Waiting On A Rival

Chapter 1

"The dreams are starting to get more vivid," I informed, "It's always the same, I suppose." I hesitated a bit, "I even had dreams in my dreams. There's this man. He changes into completely different people. I'm not his...partner, but in this dream, my character has strong feelings for him." I paused, "I must seem crazy."

My doctor smiled, but there was something behind it. "Not at all, Miss Smith. Many people suffering with your condition dream about a better life."

My nose crinkled. "What condition do I have again?"

"Oh, we discussed it yesterday," he ensured.

"No, we-" I almost said, but the memories came back. Almost like someone gave them to me as a gift. "Yes, yes, I remember." I smiled widely. "So silly of me."

I had not seen anyone else in the Institute. My room looked like a hospital ward, but I was the only person while many beds laid unused. The place was completely white, almost blindingly. Papers were strewn across my bed and on the floor that I didn't particularly remember writing. I picked one up.

TARDIS, Amelia, Martha, Rose, Bad Wolf, Lady of the Stars, Doctor, Rory. It was written urgently, like it wasn't something to forget. I looked carefully, but the names weren't familiar.

My telling of dreams continued, like it was scripted to happen. "I was a different person. I was four different people, but they were all in order. I was a wanderer, a hero if I say so." My lips curved into a simple smirk. "Alas." My doctor wrote down something on his clipboard and instructed me to sleep.

Tentatively, I shut my eyes.

People assume that time is a straight line from cause to effect, but it's actually more of a big ball of wibbly wobbly timey wimey...stuff.

Don't blink. They are fast. Don't look away and don't blink! Good luck.

She's.....she's gone.

No! Doctor, she's just somewhere in the past! Your TARDIS can find her, right? Doctor? Tell me you can find her!

No, I can't! I'd be lucky if I got the right place! She doesn't have her TARDIS so I can't track that. Her sonic is called a screwdriver for a reason. It's small! My TARDIS can't pick that up over centuries of time!

But she can't....she isn't.

Gasping, I shut up from my bed. The man's voice echoed and faded into a simple four beat tap. The beat has been with me for as long as I can remember, but it stops and restarts. My doctor opened the door slightly. "Are you feeling better?"

He was young looking with neat dark blond hair and black eyes. His shifty eyes made me nervous for a slight second, but it vanished quickly. I blinked quickly. "Yeah, sorry," I muttered, "Just sort of out of it. I'm knackered."

"Really?" he asked, "I can't see why. You just slept for 10 hours." 10 hours? What was I even dreaming?

"Did I really?" I asked, "Didn't feel like it. Mind if I ask if there's an outdoor waiting room? It's awfully dull just lying in a bed." Suddenly, the white room morphed into an outdoor patio. "Did we walk here?"

"Yes," my doctor answered, "Don't you remember?" The air had a hint of sweet oranges, but there wasn't an orange tree in sight. The patio was white and the ground seemed too perfect, but it was outside, nonetheless.

"What's the world like outside here?" I questioned, "Why am I the only one here?"

"All will be explained," he reassured, "You'll be at peace soon." I nodded. Then I'm reading.

Curiously, I examined the cover. The title was unfamiliar, but I was halfway through the book. "Uh-" I called, but he wasn't there. A blanket was placed over me and I actually noticed the dress.

It was a soft white night gown almost like a Victorian one. There was a white belt that was tied in a bow in the back.

Hm, bow. Tied.

Bow ties.

Bow ties are cool.

The doctor startled me by appearing out of nowhere. "Did you have a nice read?" he asked.

"Yes," I told him, "It's a good book." What was I thinking earlier? Something important? "Good book," I repeated vaguely, before my eyes snapped up. "What are the symptoms of my condition? Why isn't my family here?"

"Your family is dead," my doctor said softly, "Died in a fire set by a mad man. I almost died, but the elders sent me away."

"I'm sorry," I empathized, "It must feel terrible to lose a loved one." The pain must eat a person on the inside, leaving nothing but a shell. "This mad man. Did he have a box?"

My doctor paled a bit before smiling smoothly. "I think that's a bit too much fresh air for you. Time to go back inside."

"You're quite right, doctor." He stiffened at being called that. "What's your name again?"

"Don't call me 'doctor'," he requested.

"What should I call you?"

"Master."

"Master?" I echoed, "That's odd, but alright, Master."