Just Unreliable (Doctor Who: 13)

[matilda3948]

I love the 13th Doctor and wanted to try my hand at writing the new characters. I think I'll do another section after this. Her comment in the pilot about her nose being unreliable was too cute not to use in a story.

*

Graham walked into the TARDIS console room and stopped next to the Doctor.

“Hey, Graham,” she said. Her head was tilted up towards the ceiling and she would wink one eye, then the other at regular intervals. Graham looked up to try and see what she looking at.

“Whatcha doing, Doc?”

“Not sure. Got a bit of a funny feeling in my face and I’m trying to figure it out.”

“What do you mean, a funny feeling?” he asked. The Doctor turned and looked at him.

“Oh! That was good!” she said, looking up at the ceiling and back at Graham again. “Moving my head like that makes it worse…or better…still not sure.”

“Doc, you’re not making any sense.”

“I got this weird sort of crawly, prickly feeling just here,” she said, pointing to the bridge of her nose. “It sorta comes and goes, but it makes my eyes go all watery and…” she trailed off and scrunched her nose up, then rubbed it back and forth, before huffing in frustration. “Arg! Almost got it.”

“Maybe it’s best not to think about it,” Graham said. “Sometimes thinking about it just makes it—”

“Oh, wait!” She grabbed his arm and froze, taking a careful breath through her nose. “Yes, I thihh, hehihh—ehhKitshhew!”

“Bless you,” Graham said, patting the hand that was still gripping his arm. He chuckled a little.

“That was brilliant!” she said.

“Sneezing?”

“Yes! In fact, oh good—think I’m going to do it again.” She wiggled her nose up and down and squeezed her eyes shut. Heh Ehh…ehhKitchhew! Her whole upper body seemed to shiver with the force of it. She sniffled and grinned, tucking her hair back behind her ear. “Graham, have you ever done that? You’ve got to, it’s the best!”

“Yeah, Doc, I’ve sneezed before. Humans do it all the time. Most of us find us annoying.”

“You’re kidding?”

“Nope. You’ve never sneezed before?”

“Not in this body at least,” she said, pressing a couple random buttons on the console. “Probably did in the others, but I don’t remember. Always takes some getting used to, but it’s fun…usually. Surprises around every corner.”

Graham smiled and shook his head—she was too much sometimes. Only the Doctor could be so amazed by something as mundane as (re)discovering the novelty of sneezing. He watched as she stopped and tilted her head towards the ceiling again. Her nostrils flared slightly, her breath hitched twice, and then

heh Ehh EhhKtischhew!

“Bless you, Doc.” He got a handkerchief out of his pocket and held it out to her. She took it but just stared at it for a couple seconds before remembering what it was for.

“Right! Thanks, Graham.” she rubbed her nose in the fabric and sniffled.

“You feeling okay?” he asked.

“Think so. Why?”

“Sometimes folks sneeze when they’re coming down with a cold.”

“Never get colds,” she said like it was a reflex. “Or do I? Hm…don’t know. Maybe I do—or did. Definitely still have that feeling like I’m gonna—hehKitschhew!”

“Bless you again.” Now Graham was starting to feel a little concerned. Yaz and Ryan came down the hall, rested and ready for another adventure.

“Morning all,” Yaz said.

“What are you two up to?” Ryan asked.

“Doc’s just having a bit of a sneezing fit this morning,” Graham said.

“Seriously?” Ryan asked at the same time Yaz asked,

“You alright?”

ehh heh HehhKitshhew!

“Oh, bless you,” Yaz said, putting a hand on the Doctor’s back. Ryan laughed.

“You look like a rabbit when you sneeze,” he said. Yaz shot him a look, but the Doctor lit up.

“Really? Aw, that’s sweet. Thanks, Ryan. Just for that, I’m going to let you pick where we go today,” she said, moving around the TARDIS console pulling levers and flipping switched. Graham stepped in and slowed her movements.

“No hold on a sec, Doc. Before we go out on some kind of adventure, I think we should figure out if you’re coming down with something.”

“Nah. I think this nose is just unreliable,” she said. “It’s felt like this for the last two days and this morning it’s just decided to start sneezing for—”

“Wait, you’ve been feeling bad for two days?” Yaz asked. The Doctor paused and seemed to think about it. During that time, Graham said a quiet word to Ryan who nodded, and went off towards the kitchen. Yaz reached up and put her hand on the other woman’s forehead. “You might be a bit warm,” Yaz said. “Is your temperature close to humans’?”

“A few degrees higher—two hearts,” the Doctor said.

“Well, maybe we should—”

“Hold on!” The Doctor held up both hands like she was playing a game of freeze tag. Yaz looked at Graham and he shrugged. The Doctor closed her eyes and stayed absolutely still for several seconds, then:

hehKitschhew! HehKishhew!

“Oh, two that time!” she said with a sniffle.

“Bless you,” Yaz said, frowning.

“Alright, Doc. You got a spaceship full of crazy technology. One of these machines has got to be able to tell us if you’re sick,” Graham said.

[MeForever]

I love this!

4 hours ago, matilda3948 said:

“Oh, two that time!” she said with a sniffle.

I love the childlike wonder she has here. It really feels in character with the doctor!

[angora48]

Aw, very sweet!  That's so Thirteen to be delighted/fascinated instead of annoyed/concerned.  The companions fussing over her when she's practically a toddler going, "What's the big deal?  Come on, let's play!" is so cute.

[Kaze Wo Hiku]

This is so adorable. I love 13 and Graham is my favorite of the "fam". I hope you write more of them.

 

[Likesn]

Such a cute story  I loved the way you described the doctor, and each member of the "fam". Very reliable

[matilda3948]

Thanks all!! This last section is mostly Graham and the Doctor because 1. I love them. 2. I find Ryan completely impossible to write 3. I find Yaz nearly impossible to write. 

Hope you're all well  

 

 

“Oh, rats!” the Doctor said, looking at the readout on one of the screens on the TARDIS console. “Teslarian rhinovirus,” she said. “Must’ve picked it up when we went to that market on the second moon of Gerit 9.”

“Is it serious?” Yas asked.

“Is it contagious?” Graham asked.

“No and not really,” she said. “Inconvenient but not serious and, technically highly contagious, but not for humans. Even if the virus got in your system it needs a much higher metabolizing host than the human body can provide. Its lifespan is so short it dies before it gets a hold in your body. But, lucky me, two hearts, double the circulatory efficiency.” She leaned against the console with a grin. Ryan came back from the kitchen with a cup of tea and handed it to the Doctor.

“So you’re sidelined, huh?” he asked. She looked offended.

“I am no such thing! Not going to let a little cold keep us from having fun.”

“I don’t think that’s such a good idea,” Graham said. When the Doctor opened her mouth to argue, he cut her off. “We all know there’s a better than 50/50 chance that wherever we end up, there’s going to be trouble waiting for us. And I don’t like the thought of facing some kind of hostile alien creature with you at less than your best,” he said pointing at her. “Just imagine if you’d been ill when we were on Zenith.”

“I’ve already apologized for that—at least three times,” the Doctor said. Yaz took a step forward.

“But Graham does make a good point though,” she said. “To tell the truth, Doctor, you do look a bit peaky.”

hehKitschhew! HehKishhew!

“Bless you,” the all said.

“Aw, thanks fam.” She rubbed her nose against the back of her wrist and took a sip of her tea. Much as she hated to admit it, she wasn’t exactly in tiptop shape. A nap probably wouldn’t go amiss and the tea made her realize how unhappy her throat was at the moment. She turned her back to the group and started pressing buttons and flipping levers. “So, you want to go home then?” she asked.

“You want us to leave?” Ryan asked.

“Well, if we’re not going anywhere I figured—”

“We’re not leaving you while you’re sick,” Yaz said.

“It’s barely anything. Day or two resting and I’ll be right as rain.” She sniffled and cleared her throat.

“That’s not how this works,” Graham said. “We don’t leave you the minute all of space and time is off the table for a couple days. Even if all you do is sleep, we’re staying put.”

“Won’t you be bored?” she asked.

“Somehow I doubt anything with you can be boring,” Ryan said. Yaz smiled; she knew they’d won the Doctor over.

“Have you seen the pool?” the Doctor asked with a grin.

“There’s a pool?” Ryan asked.

“At last count I think there’s five but the third one—that’s the one you want. Artificial sun, real sand, breeze; it’s like being at the beach.” Ryan looked at Yaz and she nodded then they both turned to the Doctor. “Second hallway, third left, fifth right, right again, second left, fourth door.”

“You got all that, right Yaz?” Ryan joked. The Doctor took a pen out of her pocket and grabbed Yaz’s hand, writing the directions across her palm.

“Got it? Now go have fun,” the Doctor said.

“You promise you’ll call if you need anything?” Yaz said. The Doctor held up her pinkie finger and linked with Yaz’s.

“Pinkie promise.” Yaz and Ryan took off to find the pool, leaving the Doctor and Graham at the console. “You’re not going with them?” she asked. Graham crossed his arms across his chest and looked at her.

“No. I’m sticking with you.”

“Why—”

“’Cause I’m pretty sure you’re feeling worse than you’re letting on and could use some looking after.” She seemed on the fence for a moment or two before she slumped into one of the console chairs and sighed.

“Sharp as ever, Graham,” she said, bringing her hands up to rub her temples. “I feel rubbish.” He put a hand on her shoulder and frowned.

“Were you at least being honest about this not being serious?” he asked. She nodded but instead of answering, she shuddered forward with a wet sneeze.

hehkitshhhew!

“Bless you.”

“Thanks.” She sniffled and scrunched her eyes shut, waiting to see if there were more. After a few seconds she looked up at her friend. “Not serious, Graham. Pinkie Promise.”

“So glad Yaz taught you that,” he said, linking fingers with her. “Now, where are we going to settle in so you can rest?”

“I know just the place.”

The room she took them to was part library, part media room, part…Graham wasn’t sure what. There were oversized sofas, pillows and blankets everywhere, but also a little kitchenette, and a table stacked with board games.

“Sort of a catchall social room,” she said. “The TARDIS adds things as she thinks we need them.” The Doctor went to a purple sectional sofa in the center of the room and ran her hand over the fabric. “Case in point—purple sofa. You’re a dear,” she said to the TARDIS. Graham grabbed one of the blankets from the basket on the floor and wrapped it around the Doctor’s shoulders then nodded towards the couch. “You’re a dear, too,” she said, curling up in the corner.

“So, she’s always looking after you then?” he asked, as he looked through the kitchenette. Boxes of tissues, tea, custard creams, soup—everything he might need for looking after an ailing Doctor.

“Always,” the Doctor said. “Me and her, no matter what.”

“I like the idea of someone looking after you even when we’re…” Graham stopped when he saw the Doctor was about to sneeze. Her head was tilted back slightly, nose crinkled, and lips parted as she took sharp little gasps.

 Ehh heh ehh hehhKitchhew! Kitchhew! Tisshhew! ‘ktschhew!

“Bless you, Doc. Here.” Graham opened a box of tissues and put it in her lap. She took one and blew her nose.

“Thags.” She frowned when she heard what the sneezing had done to her voice.

“Yeah, you’ve been getting a bit crackly all morning,” Graham said. “Didn’t think you’d noticed yet.”

“I hadn’t,” she said. Had she? It wasn’t the sort of thing she really paid attention to and definitely the sort of things Graham would notice. He saw the confused and…annoyed was the best word he could come up, look on her face—like she was trying to solve some sort of complicated equation and getting nowhere.

“When was the last time you were sick?” he asked, sitting down on the sofa next to her. The lines in her forehead deepened as she concentrated.

“M’not sure. It’s hard to keep track sometimes—timelines and bodies get all confused. Sometimes I think I’m remembering something from 100 years ago, but it was really yesterday, or it was really 500 years ago.” It was one of the many times Graham didn’t really understand what she was talking about. The specifics didn’t matter though—he could tell she was having a hard time answering his question and she didn’t like it.

“It’s alright,” he said, patting her leg. “Happens to us senior citizens sometimes,” he said with a wink. When she looked at him, she smiled but there were tears in her eyes.

“Oh, Graham. Lovely, kind Graham. Where I come from you’d barely be…doesn’t matter,” she said, wiping away her tears. She swallowed the lump in her throat and took a deep breath. “Alright, I’ll find us something on telly. Have you every seen The Gelgian Dynasty?” The blank stare she got answered that question. “Bit like Downton Abbey, but with more tentacles.” She kicked off her boots, grabbed another blanket, and tossed a crazy number of pillows onto the sofa while the opening credits began. Graham frowned a bit—he never liked watching the Doctor’s fake manic enthusiasm (though he did love her genuine manic enthusiasm). Whatever this nasty little bug was, it was making it more difficult for her to be convincing. The kids didn’t see it, or didn’t want to see it, but he could. “You’re thinking very loudly, Graham,” the Doctor said quietly.

“S’pose I was.”

hehhKitchhew! ‘ktschhew! Kitchhew! ehh heh ehhTisshhew!

“Bless you. Any kind of medicine you can take to help with that?” he asked as she blew her nose and then pinched the bridge between her thumb and forefinger.

“Best to just let it run its course,” she said, sinking back onto the sofa.

“How about I show you a trick I learned from Grace, hm?”

“Right—she’s a nurse!”

“Yep. Best there ever was,” Graham said. He rearranged the pillows and then took the Doctor’s hand, pulling her towards the far end of the sofa. After wrapping one blanket around her shoulders again, he sat down, and tucked a pillow into the crook of his arm. “Now, you sit there,” he said, pointing to the spot next to him. “And lean over like this.” He tugged at her until her head rested on the pillow. “Now put your legs up and cover up with this one,” he said, handing her another blanket. “We put these right here.” He put the tissue box within easy reach, “And now we watch your tentacle-ie Downton Abbey.” He let his arm fall across her shoulders and put a hand on her forehead—definitely warm. The Doctor was a bit stiff at first, like she couldn’t quite remember what she was supposed to do, but as Graham brushed the hair back from her face he felt her start to relax. Hm, so even the great Time Lady likes a cuddle, he thought to himself.

“Hey Graham?”

“Yeah?”

“I think Grace was a genius,” she said with a sniffle.

“Among many other things, Doc.”

“Hey Graham?”

“Yeah?” He resisted the urge to sigh or point out that she needed rest.

“Know how I said sneezing was heh ehh…brilliant? Thoroughly over that heh now—hehktschhew! EhhKtschhew!” He patted her arm with a slight laugh.

“Bless you. Wondered how long before that lost its novelty.”

“Hey Graham?”

“You are supposed to be resting,” he groaned, but when he looked down at her, he was met with that goofy grin of hers.

“Just wanted to say thanks for looking after me,” she said. He squeezed her arm.

“It’s what families do. Now, shh.”

“Hey Graham?” she fake whispered. He glared at her and she laughed. “Just kidding. Okay, okay. I’m resting now.”

[MeForever]

Aww! So cute!

[AngelEyes]

This is adorable! You have the characters Spot-On! Perfect!