Bitter Sweet
Failure Is Not An Option
They say that a person who falls from a high building is dead before they hit the ground, but that is not always true. Maria could feel the wind in her hair, her worries slipping away. It felt like she was flying.
The Doctor turned the corner, and immediately, he saw her – as he knew he would - falling… and his hearts felt like they were breaking in half. He only had seconds before, before… he turned his mind to other things, useful things. He could see; she was falling faster and faster, gathering momentum. There had to be something, anything he could do. If he could just make a cushion, something to break the fall, slow her down. His pulse was racing, he was thinking so hard – and all the while he watched her falling through space.
She could feel her body speeding up; her body mass was fighting the air resistance. She could hear the wind rushing past her ears and it spooked her, like a frightened horse. She opened her eyes. Below her was the smooth, flat, hard surface of the road, getting closer and closer… and there he was staring up at her. She flailed; flapping her arms, scrambling against non-existent walls with her legs and something fell from her pocket.
Suddenly she started screaming his name, thrashing about with her arms. He knew Maria was so afraid; dropping through the air abo… air! An idea hit him. If he could use the sonic screwdriver to create an area of increased air pressure, it might slow her down enough for him to catch her, without cracking his skull open. He felt in his pockets and then looked down – he’d run out of the TARDIS without his jacket. He didn’t have his screwdriver with him… He felt clammy, ice-cold. He looked up at the child in the skies above him – screaming his name. The time traveller screamed back and held his hand out towards her. Then he stopped. He closed his eyes, bowing his head, crashing to his knees. He let his hand drop down, out onto the smooth road and felt his fingers curl around something; thin and long. He brought it to his face, unable to drag his eyes away from the falling girl. It was… his eyes widened as he realised what it was. How on earth had th…?
She screamed his name again and he stood up quickly. Never mind where it had come from, he needed to use it… and quickly. He set it, twisting the neck, and pointed the sonic screwdriver up towards the sky. Maria fell on the mass of concentrated air with a slight jolt. She looked down and saw The Doctor smiling, before everything suddenly went black. She couldn’t hear or see… and then she couldn’t think. The shock had rendered the teenager unconscious.
The Doctor lowered her down gently, to lesser height, before shifting the sonic screwdriver’s connection and letting the teenager fall more quickly into his arms. Still, even from only a few metres, the fall of a 16 year-old girl made him stumble… He lost his balance, almost dropping his precious cargo and he fell to his knees. He sat back on his feet, smiling like two Christmas’ had come early. Holding her head to his chest, he sighed laughingly with relief and got slowly to his feet. The Doctor clutched Maria tightly, slipping the sonic screwdriver into his shirt pocket, and walked back up to the monument steps.
“Oh dear,” he said, smiling, “Maybe fourth time lucky… I’d hate to have to walk across these steps again.”
The Doctor turned the corner, and immediately, he saw her – as he knew he would - falling… and his hearts felt like they were breaking in half. He only had seconds before, before… he turned his mind to other things, useful things. He could see; she was falling faster and faster, gathering momentum. There had to be something, anything he could do. If he could just make a cushion, something to break the fall, slow her down. His pulse was racing, he was thinking so hard – and all the while he watched her falling through space.
She could feel her body speeding up; her body mass was fighting the air resistance. She could hear the wind rushing past her ears and it spooked her, like a frightened horse. She opened her eyes. Below her was the smooth, flat, hard surface of the road, getting closer and closer… and there he was staring up at her. She flailed; flapping her arms, scrambling against non-existent walls with her legs and something fell from her pocket.
Suddenly she started screaming his name, thrashing about with her arms. He knew Maria was so afraid; dropping through the air abo… air! An idea hit him. If he could use the sonic screwdriver to create an area of increased air pressure, it might slow her down enough for him to catch her, without cracking his skull open. He felt in his pockets and then looked down – he’d run out of the TARDIS without his jacket. He didn’t have his screwdriver with him… He felt clammy, ice-cold. He looked up at the child in the skies above him – screaming his name. The time traveller screamed back and held his hand out towards her. Then he stopped. He closed his eyes, bowing his head, crashing to his knees. He let his hand drop down, out onto the smooth road and felt his fingers curl around something; thin and long. He brought it to his face, unable to drag his eyes away from the falling girl. It was… his eyes widened as he realised what it was. How on earth had th…?
She screamed his name again and he stood up quickly. Never mind where it had come from, he needed to use it… and quickly. He set it, twisting the neck, and pointed the sonic screwdriver up towards the sky. Maria fell on the mass of concentrated air with a slight jolt. She looked down and saw The Doctor smiling, before everything suddenly went black. She couldn’t hear or see… and then she couldn’t think. The shock had rendered the teenager unconscious.
The Doctor lowered her down gently, to lesser height, before shifting the sonic screwdriver’s connection and letting the teenager fall more quickly into his arms. Still, even from only a few metres, the fall of a 16 year-old girl made him stumble… He lost his balance, almost dropping his precious cargo and he fell to his knees. He sat back on his feet, smiling like two Christmas’ had come early. Holding her head to his chest, he sighed laughingly with relief and got slowly to his feet. The Doctor clutched Maria tightly, slipping the sonic screwdriver into his shirt pocket, and walked back up to the monument steps.
“Oh dear,” he said, smiling, “Maybe fourth time lucky… I’d hate to have to walk across these steps again.”