4: Resurface

They had reached the end of the line. The Doctor and Clara, as always, trapped on the edge of safety. Their shoes slipped on the icy dock, so they held onto each other, their rapid breaths creating little clouds of fog in front of them. The people-or, aliens-chasing them also stood in front of them, a bit more menacing than their fogged breaths.

One was at least ten feet tall, his fists clenched by his sides. Every slow, deliberate step he took shook the entire dock. Beside him was a woman holding a curved sword. Her eyes were wild, like she had just been deeply insulted. Clara could confirm this, even if the Doctor was too blind to emotions not to. He had, in fact, insulted the entire village. Hence the tall guy and the sword lady.

Clara really needed to speed up their etiquette lessons.

The man took another step forward, and Clara automatically tried to step back before her foot nearly dropped off of the wood into empty air. The Doctor held her steady as she got her breath back.

"You have insulted us, and you shall pay."

The woman came forward, the sword in her hand even more menacing than before. Clara spared a quick glance at the Doctor, who was gritting his teeth. She knew his mind was working as fast as it could. She just wished it would work a bit quicker.

The sword came to rest just under his chin, curving in front of his throat. He didn't dare swallow, for fear of it touching his Adam's apple. Instead, he looked into the woman's eyes and searched for the right words.

"I know I've insulted you. I apologize. Just let my friend and I go and we will leave and never come back."

The woman's nostrils flared. The Doctor instantly knew he had definitely not chosen the right words.

"Are you trying to bargain for your life?"

The Doctor didn't respond. The woman let the sword drop to her side and took a step back. The Timelord let out a breath and touched his neck, making sure no damage was done. Clara almost drifted closer to him, but something in the other woman's eyes told her this wasn't finished.

"I believe you deserve a worse punishment than I or any other mortal could inflict on you. Give him to the sea."

The looming figure of the man approached, rattling the wooden boards beneath their feet. Clara's eyes went wide. "No; you can't! It's below freezing out here!"

The woman quirked an eyebrow. "Exactly. Mother nature shall have her way with pleading enemies."

The tall man's strong hands held the Doctor's arms behind his back roughly. The Timelord struggled, his shoes sliding uselessly against the wet planks, but it was to no avail. The man practically carried him to the edge of the dock.

The Doctor met Clara's eyes, trying to convey at least five different emotions in one glance. Her eyes were glistening with stressful tears.

The hands holding firmly onto his arms suddenly cast him into the air, as if he were a child's doll. Time stopped then, or at least, slowed down.

He heard Clara scream instantly. That was the most prominent thing. The world around him was a spinning swirl of blues and whites and grays. The air was salty. In different circumstances, this would've almost been fun, like a day at the beach or an amusement park ride.

He hit the water and all of his senses stunted.

Clara's screams died instantly, replaced by a loud ringing that threatened to puncture his eardrum. The swirling colors disappeared in front of him. Now all he saw was blackness. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew he was freezing, and he knew he was in pain, but it hadn't registered; not yet.

Ever so slowly, his eyes drifted open. He was sinking. The sunlight streaming through the top layers of ocean were getting farther away. He couldn't tell whether his mouth was open or not. It was like a dream that he wasn't in any control of. His mind just accepted everything as what it was. There was no questioning; no analyzing. It was actually rather calm. He almost enjoyed this sensation.

Suddenly, the weight of his situation dawned on him. His eyes widened as his nerves felt the pain from the impact. His arms and legs were sore, unable even to move. His chest felt waterlogged and heavy, like an elephant was sat on it. He knew he had to swim up, get to the surface, get to Clara. But that was far out of his reach right now. That was impossible.

Instead, he let his body sink further. The light danced through the water. It was beautiful. The blues and greens were sparkling; mystifying. The ringing was gone from his ears, replaced with an emptiness he hadn't known for centuries.

His whole life up until this point had been about running; dodging; fearing; screaming. Now all was calm and so, so quiet.

The edges of his vision went black. The ocean above him was a vignette; blue waves with the white circle of the sun surrounded by darkness. As he watched, a figure suddenly blocked the sun. They were growing, coming closer. His vision was blurred and darkening. His mind was practically blank. He felt the figure grab onto his arms and torso just as his eyes slipped shut. Then he knew no more. Everything faded away.

Somewhere in the back of his mind, he felt the air hit his face. It was freezing, and it instantly made him shiver, but he knew somehow that it was good. He gasped for air, but water was still clogging his throat, making it impossible to breath. That was when the panic started to set in.

He was no longer unconscious, or even semi-conscious. Now he was in a strange zone in between the two. He could hear Clara, whom he now knew the figure to be, whispering comforting words as she struggled for breath herself. He felt the icy, bitter air whipping at his wet face. He knew they were above the surface of the water, and he knew they were heading back to the shore, but still he couldn't figure out how to breath; how to open his eyes.

His hearts were hammering in his chest. His teeth were chattering. Finally, he felt his back collide with the course, gravelly beach, and Clara's voice strengthened beside his ear.

"C'mon, Doctor, breath. Breath, I've got you."

He felt his body turn onto its side, due to Clara or himself, he couldn't tell. Then he finally found the energy and the ability to take in a big, messy lungful of air, consequently coughing and sputtering onto the beach. Clara rubbed his back and his hair as he slowly gained control of himself, whispering to gently.

"That's better. Just breath. I'm right here. There you go."

After a minute or two, the Doctor rolled back onto his back, opening his eyes for the first time since he'd left the water. Clara's wide eyes loomed above him, filled with concern and relief and tears. He smiled weakly. "Hey teach."

His teeth were chattering so badly, he could hardly make out the words. Instantly, his human companion pulled him close to herself, rubbing his arms, trying to share her body heat. He let his eyes close again, head leaned against her shoulder, listening to the waves crashing onto the shoreline. Clara's fingers stroked his hair and his arm as she got her emotions under control. After a few minutes of this, she eyed him curiously.

"Are you okay?"

He looked back up at her. "'Course. Always."

She sniffled and held the side of his face with her palm. "You don't have a concussion or anything, do you? Do you remember what happened?"

"I was sinking, and then...you helped me resurface."

Bashfully, she smiled. He raised a limp hand and stroked the hair near her ear. "Thank you, once again, Clara Oswald, for saving my life."

His hand dropped to his chest nonchalantly as his eyes drifted closed again. Clara simply held him as she listened to the horrible water and the howling wind. They would find the TARDIS soon enough, and have a mandatory tea-and-book-reading night, but for now they were alright just sitting here, basking in the gloriousness of being alive.