Across The Universe

Chapter IV

The Doctor takes Adric into her arms and runs back to the Tardis like her life depended on it. The others chase after her wondering why her reaction is like this. She runs into the med bay and lays Adric onto a bed, and begins rushing around looking for things to help treat his injuries. When the rest of them get into the med bay, the Doctor is cleaning Adrics wounds. Jedediah sits down next to them and starts to stitch up the boy's injuries that are quite deep, having done this a lot in his past life. Once the Doctor has cleaned up Adric and Jedediah has finished the stitches, the Doctor starts to wrap bandages around all of the wounds. All of this had been done in silence so far until Yaz broke it.

"Who is he Doctor? How do you know him?"

"He is my son. He was a stowaway on the Tardis at first and then became my companion, and I basically adopted him. But he died, or at least I thought he did." The Doctor admits with tears in her eyes.

She grabs an oxygen mask and gently puts it over Adric's face to help him breathe, and then she grabs his hand. She can't believe that he is actually alive.

"What do you mean you thought he died, how would you not know that he was alive?" Ryan asks curiously.

"Adric was on a ship that crashed into Earth, the ship is what you know as the asteroid that killed the Dinosaurs. So I thought he had died, I have no idea how he is alive, but this is definitely him." answers the Doctor.

After a while, the companions head to their rooms, Yaz showing Octavius and Jedediah to a room for them first, to give the Doctor space with Adric, and so she can be the first face he sees when he wakes up. She sits in silence, still holding his hand. Once Adric recovers, the two of them are going to need to visit Tegan and Nyssa. Suddenly, Adric opens his eyes, and rips his hand out of the Doctors, and takes off the gas mask. He stares at the Doctor clearly shocked and worried.

"Who the hell are you? Where am I?" Adric questions.

"You're in the Tardis, it's okay. I'm the Doctor." The Doctor answers.

"Dad! You regenerated again! Is it okay if I still call you Dad? You clearly are feminine presenting now."

"Yes, you can still call me Dad, Adric. As you know, I'm genderfluid and am currently using she/her pronouns, and I have regenerated. Nine times since I last saw you to be correct. I thought I lost you. I thought you were dead. I have missed you so much my son."

Adric reaches up and pulls the Doctor down into a hug. The Doctor is careful not to put too much force into the hug as to hurt him, but stays in the hug for a long time. When the Doctor pulls away from the hug, she gently pushes Adric's hair out of his eyes, and gives him a gentle kiss on his forehead.

"Are you hungry, Adric? I can go get you something to eat." She asks him.

"Can you please Dad, I am quite hungry." Adric replies with a smile.

The Doctor nods and gives him another kiss on his forehead. She stands up and leaves the med bay to go to the kitchen to get him food and water. As she walks, she tries to remain as quiet as possible so as to not wake her companions who are asleep.

*****

Octavius and Jedediah are sitting on their bed in their bedroom on the Tardis. They are holding hands and are just talking about how they are going to tell everyone about their relationship when they get back to the museum. Octavius grips the side of Jedediah's face and pulls him into a kiss. Jedediah starts to kiss back, and the two of them fall sideways onto the bed.

*****

The Doctor has come back to the med bay with a cup of water and a bagel in her hands. She gives them to Adric and he eats and drinks quickly. The two of them smile at each other, and the Doctor pulls another bed over and lays down on it so she can sleep next to her son.