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Chapter Four
Doctor Samuel Haxall was an animal lover. At least, that is what he called himself. Frequently he stopped to tap the glass of his office fish tank, enjoying watching the beautiful creatures scatter at the harsh reverberations he caused.
As he entered the room in which John Smith recovered, he tapped the patient's chart absently with the end of his pen.
"Mr. Smith, how are you?" He closed the blinds. Glancing at the bed, he did not miss Smith's expression change to hide his suspicion with eager friendliness.
"Ah, quite well, thanks, apart you know, from the after effects of, well…dying." His eyes are maddening, Haxall thought as he surveyed the man who grinned toothily. In fact, he effectively exudes insanity.
He looked back down at his chart. "Just a couple of questions for you, if you don't mind."
"Nah, not at all, fire away."
"Your wife wasn't able to fully answer—"
"Not my wife."
"Girlfriend, wasn't able to—"
"Really? Sounds so… teeny-bopper—do you still say teeny-bopper or was that more of a nineties expression? I get so confused from decade to decade. I would have just called her my partner or companion, but that really doesn't do her justice…"
Haxall cleared his throat and Smith shut his mouth and nodded. Possibly the most obnoxious creature I've met so far. "When is your birthday Mr. Smith?"
"I'm not sure I'll be inviting Doctors to my party, understand, hospitals rather give me the creeps and a reminder of that on my birthday would put a damper on things, don't you think?"
Haxall took a deep breath and tapped his pen on the clipboard.
"Right, 1971."
"You are thirty seven?"
"Yep" He popped the 'p' infuriatingly.
"Height?"
"Six… one or two lost count somewhere after my fiftieth—fifteenth birthday."
"Excuse me?"
"Six, one."
"Weight?"
"Personal questions! I'd rather not disclose, thank you very much, I'm quite sensitive!"
Haxall took another deep, steadying breath. He would certainly need a stiff drink after this one. "I'm going to take a blood sample." He drew out a nylon band and wrapped it around Smith's upper arm, drawing it tight, probably a bit tighter than he had intended to.
"Erm, hang on a sec, didn't you already take my blood?"
"We need more." Haxall was done being polite.
"What for?"
"We need to infuse hemoglobin reactives with non receptive antibodies."
"I'm extremely smart you see, but I think even a moderately intelligent ten year old could tell that what you said was complete and utter…gobbledygook."
Haxall cursed under his breath. "Let us just continue with this chart shall we?" Swiftly, he drew a syringe filled with clear liquid and emptied it into Smith's veins before he could withdraw his arm.
"Oh for the love of—a sedative? Really?" He groaned and slid and inch from the pillows that propped him up. "I would have cooperated, you really didn't have to…"
"Any allergies that you can think of Mr. Smith?"
"Yes, very important, asprin."
Haxall glanced up at the man briefly, then scribbled the information on the chart. He tightened the band around Smith's arm again, and relocated a vein. The red substance poured into an empty syringe, down a long tube and into a plastic pouch. Smith's eyes began to close. As the dark liquid filled the bag, Haxall watched the clock, absently tapping his pen against his knee.
The rows of bright lights that filled the ceiling reflected off the luminous sterile white walls causing the room to brighten tenfold.
Doctor Samuel Haxall rubbed his aching head and turned to his colleague. "Norm, I do believe this creature gives me the most terrible headaches."
Norm raised his eyebrows as he readjusted the mask over his mouth. "Are you suggesting low level psychic abilities, or is your mask too tight?"
"Check his restraints, will you?" Haxall ran his hand over the sparse white hairs that crowned his head.
"Secure, oh would you look at that, it's awake."
Haxall finished snapping the latex gloves around his wrists and turned toward the metal table.
"Should I pump it with sedative again, boss?"
"In a minute." Haxall raised a weary hand to the younger man. He dug into the pocket of his lab coat and withdrew a small digital recorder. Gazing with mild curiosity at the naked body strapped to the table, he spoke into the recorder. "Specimen X: John Smith. It is eleven thirty-four pm. It has been determined that the specimen is male, at a height of 6 foot, one inch, and weighing one hundred and sixty pounds. Eye and hair color are brown. It is currently conscious."
He bent forward to shine a small light into the specimen's eyes. "Pupils are dilated, eyes are unfocused. Specimen bears striking resemblance to white/Caucasian male humanoids. Specimen X is currently attempting communication."
"It can't talk, can it?" Norm said as Haxall's finger left the record button. "I mean, its just mimicking us like a chimpanzee, right?"
"Oh he can talk, he can certainly talk." Haxall muttered as he watched the male figure opening and closing its mouth as though in speech. Its eyes were clouded over as though in mild, unfocused confusion. Suddenly the muscles in its arms and chest strained as it attempted to break the bonds that held it at its wrists.
"Oi!" Norm jumped back in surprise. "More sedative?"
"No, not yet."
"I don't trust the thing." He said gazing at the figure warily.
"It was a brief concentration of energy, no more, he's limp."
The figure dropped its head to one side. Haxall put a hand to its mouth and it opened obediently for the cotton swab. Brushing the inside of its cheeks firmly, he withdrew the swab and handed it to Norm. "You see? Docile as a lamb. He's confused and completely unaware. He'll do anything you want."
Norm received the swab and rubbed it into a Petri dish under a microscope.
Haxall stroked the creature's erratic hair fondly and it's eyes began to droop. "There now, that's it, just relax. Poor guy has had a stressful day, he doesn't understand. Reminds me of my dog at the vet's."
"I thought it was human at first, Sam, until you showed me the blood. You think of it more as an animal?"
"What else is there. There are humans, and there are animals. This is not a human, are you boy?" He rubbed its hair. "Obviously an undiscovered life form inferior to humans."
"I… Sir, I believe I agree with you now. The cellular activity is off the charts." He glanced at Haxall, eyes wide. "These cells should not be in motion. These are dividing and positively pulsing with movement."
Haxall nodded and showed the tweezers to Norm. They held a rectangular piece of metal no bigger than a grain of rice. "We'll release it but keep it on a tight tether."
"What is that?"
"You understand that dogs may have a microchip inserted between their shoulder blades that act as a GPS to insure the pet can be tracked at all times if they were to go missing?"
Norm nodded.
"Adapted from that technology, this will be our research tool."
Specimen X: John Smith woke slowly. He was lying curled on his side. A White washed wall and a framed pastel drawing of a cat met his gaze. He raised an arm to rub the sleep from his eyes, and then regretted it as the movement triggered a sharp pain along his spine. He groaned and squeezed his eyes shut, waiting for the pain to pass. When he opened his eyes next, it was to Rose's concerned face.
"You've been sleeping for a while."
"How long?" His voice came out as a croak.
Rose looked down at her watch. "About 30 hours since we brought you back from hospital."
He frowned. "That's funny. I don't even remember leaving."
She stroked the side of his face and smiled slightly. "You were pretty out of it, doped up on painkillers."
"I desperately need a shave." He rubbed his sandpaper face with a grimace. He groaned as he sat up and Rose helped him with an arm around his back.
"I'm not sure you should stand—oh, okay," She struggled to keep up with him and help as he stood slowly.
"Let me help you…"
"I'm fine Rose, just a bit sore." He shrugged off her arm, and subsequently cried out with the movement.
"Is it your back?"
"It's fine, I'm fine! Just need a stretch that's all." He stumbled to the door, frowned then turned back to her. "Actually, I do need help. Where's the bathroom?"
Rose leaned against the door frame watching as he shaved. The room smelled of her lavender shampoo. The Doctor stood amidst the lingering steam of the room, a towel wrapped tightly around his waist. He turned, looking ridiculous with half a face of shaving cream, and smiled apologetically. "I need to find a more manly scent, I know." He dragged the pink razor up his neck.
When he took the blade from his skin, Rose smirked, "One of my razors?"
"I'll buy you a new one. I'll buy you loads. I'll buy you new shampoo, conditioner, body wash, I'll even buy you one of those marvelous loofa wonders. In fact I'll buy you a new bathroom, one that I haven't shaved my grubby face in and a new house to go with it. I think I'd like to buy you anything you want."
Rose shook her head, smiling. "With what money?"
"I'll make a new sonic screwdriver."
"You can do that?"
"Course I can, I'm brilliant."
"I want a carousel in the garden."
He turned with an eyebrow raised and pointed a foamy razor at her. "That Rose Tyler, is asking a bit much."
She giggled and handed him a towel as he rinsed his face. "So you really are fine then? There won't be anymore, I dunno, relapses?"
The Doctor finished drying his face and shrugged. "Never been anyone like me before, guess we'll find out!" He smiled at her alarmed expression and put his hands on either of her shoulders. "Don't worry, my guess is that I'm in the clear, and my guesses usually end up being right."
He hesitated, then slid his hands up to frame her face. He bent his head slowly and paused, his eyes fixed on her questioningly. Seeing her response in her eyes, he lowered his head to kiss her properly for the first time. He slid his hand down her body and around her waist dropping lower to an area that would have earned him a hearty slap from Jackie. As the kiss deepened, he could feel Rose pressing against him. She sank lower and he found that he was essentially holding her up. Her hand found his waist and her finger tips grazed underneath the edge of the towel. The Doctor shuddered and groaned at the touch, surprised at the reaction of his body. She pressed her fingers to his back and dragged them upwards. The pressure of her fingers on his spine triggered a pain so intense that the Doctor broke the kiss with a gasp.
"What's wrong?"
He shook his head and found her lips again. "Nothing." He murmured against her. Her hand found his chest and pushed him away gently. "What happened, did I hurt you?"
"No, no, It's fine, being human, the hormones are just so new, that's all." She seemed satisfied with the answer.
His stomach growled loudly and Rose pulled back with a smile. "Maybe its time to find something to eat?"
Rose stood at the stove, stirring a large quantity of scrambled eggs. The Doctor knelt on the tiled floor, his head buried in a cupboard. His feet were bare and he was clothed in plaid pajama bottoms, inches too short, and a slightly oversized Led Zepplin T shirt both courtesy unbeknownst of Pete's closet.
"I might wither away to nothing and die if I don't eat right now." He said as he reached an arm deep into the cupboard. He withdrew a box of cereal and stood triumphantly. "Mind?"
"Help yourself," She smirked as he dug into the box. "My mum might be glad to see you clearing out her cupboards."
"Where is the lovely Jackie, anyway?" He said, picking through the cereal box, leaning up against counter and crossing his legs.
"Shopping of course."
He shuddered and fished out a marshmallow from the box. "Do you know Rose, I really do believe that the blue ones taste better than the rest. Not a very common color for food, blue, is it? Not even blueberries are really blue. At least on earth. Zorphius nineteen has nothing but blue food. Well, if you can call it food. More like a blue gunge they drink right out of the planet's core…"
Rose dumped the pile of scrambled eggs on a plate and handed him a fork, digging in with her own.
"It must be hard for you. It's hard for me even and I only traveled with you for a short time.
He grew serious as he took a bite of the eggs. "I have no choice. I'm stuck here, but stuck with you? That's not so bad." He smiled at her and she returned it.
"I always wondered, if you would still want to travel with me when I'm old and gray."
"Rose. My body may be human now, but my mind is Timelord still. I don't think of physical beauty the way that humans typically do. Sure my human body certainly does, but my mind loves your soul the way it always has."
She nudged his shoulder playfully. "Never been this cheesy before."
"Oi, give me a break, I've got brand new hormones raging through this body."
"You seem to be adjusting just fine to me."
"I'm a flexible guy. Had to be what with ten body changes, and you humans think puberty is bad!"
A/N: I'll try to update as soon as I can, but the reviews will certainly encourage me to update faster! Thanks for reading, please let me know how you like it so far, or if you have any suggestions at all!