You Reap What You Sow (22&23 of 45)

[amberfocus]

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Chapter Twenty-two:  Match

When they made it to the medic’s house the Doctor said, “I would like to speak with your daughter in private for a while.”

Torshawn gave him a strange look. “I will be every inch a gentleman,” the Doctor said. “She is perfectly safe in my company. And if I am to consider her application I need to get to know her, to see if we are compatible.” Finally Torshawn nodded.

“But stay near the house. The hunt resumes soon and I want no more…accidents.”

“Agreed.” As soon as Torshawn had disappeared into the home he turned to Erinnah. “Tell me what is going on in this village,” he said, his voice hard and unyielding, the gentleness he’d used with her up until now completely gone.

“I don’t know what you mean.” Erinnah refused to meet his eyes.

“Oh, I think that you do.”

“Tell me, Doctor, how long have you been married to Rose?”

Startled by the girl’s complete change in subject he said, “Almost a year.”

“And she has given you one child and is pregnant with another?”

“Well, yes. Though that was just a happy accident. Normally she would have more time between pregnancies. Is that what you’re worried about, having babies too closely together?” he questioned.

She shrugged then looked up at him with an amazingly shrewd look on her face. “Who’s first wife?” she asked.

“Rose,” he said immediately.

“But Donna’s older. How long has she been with you?”

“Oh, three years now.”

“But you love Rose best.”

“Yes. Where are you going with this?” he asked.

“And Donna’s not borne you any children?”

“Are you angling for second wife, Erinnah?”

“No!” She was shocked. “You can’t change order once it’s been established. It goes against custom. I just want to know about babies, if I’m to be in your house,” she said.

“Ship, not house,” he corrected her. “Donna does not have children. I do not require it of her. I don’t intend to have children with anyone but Rose. Even if I wanted to I am only genetically compatible with Rose. If you came with us, we would leave this planet and you would not be required to have children.” The Doctor tried not to squirm as the conversation got so personal. But if he were to play his role correctly he would naturally answer such questions.

“If you were with Donna first how is it she is not first wife?”

“I was with Rose first, but then she was taken from me,” he said honestly. “It took me years to find her again.”

“And a man needs companionship in the meanwhile,” she said thoughtfully. “So she knew when you married her that if you found Rose, that Rose would be first.”

“Donna has always known of Rose, yes,” he replied.

She tilted her head to one side and then nodded, satisfied with his answers. “How is it you do not marry a young man with no wives?” the Doctor asked. “There are so many here. Why the multiple wives to old men?”

“It is not allowed,” she said flatly.

“Why?”

“It is not. I must get in. It’s time to help with the mid-day meal.” And with that Erinnah fled his presence and entered the house. The Doctor followed her more sedately and went directly to his quarters. Torshawn, who had lingered near a slightly cracked window, went to discuss with his wife what he had overheard.




“I think we should leave here, Doctor,” said Donna. “As soon as possible. It feels wrong.”

The Doctor sighed. “There is something very wrong here.” He moved over to Rose and swept his sonic screwdriver over her body. “But Rose is not strong enough to be moved yet. We’ll be here at least another week, Donna. There’s no help for it.”

“But couldn’t we just drag her back to the TARDIS? You could fix any damage done by the journey in the infirmary. It’s not safe here,” Donna insisted.

“Donna, I think it’s perfectly safe for us. We are guests and they have treated us well,” he told her.

“Apart from shooting Rose with an arrow! Don’t be so thick, Doctor. It’s obvious something very bad is happening here. What did you find out at the communal hall?” she demanded to know.

The Doctor related what he had learned of the hunt and the mysterious beasts, Torshawn’s insistence that there were no beasts, and the horrible dance.

“I don’t like the sound of any of it,” Rose said softly from her cot. “Doctor, if it’s at all possible I think we should just leave.”

“You’re not strong enough, Rose. We could risk permanent injury to your liver if we move you.”

“Why didn’t you tell me that before?” Rose demanded, too weak to say it with much force.

“I didn’t want to worry you. Or you,” he added as Donna turned on him.

“Listen, alien boy,” she said, something she only called him these days when he’d riled her up, “What have I told you about leaving me with only half the information?”

The Doctor rolled his eyes at the ceiling. “Sorry,” he said sounding completely unapologetic. “Did you learn anything?”

“A bit. Erinnah said something odd. She said if women did not quicken within the first year of marriage they were put back in black coats. Why should a failure to get pregnant mean a change in your parka?” Donna asked.

“Torshawn wouldn’t let me wear my parka when we went to the communal hall. He said colors were for married people and children and black was only for the unmarried of age men and women.”

Rose frowned, her brain working overtime. “Doctor, they didn’t shoot at me. They shot at you. I only jumped in the way.”

“And don’t do that again! You risked both your life and the baby’s.”

“I won’t,” she said.

A light knock landed on the door. “Come in, Erinnah,” said Donna. They were surprised to see Vida herself enter the room. She placed the large tray on the table and then made three cups of tea, handing one to the Doctor, one to Rose and finally one to Donna. As Donna picked hers up she let out a little cry. She put the cup down, looking at her hand.

“Something cut me,” she said watching the blood appear on her hand.

“Oh, I am so sorry,” said Vida. “Here, this is clean, let me.” She pulled a white cloth from her apron and sopped up the blood. “Keep pressure on the wound. I’ll send Erinnah in with a bandage and a different cup.” She picked up the offending mug and hurried out of the room with it.

“Let me see that,” the Doctor said holding out his hand to Donna. She placed hers in his palm up and after he blotted away the blood he could see the cut was very minor. He pulled out his sonic screwdriver and did a quick dermal repair. When Erinnah arrived with a new cup and the bandages they took them and the Doctor kindly shooed her away.

“Back to our conversation,” began the Doctor.

“I wasn’t thinking when I saw the arrow, only reacting,” Rose admitted. “But they were shooting at you…not me, Doctor. And my parka’s hot pink. And Donna’s is bright green. But yours…yours is black. And Torshawn wouldn’t let you wear it.” She frowned again as her mind tried to pull all the pieces together.

“Maybe this beast of theirs is black,” said Donna. “Maybe they thought they were protecting Rose and me by shooting at you.”

“But that makes no sense. If it were true, why would they dress anyone in black? The risk would be too great that there would be…” The Doctor trailed off. “Torshawn said there were no beasts, only men.”

“Oh, no,” said Rose. “The beasts are the unmarried. They’re hunting their own.”

“They couldn’t be,” said Donna. “Their own young people? Why would they?”

“I don’t know,” said the Doctor. “But I’m going to find out. And when I do…” He didn’t finish the sentence. He didn’t need to. The storm was already oncoming.





Vida rushed through the house to the kitchen where she handed off the cup to her husband. Quickly Torshawn smeared Donna’s blood onto slides and then carried them to his clinic where he started to cross, type, and match her blood against the list in his files. Most of his equipment was primitive but this was one of the few items that was state of the art. It did not take him long to discover the woman’s compatibility with his own people.

A slow smile of relief crossed his face as he discovered the woman’s suitability. He had known for months that Erinnah was a match, but maybe now with another option, he could go to the counsel and offer a trade. A childless woman, married first but second in rank, not from the village so not loved by anyone, and most importantly of all, not his daughter.

Torshawn knew hunt selection was not random. He knew it better than most. And he knew without doubt how and why his daughter would be chosen in a ‘random’ selection. He knew why the older men of the village were refusing to enter into a marriage contract with his daughter. That was technically breaking custom, but he knew there was nothing that he could do to protest. If he refused to play his own role, he knew the consequences. It was how he’d lost Ezra.

He hoped he wouldn’t have to do this; he wouldn’t have to betray the man he’d brought into his home. If the man, this Doctor, agreed to marry Erinnah, then she would be protected, even if no man from the village would marry her himself. But for some reason he did not think the Doctor would accept Erinnah’s application.

He thought again about taking his wife and daughter and fleeing the village, but well knew how easily they would be tracked. And the punishment for unlawful leave-taking was far worse than living in constant fear for the lives of his children. It would mean the summary execution of all of his remaining blood relatives while he watched and was allowed to live.

No, Donna was the only way. She offered salvation. And with the loss of his second wife, the Doctor would be more than willing to take on Erinnah and get her off the planet with appropriate leave-taking. With the air of a man who had been granted a stay of execution he made his way to the communal lodge to speak with the Chieftain.


Chapter Twenty-three:  Misdirection

The morning dawned cold and clear and the Doctor was on his way out of their quarters when Rose cried out in pain. Instantly he was at her side. “What is it, Rose?”

“I…don’t…know…” She panted, her eyes unable to focus on his face.

“Do you hurt?” She managed to nod. “Where?” She pointed vaguely in the direction of her liver.

“I’ll get Torshawn,” he said and raced from the suite. Donna was awake and moved into the chair beside Rose’s cot. She picked up Rose’s hand and the other woman squeezed it gratefully.

“It’s going to be okay, Rose,” Donna said soothingly. She brushed Rose’s hair away from her face, frowning at how warm her friend’s forehead was.

“You feel like you’re running a fever,” Donna told her.

“Hot,” Rose panted. “Some…things…wrong…”

The Doctor burst back into their rooms, Torshawn on his heels. He had a small hand held scanner that he quickly placed over the site of the pain. Rose tried to hold still but she was writhing from the intensity. Finally Torshawn removed the scanner and read the little tape that printed out from it.

“It’s an infection in the bile duct, exacerbated by the injury to the liver. Extremely painful but not life-threatening if treated properly. I’ll start her on an IV drip of the appropriate medications and a painkiller that won’t harm the fetus. She’ll need to be monitored during the entire course of treatment, though, Doctor, so you’ll need to stay by her side. Treatment lasts twenty-four hours and then she should be good as new.”

Torshawn left to get the needed supplies and quickly returned. He started the IV bag and then injected the medications into the saline solution. “Every two hours you’ll need to inject a red, a green, and a blue vial into the IV bag. I’m assuming since you’re a Doctor you know how to do that?”

“I do,” the Doctor said.

“Good. I’ve got surgeries scheduled for later in the morning and afternoon so I’ll be unavailable to help with this.” He pulled a timer out of his pocket and set it. “This will beep at the appropriate intervals. Don’t look so worried Doctor. Rose will be fine. The painkiller should be taking effect right about now.”

“Will she be able to nurse the baby with these medications?” the Doctor asked.

“Yes. The drugs for the infection don’t cross into the milk. The painkiller may cause the baby to sleep a lot but it won’t harm him. If you’re worried I can send Erinnah in with some formula, but it’s really not necessary,” Torshawn reassured.

As the medic left the room, the Doctor pulled up a second chair to the other side of Rose’s cot and peered into her eyes. The pain had left Rose’s face and she was starting to look blissed out. “Feeling better?” the Doctor asked solicitously.

“Yeah,” she managed with a loopy smile on her face. “Good stuff.”




Torshawn sighed as he left the Doctor’s quarters. “How is Rose?” Vida asked him as he strode into the kitchen. “She’ll be all right, won’t she? I feel so bad about putting that powder in her tea last night…”

“Vida, it had to be done. It’s not like you poisoned her. That powder just incapacitates her with pain for several hours. And it keeps the Doctor at her bedside and out of our way. The hunt has started and when they bring in the body…” He sighed. “You know I’ll be busy and we can’t have an outsider interfering. Not today.”

“I know. But you’re sure that it won’t hurt the baby?” Vida sought reassurance.

“I’m sure. It’s harmless.” They sat and ate their morning meal, Erinnah being sent to bring the Doctor and his family their food soon after. It was nine of the clock when he heard the hunting horn sound and he hurried to his feet and dashed to the clinic.

Waiting for him there he found the Chieftain, and two other elders, along with the remainder of his surgical staff. He sought to push away the sudden hatred that he felt, careful not to let it show on his face. What he was about to do violated every known law of human decency. He squared his shoulders. He’d still do it, though. Human decency had left the equation long ago.

He scrubbed up. As the body was brought into the clinic, still warm, he hurriedly hooked it up to a life support machine, to maintain it’s breathing. The others were brought in to the room shortly thereafter. In another hour it would be time. He stared down at the face of the boy who had become beast. He had been named Saul and he had been a friend of Erinnah’s since she started school.

He swallowed the wave of revulsion that rose in his throat and he hurried from the room to wash up again. It was going to be a long day. But successful hunt days always were.



Twenty-four hours came and went and the next morning Rose was feeling much better. After breakfast the Doctor requested that Torshawn take him to see the Chieftain. “I can’t,” replied Torshawn. “He’s indisposed today. I can get you on his agenda in two days time.”

“That’s not good enough,” the Doctor said. “I need to speak with him now.”

“You will respect our ways, Doctor. You are guests in my home. If I turn you out while your wife is still recovering, she will not survive the return journey to your ship. And do not think anyone else in this village will take you in. They won’t. Strangers only cause problems here.” The medic’s voice had gone cold.

“Very well. Put me on his agenda in two day’s time.” He kept the anger under control but he was fuming inside. He was not used to not being in control of a situation; especially one he knew was so very wrong. He wished he could put his finger on exactly what it was; because there was so much more to this than that they hunted their young adults.

Perhaps it was time for another talk with Erinnah. He might just be able to break her, use her fear of not getting married against her. The idea of it made him feel like a bit of a cad, but if it was the only way, then it was the only way. If that didn’t work, he’d send Donna out to get information the old-fashioned way, finding the local gossip. Donna had a nose for sniffing out that sort of person.

Erinnah, however, did not have time for him today. “I’m sorry. I’m preparing for a funeral,” she told him. “An old friend from school. The whole village will be busy today. Best you stay out of the way and let us grieve. I’ll speak with you this evening.” He offered his condolences and headed back to his quarters. Sending Donna out today would be futile if the whole village was preoccupied with a funeral.

Well, he could wait until things calmed down, he supposed. And tomorrow he could let Donna loose amongst the women at the communal lodge and see what she found out. It wasn’t really a plan he was happy with, but for now it would have to do.

As far as he knew, the hunt had never continued. And maybe it would at some point, but as long as it didn’t he had the luxury of time. With a reluctant sigh he went and sat by his wife’s bedside. Waiting had never been his strong suit.

Ch. 24&25:  http://amberfocus.livejournal.com/92909.html 

Comments

[simplyn2deep.livejournal.com]

ohh evil bad people. I don't like them at all.

putting stuff in tea...tea of a pregnant woman...not cool man. not cool at all.

I thought they'd already got Donna.

[amberfocus.livejournal.com]

Nope, not meant to like them.