Author's Notes:
Here is another chapter, a little earlier than usual. Wherever you are, I hope you are well and safe. It's a beautiful spring day here, but we live in challenging times. Hopefully this chapter will serve as a diversion from more serious matters.
Chapter 13
From the journal of Brigadier Alistair Lethenbridge-Stewart
23 December 1975, UNIT Headquarters, London
It's been an emotional week. Lots going on at work and also at home, and I find myself feeling pulled in too many directions lately. It seems as if everyone needs something from me, and no one is ever satisfied with what I come up with. I suspect I am not alone in that sentiment – the holidays bring it out for everyone in one form or another.
The UNIT joint command convened on Monday to discuss the recent announcement that the United Nations voted to cease funding our global operation, leaving it up to the individual countries to foot the bill. Needless to say, it was a tense meeting and emotions ran hot as plan after plan was considered and discarded. Half of my colleagues wanted to pool resources from each government. That was originally my idea, mind you, but General Collins, my American "colleague", if you can call him that, nicked it. The rest wanted to either go it alone or disband altogether. We will resume the conversation in the new year.
It always comes down to building the case for our continued existence. If our funding comes from taxpayer dollars, then we must have a strong value statement. Given that the general public is mostly unaware of the many alien incursions we've thwarted, it will be an uphill battle. Some are raising the idea of creating a fictional purpose and story to secure funding while keeping our true goings-on under the table. I, for one, do not support that idea, as it will likely lead to scandal and dissolution down the road, and potentially soon. Ultimately, the best way forward is probably to bring UNIT into the public eye and share factual evidence that demonstrates the value we bring. Thankfully, the UN agreed to fund UNIT through the first two quarters of 1976 to give us time to come up with a way forward.
On the home front, Doris and I had a silly row about Christmas plans that led to me storming out, driving back to UNIT and sleeping in my office. In hindsight, I see that I overreacted. I should have realized how much stress she's been under. As usual, I haven't been there for her, or for Kate. I brought home flowers the next night and have tried to be more attentive since then.
Kate asked if we could invite the Doctor for the holidays. She pointed out that otherwise he will be alone. While she's right about that, I wonder how bothered he would be about it. Naturally, I did invite him. I was going to without the prodding from Kate, but I won't let her know that. She's very kind-hearted and has a special relationship with the Doctor. Should I be worried? He's not human. How much do I really know about him? All the same, the Doctor and I have been through some tough scrapes together, and I'd trust him with my life.
28 December 1975, the Lethenbridge-Stuart London residence
It's been an eventful few days, for sure. Mere hours after my last journal entry, the UNIT compound was assaulted by an outside threat. Strange gel-like creatures appeared out of nowhere and caused several disappearances. It turned out that the source was an ancient member of the Doctor's people, the time lords. The time lords conscripted the Doctor to go and sort it, and I ended up traveling with him in his TARDIS to a universe made completely of anti-matter.
To make things even more astounding, the time lords brought in two previous incarnations of the Doctor, one of whom was the version I originally met. I'm not sure how that works. It was a fascinating adventure which I will not soon forget. I admit I felt superfluous for much of it, as I was more removed from the action than I wanted to be, holed up in the TARDIS with Benton and the Doctor's previous incarnation while my men were in danger.
While the three versions of the Doctor argued amongst themselves like petty children, they did manage to come up with a plan, but it involved great personal sacrifice. I am not a man of science, and certainly have no experience fighting an enemy in an anti-matter universe. I felt powerless to do anything but go along with it.
When I left the singularity via what the time lords called a "temporal bridge", I thought I would never see the Doctor again in any of his incarnations. My heart hurt and my spirits were low.
But he managed to escape the anti-matter universe and arrived back in the lab, safe and sound, in his TARDIS. It was only the "latest" version, mind you, not the other two versions. That's a relief. As quirky as he is, after being around his previous incarnation again for just a few short hours, I can say unequivocally that I prefer the current version.
As a reward for his help to the time lords, the Doctor got a new dematerialization circuit for his TARDIS – the component they'd withheld from him as a way of confining him on Earth. Basically, he's been reinstated to gallivant about all of time and space.
I worried that he'd leave straight away, but happily he still came for Christmas dinner. Kate had been so looking forward to it. She made him a pan of fudge, under Doris' supervision, of course.
Doris knitted him a scarf, which he seemed touched by. Don't know that he'll ever wear it. It's ridiculously long and has colorful stripes, and the Doctor (at least this one) is a bit of a dandy. Not at all his style, but what would I know about it? As Doris never ceases to remind me, I am tone deaf when it comes to fashion and somewhat color-blind, to boot. Good thing I wear a uniform and need not worry about such things.
The Doctor's gift to the family was an account of our first adventure together, neatly typed, illustrated and cleverly bound. The illustrations were well done in the manner of a comic book. He'd massaged the story a little to emphasize my role in it. Made me out to be quite the hero.
Though he didn't say, I am sure he did all the work himself. Who knew the old boy had it in him? Of course, the book was really for Kate, and on the inside cover he wrote a nice message to her and signed it with his elaborate and quite illegible handwriting.
Kate will be sad to lose her playmate. I don't have the heart to tell her that the Doctor is leaving soon. And perhaps he will decide to stay anyway, or at least look in on us from time to time. This will be a blow to UNIT, as well. There certainly is no replacing him. While I've often written in this journal about how frustrating he can be, I consider the Doctor one of my closest friends. I owe him my life several times over. I will miss him terribly.
28 December 2025, Royal London Hospital, London, England
"Kate, wake up. You have a visitor!"
When Kate managed to open her eyes, Jax smiled. She looked legitimately excited. Kate blinked a few times to focus her vision and cleared her throat, which reminded her that it was still raw from her uncontrollable vomiting spell in the night.
"Who?"
"Well, it's not the Prime Minister, if that's what you're hoping. It is someone you've been looking out for, though."
Cheeky bitch.
"He's here?" Jax's grin was back.
"Yes. He's with Osgood now, but headed this way, so best make yourself decent. I can help you dress."
Osgood and the Doctor must have had a lot to talk about, because by the time they arrived, Kate had managed to get fully dressed and seated in one of the two chairs by her bed. The crutches were within easy reach.
Osgood poked her head around the curtain to make sure Kate was decent before ushering the Doctor in and then leaving. He stood just inside the cubicle for a few moments, studying her. She returned the favor.
He looked wan and thin to the point of frailness. Dark shadows stood out under his eyes. Kate wondered how long it had been for him.
"You look like hell," she said by way of greeting.
"Look who's talking," he answered back. "Osgood told me about the building collapse. How are you?"
"On the mend." He came right up to her, scanned her with his sonic and then sat in the opposite chair as he studied the readings.
"Pneumonia. Pleurisy. Moderate radiation sickness and a broken femur. You don't do things halfway, do you?"
"What's your excuse, then?" The Doctor diverted his eyes, studying the medical equipment at her bedside.
"I brought more rations and an alternate power source. Osgood knows how to set it up."
"Where's Peter?"
"Back in the TARDIS, sleeping. He's fine. A bit precocious."
"You noticed."
"He's doing well, though. Hit it off with the time lords on Sagacity."
"How long has it been for you?"
"For me? That's a difficult question. I've been jumping up and down Earth's timeline, trying to sort it. For Peter, it's been less than a day."
"What have you found out?"
"Someone's mucking about with Earth's recent timeline. Not sure why yet. Whoever it is has altered a number of critical events that led to this reality. I'm working through them one at a time to fix things. It takes a bit of time."
Kate wasn't sure what to say to that. A few moments ticked by in silence before the Doctor continued.
"Sorry so much time has passed. I wasn't sure I'd be able to get back at all, but after fixing something in the past, I found I could. Thought I programmed the vortex manipulator for a day after you last saw me, but I guess I overshot it a bit."
Some things never changed.
"Where's the TARDIS? Why are you using a vortex manipulator?" The Doctor looked a little embarrassed.
"It was impounded. The time lords are launching an inquiry into the origins of this timeline error. They think I might have contributed to it. They're holding the TARDIS until I'm cleared."
"Will you be?"
"That's a good question."
"You left Peter alone on another planet while you're off fixing things?"
"It sounds worse than it is. I'm time travelling. Where he is, only a minute passes between when I leave and when I return. I couldn't take him with me, Kate. It would have been too dangerous."
"Is he safe there?"
"Safer there than here. He's fine."
"How about you? Are you safe?"
"I'm safe enough. Don't worry about me."
"Well, I will, if you don't mind."
"But I do mind."
"All the same. You really do look awful, Doctor." A look of irritation flashed across his features but was quickly gone.
"What's been going on here, other than having a building fall on you and not taking very good care of yourself?"
"I'm sure Osgood has caught you up on things." Kate stifled a cough. "The radiation is getting worse. Thanks for those stabilizers, by the way, they're a huge help. We found an amateur radio and Jax is in touch with people in other countries. You probably know more about it than me, right now. I can't get anyone to fill me in. Every time I try, they tell me to rest up and focus on getting better."
The Doctor clasped her shoulder as he rose from the chair. She could feel the coolness of his fingers through her jumper.
"And you should, Kate. Mind the doctors and take care of yourself. They need you, but they need you well. Osgood's looking after things in the meantime."
"And what about you, Doctor, who's taking care of you?" Again, that brief look of irritation appeared and was quickly hidden.
"I'm fine, Kate. I'm always fine. Lots to do, though, and I need to get on with it. Next time you see me, this reality may be gone, and you won't remember any of it."
"Let's hope so. If not, I will have a few choice words for you."
"Really, take care, Kate."
With that, he stepped beyond the curtain and was gone.