Storm: Angel and Demon

Planet of the Ood 3

Donna looked over to where Terry was just watching the Ood, silently letting her tears fall down her cheeks, and she couldn't bear it any longer. Seeing the Ood on top of hearing them was too much and the tears fell from her eyes too as she begged the Doctor, "Take it away."

"Sure?" The Doctor asked softly, and Donna whimpered.

"I can't bear it."

Not surprised, the Doctor gently turned Donna away from the Ood so she was facing him again. He touched her temples again, removing the mind meld and disconnecting her from the telepathic field that the Time Lords had no way of escaping. And in a morbid way, they didn't want to. Because they knew that the pain they were feeling was only a fraction of what the Ood felt.

Donna understood that as well and she sniffed. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay." The Doctor murmured as he moved back to the cage. He drew Terry into his arms and she rested her head against his chest while Donna continued to cry behind them.

"We'll save them, angel. This time, we won't leave them. I promise." The Doctor swore as he held Terry tightly against him while they both stared at the Ood.

"Yes, we will." Terry agreed, listening to the Doctor's strong heartbeats under her ear. The sound soothed her unsettled spirit and Terry took deep breaths while from behind, Donna whispered between her tears.

"How often can you two hear things like this?"

"All the time." The Doctor admitted softly, still watching the Ood.

The Ood had huddled even closer together and Terry finally lifted her head off the Doctor's chest. Taking his sonic, she moved to open the cage the Ood were trapped in just as a loud metal clang sounded above them. Donna looked back in alarm.

"They're breaking in." She realized and the Doctor scoffed.

"Ah, let them." The Doctor said scornfully as he pushed the now unlocked cage door open while Terry dropped his sonic back in his pocket for him.

The Ood cowered away from them fearfully as the trio entered the cage. It broke a piece of Terry's hearts but she forced herself to bend down with the Doctor as he knelt before the Ood. He noticed the way they seemed to be bowed over their hands so he decided it was as good a place to start as any.

"What are you holding?" The Doctor questioned the nearest Ood gently.

The Ood cowered away at his question, hiding his hands.

"Show me." The Doctor murmured softly, his tone soothing.

"It's okay. We're friends." Terry added gently.

The Ood peered at her and then the Doctor as he introduced their little group. "Doctor, angel, Donna. Friend."

The Ood seemed to deliberate but some of the tension had left the alien. Sensing they were making progress, the Doctor said encouragingly, "Let me see. Look at me. Let us see."

The Ood slowly came forward at the Doctor's urging and the Doctor nodded.

"That's it." The Doctor murmured. "That's it, go on. Go on."

The Ood slowly held out his hand before removing one palm to reveal a small, pale red organ in his other palm. The palm that the translator balls typically sat in. Terry closed her eyes; she'd known this was coming but it did nothing to stop the heartbreak seeing the real thing caused.

"Is that...?" Donna gasped, unable to finish in her horror.

"It's a brain." The Doctor breathed in confirmation as he stared at the organ. "A hind brain. The Ood are born with a secondary brain. Like the amygdala in humans, it processes memory and emotions. You get rid of that, you wouldn't be Donna any more. You'd be... like an Ood. A processed Ood."