I wake up to a sharp pain in my head. That burning sensation that I've become far too acquainted with is back in full force. But before I have time to cry out for help, I am drawn into the darkness only to wake up on the very same metal grating I arrived on the first time this happened.
I recognise the coral struts, the hum on the engine and a snappy voice.
"Oi! Spaceman! Look who I've just found!" She bellows over her shoulder.
Donna. She looks at ease, far more relaxed that when I last saw her. It helps me to relax too.
I am quickly crushed into a hug from the red head. She squeezes me and pulls away, holding my shoulders, looking me up and down.
"You're young." She states, appraising me.
I sigh.
"God, I thought it was the Doctor that always tells me that. Not you too." I complain half heartedly.
Said man struts into the console room at this exact moment. He's wearing glasses, do aliens even need glasses? And when he lays his eyes on me his whole face lights up, a huge grin taking over his features. I can't help but return it.
"Nadine. Nice to see you again. Where have you just come from?" He heads over to us, drawing me into a hug.
"Ummm... I mean. I'm not really sure what I can say, I don't think its happened for you yet and I don't want to cause ..." I stutter, not a clue what I'm allowed to say, afraid of messing things up and breaking time or something. Surely there's a rule book! I could do with a beginners guidebook to space and time travel right about now.
"Say no more, I'm assuming you're fairly new to all this then? Banana, that's still the code word for you?" He cuts in.
I nod.
"Blimey, very new then. Never mind, I suppose it's time for a new word. Let me think... Akhaten. Thats the next one. You're favourite place! Well, it will be...one day..." he goes off on a tangent, I'm starting to realise this is a common trait for the Doctor when he wants to fill the silence.
"Spoilers!" Donna cuts him off.
"Oh I wish Nadine had never encouraged you to use that word" He groans jovially.
"But now I have to, don't I? Because you've said I will... does that make sense?" I suggest, still getting the hang of this whole time jumping madness.
"Clever girl" The Doctor compliments, he's proud, it warms me up inside, I shouldn't let it, but I'm a sucker for compliments even if they do make me blush. God I'm such a teacher's pet!
"Right, well, Nadine and I are going to go have some girl talk, so you can get lost. Do whatever spacey mechanical stuff you usually do when the humans have to sleep" Donna orders the Doctor, who looks a bit perturbed. But he clearly knows her well enough by now to realise that the best option is to accept defeat. Wow she runs rings around this man, I love it.
"Go on then, but don't waste all of your time with idle gossip. We have the whole universe outside those doors and I'm not sitting around for hours when we could be exploring" He lectures us.
"By exploring he means getting in trouble" She comments to me, I release a giggle, she's not wrong.
He just rolls his eyes and wanders around the console, stroking bits of it, muttering and flicking a few buttons.
Donna links arms with me and drags me down the corridor.
We arrive in the kitchen and she immediately outs the kettle on, it makes me appreciate her that much more. There's nothing a good cup of tea can't fix, that's what mum always says...said... no, I'll see her again. I don't need to bog myself down in negativity right now. I'm done being sad and moping, time to live a little.
"C'mon then, how are you doing? Now that stick man isn't here to start worrying over you and coddling you." Donna breaks me from my thoughts, a concerned glint in her eyes.
I shrug, I mean what is there to say? We both went through a similar thing, but we're both better now, or coping at least.
"It's a lot to take in. I suppose I can't really process it all right now, and I'm starting to accept that for now it's easier to just focus on getting through each day. Whatever this is, it's beyond my control, so I may as well just make the most of it" I explain, and I have to admit that it feels good to be at some kind of peace and be able to articulate my thoughts after the past few days.
"That's a good way to look at it. And, trust me, if you make the most of this opportunity you won't regret it. I want to be here, Nadine, the stuff we get to see and do. It's magic, I mean who else gets to say they've travelled in space and time. It shouldn't be real but it is, and I know, I know that you feel so ordinary and out of place. I feel that too, but the Doctor sees something in people like you and me. He looks at us and values us. I don't think I could ever give this up, we're going to travel with that man forever" she assures me, and I trust her, I believe that Donna wants me to be happy and knows that I can be here.
I needed to hear that from her. I'm grateful, because Donna, unlike Amy and Rory or even the Doctor, Donna gets me. She understands the fear of turning up in an environment that literally upheaves everything you thought you knew about the world. She is normal, down to Earth and embracing the chance she's been given despite however inadequate or ordinary she feels. I can see it in her eyes, how content she is, like she really is living her dream.
I can do this. If Donna can, I know I can enjoy this, embrace travelling too.
"So where have you been then?" I ask, hoping for a bit of information to excite me about the future.
"Spoilers I'm afraid!" She loves that word.
I'm starting to see why the Doctor finds that word so annoying, and I can just tell there's going to be a lot of it in my future. I groan internally. Time to try a different tactic.
"Oh! C'mon, not even a tiny bit of information just to keep me going?" I plead, taking a big swig of my tea.
"Nope. No, nice try sweetheart but I'm a tough cookie to crack. And anyway, the Doctor would kill me if I disrupted time with my big mouth!" She explains, laughing away, making me laugh with her.
I feel normal with Donna, I like it, I like the feeling of starting to be settled, I've certainly missed my friends and it's nice to have a friend like Donna who I know I can trust.
As I am musing, I realise a third person has entered the room.
"Two minutes! You lasted two minutes before you just had to barge in!" Donna chides pinstripes.
He looks affronted.
"Two minutes and fifty two seconds I'll have you know Donna Noble. And I told you I won't stand for you ladies waiting time when we have the whole of time and space beyond the Tardis doors!" He speaks excitedly, I bet he'd be a great teacher.
"Right, well I suppose that's our que to glug our tea and head out!" Donna begins.
"Where to?" I enquire, curious, it's not like I've really done this much before.
The Doctor looks at me with this glint of knowing in his eyes. He leans in towards me.
"That's for me to know and you to find out" he murmurs.
There's a pause, my hairs stand on end at the pure apprehension of it all. Then he claps his hands together.
"Right! That's enough standing around you two, Allons-y!"
With that, he grasps my hand and breaks out in a run down the corridor, dragging me headfirst into god knows what!
Donna laughs as she runs behind, the Doctor breaks out in laughter too and I can't help the laughter that escapes me at the absurdity that has become my life.