"Now you listen to me. You know who I am. I am the only one in the room who's successfully treated this illness. I do not have time to be patient with a lot of sleep deprived people. You will only slow me down in your present state. You have done everything you could. Now, if you want to be of help to me, go, to, bed!"

Chapter 37 The Reshnak

"Doctor!" A young woman spoke up. "I just started my shift and despite what you might think, you are going to need help now. Let me stay. Just one of us."

The Time Lord sighed, "Very well. Just you. The rest of you, be back here in six hours." They left grumbling but grateful. It was the first sign of hope they had. After they were gone Dr Fuller stayed behind. He spoke softly to him. "That means you too, Dr. Fuller. I need you thinking on your feet, not sleeping on them." An angry Dr. Fuller left the room without argument, but went to the ER instead.

The Time Lord addressed the woman who had stayed behind. She was young, brilliant and ambitious. "What's your name?" "Jenna Ryan." "Ok, Jenna let's get to work. We should start with how it functions. Can you get those samples of brain tissue in culture and on slides? Thin slices. I want to see neurons. And use gloves and a shield. I don't need you coming down with it.

I want the most recent blood work from the teenager in a coma. Get a nurse up there to run one right now. I'm going to get samples of it for study. I'll be back in half an hour.

He left the lab with several glass dishes and set off for the town. It wasn't hard to find. Anyplace that was out of sunlight and kept moist, like under rocks and logs, the shade of buildings and park trees. He took several samples from different locations and returned to the lab.

By the time he got there Jenna had all the slides ready for him and an incubator full of cultures. "You did all that in a half hour? Good job." She smiled at his praise. "Not just another pretty face, eh? The blood work is on the computer. Still the same as the rest. No trace of infection." "Let's get these samples in culture. We need to test them for growth with different media."

After three hours they were checking the results of the tests. He was talking out loud as he always did to solve a riddle. "I think once in the brain it inhibits the immune system from reacting to it, so boosting the immune response isn't going to work.

It leaves nothing in the blood, so a systemic approach won't work." Jenna ventured an idea. "It goes to a great deal of trouble to hide itself. It almost seems intelligent. But, why kill its host after going to all that trouble? What's in the brain that it wants?

Can we mimic what it needs in another part of the body? It would lose control over the brain and stop the organ deterioration." He wasn't really listening to her until, "Wait, what did you say?" "Why kill the host?" "No. You said, it almost seems intelligent. What if it is?

What if it's in the brain trying to communicate?" Jenna looked at him as if he were insane. "An intelligent fungus?" "What is it with you humans? You think it has to look like you to be intelligent? I know of a whole planet of intelligent fungus." He smiled remembering. "Their leader fancied me."

He took off the lab coat and ran upstairs to the teenager in the coma. Sitting at her bedside were her parents. Her mother weeping, the father trying to be strong. He greeted them "I'm The Doctor and I'm going to do everything I can to save your little girl, but I need you to leave for a few moments."

They looked at each other and agreed. When they were gone he went to the girl and put his hands on her temples. Opening his mind and reaching out, not to the girl, but to the entity inside. At first there was no response and he nearly gave up. But then, a repeating sound, muffled and indistinct. It was trying to communicate.

The link was tenuous at best and it was something of a strain. He had to find a better way. There was a portable translator in the Tardis. Maybe he could boost it and get some answers.

He flew out of the room, down the hall and out the door, passing Dr. Fuller in the ER. Three more victims were being brought in. A man in his 50's had worked in his yard and scraped his hand. A woman, who had cut herself while preparing dinner. And another woman who was scratched on the sharp edge of some house trim.

All had high fevers after chills. He ran all the way home. Rose and Alice were in the den. Rose looked up and was going to ask how it was going, but he didn't stop. A few minutes later he came out of the Tardis with a device in his hands.

"Rose, can't stop to talk. Stay in the house. Avoid any injury, even a paper cut could be fatal. I'll be back soon." He went to the door and stopped, turned around and kissed Alice on the cheek, lifted Rose to her feet and kissed her gently. "I love you both." and then ran out the door. Rose could feel his concern for them, even a bit of fear, but also excitement. She could almost say he was having fun if the stakes weren't so high.

Back at the hospital he was plugging the child into the machine. The parents looked on concerned at the methods he was using, but were in favor of anything that would save her.

He adjusted the controls "Come on, come on. Say something. Tell me what you want." A low static began to register in the room, and grew in volume. Adjusting the controls again, the static became a series of crackles.

The Time Lord spoke at the girl clearly, "Species and planet of origin." Then it became something like a squeaking, creaking sound. Like a tree when it's bending in the wind. "Species and planet of origin" he said again, refining the controls.

"We are Reshnak. Our world was destroyed. We came here on the wind." The sound was difficult to understand, "Now we're getting somewhere." He spoke up with the voice of authority.

"Listen to me Reshnak. You are causing the deaths of the people you inhabit. You must leave them immediately. Do you understand?" The voice came again loud and frightening.

"Then die! For you have laid waste to our colony. You kill us! We tried to make you stop, but you did not see us. We try to use your voices, but you do not listen. It is war now between us! You will all die." The Time Lord leaned back and stared at the innocent girl. The mother behind him whimpered but said nothing.

"I can not allow that Reshnak. We didn't know we were causing you harm. We hear you now. There must be a way to end the suffering of both species without further deaths." He thought for a moment.

He needed more information. "How are we killing you?" The voice wasted no time. "Poison. Poison in our water. You kill us." What could they mean? How was the colony poisoning the water table? "What poison? We will remove it." There was silence.

He tried to get them to speak again, but the girl was getting weaker. If the girl died so would the Reshnak in her and he would lose his connection.

"I can help you if you'll let me. The girl you inhabit now is very close to death. If she dies you will lose this voice and we will not be able to hear you. Will you release her?"

"Reshnak must have water. If we leave the girl, we die." He thought quickly of a compromise. "Can you stay in the body, but leave the brain until a solution is found?" Silence again, then, "Agreed" The terrible creeking voice was gone and the girls vital signs stabilized.

Everyone in the room took a deep breath. He looked behind him to see that a crowd of people had gathered to hear the words of the Reshnak. He looked at them and spoke sternly,

"Nobody touches that patient, do you understand? No one. Her life and the life of every person on this planet depends on it." He looked at the parents, "What's her name?" The father spoke quietly, "Rachel" "I'm sorry, truly I am, but do not touch her. She is safe as long as the Reshnak believe we will keep our word."

"Now everyone out of the room." There was a security guard in the crowd. "Do you have the key to this door?" He nodded silently. "Then on your life, lock that door and let no one in." The guard lifted his chin and said "Yes sir." "Good man. I need to speak with President Sinclair and then I'll be back."

Chapter 38 Preservation