Chapter Text
“We’re so happy you’ve decided to come to us when you realized you were having marital issues.” Their guide spoke as they followed them through the halls of The Harmony Institute.
“Oh, we’re not married.” Yaz's mouth moved faster than her brain. Unable to keep the words from falling from her lips.
“Yet!” The Doctor corrected, shooting Yaz a look as she took her hand, threading their fingers together. “Not married yet.” Her heart shot into her throat as the Doctor squeezed her hand. “But we want to be someday once we’ve worked through this little snafu.”
“Well, you came to the right place! The Harmony Institute is the best couples retreat on New Earth!” Their guide continued, gesturing to the sign on the wall. “If you want to get over this bump in your relationship, this is the place to do it!”
“That’s what we’ve heard,” Yaz said, finally pulling her foot from her mouth, tightening her grip on the Doctor’s hand. “I know this is only a little hiccup for us.” She made a point of patting the Doctor’s arm, leaning into her.
“That’s exactly the mindset we want our couples to have coming into this.” Their guide nodded, leading them through the halls, further into The Harmony Institute. “It’s important to come in with that kind of mindset.”
Yaz looked around the halls, which were rather bland in the way you’d expect a startup to be. Not a futuristic couples retreat. The crisp white outfit of their guide looked uncomfortable. The stiff collar was reminiscent of a priest’s, and the whole thing looked like it had been soaked in starch. Their posture was incredibly straight, making Yaz wonder if maybe they had some kind military training.
“So, how much do you know about the program you’re expected to follow?” The guide asked, hands clasped behind their back as they turned to look at them.
“We know that it works!” The Doctor chirped, swinging their joined hands animatedly, looking at her with doe eyes. “And that’s what matters.”
“We ask our couples to follow a strict regiment. You’ll be expected to follow it to the letter.” Their guide said pausing before adding. “Don’t worry you’ll get a handbook with all the rules and an outline of everything you’ll be expected to do.” They stopped at a hall. “Down here are the bedrooms for same-sex couples. I’ll show you to your room after finishing our tour. This way.”
They followed the guide down the hall, into a room where they told them to have a seat as they continued to speak. “I’ll give you a quick rundown on how things work, but again everything will be outlined in your handbook.”
The Doctor removed her hand from Yaz who tried not to let her disappointment show. They took at the front of the room, a single seat between them. “So you’ll start at level 1 and as you work the program you can advance up levels gaining more freedom.” Yaz nodded, along glancing at the Doctor out of the corner of her eye. “Once you reach level 6 you’ll be able to ‘graduate’ the program but that’s no easy feat. It takes most people 5–6 months to successfully complete the program.”
“I’m sure we can do it!” The Doctor exclaimed, looking at Yaz who had also picked up on what had been said. All the people who had disappeared had been level 6. “Don’t you think so too, Yaz?”
“Absolutely,” Yaz hesitated before letting out a stuttered. “B-babe.” Her eyes darted to the side, wetting her lips. It felt wrong to called the Doctor that but they were supposed to be a couple. A couple in crisis sure, but a couple nonetheless. They would have to work this program, work their way up the levels and graduate the program in order to figure out what was happening to all the missing couples.
“We love a can do attitude here at The Harmony Institute!” Their guide said, pumping their arm in front of their body. “Keep that attitude up, and you’ll graduate in record time!” They moved toward the door. “Let me show you to your room, and we can get you settled in.”
Yaz and the Doctor exchanged looks before following their guide back out into the hall and back toward the hall with their room. The guide continued to prattle on as they stopped in front of room 113 opening the door and gesturing for them to enter.
When they did Yaz looked around at the barren, white room that felt entirely impersonal. There was a queen bed in the middle of the room with white sheets and pillows. A window gave them a view into the outside, but there were bars over it. It made Yaz wonder if there had been escape attempts and what could cause someone to feel the need to jump from a second story window.
“Feel free to get settled. I’ll be back to check on you in a few minutes.” And with that they were left alone. In a room with only one bed. A fact that Yaz tried not to be excited about it. About being able to sleep in the same bed with the Doctor. Her heartbeat loud in her chest and she unconsciously wiped her hands on her jeans, licking her lips.
“A little bare isn’t it?” The Doctor exclaimed as she flopped onto the bed. “I wonder if that’s one of those thing we have to earn. The right to colour.”
Yaz bit back a laugh. “It might just be a uniformity thing?” Yaz said as she walked up to a barren bookshelf. “A few programs I’ve been in, you have to earn the right to personal items.”
The Doctor looked at her, brows furrowed. “You’ve been to couples counselling?”
“No.” Yaz said somewhat shortly and hoped the Doctor wouldn’t pry. She opened her mouth to say something, but thankfully there was a knock at the door and their guide came in. They looked between the pair before smiling and holding up two cups with pills in them.
“I hope you’re finding your accommodations to your liking.”
“It’s a bit bland for my taste.” The Doctor said, purposefully glancing around the room. “A lot of white.”
“We’ve found the personal items and excess decorations act as a distraction.” Their guide said with a smile and a tilt of their head. “Don’t worry. As you ascend up the levels you’ll be allowed to decorate your room and add accessories to you’re person.”
This was all starting to sound very familiar and Yaz did not like it. Not one bit. The stripping of your individuality, forcing you to ‘work the program’ in order to regain that individuality. She just knew that there would be punishments for stepping out of line. Suddenly the need to escape made a lot more sense.
“Here.” They held out the cups. “Take this.” They looked between them one cup in each hand.
“What is it?” The Doctor and Yaz asked at the same time as they took the cups. Each cup contained a single blue pill. It looked harmless but Yaz knew all too well how deceiving appearances could be,
“Harmony.” The smile on the guides face widened to a nearly creepy degree. “It’s a medicine that will make it much easier to tell the truth by making it impossible to tell lies.”
Yaz and the Doctor exchanged uneasy glances. Were they really going to do this? Take a random drug in order to infiltrate this couples retreat. The answer was yes. Of course, they were. Yaz threw her head back, swallowing the pill and crushing the cup in her hands. Once the guide checked that they’d actually swallowed their pills, yet another thing that Yaz found uncomfortably familiar, they clapped their hands excitedly.
“Congratulations! You’ve both advanced to level 1!” They smiled, did they ever stop smiling, before heading toward the door. “I’m sure you’re tired from all the excitement of the day. Enjoy some rest and remember,” They held up a finger and placed their hand over their chest.
“Truth is the foundation to any thriving relationship.”