The Bradbury Method (Eleven/Emilie)

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The Doctor continued chasing the noise, coming across the room where the test subjects were. Still not quite sure what they were being tested for. He went in through the door and looked around, "Well now, I certainly wasn't expecting all of this. How did all of this even get here?"

A little ahead of it's time, this library. Once one got deeper inside, it was easy to tell, there was a reason this library went down.

The Doctor had a sneaking suspicion that the reason was him.

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Emilie was seated on a couch further into the room now. Rocking back and forth with her head clutched in her hands. She kept muttering to herself, not registering the Doctor's voice.

"Who are you then?" One of the scholars asked challengingly, as another eyed the door speculatively. "We just got the boy to shut up, if that's what you're here about."

Another had focused on the Doctor's question, however.

"The head librarian, Eustarchus, this room contains his research. And now, it contains you, as well."

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When the first person spoke up, The Doctor turned toward him.

"Who are you then?" One of the scholars asked challengingly, as another eyed the door speculatively. "We just got the boy to shut up, if that's what you're here about."

"Shut up? Someone screams in terror or pain, and your only reaction is to shut them up?" He was starting to dislike this place quite a bit. He turned back and smiled, "There you are Emilie!" He walked back to her and said, "Time to go. We're not staying any longer."

However, another person spoke up.

"The head librarian, Eustarchus, this room contains his research. And now, it contains you, as well."

A smirk emerged from The Doctor's lips, "If I didn't know any better. I'd say you were trapping me against my will. Excuse me for using a line that I've used before on someone else, but there's a mistake you've made with this trap. There's one thing you must never ever place in a trap. Something that your Head Librarian will pay for."

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The scholar who had spoken first sighed and bent back to his work after the man's answer.

"He was empty. There's nothing else to be done," was all he could say. He didn't have time to bother with this stranger. His next update was due soon or it might be him on that couch.

There's one thing you must never ever place in a trap. Something that your Head Librarian will pay for.

The other scholar who had spoken was slightly taken aback by the vitriol in the newcomer's words.

"You misunderstand. It contains us, as well. The last one to try to leave was all but dead when they cured him."

Something about the way he pronounced cured was sinister, although he did not elaborate for one of the other scholars was muttering, "Only after they attempted to cure his son in front of him."

Emilie slowly looked up with blank eyes, still rocking back and forth. She was still 'here', in a sense. But there was such a heavy fog over her mind. She knew that the Doctor was there, but focusing her eyes seemed an impossible feat because the room was swimming.

"Doctor?" she murmured hopefully. Maybe she was imagining things again. "Do you have my test results? Am I gonna be alright?"

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The Doctor couldn't believe all this. It was something he could barely understand. He shook it all off and made his way to Emilie.

"Doctor?" she murmured hopefully. Maybe she was imagining things again. "Do you have my test results? Am I gonna be alright?"

"Test results? What test results? You're not even sick. The TARDIS would have said if you were." He didn't understand what had put her into this state, "Now, get up Emilie. It's time for us to leave, alright?" He was ready to start yelling at people, mostly because he was so confused.

Whatever was going on, these people were surely not being cured of any ills that they may have had. It was all some kind of trick. It had to be.

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"But he said to wait until my test results were back?" Emilie asked in confusion. She just kept rocking slowly, as if suddenly autistic, because everything had grown so confusing and hard.

"Why does thinking hurt? There's so very much of it."

The Doctor was a bit more in focus now, and Emilie stood, using his arm as a support mechanism.

"Did you know they cure people here, Doctor? It says so outside. But they really do it. Least, they try to."

Her voice dropped to a whisper, less drunk sounding and deadly serious, "The empty ones burn. It's why they scream."

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The Doctor couldn't figure out quite what was wrong with Emilie at the moment, she was babbling, as far as he was concerned. He looked around, made sure everyone was staying back. Then, he reached into his pocket and took his Sonic Screwdriver, shining it over Emilie.

He scanned the girl and then checked the results, not quite sure what the readings were. Spinning around, he pointed at the people who'd been answering his questions, "I'm taking this girl out of here. Now stay out of my way."

The Doctor turned back to Emilie and motioned for her to join him, "Come on Emilie, we're getting out of this room, now."

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Tilting her head, Emilie frowned a little at the Doctor, then relaxed.

"Yes, you've said it thrice. What you tell me three times be true."

The scholars exchanged looks, and the bitter one who already had nothing more to lose spoke.

"Just be careful of the door. Eustarchus should be back soon, since she's coming round. But the door is dangerous itself. May fortune smile upon you."

With that, he allowed himself to be dragged over to check another scholar's dissertation.

Emilie was off in her own world again, like the others who had not yet burned.

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Now The Doctor was starting to get annoyed. His friend was babbling incoherently and not following him, and the people in the room were offering him no clarity. He looked around, then back to his screwdriver. No answers to why his friend was so loopy.

He saw there was an odd circuit attached to the door, why was there electricity? Something was very wrong here.

"Just be careful of the door. Eustarchus should be back soon, since she's coming round. But the door is dangerous itself. May fortune smile upon you."

The Doctor pointed his sonic at the circuit on the door and clicked the button. The circuit sparked and then fizzed out, "I make my own luck. Let this Eustarchus come, I want a word."

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Emilie was drawn to the door when she heard the crackling of the sonic disabling it. She could hear the anger in his voice. She tried the handle on the door anyway, peeking outside before looking back towards the Doctor.

"But we're leaving," she stated matter of factly.

Emilie took a few steps out the door, walking backwards as her attention was drawn to the Doctor. When hands gripped her shoulders, Emilie immediately stiffened and listened as the man behind her murmured a few words softly into her ear.

"Come to see my handiwork?" the man asked in a proud, amused tone.

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The Doctor was prepared to leave as well, he could take Emilie to a hospital in the future, they'd be able to figure something out to help his friend. The Doctor had no intention of leaving her fate up to someone he didn't know, and possibly put her into this state as it was.

He followed Emilie, until she walked into the clutches of a person, "Come to see my handiwork?" The Doctor glared, his impatience was starting to get the best of him.

"I've come looking for my friend, one who you've harmed. Now, it would be in your best interest to return her to normal before I change from annoyed to angry." He stepped up closer, "Don't test me, whoever you are."

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Eustarchus wa a tall Egyptian with angular features and strangely dark eyes. His hands remained rested on Emilie's shoulders as the strange pale man in front of him made threats.

"You must be the Doctor. She was so certain you would find her. But I told her not to make a sound, and I know none of you would bring help," he cast a dark look over the scholars before noticing the crumpled body of the boy who had screamed earlier.

He shoved Emilie to the side then, moving to check the body.

"Too strong of a drain again." He whirled back to face the Doctor. "Nevermind that. All but the select must be cured to fulfill the library's purpose."

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"You must be the Doctor. She was so certain you would find her. But I told her not to make a sound, and I know none of you would bring help," Emile was waiting for him to come save her. And he didn't know anything the whole time. This only darkened The Doctor's mood.

"I'm not joking when I tell you reverse what you've done to her," he started, "I'm not the type of person to take lightly." He'd tear this man's entire life apart if he had to, if it meant restoring Emilie as quickly as possible. The Doctor held out his Sonic Screwdriver as if it were a weapon.

"Too strong of a drain again." He whirled back to face the Doctor. "Nevermind that. All but the select must be cured to fulfill the library's purpose."

"You'll tell me what you've done, and then you will return my friend and these people to normal," The Doctor warned, "Or else I'll render your work useless." It was a bit of a bluff. The Doctor knew that if he destroyed anything the man had been working on, it could potentially leave her as she was, however, he had to risk it.

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"Doctor?" Emilie hovered in the doorway, unfocused eyes searching for his form. "Alexandria is the place of the cure of the soul. They haven't managed it yet, but so close, I can see it in the gold."

Eustarchus simply raise an eyebrow at the man's threats.

"She is coming around. I only went one level in before the girl bit me and I lost concentration.

"You'll tell me what you've done, and then you will return my friend and these people to normal," The Doctor warned, "Or else I'll render your work useless."

"Simple hypnotism, Doctor. Mind control, but taken one step further to putting the subjects in a state of suggestion and pulling at memories. So that instead of suggesting a false memory, a true memory is considered removed. And the knowledge from that memory can be stored and kept here, as it should be."

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The Doctor was pleased to see Emilie was coming back around, still though, he couldn't let a man go around using mind control.

"Just stay put Emilie, we'll be leaving very soon." He started moving closer to her, the screwdriver still out as if he had a serious weapon in his hands. There were circuits and things around. He was sure he could simply destroy them like he'd done with the door trap, but still, a bluff was a bluff.

If only he remembered that style of karate he'd been so keen on in his third body.

"Why are you hypnotizing and controlling these people? What do you stand to gain from it?" The Doctor turned his attention back to Eustarchus, he couldn't just let this happen. That wasn't how he did things.