SLAVES OF THE SISTERHOOD

Chapter Six

The Doctor watched with horror as Ortha commanded one of the women to begin torturing Rose. He fought with all his beings to free himself from the restraints as the young woman walked over to a rack and selected a large knife with a long, curved blade. The woman used one hand to pull her blonde hair back off his shoulders as she walked over to Rose. Her blue eyes gleamed with an insane light as Rose watched her and prepared for the worst.

"No, don't do this," the Doctor said to Ortha. "I'll do whatever you want but leave her alone!"

Ortha snorted and turned to the woman.

"Sky, continue the torture," she said dispassionately.

Sky walked up to Rose and examined her body while Rose stiffened and closed her eyes, trying to prepare for the pain while the Doctor yelled at Sky to stop. Sky finally made a decision and used the sharp edge of the knife to tear into the fabric of the dress slicing it open lengthwise across the stomach. She positioned the knife over her stomach, preparing to slice into the flesh and insert the knife partly into her guts. But just as she was about to insert it, a strange yellow glow began to surround Rose. Sky frowned in confusion and stepped back but at that moment, the glow burst out at Sky as if it were punching her. The light hit Sky between the breasts and Sky was thrown back through the air and was propelled into some cabinets where the light vanished and she dropped to the floor unconscious. Nobody made a sound as the light continued to glow around Rose, a brilliant aura of light that made her seem angelic. The Doctor noticed the Rose wasn't opening her eyes and for one brief moment, he thought she might be dead. He quickly looked at her chest and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw it moving but she wasn't awake or making any movement as the glow continued to illuminate her body. Then as quickly as it came, the glow faded and the Doctor swallowed hard as Ortha slowly walked towards Rose and the rest of the women went to check on Sky. Ortha examined Rose and put her fingers against her jugular vein. Then she turned to the Doctor when she determined that Rose was alive but unconscious.

"Now do you believe that there is a Bad Wolf inside of this ape?" she said to him.

"I believe that she might have residual energy from absorbing the TARDIS," the Doctor said. "I don't believe there's some sort of white wolf living inside her."

"But you just saw what happened," Ortha said, walking over to him. "The energy is sentient. It knew that Arkytior was in danger so it protected her. And you say there is no sentient being that resides within the child?"

"I admit something might be inside of her but I doubt it's a bloody great wolf," the Doctor replied. "But I suppose now you lot will think twice before trying to harm her."

"A minor setback," Ortha said, waving her hand dismissively. "We managed to control the child with our brainwashing."

"Only just. When I entered her mind, I noticed how flimsy the barrier was and it only took a bit of my consciousness to bring it all down. As for me, if you think I'll be that susceptible to mind control, you better think again."

"Which is why you will bear us a child."

The Doctor shook his head.

"You lot are mental," he said. "You just said that our relationship was akin to bestiality. How do you know that she can even bear my child? What if we're not compatible? And even if I do succeed in impregnating her, there's no guarantee that the child will be born alive or free of defects. I mean, this is really your plan? Because it's an extremely stupid plan if you want my opinion."

"Just the same, you are going to do it or…"

"Or what?" the Doctor sneered at her. "You lot try to harm Rose and you'll be blown back thirty feet from her. You try to harm me and I'll just regenerate. And I'm on my second regeneration cycle at the moment and I'm not quite sure how many lives I have now. You wanna risk it because I might get free before you end all of them."

Ortha rolled her eyes.

"We have ways of ensuring your compliance without torturing you, Doctor. For instance, your other ape."

"Who you don't have in your possession," the Doctor said gleefully. "And believe me, it's a bad idea to have one of my friends roaming free. Had an adversary called the Master that let a friend of mine called Martha roam free for a year and she thwarted his plans right under his little nose. Don't think for one moment just because my friends are apes that they can't outwit you."

He chuckled when Ortha said nothing to that and glared at him silently. The Doctor shrugged.

"I do choose carefully when I invite people to travel with me," he said. "They may look like backward pond scum to you lot but they're the best of the best. You did notice that when your minion was preparing to slice open Rose that she didn't weep or beg for her life. No, she steeled herself for the pain and showed more bravery in her little finger than you lot have in your whole bodies. She won't be so easy to dominate, I can assure you of that. This woman has crossed The Howling numerous times to search for me. Would you do that?"

"So if this ape is so wonderful, why didn't you bond with her?" Ortha said.

The Doctor glanced over at the others. A few of them had transported Sky out of the room to what he guessed was the Med Bay or her living quarters but Mira and two others were standing by the counter listening intently to this conversation. He also noticed with silent satisfaction that they were staying well away from Rose even though she was still unconscious. He turned his attention back to Ortha.

"I chose not to," he said simply.

"But I've seen inside your memories. You love her deeply."

"Yes. And it was because of that love that I gave her to a clone who had only one life but more than enough love for her to fill that life. I decided that I couldn't fully be the man that she wanted me to be. And on top of that, I've already been married several times. I have no desire to do it again. But I'm sure you lot will force us to do that or else…"

"And just how many wives do you have, Doctor?" Ortha asked.

"Had, not have and I had four. One Gallifreyan, two humans and one half human, half Time Lady. So you see, I have had other women besides apes. But like I said, the bonding seems to be an inevitable thing with you lot as well as trying to impregnate Rose so I suppose I should just shut up and do it before my…fiancée spews firebolts from her arse and knocks you all the way to Skaro."

He grinned at the peeved look on the women's faces.

"You may think you're in control, Doctor, but you'll soon learn otherwise," Ortha said. "And as for your sarcastic, pompous remarks, you'll soon learn respect for us and our ways."

"You mean that one day I'll be totally okay with wearing a long dress and clown makeup and prancing about like an epileptic mime on meth?"

Ortha sighed.

"Bring me a sedative so I can shut him up," she said to Mira.

"Why? Doesn't my witty banter amuse you?" the Doctor said.

"Here you are," Mira said, handing her a syringe filled with a pale red liquid.

"I warn you, you may think you have the upper hand but you are playing with fire, both me and Rose."

He grunted when Ortha plunged the syringe into the Doctor's jugular vein. The two of them locked eyes and didn't blink until finally the Doctor's eyes began to grow heavy and he fell into a deep sleep.

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