Chapter 4
Everything was a little fuzzy when the Doctor opened his eyes, the background inaudible whispers had gone and he knew that he wasn't in his nightmare anymore. He looked down and saw Maria lying on his chest, Seth was lying on the stone floor nearby carefully the Doctor lifted Maria's head up and lay her down gently. The light shone in through the cave. The Doctor sat up and went a little dizzy; Maria opened her eyes and lifted her head up. "Are you awake?" Maria asked.
"Does it look like I'm asleep?" The Doctor replied sarcastically, then he grinned "Yes I'm awake"
Maria breathed in relief and embraced him "Thank god, you were dying Doctor, your hearts even stopped for a minute or two"
"I know, I heard you panicking" The Doctor stood up and stumbled a little, Maria stood up and caught him "Take it easy, you've been unconscious for 10 hours at least" The Doctor looked at her and shrugged "That's nothing" The Doctor grinned "Oh yes and Maria, remind me to learn to swim when this is all over"
Maria looked at him a little confused and the Doctor shrugged at her again.
Seth opened his eyes and stared at the Doctor for a moment "How long have you been awake Doctor?"
"A few minutes" The Doctor thought back to his nightmare as he glared into Seth's violet eyes, the last time he saw them was watching the spark of life leave him as he floated to the ocean floor. "What?" Seth asked.
"Nothing" The Doctor said quietly "It's absolutely nothing" He grinned to hide the terror he felt over the nightmare and said "I think we should take a different approach to the tribe this time" He was desperate to shake his head and forget the nightmare but it stayed. "Where's Frederick?" The Doctor asked.
"He said he couldn't stay anymore, just before your hearts stopped actually, he thought you were going to die too Doctor" Maria replied.
"So where is he now?"
"Back across the river"
"Well then, let's go"
The Doctor stepped into the wooden shack "Hello?" He called.
Frederick nearly fell off his chair at the sound of his voice "Doctor?"
"Yes it's me"
"Come down here you coward" Seth shouted.
Suddenly there was a slap "Oww" Seth groaned.
Frederick ran to the door and stared open mouthed at the Doctor "Y-you shouldn't be alive, you did get hit with that dart didn't you?"
"Yes, I did, but I survived the dream afterwards"
"Dream?"
The Doctor sat down on the chair nearby "That dart was so bad it messed with my brainwaves, the nightmare was probably as normal as most dreams but the dart's properties causes the brain to be fooled into thinking it actually happened and the poison makes homeostasis go into overload, which is how the humans die, no control of inner body conditions, enzymes slow the reactions in the cells which stops them respiring and they die"
"You're human" Frederick told him the Doctor smiled at him "You are human aren't you?"
The Doctor shook his head "Wrong again, Seth and I aren't human, Seth is a…"
"Teripian"
"Teripian, he broke away from his race on the planet Teripia with me and Maria"
"And what about you?" Frederick asked.
"Me, I'm a traveller, that's all you need to know. Now listen, we need to get back into the tribe…"
"What!? After all you've been through you're going to risk your life again?" Frederick exclaimed.
"You don't have to come with us, I just came back to tell you I'm alive" The Doctor told him. "Right Maria and Seth let's go"
The Doctor got up quickly off his chair and moved towards the door Maria and Seth followed.
"Wait…" Frederick stopped them. The Doctor turned round to face him and smiled "Yes?"
"Let me go with you then, the tribe are hunting this week more than ever, they might catch me"
"Fine by us, fine by us isn't it Seth?" The Doctor looked over at Seth who looked down at the ground moodily. Maria nudged him and shot him a warning look
"Suppose" Seth mumbled.
"It's not up to you anyway, on we go" The Doctor declared. The four of them left the safety of the wooden shelter into the dark jungle beyond.