Willow woke to a dark room. As her eyes adjusted, she realized that it was the TARDIS powered down. Right when her head cleared, everything that had happened hit her all at once. Willow gasped and ran over to a still unconscious Doctor.
Her fingers scrambled around his face with hesitation and stress.
“What should I do?” She cried out.
The TARDIS clicked and a small screen came to life. On the screen was the Doctor from a few hours ago. The camera shook as he spoke.
“Willow, I’m sorry. I’m so so sorry,” he started. “I don’t have much time to explain. Well, technically I have no time to explain and me telling you this is using up the time that I don’t even have… anyway! There are things, following us right now. They want to use me for something not great. It’s complicated. Also, I can’t exactly shake them, hence the bumpy ride… blimey they’re good...” the Doctor’s voice trailed away as he glanced at another screen before gripping a switch and maneuvering it into another slot. His gaze eventually traveled back to the camera. “Because of this, I have to go through massive extents in order to avoid them. Massive, massive extents. The TARDIS is powered down to lower the chances of detection. Now, I may not be able to remember… things, well, I won’t be able to remember anything-”
Willow’s face crumpled with confusion. “What?”
“You mustn’t let them get me. If they do, bad, bad things are going to happen, and we can’t have that. I wish it didn’t have to come to this, but we might be here for a bit, so get comfortable. The TARDIS has programmed a life and a backstory that both you and I will be in when I become… human.”
Willow’s eyes flew to his body.
On screen, the Doctor grabbed the helmet device and placed it on his head. “Since the TARDIS is creating an extra backstory for yourself to be incorporated in my own, I hate to say it but-” he glanced uneasily at the device. “It’s going to hurt a lot more than I hope. Now, if you need me, if they find us… take this w-”
The camera glitched out for a moment before cutting to the Doctor turning on the machine.
“Take care of me, okay? Be brave Willow,” he said softly, reaching out, and touching the screen.
“No!” Willow screamed, gripping either side of the screen. “What do I do? What do you mean human?”
The camera glitched once again, static buzzing around the corners of the screen until the Doctor’s voice was inaudible. After a moment, the screen cut to the Doctor screaming and writhing in pain.
Her eyes watered as she watched the Doctor convulse violently. Her hands fell to her sides in defeat as she turned away.
“Turn it off, please,” she whispered, shivering at the sound of his cries.
The TARDIS cut the video as soon as she asked before completely shutting down, leaving Willow alone in the dark.
She brushed the tears from her eyes and stifled a sigh.
“Be brave,” she told herself, repeating the Doctor’s words. “Be brave.”
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Willow walked to the opposite side of the console. The stuffed envelope had fallen on the floor. She stooped down and grabbed the envelope before revealing the contents. Her eyes widened as multiple hundred dollar bills spilled from the opening. In a single glance, it was well over three thousand dollars. She turned over the envelope to reveal a message written in sloppy handwriting.
YOU ARE READING
A Man Named John Smith (10th Doctor x OC)
Fanfiction(Be sure to read part 1 & 2 for context) Now reunited, the Doctor and Willow travel amongst the stars, helping whoever needs it. After returning from an adrenaline rush of an adventure, something goes terribly wrong, leaving Willow stranded in 1981...
