To Be a Time Lord

Chapter 10 - The Rebel Flesh

The Rebel Flesh, part 2 -

The Doctor got up and started to prepare a meal as the rest of the group examined the dinner table and things around it. Jimmy spoke up first, "We need to protect ourselves."

"Are you a violent man, Jimmy?", the Doctor popped a meal into the microwave.

"No", Jimmy looked up, confused he'd even ask that.

"So why would your Ganger be?", the Oracle smiled triumphantly.

"Don't tell me you can eat at a time like this, Doctor", Cleaves walked past the man in question.

"You told us we were out cold for a few minutes, Cleaves, when in fact it was an hour", he disregarded the statement.

"Sorry, I just assumed", she shrugged.

"Well, it's not your fault. Like I said, they're disoriented", he turned to the others before she could process his comment, "Amy, when you got to the alcoves, who was in harness?"

"Jimmy and Dicken were helping Buzzer out", she replied.

"Jennifer?", he asked.

"She was standing on her own when we got to her."

The microwave made the sound that it was done and the Doctor picked up a small white towel to get the hot plate out of it. He turned to hand it to Cleaves who just held it for a moment.

"It's hot", he reminded her.

She dropped it with a hiss.

"Trans-matter's still a little rubbery. Nerve endings not quite fused properly", he explained.

"What are you talking about", she stared at her hand.

"It's okay."

"Why didn't I feel that?"

"You will", he reassured, "You'll stabilise."

"No, stop it, you're playing stupid games", her voice rose in panic, "Stop it!"

"You don't have to hide. Please, trust me. I'm the Doctor."

Cleaves turned around with a jolt, suddenly having the milky-white flat face the Gangers all seemed to have when they first came out of the tub.

Buzzer grabbed a knife, "Where's the real Cleaves, you thing?", Jimmy held him back, "What have you done with her?"

"That's it. Good, you remember. This is early Flesh", the Doctor reached his hand out to her face and she leaned away a bit, "The early stages of the technology. So much to learn."

"Doctor, what's happened to her?", Amy asked.

"She can't stabilise. She's shifting between half-formed and full-formed, for now at least."

"We are living", Cleaves hissed before running out screaming.

"Let her go", the Doctor called out when she left.

"Doctor. Rory", Amy said.

"Rory?", he asked.

"Rory", she gestured around to remind him he wasn't there.

"Oh, Rory. Rory! Always with the Rory", he ran out first, followed by the Oracle, Amy and Jimmy.

They ran until they were stopped by a rather large acid spill. Jimmy looked at it, "Explosion must've ruptured the acid feeds. We're going to need the acid suits."

"No, no, no. We haven't got time. Back, back, back", the Doctor led the way back up a staircase to the washroom.

"Rory", Amy called out when they arrived.