Boy/Girl Thing - Doctor Who

[sushigal007.livejournal.com]

While investigating a crashed spaceship, Zoe plays with a mysterious machine and accidently turns Jamie into a girl.

Outside the medibay, the Doctor and Zoe waiting alongside Devin, who had been ordered to escort them to the captain’s office as soon as possible. After a few minutes of awkward silence, the door opened and Jamie stepped out.

“Ah, Jamie, how are you?” Devin asked cheerfully, brightening up at the sight of the girl.

Jamie shrugged. “Fine,” she said blandly. “Are we oft t’ the captain now?”

Devin nodded and began leading the way. After looking around quickly to see if there was anyone else about, Jamie leaned in close to the Doctor. “The cut’s gone,” she whispered.

The Doctor frowned, finding himself slightly distracted by the warm breath on his ear. “Gone?”

“Aye.” Jamie showed him the tear in the fabric of her shirt. Underneath, the skin was smooth and unmarked. “D’ye think it’s summat t’ do with the machine mebbe making me heal fast like the wheat grows fast?”

“You could be right,” the Doctor said thoughtfully.

/\/\/\

Captain Rigby Truman was a rational and intelligent man. After leaving University and joining the Interplanetary Colonisation Central, he’d risen through the ranks at a rapid speed and had headed many expeditions to terraform alien planets and make them habitable for the increasing human race. After 15 years, at the age of 43, this was the first time any of his missions had gone wrong and the last thing he needed were tourists buggering things up. As soon as Devin opened the door, he sat up straighter, and placed a stern look upon his face, ready to lecture the visitors.

Except as soon as the brunette girl in kilt entered the room, he forgot all rational thought and almost dribbled on his desk.

“I’m the Doctor,” the scruffy gentleman said helpfully, holding out a hand to shake. Captain Truman reluctantly dragged his eyes away from the girl and shook the proffered hand. “You wished to see us?”

“Ah. Yes.” He shuffled some papers on his desk with an air of importance and promptly knocked over his coffee mug. “Shit!” The Doctor picked the mug up and handed it back to him. Utterly flustered, Captain Truman ran his fingers though his hair, suddenly horribly aware of his balding crown, and tried to compose himself. “Yes. My crew tell me that you’re travellers, is that’s right?” he asked, gazing steadfastly at the Doctor, who nodded an affirmative. “I’m afraid this planet is undergoing terraformation and is off limits to civilians at the moment. I’m going to have to ask you to allow a member of my staff to escort you to your spacecraft and leave.”

“On no, we cannae leave!” The Girl Of His Dreams exclaimed in an utterly delightful accent. “Doctor, tell him!”

Captain Truman held back the urge to ask her to stay forever and turned his attention back to the Doctor, who smiled and nodded at him. “I hear you’re having trouble with your DNA replicater, that’s correct? Well, myself and my companion Zoe,” he said, indicating the other girl. “We’re geniuses.”

“Oh yes?” he said, slightly amused.

The Girl Of His Dreams pulled a face that was still beautiful. “They’re telling t’ truth,” she grumbled. “It gets a wee bit tiresome sometimes.”

“Oh hush, Jamie,” the Doctor said lightly, and Captain Truman missed everything that he said next as he thought how nice the name Jamie Truman sounded.

“I’m sorry, could you repeat that?” he asked, realising that the Doctor was saying words.

“I said, if you don’t mind, we’d be happy to help your crew fix the machine,” the Doctor said.

“Oh, OK.” Captain Truman smiled, relieved that he had a reason not to order them away. “Your offer is greatly appreciated. Until it’s fixed, we can’t carry on our work.” He glanced at his watch. “We’re about to switch to the evening shift in half an hour. Would you like something to eat first?”

“Oh aye, that’d be grand!” Jamie looked delighted. And Captain Truman’s soul sang with happiness.

/\/\/\

After the loss of their picnic, Jamie and Zoe were happy to find that instead of the freeze-dried food that was often found on spaceships, the terraforming mission ship was equipped with a food synthesizer.

“How’s your roast lamb, Jamie?” the Doctor asked, oddly fascinated by the strange face in front of him.

“Good. It tastes right,” Jamie said happily.

The Doctor looked around quickly and leaned in closer. “And how do you feel?”

Jamie stopped eating and wriggled uncomfortably. “Well… weird,” she admitted. “I feel all wrong and I dinnae-“

She stopped talking suddenly as a young man walked over to their table, blushing furiously and twiddling his fingers nervously. “Um… hi, I was just um, I was wondering… um, if you might maybe like some coffee or something?” he asked, turning puce.

“No, I’m fine thanks,” Jamie said, nodding at her cup of tea. The man looked as though he was about to ask something else, then lost his nerve and scuttled away.

“He meant later,” Zoe said with a giggle.

Jamie looked baffled. “How would I know what I want later? Anyway, that’s another thing,” she added, nodding towards a group of men, who all looked up and smiled at her. “I dinnae like how attentive they’re being. It gives me the creeps.”

“Oh, you get used to it,” Zoe said cheerfully.

“Well I dinnae want t’ get used to it,” Jamie sulked. She looked hopefully at the Doctor. “D’you think I should tell them I’m no’ a lassie?”

The Doctor drummed his fingers thoughtfully on the table top. “That’s probably not a good idea,” he said eventually. “They all seem rather taken with you. Especially Captain Truman. The truth would be humiliating and he could even throw us out.”

“Well I don’t want that.” Jamie stabbed viciously at a piece of lamb. “All right, I’ll say nowt.”

“There’s a good lad,” the Doctor said encouragingly, patting her on the shoulder.

“But if any o’ them lads tries anything, I’ll larrup them,” she added.

The Doctor quickly removed his hand. “Ready, Zoe?” he asked, noticing her empty plate. “We’ve got work to do.”