A Diamond in the Rough ("Opening" Entry)

[roseglade.livejournal.com]

Title: A Diamond in the Rough

Author: RoseGlade

Fandom: Doctor Who

Rating: G

Word Count:   550 words

Characters: The Eleventh Doctor (Ganger) and Amy Pond

Spoilers: “The Almost People”

Warnings: N/A

Episode Setting: During “The Almost People”

Summary: A simple flower is all it takes to change a person for the better.
A/N: Written for who_contest “Opening” and puzzleprompts April 2018.

Prompts:

Mother Nature - Flower

Cosmic Constant - Inertia (Metaphorically - Flower changes Ganger's path in life)

Random Descriptor - Carefree

She doesn’t know that I am not the real Doctor.  Amy decided that I was the true Doctor by the color of my shoes, clever girl.  Unfortunately, not clever enough seeing as she missed the bit where we switched shoes, but that’s understandable, she’s only human.  It worried me, however, to see the real Doctor so utterly segregated from his peers by a simple title. My title.

We stepped out of the control room and into a dark, compact courtyard for a moment to get some air.   The air, laced with acid gas, caused both of us to choke; however, it was necessary. I needed a moment to think without the intimidation for the rest of the group and Amy, determined to stay with me, tagged along.   Amy, a carefree and optimistic girl as my memories told me, now resembled a more troubled individual. The thoughts of Rory were most likely on her mind.

“Don’t worry Pond.”  I half-heartedly smiled.  “We’ll find Rory and bring him back soon.”

“I know Doctor,”  Amy replied with a small cough and changed the subject.  “Are you sure we can trust him? The flesh Doctor? He nearly killed me out in the hallway a few minutes ago.”

I sighed.  The Doctor hadn’t meant to frighten her.  His actions were on impulse. My impulse. My thoughts were preventing him from being himself, the true Doctor.  And Amy actions hindered me from wanting to return to being a Ganger. She extruded a kind of aura which made me feel at home and loved.  The feeling was strange. I liked it and to my horror, I didn’t want to give it up.

“He was simply confused.  He didn’t mean it! I mean, think about if you were in his shoes.”

I stopped.  Right before my shoes, a minuscule, baby blue-eyed flower remained unbloomed.  Immediately, I broke into a genuine smile. I’d never seen a real flower in person before, only in mind.  I didn’t think any flower could survive in such an acid infested island, but this little one had.

“Doctor,”  Amy started as I bent down.  “Is-Is that a flower?”

“Yeah!”  I smiled.  “Would you look at that!”

“But isn’t it dead?  It’s petals haven’t spiraled out or whatever you all it.”

“You see Pond,”  I replied as I breathed lightly on the flower.  “All it needs is a little carbon dioxide.”

Instantly, the flower opened up its petals and revealed it’s ethereal color scheme and in the center of the flower was a jagged diamond.  It seemed that the acid gas had indeed damaged the flower but, it had made the flower much more than it ever could have been on its own.

“Well, isn’t she a beauty?”  Amy grinned.

“Yep. She certainly is.”

At that moment I knew that as much as I wanted to remain like the real Doctor, I couldn’t.  I was merely here to give the real Doctor a breath of fresh air so that he may shine brighter the before.  He deserved the universe, not I. I would stay myself and protect him and Amy from the horrors of myself, of the flesh.  Amy didn’t desire a world in which she would be deceived. She deserved better. She deserved to know the truth about me … and the baby.

Comments

[dancingdragon3.livejournal.com]

I loved this when I read it over on Who and I loved it again just now. You did a great job conveying the Ganger Doctor's sadness. Lovely description of the flower :-)