sky sailing

you're not stubborn

My head pounds like crazy, and I moan loudly, opening my eyes to bright white LED lights. Everyone on the car is huddled around me, muttering things like: "He's awake!", "D'you think he's okay?", and "Poor boy, that must've hurt."

As if this isn't enough, I'm still on the floor, and now my back aches too. Seriously? They couldn't have even taken the effort to lift an unconscious boy onto a seat? I roll my eyes, irritation pricking me.

Suddenly, the past events catch up with me.

Where's the Doctor and eyeliner lady?

I leap up, and almost immediately tip backwards, head spinning. I would've fallen had it not been for Dee Dee, catching me by the arm with an impossibly gentle grip.

"Be careful," she warns as I thank her dazedly, breaking free from the crowd of people obscuring my view.

There they are. Kneeling next to the eyeliner lady is the Doctor.

She's... convulsing?

Hurrying over, I kneel next to the Doctor, curious.

"Jethro!" he hisses. "Get back!"
"That's not my name, you know." Because he does.

"I know." He sighs, moving so I can crouch beside him.
The eyeliner lady, Skai, suddenly stops shaking and becomes utterly still, ice blue eyes frozen wide. Almost as if in shock.

I can feel the Doctor's breath hitch beside me.

"...Skai?" he asks, tentative.

There's a long pause, and then;
"Skai?" she repeats.

"Uh, yes, that's your name."

As I watch, an uneasy feeling builds in my chest. This... can't be right.

"Uh, yes, that's your name," Skai mimics flatly, again.

Now, I know I'm right.

"I don't think that's Skai anymore," I state.

The Doctor glances at me, brows furrowed. "You're sure?" he confirms.

I nod absently, studying his eyes, a little taken aback at his reaction. What I find there shocks me.

Trust. Compliance. Complete faith.

I'm just the bratty kid on an interplanetary vacation to him. Why would he ever listen to me?

"I know," he says quietly, as if in reply. "I can tell. You and I, we're both aliens to this world. Both outcasts, both survivors of something we believe we shouldn't have gotten out of alive. I can tell you're both older and wiser than I, have lived and loved more. So that's why I trust you, in case you were wondering," he finishes with a grin.

I am officially nonplussed.

(A/N I'm not sure if that was a good way to end this chapter, but here you go, guys! The chapter you've all been waiting for. Sorry for the long wait. I'm getting back into this story, though, so the next chapter will be out quicker ^v^)