My Rival, My Doctor

Chapter 25

The Doctor was beyond furious when he saw the energy go into Celeste. "That was your last warning, Cassandra!"

She ignored him. Her attitude completely shifted as she said sadly, "Inside her head. They're so alone. They keep reaching out, just to hold us. All their lives and they've never been touched." Cassandra looked like she was about to cry and the Doctor offered his hand.

Celeste would only cry if she was in terrible pain. That was one of the things the Doctor liked about her, but it was also something he hated.

He shook his head. Now wasn't the time.

Once they made it to Ward 26, Clovis lunged at them with a metal stand. They held up their hands and he promised, "We're safe! We're safe! We're safe! We're clean! We're clean! Look, look."

"Show me your skin."

"Look, clean. Look, if we'd been touched, we'd be dead. So how's it going up here? What's the status?"

Clovis lowered the metal stand and reported, "There's nothing but silence from the other wards. I think we're the only ones left. And I've been trying to override the quarantine. If I can trip a signal over to New New York, they can send a private executive squad."

"You can't do that," the Doctor pointed out, "If they forced entry, they'd break quarantine."

"I am not dying in here," she said strongly.

"We can't let a single particle of disease get out. There is ten million people in that city," the Doctor retorted coldly, "They'd all be at risk. Now, turn that off!"

"Not if it gets me out."

"All right, fine. So I have to stop you lot as well. Suits me. Rose, novice Hame, everyone! Excuse me, your Grace. Get me intravenous solutions for every single disease. Move it!"

Everyone grabbed drip bags while the Doctor collected a long piece of heavy silk rope and started hanging them on his body. "How's that? Will that do?"

Rose asked, "I don't know. Will it do for what?" He ignored her and started walking to the waiting room. They stopped in front of the lift.

"The lifts aren't working," Cassandra moaned.

"Not moving. Different thing. Here we go." He started to run towards the open lift doors with Rose close behind him.

"But you're not going to-" She stopped talking when he jumped off and grabbed the lift cable. This man is insane. "What do you think you're doing?"

"I'm going down! Come on!" The Doctor wanted to make sure Celeste was around when he needed her.

Cassandra placed a scowl on her face. "Not in a million years."

"I need Celeste to be here," the Doctor pleaded, "What do you think? If you're so desperate to stay alive, why don't you live a little?"

She looked back before jumping onto the Doctor's back, holding on tightly. "You're completely mad," Cassandra stated, "I can see why she likes you."

His hearts raced when he heard that, but he tried to hide it. "Going down!" The improvised pulley system sent them down the cable and had them land gently on the lift.

"Well, that's one way to lose weight."

"Now, listen. When I say so, take hold of that lever."

Rose tried to understand, "There's still a quarantine down there, we can't-"

"Hold that lever! I'm cooking up a cocktail. I know a bit about medicine myself." The Doctor poured the contents of the drip bags into the lift's disinfectant tank. "Now, that lever's going to resist. But keep it in position. Hold onto it with everything you've got."