Previously: After spending a few weeks in the Tardis with the Doctor, Ash has recovered and the Doctor is ready to go pick up Rose and have some adventures.
Chapter 6
A Killer on New Earth
I run out of the Tardis into a sunny, grassy field next to a river, only vaguely paying attention to the Doctor and Rose behind me.
"It's the year five billion and twenty three. We're in the galaxy M87, and this? This is New Earth." The Doctor explains as he leaves the Tardis.
"That's just. That's just…" Rose is impressed.
"Not bad. Not bad at all." I can tell the Doctor is all smiles without even looking.
"That's amazing. I'll never get used to this. Never. Different ground beneath my feet, different sky. What's that smell?" Rose asks.
"Apple grass." The Doctor answers. Huh, that's cool. I grab a piece and taste it, briefly, not really very apple-y. Yuk. Still, I wonder if cows that eat this have apple flavored milk?
"Apple grass." Rose repeats.
"Yeah, yeah."
"It's beautiful. Oh, I love this. Can I just say, traveling with you, I love it."
"Me too. Come on." the Doctor says. Ugh. I can't take any more of this.
Rose has barely looked at me since we picked her up. Can't tell if she hates me or is scared of me. I know the Doctor told her I didn't mean it, that I was really upset and sick, but I can see why she'd still be nervous I guess. And it's not like I want to be around her either.
She does make the Doctor happy. He's been all googly-eyed since we picked her up. I should stay out of their way. It's not like I need the Doctor as a doctor anymore. I can take care of myself.
And, if he's not paying attention to me, I could keep trying to make my own sonic. I just need to be careful not to cause any explosions. As besotted as he looks, he'll never notice.
—
The Doctor and Rose are sitting on the Doctor's coat, taking in the view of the city across the river. I'm lying on the grass nearby, on my stomach, feeling a little surprised that the city looks so normal. Sure there are flying cars, but this is the year five billion! I expected more differences. Maybe we're just too far away to really appreciate it. Or maybe humans just never lose their love for skyscrapers and traffic.
"So, the year five billion, the sun expands, the Earth gets roasted." The Doctor explains.
"That was our first date." Rose says, looking up at the Doctor adoringly. Blech.
"We had chips. So anyway, planet gone, all rocks and dust, but the human race lives on, spread out across the stars. Soon as the Earth burns up, oh yeah, they get all nostalgic, big revival movement, but they find this place. Same size as the Earth, same air, same orbit. Lovely. Call goes out, the humans move in."
"What's the city called?" Rose asks.
"New New York."
"Oh, come on."
"It is. It's the city of New New York. Strictly speaking, it's the fifteenth New York since the original, so that makes it New New New New New New New New New New New New New New York. What?" The Doctor explains.
"You're so different." Rose says, looking up adoringly into his eyes.
"New New Doctor." Replies the Doctor, smiling, clearly enjoying the attention.
It's like I'm in some kind of bad romance novel or something.
"Can we go and visit New New York, so good they named it twice?" Rose asks.
"Right, well, I thought we might go there first." The Doctor answers by pointing to a building on this side of the river.
"Why, what is it?" Rose asks.
"Some sort of hospital. Green moon on the side. That's the universal symbol for hospitals. I got this, a message on the psychic paper." He says, showing her the psychic paper.
"Someone wants to see me."
"Hmm. And I thought we were just sight-seeing. Come on, then. Let's go and buy some grapes."
I hesitate before following, and wander over to a patch of taller grass where I swear I saw something move.
"Ash, let's go." The Doctor calls. I sigh. Could have been a rabbit, or a squirrel, or whatever the year five billion on a different planet equivalent is.
—
The Doctor stops just outside the hospital and looks over at me. "How are you doing?"
"Fine."
"You're awfully quiet."
"Just taking in the view."
"Quite the sight isn't it. Humans!" The Doctor says, grinning. "Remember what I said."
"Yes." I reply in my best not-exasperated voice. "No wandering off. Do as I'm told. Don't do any of the things that make me feel sick, or give me headaches, or nose bleeds. I know."
"Right. Good. I don't know why we're here or what we might find so absolutely no wandering off." He says, taking my hand. I'm not going to protest. He's actually taking me on an adventure!
"I don't like hospitals." I say as we go in and I recognize the universal smell of disinfectant.
"Me either." The Doctor agrees.
Rose looks over at him, "Bit rich coming from you."
"I can't help it. I don't like hospitals. They give me the creeps." He explains.
The Tannoy announces, "The Pleasure Gardens will now take visitors carrying green or blue identification cards for the next fifteen minutes. Visitors are reminded that cuttings from the gardens are not permitted." surprisingly clearly. I guess some things have improved in five billion years.
Rose is looking around, impressed, "Very smart. Not exactly NHS." No kidding!
But the Doctor complains, "No shop. I like the little shop." Of course he would. I tug on his hand when I get a clear look at the nurses walking around the foyer. They are cat people! They keep their faces veiled or I'd have noticed sooner. Cat people!
The Doctor gives me a big grin before continuing to look around for a shop.
"I thought this far in the future, they'd have cured everything." Rose wonders.
I answer, "It's more of an arms race. And traveling around to new places and meeting new species, just makes it worse; They get exposed to new viruses and bacteria and stuff." and am ignored as Rose finally catches on that they are cats.
"They're cats." Rose says, stopping.
The Doctor continues towards the lifts, me in tow, saying, "Now, don't stare. Think what you look like to them, all pink and yellow. That's where I'd put the shop. Right there."
"Ward 26, thanks!" He says as the doors close, leaving Rose behind.
I can hear Rose crying, "Hold on! Hold on!" but she's too late, we've already started to move.
"It's all right, there's another lift." She tells the doctor who replies, "Ward 26. And watch out for the disinfectant." Disinfectant?
"Watch out for what?"
"The disinfectant!"
"The what?"
"The disin… Oh, you'll find out."
They shout at each other as we head up.
"Do I want to know what's about to happen?" I ask warily just before a speaker in the lift announces, "Commence stage one disinfection." and I'm in the worst downpour ever. I look over at the Doctor who seems to be enjoying the fully clothed, impromptu shower. Kind of hard to tell though with all the water flowing down my face!
Finally it ends. They're not going to leave us like this though are they?
Of course not. First there's some kind of powder, then we get buffeted by very strong and very dry winds that work quickly. I feel clean I guess? Completely disheveled though. I wonder what it's going to do to Rose's makeup?
Exiting the lift we hear, "Please report to reception." as a nurse arrives to escort us to Ward 26.
"Nice place. No shop, downstairs. I'd have a shop. Not a big one. Just a shop, so people can shop." The Doctor says. Making conversation?
The nurse removes her veil and chastises the Doctor, "The hospital is a place of healing."
"A shop does some people a world of good. Not me. Other people."
"The Sisters of Plenitude take a lifelong vow to help, and to mend."
—
When we get to the ward, I see this big tank, with a huge face that has some tentacle-like things instead of hair. The Face of Boe! He IS real, and he's here now. Was the picture of the future? Is Cassandra here? Cybermen?
I look back at the Doctor, but he's busy talking to one of the patients, so I walk up to the tank. The nurse sitting next to him quietly asks, "This is the Face of Boe. Do you know him?"
"Not exactly. Friend of a friend." I tell her and she settles down, seemingly satisfied. I reach out to touch the tank. "Jack?" I whisper. "How can you be Jack? How can I know you're Jack?"
"Shhh." I hear in my head. "You'll give me away." whoa. "Can't let the Doctor know yet. It'll ruin the surprise."
"But, is this conversation private? Can't he hear us too."
"Concentrate on talking to just me and it'll be fine."
"How am I talking to you like this? What happened after the game station? Why do you look like this? How come I know it's you? You sent the message didn't you? Wow, you are really old." I think at Jack. It's weird, it all just sort of came out all at once.
The huge head rocks back and forth a bit like it's laughing, "Because you're special and I might be helping a little, just don't take your hand off the glass. Those are stories for another time. It's one of your talents, when you meet someone, you get attuned to their timeline. After that you always recognize them, no matter where in their timeline they are. The Doctor is coming. Don't tell him anything."
"I won't."
The nurse who was escorting us brings the Doctor over, "Novice Hame, if I can leave this gentleman in your care?"
"Oh, I think my friend got lost. Rose Tyler. Could you ask at reception?" The Doctor asks the nurse as she goes to leave.
"Certainly, sir."
Novice Hame explains to the Doctor, "I'm afraid the Face of Boe's asleep. That's all he tends to do these days. Are you a friend, or…"
"We met just the once on Platform One. What's wrong with him?"
"I'm so sorry. I thought you knew. The Face of Boe is dying."
"Of what?" I ask.
"Old age. The one thing we can't cure. He's thousands of years old. Some people say millions, although that's impossible."
"Oh, I don't know. I like impossible. I'm here. I look a bit different, but it's me, It's the Doctor." The Doctor says, placing a hand on the glass.
The tannoy is going off again, "Hope, harmony and health. Hope, harmony and health." This is getting annoying. How do people work here?
Jack appears to be asleep. He can't be dying can he? Not Jack. I just found him again. How did he get from the year 200'000 to five billion though? He can't actually be that old can he? At least I'll get to see him again, a younger him anyway. I wonder if he'll be a face then, or still regular Jack.
I wish I could talk to him some more, but the Doctor is right here and I can't be sure he can't hear me. So many questions though. My musing is interrupted as the Doctor hands me a cup of water.
"Thanks." I say, absentmindedly.
"That's very kind. There's no need." Nurse Hame says also taking a cup.
"You're the one working."
"There's not much to do, just maintain his smoke. And I suppose I'm company. I can hear him singing, sometimes, in my mind. Such ancient songs." I'm trying hard not to laugh. Jack's taste in music was… suspect.
"Am I the only visitor?"
"The rest of Boe-kind became extinct long ago. He's the only one left. Legend says that the Face of Boe has watched the universe grow old. There's all sorts of superstitions around him. One story says that just before his death, the Face of Boe will impart his great secret, that he will speak those words only to one like himself."
"What does that mean?" The Doctor asks.
I jump in with, "Tell us more!"
"It's just a story."
"Please." I beg.
"It's said he'll talk to a wanderer. To the man without a home. The lonely God."
The Doctor and I stand in silence for a moment, just staring at the Face of Boe. Eventually, the Doctor realizes that Rose still isn't with us and remembers that she has a phone he could call. Duh.
"Rose, where are you?"
I try to listen in to the other half of the conversation but it's too quiet.
"Where've you been? How long does it take to get to Ward 26?"
"You'll never guess. I'm with the Face of Boe."
"Remember him?"
"I'd better go. See you in a minute."
The man the Doctor was talking to earlier celebrating in a bed nearby.
"Didn't think I was going to make it. It's that man again! He's my good luck charm. Come in. Don't be shy." The very large man says to the Doctor.
The Doctor grabs my hand and walks closer, "Ash, met the Duke of Manhattan."
A very uptight looking woman jumps in with, "Any friendship expressed by the Duke of Manhattan does not constitute a form of legal contract." Wow. Okay.
"Winch me up. Up! Look at me. No sign of infection." The Duke seems to be cured.
"Champagne, sir?" a waiter asks the Doctor, holding a tray of flutes.
"No, thanks. You had Petrifold Regression, right?" the Doctor asks.
While he's distracted, I sneak a glass of champagne.
Blecch. That's disgusting! I'm half choking, half spitting it out on the floor, as the Doctor grabs the flute from me laughing, "You could have warned me!" I yell.
"But you were trying so hard to be sneaky. I didn't want to ruin your fun." The Doctor replies.
"Ha. Ha. Ha."
"Had being the operative word. Past tense. Completely cured." The Duke joins back in, entertained by my first taste of champagne.
"But that's impossible." The Doctor rejoins.
A different nurse walks up, "Primitive species would accuse us of magic, but it's merely the tender application of science." I don't like her. Bad vibes.
The Doctor looks at her curiously, "How on Earth did you cure him?"
"How on New Earth, you might say." Ha… cat nurse is funny.
Not as amused as I am, the Doctor asks, "What's in that solution?"
"A simple remedy."
"Then tell me what it is."
"I'm sorry. Patient confidentiality. I don't believe we've met. My name is Matron Casp."
"I'm the Doctor."
"I think you'll find that we're the doctors here."
The nurse that escorted us here returns and says, "Matron Casp, you're needed in Intensive Care."
"If you would excuse me." The matron says, walking away. They're talking but I can't quite make out what they're saying, just that something has happened again.
—
The tannoy is back, "Ambient temperature stands at fourteen degrees. This temperature is designed to promote healing and well-being."
"Too bad you promote the opposite." I mumble, getting a chuckle from the Doctor.
We're walking around checking out the other patients in the ward when I turn to the Doctor, "This really doesn't feel right."
"No it doesn't. These diseases shouldn't be curable for a very long time. I wonder how they're doing it." he answers and Rose walks back onto the ward. Her make-up is somehow still intact, and she seems to have decided to show off her boobs.
"There you are. Come and look at this patient. Marconi's Disease. Should take years to recover. Two days. I've never seen anything like it. They've invented a cell washing cascade. It's amazing. Their medical science is way advanced. And this one, Pallidome Pancrosis. Kills you in ten minutes, and he's fine. I need to find a terminal. I've got to see how they do this. Because if they've got the best medicine in the world, then why is it such a secret?"
Rose answers, "I can't Adam and Eve it."
"What's, what's with the voice?" the Doctor asks.
"Oh, I don't know. Just larking about. New Earth, new me."
"Well, I can talk. New New Doctor."
Oh god, they're back to this again.
"Mmm, aren't you just."Rose says, licking her lips.
Walking away now, cause this just got weird. Rose is kissing the Doctor. She just grabbed him and wham. I think they're… nope not looking.
"Terminal's this way. Phew." I hear Rose say as I walk away.
"Yep, still got it." Gross Doc, just gross.
—
The Doctor and Rose are poking around at a terminal we found while I watch. Something is definitely wrong with Rose. Has the Doctor noticed? Or is he too blinded by that kiss?
"Nope, nothing odd. Surgery, post-op, nano-dentistry. No sign of a shop. They should have a shop." The Doctor says while looking through the index at the terminal.
"No, it's missing something else. When I was downstairs, those nurse cat nuns were talking about Intensive Care. Where is it?" Rose asks.
"You're right. Well done." The Doctor says.
"Why would they hide a whole department? It's got to be there somewhere. Search the sub-frame." Rose doesn't know what a subframe is. Have you caught on yet Doctor?
"What if the sub-frame's locked?" The Doctor asks. Finally!
"Try the installation protocol."
"Yeah. Of course. Sorry. Hold on." The Doctor says before sonicing the terminal. A wall slides out of the way revealing a corridor.
"Guess this is intensive care then?" I say about to take a step in. Except I can't because the Doctor is holding onto my collar. "Not so fast. Stay behind me."
We follow Rose down a staircase. The whole place looks more industrial than hospital. There are thousands of pods all emitting a low green light. The room is like a huge cylinder with pods around the edge and staircases leading from floor to floor. So many floors.
The Doctor walks over to one of the pods and opens the door revealing a very sick looking man, strapped into a chair, and connected to a bunch of tubes.
"That's disgusting. What's wrong with him?" I hear Rose ask as I stumble back to lean against a railing. It's horrific. That's a person!
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." the Doctor says as he closes the door and opens another pod. I reach towards the closed pod and rest my hand on the glass. These aren't patients. They're lab rats. Thousands of human lab rats.
I can feel myself swaying and am about to sit down when the Doctor grabs me. Holding me against himself, he lowers his head to mine and whispers, "Stay with me Ash. This ends today."
I nod and try to focus on the Doctor, to block everything else out.
Rose interrupts asking, "What disease is that?"
"All of them. Every single disease in the galaxy. They've been infected with everything." The Doctor explains.
"What about us? Are we safe?" Rose asks, stepping back from the open pod as the Doctor closes it.
"The air's sterile. Just don't touch them."
"How many patients are there?"
"They're not patients."
"But they're sick."
"They were born sick. They're meant to be sick. They exist to be sick. Lab rats. No wonder the Sisters have got a cure for everything. They've built the ultimate research laboratory. A human farm." I can feel how angry he is. Even when clearly not directed at me, it's still unnerving.
"Why don't they just die?"
"Plague carriers. The last to go."
Novice Hame shows up, "It's for the greater cause."
"Novice Hame, When you took your vows, did you agree to this?" The Doctor asks, leaning in.
"The Sisterhood has sworn to help."
"What, by killing?" he spits out.
"But they're not real people. They're specially grown. They have no proper existence." Novice Hame tries to explain.
"What's the turnover, hmm? Thousand a day? Thousand the next? Thousand the next? How many thousands? For how many years? How many!" The Doctor yells.
"Mankind needed us. They came to this planet with so many illnesses. We couldn't cope. We did try. We tried everything. We tried using clone-meat and bio-cattle, but the results were too slow, so the Sisterhood grew its own flesh. That's all they are. Flesh."
"These people are alive."
"But think of those Humans out there, healthy and happy, because of us."
"If they live because of this, then life is worthless."
"But who are you to decide that?"
"I'm the Doctor. And if you don't like it, if you want to take it to a higher authority, then there isn't one. It stops with me." The Doctor says. He's definitely very angry. I don't understand how Novice Hame is just standing there. I'd be running.
Rose jumps in with a random, "Just to confirm. None of the humans in the city actually know about this?"
"We thought it best not." Novice Hame replies.
"Hold on. I can understand the bodies. I can understand your vows. One thing I can't understand. What have you done to Rose?" The Doctor says, finally trying to get some answers about what happened to Rose.
"I don't know what you mean." Novice Hame answers, looking confused.
"And I'm being very, very calm. You want to be aware of that. Very, very calm. And the only reason I'm being so very, very calm is that the brain is a delicate thing. Whatever you've done to Rose's head, I want it reversed."
Novice Hame protests, "We haven't done anything."
"I'm perfectly fine." Rose tries to claim, but the Doctor's not buying it.
"These people are dying, and Rose would care." He says.
"Oh, all right, clever clogs. Smarty pants. Lady-killer." she says, reaching for his tie and pulling him close. More kissing? Now?
"What's happened to you?" The Doctor asks.
"I knew something was going on in this hospital, but I needed this body and your mind to find it out." She explains.
"Who are you?"
"The last human."
"Cassandra?" The Doctor whispers. What? Both Cassandra AND the Face of Boe. Can't be a coincidence.
"Wake up and smell the perfume." She says, spraying something in the Doctor's face that instantly has him passing out. I'm out of here.
I run down the hall, stopping at one of the staircases. I'm close enough to see what's going on, and far enough to get away if I have to.
This is crazy. Cassandra's put the Doctor in an empty pod. Novice Hame has run away. Cassandra and the Face of Boe. No cybermen. Please, please, please don't let there be cybermen too.
I sink down to sit on a stair, hugging a lower rail, overwhelmed. The Doctor's out for the count, Rose isn't Rose, and there's nothing I can do.
Unless… if I was seeing the future when I drew Cassandra and the Face of Boe, maybe I can do it again. Let my mind wander and try to replicate what happened when the Doctor was in my mind trying to see where the ideas came from. Just have to both concentrate and let my mind wander.
There's something. There. Matron Casp in a ceremony, she's young. Cassandra in two different people at a party. One is older than now and one is younger. Rose and the Doctor climbing a ladder. The clothing matches. So many people dead in a large room, looks governmental and not the hospital. Skin only Cassandra exploding as leather jacket Doctor watches.
A very old Matron Casp in a cell. Funny looking man covered in tattoos is overwhelmed by Zombies. Zombies! No, not zombies, they look like the people in the pods. They get out and start killing people?
My head is killing me and my nose is bleeding. And for what? The sick people are going to get out of the pods and act like zombies. Rose and the Doctor will climb a ladder. No idea what to make of the rest.
I close my eyes and lean against the railing, exhausted. I need to get up and do something, but…
"Ash. Ashton. We need to go. Can you get up?" The Doctor says, shaking my shoulder. Guess he escaped. I get to my feet, but I'm leaning on the railing too wobbly to stand on my own.
"But there's thousands of them!" Cassandra-Rose complains. I look around. Zombies. Already? No no no no no…
The Doctor picks me up, "Run! Down! Down! Go down!" He tells Cassandra. We run down the stairs as the tannoy calls out, "This building is under quarantine."
I look over the Doctor's shoulder and see the tattooed man. The one who's going to get killed by the zombies. I yell at him, "Faster! You have to keep up with us." but all he says is, "Mistress!"
I'm starting to feel better so I wriggle around in the Doctor's arms, telling him "You can put me down now." But he shakes his head.
We finally stop going down, probably have made it to the basement, and almost get caught by zombies coming down a cross hall. But I can't see tattoo man anymore. He's on the other side of the zombies, cut off from us.
"No!" I cry, stopping, trying to see a way to get to him.
"Leave him! He's just a clone thing. He's only got a half life. Come on!" Cassandra yells as she continues down the hall.
"Mistress!" tattoo man begs.
"NO!" I shout, but the Doctor won't let me go. "I'm sorry, there's nothing we can do. I can't let her escape." He says.
I can just barely hear tattoo man cry out one last time, "My Mistress!" before I watch him disappear in the crowd of zombies. He's gone. My fault. I saw it and didn't stop it.
—
We reach some kind of room and the Doctor sits me down on a table. He crouches down slightly so that we are face to face, saying "I'm sorry. There was nothing you could have done. You couldn't have saved him." before pulling me into a hug.
I pull back, wanting to see where we are, and not wanting to think about tattoo man. This must be the room Cassandra's been living in. And there's a brain in a tank. A brain, in a tank, hooked up to some kind of frame. Just like I drew except that the skin is missing.
The Doctor grabs my head with both hands, "Oh. What have you done to yourself Ash?" He asks.
"I didn't know what to do. I tried to see things like I did drawing the pictures, but…"
"You WHAT? No. Ash. Don't do that. You can't do that. It's too dangerous. You'll burn yourself up." He says.
"I saw them, the infected. I saw them kill the tattoo man. And I saw you and Rose climb a ladder… That ladder." I say, point to a ladder going up the wall before slumping down. I'm really tired.
"What else did you see?" He asks, tilting my head up to look at him. But I'm having a hard time focusing on him. He continues, "Just relax. I'm going to take a look." I see the images again, but I still don't understand what they might mean.
The Doctor sighs and rubs my head then turns to Cassandra, who has just slammed one of the other doors to the room we're in. "We're trapped! What am I going to do?" She says.
I point to the ladder, but she's not paying attention to me.
The Doctor steps up to her and says, "Well, for starters, you're going to leave that body. That psychograft is banned on every civilized planet. You're compressing Rose to death."
"But I've got nowhere to go. My original skin's dead." Cassandra says.
"How did you survive the first time?" I ask.
"I got lucky. The Doctor almost managed to kill me, but my brain and eyes survived and a new piece of skin was taken from my back." Cassandra explains. I'm trying not to picture how that would work.
"You killed yourself Cassandra and not having anywhere to go is not my problem. You can float as atoms in the air. Now, get out. Give her back to me." The Doctor says.
"You asked for it." Cassandra-Rose says just before a sort of vapor thing leaves Rose and enters the Doctor. But the Doctor won't let her in will he? I mean 900 year old Time Lord and all, he should be able to just keep her out. Right?
"Blimey, my head. Where'd she go?" Rose asks, shaking her head and shivering a little.
"Doctor?" I say. What am I going to do now?
"Oh, my. This is different." Cassandra-Doctor says, creepily rubbing her hands over the Doctor's body.
"Cassandra?" Rose asks as I lay down on the table, trying to keep the room in focus is too hard.
"Goodness me, I'm a man. Yum. So many parts. And hardly used. Oh, oh, two hearts! Oh, baby, I'm beating out a samba!" What's he going on about now?
"Get out of him." Rose demands.
"Oo, he's slim, and a little bit foxy. You've thought so too. I've been inside your head. You've been looking. You like it." Cassandra-Doctor says.
HA! I knew it!
"And you. Oh Rose doesn't like you much does she?" Cassandra-Doctor says, turning to look at me. "Messing up her chances with the Doctor. They were supposed to be off exploring the universe together and you had to come and make it all domestic. Oh… invading her mind. Fun isn't it?"
Guess I knew that too. I've screwed it all up haven't I. Maybe it won't matter. The zombies will get in soon.
"What do we do? What would he do? The Doctor, what the hell would he do?" Cassandra-Doctor panics as the zombies finally get in, flapping her hands around, still completely ignoring the very obvious ladder to the next level.
"Climb the bloody ladder!" I yell.
Cassandra-Doctor shoves Rose out of the way and starts climbing. Rose quickly follows. I look back at the zombies entering the room.
They're calling out for help. "Help us.", "Please, help us." But… so confused, aren't they killing people?
"I'm sorry." I say as I start up the ladder behind Rose.
Matron Casp runs in and starts up the ladder just ahead of the zombies. Where did she come from?
Hand. Hand. Foot. Foot. Hand. Hand. Foot. Foot. Up and up we go. I'm slow and falling behind and damn it, she got my foot.
"All our good work. All that healing. The good name of the Sisterhood. You have destroyed everything." Matron Casp says.
Cassandra-Doctor yells down, "Go and play with a ball of string." while I'm trying to shake Matron Casp off.
"Everywhere, disease. This is the human world. Sickness!" Matron Casps continues. So close, she's barely hanging on. And then she's falling and screaming and the zombies are getting way too close to us.
How? How can she die. I saw her old and in jail. I don't understand. Worry about it later, we've reached the end of the ladder. Rose and Cassandra-Doctor are arguing about how to open the hatch blocking our way.
They need time. I'm going to have to slow the zombie below me down. And fast.. They're too close...
'STOP!' I push as hard as I can, trying to focus on the Zombies below me so Rose and the Doctor don't get stuck too.
Not dead yet, so I guess it worked. Too tired now to do anything but brace myself by hooking a rung under my armpit. Must keep focus. 'Stop.' Just hold on for a bit longer. 'Stop, stop, stop…"
What's happening! This is wrong. Cassandra? Get out! No! Get out! Too much pressure. Hurts. Ahhhhhh! Intruder. NO! 'GET OUT!' Stuck. Suffocating. Crush her. Lightning and fire and...
"ASH! Let her go. Let her go. It'll be alright. Just let her go. Please." It's the Doctor. "I've got you… let her go…"
—
I'm moving. Ah. The Doctor is carrying me. Wish I could figure out how to open my eyes.
I'm sitting on the floor leaned up against a wall. Someone is whimpering. Wait. I'm whimpering. Don't leave me.
"... care ... right back… save …"
"... old friend…"
"... Ash… Ash." The Doctor is back, his hand against my cheek. "I'll be back soon. The Face of Boe is here with you. I'll be back soon."
I think I nod, or maybe my head just fell back against the tank. "Jack?"
"Yes Ash."
"What's going on?"
"Ash. Wake up Ash. I can't tell you if you don't stay awake."
"Ung" I whine.
"We've kept this ward barricaded. None of the infected have managed to get in."
"Oh. Jack?"
"Yeah."
"I don't feel good."
"I know. It'll get better. I promise. It won't always be like this."
"Ha. You're giving away spoilers!"
"Anything to see you smile, little one."
"Tell me a story."
He pauses, "... Well, there was this one time on Alphatrixur IV, I met the most stunning Diplosian, and I mean stunning!"
"A good story Jack!"
"This is a great story! Just listen…"
—
I wake up to the tannoy announcing, "All staff will present themselves to the officers for immediate arrest. I repeat, immediate arrest. All new life forms will be cataloged and taken into care. All visitors to the hospital will be required to make a statement to the NNYPD."
I've missed something. Wait, they're arresting the nurses. Matron Casp in jail. And here come the Doctor and Rose running back onto the ward. No wait. That's still Cassandra-Rose. Are we ever going to be rid of her?
"You were supposed to be dying." The Doctor tells Jack
"There are better things to do today. Dying can wait." Jack replies.
But Cassandra-Rose has got to butt in, "Oh, I hate telepathy. Just what I need, a head full of big face."
"Oh hush." The Doctor says.
"I have grown tired with the universe, Doctor, but you have taught me to look at it anew."
"There are legends, you know, saying that you're millions of years old."
"There are? That would be impossible."
"Wouldn't it just. I got the impression there was something you wanted to tell me."
"A great secret."
"So the legend says."
"It can wait." What? No!
"Oh, does it have to?" The Doctor whines.
Jack laughs, "We shall meet again, Doctor, for the third time, for the last time, and the truth shall be told. Until that day…" and then disappears. I hope I get to see him again soon.
"That is enigmatic. That, that is, that is textbook enigmatic. And now for you." The Doctor says, turning to Cassandra-Rose.
"But everything's happy. Everything's fine. Can't you just leave me?"
"You've lived long enough. Leave that body and end it, Cassandra."
"I don't want to die."
"No one does."
"Help me."
"I can't."
"You didn't let your little apprentice killer finish me off." Cassandra says, glaring at me. "And you would have finished it, wouldn't you? The Doctor made you sleep before you could, but you would have. You killed Matron Casp and nearly killed me. Chip died because the Doctor had to carry you. Want to try for Rose too? You're even more dangerous than he is." she says to me.
"Cassandra!" The Doctor yells. "Leave that body!"
"Mistress!" Who is shouting now? Tattoo man? He didn't die?
"Oh, you're alive." Cassandra-Rose says. She actually looks happy to see him.
"You're alive." I whisper. I didn't kill him.
"I hid down a garbage chute. I kept myself safe for you, mistress." He answers, gazing up at Cassandra-Rose like she's some kind of Goddess.
Would I have killed Cassandrra? I don't remember what happened. I was trying to crush her, then nothing. She said the Doctor had to put me to sleep to stop me from killing her. Was I going to kill her?
And what about Matron Casp? She should have escaped with us. I could have stopped the zombie before the Matron died... I, I killed her. She was supposed to live and go to jail, but I killed her. I killed her…