Sorry for the HUGE delay in posting another chapter. As I mention in my last author's notes, I just got a new job. The hours go until almost midnight which leaves me no time during the day to do any writing. Instead of doing 1 hour of writing a day, I've been reduced to 1-2 hours of writing a WEEK (on my days off). So, to insure that the gap between chapters isn't going to be months (I'm posting ch 9 but writing ch 12), I'm going to try to post a chapter no more than one month apart, hopefully more often depending on how much I can get written. I hope this isn't too much of an inconvenience for my readers.

I've made some minor adjustments in Chapters 7 & 8. I just wanted to reinforce the term Shobogan, which is a Time Lord that goes against the establishment. I only changed some references for Rega; instead of constantly calling him a Time Lord, I've changed it to Shobogan here and there and made other minor changes. It doesn't change any of the plot in the least bit.

Chapter 9

After a good night's sleep, Alex and Rose awoke to the sound of people passing their pagt'horiol, obviously heading to the communal area for breakfast. Deciding that it was best to follow the crowd, both literally and figuratively, they enjoyed a meal before returning to their current residence to find a change of clothes and a couple of large bowls filled with hot water. An elderly woman bowed gently to them, informing them that she was to take their dirty clothes and have them cleaned. The couple again chose to follow the lead, ignoring their own embarrassment of being temporarily naked in favor of a being comfortable in their own skin and much more pleasing to the nose. Naturally, Alex ensured that the pockets of his suit and overcoat were completely empty before handing the items over, gaining a peculiar yet amused expression from the woman.

After the much needed and very thorough cleansings, which included all the necessary hygienic activities including shaving, the couple was escorted to a large pagt'horiol close to the communal area. Inside, Rega was slightly hunched over a handmade wooden table, regarding a hand-drawn map written on what Alex surmised was papyrus, canvas, or similar. Alex noted a transmitter was also on the table, powered by a rather archaic (at least in Gallifreyan terms) large battery. The pagt'horiol was obviously a kind of military headquarters, though resources were blatantly limited.

Rega looked up from his musings to see the latest couple to the community, giving them a smile as he as did so.

"I see Kare'ej got to you. She's very attentive to her function in our community. Always making sure everyone has clean clothes and clean bodies. At least as clean as we can be under the circumstances. I hope your accommodations were suitable for your needs."

"They were very comfortable, thank you," Alex replied.

"Come. Have a seat," the Shobogan entreated, gesturing to a collection of pillows on a rug close to the table. "We need to discuss how you will contribute to the community now that you have joined us."

The hybrid scratched his sideburn as Rose and he accepted the offer. "I've been thinking about that. I could take a look at your sick, maybe find a way to help them."

Rega exhaled slowly. "As I explained yesterday, they are already being cared for with the resources that we have."

"Ah, but now you've gained me. I'm a doctor."

The Gallifreyan sighed slightly. "Of course. Listen, Ligsankal…"

"My name is Alex," the Doctor interrupted, instantly noting the almost condescending expression on Rega's features. "Dr. Alex Smith, to be precise. I know Nona gave me the name Ligsankal but I much prefer to go by my chosen name. And I'm a doctor of many things, including medicine. I can help your people."

Rega folded his hands and gazed into Alex's eyes deeply. "I'm sure that you believe that. But let me tell you, Dr. Smith. I don't have much faith in doctors. You're far too focused on using technology to solve problems and are generally useless without your medical scanners, probes, and healing devices. We don't have a medical facility here. No scanners, no labs… no equipment of any kind. What little we do have consists of a small supply of various antivenom and bandages which we stole from a medical transport we raided. And quite frankly, the doctors we've had don't even know basic naturopathic treatments. So unless you happen to be an expert on making medicine with roots and leaves, something I seriously doubt considering I had to save your friend's life, I would much rather you stick with your more useful skills."

The Doctor glared at the arrogant Time Lord while Rose watched the interaction in stunned silence. "Oi, mate! You listen here! First of all, Rega – if that is your real name – we were in the bloody Death Zone in a region where no vegetation in the immediate area was suitable to make antivenom and I had less than a day to do so. I seriously doubt that you'd be able to make japilon antivenom with only fire, water, and a makeshift pestle and mortar as your aids under those conditions. Secondly, I have centuries of experience and knowledge concerning naturopathic remedies from planets in every corner of the universe. And third, your people are sick, possibly even dying, and the only thing you are doing to help them is the equivalent of slapping a bandage on a boo-boo!"

Rega showed confusion for a moment, primarily as he tried to figure out what a boo-boo was, before refocusing on the real matter at hand. "We do what we can for them with the resources that we have."

"I see," the hybrid stated darkly. "So because you don't believe you have the resources, you're just going to let them die."

"That is NOT what I said!" the Shobogan growled. "Don't you think I want to do more? My people are relying on me to make sure that they have food, water, clothing, shelter, and very basic hygiene. Things that are taken for granted in even the smallest of towns in the Empire we have to struggle to obtain. In my ideal world, none of my people would have to worry about whether or not we're actually going to have enough food to feed everyone. We have children born in our community who don't survive more than a couple of days. We survive because we don't waste what little resources we have and that includes skills. And unfortunately, people die from diseases. Sometimes we can save them. Sometimes the only thing we can do is make them as comfortable as possible."

Rose, seeing the growing anger on her boyfriend's features, touched his hand. "Alex…" she started, knowing that he could feel her calming influence. Looking at Rega, she gently pressed the issue. "What harm would it do to at least let him try? And please don't start with that excuse of managing resources because that's not entirely the reason otherwise his suggestion wouldn't get you this upset."

Rose's composure indeed calmed the anger the Doctor had towards the stubborn Time Lord, allowing his empathic abilities to read Rega's emotional state. "He's afraid," he answered Rose's question. Crossing his arms, he gazed into Rega's eyes intensely. "You're afraid that I will fail because the last doctor who promised to save your people failed."

The Gallifreyan gave a slight huff of resignation. "I almost forgot that you have psychic abilities."

"No, not me," Alex corrected. "I'm just strongly empathic and very intuitive thanks to my brother father and sister mother. The moment Rose asked what harm my helping would do opened up your emotions like a book."

"Brother father and sister mother?" Rega questioned with a raised eyebrow. "And if you're not the one with psychic abilities…"

"It's a long story," the couple replied in unison.

"I think it's time that you actually told it to me. You two are the oddest people I have ever encountered. Especially you, Alex, with your odd statements that don't make any sense whatsoever. Transmats in the Zone, calling the Zone by an ancient name, knowing Gallifrey and yet not knowing it at all... And don't think that I didn't notice you saying that you have centuries of knowledge and experience when that's completely and totally impossible. No Nere'i lives for centuries. And to top it off, you've just admitted that you don't have psychic abilities, which means that Fellugr Moro…"

"Name's Rose," the blonde woman corrected.

"…is the one with the psychic abilities. Just who in the name of the Eternals are you?"

"The short version?" Alex offered. "I used to be a Time Lord and Rose used to be a goddess."

"For about ten minutes," Rose piped in. "Fifteen minutes tops."

"We're both from a parallel universe," the metacrisis added.

Rega furrowed his eyebrows at the Doctor's words. "I think you'd better go into a bit more detail."

The Doctor leaned forward and folded his hands, looking very much like a teacher instructing a student. "Rose and I go back about six years and a lot has happened in those years to bring us to this point." He abruptly leaned back and continued in a rapid-fire manner. "But I'm sure you don't really want to know that much detail so I'll just give you the Cliff Notes."

"Cliff Notes?"

Alex promptly ignored the query. "There was this Time Lord named the Doctor who traveled in his TARDIS with Rose Tyler before landing in a life-and-death situation which prompted Rose to save the Doctor by absorbing the time vortex and destroying a Dalek army which would have turned the entire human race into bastardized versions of the Daleks. The Doctor was able to get the time vortex out of Rose to prevent her death but that is why she currently has the ability to see into the future on a more or less instinctive level. We call her ability to see into the future Bad Wolf, the reason of which is too long of a story to get into at this time. The Doctor then lost his hand in a sword fight shortly after regenerating, a hand which was held in safe-keeping by a friend before being returned to the Doctor. Years later, the Doctor was mortally wounded and, to prevent himself from changing his appearance, he channeled the excess energy of his regeneration into the severed hand. Then a brilliant woman named Donna Noble touched the hand, resulting in a biological metacrisis, namely me. As a result of the metacrisis, I have all of the Doctor's memories and all of Donna's memories and half of both their biologies which is why I refer to them as my brother father and sister mother because they are my parents but they are also sort of my siblings, the Doctor being a kind of twin brother. And, yes, I know biologies isn't a real word," he finished, sass in his tone.

Rega thought for a long moment, absorbing all that Alex had told him in such a short time. "A few questions. You mentioned the Daleks before. Who are they?"

"A race you will never see in this universe, thankfully, though the reason is disheartening." Realizing that the Time Lord wanted a more detailed answer, he continued, "In the other universe, they were Kaleds genetically altered into a murderous species with hate as their only emotion. According to you, the Time Lords killed most the Kaled scientists. Since there are no Daleks in this universe, it's fair to assume that Davros, who created the Daleks in the other universe, was killed."

"And I'm assuming a TARDIS is some sort of space-time travel capsule, based on you saying that this Doctor was a Time Lord."

"A TT Type 40 Mark 3 capsule, to be more precise," Alex corrected. He raised his eyebrows, hope in his eyes. "You have TARDISes in this universe."

"The Imperial Chancellery Guard has space-time capsules," Rega informed him. "They are very limited in number, highly restricted, and used for military incursions. But they apparently are not so in that other universe. Is that how you came to this universe? In one of your… TARDISes? Do you have the ability to move between universes on a whim?"

"To answer those in chronological order, yes and no. Yes, we did come in a TARDIS. No, we can't just go back and forth between universes. That would rip a hole in space-time and that's not good. I thought you'd know that, being a Time Lord and all."

"Well, there was the possibility that your Time Lords developed the ability to travel between universes without damaging space-time. Obviously not. But then why would you come here if you knew of the dangers to space-time? Why are you here?"

"We sort of were abandoned here by the Doctor," Rose answered somberly. Realizing that her words might construe a different intent, she immediately clarified. "He did it to help us. Really. He didn't want me to be separated from my mum and… Well…" She glanced at Alex with a hint of a smile. "We were sort of meant to be together."

"So you're from this universe," Rega commented.

"No," she corrected.

"But your mother is here."

"Yup."

The Shobogan frowned. "This Time Lord, the Doctor, deliberately brought you, your mother, and his duplicate Nere'i metacrisis to this universe and just left you here?"

"It's a little more complicated than that," she murmured. "And he did do it out of love."

"Strange way to show affection."

"Like we said, long story," Alex interjected. "Now that you know who we are, may I please try to save your people?"

Rega exhaled slowly, clearly hearing the reprimand in the hybrid's tone. "I must seem uncaring and self-centered to you for being so recalcitrant in allowing you to search for a cure. But I have to be cautious. As I said before, we've had others claiming to be able to cure them only to encounter failure and death, primarily because of their own inability to cope with not having the medical equipment they were used to. And I have to consider that anyone I bring into my community might not have the community's interests at heart. I wouldn't put it passed the Keeper to send double agents into the Zone in the hope that I might recruit them. I needed to be sure that you two were who you seemed to be. Turns out, your story is far too fantastic to be the cover of spies. I don't think the Keeper quite has that kind of an imagination."

"Who's the Keeper?" Rose asked.

"The Time Lord who transported you off your home world and into the Zone. He's in charge of the time scoop that brings the slaves and sport from worlds all over the universe. He's also the Emperor's Chief Inquisitor, primarily because he betrayed us when we tried to put the Emperor's nephew, the Crown Prince, on the throne. The Keeper is cunning and very ambitious." He paused, taking a deep breath. "But that is an issue for another time. The point is… I don't think either of you are spies and I believe you really want to help. Go on, then. See what you can do to cure our people." His tone indicated that he didn't have much faith that Alex would succeed.

"Thank you," the Doctor replied, standing as he spoke. Rose and Rega followed his actions.

"I can't guarantee that you will have an easy task of it," the Gallifreyan added, escorting the duo from the pagt'horiol. "As I said, we don't have medical scanning equipment and little to no supplies to speak of."

"Well, then, it's a good thing that I at least have this." The Doctor pulled out his sole medical instrument from his pocket.

Rega looked at it with curiosity. "What is it?"

"A stethoscope," Alex replied, surprise in his voice.

"What does it do?"

"It helps me to hear things better. Amplifies the sounds of the body like heartbeats, lung congestion… that sort of thing."

"And this helps how?"

Alex gave him a wide grin. "Oh, you'd be surprised what you can learn from listening to a heartbeat. Now… where's my first patient?"

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

The Doctor's brow furrowed with worry as he examined the elderly male humanoid, careful not to touch his skin to avoid contamination. The man was Nere'i and had clearly been sick for a long time. His breathing was shallow and labored. His temperature was elevated, bringing about clammy skin. His pallor was pale and sickly and he was heavily congested.

"His symptoms are similar to pneumonia but there's more to it than that," the hybrid commented as he worked. He lifted the man's hand to his nose and smelled before pulling away abruptly. "What is that? Definitely not pneumonia. Doesn't smell like it."

"Pneumonia has a smell?" Rose queried.

"All diseases have a smell. Humans just don't have the olfactory system to smell them," Rega explained, allowing Alex to continue. "Most Nere'ii do but it's only effective at close range. I can smell him from here but I don't have the medical knowledge to identify the illness. None of the others who tried to help were Time Lord or Nere'ii so they wouldn't have smelled it either."

"Something about that scent," the Doctor muttered as he covered his patient with a blanket. He walked over to Rega as he continued. "He's got all the symptoms of pneumonia and he's got some pretty severe swelling in his joints, like they're full of fluid. Every bone in his body must hurt. And there are signs that he's developing a rash of some kind."

"The same symptoms as other victims of this illness," Rega informed him. "His symptoms will only get worse until he's not able to bear the pain anymore and his throat is swollen shut."

"They suffocate," Alex murmured, emotionally anguished by the diagnosis. "After days and days of agony, they suffocate to death."

"One of our previous physicians tried to keep the throat open with handmade wooden tubes but the other symptoms still caused death," the Gallifreyan informed him. "It seems every time one symptom is eased, another brings about tragedy."

Taking a deep breath, Alex returned to his patient and gave him a gentle smile. "I'll do what I can to help you. I promise." He then turned and walked out of the pagt'horiol, Rega and Rose following. "I'm going to need somewhere to set up shop, someplace to run some experiments, try to find out exactly what we are dealing with here. Do we have any notes on what the others have done to try to solve this problem?"

"I'm afraid not much," the Shobogan admitted. "Our last doctor, Mergolet, did write some notes down but they basically consist of what you just found out: various symptoms but no indication of any idea of what is afflicting the ill." He paused thoughtfully. "She did make a distinct correlation, however."

"And that is?"

"The disease is only afflicting humans and human hybrids, especially Nere'ii. Apparently there is something in the human genome that makes them susceptible." Seeing the look of concern on Alex's features, he reassured, "The disease apparently is contagious by prolonged touch only."

"Well, that's something at least," Alex noted. "I saw that you keep anyone who is ill isolated from the rest of the community. That's good. Slows down the spread of the disease. But from now on, only a select few may come into the quarantine area to tend to the sick and, if they have direct contact with the ill, they must wash themselves thoroughly before reentering the main area, starting immediately. And that includes handling any of their possessions. It may be contagious only with prolonged exposure but let's limit that exposure as much as possible. Also, the quarantine area needs to be moved further from the community. I'll need a pagt'horiol set up in between the quarantine area and the community and I'll need any and all medical supplies that you have. From now on, anything of a medical nature goes through me."

"So you're in charge now?" Rega questioned with obvious irritation.

"When it comes to the health of this community, yes," the Doctor replied firmly. "Congratulations, Lord Rega. You have a Chief Medical Officer."