Chapter Forty-Five

Rescue, Part 3

The Master growled, glaring down at his captive and then back at his rival. The room seemed to blur around them, but the Doctor remained a solid image as he strode into the room.

"It was your idea, not your creation," came the cool reply. "Don't worry, I'll go. But not without Jason."

The Master snatched up a scalpel, holding it against the neck of the defenseless Alterran. "And just how would you like him, Doctor? Whole? Or in pieces?"

The Doctor stopped dead in his tracks. "What do you want?"

An evil smile came to the Master's face. How easy it was to subdue his rival when another's life was at stake. "I want the extraction disks," he stated flatly. "Give them to me, and I'll release the boy unharmed."

"You don't actually believe that, do you?" Jason said in disbelief, only to catch his breath and stiffen visibly as the blade came closer to his throat.

"Shut up, Jason," the Doctor snapped, his eyes riveted on his enemy. "So, you want the extraction disks, do you? Well, that's easily arranged."

The Master's eyes narrowed. It was not like the Doctor to give in so easily, especially in an apparent no win situation. "Don't even think about trying something foolish, Doctor," he hissed threateningly.

The Doctor smiled broadly. "I wouldn't dream of it. Mind you, I can't imagine why you'd go to all this trouble for a stack of blank disks."

"What!"

"You don't think I'd just leave them lying about, do you? I erased them while Jason was recovering. You're still welcome to them, if you like."

The Master was appalled and straightened slightly. This was all the Doctor needed. He shoved his rival aside, sending him sprawling onto the floor.

The tiny and totally confused Prince Jason suddenly found himself being released from his bonds. The pins were pulled from the knots and he was gently lifted from the table. "Doctor, how did you know where to find me?" he asked, finding his voice at last.

"Never mind. I'll explain later."

"You always say that but you never do!" Jason protested.

"You'll never get him out alive, Doctor," the Master snarled as he dragged himself from the floor.

"I might be inclined to agree, had you not just lost control of the link." So saying, the Doctor walked straight through the wall and into a corridor of his own devising.

With the dream now firmly under the Doctor's control, the prince's mind started to clear. He was suddenly aware of the surrealistic nature of his surroundings and the discontinuity of the happenings around him. "Link?" he said dazedly. "What link?"

"A dream link," the Doctor replied, giving him a quick run down of the situation. He turned a corner and stopped. At the end of the short hallway was a door marked with a large EXIT sign. Suddenly the corridor pulled away, and the Doctor watched calmly as door upon door appeared along its length.

Jason had an entirely different reaction. Still cradled in the Time Lord's hands, he let out a whimper, clinging to his friend's coat and almost hiding behind the lapel.

"These are your fears, Jason," the Doctor said mildly. "You must clear them from your mind or you'll never be free of them."

"I can't!" came the terrified reply. "I don't… I don't have the strength."

"I'll help you," the Doctor said in the same calm tone. "Just remember what I taught you. Legrand implanted these fears. Together, we can uproot them."

Not waiting for a reply, the Doctor started down the hall. As they approached a door, it would spring open, horrific groans and noises issuing forth. The Doctor waited until Jason found the courage to look at it and then added his own steady gaze to his friend's, supplying the extra strength the boy so desperately needed. The instant he did so, the door closed and vanished. It soon became apparent that in addition to helping his friend face his fears, the Doctor was returning stability to his mental processes. By the time they reached the end of the corridor, the Alterran's mind was completely clear.

Looking at the sign on the door, the Doctor announced, "It's time to wake up."

"Doctor, I can't be asleep," Jason objected, going on to prove his mind was clear when he said, "A dream link can only be accomplished at close range. That would mean the Master's somewhere on the estate."

The Doctor blinked. "That's right!" He turned to the near wall and a view screen appeared from nowhere. "Let's see exactly where he is, then, shall we?" With the turn of a dial, the Master and his surroundings were revealed.

"At last the puppet master appears," the Doctor said in a satisfied tone, causing his rival to jump. "And on the Krystovan Estate, too. Not the wisest of places to be with the Lord Emperor so close at hand."

"I shan't be here long, Doctor. You needn't concern yourself." The Master's eyes narrowed, an evil smile parting his lips. "Good-bye, my prince. Pleasant dreams." So saying, he and the room around him vanished.

Suddenly the hallway darkened, the images blurring and melting together. "Doctor!" Jason cried fearfully, still clinging to his friend's coat. "What's happening?"

The Doctor glanced over at the exit, seeing it slowly opening. "Nothing spectacular," he said with a small smile. "You're waking up. Just let it happen."

The tiny Alterran suddenly felt himself falling through space. The Doctor had dropped him!

In the real world, Jason drew a sharp breath, his eyes snapping open. He tried to sit up, only to fall back and groan, the pain from his wounds effectively confirming his return to reality.

The Doctor's return was far less dramatic. He opened his eyes and slowly got to his feet, a satisfied smile coming to his face as he crossed to the Alterran's bedside. Jason looked at him in bewilderment. "Doctor, it did...? I mean, I wasn't...?"

"Yes, it did happen," the Time Lord said firmly. "And, no, you were not hallucinating. You've locked all that away for good." He held out a hand and was surprised when Jason took it, apparently oblivious to the jolt his power time aura would give him.

Closing his eyes, the prince shivered. "Pretty pathetic, huh? Now you're rescuing me from my dreams."

"Well, what are friend's for?" the Doctor replied breezily. He turned to look back at Muriel, only to find himself face to face with King Aaron. Startled, he took an automatic step back, throwing a questioning glance at the wall where the dream had been projected.

"Yes, I saw," the king confirmed. He had followed the group upstairs and watched the entire episode in trepidation. "Whatever differences we may've had in the past," he said seriously, "or will have in the future, I want you to know right now, Doctor, I'll never forget what you've done for my son today. You have my deepest and heart felt thanks."

The Time Lord's mouth dropped open, and he found himself at a loss for words. When Aaron arrived at Starbridge, he had practically accused the Doctor of being the reason Jason nearly got himself killed when he returned to the Research Center. The last thing the Doctor expected was to hear an expression of gratitude.

Aaron sat down beside his trembling son and was surprised when he sat up and hugged him tightly. "Bad dream, Jaycie?" he asked mildly.

Jason nodded, saying nothing.

"Want to tell me about it?" his father then asked.

Jason shook his head vigorously, the terror from his dream encounter with the Master still clinging to him like death itself. Suddenly, finally, the brave front he had been trying to maintain for so long crumbled into dust and he started to cry. Then he found he could not stop crying. Just as in his dream, he was powerless to fight.

Amanda had also followed the others upstairs and watched Jason's breakdown in a mixture of joy and sorrow, a stray tear rolling down her face. He had stopped fighting, finally, she thought gratefully. Now perhaps the real healing could begin.