Aspirin

Wilfred Mott

This is my second fic. I hope you like it.

Chapter 1

Wilfred Mott missed the good ole days. The good ole days had only been a few years ago, but they had been wonderful. Of course, those good ole days weren't exactly good either. They were sad and full of fear and heartbreak and danger, but they were also full of aliens and wonder and adventure and fun.

Wilf didn't blame the Doctor for what had happened to his granddaughter, Donna, because he remembered what those “good ole days” were like. He knew what dangers were faced when you were near the Doctor, and that wasn't the Doctor's fault. It was, however, the Doctor's fault for turning his companions into what they were. Just being around the Doctor could turn the lowest human into a sacrificial being. Someone who would risk their life to save a world, to save a universe, to save all of the universes. Was that a bad thing or a good thing? Sometimes Wilf wondered that, but most of the time he knew the answer. It's not shameful to save a life. It's not shameful to leave someone unharmed. The Doctor turned people into self-sacrificing heroes, and that, Wilfred thought, was a good thing.

They all loved the Doctor. All of his companions. Wilf remembered when a blonde girl had saved his life. She had gone to his house and used his computer. He remembered seeing all of those faces on it, and every one of them was exhilarated to see the Doctor. The blonde girl, her name was . . . what was it? It started with an “R” or something. Some type of flower. A rose. Yes, her name was Rose. Rose, Wilf thought, had looked the most overjoyed to see the Doctor.

Wilf had never asked the Doctor about her. Whether or not she had found him. Whether or not she was safe and happy. She had saved his life. He should've asked, but he hadn't. Of course, there was always something going on. At first, it might have been because of Donna. The Doctor had erased her memories of her adventures with him, and it was all very upsetting. The Doctor had told him then that all of his friends were gone. They've all got someone else. Still, that's fine. I'm fine. There was more to it than that, Wilf knew, but he hadn't asked. The Doctor's hearts were broken, but he hadn't asked. It seemed like that was becoming a habit of his, not asking. He'd be sure to change that.

Then Wilf found the Doctor again, and they had gone on their own adventure. Saved the world. Wilf, however, had done something that might have gotten himself killed if the Doctor hadn't been there. The Doctor had taken Wilf's place and sacrificed himself. The Doctor didn't die. Not in that moment and not in the way that most people would think dying happened for most people. The Doctor wasn't most people. I can still die. If I'm killed before regeneration, then I'm dead. Even then, even if I change, it feels like I'm dying. Everything I am dies. Some new man goes sauntering away, and I'm dead. But he hadn't died before regenerating. Wilf hadn't even seen him regenerate, but somehow he knew that he did. The Doctor just didn't anyone to see it happen, that's all. Then, the Doctor was gone. Wilf never heard from him again. He didn't check up on Donna. He didn't phone them. Maybe he had died. No. Wilf believed he would know if that happened. If he was gone, then the Earth wasn't protected.

The sky wasn't falling as he looked out into the stars. All the stars were there. There was absolutely nothing wrong. Then why did something feel strange. He felt excited. Something was coming.

Wilf's thoughts were interrupted by a ringing sound coming from downstairs. “I've got it!” Donna called up the stairs. “Where's the bloody phone?”

“It's on the counter!” Sylvia answered with a yell. They were going to make Wilf go deaf with all of their constant yelling. “Next to the basket of fake apples!”

“What do we need fake apples for?” Donna asked. Wilf wondered if they were even trying to yell anymore. It was probably just a part of their personality to yell. “The phone's here, but it's not ringing! What the hell is ringing then?!” The ringing stopped, and Wilf heard Donna sigh loudly. “It's about bloody time.”

“Dad, can you come here, please!” Sylvia shouted. Something must be wrong, Wilf thought. Sylvia never asks if he can do something. She demands it, and she never says please. Wilf slowly walked downstairs and found Sylvia on the computer. She looked worried.

“What's wrong, Sylvia?” Wilf asked.

“Will we never be rid of it all?” Sylvia said.

“Rid of what?” Wilf asked. “Rid of what?”

Sylvia motioned towards the computer and stood up. “See for yourself. It's on a loop.” She handed him some headphones and left the room.

Wilf put the headphones on, but he wasn't ready for the shock of it all.

Wilf heard a female voice shouting, and he turned down the volume a bit. Sylvia must have been used to it because of how much she yelled, but he wasn't. The audio wasn't that good either, and a lot of it was static. “Doctor . . . Something's happened . . . Rose. . . . Don't know. . . wrong. Please, . . . my baby girl.” The loop began to play from the beginning. “I don't know if anyone's listening. . . you are I need. . . help. . . said she establ. . . connection. . . Tell him . . . duplicate . . . anymore . . . he . . . needs . . . bloody hell over here. . . . his fault. . . . if . . . know . . . Doctor . . . Something's happened . . . Rose. . . . Don't know. . . wrong. Please, . . . my baby girl.” Well, that's not very good, Wilf thought.

While Wilf didn't have the Doctor's phone number, he knew the number of someone who would. She had stayed in contact with him, unlike the Doctor, and she had always made sure he, Donna, and Sylvia were safe. Wilf dialed the number and held it to his ear.

“Hello, this is Martha Smith. May I ask who's speaking?”