The Doctor heard what Peri said but didn’t acknowledge it. He instead picked up the sonic lance and began to work on the console itself. No doubt there was something wrong with it seeing as it had been smoking. Perhaps a few circuits were burnt out. Really, he didn’t expect her to behave any differently given the current regeneration who inhabited this version of the TARDIS.
“Take your Time,” he said softly as he heard Peri walking out of the console room. The Doctor fell silent and focused on the task at hand. Besides, the fast he got the job done, the sooner he would be rid of all the unpleasant memories associated with the younger him. The poor thing didn’t even know what lie ahead of him in his future, and he couldn’t warn him. He didn’t know what hurt worse, seeing him, or knowing what was in store for him.
Even with all of the anger he had towards him, he actually felt sorry, for himself as ironic as it sounded. Was there anything he could do? Who would better understand himself… than himself? No words could ever express what was in his heart under all of that brave ego. Instead of saying anything he left him alone and flipped open a panel on the console to fix it, not that it would do any good. The TARDIS never did work right for him at that time.
He nodded once to Peri’s words but didn’t look up, and removed several components, stuffing half of them under one arm while he turned the rest over in his hands, looking for shorted circuitry. “Doctor,” he finally said, conscious that he was talking to himself, but still feeling angry and disappointed. “I suppose you can’t tell me what will happen. Ehem. Rightly so. But for me— now— that is, my present— I would prefer it if you didn’t interfere too much— do you know what I’m saying?”
The Doctor was also painfully conscious that his own manner was no doubt grating on the later regeneration’s nerves. Well. He released some of the inner tension, stiffening somewhat and throwing Six a glare. “I don’t know what’s going to happen and I don’t want to. I just want to get this fixed and pick up Nyssa again. Understand?”
Peri pulled the door slightly, looking out at the console room through the crack. It seemed to be going okay, kind of quiet. She sighed and closed the door again, making her way to the kitchen. It wouldn’t do to come back empty handed, not that either of them had really paid attention to why she left in the first place.
“I wouldn’t dare interfere with your problems. Don’t flatter yourself.” The Doctor didn’t even look at his past self. “Now do shut up and fix that panel.”
He looked up and frowned at his other self stiffly. “Now there! At the very least we can speak to each other as two Time Lords. I am entitled to demand some respect, whatever that says about my future state of mind.”
The Doctor pulled out a switch array, trailing wires from the wall panel, and he began testing each circuit. “I see you do not like me. I see no reason why— I rather fancy myself a charming individual. But it is rather senseless to unjustly attack your former self and so then sabotage your own history— hmm? Oh there. I believe I’ve discovered where the tertiary control short occurred. Easily enough repaired.”
He focused on rerouting the power. “What I’m trying to say is, it’s hardly very encouraging to myself to receive this particular impression of future events. Hope for what’s to come— eh?” He tried to smile at the other Doctor.
“Say, where’s Peri gotten off too?” he suddenly asked, not having paid any attention to her leaving.
IM LAUGHING SO HARD BECAUSE THE TENTH AND ELEVENTH DOCTORS CARRIED MARTHA AND AMY SO HEROICALLY AND THEN THE FIFTH DOCTOR CARRIED PERI AND FUCKING DROPPED HER
Okay, I quickly whipped it together because it’s so late it’s early and I need to go to bed. It’s “baalsofsteel” and I’m going to change the theme a lot when I get the time.