sixwordstories | (no subject)

Handy?

[Rose is there as well, watching him scream and clutch his head. She looks to the Master.]

He's been like this since he got back. They didn't know what else to do with him.

[She wiped her eyes] D'you know what's wrong?

I can find out.

*And then he's searching through Handy's mind, looking for signs of tampering and memories of torture.*

[The moment he feels the Master in his head he starts fighting back. Of course his mind is a mess right now. Whatever happened left all his defenses down and unfortunately he can hear everything. It hurts so much.]

M-make it stop!

*Then the Master will shield him, block out the rambling thoughts of the people around them, force the drums to the back of his own mind, and help Handy rebuild.*

Something has completely stripped his psychic barriers, he's hearing every thought of everyone in the building. Which is crazy, because we learn how to block things out in infancy--we have to, unshielded telepathy would drive anyone nuts. The real trick to telepathy is learning to ever take down your mental walls, some of us never could.

*He sighs.* I'll have to stay with him until his barriers fix themselves. It should only take a few days, but you know how much I eat--and how violent I can be when I'm bored.

[Once the Master starts shielding his mind, his screaming stops and he relaxes against him. It's quiet again and he can finally relax.

Rose bites her lip watching the two of them as the Master helps him get his mind sorted.]

How could that've happened? He said no one could do that on Earth.

[She tucks her hair behind her ear.] I can arrange for food and entertainment. Just help him, okay?

Must've been someone from offworld, then. Or some brilliant idiot invented a machine that does it.

I will, promise. *He sighs.* You know what entertains me, right? I don't want to hurt the people here, for his sake, but . . . well, if you find out who did this I'd like a chat with them.

Course. We've sent a team to the operation site. [She sighs.] They were called in to retrieve an artifact. There should've been no threat there.

[Rose wanted to hug him so badly, but doing nothing but watching.]

Is it okay to touch him? I don't wanna hug him and have it hurt.

Obviously the artifact was an anti-psychic weapon. Possibly even Time War debris.

As long as I'm close by. It might even help, having one mind to focus on.

[With the go ahead, Rose pulls him into a hug and rocks him gently. He presses his face into her shoulder and breaths a shuddering breath.]

A Time War weapon? Wouldn't he know before he touched it? [She asks, running her fingers through his hair soothingly. He relaxes a bit, whimpering her name and clinging to her.]

I've never seen him like this.

It might've been active, for all we know. It wouldn't affect normal humans.

Me neither. It reminds me of . . . well, of me on certain days.

We'll have to be very careful with it. Especially around the empaths. [She continued to stroke through his hair.]

Why will it take a few days?

Putting the pieces of his barriers back together and hiding the cracks will take a little while, and they won't fuse for a bit after that.

Would he be better off at home? Maybe at he mansion? There's no one there really. Just my dad, mum, and Tony.

That would be good, yeah. The fewer people the better.

I'll make the arrangements. Get us on the other side of the mansion so Tony can't annoy us.

[She turns her attention back to him and tells him she'll be right back. He nods his head and pulls away from her so she can leave.

Then it's just him and the Master.]

Sorry...

Thank you, Rose.

*He frowns.* Don't be sorry, it isn't your fault.

I shouldn't have touched it.

[Now that he could barely hear anyone, he feels exhausted. His voice was strained from screaming.]

Still. You can't be held accountable for setting off a trap you didn't recognize until it was too late.

I should've known. I just wanted to touch it.

[He brings his hands to his head, clutching his hair and tugging on it.]

My head hurts.

That was probably part of the trap.

*He pulls Handy into his lap and puts a soothing hand to his forehead.*

Time War stuff, yeah? It's still trying to get me.

[He settles into his lap and relaxes when the Master puts his hand on his forehead.

Rose returns with one of the medical doctors. She kneels down beside the two of them and takes his hand.]

Mum's got a room all made up for you. We're going home, okay? Just need to sedate you so you're not in pain.

Even across universes. It's really quite unfair.

I'm coming with, of course. But sedating will help as well.

Course. It's just 'till we get there. Too many people for him to hear, yeah?

[She squeezed his hand while the doctor rolled up his sleeve, prepped him, and then injected him with the sedative.]

Just be out a little while. We'll be here when you wake up, k? [She smiled sadly, glancing at the Master.]

Yeah. Whole big world out there.

*He smiles weakly back at her.* We'll be right next to you, promise.

*Once Handy is asleep he picks him up and carries him to the waiting vehicle.*