Bad Wolf From Space

14. The Mad DALEK (Part 2)

The next time I woke it was to the distorted voice of the Dalek.

"EXTERMINATE."

I flinched but felt no pain.

I opened my eyes to find the hazmat suited jerk on the ground.

My gaze turned to the Dalek coming into the room, its eye stalk moving up to view me where I was strapped to an upright slab in only a hospital gown. My cheeks were wet from tears and I was scared to check in with the rest of me.

"WHY DOES IT HURT?"

The sound of electric gunfire and the machine stopped scanning me and my bonds were released.

"Why did you let me go?"

"YOU GAVE ME LIFE. WHY DOES IT HURT?"

I tried swallowing but my throat was raw from screaming.

"You stopped it. Thank you."

The Daleks stalk moved up and down, "WHY DOES IT STILL HURT?"

I was starting to think he wasn't talking about the pain I'd felt just recently. Somehow the Dalek was connected to me.

My eyes widened when I realised it must have seen behind the doors.

"There's joy, hope and happiness too. Not all pain."

"YOU ARE AFRAID!"

"Yes." I was honest, this creature, whatever it may be, was confused and scared. "Are you not?"

"WHAT AM I? WHAT ARE YOU?"

I let a coughing breath hurt and I rubbed my chest. I would have to be going to the TARDIS's med bay after this.

"I'm not sure."

The Dalek yelled, "THE STARS, THEY BURN!"

It's voice almost seemed to crack, "SO MUCH TIME. SO MUCH PAIN."

The ringing of my cell broke the tension.

Its familiar sound made a part of me feel relieved.

"THE DOCTOR CALLS, ANSWER."

I carefully made my way to the table where my clothes were folded. I would be throwing out everything I wore today. This was one memory I'd like to forget.

Grateful I was no longer bound at least I was careful to not flash the Dalek my rear, not that I thought he'd care but I would.

I took the cell out of my pants pocket, "Hello Doctor."

"You are alive."

His voice, how it hurt to hear how hoarse it sounded.

The Dalek looked up at a camera near the bulkhead we stood next to.

"DOCTOR! LET ME GO OR ROSE TYLER DIES!" The Dalek spoke up to the camera, "WHAT USE ARE YOU IF YOU CAN'T SAVE THE WOMAN YOU LOVE?"

What had the Dalek seen in my mind to make it think that?

"Doctor, don't."

The bulkhead opened.

The Dalek stopped in the centre of the room looking back at me, "WHY ARE YOU ALIVE? MY FUNCTION IS TO KILL."

We went through one more hallway and went on a lift that took us to the ground floor.

"Is there anything you want just for yourself?" I looked at the mad pepperpot beside me.

"FREEDOM."

We came upon the garage and the Dalek blew a hole in the roof.

"HOW DOES IT FEEL?" The Dalek watched as I looked up at the sunshine.

"Warm."

The Dalek's encasement opened to show an octopus looking creature inside, one small tentacle reaching out toward the light.

"A STAR'S LIGHT UPON ME."

A growl-like voice came from behind me, "Get out of the way, Rose."

I turned to see something I never expected to see, the Doctor with a giant gun in his hands.

"Let it have this moment please."

"Its killed so many people Rose."

I turned back to see the Dalek's mutated form's eyes blinking up at the light.

"Look at it Doctor."

His gun lowered slightly and his jaw dropped, "What is it doing?"

"It's the sunlight."

"It can't..." The Doctor drifted off.

"It's changing." I looked back, "It didn't kill me, it saved me."

I looked at the Doctor with the gun, my brow furrowed. "What about you Doctor?"

He looked so lost.

"I couldn't...I wasn't..." His voice broke, "Oh, Rose, they are all dead."

The Dalek's voice spoke up from behind them sounding so weary, "WHY DID WE SURVIVE? I'M THE LAST OF..."

"You are not even that, you are changing. Rose's DNA is changing you and I'm sorry."

A door opened briefly and I saw how these creatures had been created, born into so much hatred that it became part of their DNA. Tears fell down my cheeks.

"ORDER MY DESTRUCTION. I CAN'T LIVE LIKE THIS. IT'S TOO MUCH. GIVE ME PEACE, ROSE TYLER."

I bit my tongue trying to stop words from jumbling out and gave my assent.

The Dalek seemed to glow in golden light similar to my dreams of the TARDIS before a bubble formed around him and he self-destructed in a flash of light.

The Doctor offered me his coat to sit on, I was still in the thin shift. Once I sat upon it, he joined me on the cold concrete floor.

I placed my head on his shoulder.

"That's it then. The End of the Time war. I'm the last."

"Maybe not Doctor."

"I can feel it in here," He tapped his temple.

I tapped mine, "There are more impossible things that have happened."

"How did that..." He looked at me.

We both said, "TARDIS."

"I think she sensed you were in pain."

"You just got hurt more."

"Perhaps but there's no lasting damage."

The Doctor leaned forward as if to kiss my forehead but instead placed his against mine.