To Hell and Back

Chapter 3

Hey! Sorry for the wait but I was really blocked with this chapter. Thanks to my beta reader and thank you for your patience and your nice comments. This is not my best one but I hope you'll like it !

"Igneoz ?" Asked Nardole while he followed the Doctor through the Tardis' corridors.

"Igneos." corrected the Doctor. " Fascinating people ! I visited their planet when... eeeh... a long time ago... I couldn't stand the heat... I can tell you that with three suns, things are getting hot, Nardole."

"How do you explain our case then ?"

"You see Nardole, when two people love each other..."

"Doctor !" cutted the cyborg, annoyed.

"I don't explain it." replied the Time Lord rummaging through his library. "I don't know very well Igeos' biology, but what I know, beside the flames stuff, it's that they have an high body temperature and that they grow up slower than humans..." He took a break. " If her mother was human, I don't think she survived childbirth."

"I hope you don't think to keep her."

The Doctor didn't answer. He glared at his assistant and looked away quickly. Nardole frowned.

"Seriously ?"

" When you offer charity, you do it all the way, Nardole."

"But..." started the smaller man. " A child needs care..."

" I know."

" Attention..."

" I know ! " bursted the Doctor. He stopped and closed his eyes to calm down. " And what do you suggest ? Send her to an orphanage who won't be able to deal with her features ? Oh wait I know ! RSPCA !"

Nardole sighed. "UNIT will know how to handle the situation."

" And so I, thank you very much !"

"You can't allow yourself to be absentminded, sir."

The Doctor ignored him. " Make yourself useful and go make some tea."

As Nardole left grumbling, the Doctor went back to the medical room holding a book. He blinked when he saw the child sitting on the bed.

"Had enough sleep ?"

Elyne nodded. But the dark circles under her eyes betrayed her.

"You can sleep longer if you need it."

The girl shook her head. And a gurgling sound was heard.

" Hungry?" Asked the Doctor.

"N-No." She answered looking away.

The Doctor rose an eyebrow. Then another gurgling sound. This time Elyne rolled herself into a ball, to stifle the noise. The Doctor sat next to her on the bed.

"If you want food you just have to tell me." He said , somehow gentle. "Nobody will punish you because you are hungry."

This time, she looked into his eyes, looking for a sign of hostility. Comforted, she stood up, the Doctor chuckled when he saw how large the T-shirt was for her.