Chapter Text
Tom waved as Maddie left the vets office. She waved back brightly and trotted over.
“Time for some lunch?” She asked, as he lent down to kiss her cheek.
“Yup.” Tom wrapped his good arm around her and the two started to walk over the car. “I’ve had a busy morning shredding paper.”
“Your talents for that is unmatched.” Maddie laughed, as they reached the car.
“Wade won’t let me do anything else. My arm is fine now, but until it’s officially cleared off, Wade is taking his stand-in chief position very seriously. Won’t even let me lift a cup of coffee.”
“Let me guess, he’s been making you cups all day?” Maddie said.
“Wade’s talents for making coffee and holding mugs is unmatched.” He then veered over to the passenger side of the car.
She then looked at the car and back up to Tom. “Is this your way of saying ‘can you drive home’?”
Tom chuckled and offered her the keys. “Could you?”
Maddie sighed, but gave him a smile. “Go on then.”
However, just as she took the keys from him there was a noise. Almost a whirling.
The two of them stilled as they listened.
“What on Ear- there!” Tom pointed at an alley, where a light was emitting, dimming and brightening in a repetitive pattern.
The pair ventured closer, slowly inching towards the alley. Then the light stopped, as did with the whirling, finishing with almost a clunk. Tom raised a hand and motioned for Maddie to stay back. He took another step forward and from the alley there was a creak, followed by a yelp and a thunk. Tom took another step forward, quicker this time and Maddie appeared by his side. The alley came into view, revealing a man lying face down on the floor.
“Sir?” Tom called out. He took another step forward. “Sir? Are you okay?”
The man suddenly gasped and pulled himself up to his feet, staggering over to Tom, allowing Tom to see the man’s face. Tom let out a low hiss and took a step back, bumping in Maddie behind him. “Stone! What are you doing here?”
Stone blinked, before patting himself down. “Flesh, I think. At least, I hope not stone.” He then frantically waved his hands around. “No, you’re looking at me and I can still move, so definitely not stone, thankfully, don’t want to be an angel… again.”
Tom frowned and glanced at Maddie, who whispered, “I think he’s changed his accent. He sounds British.”
“Look, what are you doing here?” Tom asked again, louder this time, tensing himself up in case the doctor's fanatic assistant lunged at them.
“Are you…” Maddie then said suddenly, taking a step forward. “Hurt?”
“Huh?” Stone looked down and Tom followed his gaze, realising now that Stone was wearing a blue pinstripe, almost a suit? More of a waistcoat and… skirt situation. But there was gashes, in the clothing. Almost like claw marks, across his torso, over his shoulder. “Oh,” Stone then said, as if he had almost forgotten about them. “This? No, I’m fine. Already got over it, look, I’m fighting fit.” He twirled, revealing another large claw mark over his back. “I will say this,” and like a flash, he was suddenly much closer, his eyes wide as he raised his fingers to his temples. “Don’t go fighting a telekinetic tiger.”
“I’ll- I’ll bear that in mind.” Maddie said, taking a step back back behind Tom.
“Hah, bear, almost like a tiger.” Stone then raised his hands like claws and bared his teeth, mimicking the growl of a tiger.
“Back up!” Tom then yelled, placing himself in between Stone and Maddie. “Again, what are you doing here?”
Stone dropped his tiger impression and frowned up at Tom. He then straightened up and changed that frown into a glare. “You sound American. Your uniform says ‘USA’ on it. I don’t like the police. Always getting in the way and not helping people when you should.”
“Not all of us.” Tom glared back.
Stone pulled a face, “that’s like saying all of humanity isn’t as dense as a neutron star. Pretty much impossible- oh.” Stone then stilled and looked off into the distance. “That’s a bit more rude then I’ve been in the past few years.” Stone shook his head and pointed a finger accusingly at Tom. “Are you not trained to protect property first and foremost, and not the citizens who live- look at me, only been born, what, 5 minutes, already getting into arguments- to cut a long story short, I was my ship and she was in my body, wanted to go exploring, as she should, get a chance to stretch her legs seeing as she’s a ship and doesn’t have any, found a honeybeetle captured by a cowboy in 1891 with a shotgun and a telekinetic tiger. She rescued the honeybeetle, and the tiger was well you’ll be pleased to know, but got a bit torn up, and a bit shot. And seeing as I wasn’t me when I died, the regeneration cycle wasn’t in full gear so when we transferred back I had to undergo the process again, and the energy transfer short circuited her systems, lowering the defenses and allowing us to get caught up in a time storm in the vortex, sweeping us off to wherever and whenever this is- why did I fall when I exited?”
Tom and Maddie stared as Stone babbled his nonsense. He span around and took a few more shaky steps back towards the alley.
“I think something’s not right with him.” Tom muttered.
“Oh, you think?” Maddie whispered back, as Stone had taken to kicking the wall and scanning the alley.
“We should… get him to a hospital?” Tom suggested and Maddie grimaced.
“Well, you can try, I don’t think he’d take any help we offer.” She said.
Tom nodded and took another step forward. “Hey!”
Stone swirled around, his brow furrowing. “Yes? I’m quite in the middle of something here.”
“Kicking a wall?” Tom asked.
“Yes.” Stone said firmly. “For reasons I’m sure you wouldn’t be able to get your tiny little mind around, so why don’t you pop off.” He then returned to kicking the wall.
Tom folded his arms and glared. “Look, you know I won’t be leaving you alone in the middle of town after what happened last time.”
That got Stone’ attention, as he paused mid-kick and snapped his head to face him. “Last time?”
“Yes, or the last several times.”
Stone stared for a moment, before trying to take a step forward, seemingly forgetting his leg was still raised in the air mid-kick.
He was crashing down on his face.
“I have only just changed.” Stone said, his voice muffled slightly by the ground below him. He scrambled up, shoving himself into Tom’s personal space. “I’ve only been in this body 5 minutes, before that I was trapped in my ship and an hour before that I was a black Scotsman, I’m sure you’ve never seen me before- unless-” he lent even closer, forcing Tom to shuffle backwards. “I live a very complicated life, things don’t often happen to me in the right order. You might know me, but rest assured I’ve never met you in my lives.”
At that, Maddie stepped forward. “Aban,” she said gently. At that, Stone’s face scrunched up, almost in confusion. “I know what you went through must have been… rough… We know you felt… very strongly about Egg- Robotnik, but we’d like to help you- we-”
“AH!” Stone slapped the slide of his head and started to laugh. “Oh, this is easy, you think I’m someone else.”
“So you’re saying you’re not Aban Stone?” Tom asked, looking him up and down. He looked near 100% identical to Stone.
“I’ve ran into people I’ve shared a face with in the past, there was Salamander, Commander Maxil, Caecilius, Rose, I suppose it’s been known to happen.” Stone started to trail off as he spoke, lost in thought, before he shook his head, broke out into a wide beam and extended his hand. “Hello, I’m the Doctor.”
“Oh, he has gone insane.” Maddie muttered.
“Of course.” Stone said, still beaming. “Honestly I’d be surprised if I wasn’t.” He retracted his hand before Tom even had the chance to shake it.
“I think.” Tom said, reaching a hand to slowly place it on Stone’s shoulder. “We should get you checked out at a hospital.”
Stone’s smile froze and he suddenly backed up, not going far as Tom’s hand gripped his shoulder more tightly. “Oh no no no, no hospitals. I don’t need a hospital, I don’t want to go to a hospital.”
“Just to look you over.” Maddie said, appearing at Stone’s other side, placing a hand on his other shoulder, trying to gently push him towards their car. “It won’t take too long.”
“There’s no need, I am perfectly fine.” Stone argued, as both of them started to push him forward. “Your human hospital won’t even know what to do with me.”
Tom and Maddie shared a glance. They definitely needed to get him to a hospital.
“Look, Stone, I know that the… explosion was hard on you, but we can get you some help.” Tom said, keeping his voice calm and level.
“Shut up, ah, see,” Stone managed to tear himself from their grasp and wheeled around to point at them. “See, I was right. Getting in the way. And stop calling me ‘Stone’, my name’s the Doctor.”
“Alright,” Maddie said, gritting her teeth. “Doctor who?”
“Just the Doctor.” Stone said.
“Well then, ‘Doctor’,” Tom said, “then we’d best get you back to the hospital, being a doctor and everything.” He smiled at that. He must have thought he was awfully clever.
“Oh no, I’m not A doctor, I’m The Doctor.” Stone insisted. He took hold of his lapels and grinned. “The definite article, you might say. Not really a medical doctor, well, technically yes, I got a medical degree from Joseph Lister in the 1880s.”
“That probably makes me more qualified to deal with people than you then. Healthcare has moved on since the 1880s. I’m a vet.” Maddie tried, forcing a smile.
“Don’t encourage him.” Tom hissed.
“I also have a doctorate in smoking kippers I got from the University of Aberdeen in 2305.” Stone took a huge step away from them. “Right.” He clapped his hands. “Would love to stay and chat but, I actually don’t.” He then once again twirled and started to march down the road.
“Hey, no. Come back here, right now!” Tom yelled after him. Stone turned to glance back and then set off running down the road instead.
“Hey!” Tom shouted and took off running after him.
“Hey Maddie.” Came Sonic’s voice from behind her.
Maddie glanced back. “Hey Sonic.”
“Who’s Tom after?” Sonic asked, He was drinking a slurpee, a bar of chocolate in his other hand.
“Stone.” Maddie said.
“Stone?!” Sonic accidentally inhaling his slurpee in one go and gasped. “What’s he doing here?”
“I don’t know. He’s gone a bit… odd.”
“I think he’s always been a bit creepy and odd.” Sonic laughed.
“No, more than that.” Maddie said. “Like he’s a bit delusional. I think we need to get him to a hospital.”
“Oh, well, in the case.” Sonic then shoved the chocolate bar into his mouth and passed the empty cup and wrapped to Maddie. “I’ll go get him.” He said, his mouth full of chocolate. And with that he zoomed off.
“Right. Okay.” Maddie muttered to herself. “I’ll get the car.”
Sonic immediately whipped in front of Stone, wearing an unusual blue suit.
Stone ground to a halt and doubled over, panting hard. “Oh, that’s just not fair, I can’t run that fast.”
“Why are you wearing that? I’ve never seen you wear anything other than your normal black suit.” Was the first thing out of Sonic’s mouth. “Blue pinstripes?”
“It’s-” Stone gasped, staggering over to lean against a lamppost. “It’s very- fashionable. Or was- looked cool in it. Blue- blue pinstripe. Should- should incorporate more- more kilts too into my out- outfits.”
Sonic laughed and raised his hands. “Alright, alright.” Then his smile dropped as he watched as Stone started to breathe even harder, his hand raising to the right side of his chest. “Are you okay?”
“I’m not- not done yet.” Stone managed to say, between gasps. “Still regenerating, shouldn’t have done that.” He then collapsed to his knees and started to hit the right side of his chest.
“Hey, what’s wrong?” Sonic walked closer, his hands hoovering besides Stone. The hits were slowing down and Stone’s eyes looked glazed over, he was practically hyperventilating.
“Right- right- heart- right heart- not- not-” Stone didn’t get to finish, as he suddenly collapsed forward, unconscious before he hit the ground.
Tom finally came charging forward, panting himself.
“I didn’t do anything, he collapsed on his own.” Sonic said quickly, stepping back from the collapsed man.
Tom stared at Stone for a moment before shaking his head. “Hang back a moment.” He then knelt down and took hold of Stone, gently turning him over so he was lying on his back. “Right, let’s see what’s going on.” He said, placing a hand on the left side of Stone’s chest. “His heart is racing like crazy.” Tom said. He moved his hand back before suddenly stilling, his hand over the right side of Stone’s chest.
“Tom?” Sonic asked, frowning.
Tom quickly lowered his head onto Stone’s chest, pressing his ear onto it.
“Tom?” Sonic tried again.
“I thought I felt-” Tom raised his head and shook it. “Nah, must have been my imagination.”
At that moment the car pulled up and the window rolled down, revealing Maddie instead. “What happened?” She asked.
“He just collapsed. I didn’t do anything, I swear!” Sonic cried.
“We really need to get him to the hospital.” Tom said, hooking an arm around Stone and hauling him up. Sonic opened the car door and hopped in after Tom shoved Stone instead.
“And I’ll be here ready to bash him out in case he wakes up again.” Sonic chuckled. “I’ll call Tails and Knuckles to get over here, once we’re at the hospital. Three are better than one to guard Eggman’s attack dog.”