Miss Brightside

Chapter 15

"What disease is that?" Rose-Cassandra covered her mouth as if trying to protect herself from the illnesses these people carried.

"All of them. Every single disease in the galaxy. They've been infected with everything," The Doctor told them bitterly.

"It's disgusting," Addi frowned.

"You're telling me, I mean look at them-" Addi rounded on Rose-Cassandra angrily.

"I'm not talking about them! They didn't ask for this, they've been raised to be disease carriers! That's what's disgusting," Addi glared harshly at her and Rose-Cassandra stepped away from the smaller girl. The doctor placed a comforting hand on Addi's shoulder.

"They were born sick. They're meant to be sick. They exist to be sick," The Doctor paced up and down the walkway.

"Lab rats," Addi added sadly.

"No wonder the sister's have got a cure for everything. They've built the ultimate research laboratory. A human farm," The Doctor continued to pace as Addi closed the door of the sick woman.

"Why don't they just die?"

"Plague carriers are always the last to go," Addi told her not-sister-sister.

"It's for the greater cause." Addi spun around to look at Novice Hame.

"Novice Hame, when you took your vows, did you agree to this?" The Doctor asked her.

"The sisterhood has sworn to help."

"By killing," Addi spat out at the nurse.

Novice Hame looked at her. "But they're not real people, they were specially grown-"

"The live, the breathe, the talk, cry, reach out for help, and you're telling me that they aren't real people?" Addi angrily took a step forward, but was pulled back into the Doctor's chest.

"What's the turnover, hmm? Thousand a day? Thousand the next? Thousand the next? How many thousands? For how many years? How many!" 

"Mankind needed us," Novice Hame began, taking a step forward toward the raging pair. "They came to this planet with so many illnesses, we couldn't cope. We did try, we tried everything. We tired using clone-meat and bio-cattle, but the results were too slow. So, the sisterhood grew its own flesh. That's all they are...flesh."

"These people are alive!" The Doctor shouted back.

"But think of those humans out there. Alive and happy because of us," Novice Hame tried to justify their actions, but it only made Addi's rage boil hotter inside her stomach.

"If they live because of this then life is worthless," She tore herself out of the Doctor's hold and stomped toward the nurse.

"But who are you to decide that?" Novice Hame asked the girl in front of her calmly.

As if physically hurt by the comment, Addi stumbled back into the Doctor. He wrapped his arms around her tightly as if trying to comfort her. The Doctor looked down at the nurse with a calm expression, but deadly eyes.

"I'm the Doctor. And if you don't like, if you want to take it to a higher authority, then there isn't one. It stops with me."

Rose-Cassandra stepped forward awkwardly. "Just to confirm, none of the humans in the city actually know about this?"

"We thought it best not," Novice Hame answered causing Addi to scoff sarcastically. 

"Hold on. I can understand the bodies. I can understand your vows. One thing I can't understand. What have you done to Rose?" The Doctor asked deadly serious.

"I don't know what you mean," Novice Hame replied in confusion.

" And I'm being very, very calm. You want to be aware of that. Very, very calm. And the only reason I'm being so very, very calm is that the brain is a delicate thing. Whatever you've done to Rose's head, I want it reversed." Addi stared deeply at Novice Hame.

"We haven't done anything."

"She's telling the truth, Doctor. This wasn't them," Addi told him, glancing into his eyes as if begging him to believe her.

"I'm perfectly fine," Rose-Cassandra spoke to them.

"These people are dying and Rose would care," The Doctor retorted harshly.

Rose-Cassandra tugged Addi away from the Doctor and pressed the small girl to her chest. Addi tugged harshly to try and get away from her not-sister, but with no luck. "Oh alright, clever clogs. Smarty pants. Lady-killer."

"What's happened to you?" The Doctor inquired.

"I knew something was going on in this hospital, but I needed this body and your mind to find it out." She adjusted her grip on Addi slightly.

"Who are you?" 

"The last human." That seemed to ring a bell with the Doctor since his eyes widened.

"Cassandra?"

"Wake up and smell the perfume!" Rose-Cassandra grabbed a small perfume bottle from Rose's coin slot and sprayed it into the Doctor's face. The tall man stumbled before falling to the ground unconscious. Cassandra spun Addi around to look her in the eye. "Now, what to do with you, you smart little thing."

"Get out of my sister," Addi spat.

"Sister, hmm? Well, I don't want to deal with your smart mouth right now," She sprayed the perfume again into Addi's face and the girl fell limp in Cassandra's arms.