Welcome to the new chapter! I hope everyone is doing well. Especially those dealing with this crazy heat lately. Please, be safe out there and take care of yourself when you need to.
Enjoy the chapter! Hopefully it can bring some comfort through any turmoil you're facing.
Chapter 25
No time had passed at all when they had arrived back at the Tyler Flat. For once the Doctor had actually managed to get them back during a decent time frame. Something which Madison and Rose teased him about the moment they walked into the flat to have Christmas dinner. The dinner itself was wonderful. Not so much the food (Jackie did try her best which Madison was grateful for), but rather the enjoyment of being with a family and getting together for the holiday was, to say, rather magical. Madison couldn't stop smiling as everyone made jokes and laughed, popping some Christmas crackers along the way as they chatted. A warm feeling spread through her as the night went on. A sense of belonging that had been absent for so long. Even when she saw Harriet on the tv again giving a press conference (which didn't seem to be going well for her by the looks of it) and the snow that turned out to ash from the Sycorax ship, her mood was still light as ever. She was spending Christmas with her new family, after all. Nothing could ever possibly ruin this moment for her.
Soon, the fun had to come to an end as everyone (besides the Doctor of course) grew tired. It had been a long day for everyone, after all. Madison had wanted to go back to the TARDIS, but after getting begged by Rose and Jackie to stay over for the night, she knew she also wanted to catch up and spend more time with them. Even if she knew this was not exactly a good idea. It had been a few days since she had a chance to be in water and be in her Mer-form. Her skin was becoming incredibly itchy and dry, even feeling hot at random times as she felt her cheeks growing flushed. However, her skin had not started to crack just yet, so she felt that she would be okay for one more night. Though after this, she would definitely be taking a long soak in the bath. And so, she spent the night with Rose and Jackie, sleeping on their sofa after chatting with them both after Mickey and the Doctor had left. The two really seemed to wish to discuss what had happened when Madison had disappeared. Both of them told her how panicked they had been when discovering the TARDIS was gone and asked her all sorts of questions about what had happened to her. Some things Madison could explain, but others . . . she decided to leave out the more harsh details. As well as leaving out the Time Vortex still being within her. She had promised to keep it between just the Doctor and her, after all.
"But what was the Siren? Do you know?" Rose asked Madison after Jackie had gone to bed.
Currently, Rose and Madison were sitting in the living room. Rose was sitting on one of the armchairs in the living room while Madison lay curled up on the sofa. Already she had a blanket wrapped around her as she was much more exhausted than Rose seemed to be. The only source of light they had at the moment was the quiet tv playing in the background. There were some yellow lights seen from the windows by some distant streetlamps, but nothing enough that lit up the room around them. A clock softly ticked away somewhere within the flat, creating a rhythm in the air. There was this sort of calm stillness about the night that Madison felt. Something tranquil that only a snowy night could bring.
"I'm not sure," Madison answered after a moment's pause, thinking carefully for the right words. "From what I'm remembering, she was some sort of . . . entity that lived within the Time Vortex. That there were others like her, too. I sensed them while I was her. She chose me and I chose her out of the rest. And when the Doctor took her out of me . . . I remember her being scared. She didn't want to go back. She . . . wanted to live in a body and be free."
"Is she, sort of like, trapped or somethin'? Like the Time Vortex is a prison for these things?" Rose wondered aloud.
"No, I don't think so. I just think their beings without bodies who can't survive outside of the Vortex . . . Or, at least, that's what it felt like." Madison glanced away from Rose, shrugging. "I suppose we'll never know now."
"I suppose," Rose agreed. Then, she started to smile slyly. "So . . . what do you think of the Doctor's new body?"
"I don't think it matters what my opinion is. It's the Doctor's body. You should ask him how he feels," Madison answered shortly, already knowing where the girl was going with this.
"Oh, come on, you know what I mean." Rose rolled her eyes briefly before leaning forward eagerly. "Come on, tell us. Do you like it? He's a lot younger now. All that hair. Nice smile. Nice butt." The girl laughed as Madison made a face while blushing. "I know you were looking. You can't deny it."
"I can deny anything I want to." The flush on Madison's face grew darker, knowing she had been caught. She hadn't meant to look. Honest. Normally she didn't care about those sorts of things. But when the Doctor had stood up from the dining table and stretched as he was getting ready to leave for the TARDIS, she might have . . . peaked towards his backside. But it was practically in her face so it was hard not to notice.
"You were so looking. Where else were you looking, huh?" Rose continued to tease, laughing as Madison covered her face in embarrassment. Then, the girl grew more serious. "Really though, how're you taking it? The change, I mean. I'm barely able to wrap my head around it, so I doubt you're much better."
Madison sighed, turning to stare up towards the ceiling. "I'm still . . . processing. But it's getting better. The more I speak with him, the more I see bits and pieces of his old face beneath the surface. It's still him in there, but it's also a new man as well. And that new man . . . I have to learn to love him just as much as I loved the old. Because it's the Doctor." She turned to stare at Rose again. "He'll always be the Doctor. That won't ever change. So neither will my love for him. I'll always love him. Be it tall or short, skinny or square, or even brunet or ginger." She and Rose shared a small laugh, recalling the complaining about not being ginger the Doctor had done often throughout the night.
"That's nice. I'm happy for you two," Rose said, smiling lightly at Madison. Then her smile grew sly once more. "Doesn't mean you can deny enjoying a nice new—"
"Rose!" Madison scoffed, face practically glowing now as she threw a pillow at the snickering blonde. "That is highly impolite and you know it."
"Oh, come on. I know you grew up in the 18th century, but this the 21st century now. You don't have to be all 'proper' or shy about these things anymore. You can admit it if you like a nice body or two."
"Well, I hate to disappoint you, but that is just not how I am. I have standards."
Rose rolled her eyes in amusement. "Okay, then, Miss 'Standards'."
The teasing continued somewhat for a while longer before Rose became tired enough to go to bed. Madison was then in the dim darkness of the night. The tv was shut off and she was left with the soft ticking of the clock somewhere in the flat. She curled up on her side, staring at nothing in particular. Her thoughts wandered to what she and Rose had discussed. Not so much about the Doctor, but rather that of the Siren. Sighing, she shook her head, unsure of what to even begin to contemplate, so she decided to let her mind drift off into slumber. With strange dreams of figures made of light and dark overtaking her.
XxXxXxXxXx
The next morning she awoke to her phone ringing. Sleepily she reached for it, having placed it on the floor near the sofa where she lay last night. She squinted as the light from the phone glared into her eyes once she lifted it up. On the small screen, she saw the called ID to be the TARDIS. She wondered when that had been programmed into her phone. Maybe it was the Doctor's doing? She glanced briefly at the window, seeing just the beginning dim blue glow of morning approaching. He was calling rather early. Though, knowing him, he most likely did not consider this early at all.
"Hello?" she eventually answered, her voice groggy and thick from sleeping. She rubbed at her eyes to get the grim out of them and wake herself up properly.
"Good, you're awake," came the voice of the Doctor, sounding excited and eager. "Ready to go?"
"Oh, good morning, Doctor," she sighed, smiling softly as she rolled over to lay on her back. "I just woke up, I'm afraid. So I might be a moment."
"Aw, really? Can't you just wake up faster?" he whined.
She giggled as she could practically hear the pout he must have at the moment. "I have to wake up Rose and Jackie still, silly. Then breakfast. Then we'll be ready."
"Fine. Ten minutes then."
Madison rolled her eyes. "Doctor."
"Okay, twenty minutes."
"Doctor," she said more sternly this time.
"Thirty minutes?"
"An hour. Give us an hour and we'll be ready."
"Oh, an hour?" he whined again. "What am I supposed to do for an hour?"
"You'll think of something. Or, you could always join us?"
"And sit through Jackie's cooking again? No thanks. But do you really need an hour? Why don't we—oh? Hang on." It went silent for a moment after the Doctor sounded surprised by something. Madison was about to question what happened when the Doctor spoke again, this time much brisker. "Alright, one hour. See you then." He ended the call with a click.
Madison frowned as she pulled the phone away. She wondered what distracted him. Brushing this aside, for now, she got up from the sofa and got ready for the day. Rose and Jackie were not so quick to wake given how early it was. Though they started to rise faster when she began making tea for them. They especially got a move on when she told them the time frame the Doctor had given her. Jackie made them some beans on toast to eat while Rose packed up her things. After a quick meal, Rose and Madison were ready to go. Though Jackie did not seem too happy about it.
"Oh, mum, it'll be fine. I promise I'll come 'round more often than before," Rose said as they made their way towards the TARDIS.
"Could you at least give me a call? That's all I'm asking for. Just a phone call at least!" Jackie complained as they walked across the pavement and closer to where the TARDIS had been parked. It was near a few dumpsters outside of the complex. Luckily no spray painting on it this time around. Besides the word Siren once being painted on it, whenever they had visited Powell Estate to catch up with Jackie in the past, there always seemed to be a kid nearby ready to paint up the TARDIS with graffiti.
Madison let the mother and daughter talk some more. Especially as Mickey suddenly came down the stairs and complained about Rose almost leaving without telling him goodbye. She glanced over towards the TARDIS, surprised that the Doctor hadn't poked his head out by now to complain about them taking so long. He used to in the past. She wondered if that was a trait he no longer had.
"And I'll miss you, too, sweetheart," came Jackie's voice. Madison blinked in surprise as the mother came over and gave her a large hug. She smiled softly, hugging the woman in return. "I'm glad you're alright. I don't know what Rose would do without you and the Doctor in her life."
"It's good to see you again, Jackie. I promise we'll be back soon," she replied, stepping back to show the mother a bright smile.
"See ya, Maddie," said Mickey, waving his hand lightly.
"Bye, Mickey. Don't get into too much trouble while we're gone," Madison joked, winking at him as she walked backwards.
Jackie had grabbed Rose again to talk more, so Madison walked away to give them space. She moved quickly to the TARDIS, pulling out her key that she almost always wore around her neck nowadays. She was just about to open the door with it when she touched the door and it popped open. Blinking in surprise, she wondered why it had already been unlocked. Normally the Doctor always kept it locked. Unless that had changed, too.
"There you are!" said the Doctor the moment she stepped into the ship. He was beaming at her while he stood on the other side of the console, poking his head around the time rotor to look at her. She noticed how he was wearing the same suit as last night, though the coat had been thrown onto a coral pillar. "Ready to go, Maddie?"
"Yes, though we should wait for Rose. Jackie's saying goodbye," she replied, walking up to the console.
"Oh, that'll take all day if I let it," he said, rolling his eyes and working on the controls of the ship, getting them set up and ready to go.
"I've noticed you call me 'Maddie' now," she noted lightly.
"Yeah, well . . . it just feels right saying it," he replied with a shrug, trying to act as though it were nothing special. Though he glanced nervously towards her. "You don't mind, do you? I know the others call you that, but . . ."
"No, it's fine. People always seem to give me a nickname with every new name I choose. It's nice, actually. Shows that they care in some way or another."
"I could always give you a different nickname. One just between us." As he spoke his voice lowered somewhat. Soundly almost . . . husky. His smile was coy as he leaned over the console to get closer to her.
She couldn't help but return the coy smile as she scooted closer. "What'd you have in mind, tiger?"
"Ooh, 'tiger'. You know, I like that." He hummed as he suddenly seemed to really think over it now. He frowned then in disappointment. "I . . . can't seem to think of anything. Huh. Guess I'm not really good at nicknames."
She laughed quietly, amused by his disappointed pout. "Too bad we don't have Jack with us. I'm sure he'd help you with that one."
The Doctor grimaced then. "Ah, don't mention Jack. I was having a good day."
Madison rolled her eyes. "I thought you and Jack were friends now. Since when do you have a problem with him again?"
"Since he always flirts with you," he grumbled, absently rolling an orb on the console.
"Doctor, Jack flirts with everyone."
"Yeah, well, he does it with you too much. Besides, I'm constantly having to get him out of trouble. Just look at him being missing. Now I have to go and track him down and get him out of another mess . . ."
The Doctor continued to mutter under his breath while Madison chortled at his antics. Eventually, he stopped when Rose came into the TARDIS. The blonde appeared giddy as she sat down her large backpack with her coat and bounced over to the console to be with them. Quick with his hands, the Doctor got the TARDIS going and off towards their next destination.
"So, where are we going?" Rose asked curiously.
"Further than we've ever gone before," he replied, continuing his work on the controls. He seemed to be having a problem reaching for one control as he held onto another. His foot came up to tap it, but even his long leg could not touch it. Madison went over quickly and touched it for him.
"Which direction do I turn it?" she asked.
"Left. No! Right. Sorry. Right is right," he answered briskly. She did as instructed, smiling as he grinned at her. "Thanks."
"Can I help, too?" Rose questioned, bouncing giddily on her feet.
"Sure! Try for the lever," the Doctor responded, starting to have both her and Madison work the controls with him. Though there was a lot of miscommunication on his part as he seemed to not be able to make up his mind on which controls were needed and how to turn or twist them about. This caused the TARDIS to rock wildly around as they went. At one point Madison stumbled backwards as the ship tilted, making her go crashing into the Doctor. The ship came to a halt then, landing in her normal call of arrival. Madison blushed as the Doctor held her up from falling all the way. Her heart skipped a beat as he stared down at her in his arms. Especially when his smile was so dazzling.
"Ready to see something new?" he asked her brightly.
"Absolutely," she said, smiling eagerly and ignoring her fluttering stomach as he set her upright again.
"Race you!" Rose cried, grinning at them both and bouncing on her feet as she ran for the door. Madison laughed as she went after her friend, though at a much slower pace as she wished to give Rose her moment in seeing the destination first. Rose always enjoyed new places. Especially when it was a . . .
Madison gasped quietly in awe at the sight of the new planet they stepped on. It was a glistening city in the distance. Just past the massive bay they were standing by. It was gleaming, with skyscrapers shining in the sunlight and reaching all the way up into the clouds. Other shorter buildings were scattered amongst the skyscrapers, appearing more antique but still as shiny as the rest. There were flying vehicles that had a very similar appearance to automobiles on Earth. Though, with no roads to restrict movement, these cars could go wherever they pleased. There were hundreds of them. Some flew in formation throughout the city in lines, while others seemed to be coming to and from the city to travel elsewhere. There was an amazingly structured bridge leading from where they were parked to the city. Though instead for vehicles, this seemed to be a footbridge as Madison could see people walking on it. The planet itself seemed similar to Earth. The sky was blue with one gigantic moon and one smaller hanging far above. The grass seemed to be a normal colour, if not a more yellowish-green. There was also the smell that wafted over them as the strong, chilly wind blew through the area. It almost smelled like they were standing in an apple orchard.
"It's the year five billion and twenty-three," the Doctor said to them as he closed the TARDIS door behind him and walked over. He had placed back on his overcoat and had his hands in his pockets as he joined them. "We're in the galaxy M87 and this . . . This is New Earth."
"It's just . . .," Rose uttered, shaking her head as she stared at it all. "That's just . . ."
"It's beautiful," Madison breathed, a smile slowly growing as she took it all in.
"Better than beautiful!" Rose exclaimed, laughing in joy.
"Not bad. Not bad at all," agreed the Doctor, seeming more than pleased by their response.
"Oh, I'll never get used to this, never," said Rose, starting to bounce with her happiness. "Different ground beneath my feet. Different sky." She stopped bouncing to stare around curiously. "What's that smell?"
"I smell apples," Madison agreed, nodding as she too noticed the smell.
The Doctor bent down to pick up some blades of grass, holding it up for them to smell closer. "Apple grass," he explained.
Rose started laughing from giddiness again while Madison blinked in amazement.
"That's amazing! How does that work? Is it natural or . .," Madison started questioning, curious about it all.
"Oh, I love this. Travelling around. Seeing a whole new world. I love travelling with you two," Rose said, beaming away at the two of them. "Can we get a closer look?"
"'Course we can!" The Doctor threw the blade of grass over his shoulder, grabbing both Madison and Rose's hands. "Come on!" He steered them away as they both laughed.
Madison never felt so happy and giddy in her life. As she held the Doctor's hand and ran with him and Rose, she never felt . . . so complete before. It reminded her of almost the same feeling when she, the Doctor, and Rose had run across that bridge to stop the Nestene Consciousness. At least this time they did not have a world-ending event to have to deal with. The Doctor must have felt the same as her for when he glanced towards her there was this spark in his eyes that she had never seen before. As though he were feeling pure bliss at that moment. His smile was so warm it made her heart pick up in beat and his hand thumbed at hers as they came to a stop close to the footbridge. She didn't even notice where Rose was as it felt as though it were only he and her standing there on the planet. He faced her, taking both of her hands then.
"I'm glad you're happy," he spoke gently in her mind. Pulling her hands up, he gave them a quick kiss before guiding her again. "Here we go. Why don't we take a load off?"
He walked her and Rose over to a spot where the grass was short, taking off his overcoat to spread it across the grass. He quickly made himself comfortable, grinning at the two as he laid down with his hands clasped together over his stomach. Rose got down beside him first, leaving Madison to feel anxious as now there was not much room left for her. The coat was only big enough for two. But that seemed to have been the Doctor's plan all along as he smiled cheekily and scooted over closer to Rose, patting to a place beside him, half on his coat and half on the grass. Madison would have to practically lay on top of him if she didn't want to get grass stains. Somewhat sheepish, she got down beside him, laying right up next to him. Her head was made to rest in the crook of his arm as he had held it open for her. His arm wrapped around her, making her turn to lay sideways up against his body while his hand started rubbing up and down her arm as she laid there. She knew if she wasn't wearing a coat, his fingers would have left hot trails along her bare skin. She could feel his hearts as she pressed a hand to his chest, feeling them both beating away in contentment. Her own heart fluttered away as her stomach did flips. This new Doctor . . . he truly did love being affectionate.
"There now. Comfortable?" he asked in her mind, grinning so wonderfully it made her heart feel as though it would going to leap from her chest. It thumped away so rapidly as her cheeks grew on fire.
"Yes," she responded breathlessly in return, flustered but happy all the same.
Suddenly he blinked and seemed to realise something as he swiftly moved his hand away to stop rubbing at her arm. "Oh. Right. I'm making you uncomfortable again."
"Just . . . a little," she admitted to him. Though the affection and gesture were nice . . . she couldn't help but feel out of place. She just wasn't used to it yet. It also did not help matters with Rose sitting on the other side of him, sitting up to peer at them with a raised brow and knowing smile on her face that said 'I told you so'.
"Well, don't you two look comfortable," Rose teased them. Madison blushed while the Doctor cleared his throat quickly, seeming to just realise that Rose had been there watching them.
"So, the year five billion," he started explaining, pretending as if nothing were out of the ordinary, "the Sun expands, the Earth gets roasted." He looked at Madison then with a wide smile. "Remember that? It was our first adventure."
"Our first date, too," she recalled fondly, smiling lightly. "Though, I could have done without almost burning up from the heat." The Doctor hummed as he nodded.
"Seriously?" Rose asked curiously. "You two saw the Sun destroy the Earth?"
"Yep. It was one hell of an introduction to travelling through time and space," Madison said, laughing softly. "If that's your idea of a first date, Doctor, then I'd hate to see what you have planned for an anniversary."
"Oh, you have no idea," he responded in humour, grinning rather cheekily. Though there was a hint of seriousness there too that made Madison somewhat excited to know what he would have planned. "So, anyway," he continued on, "planet gone, all rocks and dust, but the human race lives on, spread out across the stars. As soon as the Earth burns up, oh, they get all nostalgic. Big revival movement. They find this place." He sat up somewhat, staring towards the city. Rose and Madison followed in suit, sitting up and staring at the city, watching all the flying vehicles pass overhead. "Same size as the Earth, same air, same orbit, lovely. The call goes out, the humans move in."
"What's the city called?" asked Rose.
"New New York," the Doctor answered without missing a beat. Madison and Rose blinked at him in disbelief.
"You're kidding," said Madison, shaking her head.
"Oh, come on," added Rose, also not believing him.
"It is!" the Doctor responded in defence as he went and laid back down again. He brought Madison down with him, almost in an automatic gesture of endearment. He did not even seem to notice that he was beginning to rub a hand up and down her arm again. She didn't have the heart to tell him to stop, and, if she were honest, she was starting to enjoy the affection. "It's the City of New New York. Strictly speaking, it's the fifteenth New York since the original. So that makes it New New New New New New New New New New New New New New New York," the Doctor finished explaining. Rose and Madison shared a laugh while the Doctor chuckled.
"Guess this planet and city are the only things that are new," Madison offered in thought, her lips tugging into a knowing simper as she lifted her head to gaze at him.
He grinned, winking at her. "New New Doctor," he replied smoothly. He brought his other hand up then, brushing his knuckles against her cheek in a brushing caress. She could tell that he was merely trying to push back some of her loose hair strands behind her ear. But the kind gesture made her shiver as a trail of goosebumps formed along her body. Oh, dear. This was starting to become harder to deal with than she originally anticipated. Conflicts aside when it came to his new face, just feeling someone being so openly caring to her was making it difficult to think clearly. She sucked in a quick inhale as she sat up away from him, trying to pretend that she was merely viewing the city better. Her hammering heart made it hard for her to concentrate on anything at the moment. It came as a relief when Rose spoke up then.
"I wanna go see these new things. Come on, let's go to the city!" Rose said excitedly, getting up from the coat to stand and bounce on her feet. "Let's go visit the city so good they named it twice."
"Well, I thought we might go there first," the Doctor said as he stood up as well. He held out a hand for Madison, graciously helping her up from the ground. He gave her hand a soft caress (which sent even more goosebumps along her arms) before letting go to grab his overcoat and place it on. He then pointed towards a distant building that was back towards where they had parked the TARDIS and closest to the sea bay. Madison wrapped her coat tighter around her as they walked on. Her thoughts were fuzzy as she tried piecing together what exactly she was feeling at the moment. She then saw the Doctor give her a brief glance over his shoulder.
"I'm sorry . . . I keep messing this up, aren't I?" he spoke quietly in her mind then. There was a true sense of discord coming from him then. A troubled crease formed between his brow as he appeared uneasy by causing her these sharp reactions.
"No, it's me. Not you," Madison replied, a small shake of her head as she spoke. "I'm . . . at a loss in how to take the change. Not your face, either. I mean, your need to touch me all the time. It's so new and it's been so long since anyone has wanted to be so . . . close to me. I'm just having a hard time adjusting so quickly. You must also remember, Doctor, that I come from a time period where courting was the proper standard first before rushing into such things." She watched as the Doctor ruffled the back of his hair somewhat, making it even more dishevelled than it already was.
"Yeah, I forget sometimes of when you grew up." There came an almost silent sigh from him as his eyes locked on Rose who was far ahead of them now. The two of them were lingering behind in a slow stroll. There was then a more thoughtful gaze that he gave her. One that was searching for the right response to give to her. "Can I be honest with you, Madison?"
"Of course."
"Time Lords . . . aren't normally like this, either. While relationships can be much more varied than what you'll find humans going along with. Almost in comparison to humans being two-dimensional while Time Lords are more four-dimensional when it comes to correspondence with others. There's a sort of heterogeneous layering of emotions demonstrated amongst each individualised Time Lord . . . Anyway, point besides, there is still the case that Time Lords have also been more . . . reserved when it comes to emotional attachments or when demonstrating sentiment with others. And that's with other Time Lords. Don't even get me started on the old prejudice when it comes to other species." A quiet pause came from the Doctor then as he seemed to be gathering his thoughts once more. "Though, sometimes, during some regenerations . . . things can shift. If that's what you want to call it. Sometimes, when the right person comes along . . ."
When he turned his gaze on her next, the intensity of his eyes on her, made her falter in step for only a brief moment. His gaze was that of someone who was seeing something . . . remarkable. Something so astounding that they were all but stupefied by the mere sight of the brilliance of what they were viewing. She could see the tightening of his jaw as he swallowed hard. There was a combination of various emotions that crossed him then. Bits and pieces which she could feel pulsing from him in short waves. Uncertainty. Overwhelmed. Endearment. Reverence. The proclivity of which he wished to show all of this became clear to her then. It clicked in her mind the reason why he wished to show her all such warming attentiveness in his display of affection. There was so much he missed with his people that only touch alone was as close as he could ever achieve to recapturing the time when his world still lived. Perhaps it was the only way possible for him to show his love as a Time Lord with another creature that was not his species. There, in his eyes, she could see this and more as words were swimming amongst his brown irises, though none of which seemed capable enough to convey what he wished to tell her and explain himself. She understood this and so much more as she knew there need not be any words to be spoken. Instead, she gave him a tender gaze in response, hoping to convey her own rolling wave of love and affection for him in return as she reached down and took his hand into hers.
Swiftly his fingers curled around her hand and she felt his thumb caressing her skin, trying to reach as much as it could touch within the clasped grasp between them. The slow buildup of tension that could be seen growing in his body as he tried to relay his thoughts began to ebb away then as a soft gaze was given to her. A slow smile formed as he started to relax as they walked hand-in-hand to their destination. His eyes shone with new devotion that she could not help but feel light-headed in witnessing. It made her wonder then, just how could she ever show him her love in a way that matched his. How could she ever replicate what he missed from his people? She wanted to give him everything and more, yet she felt, as a Mer, lacking in being able to accomplish such a feat. Mer were entirely simplistic compared to Time Lords. Hell, even compared to humans and their ever expansion of emotional diversity. How could she ever make him happy while being such a plain emotional state of being?
"Oh, trust me, there's nothing plain or ordinary about you, Madison," the Doctor suddenly spoke in her mind. "You're the most extraordinary being I have ever met."
Her cheeks warmed at this statement. She felt flustered, unable to say anything in response to this. So, instead, she deflected. "You have an awful habit of reading my thoughts, you know."
"I can't help it. You're so easy to read and so open to be heard. Which is a wonderful trait in many aspects. That's one of the reasons why I . . ." He suddenly stopped short, halting his train of thought though not at all faltering in step as she would have. Instead, he cleared his throat aloud and averted his eyes from her. "Anyway, onto our destination, yes?" he then spoke aloud. He picked up in pace, though still held tightly to her hand as they drew closer to the building on the distant shore.
The building was colossal in size. It appeared more like a tower than a normal square building. The front was round with the back of it slanting at a steep angle. There was another building beside it, looking like a transport area as she could see many vehicles coming to and from the top. The building was all white, except for a very large symbol on the side. It appeared like that of a green crescent moon.
"What is it?" Rose asked curiously once they managed to catch up with her. Apparently, she had stopped for a long while to allow the two of them to meet up with her on top of a hill above the steep incline towards the building.
"Some sort of hospital," the Doctor explained. "Green moon on the side, that's the universal symbol of hospitals." He pulled the psychic paper out from his pocket, showing it to them. "I got this. A message on the psychic paper. Someone wants to see me."
Madison looked at the paper in his hands, seeing the words Ward 26 and Please Come fade in and out from the paper. It appeared to be like handwriting. "You can receive messages on the psychic paper?" she questioned, curious about such a thing. "Is that normal?"
"Not really, no. Usually, it's someone who knows me directly, or has a very powerful telepathic ability," the Doctor told her, putting back the psychic paper into his inner suit pocket. "And, normally, it means that they really need my help." He glanced towards Madison then. "Got the message when I was on the phone with you earlier." She nodded, understanding now about the abrupt ending he had given her while on the phone.
"Oh, and I thought we were just sightseeing," Rose sighed in disappointment.
"It'll be just a quick stop. Then we can be on our way to the city," the Doctor assured her. He grinned as he grabbed both her and Madison's hands. "Come on!"
They went at a brisk pace towards the hospital. As they got closer, Madison couldn't help but stare at it in awe. It was much bigger than she had anticipated. It towered over the landscape around them, leaving an ominous shadow over them as they walked towards the entrance. The front of the building was made mostly of glass where she could see people walking around the different floors. Then, even closer still to the building, she could see people within the lobby, mingling around. She felt the Doctor give a shudder as the glass doors slid open for them.
"Ugh, I really don't like hospitals," he complained as they stepped through the doors.
"A bit rich coming from you," Rose teased him.
"I can't help it. I don't like hospitals," he replied, repeating firmly his distaste. "They give me the creeps."
"I have to agree," Madison said with him, feeling similar. Hospitals meant doctors. Doctors usually meant scalpels, needles, saws, and all sorts of other things that could be used against someone. There had been far too many doctors in the past that used their practices to harm rather than heal. Such as experiments and whatnot. Many of which had been used against Mer-Kind in the past. However, she was glad that most modern hospitals were not as brutal as they once had been. She respected most doctors from Rose's time as many truly did mean to heal others.
They walked through the lobby, past the information desk and towards the back where the lifts were located. The lobby was very sleek in appearance, with a few people sitting down on white benches appearing to be waiting for either loved ones or for their turn in the hospital. Some people walking around were wearing scrubs, appearing to be guests of the place, possibly patients. Some others were dressed in all white robes, covered from head to toe and not showing their faces at all. Judging by the white hats these people were wearing, she wondered possibly if these were nuns as they had a female physique to them, though she could be wrong. However, her thoughts were confirmed when they passed by one of these nuns, seeing their face. It appeared as though they were a cat humanoid, something that Madison recalled seeing before though she could not place which planet that had been. She listened to an announcement over the intercom system of rules guests would have to follow and that of some sort of gardens open to the public.
"They're cats," Rose said in disbelief when seeing one of these nuns.
"Now, don't stare," the Doctor told her, giving Rose a meaningful stare. "Think what you look like to them. All pink and yellow."
Madison couldn't help but smile in humour and shake her head. That was one certain thing about Rose that never changed over their time of travelling. She never did seem to be able to get over seeing different types of people throughout the universe. It always took Rose by surprise, sometimes disgust. It made Madison glad that she never accidentally revealed her true form to Rose. It was certain Rose would have found her utterly revolting if the girl had ever found out.
"That's where I'd put the shop. Right there," said the Doctor, bringing Madison out of her thoughts.
"A shop?" she asked curiously. She thought he mentioned something about wanting a shop around.
"Yeah, don't you think a shop would be nice?" he asked her.
"I suppose. A shop does bring people comfort in being able to have some normalcy during hard times that can be faced while in a hospital," she replied with a nod.
The Doctor gave a beaming smile. "Exactly."
They all walked towards the lifts, waiting for them to open as the Doctor pressed the button on the wall. As they waited, Madison glanced over to see a small table off to the corner of the lifts. On the table was a display of pamphlets, information on the hospital itself it seemed. She went over to the table, grabbing one of the pamphlets. It would be wise to learn about the hospital they found themselves in. It would be nice to be prepared for anything. She glanced over when seeing the lift had opened and in walked the Doctor and Rose. She went to follow but was halted when the lift door suddenly closed.
"Oh," she uttered, frowning as that seemed quite sudden. Do lift doors normally close that swiftly?
"Maddie?" she heard Rose call from the inside.
"You'll have to take the other lift. Ward 26. Meet us there," came the Doctor's voice, sounding distant as their lift moved. "And watch out for the disinfectant. Wait, Maddie! You might actually want to—" His voice cut off as his lift went too far up.
"Okay. I'll see you in a moment!" she called, hoping he heard as she walked over and pressed the button for the other lift.
It dinged before opening, allowing her to see a sterile space. There was a moving screen in the back of the lift, with, oddly enough, round spray nozzles lined up around the white and grey walls. She stepped inside and the doors closed behind her. She saw no buttons inside the lift, so she spoke which floor she wanted out loud, hoping it was voice-activated. It appeared it was as she felt it moving. Strangely, it was moving down instead of up as she had been expecting.
"Commence stage one disinfection," she heard the PA say over the speaker as a small alarm sounded.
She had expected many things when it came to disinfection. But to be sprayed with water had not been one of them. The water came from above and the sides, spraying her at all angles. Her eyes went wide in horror as she hurriedly backed away from the nozzles to avoid being soaked further. But the nozzles seemed to be motion sensitive as they moved at different angles and followed her, still spraying her down. She backed herself into the corner of the lift, heart pounding away as she continued to be sprayed, soaking her right through her clothes and down to her skin. She began to shake as she felt the change coming over her. Her legs swelled as she felt scales forming. Her feet ached as they too grew to become a fluke, the boots she wore restricting their growth. She could feel her legs wanted to meld together but were blocked by her trouser material. Before the transformation could go any further, the water stopped. She breathed heavily in pain as she stood there shaking. She glanced down at her hands, seeing that they were webbed and had some scales along her arms when she checked under her coat sleeves. It had been a bad choice for her to wear a short-sleeved, buttoned shirt today. It was only lucky that she had chosen to wear a light jacket. She could hide at least most of her scales. Though her hands were far too obvious if anyone were to glance her way. The PA system made a beep.
"What now?" she muttered, afraid of what was to come. If the doors opened down and people saw her like this . . .
She flinched as a puff of white powder sprayed at her, hitting her in the face mostly. She blinked and coughed somewhat. Then, suddenly, there was a massive wave of hot air that blew all around her. She realised then that she was being dried. But that wasn't going to do much for her now. Her body was already in the stage of wanting to be Mer-Form. It hurt and she didn't know if it would go away pleasantly. She shook her head, her long braid shaking as she stepped closer to the air dryers. She wanted to get dry and fast. She didn't want Rose to see her in this state when the lift opened. She could handle being in pain with her legs for the time being, but her hands needed to change back so she held them closer to the dryers in hopes that the scales and webbing would go away. Lucky for her, it did go away. She watched as the scales receded and her thin skin between her fingers slim down to meld back. The dryers were so powerful that even her feet and legs felt as though they were returning to normal. Though . . . it hurt worse than normal. In fact . . . it hurt a lot. Oh, dear.
She groaned as a tight twist hit her insides. She grabbed at her stomach, holding it as she bent slightly forward. Oh, no. Not now. She sighed, shaking her head angrily. It was not close to her monthly yet, but she knew what this meant. It was a rare occurrence, but being as stressed as she had been lately on top of being out of water for a few days now seemed to have triggered it. It was a triggered early cycle. It had only happened to her once and it had not been a pleasant experience. An early triggered cycle was much worse than a normal one. It only occurred when a Mer was under quite a lot of stress and turmoil. Or, sometimes, if they had been away from water for too long. It appears that it was both cases for her this time. The sudden change to and from a transformation had not helped matters, either. She was going to have to deal with very painful walking all day now until she could get back to her bath, or even back to the lagoon on the TARDIS.
The lift finally stopped and the door opened to reveal her destination. She blinked as she stared outside the lift, seeing a dark, damp cellular. The walls were a dull grey, chipped in different places and discoloured in others. Moisture could be seen hanging on the walls or dripping down to the floor. She could see pipes and floodlights placed around the area as well. As she stepped out carefully, she saw a ventilation system made out of steel that was placed on the ceiling and went all the way down the long, dim hallway she found herself in. There was janitorial and maintenance equipment thrown about here and there. Not many come down here, that much was certain. Though it surprised her to see a man standing just there down the hallway, close to where she stood. He was wearing white scrubs, a tight, blue scrub hat, had very pale white skin, and had strange tattoos all around his face. The strangest of all was his smile, almost as though he wasn't all there as he gazed at her.
"The new woman is clean," he said to her.
"Yes, it appears that I am," she replied, nodding slowly. This couldn't be the ward. It wasn't possible as the sanitation standards were terrible for a hospital setting. Did the lift go the wrong way by mistake? No . . . something told her that this wasn't right. Something was off. But she didn't sense any harm coming from this man. Her instincts were not telling her anything. If he didn't mean her any harm . . . then what was going on?
"I'm sorry, I think I went the wrong way. I'm supposed to be in Ward 26," she told the man, stepping forward to get closer to him.
"This way, Madison Baker," he replied, turning around and going down the hallway with his hands held together in front of him.
The fact that he knew her name made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. Though she did not sense any danger from him, it did not mean that she was a fool. She knew this was not good. Someone knew she was coming and was waiting for her. They possibly even brought the lift down as well, wanting to trap her down here for something. She took a step back towards the lift, pressing the button. But it seemed she was locked down here now as the lift door would not budge. Shaking her head, she saw the man was glancing back over his shoulder, pausing down the way and staring at her in expectance to come. She knew things might turn bad if she refused, so she decided to follow along. For now, anyway. So, she walked carefully down the hallway, staying at a certain distance from the strange man. He would smile at her whenever he checked to see if she were still there, always keeping himself a good few feet in front. Eventually, he went through a doorway that was covered with plastic, see-through tarps. Inside the room, through the plastic, she could see an old film projection reel playing something. She could also hear music, chatting, and laughter. Though it was grainy in sound. Obviously, someone was watching a rather old movie. The rest of the room looked as though it were the main area for maintenance of the ventilation system for the hospital. All sorts of metal tubing and ducts were seen. There was even a metal ladder seen heading upwards in the very back of the room, possibly for maintaining the air ducts further into the building.
She pushed aside the plastic tarps, stepping further into the room for inspection. She glanced over towards where the film was being projected, seeing a party of some kind being held. A rather fancy one at that judging by the clothing the people on screen were wearing. She could see them holding champagne glasses, clinking them together in a toast while laughing. The camera was panning to different people, cutting to random moments of the party. At one point the camera turned toward three people. Two men in tuxedos and one woman in an elegant silver dress. She held a martini glass in hand, smiling and flipping her curly, blonde hair as she spoke. Her lips were painted bright red and her blue eyes shone.
"Well, you never know what your life is going to be like, ever," spoke the woman in a haughty voice. She handed the drink off to the camera person without even looking at them. "I'm bored with this drink." Then she returned to talking as if she had been bothered by the camera person. Voice still as snobbish as before. Madison frowned thoughtfully as recognition went through her. She knew the voice. It was hard to forget such a voice. It was very unique. The eyes were very similar as well. It had to be Cassandra. The same woman that she had met once on Platform One. And, being one not to believe much in coincidences, she knew this was being watched for a reason. That reason raised its nasty head when she heard a female voice clearing.
"Ahem," came Cassandra's voice from within the room. Madison looked over, seeing the flat woman, back in her metal frame as before and everything. To say Madison was in disbelief that the woman was still alive would be an understatement. She took in the sight of the flat woman and of the tattooed man standing close beside her, wondering how the two managed to get here and for what reason.
"Peek-a-boo!" Cassandra said in a taunting manner.
"Hello, again, I suppose," Madison greeted, though with a bit of sarcasm in her tone. She crossed her arms, keeping herself on edge in case. "I would say 'it's a pleasure' but then that would be a lie now wouldn't it?"
"Yes. I could say the same thing," Cassandra grumbled, narrowing her eyes at Madison. Then, she was all smiles again. Even if the smile was painfully obvious to be faked. "But that's all in the past now. Let bygones be bygones I say."
"Right," Madison responded, sarcasm heavier this time around. She glanced towards the man beside Cassandra, seeing how he watched her closely. "Who's your friend?"
"Oh, that's just Chip," Cassandra replied offhandedly. "He's my pet."
"I worship the mistress," said the man, Chip, in an almost defensive way. When Cassandra called for him to moisturise her, it was obvious just how much he 'worshipped' her as he took a spray bottle and delicately sprayed the flat woman. His smile was in a dreamy state as he did his task.
"He's not even a proper lifeform. He's a force-grown clone," Cassandra explained absently. "I modelled him on my favourite pattern."
"Clone or not, there is no such thing as 'not a proper lifeform'," Madison retorted, narrowing her at Cassandra.
"Agree to disagree," Cassandra replied. Madison knew if the flat woman had a hand, she would be waving it in dismissal. "But he's so faithful. Chip sees to my physical needs."
"Right. Because you decided to chop yourself up and turn yourself into a flat flesh tanning piece for some ungodly reason," Madison responded curtly. Shaking her head, she decided to move on to the more nagging question. "How are you still alive, though? How is that even possible? I saw you ripped to pieces."
Cassandra threw her a narrowed-eyed stare. "After you murdered me?"
Madison felt guilt then, her stomach twisting from both monthly pains and that of heavy regret. "I tried stopping it. I really did. I'm sorry." Then, she straightened herself, narrowing her own eyes. "Though, in hindsight, that was your fault, wasn't it? You're the one who allowed the Sun to nearly destroy the station with heat, which, in turn, killed you. Just as you had killed so many others on that day. I believe the word is 'karma' in this instance."
"Call it what you like. You and that Doctor still had me killed. Heartlessly I'll mind you."
"The brain of my mistress survived," said Chip, also throwing Madison a dirty look. It seemed he also blamed her for Cassandra's 'death'. Then he looked to Cassandra again, smiling sweetly. "And her pretty blue eyes were salvaged from the bin."
"Did you get the skin from the bin as well?" questioned Madison.
"That piece of skin was taken from the front of my body. This piece is the back," Cassandra explained quickly, sounding embarrassed to even say it. Madison raised a brow but decided not to remark on this.
"The mistress was lucky to survive. Chip secreted m'lady into the hospital," Chip explained then. "Chip steals medicine. Helps m'lady. Soothes her. Strokes her." He began stroking Cassandra's back skin longingly.
Madison grimaced, not liking where this was going. But this was all good information to have. The hospital didn't know Cassandra was down here. No one did. But now Madison did. Which meant . . . what? Why were Cassandra and Chip telling her all of this in the first place? Why reveal their close secret of being in the hospital to someone who they obviously hated? It made no sense. Unless, of course, it was for nefarious reasons. Which Madison knew was most likely the case. But what did they need her for? Not her help, certainly. Unless . . . it was. Though that just begged the question of what sort of help did they want from her. If they knew she was here, then they must certainly know that the Doctor was as well. Oh . . . wait, no, they couldn't have. Cassandra wouldn't recognise the Doctor with his new face. So that meant . . .
"Okay, let's cut to the chase, Cassandra. What do you want? You brought me down here for a reason, so what is it? Do you need me for something?" Madison asked curtly.
"Oh, I'm just so alone down here. The last human in existence," Cassandra spoke with fake sorrow.
"Oh, stop it. You and I both know there are plenty of humans out there right now. Right on this planet, and countless others out there as well. Real humans. Not flat historic displays like yourself," Madison countered crossly.
"Mutant stock," Cassandra bit back.
"Call it whatever you like. You know I'm right. You just wanted to keep yourself alive. Immortal. Well, look at what your immortality has gotten you. Stuck in the cellular of a hospital, living in secret, hidden away from society to be trapped and alone for the rest of your life." Madison tightened her crossed arms as she spoke. "I suppose now you know what immortality's true state is. A curse. I would pity you, but you've only gone and done that to yourself."
"Say what you like. At least I'm still alive," Cassandra retorted angrily.
"But are you truly?" Madison replied softly, shaking her head. "Look, we can have this debate all day and it will get us nowhere. Let's bring it back to the real discussion of what do you need from me." There came laughter then from the film that was still playing. Cassandra's gaze was drawn away from her and towards the projection. Her eyes stared longingly at the moving picture.
"I remember that night. Drinks for the Ambassador of Thrace," Cassandra sighed wistfully. Madison glanced towards the screen, seeing past Cassandra getting her hand kissed by a gentleman. "That was the last time anyone told me I was beautiful. After that, it all became such hard work." Her voice turned bitter towards the end as she glared at nothing.
"You're avoiding my question, Cassandra," Madison sighed, shaking her head. "Look, if you don't tell me, I won't stay here any longer. I will go and tell someone of your existence."
"Fine," Cassandra said through gritted teeth. "I haven't exactly been idle while living here. I've been listening. The Sisters are hiding something."
"'The Sisters'? Who are they?" Madison questioned, now curious.
"The Sisters of Plenitude. I'm sure you've seen them already. Those cats are everywhere in this place."
"The nuns?" Now Madison's interest was peaked. "What have you heard, then?"
Cassandra smiled slyly. "Come close. Let me whisper."
Madison couldn't help but roll her eyes as she stood firmly in place. "Yeah, I'm not getting anywhere near you."
"Well, then, I'll just have Chip come to you," Cassandra said coolly as Chip started for her.
Madison stood her ground, narrowing her eyes dangerously. "I'd like to see you try it, Chip." Her hard words had Chip come to a halt, looking alarmed now.
He glanced towards his mistress, obviously waiting for her to tell him what to do. Cassandra narrowed her own eyes at Madison. "Oh, we could have done this the easy way. But you just have to be so difficult. Chip!"
Chip went and activated something on the wall. The next thing Madison knew, some sort of electrical device was activated. It shot out from the corner of the room, near where some sort of lab equipment could be seen. Madison had no idea what she was looking at, but she didn't try to sit there and contemplate it as she ducked. Electrical tendrils reached over her head as it tried to grab for her. She rolled across the ground as it went for her again. Standing up quickly, she went to run out of the room, but one of the tendrils grabbed her right arm and yanked her backwards. It held her hand in place, pulling hard on her arm. So hard, in fact, that when she tried to pull away it almost felt like her arm was going to pop out of place. She cried as it yanked her back towards the corner. The other tendril grabbed her left hand then, pulling her entire body with one yank into the corner. She was frozen in place then. Unable to move anything. Not even her head.
"Let me go!" she screamed, glaring in rage at the two. "Let me go, right now!" She knew it was useless as they had her now. For whatever reason they wanted her, it was bound to happen soon. Her heart pounded away in fright as she feared what they were going to do. It was one of her greatest fears. Being trapped in a hospital lab with no escape and about to be dissected.
"Chip, activate the psycho-graft!" Cassandra commanded her assistant.
Madison kept her mouth tightly shut, not wanting to give in to her begging for her life. She wasn't going to give them that satisfaction. She would fight through whatever sick torture Cassandra wanted to do to her. She would scream but only with rage and anger. She would never give in to fear. Never. She sucked in her breath as she saw something happen then. A blue-light field came down to encase her body, lighting up the area around her. She felt pressure around her mind. Around her entire body. It began to hurt, feeling as though she were being forced down. Down, down, down. Into her very heart and soul, everything was pushing her down. She couldn't breathe. She couldn't think. The last thing she saw was a pink light coming from Cassandra and heading straight for her.
Then, everything went dark.
Please feel free to leave a review! I'm always so excited to see what everyone has to say. Again, take care of yourselves out there!