she asked Rachel quietly.
"Depends," she shrugged. "At least you won't be bored."
"I suppose."
Lilly continued into the red-velvet-colored walled room. There were three floors, each with what seemed to be hundreds of bookcases on each and plenty of seats and tables. "How does he find the time to read? I mean, he wouldn't have a library if he didn't read. And the place is so empty! Does he expect many people to sit in the library? Oh, Lord, listen to that echo..."
Footsteps from behind her caused Lilly to turn around, jumping back out of fear when she saw the Doctor in the doorway. "Lilly, I'm over 900 years old, like I've said before. I've had too MUCH time to read," he laughed.
With a nervous laugh at how gullible she felt for being so easily frightened, Lilly cleared her throat. "Sorry. I-I know it's too late to be wandering around-"
"-say no more," the Doctor smiled. "But that does ring a questioning bell in my head — why AREN'T you asleep? Aren't you tired? I mean, cause it's midnight, and you're only 12."
"Can't I ask the same? Cause it's midnight, and you're only 900," she shot back.
"I asked you first," he reminded her.
Lilly groaned in defeat, but then pointed to her head. "I have insomnia."
"Really?"
"Yes, really. Your turn. Why are you awake, Doctor?" She dropped her hand.
He pointed to his head as well mockingly. "Time Lord."
"What does that have to do with not sleeping?"
"Time Lords have a part of their DNA that doesn't give them such a great need of sleep compared to humans. We get tired, but only sleep for a few hours if we are lucky."
Lilly nodded in understanding.
"I think I'll leave you to read," he said, turning around beginning to walk –
– "What is it like?" she asked.
He froze, turning to face her in the doorway once more. "Hmm?"
"What is it like? Traveling with you, I mean."
"Honestly?"
"Honestly."
He sighed sadly. "It's dangerous. Entertainment comes with a price."
"How dangerous?"
"People have died. Many good people have risked their lives."
"And yet you still invite people to travel with you?"
He scoffed. "Crazy, right? Where'd you like to go?"
"Excuse me?"
The Doctor smiled. "I give them a chance to choose when and where we go. They realize they have all of time and space to go through. And then they forget the future and give me a location." He paused. "I'll leave you to your reading now."
The Doctor walked off, leaving Lilly in a daze.
"He's a pretty mysterious man, isn't he?" Rachel asked. "And now you'll travel all of time and space with him."
Lilly laughed, repeating some of the Doctor's words. "'They realize they have all of time and space... they forget the future'. Yes... Mysterious," Lilly smiled.
/Derpy\\ (9:16 A.M.)
"So, you basically told Lilly everything about you so far?" Derpy asked the Doctor.
"Well, not everything. Just some background, a summary."
"Still a bit much for a 12-year old," Scarlet reminded him.
"She can see things we can't see and hears things we can't hear, all bundled up with her insomnia diagnosis. I'm sure she can handle it," the Doctor muttered.
Derpy changed the subject. "... Did she say where she wanted to go?"
"No."
"Where is she?" Scarlet asked, looking around.
Derpy and the Doctor stoop up and said "I'll find her" in unison.
The Doctor nodded. "We can both go, then."
"Or not," Scarlet shrugged.
"Hmm?"
Scarlet gestured to Lilly, who was rubbing her temple and walking in.
"Lilly? Everything alright?" Derpy asked, stepping closer.
"I'm fine!" she spat out. Lilly then widened her eyes and frowned. "Sorry."
The Doctor eyed her suspiciously. "What were you doing?"
"I was reading those old Sherlock Holmes novels. I would have finished 'em, but Rachel kept spoiling the endings," she explained with a weak smile.
"So you like Sherlock Holmes?" the Doctor asked, a plan forming in his head.
"Obviously," she laughed.
"Wanna meet him?
/Lilly\\
Lilly paused, Rachel smiling. "He's telling the truth. He can go anywhere, see anything, meet anyone."
"For real?" Lilly asked.
Derpy nodded, "he can do anything."
"Okay. If this is a joke, someone laugh because I need to know the truth," Lilly ordered.
"Lilly, you can see if we are lying or not," the Doctor reminded her, "you tell us."
And she was wrong: they were telling the truth.
"But how?"
"The TARDIS can go anywhere. Trust me, I know her like the back of my hand," the Doctor laughed.
"Wait, the TARDIS is a girl?" she asked.
"Yup!" he smiled.
Scarlet shook her head. "Lill', all men make their transports and vehicles females," she laughed. "Maybe it's comfort because they're too nerdy to find a proper date."
The Doctor muttered: "not cool."
Lilly giggled. "When are we going?"
"We can go now, if you'd like," the Doctor suggested.
"Then what're we waiting for?" she asked, leaning against the railings.
"I dunno, maybe for the Doctor to yell–" Scarlet started.
"–Allons-y!" the Doctor finished.
"That," Scarlet rolled her eyes.
(London, 12:59 P.M.)
"Well," Rachel said, stiffening. "You're home. Sort of."
"Thanks for the reminder," Lilly muttered sarcastically.
"No problem," she said in the same tone.
"Rachel again?" Derpy asked, joining her empty stare at the myriad of people.
Lilly nodded, leaving it at that.
The Doctor walked out last, his long brown coat flying behind him. He didn't seem to notice. "Ready to go?" he asked.
Lilly nodded again, stopping her motionless, independent search.
"Hey, don't be down. It'd only ruin your mood for when you see Sherlock. Find the bright side of the situation, maybe?" Rachel whispered, as if Lilly wasn't the only one that could hear her.
"I just can't believe it's almost been two years..." she whispered back.
"I know, dear, I know."
Scarlet drummed quietly against her leg in a four-beat rhythm. The Doctor and Lilly stared at her and out of the corner of her, Lilly saw his aura grow black – filled with coldness and hatred.
"What?" Scarlet asked, stopping her beat and looking up.
The Doctor shook his head. "Nothing."
Big Ben began ringing obnoxiously, giving them all a shock back to life. But Bridge Street had never been so populated before, and Lilly seemed to have all the time in the world to search for them. However she stopped herself, telling her mind it wasn't possible.
"Right," the Doctor smiled, oblivious to the mental war going on inside of the young girl's head. "Perhaps we can set off?"
Lilly froze. Turned her head.
"He should be there any second now. Mind you, he isn't exactly the same appearance-wise," he continued.
"Alargealienencasedinmetalwithoneeyeandnolegs!" Lilly screamed, squeezing her eyes shut and keeping her clenched fists at her side. The thing she described glided closer to her, now a mere foot away. Whatever that eye thing was on it's head seemed to be charging up, about to blast her with whatever power it had. "No, stop! Stay away! Stay away!"
The Doctor ran to her, grabbing her shoulders. "Lilly! What do you see?!"
/the Doctor\\
She whimpered, her teeth chattering, and clutched her head tightly on both sides as if she wished to make her head shrink. He tried to keep her steady but she began staggering, falling out of his grasp. She gasped, jerked backwards, and fell. The Doctor chased after her.
"Oh, my gosh..." Derpy muttered, covering her mouth with her hands.
The Doctor cradled Lilly in his arms while in a kneeling position. He looked at her before directing his gaze to his assistant with watering eyes. "Derpy, Scarlet, there are pills in the med bays cabinets. I need them."
Scarlet nodded, grabbing Derpy and running inside.
The Doctor watched Lilly again, exhaling shakily. His thoughts were of how his children –
– 'No,' he told himself sternly.
Lilly whimpered again. "Doctor," she whispered in an agonized tone.
The Doctor held her to him, shutting his eyes. "It's okay," he promised, "it's all going to be okay..."
"It hurts," she winced, pulling away.
"I know it does, I know it does," he lied.
"I'm so scared..."
"You don't need to be scared. Please, what did you see?"
"Rachel says you know what I saw. You've seen them plenty of times before..." she reminded him, now going limp once more.
A thin stream of red trickled down starting at her nose again. He wiped it away with his thumb, sitting and placing her on his lap. He broke down crying as memories kept washing and slamming into him, one by one. Her chest only moved up and down at an extremely slow rate.
/Scarlet\\
"Come on!" Derpy yelled to Scarlet.
A plan struck the Skyolozine and she grabbed Derpy's hand, stopping her from walking. "Slap me right now!"
"Why?!"
"Do it!"
Derpy noticeably gulped, winding her arm back. Her open hand collided with Scarlet's cheek and she growled, docking over. "What's happening? Did I hit you too hard-"
- Scarlet's wings sprouted from her back and she took Derpy again. "Skyolozine wings grow once we have a wave of anger or rage flow through us. So, where's the med bay?"
"I'll show you; just go!"
Scarlet nodded, taking flight.
/the Doctor\\
About 4 minutes later Lilly's pulse gained speed, stopping at an appropriate and safe level. "Oh, thank Rassilon," he smiled weakly. "Lilly? Lilly, can you hear me?"
No response.
"Lilly?!"
The Doctor shut his eyes in defeat, opening them to the sound of the TARDIS's doors creaking. Derpy and Scarlet emerged empty-handed. "We couldn't find anything in the med bay for her, just sleep aids," Derpy panted.
The Doctor nodded. "Think we can put her in the med bay to heal or do what she needs to do?"
"Not a bad idea," Scarlet shrugged.
(2:43 P.M.)
The Doctor was being watched by Derpy, Scarlet having left the med bay minutes before. "You know," she started, "you're very caring and emotional when it comes to Lilly."
"Lilly is the girl that deserved to be cared for and treated emotionally," he shrugged weakly.
"Nah, come on. Doctor, it's something more than that."
He met her gaze. "Could be."
"There is something you aren't telling me. What is it?"
The Doctor let go of Lilly's hand and wrung his fingers together. "There are a lot of things I don't tell you. That I don't tell anyone."
"Which are...?"
He gulped. "Irrelevant."
"Doctor. I know you know I know that you are just nervous or ashamed to admit it. If it helps, I won't judge you."
The Doctor smiled, stifling a laugh. "You're right. Remember how I said I had run from my family? That was a lie."
/Lilly\\
Lilly couldn't open her eyes, only hearing what was going on around her. It seemed only two people were around her, wherever she was: the Doctor and Derpy.
"That was a lie," he admitted.
"About running from your family? How do you lie about that?" Derpy asked.
"I'm technically not lying COMPLETELY."
"Go on, please."
The Doctor drew in a long breath. "Do you... Do you know much of the a Time War?"
'A Time War?' Lilly asked herself. 'Would that be like the Civil War?'
"Well, um, no. You only told me there was a war. And that was that."
"Well it wasn't just that. My family and my entire race died."
Derpy gasped. "So you're the..."
"The last, yes. And Lilly reminds me of... of my daughter."
A chair scraped across the floor. Footsteps. "I'm so sorry," Derpy said quietly.
"You don't have to be," he said, but it was muffled. Their light links auras shone so brightly it hurt Lilly's eyes and forced them open.
Lilly blinked a few times. "Doctor?"
"Yes?"
Derpy pulled away from her embrace with the Doctor. "Oh, you're awake, good!"
"Doctor, they are still coming. I want to run, we need to run," Lilly whispered. Her head thumped against her skull like her heart was replacing her brain and she had just ran three miles without stopping.
"What's coming?" Derpy asked.
"I don't know what they are called," Lilly admitted.
"Doctor?" Derpy asked for help.
"What do they look like? the Doctor asked slowly.
"Gliding metal with... something inside."
He blinked, clearing his throat. The next word was dry, forced out: "Daleks."
Derpy gasped again. "It can't be!"
"It is," Lilly and the Doctor said in unison. Lilly watched the Doctor's aura closely; a dark and muddy gray.
He was scared.
"Lilly, do you know where they are?" he asked.
"Close. They are really close."
"How close?"
She concentrated before saying "Bridge Street."
He muttered something under his breath. "We have to get them."
"What?"
"If we don't stop the Daleks, no one will. No one other than us can. They'll kill all of Earth! London, at least. But they can kill Earth too!" he explained. "Derpy, help Lilly out a bit. I'll be back. Control room in 5 at the most?"
"In 5 at the most," Derpy repeated with a nod.
/the Doctor\\
The Doctor ran out of the med bay. "TARDIS! Get ready! Put your shields up!" he ordered.
"Fight?" Scarlet asked, running with him through the halls after catching up with him.
"You know it. I need you, Scarlet, to keep Lilly safe. You two will come with Derpy and I but only so I know where you are. Understand?"
"Sir, yes sir!" she laughed. They both ran into the control room where the Doctor flipped the override levers. "What're you doing?"
He grinned like a madman. "Watch this. It'll override the speakers on Bridge Street." The Doctor typed into the keyboard "Earth; London; Bridge Street" and switched on the microphone. "If you are human, I highly suggest you cover your ears."
The Doctor pulled out his sonic screwdriver and aimed it at the speaker. A high pitched sound rang out before Lilly came to him, running into the control room.
"Stop!" she screamed, pulling Derpy along with her.
The Doctor did as he was told with a confused glare. He switched off the microphone before speaking. "What?"
"Your plan? Did you even have a plan?"
"Yes! I was going to–"
"–use the sonic screwdriver to either (a) draw them to you, or (b) affect the Daleks because they are sensitive to high octaves?"
"Well, maybe, but–"
"–they are here, they are coming to us. They are coming to YOU!"
/Derpy\\
Lily's outburst shocked everyone. They shared the same blank stares before the Doctor gulped.
"Shall we find the Daleks, then?" he suggested.
Author's Note:
Again, again, I know! Late! I was late — AGAIN! (God, I sound like Amy Pond. Or maybe the Doctor. I'll say both.) But, yes, sorry for late upload again. Maybe every second day I'll post a chapter.
Little note, here, though: I recently ran out of space in my current journal, so I'll need to start fresh in a new one. I might not upload tomorrow or the next day depending on what kinds I find. Also, I know how much I over use Lilly and her headaches. My apologies – one of the main reasons I made her the way she is (psychic, insomniac, you know, the usuals) is for drama's sake.
And tell me how you feel and what you think about Scarlet. Why was she drumming against her leg!? Hmm... the possibilities are endless.
Amd some drama is about to happen between our lovely smitten group. Well, by that I mean Derpy and the Doctor. Can't say they are a 'lovely smitten couple' cause they aren't a couple, sadly enough.
Thank you for the continued support,
—GothicPegasister