The Doctor was working on the dematerialisation circuit of his TARDIS. Jo was sat on the stool watching him work. She could feel the Time Lords excitement. "I think I've figured a way around the block the Time Lords put on the TARDIS he told her.
I managed to get 10 minutes back in time last week, the TARDIS even moved to the other side of the lab.
Jo smiled at the Doctors excitement. "But it did fry the circuit again, didn't it Doctor?" she said.
The Doctor looked uncomfortable, "mmm, well yes, but I know where I went wrong. All I really need is some uninterrupted time to work on this. The adjustments are so delicate."
He was hard at it when the Brigadier entered the lab just after 10.45. "Err.. Doctor, " the Brigadier said, "I know I said you could stand down for 48 hours but there is a bit of an incident and I would appreciate your help"
The Doctor shook his head, and replied in his most supercilious manner, "Sorry Brigadier but it's about time UNIT stood on it's own two feet, I cant always be there to hold your hand!"
Jo saw the flash of anger on the Brigadier's face. "Well no, makes me wonder how we ever managed without you!" the Brigadier replied acidly.
The Doctor snorted!
"I am sorry Doctor but I have a bad feeling about this job!" the Brigadier said.
"Feelings Brigadier, I wasn't aware you had any!" The Doctor said insultingly.
The Brigadier looked at the Time Lord for several seconds before saying, "That's patently obvious Doctor!"
The Brigadier stormed out slamming the door after him.
"That was very rude Doctor" his assistant said.
"The mans, insufferable" the Doctor snapped.
"No he wasn't, he was worried and asking for your help."
The Doctor sighed deeply, "It'll be nothing you'll see. I'll apologise when he gets back if it'll make you any happier Jo."
Jo smiled and nodded, "the Brigadier has been very good to you, making sure you get the equipment to try to repair the TARDIS, giving you a home here and keeping other agencies in the Dark about your existence."
Yes, maybe he had gone too far! He'd make it right next time he saw the Brigadier!
Jo had spent all day passing the Doctor tools and fetching any equipment he asked for. By 3pm she was ready for a drink so crossed over to the kettle which was stood on the windowsill.
A detachment of men were getting into Land Rovers and heading out.
Jo was just commenting on this when Mike Yates burst through the doors.
"Mr Yates, " the Doctor said not looking up "whatever the Brigadier wants can't be so urgent that you need to enter my lab in such a manner!"
Jo took in Mike's pale complexion and his shocked expression.
"Mike what's wrong!" she cried
Mike Yates shook his head, then spluttered "The Brigadier's Dead!"
The Doctor stood frozen to the spot then slowly turned around his face registering shock and confusion.
Jo cried " No,... Oh Mike what happened!"
Mike said "It was a strange one, we'd had reports of power outs and strange lights up near Foxton Farm. The funny thing was the Brigadier was really spooked by it all. I'd never seen him like that before. He ordered the perimeter sealed and set up a watching brief."
The Doctor sat listening, trying to understand.
"There was no activity and the Brigadier said it was a pity we didn't have that gizmo of yours for seeing body heat, because he was sure there was no one at the farm."
The Doctor felt like knives had been twisted in his hearts. The Brigadier had needed his help just as he had said.
"Well after a couple of hours the screaming started. It sounded like women and children." Mike said
"The Brigadier ordered me to maintain the perimeter and took a land rover up to the farm. Not by the road but over the moor. It was about a quarter of a mile from the farm when a beam of light flashed out from the farm house and the Land Rover exploded."
"Are you sure the Brigadier was still in the Land Rover when it exploded?" the Doctor asked. "What about the driver and other personnel."
"The Brigadier had gone alone," Mike told them "he said it was as fishy as hell and he wasn't risking lives unnecessarily." Mike looked down at the floor as he said in a low voice "The Brigadier was inside, John Benton disobeyed orders and went to help him."
The Doctor nodded he knew how devoted the Sargent was to his commanding officer.
"John found the Brigadier seriously injured and stayed with him until the end."
Jo was now crying
The Doctor sat down in a state of shock. The Brigadier had asked for his help and had just received insults and scorn from him! No matter how they had rubbed each other up the wrong way Alistair Lethbridge-Stewart had been three things, a Good man, a man you could depend on and a friend!
"The thing is Doctor, we need you to help check the place out, before we can recover the Brigadier's body. His last order was no one was to enter the exclusion zone until you gave the all clear. We can't leave him there any longer then necessary sir." Mike said wiping a tear from his face. "UNIT looks after it's own, alive or dead, that's what the Brigadier always says...said!"
The Doctor was taken by helicopter to the field HQ. He set up his equipment and scanned the area. No sign of life terrestrial or otherwise he reported. Mike Yates gave orders to secure the Brigadier's body. John Benton led the team the Doctor following in the rear of the group. The land rover was a burnt out shell. The remains of Brigadier Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart were pitiful to see, seriously burnt and maimed by shrapnel. The Doctor closed his eyes feeling sick. No one deserved to die like that, especially not the Brigadier.
John Benton looked at the Doctor, "Such a good man shouldn't die in so much pain! He was in agony Doctor, but his only thoughts were to keep his men safe! It cost him every last ounce of strength to whispered to me to keep the men back until you had given the all clear!"
The Doctors eyes rested on the watch on the Brigadier's wrist it had stopped at 2.12pm!
The Brigadier's body was secured, it was placed in an ambulance and sent back to HQ.
The Doctor made his way up to the farmhouse with Captain Yates. The place was deserted . Searching around for clues started but it was to no avail. There were slight traces of temporal disturbance but that was all. Whatever had been here had now gone!
"I reckon the Brigadier had met this phenomenon before," Benton murmured to the Doctor, "probably back when he was commanding the 5th . Don't know a lot about those days they were the fore runner of UNIT."
The Doctor was sat at his work bench in the lab. He hadn't turned on the lights. The only illumination came from the lights in the corridor.
Jo looked at the Doctor's stricken face, the comment she had been about to make died on her lips.
"I was just going over to the chapel Doctor, they are holding a vigil are you coming?"
The Doctor shook his head! "What's the point Jo, he's dead!"
"The point is, he was your commanding officer, your friend and a wonderful man! This is the way we show respect to an outstanding Soldier! You can't apologies now! But at least you can show him some respect, you never gave him much while he was alive!"
Jo burst into tears and stormed off.
No, he hadn't treated the Brigadier right, all he had been bothered about was the dematerialisation circuit. He picked it up he felt like throwing it against the wall. Then he looked up at the clock. Alistair had been dead less than four hours, the TARDIS didn't have to move it just needed to go back far enough so that he could accompany the Brigadier to the farm.
The Doctor placed the dematerialisation circuit into the TARDIS control panel, set the controls for 10.30 am today and pushed the control lever.
The TARDIS wheezed and bucked smoke coming from every panel on the consul. The whole control system blew and the TARDIS shuddered to a stop.
The date was clearly today but there was no readout on the clock, he didn't know if he had gone back far enough. He dashed to the door slammed it open coughing. Jo was sat looking at him in wide eyed surprise.
"It was daylight he frantically glanced at the clock, it was 2.05pm."
He Dashed out of the Lab heading for UNIT's communication centre.
As he crashed through the door " He yelled at the young operator "Get the Brigadier it's an emergency!"
"Trap 1 to Greyhound Leader," the operator called airwaves just crackled, "Trap 1 to Greyhound Leader " The operative repeated "Priority message over! "
"Greyhound.. " the Brigadier started to reply
"Alistair, get out of that vehicle NOW! IT'S ABOUT TO EXPLODE!"
There was no reply
"Greyhound Leader, this is Trap 1 do you copy"
"Trap one this is Greyhound 2, there's been an explosion, Sargent Benton where are you going !" they heard Mike Yates call.
"Mike it's the Doctor, can you see any signs of the Brigadier, did he get out?"
"I don't know Doctor " came back the reply, "but we don't have a clear view!"
Minutes seen to drag by then John Benton's voice came over the radio, "I need a medivac at this location, burns and shrapnel wounds." The Doctor held his breath, it seemed like he'd been too late.
Then a familiar voice, unsteady but fairly strong said. "Mr Benton, you better have a bloody good reason for disobeying my orders!"
The Doctor laughed out loud!
The Doctor returned to the lab, Joe was looking into the TARDIS in dismay! "Oh Doctor I'm so sorry!"
The Doctor smiled, "It can be repaired Jo!" he said hugging the young woman.
It was after six o'clock and the Doctor was sat next to the Brigadier's bed in the infirmary.
The Brigadier's right shoulder and arm were heavily bandaged and his right leg in a splint raised off the bed.
Harry Sullivan had just checked on his patient.
The Doctor looked at Harry enquiringly .
"A few 2nd degree burns to his arm, shoulder and back. Also I've removed a fair amount of shrapnel from his leg, the young surgeon said. But with rest he should be up and about in a few weeks.
Sullivan left.
The Doctor smiled at The Brigadier, "Ok, he's gone!"
The Brigadier opened his eyes, "It would help if you didn't try fighting the medication, young Sullivan is right you need rest!" The Doctor scolded mildly, after a pause he said "Alistair, I'm sorry about what I said this morning. "
"Forget it Doctor, I just wanted to thank you for your warning, without that I don't know what would have happened!" The Brigadier's eyes started to close.
The Doctor shuddered, he knew, he still remembered the sight of the Brigadier's mangled dead body laid out on the moor!"
"Alistair?" the Doctor asked, "Why did today's incident worry you so much?"
The Brigadier opened his eyes and said "The same strange things happened the day my brother died!" With that the Brigadier lost his battle to stay awake.
The Doctor looked at the sleeping man. Worry was etched on the Doctor's face. Was something or someone hunting down the Brigadier!