The Paradox of Paisley Perkins (Doctor Who fanfiction)

Not Your Average School Night

We stand, still and quiet at the base of the old school. I prep myself for the suffocating darkness as nonchalantly as possible. Deep breaths, inhale and exhale. My hand slips into my pocket in search of the watch.

"Well come on then!"

I snap out of my trance and force my legs to move forward. "Okay," I whisper, myself than to him.

"Are you alright?" he asks.

"Yeah I'm fine," I lie. "Let's just go." The Doctor jogs to the front doors.

"They're locked. Let's go and come back in the morning," I try. He smiles at me and reaches into his jacket, pulling out a metal tube with a light on the end.

"The hell is that?" I exclaim.

"It's a sonic screwdriver," he says, pointing it at the handle and pressing a button on the side. It lit up and made an irregular, high-pitched pulsing sound. He pushed the door open with ease.

"If you could use that sonic screwdriver," I say, making air quotes, "then why did you knock at the orphanage?"

"Well barging in would just be rude." He practically skips through the doors.

"So you barge into the school," I mutter. "You're so strange." I follow him into the darkness. Inhale.

"Hurry up, Paisley!" the Doctor yells into my ear. Exhale.

"I'm right here!" I yell back, bumping into his arm. Inhale. He puts his hand on my face.

"That you?" he asks. Exhale.

"That would be my face. Remove your hand before I remove it for you," I mutter. His hand claps upon my shoulder. I hear a click and there is a circle of light in front of me.

"I brought a torch. Well, you would call it a flashlight." I nod my head. Inhale. The Doctor hands me one and I fumble for the switch with my shaking fingers. Exhale.

"It won't turn on," I say, suddenly panicking. Inhale.

"It's alright," the Doctor assures me. "Just stay with me." he hands me the flashlight. Exhale.

I force myself to take a step. "It's been years since I've been in a school at night," he jokes. Inhale. "And I had some luck with the headmaster's office..." he trails off. Exhale.

"Where is your headmaster's office?"

"You mean principal? That way," I say, pointing north. He doesn't move. Inhale. "What?"

"I dunno where you mean. Lead the way." Exhale.

"Me? No."

"I don't know this building. Besides, you have the torch." He just won't let up.

"You gave it to me!" I counter. I look at him pleadingly. After receiving his stubborn stare, I grumble, "Fine." Inhale.

My mind screams at me to run away, but I walk forward anyway. The light jerks around me with a motion of my trembling wrist, throwing demonic-looking shadows upon the wall. Exhale.

A screech emits from the office. My heartbeat quickens and blood pumps in my ears. Inhale.

"Turn the torch off," whispers the Doctor. I barely hear him, though I nod and switch it off. I'm in complete darkness now. I pull my knife from my pocket, shuddering. Exhale.

He puts his hand on the doorknob and slowly turns it until he hears a click. The door flies open, and something rams into my stomach, knocking me on my back. I can't breathe, and the knife flies from my hand, leaving me defenseless. Inhale. Inhale. Inhale!

The light flicks on, but I still can't breathe. The Doctor screams, "Krillitanes! What do you want now?" Inhale! Inhale! Darkness starts to tear at my vision. An ugly thing lands in front of him, wings flapping and jaws clacking. Inhale! Something happens, and it becomes human. It smiles at me. I need to breathe. Inhale! Inhale...inhale...

* * *

I jerk awake, thinking it was all a dream, that I was still in the orphanage and the Doctor was just an old image. Then I see his face.

"I was being extremely clever over there and you were unconscious! That's a bit rude," he says, matter-of-factly.

"You're so obnoxious!" I groan. My side hurts. The Doctor removes the sonic screwdriver from his jacket and scans me with it before I even have time to protest.

"You'll be fine, just got the wind knocked out of you." He helps me to my feet.

"What were those...things?"

"Krillitanes. They invade countries and planets, and take the best bits of those they conquer. It's sort of like mutts, suppose." My head is spinning, but he makes me follow him anyway. I am, however, happy to be headed near light and the familiar again.

"But that means that there are other planets...aliens. Aliens! They're real!"

"If course they're real. What did you think I am, human?"

"Um yeah. I did think you were human. I didn't just look at you and think 'Oh, hey, that guy's got a weird bowtie, he must be an alien! Is there any other explanation?'"

The Doctor stops in his tracks. He turns on his heal and faces me, slowly walking closer. He looks me dead in the eyes and says, "Bowties are cool."

"Fine. But are you saying that you are an alien?"

"Yes. Timelord to be exact. Last one, to be exacter," he answers.

"The hell is a Timelord?"

"Me."

"Prove it." The Doctor takes my hand and puts it on his chest. I feel a heartbeat. "A heart? Yeah, everyone's got one. What's your point?" He slides my hand over to the other side. Another heartbeat. I yank my hand out of his grasp and look up at him in horror.

"My point is that I've got two."

"T-two hearts? That's not humanly possible!"

"Not humanly possible, no." He grins.

"Get away from me. Just leave me alone!" I start to run from him, but I am halted by the suffocating darkness which surrounds me. The Doctor takes my shoulder and guides me to the entrance. He senses my fear. "Why did you make me lead if you know I...that I..."

"You've got to face it sometime, I just sped up the process." We walk in silence. "Would you like to see my ship, then?" He gives me a toothy grin.

"What, your spaceship? That blue box, the TARDIS? But it's tiny!" The Doctor laughs and keeps walking.