"What's happened?" asked Yaz as she, Ryan and Graham were shepherded into the room. It was long but narrow, adjoining the small neighbouring room by clear airlock doors and a wide, floor length window. On the other side was the Doctor, sitting on a white bed. "Why are you in there? No one's telling us anything."
"Heya, Fam!" the Doctor replied, brightening up from her previous examination of the bare, sterile-white walls. "I kinda landed us in a bit of a pickle. But it'll be fine. This planet has been quarantined as it's in the middle of a global pandemic." She looked down, sheepish. "Should have checked the date, sorry fam."
"What kind of pandemic?" asked Yaz. "Are we at risk?"
"Thankfully humans aren't affected by the sickness, though you can pass it on to those who are. But you've been through decontamination, right?" Ryan nodded.
"It was like a cold steam shower, fully clothed!"
"Not an experience," Graham added, "that I'd like to repeat."
"That means you can't pass on the sickness to anyone in this facility and once they've brought the Tardis here and decontaminated her, she's not gonna like that, you are free to come and go as you like. Though you'll have to stay inside the facility."
"But what about you?" Asked Ryan. "Why are you in there?"
"I have a feeling I'm not going to like the answer," murmured Graham to Yaz. She bit her lip and nodded at him. The Doctor sucked air in between her teeth.
"You see, it would seem that Time Lords are a close enough biological match to the local population. I'm infected. But I'll be fine, I'm made of stern stuff, me."
Yaz put her hand up on the glass.
"But surely if humans can't catch it we can go in there. We can't leave you alone." The Doctor shook her head.
"I'm sorry Yaz, they just don't have the resources to decontaminate you all the time and it's best to keep you apart just in case the sickness mutates and jumps species. I need you three to stay safe."
"What's going to happen to you?" asked Graham gravely. "How bad are things going to get?"
The Doctor gave him a wan smile.
"I don't know. But by the sound of it, bad."
"Well," said Yaz, putting on a brave voice. "Even if we can't go in there we are staying here. We're not going anywhere."