ext_211924 (![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png)
ashen-red.livejournal.com) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
31_days2005-08-14 08:08 pm
ashen-red.livejournal.com) wrote in 31_days2005-08-14 08:08 pm
[August 14 - all night long I've held your hand; Doctor Who] Noesis
Title: Noesis
Series: Doctor Who
Day/Theme: August 14; all night long I've held your hand
Character/Pairing: Fourth Doctor, Orin (original character)
Rating: G
When the nightmares first came to her, the Doctor was rather surprised that Orin had come to him seeking comfort. After all, she often professed to a strong dislike for him, so why would she seek him out when troubled? In the end, he decided it didn't matter; the implication that she trusted him enough to come to him if she needed it was all that really mattered.
He had actually become quite accustomed to her late night visits, and as it was, he hardly slept much at all; she wasn't depriving him of any rest.
The first time she'd had the nightmares had scared her quite badly. She'd startled the Doctor when she burst into the console room suddenly and latched on to him, burying herself in his ridiculously long scarf. He had no idea what to do for her except hold her and tell her that she wasn't alone. It seemed to be enough at the time and his shapeshifting companion had calmed down after a while.
Orin had never stayed longer than a few hours before retreating back to her own room. He could only remember one time when she'd stayed with him until morning, refusing to go back to sleep; she'd stayed and helped him as much as she could while he tinkered with the TARDIS' main console. She rarely spoke of these incidents and the Doctor considered the possibility that she genuinely didn't remember them, thinking them to be dreams or something else conjured by her subconscious.
This time was different, and the Doctor was genuinely worried.
He hadn't been in the console room and he suspected that Orin had gone there first. When she finally found him in the library, she looked close to a breakdown.
Orin? What's wrong? Is it the nightmares again?
She hadn't the strength to answer him without faltering to keep up her fading facade of calmness; instead, she sank down to the carpeted floor on her knees.
Orin?!
He had been at her side almost instantly when she dropped to her knees. She had been in his arms and curled up against him only seconds later. He had tried to set her down on the sofa, but she had refused to let go, tears welling up in her gold eyes. He sat down on the sofa with Orin in her Gallifreyan guise still buried against him.
Shh, don't cry. You're not alone. It's all right. I'm here now; you're not alone.
The Doctor knew she had finally fallen asleep again when the soft tugging of his scarf had stopped and her ragged breathing had evened out to be slow and deep. Still, he wouldn't let her go. She needed him, and he understood that now. He had come to realize that she cared for him as deeply as any family member. And she had no family now... What he'd been doing before she arrived could wait; Orin had come to him for help and he wasn't about to make her feel as if he'd abandoned her to pursue his own interests.
There was a pile of books on the small table nearby and he'd picked through them while the hours passed and Orin slept. The horrors that terrified her seemed to be pushed away while he was there; perhaps it was just that she knew she had his support that held her fears at bay.
Moving from book to book, the Doctor hardly noticed as time went by until he felt Orin stir against him. She shifted slightly, moving to rest her head above his twin hearts. He looked down at her, a reserved smile playing across his face as his blue eyes met her gold ones.
"Good morning, Orin," he said softly, his smile widening as she moved to sit up beside him on the sofa.
"You stayed with me all night?" was her reply, her voice quiet. "You didn't have to."
"No, I suppose not." His smile faded. "But you needed me."
"Thank you... "
The Doctor smiled and draped one arm around her shoulders, pulling her into a hug. "Any time you need me, Orin, I'm always here."
Series: Doctor Who
Day/Theme: August 14; all night long I've held your hand
Character/Pairing: Fourth Doctor, Orin (original character)
Rating: G
When the nightmares first came to her, the Doctor was rather surprised that Orin had come to him seeking comfort. After all, she often professed to a strong dislike for him, so why would she seek him out when troubled? In the end, he decided it didn't matter; the implication that she trusted him enough to come to him if she needed it was all that really mattered.
He had actually become quite accustomed to her late night visits, and as it was, he hardly slept much at all; she wasn't depriving him of any rest.
The first time she'd had the nightmares had scared her quite badly. She'd startled the Doctor when she burst into the console room suddenly and latched on to him, burying herself in his ridiculously long scarf. He had no idea what to do for her except hold her and tell her that she wasn't alone. It seemed to be enough at the time and his shapeshifting companion had calmed down after a while.
Orin had never stayed longer than a few hours before retreating back to her own room. He could only remember one time when she'd stayed with him until morning, refusing to go back to sleep; she'd stayed and helped him as much as she could while he tinkered with the TARDIS' main console. She rarely spoke of these incidents and the Doctor considered the possibility that she genuinely didn't remember them, thinking them to be dreams or something else conjured by her subconscious.
This time was different, and the Doctor was genuinely worried.
He hadn't been in the console room and he suspected that Orin had gone there first. When she finally found him in the library, she looked close to a breakdown.
Orin? What's wrong? Is it the nightmares again?
She hadn't the strength to answer him without faltering to keep up her fading facade of calmness; instead, she sank down to the carpeted floor on her knees.
Orin?!
He had been at her side almost instantly when she dropped to her knees. She had been in his arms and curled up against him only seconds later. He had tried to set her down on the sofa, but she had refused to let go, tears welling up in her gold eyes. He sat down on the sofa with Orin in her Gallifreyan guise still buried against him.
Shh, don't cry. You're not alone. It's all right. I'm here now; you're not alone.
The Doctor knew she had finally fallen asleep again when the soft tugging of his scarf had stopped and her ragged breathing had evened out to be slow and deep. Still, he wouldn't let her go. She needed him, and he understood that now. He had come to realize that she cared for him as deeply as any family member. And she had no family now... What he'd been doing before she arrived could wait; Orin had come to him for help and he wasn't about to make her feel as if he'd abandoned her to pursue his own interests.
There was a pile of books on the small table nearby and he'd picked through them while the hours passed and Orin slept. The horrors that terrified her seemed to be pushed away while he was there; perhaps it was just that she knew she had his support that held her fears at bay.
Moving from book to book, the Doctor hardly noticed as time went by until he felt Orin stir against him. She shifted slightly, moving to rest her head above his twin hearts. He looked down at her, a reserved smile playing across his face as his blue eyes met her gold ones.
"Good morning, Orin," he said softly, his smile widening as she moved to sit up beside him on the sofa.
"You stayed with me all night?" was her reply, her voice quiet. "You didn't have to."
"No, I suppose not." His smile faded. "But you needed me."
"Thank you... "
The Doctor smiled and draped one arm around her shoulders, pulling her into a hug. "Any time you need me, Orin, I'm always here."