"I-I can't help. I don't know how to help a--a..." the very word was ridiculous to say, but he could hardly demand the world to stop being so insane and expect it to return to normal. Oh, he would if he could, but so far it had shown no signs of obeying his commands. "a machine capable of traveling in time. I'm not...I'm not you, I'm just John Smith! Just John Smith, and I cannot imagine a magical box would have any use of history lessons and etiquette."
And yet...if he were truly living now, if this were truly a second chance, would that mean he could return to Joan now? Could he have been granted the life he'd pleaded for?
At the Doctor's suggestion his hands quickly flew to his pockets, seeking out the watch as he always did whenever reminded of it, but found nothing. His relief only lasted for a moment. "But--but the village! The school...Joan?" The last is undisguised beseeching. The Doctor clearly had no concept of love, but surely he had compassion, and with that compassion surely he would understand why Joan's fate mattered to John.