Doctor Who: The Evangelion Error (Book One)

Part 4: Parting Words

The first thing Shinji did when the lights came back on was to vomit uncontrollably on the Doctor's shoes. The Doctor winced but said nothing.

Shinji looked up. The Angel-thing lay collapsed on the ground, burned and shriveled. It looked smaller than it had seemed in the dark. The signal and work lights throughout the tunnel had turned back on, as had the fluorescents back in the train. At the far end of the tunnel, he could see the rapidly receding figures of Sato and Mrs. Yamashita, carrying Hiroshi in her arms; and he could hear the sounds of approaching sirens.

"All right, then?" the Doctor asked cheerfully. "Physically, at least? All limbs and major organs still in the right spots?" Shinji nodded. "Right. Come on, then. Let's get you something to eat."

"Wh-what about Mrs. Yamashita?" asked Shinji. "And Hiroshi? And -"

"Oh, they'll be fine now. You never want to stick around for the cleanup on these things. Small rooms, too many questions, lots of waiting around. And besides -" The Doctor looked Shinji in the eye. "She said that you were being watched. If you really want to get free from it all, at least for a time, this might be your one chance."

Shinji glanced down the tunnel, where the others had gone. He could see flashing lights in the distance.

"Up to you, though," the Doctor said. He strolled off casually towards the other end of the tunnel, away from the sirens, paint can in hand.

Shinji hesitated. Then ran to catch up.

***

They found a gas station a few miles down the tracks. It was open, but they weren't accepting credit cards. The Doctor eventually managed to unearth three surprisingly crisp five-hundred-yen notes from his pockets, enough for two cups of tea and a handful of candy bars. Across the street from the station, there was a park that looked towards the city.

"You'll want to drink that tea," the Doctor advised as they sat down on a park bench. "Helps with the nightmares, I find. Aww, look at that! They lower into the ground! That's brilliant!" He watched as the downtown skyscrapers rose and fell in the distance, a grin on his face. "Not to mention, practical. What with the giant monsters and all."

Shinji quietly ate one of the chocolate rice cakes. It was one of the ones with vanilla. The station hadn't had any of the caramel. Eventually, he asked, "Why are you doing this?"

"Doing what?"

"Being this kind to me."

"Well," the Doctor said. "Thing is, I get curious about things, that's all. Just the way I am. I see something that doesn't quite make sense, it'll drive me mad until I've got it figured out.

"And right now, I'm wondering how a fourteen-year-old boy in modern Japan winds up with post-traumatic shock syndrome."

"What's that?" Shinji asked.

"You mean, they haven't told you?" The Doctor sighed. "No, never mind, of course they haven't. You'll... really want to look that up at some point. Look, just - start at the beginning and tell me everything. Please."

"Why?"

"Because if you don't, it'll tear your mind apart." The Doctor seemed to be looking past Shinji somehow, to some place and time only he could see. "All the things you can't bear to think about. All of the memories you wish you could forget. They build up. Until one day, you'll look at yourself in a mirror and you won't be able to recognize yourself. That's what they can take from you, if you let them."

Shinji stared into the styrofoam tea cup. "I-it's a long story," he finally said.

"I have time."