Bitter Sweet
The Secrets That You Keep
It had only been a flash, a flicker, that child, just a child in his dream…and now he’d swear…here she was, all grown up. He couldn’t be certain; it was all too strange, never, in all his 900 years. But her name, her face, just…her. There was something else, something else stirred in his mind. Not quite a memory; just a sort of feel. Distant. Mystic, almost; and completely - completely impossible. That was it, finger on the button…this stranger – Maria, he corrected himself – was absolutely, 100% impossible. Good thing, he said to himself, that impossible was practically completely Doctor-friendly. It wasn’t often he met an impossible he didn’t like - though, the exceptions were rather nasty, it had to be said…
“What’s wrong?” Maria’s voice woke him up from his trance-like state.
“What? Sorry?” he replied, dazed. The teenager was looking at him inquiringly,
“What’s up, Doctor?”
“Oh, sorry, nothi…How do you know my name?” he frowned at her, not with anger, only confusion. She hesitated,
“Oh, well, it’s…well… It’s a bit…awkward,” Maria sighed, “and I haven’t got a clue how to start to explain; and…oh, it all feels so wrong!” The teenager stood up and walked towards the curved TARDIS supports, her face crumpled in obvious despair. She stumbled, and The Doctor stood up quickly to help her, afraid she might faint again, but Maria waved him away, leaning her forehead on the pillar.
“No, I’m fine…” she turned towards him, her voice becoming more and more urgent as she went on, “But you of all people - can’t you feel the shift?”
“What are you talking about? The shift in what?” He was getting more confused by the minute. She lifted outstretched arms,
“The air. The universe… Everything. I’m not supposed to be here, it’s all my fault. And now I’m stuck…”
“Stuck?” The Doctor interrupted Maria’s tirade, “Tell me where you’re from, I’ll take you back…” She shook her head,
“Not even you could do that. I’m not even sure it exists anymore.” At this the time-traveller stepped towards the near-hysterical girl and took her by the shoulders, turning her to face him.
“Now, Maria, that really is rubbish. If you were there, you can go back. And I will get you back home if that’s what this is about. But what…I mean - if you’re so bothered about getting back, why bother getting into the TARDIS in the first place, huh?”
“I didn’t know what else to do. I was alone, I was scared…and I knew if anyone could help it was you. I knew you’d be here. You told me about this. If only I’d listened to you; none of this would have happened.” A tear fell down her cheek, but The Doctor just looked on incredulous.
“Maria…what are you saying? Maybe, it’s shock or something. Do you need, I don’t know, to lie down or something? You aren’t making any sense…” She looked up, into his big, brown eyes,
“No. I just shouldn’t be here.” Another tear escaped her eye, as she wrenched herself away from The Doctor’s grasp. Then she ran to the door before he even had time to register it.
“Keep my room, if you want. I won’t need it,” she opened the door, “Goodbye Doctor… This time it’s forever.” Then she was gone, out into the world…
“What the…? Your room? Hey! You can’t just go! Maria…!” The Doctor grabbed his jacket off the chair, pulling it on as he raced out of the TARDIS doors. He shouted after her, as he kicked the door shut behind him and ran after the strange, unexpected girl.
“What’s wrong?” Maria’s voice woke him up from his trance-like state.
“What? Sorry?” he replied, dazed. The teenager was looking at him inquiringly,
“What’s up, Doctor?”
“Oh, sorry, nothi…How do you know my name?” he frowned at her, not with anger, only confusion. She hesitated,
“Oh, well, it’s…well… It’s a bit…awkward,” Maria sighed, “and I haven’t got a clue how to start to explain; and…oh, it all feels so wrong!” The teenager stood up and walked towards the curved TARDIS supports, her face crumpled in obvious despair. She stumbled, and The Doctor stood up quickly to help her, afraid she might faint again, but Maria waved him away, leaning her forehead on the pillar.
“No, I’m fine…” she turned towards him, her voice becoming more and more urgent as she went on, “But you of all people - can’t you feel the shift?”
“What are you talking about? The shift in what?” He was getting more confused by the minute. She lifted outstretched arms,
“The air. The universe… Everything. I’m not supposed to be here, it’s all my fault. And now I’m stuck…”
“Stuck?” The Doctor interrupted Maria’s tirade, “Tell me where you’re from, I’ll take you back…” She shook her head,
“Not even you could do that. I’m not even sure it exists anymore.” At this the time-traveller stepped towards the near-hysterical girl and took her by the shoulders, turning her to face him.
“Now, Maria, that really is rubbish. If you were there, you can go back. And I will get you back home if that’s what this is about. But what…I mean - if you’re so bothered about getting back, why bother getting into the TARDIS in the first place, huh?”
“I didn’t know what else to do. I was alone, I was scared…and I knew if anyone could help it was you. I knew you’d be here. You told me about this. If only I’d listened to you; none of this would have happened.” A tear fell down her cheek, but The Doctor just looked on incredulous.
“Maria…what are you saying? Maybe, it’s shock or something. Do you need, I don’t know, to lie down or something? You aren’t making any sense…” She looked up, into his big, brown eyes,
“No. I just shouldn’t be here.” Another tear escaped her eye, as she wrenched herself away from The Doctor’s grasp. Then she ran to the door before he even had time to register it.
“Keep my room, if you want. I won’t need it,” she opened the door, “Goodbye Doctor… This time it’s forever.” Then she was gone, out into the world…
“What the…? Your room? Hey! You can’t just go! Maria…!” The Doctor grabbed his jacket off the chair, pulling it on as he raced out of the TARDIS doors. He shouted after her, as he kicked the door shut behind him and ran after the strange, unexpected girl.