Worth A Thousand Words

Chapter Seven

The Doctor wasted no time in rousing the household and gathering those who had the ability to wake in the nursery.

'There is something making your children sick, but it's not a virus,' he told them without preamble.

'Then what is it?' Daniels demanded. 'Some kind of poison? Have they been eating something they shouldn't be? Or is it perhaps an allergy?'

'More like a parasite. An organism that works its way through families – probably preying on some genetic characteristic. Blood type,' the Doctor lied. He generally preferred the truth, but at the moment that might end up with him thrown out of the house. The children didn't have very long as it was. He couldn't risk them.

'Blood type?' Mrs Daniels repeated, confused. 'I have never heard of such a thing.'

'Well, it's a rather recent notion, couldn't expect you to understand,' the Doctor dismissed. 'An inherited composition of the blood, obviously shared by all of your children. We need to stop it, but not by conventional means.'

'What do you mean?' Daniels asked.

'This parasite is a physical being, Mr Daniels, and a right nasty bugger. It's been staking this place out, picking off your kids one by one. Doesn't seem to care where you put them, it finds them. And its next victim will be Mary, judging by its pattern.'

'Pattern?'

'Oldest to youngest. After that, it'll move on.'

'And we cannot simply... wait this out?'

'Really don't think you'll want to.'

'Then what are we to do?' Mrs Daniels cried, wringing her hands.

'The parasite is getting in through the window – so we'll simply have to separate Mary from the other children and observe her room. We can ambush the creature there.'

'Creature?' Daniels interjected. 'You said it was a parasite, Doctor, and now you speak as though it's some sort of bogeyman.'

'No rule saying it can't be both,' the Doctor shrugged. 'We're not talking about a small creature like a rat, Mr Daniels, but something much larger.'

'And you'd propose leaving my infant daughter as bait for it!' Daniels demanded. 'What sort of heartless solution is that?'

'The one that's most likely to work!'

'And if it doesn't?' Mrs Daniels whispered, looking like she was about to faint.

'Exactly – if it doesn't, then we will be burying our child!'

'You'll be burying all four if you don't shut up and listen –'

'It's fine,' Rose interrupted the Doctor before he could begin to shout at the Danielses. She glowered at the Doctor, as if he was responsible for these people's impractical views, before returning her attention to the horrified couple and their housekeeper. 'We wouldn't ask you to do that. We'll just have to figure out some other way to lure it in. I mean...' She paused in thought and then looked at him. 'Doctor, maybe I could do it? I could take Mary's place. I bet I've got just as much life in me as any of the kids.'

She smiled ruefully.

'Wouldn't work,' the Doctor shook his head. 'You've already reached biological maturity. The vitavore will instinctively seek out someone who hasn't yet.'

'What d'you mean?'

'You get regular monthly visits. I'll warrant Mary doesn't yet, being an infant.'