Chapter Text
The setting sun created glowing hues of pink and orange, tempering the night sky as if it were liquid amber. The night slowly took over and three pale moons began to ascend into the sky. Birds, a whole different species to the ones on Earth, had stopped singing, hiding away in nests to avoid the dangers of the nocturnal predators. The only sounds that dared interrupt the peaceful night were the unsteady footsteps of Yasmin Khan.
Her feet stomped into the red-dirt ground, kicking up black stones as she ran. Any instinct she’d had to turn around, or to run back and help had been drowned out by her deafening fear. Yasmin took gulping breaths as she began to slow down, unable to keep running for much longer.
She’d lost her leather jacket a while back, she wasn’t sure when, as the intense suns had beaten down on her. It was somewhere in the dirt now, abandoned by her in a hurry. Now, she was left in just a t-shirt that exposed her burning arms and she had never felt more vulnerable.
She kept her eyes trained down to her feet, being careful not to trip, and she had been concentrating so hard that she’d almost missed what she had been looking for. Her mind had been racing with only one instruction; find the TARDIS and save them all. Yasmin could see the blue box blurring into the horizon in front of her, and she knew she couldn’t stop running until she reached it.
“Finally,” Yasmin croaked, only to herself, as the TARDIS grew closer and closer.
She’d struggled to remember where they’d landed the TARDIS earlier that day. Or had it been yesterday? Their footprints had since been lost, though Yasmin was glad that she didn’t have to see the three other sets of footprints. She didn’t want to be reminded that she was now on her own.
When the TARDIS became only a few feet ahead of her, she reached out to touch the panels of the ship. They were silvered by the heavy moonlight above them and Yasmin couldn’t help but reach out a shaking, bruised hand to stroke them.
Instead of finding the wooden panel, though, the door threw itself open. It seemed more hostile than usual, considering the TARDIS had a soft spot for Yasmin, and she wondered if the ship knew she’d left the others behind. Yasmin was barely able to keep herself upright at this point and not having the door for support meant that she couldn’t stay on her feet. Instead, her knees buckled and she fell through the now open doors.
She collapsed against the cold, metal floor of the console room, her legs still on the other side. Yasmin didn’t even care about the ruby-coloured dirt that was staining her jeans, since her clothes were already torn and ripped. Instead, she focused on the dizzying relief that came with lying down.
Her mind screamed at her as her eyes fluttered closed, telling her that she came to the TARDIS for a reason. She propped herself up on her elbows, trying to stand up, but couldn’t find the strength. Yasmin let out several ragged breaths, feeling the lure of sleep too much for her tired limbs.
Yasmin had walked too far in the planet’s desert, one she couldn’t even remember the name of in her current delirium, and the heat from the sky above felt like weights being placed on her back and shoulders as she struggled not to succumb to exhaustion.
“Sorry, Doctor,” she whispered hoarsely as her arms gave out and she was once again pressed against the floor of the TARDIS.
Yasmin’s eyes closed slowly, like they were trying to protest, but eventually lost the battle. A voice called out to her in the blackness and she pried one eye open. She knew the voice didn’t belong to any one she knew, since she was painfully alone, and decided it must be a sort of hallucination. She figured maybe the cruel mind tricks were revenge for the pounding headache she’d developed from running under the hot suns.
“Hello?” came the strong, confused voice once again.
She frowned. It didn’t sound like it was coming from her head, and it certainly didn’t sound like Ryan, or Graham, or the Doctor. It echoed around the console room in a loud boom, but Yasmin couldn’t even bring herself to feel scared.
Yasmin didn’t have the energy to confront it, nor beg for it to leave her alone, so she tried to block it out. She grew frustrated with the voice as it interrupted her unconsciousness. She managed to keep her eyes open for a moment longer, just long enough to see large, shiny black boots step into her darkening vision.
***
Yasmin could still feel the cool of metal on her cheek when she came to. It was a comfort compared to the ache and pain in the rest of her body, and it definitely felt better than the burning sun. Her eyes stung when she attempted to open them; the harsh of the artificial light almost as uncomfortable as the sunlight from outside.
When the shapes around her had begun to swim back into focus, she was relieved to find that she’d made it into the TARDIS. She noticed that she wasn’t hanging out of the doors anymore, but was curled up by the console, basking in its yellow light.
She laid her hands flat on the metal floor, using any strength she’d regained from sleep to turn herself over. Her legs wouldn’t cooperate and held her down like weights. Yasmin did manage to turn around eventually and began to scout for something to pull herself up with.
Instead, she found she was face to face with the bottom of a short staircase. Yasmin frowned drowsily, knowing that there were no stairs in her TARDIS. Then, she managed to raise her head, and found a man sitting on the steps, watching her, wearing the same black boots she’d seen before she’d lost consciousness.
“I’ve already scanned you. You’re human, from Sheffield. I guess the next question is, what are you doing on Solitudinem? Wouldn’t exactly call it a holiday destination,” asked the man coolly, his Scottish accent strong.
Yasmin was shocked to find she hadn’t been hallucinating and stared up in surprise at the man who leered over her. When she didn’t answer, he continued his interrogation.
“Better question, what were you doing with this? I know sonic technology when I see it, and it looks like a cheap copy of mine,” said the man with narrowed eyes, holding up the sonic screwdriver he had found in Yasmin’s pocket.
“Doctor’s,” Yasmin rasped.
The man still looked cautious but reached down to pass Yasmin a bottle of water. She didn’t pause to wonder about his intentions as the water became too appealing and she grateful took it. She could barely hold herself up long enough to sip it, but she finished half the bottle in desperate gulps.
Yasmin took the time to look at whoever had rescued her. He looked human and was an older man, with scruffy white hair and stern eyes. The warm yellow light of the console reflected into his eyes, but they were still cold as they observed her. He wore a pristine buttoned up white shirt and a smart black coat. He certainly didn’t look like he belonged on the planet, though she supposed she didn’t either.
“Who are you?” asked Yasmin once the water had soothed her throat.
“You’ve just collapsed into my ship, and you’ve said my name countless times, so I think you should introduce yourself first,” shrugged the man.
Yasmin let out a whine of frustration, “This isn’t the TARDIS, then?”
She should’ve known when she looked around. She hadn’t made it back to the ship after all and was just as trapped as she had been on the planet. Yasmin took a shuddery breath, fighting back angry tears.
“On the contrary, this is the TARDIS.”
“No, it’s not. I’ve seen the TARDIS, and it doesn’t look like this,” argued Yasmin.
“I think I would know my own ship.”
“Maybe there’s two?” asked Yasmin.
The man scoffed, “There’s only one TARDIS. You must be from my future, or maybe my past, though I never forget a face.”
“So, you’re a Time Lord too, if you have your own TARDIS?” asked Yasmin, taking the time to scan the room. It was vaguely familiar, with the same soothing hum coming from the machine, but it definitely wasn’t her Doctor’s ship. Her heart sank as she realised how lost she really was.
The man raised an eyebrow, “You don’t listen, do you? I’m not just a Time Lord, whoever you travel with, we’re the same Time Lord.”
“Oh God, ‘Half an hour ago I was a white-haired Scotsman’…she meant you,” muttered Yasmin as she remembered, her eyes widening as she met the bluish-grey eyes of the man above her.
He shrugged, “That sounds about right. You’re from my near future then? Probably definitely shouldn’t be here. You should leave.”
Yasmin scrambled in a panic, not yet strong enough to pull herself to her feet. The man watched her in concern as she backed away from the TARDIS doors, shuffling so her back was pressed against the console.
“Please-please don’t send me back out there!” begged Yasmin.
The man crouched down beside Yasmin. He reached out a hand as if to calm her but hesitated and immediately put it back at his side. He waited for her to relax, though she still shook terribly.
“I don’t know who you travel with, but I don’t dump humans on random alien planets. You’re safe with me, for now. I guess I should introduce myself, then. I’m the Doctor. You travel with future me so I won’t expect a ‘Doctor who?’ but I’d appreciate it anyway,” said the Doctor.
Yasmin didn’t humour him, “I’m Yasmin Khan, or Yaz to my friends.”
The Doctor held out a hand to help her to her feet. They stood up together, nearly all of Yasmin’s weight being supported by him. She gripped his arm with her other hand as she tried to regain the balance she’d lost when she’d first stumbled into the TARDIS.
“I’ll stick to Yasmin, then.”
Yasmin frowned in offence, but carried on, “So…the Doctor, or my Doctor, was you before I met her?”
The Doctor cringed, “Spoilers. I guess she hasn’t explained regeneration to you, then? Brave of her to give her humans a heart attack when she inevitably kills herself.”
“Don’t talk about her like that,” spat Yasmin, still in stubborn disbelief that this man was the same person she called her friend.
The Doctor shrugged, “You can complain about it when you get back to her, I’m sure she’s still a fan of the self-loathing. Now, why don’t you tell me where you last saw…me, and we can have you dropped off?”
In her wonder, she’d forgotten the pressing matter at hand. Yasmin wondered how long she’d been unconscious for, and how much danger the others were now in, thanks to her.
“That’s the thing…I can’t remember. All I can remember is that they’re in danger, and I had to get back to our TARDIS. Something went wrong, but I don’t know what,” answered Yasmin, trying not to let her anxiety drown her.
The Doctor frowned, “I didn’t detect any signs of a head injury. You Pudding Brains never make it easy, do you?”
Yasmin glared daggers at the Doctor before storming towards the TARDIS doors. She couldn’t stand to look at this angry version of her friend, and she only grew more frustrated as she tried to understand how they were the same person.
“Ah, ah, ah. You’re not going anywhere until we get you fixed up. I can’t return you if you aren’t in one piece. You can have your tantrum later,” argued the Doctor.
“I’ll stay, if you tell me what the Hell’s going on,” agreed Yasmin, walking hesitantly back over to the Doctor.
“I forgot how exhausting it was travelling with humans. Alright, that way to the Medical Bay, and then I’ll give you the talk.”
The Doctor ushered Yasmin up a second set of stairs and up to a metal door with ‘Med-Bay’ engraved into it. He tried to remain detached from her, likely scared that she would be naïve enough to reveal his future, but allowed her to hold onto his arm as she struggled to walk.
The Med-Bay was almost identical to the one in her own TARDIS, and Yasmin wondered if the ship had designed it that way to ease her nerves. She’d found herself in the room many times before; once when Graham had banged his head on one of the pillars, again when Ryan had twisted his ankle running and when Yasmin had broken her wrist on an adventure. They’d all even had to pile in together when the Doctor had insisted on building an anti-gravity room.
Except, this room didn’t have the Doctor’s assorted tins of custard creams and jammy dodgers, and it didn’t have her worried, fretting Doctor.
The new, or Yasmin supposed it was old, Doctor set her down on the examination table, barking instructions for her to sit still. She wondered where her own Doctor’s bedside manners had come from.
“You were unconscious for about an hour, it was really boring. I fixed your arms while you were out, since the burns would only get worse. I’m glad you turned out to be nice, or that would’ve been such a waste of medicine,” said the Doctor as he gathered equipment.
“Oh, thanks,” said Yasmin, rolling her eyes.
“I didn’t move you either, in case you wanted to kill me or something. You did seem to like my floor, though,” added the Doctor.
“I think I just needed a good sleep,” said Yasmin, trying to act tough. Truth was, she felt weak, and almost every part of her ached or stung. She felt like her new friend wouldn’t be the most sympathetic, anyway.
“I did notice a nasty cut on your shoulder, so roll up your sleeve,” ordered the Doctor.
Yasmin did as she was asked and noticed the man had been right. She did have a cut that reached from the edge of her collarbone to the humerus. It had only recently stopped bleeding, as the blood around it was only just drying, leaving trails of blood running down her arm.
“This won’t hurt a bit,” said the Doctor, roughly taking an antiseptic wipe to the young woman’s skin to clear up the blood.
“Ouch,” hissed Yasmin when it reached the cut that she previously hadn’t felt was there. Now she was reminded more than ever what she had been through that day.
“I lied,” shrugged the Doctor.
“How are you my Doctor?” Yasmin asked herself, muttering just loud enough for the Doctor to hear. He finished bandaging up her arm before looking at her.
“Your Doctor,” the Doctor emphasised, “is me. Whoever you think she is, she isn’t. The sooner you learn that there is so much more to your friend than you think, the safer you’ll be. Not safer from her, mind, but safer from all the lies.”
“She doesn’t lie,” muttered Yasmin.
“Wrong,” barked the Doctor, “the Doctor always lies.”
Yasmin didn’t argue further, she just slumped stubbornly into the chair. The Doctor scanned her again with his own sonic screwdriver, his thick eyebrows knitted together. He found blossoming purple bruises and broken dirtied nails but was silently relieved she was otherwise alright.
“Keep drinking water, you’re pretty dehydrated, and be careful on that bruised ankle but you’re going to be fine,” reassured the Doctor.
Yasmin flashed him a weak smile, “Thank you.”
“Do you really not remember what happened to you? Would be good to know what you were up against,” asked the Doctor.
Yasmin shook her head, “All I remember is the Doctor telling me I had to get back to the TARDIS. I think she had some kind of plan. Then I was running through the desert…and I found your TARDIS.”
“Sounds like something exciting happened to you,” mumbled the Doctor, observing Yasmin as subtly as he could.
She noticed a mirror behind her and shuffled in front of it. Her face was speckled with red dirt, her eyes bloodshot and her once carefully braided hair looked like she’d been running through the woods for days. Yasmin thought she would’ve preferred that to the desert anyway.
“Don’t worry, put a bit of makeup on and you’ll look…fine,” said the Doctor with a distracted wave.
“I already have makeup on,” said Yasmin, noticing the majority of her eyeliner had managed to stay in place.
“Ah.”
Yasmin shook her head as to not get angry with him, as she’d learned it wasn’t worth it, “So, you said you had some explaining to do?”
“I guess you’ll figure it out someday, might as well be now. When you die, you die. Your family will bury you, or disintegrate you, and then move on, eventually. But Time Lords, we die, then we change and some new man…or woman now I guess, just walks away. One day your Doctor will change her face and become an entirely different person, and you’ll be left wondering if you really ever knew her at all.”
“So…you die and then become my Doctor? Like, you just transform?” asked Yasmin with a tilted head.
“Well, it’s a little more complicated than that but as far as human minds go, I guess it’s a pretty good summary,” said the Doctor.
Yasmin paled, “She never told us any of that.”
“I guess I get cowardly in my old age. What do you mean by ‘us’?” asked the Doctor.
“Oh, we travel with my friend Ryan, and his grandad Graham. I-I’m pretty sure they’re both with the Doctor now.”
“Right, well, three needles in a haystack are easier to find then one. Three humans and a Time Lord, your adventures must be like herding kittens,” said the Doctor with a raised eyebrow.
He helped Yasmin off the table, noticing she seemed to walk with a slight limp, before he offered her some aspirin. She was more grateful for the water she gulped down with it, but she also enjoyed the relief from the headache that had been growing.
Yasmin laughed sadly, “Yeah, that’s what Graham used to say. The Doctor was…is… much more of a kitten than a herder, it was usually his job.”
“Glad one of you has some sense,” teased the Doctor.
“Excuse me, I have lots of sense, I’m a police officer back on Earth,” said Yasmin, crossing her arms across her chest.
“Now that explains a lot,” said the Doctor, raising one of his impressive eyebrows.
Before Yasmin could argue, the Doctor sighed, “Alright, then. There’s only one way to find your friends. It’s time for you and me to go on an adventure.”
He walked over to the door and held it open for Yasmin. She ducked under his arm and waited for him in the corridor. She noticed he tucked some more water, and strange pills that definitely weren’t from Earth, into his pockets before joining her.
“Hang on,” said Yasmin, “sounds like you’re coming with me?”
“If I don’t come with you, I might never meet you in the future. Something tells me I’ll be pretty mad at myself,” said the Doctor.
“Yeah, I’d be pretty mad at you too,” agreed Yasmin.
“Better hurry up, then,” said the Doctor, gesturing down the corridor and to the stairs. She followed him down them, steadier on her feet now.
Yasmin was clearly nervous about stepping back outside. She dreaded to think about what would’ve happened to her if she’d not found the other TARDIS, and the thought of exposing herself to whatever’s out there again made her shudder. The Doctor realised she was terrified of whatever she couldn’t remember. He was, honestly, extremely interested to find out what Yasmin had forgotten, and why.
The Doctor shrugged off his coat and draped it around Yasmin’s shoulders. It was such a Doctor-ish gesture that Yasmin felt her heart flutter as it so often did around her own version of the Time Lord. The coat smelled like old books, chimney smoke and cinnamon, which eased Yasmin from her distrust of the Time Lord. He looked embarrassed when she smiled, genuinely, at him for the first time.
The coat drowned her, reaching past her knees, but she felt strangely comforted by it. She slid her arms into the sleeves, grateful for the soft, silky fabric.
“Can’t have you burning your arms again, human skin is so sensitive,” said the Doctor as he walked towards the TARDIS doors.
“You know, you’re more like my Doctor than I want to admit,” smiled Yasmin, chuckling lightly when the Doctor blushed.
“I think you’ll find that I came first,” scoffed the Doctor.
“Don’t ruin it.”
Yasmin was much slower to step out of the TARDIS doors, but the Doctor was more than happy to take the lead. He scanned it quickly with his sonic before stepping one heavy boot into the red ground. He quickly glanced around, making sure nothing had been waiting for Yasmin to come out from her hiding spot before stepping aside for her.
Yasmin’s own dirty, scruffy boots hit the ground and the TARDIS doors closed behind then. She stuck close to the Doctor, as she often did with her own, still nervous.
“I’m ready,” announced Yasmin, mostly to herself. She was already breaking into a sweat underneath the Doctor’s coat, but it felt like a comfort blanket around her shoulders. She tugged it tighter around her body.
“Just don’t do whatever you did last time, and you’ll be fine,” shrugged the Doctor, taking large strides.
Yasmin jogged to catch up, “Great, thanks.”
Their surroundings were almost entirely engulfed in darkness but were brightly lit by the powerful three moons above them. The sky held more stars than Yasmin had ever seen; some glowing colours she didn’t even know existed, but only the Doctor’s stern cough for her attention brought her back to the reality around her.