On the Run ♦ 007. Glimmer of Hope ♦ with captoftardis

[noblexcompanion]

Donna had lost count of how many days they had been stuck on the Shadow Hunter's planet. So far they had been shot at, chased, almost blown up - so much for disguises. So far, however, they had remained uncaptured, mostly due to an insane amount of running. A couple of days into their game of cat and mouse, Donna and the Doctor stumbled (quite

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[captoftardis]

The Doctor was a little bit of a mess. After going for so long with no sleep, on their third day of meeting up with the group (and the day Donna begged and pleaded enough to finally convince him to trust them) he ended up collapsing from exhaustion and slept for a solid 8 hours.

Now it had been a week with them and the Doctor had been a little better about his own health, but he couldn't sleep for more than 2 hours at a time and plagued by unsettling thoughts and dreams. He hadn't said much about them, but knew he didn't have to. Donna spent enough time around him to know he was tearing himself apart over everything and he hated himself even more for causing her to worry.

Accepting the mug from Tomas, he smiled at the comment but didn't bother to correct him, "Ah, yeah, she is. This is all a bit overwhelming." The Doctor told himself he should speak more, that the man was only trying to help and be friendly, but the only person he allowed himself to trust these days was Donna and Donna alone. He left it up to her to make their cover story and their histories and so far things were alright.

[noblexcompanion]

Donna would always worry about the Doctor. It was a requirement of the job, and more than that he was her best mate, and if you can't worry about your best mate, who can you worry about?

Tomas seated himself down opposite the Doctor with his own drink. "It's a lot to take in." Tomas had lost his own wife to the Shadow Hunters. He'd witnessed her be murdered before his very eyes. He had no choice but to keep running.

"So, your wife mentioned you're good with machinery? Our ship, well, it's in a bad way. We've been trying to find spare parts - not easy with the Shadows on your back." He took a sip of his tea. "The couplings are fried, the energy crystal cracked, the transducer cells in a bad way and there's a lot of damage to the hull."

[captoftardis]

"Shame." He commented while avoiding eye contact, despite still listening to him. Then he realized that Donna would scold him silly for acting this way, and turned his gaze to his direction. "Is that how you got here? A ship? You have a ship hidden here?"

He perked up a bit, becoming more curious. Maybe he could gain some parts and fix something up... Selfish? Maybe a litle, but again, right now he was only trusting Donna.

[noblexcompanion]

Donna would slap him six sides of Sunday if he was rude to their very kind and lovely hosts. They had been nothing but nice and generous since Donna and the Doctor had met them - and they had saved them from being shot. Donna liked them for that reason alone.

"Mm, I was telling your lovely wife that we have a ship out by the western limits. Another mechanical mind and pair of hands would be useful, if you're interested. Sooner we get her fixed up, sooner we can get out here and give you guys a lift to where you need to be."

[captoftardis]

Glancing down at Donna, he cracked a small smile at her sleeping face. She must've been completely worn out.

Sitting up a bit taller, the Doctor nodded, "Sure, I'll help." Because he hasn't made any improvements on his own, was growing ever increasingly stir crazy, and still paranoid and reclusive towards others. All slightly uncharacteristic of him, but if he were to help out, maybe the big picture will become clearer.

[noblexcompanion]

Tomas smiled. Any help he and his group could get was great. The sooner they could escape those damned Shadow Hunters, the better. "She said you would."

He paused, taking another swig of his tea. "You should take her to the rest area. Another long day of travelling tomorrow."

[captoftardis]

Oh. Right. Rest area with those bloody awful cots. Never the less, he roused her awake. "Let's go somewhere proper to sleep, eh? C'mon, up you go."

He handed the mug back to Tomas with a brighter, friendlier smile, "Tomorrow, then."

Flopped out on a cot with a leg hanging off and the foot touching the ground, the Doctor lied back playing with his screwdriver as he waited for Donna to wash up. Her cot was already made up with a bag of the few things they had managed to accumulate since being there. The more important items the Doctor kept in his pockets such as the journals and papers he had from Pete's World. Unfortunately he had been so discombobulated, he hadn't managed to fix the manipulator nor figure out where exact in time and space they were. But now that he was feeling slightly more secure around these people, he figured he needed to start formulating a plan.

[noblexcompanion]

"Be honest... Do I look as much like a zombie as I feel?" She felt disgusting. She would do just about anything for a long, hot bath with proper bubbles and fluffy towels and gah-- she had to stop torturing herself with such thoughts.

She tied her hair back into a sloppy ponytail as she sat herself down on her cot. She was trying to stay positive - mostly for the Doctor's sake. But it was hard. She was homesick and worried and more than a little bit scared.

[captoftardis]

"You look fine!" They both looked rather worn out and in need of a holiday, and glancing around them, they weren't the only ones. This was how some people looked far older than they were - roughing it in this kind lifestyle gets old, fast.

"That bloke, Tomas, asked me to help him with repairs to a ship." He absent-mindedly tapped the screwdriver against his bottom lip, looking rather lost in thought, "I thought I could help him. It's the least I can do..." He didn't sound the least bit of excited, nor any other emotion could be detected. "I'm wondering how they've been able to keep a ship hidden since we can barely hide ourselves." He glanced over and propped himself up on an elbow, "Do think I should go?"

Look at him, he was always second guessing himself and everyone else around him's motives. Trust? He wasn't sure who or what to trust anymore these days. It wasn't in his nature to be hesitant, but he felt like his room for error was extremely limited now, and the next mistake he'll make will cost them. "Besides, even if they fix it, the chances of them making it alive..." Sometimes he wish Donna would just cut him off.

[noblexcompanion]

An unsure Doctor was a very scary sight indeed. He was usually so confident and full of himself, even when it was just an act, so to see him second guessing himself and withdrawing himself it was more scary than the actual danger.

"I think you should." Stop talking, Doctor. Stop thinking negatively. "I mean, what's the alternatives? Keep running until there's nowhere left to run? At least this way there's a chance we can get away from this planet."

She frowned, worrying her bottom lip between her teeth despite herself. "Shift over."