Fight or Flight ( Doctor Who Fanfiction )

Noon / Midnight

An excerpt from before he died

*

Noon.

"I need food," Amy announced as we all entered through the front door. "Or I'm going to pass out."

My legs barely made it up the initial stairs to the console, only to immediately collapse on the glass floor, arms splayed out beside me as I fought for air.

"I'll set a course for that Thai place we all liked," the Doctor said, but his path around the console was cut short by my limp body. He peered down at me, a glimmer of I-told-you-so in his eyes. "Still with us, Omara?"

"I can't. I can't move," I managed, still heaving for air.

"Someone finally met her match," Rory teased.

Indignant, I pushed myself up onto my elbows. "Only because it was mechanical. Which one of you let me sign up to go against life-sized Rock-Em-Sock-Em?"

"We warned you," Amy laughed. "The Doctor practically begged on his knees for you not to go, but what did you say?"

The Doctor hid a small smile as he fiddled with the console, trying to remain a concerned caregiver and not a smug know-it-all. "I believe her exact words were stand back."

"And in my defense," I parried, "I won."

Amy made a noise of disagreement. "You broke the all-time record for staying upright. I'm not sure you can win against that thing."

I groaned, a begrudging agreement as I flopped back down on by back.

"Why was that in a theme park?" Rory asked. "If it can put this one on her back, it isn't kid-friendly."

"The theme park was abandoned. Maybe that's why? Too many lawsuits?"

"Nah," the Doctor chimed in. "There's plenty of games that don't let you win. It's like the mechanical bull."

"Do we draw lots for who drags Omara out of the way?" Rory asked lightheartedly, and I rolled my eyes.

Prying myself off the cool floor, I made it to the glass staircase, where I could recline on my elbows with my head hung back. My muscles were so worn out I was shaking, a thin sheen of sweat covering my whole body.

When we launched into flight, I reached up and grabbed ahold of the stair railing above my head for some stability so I didn't slide away.

"We're right outside," the Doctor announced as we landed. "Orders, orders."

And he took down our orders on a literal typewriter fused to the console, before handing off the resulting document to Rory.

Sulking at being made to run an errand, Rory slunk off towards the door, but perked up considerably when Amy followed after him, chatting and closing the door behind them.

The Doctor continued to mess with all the gadgetry on the console, and I leaned my head back once again to rest.

"Are you proud of me?" I asked.

He looked up at me, confused. "What for?"

I stared, offended that he could think of no reason at all to be proud. "Winning, of course."

He scoffed. "I didn't even want you to play."

"But I did. Admit it, you were a little impressed."

"There are times I wonder if it's a grown woman I travel with, or a schoolboy with something to prove."