Sammy shot a glare up at the Doctor and shielded Tanner's head so he wouldn't have to look up at the looming giant. She hesitated to respond because really she still wasn't too sure herself. Oliver said he was fine, Zepheera said he was fine, but she just couldn't shake the fear and discomfort that had been forced into her.
“He is not keeping anyone.” Oliver was quick to respond, seeing that Sammy was spiralling herself instead of answering Tanner's question. He placed a hand on her shoulder to silently communicate that she should relax to avoid making Tanner panic in turn.
Racking his brain for some way to put the boy at ease, Oliver recalled how much he had taken to space as a child. He had told lots of stories about aliens and spaceships and stars and planets when both of his cousins were younger, and Tanner had always been fascinated with the stars. Oliver read all about them to relay what he learned to him when he was still barely talking, and it was all he would babble about.
“He's like…a spaceman. On a mission. He and his friend helped me and Sammy get you back.” he explained. It wasn't exactly far from the truth and he just hoped that it would work as intended, waiting tensely for his cousin's reaction.
At first he didn't do much, but after a few moments he squirmed slightly before peeking up at the Doctor's blurry visage again with his pitch black gaze. There was no shine in his eyes; only empty pools of darkness, but his eyebrows were raised in what looked almost like..awe.
“Really? Y-you fly around the stars..?” he questioned shyly, still clinging to Sammy but not as tightly as before, his words half mumbled.
Tanner's quiet voice drew the Doctor's attention immediately, and focus returned to his slightly glazed over eyes as he smiled softly. It had been…a while since someone had called him a spaceman, and it brought back memories. Sad ones, but good ones.
“Yeah, I do,” he confirmed, keeping his tone low. Though it seemed like Tanner was beginning to adjust, he still tried to not overwhelm him too much. He lifted a hand slowly to remove the 3D glasses and twinkled a few free fingers on that same hand in a small wave.
“Hallo. I'm the Doctor. Er, that's just what I'm called, I'm not like…” Clearing his throat quietly, he glanced around and kept up a grin. “This is my spaceship. It's where I– well, we– live, and it's how we travel around. ‘We’ being me and Zepheera, you met Zepheera.”
“Hiya,” said Zepheera with a wave of her own, now that Tanner could look around a little more. “I'm not from space, just another borrower.”
Tanner's face lit up at the confirmation, fear not fully gone but just being ignored for the sake of curiosity. His gaze shifted towards Zepheera, blinking to try to make his vision clearer. He pulled away from Sammy slightly in order to see better, though his blackened fingertips still clung to her shirt.
“There are borrower astronauts…” he breathed in wonder, the corners of his lips twitching upwards with excitement at the idea. After a moment of looking for too long the lights finally got to be too much and he covered his eyes up with his hands again. Turning over onto his back and letting his head rest in Sammy's lap he squinted through his parted fingers to look up at the Doctor again.
“Do you live on the moon? A-and how come you aren't in one of those big…helmets? Do you keep stars in jars..? O-or make friends with aliens..!” he asked at rapid-fire.
Oliver let out a sigh of relief, glad that his plan had worked so well, although his cheeks heated up slightly when Tanner began asking about things Oliver distinctly remembered telling him as bedtime stories. At least that meant Tanner remembered him, whether he knew it was him or not.
The Doctor stifled a chuckle, equally relieved to see that Tanner seemed less afraid. His notions about what a spaceman’s life must entail made both his hearts melt into puddles in his chest.
“I don’t really live anywhere, other than in here,” he answered with a grin as he went down the line of Tanner’s questions. “I only need the big helmet if there’s no air, and there’s plenty inside. Most stars are a little too big to keep in a jar. And I like to think I make quite a few friends with aliens.”
Plenty of enemies too, but the kid doesn’t need to hear about that, he thought to himself.
Seeing that Tanner still struggled with the light, the Doctor glanced up toward the console. “I can turn things down a bit if it’ll help.” He decided then that it would probably be best to go ahead with that rather than wait on the kid who still seemed barely comfortable talking to him to confirm a preference.
So the Doctor carefully shifted his feet to be under him and stood up slowly, ignoring the way he stretched well over the borrowers’ heads. He instead turned his focus to the console, pressed a series of buttons and turned a big dial. Before long, the room began to slowly dim, as did the lights in the corridor to the side. The entire TARDIS shifted into night mode, leaving only the soft blue-green glow of the center column left to light the main console area.
Zepheera was used to this change, since it was difficult to have a sense of the passage of time without it. Her instincts as a borrower led to an almost Pavlovian response to the dimness, and she found much of any remaining tension melting away. Even after all the months adjusting to the Doctor’s active lifestyle, the dark still felt safe. It felt like the worst was finally behind them.
Tanner looked absolutely fascinated with the Doctor's answers despite him not going into much detail, he was just excited to meet a real spaceman. And space borrower!
As the lights dimmed he relaxed a bit more with the buzzing of the lights becoming less harsh as well as the light itself. He was able to open his eyes more fully, although he kept his hands covering them slightly just in case. Turning onto his side he peered at Zepheera with curiosity next, smile ever-present.
“Are there lots of borrower astronauts? I-I thought humans and borrowers are mean to each other so we couldn't do stuff together… B-but maybe if you're friends it's an exception..!” he chirped, simultaneously asking questions and answering them in the same breath.
Sammy frowned, feeling a mix of relief and unease seeing Tanner so relaxed in the presence of what should be a borrower's worst fear. She couldn't understand why he was able to simply…move on from that fact so easily. It made her own anxiety kick up more, filled with both thoughts about the Doctor still being a potential threat and also self doubt.
“Tanner…doesn't it bother you though..? That he's… I-I don't know… aren't you scared?” she asked hesitantly, shifting her gaze away from him as she continued to rest her hands reassuringly over his chest whilst he lay in her lap. Tanner looked up at her, scanning her expression over for a few moments before shaking his head.
“I-I mean… a little bit… but he looks nice… a-and Oliver said he saved me. And he's friends with Zepheera, and she's really nice s-so…” His hands lowered to fidget over his stomach, and he cast his gaze downwards only to blink at the sight. He gasped, pushing himself to sit up immediately. “W-why are my fingers black..?”
As he said that, the black gathering at his fingertips spread up his hand slowly. Letting out a soft cry of surprise he tried in vain to wipe it off somehow, but when that failed to work black tears began to gather in his eyes again; understandably panicked by the sight. He looked around for help, holding his hands away from himself.
The way it was spreading just made him think back to when he had been suddenly pulled into the darkness however long ago, and the thought of going back made him tremble.
“What's h-happening..??” he whimpered, not realizing that his distress was just causing it to spread more.
“Whoa, whoa, Tanner, breathe…” Zepheera jumped up and crouched in front of Tanner, inspecting his hands closely. They weren’t disappearing, which seemed to indicate that it wasn’t the void reclaiming him all of a sudden. The blackness was spreading, though, and it only sped up the more upset Tanner got. Deciding it was worth the risk, Zepheera reached out to take both of the boy’s frigid hands gently, yet securely.
After a moment passed and nothing happened, Zepheera offered him a soft smile. “See? You’re okay. You’re not going anywhere, alright? Just breathe, big deep breaths.” She gave a slightly exaggerated inhale and exhale, maintaining eye contact (as best as she could with his completely blackened eyes) to encourage him to copy her. “We did say your body’s changed a little. It’s kind of hard to say exactly how it has changed, since you’ve only just come back. So some things might happen that are kind of scary, like this. And if any of it hurts, you just let us know and we’ll try to help, okay?”
Tanner tried his best to copy her breathing, despite his attempt sounding much shallower. He looked at Zepheera with wide frightened eyes but nodded and tried to relax and calm down. It became easier once the darkness had stopped spreading which gave him the time to process that she was right; he wasn't going anywhere.
Gradually, the more his nerves settled, the more the blackness receded back to the tips of his fingers rather than covering his whole forearm. He was still shaking but the tears had stopped and he wasn't breathing as heavily as he was before. Letting out a sniffle, he met Zepheera's gaze again.
“Y-you promise I won't disappear..?” He couldn't help but want the extra reassurance, holding tightly onto her hands for the moment.
Of course, everything going on with Tanner was uncharted territory. It shouldn't even have been possible for him to survive where he was for so long, and yet there he was. Zepheera knew that guaranteeing anything at this point was very difficult, but…she couldn't stand to see the kid so scared. That, combined with the confidence that she and the Doctor would do anything to keep him safe, strengthened her resolve and tightened her own grip on Tanner's hands.
“We won't let you,” she swore gravely, shaking her head. “Will we, Doctor?”
As careful as the Doctor tried to be while he slowly lowered himself into a crouch once again, the slightest shifting of his weight could be felt through the floor by the borrowers.
“No, we won't,” he agreed, though he regarded everyone and especially Tanner with a thoughtful frown. Glancing toward the door, he gave a quiet sigh. “Look…it's getting late. I know you all have been through a lot today. It might be best to get some rest.”
The Doctor was fully aware that the suggestion, and the offer he was about to give, came with a lot of baggage for some of the others. He anticipated that Sammy in particular would be less than comfortable with what he had in mind. Still, he couldn't think of a safer solution, so he made the offer anyway.
“I can make you all a comfortable space in the infirmary– a temporary one, nothing closed in,” he insisted, hoping to dismiss any fears that he'd be trapping anyone. “It's not a lab, and there won't be any tests. The TARDIS can monitor vitals ambiently and detect threats to anyone's health and safety in there. And if anything goes wrong, there are medical supplies all around to help with anything as needed.” Looking each borrower facing him in the eyes– Zepheera had her back to him to remain face-on with Tanner– the Doctor emphasized, “I only want to ensure that Tanner is physically stable, that he'll be alright without further help. I won't stop you if you really don't want to stay here for the night, but I will still check in just to be sure.”
Oliver knew the moment that the Doctor made his suggestion that Sammy wouldn't like it. He squeezed her shoulder reassuringly in an attempt to assuage her brewing fears. He was torn between both sides; the fact that Tanner's condition definitely needed monitoring and he didn't have any relevant supplies for that at his burrow, and the fact that Sammy wouldn't be able to relax in such an environment. She had barely relaxed in his own bed.
Tanner for his part had settled down again, and seemed perfectly content to spend the night in a spaceship. If he hadn't been so spooked earlier Oliver was certain his enthusiasm would be much more obvious. Sammy on the other hand was tense, her mind only conjuring up the dozens of ways this could end poorly for them all.
“Sammy…” Oliver started, approaching the topic very carefully to avoid making her too defensive. “I believe it's best we stay here for now…for Tanner's sake. If it would put you at ease I will stay awake and keep watch— regardless of my certainty that you are safe.”
He needed rest, he really did. But currently his needs were secondary to the needs of both of his cousins. He would much rather he stay awake and be exhausted than for Sammy to stay awake out of pure fear and probably just get herself into even more of a state.
Sammy met his gaze with thinly-veiled fear, her arms still wrapped around Tanner protectively. She looked from Oliver back up to the Doctor again and tried to keep the panic from overwhelming her. She didn't like to be upset in front of Tanner, knowing it just stressed him out and made him worry for her when her whole job was to worry for him.
With that in mind, she slowly nodded in acceptance of the offer. Oliver offered a weary smile and patted her back.
“Thank you. I know this is very difficult for you… You're doing well,” he assured, then turned his fond gaze to Tanner too. “Both of you are.”
Relieved as he was to see Sammy's nonverbal agreement, however reluctant, the Doctor knew that what came next would be an even harder sell.
“The infirmary is…quite a bit further in than Zepheera's place,” he informed them. “I don't mind offering a lift to make the trip faster, but I understand if that's too much after today. Zepheera knows the way, she can take the lead while I get something set up for everyone.”
Being closer to everyone else, Zepheera could plainly see how exhausted they all looked. She certainly didn't want to make them all hide a decent distance, so she vouched for the Doctor to try and placate any reasonable fears about his offer.
“He won't grab anyone. He'll keep an open hand so nobody is closed in, and the second we get there he'll let us go.” With one last reassuring squeeze, Zepheera let Tanner's hands rest in his own lap. “I've had plenty of time to train him up. He'll be gentle and listen if we need him to change anything at all.”
Sammy froze up completely this time, her heart starting to beat rapidly against her chest the moment she processed the offer. A cold dread filled her body, not helped by the already cold presence of her brother currently in her arms.
Her instinct was to say no; to insist that this was a ploy and to run and hide or cry, anything besides consider the offer for what it was. She didn't realize that she was holding her breath until Oliver urged her to breathe and rubbed her back again, causing her to inhale sharply.
Oliver could see how quickly her panic was rising and so he went to suggest that he and Sammy follow behind or something to try to put her at ease, but before he could speak Sammy interjected.
“Okay.”
Her words came out stiffly, but after looking between Tanner and Oliver and recognizing how tired they looked she just didn't want to keep forcing Oliver to do things for her sake. Not only that, but she was the only one here who still had a problem with the Doctor, so she was trying to swallow her pride and deal with it.
Come on…you've been held lots of times by lots of different people. You don't cry anymore. Why does it feel so different now? Despite her agreement she was struggling to move for the moment, her hands shaking as they stayed wrapped around Tanner’s front. She purposefully avoided looking up at the Doctor, knowing that if she did she might not be able to keep it together.
Oliver's expression softened, though his eyes shone with concern seeing how tense she was, feeling her trembling under his hand. He gently prompted her to a stand, helping her and Tanner get up at their own pace and trying to get her to relax if only a little…though it seemed an impossible feat. He hoped if anything this would at least demonstrate to her that the Doctor really was safe, but it still broke his heart to see her so afraid and being unable to help.
Once he saw Oliver helping the siblings up, the Doctor decided it would be better to get on with it. Rip the band-aid off, as it were. So he reached out with one hand, letting it lay flat on the floor next to the borrowers. “Take your time,” he murmured.
Zepheera wasted no time hopping on, and came to stand on the Doctor's wrist. Small as the borrowers were compared to the Doctor, having four in his palm all at once would still take up a decent amount of space. From her perch, she could still help usher the others up without adding to the crowd.
Sammy wasn't able to step any closer for a while, staring at the hand that lay before them and standing completely still. Tanner had no qualms about climbing aboard, but he stayed close to Sammy because he could tell that she was upset. Oliver coaxed the two forward slowly, helping to lead them both onto the open palm.
When it came to the comfort of the borrowers, the Doctor was more than capable of waiting patiently. He kept perfectly still as they slowly climbed onto his hand, and made sure his movements were smooth as he lifted his hand just enough to let the other slide underneath it for extra support. Then he rose to his feet and began making his way through the dimmed corridor.
Zepheera stayed standing on his wrist throughout it all, accustomed to navigating much more motion than this. Knowing Oliver was significantly less bothered, she ventured to comfort Sammy and Tanner with a gentle pat to each of their shoulders.
“Won't be long now,” she assured them under her breath. “Long legs certainly get the job done quick.”
Sammy flinched when Zepheera pat her shoulder, startled out of her thoughts and assuming the touch was from a giant finger before realizing the fingers hadn't curled in around them. She swallowed thickly and nodded, staring ahead and battling to keep her worries from taking over.
Tanner had seen this kind of reaction before, and usually he wasn't able to provide any comfort until after since they were usually carried in separate hands. He leaned against Sammy and hugged her slightly.
“We'll be there soon… D-don't cry…” he uttered gently as he leaned against her chest, hearing how fast her heart was racing and responding by hugging her a little tighter. She didn't react much but he knew she had heard him and felt him because she hugged back after a few moments.
Oliver simply continued to stroke her back in slow methodical motions, relieved that Tanner wasn't too bothered about being carried. Trying to keep them both calm would have been significantly more difficult. He shot Zepheera a thankful smile for the attempt at comfort earlier.
The path the Doctor took wound through the corridors and up a set of stairs. Finally, he emerged into a large room that looked more like it belonged in some hospital than a spaceship. There were several simple beds on frames that could adjust to allow the occupant to sit up, all suited to fit someone the Doctor's size.
He paused briefly in the threshold to consider his options. Ever mindful of the borrowers, he drew his hands in to brace against his chest so he could free up the unoccupied one. Then he stepped up to the nearest bed and stripped it of its thin blanket and soft sheet, bundling it all under his arm.
The Doctor crouched next to the bed’s frame, then carefully moved the hand with passengers to the floor off to the side. “Give us a mo’,” he murmured, allowing them to hop down so he could have both hands free.
After separating the blanket and sheet, he folded up the former to create a soft, plush surface that he carefully lay underneath the bedframe and against the wall. He reckoned the slightly more enclosed space might help the borrowers feel less exposed, but not trapped. Next, he took the sheet and bundled it with a bit less care, knowing they would need as many wrinkles and folds as possible so everyone could comfortably wrap up.
He gave it a once-over before glancing Zepheera's way, relieved to see her nod with approval. Satisfied, the Doctor scooted himself back, sitting cross-legged near the foot of the bed to be out of the way.
Zepheera stepped up for a closer look at it all. There was more than enough room for all four of the smaller folk, especially if Sammy and Tanner continued to stay so close to one another. With a small, polite smile, she stood nearby and gestured toward their makeshift bedding for the night. “Guests get first pick.”
Sammy watched all of the Doctor's movements with a wary gaze, analyzing each action to determine if this was still okay or not. The bed being made on the floor underneath a bed definitely felt much easier to escape from in case of anything unexpected; what with not having to climb down a tall surface or anything. Her eyes flickered over the folds in the sheets, shoulders relaxing ever so slightly.
“Thank you, Doctor.” Oliver gave a polite nod and smile to the man before looking towards the makeshift bed and ushering his cousins to go forward and choose where they would sleep.
Sammy sent one last wary glance in the Doctor's direction before creeping over the sheet towards the end that was furthest from the man. After testing the comfort of the chosen area she finally willed herself to sit down, Tanner following her lead.
“T-thank you..!” Tanner called out, only just realizing that he had forgotten to show his own appreciation. He was quick to curl up onto the sheets and relax, any tension left in his body disappearing. Sammy bit her lip and slowly lay down, curling around Tanner in the same way they used to sleep together in the lab.
Once they were settled Oliver simply sat down close by, crossing his legs and bracing himself for the sleepless night.
The Doctor smiled softly to see everyone settling in. Knowing his job was done for the moment, he moved even further back. “I'll be here in a flash if anything goes wrong,” he promised in a whisper. Then he got carefully to his feet and stepped gingerly out of the room.
Once she saw the spots the others had claimed, Zepheera found an empty space and all but threw herself down. She seemed to settle in place, but never got properly comfortable. Her attention was subtly focused on the siblings in their corner, particularly Sammy. The poor girl had been so anxious basically every moment the Doctor was around.
Zepheera listened carefully, and only moved from her spot when she was sure she heard their breaths evening out. Then she sat up slowly so as to not disturb their well-deserved rest, and moved closer to Oliver's side.
“You should sleep,” she suggested gently, keeping her voice low. Obviously Oliver had promised to look out for his cousins, and Zepheera didn't want to undermine that. At the same time, Oliver had had an equally exciting day and she could see it taking its toll. “I'll stay up. Get some rest.”
Oliver had let his thoughts and theories consume his mind to keep him occupied as he waited patiently. There was a lot to think about and process, and this was a great time to do all of that— though with each new worry he could feel it was all sapping his energy. Even so, he was determined to stay awake.
He startled at the sound of Zepheera's voice interrupting his introspection. His gaze turned to focus on her, exhaustion apparent as he offered a weary smile that faded just as quickly as it arrived. He let out a small sigh.
“I fear that even if I lay down now my thoughts would keep me awake regardless,” he responded, keeping his tone soft as he also didn't want to cause either of his cousins to stir. Leaning his elbows on his knees and cradling his face in his palms he considered the offer carefully. “I don't…want to do anything wrong. If Sammy wakes up and sees me asleep, I don't want to break that trust.”
“You won't,” Zepheera promised, settling into her own cross-legged position next to him. “I can take the heat for that one if she does.” She doubted that Sammy could blame Oliver for taking care of himself; the girl seemed just as concerned for her older cousin as he was for her.
Nudging Oliver gently with an elbow, Zepheera added, “And even if you don't sleep… I've found even just lying down really does help. It's restful in its own way.”
Oliver reacted to the nudge with a lopsided smile, still a little unsure. He knew that Sammy wasn't selfish, she was stubborn and fiery but he knew she didn't want him to stay awake really; she just needed that extra assurance. It worried him to no end imagining what she may have been through, but at the same time it was a subject he couldn't breach without immense care and caution.
“...Alright.” He bowed his head in acceptance, sitting up again and stretching out his arms, concealing a yawn with one of his hands. Shifting over to settle a little away from the edge of the sheets he lay down and tried to relax. Glancing over towards Sammy and Tanner sleeping peacefully helped put him at ease slightly. He never thought he'd have the opportunity to see them resting so calmly again.
He took off his glasses and pack, setting them to the side. As the exhaustion took hold he could feel his worries starting to leave his mind, at least for now. Looking over at Zepheera again the corners of his lips twitched up in a tired but content expression.
“Thank you… And goodnight, Zepheera.”
“Sleep tight,” she smiled, glad to see everyone at ease after everything.
Zepheera managed to stay alert for a few good hours, going over the events of the day in her head. Most days were unpredictable, and she was more than used to things not quite going to plan. The way things played out hit a little closer to home than she'd expected, dredging up feelings and memories the thought long buried.
Every time she glanced over to find the siblings curled up around each other, something in Zepheera melted. It filled her with a warmth that eventually wore at her own resolve to stay awake.
Can't hurt to just rest my eyes, she determined as she lay back, folding her arms behind her head. Only for a minute… Then she, like the others, was out like a light.
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