CHAPTER 8:
The Doctor began pushing buttons and pulling levers in the center console.
"Where to next?" There was no answer. "Jezabell?" He looked at her. Jezabell was sitting on the yellow seat, clutching her leg. "What's wrong?"
"He scratched my leg," She replied looking up at him. "I thought it was nothing, but it really hurts." She lifted her jeans to reveal a huge gash in her leg.
"There is no way only finger nails did that." The Doctor said, looking at the cut.
"They were more like claws," Jezabell laughed. Blood was seeping out of the wound.
"Still, this is deep. Why didn't you say anything earlier? You didn't react when it happened."
"I didn't think it was anything worth acknowledging. It didn't hurt at first."
"It looks infected. But it can't be...It only just happened."
"He had plenty of dirt in his nails. Maybe it's that? And who knows what infection could have been on him…"
"You'll be fine, let me just look at it and I'm sure I can fix it." The Doctor lifted her leg onto the seat and looked at the cut again. "Ew," He said. "It has puss." He squeezed on the swelling gash and some gross yellowish stuff came out, then he made a face. Jezabell did too.
"That's nasty." Jezabell tried to stay lighthearted, but her mind started wandering to her family; her long deceased family.
Jezabell rarely thinks about her family. She used to have a mother, father, sister, and brother; but they've all died. Suddenly, she had a vision of standing with her mother at the train station. She remembered seeing her mother begin to lose balance, but thinking it to be nothing, as her own mother didn't even realize it yet. The rest happened so quickly, all Jezabell could do was yell out as her mother fell in front of the approaching train.
"What is it?" The Doctor asked, snapping Jezabell back into reality.
"What do you mean?" she asked confused.
"You just shouted. Why? Does it hurt that bad?"
"What?" She hadn't realized she actually yelled out. "No, I'm fine. I didn't mean to. I was just- never mind. I'm fine."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, I'm sure." The Doctor looked at her for a moment longer before going back to work on her still swelling leg. "Can't we just amputate this?"
"No, you need your leg."
"But it's ghastly." The Doctor laughed, and agreed.
Not wanting to watch more puss seep out if her swollen leg, which was now twice the size as normal; Jezabell looked around the TARDIS. It really was huge. She never actually noticed just how big it was. She was deciding whether the color was yellow or orange when she suddenly remembered her sister.
Sarah's favorite color was orange. She had orange blankets on her bed, and her walls were a pale orange. Sarah was a very perky girl. Well, so everyone thought. Everyone thought she was happy, and friendly. No one saw what she buried underneath. Sarah had always been close to their mother, and loved her as much as the other children did, if not more. Obviously Sarah wasn't the happiest person alive, but she wasn't depressed. That's why it was such a shock when she jumped into the fire. Every few weeks, Jezabell's family had a bonfire in the back yard. That stopped when Sarah decided it was the best time to give her farewell speech and burn herself before anyone could stop her. Jezabell didn't know what was worse; the fact that she just lost her only sister, the one she cared for and who was the sweetest girl alive, or that she had to listen to her scream.
"Okay, I got most of it out, I just need gauze." The Doctor got up and started looking through things. Jezabell pushed the terrifying image from her mind.
"Hm, no gauze… I swear I had some a few days ago. Oh, that's right. I threw it at the pope of Saturn in the year forty thirty four." The Doctor shuddered at the memory. "Well, we'll just have to stop in London and get more! The TARDIS needs an energy boost anyway." He pushed buttons and pulled leavers the pushed leavers and pulled buttons. The TARDIS shook as they flew back to London.
"Alright then, I'll just-" he stopped. "Jezabell, are you sure you look okay? You look a little pale."
"Yeah," She replied. "I'm fine." She really wished he would stop asking her questions. She didn't want to explain her life to him.
More memories started swirling in her head. Being screamed at for being five seconds late home; being told she could hang out with her brother because she had work to finish; her father pushing her down the stairs to her basement room.
"Well if you're sure… I'm just going to go out and get gauze to wrap up your leg."
"No, don't go out there."
"Why? Afraid of being alone?" the Doctor laughed.
"Not even the slightest. Everywhere you go, Doctor, something happens. Something exciting; and I don't want to miss anything."
"Then who is going to get what we need?" Almost as if to answer the question, the doors burst open.
"Doctor!" the intruder exclaimed. "You know how loud those engines are?"
"Jack!" The Doctor pulled the man into a hug. The light shining on his face revealed that it was Captain Jack Harkness. "What have you been doing lately?"
"Oh, you know. Same as always, working for Torchwood. I actually don't live to far away, if you want to hang out for a bit. My roommates been out for a while, she might be back. She's probably been with her boyfriend. He just came back from America, I think."
"Sounds great, accept I'm not allowed to leave; strict orders."
"From who?" The Doctor nodded to where Jezabell was sitting. "Or maybe she's traveling through time and space."
"Hey, Jack." Jezabell said, waving.
"Wait," The Doctor said. "You two are roommates?"
"Yeah. I told you Doctor. Clearly, you don't know your friends too well."
"You never told me!"
"Yes, I did. I said I had a friend who traveled through time and space as well and his name was Jack."
"Well, there are a lot of Jacks in the world. Besides, do you really expect me to remember everything you say?"
"Yes, Doctor, I do."
"Rule one of being with Jezabell," Jack said, smiling. "Always remember what she tells you."
"No, that was rule three." Jezabell responded.
"Right, rule one was only argue if you really know what you're saying."
"Wrong again. That's rule two. Rule one is notice my awesomeness and regularly remind me of it."
"Ah, how could I forget?" Jezabell and Jack laughed. "No, seriously though, notice, and remind. Regularly." This time she looked at the Doctor as she spoke.
"I'll do my best." Jezabell smiled, and then Jack started talking again. The Doctor asked something about where he worked, and Jack didn't hesitate before describing Torchwood in deep description.
Watching Jack talk so highly of what he does, Jezabell thought back to when they were younger. Her brother, Michael, was friends with Jack first. He used to bring him over all the time, as Jack was the only person their father aloud in the house. Even still, he gritted his teeth every time he saw Jack enter through the doorway. Jack had always been interested in space and the impossible. That was one of the things Jezabell has always admired about him. He always had hope.
Thinking about these things, brought other memories to mind. These memories however weren't as welcome. Flashes of her younger brother tied to a tree raced through her mind. She remembered feeling helpless as she was stuck agenst a tree too and could not help her fighting brother. An arm raises, gun in hand, and fires. The bullets hit Michael in the leg.
Jezabell blinked, trying to erase the thoughts from her head. She tried to focus on the Doctor who was now back to working on her leg.
A knife flies through the air and his Michaels other leg. Now neither can move. Jezabell wasn't sure which scream was louder; hers, or her brothers.
She blinks again, and looks around the TARDIS, searching for Jack. He isn't in sight, so she assumed he left to get the gauze.
Michael's screams get louder in her ears as a man cuts him with a sharp knife. Jezabell screams every time the man touches her brother. Then the man lights a fire near them. At the time, Jezabell thought they were going to be thrown into them. But now she realizes the man wasn't done playing with them.
"I got it," Jack says, approaching the Doctor, and snapping Jezabell back into present time. The smile he flashes in Jezabell's direction quickly fades. "Jezabell, what's wrong?"
"Nothing," She says, quietly.
"Tell me."
"It's nothing. I'm fine, really." He looks at her a moment, but then looks back to the Doctor.
Not wanting to see them glance at her worriedly, she looks around the TARDIS again. She loved how impossible it was.
Impossible. That was what she thought when her sister died. That was the only time she saw something impossible happen before a few days ago. The scene of the flames engulfing her younger sister flooded her mind, but then slowly changed. Images of her brother yet again chased themselves across her vision. The same hands that burned, cut, shot, and killed her brother were sliding themselves on her body. She shivered.
"Jezabell! Jezabell!" Jacks voice once again brings Jezabell back to the TARDIS. Both he and the Doctor are staring at her with concerned looks. "What's wrong? Don't say 'nothing,' either." Jezabell suddenly became aware of the few tears sliding down her cheeks. Embarrassment rushed to her cheeks as she hastily wipes them off. Without warning, memories of her haunted past kept launching themselves at her. She kept seeing her siblings, and hearing their screams. She keeps feeling the fright she felt as she watched her mother and the train. Her body burns where they remember her father's harsh punishments.
"Your leg doesn't hurt that badly, does it?" The Doctor asked. Jezabell wanted to reply, she wanted to do something to keep her mind in the now, but nothing worked. She shook her head and more tears came. She tried her best to keep herself from crying, but everything failed. Her eyes will was stronger than her mind. The tears flowed as she kept remembering each terrifying, and traumatizing experience. Only one other time has she had all these things rush into her head at once; the last time she cried.
"What is it?" Jacks eyes were mixed with concern and confusion. Jezabell knew she couldn't say anything without crying aloud, and that was not about to happen. She hoped that staring at one fixed place would keep her from crying, but everything found a way to remind her of her past. Suddenly, Jack seemed to understand. He was suddenly aware of why she was in this unusual state.
"Jezabell, look at me." He said. "Look at me." He took her hands into his own. Jezabell looked at him through a wall of water. "Their dead. Their dead, remember? They can't hurt you." He was referring to the only people who did hurt her. The man who killed Michael, and her father.
"So are they," Jezabell whispered back; referring to the rest of her family.
"They are still with you." Jacks eyes were determined. He's done this before. Unfortunately, this time isn't like last time. This time, Jezabell's mind seemed to have forgotten all the good thoughts.
"Remember when you were little. Remember your mother singing to you." Last time, Jack reminded her of good things from each person. This time, it only made her worse. "Remember being able to play with Sarah. Remember being allowed to spend time with Michael and me." Again, this only seemed to make her worse. "Now remember the best part of your whole life; you will always have me."
At this, Jezabell managed a small smile, but could not bring her eyes back up to his.
"You're with the Doctor now. Nothing is better than flying around with a mad man in an impossible box, looking at the stars." This again made Jezabell smile, but it soon faded as her memory pushed her family back into place. Her eyes flooded with tears again, as she struggled to think again of everything Jack just told her. It wasn't working.
"What's a happy memory that every girl has?" The Doctor asked, looking at Jack. Then he remembered one. "Oh! Your first kiss! Every girl loves those. Think about your first kiss."
"Yeah, it was a pretty good one." Jack said, smiling. Jezabell slapped him. As much as she tried to remember these things, it wasn't working. Too many memories of her physical and emotional pain was taking up her mind and all her senses.
She was finding it harder to control her crying. The Doctor worked quickly, and Jack tried to think of what else to do or say.
"Please…" Jezabell said quietly. "Please make it stop." She looked at the doctor, tears streaming down her face. She was feeling dizzy. "Just make it stop." Her head was swimming as much as her eyes were. "Please…" Was all she could manage before fading.