Broken: A Time Lord's Story (Doctor Who Novel)

Chapter 5 The Strength of a Child

K'Nar stood in the cell's open doorway and stared in disbelief at the man lying on the cold. stone floor. Her guard stood beside her, holding the supplies needed to clean up the mess the mistress had created. The young man wasn't moving, and for just a second, K'Nar thought his life force had left. Then she saw his shoulder rise with his breath; she realised that she was holding her own. She opened her mind to the link she'd planted, but he didn't respond. Not only was he unconscious, but they had left him naked on the blanket, lying in his own mess.

GRVA, don't make me blind, she prayed hoping against hope the Goddesses wouldn't take her sight.

"Hurry up, child," the guard ordered.

"My Lord, if I go in there with him like that, the Goddesses will strike me blind." She locked eyes with the man and spoke to his mind.They could have at least had the decency to place a blanket over him.

He flashed a tight smile. "Don't move," he whispered with a nervous glance toward the cameras. He stepped away, and when he returned a second later, he held a blanket. He motioned once more for her to wait whilst he entered the cell to cover the unconscious man.

"Thank you my Lord." Her heart thudded against her slight chest. She swallowed. Every instinct told her to run. Even covered, taking care of a man was forbidden. But abandoning an injured soul was also against the teachings of GRVA. K'Nar took a breath, swallowed her fear, and prayed again for forgiveness. She asked GRVA's sister goddess, Nabah for the courage not to act like a helpless child because she had no idea what to do. The Teachers never discussed this in class.‭ A gentle push from her guard shoved her qualms aside. Her heart raced as she crossed the cell to where he lay.

"My Lord." Her eyebrows merged when she looked at the guard. "How long have they just...?"

The guard shifted and glanced down the hall with a wary eye. "I don't know, little one. I've covered him. Now, do what you're told so we don't get in trouble, okay?"

K'Nar nodded and turned her attention back to the young lord and drew a breath. All the weeks spent in this place,‭ ‬ she'd always managed to convince these vile creatures that she was mind blind.‭ Now, ‭ ‬she needed to take risks.‭ ‬Fierce determination‭ -- fuelled by an equally fierce need to help -- filled her soul.‭ ‬ She needed a few seconds to formulate a plan. She tucked the blanket around him and then set up the supplies. He needed more than just being clean; he needed a place to lay. Left on this concrete floor, he would soon die. To prevent that, she needed help, and that started with the guard at the door.‭ ‬

Out of all of them, he was the most decent, and, therefore, the easiest to manipulate.‭ She turned, looked into the man's kind eyes and smiled.‭ ‬ Her eyes brightened to a glow as she sent images of another blanket, a mattress, fresh food and water to his mind.‭ ‬ She sighed with relief when, without a word, he turned and left.

"It will be alright, my Lord," she whispered as she wiped blood from his face and out of his face hair. "You'll see, he'll bring back at least a pallet and then we can get you off the cold floor."

She grimaced at the bruising  she found when pulled the blanket down  to expose his chest and began gently wiping away dried blood, and sweat. Fear of being found alone bubbled up, making her heart pound faster in anticipation of punishment. Before she had the chance to descend into panic, the guard returned pulling a mattress from an empty cell.‭ ‬ He said nothing as he helped get the young lord off the floor and then disappeared again; returning again with a spare blanket that he hid under the mattress. He smiled gently and pressed a jug of water and a small bottle of liniment into her hands.

His eyes softened as he shrugged. "I keep it. To use when one of the men gets in a fight. It will help a little," he explained. Without another word, he left.