FOURTH DOCTOR
"Well this is different."
The Doctor was floating along a large tunnel as various objects whizzed past him. The Doctor reached out and grabbed one. It was a fob watch.
"Oh that brings back memories." He let go and it floated away.
Suddenly there was a bright flash and the Doctor found himself seated in an armchair.
"More tea Doctor?"
The Doctor looked up. Davros was in front of him. They were both sat in front of a roaring fire.
"What? Oh yes of course."
Davros reached over and refilled the Doctor's tea cup. The Doctor took a sip. It tasted wrong. It was tea... but it tasted too much like tea. Almost like the perfect idea of tea. Something nagged at the Doctor's mind.
"You know Davros, I think I really must cut this short. I do have somewhere I need to be."
Davros looked at the Doctor hard.
"Very well. We'll have to organise another little get together soon."
The Doctor slipped to the door and opened it. He was back in the tunnel, but this time he found he was walking rather than floating. He turned and saw Sarah and Romana floating alongside him.
"Come on Doctor... just give in... give in... it's worth it... you'll live forever... never die... never change..."
"No thanks. I'm already immortal." The Doctor kept walking, leaving the phantoms to their work.
The Doctor opened the next door he came to, and he was back in the TARDIS.
"Hmm, strange."
He walked over to the controls. Everything was in place... but something was missing. The Doctor wished his head didn't hurt so much. He couldn't focus. Water... he needed water...
The Doctor wandered out of the console room. He needed the kitchen... he needed water...
He was in a lake. Water everywhere. Too much water. The Doctor swam to the surface. He looked around. There was no land in sight. Where to now? The Doctor started swimming. He swam for what felt like hours. He was tired. He needed rest. He began to sink down...
And landed on a bed. He had no idea where he was. Surely he should sleep... regain his strength...
<i>Yes Doctor... Sleep...Sleep... Sleep for ever more.</i>
The Doctor shook his head. No. He mustn't sleep. He got up. And wandered about a little.
"Doctor, Doctor? We haven't got much time. You're being devoured by a mind leech. It's absorbing your mind and using your memories to stop you fighting back."
"Who are you?"
"An old victim. It doesn't matter. It took me a long time ago. I'm only hanging on by a thread. I think my name is Cl... I don't remember. I don't even know who I am anymore. Who am I? Where am I? Where am I? Where am I? WHERE AM I?!!"
The Doctor left her to it. He couldn't help her. He had to escape. He had to. It was using his memories. That gave him pause. He thought hard. He had it. He thought of the deepest, darkest memory he could think of. One came to mind. The day he did it. The day he did something that changed him forever. The day he made the promise. The day he took the name. The day he became the Doctor. It was the worst memory he had. It was time to use it.
<i>No. Stop it. Stop it! Stop fighting back! ARGH! That memory! What is it? What is it? What are you?! WHAT ARE YOU?! You're no normal Time Lord! WHAT ARE YOU?!!</i>
The Doctor opened his eyes. His real eyes. He was in a town square. He stood up. The Mind Leech squirmed away from him and curled up away from the Doctor. The Doctor crushed it under his foot. He looked around. Christmas decorations were all over. A young woman walked by.
"You alright mate?"
She had long dark hair. The voice was familiar. The Doctor thought nothing of it though. He smiled. He held out a bag.
"Would you like a Jelly Baby?"
"Oh go on then."
She took one and smiled.
"You look sad. I think you need to brighten up a bit. It's Christmas. No one should be sad at Christmas." The Woman gave a warm smile.
The Doctor smiled back.
"Merry Christmas." He said and began to walk away.
"Merry Christmas!" The woman shouted back.
"Run..." she whispered to herself. "Run you clever boy... and remember..."
She didn't even remember saying it. She just returned home and went on with her life. For this was only a small part in a much larger tale. A tale that would span centuries. But that is a story for another time...
The Doctor was floating along a large tunnel as various objects whizzed past him. The Doctor reached out and grabbed one. It was a fob watch.
"Oh that brings back memories." He let go and it floated away.
Suddenly there was a bright flash and the Doctor found himself seated in an armchair.
"More tea Doctor?"
The Doctor looked up. Davros was in front of him. They were both sat in front of a roaring fire.
"What? Oh yes of course."
Davros reached over and refilled the Doctor's tea cup. The Doctor took a sip. It tasted wrong. It was tea... but it tasted too much like tea. Almost like the perfect idea of tea. Something nagged at the Doctor's mind.
"You know Davros, I think I really must cut this short. I do have somewhere I need to be."
Davros looked at the Doctor hard.
"Very well. We'll have to organise another little get together soon."
The Doctor slipped to the door and opened it. He was back in the tunnel, but this time he found he was walking rather than floating. He turned and saw Sarah and Romana floating alongside him.
"Come on Doctor... just give in... give in... it's worth it... you'll live forever... never die... never change..."
"No thanks. I'm already immortal." The Doctor kept walking, leaving the phantoms to their work.
The Doctor opened the next door he came to, and he was back in the TARDIS.
"Hmm, strange."
He walked over to the controls. Everything was in place... but something was missing. The Doctor wished his head didn't hurt so much. He couldn't focus. Water... he needed water...
The Doctor wandered out of the console room. He needed the kitchen... he needed water...
He was in a lake. Water everywhere. Too much water. The Doctor swam to the surface. He looked around. There was no land in sight. Where to now? The Doctor started swimming. He swam for what felt like hours. He was tired. He needed rest. He began to sink down...
And landed on a bed. He had no idea where he was. Surely he should sleep... regain his strength...
<i>Yes Doctor... Sleep...Sleep... Sleep for ever more.</i>
The Doctor shook his head. No. He mustn't sleep. He got up. And wandered about a little.
"Doctor, Doctor? We haven't got much time. You're being devoured by a mind leech. It's absorbing your mind and using your memories to stop you fighting back."
"Who are you?"
"An old victim. It doesn't matter. It took me a long time ago. I'm only hanging on by a thread. I think my name is Cl... I don't remember. I don't even know who I am anymore. Who am I? Where am I? Where am I? Where am I? WHERE AM I?!!"
The Doctor left her to it. He couldn't help her. He had to escape. He had to. It was using his memories. That gave him pause. He thought hard. He had it. He thought of the deepest, darkest memory he could think of. One came to mind. The day he did it. The day he did something that changed him forever. The day he made the promise. The day he took the name. The day he became the Doctor. It was the worst memory he had. It was time to use it.
<i>No. Stop it. Stop it! Stop fighting back! ARGH! That memory! What is it? What is it? What are you?! WHAT ARE YOU?! You're no normal Time Lord! WHAT ARE YOU?!!</i>
The Doctor opened his eyes. His real eyes. He was in a town square. He stood up. The Mind Leech squirmed away from him and curled up away from the Doctor. The Doctor crushed it under his foot. He looked around. Christmas decorations were all over. A young woman walked by.
"You alright mate?"
She had long dark hair. The voice was familiar. The Doctor thought nothing of it though. He smiled. He held out a bag.
"Would you like a Jelly Baby?"
"Oh go on then."
She took one and smiled.
"You look sad. I think you need to brighten up a bit. It's Christmas. No one should be sad at Christmas." The Woman gave a warm smile.
The Doctor smiled back.
"Merry Christmas." He said and began to walk away.
"Merry Christmas!" The woman shouted back.
"Run..." she whispered to herself. "Run you clever boy... and remember..."
She didn't even remember saying it. She just returned home and went on with her life. For this was only a small part in a much larger tale. A tale that would span centuries. But that is a story for another time...