Chapter Fourteen

The Doctor was torn between going to Rose and trying to keep Max from mauling George. He knew as soon as they saw Rose they would shoot her on the spot so he knew he had to leave George for the moment.

"Max, listen to me!" the Doctor said to him. "You got through telling me that you're not a bad wolf and here you are trying to kill someone. Prove to me that you're not a killer, Max!"

He left it at that and turned and ran through the trees. Rose was lying on the ground, whimpering as blood poured from a bullet wound in her left leg. The other werewolves were in a semicircle behind her, growling and snarling at the hunters as they approached the injured Rose. Rose saw the Doctor and whimpered, her eyes pleading with him for help. The Doctor raced ahead of the hunters and fell on his knees in front of Rose, using his body as a shield. The men paused when they saw the Doctor staring up at them while he put his hand on Rose's head.

"Get back," he growled at the hunters.

"Doctor, that's a vicious animal," David said. "It's been killing animals and it'll be killing us next."

"Maybe if you stop shooting at them, they won't kill you. Now back away!"

The hunters spun around when Max came through the trees and growled at them. The Doctor looked at his teeth and claws and was relieved to see no blood on them. He noticed George getting to his feet. He looked dazed but uninjured and was pleased that he got through to him.

"Max, no!" the Doctor said when Max came closer to the hunting party.

They hurt Rose, Max thought to him.

And like I said, you need to be the bigger person, the Doctor thought back. Step back; there's been enough violence tonight without you lot adding to it.

Max growled at the hunters as he slowly walked over to the Doctor's side. He looked at Rose and gave her a loving lick on the muzzle. The hunters raised their guns and aimed.

"Let them go. I'll deal with them but if you shoot them, you'll live to regret it," the Doctor said.

"You're on their side?" George said, stumbling through the trees.

"Yes, because I've spent time with them and they're not a threat. This one attacked you because you were threatening them. You would have done the same if someone was pointing a gun at you. Now back away and leave them alone. They're human beings, same as you, and this one is injured. The last thing she needs is you lot pointing a gun at her head."

The Doctor took off his trenchcoat and jacket and unbuttoned his shirt. He was trying to tear it into strips so he could bind Rose's leg and try to stop the bleeding. Max saw what was doing and bit into the shirt, tearing it with his teeth. The Doctor thanked him when he had a big enough strip and turned his attention to Rose while the others clustered around them and guarded them from the hunters. Rose whimpered and the Doctor smiled tenderly giving her a hushed apology when he lifted her leg to move the cloth underneath. Max licked Rose's muzzle, trying to comfort her while the Doctor tied the cloth around the wound.

"We need to get her to hospital but the problem is what hospital would admit her?" the Doctor said. "If I can get back to my TARDIS, I can bring it here and take her to my med bay. I can heal her leg better than any doctor could. But…"

He glared at the hunters and stood up.

"I need to get something to take care of this young lady," he said, pointing to Rose. "I need to leave here and get it and I'm giving this lot permission to kill you if you try to shoot her or any of them. You got me?"

George, David and the others nodded.

"And if they don't kill you, I'll report you lot for hunting without licenses and killing an endangered animal. So if I were you, I'd keep those bloody fingers off the triggers."

He gave them a look of warning and the hunters backed away, lowering their guns. He turned towards his friends.

"Look after her, it might be awhile," he said.

No, I can help, get on my back, I'm big enough that you can ride me, Max thought. I'll get you there in no time.

The Doctor smiled and nodded. He knelt down and put his hand on Rose's ribs.

"I'll return very soon, promise," he said to her.

Rose raised her head and licked the Doctor's hand when he brought it near her mouth. He rubbed her muzzle before getting back up. The Doctor got on Max's back, laid down on it and wrapped his arms around Max's neck. Max waited till he was ready and then loped off through the woods, going as fast as he could without the Doctor falling off his back.

Meanwhile, the remaining wolves lay down around Rose, grooming her and keeping her safe. Rose noticed that the hunters had backed up several feet but they hadn't left yet and she hoped the Doctor wouldn't be long since she wasn't entirely sure that the hunters wouldn't start shooting. But George suddenly lowered his gun and slowly walked towards them. The wolves around Rose growled and bared their teeth and he stopped.

No, wait; let him come, Rose thought to them. He's unarmed…I think, she added, hoping he didn't have a hunting knife on him somewhere.

The wolves stopped growling and Rose yipped at George, trying to encourage him to come closer. Her pack gave him wary looks as he tentatively came over to Rose and knelt down beside her. Rose held her head still when he reached his hand out and laid it on her head.

"Careful, George," one of his friends said.

"She didn't hurt the Doctor. I think the Doctor's right, they're still human inside. Aren't ya, girl?"

Rose wished at this very moment that she could speak without telepathy since she wanted to tell him that she was and she forgave him since it was a stray bullet that got her. She nuzzled her nose and licked the palm of his hand while her friends kept a close watch on him. George smiled as he stroked the fur on her back.

"Forgive me, "he said to Rose. "I didn't realize that you weren't evil. I'm sorry this happened and I hope the Doctor can mend you."

Rose turned her head towards his hand and licked it when he put it near. The others, seeing this, dropped their guns and sat down while they waited for the Doctor to return. Rose closed her eyes and sighed contentedly when George scratched behind her ear.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," George murmured to her while he scratched. "Poor dear, the Doctor will mend you."

Rose smiled and flicked her tail, enjoying the feel of his fingers behind her ear. She made a mental note to ask the Doctor to do the same for her since she loved the sensation.

He sat with Rose for about a half hour until they finally heard the wheezing of the TARDIS somewhere through the trees. Rose raised her head and telepathically told her friends it was the Doctor while she yipped for the Doctor in case he couldn't remember where she was. The Doctor came through the trees. He froze when he saw George but Rose telepathically told them what happened while he was gone.

"I'm sorry, Doctor," George said, unaware Rose was speaking telepathically. "I realize you were right and this is a person deep inside. I didn't mean to shoot her and I've been keeping her company, waiting for you to come back. I think she forgave me but I hope you will."

The Doctor smiled and nodded. He glanced at the other men who were still sitting nearby.

"I need help carrying her into my ship," he said to them. "Will you help me?"

Where's Max? Rachel thought to him.

He's in the TARDIS. He changed back into a human since there are no windows in there to let the light in so I told him to stay in there so he doesn't have to come out and go through the change again. But be prepared because the moment you go inside, you'll change back into humans.

The wolves moved back and the men gathered around Rose and lifted her. She weighed a considerable amount but there were eight of them including the Doctor and they carried her easily. The wolves trailed them while the Doctor, carrying Rose's head, led them through the trees to his TARDIS.

"Wait a minute," David said when he saw the TARDIS, "that's a police box. I remember those. What's it doing here?"

"It's my ship," the Doctor said as he let go of Rose's head to get at his key. "Never mind, no time for explanations," he added when he saw the confused looks. "Just bring her inside and lay her on the floor because they're all going to change back into humans once they're in here."

He opened the door and then men and wolves entered. Max was sitting on the jump seat. The TARDIS had provided him with a white t-shirt, jeans and some underwear, socks and shoes. He came around the console and chuckled when he saw the shocked expressions on his pack and the hunter's faces.

"Yeah, I had the same look," he said.

They laid Rose down near the console and watched while she and the other wolves began to change back. The Doctor rushed outside and found Rose's rucksack and the sacks of food. By the time he came back, Rose and the others were completely human again and the hunters were murmuring in wonder while they looked at all of them. The Doctor dropped the rucksack and sacks near the top of the lamp and walked over to Rose. He gathered her in his arms and walked with her while everyone else followed him. The bloodied cloth was now loose since Rose's leg had shrunk in size and it hung from her leg while he carried her. The TARDIS moved the entrance of the med bay to the back door and the Doctor entered and laid Rose on the examination table.

"I can take it from here," he said to the crowd gathered around Rose. "Go back out the door and you'll find the kitchen and…TARDIS, please provide my friends with some clothes and also some refreshments while I handle this."

The TARDIS grunted and the Doctor pointed to the door when she moved the kitchen's entrance to it. Everyone walked out and Rose lay quietly and watched while the Doctor began taking the steps to heal her leg.