"Like I said, it makes sense, even if it's not an excuse." But Clara had always been interested in motivation and reason. She loved history to trace back the stories she read and to see how they shaped the world within books. And just as history shaped the world, psychology shaped the protagonists. There was motivation and that sort of life, it had to be so lonely and no one should be alone. It was hard to make sense of. She knew why dream her had gone. She always wanted to explore yet found herself trapped. Yet she had set rules, needed to be in control.... "Maybe it saves those who travel with him as well in its own way. Shows them they can be more."
Because really, running away with a mad man in a blue box. Anything could happen and wasn't that what Clara had been counting on in the dreams? Two dreams only still, and while there had been close calls, nothing like what Troy had mentioned. Death and suffering. Just... learning about someone fascinating and maybe seeing what she could be. Time would tell on that front.
The explanation at least made sense. The name Doctor was a promise. But how could Troy say that he dreamt of this Time War, that he destroyed his home and people yet there be others? Had they left before? Avoided the Time War and all had a similar hope, to be a Doctor. To be true to themselves?
"Sounds almost like an addiction."
The pain and suffering never enough to make you stop, even when you knew it was bad for you. The highs always seeming to outweigh everything else until it was too late. But from what she had seen, the Doctor saved so many people. In just those two dreams, they had reversed it and all the people who had been uploaded had been saved. They saved the entire ring system of Ahkaten... They were adventures, sure, but they saved people, the saved the world like it was their purpose in life.
Still, being given a task, Clara was trying to think of some sort of scientific fact to stump Troy with when he mentioned the burning and she stopped, that panic and concern from what happened with John filling her mind. He said it wasn't like that. But there was that term again.
"But if it's hurting you.." Mobile forgotten, Clara shifted and went to check Troy's temperature. He told her not to worry, but she would. She couldn't help it. She didn't want to lose anyone else. No human brain should know all that information and yet it seemed as though both Troy and John did. What if it got worse? Not that checking his temperature would actually tell her anything, but it was a reflex.