supernova (11th doctor)

Cold Blood (pt 3)

I watched as the Doctor zigzagged around the room, giving people orders. "Elliot, you and your dad keep your eyes on that screen. Let me know if we get company. Amy, keep reminding me how much time I haven't got."

Amy caught the watch the Doctor threw to her. "Okay! Um, 12 and a half minutes till drill impact!"

"Tony Mack!" The Doctor shouted, stopping in front of him and speaking rapidly, almost under his breath. "Sweaty forehead, dilated pupils, what are you hiding?"

Tony seemed to be having trouble breathing as he opened his shirt, revealing sprawling green veins across his chest.

Nasreen immediately fell soft, trying to study his chest. "Tony! What happened?"

The Doctor gave her a knowing smile she didn't catch as he scanned Tony with his screwdriver. Tony gulped. "Alaya's sting. She said there's no cure. I'm dying, aren't I?"

The Doctor went to fiddle with one of the control panels in the room. I couldn't help but get closer to see the veins up close. "You're not dying. You're... growing?" I wondered, waiting expectantly for the Doctor's answers.

Usually, this was the part where he would smile at me; explain something to me—anything but a hint of annoyance in his voice. "Mutating."

I swallowed hard, and Nasreen gave me a look, noticing that this wasn't what usually happened—and probably wondering what changed after seeing him panic over me in the courtroom when I first woke up.

I knew exactly what had changed. What had changed was that I told him of my flashback. Something in it scared him. Something in it made him angry with me, and I couldn't stand to hear it in his voice.

"How can I stop it?" Tony asked.

"Decontamination program. Might work, don't know. Eldane, can you run the program on Tony?" The Doctor asked.

"Doctor, shedload of those creatures coming our way. We're surrounded in here!" Mo interrupted, looking up from the security monitor.

"So, question is, how we do stop the drill given we can't get there in time? Plus, also, how do we get out, given that we're surrounded?" He spoke rapidly, stopping in front of Nasreen. "Nasreen, how do you feel about an energy pulse channeled up through the tunnels to the base of the drill?"

Nasreen frowned at him. "To blow up my life's work?"

The Doctor nodded. "Yes. Sorry. No nice way of putting that."

Nasreen sighed dejectedly. "Right, well, you're going to have to do it before the drill hits the city, in uh..."

"Eleven minutes forty seconds," Amy finished for her, watch in hand.

The Doctor smiled excitedly, going back over to the control panels. "Yes, squeaky bum time!"

"Yes, but the explosion is going to cave in all the surrounding tunnels, so we have to be out and on the surface by then," Nasreen explained.

Rory seemed mildly panicked. "But we can't get past Restac's troops."

"I can help with that." Eldane interrupted. "Toxic Fumigation. An emergency failsafe meant to protect my species from infection—a warning signal to occupy cryo-chambers. After that, citywide fumigation by toxic gas. Then the city shuts down." Eldane explained, seeming calculated yet sad.

"You could end up killing your own people," Amy worried.

"Only those foolish enough to follow Restac." He agreed solemnly.