A Healing Touch (DW)

Chapter 4 - Walkin the plank

"Come on board the TARDIS. Visit new planets. Have a few laughs", Farah grumbled as she tried to get comfortable for the 10th time. Not easy when one wrist is chained to a wall in a cell of a pirate ship. She was really regretting having a Pirates of the Caribbean marathon the other day. Why of all the bright ideas did I suggest to visit the real Port Royal? the ginger thought. She was glad that she'd remembered to lyrics to Jolly Sailor Bold because after singing that to the captain and his crew, they'd just agreed to put her in the hold as their prisoner instead of killing her there and then or worse. Farah closed her eyes and decided to think about the past few days to try and get her mind off of her current situation.

She recalled the time the Doctor showed her a star going supernova and then the entirety of the Milky Way. Looking out at her home galaxy certainly put things into perspective. For instance, she realised that the Earth was but a small part in a larger picture that made up the swirling mass of stars and planets that was stretched out before her. It also made her wonder how many of those stars circulated around planets that held life just like hers did...how many of those had people, like Earth.

Speaking of 'people'...she was still somewhat embarrassed by what happened the other day. The ginger honestly hadn't intended to agree to marry that pompous git! She'd just said 'yes' to shut him up! Something good did come out of it though, what with how the Doctor had come storming into the church with his objection...swept her off her feet and then did a daring escape on horseback...the Time Lord was really something else, wasn't he? Her smile faltered as it brought her back around to her current predicament.

Storming a fancy medieval church was one thing, pinpointing a pirate ship in the middle of the sea was another thing entirely. She hoped that the Doctor was going to find her soon....preferably before she was forced to walk the plank or something.

"Gotcha!"

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Farah was rudely woken by someone shaking her. "Time to going girl", the pirate said yanking her to her feet. She was led to the top deck where nearly the entire crew had gathered.

"You've got to be kidding me", she said as she was brought to a stop right in front of the step that led to the plank "you're going to have to physically carry me up there and toss me off because I am not moving another step", she said to the captain who happened to be the notorious Blackbeard. Why couldn't I have been kidnapped by Jack Sparrow instead?

"That can be arranged but I would rather you go on your own", he said unsheathing his cutlass and pointing it at her.

"Right walking the plank", the empath mumbled. Before she stepped up onto the plank, her hands were tightly bound. "How am I supposed to swim with my hands tied?" she asked. Blackbeard didn't say anything but stepped forward, his cutlass perilously close to her neck. He forced her up on the plank and made her walk all the while keeping his blade inches from her back. As she got closer to the end of the plank, she heard a noise which made her look up. A Smile broke out of her face when she saw it was the TARDIS flying overhead. Her expression changed to that of terror as she was pushed off the plank. Farah screamed as she plummeted into the water.

She sank quickly due to the period style dress she was wearing and without the use of her hands, it was going to be big challenge to get to the surface. The ginger didn't care how hard it was going to be, she was not about to let herself drown! Farah kicked as hard as she could with her legs hoping that she could hold her breath long enough to reach the surface. Her progress was slow...too slow...yet still she didn't give up. She kept going despite the fact that her legs were killing her and her lungs felt like they were about to explode.