A HORRIBLE CHOICE

Chapter Nine

"Damn it, I said no more games!" the Doctor said when the light faded and he looked around for his alien tormentor.

He didn't see anyone and he looked around, wondering if the alien was invisible again. Then he turned around and saw Donna in the corner.

"Donna!" the Doctor said, overjoyed at seeing her and from the fact that there was no gaping hole separating him from his best friend.

But as he ran towards her, he slammed into an invisible force field and grunted as he staggered back and held his nose. Donna came towards it.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

"Except for my broken and bleeding nose, I'm just peachy," the Doctor said.

He held his hands out and stopped when he felt the wall. Donna did the same and they stood together, separated by the wall. The Doctor sighed and ran his hands along the solid force field.

"I just saw Rose and the alien put a huge chasm between us so I couldn't get to her, I suppose this is the chasm in this room. Do you know where River's gone to?"

"She was here but she vanished in a ball of bright light a few minutes before you arrived."

"So…I'm being forced to see each of you one by one, I'm guessing."

"So, you changed for real," Donna said. "Glad Rose told me what was going on the last time you nearly regenerated. You look good, not as thin as last time. Except…what's with the clothes?"

"Everyone always on about the clothes. I like my outfit. So let's change the subject, are you okay?"

Donna sighed angrily.

"Physically, yes, but I'm angry at you for what you did to me!"

"Donna, please, I had no choice. I had to take away your memories in order to save you."

"Then how come that…thing was able to bring them back without me dying?"

"First, I think he only brought back the memories and not your Time Lord mind…"

He asked her a complicated quantum physics question and nodded when he saw the blank look on her face.

"You only have your memories of our time together not the Time Lord mind so you're safe. But we don't know how strong the blocks are in your mind. He could have only put in rudimentary blocks and if he did and didn't make them strong enough there's a chance they could fail and your Time Lord mind will flood your mind again and then…Donna, you die. I know you didn't want me to erase your memories but I was trying to be merciful. You don't know how much it hurt to see you reduced to your former self. It tore me apart to leave you with your family instead of having you by my side. I have missed you, Donna Noble, but I would rather have you alive and with your family than dead."

Donna's eyes misted over and she swallowed hard. The Doctor put his hand against the barrier and Donna did the same.

"Can you help me?" Donna said. "Can you strengthen what the alien did so I can travel with you again?"

"I don't know but I'll try," the Doctor said. "All I care about is your safety, Donna. If you're in danger of burning up then I won't allow you to remember your time with me."

" I'd rather die then because what you gave me was a living death."

The Doctor swallowed hard and tried not to cry, knowing that his friend was right. If he had been in her position, he would have asked for death as well.

"I'm sorry, Donna, I did what I thought was best," the Doctor said in a choked up voice.

"I know you did, Spaceman, I'm sorry I'm being such a bitch to you," Donna said, softening up. "You did it to save my life and I s'pose I can't fault you for that. I'm just glad I got to see you again."

"Yeah, me too," the Doctor said. "Now we have to figure out why everyone's here and what this choice is?"

"I haven't a clue. That alien git was in here earlier but he was changing into you and taunting us."

"Rose said that. And it did the same with me, changed into a naked version of Rose and tried to get me to kiss it. If this alien thinks all of this is a big joke, he won't be laughing soon. AND IF YOU'RE IN HERE LISTENING TO US, YOU BETTER HEAR THOSE WORDS AND KNOW THAT I MEAN EVERY BIT OF IT!" he added, yelling back over his shoulder.

"LET US GO!" Donna yelled. "QUIT DOING THIS TO THE DOCTOR BEFORE I JOIN HIM IN PUMMLING YOU!"

They both waited and the Doctor shook his head when they got no reply.

"So the alien is either gone or is refusing to show itself or speak. I hate cheeky aliens," the Doctor said.

Donna was about to say something else when suddenly the Doctor was enveloped in another bright light. She screamed out a curse and banged her fists against the force field when it faded and she was alone again.

The Doctor gasped when the light faded and he was transported to another room.

"I'M SICK OF THESE GAMES!" the Doctor screamed as he balled his fists up. "So now where am I? Have you brought me to River then? Where is she?" he said, looking around the steel room.

He noticed a steel door in front of him. He slowly walked towards it and when he reached it, pounded on it in frustration. He stepped back when it slid open and he looked inside and sighed angrily when he saw only darkness.

"Right, I've had it," the Doctor said, stepping inside the room.

The door slid shut and an overhead light clicked on. River was in a long, thin Perspex box several feet in front of him. The box was so thin she couldn't sit or lie down, only stand up.

"Doctor," River said, putting her hands on the wall in front of her.

"River, are you alright?" the Doctor said, walking over to her.

"Yes, just a bit angry at all this."

"Trust me, you're not the only one," the Doctor said, putting his hand on the box. "With each of you, I've been prevented in some way from touching you. Rose was a chasm, Donna a force field wall and you…a Perspex box. I can look but I can't touch."

"Tormenting you," River said. "Your lovers and your friend and you can't touch and comfort them. I know you, Sweetie; I know how much anguish you're feeling inside."

The Doctor nodded.

"I hate when people play games with me and this is all one huge game to that alien. But people who play games with me very quickly learn to regret it and this will be no different."

"Doctor!" River said, pointing over his shoulder.

The Doctor turned and saw the alien. It was now dressed in a long black robe and had a black featureless cloth mask over his face with a black hood over the top of his head.

"Whoever you are, you're disguising yourself fairly well. You must know that I know you," the Doctor said. "That's it, isn't it? If I saw your true form, I would recognize you."

"You must make a choice," the alien said in a deep voice.

"Ah, so at least you're using your own voice now. What sort of choice."

"They will all die. But I will allow you to choose one. The one you choose will live while the others die."

The Doctor clenched his jaw, barely controlling his rage.

"You bastard," the Doctor snarled at him. "I will not choose one over the others. You will give them all back to me and let us go before you're the one who ends up dead!"

There was another flash of light. The Doctor heard the surprised yells of Jack and the others before the light faded. He was back with his friends and River was in front of him, still imprisoned. But now Rose and Donna had joined her, both in similar Perspex boxes. The three of them were placed side by side with Rose and Donna on the outside and River between them. The Doctor glared at the alien as it came up beside him.

"Choose. Choose who will live, Doctor. And then you and your friends will watch the other two die."

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