NOTE: As I stated in the (revised) introduction, this story is taking bit of a dark turn, honestly, I had been planning it from the start. So, a friendly reminder, this story does have suicide, rape, death mentions in it.

Until then enjoy the story my little Ice Pops.

Don't melt!

~ Happyritas <OOO

>*<*>*<*>*<*>*<*>*<*>*<*>*<*>*<*>*<*>*<*>*<*>*<*>*<*>*<*>*<*>*<*>*<*>*<*>*<*>*<*>*<

Chapter 20:

Augusta's POV

"Please, stop," the man cried as I backed him into a corner. "I-I have a wife! Kids, even! Please, don't kill me!!"

I stared at him blankly, but a long, devilish smile fell on my lips. I leaned close to his body, my lips brushing against his ear. "No," I whispered, and snapped his neck.

>*<*>*<*>*<*>*<

I shot up gasping, looking around. I was in the TARDIS, the Doctor was moving about the metal board. "You let me fall asleep," I announced to him, and he didn't even turning to look at me.

"You seemed awfully tired," he answered. "Have a nightmare?"

I didn't answer and moved off the chair, "Where's Rose?" I asked. He glanced at me as he pushed up a lever -- with much effort -- probably seeing how I dodged the question. 

"She's--" he was cut off by the door swinging open. 

"So, where are we going?" Rose asked, setting a bag on the floor. 

"Farther than we've ever gone before," he grinned and pulled down the lever. The room began to rumble and move. I stumbled to the side, holding on to the bar, and a few seconds later, it stopped. 

Rose beamed, and turned to me, "Here you go, Auggie." She tossed me a white object, which I caught. It was the scarf Jackie gave me, "Left it at mum's flat."

"Oh, sorry," I murmured, holding the scarf. "So... How do I...?"

"Oh, lemme help you," the Doctor offered and wrapped the scarf around my neck, letting it hang over. It almost went down to my fingertips. "There!" He beamed, "Now, let's go!" He ran to the doors, opening it, Rose and I right behind him. 

The first thing I noticed was that the air smelled... Weird. Not a bad weird, like suffocating weird. Like, strange weird. Like a pinkish-weird. The second was the long field of high grass and a large city with flying cars zooming around the city. 

Rose and I awed at the sight, "It's the year five billion and twenty-three..." The Doctor announced, "We're in the galaxy M87, and this... this is New Earth."

"That's just... that's--" Rose said, speechless. Then, she let out a laugh.

The Doctor nodded in approval, "Not bad. Not bad at all!"

"That's amazing," she finally said. "I'll never get used to this. Never. Different ground beneath my feet!" She jumped up and down on the grass.

"What's that smell?" I wondered, looking down tracing where the odd smell came from. "It smells... Pink, I think..." I paused for a few seconds, "Have I... Said that before...?"

The both of them stared at me, "You mean sweet," the Doctor finally corrected.

I nodded, my eyes floating over to the city, "Yeah. Sweet... That's what I meant..."

"It's apple grass," he said, picking at the grass and showing it to her. 

"Apple grass...!" Rose awed, staring at the brownish-green grasses.

"Yeah, yeah!" He grinned and she beamed.

"It's beautiful," she looked at him. "Oh, I love this. Can I just say..." She linked her arm in his, "... Travelling with you... I love it."

"Me too," he agreed, and they both shared a small laugh. "C'mon," he took our hands and ran into the long, grassy field.

The Doctor finally stopped and threw his long brown coat on the ground, he and Rose sat on it while I sat off to the side. "So, the year five billion -- the sun expands, the Earth gets roasted," he summarized.

Rose smiled broadly, "That was our first date."

He leaned back on the jacket, "We had chips!" They both laughed again at the thought of the unfamiliar day. "So anyway, planet gone, all rocks and dust, but the human race lives on, spread out across the stars. Soon as the Earth burns up -- oh, yeah, they get all nostalgic -- big revival movement... but find this place!"

He sat up, his eyes fixed on the towering city, "Same size as the Earth... same air... same orbit... lovely!" He continued, "Call goes out, the humans move in!"

"What's the city called?" Rose asked, a hint of curiosity in her voice.

"New New York," he answered, and she gave him a skeptic look.

"Oh, come on," she rolled her eyes.

"It is! It's the City of New New York!" He paused, "Strictly speaking, it's the fifteenth New York since the original. So that makes it New New New New New New New New New New New New New New York." They both smile, but there's something in her's that made the Doctor frown.

"What?" He asked.

"You're so different."

"New New Doctor," he smirked and they both laughed again.

As they continued to talk, I picked a piece of grass out, it smelt odd-- sweet. That was the word I used earlier. What was 'sweet' anyway? What does this 'sweet' do? Wha--

I sharply turned my head, spotting a mechanical spider in the grass, staring at us. I quickly controlled its metal, bringing it to me. There was some kind of camera inside, I could see it. 

Bringing two fingers on the top, I pressed down, they easily made a hole in it and I was able to extract the camera. Now being able to take a closer look at it I could--

Before I could even finish, it began to smoke and burn on my hands, I frowned and dropped it, just as it completely shriveled into itself. Self-destruct system. There's no way I could use it now.

"Auggie, are you coming?" Rose asked, making me glance up. 

I blinked at her, "Coming where?" I asked, wiping the small dribble of blood that left my lips before she could see it.

She grinned and took my hand, helping me up. "Doctor wants to check out the hospital real quick."

I nodded, "What's 'the hospital'?"

"It's..." She paused to think, "It's a place where people fix you when you get hurt," she finally answered and I nodded. "A bunch of doctors and nurses work there."

I frowned, "What do you mean?" I thought the Doctor was the only doctor...

"A doctor is someone who fixes people," she explained, smiling a bit. 

My mouth made a small 'o', and I nodded, now understanding the basic concept of this 'hospital'. 

As soon as we neared this hospital I could tell something wasn't right. A few steps more and I stopped in my tracks, my eyes as wide as saucers and my hands began to tremble. I saw Rose turn to me, "Auggie? What's wrong?"

"This smell... It's the experimenting room..." I whispered to myself in horror, and the Doctor quickly spun around. "It's-It's the experimenting room...! You're bringing me to--"

"No it's not, Auggie," the Doctor said. "It's a hospital. They help people, not hurt people. They aren't experimenting on anyone."

I looked at him, evident fear shone in my eyes. His jaw was tight and his stare was serious yet comforting. I closed my eyes and sighed deeply, "... Fine..." I nodded and he smiled. 

"Good," he grinned, and went to grab my hand, gently. "Now, c'mon, they usually have little shops. I always love the little shops."

Finally, we had entered the hospital. I shuddered, feeling all tingly for a second, and listened as the Doctor had been explaining why he didn't really like them in the first place, and Rose laughed at him. 

The room smelt clean, sterile probably. Just like the experimenting room. I shuddered and looked around, it was full of people. And animals. And other beings that I haven't seen before. Overall, it was actually interesting. If, of course, I looked past the terrifying memories it brought along with it.

"The Pleasure Gardens will now take visitors carrying green or blue identification cards for the next fifteen minutes," a electronic voice of a woman stated, nearly making me jump. "Visitors are reminded that cuttings from the gardens are not permitted."

Rose and the Doctor began to walk around, talking. My eyes turned to a small girl, who was sitting on the chair. Over the smell of chemicals, I could sharply smell salty tears.

I walked over, the girl had her green hands folding in her lap. Her clothes were rags and dirty, yet I could still hear her sniffling. "You are crying," I stated, sitting next to the girl.

She looked at me, although her skin was a scaly green, her eyes were a murky yellow that were welled with unshed tears. "Th-they say my Mama can't live because she can't pay for it," she sniffed. "All I have left is Mama. I don't wanna leave Mama alone, but they won't let me stay in there."

A frown was placed on my lips, "Maybe I can help." suggested and she didn't react.

"No," she finally answered.

"Why not? I want to help."

"Ma-mama said not to trust strangers..." She trailed off, but I nodded. Just as I did that, I felt a pull on my arm, taking me away. 

"C'mon Auggie, we're going," Rose said, puling me away from the young girl. She let go and I glanced at her crying self for one last time, before turning and following the Doctor and Rose. 

"Right there," he said, walking over to a elevator, and Rose followed him in. Once I tried to get in with them, the doors quickly shut.

"Doctor!" I shouted, going over to the door.

"Sorry, the doors shut," he said back. "Go to Ward 26. And watch out for the--" his voice cut off, and replaced with the upward zooming sound of the elevator. 

Watch out for the what, I thought to myself as I entered the other small, metal elevator. "How does this work...?" I frowned, "Uhm... Ward 26?" Suddenly, the doors closed, and my eyes widened. I had a feeling this was a bad idea...

"Commence stage one -- disinfection," a electronic voice says, and suddenly water is showered over me. I gasped, and tried to move away, but I couldn't. 

Then, some kind of powder fell on me. I yelped and moved towards the walls. Some got in my nose and I violently sneezed. Finally, heavy air was blown from the ground, drying my soaked and disheveled body.

The doors opened, revealing a man with weird writings covering his face. "The Unspecified Child is clean," he announced.

"Where's the Doctor and Rose?" I asked, looking around. I was in some kind of... Old room, but by the smell of it, someone/thing was here. 

"This way," he said, turning around and going the opposite direction. I frowned at him, but followed, tugging on the ends of my gloves, just in case.

At the end of the walkway, there is a television of a lady talking to a man, holding a glass drink in her hand, "I mean, you never know what your life's going to be like!" She laughed, "Ever! I'm bored with this drink. Anyway-- oh, hello darling! Now, don't! Stop it!" She pushed the man playfully in the chest. 

"What the he--" I turned around seeing a large piece of tanned skin held in a frame, except it had a mouth and eyes. Beside it was the man, who was gazing longingly at it.

"Peekaboo," she smiled, her red lips pursing.

I stared at her for about five minutes, "Oh, stop staring!" She chided, "It's rude."

I ran a hand through my long hair, "No. No, I've seen you before," I murmured. "Where have I seen you before?!"

"Don't strain yourself," she rolled her eyes. "You might pull something... Elementist," my blood ran cold and my eyes widened.

"How did you know?" I demanded, taking a step away from the woman.

"Don't act like that. What do you think I'm going to do to you? Flap you to death?" 

"What about him?" I pointed to the man, who cocked his head in my direction. 

"That's Chip. He's my pet," she smirked.

I looked at her, "And... What are you again?"

"I'm human," she hissed, glaringly. Then she sighed, "Name's Cassandra. I'm the Last Human."

"What?" I pulled a strange face, "No you're not."

She frowned at me, "Well, there is that blonde chav( britisth term for white trash), but otherwise, yes, I am. And you are the last Elementist. Well, not pure at least, but pretty damn close, I'll give you that."

A serious expression fell on my face, "How do you know that?"

She scoffed, "Know you? Please, there are all kinds of stories about the wild haired half human, half Elementist child that travelled with the Time Lord. Especially after that incident on Platform 500. Got in the history books, actually. Never really believed it until now, when I was able to scan you when you walked in."

I stared at her, "Scan--" I paused. Was that the tingly feeling when I walked in...? 

"Yes, scan you, do keep up. Anyway, you're thermal signatures were off the charts. Supposedly a sign of a Elementist when they're... Well, jumpy. Luckily, you didn't light anything on fire and give it away, so A plus for secrecy." 

I stared at the woman, "Okay, you found me. Now what?"

"You are a friend of the Doctor. You're going to take me to them so I can get out of here," she grinned. "And... Then, when I get a new host at least, I'm going to use you."

"Use me?!" 

"Yes, don't you realize? The Elementists, one of the most powerful races in the universe! You're going to get me so much money! We're talking trillions, and that's a minimum!" A evil grin grew on her painted red lips, and my eyes widened.

I took a step back and instantly, I was trapped in a bright light. My body was shaking and I stared fearfully at the woman. "Chip! Activate the psychograft!" She ordered the man, who bounded over to the controls.

"Let me go!" I screamed, trying to get out of the binding light. Suddenly, the binding lights were gone, replaced by a cage made of light. I went to grab the bars and pull them, ignoring the fact that my gloves were burning.

"Let me go, please," I cried again, feeling as confined as I was when I was with the Director.

"Sorry short stuff, the lady's moving on. It's goodbye to basement life and hello trillion-aire!" A cloud of light jumped out of her body and into me, and the world shut out like a light switch.

>*<*>*<*>*<*>*<

3rd's POV 

Chip raced over to the girl, who laid unconscious on the ground, "Mistress?" 

"Moisturize me," she murmured, beginning to stir. Then, her eyes snapped open, "How bizarre..." She exclaimed breathlessly. "Arms... Fingers... Hair! Lots of hair! Let me see! Let me see!" She sprung to her feet, now filled with newfound energy and excitement, and ogled herself in the long mirror. "Oh my god... I'm a kid!"

>*<*>*<*>*<*>*<

Augusta's POV

I groaned in pain, my eyes fluttering open. "Where am I?" I muttered, looking around, bleary-eyed. 

"You're mind is so interesting, for a child your age," a familiar woman's voice said, making me shoot my head up. I suddenly became aware of the chains that held my arms, legs, and body tied to a chair. My heart jumped and I instantly began to thrash around in the chains.

"Oh, stop it. It's no use," she said again. I heard footsteps walk towards me and lean close to my ear. "You're in your subconscious. All you can do is watch," she giggled in my ear, and walked around the chair. 

In front of me stood a blonde-haired woman in a black dress and bright red lipstick

"Get out of me Cassandra," I growled at the woman.

"No can do," she sighed. "You're my ticket out of this place, but before I go, I've got to meet your little friends. Ward 26, right?"

"Stay away from them!" I screamed at her, who merely laughed. 

"For the supposedly intimidating Elementist, you're actually really cute," she smirked and pinched my cheeks."Oh, I could just eat you!"

"I am not cute!" I cried, even though I have no clue what 'cute' means.

"You're right," she sighed deeply, letting go. "You're adorable!"

A growl escaped my throat, making her take a step back mockingly, "What are you, a dog?"

"What are you doing to my body?!" I demanded, and she rolled her eyes.

"I already told you, taking a little looksy on your friends," she smirked. "Honestly, I was going to take that blonde chav's body had yours not been practically gold." She paused, frowning, "You're memories... Most are quite sad really. You're missing a few. Like it's locked away," she bit her lip. "Maybe if I just..."

Suddenly, I gasped, my body racking with pain. Hundreds of things ran through my head at once. Weeping Angels. Rome. Augusta. The Doctor. Nightmares. Gelth. Gwyne--

It stopped, leaving me panting. "So many locked away memories..." Cassandra murmured. "You lost everything..."

"Get... Out... Of my head," I rasped, and she looked back at me, her pitying look died easily.

"No," she glared, "In fact. I seem to like this body very much... So powerful. So--Oh. We're ringing."

>*<*>*<*>*<*>*<

3rd's POV

"Auggie, where are you?" The Doctor's voice said through the silver phone that Cassandra held, awkwardly.

"How does she talk?" She whispered to Chip.

"Old Earth American," he whispered back and she nodded.

"Uhm... What's up?" She answered.

"Where've you been?" He interrogated, "How long does it take to get to Ward 26?"

"I'll be on my way... Bro..." she nodded to herself.

"Hurry up, I have a old friend here I want you to meet," his voice held a certain excitement that sparked her interest.

"Oh really? Who?"

"His name's the Face of Boe, you'll love him!"

"Oh, I can't wait to meet that good old... Boat...face..." She trailed off, but he didn't mind. 

"I'd better go. See you in a minute," with that, he hung up, leaving the two awkwardly standing there.

After a few seconds, she began to fix herself again in the mirror, "This Doctor man is dangerous," Chip piped up.

She finished the long braid she made and put it over her shoulder, "Dangerous and clever," she corrected, unraveling the scarf around her neck and dropping it on the ground like yesterday's trash. "I might need a mind like his. The Sisterhood is up to something. Remember that Old Earth saying...? Never trust a Nun. Never trust a Nurse. And never trust a cat. Perfume?" Chip handed her a pink bottle, which she stuck on the inside of her jacket, and strode out the room.

>*<*>*<*>*<*>*<

Augusta's POV

"Listen here, you flat bitch," I growled, feeling very angry right now. "If you don't let me go--"

"You'll what?" She laughed, "You'll hurt me? Last I checked, I trapped you and I was controlling your body. Just face it. You're a angry little girl throwing a tantrum. Get over it."

"I am so going to--" she clicked her fingers and instantly, my mouth was covered by sticky gray... Something... 

"You were going to what? Sorry, I couldn't hear you over the tape blocking your mouth," she giggled. 

I glared at her, yanking in my chair more, until I began to feel dizzy and my vision blurred. "Hey, don't strain yourself. You'll kill both of us. Your mind's still young. You'll probably be dead in a few hours if I stay in here much longer. Which means, I need to hurry up and get rid of these Cat Nuns... Oh, here we are," she smiled, and we turned to front, which held a huge screen showing Rose and the Doctor as I-- we stepped out of the elevator.

>*<*>*<*>*<*>*<

3rd's POV

"There you are," Rose exclaimed, hugging Cassandra, who stood there stiffly. "Sorry we lost track of you. Must've been scared to death..."

"Oh, nah, it's... All good," she nodded, peeling Rose away from their body. "I was perfectly... Fine." She patted Rose's arm and walked away from her. "So, what's up?"

The Doctor smiled with excitement, "Come and look at this patient!" He exclaimed, taking her arm and dragging her over to a bed where the patient's skin is completely red. "Marconi's Disease. Should take years to recover. Two days. I've never seen anything like it -- they've invented a cell washing cascade -- it's amazing. Their medical science is way advanced. And this one!"

He brought her to another one, with a man whose completely white, "Pallidome Pancrosis. Kills you in ten minutes, and he's fine!" He waved cheerily at the patient, who waved back. "I need to find a terminal. I've got to see how they do this."

They walk off, but Cassandra is skipping like a schoolgirl, "Because if they've got the best medicine in the world..." He said, "Then why's it such a secret?"

"Well, they can't Adam and Eve it," she laughed, and Rose looked at her oddly. 

"Do you even know who Adam and Eve were?" She asked skeptically.

"'Course I know who Adam and Eve were, Rose," she rolled her eyes, spitting her name like it was venom, and added, "I'm not dumb."

She crossed her arms over her chest, "Never said you were."

"Anyways," the Doctor finally broke the three up before they started a fight. "We need to get to the terminal."

"Right," she nodded, and walked away, not before planting a kiss on the Doctor's cheek. "Terminal's this way..." She smirked and walked down the hallway.

Rose and the Doctor stayed a few paces behind the skipping girl. "That's not Auggie," they both said simultaneously, looking at each other.

"Since when does Auggie skip?" Rose nearly laughed at the odd situation. "Since when does she know who 'Adam and Eve' were?"

"First, we need to figure out what's wrong with this hospital," the Doctor said, catching up with the now-hyperactive girl. 

>*<*>*<*>*<*>*<

Augusta's POV

"Aaah!" I cried, whipping my head back. My head was killing me, I felt like my head was going to implode! 

"Hmm... Side effects are beginning to set in," Cassandra sighed. "Your body was already dying anyway..."

I looked up, my eyes wide, "D-dying?!" I croaked.

"Yes, dying. Your body is weak, or at least has been weakened. If I don't find a new host soon, you'll die and be no use to me," she muttered the last part to herself.

"No," I growled. "You're not going anywhere! I won't-- I won't let you hurt anyone else!"

"Sweetheart, you fail to realize that I am in control of your body," she laughed. 

"You're in my mind," I hissed at her. "You're trapped with me!"

I glared heatedly at her and her eyes widened. She screamed, and a second later, she disappeared, leaving no traces.

I stare at the ground, panting heavily. Did-did I do it? "You think it'll be that easy to get rid of me?" A agitated growled behind me. A wave of pain struck my mind, making my vision flash black for a second. "I'm in control of you," she growled, walking into my peripheral vision. "I control you now! You're nothing but a puppet!"

She flicked her wrist, and I screamed again, my head hanging limply. She walked over, her heels clicking the floor and grabbed my face, roughly, her nails digging into my skin. "You know, you probably don't even need to be alive for me to use you, really. All I need are a few body parts that could be replicated. So don't get cocky." 

She let go, and my head fell. "Please... Let me go..." I murmured, only to have her scoff.

"Sorry sweetheart. You're my ticket to all the money in the world," she patted my cheek. "Not gonna let you go that easy."

>*<*>*<*>*<*>*<

3rd's POV

"Nope... Nothing odd... Surgery... Post-op... Nano-dentistry..." The Doctor said, as he looked on the screen that held the layout of the hospital. "No sign of a shop... They should have a shop."

Cassandra walked around him, peering at the screen over his shoulder, "No, it's missing something else," she frowned, thoughtfully. "When I was downstairs, those Nurse/Cat/Nuns were talking about Intensive Care. Where is it...?"

"You're right," the Doctor agreed, sharing a silent glance with Rose, "Well done."

"Why would they hide a whole department?" She continued, oblivious to their looks. The Doctor took his sonic screwdriver out of his pocket, "It's gotta be there somewhere," she continued. "Search the sub-frame."

"What if the sub-frame's locked?" He asked, obviously testing her knowledge. 

"Try the installation protocol..." She suggested, and he nodded, scanning the screen. 

"Yeah, course," he muttered, "Sorry. Hold on." He clicked his sonic off and a entire wall moved over, revealing a secret hall. Cassandra smirked and walked straight into the hall.

"Intensive Care," Rose muttered, walking next to him. "Certainly looks intensive."

He nodded, "Got that right..." And with that, they both walked through the dark hallway.

>*<*>*<*>*<*>*<

Going down the metal steps, they were surrounded by rows and rows of huge cavernous cages with green, glass doors. The Doctor opened one of the doors with his sonic screwdriver. Slowly, it revealed a man, covered in boils, rashes, and every other medical skin disease in the galaxy, surrounded by smoke. Rose gasped, looking at him, and a horrified expression fell on the Doctor's face.

Cassandra's face, on the other hand, scrunched up in disgust, "That's disgusting."

"What's happened to him?" Rose finally asked, but the Doctor didn't answer completely.

"I'm sorry," he apologized, "I'm so sorry." He gently closed the door, going to another, where a woman was held, looking in just about the same condition.

"What disease is that?" Cassandra asked, holding her nose.

"All of them," the Doctor said quietly in disgust. "Every single disease in the galaxy, they've been infected with everything."

"What about us?" Rose asked, "Are we safe?"

"The air's sterile. Just don't touch them," the Doctor warned, going to the railing and looking down at the thousands of other people being held.

"How many patients are there?" Cassandra asked, looking over too.

"They're not patients," the Doctor said.

"But they're sick," Cassandra argued.

"They were born sick," the Doctor said, anger shone in his voice. "They're meant to be sick. They exist to be sick. Lab rats. No wonder the Sisters have got a cure for everything. They've built the ultimate research laboratory. A Human farm."

"Then... Why don't they..." Rose trailed off, slightly uncomfortable with the word.

"Die?" He finished, "They're plague carriers. The last to go."

"It's for the greater cause," a new voice said, and they all turned to see one of the cat nuns, Novice Hame, standing at the end of the walkway.

"Novice Hame," the Doctor growled. "When you took your vows, did you agree to this?"

"The Sisterhood has sworn to help," she answered.

"What, by killing?" The Doctor shouted.

"But they're not real people," she argued gently. "They're specially grown. They have no proper existence."

The Doctor walked over to her, dangerously. "What's the turnover?" He demanded to know, "Hm? Thousand a day? Thousand the next? Thousand the next? How many thousand? For how many years? How many?!"

"Mankind needed us," she replied, narrowing her cat-eyes. "They came to this planet with so many illnesses. We couldn't cope. We did try. We tried everything. We tried 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," he spat.

"But think of those Humans out there..." She sighed peacefully, "Healthy... And happy, because of us."

"If they live because of this, then life is worthless," he glared.

"But who are you to decide that?" She challenged.

He took a step forward, glaring down at her. "I'm the Doctor," he answered, authority shining in his voice. "And if you don't like it... if you want to take it to a higher authority, then there isn't one. It stops with me."

Cassandra peered around the Doctor's side, "Just to confirm... None of the Humans in the city actually know about this?" She asked the cat nun.

"We thought it best not--" she began to say, but the Doctor held up his hand.

"Hold on. I can understand the bodies. I can understand your vows. But one thing I can't understand -- what have you done to Augusta?"

The cat frowned, not expecting this, "I don't know what you mean."

"And I'm being very, very calm," he said, his voice a deadly quiet. "You wanna beware 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 Augusta's head, I want it reversed."

"We haven't done anything," she denied.

"I'm perfectly fine," Cassandra added.

"These people are dying," Rose spoke up, glaring at the cat. "Augusta wouldn't be acting like this. Augusta would care."

"Oh, all right, clever clogs," She sighed, and the two of them turned to her. She pulled out his tie flirtatiously. "Smarty pants. Lady-killers."

"What happened to you?" The Doctor asked, staring down at her.

"I knew something was going on in this hospital," she admitted. "But I needed this body and your mind to find it out."

"Who are you?" Rose demanded.

She smirked, "Don't you remember?" A giggle escaped her lips, "I'm the Last Human!"

Both their eyes widened, realizing who was in control of Augusta's body, "Cassandra?" The Doctor and Rose said.

She grinned, slipping a hand in her jacket, "Wake up and smell the perfume!" She yanked out her perfume bottle and sprayed the Doctor in the face.

"Doctor!" Rose shouted, but she quickly sprayed her too, and they were both on the ground, unconscious.

"You've hurt them!" Novice Hame declared, kneeling to his side. "I don't understand-- I'll have to fetch Matron!"

"You do that, 'cause I want to see her," Cassandra waved a hand carelessly. "Now, run along! Sound the alarm!" Novice Hame ran off, scared, and Cassandra smiled satisfyingly, and yanked a cord out, making a loud alarm sound.

>*<*>*<*>*<*>*<

Augusta's POV

"Don't hurt them..." I rasped. "Please... Just... Leave them alone..."

"Hush up, will you?" Cassandra rolled her eyes. "Dragging bodies are hard work, you know."

"Please, just let them go," I begged, squeezing my eyes shut in pain. "Please..."

"No way," she laughed. "If I let them go now, all my hard work'll be for nothing!" 

"Just leave them alone!" I shouted, which turned into a rippling cough. 

"Face it: You're dying," she shrugged. "I'll just have to find someone else, but that doesn't mean I'm not taking you with me. I'm still going to use you." She smirked, "You're my ticket to fame."

"Is that all you want?" I asked, "Money? Fame?!"

"In a world like this, that's all you need," she flipped her hair over her shoulder. 

"Just leave me alone!" I screeched, but another wave of pain struck my head and I gasped, moaning.

"I suggest you watch that tone of yours," Cassandra said casually. "I can still kill you in a second."

"... Leave them..." I muttered. "Please... I'm begging you."

"No," she defied. "Suck it up, will you. You're starting to get on my nerves... Oh, look! They're waking up!"

>*<*>*<*>*<*>*<

3rd's POV

The Doctor stirred, his eyes slowly opening, and found himself in the metal cage with a green glass door, Rose lying by his feet. Cassandra staring at them through the glass door, "Let me out!" He shouted, "Let me out!"

"Aren't you lucky there was a spare?" She laughed, "Just enough room to shove both of you in."

"You've stolen Augusta's body," he growled, as Rose just began to wake up.

"Over the years, I've thought of a thousand ways to kill you, Doctor," she admitted. "And now, that's exactly what I've got. One thousand diseases. They pump the patients with a top-up every ten minutes. You've got about... Three minutes left. Enjoy."

"Just let Augusta go, Cassandra," he helped Rose up, who was glaring daggers at Cassandra. "She's just a kid."

"I will! As soon as I've found someone older with more... Curves. Maybe Blondie will do," his eyes narrowed at the thought of her using Rose. "Then I'll sell her on a black market or something. Now hushaby! It's showtime!"

Just as she finished, Sister Jatt and Marton Casp walked down the walkway. "Anything we can do to help?" Sister Jatt asked.

"Straight to the point, Whiskers..." Cassandra crossed her arms over her chest, "I want money."

"The Sisterhood is a charity," Matron Casp corrected. "We don't give money. We only... accept."

"The Humans across the water pay you a fortune. And that's exactly what I need. A one-off payment," she shrugged. "That's all I want... oh, and perhaps a yacht. In return for which, I shall tell the City nothing of your institutional murder. Is that a deal?"

"I'm afraid not," Marton Casp denied.

"I'd really advise you to think about this," she insisted.

"There's no need. I have to decline."

"I'll tell them! And you've no way of stopping me! You're not exactly Nuns with Guns -- you're not even armed."

"Who needs arms when we have claws?" Long claws shoot out of her paws and they hissed menacingly.

"Well, nice try," she sighed, and spun around to where Chip was standing. "Chip? Plan B!"

Chip pulled a lever, causing all the doors on the walkway to shoot open, including the infected one. The Doctor and Rose stepped out of their cells, "What've you done??" He yelled. 

"Gave the system a shot of adrenaline, just to wake 'em up. See ya!" She ran off with Chip, leaving the Doctor, Rose, Matron Casp, and Sister Jatt to fend off the infected people.

"Don't touch them!" He shouted to the nurses and Rose, "Whatever you do, don't touch!" He and Rose dashed after Cassandra and Chip, while Sister Jatt and Matron Casp watched the infected people.

"I think we should withdraw," Sister Jatt gulped nervously.

"We understood what you did to us," the infected man stepped forward. "As part of the machine, we know the machine."

"Fascinating," Marton Casp awed while she backed away. "It's actually constructing an argument."

"And we... Will end it," he plunged himself into the electronic circuit board, electrocuting himself to death, but releasing the doors on every other cell in the entire Intensive Care unit. The infected people began to stumble out of their cells, all looking at the cat nuns. 

"They're free," Sister Jatt gasped in shock. "By the Goddess Centauri -- the flesh is free!" Sister Jatt was backed up against the wall, while the flesh are murmuring 'stop the pain.' One of them touch her and her body erupts in boils and red rashes, and the cat nun screamed in agony.

"Oh, my God..." Cassandra gasped, as she and Chip watched the flesh stumble out of their cages.

"What the hell have you done?" The Doctor glared.

"It wasn't me!" She exclaimed, passing off the blame.

"One touch and you get every disease in the world," he hissed. "And I want that body safe, Cassandra! We've gotta go down!"

She glanced at the advancing zombie-like people, fear trembling in her voice, "But there's thousands of them!" She whined.

"RUN!" He ordered, "Down! Down! Go down!" The four of them raced down the metal plated steps. 

The P.A. System announced loudly: "This building is under quarantine. Repeat -- this building is under quarantine. No one may leave the premises. Repeat... No one may leave the premises."

"Keep going!" The Doctor shouted as they ran down the steps. "Go down!"

Finally, finishing the last bit of steps, they reached the basement. They burst through the cellar doors, Cassandra tried to frantically turn on the elevator. "No, the lifts have closed down," he explained, stopping. "That's the quarantine, nothing's moving."

"This way!" She said, directing then the other way, but Chip is pitifully left behind.

"Someone will touch him!" He said, beginning to go back, but Cassandra grabbed his arm, stopping him.

"Leave him!" She rolled her eyes, "He's just a clone thing, he's only got a half life-- come on!"

"Mistress!" Chip called out pitifully, but Cassandra had already left, Rose -- who was more worried about Augusta -- was on her tail. 

The Doctor looked at the half-life slave, "I'm sorry, I can't let her escape!" He apologized, running after his two companions.

>*<*>*<*>*<*>*<

They finally made it back into the room where Augusta was originally captured, Cassandra slammed the doors behind them. She tried another, only have more zombie clambering behind it. Emitting a small noise in surprise, she shut the door. "We're trapped!" She exclaimed, very upset and scared. "What're we going to do?"

He and Rose were glaring at the woman, who was inside of a girl. He noticed a familiar white scarf on the ground, and picked it up, shoving it into his bigger-on-the-inside pockets. "Well, for starters, you're going to leave that body," he stated heatedly. He pointed his sonic at the psychograft that he assumed was used to put the woman in the fifteen-year-old's body. 

"That psychograft is banned on every civilized planet!" He exclaimed, "Augusta is a child! She can't handle you both in her mind for this long, you'll compress her to death!"

"But I've got nowhere to go," she whined childishly. "My original skin's dead."

"That's not our problem," Rose glared, her arms crosses over her chest, expressing evident anger.

"Give her back to me," he growled, pointing his sonic screwdriver at the woman threateningly.

"You asked for it," she simply shrugged. A cloud of light left Augusta's body and quickly bounced into the Doctor's. 

Simultaneously, Augusta fell to the floor, her eyes rolled back and her head beaded with sweat. "Auggie!?" Rose shouted, going to the young girl's side. For a few moments, she could've sworn she wasn't breathing, until she finally inhaled a small, weary, in-take of oxygen, and coughed roughly. 

Meanwhile, Cassandra was examining her new body. "Oh, my," she gasped, except it sounded like the Doctor. Rose turned her head to see the woman slowly rubbing the slim man's body. "This is... different."

"Cassandra?" Rose asked, hesitantly, as if fearing her answer.

"Goodness me, I'm a man. Yum. So many parts!" She giggled, "And hardly used..." Then, she began to wiggle around senselessly. "Ah... Ah! Two hearts! Oh, baby, I'm beating out a samba!"

"Get out of him," she growled.

"Ooh, he's slim. And a little bit foxy," she wiggled her eyebrows, but Rose looked away. "Oh, don't give me that! I've seen the way you look at him, you want a piece of him, don't you?" Rose looked away, sheepishly, but Cassandra came closer, her voice low and teasing, "You've been looking... You like it."

Suddenly, the zombies bursts through the room, making them both jump. Acting quickly, Rose swung the unconscious girl on her back -- she was a lot lighter than she looked, actually -- wrapping her hands on her neck. 

Unfortunately, Cassandra only freaked out, "What do we do? What would he do?? The Doctor-- what the hell would he do?!" She asked frantic to leave the zombie-person-infected room.

Rose looked around, finally noticing a ladder, "Ladder... We've gotta get up." 

She and Augusta headed for the ladder, but Cassandra pushed her out of the way, "Out of the way, Blondie!" She shouted, going up.

As soon as she was far enough, Rose began to go up herself, just in time for her to be ahead of the flesh.

>*<*>*<*>*<*>*<

Augusta's POV

My eyes slowly opened, when I heard two people arguing loudly. I glanced down to see people with disease littered on their person behind us. I looked up to see a metal door blocking our way. 

"I order you to leave her!" I heard the Doctor shout angrily, before he went limp again. 

My eyes trailed to the door, and I shakily reached a hand to move the metal. My nose bleed a lot, I coughed, and my sight began to blur together. 

"... I don't care. Just do something!" Rose's voice commanded. 

The Doctor's face twisted into disgust, "Oh, I am so gonna regret this..." He muttered, but a white light jumped out of his body, going into the woman behind us's. 

"Oh, sweet Lord... I look disgusting," she sighed as the Doctor sonicked the door, and pulling Rose in, with me hand, and helped me sit down. "No you don't..." She growled and a bright light slipped through the closing doors, and back into me.

>*<*>*<*>*<*>*<

3rd's POV

"Cassandra, no!" Rose cried, trying to shake her out of the young girl, who was dazing into space, but crimson blood fell from her lips. "Cassandra, you can't stay in her, you'll kill her!" 

She looked at the blond woman, and jumped out of the girl's body, and into Rose. Augusta fell like a rag doll, but the Doctor caught her before she could hit the ground. 

"Inside her head..." Cassandra said quietly, using Rose's voice. "They're so alone... They keep reaching out, just to hold us... All their lives and they've never been touched." She glanced at Augusta, "They are like her..."

The Doctor looked at the woman, solemnly, and held out his hand, helping her up. He picked Augusta up as well, and  carefully placed her on his back, and together they began to walk back to Ward 26.

>*<*>*<*>*<*>*<

Augusta's POV

I blinkingly woke up to the back of the Doctor's head. We were in a silvery hallway, walking slowly. I moved slightly, trying to stand on the floor, but his grip tightened and he looked at me. "Look who's awake," he smiled softly. "How're you feeling?"

I numbly stared at him, "My head hurts..." I murmured, wincing at my throbbing, pounding head and closing my eyes. "Where-where are we...?"

"Still in the hospital. We're near Ward 26, just hang on."

I nodded slightly, and rested my head on his shoulder. "Why are you holding me like this?" I asked quietly, very curious about the positioning he held me on his back. 

He chuckled, "It's called 'piggy-back'. It was the only way I could hold you and not drop you. Is it uncomfortable?" 

"No... I guess not... I was just confused..." I sank my face into the crook of his neck, sniffing slightly. He smelled like chemicals, and that was probably because we were in a hospital. He also smelled... Sweet? Like... That flower... What was it called...? Uhm... Va... Va-hill-na? Something like that...

"Why didn't you tell me," he asked, after a short pause. "That you could control the elements?"

I didn't answer at first, but then I sighed deeply. "I didn't want you to think I was a monster," I admitted meekly. 

"I would never think that of you," he stated. 

"I didn't know that," I scowled, my eyes darting to the silver walls. "I thought that if I told you, you wouldn't want me, or..." I trailed off. 

"Or?" 

"Or... You'd try to give me back to the people who hurt me... Or you might... Try to hurt me..." I bit my lip harshly, trying to stop tears from falling. 

"Auggie I would never do that," he sighed. 

"I don't know that... I didn't know that," I frowned, frustrated. "I'm not Auggie, Doctor. Auggie is-- was a girl who selfishly held secrets from you. I don't want to be Auggie. I'm Subject August.23, a thing who no longer has a purpose and is just waiting to be eliminated."

"You're not Subject August.23. You're Auggie," he corrected, coldness sliding into his voice. "Why don't you think that? You're Augusta, a fifteen year old girl who Rose and I found, bloody and bruised beside the TARDIS. We took you in, Auggie. We helped you."

"I don't want your help..." I murmured, "I don't need it. I shouldn't have... I-I shouldn't have went against the Director's orders, I--"

"So you're saying you'd rather me dead?" He harshly asked.

"I'm not..." I sighed, rubbing my head a little. "Doctor, I don't want anyone else to die because of me. I don't want to hear them, I don't want to see them. If I die before the Director can get to me and use me to--"

"You're not dying!" He rose his voice, making me freeze, my hair stand on ends. "Nobody is going to die because of you anymore. You're not-- you're not some kind of token for death! You're Auggie, and that means I'm going to help you."

I didn't respond for a minute. "... I'm Subject Augusta.23," I finally said, making his jaw clench angrily in response.

"You're not 'Subject August.23', you're Auggie! Why do you still say that? Why do you still believe that?!"

"Because!" I glared lightly at him, "'Auggie' was a person who had someone who loved her. Someone who she waited to help her escape from the Director for a year! I don't believe that anymore. I don't believe anyone is-- can help me anymore. I'm useless; broken. Nobody can save me, not even a doctor and not even you..." 

He stopped in his tracks, his face turned to stare at me, his wide hazel eyes filled with some kind of pain and regret. Cassandra had stopped too, listening in on our conversation silently. I adverted my gaze to the ground, "Where were you...?" I asked quietly, my eyes welling with tears. "Where were you went I was crying and screaming and dying in that cell? Did you give up on me? Did you not want to look for me anymore? What did I do wrong? Did-did you not want me anymore because I didn't want to admit I was a monster to you...?" 

"Auggie, don't--" he cut himself off with a heavy sigh. "Don't do this to yourself. You didn't do anything, you never did--"

"I didn't know what to think after that..." I murmured, making him go silent. "I don't know why you even wanted me. I'm a monster, I know I am. Monsters don't deserve to live and mess up other people's lives. Monsters-Monsters deserve to get chains up and rot in a cell."

"You're not a monster," he insisted, continuing to walk.

"What else do you call a person who laughs when someone dies?" I shot at him. "What else do you call a person who hurt people for fun? Who killed people in cold blood? Face it Doctor, I'm a Monster-- a mistake. A thing, if you will. You can't save a monster."

The hallway is silent as my harsh words sink in to them both. The Doctor didn't say anything else for the rest of the way, so an awkward silence had fallen between the three -- or four, if you count Rose -- of us.

Finally, we made it to Ward 26 where there was a large woman brandishing a chair menacingly. The Doctor set me down and went up to the woman, who was roaring like a wild animal, "We're safe! We're safe!" He reasoned, "We're safe. We're clean! We're clean! Look, look--"

"Show me your skin," she demanded in a growling, low tone. 

We all raised our hands to show her, "Look! Clean," the Doctor said. "Look -- if we'd been touched, we'd be dead."

She nodded, and set the chair down, "So, how's it going up here?" The Doctor asked, as we walked through the door. Cassandra helped me because I felt like I was going to fall over at any second. I guess I haven't fully healed yet, "What's the status?"

"There's nothing but silence from the other wards," she explained. "I think we're the only ones left. And I've been trying to override the quarantine." She picked up a small device and began to fiddle with it, "If I can trip a signal over to New New York, they can send a private executive squad."

"You can't do that. If they forced entry, they'd break quarantine," the Doctor said, not liking the idea of calling authorities.

"I am not dying in here," she growled angrily.

"Well, we can't let a million people die out there," I spoke up, and she turned to me, glaring.

"What do you know about that? You're just a kid!"

I narrowed my eyes at her, sitting on one of the hospital beds, "Doesn't matter if I'm a kid. This is life or death we're talking about, and you're about to place your life over a million others? Don't be stupid."

Her face grew red with anger, "Why you--"

"Augusta is right," the Doctor said, stopping the woman form trying to throttle me. "We can't let a single particle of disease get out -- there is ten million people in that City, they'd all be at risk! Now, turn that off!"

"Not if it gets me out," she said stubbornly, shooting a glare at me as well.

"All right, fine," the Doctor said. "So I have to stop you lot as well. Suits me. Rose. Novice Hame. Everyone! Excuse me your grace-- get me intravenous solutions for every single disease. Move it!" At that, everyone began to scramble around, trying to pick up whatever solution to a disease that they could find.

I moved to get up off the bed and help, but my knees buckled and nearly fell to the ground, "Dammit," I muttered under my breath. I still haven't healed? She must've done more damage than I thought...

"Auggie," the Doctor called, making me look up at him. "I want you to stay here."

"What? No, I'm coming with you," I said, looking at him like he was crazy. 

"You're hurt still," he reasoned. "If you come you'll only get hurt more. I don't want to risk it."

"I'm not gonna let you go down there alone!"

"I'm not going to be alone, Cassandra will be there."

"Oh, yes, because she's so reliable," I rolled my eyes, sarcasm lacing my voice. "It's not like she took over my body and started this mess anyway!" 

He frowned disapprovingly at me, "It doesn't matter; you aren't coming and that's final."

"I don't care if I get hurt," I crossed my arms over my chest.

"You're not indestructible, you know," he chided. "You can get hurt and even die."

"If something happens, I'll think of something."

"Think of what?"

"I'll figure that out when I get there."

"You're still hurt, Auggie--"

"Don't call me that," I interrupted. 

"What? You're name!? What else do you expect me to call you?"

"Hmm, I don't know," I glared at him. "Maybe 'Subject August.23', my ACTUAL name! You know, the one I was given when I was created? The one that I've been trying to correct you on over and over again!?"

"I'm not calling you by some experiment-given title," he growled in a low tone.

"Well then, call me '23' or 'Subject' or 'devil spawn', I don't give a damn! But, don't call me 'Auggie'."

His eyes narrowed at me, "I'm not going to call you that."

"Then I won't answer."

He scoffed, "You're being childish."

"I don't care." I looked at him, his hazel eyes were darkened, his eyebrows ruffled showing frustration. His hands were clenched in his trench coat pockets, signaling his withheld anger, and his lips pressed into a thin line. 

He looked very upset, yet my hard stare wasn't going to back down anytime soon. The Augusta he knew was dead and gone. She was never coming back. He was holding onto a memory that has been crumpled into dust. There was only me, Subject August.23, now, and it irritated me how he kept trying to turn me into someone that was dead. I didn't want to be his 'Augusta'. I wanted to be me. Besides, it was him who wanted me to tell him who I really was, wasn't it?

"Doctor," someone called, making our staring match break.  "We're ready."

"Auggie, you're staying here and that's final," the Doctor commanded.

"Well, that's great for Auggie, but I'm not Auggie, so let's go," I smirked at the frustrated expression on his face and began to go to the others.

Shoving my nausea and vertigo aside, I watched while they tied the bags of sharp, chemical-scented bags of solutions on him with some rope. "How's that? Will that do?" He asked once all the limply hanging bags were secure.

"I don't know! Will it do for what?" Cassandra asked, not yet understanding what he was planning on doing. The Doctor took out his sonic and sonicked the elevator doors. "The lifts aren't working."

He nodded to himself as he peered down the empty, metal elevator shaft, "Not moving. Different thing." He took a few steps back, readying a running jump, "Here we go." He stuck his sonic in his teeth, and began to run.

"But you're not going to--," she wasn't able to finish began he had already jumped into the elevator shaft, hanging onto the metal cord in the center. "What do you think you're doing?!" She exclaimed.

"I'm going down!" He explained, fixing up the wench with his sonic.

"Good idea," I nodded. "But what do you do when one of you fall...?"

"I'll figure that out when I get there," he said, reciting my own words to me, making me scoff.

Cassandra, however, had a very exasperated look on her face, "Come on!" The Doctor called excitedly.

"Not in a million years," she denied firmly.

"I need another pair of hands, and Auggie can't come," he said, ignoring the semi-loud, 'I'm not Auggie', from me. "What do you think? If you're so desperate to stay alive... why don't you live a little?"

More zombies emerged from the door, and I quickly stepped into the shaft, with Cassandra, "Seal the door!" The woman's voice ordered, and the elevator doors closed tightly behind me.

"Guess I have no other choice then," I grinned, making the Doctor scowl. 

"You're completely mad," Cassandra said with a regretful moan. "I can see why she likes you." She jumped on the Doctor's back, leaving me with the incoming infected people. 

"Going down!" The Doctor shouted and down they went, Cassandra's loud screaming piercing my ears.

I glanced at the zombie-people, and sighed, "Well, here I go..." I muttered, touching the metal walls, wrapping the metal around my hands securely and jumped onto the bare wiring. 

Without anything to latch me on, I slid down, a loud yelp released from my mouth, until I finally hit the bottom of the elevator on my butt, roughly. I moaned, and fell to my side. "That... Wasn't a good idea..." I muttered, swaying badly as I stood up.

"Auggie, I told you to stay!" The Doctor scowled at me.

I tsked him lightly, crossing my arms, "You told Auggie to stay, not Subject August.23."

He huffed, but didn't argue any further. "You go do your doctor-y thing. I'll protect Rose's body, just in case," I assured him. His uneasy stare lingered for a few seconds before he moved to jump into the elevator below. 

I turned to Cassandra, opening my mouth to talk, but it was interrupted by a bloody cough, "No..." I muttered. "Not now..."

"What's wrong with you?" She asked, hearing me talk to myself.

"Don't worry about me," I said. "Get ready for the Doctor's signal."

She nodded, not pressing any further, just as the Doctor shouted, "Pull that lever!" Pulling down with all lever with all her might, I heard the Doctor shout for the zombie-like people to come towards him. 

I stayed near Cassandra, and I heard her moan, trying to keep it down. Quickly, I went to her side, helping her pull it down, "Just a little more!" The Doctor called.

"Commence stage one -- disinfection," the familiar electronic voice from the elevator said and the sharp scent of chemicals wafted through the air.

"Hurry up, come on!" The Doctor shouted again. "Come on, come on. All they wanna do is pass it on. Pass it on!" 

"Pass on what?" Cassandra asked, very confused. "Pass on what?!"

"Pass it on!" He said, not answering her question. Cassandra's hands leave the lever and -- with the doctor's help -- she jumped into the elevator, with me following closely behind. 

"What did they pass on?" Cassandra asked again, "Did you kill them? All of them?"

"No," he answered, shaking his head disapprovingly. Also spraying his chemical-water solution everywhere, "That's your way of doing things." He walked out into the people who used to be infected midst where everyone is going around, hugging and touching each other, a proud smile placed on his thin lips. "I'm the Doctor and I cured them."

A woman walks up and hugs him, and he motions them towards someone, and she goes. I spot a young girl, the same one as earlier, walk over to her. She is sitting by herself again, tears are cascading down her face. 

When she sees me, she jumped up and runs over, burying her face in my shirt. "Wha--?"

"Mama's really sick," she cried. "The-the nurse-ladies says she can't get better! M-My Mama is gonna die!"

"I..." I began to say, but the words are lost in my throat. What do I say? I don't know what to say about it... "I apologize...?"

She sniffed and looked at me, her eyes wide with sadness and angst. "What do I do? I don't wanna be all alone..." 

I gaped at her for a few seconds and them pressed my lips into a thin line, "Where is she?"

>*<*>*<*>*<*>*<

With the Doctor's approval and supervision, we were able to go to Ward 12, where the little girl's mother was. She led me to the room where her mother laid, with her hands folded over her chest. She looked exactly like the young girl, with her pale-green scaly skin, but she had yellowish-green eyes, opposed to just yellow eyes. A weak smile appeared on her face, when the young girl entered the room. 

"Mama!" The girl cried, going to the woman, and sitting beside the bed. "Are you okay? How are you feeling? The Nurse said you weren't doing good, are you going to die?"

"I... I'll be fine..." She replied weakly, "Ma-Mama will be up and running before you--" she was cut off by a cough. "Before... You know it."

The girl sniffed, taking her mother's hand, "Who is this?" The woman asked, turning to Cassandra, the Doctor, and I.

"I met her in the lobby," the young girl explained, trying to sound cheery. "She says she can help."

The woman frowned slightly, "What did I say about...."

"Talking to strangers," the girl sighed. "I know, sorry Mama, but..." Tears welled up in her dulled yellow eyes, "She-she says she can help and," she sniffed. "I don't want you to die, Mama. I don't wanna be alone..."

The woman closed her eyes, as if to hold back tears herself, and turned to me, "Can... You do it?" She asked, slowly, "Can-can you heal... Heal me?"

My eyes fractioned, but I nodded slowly, "I can try."

The woman seemed to accept this, and closed her eyes once more. Biting my lip, I stepped forward. I tore off my gloves with my teeth, and touched her chest, closing my eyes. There was some kind of virus in her bloodstream, which I assume was something the nurses could easily fix, but didn't want to because of their lack of money. 

I moved my hands slowly, as if to scan her body. It seemed to crowd near her lungs and other body parts near there, but there had been some spread farther. 

How was I going to save her? I thought critically, chewing harder on my lip, her blood is... Poisoned, almost. Maybe if I had some way to clean it out--

I snapped my eyes open, an idea popping in my head, "That's it...!" I said, more to myself. 

"What's it?" The girl asked.

I turned to her, "I-I know this is going to sound... Weird, but, can I have some of your blood?"

The girl gaped at me, "Wha-- why would you need my blood?"

"Your mother, there's something in her blood. I-I think that if I take your blood, I can use it as a... Cure, kind of," I explained, and the Doctor's eyebrows furrowed, but he said nothing to me.

"How are you going to do that?" She asked, tilting her head to the side.

"May I see your arm?" I asked, and she gave me her arm, rolling up her thin sleeves. I quickly created a small blade of ice, "This may hurt a little," I warned in advance. Taking her scaly arm, I slowly cut a small stream of blood, making her hiss in pain. I held the blood in the air, and took the ice, cutting my own arm open and mixing it with the blood.

I melted the ice, using it to heal the young girl's arm, and took the small blood ball. Everyone watched as I put the small blood solution into one of the empty medical bags, and hooked it up to the machine, and putting it into the woman's bloodstream.

The room was silent as we watched the woman. As the mixed-blood solution went through her body, the pale green scales slowly began to regain color. Everyone seemed to be shocked as the short, uneven gasps of aid the woman took became longer and much more even. 

I slowly smiled, my idea worked! "She'll be okay..." 

"How-how did you do that? What did you do?" The girl questioned, turning to me, "How-- are you okay?" 

I wasn't able to answer because I fell on one knee, trying to regain my breath. The Doctor rushed to my side, "Auggie!"

"I am fine," I said, gasping, "I just need a moment to--" I coughed roughly, blood springing out of my mouth. Dammit, I pushed the side effects back too far! I didn't have time for this! 

"Auggie! We need to get you to--"

"I'm fine," I hissed, standing up shakily. "I'm fine. I just need to catch my--" another cough, "... Breath..."

"We're getting you help," he said firmly, taking me by the shoulders.

"What, help from the crazy cat people!?" I exclaimed, my blood pressure rising. "I don't need help! I'm fine!" I yanked my shoulder back, standing away from him. I felt my powers flare in my hands, making my eyes dart down on it. I looked around frantically for my missing gloves, patting my body down while doing so, "My gloves. Where's my gloves?"

I finally spotted them on the dresser beside the bed, as did the Doctor. Before I could snatch it away, he grabbed it, and held them away from me, "I'll give you your gloves, if you go lie down."

"I need it, Doctor!" I exclaimed, holding my hands to my chest, in as if it would to protect them. "Give me my gloves!"

"Go. Lie. Down, Auggie."

My eyes narrowed to slits, "I'm not Auggie!" I growled, I jumped for my gloves, also trying not to touch him, but he held them away from me. 

Huffing, I looked away, feeling way to lightheaded to jump again, "You know what? Whatever. Keep the damn gloves." I looked at the young girl, who was looking at me, fear twinkling in her eyes. My glare softened, "I hope your mother gets better..."

With that, I shoved past the time lord and went to exit the room. "Where are you going!?" The Doctor said, following me. It didn't take me more than a second to freeze his foot to the ground. That'd keep him there a while. "Auggie! Let me go!"

I turned back, my eyes burning red and narrowed at him, "I'm not Auggie." 

On that happy note, I closed the door and began my trek down the metal steps. 

>*<*>*<*>*<*>*<

Doctor's POV

He pointed his sonic at the ice encasing his feet, vibrating the particles and turning it to liquid. Then, he went to go chase after the young girl."You just had to anger her, didn't you?" Cassandra scoffed as they looked down the hallway.

"I was trying to help," he growled. After saving a hospital full of people, getting Cassandra to get out of Augusta's body, he really did not want to deal with the girl throwing a tantrum like this. Usually, she was well behaved. That is, before she was kidnapped for a year. He wondered what they did to her over the span of that time to make her so angry whenever he said her name?

"I'm sure making her that angry was not going to help, pretty boy," Cassandra rolled Rose's eyes, crossed her arms over her chest.

"And what would you know!?" He challenged, barely keeping his temper intact. Hmm, he had a temper now? That wasn't very new.

"I was in her head, smart one. I know what they did to her. She doesn't like being called 'Augusta' for a reason, you know."

He snorted mockingly and turned back around, still looking for her, while the New Earthian woman continued, "She was tortured. She was told that she wasn't 'Augusta', and when they did call her that name, it was to mock her. Did you know that she hates herself because of that? She doesn't want to be called 'Augusta' because she doesn't want to be reminded that you -- the only person she thought she could trust in the entire universe -- couldn't save her." 

He spun around on the woman so fast, he could've gotten whiplash. He glared heavily at her, "I tried everything I could! I didn't know what else to do! I looked for her for a week, and when I found her, it had been a YEAR! What did you expect me to do?!"

"She trusted you, Doctor," Cassandra said softly, her eyes lowering to the ground. "She kept telling herself that you'd save her because you are the Doctor. You're supposed to save people. Then, she thought that you left her and didn't want her anymore. She was scared. A terrified child, and she was waiting for the person who had been the only real parental figure in her life, to come help her. Now... She doesn't know who to trust anymore." 

Cassandra let out a small, almost bitter, laugh, "She's so scared... So broken... She doesn't want to be hurt anyone, and doesn't want to trust anyone anymore..." Cassandra sniffed, a few tears escaping her eyes, and looked away. "It doesn't matter now. Let's find the girl." With her head held high, she walked down the hallway, the Doctor in pursuit.

>*<*>*<*>*<*>*<

Augusta's POV

I sat against a wall, breathing heavily. My vision seemed to fade in and out, but I forced my eyes to stay open. I didn't want help. Whenever I got help, something bad would happen. I didn't want to talk to anyone, or anything. I didn't want to do anything, it was no use. I wanted-- I needed to die. 

Was that why I kept acting so recklessly? Why I helped the girl's mother even though I knew I was in no condition to even move a drop of water, much less cleanse an entire body system! Why did I want to give up? Why was I so tired? What did I do to deserve this? Was it because I went against the Director's orders? Was this punishment for being--

No! I wasn't there anymore, I growled to myself, pushing my knees closer to my chest. I'm not with the Director, I'm not apart of the Phoenix anymore! My eyes trailed down to my hand, the brand seemed to burn into my dark skin. It still stung when I touched it, yet I knew there was no more pain. How that is possible is beyond my understanding. 

They told me the Mark meant I was their property. I still have the Mark, so that means I'm still in the Phoenix. I was still a monster.

Was that why the Doctor refused to look for me for a year and a half? Did he know I was a monster? Did someone tell him? Maybe he only kept me because he wanted to use my abilities for himself, or to sell me again, like how Cassandra wanted to. Could I still trust the Doctor after what happened? Would he act like the Director? Would he try to hurt me? Did he want to experiment on me? Was that why he brought me here? Was I just a thing to him too? Did he finally realize that I was useless? That I was a monster? 

"Auggie!" His voice shouted from down the long hall, making my eyes fraction. He had found me already?! I moved to get up, looking around for a place to hide. I quickly ran down the hall, I heard his footsteps speeding up, probably hearing me. I turned right, only to find a door. I tried the knob helplessly, only to see that it was locked.

"Wait! Stop," the Doctor shouted, making me whip around to look at him and Cassandra who was standing beside him. "Please, just-just let me talk."

"Give me my gloves," I demanded, moving back, slowly.

"After you let me talk, I'll give them to you, deal?" He offered. I pressed my lips into a thin line, and looked at the ground.

"Five minutes," was all that escaped my lips, and he sighed in relief.

"I'm sorry," He said immediately. "I never thought to ask what they did to you; you're still a child. You didn't deserve anything that was done to you. It wasn't your fault, it was mine. I should've looked harder. I--"

"You can't change what happened," I said, softly. "I was supposed to be tortured. I deserve what happened. I'm a monster, and monsters' should be detained."

"You're not a monster," he said, for what seemed like the twentieth time. "It's not your fault your have those abilities, it's the Director's. Just because they did this to you doesn't mean you have to pay for it."

"What am I supposed to do!?" I said, raising my voice significantly. "I killed people--"

"So have I!" He countered.

"You're different. You had to. I killed them because I'm a monster."

"Just because someone told you that, doesn't mean that it's true. You just saved that little girl's mother! Do you think monsters would do that?"

"That doesn't make up for everyone else's lives..."

"It's still something! If you were a monster, then you would've never saved her. I've seen monsters and you're definitely far from it." He took a step towards me, and I moved back, my eyes still transfixed on the floor. "I'm sorry for all those things I said, okay, but you need to stop thinking that. You're a wonderful girl, and I love you for that."

"You can't love a monster, Doctor."

"You're not a monster."

"I was created to be the monster so nobody else would."

"You're not a monster!"

"Then what am I?" I demanded, anger rising, "I'm not exactly human, and I can't even get being a Elementist right! I set thing on fire when I'm mad and I can freeze things and move blood and bend metal!! That's not normal! Only MONSTERS can do that, Doctor! Why do you keep saying I'm not a monster? Why do you insist that I'm human!? I'm not human! I'm not normal! I shouldn't even exist!!" At this point my entire body was trembling with emotions that I didn't even recognize, kept my hands together in an effort to not set something aflame, again. 

The Doctor stared at me. Then, he stepped in front of me, and touched my shoulder, "I'm so sorry," he said. "I'm sorry that you feel this way, and I'm sorry that you can't understand it either. I know you're scared, okay? You're probably terrified, actually. You don't want to hurt me, or Rose, or anyone else, but that doesn't mean you're a monster. You're right, you're not normal. You're a human-Elementist hybrid. And I'm a Time Lord who destroyed his entire planet. And Rose is a human with another human inside her. That doesn't mean you're a monster because you can do different things. That just means your unique, you're special. You can do things I can't even dream about doing, and that's brilliant."

My confused gaze didn't waver, "But, I've hurt people--"

"Everyone's hurt someone," he interrupted. "It's what you do afterwards is what counts."

"But..." I couldn't think of anything else, I couldn't say anything else. Did he really believe that? Was that why he kept saying I wasn't a monster? Even after I killed all those people? 

He reached into his pocket and pulled out my gloves, and put them in my hands, "Promise me something: Promise me you'll never hurt yourself while you're wearing these gloves, okay? Promise me."

"I-I... I don't know, but... I'll try..." This seemed to be good enough for him, because he beamed at me, and hugged me tight. 

"Good! That's great! That's brilliant!!" He exclaimed, pushing me into his warm chest that smelled like Van-hill-na. "Now, we're going to get you and Rose help, but for now you're going to sleep." He tapped my forehead and everything went black.