Hebe Harrison
Dr Hebe Harrison was a companion of the Sixth Doctor.
Biography
Early life
Hebe required the use of a wheelchair from a young age due to a problem with her legs, although she could use a walking stick for short periods of time. (AUDIO: The Rotting Deep [+]Loading...["The Rotting Deep (audio story)","The Rotting Deep"]) She was somewhat scared when she first had to use a wheelchair (AUDIO: The Tides of the Moon [+]Loading...["The Tides of the Moon (audio story)","The Tides of the Moon"]) and sometimes wished that she could have somebody else's body, but she came to love herself and dismissed such thoughts. (AUDIO: Maelstrom [+]Loading...["Maelstrom (audio story)","Maelstrom"])
Hebe watched The Little Mermaid [+]Loading...["The Little Mermaid"] in the cinema when she was eight or nine and shouted when the mermaid left the sea to become human, believing that life under the sea was far more beautiful and interesting. Her mother told her to stop or she would not have any ice cream.
Studying at Sheffield Hallam University, Hebe befriended Evelyn Smythe, who told her to make use of emergency packages containing chocolate cake and also gave her a button for her mobile phone to use when she was in trouble; unbeknownst to Hebe, the button could send an SOS to the TARDIS. She became a marine biologist and earnt a doctorate, although she rarely used the title it afforded her. (AUDIO: The Rotting Deep [+]Loading...["The Rotting Deep (audio story)","The Rotting Deep"])
Travels in the TARDIS
Info from The Mindless Ones [+]Loading...["The Mindless Ones (audio story)","The Mindless Ones"], Reverse Engineering [+]Loading...["Reverse Engineering (audio story)","Reverse Engineering"] and Chronomancer [+]Loading...["Chronomancer (audio story)","Chronomancer"] needs to be added
Hebe went to a rig in the North Sea to determine its effect on nearby sea life and decide whether it should be dismantled. When those aboard began dying, she was separated from the others due to the lift being out of service and pressed the button that Evelyn gave her. She soon met the Sixth Doctor and Melanie Bush and, after learning that the phenomena was because of the contaminated water supply, she joined the TARDIS crew at her request. (AUDIO: The Rotting Deep [+]Loading...["The Rotting Deep (audio story)","The Rotting Deep"])
The Doctor took Hebe and Mel to the Moon at a time when water was abundant. There, Hebe was attracted to Wulk and fascinated by the Gilleans, later learning that the Gilleans were connected to the Sheega and helping them leave in their ship. (AUDIO: The Tides of the Moon [+]Loading...["The Tides of the Moon (audio story)","The Tides of the Moon"])
Hebe became infected by the Holomorph after picking up Lydia Betancourt's name badge on Zoda-Kappa in 3895. She regained control of her body after Dr Betancourt placed a psionic inhibitor on her head, after which she connected with Mel in the Dream to relay the algorithm that she was working on to save Mel and everybody else in her position. The Holomorph was imprisoned once more, curing Hebe. (AUDIO: The Dream Nexus [+]Loading...["The Dream Nexus (audio story)","The Dream Nexus"])
On Veludia, she moaned about the land, wondering if she could ask the Doctor for a hovering wheelchair. She was interested in the manatee she saw on the beach and how the Doctor could communicate with them. She was worried about it. She told Saskar that she wouldn't want to be placed in another body or have anyone else in hers as part of their mind-switching. She saw the file that Saskar had on the creatures of the planet's minds. She was telepathically communicated with by the Maelstrom. She worked out that Mel was swapped with Alef. After the storm was dispersed she located the TARDIS. She then got a call from Elise Kaplan. (AUDIO: Maelstrom [+]Loading...["Maelstrom (audio story)"])
Psychological profile
Personality
On account of her disability, Hebe constantly proved herself as an independent person and gravely detested people presuming her limitations and deciding her feelings for her. The Doctor believed that she fought very hard to be angry; at first, he thought this was a defensive measure, to protect herself from being afraid or patronised or infantalised, but he later came to see that she was also capable of great compassion that he felt he should direct inwards too. (AUDIO: The Rotting Deep [+]Loading...["The Rotting Deep (audio story)","The Rotting Deep"])
Hebe was very inquisitive and eager for new experiences to learn from, even if it meant she acted impulsively or against the Doctor's wishes. She seemed very proud of her academic achievements as a marine biologist and regularly demonstrated her expertise in environments where sealife thrived. (AUDIO: The Tides of the Moon [+]Loading...["The Tides of the Moon (audio story)","The Tides of the Moon"], Maelstrom [+]Loading...["Maelstrom (audio story)","Maelstrom"])
Hebe was also very trusting, even in situations she was sceptical about; she believed Evelyn Smythe's promises that she'd respond to her panic button even though she doubted she could do much (AUDIO: The Rotting Deep [+]Loading...["The Rotting Deep (audio story)","The Rotting Deep"]) and even came to like Patricia McBride during their few adventures. However, the latter also proved Hebe to be a greatly sensitive person, as following the revelation of Patricia's real views about the disabled, such as herself and Elise, she was thoroughly distraught. Nevertheless, she still managed to combat her distress in the face of a crisis and focus on the matter in hand. (AUDIO: Chronomancer [+]Loading...["Chronomancer (audio story)","Chronomancer"])
Hebe often referred to Mel as "Melanie-Mel", Mel having introduced herself as such, and had a strong tendancy towards sarcasm and teasing her and the Doctor. (AUDIO: The Rotting Deep [+]Loading...["The Rotting Deep (audio story)","The Rotting Deep"], The Tides of the Moon [+]Loading...["The Tides of the Moon (audio story)","The Tides of the Moon"], Maelstrom [+]Loading...["Maelstrom (audio story)","Maelstrom"])
Hebe dearly loved her friend Elise, with whom she'd bonded during their college days over their disabilities, having been part of a group they called the "Lame Ducks". She told Mel she knew the name was in bad taste but it was okay for her and her friends to use it but not Mel. (AUDIO: The Rotting Deep [+]Loading...["The Rotting Deep (audio story)","The Rotting Deep"], Chronomancer [+]Loading...["Chronomancer (audio story)","Chronomancer"])
Relationship with the Doctor
to be added
Skills
to be added
Appearance
Hebe had tan skin, brown eyes, and dark brown hair with blonde streaks. She relied on a wheelchair to assist in her mobility. (AUDIO: The Rotting Deep [+]Loading...["The Rotting Deep (audio story)","The Rotting Deep"])
Behind the scenes
Hebe was the first official companion of the Doctor to require the use of a wheelchair.[1]
Ruth Madeley would go on to be cast in the TV series' 60th Anniversary Specials as another recurring scientist character in the Doctor's orbit, UNIT scientific advisor Shirley Anne Bingham. In this capacity, this new character coincidentally worked alongside Bonnie Langford's Mel Bush, who was, to Hebe, a fellow companion of the Sixth Doctor.
Footnotes
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
