In And Through The Body [ Doctor Who | sequel to A Man With Sins ]

FOUR

There was a lot of silence between the Doctor and I. After his failed attempt to rewrite history, Ood Sigma had found us that evening, standing out in the snow. According to him, the time had come for the Doctor, time for him to die. Hearing those words from the Ood had put a knot in my stomach that I just couldn't untie. The Doctor and I had been together for so long it seemed, and to hear that his end was near was terrifying. I felt like I'd known him my whole life, even though I'd only just met him not too long ago. 

Our connection was something different. Not only were we connected through species, but emotionally, us Timelords loved deeply, ruthlessly. Pulling my attention from my thoughts, I looked over at the Doctor who was standing silently at the console. His eyes were focused on paragraphs of information displayed on the monitor, and I remained where I was. I wasn't quite sure what to say, or what to do. I felt like I couldn't really help ease his pain, seeing that mine was just as smothering. The pain of losing him was already here, even though it hadn't happened yet. How was I supposed to protect him from the inevitable? 

It took a lot of effort for me to stand up from the chair I was sitting in. I felt like every bit of energy had been sucked out of me, both emotionally and physically. It had been a few days since Ood Sigma had found us, and I could tell by the look on the Doctor's face that he was going to do everything he could to run away from what was waiting for him. "You can't run forever," I muttered as I walked to stand beside of him. "As much as I wish we could run from whatever this is forever, we cannot. It's obvious that your future has already been written in stone. Why keep running?" Looking up at him with sad eyes, I waited for an answer.

The Doctor didn't respond immediately, but he did reach out and take my hand in his. "Time is running out for me, I know. But I'm just not ready to go yet." The sadness in his voice was thick, his beautiful eyes were full of solitude. We didn't speak anymore on the topic as the Doctor threw back a lever, and the TARDIS landed with a gentle thud. We both turned towards the doors in silence before we made our way to them, walking out onto a snow-covered ground. Looking around, I couldn't exactly tell where we were, but not even twenty feet from us stood Ood Sigma.

My hearts skipped a beat in my chest as we continued to approach him, and I couldn't help but grip the Doctor's hand tight in my own. When we finally came to a stop in front of him, I let out a heavy breath. "You should not have delayed." Odd Sigma spoke, staring at the Doctor as if I wasn't here at all. 

Gripping tighter to my hand, the Doctor cleared his throat. "The last time I was here you said my song would be ending soon, and I'm in no hurry for that." An uneasiness settled over me as the Doctor spoke. There would be no more running, not today. "I don't think anyone would be in a hurry to meet their death." Odd Sigma stood still, emotionless like all Ood seem to be in situations like this. 

"You will come with me, Doctor. Cara."

When my name left Sigma's lips, a chill ran through my body, causing the hairs on the back of my neck to stand straight up. Trying to distract myself, I gazed past the Ood, looking out at what seemed to be a newly built city. My eyes widened, what was this place? "Did your race build this place?" My question was blunt. "How long did it take you to build this? It's magnificent." Though there was a lack of emotion behind my words, I really was impressed with what I was looking at. 

"One hundred years." Ood Sigma muttered, eyeing the Doctor closely as if his gaze could keep him from running away again. 

One hundred years didn't seem right. How did the Ood advance this much in such little time? "Then we've got a problem. Because all of this is way too fast. Not just the city, I mean your ability to call me." This time, the Doctor broke the silence. "Reaching all the way back to the 21st century. Something's accelerating your species way beyond normal."