Work Text:
In a faraway corner of a distant galaxy, the Tardis landed on an ice planet. The Doctor smiled as the monitor screen displayed what lay beyond the Tardis doors. Brilliant.
Yaz was standing on the other side of the console, she’d taken so perfectly to the role of co-pilot, her hands now moved seamlessly across the controls as if flying the time ship was something she’d been born to do.
It was these small moments when then the Doctor let her gaze linger that bit longer that she felt the now familiar bubble of warmth flow through her hearts. The fleeting moments where she allowed herself to feel, to feel something that might be more than friendship.
“So, how’s it looking?” Yaz asked, looking up from the console and flashing the Doctor a quick smile.
“Best wrap up warm for this one,” the Doctor suggested in return. “It’ll be worth it though.”
Yaz nodded and headed towards the Tardis wardrobe to retrieve her coat.
“What ‘bout you?” She asked a few moments later, having returned with a thick fleece-lined parka.
“Me?” the Doctor shrugged and picked up her usual long grey coat. “I’ll be ‘reet. Gotta have me trusty coat, it’s a good coat this Yaz, with very good pockets.”
Yaz sighed but decided not to protest, the Doctor was very set in her ways when it came to clothes and she seemed to have a particular fondness for the long grey coat.
“Ready?” the Doctor asked, giving Yaz her widest grin.
“Yeah,” Yaz relied, quickly pulling on a bobble hat and thick gloves. Her eyes lit up with excitement at the new world that lay beyond the Tardis doors.
“Come on! Let’s explore.”
As they stepped out of the Tardis, the Doctor couldn’t help but smile at the way their footsteps crunched through the snow and at how, despite their differing biologies, their breath rose in the same wispy clouds in perfect rhythm as if they were breathing as one. These were the moments that she treasured the most. Just the Doctor and Yaz, exploring the Universe. And how she had chosen somewhere beautiful for the next adventure.
Two blue suns burnt against a lilac sky, they lit up the landscape but provided little warmth.
Rocky landscapes were framed by sprawling forests of purple and deep blue trees.
After everything, it was nice to relish in the stillness, the quiet tranquillity of the frozen world.
On the horizon beyond the line of trees rose a rocky outcrop of a city, with tall twisted spires that matched the icy landscape.
That was where they were going to head, they decided. Towards the city, the prospect of meeting a new civilisation was too exciting to pass by.
And so they did. They made their way along winding paths that followed a river with water so crystal clear it looked like glass.
“Wow,” Yaz breathed. “This is really something.” She turned slowly on the spot, trying to take everything in. It truely was beautiful, under the light of the cold burning suns the whole landscape seemed to sparkle, ice crystals like diamonds, glistening with all the colours of the rainbow. Though despite the beauty, she couldn’t help but wonder what kinds of civilisations could survive in such extreme conditions.
The Doctor watched her friend closely. There was that fuzzy feeling in her hearts again. She watched how Yaz’s eyes sparkled as she took in the landscape of the planet. How she still relished in the awe and wonder of the Universe. Even after everything she had seen there was still an innocence there.
Still, the Doctor couldn’t shake the shadow of Time’s warning.
"Nothing is forever. No regeneration, no life. Beware of the forces that mass against you... and their master."
She didn’t want the adventure to end yet, she didn’t want her time with Yaz to end yet. Not now, not when there were so many new feelings that she was trying to figure out.
So the Doctor did what they always had done. They ran. She grabbed Yaz’s hand and ran across the stars, determined to show her every beautiful, every amazing corner of the Universe before time ran out. Before the forces, and their Master, caught up with her once more.
She kept smiling and laughing, feeling more free than she had in a very long time and if she really tried she could almost remember what it was like to be happy. Almost.
She wanted to give Yaz as many memories as she could, happy memories, wonderful stories in the hope that it would make the loss that would surely come that little bit less painful. Because now that the Doctor knew how Yaz felt about her, it made it that much harder to even think about the end. The inevitable goodbye, because nothing is forever.
All she wanted was to care for and protect her, to show her beauty and wonder just to see her eyes sparkle and face light up with every new world.
And maybe, just maybe, if she could run that little bit faster, that little bit further, then she could tell herself that wouldn’t have to end.
She found that she was no longer weighed down by who she was or her past life, she was now fearing what was to come.
"Nothing is forever. No regeneration, no life. Beware of the forces that mass against you... and their master."
They had been following the trail by the River for just over an hour, Yaz leading the way and the Doctor following closely behind her, excitedly pointing out each new plant species and every interesting rock. Five minutes back they had both fallen into fits of giggles when they’d passed a rock that resembled Graham, with stripes blue and purple colouring even creating what could have been his trusty west-ham scarf.
All of a sudden the Doctor froze. The air around her seemed to still and everything stopped but her mind kept moving. Images flashed through her mind and she saw so clearly what was going to happen. Yaz, a few steps in front of her. A withered and dying branch. An old and rickety bridge. A gust of wind. A fast flowing and icy cold river. All small, seemingly insignificant things, but together at the right (or wrong) moment, they formed a chain of connections that would lead to fatal consequences. The Doctor saw it all and she knew, she didn’t know how or why, but she knew had to stop it.
She took a step forward, “Yaz, the bridge!” she shouted as loud as she could.
The wind caught her words and they swirled up into the sky.
Yaz didn’t hear her.
She wanted to scream but there wasn’t enough time.
Another step.
She had to make Yaz stop. She had to do something.
Another step, she was almost close enough to grab her, to stop Yaz from crossing the bridge. Almost.
But the path was slippery and she lost her balance, she waved her arms frantically trying to stay upright. No use . Gravity won. With a faint yelp, she skidded forward, tumbling down the bank and landed in the river with a resounding splash.
Yaz stopped and spun round her expression changing from awe to horror as she watched the Doctor tumble into the icy waters of the river.
The branch groaned and a final gust of wind tore it from the tree.
Time seemed to slow. Then it happened, just as the Doctor had seen.
The branch broke and fell through the air. It landed heavily as a dead weight against the bridge. The wood splintered and cracked and the decaying structure tried forlornly to cling together but it was no use. The bridge, samt branch, crumbled and collapsed into the river, the broken pieces quickly whipped away by the current.
Yaz had stopped with only centimetres to spare.
The Doctor breathed a sigh of relief but her lungs filled with icy water.
Oh.
She was still in the river.
In her worry for Yaz she’d forgotten about her own precarious situation.
She coughed and she spluttered, trying desperately to drag herself back onto the bank.
Yaz was safe but now the Doctor was the one in trouble.
Not good.
She was cold, really cold. How had she not noticed that before? The river was only narrow, but the current was strong and the water was so cold.
She couldn’t get out.
Fear began to swell in her chest.
She kept getting dragged back under the surface, battered from side to side, the current swirling and spinning until she was no longer sure which way was up.
Think, Doctor, think.
There were black spots floating across her vision, her arms and legs felt heavy, leaden weights that just kept dragging her further down. Her trusty coat was now sodden and became another weight that she had to fight against.
“Doctor!”
She could hear Yaz shouting her name as she desperately tried to scramble towards the bank, but her limbs betrayed her. They refused to obey the commands her brain was frantically sending.
She wasn’t going to make it.
“Doctor!!”
Her lungs were burning, even with her respiratory bypass system she could only last so long and the icy water was draining any remaining strength she had left. She was so cold. The daylight was getting further and further away, her vision was growing more clouded.
No.
“Doctor!”
No!
Not like this. Not now. Not yet .
With no air left in her lungs it had to be now. Resolute she looked up and fought against the blackness, mustering every last drop of strength she could find. She kicked as hard as she could, pulled upwards through the water with her arms. Slowly, she swam upwards, towards the light, towards the surface.
Her hand broke through the surface and with one final movement she was free, frantically sucking air back into her lungs. She reached out and grabbed at the air, searching for anything to hold onto before she was dragged back under. The black spots were coming back and she didn’t have any strength left to fight them, air in her lungs meant nothing when she was still in the grips of the current.
She couldn’t get out.
The light was fading.
She wasn’t going to make it.
I’m sorry…
Then a strong hand grabbed hold of hers and pulled her from the icy grip of the River. Familiar arms wrapped themselves around her and dragged her up the steep bank.
Her head was spinning and the Doctor stumbled, falling to her hands and knees, but the comforting arms didn’t let go, they held her tight till she was back on the path, staring at the empty space where just seconds earlier there had been a bridge.
“Doctor!” Yaz held her close as she coughed and spluttered, lungs desperately trying to clear the water she had swallowed.
“You saved me, thank you.” Yaz breathed a sigh of relief. “Another step and it would have been me in that river.”
“Y… you’re welcome,” she stuttered, barely able to get her words out through her teeth chattering.
“Couldn’t let anything happen to you.”
There was that fuzzy feeling in her hearts again, framed by a pain of just how close she’d come to losing Yaz.
“Hey, it’s okay,” Yaz whispered gently as if she could sense the Doctor’s internal distress. She held her close, rocking back and forth gently, flustering gentle reassurances in her ear. “You’re okay, we’re both okay.”
The Doctor wished they could stay like this forever.
But they couldn’t. Even the fuzzy feeling in her hearts and the comforting embrace of Yaz’s arms couldn’t chase away the cold that had settled in her bones.
Not good.
“Can you stand?” Yaz asked.
The Doctor nodded in reply, she reckoned she could, with a little help, but words felt like too much of an effort right now.
Without needing to be asked, Yaz gingerly helped the Doctor to her feet, not letting go until she was sure that the Doctor was stable enough to manage on her own.
“I reckon we should head back to the Tardis,” she said, turning to head back along the path. It wasn’t quite the adventure they’d planned, but it was still a long hike to twisted spires of the city and she couldn’t shake the feeling that the Doctor was in no state to manage it.
“I suppose…” The Doctor mumbled in agreement but she made no signs of moving, she just continued to stare blankly out across the landscape.
Yaz took a moment to check her friend over. The Doctor’s hair had already begun to form loose waves and Yaz couldn’t help but notice that small ice crystals had begun to form too. They clung to the damp stands, a glaring sign of just how cold it was and Yaz shuddered at what that could mean for them both, but in particular the Doctor.
Even in her thick winter coat, hat, scarf and gloves she was also beginning to feel the cold. Yet, the Doctor only had a thin T-shirt and her light coat, and added to that she was now soaking wet. When Yaz really looked she saw that her lips were slowly turning blue, her skin had turned ghostly pale and she was shivering uncontrollably.
Not good.
Yaz swallowed a wave of panic as she shrugged off her coat and wrapped it tightly around the Doctor’s shoulders. For good measure she also pulled off her hat and placed it over the Doctor’s soaking hair, trying to do anything to stop her from getting any colder. What she really needed though, was to get back to the warmth of the Tardis and get the Doctor out of her now soaking clothes or else she feared that she’d just keep getting colder.
No, Yaz pushed away all thoughts of what could happen and concentrated on the Doctor standing in front of her. She had to be strong, she had to take charge. She could do this.
“Doctor?” Yaz said loudly, trying to get her friend’s attention, her eyes were still fixed on the space where the bridge had been.
“We really need to get moving,” Yaz declared. “We need to get you somewhere warm, and now you’ve got my coat I’m getting a little cold too.”
“Oh, yeah…” The Doctor agreed quietly, taking a few cautious steps back in the direction of the Tardis.
Her head felt kind of fuzzy and she wasn’t totally sure what she’d just agreed to. But she could trust Yaz, Yaz would keep her safe. Though it should really be the other way round, she thought, but a small corner of her brain piped up and told her that she was in no state to do that right now.
“Okay,” Yaz gave the Doctor her best reassuring smile. “Just take it easy, yeah.”
Underneath her calm exterior Yaz’s mind was whirring frantically. She tried to remember some of the first aid she’d done as part of her Police training, they had definitely covered hypothermia but it had been so long ago now. And afterall, the Doctor wasn’t human. But Yaz was almost certain that she was showing signs of hypothermia and that was not good. Even taking into account that the Doctor had a lower body than humans falling in the icy river and the below freezing air were causing her body temperature to drop quickly. Far too quickly.
“Just think,” Yaz continued to reassure her friend. “Concentrate on the fact that each step is getting closer to somewhere warm.”
“Mmh, somewhere warm,” the Doctor echoed Yaz’s words and allowed her friend to lead her back in the direction of the Tardis.
For a while they made slow but steady progress, Yaz walking by the Doctor’s side, trying to keep her alert and engaged in conversation.
“You’re doing great, just keep going, it’s not far now.”
Yaz could just about make out the faint outline of the Tardis in the valley. A flash of deep blue amongst the icy white, a shining beacon guiding them home.
It was then she realised just how quiet her friend was. The Doctor’s movements were slowly becoming more and more sluggish and gone was her excited chatter and need to point out everything and anything along the way. Yaz had to strain just to hear her breathing, and her chest filled with a crushing worry that she could stop at any moment.
Yaz feared she’d already reached the point where her body had stopped trying to warm itself up anymore.
Not good.
The Doctor was getting weaker and weaker. Yaz was talking to her but she could no longer make out the words. She was so tired and she was so cold.
And that was when she felt it, her cells starting to fizz and burn, readying themselves for change. No. NO!
It wasn’t time yet. But she was so cold. She’d been in the water too long.
She felt so powerless, so utterly helpless and if she had the energy she would have cried, But even tears felt like too much of an effort. She tried to take another step, mustering all her strength just to force her already exhausted body to move. It was all too much and she stumbled, she stumbled again and again. She felt weak and weary and so cold, her legs were no longer able to support her weight. Gravity took hold and once again she found herself heading for the ground, unable to do anything to stop herself from falling. She closed her eyes and braced for impact, but it never came. Instead, strong arms caught her frail form and broke her fall.
“I’ve got you, Doctor. It’s okay, I’ve got you.”
She didn’t even have the energy to protest as Yaz scooped her up and carried her like a small child, close to her chest.
Through the fog that filled her brain she could feel Yaz’s warmth, she felt the strong and steady beat of her heart and she knew she was safe. She just needed to hold on a little longer, but her eyes felt so heavy and she just wanted to sleep.
“We’re nearly there,” Yaz whispered softly, trying to hide her worry. “Just stay awake okay.”
She had no idea what a normal body temperature was for the Doctor but she was pretty sure that she couldn’t be this cold, it felt like she was carrying a block of ice.
“Doctor! You need to stay awake!” Yaz cried out in fear as she watched the Doctor’s eyes threaten to close.
“We’re nearly there, Doctor, just stay awake!”
Yaz moved as quickly as she could, breaking into an almost run as she covered the final few hundred metres back to the Tardis.
“I’ve got you, we’re here now.”
Without even needing to think or ask, the Tardis doors clicked open softly allowing Yaz to step effortlessly back into the familiar warmth of the ship, still cradling the Doctor close to her chest. She felt so cold.
Yaz breathed a heavy sigh of relief and offered a silent thank you to the Time ship, there was no way she would have been able to unlock the doors while still carrying the Doctor.
Sensing the change in the air the Doctor stirred in Yaz’s arms.
“Nearly there now,” Yaz flustered. “Just need to find the Med Bay.”
“Not m-med bay,” the Doctor murmured quietly.
“I don’t think we’ve got much choice,” Yaz replied gently, holding the Doctor a little tighter just in case she had any ideas about trying to get away before Yaz could get her to the Med Bay.
The Doctor gave a reluctant groan in protest but nodded against Yaz’s shoulder.
The ship once again came to her pilot’s aid and no sooner had Yaz carried the Doctor through the control room, a door lit up signalling them to go inside.
Yaz breathed another sigh of relief, her arms were aching and she wasn’t sure she would have been able to carry the Doctor much further. Again she thanked the ship and her telepathic ability to know just what her, sometimes infuriatingly stubborn , pilot needed.
The Med Bay was lit with a warm and calming yellow glow and there was a plush purple sofa set back against one wall.
Across from the sofa, there was a small table set up with a kettle, mugs and what looked like the tea supplies from the kitchen, including several packets of custard creams.
From the few times she’d ended up here after picking up minor injuries on various adventures, Yaz could never remember seeing the sofa before, or the tea making set-up. But then it had always been the Doctor looking after her and now the roles were reversed.
Yaz knew the Doctor usually did all she could to actively avoid the med bay and she had a sneaky feeling that the Tardis was doing all she could to make the usually stark medical environment as comfortable as possible for the Doctor.
Nodding in acknowledgement of the ship’s efforts Yaz carefully lowered the Doctor onto the sofa before helping her change out of her still sodden, and now partially frozen clothes. Well, helping was an understatement, the Doctor just sat listlessly while Yaz grappled with her freezing clothes. Her fingers were already numb so she didn’t want to think about just how cold the Doctor must be after over an hour in wet and frozen clothes.
At one end of the sofa, a large pile of thick and fluffy blankets seemed to appear from nowhere and Yaz wasted no time in grabbing one and wrapping it tightly around the Doctor.
“That’s better,” she soothed, kicking the Doctor’s discarded clothes into the corner of the room. She could deal with them later, her main focus remained getting the Doctor warm.
From what she could remember, hot water bottles or heat pads were not a good idea and could even end up causing burns, but warm drinks and something sugary could help. Given that the Doctor already had a love of sugary drinks and biscuits and that the Tardis had supplied just that, Yaz guessed that a cup of sweet tea was as good a place as any to start.
The Doctor was starting to stir, but she still felt far too cold, so Yaz grabbed another blanket and used several pillows to prop her up into what she hoped was a comfortable sitting position.
Her eyes were beginning to droop again but Yaz didn’t want to let her fall asleep just yet.
“Hey, Doctor,” she shook her knee gently to get her attention and the Doctor offered Yaz a drowsy smile.
“I’m going to make some tea. You need to stay awake until then, can you do that?”
“Mmh, don’t m-forget, the mh-biscuits,” came the Doctor’s slightly jumbled reply.
Yaz smiled at that, her words were somewhat slurred but the fact that the Doctor was thinking about biscuits was a good sign and showed that she was slowly coming back to herself.
“Think the Tardis has you covered there,” Yaz mused and gestured towards the custard creams.
The Doctor gave another dopey smile. “G-good girl,” she murmured and the Tardis hummed softly in response.
A couple of minutes later Yaz carefully passed the Doctor a steaming mug of tea.
“Here, drink this,” she implored. “It is probably more akin to tea flavoured syrup but it will help warm you up.”
The Doctor just stared blankly at the mug as if her brain couldn’t quite catch up with what Yaz was saying.
Hoping that she might be able to follow her example, Yaz picked up her own mug and sat down next to the Doctor. Taking a dramatic sip of tea and motioned for the Doctor to do the same.
“Doctor, you need to drink the tea. I know you might not want anything right now. I know you’re probably really tired and just want to sleep, but you need to get warm first and the tea will help, I promise.”
The Doctor nodded slowly and somewhat clumsily brought the mug to her lips. A good splash of the tea dribbled down her chin but she was also able to swallow a small amount with a satisfied murmur.
“That’s it, just keep drinking,” Yaz urged, knowing that the Doctor needed all the encouragement she could get right now and talking to her was the best way to try and keep her alert.
After a few cautious sips, the Doctor did seem to perk up a little and she blinked several times, looking more aware and finally seemed to acknowledge her surroundings.
“We’re in the Med Bay Yaz. Why are we in the med bay?” She asked, her words still slightly slurred.
“Because you got a bit too cold and I had to take you somewhere we could safely warm you up.”
“Mm-kay.” The Doctor accepted Yaz’s answer and took a few more sips of tea before she suddenly stopped, mug halfway to her lips.
“Yaz?”
The Doctor turned to her friend with a slightly confused look. “I haven’t got any clothes on.”
Ah.
“I have blankets, good blankets, but why haven’t I got any clothes on?”
There was something ever so adorable about the Doctor’s confusion and Yaz was beginning to feel her worry ease.
“Because, you numpty,” she smiled, “your clothes were wet and half-frozen and I couldn’t exactly leave you like that.”
“But you have clothes on…”
“Well, mine weren’t wet!” Yaz sighed.
“Mmh,” the Doctor mumbled in response and scrunched her face up in the way she always did when she was trying to work something out.
“I’ll get you something to put on once I’m sure you’re warm. Keep drinking your tea.”
“Kay,” the Doctor replied sleepily.
“It’s good tea. Yazmin Khan, you make good tea.”
“You probably only like it because it’s more sugar than tea!”
The Doctor huffed slightly at that, “nowt wrong with sugary tea.” She responded determinedly.
“Well right now, it’s what you needed, so I’ll let you off.”
The Doctor leant back against the sofa and shivered, even with the blankets and the tea she was still cold.
“Thank you Yaz, for the good tea.”
The Doctor hugged the mug close to her chest, partly as a comfort and partly in an attempt to fight the chill that seemed to have settled into her bones.
“How about you stop talking about the tea and drink it.”
“Mmph!” The Doctor grumbled, not liking being told what to do, but also too tried to put up any protest.
Yaz nudged the plate of biscuits closer, hoping the Doctor would notice them. She was becoming more lucid but Yaz didn’t want to let her rest just yet.
The Doctor smiled weakly as she eyed up the plate of biscuits.
“Custard creams. I like custard creams.” There was a distinct drowsiness in her voice and her shoulders were sagging slightly as she fought against the tiredness.
“Can you manage to eat a couple?” Yaz asked. “They’ll help you feel better.”
“Mmh- tired,” the Doctor mumbled, her head lolled to one side as she leaned wearily against the back of the sofa and curled her knees in close to her chest.
“I know,” Yaz flustered. “But have some biscuits, you need the sugar and I’m not going to say that often!”
That got the faintest chuckle and the Doctor proceeded to pick up a custard cream and took a cautious nibble.
“mmm,” she smiled, before taking a bigger bite. Then another, and another. Soon, she’d eaten about half a pack of custard creams leaving the blanket and the sofa littered with biscuit crumbs.
Yaz made a mental note to clear up later but right now she was just thankful that she could see the faintest pink glow returning to the Doctor’s cheeks.
“Sugar is good.” The Doctor declared dozily, brushing the worst of the crumbs from her lips.
“Custard creams are good.”
“Well, I’m glad they helped,” Yaz smiled.
“Mh-uh.” The Doctor reached out and tried to pull Yaz into a hug, her movements were still sluggish and Yaz had to duck slightly so she didn’t get whacked in the face.
“Yazmin Khan I love you,” the Doctor announced, resting her head against Yaz’s shoulder. “I love you more than custard creams and rainbows but I want to sleep now.”
“Okay,” Yaz whispered, grabbing another blanket and wrapping it around them both. She gently took hold of the Doctor’s hand and rubbed small circles with her thumb in her palm. “You can sleep now.”
Yaz leant into the Doctor adding her body heat to the warmth that was beginning to radiate from underneath the blankets. With her free hand she softly brushed her through the Doctor’s hair, now dried into a tangle of golden waves.
And that was how she stayed, watching the gentle rise and fall of the Doctor’s chest, curled up, safe and warm, with the woman she loved.
“I love you too, Doctor. I love you.” She whispered to her sleeping friend.