Chapter 9

Amy and Rose watched in awe as the teenage boy in the room crumpled to the ground and held his stomach. "Stay back!" He hissed to them when they stepped forward. He groaned quietly, trying to prove to the women that he was a strong man, and in a matter of seconds, the dog stood in front of them once more.

He wagged his tail to them, assuring that he was fine. With a sigh, Amy turned to the door. "Now that he's a dog again, let's get moving."

Rose slung the backpack onto her shoulders and peeked out the door. She emerged the rest of the way into the hall and gestured that the coast was clear. Amy, hanging onto Josh's scruff, tiptoed out next to Rose. She began leading the way to the Doctor and Rory's room. Josh trotted alongside eagerly awaiting his chance to run down the hall.

After several turns, Amy stopped and peered around the next corner. She darted back and whispered, "The guards are still posted there, as I expected. So, to clarify, we're going to let Josh loose, he'll distract the guards, and then we'll get the boys and meet Josh back at the ladder if he can make it?" Rose nodded. "And he said to wait no more than 20 minutes, right?" Rose nodded again.

Amy leaned back out to the hall and dragged Josh in front of her before letting go of his scruff. At once, he was sprinting down the hall, barking and howling like crazy. The guards looked stunned for a moment before both of the large men took off after the creature, leaving the door completely unprotected.

When the two were long out of sight, Amy and Rose crept out into the hallway and to the door. Rose turned the doorknob slowly and opened the door inwards. As she stepped through the threshold, something hit her in the shoulder. "Ow!" She cried out, spinning around.

The Doctor's voice filled the room. "Rory! I said if it was Vatra! Vatra!" He rushed to Rose. "Are you alright?" He grabbed her shoulders and looked at her concerned.

"Sorry! Oh my god, I'm so sorry!" Rory said hastily.

Rose turned to him, rubbing her shoulder. "I'm fine. It didn't hurt that much." She hugged her doctor and smiled, glad to have been reunited with him. "We're getting out of here, Doctor. She used this machine thing and pulled all sorts of information from my mind. We need to get out soon, before we're stuck here forever."

The Doctor nodded at her. "You know, I keep forgetting just how clever you can be, Rose." He smiled and looked into her eyes.

Amy and Rory hugged each other tightly. Amy explained what was going on to her husband and he agreed that their plan was pretty clever. However, neither Rose nor Amy revealed Josh's secret. They knew that was for him to tell on his own. After all, they had decided if Josh didn't get to the ladder in time, they'd come back for him.

After their short reunion, the four got a move on in case the guards returned. They ran down the hall and Rose soon found the hallway she was looking for. She turned sharply down it and the others followed faithfully. As they sprinted down the hall, it grew dustier until they finally reached the dirt tunnel leading to the surface.

They all piled into the small tunnel where the lights of the hallways didn't reach so as not to be seen by any passers-by. They sat for a few minutes and caught their breath, paying little mind to their surroundings. After each had caught their breath, they began paying attention to the sounds echoing throughout the facility. Every once in a while, sharp piercing barks would work their way through the halls and Rose knew that Josh had yet to lose the people following him.

After several more minutes, Amy began to wonder if Josh would come back soon. She couldn't think of leaving him, but it had been his idea for them to escape if he wasn't back in 20 minutes. It grew warmer in the tunnel and the Doctor could sense that sunrise was approaching quickly, and when it arrived, they'd soon be found out. Or at least their rooms would be discovered empty.

When the group was about to get up and leave, a scratching of claws from the halls caught their attention. The soft scratch was definitely getting closer and they grew excited, hoping it to be their Josh. Sure enough, Josh appeared around a corner, carrying a small bag in his mouth.

Rory dropped to the ground. "Here Sam, here boy!" He urged, waving the dog to come in his direction. Amy momentarily wished she had explained about Josh.

The dog trotted over and dropped the bag by Rose's feet. She picked it up an examined it, but shoved it into the backpack. Surely when Josh turned human again, he'd know what to do with it.

Rory turned his head back to the Doctor. "Uh, Doctor… How are we gonna get him up the ladder?"

The Doctor simply smiled. "I'll show you." He swung an arm under Josh's chest and then heaved him over his shoulder with a grunt. "Oh, he's a bit heavier than I expected." With one hand on the canine and one on the rungs of the ladder, he began climbing his way slowly upward. It was slow-goings with Josh having to be carried, but there was no other way.

Rose climbed up next, followed by Amy and then Rory. Together, all four of them climbed up to the top. It felt like it took ages, and it probably did, but there was no good way for them to judge the time they had been climbing. When the Doctor finally reached the top, Josh jumped onto solid ground happily. The Time Lord lay down in the grass and the rest of the group did the same, giving their arms and legs a rest from the climb.

Across the field, sure enough, sat their TARDIS, just where she was before. When they had all gotten some quick rest, Rose dared to see if she had unlocked herself. She picked her tired body off the ground and slowly approached the blue box. As she got there, she reached for the handle and pushed, to find the TARDIS (no surprise) still locked. With a sigh, she pouted back over to the group.

"Well, the TARDIS is still locked and pretty soon, Vatra's going to notice we're missing. We'd better find somewhere to stay for a while, don't you think?" She said to her friends.

The Doctor glanced up at her. "There should be some abandoned houses or warehouses around the outskirts of the town. We should try there- get out of sight. We don't want anyone recognising us." The still-tired group all picked themselves up and began walking. Josh followed behind, trotting and wagging his tail.

Through the field the quintet walked and chatted quietly. Amy talked to Rory about things they'd need to do around the house when they returned while Rose told the Doctor more about her stay within the Torchwood facility. Josh, though staying silent, seemed to speak to the group with his body. They could all tell he had somewhere in mind to go and was excitedly leading them there. He walked in front, stopping and turning to check on his people every few minutes.

Pretty soon, they came upon the more populated part of the town. There were empty warehouses everywhere, but Josh was insistent on continuing forward despite the Doctor's urging to stop at the abandoned places. With a sigh, the Doctor would abandon his urging every time, only to spot another house he thought looked perfect.

Over the course of several blocks, Josh didn't hesitate at a single house; he walked forwards with purpose. Finally, as they were getting into the more populated area of the town, he stopped at a warehouse, scratched at the unlocked door which popped open, and trotted inside. It was clear from his movements that he knew this place. He turned straight for the stairs and led them up to a furnished area.

Rose was astonished. This warehouse, though clearly abandoned, had a couch, two mattresses on the floor, a table, and even a fridge! The fridge wasn't on, but there was a fridge nonetheless. Inside, non-perishable foods had been stuffed. Those must be there so that bugs and mice don't get them! Rose thought to herself. Clearly someone had put all this stuff here.

Even though the three humans and the Doctor were wary of someone returning, they all settled down. Rose took a mattress, Amy and Rory shared one, and the Doctor took the couch. Rose slid her mattress over to him and offered the other half, but he insisted upon staying on the couch, even though he really did want to have that mattress.

They all pulled off their shoes and lied down to rest for a while after their sprinting through the facility, climbing the ladder, and walking to the house. The Doctor pulled off his jacket and laid it across Rose as a blanket.

Amy's stomach growled and she padded to the fridge. She pulled out a jar of peanut butter, checked the expiration date and then opened the delicious food. With a lack of utensils, she resorted to using her fingers, which earned a groan from Rory. "Well, what'd you use then?" She said grouchily to him. He stayed silent.

As the group rested, the night grew closer and Josh grew more and more excited. He couldn't wait to turn human and show Rose what the vial he got was for! Ever since he had first seen her, he'd loved Rose. Not in a romantic way, but because she seemed like a good role-model; she was kind to everyone, whether human or not. She was strong in the face of danger, as so many aren't. And she wasn't at all like his mother. As the others drifted off into sleep, Josh quieted down too. He knew they needed their rest before he changed; the men still didn't know the full story about him.

As the moon rose, Josh felt his bones groan. He could sense the change coming on and he nudged Rose awake. She slowly opened her eyes, and upon hearing the groan that escaped Josh, she bolted awake. Trying to stay silent, she twisted for the backpack beside her. She tossed it over to the boy and turned away, waiting for him to fully change and pull on his clothes.

"Rose." The boy said when the coast was clear. She turned back to see him in the dark-washed jeans and red graphic T. He was also holding the small bag he had picked up as a dog. He unzipped it and pulled out a syringe and vial of bluish liquid. "I need you to inject this into me. My mom created it as a cure for her employees that had been subjected to too many of the waves that radiate from the machines, so I think it can cure me." When Rose hesitated, he continued. "She said if it was ever injected into a normal person, nothing would happen."

With that, Rose slowly reached for the stuff in his hands. "What dosage do you need?"

He looked down at his feet. "I'm not sure, but I've seen her do 3 mL on the others."

Rose was hesitant- she didn't want to overdose the boy. But she knew he only had a few minutes. With a sigh, she pulled the dose into the syringe and Josh held out his arm. He closed his eyes and took even breaths, his method for preparing for a needle.

Rose tried to be quick, but she was no expert with a needle. She pricked his arm and squeezed the plunger, just as the nurse back at home had done so many times to her. Josh continued his even breathing and when he felt the needle come out, he turned to look. The needle was leaving very little bleeding and he smiled. "That wasn't so bad." He reassured her. "Now, I need some sleep. I've barely been able to sleep for the past two nights."

As Josh prepared to sleep on the floor, the Doctor grumbled and rolled over. He fell without waking off of the couch and onto Rose's king size mattress. "Well, guess you're getting the couch." She said to the boy. He smiled and climbed happily onto the furniture while Rose curled up again on her side of the mattress. How he didn't wake up for that, I'd love to know.