EVERYTHING HAS ITS TIME
Chapter Nine (Two days later…) Sarah Jane raised her hospital bed up and used her remote to switch on the television that was sitting on the chest of drawers across the room from her. After going to the funfair, the Doctor brought her back to the TARDIS and she was thrilled that in their absence the TARDIS made a custom room for her near the Doctor, Rory and Amy's rooms and also made guest rooms for Rani and Clyde as well as a permanent room for Luke. Unlike the hospital room, her room was comfortable and homely with a hospital bed that had a genuine mattress on it and not a plastic one. Rory and Martha took turns caring for her while the Doctor took the house back to 13 Bannerman Road. He and the others brought K9 inside and began cleaning up her house and moving Mister Smith inside the TARDIS while Sarah Jane packed a light bag and Luke began moving the things he wanted into his room. She had just woken from a restful sleep to another morning. She turned on the news and listened while she sipped some hot tea that the TARDIS had provided for her. While she was doing that, she smiled at Martha when she came into the room, stethoscope around her neck and clipboard containing her medical chart in hand along with a bag holding her medical supplies. "Good morning, Doctor Jones," Sarah Jane said. "Good morning, Sarah Jane, how are you feeling this morning?" Martha said, setting the bag on a nearby chair and the clipboard on the bed across Sarah Jane's legs. "Been better but I can't complain," Sarah Jane said while Martha pulled down her pink duvet and put the ear buds of the stethoscope in her ears. "How is everyone?" "They're doing well. Still going through your house, making sure that all alien tech is brought inside the TARDIS," she said, holding the diaphragm against her heart. "Take several deep breaths for me, yeah?" Sarah inhaled and exhaled deeply while Martha listened. While Martha was examining her and recording it on her chart, K9 came into the room. "Mistress, Doctor Master wishes to see you as soon as you are ready," he said to her. "Tell him I'll be there as soon as Martha finishes updating my chart," Sarah Jane said to her, rising up so Martha could listen to her lungs. "Affirmative, Mistress," K9 said before he glided out of the room. Martha finished checking Sarah Jane's vitals twenty minutes later and gave her the Doctor's medicine before she gathered up everything and left. Once the medicine kicked in, Sarah Jane slid out of bed and put a dark blue dressing gown over her white nightdress. She slipped on powder blue slippers and padded down the hallway to the console room. When he got there, the Doctor was sitting on the glass floor around his console, his legs dangling off the end. "I have a surprise for you, Sarah," he said. "I managed to bring a few more friends here to see you. They're outside the front door." "Oh, I better dress properly then," Sarah Jane said. "Nah, no need, they won't care what you look like, they're just concerned about you," the Doctor said, sliding off the rim of the raised floor and landing on the ground below. She took his hand and they walked out the door. Sarah Jane was overjoyed to see Maria and her father standing there. She hugged them both tightly while she fought back the tears. "We were going to come by aeroplane but the Doctor came and got us and brought us back here," Alan said when he finished hugging her. "We're glad he did." "So am I, I'm glad you're here with me," Sarah Jane said. "That's not all," the Doctor said. "Okay, you can come in now!" he yelled. Sarah Jane's mouth dropped open when Jo Jones and Santiago came through the attic door. "Sweetie!" Jo said as they rushed over to hug Sarah Jane. "Oh my, I'm sooo glad the Doctor found us." "Wasn't an easy task either," the Doctor said as Sarah Jane hugged them. "The TARDIS was determined to find them though." "We were visiting the Taj Mahal," Jo said. "Got some photos if you'd like to see them." "I'd love to," Sarah Jane said, wiping the tears from her cheeks. "Before you do, Sarah, come over here, Mister Smith wanted to say something before we unplugged him and started dismantling him," the Doctor said. Sarah Jane nodded. She walked over to Mister Smith who was already open and waiting. The other TARDIS inhabitants were standing off to the side, watching quietly while Sarah Jane stepped up to the computer. "Yes, Mister Smith?" she said. "Sarah Jane, I understand what is happening to you and I wanted to tell you that I have enjoyed my time here and I'm glad I could be of service to you in your fight to protect Earth. I will miss you very much. I just wanted you to know this before I am taken offline." "Thank you," Sarah Jane said in a choked up voice while the Doctor put his hand on her shoulder. "We just wanted you to hear that, Sarah. Now if you want to go inside the TARDIS with Jo and Santiago and Maria and Alan, we'll take care of things out here." He smiled when Sarah Jane kissed his cheek. She walked back into the TARDIS with the newcomers while the others set about the task of disassembling Mister Smith and moving him into the TARDIS. A few days later, the TARDIS was sailing through the vortex. The Doctor put her there so there would be no distractions. Meanwhile, Sarah Jane began denying herself doses of the medicine, using them sparingly when she sensed that the moment of death was approaching. The Doctor switched to a pain medicine to keep her comfortable and pain free and Rory and Martha took turns checking on her every hour. The others kept her company and tried to keep the conversation lighthearted, reminiscing with her or sharing past adventures. Sarah Jane noticed the Doctor was joining in but she could tell that at times his smile was forced the more ill and weaker she became. Her appetite was beginning to decrease, although she tried to eat to keep some of her strength up and took as much fluids as she could handle. Eventually though, Martha switched to a saline IV and the TARDIS provided her with a call light when she started needing help walking to the adjoining bathroom. The call light, when activated, flashed the lights in the console room and in most of the major rooms but the Doctor soon insisted on having the TARDIS provide voice access, trusting in that more. Then one day, the Doctor entered the room to check on Sarah Jane. She was by herself, listening to Strictly Come Dancing while she read a book. Every once in awhile, she would look up to see what was happening on the television before her eyes returned to the book. She had lost a lot of weight and there were dark patches under her eyes. Her skin was also paler and she looked a bit haggard but she still managed a smile when her friend came in the room and sat the book down on the blanket in front of her. "I'm glad you're here," she said softly as the Doctor approached. "I have something to tell you." "Oh?" the Doctor said, pulling up a chair and taking her hand. "I saw Harry and the Brigadier and my mum and dad a few hours ago, standing just there, in the corner," she said, pointing to the right side of the room. "They didn't say anything, just smiled at me but I think they came to let me know that they're waiting to take me back to Heaven with them and then they vanished." The Doctor smiled and squeezed her hand, trying to fight the urge to cry. Despite his efforts, a single tear escaped and rolled down his cheek and Sarah Jane let go of his hand to wipe it away. "Don't cry, I'm not afraid," Sarah Jane said to him. "I know I'm going to a better place and I won't be going alone now. I'll be surrounded by family and friends, on this side and the other. I just want to thank you for letting me be here." "It was an honor, my Sarah," the Doctor said, fighting back the overwhelming emotions. "I wanted to ask you something," Sarah Jane said. "Anything," the Doctor said. "I don't want to linger and waste away. I was wondering perhaps if you had something that would give me a quick, painless death so I'll be able to die surrounded by all of you. I don't want to go when no one's here." "Yes, I can do that," the Doctor said. "Whenever you're ready…" "I'm ready, whenever you are. I know how hard this is for you. I know you're used to running from things like this and I'm glad you're staying with me till the end." "Oh Sarah, it would be an insult to run from you now when you need me the most," the Doctor said tenderly as he laid his hand on her shoulder. "I'm in awe of such bravery. You have been stellar through all this and now, you want to die on your own terms at your own time, I wouldn't expect any less from you." Sarah Jane smiled and nodded. The Doctor gazed at her for a moment and then had a sudden thought. "I want to give you something, Sarah, something to honor you and show you how much I appreciated you being my companion all those years." "You don't have to give me anything, Doctor." "I know but I want to. I want to give you my name." He chuckled when Sarah Jane gave him a confused look. "I want to tell you my real name. See, River knows it although why I told it to her, I still have no idea but she whispered it to me so I know she knows it. I know that you'll keep my name a secret even on the other side and I want you to know it because I think you've earned the right to know." "Thank you," Sarah Jane said in a choked up voice. He smiled and squeezed her hand before he bent over to her ear. Sarah Jane dared not breathe as he put his lips to her ear and then she heard a wonderful, melodious sound, an alien language that was like music to her ears. She didn't understand the name he told her or what it might mean but she loved the sound of it just the same and she thanked him when he leaned back up. "It's beautiful," she said to him. "Eh, it's a common Gallifreyan name, really," the Doctor said with a shrug. "Well, if that was common, it was a beautiful common name and thank you for sharing it with me," Sarah Jane said. "I won't tell a soul, I swear." "I know, I trust you, Sarah, always have. So…are you ready or do you need more time?" "I'm ready, don't think I can take much more of Strictly Come Dancing," Sarah Jane said, making a face. "Oh come now, it's not that bad," he said while she laughed. He kissed her forehead and told her he was going to tell the others about her decision. Sarah Jane nodded and relaxed as he left the room. She flipped the channels and found a game show, watching it while she waited. Slowly, everyone except the Doctor came into the room and she turned off the TV. She hugged them and said her goodbyes while everyone hugged back, tears streaming down their faces. Meanwhile, the Doctor was in his lab. He had started mixing together the serum that would give his friend a quick, painless death when emotion overcame him and he began to weep. He had to sit down on a stool and cry softly, letting his tears flow because he wasn't sure he could hold it together when the moment came to euthanize his friend. The TARDIS hummed sympathetically and touched his mind, trying to give him comfort. When the Doctor saw a flash out of the corner of his eye, he looked and noticed that the TARDIS had made the serum for him and put it in a syringe. "Thanks, old girl," he said, wiping the tears from his cheeks. "I still have to be the one to put it in her veins though and I'm going to have to use every ounce of willpower just to do this. This is probably the hardest thing I'll ever have to do but I agree with Sarah. I'd rather see her go peacefully than linger on and waste away to nothing. It's just…" He sighed and looked at his hands before looking up at the ceiling. "You know I loved her, didn't you?" he asked the TARDIS. "I loved my Sarah but I never had the guts to tell her that, just like I never had the guts to tell Rose. When it comes to expressing my feelings, I'm a coward." He sat for a moment in quiet contemplation, readying himself for what he had to do. Finally, he rose and let out a heavy sigh as he walked over to the counter and grabbed the syringe. He stared at the clear liquid inside and felt his insides knot up while he tried not to cry again. Then with leaden feet, he headed out the door to Sarah Jane's room. When he reached it, he paused and peeked inside, smiling when he heard laughter instead of tears and saw everyone joking and laughing with one another. Luke was sitting at his mother's side and she had her hand on his back, rubbing it while she talked to them. The Doctor put the syringe in his jacket pocket and everyone looked at him when he walked inside the room. "I have the serum, I'll inject it in the IV tube whenever you're ready," he said. Sarah Jane shared a look with everyone and the Doctor frowned when everyone got up and started going out the door. Rory shut the door behind him when everyone was out and the Doctor gave Sarah Jane a confused look. "I wanted to say goodbye again. I figured you would get emotional and you wouldn't want everyone standing around giving you a slack jawed look while he cried," she said. The Doctor's face fell and Sarah Jane held her hand out to him as tears began to fall down his cheeks. "Don't worry, I won't tell," she whispered to him as he embraced her, his body shaking with silent sobs. "I know you like to appear in control of things but sometimes it's okay to just let go and be emotional." "I'm sorry," the Doctor said as he looked up. "I didn't mean to do this in front of you." "But I want you to do it, it needs to be done," Sarah Jane said. "You're not a Dalek who can't feel anything. You need to mourn and grieve along with everyone else." "I'll miss you, Sarah," the Doctor said, stroking her cheek. "But I'll always be with you. I will be with you and looking in on you and waiting for you on the other side…although I'm sure I'll have to wait a billion years before you go through your eleven hundred bodies, but I'll wait." The Doctor chuckled at that and sniffed while Sarah Jane winked at him. "And thank you for killing me humanely and not stuffing me in a jam jar and filing it up with strawberry jam," she added. The Doctor laughed through his tears. "Well, that could be arranged, you know," he teased as he poked her arm. "No thanks, I'll take whatever you have in that syringe over jam in a jar," she said. The Doctor stared at her for a moment, taking in her beauty that age and sickness couldn't erase. Sarah Jane smiled back at him and he thought her even more beautiful that way. "Oh, what the hell," he finally said after a moment's silence. "Oh, what the hell, what?" Sarah Jane said, amused. The Doctor sat down beside her on the bed and took her hand. "I was in the lab being a blubbering baby and thinking to myself what a fool I've been all these years," the Doctor said while Sarah Jane listened quietly. "You see, you're right, I'm not a Dalek and there were times when I did act like one, particularly when it came to matters of the hearts. I've cared for everyone who has traveled with me or shared my life, even if it was just to help me at some point. But there were several women who managed to embed themselves into my hearts." "Rose," Sarah Jane said. "She's one of them, yes. But I believe, Sarah, you were the first one to do it." He smiled when he saw the surprise on her face and he scooted closer to her. "I…do love you, Sarah. You managed to work your way into my hearts and there you've stayed but the problem was, I was afraid to say it for the same reason I was afraid to tell Rose. I was devastated when you left and I cursed the Time Lords all the way to Gallifrey for not allowing you to come with me. But…perhaps I was afraid if you stayed with me any longer I might not be able to keep up the pretense of only being your friend and become more than that and risk having my hearts broken in future. After all, I could have just dropped you off and came back for you at some point in time." Sarah Jane nodded at that and squeezed his hand. The Doctor squeezed back, gathering the strength to say what he wanted to say from her. "I didn't say what I needed to say to Rose and ended up watching my clone say it for me and then had to force myself to turn and walk away, even though I felt the urge to turn back and scream my love for her. I did that, Sarah, I would turn my back, always turn my back on anything uncomfortable like that and just run and I don't want to do that with you. I want you to go to sleep knowing that I love you and always have and I will continue to love you for the rest of my lives." Tears ran down Sarah Jane's face. She sniffed and smiled at that. "Thank you," she whispered to him. The Doctor nodded. He hesitated a moment, leaned over and kissed her lips. Sarah Jane sighed as the kiss deepened. After thirty seconds, he stopped and leaned his head against her forehead, feeling the warm skin that he knew would grow cold very soon. "Goodbye, my beloved Sarah, I will always love you," he said softly. "And, I will always love you, for all eternity," Sarah Jane whispered. The Doctor kissed her forehead before he stood up. Sarah Jane watched quietly while he went to the door, opened it and let everyone come back inside. They gathered around her and watched quietly as the Doctor took the syringe out of his pocket, stuck the needle into the IV tube and injected the serum into her veins. When he finished, he laid the empty syringe on the table and Sarah Jane looked around at all the tear stained faces. "I'm so glad I got to know all of you," she said to them. "I lost my mum and dad and didn't have much of a family growing up, but all of you have become my family and I'm glad you're all here with me now. I'm only sorry that I didn't get to know some of you more closely and spent more time with you, but now is the time for me to go. Luke?" Luke came up to her side and bent over her face. Sarah Jane reached her hand up and stroked his cheek. "You've been the perfect son and I'm glad I found you," she said as tears streamed down Luke's face. "Mind what the Doctor says or the cheeky bastard will stick you in a jam jar." The Doctor grinned at that as everyone laughed. Luke sat down beside her and held her hand. "Amy, Rory, I'm glad I met you both. Please help look after Luke as long as you're here?" They both nodded and she smiled. "I know you'll make the Doctor proud just like everyone here has made him proud." "It was an honor to know you, Sarah Jane," Amy said in a choked voice. "Take care," Rory added. Sarah Jane nodded. She looked at Jack who was standing to her right side with Mickey and Martha. "And you, I'll miss you telling me I look good for my age," she said to him. Jack chuckled. "Still look good, not even Death can ruin your good looks," he said as Sarah Jane squeezed his hand. "Martha, look after Mickey, he's a handful," Sarah Jane said. "Tell me something I don't know," Martha said "And don't scream like a girl, Mickey, or the Doctor will make fun of you again," Sarah Jane said to him with a wink. Mickey rolled his eyes and chuckled as he took her hand and squeezed it. She smiled at him and looked at Jo and Santiago. "I really hate that I didn't get to know either of you better and that we met under odd circumstances," Sarah Jane said to them. "Well, I'm proud to know you," Jo said. "You've been so brave, throughout all of this and it's easy to see why the Doctor chose you as a companion." "I wish I could have known you better," Santiago said. "But I'm glad I did meet you." "And I'm glad I met you. I hope you get to travel some more with your gran," she said. Her eyes landed on Clyde, Rani, Maria and Alan. "And my team, how could I have done it without you?" she said to them as tears ran down their cheeks. "You've made me so proud and I hope you continue to help Earth, after you've graduated from school, that is." Everyone made room for the teenagers and they came close to her. She hugged them all and kissed their cheeks, whispering her love for them and her goodbyes as they echoed her sentiments back to her. She held them for a moment and then they stood back as K9 came up to her. The Doctor helped her lean up a bit so she could see him. "K9, be a good dog and help the Doctor. He's your master again, so obey him," she said. "Affirmative, Mistress. Have a good journey," K9 said. Sarah Jane reached down and patted his head and smiled as K9 wagged his tail and rotated his ears. Then the Doctor gently laid her back against the pillow and everyone gathered around as Sarah Jane began to breathe deeply, trying to relax so her soul could release itself from her body. Her eyes closed and everyone watched quietly as she fell into a deep sleep and then a coma. Everyone wept softly as her breathing became erratic before she finally took her final breath and died. After that, everyone took turns kissing her cheeks and forehead and Rory checked her pulse, confirming that she had died. The Doctor and everyone else left the room then so Luke could have some time alone with his mother. Everyone left the room and the Doctor followed them. As he closed the door, he looked back at Sarah Jane and a tear rolled down his cheek as he mouthed, "My beloved Sarah, rest in peace." Before closing the door completely.
Back Home Doctor Who Main Page Next