Chapter Four
-Ontario: North of Toronto-
Andrew was cautious, creeping along the narrow streets of Toronto, jumping at every shadow. He admitted, he was probably too irrational when he slipped the Doctor something that could kill him.
If the Doctor caught him now, there would be hell to pay. Andrew knew that.
And so he spent the rest of the day slowly making his way furthur north through the city, stopping every now and then to rest. The red brick buildings, and the harsh and bleak industrial factories did nothing to improve his mood. This universe was so different from his own. For one, the colours weren't as... vibrant. In his universe, the colours would "jump out" at him, almost like they were alive. Here though, they were dull. Flat. Almost like how they looked inside the television show.
"I've just got to keep moving..." He grunted as he continued walking through the streets.
Gradually, the buildings became smaller as he exited the city, and he found himself walking inside farmland. Utterly exhausted.
He felt at home though, as tired as he may be. The yellow fields stretching as far as the eye can see, the green rolling hills far in the distance. He could smell the corn in the air, the sweet acrid smell of apples wafting on the breeze. The brilliant blue sky above, dotted with the occasional cloud. He heard the cicada's in the air, and the cry of seagulls far above.
For a second he allowed himself to forget what situation he was in...
But that only lasted for a minute before his stomach growled loudly, and Andrew moaned.
He wished he bought some food somewhere, but... The apples nearby would have to do.
Slowly but surely, he crept up to the small wooden fence and scaled it, ignoring the throbbing in his temples as his feet touched the ground at the other side.
Ah, the sweet smell of fruit!
He picked one off the tree, hissing as it made large snapping noise. Hopefully the owner would think it was just an animal.
Nobody showed up to scold him.
-Ontario: Two Weeks After-
He continued like this for a while, creeping along from farm to farm, eating their fruits and vegetables. He could at least consider himself vegetarian, now.
He couldn't exactly get a job, not when his resume was in a whole other universe. And he couldn't just create a new one, not when you had to pay to use the computers at the library.
But he felt proud. He had successfully escaped from the Doctor, unlike all those other fanfiction's where the characters would fail at every attempt. Briefly, nightmarish thoughts arose of the Doctor lying dead in the foodcourt, and he shook his head. The universe wasn't dying yet. Besides, it had been two weeks. He was sure that the Doctor probably gave up on searching for Andrew.
Serves him right, messing with me. Andrew sniffed, feeling sick as he swayed back and forth. There was no point on focusing on the Doctor. The past was the past.
Hopefully, the Doctor wasn't tracking him...
"Hello! How are you today!" A young priest greeted him as he approached a church in a small town, the priest's white robes dull in the sunlight. Again, another strange difference from his universe. The sun wasn't as bright in this universe...
"I'm good, thank you." Andrew smiled softly as he glanced up at the small church, his eyes sparkling as he realised how... beautiful it looked.
Large, gothic spires rose up to adorn the sky, and the gray stonework contrasted greatly against the green forest behind it.
That was when he spotted the Old Man, standing solemnly in the doorway to the church, his eyes infinitely ancient and somber.
Andrew strode towards him, curiosity coursing through him.
"Hello, Andrew." The Old Man gave him a frown, his eyes dark and inquisitive.
"Why are... you here?" Andrew asked him, rubbing his shoulder. The Old Man's face darkened, and Andrew was suddenly reminded of the insane Doctor again.
"Because you have abandoned the Doctor, instead of helping him like your task was." The Old Man spoke softly and calmly, however his eyes stormed and swirled with rage.
Andrew let out a strangled laugh, and he covered his mouth. "I abandoned the Doctor because he's an insane... thing. I don't even know what that was back there. Is he bipolar? Because I think he is."
The Old Man shook a finger. "I must let you know, Andrew Evans. The Doctor is still alive, even after the great betrayal you performed. And he is searching for you at this very moment. But, fear not, for it shall take a year in your perspective before he finally reaches you."
Andrew grew cold at this statement. "He's... what? Searching for me?"
The Old Man smiled cruelly, and Andrew gulped. "He is driven purely by blind rage and pain at this point, Andrew. I think it will do well to train in the art of weaponry, just in case of any... fatalities." The Old Man winked at him, and Andrew gasped.
The Doctor... full of rage. And pain. A deadly combination for anybody, Andrew thought as he clutched the sides of his shirt.
"I... I can just avoid him. I will train to be stronger than him, I truly will! He can't find me if I shield myself with tinfoil again!" Andrew swore as he swayed back and forth on his feet.
The wind picked up briefly, and the sky darkened. The Old Man looked pale under the dark light, and Andrew suddenly felt an eerie sense of calm.
"One year, Andrew. Be prepared. In June of 2008, you shall be found by the Doctor again. It will only have been a few hours for him... But a whole year for you!" The Old Man smiled a toothy smile at Andrew, and he suddenly felt uneasiness. "Have fun, Andrew Evans. Even in the darkest of times, there will always be the one pillar of light remaining. Remember... Me... Andrew..."
The Old Man faded away, leaving Andrew alone.
Andrew left the town only a few minutes after.
-Northern Ontario: Sudbury-
Five months later, Andrew was splayed out infront of a Sudbury hotel, head held in hands.
He was so tired. But, he was stronger. Much, much stronger.
He had stolen a gun from a farm only two weeks before, and also had stolen a bunch of bullets. He swore to only use it in self defense, and also against the Doctor. If he provoked him.
He only had seven months left. Andrew didn't know what to do about that. Once the Doctor caught him, he would be in hell once again.
Andrew lazily got up and dusted himself up, stretching his back. He looked like a homeless man now. No longer a hippie.
He glanced at himself in a reflection as he passed by one before, and he was appalled at how... thin he looked. He was pale, dirty, and looked much older than he usually does. His hair had grown down to just below his shoulders, and his finger nails had been continuously chewed off. He didn't have nail clippers.
"Get out of my way, scum!" A business-man barked as he strode past in his fancy shoes and suit, and Andrew felt annoyance towards the man. He would've been like that, if he hadn't been pulled through to a different universe.
Andrew had an actual future planned out, and then this happened. Pure, utter chaos.
Briefly, Andrew felt a bit of pain as he remembered his parents.
"I love you so much... Remember that... Even in the darkest of times, please remember that me and your father love you. We will never abandon you. We will never betray you. We will always be there for you..." His mother wailed one evening.
He was only a teenager then, and as usual, he had just shrugged it off as another one of his mother's philisophical rants...
Andrew felt tears fill his eyes as he realized that his parents weren't there for him anymore. Nobody was. He was completely alone, treated like scum, and to top that off...
"Your own existence is a sin," The Old Man had drawled one evening as Andrew returned to his little hobo spot, his eyes bearing no hint of the warmth from before.
The Old Man... he had seemed so nice at first, welcoming. But now... he was different. Cold, calculating.
A person he had considered his only friend in this universe, practically dismissed him.
As usual, Andrew felt rage towards the Old Man. Was this all he was meant to do? Play along for the Old Man's purposes, however sincere they may seem to be? To be a simple piece in a game of chess, being moved continuously.
Was he going to die at the hands of the Doctor? Was he going to be disemboweled, burned alive, dissected, suffocate...?
If he went with the Doctor, that's what would eventually happen. Death, and pain. Heartbreak, and anger. It's a never-ending cycle with the Doctor, all those companions... Each and every one of them eventually leaving, most of them in tragic ways. A horrific crime.
Andrew swallowed his tears, and continued on his way.
He didn't need the Old Man, he didn't need the Doctor, and he definitely didn't need their pity.
If only he actually believed that.
-Ontario: Sault St. Marie-
It was finally June, 2008. Andrew had trained in weaponry, also having stolen a large knife and tucking it in his bag. He was prepared for when the Doctor would show up... he knew he was. No, he thought he was.
"Are you okay?" A young woman asked him in the bar, her brown hair falling down behind her back and cascading in wondrous beauty.
"Er... yes?" He answered, glancing at her eyes. They were melancholic, filled with depression and anxiety. And yet, there was a little hint of recognition in her eyes, as if she recognized Andrew.
"That's... good. I guess I'll just go and... run." She gave him a small smile and a wave, before turning on her heel and sprinting away. Andrew scratched his head at the terminology. Was she... running away from something?
He could hear a distant tearing sound, and whistling. He noticed a soft blue light emanating from outside, and then... nothing.
Gasping in shock, he stumbled his way outside into the pouring rain, bewildered when the girl was nowhere to be seen. There was only a soft burning smell, a smell that reminded him of Time and the universe.
No. No. No.
If he could smell something that reminded him of Time, then that must mean that...
He drew in air as he saw a shadow approach him nearby, the sillhouete suspiciously in the form of the tenth doctor. It limped, jerking and dragging a dead leg behind it.
Oh my God, he's rabid!
Andrew, fearing the worst, turned his head around, only to face... a drunk man.
He mentally chided himself for expecting the Doctor to be around every corner. It was June 1st, for crying out loud!
"I'll just go back to my small apartment..." He sighed, spinning on his heel and walking slowly down the street.
Thank God he was able to get a job. With the money he earned, he was able to afford a tiny apartment in the ghetto of Sudbury. Sure, it wasn't much to look out, let alone live in. But, he had a roof over his head and food on his table. That was all that mattered.
He was excited of the possibilities for the future. He could move up in careers, and gain enough money to one day a buy a bigger home.
He could get married, have kids, and perhaps even have a large family.
Maybe he could even be famous one day!
Andrew grinned, feeling elated as he stopped right outside his apartment.
Rain still poured down around him, but it did nothing to dampen his mood. The only thing that mattered now, was that he felt fulfilled. That was all he wanted. To feel... happy.
He needed a smoke.
Withdrawing a cigarrette from his bag, he took out his lighter. Seconds later, he was breathing in the exhilarating fumes of cancer and tar. Eh.
Even though he still felt a little bit of guilt, most of it was gone now. He didn't have anybody telling him what to do anymore, so obviously he could smoke without consequences-
"Andrew," A deep guttural voice sounded behind him, and Andrew yelped in alarm. The voice was very familiar...
"I thought I told you never to do drugs again..." Andrew could feel the venom emanating from his voice, and he gasped as he felt a strong hand clamp down on his shoulder.
Shaking, Andrew slowly turned to stare right into the face of rage itself. The Tenth Doctor. His face was curled up into a sinister grin, but his eyes were filled with anger and malice. In his hand, he grasped a syringe, the end of it long and glistening with lord knows what.
He was wearing the same brown suit he had been wearing in the food court from that fateful day a year before, and Andrew screamed as the Doctor growled and plunged the syringe deep into his neck.
"Oh, I'm never letting you out of my sight again, Andrew. Nor am I letting you slip any more aspirin into my drinks!"
Andrew could only gasp as he felt himself begin to fall asleep.
The Doctor hummed, grinning savagely as he rocked back on heels. "Oh, didn't I mention? This drug will make you fall asleep, but when you wake up, you will be entirely paralyzed! Are you ready for some... tests, Andrew?"
The Doctor had gone completely mental. Completely insane. Completely... he didn't even know what else to describe him.
If only Andrew had prepared more...
A/N: Hello, all of you fine readers! Get ready for some intensity next chapter (as well as insanity). I'm surprised I've been able to update this as often as I do. Usually it takes me two weeks between updates. But, then again, I guess this is special!
Oh yeah, and... Two questions for you guys, just to see how you feel about everything so far.
How do you like my portrayal of the Doctor so far? There IS a reason why I'm not doing ANYTHING in his perspective. In my opinion, an alien should stay alien. He shouldn't have the same thought processes as a human. Which is why I didn't give the perspective of him in this fanfiction, because I want the readers to share Andrew's confusion over the Doctor's constantly flipping moods (maybe he's having an alien pregnancy or something?).
Also, second question; how do you honestly feel about Andrew as a character? I realize now, when actually writing this fanfiction, that he acts a bit like an asshole at times.
I look forward to your thoughts. ~soultrain21.