Fic: Big Red Button
Title: Big Red Button
Rating: K
Word count: 917
Characters: Nyssa, Tegan, Fifth Doctor
Timeline/spoilers: None specific.
Summary: A big red button. Irresistible.
Challenge: picture [red button, label ‘this button doesn’t do anything - press it and see!]
“I wouldn’t,” said Nyssa, looking down at the button.
“I would,” said Tegan, and shrugged when Nyssa gave her an incredulous look. “Well, I would if I was back home,” she amended. “It looks like a joke, doesn’t it?”
“Yes, I suppose,” Nyssa said, sounding cautious. Tegan peered closer at the notice stuck to the wall above the cistern. It was typed on white paper, bordered in black, and laminated for toughness. She pulled an edge away from the wall to reveal…blue tack.
Yes, she decided, if she’d still been on Earth, she’d have assumed it was some sort of harmless joke and pressed the button, just to see what it did. However, a big red button with a notice telling her that ‘this red button doesn’t do anything - press it and see!’ was a little incongruous in the circumstances.
Not that the circumstances could really be defined, she reminded herself with a sigh. The TARDIS was anything but definable.
“It probably doesn’t do anything,” Nyssa said. “It might operate some kind of flushing mechanism. This bathroom does seem to operate on a water-based system.” She arched an eyebrow, as if in disapproval.
“Plumbing,” Tegan said. “Why, what are bathrooms like where you come from?” She winced. “I mean - oh, rabbits. Sorry, Nyssa.”
“It’s fine,” said Nyssa, and she gave Tegan one of her serene smiles, the one that made Tegan want to shake away that smooth outer shell and get to the Nyssa who appeared sometimes, when the polish wore away. “Our bathroom facilities were all based on sonic technology. I’ve found two bathrooms like that here on the TARDIS.”
”Sonic?” Tegan repeated, and held her hands up. “You’re going to have to explain that one to me.”
“Instead of washing with water, sonic waves bombard the skin and remove all the dirt,” Nyssa told her. “Hygienic and less wasteful than using water, which then can’t be reused until it’s been cleansed.” She turned back to the button, and Tegan followed suit, frowning down at the innocent-looking sign and the tempting red button.
“The problem is,” Tegan said then, “I can’t just go around pushing buttons on the TARDIS. Anything might happen. But that button is just asking to be pushed.”
“Ye-s,” Nyssa agreed slowly. “I suppose it is, in a way.”
“I mean,” Tegan reasoned, “if it wasn’t meant to be pushed, it wouldn’t be in a bathroom, would it? It would be somewhere out of the way, with warnings and things. It wouldn’t just tell you to push it.”
“That seems logical,” said Nyssa, but she sounded doubtful, as if she wasn’t quite sure that Tegan could be logical. If it had been the Doctor, Tegan would have taken offence, but Nyssa often used the same tone when talking to the Doctor, so Tegan suspected it was just a product of her education.
“I’m going to press it,” she decided at last. “What’s the worse that could happen?”
“You really shouldn’t have said that,” Nyssa said, taking a step away. “I’ll wait outside. Just in case.”
“Oh, Nyssa,” protested Tegan, but Nyssa was backing off, heading towards the bathroom door with a worried expression. Tegan rolled her eyes and turned back to the button. She reached out, hesitated for a moment - and then pressed it.
Nothing happened.
She waited for a moment longer, and exhaled slowly. “Well, that was a letdown,” she said grumpily. She’d been hoping for something - even just for the toilet to flush. That would have been obvious, but at least a result.
“I don’t know why you’re disappointed,” said Nyssa from the doorway. “Anything could have happened.” She came back into the room and peered into the shower cubicle. “Nothing,” she said. “Nothing seems to have changed at all.” Despite her words, she seemed a little disappointed as well. “Just a practical joke, I suppose.”
“Ahem.”
The two women turned to the doorway and Tegan had to stifle a grin. The Doctor, usually so dignified, was standing wrapped in a dressing gown. He’d clearly been in the shower; his hair was dripping wet, and Tegan wasn’t sure he was wearing anything under the dressing gown. There was a trail of wet footprints behind him, leading along the corridor towards his own sleeping quarters.
“I really must get rid of that button,” the Doctor said to the room in general. “It completely reroutes the hot water from the rest of the ship into this one particular room.”
“Oh dear,” said Nyssa, sounding oddly stifled. Tegan glanced at her and found Nyssa was struggling not to laugh. “We’re very sorry, Doctor.” There was a moment’s pause, and Nyssa cleared her throat. “Aren’t we, Tegan?”
“Oh, yes,” Tegan said, nodding. “Very sorry.” She had to bite her lip hard to keep from giggling at the disgruntled expression on the Doctor’s face. “The sign did say nothing would happen,” she excused. The Doctor sighed and gave her a wry look.
“Yes, well, I should have expected that you would push it, shouldn’t I?” he said, and Tegan shrugged, watching as water dripped down his nose. “Now, if you’ll excuse me…” The Doctor turned and went back along the corridor, his wet feet making a smack-smack noise on the floor as he went.
Tegan avoided meeting Nyssa’s eyes for as long as she could.
“Well,” said Nyssa at last. “Something happened.”
“Yes,” Tegan nodded. “Something.” She risked a glance at Nyssa, and couldn’t help it. She dissolved into giggles; a moment later Nyssa joined her.
Rating: K
Word count: 917
Characters: Nyssa, Tegan, Fifth Doctor
Timeline/spoilers: None specific.
Summary: A big red button. Irresistible.
Challenge: picture [red button, label ‘this button doesn’t do anything - press it and see!]
“I wouldn’t,” said Nyssa, looking down at the button.
“I would,” said Tegan, and shrugged when Nyssa gave her an incredulous look. “Well, I would if I was back home,” she amended. “It looks like a joke, doesn’t it?”
“Yes, I suppose,” Nyssa said, sounding cautious. Tegan peered closer at the notice stuck to the wall above the cistern. It was typed on white paper, bordered in black, and laminated for toughness. She pulled an edge away from the wall to reveal…blue tack.
Yes, she decided, if she’d still been on Earth, she’d have assumed it was some sort of harmless joke and pressed the button, just to see what it did. However, a big red button with a notice telling her that ‘this red button doesn’t do anything - press it and see!’ was a little incongruous in the circumstances.
Not that the circumstances could really be defined, she reminded herself with a sigh. The TARDIS was anything but definable.
“It probably doesn’t do anything,” Nyssa said. “It might operate some kind of flushing mechanism. This bathroom does seem to operate on a water-based system.” She arched an eyebrow, as if in disapproval.
“Plumbing,” Tegan said. “Why, what are bathrooms like where you come from?” She winced. “I mean - oh, rabbits. Sorry, Nyssa.”
“It’s fine,” said Nyssa, and she gave Tegan one of her serene smiles, the one that made Tegan want to shake away that smooth outer shell and get to the Nyssa who appeared sometimes, when the polish wore away. “Our bathroom facilities were all based on sonic technology. I’ve found two bathrooms like that here on the TARDIS.”
”Sonic?” Tegan repeated, and held her hands up. “You’re going to have to explain that one to me.”
“Instead of washing with water, sonic waves bombard the skin and remove all the dirt,” Nyssa told her. “Hygienic and less wasteful than using water, which then can’t be reused until it’s been cleansed.” She turned back to the button, and Tegan followed suit, frowning down at the innocent-looking sign and the tempting red button.
“The problem is,” Tegan said then, “I can’t just go around pushing buttons on the TARDIS. Anything might happen. But that button is just asking to be pushed.”
“Ye-s,” Nyssa agreed slowly. “I suppose it is, in a way.”
“I mean,” Tegan reasoned, “if it wasn’t meant to be pushed, it wouldn’t be in a bathroom, would it? It would be somewhere out of the way, with warnings and things. It wouldn’t just tell you to push it.”
“That seems logical,” said Nyssa, but she sounded doubtful, as if she wasn’t quite sure that Tegan could be logical. If it had been the Doctor, Tegan would have taken offence, but Nyssa often used the same tone when talking to the Doctor, so Tegan suspected it was just a product of her education.
“I’m going to press it,” she decided at last. “What’s the worse that could happen?”
“You really shouldn’t have said that,” Nyssa said, taking a step away. “I’ll wait outside. Just in case.”
“Oh, Nyssa,” protested Tegan, but Nyssa was backing off, heading towards the bathroom door with a worried expression. Tegan rolled her eyes and turned back to the button. She reached out, hesitated for a moment - and then pressed it.
Nothing happened.
She waited for a moment longer, and exhaled slowly. “Well, that was a letdown,” she said grumpily. She’d been hoping for something - even just for the toilet to flush. That would have been obvious, but at least a result.
“I don’t know why you’re disappointed,” said Nyssa from the doorway. “Anything could have happened.” She came back into the room and peered into the shower cubicle. “Nothing,” she said. “Nothing seems to have changed at all.” Despite her words, she seemed a little disappointed as well. “Just a practical joke, I suppose.”
“Ahem.”
The two women turned to the doorway and Tegan had to stifle a grin. The Doctor, usually so dignified, was standing wrapped in a dressing gown. He’d clearly been in the shower; his hair was dripping wet, and Tegan wasn’t sure he was wearing anything under the dressing gown. There was a trail of wet footprints behind him, leading along the corridor towards his own sleeping quarters.
“I really must get rid of that button,” the Doctor said to the room in general. “It completely reroutes the hot water from the rest of the ship into this one particular room.”
“Oh dear,” said Nyssa, sounding oddly stifled. Tegan glanced at her and found Nyssa was struggling not to laugh. “We’re very sorry, Doctor.” There was a moment’s pause, and Nyssa cleared her throat. “Aren’t we, Tegan?”
“Oh, yes,” Tegan said, nodding. “Very sorry.” She had to bite her lip hard to keep from giggling at the disgruntled expression on the Doctor’s face. “The sign did say nothing would happen,” she excused. The Doctor sighed and gave her a wry look.
“Yes, well, I should have expected that you would push it, shouldn’t I?” he said, and Tegan shrugged, watching as water dripped down his nose. “Now, if you’ll excuse me…” The Doctor turned and went back along the corridor, his wet feet making a smack-smack noise on the floor as he went.
Tegan avoided meeting Nyssa’s eyes for as long as she could.
“Well,” said Nyssa at last. “Something happened.”
“Yes,” Tegan nodded. “Something.” She risked a glance at Nyssa, and couldn’t help it. She dissolved into giggles; a moment later Nyssa joined her.