[Trans 9] And in between you disappear, a world without you...
Prompt: A million worlds to lose
Written for ryuu_no_hime.
Even on a ship as massive as Stacy, there's only so long a person can keep moving.
The Doctor manages to keep wandering for longer than most people would have, investigating every interesting nook and cranny he comes across, keeping an eye out for anything blue and box-like, chattering to anyone who'll listen or sometimes just to himself to fill the silence. All he has to do to avoid thinking about things is just... keep walking. He takes one turn after another in the organic network of tunnels or corridors or veins, whatever the proper term is, and if he gets lost a time or two, he manages to sort himself out again before long, and maybe lost is where he'd prefer to be anyway.
The constant motion comes to a halt after a couple days, when one of those turns finally takes him into an unexpected cul-de-sac. His steps slow, and instead of swinging around, trying another pathway, he just... stops. After a moment, he leans to one side, and rests his shoulder against the fleshy wall, slowly resting more and more of his weight against it until he sags a little, letting out a soft breath, and closes his eyes for just a moment.
Almost since he arrived, since someone explained, the reality of the situation has been hovering, dark and patient, in the back of his mind. So long as he kept moving, he could pretend he didn't notice (didn't care), that it was all fascinating technology and interesting strangers to meet and one more adventure, just like any other, something he'd sort out in short order and then be on his way...
Now that he's stopped, that hovering weight descends, settles down on his shoulders and makes itself comfortable there. His universe is gone. He's been trying to convince himself that doesn't matter - that his home died in fire years ago, and past that, what does it matter anyway? There are still thousands, millions of universes out there as yet untouched by the Ohm, there must be or they wouldn't be here on this ship set to save them, and as long as there are skies to fly in and new worlds to see, he'll be fine.
Except that the Powell Estate, that's gone forever. And New New York, and the beach he and Rose stood on when she promised him forever, and Royal Hope Hospital and Farringham School. He'll never visit the Ood Sphere or the Library again, find himself all accidentally in the 21st century London, again, stop to refuel in Cardiff, or...
This is not just one more trip. This is not an ordinary day, not even for him. Even if he finds his TARDIS here on the ship, sets the situation right in a matter of days, stops the evil, saves every universe still in existence and does it without having to kill anyone...
Even if all that happens, he's already lost.
Muse: The Tenth Doctor
Word Count: 491
Written for ryuu_no_hime.
Even on a ship as massive as Stacy, there's only so long a person can keep moving.
The Doctor manages to keep wandering for longer than most people would have, investigating every interesting nook and cranny he comes across, keeping an eye out for anything blue and box-like, chattering to anyone who'll listen or sometimes just to himself to fill the silence. All he has to do to avoid thinking about things is just... keep walking. He takes one turn after another in the organic network of tunnels or corridors or veins, whatever the proper term is, and if he gets lost a time or two, he manages to sort himself out again before long, and maybe lost is where he'd prefer to be anyway.
The constant motion comes to a halt after a couple days, when one of those turns finally takes him into an unexpected cul-de-sac. His steps slow, and instead of swinging around, trying another pathway, he just... stops. After a moment, he leans to one side, and rests his shoulder against the fleshy wall, slowly resting more and more of his weight against it until he sags a little, letting out a soft breath, and closes his eyes for just a moment.
Almost since he arrived, since someone explained, the reality of the situation has been hovering, dark and patient, in the back of his mind. So long as he kept moving, he could pretend he didn't notice (didn't care), that it was all fascinating technology and interesting strangers to meet and one more adventure, just like any other, something he'd sort out in short order and then be on his way...
Now that he's stopped, that hovering weight descends, settles down on his shoulders and makes itself comfortable there. His universe is gone. He's been trying to convince himself that doesn't matter - that his home died in fire years ago, and past that, what does it matter anyway? There are still thousands, millions of universes out there as yet untouched by the Ohm, there must be or they wouldn't be here on this ship set to save them, and as long as there are skies to fly in and new worlds to see, he'll be fine.
Except that the Powell Estate, that's gone forever. And New New York, and the beach he and Rose stood on when she promised him forever, and Royal Hope Hospital and Farringham School. He'll never visit the Ood Sphere or the Library again, find himself all accidentally in the 21st century London, again, stop to refuel in Cardiff, or...
This is not just one more trip. This is not an ordinary day, not even for him. Even if he finds his TARDIS here on the ship, sets the situation right in a matter of days, stops the evil, saves every universe still in existence and does it without having to kill anyone...
Even if all that happens, he's already lost.
Muse: The Tenth Doctor
Word Count: 491