Yes, I know, no update in over a week, I must be dead or something. I'm not, really, I just got lazy and busy with life. But you don't want that, you want Time Lords and interns, so the usual disclaimer of not owning these, and a longer (belated) chapter.

As we collectively chased after the alien, I couldn't help but be reminded of a certain children's mystery show.

The five do funny runs down the hall. Dr. Kelso, in white shirt and blue pants, shouts, "After the monster!" A chase of a sort ensues, with the Doctor after the alien, Kelso after the Doctor, Carla (in orange with glasses) after Elliot (in stylish purple), the alien after Dr. Cox (who's dressed in green), Kelso after Carla, Elliot after the Doctor, and JD after Dr. Cox, commenting, "Rut ro, Raggy! Re's retting raray!"

JD skidded to a halt (and out of his fantasy) as he reached a prone Turk. Carla immediately doubled back and bent down next to him. "Baby, are you all right?"

"Yeah, I'm fine, I think, I just, you're gonna think I'm crazy, but this lizard-head guy knocked me over, and stepped on my…well…let's just say not a good spot to step, y'know what I'm sayin'?"

"I'm so sorry baby; it must hurt so bad…" Carla began to coddle her husband.

Elliot called back, "It's getting away!"

JD turned to Turk. "You gonna be okay, chocolate bear?"

"Yeah, yeah, fine, now go chase after that thing! Give it some Turk-a-dizzle for me!" Needing no further enticement, JD raced after the gang.

Meanwhile, Dr. Kelso had begun to wheeze. He slowed farther and farther, Dr. Cox easily outpacing him. The chief of medicine finally stumbled to a halt. Elliot stopped beside him. "Sir, are you all right?"

"I'm fine, dammit, just a, bit, tired, is all," Dr. Kelso sputtered. "Nothing…a little…"

"A little what, sir? Water? Coffee? Tea?" Dr. Kelso attempted to complete a sentence as Elliot rattled off ideas. "Food? A sandwich? A cup of soup? Or is it medicine? An aspirin? Vitamin A? C? B12?..."

At the elevators, Dr. Cox had finally been able to catch up with the Doctor, who was likewise caught up with the alien. "Now, then, what's the meanin' of runnin' around this hospital, eh? Rushing back and forth, no discernable purpose, what's it for, then?"

The lizard turned, menacingly. "Now, didn't mean to offend you at all, o'course, just an innocent question, damn my rude-and-not-ginger-ness-"

The beast's tongue flashed out, catching the Doctor's cheek. It then jumped into the now-open elevator doors. Dr. Cox attempted to follow, but the Doctor stood in the way, allowing the doors to close. The lighted arrow indicated it was going up.

Dr. Cox angrily turned on the stiff Englishman. "What the hell, Q?! You just stood there and let it get away!"

"Yes, I did, didn't I…" The Doctor's jaw hardly moved, and he was beginning to list to the right. "Must be some sort of paralysis toxin in the spittle…Whatever you do, don't get licked…" He crashed to the floor.

Two minutes too late, JD slid onto the scene, almost tripping over the fallen humanoid. "Dr. Cox, what happened? Where did the—"

"Upstairs. Newbie, you need to take care of this idiot."

"But Dr. Cox, the alien—"

"I'll take care of the alien."

"But it—"

"Look!" Dr. Cox grabbed JD by the collar of his scrubs. "I don't know what that thing running around can do, but it's already done something to this guy. You need to fix him up so he can tell us what the hell is going on. Can you do that, Adric?"

"Um, yes sir. Uh, Adric isn't a gi—"

"I don't have time to argue about insults! Just do it!" With that, the elevator doors binged again, leaving JD straddling a prone Doctor. "Let's get you into a bed, yeah?"

After manhandling the Doctor (who was surprisingly light) into the nearest open bed, I attempted to take his vitals. Still the double heartbeat, still the dead man's temperature. And, to add to it, the cut on his cheek was oozing some yellow liquid, though that could have been from the purported alien-bite.

"You feeling alright, Doctor?"

"Aside from the lack of movement of my limbs, yes, same as normal, I didn't catch the name?"

"Dr. John Dorian. Mostly just JD or Dr. Dorian, although that could get confusing."

"Yes, never know what doctor you're talking to…Why did that fluffy-haired doctor call you Adric?"

"Oh, that's just Dr. Cox. He usually calls me girls' names, as a joke. Don't know why he chose Adric. Musta been really not thinking."

"I knew an Adric once. Terribly boring. All smart and uppity and supercilious. That's a fun word, isn't it? Supercilious. Super-silly-us. Sooo-prrrr—"

"I'm sorry, Doctor, but there's an alien running loose in the hospital, and we need to stop it, and only you know how."

"Oh, yes, right, well, I'm pretty sure that's a, well, we called it something unpronounceable, don't know what they call themselves, closest translation, let's think—"
"Just tell me what they are!"

"Well, they're Croncletites. I think. Though what's one doing on your planet I can't guess—"

"Why is it running around?"

"Well, to get its bearings, I think." He waved his hand. "Can't think of any other reason for this rushing about—"

"How do we get rid of it?"

"Well, see, that's the question. They are hard to kill; they're mostly lizard, so they heal fast. And mostly they're peaceful, stay on their own planet and eat Dangerous Dragonflies. Great big bulbous dragonflies they are, wingspan about," as he spread his hands as far apart as they could go, "this long, and great giant teeth, with—"

"Um, Doctor, you just moved your arms. Twice."

"Oh, toxin must be wearing off. Fantastic!" The Doctor stiffly swung his legs off the bed. "Defense mechanism, paralyzing your enemy. Wouldn't do much good against dragonflies, but us fleshy types, yes indeed! Now! Let's go catch a lizard!"

((Worth the wait, I hope. Next one will be sooner (and hopefully longer ).))