The Universe's Mixer

"DOCTOR."

Even when Amy wasn't yelling her voice sometimes reached impressive decibels, drawing out the alien's title like a referee's whistle. The TARDIS continued to shake while sparks flew from the control panel. Gears made a grinding sound as if on a loop, the familiar wvorp! wvorp! of an alien time machine trying to land.

Amy held on to the handle bars positioned just below a monitor for dear life. If she were in a car, the equivalent would have been the dry cleaning bar located above the door, sometimes affectionately called the "oh shit handle." But Amy didn't curse, she much preferred to wail. She waited for the frightening shudder of the alien machinery to pass before doing so.

"Doctor? The numbers are gone. What does that mean? The monitor doesn't have the ...Doctor? Are you listening to me? DOCTOR."

With shaky fingers she reluctantly let go of the monitor's handle bars, waiting for her legs to solidly support her weight again. It didn't take long. She straighten out her blue jacket, tugged down on her green top and adjusted her leggings. By the time she'd finished nervous primping she noticed that the TARDIS's parking break sound had finally stopped.

"I think it finally landed. Are you going to answer me, Doctor?" Amy glared at the intercom as if he might somehow feel how annoyed she was. "Well fine then! I just better not be in that.. vortexy.. vortex.. thing.. you mentioned. Alright. I've been cooped in here long enough. You can't stop me if you won't speak to me. Well... Right then. Off I go. I'm going right now, Doctor."

The silence started to scare. Just a small amount. Maybe more, but Amy Pond was too upset by the situation to let anyone know it. "I'm leaving you a note! You better come find me!" Amy looked around the TARDIS console and found one of the Doctor's tweed jackets. Why he needed more than one-- or any, really-- was beyond her. She searched his pockets for a pen but found a small velvety jewelry box instead. Being nosey, she of course opened it.

It was a diamond ring.

She tried the ring on. It fit.

Amy quickly removed the ring and shoved it back into the Doctor's jacket pocket. Better to act as though she'd never seen it. At least for now. One red pen and a post-it note later slapped over a blank TARDIS monitor and Amy was out the white double doors. The note read simply: Answer when I'm talking to you! Gone out. Love, Amy.

From The City's perspective it looked as though a funny noise preceded the materialization of a strange blue box with the words POLICE CALL BOX illuminated over the doors. Only moments later did a young, red haired woman step out. Of course without a key she'd be locked out, but then Amy had assumed the Doctor was somewhere nearby.

At least until she noticed her surroundings.

"Nope. Definitely not Colchester." Her expression sobered accordingly.

The escape attempt had been days in the making. First, the Doctor had needed to locate the storeroom where the patients' personal effects were stored. Then he'd waited for it to be opened, given that he had no tools to pick the lock. Finally, jackpot: a new patient had been admitted and, in the three minute window during which access was possible, the Doctor snuck in and stole back his things. Once he had his screwdriver? Getting into the staff changing room was much easier. Sure, he could've tried to talk his way in, but he felt that would've been too suspicious. They'd have upped his dose, and that would've greatly hurt any future attempts.

Two sets of scrubs, coats, and badges later, the Doctor was ready. It would be nice to say that he'd picked Fred as a partner in his escape because he was fond of her, or because he was worried. True, he was worried about her, but he also didn't want their captors to get their hands on her work.

( It was dangerous. And, if the right people were to see it, they'd be dangerous. )