The Stars - Doctor Who Fanfiction

Chapter Eight

Harriet coughed and wheezed loudly, her arm slung loosely around The Doctor's shoulder as they stumbled down the corridor. The Time Lord had her right arm around the human's waist, supporting her weight as she guided them towards the TARDIS. They didn't have a lot of time. The Doctor was counting down in her head.

She couldn't save her. All the planets, all the people she had seen, the knowledge she'd obtained over her thousands of years alive. And all for what? To let her friends die. But her friend wanted to see the stars, that was something she could do.

The Doctor shoved open the security room door, revealing the TARDIS in its hiding spot.  They bundled inside, the Doctor leaning Harriet against one of the crystal towers for her to rest on. She planted her down carefully, making sure she was stable on the floor before moving to the console.

"Doctor?" Harriet whispered, clutching to the side of the pillar, trying to steady herself.

"I'm here Harriet, we're in the TARDIS now. You want stars, I'll give you stars." The Doctor replied as she whizzed around the console. She pulled levers, twisted dials, hammered buttons and kicked the console where needed. She was moving as fast as she could, the TARDIS sensed her urgency and kicked into life, flying them off into the sky. The Doctor looked over in time to see Harriet slump further down. She flung the breaks on her ship, grinding her flight to a halt.

The Doctor ran to Harriet, carefully pulled her from the floor and began guiding her to the exit. "Come on, Harriet. Just a few more minutes, I promise it's worth it." The Doctor urged, conscious of the Human's weakening form. With her arm wrapped tightly around Harriet's waist, she used her other hand to click her fingers and send the TARDIS doors open. She delicately placed Harriet on the ground, moving her legs to dangle out the doorway. She joined her on the floor, letting the dying girl lean against her as they admired the view. 

The universe danced before them, brimming with life. Stars and planets highlighted the neverending horizon. Colours streamed and painted the background. A few ships whizzed by in the distance, transporting other life to new places. Harriet tried her hardest to keep her eyes open, each part of her body becoming weaker by the second. She clutched The Doctor's right hand in both her frail ones, wanting to hold onto her warmth as comfort. The Time Lord tried to keep her focus on the beauty before her, too frightened to glance at her friend, knowing each time she looked there would be less and less of her left.

"Thank you." Harriet squeezed the Time Lords' hand, not wanting to be alone.

"What for?"

"For showing me the stars." A weak smile lit the girl's face despite the situation. The Doctor smiled back, tears welling in her eyes. She pressed her forehead to Harriet's, at a loss for words. Not that any sentence could make it all better or take away the pain.

She pulled backwards, returning to their position of watching the universe pass them by. Harriet rested her tired head on The Doctor's shoulder, her eyelids felt heavier as each second passed. Her eyes darted quickly over the scene before her, each time spotting a new star to focus on or a new colour floating by. She wanted to take in every atom, every detail, every spec she possibly could. Nothing could compare to the sight.

The Doctor had seen it all before, flying above the Earth countless times, saving the inhabitants to her greatest ability. She never grew tired. The planet was ever-changing, each year bringing new advancements and terror for them to face. How could she exhaust protecting the human race?

The grip on The Doctor's hand lessened, she squeezed Harriet's hand to let her know she was not alone and could hold tight as long as she wanted but felt no response. The Doctor didn't need to look to understand. Her gentle breathing had come to a halt.

Harriet was gone.

The Doctor took back her hand from her new friend, moving it to place her arm around Harriet to hold her in place. She held the young girl tightly to her own body, as she began to cry, her hearts filled with guilt and sorrow.

"I'm sorry, Harriet, I'm so sorry." The Doctor whispered repeatedly, knowing it was too late for apologies. Another life lost from the promise of adventure with the Time Lord. The danger she brought to others would follow her, no matter how much care she took.

She was all alone again whilst floating through the stars.

The End.