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[Milliways] OOM: Colorado, circa 1859
Aug. 7th, 2007 12:02 amThe gunshot rung loudly in Sarah Jane’s ears and the cavalry pistol fell from her hand to on to the dirt road with a muffled thump. The holster on her hip felt heavy, and the white charlotte blouse and black sadie vest felt like they were choking her. She watched with wide brown eyes as the man who had been about to stab the Doctor crumpled to the ground instead, a cloud of dust rising upward in his wake.
The whole town had suddenly gone quiet. No one had known who these strangers were to begin with when they had first arrived hours ago, especially the strangely tall man wearing the unfashionably and unreasonably warm scarf instead of a bow tie. But everything had been fine the minute they had stepped into the saloon and the Doctor had merely introduced them as a pair of travellers from the nearby town of Pine Hills. Even if some of the local woman had raised eyebrows at Sarah’s preference of canvas pants, they had been welcomed. It was just the way the Doctor had with people. It had made her happy to be back travelling again.
So far, it absolutely incredible journey. The trip had been decided upon merely seconds after Sarah had stowed back into the TARDIS. She had been sitting at the table in the galley, reworking her decision not to leave James a note. Sensing her melancholy, the Doctor suggested a trip through time. At some point, the American frontier had been decided upon.
But now she wished nothing more that they had continued their trek back to UNIT HQ instead of taking time out to explore the universe. She wished she had stayed in Milliways, safe from all of this. She wished she had never been given a gun.
She didn’t have to look down at the blank eyes to know that the man was dead. The Doctor’s tan trail duster fluttered in the wind before he bent down to one knee to take the man’s pulse. Apparently he needed some sort of reassurance in the matter that Sarah Jane didn’t. Because she had known instantly the moment her finger had pulled the trigger of her pistol.
Sarah Jane Smith prided herself on being a good shot. And she had shot to kill this man. A bullet through the brain: sure and effective. Bitterly, she wondered what James would say to that. Or if she’d ever see him again. Surely she wouldn’t be allowed to get away with murder, even if it was in self defense. She didn’t deserve lenience.
So the highway man had attacked the Doctor in an ill-conceived mid-day robbery. Her best friend probably would have found some way to just subdue him. But Sarah had found another, a way she had thought rather inconceivable of her to do until now. She had reacted on instinct. One moment the pistol was in her holster, kept there to keep up the persona of a cowgirl, the next in her hand.
When the Doctor finally stood and took a step towards her, Sarah immediately took one away. He valued life just as much as she did, and now she had killed a man. How could he even look at her with that calmness in his eyes? He couldn’t understand at all. He couldn’t understand that she would kill all over again if it meant protecting him. He couldn’t ever know that she’d do much worse to protect James, no matter what turn their relationship took.
She ran. Maybe she could get back to the TARDIS before him and get back to Milliways. It was a fleeting hope, but it was all she had. Luck was not with her though. Seconds away from the scene, she fell and collapsed painfully on her hands and knees. Wincing, Sarah stood to continue her hasty retreat away from this vacation turned disaster. She could hear the Doctor calling for her. But with a swollen ankle, Sarah wasn’t going to make it to the TARDIS before him. So she chose the next best option: hiding.
But as Sarah quickly learned, the problem with trying to hide in an unfamiliar town was that it was hard to stay hidden for long. He found her quickly enough, sitting in the corner of a foul smelling stable, head buried in her knees and hands as she cried. She felt horrible about the death, but even more so about the sinking suspicion she had that this wouldn’t be the last time she would be responsible for a death. She cried even as the Doctor sat down in the muck beside her, wrapping his arms around her body and holding her close. He handed her the tail of his scarf and when Sarah refused to accept it, gently started to wipe at her tears.
There wasn’t any need for words as they sat there in the muck, nor as they walked slowly back to the TARDIS. The Doctor had agreed; it was best to get out of Pine Hill now before further complications occurred. All Sarah Jane wanted to get back to Milliways. She wanted to collapse on the bed in Flat 007 and hug James’ pillow close to her. She wanted to talk to someone who really knew how hard this was. She wanted that future Doctor to tell her everything would be okay in the end.
She had murdered somebody without even a second thought at the time it had happened. She couldn’t ever see life being okay again.
The whole town had suddenly gone quiet. No one had known who these strangers were to begin with when they had first arrived hours ago, especially the strangely tall man wearing the unfashionably and unreasonably warm scarf instead of a bow tie. But everything had been fine the minute they had stepped into the saloon and the Doctor had merely introduced them as a pair of travellers from the nearby town of Pine Hills. Even if some of the local woman had raised eyebrows at Sarah’s preference of canvas pants, they had been welcomed. It was just the way the Doctor had with people. It had made her happy to be back travelling again.
So far, it absolutely incredible journey. The trip had been decided upon merely seconds after Sarah had stowed back into the TARDIS. She had been sitting at the table in the galley, reworking her decision not to leave James a note. Sensing her melancholy, the Doctor suggested a trip through time. At some point, the American frontier had been decided upon.
But now she wished nothing more that they had continued their trek back to UNIT HQ instead of taking time out to explore the universe. She wished she had stayed in Milliways, safe from all of this. She wished she had never been given a gun.
She didn’t have to look down at the blank eyes to know that the man was dead. The Doctor’s tan trail duster fluttered in the wind before he bent down to one knee to take the man’s pulse. Apparently he needed some sort of reassurance in the matter that Sarah Jane didn’t. Because she had known instantly the moment her finger had pulled the trigger of her pistol.
Sarah Jane Smith prided herself on being a good shot. And she had shot to kill this man. A bullet through the brain: sure and effective. Bitterly, she wondered what James would say to that. Or if she’d ever see him again. Surely she wouldn’t be allowed to get away with murder, even if it was in self defense. She didn’t deserve lenience.
So the highway man had attacked the Doctor in an ill-conceived mid-day robbery. Her best friend probably would have found some way to just subdue him. But Sarah had found another, a way she had thought rather inconceivable of her to do until now. She had reacted on instinct. One moment the pistol was in her holster, kept there to keep up the persona of a cowgirl, the next in her hand.
When the Doctor finally stood and took a step towards her, Sarah immediately took one away. He valued life just as much as she did, and now she had killed a man. How could he even look at her with that calmness in his eyes? He couldn’t understand at all. He couldn’t understand that she would kill all over again if it meant protecting him. He couldn’t ever know that she’d do much worse to protect James, no matter what turn their relationship took.
She ran. Maybe she could get back to the TARDIS before him and get back to Milliways. It was a fleeting hope, but it was all she had. Luck was not with her though. Seconds away from the scene, she fell and collapsed painfully on her hands and knees. Wincing, Sarah stood to continue her hasty retreat away from this vacation turned disaster. She could hear the Doctor calling for her. But with a swollen ankle, Sarah wasn’t going to make it to the TARDIS before him. So she chose the next best option: hiding.
But as Sarah quickly learned, the problem with trying to hide in an unfamiliar town was that it was hard to stay hidden for long. He found her quickly enough, sitting in the corner of a foul smelling stable, head buried in her knees and hands as she cried. She felt horrible about the death, but even more so about the sinking suspicion she had that this wouldn’t be the last time she would be responsible for a death. She cried even as the Doctor sat down in the muck beside her, wrapping his arms around her body and holding her close. He handed her the tail of his scarf and when Sarah refused to accept it, gently started to wipe at her tears.
There wasn’t any need for words as they sat there in the muck, nor as they walked slowly back to the TARDIS. The Doctor had agreed; it was best to get out of Pine Hill now before further complications occurred. All Sarah Jane wanted to get back to Milliways. She wanted to collapse on the bed in Flat 007 and hug James’ pillow close to her. She wanted to talk to someone who really knew how hard this was. She wanted that future Doctor to tell her everything would be okay in the end.
She had murdered somebody without even a second thought at the time it had happened. She couldn’t ever see life being okay again.
