A/N – I probably will be updating this once a week, or less, depending on how much time I have to write and my motivation. This chapter is long, most chapters won't be this long. I have no idea where all the words came from, but here we are. Trigger warning – throughout the chapter is descriptions of injuries (won't say which). I can't believe I have to say this, don't message me about creating a commission on my character, I am broke, I cannot pay. Also do not post my work on any site, I have this cross-posted on A03 and that is the only place you should be seeing my work.
Mira stood outside Henrik's Department Store, a place she'd only seen on TV. This can't be real. I can't really be here. Her heart pounded, every beat questioning her sanity. Doctor Who? Impossible... yet the cold creeping through her jacket told her it wasn't a dream.
She glanced at her bracelet, the Gallifreyan pendant glinting. Sofia... what did you do? The weight of it was overwhelming, but she didn't have time to break down. People were moving inside the store; it was nearly time for closing. I know what's coming. I should help, but… what if I make things worse? Her chest tightened with fear, each breath sharp with doubt. I'm not ready for this. What if I mess it all up? She forced herself to focus. She grabbed the Doctor's hand and led him to the elevator, hoping to impress him. But then her thoughts turned to Rose—the one meant to be here. Was she just filling space until Rose arrived? Her stomach knotted. Focus. Focus.
When they left the elevator, Mira took in the low ceilings, pipes covering what little ceiling she could notice. The room was filled with mannequins covered in a variety of clothing that the shop above would display. Keeping an eye on them, knowing that at any moment they could start moving, Mira glanced around for Wilson's office. She was hopeful that she could save him, just one person. That was all that she wanted. "If you see Wilson's office, let me know, I want to talk to him." Mira said to the Doctor. Nodding his head, he used his screwdriver to scan the surrounding environment. Suddenly he pointed at a door, "there is a mass of energy behind that door". Noting the name on the door, Mira ran, her legs protesting. She yanked open the door. Autons surrounded a balding man, fingers separated from their hands, ready to shoot.
Mira tried to grab onto Wilson's hand to pull him out of the way. Please let me save him, please just this once... She reached for Wilson, desperate to save him. But an Auton's plastic hand clamped onto her wrist, twisting it sharply. The pain in her wrist barely registered as her mind spiralled. Was she even good enough for this? For him? Maybe the Doctor would be better off without her slowing him down, making mistakes. She wasn't Rose, she wasn't the one he would stay with, she was just... temporary. She failed. Again. Finally, she focused on what was happening around her and sudden pain shot up her arm, white-hot and brutal.
No, no, no! The pain hit like a hammer, nearly knocking the breath from her lungs. She yanked her arm back, cradling her wrist close. Just a sprain... it has to be. I can handle a sprain..., right? But the throbbing ache told her something far worse.
Before she could react, the Doctor shoved her back as an Auton swung. She hit the wall, ribs screaming. Winded, not broken, she told herself. Can't be broken... You've never broken a thing in your life, you are just imagining things.
"Run!" The Doctor's voice snapped her out of her daze, and Mira stumbled after him. Every step jarred her body, sending sharp stabs of pain through her side. Her wrist hung limp, ribs protesting each shallow breath, but she pushed on. She held in the retort to the Doctor, she knew that he didn't need the distraction right now. She moved as fast as she could out of the room, breathing as shallow as she could to catch her breath. The Doctor used his screwdriver to force the Autons to deactivate. At least for the time being. Mira's breath came in sharp gasps as she tried to keep pace with the Doctor. Every step sent a jolt of pain through her, but she pushed forward, determined not to fall behind. She could hear her heartbeat pounding in her ears, and her vision began to blur around the edges. The pressure in her chest grew tighter, but she gritted her teeth, ignoring the warning signs.
I can't let him see. If he knows, he'll stop everything. He's got enough to worry about without me slowing him down. Her thoughts circled around her head, watching as he scanned around the room. Every step was slower than she wanted it to be. I can't keep up like this. Not with everything hurting. She sadly looked down at the body now on the floor in the cupboard. One more life lost, someone I couldn't save. I just hope that the Doctor won't leave me behind because of this.
"Hey, Doc," Mira said breathlessly, "I'm heading back to the TARDIS. Don't want to slow you down." She left before he could voice his arguments against her. She kept her head up and her hand close to her side to hide her pain. She could feel her legs starting to shake from the pain, and she wasn't sure how much longer she could hide it, she needed to get to the elevator. I just need a moment. Just long enough to patch myself up. He doesn't need to know. He didn't even notice. The Doctor barely looked back as she cradled her wrist, the thought gnawing at her. He didn't need her. Rose was waiting in the wings, ready to run beside him, fearless, perfect. What was she? Weak, injured, too scared to even tell him the truth about what she was feeling. A burden. Maybe that's all she would ever be to him.
As she hurried out of the building, Mira's mind was a whirl of pain and self-doubt. Walking as fast as she could with the pain in her body, from the corner of her eye, Mira spots Rose—pink jacket and all. It's like the show brought to life, a strange mix of familiarity and frustration bubbling inside her. Mira's chest tightens, the memory of how the show had framed Rose as the Doctor's perfect companion flooding back. But this wasn't the TV. This was real. And Mira, feeling broken and bruised, couldn't help but resent her. She knew what would happen next, she could picture Rose heading to the basement for Wilson with the lottery money. Just thinking of Wilson made her tear up. I'm so useless. I couldn't even save one person. I don't belong here with the Doctor. How long before the Doctor noticed how useless she was? Rose would be the one to save everyone, to matter. Mira? She was just tagging along until the inevitable happened. Of course. She gets to be the one with him. She winces at the bitter thought, her injured wrist pulsing with pain.
Putting the hand which wasn't feeling pain on the doors she realised the Doctor had never given her a key. Sighing she knocked her head slightly on the door. Suddenly she heard a click. Pushing on the door, she realised it had unlocked. She grinned slightly through the increasing burning pain around her body, she entered into the room.
"Thanks, Sexy, can you direct me to the medbay? I need to heal myself." Her grin increased as the lights around the room grew brighter before focusing on lights on the floor. The lights led her to the medbay. Surely, she was just winded, her wrist just bruised. But the pain lingered, far worse than a bruise. Finding the medbay, she realised with a sinking feeling, that there was nothing in the room that she understood. She wasn't a medical professional; she was a high school teacher and her single day of first aid only told her that she needed to ice her wrist. Summoning her courage, she searched for a freezer. The lights dimmed, guiding her to a cupboard. Inside, she found bags of ice.
Grabbing one, she noticed a bag she could put the ice in to keep it further away from her skin. Holding the ice to her wrist, she tried to remember her first aid training towards chest injuries. The only thing she could remember was that it needed to be wrapped. Figuring that was the one thing she could do, she started opening draws to find bandages. Finally finding some, she pulled up her shirt. Glancing at the bruise on her chest, she started to worry. No normal bruise would show up that quickly. Ignoring that for now, she held her injured hand slightly above her injured ribs so she could use it as a way to tighten the bandages. Her hand was useless otherwise. Knowing that the following move would make the burning in her chest worst, she quickly started bandaging herself. She likely tied it on too tightly, but she wanted it to be over with.
Realising that the Doctor would be returning soon after destroying the department store, Mira started slowly heading her way back to the console room. She looked up at the coral vines, she grasped her thoughts. She would have to lie to the Doctor, something she absolutely hated doing. She drew herself up as much as possible and put a smile on her face as the Doctor rushed into the console room and started bustling around the console. Time to become a teacher, time to pretend everything is right when she was in so much pain.
"So how was Rose?" Mira cheekily asked him. Watching as he glanced at her whilst running around the console. She watched as he noticed her wrist. "Oh, it's nothing," Mira forced a smile. Don't let him see, don't let him worry. "Just ran into a wall. Bruised it a bit. No big deal." Her voice wavered slightly as she forced her hand away from her ribs, fighting the urge to wince. The lie tastes bitter on her tongue, but it's easier than admitting the truth. She doesn't want his pity—not now, not ever. She just needs to get through this. The Doctor seems to accept her answer, though his gaze lingers for a moment longer than it should. Then he's gone again, lost in his own world, leaving Mira to deal with her pain alone.
"If you mean the blonde, didn't stick around long enough to notice. Same as any other ape." He replied to Mira. "We are heading to place that has a strong Nestene Consciousness signal. And I'm guessing this is still part of your show?" Seeing her nod, he pulled the final lever. The TARDIS shook and caused Mira to grab onto the rail. She accidentally grabbed it with her injured hand. She hissed slightly and then panicked and looked up at the Doctor. Thankfully he had ran to the door as soon as the TARDIS had landed and had not noticed her pain. Realising that she would be unable to run after him, Mira sat on the chair next to the console. She sighed and looked down at her wrist. She noted the angle of the wrist and cursed as she realised it was broken. Well, it's not a sprain. At least I know what it is. And considering how hard it is to breathe, I'm gonna guess that I'm not just winded.
As she waited for the Doctor to come back, she wondered if he even noticed she wasn't following him. Did she actually make any impact on his life when she wasn't around? Half an hour after watching the back of the Doctor's leather jacket leave the TARDIS, he pushed the door back open. Knowing that the TARDIS would be moving, Mira shifted so she could hold onto the railing.
"Well, I met that girl again, which I'm guessing you knew" seeing her smile and nod, he sighed. He knew he had chosen rule 2, but not allowing her to tell him what was coming was starting to become annoying. "Where to next, I wonder?"
Knowing that it wouldn't affect the timeline Mira suggested that they go to an Italian restaurant for dinner. When they arrived, Mira grabbed a champagne bottle and handed it to the Doctor. She pushed him towards where Rose and the Auton Mickey were sitting as she stood near the fire alarm.
Watching the scene between Rose and Mickey in real life caused a wave of both nostalgia and annoyance. She remembered watching this episode with her dad late at night on the ABC channel. Loving the introduction of a man she had never heard of before, she would constantly ask her dad information about the Doctor, not that he would tell her too much, only about the monsters that he knew. Considering Doctor Who didn't show as regularly in Australia before 2005 meant that her dad's knowledge of Doctor Who had lessened somewhat. But he was always willing to tell her the knowledge that he did know. He kept the information about regeneration away from Mira, wanting her to experience what the original watches of the 'Old Who' had experienced the first time.
She also felt annoyance towards the conversation that Rose, and 'Mickey' were having. Rose focused so much on herself that if it was the real Mickey, he would have never been able to get a word in about his own thoughts or day without Rose. Honestly, she wasn't sure about Rose in general. To her she seemed too… needy of the Doctor. To Mira, she acted quite immature and dependent on the Doctor, always needing him to save her, she never became independent, never actually developed into a good character. Silently in the back of her head she could also admit that the relationship that the Doctor and Rose formed in the series caused her heart to hurt. It was something she would have loved to experience herself; it was why she read OC fanfictions in the first place. But now, being here, being in this universe, just emphasised that her being obese, her being so scared meant that there would never be a relationship between her and the Doctor. The best she could ever hope for was friends. And that was only if she could stop being so useless.
She watched as the Doctor popped the champagne cork into the Auton's head and the cork get absorbed before being spat out by it. 'Mickey's' hand suddenly turning into a giant block that smashed into the table indicated that it was time. Mira pulled the alarm and ran out the door as fast as she could. Just to the TARDIS, you can do it, just a bit further.
She knew behind her the Doctor was pulling off Mikey's head with the body causing chaos as it went, but she just had to get to the TARDIS. Her body felt like it was betraying her with each step—a sharp stab of pain shot through her ribs, and her wrist throbbed with every pulse of her heartbeat. Just get to the TARDIS. That's all. I can't keep up. Not like this. As she got to the TARDIS, she watched Rose run past her to a chained gate. Moving to the side to let the Doctor at the door to unlock it. Once unlocked, she went in and listened to their conversation. She watched as Rose ran in and out of the TARDIS before finally closing the door. Inside the TARDIS, Rose's wide-eyed wonder annoyed Mira. Of course, she's perfect. Why wouldn't she be?
"It's going to follow us" Rose breathlessly stated at the Doctor. As he wandered around the TARDIS scanning the Mickey head he spoke to Rose, "The assembled hordes of Genghis Khan couldn't get through that door. Believe me they've tried. Now shut up a minute". Mira slowly walked over to Rose as she looked around the console room in shock and a bit of fear. "You see the arm was too simple but a head's perfect," placing wires around the head Rose continued to look around the room before focusing on Mira, "I can use it to trace the signal back to the original source." With a flourish he finally turned around towards Rose and Mira. "Right, where do you want to start?"
"Umm, the insides bigger than the outside?" The Doctor nodded, "It's alien?" Still watching her, the Doctor replied "yep."
"Are you alien?" She asked, slightly scared of the answer. "Yes. That alright?" He responded. She nodded her head in response. "It's called the TARDIS, this thing. S. That's Time and Relative Dimension in Space." Mira found herself mouthing the words along with the Doctor, something Rose noticed. "Who are you then? Are you an alien too?" Rose blurted out at Mira. Shaking her head Mira responded back to Rose "I'm Mira Rivera, I'm just a high school history teacher, completely human, just not from here." Glaring at Mira Rose angrily yelled, "And what does that mean then?"
"I'm from a parallel universe... not from here." Mira's voice trailed off as she watched Rose's anger turn into mild annoyance and confusion. Of course, she wouldn't understand. Why would she? I barely understand it myself. "A teacher?" Rose raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed, circling back to the first statement that Mira made. Mira could feel her stomach twist. She wasn't special. Rose saw right through her, saw that she was just... ordinary. Nothing like the Doctor. In the time that Mira and Rose had been talking to each other the Mickey head had managed to start melting. Turning to the Doctor Rose started questioning him once again "Is he dead? Is Mikey dead? You pulled off his head, and now you are just going to let him melt?" Panicking the Doctor turned around to notice that the head was indeed melting like Rose had noted. Running around the TARDIS, he tried as hard as he could to follow the signal whilst he was quickly running out of time. With a thud, he ran out of the TARDIS, grabbing Mira's hand.
As the Doctor's hand closed around her wrist, it was like fire shot through her entire arm. She couldn't stop the yelp that escaped her lips as the pressure sent white-hot pain up to her shoulder. Instinctively, she yanked her hand back, cradling it against her chest as her ribs twinged in protest. She tried to keep her breathing steady, but it was like her chest was in a vice—every inhale short and sharp, pain threading through her side like a needle. The shock of pain took her breath away, but the fear that followed was worse. What if this was it? What if he decided she wasn't strong enough to stay? That she was too broken, too weak to keep up? She felt herself trembling, the fear swirling in her chest even tighter than the pain. If she couldn't keep it together, would he leave her behind? No... not yet. Not now. She wasn't ready to say goodbye to him. Not when she hadn't even really had him yet.
"You are not ok Mira, what is wrong?" Mira closed her eyes. Knowing that she couldn't hide it from the Doctor any longer, and knowing that with the upcoming events, she would be completely useless. "I... I think the Auton broke my arm," she whispered, voice trembling. "And my ribs... something's wrong there too." She glanced up at him, guilt and fear swirling in her chest. "I'm sorry. I tried to hide it... I didn't want to slow you down."' she noticed the Doctor's guilty look, he should have noticed her being in pain, "Doc, don't blame yourself, I chose to put my hand at risk trying to save Wilson. Now you go outside with Rose, I'll head to the medbay and wait for you there, I know you will want to fix this now you know of it, and you know I'll be useless. I can't even run with a sore rib." She slightly pushed him with her arm that wasn't hurting.
Heading back to the medbay, she gingerly hopped up onto the bed once again. Even the slightest movement sent fresh waves of pain rolling up her arm. It was like a low-grade burn, the kind that never fades, just smoulders underneath the surface. She had no idea how she had ignored it for so long. She realised that whilst sitting, her ribs groaned in protest. Sitting made it worse—the pressure from her own body weight seemed to push against her cracked ribs, and she couldn't help but wince. Each breath was still a challenge, every small movement a reminder that her body wasn't about to let her forget the damage. She lied down as much as she could on the beds and tried to ignore the pain.
Amazingly she had dozed off or had fallen unconscious as the next thing she knew, the Doctor was next to her. Startling a little, she took note of his features. He had a crinkle in his brow from worry as he looked down at how she cradled her wrist on her body, using it to try and help her ribs whilst it too was hurting. "Mira, can I check it please, I know it hurts, but I need to see what is wrong". Focusing on his northern accent Mira slightly nodded her head. When the Doctor finally took her wrist in his hands, his touch was gentle, but it still hurt like hell. Her whole arm ached, but the broken wrist was a special kind of agony—a deep, pulsing throb that made her teeth grit together. The Doctor's brow furrowed as he examined it, and she fought the urge to pull away. "An Auton did this?" seeing her nod his eyes darkened, "Then they deserved what they got.".
"You don't believe that Doc, you try your hardest every day to save as many lives as you can. You gave them a choice; they chose to activate the signal to end the world. You didn't even tip the anti-plastic in, the Auton shouldn't have stood so close to the edge." Closing his eyes, the Doctor shook his head. "Even in as much pain as I know you are in; you still try to comfort me. You astonish me, Mira." Mira smiled a bit, unconvinced by the Doctor. "Honestly, I didn't think it was that bad, I just thought it was a really bad sprain. I just didn't want to be a burden."
Stepping away from Mira, he went around the room searching for items. Mira focused on trying to breathe through the pain, trying not to scream out as her bones felt like were individually screaming at her. She felt a gentle touch on her uninjured wrist and noted an alien device in his hand. Knowing that asking him about the device would only confuse her more, she let the Doctor power up the device. The device hummed to life, sending a strange warmth through her wrist and her ribs. It was... uncomfortable at first, like pins and needles. She gasped, feeling the pain shift—morph into something different, not gone, but easing. Her ribs tingled as well, the sharp stabbing pain softening into a dull throb. It wasn't instant relief, but she could feel her body slowly knitting itself back together. Her wrist stopped burning, the constant ache in her side eased. Still, she wasn't entirely pain-free. It was like the injuries were... muted, but still there, simmering just below the surface.
She flexed her fingers, biting back a wince as a twinge shot through the joint. The ribs were... manageable. They no longer screamed every time she breathed, but there was still a dull ache every time she moved too quickly. She could manage. Just no running. "Now," chimed the Doctor, startling Mira out of her searching, "You'll feel it for a bit. But you'll be good as new in a couple days, for now. You're not a burden, Mira. You never are. Next time, just tell me. I can't help you if you are hurt. I need to know what to fix."
Finally smiling, Mira nodded to the Doctor. Knowing that she could not verbally agree with him. She knew that if she could, she would allow herself to be injured or… or… die if it would protect him or save someone.
"Now did you tell Rose that this is a time machine?" Mira lightly laughed at the Doctor. Looking at his stunned face, she grabbed his wrist, using her non-injured hand once again to pull him back to the console room to fix his mistake. At least Mira knew for certain she wasn't in a dream; pain would have certainly awoken her by name if that was the case. She sat in the console chair, waiting for Rose, though she hated her character, she was hoping that the real person was different. She glanced around the room and noticed her laptop bag. She thanked whatever deity existed that she had not yet put it down when she jumped here. Maybe the episodes on her hard drive would assist her in remembering the episodes. As the Doctor continued to work, she wondered how long she had before Rose completely replaced her. She waited, knowing that what was coming next was The End of the World.