Adventures in the TARDIS

by Scroll

Part 5: The Day the Doctor Cried

The TARDIS crew, which now includes Derpy and Vision, are transported to a medical facility that, like almost everything else in this world, is virtual. That includes some of the personnel that works there. Likewise, Officer Hawkly remains on standby to insure a smooth transition of the new visitors towards a lawful status in this world. Since he is a computer program, he doesn't have to be sent anywhere else nor does he have a family whatsoever, or any kind of recreational lifestyle. As a result, he can remain with them on standby potentially indefinitely. Even if he is needed elsewhere, the computer that is governing him can simply create another copy of him and run it elsewhere simultaneously to the creation of the first, and so on. Since the same computer is controlling the potentially multiple copies of that virtual character, they can talk to many individuals simultaneously and it is all being added to the same database.

Most of the TARDIS crew are sent to a holographic doctor for a medical scan to make sure their health is clean and to clean it if need be. Curiously enough, only the Doctor himself, as well as Vision, are the exception because they receive a visit from one of the few real doctors in this virtual hospital. As a matter of fact, those two see the same doctor at the same time because Vision isn't split from the company of the Doctor. That is true because he registered himself as her legal guardian. As such, he is allowed to be present with Vision during her medical examination.

The virtual waiting room of this “hospital” is a white room with very sparse furniture. It seems to have a window, but it's more akin to a computer monitor or a television screen because the image displayed can be changed to anything the patients want. Many options for other kinds of furniture, décor of the room, or even the architecture can be changed to suit the whims of those waiting within it. If multiple ponies are waiting there, any changes are typically set by the last pony who requests a change in the room. If they cannot agree, then one or more of them can transport themselves to their own copy of this room, for this world has plenty of room to make as many private instances of anything that anyone wants.

Aside from Officer Hawkly, the Doctor and Vision are alone for quite some time in this virtual room after each of their other friends were transported off with some other virtual doctor one by one. Each time another holographic doctor showed up to claim another member of the group, it seemed to be the same individual. That is why the Doctor thinks it is noteworthy when he and Vision finally get a visit from a different doctor, and she's female this time.

This doctor is an egg-white unicorn mare who is wearing a white lab coat. She has an auburn mane neatly tied into a bun and her tail is neatly brushed straight. Her eyes are rich blue which is visible behind the tiny pair of holographic screens floating a mere inch in front of each of her eyes. They sort of look like glasses except they have no stem whatsoever. When she appears, she is sucking on a lollipop. After she appears, she trots towards them but her vision is initially unfocused as she reads virtual words displayed on her holographic “glasses”.

“Let's see. What do we have here?” this doctor queries as she approaches them. “Ooo! This is interesting. Two off-worlders. We don't see too many of those every day. And their names are Vision and . . . the Doctor?”

The Doctor grows intrigued to notice that this doctor suddenly gains much more interest in her patients and likely him in particular. The way she said his name sounded like she is familiar with him.

Oddly enough, something about her is familiar to him too.

“You heard of me?” the Doctor checks.

“Ah . . .” this new doctor trails off as if she isn't certain what to say. She looks like she is beholding something potentially incredible, but for that same reason, she's reluctant to believe it.

Deciding to change the subject, she reviews the information she has on them then says aloud, “It says here you are registered as this little one's guardian?”

“Yes. That's right,” the Doctor confirms while he puzzles over, in his head, precisely why this newcomer is so familiar to him.

“It also says here that she isn't well,” this doctor continues with a sudden note of concern. “She's coughing and is having high fevers. Oh dear. This simply won't do. Let's get you all better.”

“In the meantime, I will remain on standby in case you need me,” Officer Hawkly informs the Doctor. “Unless you request for me to accompony you.”

“Ah . . . no. That's quite alright. I believe I can take it from here,” the Doctor tells the virtual officer.

“As you wish,” Officer Hawkly politely acknowledges.

“In that case, let's get you two to the examination room,” the new doctor decides.

“Ah,” the Doctor lifts a hoof. “Before that, can you tell us your name, please?”

The doctor's blue eyes widen, startled, when she suddenly realizes that her patient here has a point.

“Oh shoot. I didn't introduce myself here, did I? How clumsy and impolite of me. Please allow me to rectify that right away.” She nods to the Doctor as she says, “Hello. My name is Doctor Kelly Saddler. A pleasure to meet you mister . . . um . . . Is your name really just 'the Doctor'?”

“It's not my birth name, but it is the name I have chosen to go by,” the Doctor answers then blinks to himself. He wonders why he just admitted that fact to a total stranger he just met. That is very unlike him.

“Your chosen name? I see,” Doctor Kelly says in a tone of interest. “And I assume it's the same story with Vision here?”

“Ah . . . no. That is her actual birth name,” the Doctor answers but he, and the other doctor, both lose focus on each other when they both see Vision cough.

“Enough of this,” Doctor Kelly decides. “Let's get this little one all better right away.”

---

The Doctor is impressed, relieved, and a little disturbed by the ease with which this new doctor's tech and magic remove the affliction on Vision. This is done after Vision gets scanned by a floating spherical robot that looks to be the size of a grapefruit. This floating droid split itself apart which reveals what at first looks like a camera, and it probably is as well, but it is also a multi-phasic tool. A virtual, holographic tool materializes in front of the eye of the “camera” which it uses to scan Vision with green glowing laser lines.

“I have removed the disease from her system,” Doctor Kelly informs the Doctor in this white glowing room which has no other furniture in it other than an operating chair that Vision is currently on. Just two feet ahead of her is a transparent, virtual copy of her body with the hide stripped away. Several virtual copies of her innards are on display instead, and that spectrum shifts to various modes while a transparent, virtual window displays more information off to the side.

“But there are additional problems in this little one that will need further treatment,” Doctor Kelly goes on. “Her heart and respiratory system are pretty weak. Some of it is from the damage of the coughing and fever and I can clean that up right now, but fixing the other problems will require more long-term treatment.”

“Such as?” the Doctor checks. “Will it require surgery?”

“Nothing that invasive,” Doctor Kelly answers. “I suggest injecting her with medical nanites.”

The Doctor is guessing that, if Vision was awake at this time, she would have wondered what Doctor Kelly is talking about. As it stands, however, the Doctor himself is far less confused.

“That sounds pretty invasive,” the Doctor somewhat objects.

“It's the best solution I can come up with to avoid long-term damage and very little medical risk to her,” Doctor Kelly informs. “It would take a few days to flood her system with self-replication to be enough to be very helpful. After that, they'll gradually start to repair whatever damaged tissue they find as well as strengthen what's already there. Her immune system, for example, will be put through training not unlike a military boot camp. And, when there actually is something in her system that shouldn't be there, the nanites will intelligently inform her immune system where the problem is and how to defeat it.

“The nanites will basically transform her body into a smart body that works approximately ten times more efficiently. Mind you it will not replace her basic body needs like eating, breathing, drinking and the like, but they will make everything about her body run significantly more efficiently. She'll still need cardiovascular exercise to strengthen her heart and her diet will have to be carefully monitored, but provided that is the case, the nanites will considerably improve the results of the effort. Ten times zero is zero, Doctor, but ten times one, which represents the bare minimum effort needed to improve her health, is ten. For every amount of effort above that, the results are greatly multiplied.”

“Color me impressed,” the Doctor says with approval. “My crew and I have been worried and debating about what to do with this child considering her fragile health. What you are proposing sounds too good to be true, but if you can really pull it off, I'd be a fool to completely reject it out of hand.”

“'Hand', Doctor? You have strange terminology,” Doctor Kelly reflects.

The Doctor smiles at her as he responds, “Consider it part of my charm.”

“Which is not lacking in other ways,” Doctor Kelly notes with a sideways glance at the Doctor as she blushes slightly. “You seem pretty well informed for a visiting alien. Have you encountered tech like this before?”

The Doctor sighs as he brushes a hoof through his mane and says, “Actually, yes. Well, sort of.” He puts his hoof back on the ground and then goes on to say, “The magic component of this tech is new to me, but other than that, some of this has a passing familiarity with my own culture. I wonder if what you have is somehow a byproduct of that.”

Doctor Kelly is silent for a moment before she asks, “Do you mind if I scan you now? I'm supposed to do that anyway unless you intend to leave this world now.”

“Go ahead,” the Doctor invites as a somewhat shrewd look sinks into his eyes. He knows what she's about to find out and he wants to study her reaction carefully.

“Thank you,” Doctor Kelly says back in appreciation before looking at the floating droid. Moments later, it spirals around the Doctor and starts to scan him with green laser lines. The Doctor knows it is doing more than just that.

Moments later, a new holographic double of the Doctor materializes in the room. Using her magic, Doctor Kelly shifts the focus of the holographic double to one element in particular. The Doctor narrows his eyes in victory when he notices that she immediately tries to find out how many hearts he has. The results displayed do not surprise him, but it somewhat surprises her.

“I knew it,” Doctor Kelly says in a tone of awe. “You're really him. The Doctor! The Time Lord. The traveler of the TARDIS. It really is you.”

“So you have heard of me,” the Doctor figures.

“Yes, but I didn't think I'd actually meet you,” Doctor Kelly goes on to say before she retracts that statement a bit by saying, “Well, not completely.”

“What do you mean?” the Doctor asks in mild alarm. “You expected to encounter me in pieces?”

“No. I didn't really expect to encounter you at all despite gathering some evidence that I would,” Doctor Kelly replies.

The Doctor widens his eyes in sudden interest as he asks with a bit of intensity, “What do you mean by that?”

“You really don't know?” Doctor Kelly checks with him. In reply, the Doctor just shakes his head. For some reason, that answer seems to disappoint her. Shortly later she says, “Then I'm not sure how much I should say. I can't even be certain if the evidence I gathered is real, but if it is and you don't know what I'm talking about, then the things I know pertain to things you haven't done yet. Accordingly, maybe I should keep it to myself.”

The Doctor casts a long sigh and then looks about the room. When he looks back at her, he requests, “Can you make a new chair for me?”

“Certainly,” Doctor Kelly replies then her horn glows golden brown. When it does, a force field the size and shape of a beanbag chair materializes behind the Doctor except a wedge is cut out of it to make a seat, with a backrest, in this floating sphere.

The Doctor proceeds to sit on it and then says to Doctor Kelly with an upraised eyebrow, “I noticed you didn't request for a computer on this world to create this chair, so I take it this one of your personal spells?”

“It is indeed,” Doctor Kelly answers before creating one of her own. She adds hemispherical shapes floating above her seat that is connected together which collectively sort of acts like armrests.

“About your response, I'll admit that I am uncomfortable with any information that might pertain to my future, but in this case, I sense something important going on here so I'll have to beg you for more details. Not too many details, mind you. Just enough for me to gather the gists of where and what you gathered your information from. I want to know how you reached this conclusion that the two of us were meant to meet.

“The reason I ask is because what if you're right? What if some future version of me gave you these clues because we really are meant to meet? If that is the case then it means this encounter is noteworthy to me too because, in the future, I'll know that you'll tell my past self about these clues which will be my hint that I'm meant to pay careful attention to you.”

“You really think that might be the case?” Doctor Kelly asks cautiously.

“We won't discover anything if we make no effort to explore,” the Doctor argues. “I say some risks are worth the plunge.”

Doctor Kelly sighs then says, “Alright, but I'll try to keep myself vague to avoid too many spoilers for you.

“Basically, I am a history buff because I have some interest in the subject. While reading through history, I discovered your name multiple times, including within our own society's history. I became somewhat of a fan of yours based on what I read. The journey you take and the things you do once you get there . . . I admire that. I really do.”

She pauses as she looks down to take a moment to collect herself, then looks back at the Doctor as she goes on to say, “But as my research of you continued, I gradually found clues that indicated something more than what casual research would normally convey. What I found were little clues here and there in the annals of history that have special meaning for me, and me specifically. Things like initials of those I know hidden within famous works of art or the first letter of each line in a book being a code word that not only I'm meant to solve, but only I would understand it.”

“I see,” the Doctor replies with a very intrigued expression.

“The first few times I discovered this, I thought it was amusing but I ultimately dismissed it. At the time, I figured it was nothing but a coincidence. As one with a scientific mindset, I didn't want to leap to any improbable conclusions so I waved it off.

“But the thing is . . . it kept on happening. Every time I made more research, I'd find more clues that no pony else would notice. Later on, it occurred to me that, since you have a time machine, it is possible that you could travel to each of these moments to implant these clues for me to find, but then I thought to myself, 'Why? Why would the Doctor, a legendary Time Lord and the last of his kind, be so interested in me? I'm nothing special and to entertain the notion of otherwise is just a pointless ego trip.'

“So, in the end, I still brushed it off and stopped doing any research about you.

“But funny enough, the clues continued relentlessly. Things like the songs I hear other ponies playing in my vicinity had special meaning for me that only I would understand and it made me think of you. Strange . . . um . . . 'synchronicity' is the only apt word I can think of for this relentless phenomenon. I believe in the concept of coincidences but when they keep on happening, any reasonable scientific mind would start to wonder when one notices very unusual reoccurring patterns happening. There is some remote plausibility that you could have caused it too but it's the motive I could never pin down. Why me? What is so special about me? Until I get a good explanation for that, I could never fully accept this.”

The Doctor just stares at her when she falls silent. During that time, she is attempting to analyze him in return for some hint on how he's feeling. Eventually she prompts, “What do you think, Doctor?”

“As I said, I get uncomfortable whenever I experience interference from my future self, but it has happened before. I even encountered future versions of myself before. Often it is when I will be in another regeneration cycle. As such, the future version of me may have a different face and there tend to be other differences too, including psychological, but it is me. It's annoying as heck to receive these spoilers on how I will turn out but sometimes we run into a situation that is so urgent that it requires multiple versions of me to solve.

“Likewise, whenever I encounter a past version of myself, it still feels annoying. Now I have to tip-toe around him and be very careful what I do or say around him or, potentially, even 'her' someday.”

“You can actually change your sex when you regenerate?” Doctor Kelly asks with fascination.

“It doesn't seem to happen to my race often. We're often settled upon one gender or apparent species at a time, but if our perception of ourselves changes drastically, then our transformation can be equally drastic. For instance, until recently, I wasn't a quadruped, and I'm still getting used to that fact as well as having hooves instead of hands.

“It's not just our sex that can change, but our apparent species as well. I say 'apparent' because we don't actually change what race we are, but we can simulate vastly different appearances.

“Our psychology works on a similar level. It can change some too, but the core of our being tends to remain the same such as our most important goals, vows and values.”

The Doctor looks down for a moment then looks back at Doctor Kelly as he continues, “My point is that this phenomenon isn't unheard of in my lifetimes. In fact, this is actually a gentler approach compared to direct encounters with myself. Those are really problematic, but as a time and space traveler, one can eventually run into clues of their future or past selves more and more often as the journey continues. The more our influence spreads through time and space, the more we may note familiar patterns, and sometimes those patterns might have intentional meaning. If it is the latter, then it's especially important to pay close attention. If I really did go through all the trouble of making sure this encounter happens, then it must be for a very important reason.

“The problem here is we're both equally in the dark about this. This is potentially orchestrated by a future version of me or even us, but neither of us knows why for the moment. In that case, I think our best strategy, for now, is to carefully pay attention to our surroundings and see if it leads us to any further clues.”

“That sounds reasonable,” Doctor Kelly agrees. “In the meantime, I have a patient with me in this room that I already improved the health of, but to go any further requires more treatments to make a more significant change for the better for her.”

“Couldn't the nanites do that themselves?” the Doctor checks.

“They can, but it is still recommended for the patient to be monitored by a trained physician,” Doctor Kelly informs. “I say that because sometimes there are multiple options for improving one's health or risks involved that the nanites have no way of knowing. For example, external factors outside the body such as walking into a cloud of smoke which happens to have something within it that the patient is allergic to. If the nanites were informed of that before it happened, they could've taken steps to counter that threat in advance.”

“I see,” the Doctor acknowledges with a nod. “And nobody else I know of on the TARDIS is trained for such things. I suppose I come the closest to understanding this, but even I'm not totally familiar with this tech.”

“Aside from my ability to care for Vision, I see nothing special about me in particular,” Doctor Kelly points out. “Especially since you could easily substitute for me.”

“Not in this case,” the Doctor argues. “Every patient is different, and so too are their needs. I'm not totally out of options when it comes to improving her health or restoring her sight, but in this case, my best option is to seek out other resources beyond myself and the TARDIS. Maybe I can be trained to use the tools of other advanced tech that could help, but I'd need to get to those tools first. Her needs here are forcing me to be somewhat innovative."

“I'm sure you can hoofle it,” Doctor Kelly says confidently.

“Perhaps,” the Doctor half agrees. “But I've learned it's not always wise to shoulder the burden on my own completely. Relying on the talents of others can be a great asset.”

“So far you said you haven't planted those clues yet about our meeting into history. Despite that, why would somepony as amazing as you be interested in little old me?” Doctor Kelly checks curiously and with a slight edge of hope in her voice. “Why would you even trust me? According to you, this is our first meeting for both of us. At least with you, I have some evidence of your heroic deeds in historical records, but for you . . . I'm just some pony you met.”

The Doctor looks down as he gives her words serious consideration. After all, he has already noticed how he's been a little unusually open with her. Why does he trust her so much?

To answer this question, he closes his eyes and plunges very deeply into his mind. By now, there are a lot of records in his head to keep track of. Some of them did fade away, especially between regeneration cycles, but as old and as dusty as some of it is, everything is still in there. A Time Lord never totally forgets anything. It's just that some information may be more important than others so they have more prominent access to that knowledge. Likewise, some are less important or less likely to be used, so that kind of knowledge rests in some dark corner instead.

For some reason, though, that's exactly where his instincts lead him in this case. Something old. Something practically ancient. Something within his life, but far, far back into it. Something very close to the beginning of his life.

Something back in Gallifrey!

The Doctor's eyes pop open with shock when he finally makes the connection.

“What?” Doctor Kelly asks in alarm when she notices his reaction. “What is it?”

“It can't be!” the Doctor cries out as he buries his face in his hooves.

“What?” Doctor Kelly requests again urgently.

“No! No! No! It can't be!” the Doctor insists frantically.

“Why her?” he wonders in his mind. “After all this time . . . why does it have to be her?”

The Doctor squeezes his eyes shut as he starts to cry. The pain of this loss from so long ago was mercifully buried and mostly forgotten, but suddenly, when he made this connection, the wounds return, fresh as new.

At this moment, reason and logic are rebelling against his hearts. Reason tells him one thing but his hearts tell him another. In fact, this time his emotions insist what he suspects is indeed the case, though his emotions offer no plausible explanation for it.

Here he is . . . almost a thousand years away from this memory of this person, long after he lost his home and his people, and now he's not even in the same universe anymore. Everything here has been ponified or some similar quadruped equivalent. It feels silly and absurd, but not in a boring way. Nevertheless, all of this serves to confirm he is very far from home.

And yet here is this doctor with her face (pony features notwithstanding) combined with her personality and capabilities. All of this points to one individual.

The one he loved dearly with all of his hearts.

The one he lost so long ago which evoked a pain that honestly, and very likely, led him to every other phase of his life later on.

The Doctor burst into a sob. He just can't help it. It came out too suddenly to stop, not to mention its intensity is too strong to stop.

The Doctor has endured the pain of this loss for almost a thousand years. During that time, other losses had occurred as well which were buried on top of this pain. In all that time, he tried to endure with a brave face.

“Not now,” he'd insist to his desperately crying hearts. “Others still need me. I have to be there for them and focus on their problems instead.”

But that pattern kept on going. Eventually it became his personal norm. He lived with his pain for so long that he simply accepted it as part of himself deep in his subconscious. He forgot what it is like to ever lack this pain. Somewhere along the way, he just accepted that he was the secretly tortured traveler who wore a brave smile on his face to hide his pain.

Very often the smile isn't entirely fake. There is plenty of reasons to truly enjoy his life, but beneath it all, it has a very tragic foundation. That has been true for so long that it became the only way he could define himself.

But now here she was again. In the flesh right in front of him. She isn't exactly the same, but neither is he. Both of them have gone through many changes in the interim, but his hearts passionately insisted she can be no one else.

With that realization, centuries of pain and loss suddenly pour out of him like a tidal wave or a dam that breaks. He would never do this in front of anybody else other than her.

But with her . . . he can hold nothing back. All of his secrets. Everything he truly is.

Even his true name if necessary.

His sob briefly pauses when he feels her lay a gentle hoof upon him. He looks up through tear-streaked eyes and sees her gaze upon him in confusion but also deep sympathy. Like him, she's a true healer at heart. When she sees someone else in pain, all she'd ever want to do is help.

So he collapses into her chest and does something he would never do in front of anyone else.

He pours out everything!

Comments

[Walrusesarecute]

“Nothing that invasive,” Doctor Kelly answers. “I suggest injecting her with medical nanites.”

um, that sounds more invasive.

[Walrusesarecute]

11849406
To me that is

[Scroll]

11849407
Did you reply to yourself? I haven't seen anyone else do that before.