I Need a Doctor!

Nowhere Man

I ran behind Jack and the Doctor, each of them carrying a Carik over one shoulder. "What about the ship? And all of those people?"

The Doctor explained over his shoulder, never slowing. "I'm sure those lovely Cariks will just fly away. And the people... Well, it will definitely be a night to remember!"

"Shouldn't we stop the other Cariks? What if they try to spread across some other planet?" I glanced back at the large ship as it slowly began to pull away from the Eiffel Tower. 

"Naw! They've got a long trip ahead of them before they find a planet to take over. I can stop them some other time," yelled the Doctor. "Turn left up ahead, Jack. The TARDIS is getting close."

Jack gave a small nod, turning onto the next street. I stumbled trying to keep up with the two alien travelers. "Aren't those heavy? I mean, they are practically dead weight."

Jack shook his head. "Lighter than even you. They're practically gas inside of skin, y'know."

The Doctor paused for a moment in front of the TARDIS, reaching into one of his pockets and tossing me the keys. Deja vu. I ran in front of them, twisting the key into the lock and throwing the doors open, quickly making space for the two burdened men. I ran in after them and was about to close the door, when Jack stopped my hand with his own. He threw an apologetic look at the Doctor and me.

"Doctor, you know I love going on adventures with you, but... Paris!"

The Doctor smiled, nodding. "I get it Jack. Chivalry, wine, women. It's your dream home."

Jack grinned and looked back at me. "Sophia Rose Charline, it's been a pleasure." He winked and kissed my hand.

"Oh, stop it!" chastised the Doctor.

Jack smiled and put one foot out of the TARDIS, hanging on to the open door. He waved his free hand and, saying good bye to all those in the TARDIS, jumped down and closed the door.

I didn't want to admit it, but I was tearing up a bit. I composed myself and turned back to the Doctor, noticing that he was doing the same.

"Alright," I began, "Where do we drop this lot?" I gestured to the still unconscious Cariks.

The Doctor gave a small pout before his face lit up and he began punching and pulling things on the console. "One open-space free fall coming right up!" The TARDIS gave a small jerk and I grabbed onto the banister.

I laughed, shouting to the Doctor. "Allons-y!"

***

We watched from the open door of the TARDIS as the two Cariks floated through the open space towards a black hole in the distance. 

The Doctor gave a small sigh. He was trying to act like the whole ordeal wasn't a big thing, but I knew that killing the two invading aliens still bothered him. That mixed with Jack saying good bye and the champagne or two he had sipped earlier mingled into a sad cocktail of emotions.

I gave him a playful nudge with my shoulder, trying to cheer him up. He furrowed his eyebrows and looked at me curiously. I shot him a half smile before padding back towards the console. "I have to admit, not bad for a first date."

He gave a small puff of a laugh and lowered his head as he walked towards me. It wasn't a sad walk, just one a slight amusement. He looked at me, smiled, and leaned against the console, resting his chin on one palm. He gazed at me before giving another small laugh and standing up. "You would have liked her. Rose always had a way of seeing the bright side of things."

I stiffened, slightly bewildered that he was talking to me about Rose. His Rose. The Rose he had lost. I knew from what Jack had told me that it was a slightly sensitive topic. I leaned against the console, watching him press buttons, feeling touched that he trusted me enough to talk about her. I mimicked the Doctor from earlier, resting my head in my hands and giving a small laugh. He buzzed around the console, mumbling things about the machine and babbling about old adventures, to be adventures, and what he hoped to share with me from the deepest depths of the universe. We continued this for an hour or so, me nodding and giving my input here and there. As the length of the adventure and the amount of stairs began to catch up with us, we decided to go to bed. But I knew the Doctor wouldn't sleep. He'd walk through the TARDIS, remembering the past and dreaming about the future, going over things in his head.

The Doctor often reminded me of a Beatles song: "He's a real nowhere man/ Sitting in his Nowhere Land/ Making all his nowhere plans/ For nobody..."

And as the song repeated itself in my head, I realized how sad and alone the Doctor is. So it was late in the night as I lay in my bed that I decided to do what I could to change it.

I would become his somebody.