The Tenth Impact

The Idiot's Lantern

So I was swimming in the pool when it happened.

I was doing laps, something to calm me down. I'd had a nightmare the night before about my dark years, including the aftermath of it. The weeks of recovery at Latshaw's flat that turned into some kind of 12-step program. It was like detoxing from Dilaudid all over again except a thousand times worse because the addiction had lasted fifty years. It didn't just go away because I'd been cured.

Nightmares about being constantly starving, and wanting to feed weren't abnormal.

Swimming had always helped calm me down.

The TARDIS was controlling my music player. I'd asked her to play music that would help. She'd picked Elvis music.

Which is fucked up.

Because it was making me laugh too.

It's hard to finish your laps when you're laughing.

So I cut myself off near the end. I decide I'd just run some laps later. We were bound to land soon anyway.

The TARDIS played the music louder as I walked up to a towel. I got the impression she wanted me to sing along.

Raising my eyebrow at the ceiling, I decided to play along with her little game.

"A little less conversation, a little more action, please." I sang. As the music got further into the beat, I couldn't stop from dancing along to it. "All this aggravation ain't satisfactioning me. A little more bite and a little less bark, a little less fight and a little more spark. Close your mouth and open up your heart and, baby, satisfy me! Satisfy me, baby."

I dried off my feet, dancing along while swinging around the towel.

Once enough of me was dry I danced more actively. It had a good beat, okay? Lilo Pelekai had a good point.

"Oh! Is that Elvis?"

The sound I made should not be recognized as human. I threw the closest object in arm's reach-the towel- in the direction of the sound.

Turns out it was the Doctor.

Also throwing a towel was shit when the towel was wet.

"What are you doing?! Sneaking up on people like that!" I tore off my goggles, throwing them at him too.

The Doctor dodged them- barely. "Nice throw. I'm shaking in my boots."

I glared at him, looking for something else that hadn't been soaked in water.

"You like Elvis?" The Doctor asked, pointing to the ceiling.

"No. I listen to it when I'm upset." I argued.

"Why?"

"It makes me more upset."

"Listening to Elvis makes you sad? Makes me want to dance." The Doctor clicked his fingers to the beat that was still playing. He was mindful of the water on the floor though.

Yet as I saw him dance, I suddenly saw Lilo. She was swaying with the tune like it was the most perfect hula. Her thick black hair dancing with her. As she danced, she motioned with her hands for me to join her.

And I couldn't.

And I never would again.

I shook the illusion from my eyes. The Doctor was still dancing, practically blind to the the emotional conflict I had just had.

Rather than give him the chance to see it, I gathered my stuff and stormed past him.

"Where are you going? I thought we-"