The Fate of Persephone (10/OC) (DISCONTINUED)

Chapter Eleven: Back to the start

          But the Doctor didn't notice Persephone's change in attitude. He didn't sense the budding panic that was welling up inside her. He just continued on, explaining lots of other things.

        But Percy wasn't listening. She felt her hearts begin to beat faster and faster within her chest and she felt the first sensations of fear-induced adrenaline crawling up her spine and settling in her lungs and airways, slowly choking her.  All at once, the absolute absurdity of the situation she found herself in came crashing down on her mind and she realized that she was trapped in a strange box with a fully-grown man who said that they were aliens and that she must never leave!

        At those thoughts, her phobia started to set in and panic, hard and icy cold, gripped her throat, shooting adrenaline through her body like an electric bolt. She forgot about the Doctor's promises of safety, forgot about Mickey and Jackie sitting nearby—she forgot everything! All she knew was that she was trapped and the strange man before her didn't intend on letting her out anytime soon!

       There was only one thought in her mind, and that was to find an exit and get the hell out of there as fast as she could. She was fairly certain she remembered the way she had come from the door of the blue box, and so was sure she could be up and out of this strange situation faster than it would take for anybody to even be able to react. After all, she reasoned, these were adults. It wasn't like they would be able to catch a spry eighteen-year-old who was used to running for her life!

         All at once, her terror-induced adrenaline filled her right to the top of her head and choked her. The Doctor stopped his ranting as he noticed Persephone starting to tremble right in front of him, her shoulders tensed like coils and her eyes wide and clouded against her deathly pale face.

        For a moment then, their eyes met. And in that instant, he knew she was going to bolt. Then he felt a sweeping wave of terror and panic crash into him right before she leapt off the bed, sneakers squeaking against the hard tile floor, as she sprinted like a horse from the starting gate to the door to the med bay.

        The Doctor shouted after her, his own fear and worry creeping into his hearts, "Percy wait!" But the teen's senses were hyper focused solely on the doors. She was running as if the flames of death were nipping at her heels!

         The doors that she knew to be automatic quickly came closer and closer. But all too late, the dreadful realization flooded her mind that the doors were not opening, and she crashed into them at top speed, sending shocks of pain radiating throughout her whole body. She felt the healing knuckle on her right hand pop, and she knew she had re-broken it. She was thrown onto her back, where burning tears of pain and desperation welled in her eyes.

         She heard the slapping of footsteps against the flooring and registered somewhere in her mind that it was Jackie and Mickey running to her, crying out exclamations of shock and expressions of concern. But this attention only fueled her cornered-animal instincts and the tears in her eyes slipped down her cheeks and dripped off her chin. In an instant, she was up and desperately pushing at the doors, crying out all sorts of pleas and demands to be let out. She wasn't even aware of what she said, only that her body was on full auto-pilot and she had no control!

            The Doctor, meanwhile, stopped where he was when he saw his Amarthin crash head-long into the doors. He felt his hearts fracture and completely shatter piece by piece with every terror-filled scream that ripped from her lungs and with every tear that slid from her eyes. He knew that the Tardis had locked those doors in an attempt to keep Persephone close to her bonded so she could be protected, but the Time Lord also knew that the young Time Lady would not be listening to him any time soon.  So with a reluctant command to his time machine, the med bay doors opened and Percy fled out of the room.

All of this happened in less than five seconds.  By the time it was over, Mickey and Jackie had only just gotten to the now unlocked doors and were still calling out after their friend.

          "Doctor, why did you let her out?" Jackie demanded. "She could hurt herself!" The woman's motherly instincts were kicking in and she figured that, as the only other member of her species in existence, it was now his job to make sure she remained safe. The only thing stopping her from bolting after the girl was Mickey's firm hand on her shoulder.

          But her scoldings ceased when the Doctor remained by the bed Percy had been seated on, hands deep in his pockets and his head hung low.

         He was silent for a moment before muttering "She needs time to calm down." Then he turned and stalked out of the room into the infinite maze of the Tardis.