[014]

[oliverplus]

[today, Oliver arrives on the Plane with a bed in tow. not just any bed, but what appears to be a standard-issue hospital bed from the 27th century. he is also wearing a hospital gown, and he has an oxygen tube hooked to his nose and an IV in his arm, although the appartuses the devices were attached to don't seem to have made it to the Plane with him. hopefully he didn't actually need those. interestingly enough, there is no sign of injury on Oliver himself, except for perhaps the IV in his arm. but in addition to all this, Oliver looks terribly startled to have arrived on the Plane]

What the--what is this!? [looks around him in confusion, then gives the IV a suspicious look] I thought I wasn't on anything strong! Why the hell... This was a dream! [turns upward, apparently addressing the stars themselves] A dream, you hear?

I know I was wishing to be anywhere but hospital, but blimey, that didn't mean I wanted to start hallucinating! [sighs] I wonder how long this is gonna last... [props himself up a bit, pulling the tube out of his nose as he turns to take a look around him]

[ooc: This is NOT an experiment. Oliver is suffering from some nasty side effects of chemical exposure during an incident on Gondovan. He currently has amnesia stretching through the last several years of his life. His memory will slowly return, but for now he doesn't remember the Plane or anyone on it, nor how his empathy ability works. he also doesn't remember the details of his life on Gondovan or even the end of his travels with the Doctor. So, enjoy the confused Brummie!]

Comments

[oliverplus]

[is surprised--but relieved--when the Doctor snatches the letter away without comment. he really would rather not have seen himself call Gondovan his home at all, but at least he isn't being asked about it] [swallows hard] What's that, then?

[bit_impossible]

[don't think he's gotten away with it yet!]

Well...basically, I examine your mind and see what the exact damage is. If there is a way I can kick-start the healing process, then I will.

[oliverplus]

How are you gonna do that?

[bit_impossible]

[mumbles under his breath] Blimey, I just had this conversation with you not too long ago...

[in a normal tone as he briskly leads the way out of the wardrobe area and over to a pair of chairs set up on the main ballroom floor] It's very simple, actually! All I need to do is touch your temples and connect my mind to yours. From there, you're an open book to me.

[oliverplus]

[follows him, though he looks uncertain] You've never done that before.

[bit_impossible]

Actually--[he stops himself. he'd just have to do a great deal more explaining and he really doesn't feel like it]--it's something I never did around you when I was that other me. [at the time, he was interested in another branch of psionics]

[oliverplus]

[he isn't entirely satisfied with that answer] [nervously] You're sure it'll help?

[bit_impossible]

I'm absolutely certain it will. I can get a better idea of how much damage the citriloform has done to you.

[oliverplus]

[cringes] But...I'm sure I'll get my memory back either way. I mean, it worked out last time.

[bit_impossible]

[puts a hand on his shoulder] I can't wait as long as I did last time--and neither can you.

[oliverplus]

[sighs] If I don't remember, we can't find the bloke they kidnapped... I know.

[bit_impossible]

Or who "they" could be.

Now! We can do this standing or sitting. Whichever would be preferable to you.

[oliverplus]

[frowns, still definitely not looking happy about this, but takes a seat]

[bit_impossible]

[pulls a chair close to Oliver's, setting it directly in front of him before taking a seat] So you know, this won't hurt, just relax, etcetera, etcetera. Just don't fight me and you'll be fine.

[oliverplus]

[swallows hard] What are you going to be doing?

[bit_impossible]

[he smiles, unable to resist saying what he says next] Playing doctor. [then he quickly adds] Well, not in any sort of bad way or anything, but in the proper sort of way--only without the scalpels, stethoscopes, and everything else. I'll be right here, but I'll also be in your mind.

[oliverplus]

Yeah...all right... [really reassuring there, Doctor] Then...let's get this over with.

[bit_impossible]

[raises his hands to Oliver's temples, a small smile on his face. he thinks what he said has been reassuring] Remember what I said. Just relax... [touches Oliver's temples, and closes his eyes. he connects with Oliver's mind very easily]

[oliverplus]

[nods, but he's still tense, sitting up a bit too straight to be comfortable. he doesn't think the Doctor's been comforting as all, particularly as he still finds it odd to even think of this man as the Doctor, even though he knows--and feels--that he is]

[he's also not sure he really wants his memory back. if what the Doctor said about Oliver's stranding himself on Gondovan is true, he has a feeling those are memories he's happier without. with all of those worries weighing on his mind, he tries futilely to relax for the Doctor to do whatever it is he's doing]

[bit_impossible]

[he frowns slightly, sensing that inner battle of Oliver's while he searches out the point where his friend's mind had been damaged. again. at this rate, he might as well sign up for frequent flyer benefits.

fortunately, it's not too difficult to find the damaged area in his memories. the chunk missing is pretty big for a human (for a Time Lord, it'd be a mere blip on the radar). he chooses to skip over the old memories they shared when he was a different man and sought out the recent ones with Oliver waking up in the hospital bed.

and there they are. he works backward from there, the smell of oranges (that'd be the citriloform, he tells himself), witnessing the attack on him and a large man he soon learns is named Mikaeja in a plain, non-descript flat (well, as plain as they can be in the 27th century, that is). unfortunately, the attack is swift and seemingly unprovoked as Mikaeja and Oliver were simply chatting before, but the Doctor cannot make out how many attackers there were nor what they looked like, though this could be because of the state the memories are in. logically, there had to be at least a couple, especially to handle a man of Mikaeja's size.

but these sort of memories--the attack on him not only in recent times, but the one that led to Oliver to leaving the Doctor in the first place--are ones that he knows will cause Oliver a great deal of pain remembering all at once. then again, so would remembering them as time went on, but with the nature of memories, there are always going to be ones that hurt more than others. lucky for Oliver, the Doctor can help Oliver's wayward memory, so before he leaves, he gives the healing process a little kick to get it started--but even he isn't sure when it'll truly begin or how much Oliver will remember at first and will continue to recall as time went on. he worries about leaving things like this, but perhaps in the future, once Oliver remembers more, he can go in again to further the process along.

a moment later, he cuts all contact to Oliver's mind and opens his eyes]

[oliverplus]

[Oliver isn't aware of what the Doctor is doing while he's in his mind, but he feels...something...when the Doctor pulls out. opens his own eyes as well] Doctor? [nervously] What happened?

[tries to think back to recent events, wondering if the Doctor has changed anything, but he realises--to his guilty relief--that his memory is just as jumbled and full of blanks as before]

[bit_impossible]

[he arches an eyebrow] What happened just now, or what happened when I looked in your memories?

[oliverplus]

[frowns. really, Doctor] Both?

[bit_impossible]

Well, let me ask you this before I answer your question. Do you remember what happened before you woke up in hospital?

[oliverplus]

[shakes his head] Should I?