The Time Witch

The Doctor Dances

The gas-mask patients were closing in on the Doctor, Rose, Jack, and I. All of sudden the Doctor steps forward: "go to your room," he says sternly and the gas-mask patients hesitate, considering him. 

"Go to your room!" the Doctor repeats and the gas-mask patients cock their heads to the side while Rose, Jack, and I share incredulous looks. "I mean it! I am very, very angry with you! I am very, very cross! Go... to... your... room!" he shouts and points in a noncommittal direction. 

All of the gas-mask patients hang their heads in shame and walk away, as if they were children being scolded by their father. Rose and I slump against each other in relief. 

"I'm really glad that worked," the Doctor sighs. "Those would've been terrible last words," he laughs..

"You bozo," I shake my head, rubbing my face with my hands. 

Rose goes over and kneels beside one of the beds, looking at a gas-mask person, Jack was settled in the chair by the desk, the Doctor was standing in front of him with his arms folded, and I was using the Doctor's sonic on one of the gas-mask people. 

"They all have the same injuries, this is insane," I shake my head. "Is that..." I trail off, my stomach churning. 

"Those masks are flesh and bone," Jack nods and I turn away from the patient I was looking at, covering my mouth. 

"How was your con supposed to work?" the Doctor asks Jack.

"Simple enough, really," he shrugs, putting his feet up on the desk. "Find some harmless piece of space-junk... let the nearest Time Agent track it back to Earth. Convince him it's valuable, name a price. When he's put 50% up front, oops! A German bomb falls on it, destroys it forever. He never gets to see what he's paid for. Never knows he's been had. I buy him a drink with his own money, and we discuss dumb luck. The perfect self-cleaning con," he smiles.

"Yeah, perfect," the Doctor scoffs. 

"The London Blitz is great for self-cleaners, Pompeii's nice if you want to make a vacation of it though, but you've got to set your alarm for volcano day," Jack starts to laugh at his joke and the Doctor, Rose, and I all shoot him a look and it fades away. "Getting a hint of disapproval," he mutters. 

"Take a look around the room! This is what your 'harmless piece of space-junk' did!" the Doctor glares at him. 

"It was a burnt-out medical transporter, it was empty!" Jack retorts. 

The Doctor gives him a dark look before walking off: "girls," he calls over his shoulder. 

I give Jack a small smile before grabbing Rose's hand and pulling her after the Doctor: "we getting out of here?" she asks.

"We're going upstairs," the Doctor points up.

"To Nancy's brother's room?" Rose asks and he nods. 

"Nancy...?" I furrow my eyebrows. 

"This girl we met while looking for you, her brother was the first patient and he infected everyone that touched him," Rose explains to me.

"I even programmed the flight computer so it wouldn't land on anything living, I harmed no one!" Jack follow after us. "I don't know what's happening here, but believe me, I had nothing to do with it!"

"I'll tell you what's happening," the Doctor turns to him. "You forgot to set your alarm clock; it's volcano day," he glares as the siren goes off. 

"What's that?" Rose asks.

"The all-clear," Jack tells her. 

"I wish," the Doctor scoffs, grabbing my wrist and making me yelp as he drags me after him harshly.