CHAPTER 2

HEALER AARON

While the Doctor was being transferred from the examining room to the one that had been prepared for him, Jason quickly showered and changed. He checked on his patient's condition and then took a seat nearby, picking up a book. Occasionally he would look up from his reading to watch the peacefully sleeping figure. He had given the Time Lord a sedative to stabilize his condition and settle him down, which it seemed to have done. The Doctor had scarcely stirred in more than an hour, despite of the storm still raging outside.

There was a quiet knock at the door and Jason went out into the hall to find Constanza waiting for him.

"Your father's returned," she informed woodenly. "And dinner will be served in forty-five minutes."

The Healer glanced back at the room he just exited, causing the plump housekeeper to snort indignantly. "Now, don't you go worryin' about your patient," she said sternly. "I'll see to it someone sits with him while you eat your supper. I won't have you takin' ill yourself, young man."

Jason beamed down at her. Because of the estate's remote location, and the fact that his father was also a Healer, the presence of an injured or convalescing person was not an uncommon occurrence. One wing of the house had been converted to accommodate their joint practice and Constanza always seemed to be complaining about the constant comings and goings. Yet, in a real emergency, such as today, she could be relied upon to have the entire staff at their immediate disposal.

"Thank-you, Constanza, but there shouldn't be any problems," Jason replied. "I've given him a sedative, and it won't wear off for another couple of hours, at least."

She nodded approvingly. "Oh, yes, and we've cleaned the gentleman's clothes. And it was quite a job, let me tell you. What did you lot do? Drag him through the mud all the way here?"

Before the amused youth could respond, the housekeeper turned and started quickly down the hall. "I'll have his things sent up just as soon as we've finished with dinner."

"You're an absolute gem, Constanza. What would we ever do without you?"

"Go to wrack and ruin in a week," she snorted.

After another quick check on the Doctor, Jason gave instructions to the servant selected to keep watch and then went downstairs, finding his father pouring over some papers in the library. Aaron was a tall, somewhat dashing figure of a man, with salt and pepper hair and beard.

"I understand we have a guest," the elder Healer said as his son entered. "Serious?"

"No, not really," Jason replied as he dropped into an armchair and put his feet up on a stool. "I was a little concerned at first, though. Our guest calls himself the Doctor." He paused a beat before adding, "And he's a Time Lord."

Aaron looked up sharply. "A Time Lord? All the way out here?"

His son nodded.

"Are you sure?"

"Am I sure?" Jason laughed. "Oh, Father, really." His voice took on a serious note when he went on to say, "The Doctor's only just regenerated, too. I'd hazard a guess it's been less than two weeks."

This, in point of fact, was more than a simple guess. Jason had been born with the unique ability to scan anything he came in contact with, being, in effect, a living medical scanner. With a single touch he could ascertain anything from vital signs to molecular makeup of any object. He could also recall in exact detail all the information he "sensed" in a scan.

Jason was scarcely five years old when his father became aware of his amazing and slowly developing ability. He also realized its value, and future implications, charging the boy not to tell anyone about his power. By the time Aaron discovered the full extent of his son's abilities, he was even more determined to keep them secret; having lost his wife in the interim, he was not about to lose his only child to the researchers who would invariably take him away for study. He wanted his son to have as normal a childhood as possible leaving the decision to expose his secret up to him. Upon reaching adulthood, Jason wisely chose to keep his power to scan a secret.

Healer Jason shook his head as he thought on how recent the Doctor's regeneration had been. "This is such an unstable time. I was a little worried he might go into a post-regenerative crisis."

"I thought you said it wasn't serious!" Aaron exclaimed. "You should've had him admitted." (By this he meant, admitted to a hospital.)

His son remained unruffled by the outburst. "Why? They would've just kept me there anyway. Never mind that I'm not the one on call this week. You know perfectly well that ever since I got back from Gallifrey I'm suddenly the world's leading authority on Time Lord physiology." He threw up his hands, adding, "Besides, there are no signs of crisis. Just a lot of cuts and bruises. I even gave him a sedative as a precautionary measure."

Kyska appeared in the doorway looking much cleaner and drier than the last time her cousin had seen her. With a bright smile, she announced, "Dinner's almost ready."

"Good. I'm starving," Jason said without missing a beat.

Ignoring him, Kyska turned to the elder Healer. "How did everything go in the city, Uncle Aaron?"

Aaron's face darkened considerably. "Terrible. You can't move for all the visitors. I got absolutely nothing done," he growled. "I'm not going near the place again until after the coronation and everyone goes home. I'm getting too old for all this."

"Not until after the…" Jason was stunned. "Father, you can't be serious? Not go to the coronation?"

His father merely grunted.

"But…we have to go."

"When you've seen one, you've seen them all. And I've seen one," Aaron snorted.

"Well, I haven't!" his son exploded. Glancing over to his equally vexed cousin, Jason added, "And neither has Kyska."

"I'm not going, and that's final."

"Father, you're being terribly unfair about this. Terry—I mean King Terran—will be expecting us. You can't just back out at the last minute."

"Oh, no? Just watch me," Aaron stated firmly.

"Father, you're the Duke of Starbridge—"

"Preposterous title."

"—representative of three provinces, not to mention hereditary patriarch of the House of Krystovan. You must go."

"Must I?" Aaron grinned. "As I recall, you are the present Marquis of Krystovan."

"I don't like where this is going…" Jason intoned.

"And," his father went on, "since you're so enthusiastic about it—not to mention my only son and heir—then there should be no problem with your going in my place, should there?"

"Oh, no," Jason groaned. He no more liked these official appearances than did his father. He had been planning on simply dropping out of sight; perhaps even get into a little mischief, as soon as they arrived.

"Look on the bright side," Kyska chimed in sweetly. "You'll be able to see Shadra while you're there."

"The Baroness Tostine has gone to Alterrous to further her education in intergalactic protocol," Jason informed frostily as he rose from his seat and headed for the door. "And who knows when she'll be back. If she comes back…"

The note of melancholy in this last statement did not go unnoticed by his father or his cousin.

Kyska turned to her uncle. "I'm sorry. I didn't know," she said apologetically.

"He'll get over it. I hope," Aaron said gently.

"He loves her rather desperately, you know, Uncle?"

"Yes, I'm afraid I do."

From out in the hall, they heard Jason bellow, "Hey, are you two coming? I'm hungry!"