Donna's heart pounded in her ears as she made her way down the hall toward her quarters. She found that the potted plants lining the hall now infuriated her. Those plants were a lie, making this place feel homey and welcoming when it was full of secrets and lies. Donna still didn't know what to do. She now had proof that Joanna had lied. Did she confront the woman? Demand answers? Maybe that was too risky. Maybe Donna should wait until she knew more about what Joanna was really up to. But how was she going to get that information? And what might be happening to the Doctor in the meantime?
Donna reached her door and slid the key card into the lock. It beeped and the door opened. Donna hurried inside. She needed to be alone, needed to think.
"Hello there, Donna."
Donna nearly jumped out of her skin. It was Joanna. The woman was sitting on Donna's couch, casually sipping tea. Today she was dressed in a blouse and slacks.
"What are you doing here?" Donna demanded.
"I came to check on you, obviously," Joanna replied. "Cheryl said that you were worried about something. You weren't here when I got here, but I had some free time so I thought I'd let myself in and wait. Is something the matter, Donna?"
Joanna looked at Donna with an expression of earnest concern. It's too soon! Donna thought. I don't know what I'm doing! What do I say? Screw it. Donna had never been one to tiptoe around the issue.
"I know you lied to me."
Joanna's eyebrows shot up.
"Donna! What would ever give you that impression?"
"Don't patronize me! I found the Tardis today. It looked like it'd been abandoned for weeks. The Doctor never left, did he?"
Joanna pursed her lips and moved to set her tea down on the table, breaking Donna's gaze.
"Where is he? Why did you lie?"
"I'm sorry, Donna. I didn't want to make your situation more difficult for you than it had to be."
"How does lying about the Doctor make things easier? If you'd just tell me – "
"Donna," Joanna said sharply, cutting her off. "I'm sorry. He's dead."
Donna felt as though her blood had been replaced with ice water. It suddenly felt harder to breathe. All her worries about Lanassa Colony floated out a window in her mind, and only one word echoed in the emptiness left behind. Dead?
"No…" Donna mumbled, still reeling from the shock. Joanna was suddenly beside her, leading her over to the couch and encouraging her to sit down. Something wasn't right here. "How?"
"You remember the sabotage attempt I told you about?"
Donna nodded numbly.
"There was a bomb on the colony's infrastructure. If it had gone off the colony would have been destroyed, we all would have died. But the bomb was leaking radiation – he said it had been designed that way on purpose, to keep us from defusing it. He defused it anyway, and the radiation poisoning killed him just a short time later. There was nothing we could do."
She explained it all in such a gentle, apologetic tone, looking Donna in the eyes, brow furrowed with regret and concern. She seemed so sincere.
"I'm sorry, Donna. I really am. He saved us all."
But this woman was a liar.
"I want to see the body," Donna said, voice ragged as she fought back a traitorous urge to cry.
"I'm not sure – "
"You lied to me once!" Donna shouted. "I'm not trusting you again unless I see the body."
"If you're sure," Joanna said reluctantly. She stood and headed for the door. Donna's heart plunged. Joanna had actually agreed to it. As if she really had the Doctor's body.
Heart pounding, Donna followed Joanna to the door and out into the hall. They turned right, heading down the hall toward the hospital the way Nancy had brought Donna yesterday. They passed through the little atrium with the couches and the welcome sign and stopped in front of the biolock. Biolock Opening, the marquis said.
They stepped out into the hospital. The sterile white halls were as empty as Donna remembered.
"The morgue is this way," Joanna said.
Donna followed her down a hall she hadn't been in before. It ended at a lift. They stepped inside and Joanna pressed a button. Donna felt the lift move down. Joanna was really taking her to the morgue. She couldn't be telling the truth. Donna felt tears welling up and choked them down.
The lift opened. It seemed darker down here. More utilitarian. Patients didn't normally come here. Joanna led the way through a series of turns. They passed men in security uniforms who gave Donna odd glances, but after looking to Joanna none questioned her presence. Finally they stopped beside a thoroughly non-descript door. One of the security men stood beside it. He raised an eyebrow at Joanna. Joanna ignored him and turned to Donna.
"Are you sure you want to go through with this?" she asked.
Donna fought back a wave of panic. Did she want to go through with this? Maybe she should just go back. Pretend nothing had happened. If she didn't see the Doctor's body, Joanna could still be lying. He could still be coming back for her. He didn't have to be dead. I have to know. Resolutely, Donna nodded.
Joanna sighed and stood aside. Donna stepped toward the door. At a nod from Joanna, the security man punched a key code and the door slid open.
On the other side was a tiny, empty room. A rough shove from behind propelled Donna into the cell. She caught her balance and spun just in time to see Joanna giving her a sour look as the door slid shut.
"Oi!" Donna threw herself against the door, but it didn't budge. "Let me out!" She yelled, furious, pounding against the metal. "You.. you… snakes! You lying, backstabbing, ferrets! Let me out of here!" The noise of her fists rang hollowly through the cell. "What did you do with him?" Donna shrieked. "What did you do with him?"
The solid metal door was completely unfazed by her assault. It remained resolutely closed, and no answer came from the other side. Donna growled angrily and paced to the other side of the cell, kicking the wall irritably.
"Brilliant work, Donna," she chided herself.
She glanced around the confines of the tiny room and then, unexpectedly, felt a smile steal across her lips. There was at least one bright spot in this turn of events. Joanna had been bluffing. And that meant that, wherever he was, the Doctor was still alive.