CHAPTER 19

THE PROMISE

As usual, the Doctor was not the best of patients and insisted on leaving the hospital as soon as he was able to get out of bed. Jason agreed to release him, but only on the condition that he stay at Starbridge while recuperating.

Jason's return to Starbridge was greeted with Constanza's usual brusque manner. On the other hand, (and to the Healer's amusement) the Doctor was given the royal treatment.

Kyska had returned shortly after the confrontation with the Master and was still in a daze when her cousin arrived. No one could convince her that Anon's death had not been her fault. The Doctor attempted to keep her mind off of the tragedy by recounting some of his previous adventures. While Kyska showed little interest, Jason was spellbound.

Eventually, Aaron decided the best thing to do was send his niece to her parents. They were in charge of a research project on one of the outer planets and had not seen her for some time. Aaron hoped she would be able to put the entire tragic affair behind her more quickly if there were no reminders around.

When the Doctor was physically able, he made his official statement regarding the Master and was told, to his relief, that nothing more was required of him. Since the bulk of the case hinged on what Jason had experienced, the Time Lord's presence was not needed, much to his delight, as there already were indications the trial would be very long and messy. Jason, on the other hand, was crestfallen.

The morning came when the Doctor announced he was leaving and bid his hosts farewell, making his way to the TARDIS, Jason at his heels. For years the Alterran had been fighting the burning desire to break free of the confines of his medical practice, and the adventure he'd just survived only served to rekindle his desire to escape. He followed after the Time Lord, pleading with him to take him along.

The Doctor, however, was adamant. "No, no, no, Jason," he said as he strode through the trees. "It's absolutely out of the question."

"But, Doctor—"

"But nothing. You're needed here for the Master's trial. House of Krystovan, Royal Bloodline, Grand Nephew to the Emperor, and all that."

"Big deal. I'm a Healer with a pedigree," the young man snorted. "Doctor, please…"

"It's out of the question," the Doctor repeated. "Can't stand trials. Bureaucrats, all that legal mumbo jumbo. It could go on for months!"

"Tell me about it," Jason moaned. "You're going. Kyska's leaving in two days. And me? I'm left, stuck here!" He spread out his arms to take in the surrounding area. "For who knows how long?"

"Well…I suppose I could always come back," the Doctor said thoughtfully. "When it's all over, of course."

Jason blinked. "You mean it?"

"Only a short hop in time, really. Set a few coordinates, adjust for the proper time zone…"

"Doctor, you'd do that?" the Alterran gasped, scarcely believing what he was hearing. "You'd come back for me?"

"Why not?" the Doctor enthused.

Before Jason knew what was happening, the Doctor was suddenly shaking his hand. "Well, good-bye, me boy," he said and promptly vanished into the battered Police Box. The light on top started to flash and the air was filled with a wheezing and groaning sound as the TARDIS dematerialized.

The Alterran stood staring a few minutes, taken aback by the abrupt departure. Returning to his senses, he turned and made his way back to Starbridge, glancing over to the old well and its new covering of planks. With a wry smile, he muttered, "I'd better get that filled in before he comes back."

The TARDIS materialized in its usual corner of the Doctor's lab at UNIT Headquarters. The Doctor came out and sighed heavily. For him it was the end of a very long and difficult fortnight, but to everyone he had left behind, only a few seconds had elapsed since his departure. He strode into the corridor, finding it empty. He looked into each room he passed, seeing absolutely no one. Outside Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart's office he stopped to think. Now, what had been going on when he left, he wondered, concluding that it didn't matter anyway. He'd just collect Sarah Jane, say a quick good-bye to the Brigadier and be off.

Through the partially open door, he heard the Brigadier's voice. "Yes, of course, sir," he was saying, apparently to someone on the telephone, "I've already informed the Doctor about this evening"

Suddenly everything came flooding back. It had been all that business with Professor Kettlewell and that giant robot of his. The Doctor also remembered why he had wanted to disappear in the TARDIS in the first place, the prospect of which was looking better and better as the Brigadier went on in the next room. Turning on his heel, he made his way straight back to the lab, finding a dejected Sarah sitting on a stool. Deciding she needed cheering up, the Doctor convinced her to come along on a little trip. Harry Sullivan appeared at just that moment, and the Time Lord could not resist shanghaiing him. Unfortunately, he also forgot about returning for Jason in the process.

Back on Tel-Shye, the Master's trial had been unexpectedly swift. He was convicted on all counts and sentenced to be executed in the vaporization chamber—the rarest punishment ever ordered. The evil Time Lord's numerous attempts to delay the inevitable proved futile. All save one. Unless the High Council of Time Lords issued an official sanction, the Master's execution would be tantamount to breaking the Alliance.

The Master found it a true irony that the very reason for his trial was also the reason his execution was delayed. He had no doubt the sanction would come, as there had never been any love lost between himself and the Time Lords. But the delay gave him the time he needed to make his escape.

Apparently, Stinson had been the "fellow conspirator" Terran mentioned to the Doctor and had been broken out of the detention area during the disastrous confrontation with the Emperor. He later was able to make contact with the Master, who had already worked out the details of his escape.

Following instructions, Stinson and his compatriots waited until after the furor from the trial had died down before making their move. Using the Master's TCE, they broke the renegade Time Lord out of his cell with conspicuous ease. The Master laid out the compressed bodies of the prison guards on his bed, going on to add to them those of his rescuers, whom he killed the instant he gained possession of the TCE. He looked over his grotesque, miniaturized mortuary and smiled. No more loose ends, he thought before calmly walking out of the now empty detention area.

No one had been able to locate the Master's TARDIS during his imprisonment, and he, quite naturally, was not about to divulge its location. Upon leaving the prison area, he made straight for the sub-basement and the room that had served as his lab. Chuckling to himself, he went over to the high-backed armchair still standing in the center of the otherwise empty room. With a knowing smile, the Time Lord disappeared behind it. Then it, too, disappeared as the disguised TARDIS dematerialized.

Weeks passed. Then months. Then it was autumn again on Tel-Shye. Jason had gotten his affairs in order and patiently waited for the Doctor to return. Finally, he all but gave up hope and slowly began getting on with his life. He consoled himself with the thought that the Time Lord had probably made the promise to return just so he could leave. Looking back, Jason could not really blame him, considering the nuisance he had made of himself.

The young Healer had only just left Starbridge House when a stiff looking sandy-haired individual in a white lab coat stopped him. The brown-eyed Hendrix was, Jason had hoped, his replacement when he left the practice. Unfortunately, he was nothing like the young man and had succeeded in annoying him in every way possible in the shortest period of time.

"Your Lordship, where will you be should I need you?"

Jason ground his teeth, controlling himself with visible effort. "For the hundredth time, Hendrix, will you, please, stop calling me your Lordship!" he growled. "If you must use a title, use Healer."

Hendrix stiffened further but said nothing.

"And as for where I'll be" Jason pointed towards the woods behind the house. "I'll be on the beach. Today's final exam day, and I have something special in mind." With a grin, he set off in the direction indicated, calling as an afterthought, "And unless the house is on fire or someone's bleeding to death, don't bother me!"

"No sense of priorities," Hendrix sniffed as he turned on his heel.

On his way through the trees, Jason stopped at his herb garden, checking to see what plants still survived in the increasingly cooler evenings. With a wistful smile, he looked at the square outline of the garden that had once been a dry well.

Sighing heavily, he muttered longingly, "Oh, Doctor, where are you?"

Shaking off the dark mood threatening to overtake him, Jason rose to his feet, looking up at the trees now ablaze with color. Sliding down the slope, he tromped noisily through the fallen leaves in an attempt to raise his spirits.

Half an hour after Jason slid down the slope, the TARDIS materialized at the bottom. The Doctor emerged to be followed closely by Leela, a dark-haired warrior clad in skins. A squared off metal dog appeared in the doorway just behind them.

"K9, you stay in the TARDIS and get those power packs charged up," the Doctor ordered.

"Master," the little automation responded, trundling back inside. The Doctor closed the door and turned to his companion. She did not look happy.

"This is not a city in the clouds, Doctor," she observed sourly.

"I can see that." Looking around, the Time Lord broke into one of his broad smiles. "It doesn't really matter, does it? In fact, this is much nicer. After all, you've been wanting to get out into the fresh air, haven't you?"

Leela took in the surroundings and grudgingly agreed with him. This was definitely better than being inside. With no further ado, she promptly set off through the trees, running jubilantly in the fresh, unrecycled air, the Doctor sauntering amusedly behind her.