Chapter 13
Gazing at Kathryn seated in the chair next to him, Jamie touched her arm reassuringly. They were now at UNIT HQ, having traded the cold, December air for the Brigadier's warmer, brightly lit office. After finding Tom in such a state, Jamie had contacted them and they'd sent a car to pick him and Kathryn up. UNIT had also brought a van with which to pick Tom up once they'd subdued him. Jamie felt a bit uneasy about getting Kathryn involved as he didn't want her to be more overwhelmed than she already was. However, because she knew the victim personally, he realized this now concerned her as well. He'd tried to explain things to her as delicately as possible on the ride over to HQ.
"Are ye alright?" he asked softly.
He watched her give a tentative nod, still avoiding his gaze. "I think so. I just … this is so much to process. You say these people look into strange happenings going on in this city? Are they like a secret police sort of thing?"
Hearing footsteps, Jamie looked up to find the Brigadier had returned. He had overheard Kathryn, if the amused grin on his face was anything to go by. "Your friend here once made the same assumption," he said. "We're not quite all that. We're simply an intelligence task force. We don't actually arrest people. We do investigate possible paranormal and extraterrestrial threats."
Kathryn looked almost lost and Jamie decided it was a good time to step in. "Ye see the patch on his arm? 'UNIT' stands for 'United Nations Intelligence Task Force.'"
She nodded, her face showing some sign of understanding, but she still seemed confused.
"None of that is very important at the moment," the Brigadier continued. "Just be assured you are in good hands." He gave Kathryn a thin smile. "Now, McCrimmon tells me you know the man that was brought in?"
"Er, yes. He was a former boyfriend of mine. We'd dated several years before breaking up about five months ago."
Jamie watched the Brigadier nod as he scrawled some notes on a small tablet of yellow paper. He'd turned to Kathryn and found her looking almost uncomfortable. How he wished she didn't have to be involved in this, but it was too late. He quietly cleared his throat and once she'd turned to him, he nodded and gave her a small smile.
"So, before you found him in this state, he seemed perfectly normal?"
Jamie snorted. "Well, if ye call tormentin' an innocent lassie normal, then I -"
"Please just stick to the business at hand, McCrimmon."
Jamie felt a warmth rising in his cheeks as he caught the Brigadier's stern, impatient expression. "Sorry. Aye, he seemed … normal." He swallowed around a lump in his throat, feeling just disgusted to have to refer to Tom as normal. He tried hard to cast his emotions aside.
"Good," the Brigadier replied, making more notes.
"So, what now?" Jamie prompted once the other man had finished writing.
"Well, we sedated the man in question as best we could so we could obtain a blood sample. The Doctor is studying it now and I'm sure he'd like to speak to you about it."
Jamie nodded. Taking hold of Kathryn's arm, he followed the Brigadier out of the office and down the corridor toward the lab. Once they reached the doors, he turned back to Kathryn. "Don' worry. The Doctor is a nice, clever chappie."
She'd given him a smile that seemed affectionate and it warmed his heart.
"Oh, Doctor? I've got McCrimmon and the girl here to see you."
As they made their way further into the room, Jamie found the Doctor once again seated and hunched over a microscope.
"Ah, brilliant. Thank you Brigadier," he replied absent-mindedly.
The other man briefly looked around. "Well, I'll leave you to it, then. I'll be in my office if you need anything."
Jamie forced a smile and nodded as the Brigadier left the room. He waited until the Doctor seemed less preoccupied to get his attention.
"Doctor? I wanted tae introduce ye to Kathryn."
The Time Lord finally looked up and turned around, looking a bit thrown at first. "Oh, yes. Where are my manners?" A warm smile spread across his face. "Hello, Kathryn. I'm the Doctor." He offered his hand and Kathryn seemed to hesitate for a moment before taking it.
"Hello, Doctor. Nice to meet you." She then turned to Jamie. "This is the man you spent time traveling with?"
"Aye, sort of."
Her curious expression caused him to smile apologetically. "I'll explain it to ye later."
Nodding, she seemed to accept this.
"Now, the Brigadier tells me you know this chap that was brought in. I won't ask for the details on that as they're not really important. But do you have any further information on your encounter with him tonight?"
"Well, he showed up at this club Jamie and I went to with friends. There was a fight and after we all left, Jamie and I found him outside. He showed up again later and was in this trance-like state, just staring at us and saying that odd word: 'Drix.'"
The Doctor nodded. "Mm. Not only did we obtain a blood sample from him, but we also found that slimy substance oozing out of his ear."
A thought suddenly occurred to Jamie and his eyes widened. "Aye, he appeared tae be tryin' tae get this stuff off his hand, an' then it looked like he'd wiped it on a handkerchief he used on his bloody nose!"
"Ah, yes! We found the handkerchief on him and I studied it under the microscope. Same substance that we'd found oozing out his ear. It would make sense for his body to absorb it if he'd got it on the handkerchief. I was also able to confirm this substance is the same one I'd found in the samples from the other victims."
"Victims … You mean the ones that have died?" Kathryn suddenly asked.
Nodding, the Doctor looked at her, his expression a bit wearied. "They've all died."
"Is that what's going to happen to Tom?"
At that instant, Jamie turned to Kathryn. Her expression was unreadable.
"I don't know. All of the other victims started shouting that word and then acting half mad, tearing through the streets screaming and acting as though they were having a seizure before collapsing. Did you witness any of this behavior in this young man before you brought him in?"
"No. He just walked up to us, started staring and saying that word."
The Doctor's expression turned thoughtful. "It sounds as though his condition hasn't progressed as far, then. We may still have a -"
He was interrupted by the sound of footsteps rushing into the room. Jamie turned to find Sergeant Benton, his expression full of urgency. "Doctor! The victim's condition seems to be getting worse."
Jamie felt his brow furrow in confusion and, shifting his gaze back to the Doctor, found a similarly perplexed expression on his face. "How do you mean, Benton?"
"The sedative seems to have worn off. Miss Grant had given him some more on the Brigadier's orders, but it didn't seem to make any difference. He's acting like a raving lunatic, shouting 'Drix' with his arms flailing about."
Jamie watched the Doctor frown before sharing a look with each of them and getting up, prompting him and Kathryn to follow him and Benton out of the lab.
They headed down the corridor which took a turn to the right and finally into a room on the right side. Jamie watched Kathryn's footsteps slow as she neared the threshold of the room and then seemed to hesitate.
Sensing her distress, he gave her arm a little squeeze. "Ye don' have tae go in if ye wish. We can jus' stay out here."
Meeting her gaze, he could see her eyes were tinged with fear for a moment before they cleared and she shook her head. "No. It's alright. I'm fine."
Jamie studied her for a moment and then nodded. "Come on," he coaxed softy, placing his hand on her back as he led her into the room.
Inside, they found Tom on a cot. He had been strapped down to it via his wrists and ankles, surrounded by hospital equipment and an IV that snaked from his arm. He appeared to be restless, his eyes darting back and forth and his pupils dilated with what seemed to be panic.
"Drix! D-Drix!" he stammered.
The Brigadier and Jo were already there, standing in front of his bed.
"Doctor!" Jo exclaimed. "I was about to fetch him a drink of water when he started raving and shouting. I gave him another dose of sedative but it seems to not have done any good."
"Doctor, I'm not sure what else we can do," the Brigadier added. "We've tried Morphine, barbiturates, just about everything. Nothing seems to work on this gentleman. If his condition worsens, we may lose him, which would be a big setback in trying to resolve this and protect the people of London."
Jamie winced inwardly. He was so conflicted. On one hand, he wanted the Doctor to succeed and save as many lives as possible. On the other hand, he wasn't too broken up about the possibility of seeing a man who had contributed so much pain to his dear friend die.
Before he could give it any thought, he snapped out of his reverie and found the Doctor regarding them with that familiar old twinkle in his eye. "Ah, you've tried just about everything. But I may have something better." He smiled and then briskly left the room.
Jamie heard a sigh and then turned to find the Brigadier rolling his eyes.
"Where's he going?" Kathryn asked.
"I'm sure we will find out soon enough," the Brigadier replied tiredly.
Before any of them could ponder it further, the Doctor had returned with a small vial.
"What've ye got there?" Jamie asked, looking at it curiously.
"This is a sedative which I was able to synthesize in the TARDIS," he replied, almost with child-like excitement.
"But I thought the TARDIS wasnae able tae work!"
"No, it's just not capable of flight. But I'm still able to use its lab." He held up the vial. "This is a sedative approximately fifty times stronger than Morphine. Administer this to him."
"But you're not even sure if it will work," the Brigadier protested.
"Oh, I'm sure it will. At the very least, it won't hurt to try." He handed the vial to Jo, instructing her to inject Tom with it.
"You'd better be sure about this, Doctor," the Brigadier said sternly.
"Just wait."
Jo pricked Tom's inner arm with the needle. For a moment the man did not react, but then suddenly cried out, his arms flailing once more. Jamie's eyes widened and he took a step back, his arms flying protectively around Kathryn.
After a moment, Tom seemed to relax. Checking his vitals, they found his pulse shallow but steady and pupil dilation normal. The Doctor slowly approached and placed a chair in front of the cot, sitting and leaning forward.
"Mister Stanton. Can you hear me?"
The other man looked at him. "Yes," he replied weakly.
Jamie caught a smile on the Doctor's face. "Good. I am the Doctor and I would like to ask you a few questions if you don't mind."
For a moment he did not react but then finally gave the Doctor a slight nod.
"We have sedated you so we can get information on the creatures that have taken over your mind and body. Is there anything you can tell me about them?"
The man seemed to hesitate but then continued speaking in a drowsy tone. "Yes. They are the foot soldiers of Drix."
"Drix ..."
"Yes. He is a master from the planet Gwofaedron, located on the outer fringes of the Andromeda galaxy."
The Doctor nodded. "Interesting. Can you tell me what they are doing here? What do they want to do with humans?"
"They are trying to take over the humans. Drix aims to enslave humans and rule Earth."
Gazing at the Doctor, Jamie found his expression of shock closely mirrored his own. "But his foot soldiers are not enslaving humans. They're killing them."
Tom shook his head. "No. They kill them only if they resist."
"Oh, well, that certainly is justified," the Doctor replied dryly. "Why does he wish to enslave humans in the first place?"
"He wishes to claim Earth for his own and the rest of his kind. Their planet has become uninhabitable."
The Doctor frowned. "Is Drix himself here?"
Pause. "Yes."
"Might you happen to know where he is?"
"Yes, I would."
"Would you mind sharing it with me?"
"Yes. You cannot defeat them. He and the rest of his kind are very strong. It would be a mistake to try going after them."
"Well. That's certainly never stopped me before." The Doctor leaned forward again, this time looking more serious. "Now, then. You will tell me where he is located. There are lives at stake here. I will not try to kill him. My main concern will be getting him to cease enslaving humans and leave."
Tom blinked. "Alright. I will share this information ..." Before he could say anymore, his eyes drooped shut and he appeared to drift off to sleep.
"Oh, no," Jamie groaned.
"Don't worry, my lad," the Doctor reassured him. "We will try again and I'm sure we will obtain this information one way or another."
"I hope yer right," he replied. He was about to say more when he suddenly saw Kathryn turn and leave the room, a look of distress on her face.
Having stepped out into the corridor, Kathryn took in a deep breath, trying to harness all the different emotions coursing through her mind. This man who had caused her so much pain for so long and who had ruined her evening with Jamie, was now practically clinging to life in a cot in this top secret headquarters. And he was feeding them information on a deadly alien race who were aiming to enslave humans or kill them trying. Was this all really happening?
She suddenly heard soft footsteps and felt someone touch her arm. Lifting her gaze, she found Jamie next to her, eyeing her with concern.
"Hey. Are ye alright?" he asked.
She shook her head. "I don't know. I've got so many conflicting emotions, seeing Tom lying there and speaking as if he were in a trance. He was the source of a great deal of pain for me, but to see him in this condition ..." She trailed off, at a loss for words.
"Do ye love him still?"
His question really took her by surprise and her eyes widened. "No, of course not. I thought I loved him the entire time we were dating; actually, no, I did love him. But, after all he'd put me through, whatever love I had for him is now gone. Now whenever I look at him, I try to be emotionally detached. I suppose I just can't believe this whole thing is happening: microscopic aliens trying to take over humans and enslave them?"
Jamie nodded with a smile that seemed affectionate. "Ye should've heard me when I first met the Doctor. I'd never seen any flying machines like his TARDIS an' I'd had no idea aboot alien races. He'd shown me how many things exist beyond my wildest dreams."
She smiled up at him but still felt overwhelmed. "I think this is going to take a while for me to process."
She heard more footsteps and realized that Jo had now joined them. "Hey, you look like you could use a cup of tea. I know I could. Would you like to join me?"
She was about to agree when she turned to Jamie and found him nodding at her as if to say 'go on.' She turned back to Jo. "Yes, I would, thank you."
The other woman smiled back and gestured for her to follow her down the corridor. Kathryn did so, hoping a nice cup of tea would help calm her nerves a bit.
Jamie smiled as he watched Kathryn and Jo walk away. The poor lass appeared quite frazzled and needed to take her mind off this. Jo seemed like a sweet girl and the company would probably help her as well. He turned his gaze back to the doorway of Tom's room and saw the Doctor, still sitting on the chair in front of the cot, looking deep in thought.
Jamie rejoined him, scuffling his boots on the polished floor to get his attention. The Time Lord finally looked up at him.
"What're ye thinking?"
"We're very close to getting a lead on where this Drix master is hiding out. If we could just get that information from this Tom fellow, we should be well on our way to solving this. We need to convince him to leave people alone." He turned back to Tom, who was still asleep on the cot. "I also wish we could find some sort of cure for those who are already being controlled. How are they being killed in the first place? Could these 'foot soldiers' be releasing some sort of deadly chemical that causes their brains to rupture? Why would they need to do so in the first place? Their aim is to control humans, not kill them. Unless ..."
That twinkle was back in his eyes. Jamie could spot it anywhere. "What?"
"Unless the humans show signs of resisting the control. It's easier to control those who are weak-minded, you see."
"Oh, aye."
"Perhaps that's why Tom seemed more in control of his faculties once we administered that powerful sedative. He didn't flail about or shout out Drix's name. All I have to do now is give him another dose once he comes to. Perhaps then we'll get the information we need."
Jamie turned to face Tom and stared at him. Perhaps that was all they needed … Or not. Suddenly reminded of the awful way the man had treated Kathryn, Jamie felt a spark of anger flare up inside him. His jaw set, he glared angrily at Tom.
Apparently the Doctor had noticed. "What's the matter?"
"Don' do it."
"Do what?"
"Help him." The Doctor looked positively stunned, but Jamie continued. "This laddie caused so much trouble for Kathryn; not just at that club last night, but even before that. She told me he blamed her for everything, made her think she was daft half the time. He was cruel tae her." He glared once again at Tom's prone form. "Find a cure fer the others, but spare this man."
"I can't believe what you are saying."
Jamie shrugged. "If he's gannae die, let it happen. It'd be no great loss."
"How could you ever think this way, Jamie? Not only is it cruel to wish death on this man, but to continue to keep others' lives in danger? Think about what you're suggesting. If we let this man die without getting the information on Drix's hideout, everyone in this part of London will remain at risk; perhaps untold others if this were to spread. I know you care very much for this girl, but you need to put your personal feelings and grudges aside. Think of the bigger picture. We must help people."
Jamie considered this and felt like kicking himself. The Doctor was right. He didn't want to keep innocent people in this part of London – or even beyond that – at risk. He also thought of his friends: of Ben, Polly, Victoria, and, of course, Kathryn. Their lives were already at risk and he didn't want them to be in any greater danger. The irony of the Doctor telling him to put his personal feelings aside, and that he'd immediately thought of those he cared for, was not lost on him.
"Och, fine," he finally grumbled, not meaning for it to come out that way.
"Now, Jamie. Be cheerful. Nobody likes a snotty Scottie."
For a moment, Jamie thought he misheard him. "Eh?"
He noticed the Time Lord giving him an amused, impish grin. "Just what I said." He stood up and patted Jamie on the shoulder. "Now, go and find that girl of yours. I reckon she would like some extra company, given the jumble of thoughts that must be swelling in her mind."
Jamie merely smiled and nodded before turning and leaving the room, in pursuit of Kathryn. He soon found her and Jo sitting in a large common room, sipping their tea and talking animatedly. Hanging back in the doorway, he felt a fond smile tug at his lips. It was good to see Kathryn in a better mood.
He cleared his throat and both women stopped talking, looking in his direction.
"Oh, hello, Jamie," Jo smiled. "Would you care for some tea? We're about finished here but I believe we have enough for one more cup."
Jamie shook his head. "Ah, no, thank you. I'm no' thirsty."
Shrugging, Jo stood up and collected Kathryn's empty cup from her before making her way into another area of the room.
Jamie watched her go and then sat down next to Kathryn. "Feelin' any better?"
"Yes, I am. Jo is very nice."
"Aye."
"So, did you get anymore information from … him?"
Jamie regarded her in confusion before it dawned on him that she was referring to Tom. "Ah, no. He was aboot tae tell us where Drix was hiding when he fell back asleep. The Doctor said we'll try again so we can go after him, get him tae leave an' make London safe again."
"Oh," she replied in a small voice, looking down at her lap. Jamie felt his heart breaking. She looked so lost, so overwhelmed. Granted, a lot had happened in the span of less than a day, and she was now sort of involved personally in it. But he hated to see her like this.
He took her hands in his, forcing her to look at him. "Hey. I cannae imagine what ye must be thinking, but it'll be alright. I promise."
He smiled at her and the tense expression on her face finally melted into a smile of her own. He could see tears at the corners of her eyes and his only instinct was to pull her into a big hug.
Just as he was about to do so, however, the sound of loud, quick footsteps pierced the air, making them both jump.
"McCrimmon! The Doctor and the Brigadier need to see you straight away," Captain Yates said urgently.
Jamie shared a curious look with Kathryn before following the Captain back down the corridor, Kathryn behind him.
"Could ye no' give me a hint as tae what's goin' on?" Jamie asked, trying to keep up with Yates.
The other man said not a word. Whatever it was, Jamie hoped it would lead them closer to finally resolving the entire situation.