Lackluster

Preparation

The blue-haired man leads the small woman swiftly through the compound humming as he goes.

'He's definitely excited.' The young woman thinks. 'Must be nice.'

As the two pass through the hallways, she observes a variety of rooms. Some are closed off with signs on the doors that read Experiment and a number. While others were equipped with large glass windows that she can peer through. ...and peer she does. All of them have various medical supplies, all kinds of machines, vivisection tables, microscopes, shelves of vials, flasks, and ingredients. Some of them had actual ruin machines...or rather, pieces of them that appear to either be in the process of being taken apart or built back up. The one thing that every room had in common was the blinding white light and lack of any life. The hallways are a stark contrast with their dim blue fluorescence.

Finally, after what felt like forever, they came to a door with a sign in red that read Experiment 445. The Doctor unlocks the door and swings it open, stepping aside so Y/N could enter ahead of him. As she moves to step through the open door, she notices the room is rather bare in comparison to the many others she had just seen. There is a simple vivisection table with a small mobile stand placed beside it laden with medical supplies and a single tray. On the tray lay two syringes (one with black liquid and one with a glowing gold), a small bottle of clear liquid, and some bandaging. In the corner of the room sits a small cabinet. She walks further into the room.

"Take off your coat and get on the table, if you will." The blue-haired man spoke from behind her as he shut the door.

The woman hesitantly complies. She slips her coat off and makes her way to the table. Throwing the coat over the end where she plans to place her head, she lifts herself onto the furniture swinging her legs up and over to lay straight on the table. She slowly lowers her back until it is flush with the cold metal surface and her head is pillowed on her coat. The Doctor had already made the short distance to stand over her by the time she had fully stretched her body out.

Looking up at him as he towers over her, she asks nervously, "How long will these preparations take?"

The man has taken hold of her left sleeve and is in the process of rolling it up past her shoulder. Once he is satisfied, he picks up a small packet of what appeared to be alcohol swabs.

"In my facility, we work quickly and efficiently, haste is one of the attributes that help my research to thrive. However, the answer to your question has nothing to do with how quickly I work."

The Doctor pauses in his explanation, taking one of the swabs from the packet. He leans over slightly and begins applying it to her bare shoulder. It was cold on her skin.

"It will depend on how long it takes for the serums to take hold of your body...and of course whether or not there are any complications."

Y/N flinches at his words and her eyes widen as she looks up at him. Noticing the woman's sudden alarm, Il Dottore chuckles.

"Don't be nervous about that. I have performed several tests before this and am fairly certain there will be no issues that arise. Of course, there is always a chance. However, If anything happens, I will handle it. It would be inconvenient to lose you so soon."

The woman puffs annoyed. "Thanks, that's incredibly reassuring."

He chuckles and reaches for the syringe with the black liquid. Picking it up he points the needle to the ceiling and taps it with a finger a couple of times before lightly pressing the plunger to remove any air.

"Of course, I will warn you that this and the examination itself are going to be...rather uncomfortable but do take it with grace. Know that it is my intention to protect you from any permanent harm."