ashes ➝ Doctor Who²

XXVI

"Where would you go if you were looking for sanctuary?"
- The Doctor, The Lazarus Experiment

"I came here before, a lifetime ago. I thought I was going to die then. In fact, I was sure of it. I sat here, just a child, the sound of planes and bombs outside."

Before they went inside, Penelope had given Martha and Tish strict instructions not to get directly involved. Whilst both had argued, she had made it very clear that she didn't want to have to go back and tell their mother who she'd be burying.

That seemed to work.

With the exception that they were allowed to stand in front of them, by the Doctor. Just in case they were needed. And reluctantly Penelope had to agree.

So it was up to the Doctor now to convince this sad, old and dying man not to hurt anyone else.

"The Blitz."

"You've read about it."

"I was there."

"You're too young."

"So are you." Lazarus laughs, followed by a series of cracks, each as painful as the last. From his face, they could tell it was getting stronger.

"In the morning, the fires had died, and I was still alive. I swore I'd never face death like that again. So defenceless. I would arm myself, fight back, defeat it."

"That's what you were trying to do today?" Lazarus was defensive, and in his mind rightly so. What he had done had worked. If a little sidetracked. But he was young again

"That's what I did today."

"What about the other people who died?"

"They were nothing. I changed the course of history." This caused a creeping guilt to grip Penelope's shoulders, and she had to look beside her. Just to make sure Jasper was still there.

"Any of them might have done too. You think history's only made with equations? Facing death is part of being human. You can't change that."

"No, Doctor. Avoiding death, that's being human. It's our strongest impulse, to cling to life with every fibre of being. I'm only doing what everyone before me has tried to do. I've simply been more successful."

"Look at yourself. You're mutating! You've no control over it. You call that a success?"

"I call it progress. I'm more now than I was. More than just an ordinary human."

"There's no such thing as an ordinary human." The Doctor couldn't help but ache for Penelope, believing this with every fibre of his being.

Lazarus convulses again, in far more pain than before. Subtle cracks in the air proved that his body was still trying to change him back.

Martha discreetly whispered to the Doctor, something Jasper and Penelope couldn't quite catch. And that made them both nervous. Not knowing what's going on is how someone dies.

"You're so sentimental, Doctor. Maybe you are older than you look."

"I'm old enough to know that a longer life isn't always a better one. In the end, you just get tired. Tired of the struggle, tired of losing everyone that matters to you, tired of watching everything turn to dust. If you live long enough, Lazarus, the only certainty left is that you'll end up alone."

"That's a price worth paying."

"Is it?"

"I will feed soon."

"I'm not going to let that happen."

"You've not been able to stop me so far."

Martha dashes forward, saying something barely comprehensible as the half-naked and mutating man lunges at her. She races up the stairs to the tower, towards the bell. Her sister quickly chases after her.

Penelope swears harshly under her breath. Does she just have a face that no one listens to?

Sending Jasper after the two girls, she stands next to the Doctor. Trying not to freeze as she hears the roar of the freshly mutated Lazarus. Both of them frantically look for their respective partners.

"Where are they? Martha?!"

"Jasper!" Penelope points up, grabbing onto the Doctor's shoulder. Pointing at Martha and Jasper side by side, leaning over to see them.

"Doctor!"

"Take him to the top. The very top of the bell tower, do you hear me?!"

"Up to the top!"

"Martha."

"Then what?" Jasper finally listened to the younger Jones, hauling away both sisters.

The Doctor races towards the organ loft, getting his sonic ready and Penelope follows after him.

Worried for her partner and the two girls, she almost feels guilty for wondering how they're going to return Jasper's suit.