A Second Chance (A Doctor Who fanfiction)

No Hope

From that point on, time passed incredibly slow for Adric. He was still hanging, suspended in the Hadron web. He didn't know how long he had been held prisoner, whether he had been there for weeks or months, but it had felt like years. The Master had promised that Adric would never be free and he was starting to believe it. With every day that passed, his hope of rescue dwindled more and more.

Adric still resisted the Master's will as much as the wires in his brain would let him. There wasn't much he could do, but if he concentrated hard enough, he could manage to at least shield his thoughts. He was still working out calculations, but he would not give the Master complete control of his mind.

When the Master wasn't using Adric's brain for calculations, he seemed to enjoy torturing him for fun, both physically and mentally. The Master was a Time Lord, so he required much less sleep than humans or Alzarians and would spend many of his waking hours tormenting Adric.

The Master was currently making use of the disc implanted in Adric's neck. Adric screamed in pain as the Master used the device to send wave after wave of electricity through his body. Eventually, the pain stopped for a moment, and Adric took a moment to catch his breath. His breathing was ragged and he felt as though his whole body was on fire.

The Master let out a small chuckle, then said, "you still don't get it, Adric, do you? This would be so much easier for both of us if you would cooperate."

"No, I won't help you. The Doctor–" Adric said weakly, but the Master interrupted him.

"I've told you before, foolish boy. The Doctor is not coming to your rescue. The Doctor and your pathetic little friends think you are dead." The Master's usual evil grin had been replaced by a look of pure annoyance, as though the mere mention of the Doctor was enough to agitate him.

"You're lying," Adric managed to reply. He still refused to believe it. He wouldn't allow himself to give in to despair. After all, if the Doctor wasn't coming to save him, then he would have no hope of rescue at all. The Master scowled, then pressed the button again.

Finally, after what felt like hours, the Master exited the room, leaving Adric alone with his thoughts, which was almost more agony than the torture. In the rare moments like this, when he was alone, when the Master was sleeping or otherwise engaged, the part of his mind that was shielded from the Master would wander.

He thought about everything that had happened since that fateful day, the day of the crash that should have killed him. He thought about the Doctor and his friends, Tegan, and Nyssa. Sometimes, he would even think of Romana. He wondered if she was happy in E-Space. Most of the time, though, he would reflect on his current situation, how he was trapped with little hope of rescue, how the Master claimed the Doctor believed he was dead.

He broke down sobbing. Everything hurt so much. His body ached from the torture and his mind was so weak from resisting the Master. Not for the first time, he found himself wishing he was dead. He wished he had died in that explosion like everyone thought.

Not too long after, the Master came again to torment Adric, but this time, he seemed much more concerned about the calculations than anything else. He muttered to himself while he adjusted the wires and didn't even seem to notice when Adric groaned in pain.

Eventually, Adric was left alone again. This time, the Master was resting in his room, deep within the halls of the TARDIS. Despite being completely exhausted, Adric was unable to sleep. The Master's device wouldn't allow his brain to fully rest, so Adric hadn't slept properly since before he was captured. He closed his eyes in a desperate effort to sleep, but it was no use.

The Master's words from earlier, about how the Doctor thought he was dead, still echoed in Adric's mind. He tried everything to block the thoughts out, but he just couldn't ignore them. He wasn't sure how long he had been here, but he knew that the Doctor should have rescued him by now.

The realisation struck him like a lightning bolt. It had been there, in the back of his mind, ever since he had first been captured, but he could ignore it no longer. The Doctor wasn't coming for him. No one was. In that moment, he knew that he was truly alone. There was no one to save him and no chance of escape. He finally gave in to despair. It all felt so hopeless.

From that point on, he gave up resisting against the Master's will. It would be better to simply give in than to be hurt again. There was no point. Rescue would never come. He would be stuck here forever as the Master's plaything. At least, that's what he thought.

Author's Note:

Thanks for being patient while I wrote this chapter. Life has been pretty busy and I was having a hard time getting this chapter just right. I do have most of the next few chapters written, so hopefully I will update again soon. Once again, thank you so much for reading! Your comments mean so much to me and have encouraged me to keep writing.

-musicismyhappyplace