Ten/Donna - Cold
Title: Cold
Author: yellow_craion
Disclaimer: It's called fan-fiction for a reason
Rating: PG-13
Characters/Pairings: Ten, Donna
Summary: Takes place after the Ood Sphere. Hypothermia, fluff and angst, mostly.
Beta: My undying gratitude goes to the wonderful and talented ladies at iboti
Words: 2 344
"…they make the water green. Just imagine, beautiful green sea, with a touch of ruby - but that's the plants below - and the sunset! Oooh…" The Doctor explained eagerly as they exited the TARDIS together, "Donna, we have to stay and watch the sunset! It's..."
"Oi!" she stopped him mid-ramble. "Does this look like a sunny beach to you, Spaceman?!" Donna asked accusingly, before she wrapped her arms around herself, seeking warmth.
The Doctor stared at the cold landscape in front of them, stunned into silence by snow-covered hills far away and apparent lack of any sea. It was the right planet, he was sure of that - and an emerald tinge to the snow that was all around them confirmed it - just like he was absolutely certain there was a beach in the south. So that left…
"Well," he rubbed the back of his neck nervously, "We might have landed on a different continent."
Donna sighed heavily but quickly regretted it as the cold air burned through her lungs.
"Still, it is beautiful. Don't you think so, Donna?" He glanced at his new companion, hopeful she would agree. After she'd asked to be taken home, back in the Ood Sphere, he'd been feeling the familiar fear growing inside him; Donna might've had changed her mind and stayed with him after they'd liberated the Ood, but somehow it gave him little confidence.
That's why he'd chosen this place. Well, he'd chosen a beach, but somehow had managed to land them somewhere else. He'd tried to show her a different side to his travels; one that wasn't horrifying or overly dangerous. One that would make her smile and be glad she'd gone with him.
He wanted to see that smile again so much.
The Doctor leaned casually towards her and pointed up to the violet sky, "And look! A sunset! Just like I told you, it's brilliant!"
Looking up, Donna had to admit there was nothing like this back on Earth. "Yeah, it is." It was hard to resist at least a weak smile when faced with his wide grin. "But unless you want me to freeze in here, let me go and get my coat..."
The Time Lord stared after her, smiling softly, while she disappeared inside the TARDIS, only to emerge a minute later ensconced in her favorite warm coat. It was hard not to stare at how beautifully the furry hood was framing her face. He waggled his fingers as he reached out his hand to her and she readily intertwined her fingers with his before pulling their hands into her coat pocket.
--
A green furred animal caught her attention after they'd been walking for some time. It was the first living and moving creature they'd encountered on this planet. She would've thought there were none yet.
Donna made a shy step forward to take a better look, but when its large head shot up to watch her warily, she stopped. She didn't want it to run away.
The Doctor had been watching her quietly, transfixed by the wonder she thankfully didn't hide, ever since they'd begun the stroll. That mix of fascination and curiosity he always looked for in his companions was often more rewarding than the traveling itself.
A sudden crack brought him out of his trance. Before he could recognize what the sound meant, there was a loud splash of water.
"DONNA!" The Doctor rushed to catch her but Donna was already being swallowed by the icy cold water, that'd been hidden by the ice and snow. He took off his coat off swiftly and jumped after her without much thought.
He could feel his body protesting against the cold mere seconds after he'd taken the plunge, and was afraid to contemplate the reaction of a much weaker, human body to it.
Be alright!
It was hard to see anything other than vague shapes but he would not give up, he had to find her and get her out. It was his fault in the first place. If only…
Ah! There she was!
The Doctor grabbed her and swam back up as fast as he could. Which really wasn't that fast at all, not with her heavy sodden coat that was slowing him down so much. Yet he couldn't waste any second taking it off her when they were still deep underwater. It worried him that Donna was hanging so limply in his arms. It made the rescue that much harder.
When they reached the surface he set her down gently while he got out of the water himself. He scooped her up and ran with her in his arms to a relatively safer place, not willing to risk another crack in the ice. Once he placed Donna on the snow the Doctor hurriedly sought out her pulse. It was weak but it was there; what was more alarming was the lack of breath.
Don't do this, Donna!
He kept blowing air into her lungs, fighting down his rising panic and guilt. He should've been paying more attention to her and where she had been going. Instead he'd been daydreaming!
Come on! Breathe!
As he was desperately trying to get her to breathe, Donna coughed up some water. He was moving frantically, anxiety and cold somehow working against him and not allowing him to think properly.
Donna gasped.
"Good. That's it." The Doctor whispered as soon as she was breathing on her own. He allowed himself a brief moment of relief and brushed her cheek. It was cold.
No! No! No!
He struggled with her coat for longer that he would have liked to but eventually managed to get that wet weight off her. Running back to his ship, with Donna still unconscious in his arms, he made a mental note to get their clothes back once she was alright.
--
Stopping just at the door of his ship, the Doctor balanced Donna against his chest and dug with his now free hand into his pocket. He cursed his luck when he couldn't find the key fast enough.
Once inside, he was greeted with a worried hum of the TARDIS.
"Make it warmer in here, old girl!" He closed the door behind him and with his companion again in his arms, he ran past the console and hoped the first room he'd find would be Donna's bedroom.
Of course it was.
In times like this he was especially glad his ship cared for his friends just as much as he did.
He sat Donna on a nearby chair and worked as fast as he could to rid her of her drenched clothes, muttering constantly as if she was awake, "sorry, I know, I'm so sorry… you can slap me for undressing you when you're feeling better, eh? I have to… I'm sorry…"
As soon as he was done, the Time Lord lifted her once more and put her in bed, under the mass of fluffy blankets that the TARDIS had provided. He then ran to the bathroom to grab a few towels.
"Here you go," he whispered with a tentative smile, while he was brushing her hair from her face. It was as dry as he could get it for now. The color was slowly returning to her face, which made him infinitely happier, though he wouldn't be fully satisfied until she had opened her eyes. He knew she needed time, but he couldn't stop himself from touching her face; just to make sure she was warmer than him again. It terrified him to think of her freezing, almost as cold as him. Humans were supposed to be warm, hot even. He allowed his hand to slip under the covers and grasp hers, finding small comfort in her warmth.
"Next time I'll try to do better, I promise," he said softly, his thumb stroking Donna's hand. "There are so many places I want to take you. If you only let me…"
A couple of droplets landed on her pillow, making him suddenly remember he also needed to dry off himself.
"I won't take long, Donna," he told her, squeezing her hand gently. Standing up, he asked the TARDIS to look after her during his absence.
His jacket and shirt were undone before the Time Lord reached the door. He hurried to his own bedroom, not wanting to leave Donna alone in her state for too long. He dropped his things carelessly on the floor and went into the bathroom for a towel. Knowing it would soon be very warm in her room, like he'd asked, the Doctor put on an old blue polo shirt instead of his usual shirt and tie to go with his brown suit pants.
With his hair still damp and clinging to his face, he quickly checked up on Donna. Once he made sure she was still asleep, he went to the kitchen to prepare two big mugs of sweet tea. She would want some after waking up.
It didn't take him long to return and put them on Donna's bedside table, trusting the TARDIS to keep the tea hot until she was ready to drink it.
There was nothing else for him to do other than wait, so he dragged one of the chairs next to her bed, expecting to spend in it a few long hours, watching over his unconscious companion.
--
Donna stirred and turned so that she was facing the Doctor. She burrowed into the pillow with a soft hum, making him smile.
Then she was squinting at him, almost comically.
Once her eyes adjusted to the dim light, she gave him a measuring look. The Time Lord was staring back at her and he looked troubled, which in turn made Donna worry. It wasn't that unusual for her to wake up in the middle of the night to find him slumped over a chair pulled close to her bed. First time had been a bit confusing, she had to admit, but he'd explained himself, however reluctantly.
"What's wrong, Spaceman?" Her voice was hoarse and she cleared her throat, "had another nightmare?"
The Doctor blinked. Her concern warmed him inside and he let it show on his face. "In a manner of speaking." He smiled gratefully and asked with some urgency, "how are you feeling, Donna?"
There was something wrong with that question, she just had to think what it was. It also occurred to her that she couldn't remember going to bed. Strange. Puzzled, she propped herself up on her elbows when one answer came to her mind. "Bit too hot, actually. Did you dump all the blankets you have on top of me?" She laughed and pushed the covers away only to pull them swiftly back up to her chin the second she registered she was naked.
The Doctor gulped. "Donna…?"
She didn't hear him; she was gaping at him, wide-eyed and trying to find words, any words to express the dread that was quickly overwhelming her. She raked her mind for some explanation but came up empty. "I… wha-…"
The Time Lord gingerly reached for her but thought better of it when he realized both her hands were trembling at her chest, holding some of the covers in a death grip. "Donna, please, calm down…"
Her eyes grew moist as she was staring at him with betrayal and hurt written all over her features. She took a deep breath and attempted to speak again. "I… I'm… I'm… NAKED!!!"
"Yes. And I'm sorry, I had to…" It pained him to see her like this. All he wanted to do was to hold her and calm her down, to prove her she could still trust him.
"WHY am I naked??!!"
"You fell into a lake, Donna." The Doctor leaned forward, silently begging her to remember. "I wasn't paying attention and the ice cracked and you fell, almost drowned. So I jumped in after you," the speed of his explanation was steadily building up, as he was once more reliving the horrifying experience and at the same time, trying to make Donna understand the circumstances as fast as he could. The faster he told her, the faster she would calm down. He hoped. "At first I couldn't find you, it was so dark, but I got you out. You weren't breathing!" His breath hitched. "You were so cold, Donna. I had to get you warm again. And I couldn't do that if you were still in your wet clothes, could I? I'm sorry, I had no choice."
The sudden flood of memories made her gasp. He really had landed them in a wrong place again! She remembered the snow, and the biting cold…
So, Donna reasoned, maybe rage wasn't the best response. He'd been trying to save her life, how could she be angry for that? Especially now that her shock abated, she focused on the state he was in.
The Doctor looked absolutely miserable, and sounded just as bad when he was explaining everything. A surge of worry rushed through her once again. "Spaceman…" She ached to make it better but couldn't think of anything that would help. Not until she saw that her one softly spoken word made the Doctor's face light up.
"Come here," she patted the bed beside her with a smile.
Slowly he did, unsure what she wanted to do but even if it was to slap him, he'd be happy to receive it. To his complete amazement, Donna wrapped her arms around his neck, seemingly not caring that the covers slipped down and revealed a little more cleavage. She just held him close.
He was too astonished to do anything. Gradually, he began to commit to memory every detail of this sweet feeling of her warm, soft body folded to his own, soothing him when he should be the one to comfort her after she'd almost…
The Doctor squashed that thought quickly and hid his face on her bare shoulder, breathing in her scent and returning the hug eagerly.
"Thank you, Spaceman."
``End``