Triple Threat
Chapter 8

He placed her on the table in the TARDIS and Bella felt her medical training kick in. She and Martha began examining her sister. However, they quickly realized there was nothing they could do to save her.

"What should we expect?" Bella questioned as tears gathered in all of their eyes, including the Doctors.

"It won't be long. If she was a time lord then she'd have the apparent death but then she'd regenerate. Since she's not she'll just pass. She won't wake up again. She'll sleep," he whispered and Bella looked at her sister. Her face was flushed but she seemed peaceful for all intensive purposes.

"You're sure there isn't a cure?" Katti demanded and he nodded.

"Let's go, we'll all say goodbye in private," Martha said as everyone left Bella alone with her sister. Bella stood there coldly.

Every wrong word she'd said over the years came to the forefront of her mind. She moved on unstable legs to her sister's side. It seemed to take her forever.

She stood there and felt her tears falling.

"I'm so sorry," Bella whispered painfully aware of how limited her time with her was. "I should have been nicer to you over the years. I've always made fun of you, calling you stupid and encouraged Katti's behavior."

She stopped unsure of what to say to her dying sister. Her hand reached out and brushed her sister's wavy brown hair from her sweat soaked face.

"When we were younger I resented you in all honesty. You never had problems at all. You were always there, never letting me get into trouble. There were times when I just wanted to be a normal kid – party, go out on dates, all of that stuff. When Mom and Dad told us we couldn't you always were there."

Her voice choked.

"You… you were always there when I tried to push you away. You held my hand when I was scared, reminded me I wasn't alone when our parents abandoned us, you taught me not to give up."

A noise behind her startled her but she didn't stop. She couldn't. Her voice was choking constantly on the tears that fell regularly now. Still, the words continued.

"How did you not give up? When all of the odds were stacked against us as genius wards of the state how could you not give up? I wish you could tell me."

Someone's hand touched her shoulder and she looked up to see The Doctor there.

"It's Katti's turn to say goodbye," he said and she nodded.

Then she turned back to her sister and leaned over kissing her forehead gently. Then she whispered. "I'm sorry Elizabeth."

That's when she walked out of the room past the Doctor and Katti.

-x-

Katherine Smith stood there looking at her sister and began to cry. She moved to her sister's side unable to believe what was happening.

Elizabeth was dieing. It seemed impossible in all truths. Elizabeth might have been the biggest pain in the ass there was but she was always there. She'd kick any guys ass who even looked at Katti the wrong way.

When… what's his name again?… hit her Elizabeth had knocked two of his teeth out and the guy had needed surgery to redrop two very important things to a man. No, Elizabeth was the physical one.

Isabella Johnson was all medical, all anatomy. Katherine Smith was all mechanics, all engineering. Elizabeth White was physical with slight touches of mental with her psychology mixed in. She could kick your ass then give you a psychological reason for why she was doing it.

That was one thing they often forgot.

"Please don't leave," Katti finally cried out as she touched her sister's face. "I need you here. Who's going to keep me from jumping the Doctor if you aren't here?"

She chuckled slightly but it felt hollow. Elizabeth didn't respond, she didn't make one of her infamous Elizabeth retorts she'd grown use to hearing over the years.

"You are too strong to let anyone keep you down. Come on, I know that you'll be okay. You'll show us, getting all teary-eyed and sentimental then you'll wake up tomorrow. Then you'll slap us for being sentimental idiots and be ready for a new adventure."

She knew her words were hollow but she needed to believe them. If she didn't that meant her sister would really be gone and that wasn't something she could face.

"Please, just open your eyes for me. I need you to be alive. I can't survive on my own."

Just then she heard an exhale and no intake of breath.

"God no," she cried…

-x-