Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who and I never will unfortunately :(
Chapter Five
New Earth
Part 2
As Clara's body crumbled to the ground, Chip's eyes widened and hurried over to stand near her body, peering down at her worriedly. "Mistress?" he asked with concern.
Slowly, Cassandra in Clara's body started to stir on the floor. "Moisturize me…" she muttered to herself. Her eyes opened, noticing her arms first since her head was laying on them. "How bizarre!" she exclaimed breathlessly as she explored her new body while still on the floor. "Arms…legs…hair! Let me see! Let me see!" She sprung to her feet and raced over to a nearby mirror. It was strange to see Clara's face staring back at her. Instead of being pleased with how she looked and seeing all the good things about her new body, Cassandra was horrified.
"Look at my nose, it's so tiny and ugly!" she cried out, touching her nose. "And my height, I look like an elf!"
As soon as those words left her mouth, Cassandra felt a sharp pain in her head, earning a gasp from her. Clara was trying to fight and take back control of herself. Cassandra tried to force her down, but it didn't work because suddenly she heard Clara's voice in her head.
"Let me out! Let me out!" Clara yelled repeatedly.
Cassandra gritted her teeth. "Shut up in there!" she yelled right back, but out loud, earning a look of concern from Chip.
"Mistress?"
"Hush!" Cassandra hissed. Chip flinched, which she ignored, so she could pay attention to Clara. "Get back down." She growled lowly and she managed to push Clara away for a little bit. "Annoying little twit. I see nothing changed there." She shook her head before she eyed her form through the mirror. Though she didn't like how her nose look or how short she was, she did like how her body looked.
Cassandra smoothed her hands down her sides. "Mm…she does have curves…I give her that…" she mumbled to herself. She grinned at Chip, then suddenly, her hands flew off her body, nearing whacking her in the face. Cassandra gasped in surprise. Clara was the one who did that.
The young girl obviously didn't like her touching like that. The older woman rolled her eyes, annoyed by her and her ability to manage to break through her control. Maybe she should have picked Rose to take over, at least she would have been too weak to take control.
Cassandra sighed. Too late now.
Her eyes shifted away from the mirror and caught sight of her old frame. "Oh look…" she said.
A sad look crossed Chip's face. "Oh! The brain lead expired…my old mistress is gone…"
"But safe and sound in here." Cassandra tapped her head.
"What of the Clara's child mind?"
Cassandra frowned at the question and it took a moment to answer. "Somehow, she's managing to take control but not completely. I'm managing to keep her down…as for her memory…" She tried to search for something recent. She hit a wall though, but she tried to break through it. Clara didn't like this at all.
"No! Stay away from there!" she cried out.
Cassandra, of course, didn't listen to her and managed to break through it. Sad memories hit her. The sadness was so intense that it nearly brought Cassandra to her knees and it hurt her head.
"Ohh…" she whimpered, holding her head.
"Mistress…" Chip stated worriedly, stepping towards her.
Cassandra ignored him. Memories of an older woman, sick, in bed, filled her head.
Clara was sitting beside the woman, holding her hand and crying.
"Mum…please…don't leave me…" Clara – in the memory – whispered through tears. "I need you…"
The memory ended as soon as it started as Clara managed to push Cassandra out of the memory.
"Leave it alone!" Clara growled at Cassandra.
"I…I'm sorry…" It was the first apology Cassandra gave in a long time. Who knew a memory like that would bring out an apology… Cassandra shook her head, mentally shoving Clara away again. Then she went to look for what she was looking for. She found it and was appalled.
"She's with the Doctor…a man…he's the Doctor…the Doctor with a new face! That hypocrite!" Cassandra growled, annoyed. "I must get the name of his surgeon." She then mused as she turned on her heel to look in the mirror again. "I mean, I might like how her body looks, but it could do a little work. Especially in the bosom area." Knowing how Clara would react to her putting her hands on her body again, Cassandra turned around to look at her backside. "Bum looks good though, I'll keep that." She faced the mirror, lips pursed together in thought. "Mm…I wonder if I could seduce the Doctor in this body…" A flash of Rose entered her mind, which was probably Clara's doing, and she frowned. "Maybe not, seems the Doctor's interested in her…" Then she shrugged. "Oh well! The least I can do is try!" She smiled.
Just then, Cassandra heard a buzzing in her pocket and she jumped, reaching back and feeling her one of her back pockets. "Oh…it seems to be ringing…is it meant to ring?" She pulled out the buzzing thing and stared at it in confusion.
"A primitive communication device." Chip explained.
Cassandra's mouth formed an 'o' shape as she pressed a button before holding up the phone to her ear. A British voice spoke over the phone.
"Clara, where are you?"
Cassandra pulled the phone away, covering speaking with her hand to whisper to Chip. "How does she speak?"
"Old Earth Cockney." He whispered back.
She returned the phone to speak but no words came out as Clara tried to take over her voice this time.
"Doctor! Help me! I need help."
Cassandra had to force the words down from getting blurted out. In the process, it made her voice sound choked up as she finally spoke. "Um…wotcher."
"Where've you been? Did you get lost?" The Doctor asked, sounding a bit concerned.
Cassandra didn't respond for a moment, the words of help that Clara still cried, tried to get out again. Once again, she had to force those words down.
"I'm on my way, governor." Cassandra managed to get out. "I shall proceed up the Apples and Pears."
"Well, hurry up! There's someone I want you to meet!" The Doctor said excitedly. "His name is the Face of Boe." Cassandra's face screwed up in a scowl at the mention of that name. "That's who sent the message to me on the psychic paper, he'd love to meet you!"
Cassandra laughed, a forced one. "And I'd love to meet him…"
"Brilliant!" Then there was a pause. "I'd better go…see you in a minute. Come on, Rose." These were the last three words she heard before he ended the phone call.
"This Doctor man is dangerous." Chip said, and he watched Cassandra as she flicked her brown hair back, fixing herself up in front of the mirror.
Using the hairband around her wrist, Cassandra pulled her hair up in a ponytail and smirked at her assistant's comment. "Dangerous and clever." She added. "I might need a mind like his. The Sisterhood is up to something. Remember that Old Earth saying…? Never trust a Nun. Never trust a Nurse. And never trust a cat." She turned towards Chip, holding out her hand and gesturing for him to give her something. "Perfume?"
Chip handed it over to her and Cassandra slipped it into her cleavage, or what she had of it. Clara might have a nice bum, but her chest wasn't much to look at. Like she mentioned before, if she was gonna keep this body, Cassandra was going to need to fix that. Speaking of Clara…she had been keeping silent ever since Cassandra got off the phone with the Doctor. Cassandra wasn't complaining, of course. It would be easier to get away with her plan if Clara kept quiet. Who knows how long this silence would last though. Hopefully it lasted for a long time.
With that, Cassandra strided out of the room with purpose while Chip stayed behind.
She managed to find the Doctor at Ward 26 and he was with Rose. Cassandra glared at the sight of the blonde, unable to help it. You wouldn't be able to either if someone had killed you.
Neither of them had taken notice to her yet, and Cassandra didn't bother making herself know straight away. However, Clara had different ideas. She had managed to push herself out of the place where Cassandra had hidden her at and took her body over to yell out,
"Doctor!"
Said man whirled around at the sound of her voice and grinned, "Clara! There you are!"
Before Clara could think about revealing her, Cassandra took back control, forcing her back.
"Stay back, you stubborn girl." Cassandra growled, under her breath as the Doctor ran over to her, taking her hand.
"Come and look at this patient!" With Rose behind them, he tugged her in the direction of the patient, who had skin that was completely red, and he took his glasses off. "Marconi's Disease. Should take years to recover. Two days! I've never seen anything like it – they've invented a cell washing cascade – it's amazing! Their medical science is way advanced. And this one!" He led her to another bed, sporting a man who was completely white. "Pallidome Pancrosis. Kills you in ten minutes, and he's fine." He waved cheerily to the patient. "I need to find a terminal. I've got to see how they do this."
They walked away, Clara walking rather strangely. Rose took notice to it, narrowing her eyes.
"Why are you walking like that?" she asked.
"None of your business, Blondie." Cassandra sneered, and Rose looked taken back. What was that for?
The Doctor didn't take notice to their interaction. "Because if they got the best medicine in the world…then why's it such a secret?"
Cassandra stopped. "I can't Adam and Eve it."
This got a strange look from the man beside her. Though he hadn't known her for long, Clara didn't seem like she would say something like this.
He frowned at her. "What's…what's…with the voice?" he asked, confused.
Cassandra looked up at him, taking notice to how short Clara really was. "Oh, I don't know…just larking about New Earth…my first alien planet…" Then she started to look him up and down. He was rather nice looking…full head of hair…a rather tight suit too… He was much more attractive than the one she had met previously.
The Doctor looked down, taking notice that a few of her buttons were undone. He did look away rather quickly. Clara was a young girl. He couldn't be staring at her for too long. Especially in that area.
He cleared his throat then. "Yes, I know the feeling." He smiled.
"Mm…I bet you do." Her next move was to throw herself at him and kiss him passionately. However, Clara wouldn't let her do such a thing. Cassandra gritted her teeth, ugh. "Anyway…" she forced out through her gritted teeth. "I think the terminal's this way." She stomped her feet in the direction she was talking, missing the confused looks the Doctor and Rose shared at her sudden anger before following her.
A few minutes later, all of them stood in front of a screen, reading over the details of the hospital.
The Doctor frowned. "Nope…nothing odd…surgery…post op…nano-dentistry…no sign of a shop…" He sighed with a pout. "They should have a shop."
Cassandra rolled her eyes internally. Though this Doctor was attractive, he was getting to be a little annoying.
Rose patted the Doctor's shoulder. "Well, maybe nothing's going on here." She suggested.
It looked like he was about to agree, but Cassandra quickly cut in. This blonde bimbo wasn't going to ruin this.
"No." Cassandra threw Rose a glare as she went around the two of them. "It's missing something else. When I was downstairs, those nurse cat nuns were talking about Intensive Care. Where is it…?"
The Doctor stared at her. "Mmm…you're right. Well done."
Cassandra deeply frowned. "Why would they hide a whole department?"
In response, the handsome Doctor took out his sonic thingy. Cassandra wasn't sure what it was exactly called, but she didn't care now.
"It's gotta be somewhere. Search the subframe." Cassandra told the Doctor, or rather demanded him.
He rose his brow at that. "What if the sub-frame's locked?"
She rolled her eyes, not internally this time, at what she thought was a stupid question, and here she thought, the Doctor was smart. "Try the installation protocol…"
The Doctor looked sheepish as he scanned the screen with his sonic thingy. "Yeah, of course. Sorry. Hold on." He clicked off the sonic and the entire wall moved downward, revealing a secret corridor behind.
Cassandra smiled widely and walked straight into the corridor.
Rose paused, looking up at the Doctor. "I know we don't know her that well, but something's not right about, Clara." She voiced exactly what the Doctor was thinking. She did that rather well.
The Doctor just nodded before he followed her with Rose right behind him. There was something wrong with Clara Oswald, and he would figure it out.
Cassandra glanced around the area as they went down metal steps into the Intensive Care. It was huge to say the least as any chamber would be. It had rows upon rows of green doors. There had to be something very important in those doors since there was so many, but she wished it hadn't been something so disgusting.
Her tiny nose wrinkled in absolute disgust as the Doctor opened one of the doors, revealing a sickly man, covered in boils and surrounded by smoke. He was vile looking.
Though she could feel Clara's sympathy, Cassandra suppressed it. "That's disgusting." She voiced out loud, the disgust clear in her voice.
Rose looked horrified along with the Doctor, grabbing onto the sleeve of his suit. "What's wrong with him?" the blonde breathed.
The Doctor couldn't answer as he shook his head slowly. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."
Cassandra plugged her nose and the Doctor closed the door before he went to open another. This one held a woman, who moaned in pain as she tried to reach out, quietly begging for help.
Cassandra backed up in response, making a face. She didn't notice Rose glaring at her. Even if she did, she wouldn't have cared.
"What disease is that?" Cassandra questioned.
The Doctor clenched his jaw angrily. "All of them." He responded curtly, quietly, disgusted. "Every single disease in the galaxy, they've been infected with everything."
"What about us? Are we safe?" Cassandra just got this new body and though there was some problems with it, she didn't want anything to happen to it.
Rose shook her head in disbelief. Looks like she was right about Clara.
"The air's sterile. Just don't touch them." The Doctor's face was void of all emotion, except for the deep anger in his eyes, as he shut the door, then leaned over the railing, overlooking the rows of doors. Cassandra and Rose followed.
"Can't you help them, Doctor?" Rose asked hopefully, standing his side.
The Doctor said nothing. He wanted to say that he could help them, but he didn't want to lie. Especially to Rose.
Cassandra interrupted their moment. There was no time for this.
"How many patients are there?"
"They're not patients." The Doctor barely glanced at Clara.
"But they're sick."
His hands tightened on the railing. "They were born sick." He said angrily. "They're meant to be sick. They exist to be sick. Lab rats. No wonder the Sisters have got a cure for everything. They've built the ultimate research laboratory. A Human farm."
"Why don't they just die?" Cassandra asked, honestly curious.
"Plague carriers!"
"It's for the greater cause."
At the sound of the familiar voice, they all turned around and Novice Hame stood at the end of row.
An angry look crossed the Doctor's face. Rose honestly hadn't seen the Doctor this angry before, and that was saying something.
"What, by killing!" he shouted furiously.
Novice Hame didn't even flinch. "But they're not real people." She said gently. "They're specially grown. They have no proper existence."
The Doctor advanced towards her dangerously. "What's the turnover? Hm? Thousand the next? Thousand the next? How many thousand? For how many years?" She didn't respond and he rose his voice. "HOW MANY?"
Cassandra found herself flinching, which she figured was Clara's doing. Though she couldn't access her memories since Clara wouldn't let her, but she did get that Clara hadn't known the Doctor for long. It was strange because she thought the young girl had known him for a long time. Cassandra shook her head internally. Oh what did it matter?
"Mankind needed us." Novice Hame said, still in that gentle voice. "They came to this planet with so many illnesses. We couldn't cope. We did try. We tried everything. We tried using clone-meat and bio-cattle…but the results were too slow. So the sisterhood grew its own flesh. That's all they are. Flesh."
"These people are alive." The Doctor hissed.
She shook her head. "But think of those Humans out there…healthy…and happy, because of us."
"If they live because of this, then life is worthless." He snapped in response.
Novice Hame scoffed. "But who are you to decide that?"
He stepped forward, narrowing his eyes. "I'm the Doctor. And if you don't like it…if you want to take it to a higher authority, then there isn't one. It STOPS with me."
Cassandra interrupted, peering over the Doctor's shoulder, which wasn't a small feat since Clara was short. "Just to confirm…none of the Humans in this city actually know about this?"
"We thought it best not—"
The Doctor cut her off. "Hold on." He said. "I can understand the bodies. I can understand your vows. But one thing, I can't understand – what have you done to Clara?"
As soon as she heard that, Cassandra stiffened and backed up. Something Rose noticed, causing the blonde to narrow her eyes.
Novice Hame, though, just looked confused. "I don't know what you mean."
Just then, the Doctor's voice grew quiet, deathly quiet. "And I'm very, very calm. You wanna beware of that – very, very calm. And the only reason I'm being so very, very calm is that the brain is a delicate thing. Whatever you've done to Clara's head, I want it reversed."
"We haven't done anything."
Cassandra opened her mouth to say something, but her voice were lost on her as Clara managed to push her way out and tried to take over. Cassandra struggled to take back the control. It was no use though.
"Doctor!" Clara's actual voice shined through, startling the Doctor.
Cassandra managed to get a hold of herself as she shoved Clara back down forcefully, earning protests from the young girl. But they faded away while being pushed down. Cassandra shook her head wildly and spoke innocently as if what happened didn't happen.
"I'm perfectly fine." She said.
"Yeah, then what was that?" Rose demanded.
Cassandra could have tried to save herself, but it was no use. She rolled her eyes. "Oh alright, clever clogs." She smirked as she spun the Doctor around to face her. She pulled his tie out flirtatiously. "Smarty pants. Lady killer." Her voice grew husky at the last bit.
The Doctor looked a bit weird out. "What's happened to you?"
"I knew something was going on in this hospital, but I needed a body and your mind to do it." Cassandra purred. "Clara was perfect too, except for her small nose and how short she is." She shrugged. "But oh well, it worked."
"Who are you?"
Cassandra smirked and stood up on her tiptoes to whisper into the Doctor's ear. "The Last Human." Though she whispered it, she did make sure Rose could overhear it. She pulled back and both Rose and the Doctor looked at her in shock and surprise.
"Cassandra!" Rose exclaimed.
She wiggled her fingers at the blonde with a smirk. "Hello Blondie, wake up and smell the perfume."
She took the tube of perfume and sprayed it in Rose's face. The blonde's eyes rolled back, falling to the floor, unconscious. Before the Doctor could do anything, Cassandra sprayed him as well and he fell to the floor, next to Rose.
Novice Hame rushed over to the two and kneeled beside them. "You've hurt them! I don't understand – I'll have to fetch Matron!"
"You do that, because I want to see her." Cassandra barked. "Now, run along! Sound the alarm!"
Novice Hame hurried off. Cassandra ripped a cable and an alarm went off. She smiled, satisfied.
Cassandra glanced at the Doctor and Rose. Now, to deal with them.
The effects of the perfume didn't last that long and Cassandra heard the Doctor yelling from inside the cell she had been him. She could hear Rose too, but she was paying more attention to the Doctor. She could care less about Blondie.
"Let me out! Let me out!"
Cassandra looked through the door. "Aren't you lucky there was spare? Standing room only."
"Where's Rose?" The Doctor demanded.
She waved his question. "Oh, don't worry. She's in the cell next to you. So good thing there was another spare, or I would have thrown her to the fishes." She chuckled at her joke and she could see the Doctor glaring at her, not appreciating the joke.
"You've stolen Clara's body. Why?"
"She sent me to my death!" Cassandra said angrily. "Back on Platform One! Do you really think I sent myself back there to get myself killed?" Before he could say anything, she went on. "You had something to do with it too. So, over the years, I've thought of a thousand ways to kill you, Doctor. And now, that's exactly what I've got. One thousand diseases. They pump the patients with top up every ten minutes. You've got about…three minutes left. Enjoy."
"Just let Clara go, Cassandra."
"I will!" She promised. "As soon as I've found someone younger…and less common…then I'll junk her with the waste. Now hushaby! It's show time." She turned around and saw Matron Casp and Sister Jatt approached Cassandra.
"Anything we can do to help?" Sister Jatt asked.
Cassandra smirked. "Straight to the point, Whiskers…I want money."
"The Sisterhood is a charity." Matron Casp told her calmly. "We don't give money. We only…accept."
"The Humans across the water pay you a fortune. And that's exactly what I need. A one-off payment. That's all I want…oh, and perhaps a yacht. In return for which, I shall the City nothing of your institutional murder. Is that a deal?"
Matron Casp shook her head. "There's no need. I have to decline."
Cassandra wanted to stomp her foot, not enjoying hearing the word no, but she decided to try again without blowing up. "I'll tell them! And you've no way of stopping me! You're not exactly Nuns with Guns – you've not even armed!"
"Who needs arms when we have claws?" Her claws shot out of her paws and she hissed menacingly.
Cassandra backed away nervously. "Well, nice try." She whirled around to face Chip, who was waiting nearby. "Chip? Plan B!"
Chip pulled a lever and every cell door on the row sprung open. The Doctor and Rose stepped out of their cells as well as the infected people.
"What've you done?" The Doctor yelled angrily as Rose looked around in shock.
"Gave the system a shot of adrenaline, just to wake them up." Cassandra explained proudly. "See ya!" She waved and grinned before she rushed off with Chip right behind her.
"Don't touch them!" The Doctor called back the nurses. "Whatever you do touch! Come on, Rose!" He grabbed her hand and they ran after Cassandra and Chip.
As the rest of the cells opened up and more infected people filled the area, Cassandra let out a scream as she, the Doctor, Chip, and Rose for their lives along the row. They paused for a moment and watched all the zombies break out of their cells. Cassandra's eyes widened. She could feel Clara's horror as well.
"Oh, my God." Cassandra breathed.
"What the hell have you done?"
"It wasn't me!"
"Then who the hell was it?!" Rose argued.
Cassandra glared at her. "Better shut your mouth, Blondie, before I smack you across your pretty face." She growled. Rose could only glare back.
The Doctor ignored the two women. "One touch and you get every disease in the world, and I want that body safe, Cassandra! We got to go down!"
The zombies were advancing on them.
Cassandra looked scared as they started running. "But there's thousands of them!"
"RUN! Down! Down! Go down!" They ran down the stairs, the Doctor tugging Rose along, making sure she stayed with him.
"This building is under quarantine." The PA suddenly sounded. "Repeat – this building is under quarantine. No one may leave the premises. Repeat…no one may leave the premises."
The zombies followed the Doctor, Cassandra, Rose, and Chip down the stairs, arms outstretched.
"Keep going! Go down!" The Doctor yelled.
They finally descended the last flight of stairs and burst through a door into the cellar. Cassandra ran to the lifts, trying to operate them. Cassandra spent all this time trying not to die and she wasn't going to let it happen by getting boils all over her new face! She worked on them for a few seconds, but nothing was working!
The Doctor, Rose, and Chip stopped running.
"No, the lifts have closed down!" The Doctor informed her loudly. "That's the quarantine, nothing's moving!"
Cassandra stopped what she was doing and started to run the other way with the Doctor and Rose on her heel. "This way!" she shouted.
More of the infected people were beginning to spill out from converging corridors. Cassandra knew Chip was left behind, but she could care less right now. Even as she heard him whimper, she didn't care.
But the Doctor began to go back. "Someone will touch him!"
Cassandra whirled around and quickly grabbed the Doctor's arm. "Leave him, he's just a clone thing, he's only got a half of life – come on!"
"Mistress!" Chip cried pitifully.
Cassandra was already running in the opposite direction. She ran into the room where she had met Clara. The Doctor and Rose ran in too, closing the door behind them. Cassandra tried another door but seeing the zombies all clambering to get in behind it, she slammed it shut and whirled around, stomping back over to the Doctor and Rose.
"We're trapped!" Cassandra exclaimed, upset and scared. "What're we gonna do!"
"Well, for starters, you're going to leave that body!" The Doctor stated angrily. He gestured up to the machine with his screwdriver thing. "That psychograph is banned on every civilized planet! You're compressing Clara to death!"
"But I've got nowhere to go! My original skin's dead!"
The Doctor glared at her. "Not my problem." He snapped. "You can float as atoms in the air. Now, get out!" He pointed the sonic at her threateningly. "Give her back."
Cassandra rolled her eyes. "You asked for it."
She took a deep breath and let it out. Cassandra left Clara's body and Clara fell to the ground.
The young girl groaned. "My head…"
"Clara!" Rose exclaimed, going over to her and helping her to feet.
"Where did she go?" Clara managed to ask.
"I don't know." Rose knew it couldn't be her. That only left… Her eyes widened and she turned to the Doctor, eye wide.
The Doctor was running his hands down his body, checking stuff out. Seeing this, Clara realized what Rose had realized and she gasped. Cassandra was in the Doctor!
"Oh, my. This is…different…"
"Cassandra?" Rose squeaked.
"Goodness me, I'm a man. Yum. So many parts! And hardly used." Cassandra wiggled around crazily, trying to get used to the new body. It was different from Clara's…but she liked it. Except for the fact he wouldn't let her access anything from his vast mind. "Ah…ah!" She felt his chest, feeling two hearts beating. Whoa, it felt so strange! "Two hearts! Oh, baby, I'm beating out a samba!"
Clara tried not to laugh.
Snapping out of her stupor, Rose glared at him…or well her. "Get out of him!"
Cassandra ignored her as she ran her hands down her new body. "Ooh, he's slim. And a little bit foxy." She raised her eyebrows at Clara. "You've thought so too. I've been inside your head…"
"W-what, no I didn't!" Clara exclaimed, flushing. She nervously glanced at Rose, who was glaring at her.
"Keep telling yourself that." Cassandra smirked as she came closer teasingly. "You like it."
Clara flushed even more. Suddenly, the zombie people burst through the doors, making all three of them jump.
Cassandra freaked out and grabbed onto Clara and Rose's arms, shaking them both. "What do we do?! What would he do? The Doctor – what the hell would he do?!"
Rose pulled away from Cassandra and whirled around, finding a ladder behind them. "Ladder…we've gotta get up!"
Before the blonde could even start going, Cassandra shoved Rose out of the roughly. "Out of the way, blondie!"
Rose glared at her before following her up the ladder. Clara glanced back at the sick people sadly, then she hurried up the ladder behind Rose and Cassandra.
"If you get out of the Doctor's body, he can think of something!" Rose demanded.
Cassandra rolled her eyes. "Yap, yap, yap. Do you ever shut up?"
Clara wanted to say something, but she interrupted herself by screaming when she glanced down and found Matron Casp grabbed her ankle. "Let go of me!"
"All our good work!" the cat screeched. "All that healing!" Cassandra rolled her eyes. "The good name of the Sisterhood – you have destroyed everything!"
Cassandra rolled her eyes again. "Go and play with a ball of string."
Though she didn't like the wording, Clara had to agree. Better than holding onto her ankle.
"Everywhere – disease! This is the Human World. Sickness!"
A diseased hand grabbed on Matron Casp's ankle. She wailed in pain and Clara gasped as the cat's face broke out into boils. Matron Casp's grip loosened, causing her to fall down the lift shaft, wailing all the way down while Clara watched in horror. After she finished falling, the zombie people started climbing again.
"Clara, move!" Rose cried out and the brunette snapped out of it, quickly climbing her way up.
"Maximum quarantine. Divert all shuttles."
They got to the top of the ladder but then they stopped. Clara couldn't really see what was going on from where she was on the ladder.
"What's wrong?" Clara asked worriedly.
"The doors are sealed!"
"Now what do you we do?" Cassandra demanded with a groan.
"Use the sonic screwdriver."
In response, Cassandra reached into the Doctor's pocket and pulled the first thing out between her thumb and forefinger. Her nose wrinkled. "You mean, this thing?"
Rose rolled her eyes. "Yes! That thing."
Cassandra glared down at her. "Well, I don't know how – that Doctor's hidden away all his thoughts."
Clara didn't want her to, but this was the only way for this argument to stop, so they wouldn't die. "Just go back into me!"
Cassandra wasn't going to say no to that. "Hold on tight." A second later, she was back inside of Clara. She was relieved. Despite her complaints, she liked this body.
The Doctor, however, didn't like it at all if the glare was any hint. Cassandra ignored it as she yelled up at the Doctor.
"Open the door!"
He pointed the sonic screwdriver at her. "Not till you get out of her!"
"Doctor, come on!" Rose complained.
"Blondie's right!" Cassandra agreed, but she made a face, not liking that she agreed with Rose. "We need the Doctor!"
"I order you to leave her!" He shouted angrily.
Instead of going back into the Doctor, Cassandra went into Rose. The Doctor didn't like this either, so she had no choice but to go back inside of him.
Cassandra rolled her eyes in frustration. "No matter the situation, there is no need to shout!"
"Cassandra, get out of him!"
"But I can't go into you, or Clara! He simply refuses! He's so rude!" No matter how cute he was, there was no need to as rude as he was.
"I don't care!" Rose snapped. "Just do something."
Cassandra knew what she had to do. She didn't want to, but there was no other way.
"Oh, I'm so going to regret this…" she said, disgusted and reluctant. Cassandra leaped from the Doctor's body and into a diseased person's body. "Oh, sweet lord, I look disgusting!" She yelled up at the two, making a face.
The Doctor opened the lift doors and pulled Rose up, then held out a hand to help Clara. He looked apologetic. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."
Clara shook her head. "Don't apologize, it's not your fault."
The Doctor wanted to believe that, but he should have protected her more. If he had, Cassandra wouldn't have gone into her body. The Doctor forced a smile for Clara's benefit.
"Well, glad to have you back."
"No you don't…" Cassandra leaped back into Clara and she stumbled against the wall.
Rose stood beside her and groaned. Not again. The Doctor was frustrated as well.
He sealed the doors. "That was your last warning, Cassandra!"
Cassandra looked as if she was barely paying attention, and the Doctor noticed.
"Inside her head…" she whispered. "And they're so alone…they keep reaching out, just to hold us…all their lives and they've never been touched…"
Saying nothing, the Doctor held out a hand towards her. Cassandra glanced at his hand, then up at him. His eyes were kind, something she didn't see before, at least towards her. Slowly, Cassandra took his hand and allowed him to help her to her feet.
The diseased people banged on the lift doors as the Doctor, Cassandra, and Rose walked off, through a door which lead back into Ward 26.
It wasn't met with happiness, or joy, as Frau Clovis brandished a chair at them menacingly, roaring like a wild animal.
The Doctor held up his hands quickly. "We're safe!" he informed her. "We're safe! We're safe. We're clean! Look, look…"
"Show me your skin." Frau Clovis demanded.
The Doctor showed her with Cassandra and Rose followed along. "Look! Clean. Look – if we'd been touched, we'd be dead."
Frau Clovis finally believed them and sighed in relief, nodding, as she brought the chair down.
"So, how's it going up here?" the Doctor questioned. "What's the status?"
"There's nothing but silence from the other wards. I think we're the only ones left. And I've been trying to override the quarantine." Frau Clovis fiddled with the device she was holding. "If I can trip the signal over to New, New York, they can send a private executive squad."
The Doctor shook his head. "You can't do that. If they forced entry, they'd break the quarantine."
"I am not dying here!" Frau Clovis stated angrily.
"We can't let a single particle of disease get out – there is ten million people out there in that City, they'd all be at risk!" The Doctor said angrily, trying to get her to see. "Now, turn that off!"
"Not if it gets me out!" Frau Clovis argued.
He pursed his lips. "All right, fine. So I have to stop you lot as well. Suits me. Clara. Rose. Novice Hame. Everyone!" He turned towards the rest of the group. "Everyone! Excuse me your grace." He said as he went up to the Duke. "Get me intravenous solutions for every disease. Move it!"
Everyone immediately started to gather all of the solutions. Whatever the Doctor was thinking, Cassandra and Rose had no clue what was on his mind.
It didn't stop them from helping out as the two girls attached the solutions to the rope the Doctor put around his waist.
"How's that? Will that do?" he asked.
"I don't know!" Cassandra huffed. "Will it do for what?"
The Doctor opened the door to the lift with his sonic screwdriver.
"But Doctor, the lifts aren't working." Rose reminded him.
He grinned over at her in response. "Ah Rose, they're not moving. Different thing." Rose couldn't help but grin too and Cassandra just watched them strangely. The Doctor stepped back, ready for a running jump. "Here we go." He stuck the sonic screwdriver in his mouth and ran.
"But you're not going to—"Cassandra didn't have time to finish and she watched with wide eyes as the Doctor jumped into the middle of shaft, clinging onto the rope.
"Doctor!" Rose exclaimed. "Are you alright?"
"Just dandy, Rose!" The Doctor told her happily.
Rose let out a sigh of relief.
Cassandra wasn't relieved. She was freaked out! "What do you think you're doing?!"
"I'm going down!" The Doctor fixed up the wrench with the sonic. Cassandra looked away, exasperated while Rose looked on, still worried. "Come on!"
"Not in a million years!" Cassandra told him, crossing her arms.
"I need another pair of hands!"
"I can help!" Rose offered, stepping forward.
"No, stay where you are. Help everyone up there!" The Doctor said seriously before looking at Cassandra. "If you're so desperate to stay alive…why don't you live a little?"
"Seal the doors!"
The doors closed, and Cassandra looked around and saw more zombies emerged from the quarantine. She knew she was stuck, causing a groan to leave her lips. So with no other choice, Cassandra jumped into the lift and gripped the Doctor's back, arms around his shoulders and legs around his waist. She moaned regretfully.
"You're completely mad!"
"Going down!" And they whizzed down the shaft, screaming. Once they reached the bottom, Cassandra straightened her shirt, smoothing it down.
"Well, that's one way to lose weight." She commented.
The Doctor turned towards Cassandra. "Now, listen – when I say so, take hold of that lever."
"There's still a quarantine down there, we can't…" She tried to protest.
"Hold that lever!" The Doctor cut her off, yelling. Cassandra backed down, holding her hands up. "I'm cooking up a cocktail. I know a bit about medicine myself." He ripped the tops of the packets of each solution with his teeth and skirted them into the clear container where the disinfectant for the lift should go. "Now, that lever's going to resist. But keep it in position." He told Cassandra as he opened the trapdoor in the top of the lift. "Hold onto it with everything that you got."
"What about you?"
"I've got an appointment. The Doctor is in!"
Just like always, the Doctor saved the day and saved everyone, well except for the people who made all of this happen.
"This is the NNYPD." The loudspeaker sounded. "Please step away from the shuttles."
The hospital was swarming with police as the Doctor, who was wet and in his shirt sleeves, Cassandra, and Rose emerged onto the ward.
"All staff will prevent themselves to the officers for immediate arrest. I repeat – immediate arrest. All new life forms will be cataloged and taken into care."
Novice Hame was led away by a police and she caught the Doctor, but he did not smile at her. She looked down at her feet as she disappeared behind the door.
"All visitors to the hospital will be required to make a statement to the NNYPD."
The Doctor stood there for a moment before suddenly remembering something. "The Face of Boe!" He dashed off and Rose went after him as Cassandra rolled her eyes before slowly following.
Back in Ward 26, the Doctor approached the Face of Boe, who looked very much alive and well.
"You were supposed to be dying." The Time Lord said, smiling.
The Face of Boe chuckled and spoke through telepathy. "There are better things to do today. Dying can wait."
"Oh, I hate telepathy." Cassandra rolled her eyes. "Just what I need, a head full of big face."
"Shh!" Rose shushed her, nudging her side. Cassandra glared at her, scooting away from the annoying blonde.
"I have grown tired with the universe, Doctor." The Face of Boe said softly. "But you have taught me to look at it anew."
The Doctor kneeled before him. "There are legends, you know, saying that you're millions of yours old."
The Face of Boe laughed slightly. "There are? That would be impossible."
The Doctor smiled. "Wouldn't it just? I just got the impression…there was something you wanted to tell me…"
"A great secret…"
"So the legend says."
"It can wait."
The Doctor pouted. "Oh, does it have to?"
"We shall meet again, Doctor, for the third time…for the last time…and the truth shall be told. Until that day…" the Face of Boe teleported himself away.
The Doctor looked at where he once was, impressed. "That is enigmatic. That – that is – that is textbook enigmatic." He nodded to himself, then turned towards Cassandra, who had been examining her nails, completely disinterested in the proceedings. "And now for you."
Cassandra looked up, startled. "But…everything's happy…" she said nervously. "Everything's fine…can't you just leave me?"
The Doctor just stared at her blankly. "You've lived long enough. Leave that body, and end it, Cassandra."
In response, she started to cry. Rose couldn't help but feel bad, but the Doctor didn't.
"I don't want to die!" Cassandra wailed.
"No one does."
"Help me!"
"I can't."
Out of nowhere, Chip appeared, making Cassandra gasp.
"You're alive!"
Chip looked so happy to see her, despite her abandoning him. "Mistress!"
"Ah! You're alive!"
"I kept myself safe." Chip said happily. "For you, mistress."
Cassandra stared at him, cogs ticking. "A body…and not just that, a willing volunteer…"
The Doctor knew what she was thinking. "Don't you dare!" he warned. "He's got a life of his own."
"But I worship the Mistress!" Cassandra winked at him. "I welcome her!"
"You can't, Cassandra, you –"
Cassandra ignored him and leaped into Chip's body. With her gone, Clara gasped as she fell back without warning. Rose caught her and the brunette groaned, rubbing her temples. She had a horrible headache. Clara managed to straighten herself up but ended up having to grab onto the Doctor.
"Oh! You alright?" the Doctor asked her worriedly.
"I'm…I'm fine…just dizzy…" Clara murmured. Once she had a hold of herself, she stood on her own. She looked up and found herself staring up at the Doctor, her face a little too close. Clara blushed a little, letting go of him and stepping back, shifting her feet awkwardly.
"Oh, sweet Lord." Cassandra said from Chip's body, gathering the Doctor's attention. "I'm a walking doodle."
"You can't stay in there." The Doctor told her seriously. "I'm sorry, Cassandra, but that's not fair. I can take you to the City. They can build you a skin tank and you can stand trial for what you've done."
Clara was startled by how cold the Doctor sounded at this moment. Though she didn't know him well enough, she didn't think he would sound this way. He seemed too kind, but she guessed just like anyone kind if someone pushed them the wrong way, they could switch.
"Well, that would be rather dramatic." Cassandra chuckled. "Possibly my finest hour. And certainly my finest hat." The Doctor, Rose, and Clara glanced at each other. "But I'm afraid we don't have time. Poor little Chip is only half-life. And he's been through so much." She placed a hand on his chest. "His heart is racing so. He's failing. I don't think he's going to last –"Before he could finish, his legs gave away. The Doctor, Rose, and Clara lunged forward to support him.
"Are you alright?" Clara asked, concerned.
Cassandra smiled weakly. "I'm dying…" She said nothing for a moment before slowly nodding, accepting the fate before her. "But that's fine."
"I can take you to the City." The Doctor told her calmly.
She shook her head. "No, you won't. Everything's new one this planet. There's no place for me and Chip anymore."
Clara couldn't help but be upset. "There must be something you can do." She inquired of the Doctor softly. He said nothing. "Doctor."
"It's okay, Clara." Cassandra reassured her, touching her shoulder and Clara looked at her. She nodded at her, giving her smile. Clara teared up as Cassandra glanced at the Doctor and met his gaze head on. "You're right, Doctor. It's time to die." She swallowed. "And that's good."
They helped him to his feet.
"Come on." The Doctor said. "There's one last thing I can do…" They led him away.
Clara stayed in the TARDIS while the Doctor and Rose dropped Chip off. She was in her pajamas, sitting up in bed as she stared into space, thinking about her first adventure with the Doctor.
It was something she didn't expect. She thought she was in for a fun time, but it wasn't fun. It was stressful…and scary.
Clara sighed as she pulled her legs up to her chest and rested her head on her knees. At the moment, she just wished she was back at home…with her father. She couldn't help but think of him, wondering he was thinking of her. He had to be so worried about her. At this point, he probably didn't think she was alive.
Her eyes teared up at the thought.
Just then, there was a knock on the door, causing her to look up. Her eyebrows furrowed as she climbed out of bed and went over to the door. She opened it up, revealing the Doctor on the other side.
"Hi." He greeted.
Clara stared at him for a moment. "Hi."
There was silence between them for a moment. "Are you alright?" The Doctor asked.
Clara wanted to say she was, but she couldn't. "No. No I'm not." She turned around and headed back towards her bed. She sat down on the edge of it as she looked at her lap.
The Doctor stepped inside and Clara finally looked up at him. "Does this happen often?"
"What?"
"People dying." Clara finished, almost sharply. The Doctor flinched a bit. For a moment, he wanted to lie and tell her no…that it didn't happen often…but he found himself not wanting to lie to her.
"Yes." The Doctor finally said. "People do…not always…but it does happen…"
"Will it happen to me?"
He shook his head. "No." He met her gaze. "It won't. I'm going to make sure of that. Nothing is going to happen to you in my care."
Clara believed him…for the most part. She felt a little bit better after his words though. Clara nodded and the Doctor nodded back, giving her a smile. The smile fell after a moment.
"Clara?"
"Yes?"
"What did Cassandra mean when she said you've met before?"
Clara frowned. "I don't know…I swear though, I've never met her before in my life."
The Doctor was silent, then he nodded. "I believe you. She must have been mistaken." As he said this, he barely believed his words. There was just something about Clara…he couldn't pinpoint what it was, but he knew it was something. "Well…" He broke the silence. "Get some rest. See you in the morning."
"Okay…goodnight Doctor."
"Goodnight Clara." With that, the Doctor left her room and Clara sighed as she climbed back into bed. She slowly fell asleep. Hopefully the next adventure would be a lot more fun.
TBC...
In...
Tooth and Claw, Part 1