Cosmo || Doctor Who

17 : Dreamer's Ball

𝔏𝔬𝔫𝔡𝔬𝔫, 𝔈𝔫𝔤𝔩𝔞𝔫𝔡, 𝔈𝔞𝔯𝔱𝔥
𝔍𝔞𝔫𝔲𝔞𝔯𝔶 1941

"Go to your room!"

As a thing EJ heard so often as a child, it wasn't exactly what he expected the Doctor to say to a hoard of gas-mask zombies. They were cornering them, their backs pressed against the wall, with the only thought to hurt them and change them. And the thing that the Doctor decided would save them, was to treat the creatures like a child. Like the child.

     "Go to your room." He just stared at them, as their heads tilted in confusion. EJ looked to Rose who was staring back at him: they didn't understand what in hell was going on. "I mean it. I'm very, very angry with you. I'm very, very cross. GO... TO... YOUR... ROOM!"

      They watched as, against all odds, they complied. Each of them stepped away with downturned heads like they'd received the worst beating of their lives. Then, they sat back onto their beds, and lay back down, catatonic. EJ didn't know how it happened, but he didn't care. So long as they weren't bothering him, he was alright.

The Doctor could see his discomfort, so took the blonde boy's hand as Rose and Jack joined them. "I'm really glad that worked. They would've been terrible last words."

     His attempt to make light of the situation didn't impress the others, as they reshuffled slightly. Jack found the desk in the middle of the room and put his feet up, whilst Rose became the last to look over all the patients. She crouched down beside one of the beds, somehow not frightened that they would attack once more. EJ, on the other hand, refused to move. He was rather content to stay beside the Doctor.

     Sometimes, he was jealous of just how outwardly curious Rose was. Of course, he wanted to know the same things she did. It was a burning passion. However, it was safer with the Doctor. He would just have to learn to be more independent.

     She looked up briefly from the bedside, and queried. "Why are they all wearing gas masks?"

  "They're not." Jack replied, swiftly. "Those masks are flesh and bone."

  Rose didn't get a chance to reply as the Doctor folded his arms. "How was your con supposed to work?"

  "Simple enough, really." He shrugged. "Find some harmless piece of space junk, let the nearest time agent track it back to Earth, convince him it's valuable, and 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."

  The Doctor agreed, bitterly. "Yeah. Perfect."

  "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 laughed, but it quickly died out when he realised no one was laughing with him. "Getting a hint of disapproval."

  "Take a look around the room." He gritted his teeth. "This is what your piece of harmless space junk did."

  "It was a burnt out medical transporter. It was empty!"

  "EJ!" The Doctor didn't waste any time in turning on his heels and storming away. "Rose!"

  "Are we getting out of here?" She asked, hopefully, as she ran towards him.

  EJ took a little longer to stroll their way. "Probably not."

  "We're going upstairs."

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