The Time Family

The Fatal Disease

Doctors POV:

"So, Rose, what were you going to tell me earlier when we were going down the hallway?" I asked Rose.

"Well, I was gonna say that-" Rose paused for a moment."that your fly was down." She said. I had a feeling that that wasn't what she wanted to tell me. But just to be sure, I checked.

"My god, you're right!!" I said under my breath. I zipped up my trousers, a bit embarrassed.

"But really Rose. What did you need to tell me?" Again, she was interrupted. This time, by Nico. He was in his room, screaming. I darted over to his room and barged in. He was in the bed, sweating. He must have been having a nightmare. I shook him.

"Nico! Wake up!!!" I said, still shaking him.

"GET OFF OF ME!!!!!" Nico shouted at me while he was panting,drawing his sword and pointing it at me. I swatted it aside with my hand.

"Are you alright?" I asked him.

"I'm fine. Now let me go back to sleep." Nico panted, putting his sword back in its holster. Kazran ran in.

"You ok, Nico?" He asked.

"I'm fine, you little runt. Let me sleep!" Nico yelled at my son, anger swelling him up like a poisoned seal.

"No need to talk to my son like that Nico. He's just trying to help." I remained calm, even though I was getting a bit irritated. I asked Kazran to leave telepathically for a moment while Nico and I talked. We made eye contact and he nodded, walking out.

"What was the nightmare about, Nico?" I asked him.

"I wasn't having a nightmare!" He snapped.

"I have nightmares too. I know a victim of nightmares when I see one. Now, what was that nightmare about?" I asked again.

"Tartarus." He replied. I was shocked. How could a boy so young be able to survive there?

"I have no clue how I survived down there, either." He said to me.

"Do you want to tell me about that dream?"I asked him.

"No, not really." He said to me in a tone that the grinch would be proud of.

"You don't have to tell me for me to know." I told him.

"WHAT?! YOU CAN READ MY MIND?!" He shouted at me, looking horrified.

"I can, but only if you let me. I can't see anything you don't want me to." I told him, keeping my cool.

"How?" He asked.

"Just imagine a door, and put all of the memories that you want me to see in the room behind that door. Close your eyes." He did as instructed, to my shock. I placed my fingers on his temples and closed my eyes. Oh, this boy was a soldier. He drank fire to keep himself alive. Stealing scraps of food from alters to keep the strength to take another step. Fighting monsters without a shred of sleep, surviving gods and their tricks. Making it through extreme conditions, sometimes freezing cold and sometimes boiling hot. This was a boy I was proud to know. I finished looking through his memories. I took my hands off of his temples. I looked at him.

"You are a very strong boy, Nico. I'm proud to know you. If you would like to, you're more than welcome to stay aboard the TARDIS." I told him, really hoping he'd say yes.

"I'll think about it, if you're lucky." He said, trying to hide his smile. He failed. He smiled, just a little bit. He looked at me.

"Do you know how long it's been since I last smiled? It's been years." He said. "I haven't smiled since Bianca died, not a real smile." He said under his breath. I knew how he felt, only much worse. I stood up.