Part Three: Oswald
He turned around and walked back onto the ship. Deep in the cargo, he found the Tardis. It was dusty inside after such a long period of disuse. After a moment's thought, he decided to follow the Daniels timeline and see how they all turned out.
They grew quite successful in the banking industry, and survived the Great Depression pretty decently. Thelma grew up and married a man named William Mott, and together they had two children. A daughter, Beatrice, and a son, named Wilfred. Because of William's nearsightedness, he was not allowed to serve in World War One, and the family stayed together. Elsie grew up and became a nurse, remaining unmarried. Raymond, little soldier that he was, fought in the Second World War at age 31. He died on D-Day, leaving behind his wife and two young children. Pearl grew up to be the little beauty of the family. She married and had four kids.
"They lived good lives," The Doctor said out loud as he steered the Tardis back into the time vortex.
"Who were they?" a voice asked behind him.
Turning, he saw Miss Oswald standing in 1800's clothes in the middle of the room. The Tardis dropped out of the vortex, but neither of them had noticed.
"What are you doing here? Never mind that, how did you get in?" He began running around the console, pushing random buttons.
"I have no idea," she said.
"I thought you were staying with the Daniels."
"Who?"
"Oh, you haven't met them yet. Figures."
"I take it you know me, then?"
"Yes. You're Miss Oswald. Future governess of the Daniels family, Southampton."
"I usually am."
"What?"
"A governess. I'm usually a nanny or governess of some sort. How old are you?"
"Impertinent. 900. Or thereabouts."
"Ok, that narrows it down. Where's Rose?"
The Doctor stopped and stood stock still. "Living out her life in London with her mother and idiot boyfriend Ricky."
"This universe?"
"What's that even supposed to mean?"
"Nothing," she said quickly. "I'm just trying to figure out where you are in your timeline. It's hard to tell sometimes." She was quiet for a moment, thinking. "Do you ever think about her? Rose, I mean."
"Every day!" The Doctor snapped. "Sorry, that came out a bit fast. But you don't understand, she doesn't want to come."
"But she does," Oswald insisted. "She just needed a little extra push. Haven't you gone back yet?"
"No. I haven't seen her in months. Almost a year now. And why would I go back? Like I said, she doesn't want to come."
"If you don't go back, she will spend every dull moment of her life regretting and wishing she had come. Go back to her, and tell her it's a time machine. That will convince her, I promise."
"No."
"Face it, you enjoyed working with her. You think she'd make a great companion, and you're right. She's going to be fantastic. And she'll do you a world of good. You won't regret going back. Not ever."
Before The Doctor could protest further, a massive explosion rocked the Tardis. It turned end over end, smashing The Doctor and Oswald into the roof and back onto the floor. The smell of smoke and ash filled the air and leaked into the Tardis. The Doctor struggled to pull the sonic screwdriver from his leather jacket. Finally he worked it loose and pointed it at the door.
"Eject!" he yelled.
The door opened and he flew out, managing to drag the screaming Oswald behind him. They hurtled through the air towards the ground, at least a hundred feet below them.
"Aim for the river!" The Doctor yelled, spotting a thin blue line.
Oswald, already wounded from the spinning Tardis, could barely keep her eyes open, but she nodded. It seemed like ages, but at last they smacked into the warm river. Pain coursed through their limbs as they continued their plunge, all the way to the bottom. By this time Oswald was unconscious, so The Doctor wrapped an arm around her slender waist and pulled her to the surface.
The sky was grey, and the rumblings of a volcano sounded in the distance. A rain of hot ash fell on people screaming in Indonesian. The Doctor ignored them as he dragged Oswald up the bank of the river.
"Miss Oswald, can you hear me? Oswald, are you alright?" he asked urgently.
She coughed up blood and water in a sickening mixture. Clearly she was gravely injured and needed medical attention; she was bleeding heavily down the side of her head and stomach, and her leg appeared to be broken. Still, she smiled weakly.
"Oswald is my last name," she wheezed.
"Don't talk," The Doctor insisted. "I can't do anything in this state, but I'll get you a doctor, a proper doctor. Just hang on."
"Go to Rose. Run you clever boy," not-Oswald whispered. "And remember…"
Her head fell back into his arm, her eyes closed peacefully. Miss Oswald was dead. Hardly before he could resister this, The Doctor blacked out, and knew no more.
"Run you clever boy, and remember."
He woke in an old hospital, filled to the brim with the injured and dying, and his first thought was of Miss Oswald. Instantly he tried to get up, but a young man pushed him back down.
"Stay still, sir. You are badly injured, but stay calm. I'm the doctor."
"No, I'm The Doctor!"
"Not here. Right now, you are the patient."
"Where is Miss Oswald?" he asked.
The Indonesian doctor looked sad. "Is she the girl that you had in your arms?"
"I can't remember. Yes I think so. Is she alright?"
"I'm very sorry, sir. Your friend is dead." The Doctor sank back against the pillow in shock, suddenly remembering the last moments before unconsciousness.
"For how long?"
"Since we found you a week ago. You were very lucky to survive yourself, sir. There was nothing you could have done for her. What is your name?"
"The Doctor."
"No, your name, not occupation."
"I…I don't remember. Where am I? When am I, for a matter of fact."
"Don't worry. Most people forget where they are after such trauma. You're in Sumatra in September, 1883."
"Sumatra, September 1883," The Doctor repeated. "The Krakatoa! Was that the explosion?"
"Yes, sir."
"It all makes sense, now. When Miss Oswald dropped into the Tardis, it must have flown out of the time vortex and landed on the mountain. Then when it exploded, we were tossed through the air all the way to Sumatra."
"You speak very good Indonesian for someone who has been in a coma for a week, sir, but I did not understand what you just said."
"Are we speaking Indonesian? I didn't notice."
He lapsed into silence then, and did not hear another word.
"Is it always this dangerous?"
"Yeah."
How could he possibly bring Rose into this mess of his? Everyone who came near him died, in the end. He couldn't go back. Not ever.
"Go to Rose. Run you clever boy, and remember."
"I don't want to remember," he said out loud.
But the thoughts kept echoing in his tired, injured head.
"She just needed a little extra push."
"…tell her it's a time machine."
"If you don't go back, she will spend every dull moment of her life regretting and wishing she had come."
"No."
But he remembered her face, Rose's beautiful, happy face, as they found the Nestene Consciousness together. She'd been so excited to help save the world. Do something else with her tiny, boring human life.
Everybody knows that everybody dies, The Doctor said.
But not everyone, not all the time. Raymond didn't die…
It took a full month before they finally let The Doctor free from the hospital and he could begin his search for the Tardis. In the confusion it was very hard to locate, but he eventually found it, five months, fifteen dead-ends and twelve detours laters, at Lake Batur. Or as the locals called it, Danau Singkarak. It was 96.5 kilometers (60 miles) as the Tardis flies from Sumatra, where The Doctor and Miss Oswald had jumped out.
The Doctor was relieved to find it mostly intact, having had over four months to heal itself from the explosion damage. After a refreshing warm bath and wardrobe change, he stood at the console, finally ready. With a mighty heave the Tardis took off into the vortex, landing moments later in the alleyway of central London. The Doctor opened the door to see a confused Rose and Ricky almost exactly where he had left them. For them it must have only been a few seconds. For The Doctor, almost a full year.
"And by the way, did I mention, it also travels through time."
He grinned at her and stepped back into the Tardis, leaving the door open for her. From his position he could still see her, smiling eagerly at the thought of time travel. She turned to Ricky.
"Thanks."
"What for?" Ricky asked, confused.
"Exactly."
Rose Tyler kissed her boyfriend on the cheek, then ran into the Tardis.
AN: So...how'd you like it? Please give me some feedback! If I get good results then I might just write more.