Lost In Temptation

21. Strong Minded Women

Elizabeth:

This hurt.

Very much hurt.

I asked River to get me some of the pain killers from the StormCage infirmary, promising I wouldn't do anything stupid with them. Overdosing on purpose didn't count, because I calculated just enough to trigger a regeneration, not to kill me outright. So long as the regeneration burned away the excess, anyway.

My body was almost done dying, reset back to the beginning, but I let out a groan of pain as I lay on a tree branch, having thought that I could walk off the pain. I made it a mile before I had to stop, not able to get back to the TARDIS. Meaning she'd probably gone back to the Doctor by now, as I told her to, because I only had a brief window while he stayed with Amy and Rory, Divinity having not let him take them. 

Another wave of pain went through me, making me convulse and fall out of the tree. Just as a woman was going past on her bike. "Hello? Hello? Hello, are you alright?"

"Ow."

"Are you hurt? Did you fall? Why were you in a tree?" I was trying to sit up, but my hair had gotten caught in brambles. "Just, just let me. I don't want to hurt you."

Pain was going to happen like it or not. I knew the bullet was the faster option. "I'm fine. Don't worry, it'll be okay."

"No, you really need some help, your eyes are all funny." I put a hand over them both, unsure which one she meant as they started changing with the regeneration. "You should go to a hospital. I can take you, if you want."

Hospital no. TARDIS, yes. Please still be there, Idris... "The town square would be nice, if at all possible. I don't need a hospital."

So she went off to get the car as I leaned on a fence, watching the melanin in my skin slowly fade. So covered up in my hoody, especially my hair that I crammed into a hat, in case it suddenly all fell out or turned pink or something. "Ready to go? What's your name, by the way?"

"Beth." I replied, carefully getting into the car, luckily not cold as I should have been in the open air. "I am Beth." There was a jerky start as I wanted to instantly get out. This woman should not drive. "Please be careful. It is icy tonight."

"Oh, it's fine. I'm used to these roads."

Then proceeded to hit several things on the way into town, including using a wooden post as a brake by my still waiting TARDIS. "You know there is a pedal to stop without hitting things. It's by the one that you slam down each time you try to turn a corner."

"Well, a lot of things get in the way. It's hardly my fault." I was breathing hard, hand on my hearts as they pounded. "Are you alright?"

"Fine. Fine. Indigestion." I lied, trying to get down but almost fell, my well meaning Samaritan coming to support me. "Thank you."

She beamed. "Round this way. Are you sure you don't want me to take you to a hospital or something, Beth? You're welcome to come to our house."

I was currently regeneration, I didn't even know what I looked like. "No, no, no. I'm fine. I just need to find the, er, the key." I found only empty pockets and remembered what I'd distracted Divinity with as I set up the IV drip. "Oh, frell."

"Do you want me to do it with a pin? I'm good with a pin."

"Multi-dimensional, triple encoded temporal interface. Not really susceptible to pointy things."

"Got it."

Doctor, you were putting new locks in and not giving our keys willy nilly anymore. "Suddenly nine hundred years of time travel seem that bit less secure. Thank you for taking care of me. You didn't have to. You're really kind."