Cassandra made her way into Ward 26, pausing by the door to see the Doctor wandering about with his glasses on, checking the intravenous solutions on each cubicle. Rose was trailing behind him, and both were looking annoyed with each once more, though the Doctor less so as he focused on his task.

He spotted 'Teresa' and called excitedly: "There you are."

Cassandra smiled at him quickly, but Teresa cheered to see Rose's eyes pop when she saw her 'friend'. The blonde companion's eyes narrowed as she examined the clothing changes while the Doctor said obliviously: "Come and look at this patient."

He grabbed her arm as he showed her the red-skinned, hovering man, explaining in a low voice: "Marconi's Disease. Should take years to recover. Two days. I've never seen anything like it. They've invented a cell washing cascade. It's amazing. Their medical science is way advanced." He gave her a pointed look.

"And this one." He turned to a man with completely white skin as he explained: "Pallidome Pancrosis. Kills you in ten minutes, and he's fine. I need to find a terminal. I've got to see how they do this." He murmured to her as he removed his glasses and he led her and Rose out, Rose's eyes still narrowed suspiciously.

The Doctor wondered as they walked out of the ward: "Because if they've got the best medicine in the world, then why is it such a secret?" He glanced at Teresa as he asked hopefully: "Any hints?"

Teresa face-palmed mentally as Cassandra replied in her strange voice, not knowing what 'hints' meant: "I can't Adam and Eve it."

Rose's frown deepened as the Doctor asked confused: "What's, what's. what's with the voice?"

"Oh, I don't know." Cassandra tried to divert his attention and find some form of excuse. "Just larking about. New Earth, new me." She tried, ending flirtatiously as she checked the Doctor out.

The Doctor glanced at her curiously as he replied lightly: "Well, I can talk. New New Doctor."

He chuckled at his own joke and Cassandra purred: "Mmm, aren't you just."

'Don't you dare, Cassandra.' Teresa tried to warn, but it was no use. Cassandra pulled the Doctor in for a searing and deep kiss. It was not something Teresa was used to at all, and her mouth would've dropped open in shock if Cassandra hadn't been controlling it to stick her tongue down the Doctor's throat. Ugh. Teresa groaned.

The Doctor appeared to have gone into shock as well because he simply froze, making no attempts to push her off. Cassandra released him and Teresa briefly caught Rose's stunned expression as Cassandra said a little shakily and a little breathlessly: "Terminal's this way."

She turned away, taking a deep breath as Teresa debated using energy to scold her. She then mentally face-palmed again as she heard the Doctor say in a slightly high tone from behind: "Yep, still got it."

Men! She thought furiously, and she was satisfied when the Doctor suddenly whined from behind: "Ow!"

Hopefully that was Rose smacking him. Teresa thought smugly.

They reached the terminal, Teresa fuming, while the Doctor quickly got back to work. He began scrolling through the terminal while Rose continued to stare at 'Teresa' suspiciously, and he commented with a frown: "Nope, nothing odd. Surgery, post-op, nano-dentistry. No sign of a shop. They should have a shop."

"Shut up about the shop." Rose almost snarled.

His face immediately shut down, becoming cold, making Teresa alarmed, but Cassandra didn't care as she muttered: "No, it's missing something else. When I was downstairs, those Nurse Cat Nuns were talking about Intensive Care. Where is it?"

"You're right. Well done." The Doctor commented, although he was puzzled. Teresa was usually more careful about hints or spoilers but now 'she' was just blurting out things.

Cassandra asked, unaware of the looks the Doctor and Rose kept sending her: "Why would they hide a whole department? It's got to be there somewhere. Search the sub-frame." She ordered.

"What if the sub-frame's locked?" The Doctor tested, and Cassandra replied dismissively: "Try the installation protocol."

"Yeah. Of course." The Doctor replied as Rose lifted a brow. Definitely something wrong. He muttered as he soniced the terminal: "Sorry. Hold on."

They backed away as the terminal whirred, and they watched as it slid down and away, revealing a secret entrance. The Doctor and Rose stared, while Cassandra strolled in quickly. She didn't notice the look the Doctor gave her as she did so, before he and Rose followed inside.

"Intensive Care." The Doctor commented as they went. "Certainly looks intensive."

Cassandra led the way down towards an old worn staircase, almost like one of those emergency stairwells. They walked into a huge room, almost like a coliseum, filled with thousands of green-lit cells. Teresa swallowed heavily in her mind, knowing what was inside.

The Doctor's face had turned grim as he slowly moved down into a corridor, faced with a whole row of the cells and he slowly opened one. Teresa's heart clenched at what she saw. A man covered in painful-looking red boils, almost bloody they were so puffed.

"Oh, my God." Rose breathed, while Cassandra said in a revolted tone: "That's disgusting."

"What?" Rose demanded as she whirled on the other blonde.

Cassandra seemed to realize she'd slipped up because she asked the Doctor quickly: "What's wrong with him?"

Rose's eyes narrowed even more while the Doctor ignored her as he told the man: "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

The man stared back with completely dead, blank eyes, and the Doctor carefully closed the door. He opened the next one quickly, his face set in anger and it revealed a woman covered in sores and bloody scratches.

"What disease is that?" Cassandra asked and the Doctor replied darkly: "All of them. Every single disease in the galaxy. They've been infected with everything."

"Why would someone do that?" Rose breathed while Cassandra asked urgently: "What about us? Are we safe?"

Rose stared at her blonde friend, becoming increasingly angry, while the Doctor answered flatly: "The air's sterile. Just don't touch them."

He gently closed the cell door, heading back out into the large room, leaning on the rail heavily. Cassandra wondered: "How many patients are there?"

"They're not patients." The Doctor replied and both Rose and Cassandra stared at him.

"What?" Rose whispered while Cassandra replied callously: "But they're sick."

"They were born sick." The Doctor snarled. "They're meant to be sick. They exist to be sick. Lab rats. No wonder the Sisters have got a cure for everything. They've built the ultimate research laboratory. A human farm."

"Oh, God." Rose breathed, sounding close to tears as the Doctor headed down another corridor.

Cassandra meanwhile asked curiously: "Why don't they just die?"

The Doctor stopped before another cell as he said monotonously: "Plague carriers. The last to go."

"It's for the greater cause." Novice Hame answered as she walked down towards them.

The Doctor turned to face her as he accused harshly: "Novice Hame. When you took your vows, did you agree to this?"

"The Sisterhood has sworn to help." Novice Hame replied and the Doctor shouted furiously: "What, by killing?"

"But they're not real people." Novice Hame protested, making Rose and Teresa feel revolted. "They're specially grown. They have no proper existence."

"What's the turnover, hmm?" The Doctor demanded as he stepped forward, Cassandra following and Rose following more slowly. "Thousand a day? Thousand the next? Thousand the next? How many thousands? For how many years?"

He stopped before her, almost shaking with fury.

"How many!" He shouted, and Hame replied softly: "Mankind needed us. They came to this planet with so many illnesses. We couldn't cope. We did try. We tried everything. We tried using clone-meat and bio-cattle, but the results were too slow, so the Sisterhood grew its own flesh. That's all they are. Flesh."

"These people are alive." The Doctor snarled, and Hame replied pleadingly: "But think of those Humans out there, healthy and happy, because of us."

Rose gasped a little in horror while the Doctor replied darkly: "If they live because of this, then life is worthless."

"But who are you to decide that?" Hame questioned, and the Doctor replied harshly: "I'm the Doctor. And if you don't like it, if you want to take it to a higher authority, then there isn't one. It stops with me."

Hame flinched a little as the Doctor leveled a harsh glare at her.

"Just to confirm." Cassandra interjected suddenly, making the Doctor turn to her slightly. "None of the humans in the city actually know about this?"

'Cassandra!' Teresa screamed at her furiously, making her visibly flinch a little while Hame replied: "We thought it best not."

"Hold on." The Doctor suddenly broke in. "I can understand the bodies. I can understand your vows. One thing I can't understand. What have you done to Terry?"

'Thank heavens.' Teresa thought rather moodily as Cassandra panicked.

Rose was nodding while Hame stuttered: "I don't know what you mean."

"And I'm being very, very calm." The Doctor warned her. "You want to be aware of that. Very, very calm. And the only reason I'm being so very, very calm is that the brain is a delicate thing."

Rose looked worriedly at Terry at that statement, while the Doctor demanded to Hame: "Whatever you've done to Terry's head, I want it reversed."

"We haven't done anything." Hame protested and Cassandra tried to say soothingly: "I'm perfectly fine."

The Doctor snapped at both her and Hame: "These people are dying, and Terry would care. And she would know why and be trying to help me, not hinder me."

"And there is no way Terry would willingly dress like that." Rose added as she eyed the totally revealing outfit.

Thank you. Teresa thought wryly.

Cassandra finally gave up and she snapped, going back to her regular accent: "Oh, all right, clever clogs."

The Doctor turned to her, his face stony as Cassandra glared at Rose and then him as she taunted: "Smarty pants." She tugged out his tie, and he watched warily as she leaned in towards him and purred: "Lady-killer."

"What's happened to you?" He asked darkly and Cassandra told him: "I knew something was going on in this hospital, but I needed this body and your mind to find it out."

"Who are you?" The Doctor asked, his brows scrunching and his eyes narrowing as he realized this wasn't just mind control.

Cassandra leaned in and whispered in his ear: "The last human."

"Cassandra?" He asked incredulously as he pulled back a little.

"What?" Rose gasped and Teresa shouted at Cassandra: 'Cassandra, don't you dare!'

But Cassandra did as she told the Doctor flatly: "Wake up and smell the perfume."

She sprayed him, and he passed out immediately. Cassandra whirled around and sprayed Rose, making the blonde collapse as well.

Hame gasped: "You've hurt them. I don't understand. I'll have to fetch Matron."

"You do that, because I want to see her." Cassandra snapped. "Now, run along. Sound the alarm!" She ordered.

She glanced over to the power cables and pulled them, setting off the alarm and she folded her arms triumphantly, only to wince as Teresa screamed at her: 'You idiot!'


Chip had joined them as Cassandra battled against the girl yelling at her inside her head, alternating between scolding her and ordering her. They were interrupted as the Doctor shouted from inside the cell Cassandra had trapped him and Rose in: "Let me out! Let me out!"

"Aren't you lucky there was a spare?" Cassandra asked sarcastically as she walked up directly in front of the cell. "Standing room only."

"Where are we?" Rose asked panicked, while Teresa groaned mentally. She was exhausted from shouting at Cassandra, completely drained and out of breath, mentally.

The Doctor ignored Rose's question as he accused Cassandra: "You've stolen Terry's body."

Cassandra ignored him as she told him: "Over the years, I've thought of a thousand ways to kill you, Doctor. And now, that's exactly what I've got. One thousand diseases. They pump the patients with a top-up every ten minutes. You've got about," she checked her watch, "three minutes left. Enjoy."

"What?" Rose cried as the Doctor ordered: "Just let Terry go, Cassandra."

"I will." Cassandra replied easily. "As soon as I've found someone more buxom, and less… common, then I'll junk her with the waste."

"Oi!" The Doctor shouted sharply as Rose yelled at Cassandra: "That's my friend you're bashing!"

Teresa was almost touched, though the pair should really be working on an escape plan and not her honour. Cassandra snapped at them, annoyed: "Now hushaby. It's showtime."

She turned to go, when Matron Jatt asked from behind: "Anything we can do to help?"

Cassandra replied shortly: "Straight to the point, Whiskers. I want money."

Matron Casp replied: "The Sisterhood is a charity. We don't give money. We only… accept."

They're not much better than her. Teresa thought morosely to herself as Cassandra retorted: "The humans across the water pay you a fortune, and that's exactly what I need."

She stepped forward as she offered: "A one-off payment, that's all I want. Oh, and perhaps a yacht." She added in an aside before she said firmly: "In return for which, I shall tell the city nothing of your institutional murder. Is that a deal?"

"I'm afraid not." Matron Casp replied just as firmly, and Cassandra threatened: "I'd really advise you to think about this."

Matron Casp replied easily: "Oh, there's no need. I have to decline."

"I'll tell them," Cassandra threatened, "and you've no way of stopping me. You're not exactly Nuns with Guns. You're not even armed."

'Great threat.' Teresa told her sarcastically, although it was extremely weak now. She wondered why she'd bothered wasting energy on sarcasm before realizing she was slipping on control. It was too much being squeezed in her own mind.

She vaguely heard Matron Casp reply: "Who needs arms when we have claws?"

She flexed said claws and Cassandra muttered: "Well, nice try. Chip?" She called. "Plan B."

He pulled a lever, opening all the doors on their level and Teresa watched in horror as the dazed patients began to walk out. Cassandra turned, making to leave, when the Doctor demanded as he and Rose stepped out as well and saw the patients: "What've you done?"

Cassandra turned back to him as she replied: "Gave the system a shot of adrenaline, just to wake them up. See you!"

'Great plan!' Teresa scolded her furiously as Cassandra ran off, while the Doctor shouted desperately: "Don't touch them! Whatever you do, don't touch!"

The Doctor ran after Cassandra, but as they ran, suddenly all the locks on the doors burst into sparks. Cassandra shrieked as she ran, and then they stopped in horror when they reached the coliseum area, staring out at all the cells opening.

"Oh, my God." Cassandra whimpered and the Doctor shouted at her: "What the hell have you done?"

"It wasn't me." She protested, almost whined, and the Doctor snarled at her: "One touch and you get every disease in the world, and I want that body safe, Cassandra."

They glanced around as the patients began to surround them and the Doctor ordered: "We've got to go down."

"But there's thousands of them!" Cassandra protested and the Doctor shouted at her in exasperation: "Run!"

She shrieked in protest but did as he said, running down with Rose and Chip on their heels and the Doctor bringing up the rear as he yelled: "Down! Down! Go down!"

As they ran, they heard an intercom call: "This building is under quarantine. No one may leave the premises. Repeat."

"Keep going! Go down!" The Doctor shouted and they kept running, going as far as they could and as fast as they could.

They reached the basement and Cassandra ran for the lift, to Teresa's great irritation; luckily the Doctor interrupted before she had to: "No, the lifts have closed down. That's the quarantine. Nothing's moving."

Cassandra began to run again as she cried: "This way!"

Teresa recognized the pathway towards her hideout and she realized who would be left behind. Doctor! She tried to scream in warning, but now she couldn't even speak aloud to Cassandra, she was so tired.

They were running and just as Teresa had feared Chip cried in fear. They glanced back to see him cut off from their group as a crowd of patients staggered in. Rose gasped while the Doctor shouted urgently: "Don't let them touch you!"

"Leave him!" Cassandra snapped. "He's just a clone thing. He's only got a half life. Come on!"

She dragged the Doctor a little before running off, ignoring as Chip called frightened: "Mistress!"

Teresa heard the Doctor apologize: "I'm sorry, I can't let her escape. Rose, come on."

"My Mistress!" Chip cried as they ran off. Teresa began to gather up her energy again for one final rant just as they ran into Cassandra's hideout. The Doctor slammed the door behind him, sonicing it locked as Cassandra raced to the other door.

She opened it only to be faced with another crowd of sick people reaching out to her and she slammed the door crying desperately: "We're trapped! What am I going to do?"

The Doctor was glaring at her evenly, about to rant, when Cassandra winced. Teresa was screaming at her: 'You complete idiot! How could you leave him, he was devoted to you!'

"Shut up! What do you know about it, and he was just a half-life clone anyway!" Cassandra yelled back at her as the Doctor and Rose stared at her.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Rose demanded, furious with Cassandra and extremely worried about Teresa.

The Doctor asked incredulously: "You can hear Terry?"

"Unfortunately, yes, I can hear the annoying brat!" Cassandra yelled at him, at her wits end and his face darkened.

"Get out of that body, Cassandra. That psychograft is banned on every civilised planet." He pointed at the machine. "You're compressing Terry to death, it's a miracle she can speak but it's probably costing her."

"What?" Rose gasped, horrified, but Cassandra whined: "But I've got nowhere to go. My original skin's dead."

Cassandra snapped at him harshly, but the Doctor replied flatly: "Not my problem. You can float as atoms in the air. Now, get out."

He pointed his sonic at her as he said darkly: "Give her back to me."

Teresa's mind jerked. No. None of them noticed Rose's hurt expression, Teresa unable as Cassandra stared at the Doctor. Cassandra spat with narrowed eyes: "You asked for it."

Teresa suddenly felt her mind expand, her head emptying and letting her conscious fill it once more. She reeled, clutching her head as it pounded almost as badly as it had the first time she'd travelled. She slowly straightened up as Rose asked confusedly: "Terry? Doctor? What happened?"

"Oh, God." Teresa moaned and Rose asked: "Terry?"

"It's me, but oh, God, no." Teresa moaned as they turned to the 'Doctor'.

He was just straightening up with his hands lifted in a distinctly feminine way as he murmured: "Oh, my. This is… different."

Rose's face became just as horrified as Teresa's as she asked in disbelief: "Cassandra?"

"Goodness me, I'm a man." Cassandra said in a mix of delight and disgust. "Yum. So many parts." She smirked. "And hardly used."

She suddenly twitched as she murmured: "Oh, oh, two hearts! Oh, baby, I'm beating out a samba!"

She jerked his chest as Rose demanded: "Get out of him."

"Now!" Teresa ordered but Cassandra ignored them as she examined the Doctor, murmuring: "Oo, he's slim."

Teresa felt revolted as she saw Cassandra running a hand down the Doctor's body. She knew from experience how violating that felt. "And a little bit foxy."

Cassandra smirked at them, wiggling her brows.

Teresa snapped at her: "Cassandra, get out."

"Oh, you never shut up do you? Yap yap yap." Cassandra muttered and Teresa yelled at her: "Get out!"

"Oh, alright!" Cassandra snapped and there was another jerk as Cassandra left the Doctor. Teresa tensed, waiting and then gaped in horror as Rose gripped her head.

"Oh, God, no. Cassandra!" Teresa exclaimed in horror as the Doctor straightened angrily and 'Rose' complained: "Oh, this girl's even worse."

"Cassandra, get out of her!" Teresa cried as the Doctor stormed over.

"Oh, oh! Naughty." Cassandra grinned.

"She's been thinking of you." Cassandra nodded at the Doctor, who tensed visibly. "She's thought you're foxy, too. She's been looking. She likes it."

"Cassandra, stop spilling Rose's secrets!" Teresa scolded. Cassandra glanced at her, but they were interrupted as the doors burst open and the diseased patients began to walk in.

"Oh God, oh God, oh God, what do we do, what do we do?" Cassandra asked frantically and the Doctor ordered: "Up!"

He moved towards the ladder behind them as Cassandra grabbed Teresa and shoved her away, snapping: "Out of the way, blondie!"

"Oi!" The Doctor said sharply, having seen but Cassandra just shoved past him and up the ladder as well.

"Go!" Teresa urged him as he waited for her.

"You, up." He ordered and she dragged him up as she told him: "Trust me, we need you at the top, now go!"

He quickly climbed up ahead and Teresa brought up the rear as the sick people began to climb after them.