13 Novella 1

Tardis

You've been in the Tardis for a couple of hours now, and yet your brain is too full of grief to comprehend the insanity of it.

Yaz has long since gone off to bed, and The Doctor is fiddling with controls, the machine making soft thrumming and beating noises that lull you into a waking sleep.

You sit with your feet hanging off the edge, gazing down at your planet, the place you almost never wanted to see again. The place where, somehow just this morning, your sister died, alone and scared.

A single tear rolls down your cheek, which you brush away absentmindedly. You hear a pause in the regular typing and footsteps around the console, and sense the woman approach you from behind. You tense, and she whispers "easy" before lowering herself next to you. You fail to feel any proper fear of her though.

You both stare off into the universe before you open your mouth to speak.

"My sister died today" you say, voice unrecognisable.

"I know" The Doctor replies with a sigh "I'm sorry I couldn't save her (Y/n)"

"It wasn't your fault" you say, and you mean it. You should have got her out of there when you first woke from the trance. Instead you left her alone. It was all you fault.

You gasp as this realisation hits you and The Doctor glances at you in alarm, placing her hand on yours while you weep.

"Do you think... she... did she... was she in any pain...?" You stutter, sniffling.

"No" The Doctor confirms, squeezing your hand. "Her mind was asleep, she simply wouldn't have woken up".

Impossibly, you feel worse.

"I need to ask you" you look up at The Doctor, who looks carefully complacent. "How did you escape, I know you saw your sister, but it shouldn't have been enough to break you out of the cyber drone state, the technology should not have permitted it" she looks at you wonderingly, face softening when she realises you have little clue what she is on about, her alien hazel eyes burning sympathetically into yours.

"Who are you?" You whisper, staring back down at Earth.

"I'm The Doctor" she replies

"Doctor who?" You ask and she smiles but doesn't answer.

"You're not human" you try. It isn't a question.

"No, I'm a Time Lord from a planet called Gallifrey in the constellation of Kasterborous" she says with a hint of a smile.

You can't explain how or why, but you believe her.

Her blonde hair ruffles in the breeze of the air bubble surrounding the Tardis, and you look pointedly at the Tardis, which The Doctor has not yet explained fully.

"It's called a Tardis, Time And Relative Dimensions In Space, it travels through space and time, any where and anywhen" she states understandingly.

You sigh. This is too much, she's an alien in an alien space ship and you are currently floating above your home planet. You are bruised and sore, and choking mentally on the grief of the day. 700 lives lost, and you would have traded any of them to still have your sister here with you.

"How old are you (Y/n)?" Asks the woman suddenly.

"17" you reply absently.

"But you're a minor, too young to volunteer?" She quizzes. You look at her a little confused "so how did you end up there?"

"Oh" it seems inconsequential compared to what else had happened today but you answer "my mum's boyfriend put us in a taxi early this morning".

No reply, you glance up and see the frown lines have re-appeared, but you don't want to talk about this.

You yawn and The Doctor jumps to her feet, the atmosphere lifting and making you start.

"I'm sorry (Y/n) I haven't shown you where you are sleeping! Come on" she bounces with a charismatic smile.

You follow without question; sleeping would be nice.

She leads you down a corridor off the console room and round a corner to a door on the left. She waits patiently for you to catch up, bobbing on the balls of her feet, hands clasped in front of her.

She opens the door and you gaze into a huge room in varying shades of pastel blue and lilac. Perfect Tardis colours. Your mouth falls open at the sight of the huge oak bed, a four poster with matching pastel blue bedsheets and pillows as well as smaller cushions. Grey fluffy blankets line the end of the bed, and net curtains fall from the oak posters. A door off to the right is open, and you understand the room is en-suite. You look back round at The Doctor in amazement but can only stutter one thing.

"I don't have any stuff with me."

She laughs, a cute sound that complements her smile.

"It's ok, The Tardis wardrobe should have something in you size" indicating the large oak wardrobe in the opposite corner of the room.

"I'll wake you tomorrow and we can decide what to do from there, sleep well (Y/n), and call me or the Tardis if you need anything" she exits with a wink and leaves you standing alone.

You shiver, but instantly feel the floor heat underneath your feet. She did say ask the Tardis, and apparently it was listening. The thought comforts you.

You wander to the wardrobe and open it to find a generous selection of night and day wear as well as dresses, jackets and shoes lining the bottom.

You choose simple sporty shorts and a plain t shirt and head to the bathroom. It is gloriously huge, and you notice a line of toiletries waiting on a shelf above the white sink. You brush your teeth and run your fingers through you hair, braiding it into a simple plait down your back. The light turns off as you leave the bathroom, so maybe it has sensors? You are honestly too tired to think too much of it.

You stand staring at the bed for a while, before stripping it and making a duvet and pillow nest on the floor in the final corner. You've never slept in a double bed without your sister, and you weren't about to start now.

You close your eyes and the lights dim to faint golden glow, perfect sleep lighting. You would see anyone approaching you. You settle down and wish for sleep as the thoughts of the day begin to plague your bruised mind.