Much like last time, I wake to the sound of a heart rate monitor. Curious.
I slowly blink my eyes open, allowing them to adjust to the harsh white lights of the hospital. I am hooked up to another IV line but unlike before, I am feeling far less groggy.
I slowly move myself into an upright sitting position just as a nurse approaches.
"Morning, well, it's afternoon really! Anyway, how are you feeling?" A young looking girl asks, she has a nice smile.
"Ok, thanks" I croak out.
"Good, good... well I'm only a trainee so I will see if I can send a Doctor over to check on you" the girl states, flicking through my chart.
"Ok...Ummm, can I ask what happened?" I enquire, still a bit disorientated.
I mean I was expecting to wake up with the Doctor, either on the Tardis or in mortal peril to be honest.
"We found you in an alley just outside the hospital, in fact, I found you on my way in. Good thing too, you needed that IV line" she explains.
"Oh, well, thanks. Is this the Royal Hope then?" I ask, just trying to get my bearings.
"Yes, I thought you'd recognise it. Seems like you were here only just over a week ago. Malnutrition... dehydration... panic attacks" she continues to read my paperwork.
"Yeah, they've prescribed me something to sort the episodes" I confirm.
"Good. Well the Doctor will be over shortly to check on you, and I'll send a nurse over with your medication and some food. Make sure you eat first, don't have a pill on an empty stomach" she advises.
"Ok then, thanks" I state, then shuffle lower back into my bed.
She walks off and leaves me in peace... or at least as much peace as you can get on a hospital ward.
At least I'm allowed some privacy, whoever is next to me has their curtains drawn and to my other side is the window so I spend some time staring out at the view over London. I've always been a people watcher, like my mum. Nope, not going there. I'm not opening that can of worms, not today.
Soon the Doctor, Mr Stoker, arrives to check my STATS and chat about my health.
"What I want to do is work out how you ended up on that street. I read your file and it seems we had organised emergency accommodation after your last trip to see us Miss Fox" He enquires.
How on Earth do I even begin to explain. I barely understand it myself.
"Ummm, I don't know... I just sort of blacked out" I stutter a poor excuse.
"Hmmm, and you've been taking your medication daily you say?" He asks.
"Yes, I mean, it's really helped" I confirm to him.
"Good, well I'll follow that up, take a look at the dosage, see what we can do. In the meantime I recommend you eat your lunch Miss Fox, you need all the nutrients you can get if we are to get you back to full health" he suggests.
"Yes, I will do. Thank you" I say, looking down at my cheese sandwich and crisps.
And with that, he nods and leaves, moving onto the patient next to me.
As I begin to eat I catch some of the conversation next door to me. I've always been a bit nosey, and lets face it, hospitals can be pretty boring places waiting around. I see the female nurse I spoke with earlier head over to my neighbour through the curtains along with a group of probably medical students.
"John Smith, admitted yesterday with severe abdominal pain" I just about catch.
Do I know that name? I suppose it's fairly common.
"Stomach cramps?" I catch the female nurse saying.
"That is a symptom, not a diagnosis" I overhear Doctor Stoker reprimand.
Oh bless that girl, she seemed really nice, some of my friends were doing medical degrees, apparently its really hard. Definitely harder than English, I just have to theorise and debate.
"A think perhaps a visit from psychiatric" I hear Doctor Stoker suggest as he leaves the patient and moves on to another opposite me.
I continue munching on my cheese sandwich. Realising that's about as much action as I'll be getting today, wow its going to be boring until they discharge me.
Then, mid bite through my sandwich, my neighbour draws the curtain that divides our beds swiftly.
I almost choke.
"Nadine! Fancy seeing you here!" He exclaims.
It's pinstripes. What? How? Oh God. Ok play it cool Nadine, he's never shown me any anger.
This is fine, I can do this.
Quickly I gulp down my mouthful having narrowly avoided death by surprise.
"Oh, hey" I mutter.
"Hey... That's it?" He complains jovially.
"What more is there to say?" I reply.
He moves to perch on the end of my bed, so I edge my feet further away from him. He glances down, noticing, eyebrows scrunched.
"Someone's in a mood today" He states, meaning it as a joke.
"Well this isn't exactly where I wanted to spend my day" I deadpan.
"No, I suppose not. Actually why is that? Why are you here in the first place?" He gets serious then, as though he's only just realised that I am actually a patient.
Crazy alien. Stupid alien more like.
"It's none of your business" I shoot back at him, not in the mood to chat, especially to him.
"Wow, you really are annoyed, what did I do this time, where have you come from?" He asks.
I just take a massive bite of my sandwich in revolt, making sure to chew extra slowly.
"Nadine" his tone gets more serious.
"I don't know" I mutter through my sandwich.
"Right then, be like that" He decides.
Then he reaches to the end of my bed and grabs my paperwork.
"Hey! Thats private... that's... thats confidential information!" I gasp out. How dare he?!
I reach over to grab it off him but he just stands up and continues flicking through my notes.
I resign myself to my cheese sandwich, huffing in annoyance. Won't he just leave me alone already?
"You were admitted... a week ago! Wait, severe malnutrition...you must be early then. No, wait... What's this? Episodes?" He looks up at me.
"Ummm, I don't know, it's ok now though" I explain.
"Then why are you here then?" He counters.
"I just arrived here, like I normally do...splitting headache, then they find me lying in an alley near the entrance apparently" I keep it brief, I don't need to explain myself to him. Hopefully he will just give it up soon.
"Well, then thats probably because I'm here" He concludes.
"Great" is my sarcastic response.
He moves to sit back down, still reading through my chart, probably memorising it the weirdo.
I gulp down some of my water, then grab my pill and have it with some more water.
He looks over at me, watching. His eyes narrow as I swallow the pill.
"What's that then?" He asks, curious.
"My medication" I keep it simple. I know its annoying him the fact that I'm giving him such limited information, well, serves him right for never answering my questions properly.
He sighs. I swear I hear him muttering something about me being difficult under his breath. I'll show you difficult.
"For what Nadine!" He exasperates.
"My Episodes! God, you're so annoying!" I spark back at him.
"So it's antipsychotics?" He asks, glancing back at the paperwork.
"Do I look like a Doctor? I just take them" I state.
"You just take them! You aren't psychotic Nadine, you don't need..." He is cut off.
Suddenly the whole room shifts and rocks and shudders. Lights flicker and people are screaming.
I am thrown straight out of bed into the Doctor, who manages to grab onto me last minute.
We are then forced to the ground as the shaking gets worse.
I close my eyes and focus on breathing, staying calm. The medication should kick in any second I tell myself.
Then it's over, and I can actually feel the relief pass through me as my mind foggs over slightly and everything becomes less stressful.
The Doctor is up like a flash, depositing me back on my bed before running off to his bed and closing the curtains.
Everyones screaming. Patient sobbing on the floor... and the nurses aren't doing much better.
The young nurse who I first met rushes in and runs to the window, I join her to peer out of it.
"We'll sort it out, don't worry!" She tells the wailing patients.
Oh Lord!
How.. is this... possible.
We are on the moon. As in, the whole hospital...all of these patients... we are all on the moon.
No wonder everyone's panicking. This is insane!
It's just not possible! Then again, how many times have I though that since meeting the Doctor?
Too many.
"It's real... its really real! Hold on..." She moves to open the window.
Another nurse rushes to her.
"Don't! We'll loose all the air" She cries, clearly terrified.
"No we won't" I start.
"But, they're not exactly airtight, if the air was gonna get sucked out it would have happened straight away... but it didn't!" The girl confirms my thoughts.
"So what's keeping it in?" I question.
Then The Doctor reappears, back in his suit only this time a Navy one. I prefer the pinstripes.
"Very good point" He nods to me, moving his arm over my shoulder.
Then he turns to Martha.
"Brilliant in fact, what was your name?" He asks her.
"Martha" She provides.
"And it was Jones... wasn't it?" He confirms. She nods, smiling over at him.
"Nadine, your right... question is... how are we still breathing?" He ponders, moving closer to the windows.
"But we can't be!" The panicking nurse exclaims. Bless her, it's only a natural response... I mean I'm only coping because of that pill I took not five minutes ago.
"But obviously we are so don't waste my time" He snaps back.
I smack him lightly on the shoulder.
"Don't be so rude!" I snap at him in return. Poor girl.
He just scoffs and turns his attention back to Martha.
"Martha, what have we got, is there a balcony on this floor or a veranda?" he asks, peering through the glass out onto the moon.
"By the patients lounge" she reveals.
"Fancy going out?" He turns to her.
"Okay" Martha slowly agrees.
"We might die" he urges. Is he testing her? Is that how he decides his companions then?
"We might not" she counters, well, if it is, she's passed that test.
"Good, c'mon... not her she'd hold us up" he responds. Yep, he likes her. Not the other girl though, poor thing.
Before I know it, he's grasped my hand and is dragging me along with him. Great, don't I get a choice?!
We arrive at the balcony. The pair move to open the doors.
I have to say, its pretty breathtaking. I move to the edge and just take in the view... thats home, I'm looking at the Earth! This is mental!
The pair chat, Martha challenging his name. Rightly so... I mean who calls themselves the Doctor?
I wander back inside, looking down the hallway to see patients scattered everywhere. There's a child sat alone, curled up in the corner. I move and crouch before him.
"Hey there, you alright? What's your name?" I ask gently.
"Jamie" he stutters.
"Hi Jamie. I'm Nadine, are you a bit scared right now? Because I'll let you in on a secret, so am I" I whisper.
He looks up at me through teary eyes.
"I want my mum" he says.
My gut wrenches. Me too.
"Where's your mum sweetheart?" I ask.
"She's having a scan, she's got a baby in her belly" He explains.
"Oh really" How exciting!" I try to keep it light. He's scared enough.
"Can I see her?" He asks.
"I'll tell you what, why don't you and I go on a little adventure. We can find your mum. How does that sound?" I suggest.
His face lights up, so I offer him my hand and he grasps it.
As I move to stand with the boy the Doctor and Martha come inside.
"Now's not the time to sit around Nadine, come on!" He orders rushing off.
"No, I'm going to help Jamie find his mum" I argue.
He stops in his tracks, turning to me. Glancing at the boy tightly grasping my arm and leaning into me.
"I need you where I can see you, it's not safe" He explains.
"I don't care, this boy needs his mum and I'm going to help him" I stand my ground.
"Look, I get it, you're mad. You've made that very clear. But there are Judoon heading in here and it could get dangerous, you need to come with me" He grinds out, frustrated.
"Well that's a shame, seems like you're not getting what you want then" I put it plainly.
With that, I turn on my heel and head in the opposite direction to where they were running.
"Nadine!" He hisses.
"Oh get lost" I bellow over my shoulder.
"We really need to.." I hear Martha speaking before he cuts her off.
"Nadine, Come back here right now!" He shouts back, sounding angry now.
"I'll see you around!" I continue, squeezing Jamie's hand for comfort.
"Or not if I can help it" I continue.
"Nadine!" I only just catch him shouting as I turn a corner and look for a sign to direct me.
Finally, some peace and quiet from that annoying spaceman. Well, besides the frantic crying and general panic that is sweeping the hospital. This really isn't a good situation.
It may not be much, but I am going to help this boy. I'm going to be brave for him.
Now where on Earth can I find the maternity ward, she must be there surely?
We continue wandering, traipsing around the hospital, attempting to navigate my way around. I try to act like I know where I'm going, but honestly, I'm just praying I accidentally stumble upon the maternity ward with some luck.
Wow this place is like a maze.
We stop when we can hear more screaming from what sounds like the ground floor, that must be the Judoon then... whatever they are.
Better keep moving.
I try and keep calm and composed, this kid is relying on me and I won't let him down.
Then I stop, recognising a sign on an office door. Mr Stoker. The Doctor I saw earlier.
He must be able to help.
I knock on the door. No reply. Well it can't hurt to go in and check, he might be in shock.
"Mr Stoker?" I ask as I open the door.
Then I scream, immediately releasing Jamie's hand and pushing him out of the doorway and back into the corridor.
Before I have time to escape myself, leather hands grab me and pull me firmly into the office.
I look into the room again, my eyes focusing on the corpse on the floor.
Mr Stokers corpse.
Then I scream again...