Cosmic Energy (Doctor Who FanFiction)

Smith and Jones

"...Minister Saxon has been drawing praise from around the globe for his courageous actions on Christmas Day..."

Zana's eyes were starting to gloss over as she stared at the television in the corner of the hospital unit the Doctor had been assigned to. He had checked himself into a hospital, the Royal Hope Hospital in the center of London, to be exact, because he'd noticed something was "off" about it. But they'd been there all night and absolutely nothing was out of the ordinary.

"...and that's how I met Winston Churchill for the very first time. Hell of a night!" the Doctor's voice pulled her focus from the telly and back to the Time Lord, who was nestled comfortably in a hospital bed while she sat beside him in the world's most uncomfortable chair. She offered him a small smile, to at least let him think she had been listening, and shifted positions in her seat in a vain attempt to find comfort.

It had been a whole month since Rose had gone to Pete's World, two weeks since Donna Noble appeared before them in the TARDIS, and only three days since the Doctor and Zana finally agreed that they had mourned the loss of their friend in solitude for long enough. They knew it wasn't what she would have wanted, but the thought of exploring the stars without her was too much for them to bear.

But that had to try. For Rose. For themselves.

"I'm going to look around," Zana announced as she stood from her seat, stretching her arms as she did so. She groaned as her muscles stretched from their constricted positions.

"Not a bad idea," the Doctor nodded with a smile. "Can you see if there's a little shop? I love a little shop."

"Or, maybe, I could look for alien threats?" She raised an eyebrow cheekily. "That is the reason I'm having to sit here while you're tucked away in bed, after all."

"If I remember correctly, which I do, most of the time," he rambled, "you didn't want to pretend you were sick. You could be the one tucked into bed right now and not me. The alien," he whispered the last part while giving her a knowing look.

"I'm honestly surprised they didn't find out you had two hearts the second you arrived," Zana smirked slightly, shrugging on her jacket. "You've gotten lucky."

"Yeah, well let's hope luck stays on our side," he murmured as he crossed his arms.

Zana chuckled and shook her head, "Quit pouting, Doc. I'll be right back."

*~*~*~*~*

When Zana was little, she always told her parents that she wanted to be a doctor. She never wanted to be a doctor, not really, but it was the most noble occupation she could think of at such a young age, and she knew it would make her parents happy to hear. The irrational fear she held for needles was enough to keep her out of the medical field, not to mention the years and years of schooling and residency necessary. She could never picture herself as someone who could heal the sick or save lives on the daily, she didn't see herself as capable.

It took people stronger than herself to be doctors.

That didn't mean that she didn't enjoy watching the hustle and bustle of hospitals. Even back on New Earth, she remembers spending hours watching as the cat nurses attended to patients. Of course, that was before the unfortunate incident of Cassandra exposing them and releasing hundreds of infectious beings throughout the building, but it was fascinating nonetheless.

"Oi!"

Before Zana even knew what was happening, she was shoved roughly into the wall by a man dressed head to toe in leather and a black helmet. Her shoulder instantly started radiating with pain, causing her to squeeze her eyes shut in an attempt to keep the pain at bay. Just as she gathered her bearings and went to yell at the man, a loud crack of lightening filled the air as the ground beneath her began to shake uncontrollably.