Chapter LIX
Mira's POV
Finally they stopped in another empty corridor.
"What did you do that for?" she asked as he let go of her hand and turned around to her.
"What?" he asked, giving her a somehow dumbfounded look.
"What? Seriously? Kissing her and..." Just now she realised how jealous she must sound. Was she actually jealous? "And leaving her behind with the Judoon," she quickly finished the sentence.
Seeing him kissing Martha did sting; more than it should. They were friends after all, nothing more. There couldn't be more, despite of her own growing feelings for him; feelings she was trying to hide so desperately. It just couldn't be. Never. And now he had kissed another woman in front of her eyes, and she was feeling as if getting slapped right in the face.
She could indeed feel a growing jealousy gnawing at her, something that didn't happen too often. Not that she had never been jealous in her life before, but most of the time there was just no reason for her. She knew if someone was in love with her, no matter how they were acting. There was simply no room for guessing and insecurity for her. And over the course of her long life her understanding of love had changed as well. It was totally possible to love someone and kiss someone else. Even to have some sort of crush at someone else, but it was just that: A crush. Nothing more, nothing that could destroy or replace true love; love that had grown over years.
But now, probably for the first time ever, she had no idea what was going on. Did he feel something for her? Or for Martha? Not that it should matter anyway. Hadn't it been her stating that the kiss in the Olympic stadium didn't mean anything? And it was her telling herself all the time that there was and could never bee anything?
And now here she was, incredibly annoyed - not only with herself but also with him. What the hell was he thinking? It was then when she vaguely remembered what she had told Martha not so long ago. About predicting alien behaviour.
"Uhm- That was- well, I had to stop the Judoon somehow. And Martha with traces of alien DNA on her should keep them occupied for a while. Why?" he said, leaving her stunned for a moment.
And, how in hell could anyone make a simple 'Why?' sound so completely innocent?
Traces of alien DNA? Great.
"Oh, and you really think it's a good idea to leave her behind like that?" she hissed at him, channelling her anger into something that sounded somehow sensible, at least to her ears.
"She didn't do anything, so they won't harm her. Their scanners should figure out that she's human."
"Oh, just as they classified me as human?"
"You're from another universe," he said, but she got the feeling there was more he wasn't telling her.
"You said I'm human, so why-"
"Not now Mira, please," he interrupted her. "Say, how good are you in first-aid and resuscitation?"
"What?!"
"Mira..."
"Good. Of course I'm good at that, but why?"
"See you later. Just stay away from the Judoon," he said instead of giving her an answer.
After a last hug and an attempt to kiss her on the forehead – she turned her head to the side just in time, should he leave his alien DNA traces to himself – he ran off; not before giving her one last sad and somehow confused look.
Martha's POV
"That was nothing?" she whispered and stared after the man who had just kissed her. She was still trying to sort everything out – the indefinable, foreign and yet good taste of his soft lips; lips that had felt strangely cold, but not unpleasantly so.
At least one of her questions was now answered – Mira and him most likely weren't a couple. Otherwise he wouldn't have kissed her right in front of Mira's eyes. But why had he kissed her at all?
Anyway. She had to delay the approaching Judoon somehow.
"Find the non-human. Execute," one of them commanded, standing right in front of her.
She gathered her courage, straightened herself and said, "Now, listen. I know who you're looking for. She's this woman. She calls herself Florence."
But instead of answering the Judoon just held his scanner in her face. She heard a nasty sound, unlike the one when they were scanning other humans.
"Human. With non-human traits suspected. Non-human element confirmed. Authorize full scan. What are you?" the Judoon said and got even closer. "What are you?"
Mira's POV
Obviously she wasn't supposed to follow him. Well, fair enough. If he didn't feel like involving her in his plans, or even telling her about them, then it was his problem.
You're stupid, she berated herself. And yet she couldn't help herself – she was feeling quite pissed right now. There was no reason for being miffed, and, most of all, right now definitely wasn't the time and place for being in a huff. He could kiss whoever he wanted and for whatever reason he might find appropriate. None of her business. Maybe it was even good that he had kissed her, so she could stop seeing things in their friendship that weren't there.
So, where to next? She decided it might be a good idea to slowly follow him. He didn't say it, but maybe he was relying on her as backup. Why else would he have asked about her first-aid skills? Maybe he should have given her a lesson in Time Lord physiology before relying on that, she thought. Great. That was so him.
She came by an open door to a small office and entered it. A quick look for something useful couldn't hurt, although she doubted she would find a weapon against Judoon in full armour.
As she inspected the desk, her gaze got drawn to a black, thick pen.
'Permanent Marker'
Perfect.
She had no idea if the marker the Judoon were using was special in any way, but it was definitely worth a try. Plus, the Doctor had said they were thick. Repeatedly. And they were aliens, so there was a good change they couldn't tell humans apart. At least to her one Judoon looked just like the other. Sure, they probably could distinguish humans by height, hair-colour or something like that. But, on the other hand, she had no idea what frequencies they could see. Could they see colour at all? If they really were that logical and thick, then a black cross on her hand should do the trick, at least for a while.
Doctor's POV
Humans, he thought. He hadn't missed the tone in Mira's voice, even though he had no idea what was wrong now. What else should he have done? Licking across Martha's face? They had to buy time somehow, and he had decided that kissing her would be the best option, for everything else – like licking all across her face – would have been considered disgusting and required some explaning. Apart from that, hadn't it been Mira saying their kiss in the Olympic stadium didn't mean anything? Of course, it wouldn't be the first time that a human's words and actions didn't fit together. And, more important, why was he thinking about that at all? He wasn't really considering that there could be something between him and her, something more than friendship, was he? That was impossible. No way.
He wasn't even sure he could really love someone anymore. Of course, he liked his companions, all of them, liked them enough so that it really hurt when they left in the end. In some way he had even loved them, but more in a platonic, almost parental way. And it had been one-sided, as he had never given away too much from himself. He had always known more about them.
Not that he was about to change that particular part now, but with every day he spent with her he realised more and more how much he had misses someone who dared to challenge him, who could give him hope when there seemingly was no hope left, someone who wasn't scared by what he was, even though she had admitted how much above her the TARDIS and all the other Time Lord technology was. Her presence alone was enough to help him calm down. The moments he had watched her sleeping had been the most peaceful ones in a very long time.
And yet, they could share all that in a friendship. No need to change it into something else. But he also had to admit that he was drawn to her in another, completely different way. In the beginning he had blamed it on the mystery that surrounded her; before he had known about her immortality, the extend of her psychic abilities, the way she could see through him. He simply liked mysteries, but these feelings hadn't vanished with knowing more and more about her. On the contrary. And he wasn't sure at all if he liked it or not.
His thoughts got interrupted by a sound he heard out of the MRI room. He was right. Sounded suspiciously like someone messing with he MRI machine, and that someone was Florence, the Plasmavore.
"Have you seen," he addressed her after he had entered the room, "There are these things, those great big space rhino things, I mean rhinos from space. And we're on the moon. Great big space rhinos with guns on the moon. And I only came in for my bunions, look." He pointed at his bare feet, still trying to sound as agitated as any human should in this situation, "They're all right now, perfectly good treatment, I said to my wife, I'd recommend this place to anyone, but then we end up on the moon. And did I mention the rhinos?"
"Hold him!" Florence said coldly to her slabs, ignoring completely what he had just said.
A moment later he found himself in their grip. They were strong, but probably not strong enough for him, if he wanted to escape. But he had no intention to.
"That thing, that big machine thing, is it supposed to be making that noise?" he asked Florence, who was messing with the MRI device again. Of course he knew exactly what she was about to do, and it was not good. Well, not exactly, but he had vague idea. Apart from that, he was still trying to gain time. He couldn't hear any Judoon approaching yet.
"You wouldn't understand," she replied.
"Isn't that a magnetic resonance imaging thing? Like a ginormous sort of a magnet? I did magnets at GCSE. Well, I failed, but all the same," he said, trying to sound casually now.
"The magnetic setting is now set to 50,000 Tesla."
"Ooh. That's a bit strong, isn't it?"
"I can send out a magnetic pulse that will fry the brain-stems of every living thing within 250,000 miles. Except me, safe in this room," Florence replied.
"But... hold on, hold on, I did geography for GCSE, I did pass that one, doesn't that distance include Earth?"
"Only the side facing the moon. The other half will survive. Call it my little gift," she replied with a somewhat malicious smile.
"I'm sorry, you'll have to forgive me, I'm a little out of my depth. I've spent the past fifteen years working as a postman, hence the bunions - why would you do that?"
"With everyone dead, the Judoon ships will be mine, to make my escape."
"Now, that's weird. You're talking like you're some sort of an alien," he replied.
"Right-o."
"No!"
"Oh, yes."
"You're joshing me," he said, and he had to admit, it was somehow fun to be on the other side this time, even if he was only pretending. But, as said, only somehow, as he knew what was about to happen. But there was no other way. He couldn't let either her or the Judoon kill all people in that hospital.
"I am not," Florence said.
"I'm talking to an alien? In hospital? What, has the place got an ET department?"
"It's the perfect hiding place. Blood banks downstairs for a midnight feast, and all this equipment I'm ready to arm myself with should the police come looking."
"So, those rhinos, they're looking for you?"
"Yes. But I'm hidden."
"Oh. Right! Maybe that's why they're increasing their scans," he said. Just a little bite of information, enough to get her where he wanted her.
"They're doing what?"
"Big chief rhino boy, he said, no sign of a non-human, we must increase our scans... up to setting two?"
"Then I must assimilate again."
Bingo.
"What does that mean?" he asked.
"I must appear to be human."
"Well, you're welcome to come home and meet the wife. She'd be honoured. We can have cake."
"Why should I have cake? I've got my little straw," she said, pulling it out of her bag.
"That's nice. Milkshake? I like banana."
"You're quite the funny man. And yet, I think, laughing on purpose at the darkness. I think it's time you found some peace. Steady him!"
Suddenly, the Slabs bent his head to the side.
"What are you doing?" he asked, and it wasn't too hard to sound frightened this time. He only hoped that either Mira or Martha would find him in time. He could 'survive' quite long without heartbeats and oxygen, way longer than humans, but not for ever. Of course, it wasn't the first time he would be faking his dead, only that it wasn't too sure yet how much of it would be 'faking-it' this time.
"I'm afraid this is going to hurt. But if it's any consolation, the dead don't tend to remember."
Mira. She would come. He did trust in her. Not much later his whole world turned black.
Mira's POV
She had found the MRI room as well, hearing the Doctor's voice and someone else's – supposedly Florence's. At least it was another alien, that much she could tell. What she heard didn't sound particularly good, in fact it sounded just as bad as what she could hear from down the corridor. The distinct stomping of the Judoon, even though she wouldn't need to hear it, she could clearly feel them approaching.
And if that wasn't enough she realised how used up the air had gotten by now. She had been occupied with so many things that she just hadn't noticed how heavy she was breathing and how hard her cell activator was working to compensate the effects the lack of oxygen had on her body. She would certainly make it longer than all the other humans in here, but not too much longer.
Stay away from the Judoon, the Doctor had told her, but maybe now it was time to put her theory to the test. Whatever his plan was, he was in there with that Plasmavore, who had just decided to suck the blood out of him. Apart from that, the corridor in front of her was empty, she could sense no Judoon there, making it a perfect escape way.
By now the Judoon were around the corner and had obviously spotted her, as well as the door leading to the MRI room. She hurried to hold up her hand before the Judoon could scan her.
For a second that appeared to last forever, he was just eyeing her. She tried to get a grasp of his emotions, but they were pretty neutral right now. Just as she thought she could feel a hint of doubt in them, making her heart drop, he turned to the door.
She waited until all of the Judoon had entered, then she followed. The first thing she saw was an elderly woman, who just got up – with a straw in her hand. Florence? The next thing was the Doctor, lying on the floor-
No.
It was a trick. One of his tricks, faking dead, as he had on Skaro, wasn't it? It had to be. That couldn't be it. Not for him. Not here, not at the hands of some Plasmavore. She couldn't believe it, even though she could clearly tell when someone was dead. There was nothing coming from them, not even the basic 'white noise' even people in a deep coma were emanating.
"Now see what you've done. This poor man just died of fright," the woman said coldly.
It was so close. So close that she would jump at her and turn her old, wrinkly neck. Maybe she would have done it, earlier, when her age had still been in the double-digits. At least the jumping-at-her part. By now she knew better.
"Scan him!" one of the Judoon said. "Confirmation: deceased."
"No, he can't be," she heard a voice from behind her. Martha's voice. "Let me through, let me see him," she yelled, but the Judoon stopped her.
"Stop. Case closed."
"Case closed? You idiot!" she yelled at the Judoon who was obviously not willing to see what was going on. " You're not thick, you're outright stupid!"
"Yes, it was her," Martha tried to support her, pointing at Florence. "She killed him. She did it. She murdered him."
"The Judoon have no authority over human crime."
"She's not human," She said together with Martha.
"Oh, but I am. I've been catalogued," Florence said now, showing the back of her hand.
"But she's not! She assimil- " Martha started.
"Yes, she did," she said to her, pointing at the Doctor. But she couldn't bring herself to look in the direction where his corpse was lying.
Bullshit. He's not dead. Once the Judoon are gone, he just gets up and then I'll slap him.
"What? Right! You drank his blood. The Doctor's blood," Martha said, obviously getting as well what was going on.
Next thing Martha did was grabbing the scanner from one of the Judoon and pointed it at Florence.
"Oh, all right. Scan all you like," Florence said, all certain that her cover wouldn't blow.
But the scanner made the same nasty sound as it had when scanning her.
"Non-human," the Judoon grunted.
"What?" Florence said, utterly surprised.
"Confirm analysis."
"Oh, but it's a mistake, surely. I'm human. I'm as human as they come."
"He gave his life so they'd find you," Martha said.
No, no he didn't give his life. No way. Martha was wrong. She had to be.
"Confirmed: Plasmavore," the Judoon finally said after scanning her again. "I charge you with the crime of murdering the princess of Patrival Regency Nine."
"She deserved it!" Florence spat. "Those pink cheeks and those blond curls and that simpering voice. She was begging for the bite of a plasmavore."
"Do you confess?"
"Confess? I'm proud of it! Slab - stop them!"
Immediately, the remaining Slab started to shoot, the Judoon shot in return – the leather-guy didn't stand a chance. A little bit of dust and ashes was all that was left of him.
"Verdict: guilty. Sentence: execution," the Judoon said.
"Enjoy your victory, Judoon, because you're going to burn with me. Burn in hell!" Florence said. It were her last words before she got disintegrated by the Judoon. But probably there had been some truth in her words, because there was definitely something going on with the MRI device. Blue lightnings were playing around it, and a warning sign, saying 'MAGNETIC OVERLOAD' had lit up.
"Case closed," the Judoon announced coldly.
"What did she mean, "burn with me"?" Martha asked. She was kneeling next to the Doctor now. "The scanner shouldn't be doing that. She's done something."
"Scans detect lethal acceleration of monomagnetic pulse," the Judoon said after scanning the MRI.
Great. Just great.
"Well, do something! Stop it!" Martha yelled.
"Our jurisdiction has ended. Judoon will evacuate."
"Yeah, great. Get lost. Shove off. Or however you say it. Don't come back. Ever," she said. Maybe it was really high time to work together with Torchwood. To do something that things like that would never happen again. Defending Earth, but properly. The whole Earth, not just some imaginary British Empire. And working together in peace with non-hostile aliens.
"You can't just leave it. What's it going to do?" Martha asked.
"All units withdraw," the Judoon said, and off they went.
"You can't go. That thing's going to explode and it's all your fault," Martha shouted after them.
"Martha, leave it," she said to her, and then, finally able to look at him, "Martha, can you-" but the other woman had already started with CPR. Had he planned that from the beginning? He had asked her if she could do that, so it was a trick after all?
"One two three four five. One two three four five," Martha counted.
"Martha!" she said, but right at this moment the other woman seemed to get it on her own.
"Two hearts!" Martha said and continued, this time alternately on both sides of his chest "One two three four five. One two three four five."
Okey, she seemed to know what she was doing, she was a medical student after all. With Martha tending to the Doctor, she turned her attention to the MRI. And not a second too late. What the hell had Florence done? Her eyes slid over the controls and she instantly realised that there was no time to revert the settings. Probably she had even rewired some parts. Main cable then. It must have some main power supply. If it only wouldn't be so hard to think straight. There was almost no oxygen left now. She dived down and behind the machine, just as she heard a gasp and coughing behind her. Was it him? Please let it be him. Who else could it be? Apart from Martha there was no one here. Or was she already hallucinating? Then she saw it. The main power cable. She unplugged it, half expecting that it was the wrong one. But the lightnings stopped and the noise ceased as well.
"You did it!" she suddenly heard a voice behind her.
She spun around, just a little bit too fast. Between the stars that were dancing in front of her eyes she could see the smiling face of the Doctor.
Slap him!
Was it really him? She must be hallucinating. For a moment she was just sitting on the floor, staring at him, not sure what to do next.
Slap him!
But instead, maybe partially because of the lag of oxygen, she grabbed his jacket, pulled him closer and kissed him. Short, but nevertheless properly this time.
"Idiot," was the next thing she said after letting go of him, taking a moment to admire the absolutely dumbfounded expression on his face. Then she punched him on the upper arm.
"Ow! What was that for!?" he whined, rubbing his arm. It had been a decent punch.
"You know very well," she said, got up a little bit too fast, making her see even more stars, and walked over to Martha. She was unconsciously lying on the floor. "Will they reverse it?"
"Most likely," he said and picked Martha up.
She followed him into a room with a window. They past a lot of unconscious people, and by now it was hard for her to stay on her feet. Even the Doctor seemed to be affected by the lack of oxygen.
"Come on, come on, come on. Come on, Judoon, reverse it," he said, staring out of the window.
She stood next to him, holding onto a desk. And then, finally, it started to rain. On the moon. Up. The rain was going up.
"It's raining," he said and smiled at her. "It's raining on the moon."
Julia N SnowMiko, oXxgeorgiaxXo, babypanda468, Ronin Kenshin, heroherondaletotherescue, NeoMulder, bored411, 10th Squad 3rd Seat, Wicken25: Thank you for reviewing :)
