Miss Brightside

Chapter 15

Addi gasped as she spun away from the window. Her eyes met the face of Boe's and she stared at him in awe.

"Addi Tyler," The voice echoed in her head again, "come sit with me."

His eyes fell closed again and Addi sniffed slightly and pushed past the Doctor and sat down in front of Boe. The Doctor became more worried the longer she sat in front of the face of Boe silently, so he left to bring her a cup of water. He came back with two, handing one to Novice Hame.

"That's very kind. There's no need," She thanked him quietly.

"You're the one working," The Doctor replied, keeping a keen eye on Addi.

"There's not much to do, just maintain his smoke. And I suppose I'm company. I can hear him singing sometimes, in my mind. Such ancient songs," Novice Hame told him. Addi smiled from where she sat; she could hear him singing too, except it wasn't ancient for her, it was The Beatles.

"Are we the only visitors?" He asked the nurse.

"The rest of Boe-kind became extinct long ago. He's the only one left," Addi looked over her shoulder at the Doctor sadly. "Legend says that the Face of Boe has watched the universe grow old. There's all sorts of superstitions around him. One story says that just before his death, the Face of Boe will-"

"Impart his great secret to someone like himself," Addi finished with a slight smile. 

Novice Hame looked at her with a small nod, as The Doctor handed Addi the cup of water as he sat down next to her, crossing his legs.

"What does that mean," He asked, looking over his shoulder at Novice Hame.

"It's just a story."

"No, it's not," Addi whispered to the Doctor, who looked back over at Novice Hame.

"Tell me the rest."

"It said he'll talk to the wanderers. To a man without a home and a child with a name in the stars. The lonely god and the abandoned child." Novice Hame gave the Doctor a nod before leaving the pair alone with the Face of Boe.

"Addi, how did you know that," The Doctor put his hands around her face.

"He's talking to me, Doctor, he's talking to me in my mind." Addi placed her hands over his with bitter smile.

~~~

Shortly after The Doctor left to call Rose while Addi continued to listen to Boe singing Eleanor Rigby inside her mind. It was a somewhat comfortable thing, having him in her mind, but it was also different at the same time. Addi thought that having someone in her head would be uncomfortable- being able to see all her secrets and memories and whatnot- but it wasn't. He wasn't prying into her head, he was simply just...there, singing to her. The moment was ruined as the Doctor tugged her up and began to drag her down the ward.

"Hey! He was singing Eleanor Rigby. I love that song," Addi protested, but stopped at the sight of a perfectly healthy Duke of Manhattan. "Huh?"

"The nurses are very suspicious around here," The Doctor told her.

"I could have told you that. They're cats for pete's sake, they are meant to be sly," Addi told him in a 'duh' tone.

"Oi! Don't take that tone with me," The Doctor waved a finger in her face to which she promptly bit. "Ow! Why?" He shook his hand about with a pained expression.

"It's rude to point," She replied simply. 

"It's rude to bite," He argued.

"I'll do it again, spaceman, don't test me." Addi left the Doctor's side to follow one of the sister's as the Doctor pouted and began going around to other cubicles to observe the patients.