The Doctor trudged up the metal stairs into the trailer that served as the UNIT field headquarters. The sound of his footsteps changing from a metallic ring to a soft thud accented by the occasional creak as he entered the enclosure.
He sat down heavily in the first available chair. Actually there were a lot of available chairs. He looked around, one enlisted person was busy at a screen, that was it, no one else. The rest must be out mopping up, securing the factory and surrounding areas.
The chair squeaked in protest as he leaned back and put his feet up on the gun metal gray console. He reached inside his suit jacket pocket, feeling the familiar shape of his sonic screwdriver. "Almost lost that." he thought. He aimed it at the large plasma screen mounted close to the ceiling. Cartoons, good. That's about what he felt could handle right now.
He returned the sonic to his pocket and folded his hands behind his head leaning back even further, assuming a posture of relaxation he didn't feel. Sometimes the things he did to save this planet were just reprehensible, if not out and out cruel. He decided to lose himself in the cartoons so he could forget for a bit the choices that had been forced on him.
He was in the middle of a rather strange cartoon about a dog with a pet boy and a time machine that they used to study history when he heard the door open. The Doctor looked up to see a man in an olive drab uniform, and a black cap with red trim. It was Colonel Mace. He took his cap off and put it under his arm as he entered the trailer.
"Doctor what are you doing here? I would have thought you would be out there making sure the threat is neutralized." His tone suggested the Doctor was not taking the current situation seriously enough as usual.
"There's no need. it's all taken care of," the Doctor said with a resigned sigh. "The earth is safe for the moment, Well… for several moments in fact. Actually I don't think you will have to worry about the Sontarans for the rest of your life." He went back to watching his cartoon. The dog and boy had just finished helping Isaac Newton discover the laws of gravity.
"What's this then, a time travel training film? You studying up for a recertification test on TARDIS driving?" Mace asked.
The Doctor studied the soldier whose expression as serious as ever. Had the colonel just told a joke? Though it didn't show on the colonel's face, he had definitely told a joke. Maybe he had underestimated the man. "No, but it's about all I feel I can handle right now. Sit down, this is pretty good actually. If it follows its usual pattern there should be a moose and flying squirrel next."
Colonel Mace eyed him wearily. "Are you sure Doctor? You told me in no uncertain terms you didn't like having people who carried guns anywhere near you."
The Doctor took a deep breath and let it out slowly, he stared at the ceiling briefly before sliding his eyes over to look at the colonel. "I've decided to reconsider my position on that after this afternoon."
"Really?" queried Mace as he took a seat next to the Doctor. "What brought this on?"
The Doctor closed his eyes and slowly shook his head, in the background he could hear the moose ask if there was fan mail from some flounder. "I decided soldiers without guns are much more dangerous than the ones with guns."
"Oh?" Colonel Mace managed to convey in that single syllable both curiosity and concern.
The Doctor opened his eyes and considered the Colonel, feeling a knot in his stomach, unsure of how much he should confess to. "I met Major Hansen," he said dully.
"I see," the colonel nodded sagely. "And how did that go?"
The Doctor brought the heel of his hand up to his forehead and rubbed it grimacing. "A bit surreal actually." He lowered his hand and looked at Mace hopefully. "Any chance we could get some tea in here? I could really do with a spot of tea."
"Certainly Doctor." Colonel Mace gestured to the one enlisted person in the room as he called to him. "Corporal Russert, would you go get some tea for the Doctor and myself."
"Right away Sir," the corporal responded briskly and quickly exited the trailer.
"Now Doctor do you care to elaborate?"
There was no hope for it the Doctor realized. What he had done was going to come out sooner or later and well, he had come here instead of just heading off to the TARDIS. Part of him at least must have felt he needed to tell someone his side of it. Colonel Mace as the commander of a unit had surely have had to make some terrible choices at some point in his career. If anyone would show him some sympathy, it would be him.
While he was considering, the corporal came back with two cups of tea and a pot. He set a small portable table next to the colonel and placed the tea on it. "Thank you Corporal," said Colonel Mace as he handed the Doctor a cup. "You may leave us now. I think we can handle everything here."
Sipping his tea the Doctor heard the door close, indicating he was now alone in the trailer with Mace.
"Well Doctor, are you going to tell me what has you so upset?" Though authoritative the Doctor thought he detected a hint of kindness in the colonel's voice.
The Doctor took another sip of tea. By its color he could tell it should be quite good and strong, but it was flavorless in his mouth. "I wouldn't say I was upset exactly. Just… well… alright... upset is the right word. You will have to excuse me, it has been a very disorienting day."
"I can tell," Mace said. "But come on tell me what happened. How did you get mixed up with Major Hansen and does that have anything to do with the Sontaran threat being neutralized? Take it from an old soldier here, you'll feel better once you get this over with." His voice was still formal and haughty and it would have been a sharp contrast to the promise of comfort in the words if not for that undertone of kindness that was still there.
"You're right, you're right." The Doctor gave a deep sigh. "I need to get this over with." He shook his head as he started to tell the Colonel how his afternoon had gone.
He'd been so proud of himself when the atmospheric converter had ignited the Caesofine gas, clearing its poison out of the sky, rendering the Earth useless for the Sontaran's plans. But there was no time to rest on his laurels. He had to stop the Sontarans from retaliating. Now that their plans for the Earth had been thwarted they would bend their military might to destroying the planet and everything on it, as target practice for their real war with the Rutans.
He was racing back towards the school, carrying the converter, when suddenly out of nowhere a Unit soldier appeared and grabbed him by the arm.
"What's this? Let go of me!" the Doctor protested as he pulled his arm free, only to find his other arm bent up behind his back, the atmospheric converter falling to the ground. "Hey, that's delicate equipment there!"
A second soldier picked it up while a jeep pulled up next to him. A hand was pushing his head down as he was forced into the back seat of the vehicle and the converter dumped into the cargo area with a metallic crash. "No, no, no, no you'd better not have broken it! The survival of the planet depends on it working when I need it and by the way, I need it now!"
His protests were ignored and the door was closed on him as Donna ran up to the vehicle. "Hey, Soldier boy! What you think you're doing? Let him out of there!"
He tried the door hoping Donna could keep them distracted while he made his escape. Locked. No problem, just get out the sonic. He gasped as it was ripped from his hand, stinging it. "Oi, that's private property there, give it back."
"Sorry sir," said the soldier in front of him. "But, you will have to take that up with Major Hansen."
"Let me out of here!" yelled the Doctor as he made a dive for the other door, only to find it blocked by yet another soldier, who had apparently entered the vehicle when he was concentrating on the first door.
He could see Martha standing back, his coat still wrapped around her, appearing unsure as to what she should be doing. Well, a hospital gown and an oversized coat was hardly the attire for action, he couldn't blame her. Luke was nowhere to be seen. Donna started pounding on the windows as the driver put the vehicle in gear.
It went forward with a jerk, slamming the Doctor into his seat and causing Donna to jump back in surprise. She took off her shoe and hurled it at the accelerating jeep. It connected with a dull thud but had no effect on the vehicle's movement as it sped off down the road.