IMPORTANT: THIS IS AN ALTERNATE ENDING. It diverts from Part Eight of Viera, my main Doctor Who project. If you haven't read that then this won't make a whole lot of sense.
ALLERGEN WARNING: The following product may contain faith, doubt, SPOILERS for Doctor Who, an OC, the occasional monologue, and more than a few nuts.
Supplemental Soundtrack:
Trust: "Heart of Courage" by Two Steps From Hell
ALTERNATE PART EIGHT – WATERS OF MARS
Alteration Two – A Different Distraction
The Doctor tried talking to Maggie in the old Martian tongue, to no avail. While she seemed to understand, she didn't answer at first. Then when she did, when Maggie had finally heard enough of their words, she threatened them all with "the Flood", the parasite that now controlled her body. A parasite that wanted all of Earth.
Captain Adelaide ordered an evacuation, but as the others scattered to get ready, she decided it was necessary to find where the infection began, lest they risk taking it with them. She mentioned the ice field below their complex, intending to check it out.
The Doctor, however, made excuses to stay, his usual curiosity notably absent.
So Adelaide left without him, warning the others to keep an eye on them as she left.
"That's quite enough of that," the Doctor stated. The other crew members were too distracted enough with their preparations for leaving to do more than glance their way every so often. The Doctor fully intended to take advantage of that, if the way he immediately set to work on the nearby computer was any indication. "Time to get you out of here."
"What?" Viera asked, startled. He made a final adjustment to the computer and waved his screwdriver in her direction. She stepped back as the door slid open abruptly. "But- But what if I'm infected?" She stared at his outstretched hand and made no move to take it.
The Doctor wiggled his fingers. "We'll never know if we don't test you with better equipment than this," he chided. He sounded like it was any other adventure, like he had it all under control. He had to be bluffing. "Come on. We'll go back to the TARDIS and get this all figured out."
"You can't be serious," Viera stammered. She pointed to Maggie, who was watching them both with a watery smile and sly eyes. "I could have that in me, and you wouldn't even know until I got close enough to the TARDIS controls to do real damage. Or until we land somewhere heavily populated and it decides it's time to start spreading again." Her voice kept rising with every possibility; she was just as afraid of what might happen if she left that room as she was of being left there to die with the rest. Or almost. It hurt to be taunted with the possibility of escape when she knew she shouldn't take it. "Or until you turn you back and the parasite decides it's time to infect you! Can you imagine the damage-" Viera stopped and shook her head, stepping back again.
"I can't go. Close the door."
"Viera, listen to me. We don't have time for this. You're going to be alright, but we need to get you back to the TARDIS. There's a very good chance you're not even infected. It only touched your skin. It didn't get in your mouth or eyes or an open wound."
"But what if I am?"
"I can handle it-"
"You said yourself I'm more vulnerable than most to outside influences."
"You have more experience at controlling them now. And I take the fact that you're fighting leaving so hard as a very good sign," the Doctor concluded optimistically.
She wanted to believe him. She wanted to be safe again. But what if he was wrong? All of time and space could be vulnerable to the Flood if it got loose on the TARDIS.
"It isn't worth the risk," Viera murmured, clutching his coat tighter around her.
The Doctor's joviality vanished as he realized that tactic wasn't working. He stepped into the cell with her, then stopped as she stepped back again. He sighed quietly and lowered his hand.
"Do you trust me?" the Doctor asked with absolute seriousness. Viera's objections ran dry. What was she supposed to say to that? She bit her lip and looked away from the earnestness in his intense brown eyes. "I know what's at risk," he stated quietly. "I wouldn't ask you to come with me if I didn't think I could contain it if you are infected. I'll take every precaution. I promise, I can handle this."
Viera rubbed her fingers over one of the buttons of her borrowed coat, fidgeting in her nervousness. She wanted to go. Of course she did. She didn't want to alone in that cell. She didn't want to be alone if she did get taken over by the water parasite. She wanted to go home.
"Trust me?" the Doctor repeated, laying his palm against the glass. Viera looked up and met his gaze. He was amazing, really. He wasn't perfect of course, and there was always a chance that he was making a huge mistake, but he was wise and noble, and really, there was only one answer she could give to that.
"Yes," Viera admitted. The Doctor grinned, brief and relieved, then backed out of the cell and nodded towards the door.
"Come on. We've got to hurry."
It was painfully easy to slip out while the crew was busy elsewhere; the Doctor even managed to snatch up their orange spacesuits. Someone must have been paying attention to the cameras though, because when they finally reached the outer door it was locked.
The Captain's voice echoed through the relays in their suits, low and furious.
"I ordered you to stay in the medical bay."
"Sorry, Adelaide," the Doctor chirped, seriousness underlying his carefree tone. "I'm afraid this is our cue to leave."
"She's infected," Captain Brooke spat. Viera flinched. "Do you have any idea what you're risking?"
"She might be infected," countered the Doctor easily. "And I know exactly what I'm doing." There was a quiet pop as the seal on the door gave way beneath his meddling screwdriver. The Doctor took a step forward, then paused, all his years weighing on the quiet timbre of his voice.
"I truly am sorry, Adelaide."
Then he took Viera's glove-covered hand and pulled her outside. Adelaide's voice and the panicked chatter of the others in the background cut off abruptly as the Doctor changed the frequency of their helmet communicators.
The walk back to the TARDIS was quiet. Viera's thoughts were consumed with worry about the parasite and trying to avoid thoughts of the doomed crew they were leaving behind them. She could only guess at the Doctor's thoughts.
She didn't feel infected, but she wasn't sure she'd know. Did people usually notice when they were going crazy or losing control? Had Maggie known? Viera thought over her actions since being splashed but couldn't find anything that seemed out of character. Her mind felt clear.
Maybe the Doctor was right. Maybe she'd gotten off with nothing more than a scare.
Viera followed the Doctor into the TARDIS and took off her helmet with a relieved sigh. It was good to be back.
A wave of dizziness washed over Viera. Fuzzy blackness ate away at the edges of her vision and sudden tremors wracked her limbs. Even knowing what it was, even having worried about it every step of the way, the parasite still managed to surprise her.
