My Rival, My Doctor

Chapter 46

The chamber was meant for one person so the Doctor and I were pressed together. He started to move for his sonic and ended up brushing my leg. "Hey!"

The Doctor blushed, "Sorry, sorry, sorry." The sonic was in his inside pocket. "Here we are."

Martha asked, "What're you going to do with that?"

"Improvise."

"No surprise there," I mumbled. He slid down to the floor and opened a panel. Working on the wires, the Doctor shut us out.

"I still don't understand where that thing came from," she directed towards me, "Is it alien?"

"No, for once it's strictly human in origin," I answered, "Probably from dormant genes in Lazarus's DNA. The energy field in this thing must have reactivated them. And it looks like they're becoming dominant."

"So it's a throwback."

"Throwback Thursday," I joked, "Some option that evolution rejected for you millions of years ago, but the potential is still there. Locked away in your genes, forgotten about until Lazarus unlocked it by mistake."

"It's like Pandora's box," Martha checked.

"Exactly." The machine started shaking. "Doctor, what's happening?"

He said casually, "Sounds like he's switched the machine on."

"And that's not good, is it?"

"Well, I was hoping it was going to take him a little bit longer to work that out," the Doctor admitted.

"If the mutant doesn't kill us first, I will slap you so hard that you regenerate!" I glared at him.

"I know, I know," he reassured, "Nearly done."

"Well, what're you doing?" Martha inquired.

"I'm trying to set the capsule to reflect energy rather than receive it."

"Will that kill it?"

"When he transforms, he's three times his size. Cellular triplication," I explained, "So he's spreading himself thin."

Martha panicked, "We're going to end up like him!"

"Just one more!" There was a big blast of energy that threw the mutant backwards. The machine stopped and we came out. The Doctor looked at me. "Won't be slapping me then?"

I commented, "Really shouldn't take that long just to reverse the polarity. You're bit out of practice." He made a face.

Lazarus was lying face down on the ground, naked. Martha pitied, "Oh, God. He seems so human again. It's kind of pitiful."

"Eliot saw that, too," I realized.

"This is the way the world ends. Not with a bang, but with a whimper." The Doctor grabbed my hand comfortingly.

Outside the building, the ambulance men took away Lazarus covered in a red blanket. A frantic Tish led her mother to us. "She's here. Oh, they're all right."

"Ah, Mrs Jones." The Doctor smiled. "We still haven't finished our chat." She slapped him across the face. "Keep away from my daughters." I mouthed 'daughters' to Martha.

"Mum, what are you doing?"

I patted the Doctor's back and he said softly, rubbing his face, "All of the mothers, every time." Ms. Jones looked at me disapprovingly. "He is dangerous. I've been told things," she insisted, "Celeste, stay away from him."

"What are you talking about?" Martha asked.

"Look around you," Ms. Jones gestured, "Nothing but death and destruction."