CHAPTER 25

WATCH AND WAIT

The sudden, guilt-ridden announcement was so unexpected that Mel actually jumped. "What?"

The Doctor did not seem to hear her. "Why did I have to push him so hard? I should know better after all this time."

"But I thought that little miracle was supposed to… I don't know, get him back to normal."

"Jason needs to replenish his energy reserves naturally. The effects of the energy tube are only temporary." Looking up, the Doctor said, "It can help keep him going until he's able to stabilize his system, but he shouldn't become agitated. Uses up too much energy, you see."

Mel went over to the distraught Time Lord, having never seen him like this before. "He'll be alright now, won't he?" she asked concernedly.

"I hope so. I should've realized he was getting weaker after that scene at the side of the road. But no, I had to push for answers." Rising to his feet, he seemed at a loss as to what to do next. Finally he turned toward the door. "I have to clear my mind. Think things through. Will you be alright until I get back?"

"Yes, of course."

"I'll need the car keys." As Mel held them out, she was startled when the Doctor suddenly grabbed her by the wrist. "Mel, I'm shielding you from our eavesdroppers," he said quickly, "but I don't want you out of sight too long. Jason is perfectly fine. He needs to recharge himself, but he'll be fully restored when he wakes up. What I just told you about the energy tube is a lie for the benefit of our observers."

Mel took this whirlwind of information in with a gulp. "You know who they are, then?"

"No, not yet. Well, not specifically. But I know how they're monitoring us now. That's why Jason's so weak. He followed the energy transmission to its source and took me along with him, the idiot. To be honest, I haven't the vaguest idea how he managed it," the Doctor admitted. "We're still playing the accusations game, but we're in the Wait-and-Watch phase as opposed to the Open-Accusations-And-Finger-Pointing phase."

Mel nodded. "Am I still to play protector?"

The Doctor gave her an admiring look. "If you think you can keep up. You may've noticed Jason has a flare for this sort of thing. I'm just sorry we keep leaving you behind. If there were time, I could explain it all to you."

"That's alright, Doctor, I understand. You two've been doing this a lot longer than I have. I just wish I knew how to tell fact from fiction."

The Doctor made a fist and then crossed his index finger over his thumb. "You see that? It's a T." Looking his companion in the eye, he added, "It stands for truth. If you see me do that, then you'll know the difference." So saying, he released his grip on her arm and stepped back.

Mel picked up a bottle of water from the table and gave him a knowing look before crossing the room. "Oh, do pay attention, Doctor. I said you'd better take the room key, too," she said firmly as she went to Jason's bedside. "I'm not leaving the door open all night. If I know you, you won't be back until morning, will you?"

The Time Lord held up his room key. "Don't you stay up all night waiting for me then. Or for Jason to wake up, for that matter. He'll sleep at least eight hours—perhaps more—until his energy reserves are restored." So saying he turned and left, making a point of locking the door behind him.

"Sleep…" K'ell'k moaned, leaning back in his chair and rubbing his eyes. "That's a great idea."

"I know, we need to rest, too," l'X'el said having to stifle a yawn. "I'll pause the system here and then jump forward to the next day."

K'ell'k carefully got down from his chair and went to the pile where he had gotten his snack, having noticed two sleeping mats that were under a blanket. "I'll get this set up."

l'X'el nodded, saying nothing. He rechecked the computer before getting down himself, the globe fogging over at the same time. Time for a few hours of sleep.

The Doctor drove straight to the Kennedy Space Center, which was much closer than he wanted his companions to realize. He was thankful he did not have to go through the seemingly endless security checks again, and went directly to the hangar where Jason's ship was being housed. He ignored the brightly illuminated spacecraft and made straight for the TARDIS. The time machine stood only a few metres inside the entrance and had gone unnoticed by those who came and went, their being more interested in the wreckage than an innocuous blue crate.

The Doctor patted the side of the TARDIS, greeting her like an old friend. "If they only knew the secrets you hold, eh, my dear old thing?" he said mildly, pulling the key from his pocket and unlocking the door.

Once inside the control room, the Doctor closed the doors and sagged against the console, exhausted by the effort of keeping a reinforced mental barrier up for so long. He had wanted to keep his destination a secret from his observers and was grateful the trip had been a short one. Giving the console a loving pat, he smiled. "You'll keep me protected, won't you, old girl?"

During his short drive he had reflected on all the events of the past week, having come up with an impressive list of coincidences and chance meetings. Now that he had seen the manipulator, they seemed less like coincidence and more like outside interference. Straightening, he pulled out the melted beacon, scowling down at it. "Now, let's see if we can find out where you come from." He crossed to the inner door, vanishing into the depths of the TARDIS interior.

Mel had fallen asleep without realizing. When Jason awoke, he chose not to disturb her, going into the next room. The Doctor returned just after dawn and was delighted to find his friend looking considerably better than when he had left him.

The Doctor peeked in on his companion and then closed the connecting door. He turned back to Jason and drew a deep breath. They had a great deal to discuss and precious little time to do it in.

Jason went back into the next room nearly an hour later, throwing a quick glance in Mel's direction before studying the remains of the previous evening's dinner.

When Mel awoke she was surprised to find it was morning, sunlight streaming in the room from behind her. She was surprised again when she noticed the opposite bed was empty and rolled over to see Jason sitting in the open doorway eating noodles from a carton, his feet propped up on a chair in front of him.

"Good morning," he said without turning. "It's a going to be another beautiful day. Sunny, warm, a tang of salt in the air." In a wistful tone he added, "Reminds me of home."

Mel got up and stretched, crossing to the doorway. "I wish I could do that."

Puzzled, the Alterran leaned his head back to look at her. "Do what?"

"To go to bed on death's door and wake up right as rain the next morning."

"I don't recommend it. Believe me, it's far more dangerous than it looks." Holding up the little miracle, Jason informed, "This is actually the prototype of a design that hasn't gone into production yet. I got hold of it ten years ago when I—" He broke off as a chill ran down his spine and gave way to an involuntary shudder. Seeing a distressed look cloud his face, Mel put a hand on his shoulder. "I went through a really bad experience a while back," he explained quietly. "The Doctor got me out, helped me through it, but…I still haven't gotten over it…entirely."

"Let's not talk about it then," Mel said gently, pulling up a chair. In a playfully disapproving tone, she asked, "Now, what are you eating?"

The Alterran smiled, offering the container. "Cold sesame noodles. They're really good." Giving her a knowing look, he whispered, "And really high in fat. Spicy peanut butter sauce." In a normal voice, he asked brightly, "Want some?"

Mel looked into the container and wrinkled her nose. She got to her feet and went to retrieve her bottle of water. "No thank you. I can't eat that stuff. And you shouldn't either," she said disapprovingly. Jason threw back his head and laughed. "There's nothing funny about good nutrition, Jason," Mel admonished sharply.

"Lesson one, rule one of diplomacy. Do not apply your own race's beliefs and values onto another race." Stifling another laugh, he said, "You may choose to be a vegetarian, Mel, but your body was designed to be omnivorous. That's where your energy comes from. My body, on the other hand, was designed to extract energy from any convertible source I come in contact with dependent on the form I happen to be in at the time. And currently, I'm in human form." With a so-there look on his face, he pulled a mouthful of noodles from the carton. "Incidentally, do you have any idea how much energy it takes to transmute?" he added before putting the noodles in his mouth.

By this time Mel was looking at him with her mouth open and simply shook her head. She had been prepared for the usual responses, but had forgotten to take into consideration the fact that the man before her was an alien. "Point taken," she managed finally.

"By the way, don't mention the fact that you spent the night in my room to anyone," Jason said as he finished the last of the noodles. "I'd rather my wife didn't get the wrong idea."

"Your... You never said you were married!"

"You never asked."

"And you probably never volunteered the information before now either," came the Doctor's stern voice from the connecting door. "Another piece of information for you Mel. Jason is an incurable romantic and notorious flirt."

"Who lost his wedding ring in the crash," the Alterran added astringently.

Mel looked up, the smile fading from her face when she saw the stern look on the Time Lord's usually jovial face. "When did you get back?"

"An hour or so ago."

"He didn't want to wake you," Jason injected. "Considering what happened the last time, I thought that was probably a good idea."

Mel didn't know if she wanted to be angry or grateful.

"Did you tell her?" the Doctor asked suddenly.

Jason shook his head, rising to his feet at the same time. "Thought you should do that. Wouldn't want to step on your toes." So saying, he tossed the empty carton into the trash before striding out the open door and into the sunshine.