17: Wednesday
It started after the Doctor had found himself lying in the dirt in Nevada, not knowing how he'd gotten there. After he'd met a waitress that he was far too comfortable with and who left him with far more heartache than he would've expected. The TARDIS had found a new obsession, though he could swear it wasn't new at all. She just couldn't land on any day other than Wednesday.
The first time, he chalked it up to bad steering. He'd had amnesia, and maybe he was just feeling ill from whatever had happened to cause said amnesia. But then it happened again. And again. It would've been fine if there had been an alien invasion; some sort of disturbance he had to take care of. But no; Earth was absolutely fine. More fine than usual, even. Nothing was amiss and the TARDIS had no obvious reason for taking him to these random Wednesdays in London, but here he was.
The Doctor sighed in exasperation, looking up at the Time Rotor with one hand still on the brake. "What's wrong, old girl? Did someone mess with your wiring? Was it me and I just forgot?"
The TARDIS hummed back, sounding almost forlorn. The Doctor wasn't satisfied. "I'm trying to be a doctor here; look, I've got the coat and everything. But you're making it a bit difficult."
He closed his eyes, trying to speak telepathically with his ship, but when he brought up Wednesdays, everything went totally blank. The worst of it was, it wasn't empty. It wasn't like a white sheet of paper, ready to be drawn or written on by a new hand. It was like an already fleshed out and fully published book, scribbled over with white crayon. "Who's messed with my memories?"
The TARDIS gave one final whirr and the Doctor went to the door to peek out. They were just next to the Thames, a beautiful little area with benches and flowers, but not one that needed a doctor. He looked back at the Console with his hands in his pockets. "I'll find out what's wrong. And then we're definitely going somewhere without Wednesdays."
The Doctor shut the door behind him and returned his hands to his pockets as he sauntered down the sidewalk, keeping an eye out for a map that would lead to the Tower of London. If the TARDIS wouldn't take him to the alien invasions, maybe UNIT would.
Kate was walking along the road beside her place of work, thermos in hand, a daily break she always enjoyed with immense satisfaction, when her phone went off loudly in her pocket. She rolled her eyes. Nobody at UNIT was supposed to call during this hour; not even for emergencies, unless they concerned the entire planet. When she saw who it was, though, she softened. "Clara?"
"Kate, I, ugh…have you talked to the Doctor recently?"
Kate's brow furrowed. "No. Why? Is something wrong? He hasn't gotten himself stuck somewhere has he?"
On the other line, Clara made a few stammering noises. "No, no it's nothing like that. I...I think we'd better talk in person. It's...complicated."
Kate sat at the closest bench, looking over the Thames. Setting down her tea, she thought over Clara's strange words. "Clara, are you alright?"
"Yes, I'm...I'm fine. Where are you? Oh, nevermind I traced your phone."
Kate's eyes widened. "Nobody's supposed to track this phone. It's wired with alien technology."
"I'll explain everything in a sec. I just have to park."
Kate shook her head. "Clara what's-"
The phone call ended abruptly, and Kate would have been a little annoyed if it weren't for the restaurant that suddenly appeared in the empty lot beside her. Her jaw dropped.
Clara stepped out of the diner wearing a blue dress. She almost looked like a waitress. As she approached, she smiled shyly at Kate, who was frozen to her seat in shock.
"Do you have a while?"
Kate answered simply, "I have until I finish my tea."
Clara sank beside her onto the bench and took a deep breath. "Things happened."
"What sort of things?"
Clara closed her eyes. Then she started from the beginning. She told Kate of Lady Me, once Ashildr, and the Hybrid. Of her death, which Kate had thought to be merely a concoction of the Doctor's to protect Clara from some alien threat. Kate touched Clara's still wrist with wide eyes after Clara told her of the events on Gallifrey, and how the Doctor had suffered and saved her. Finally, Clara told Kate of the impossible situation she and the Doctor were left with, which led to the Doctor losing his memory of her.
By the end of the story, Kate had tears playing at the edges of her vision, and a still full cup of tea. "So what are you doing now?"
Clara looked at her fingers. "Travelling. I have to go back to Gallifrey someday but...there's time."
Clara looked suddenly at Kate. "Is today Wednesday?"
"Yes, why?"
Clara shook her head, dropping her eyes back to her lap. "The Doctor and I used to travel on Wednesdays. When he didn't surprise me at work, I mean."
She smiled, but only for a second before her eyes went darker and more pensive. She looked like a woman in mourning.
Kate eyed Clara curiously before taking a sip of her tea and looking out over the Thames. Clara turned back up to her, chewing her bottom lip. "Ugh, Kate...I was wondering…"
"I'll take care of the Doctor."
Clara chuckled, her eyes sad. She looked like she wanted to say something, perhaps to comment on the strange situation they were in, or how much the Doctor hated help, especially from someone who had never seen him vulnerable, like Kate. Instead she stayed silent and watched a boat chug across the river. Kate peered to her left and sat up straight. "Ugh, Clara…"
The Doctor was approaching their bench, glancing over to the Thames to watch the seabirds. Clara stood quickly and turned to Kate. "Thank you. I'll...I'll see you again, maybe. I'll try and visit."
Kate gave Clara a dishonest smile. "We'll keep in touch."
Clara backed up a few paces as the Doctor neared, her fingers twiddling together restlessly. Her eyes were wide. Her heart sank as she remembered all the times the Doctor had commented on them in the past. She had always made herself look offended, but she actually loved his odd interpretations of her facial features.
Kate gave her an encouraging, slightly anxious nod and Clara was off, tearing her eyes away from the man who'd forgotten her. As she neared her TARDIS doors, she looked back just once more. He looked okay. He was wearing his old velvety coat again, and his hair was just the right amount of dishevelled. His eyes were brighter than they'd been in the diner. She smiled through the tears forming in her eyes. After one last whispered goodbye, she shut herself into the TARDIS and asked Me to start the engine.
"Who's your friend?"
Kate shook her head and quickly waved off the Doctor's question. "She was just looking for directions. Anyway, what are you doing here? We're not expecting any trouble are we?"
The Doctor shook his head, obviously disturbed by something as he dropped onto the bench beside her, foot tapping against the concrete. "No. That's the problem."
Kate laughed. "Pretty good problem, if you ask me."
The Doctor was leaned forward, peering over the Thames skeptically, eyes focused. "The TARDIS keeps landing on Wednesdays. Always London. But never for anything important. I don't know what's gotten into her. I've been here five weeks in a row already."
Kate thought back to her conversation with Clara and felt her chest ache. Even the TARDIS wasn't over all that had happened. It was such a strange, messy situation. Kate wished she could stop it all from happening. Deep down, she really, truly cared about the both of them. Seeing them so visibly upset hurt her. It was like the Black Archives all over again, perhaps worse.
"Doctor…"
She was about to go into a long-winded speech, but the look in his eye, curious and unknowing, stopped her. He didn't remember a thing. He really did have some powerful form of amnesia, stronger than anything they had for their own UNIT security guards. Kate put on a small smile. "Given you're already here every Wednesday, why don't you come do your job at UNIT? You're still technically on the payroll, we might as well put that into good use."
The Doctor considered this for a moment and nodded agreeably. "That sounds good. It'll give me something to do, anyway. You run out of things to see when you're here every week. I've been to every chippy in London now."
Kate's eyebrow raised. "You said you've only been here five days."
"I get hungry."
They shared a smile before the Doctor looked down at his shoes, contemplative. "Kate, there's something else."
Kate inhaled deeply. She hated when the Doctor got serious. She never knew how to respond.
"I have memories that I can't access. I know something important is bringing me here, but I don't know what it is. And last month I woke up in Nevada and I had forgotten someone very important to me, but I have no idea who she is now. I think something is affecting my brain; making me forget things."
Kate smiled softly. "I don't think it's anything to worry about."
"No?"
"I'm always forgetting things. And besides, have you seen you? I wonder how you remember to tie your shoes with how much your mind jumps around. You probably just need to take it easy for a while."
The Doctor seemed to accept this answer, nodding and relaxing into the bench. "You're probably right."
Kate patted his knee and got to her feet. The Doctor sat up straight again. "Where are you going?"
Kate shook her empty thermos. "I finished my tea. And we've got work to do. You're finally here to help out with the paperwork. We're months behind."
The Doctor reluctantly stood and followed her into the building. As they entered the labs and offices, though, he cheered up.
Soon enough, the Doctor learned what was so special about Wednesdays. Wednesdays were for being with humans and watching their funny reactions to alien artifacts and rituals. Wednesdays were for helping out with paperwork. Wednesdays were for friends and the feeling of being needed by somebody.
The Doctor knew an important person was missing from the equation, missing from his Wednesdays, but he let it pass. He was doing his job again, doing as he was told, and helping out the human race. Wednesdays were pretty good.