Disclaimer:I don't own Doctor Who (no matter how much I wish I did) or any of the characters in this, they are owned by the BBC and Steven Moffat (who is legendary) and this is completely fan-made and for entertainment purposes only!


Chapter 11: Meeting Hazel

"What's our cover story then?" Amy asked the Doctor.

It was mid morning, the Doctor had let Amy and Rory sleep in, mainly due to the fact Amy had been wandering around outside the night before. Amy was grateful that the Doctor just quietly muttered that he felt like they deserved a rest when Rory questioned why the Doctor hadn't woken them up early in the morning as he normally does. They were standing at the bottom of the path leading up to number four.

"We're not going to have a cover story. For once we're going to be completely honest."

And the Doctor marched up to the front door and knocked on it smartly four times. He paused and knocked on it once more, then dropped his hand and smiled at Rory and Amy, who were a little puzzled.

"When you say completely hones-"

The door opened rather suddenly and a small dark haired woman who looked around thirty looking harassed looked at the three strangers with surprise. The Doctor smiled politely at her.

"Hello, ma'am, your sister Jennifer Downing sent us. My name is the Doctor and this-"

"You're a Doctor?" the woman interrupted.

The Doctor nodded slowly.

"And Jenny sent you?"

He nodded again.

"Oh, thank goodness!" she threw open the door. "Come in! Come in!"

The trio stepped through the door cautiously and she led them through to the kitchen and started making tea.

"My name's Amy," Amy smiled at her.

"And I'm Rory," Rory added in.

"I'm so glad you're here!" she sounded so relieved.

She finished making the cups of tea and handed one to each of them quickly and then leaned against the kitchen counter and watched them, looking very happy that they were here. The Doctor sipped the tea politely while she jabbered on not being very clear of anything then placed the cup down on the counter.

"I'm sorry I never got your name…?"

"Oh, I'm sorry, it's just… the past couple of weeks have been quite stressful. I'm Angela McCrimmon," she looked a bit embarrassed. "But please, you're here to help my daughter Hazel, aren't you?"

"Yes, but what exactly is the problem with her?"

"That's the problem, I don't know, she just insists that she doesn't feel well… she's not been acting normal for a month or so, but yesterday she said she felt ill so I let her stay in bed all day and now she's refusing to get up to eat or anything and I don't know whether it's a bad bug or something more serious or whether she's just acting funny on purpose… she's only eight years old, she doesn't seem properly ill but I don't know, I'm not a doctor or a nurse…"

"Is it just you two at home?" Rory asked, feeling sorry at the idea of the pair of them alone.

"And my husband as well, he's not been able to convince her to come out either, which is strange… they both get along so well and she's just being, well, distant. Chris is out at the moment, he just popped down to the shops…"

The Doctor was watching her closely.

"Is it okay if we could have a word with Hazel?" he asked carefully.

"Of course, come with me," she gestured for them to follow and left the room.

She led them up the stairs and tapped on the first door to the right.

"Hazel?"

She opened the door when there was no reply and revealed a small bedroom painted a sky-blue colour with a window on one side overlooking a park and a bed sitting in the corner with a bundle of blankets lying on top. Angela sat down on the edge of the bed and bent over the bundle.

"Hazel, its mum, how are you feeling?"

There was an incoherent mumble from the bed.

"There's someone here to see you. He's a doctor and he wants to talk to you, is that all right?"

"I'm fine, mum, I don't need a doctor, just some rest," the bundle complained loudly.

"Don't be silly, dear, we just need to make sure you're okay. The Doctor is just going to do his job and make sure you aren't too badly ill, that's all. You just yell if you need anything, I'll be downstairs."

Angela smiled weakly at the Doctor, nodded to Amy and Rory and left, closing the door quietly as she left. The Doctor waited until they heard her go down the stairs and into the kitchen. He then sat on the end of her bed where her mother had sat before and looked down at the lump of blankets.

"Hello Hazel, how are you today?" he asked her.

"I'm fine. Well, I don't feel well but it's nothing serious," she curled up into a tighter ball. "I'll be fine in a few days."

"How do you feel ill? What feels wrong?" Rory's concern as a nurse came rushing up to the front of their worries.

"Who's that?" she sounded panicked.

"My name is Rory, I'm a nurse."

The bundle hesitated. "Everything hurts…"

"Hazel…?" the Doctor asked.

She didn't answer.

"Hazel, I want to see your face, is that okay?"

"I guess so…"

The Doctor leaned forward and pulled back the covers to reveal her face peeking up out of the covers, on its side, her eyes closed tightly as the sun hit them and the rest of her face looking worried.

"That's better, isn't it?" the Doctor chirped cheerfully. "Now… Hazel. I want you to tell us exactly what's wrong."

"I've already told you, I feel ill," she began to turn over to face the wall.

"No, not about that. I want you to tell us what's wrong."

Hazel paused then turned over to face the centre of the room again.

"I don't know what you're talking about," she finally answered.

"Don't be silly, we know that you know something that you're not saying and you might as well make our job easier by helping us and in return, we'll be able to help you."

"Nothing can help me."

"That's where you're wrong." Amy stepped forward, talking for the first time since they'd been in her room. "We can help you… the Doctor can at least, he's saved my life so many times and he can help you too, no matter what the problem is."

The girl lay quietly, thinking about Amy had said. The Doctor had smiled at her words but looked back at Hazel, his eyes narrowed. She was obviously scared of something, absolutely terrified, but why did that mean…?

"Why haven't you gotten out of bed Hazel?"

Her eyes were still tightly closed as she replied, slowly but shakily.

"I can't."

"Why not?" the Doctor's concern began to rise.

"I just can't."

"Hazel?" he asked her, deadly serious.

"…what?"

"What's wrong with your eyes?"

"Nothing," she answer quickly.

"Then why haven't you opened them?"

She didn't answer.

"Tell me why you haven't opened them."

"You'd never believe me…" she whispered.

"Try me."

She took a deep breathe in which the Doctor looked at her, completely unsure of what she was about to say.

"I can't open my eyes."

"Why can't you open your eyes?" Amy asked her stepping forward slightly, curious

"I can't open my eyes so I can't get out of bed. I can't see!" she cried.

And she began to cry. The Doctor leaned forward and began to peer into her face intently, as if he was trying to see exactly what the problem was with her eyes. He then slowly began to wipe away her tears and speak softly to her, like a father would to his child.

"What happened?"

"It was them," she gulped.

"Who are they?"

"Doctor?"

The Doctor glanced over to Amy who was standing by a desk; she was looking at something on a bit of paper she'd picked up.

"What is it?"

"It's… just a drawing, a kid's drawing… sorry, never mind," she went to place down again.

"Show me, Pond."

She handed it to him and asked him, "What is it?"

The Doctor looked at it.

"It's them."

All three of them looked over at the small girl lying on her bed, listening to them intently, her tear stained face staring at them, with her eyes closed.

"It's them," she repeated.

She then turned over to bury her head into her pillow.