The Companion

“You think he’ll be there?” asked Harry as he drove towards the ice cream shop.

I’d almost lost track of time but glancing at the clock in the car I saw that it was nearly 11pm.

“Almost positive,” I replied, yawning. All the excitement and stress from this past evening had really started to take its toll on me. I’d had so much information and so many explanations thrown my way and to be perfectly honest, it was quite wearing. It put a lot of pressure on the mind.

“Are you sure you don’t want to go home?”

“I need to thank him… I’m sure you’d agree,” I replied.

“That is true,” said Harry and with that there was no further talk until we reached the car park behind the shop.

“What did I tell you?” I said, grinning upon seeing the TARDIS sat on the usual patch of grass, its lamp on top along with the lit up “Police Public Call Box” illuminating the ground in front of it. The two of us got out of the car once Harry had parked and walked over until we were directly in front of the door.

“Remember when we first stepped inside there?” I said, looking up at the sign.

“I believe I may have been a bit vocal towards him,” Harry said, chuckling.

“Yes, I believe you were,” I said, raising an eyebrow and smirking at him.

“I thought he was having us on,” he said in an attempt to defend himself.

“Well, I’m sure he doesn’t hold it against you,” I said, giggling.

“I better hope so,” he said, grinning at me. “Do you wanna knock?”

“Oh, right, yes,” I said, reaching up to knock a few times before opening the door and poking my head inside.

“I was wondering when you two were going to come in,” said the Doctor, who was stood at the console. As he spoke he gave a small gesture to the scanner behind him, which showed a view of my rear end poking out of the door and Harry waiting to follow me inside.

“What are you waiting for?” said the Doctor, beckoning us inside. We slipped in and Harry closed the door behind us before we joined the Doctor at the console. Harry sat himself on a chair while I leant upon one of the panels, being careful not to accidentally bump anything.

“Good to see you again,” I said.

“Likewise,” said the Doctor, grinning.

“Did you really not know the cracks would be here?” I asked.

“Interrogating me, are you?” the Doctor asked.

“No, but really… you said to me the day you arrived that you always have a reason. Was this the reason you were here?”

“I truly didn’t know what I’d find when I got here. The TARDIS, she has an eye for danger. She must’ve sensed a temporal or spatial disturbance and hence, this is where she brought me. I suppose she knew I was the only one who could’ve fixed it.”

“Did you know all along? How to fix it, I mean. Or do you really just have an incredibly impressive processing speed?” Harry chipped in.

“Well, I don’t like to brag. But yes, I suppose I did know. I’d done it before, closing a crack the way I did tonight. Didn’t make any difference in the long run but it worked that time and so I thought it might this time.”

“How come you took us on a field trip if you knew what could fix it?” I asked.

“I had to know the extent of problem. Yes, it would’ve helped if I’d closed the crack straight away but I had to be sure,” he replied.

“Even though Winston had said you might be looking in the wrong place?”

“Yes, well, he knows exactly how to keep me on the right track. Do I always listen? Barely.”

“Well obviously but… we had at least three more stops after Winston. At any point we could’ve gone back. Why not?”

“I don’t think I could resist showing you a bit more of what’s out there. Plus, a little thinking time is always an advantage.”

“Meaning?”

“Well, without that extra time I don’t know if I’d ever have figured out how to get Marie or, eventually, Niall out of that crack. You both would’ve lost someone and never known how much they meant to you. I couldn’t be the reason for that even if you couldn’t remember them.”

I was left speechless. He hadn’t even known what he’d be getting himself into coming here and yet he risked everything to save a handful of people in this tiny corner of the universe he had been roaming for centuries. His heart truly was in the right place.

“I know what you’re thinking,” said the Doctor. “But don’t. You’re more significant than you know. Look at you, the two of you. Full of hope and compassion. You’ll do great things, important things.”

“You didn’t even know us. You took a chance, a gamble. The universe or a few lives,” I said.

“Its what I do. Everyday choices just like this have to be made and you know what I say?”

“What?”

“Every life is worth the same and worth saving… you know, I should quote JK Rowling more often,” said the Doctor, making both Harry and I chuckle.

“So…” I said.

“So?” the Doctor replied.

“So what happens next?” I asked. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Harry sit up slightly as if ready to listen. I watched closely as the Doctor looked away quickly and began to dust over the console with a cloth as if his only real purpose was to avoid the question a little longer.

“You’re leaving, aren’t you?” said Harry.

“Nah, I don’t just leave… well sometimes I do, I hate goodbyes,” said the Doctor, still avoiding our eyes.

“But you aren’t staying… are you?” I said in an attempt to get him to confirm his answer.

“Could you stay put? Could you stay in one place when there is so much… so much out there?” the Doctor asked with that same child-like enthusiasm he had when he’d first taken us through time and space.

“I suppose I couldn’t… but what are you suggesting?” I asked.

“Listen, I know you both have lives you need to live. I understand completely but I also know that this faithful old girl can be very tempting…” said the Doctor, giving the console a pat.

“Go on,” I said.

“I feel… I am in need of a companion. It isn’t good to be alone… especially when you’re over 900 years old. I feel very fortunate to have met the two of you and… well… I’d like to offer you this,” he said, digging into the pocket of his trousers and pulling out a small silver key. He held it out to me.

“What… I… is this…?” I said, struggling to form a proper sentence.

“It’s a key to the TARDIS. I thought you might need it,” he said as he took my hand and tucked the key inside, giving it a small pat.

“I… I don’t know what to say,” I said as I opened my hand and looked down at the key. As ordinary as it looked on the surface I knew it opened doors to the most extraordinary things.

“Its for the both of you. I was thinking I could drop by every so often for a little day trip if you would like that,” said the Doctor, smiling.

I looked up at him and for a moment there was silence before I threw my arms around him and held him in an embrace.

“Thank you so much… and for everything else,” I whispered, still completely in shock. There were people who would give anything to have such travels and experiences and here we were being given the key to all of this. I felt the Doctor pat my back gently.

“No… thank you and you too, Harry,” he said as I let go of him and Harry moved forwards to shake the Doctor’s hand, grinning.

“I’m not sure what we’ve done but…” said Harry.

“You took me under your wing. A man like myself would be considered an outcast in most cases, I suppose I can be quite peculiar and a bit boisterous.”

“Not at all,” I said, shaking my head.

“If I’m honest, you’re the most interesting man I’ve met and you’ve certainly seen a lot,” said Harry.

“You’ve no idea,” said the Doctor chuckling. “So what do you say?”

“We accept, we most definitely, certainly 100% accept,” I said excitedly, bouncing on the balls of my feet.

“Someone’s eager,” said Harry chuckling and throwing his arm over my shoulders.

“Who wouldn’t be?” I said, grinning up at him.

“Fair point,” Harry replied.

“So, when will it be?” asked the Doctor, moving around the console.

“We’re going now?” I asked.

“No time like the present,” said the Doctor.

“As long as we don’t end up dead on our feet, this one was a bit tired before,” said Harry.

“Actually, you know, I feel pretty awake now,” I said, clapping my hands together.

“She does have that effect,” said the Doctor. “So, future, past or in between?”

I frowned slightly as I tried to think. There were so many times and so many planets in which we could find ourselves once stepping outside those doors. How could you choose just one?

“Ah… I dunno. Harry what do you think?” I asked.

“I’m struggling for ideas,” said Harry.

“Surely you have a place up your sleeve, Doctor,” I asked.

“Oh, I have plenty,” he replied.

“Surprise us,” I said simply.

He looked over at us with great excitement etched across his face before pressing a few buttons and pulling the lever.

I’ll never forget that exhilarating feeling that came with the jerk of the TARDIS floor and the deep mechanical grinding. I grabbed the bottom of one of the panels for support while Harry tumbled to the floor, all three of us in stitches as we were thrown through time and space to who knows where but there was no doubt in my mind that we were headed towards something incredible. The Doctor always delivered.

Notes