To Call Our Own (8/36)

[amberfocus]

Chapter Eight:  Leaving Dirindia

The wedding between Vandarian and Nialandra had been beautiful yet simple for it seemed a mockery to have had an enormous celebration when their two countries were barely standing on their own feet after the plague. The blood serum had helped tremendously in stopping many people from entering the final stage of the disease and brought many people back from it.

Still there were those who would not ever completely recover and the royal couple had set about making a place for these people to be looked after until such time as they died.

As the TARDIS crew prepared to say good-bye to the Dirindis it occurred to Rose to ask the Doctor, “Is there anything you can do to heal Naya’s mind?”

The Doctor looked down at her with a serious expression. “I did try, Rose. But so much was done to her over the years by her father and then the shock of her killing him on top of it all, that it just fractured her mind. It’s not the first time something like this has happened in Rindi and they will be able to knit her back together with the proper treatments and time. But time is what it will take. There are no short cuts here.”

“So she won’t be mad forever?” Rose asked.

“No. Not forever. I could see enough in her mind to know she will recover. But it will be close to a year of their therapies before her personality knits back into her mind properly. For all her courage in trying to end the war and help with the plague, she still fears herself and what she did.”

“Will she have to face criminal charges?” Donna asked.

“No,” said Vandarian coming up behind them, his new wife beside him. “She will not. He was in violation of the Charter. Execution by a family member or the royal court in such circumstances is allowed. And would have been carried out in any case had she not taken matters into her own hands.”

Donna nodded at him in understanding. Vandarian turned so that he was facing all four of them. “Thank you,” he said. “What you have done for us, for my people and for Nia’s, has changed the course of history on this planet. We can never thank you enough.”

“It’s what we do,” said Donna accepting his gratitude for all of them.

“Will we ever see you again?” asked Nialandra.

“It’s doubtful,” said Jack. “But we’ll never forget you. And if…when Naya recovers, tell her I said good-bye.”

“Tell her we all said good-bye,” added Rose.

Moments later they were on their way, the complicated politics and devastating plague at last behind them.

Ch. 9:  http://amberfocus.livejournal.com/67568.html