Doctor Who, "Poor Little Paradox" Eight, Charley | rated g
Fandom: Doctor Who (classic)
Title: Poor Little Paradox
Author: Paynesgrey
Characters/Pairings: Eighth Doctor, Charley Pollard, slight Eight/Charley
Rating: G
Word Count: 328
Spoilers/Warnings: No warnings. Spoilers for the Eighth Doctor Audio Adventures, Storm Warning specifically.
Notes: I just finished Season 1 of the BFAs with the Eighth Doctor, so this was kind of something inspired by the end of Minuet in Hell. Written for the "burn" drabble theme at who_contest.
Summary: The Doctor has some grim thoughts about Charley.
He tries not to think about it, on how she’s not supposed to be here. Charlotte Pollard should be dead, her life burning out as just another casualty in the R101 crash.
You stupid old man, he chides himself. He had to go and interfere. He had to save her life. He constantly second guesses himself. Maybe he’s seeing this all wrong. Perhaps it isn’t as bad as he suspects.
Maybe he was even supposed to be there to save her. Time may not even notice that he’s created a paradox, that Charley travels around with him unknowingly as far greater threats come for her, worse than death. How important to the order of the universe could Charley really be?
He’s afraid he’s cursed her. Still, it’s easier for the Doctor to deny anything wrong in it, even ignore it while he distracts her and whisks her away to explore other planets, other futures and pasts, and the beautiful sights within the depths of space.
No, he’s the fool. Poor Charley is just the victim, and as long as she stays with him, she’s worse off. The evidence is becoming clearer too, and Charley’s not stupid. She’ll realize soon enough herself what he’s really done - what she is.
Can he take her back? Surely not. He can’t undo the mess he’s already created. Perhaps he will only make it worse.
“Oh, Doctor, you really are a stupid old man,” he mutters to himself. Charley is sleeping peacefully in her room within the TARDIS, blissfully unaware of the internal dilemma he’s facing.
“And she won’t know, not yet, and hopefully not ever,” he promises himself, and he suddenly feels silly. “I’m always talking to myself,” he scoffs. “It really is a bad habit.”
But his bad habits are nothing compared to what he’s done to Charley. Is she better off dead? He has doubts, but the Doctor still doesn’t think so. The Universe, however, may disagree with him.
Title: Poor Little Paradox
Author: Paynesgrey
Characters/Pairings: Eighth Doctor, Charley Pollard, slight Eight/Charley
Rating: G
Word Count: 328
Spoilers/Warnings: No warnings. Spoilers for the Eighth Doctor Audio Adventures, Storm Warning specifically.
Notes: I just finished Season 1 of the BFAs with the Eighth Doctor, so this was kind of something inspired by the end of Minuet in Hell. Written for the "burn" drabble theme at who_contest.
Summary: The Doctor has some grim thoughts about Charley.
He tries not to think about it, on how she’s not supposed to be here. Charlotte Pollard should be dead, her life burning out as just another casualty in the R101 crash.
You stupid old man, he chides himself. He had to go and interfere. He had to save her life. He constantly second guesses himself. Maybe he’s seeing this all wrong. Perhaps it isn’t as bad as he suspects.
Maybe he was even supposed to be there to save her. Time may not even notice that he’s created a paradox, that Charley travels around with him unknowingly as far greater threats come for her, worse than death. How important to the order of the universe could Charley really be?
He’s afraid he’s cursed her. Still, it’s easier for the Doctor to deny anything wrong in it, even ignore it while he distracts her and whisks her away to explore other planets, other futures and pasts, and the beautiful sights within the depths of space.
No, he’s the fool. Poor Charley is just the victim, and as long as she stays with him, she’s worse off. The evidence is becoming clearer too, and Charley’s not stupid. She’ll realize soon enough herself what he’s really done - what she is.
Can he take her back? Surely not. He can’t undo the mess he’s already created. Perhaps he will only make it worse.
“Oh, Doctor, you really are a stupid old man,” he mutters to himself. Charley is sleeping peacefully in her room within the TARDIS, blissfully unaware of the internal dilemma he’s facing.
“And she won’t know, not yet, and hopefully not ever,” he promises himself, and he suddenly feels silly. “I’m always talking to myself,” he scoffs. “It really is a bad habit.”
But his bad habits are nothing compared to what he’s done to Charley. Is she better off dead? He has doubts, but the Doctor still doesn’t think so. The Universe, however, may disagree with him.