Losing Them In Pieces [Open]

[bonnypiperlad]

Who: Jamie and open!
Where: The Brig, unless someone drags him out from it.
Summary: A reaction to Billy's repodding and Zetta's subsequent announcement.
Warnings: General unhappiness warnings. Possibly a bit of sulking and a reluctance to do things.


Zetta's announcement had infuriated Jamie, and for a few moments he had forgotten it was supposed to be an act. All he wanted to do was get out of his cell, hunt down that overgrown piece of parchment and find out how hard it would be to punch a book in what served for its face. But the anger soon faded as the reality set in. Another teammate, gone. Only this time it was someone he had grown to care for like the members of his clan - like a brother. It wasn't a mistake or a joke. Maybe it wasn't as permanent as Punchy's death, but in some ways it hurt even worse.

And...maybe Zetta had been right, act or no act. What was to stop the Daligig from repodding the rest of the rebels or even the crew entirely? Yes, they'd lose the investment they had in the crew, and have to start all over again, but they'd have the time to adjust the systems, undo the changes that had already been done and start over with a group that had no idea what was going on. Or what if they decided a more effective tack would be to pod the rest of those who the rebels cared for? What if they repodded the Doctor? Or Victoria? He couldn't bear the thought of losing her, too, not now. Not again.

A wave of listlessness rolled over him, and he slid down the wall to sit heavily on the floor. His eyes found a random spot, and he stared at it despondently, too caught up in the downward spiral of his thoughts to actually see it. Why should they even bother trying to fight? Was it even worth it anymore?

"Och, what's the use?"

Comments

[bonnypiperlad]

When the Doctor went to 'loads of uses', the first thought Jamie had was that maybe the Time Lord didn't know what he meant, since it seemed he was going ahead and answering the question anyway. And really, it had been more of a rhetorical thing. Or at least a giving-up sort of thing, which wasn't quite the same, but close enough.

His spirits were low enough that even though what he was saying made sense, Jamie couldn't say as he cared. So what if he only had one go? It wasn't going to make much of difference if the Daligig decided to start over with the crew again. But something about having those extra chances stopped that train of thought, and he glanced up again. Something in the way he held himself shifted, subtly, but there all the same. Less morose, more...considering.

"Aye," he said, thoughtfully. How many times had the Doctor woken up and gone back to sleep and woken up again? Kaya and Anwei had come back from the pods, too. And Victoria was here. Even though she hadn't gone back to the pods and come back like the others, she was still another chance for him, wasn't she?

"There are other chances, aren't there?" It's a start, but his black mood still has a hold of him. He adds, pessimistically, "Assuming we don't wind up back in the pods too."

[makeherblue]

The Doctor has a bit to go, apparently. “That’s a possibility,” he concedes. “But then we’d simply start all over and it’s possible he could start all over differently. Sort this whole mess out. Or we could be wiped from existence and I suppose then it won’t really matter if things matter.”

He seems to realize after the fact maybe that isn’t the most comforting thing he could say to his friend. The Doctor chews on his bottom lip, frowning. Humans are tricky sometimes. For all the centuries you think you understand them and then there are moments like this, tricky and heavy in the air that doesn’t make sense because it’s not exactly mass related. It’s just a Thing. A complicated Thing, one of those Things he for some reason never thought he’d have coming from Jamie McCrimmon because….because, well! He’s Jamie McCrimmon, that’s why!

Shifting his weight on his seat, the Doctor falls silent for a moment, worrying away at the material of his trousers. It’s one of those things about his new body – it has a habit of fidgeting and shuffling itself in a way the other one hadn’t.

“My point, Jamie, is I don’t think you want to sit your chance in a stuffy, boring old cell. You’ve already had far too much experience with cells and…prisonish things.” The Doctor says.

[bonnypiperlad]

That actually causes Jamie to look up, mouth pulling off in that familiar way for a few seconds. But then, something sparks in him. A touch of humor about the situation. He has had plenty of experience with cells, hasn't he? The slight crankiness gives way to a brief chuckle, and the beginnings of a smile. "Aye, so I have. No thanks to you."

His tone almost sounds as it does when he's bantering back and forth with the Doctor, just a hint of teasing underlying the words. Then he sighs, and shifts into a more comfortable position. One, it should be noted, that gives him a rather less morose-looking air. He's still not entirely happy, but he's starting to shift away from feeling completely lost.

"And you're right, I don't. It's just...it's not fair that they repodded Billy like that. I don't like it."

[makeherblue]

That's the look that looks so very right on his human. His own mouth quirks up a bit, happy to see a little bit of his old Jamie peering out at him. "You could say it's a life skill, if it makes it an easier. That's what I do. Put it right on there if I want to file an application anywhere."

Amazing it actually helped get him into some clubs and the occasionally knitting group - apparently it was up there with knowing how to swim and riding a Gringle bicycle. The Doctor adjusts his weight on his little seat.

"Ah, fairness. Tricky thing, that!" He thinks he can understand Jamie's issue with fairness. He's young, even by human standards, and impossibly young by the Doctor's. For all the worlds and timelines this Scot has seen in that short flicker of a lifespan of his, it all boils down to his human standard of what counts as fair. The Doctor finds it endearing. It's one of those things that's special about being a human being, this dead certainty of what is fair and right in the universe. "Repodded, though. I'd say that's still hopeful."

[bonnypiperlad]

"Aye, maybe so," he admitted. "Mind ye, unless someone figures out a way to get him out of there we'll still not see him again."

He looked at the Doctor rather thoughtfully, even so. The Doctor was the most clever person he knew. Maybe he'd be able to do something - assuming they were able to get free of the Daligig, that is. Then maybe they'd have the time to work on that. Well. Not him, so much, he suspected. Not unless someone needed him to hold things and press buttons when directed. Given who he was talking with, however, that sort of thing wouldn't necessarily be out of the question. And if it could get Billy out - or Zoe, or even Ben and Polly - he'd be willing to do that without even grumbling. Much.

"Do ye think someone here'll be able to do that, someday? Figure out a way to get people out?"

Gonig to allude to his near-success coming up :|a

[makeherblue]

"We'll see," the Doctor said, slightly evasively. Unfortunately he couldn't say either way with Billy being repodded. What Jamie brought up about possibilities, now! That he might have a better answer to. "Oh yes. I expect someone could - and by someone, I mean a Certain Someone -- will. Nothing a little timey-wimey and a toaster couldn't fix."

He beamed at Jamie, glad to be able to break that too him. This time he was close to fixing the TARDIS, both her space capability and the time engines. If he could also get a way to deal with the temporal issues of any hops in Stacy's wibbly-wobbly timeline, the Doctor was more than sure he could find a way to get people out. At any rate, he was much closer than he was months ago.

But he didn't plan to stop there.

There was all the universes and timelines out there, the Ohm still spreading. With the TARDIS operational, the Ohm problem seemed much more approachable.

He hadn't given much thought to what to do with Jamie, though. Maybe he hadn't wanted to admit that the proper thing to do was to drop him right where he ought to be, back on the Moors and without these memories. He had that death waiting for him the future, after all. The look the Doctor gave was slightly sad, but fond. Maybe he could cheat somehow. It was a thought he liked to entertain every now and then.

[bonnypiperlad]

"A toaster?" Jamie was baffled. That sounded like the daftest thing he had ever heard. What could a toaster possibly have to do with timey...wimey... His eyes went wide, and he looked at the Doctor in a slightly incredulous way. Was the Time Lord saying what he thought he was saying?

"Doctor, do ye mean to say you've finally gone and figured out whatever's gone wrong with the TARDIS?"

His mind spun. If the Doctor had that working again, what would he be able to do with it? Could they stop the Ohm with it somehow? Would he leave? Who all would go with him? He couldn't even quite wrap his mind around it, not completely. But a part of him was happy, too, and he couldn't quite hide that reaction, especially not from the Doctor. It would be good to have the TARDIS working properly again.

"Aye, well, it's about time." The words were a little dry, but in a teasing sort of way - Jamie couldn't resist just a little poke at his friend's expense. But there did seem to be one problem with the idea, and that he was wondering how they could fix that part of things.

"Where are ye going to find a toaster, though?"

[makeherblue]

Ah, there it was. That spark of realization in his Scot's eyes. It fitted Jamie, of course. There was always a reason he asked people to travel with him and that was one of them.

"I'd say I've almost got her sorted," the Doctor corrected Jamie. He looked slightly offended at his remark, puffing himself up, and then abruptly deflated because there it was: the toaster. It always came down to the toaster! "I'll start with the City and see if I can find any. I'm sure someone somewhere must have a toaster."

Of course he'll have to tell the others too. But Jamie was here since the Doctor spilled out of those pods and the Doctor wanted him to have that hope. He couldn't yet tell him that in all likelihood he would have to drop him right back off in Scotland or that all of this? Stacy, all his friends here? He might not even remember it then. The Doctor got to his feet, shaking a bit of feeling back into his legs.

"We ought to go looking together whenever you're free again," the Doctor made it seem as if being brigged as much an inconvenience as stopping to notice your shoelaces were untied.

[bonnypiperlad]

"Aye, when I'm free again. Fat chance of that happening anytime soon," he muttered - but there wasn't any of the melancholy that had been in his voice in the statement. The tone was simply Jamie being Jamie. Indulging in a bit of complaining, perhaps, but still just Jamie.

"Hey, Doctor!" he said suddenly, more brightly than before. "Maybe ye could check with Lash and see if she's got a toaster in that shop of hers. If not, I bet she might be able to come up with something like a toaster that'll work. And then ye can fix the TARDIS!"

Sounded easy enough to him - well, assuming Lash had the right parts. If not, well, it was a big city, with plenty of places they'd not gotten to yet. It was only a matter of time before there was one of them with a toaster, or another shore leave or something that would work.

He'd almost completely forgotten his original moping by now. Instead, he was much more animated, the prospect of the TARDIS being fixed enough to get him to focus on that instead of other things. Good job, Doctor.

"Have ye told the others yet? I mean, I could tell Victoria for ye, but Barbara? Ian?"

[makeherblue]

These were all very brilliant suggestions, Jamie, except for the fact the Doctor couldn't be in multiple places at once - especially since he couldn't seem to locate his past selves! The Doctor beamed at the fact that Jamie seemed to be more or less back to his usual Scottish self, his face having that energy that hadn't been there a few minutes ago.

"Not yet. I will. Preferably once I have a toaster. As for Lash..." the Doctor trailed off and it was one of the few times Jamie may have seen him look geniunely uncomfortable on Stacy. "Maybe not. I'm afraid she'd try to weaponize it! So maybe a not-likely-to-kill-you toaster."

The Doctor peered at the cell, then back at Jamie. Jamie, it would be downright fab if you could help him on the Great Toaster Hunt, but it was all very difficult to do brigged, wasn't it? The Doctor had that look like he was sorely tempted to get it over with and break Jamie out himself. Eventually the Doctor heaved a sigh and flapped a hand at Jamie's currently situation here.

"Get yourself sorted, yeah? You can pop by the TARDIS once you've seen enough of the brig."