Chapter Fifteen

Deactivation

"Asleep?" The Doctor turned sharply back to the peaceful occupant of the bed. "Are you sure?"

"It's the deepest he's slept since he got here, too. With any luck, those things will stay inert long enough—" Amanda never finished her sentence. The implants suddenly reactivated, setting off the monitors, and triggering a seizure.

"I thought he'd finished with those," Turlough gasped in shock.

The Doctor pulled his companion aside as pandemonium ensued. Dr. Spencer and her team worked for more than half an hour before Jason was stabilized. Turlough watched all this in trepidation, angry with himself for having allowed it to happen right under his nose. "And I said he was perfectly safe here," he moaned guiltily.

The Doctor gave him a knowing look as he had also told the prince that no one wanted to hurt him.

Having more or less returned to his serious self again, Tolan replied firmly, "Don't blame yourself, Turlough. You can't stay awake all the time. And neither can Fane. If anyone's to blame, it's me. I should've called in my own people at the beginning and been rid of Aegis' so called security."

"What's done is done," the Doctor snapped, having heard quite enough. "We can't change any of that now. The only thing that matters is Jason. We've got to get those things turned off before they kill him."

"Agreed," Amanda sighed as she dismissed her staff. "As soon as he's strong enough—"

"As soon as he's strong enough!" the Time Lord thundered. "Amanda, if this keeps up, he'll never be strong enough! We've got to find a way of getting those things out of his head now."

"We don't have to," Constance announced from the door, the papers she had brought from the Research Center in her hand. "They can be deactivated. I found out how just last night. I've had the computer whizzes over at the Foundation double-checking everything just to be sure." Seeing she had everyone's attention, she went on, "There's a microcircuit in the head of the implants that controls them. Remove that and they go dead."

"Just like that?" Turlough asked unbelievingly.

"Well…" Constance hedged. "There is the small problem of keeping him under during the procedure. Drugs could simply aggravate the problem."

The Doctor blinked. "You call that a small problem?"

Taking the paperwork, Amanda spread it out on a table and studied it for several minutes before saying, "What if we ran a low voltage charge along one of the probes? That should keep him out until they're all deactivated."

The Doctor had come over to scrutinize the papers and looked up in bewilderment. "How do you figure that?"

"Look at this." The physician pointed to the design draft of the extraction helmet. Each implant's respective prong had been labeled with its general function. One prong was labeled, Knock Out. "Now what do you suppose they used that for?" she asked aridly.

"Wouldn't that be pretty dangerous?" Turlough inquired. "Suppose it sets off one of the others?"

The Doctor was forced to agree, but went on to say that they would have to take the risk, for Jason's sake. Amanda disagreed, believing the prince's weakened physical condition should to be taken into account.

"Enough!" Constance had heard quite enough from the battling scientists. "There's no time to waste. We deactivate them now." She held up a hand as Dr. Spencer tried to protest. Throwing Tolan a quick glance, she added firmly, "I'll take full responsibility for the decision. And Dr. Thorson will perform the operation."

"Thorson!" the Medical Officer gasped in distaste.

"He's the finest micro-surgeon in the quadrant. And—" Miss Sorenson threw a knowing look in Turlough's direction. "I understand he's trying to score some points with me."

As Jason was prepared for surgery, Amanda dragged the Doctor and his companion to an examining room in the Medical Center for treatment. The Time Lord was relieved to learn he did not have tendon damage, his wound only requiring stitches. Turlough had suffered a mild concussion in his altercation with the rampaging Alterran and was ordered to bed by Amanda, who quelled his protests by threatening to have him put in restraints should he refuse.

It was no surprise when Dr. Thorson jumped at the chance to take over the prince's case, but it was a bit of a shock when the operation took less than half the time expected. The moment the low voltage charge was applied, all the implants went inert. In the end, the decision to proceed had been the most difficult part of the process.

With Jason out of immediate danger, and in Thorson's capable hands, Constance ordered Amanda to take some time off. The Medical Officer had not taken any time for herself since the Argonauts were formed and desperately needed rest. Admittedly drained by the last few weeks, Amanda accepted the order with a minimum of protest, leaving Thorson happily in charge.

For security reasons Jason was moved to a different, larger isolation room, with admittance limited to medical personnel, the Doctor and Turlough being the only exceptions.

Jason did not fully return to his senses until late in the afternoon the day following the surgery. He awoke with a jolt, a cry of terror escaping him. He looked around wildly, not quite certain where he was or what was going on. His gaze fell on the Doctor, who was in a nearby chair reading a book. Jason stared open mouthed as the Time Lord rose to his feet and crossed over to him. He struggled to sit up, but was too weak to manage it, and fell back onto the bed.

"You might as well just relax," the Doctor said mildly. "You're not going anywhere for a while."

"Doctor?" Jason said once he found his voice. "Is it you? Is it really you?"

Smiling broadly, the Time Lord held out a hand. "Check for yourself."

After an agonizing pause, Jason did, catching his breath as the powerful time aura surged through him like an electric current. He immediately let go and sagged, feeling drained by the unexpectedly forceful scan. "It's you, alright," he confirmed weakly.

The Doctor made no reply, smiling benignly as the prince lay studying him. The scan not only registered the Time Lord's injured hand, but also brought back the complete memory of the nightmarish flight through the mansion, the bandage on his friend's hand only serving to confirm he was recalling a true memory. "Where is she?" Jason asked finally.

"Who?"

"Xandora Legrand," came the unexpected reply.

The Doctor gave him a baffled look. "Xandora Legrand? Jason, what on earth are you talking about?"

"She was there, Doctor. In my room. I saw her," the prince insisted. Seeing his friend's dubious expression, he closed his eyes and clenched his fists. "I wasn't hallucinating. I know I wasn't hallucinating."

The Doctor held up his hands. "Alright, calm down. I never said that you were." In fact, he was already wondering if Jason were identifying his assailant.

"Where am I?"

Pleased by this more normal question, the Doctor chose not to answer directly. "What's the last thing you remember?"

"The last thing?"

"Yes. The last clear memory you have."

Jason scowled, attempting to penetrate the confusion in his mind. Even with the implants deactivated the imbalance in his brain made accessing anything in his long-term memory difficult. "It's so hard to think," he muttered, a hand going to his temple. "My head is buzzing so much. I remember being kidnapped, if that's what you're asking. Legrand had me drugged a lot of the time. The rest—" He closed his eyes and shuddered. "The rest is a nightmare. A horrible, horrible nightmare. Please, don't ask me anymore, Doctor. I don't want to remember."

The Doctor wanted to put a reassuring hand on his friend's shoulder but thought better of it, having seen the jolt the brief touch had caused. "It's alright, Jason," he said softly, "you're among friends now."

"No, it's not alright. The implants—"

"Have been deactivated," the Time Lord informed calmly.

"What?" Jason stared at him a moment, not quite believing what he had just heard. "But… that's impossible."

"Have I ever lied to you?"

Albeit a tired one, Jason gave him a playful smile. "I don't remember." He closed his eyes in obvious pain, a hand going to his head. "If they've been turned off, why is my head buzzing so much?"

"They've only just been deactivated. Everything is bound to come back once your head is clearer, but you must give yourself time. You're entire bio-electric field is completely out of whack."

The prince was not sure he really wanted everything to come back, clearly or otherwise. "My family?" he inquired sheepishly.

"All very worried, naturally," the Time Lord informed. "And before you ask, I've spoken to Shadra myself. She's fine."

"She's not here, is she!" Jason gasped in an appalled tone that puzzled the Doctor.

"No."

The Alterran sighed heavily. "Thank goodness for that." Seeing his friend's baffled expression, he smiled weakly. "We, eh, revived the KaRoon-Tar ceremony when we were married. I usually control the mind-bond, but…I'm so out of control now."

Suddenly the Doctor understood. The ceremony Jason spoke of joined him telepathically with his bride. Were she present, Shadra would undoubtedly see, if not experience, her husband's turmoil.

"If you talk to her again," Jason said softly, "tell her…tell her…" Sighing, he said, "I have so much to tell her."

The Doctor grinned. "That's almost exactly what she said I should tell you," he said, going on to request that his friend rest, but Jason refused. He had too many questions that he wanted answered and was getting tired of being put off.