[025]

[oliverplus]

[in the library, Oliver is sitting in one of two large armchairs with a side table between them. he doesn't have a book in front of him, though--he's just holding his black datapad, furiously typing something into it. on the table next to him is a cup of tea and a plate of scones, although they're no longer as warm as they were when he first started. he appears to have taken exactly three bites out of one of the scones, but the cup of tea has been reduced to half-full. at least it's not going to waste]

[Oliver himself is completely oblivious to his surroundings. he's so focused on what he's doing that, most likely, he won't even hear anyone approaching. but he doesn't seem to mind that at the moment; his expression is one of concentration. he looks tired, too. it seems all of the events on the Plane recently are taking their toll on him]

[muttering to himself] Damnit, I can't remember. They're my friends! I should know all this...

[does anyone care to interrupt whatever he's working so hard on?]

Comments

[bit_impossible]

Oliver, it might surprise you to know that I can recognise just about every single tea blend ever made just by sniffing it. But! Something tells me you're not really interested in that. Are you? [gives him a knowing look. they've been down this road before, and really...how many days now have they been dodging this subject?]

[oliverplus]

[Oliver looks down at his tea because he prefers that to looking at the Doctor. he speaks quickly--too quickly. it's his nerves talking more than anything] If you're wanting to go somewhere, I could come back now. I don't mind.

[bit_impossible]

[yep, he's seen that look a lot as well.]

Nah, we're fine. And anyway, we're not going anywhere until the old girl's finished calibrating one of her systems. [or is she? he could easily be making an excuse]

[oliverplus]

Oh. [he pauses uncomfortably, taking another sip of tea] Okay... [he fidgets] Is everything okay?

[bit_impossible]

Well, you mentioned you were trying to remember 'things' from a while ago, so I'd probably classify that as something that has the potential to not be okay. Well, unless you were trying to remember where you placed the second half of your favourite pair of socks, then you might be out of luck. The fledershrews sometimes like to borrow them for their nests.

[oliverplus]

[Oliver is quiet for a moment, blinking at him] Fledershrews?

[but he can tell the Doctor isn't going to let him off the hook. he sighs, giving in] I'm okay! I'm just...I'm trying to make a list of people--people here now, people I've met. And things that've happened. You know, so...I don't forget.

[bit_impossible]

I'll explain later.

[raises an eyebrow as he sips his tea] You know, they have things for that. I might have a blank diary or two you could have if you'd like one. But I've got to admit, that's a strange reason to be doing that. It's not like you'll live an entirely long time and I don't think you're at risk for any neural diseases that will cripple your memory later in life.

[oliverplus]

[Oliver gives him a look. he's quiet briefly, and then he says, softly:] You mean besides the amnesia I've already had? Twice?

[bit_impossible]

[opens and closes his mouth] Well, I guess I should ask why you didn't do this earlier then. That latest bout of amnesia was months ago. And with you, well, you tend to not do something until something spurs you to. And you've had that look about you like you've wanted to talk about something but haven't because you're too stubborn to. [and really, for him to notice? yeah, that's bad]

[oliverplus]

Oh... [Oliver isn't sure what to say. he gazes at the Doctor much like a deer looks into the headlights of an oncoming motor vehicle--but he remembers what Leela said as well. he has to tell the Doctor]

It's not that! I just...haven't wanted to worry you...

[he realises how lame that sounds when he says it, but it's still true]

[bit_impossible]

[raises an eyebrow] And I didn't want to push you since, well, let's face it, you immediately deny something's wrong if someone asks even if it is me.

[oliverplus]

[Oliver fidgets] It happened a while ago. I shouldn't still be...you know, worried... [but he lets that train of thought trail off. obviously he is still worried--not to mention he's using the same arguments he did with Leela, and even she was adamant that he needed to do something about it]

[he pauses for a long moment, working up the courage to ask:] Doctor...you can look at memories, right?

[bit_impossible]

[gives him a small, encouraging smile] You know that I can. I've done it before. But I'm not a hard drive or flash drive, or memory crystal. You can't store your memories in my mind.

[oliverplus]

[surprised] Oh, no. That's not what I meant. I... [he pauses, not sure how to say it. it's a rather long pause before he continues, his voice shaking a little] One of my memories got...changed. [he considers saying more but can't quite bring himself to. instead, he just watches the Doctor awkwardly for his reaction]

[bit_impossible]

Changed? In what way? [turns in his seat] Who did it?

[oliverplus]

[he shakes his head, lowering his gaze so that he's no longer making eye contact] I don't know... I just know it's different.

[firmly] The candy did it.

[bit_impossible]

I need more information than that, Oliver. How did the candy only change a single memory and not your entire mind? [thinks of Emil and what it did to him]

[oliverplus]

No, I didn't eat it! It was... [Oliver hesitates] It was a friend. It changed him, and he did it to--to scare me off. So I wouldn't try to help. Only now he's back to normal, so he can't change it back. [he fidgets uncomfortably, poking at his datapad even though it's off just to give his hands something to do]

[bit_impossible]

[set his cup down, his voice gentle] If you're worried I'll be angry, don't be. I saw what that candy did to the others as well. They had no choice.

[oliverplus]

[Oliver shakes his head. he's worried the Doctor will be hurt to find out about his friends hurting each other--and worried because the Doctor will know as well as Oliver that Jamie still feels guilty about it. but Oliver can't say that] No, I know. It wasn't them. It's over now.

But I... [his voice catches] I-I don't know for sure what got changed, and he can't change it back, and...well, I think it's small, and it probably doesn't matter, but... [he trails off, still poking at the datapad discontentedly] [quietly] Could you take a look?

[bit_impossible]

[keeps his voice calm] Yes, of course, I can--but I need to know what I'm looking for. Your mind, though human, still is pretty vast if I'm going to just wander on in and take a look see.

[oliverplus]

[Oliver tries to shrink into his chair, avoiding the Doctor's gaze at all costs] I...I used to have a merger, on Gondovan. It took me to Skara Brae. I met Jamie there once, and... [but he trails off, shaking his head] And it's wrong now, but I don't know what it's supposed to be.

[bit_impossible]

[his face lights up for a moment] Skara Brae! Oh, lovely little place! But there's the problem in itself. It merged with Gondovan and we haven't been to Gondovan in ages, now have we? [but even as he says it, he can feel the wind leaving his sails very quickly] But that's not really it. Okay.

That should help. [he gets up and squats down in front of Oliver (much easier than adjusting the chair).] Are you ready?

[oliverplus]

[Oliver shakes his head] What I remember about what happened...it isn't what happened. I mean...I don't think it is. I don't know. It feels wrong. And...and I don't know if that's the only thing that's different, either...

[he nods, but he's still watching the Doctor fearfully. he'll never be comfortable with someone going into his head--not even when it's just the Doctor there to fix damage that has already been done. but he takes a deep breath and closes his eyes, hoping that will help him calm down]

[bit_impossible]

[reassuringly] I'll find it. [gently presses his fingertips to Oliver's temples, then with all that he's been told, goes into Oliver's mind to find what is wrong or out of place. he immediately targets the Skara Brae memory, deeming it the easiest to go from and already, he can see signs of crude tampering. certainly no one with knowledge of how to access the mind has been there, but thankfully, this makes cleaning up and repairing the damage all that much easier since there would be no tricks or subtle changes that he'd have to be careful of.]

[honestly, it's barely a challenge in the grand scheme of things, but he's able to do it--though he does know for certain who is responsible. and yet he isn't angry, not at the person, anyway. nonetheless, he's done and soon leaves Oliver's mind, resting back on his haunches as soon as he's removed his hands.]