Held In Time || Doctor Who

8 || The Planet of the Rings

"I'm guessing I follow the light, literally?" I ask rhetorically, patting the wall and walking down the corridor.

The TARDIS leads me to the stairs, and I figure the Doctor must be in the console room. In the show, he's always there. So I take a chance and go up, my room only one level below the ground floor, even though I swear it was more yesterday.

I reach the final step and push myself up, striding into the main room to find a Time Lord fiddling with some wires, only jerking back to avoid the occasional spark.

"Is that going well?" I force a smile on my face, and he jumps at the sound of my voice.

The Doctor climbs back to his feet, twisting around to greet me, "yeah, 'course. It just needed a little bit of.. friction."

"Ah," I nod, as if I understood, but he beats me to talking.

"Right then! Where to today? I was thinking a planet this time. Y'know, you and Rose both love.." he frowns at me, pausing mid-sentence, "are you okay?"

I press my lips together, deciding how to go with this, "mmm.. well, if I'm honest, still a bit confused. Now that I've slept, I've had more time to think about it: if 'Doctor Who' is real, and not just a TV show, then how is it in my head? And, by this, how do I know your future?"

The Doctor nods gravely, showing he understood what I meant, "oh - er - we still don't understand much, but.. I'm sorry, Michelle, you were taken from a different universe."

My eyes widen, and I'm left slack jawed in shock. Different universe? Like.. like Rose Tyler would be in a few episodes. Er, no, not episodes. Doesn't work like that here.

"You know, you should've lead with that earlier. Like, way earlier," I breathe, unable to think coherently.

The Doctor cringes, a frown spreading across his face, "yes, I realise that now."

"So, I'm...but how?"

"There are thousands of thousands of different realities, different universes. Even more than that, even. There's bound to be a few where all of this, all of me, exist in the form of a television programme." He explains solemnly.

My head swarms with questions, each a throbbing pain. If I remember it from a different universe, how and why was I brought to this one? Also, when? If all my memories were wiped during the asylum, how and why did I still have the TV show there?

I start, slowly, unsure where I can even begin. I ask him the first question uneasily.

"I'm so sorry Michelle, I wish I can have more answers for you. But I really, really don't know. I can only guess your mo.. mother was experimenting with universe jumping - or some greater force. It shouldn't even be possible, even short trips."

And with the second question.

"We found you in the year 2024, so I can only assume you came from there. I don't think they'd be able to time travel, no human is that evolved,"

Finally, the last question, although that doesn't even scratch the surface of my thoughts.

"It's because, somehow, you are linked to me. Even then, when you experienced the event back before it was fixed. It's protecting your memories of me.." he runs a hand through his hair, "..I'm sorry."

I shake my head, trying to gather my thoughts, "So.. so, hang on, so did you say I meet you at different points in your timeline?" I ask him another burning question that hasn't left my mind since yesterday.

The Doctor's eyes spark in recognition, a sad smile still plastered on his face like a mask, "you sort of.. jump in the timeline. My timeline, and you always land near me. It's like your body is linked to mine, like.. like coordinates but scattered across my life. Well, recent life. Give or take a millennia or two."