Lost in the Universe

xxi

"Oh, my God!" Martha exclaimed, pulling a bubbling container out of Jack's backpack.

Nina had to look twice to finally realize why she was so surprised. "You've got a hand! A hand in a jar! A hand in a jar in your bag." The rest of them walked  to her. The Doctor suddenly gasped and pointed at it.

"That's my hand!" He realized out loud. Jack shrugged. Nina couldn't help but smile. That's how he managed to track him down, she realised.

"I did say I had a Doctor detector," he reasoned.

"Chan, is that a tradition amongst your people, tho?" The blue woman asked them with a frown on her face. She obviously didn't see why a guy would have another's hand in his backpack.

"Not on my street. What d'you mean that's your hand?" Martha asked him. She clearely clearly didn't see how that worked either. "You've got both your hands, I can see them."

"Long story," the Doctor dismissed it. For some reason, Nina felt like he didn't want to talk about it, like it brought some bad memories he didn't want resourfaced. "I lost my hand in a sword fight Christmas Day," he added.

"What, and you grew another hand?" Martha asked. The idea was simply impossible in her head.

"Um, yeah. Yeah, I did," he told her. When he looked up and noticed Martha's dismayed face, he waved his right hand in her face. "Hello."

"Might I ask what species are you?" The Professor asked him. The Doctor slightly hesitated, giving Nina a look before he answered him.

"Time Lords," the Doctor told him. "Me and her, last of," he said. Jack gave Nina a look, like he finally realised why the Doctor was so overprotective of her. On the other hand, there was absolutely no reaction from either the professor nor the blue woman. "Heard of them? Legend of anything? Not even a myth?"

"That's a bit sad, isn't it?" Nina mumbled.

"It is. Isn't the end of the universe so humbling," he whined, agreeing with her.

"Chan, it is said that I am the last of my species too, tho," Ms. Blue spoke. Nina looked at her with sympathy in her eyes.

"Sorry, what was your name?" The Doctor finally asked her.

"My assistant and good friend, Chantho," the professor told him. "A survivor of the Malmooth. This was their planet, Malcassairo, before we took refuge." Nina frowned. She had never heard of the Malmooth, nor of Malcassairo. This must be a relatively young planet.

"The city outside, that was yours?" Nina asked her softly. Chantho nodded.

"Chan, the conglomeration died, tho," she told her. Nina couldn't help but wonder if she really needed to start every sentence with 'chan' and end every single one of them with 'tho'. Maybe it was a cultural thing, but why would she keep doing it after the death of her people? It must be exhausting, always having to remind herself to do it.

"Conglomeration!" The Doctor exclaimed a bit too eagerly for the mood of the conversation. "That's what you said!" He pointed at Nina. Instead of agreeing, she put her hand on his arm and pushed it down.

"You're supposed to say sorry," she suggested. The Doctor immediatly caught up and widened his eyes as he understood.

"Oh, yes," he said. "Sorry." It wasn't very convincing, but Nina supposed it was better than nothing.

"Chan, most grateful, tho," Chantho told them, but mostly Nina, feeling like she had really meant her acknowledgment. Nina nodded gravely.

"You grew... another hand," they heard Martha finally speak up after a moment. She was clearly still confused about all of it. The Doctor raised his hand and waved his fingers once more.