PART TWO

CHAPTER 29

MEDICAL EMERGENCY

"My brother—" l'X'el said at last, looking in the direction Jason had just taken.

"Is in expert hands," the Doctor replied firmly, barring the way to the TARDIS. "Now, l'X'el, is it?"

l'X'el actually jumped when the Time Lord called him by name. "Yes, sir."

"Well, someone's taught you some manners. That's something, at least," the Doctor observed frostily. He drew himself to his full height and glared down at the young man, hands on hips. "Well? You wanted me here. I'm here. Now I'm going to put this very, very simply. Why?"

l'X'el opened his mouth only to be cut off when the Time Lord added, "And if you tell me this is some sort of juvenile prank I shall become very, very angry."

The Doctor's set expression sent a chill running down l'X'el's spine. Even though he knew the reasons behind his actions were valid, he felt in more trouble than he ever had in his life.

Several minutes after Jason's departure, the Doctor led a subdued l'X'el into the console room. "You, sit there and don't move," he ordered. To his companion's surprise, the boy meekly did as he was told. "Jason's gone to the sickbay, I take it?" the Doctor said as he went to the control console.

"Yes." Mel wasn't sure he even heard her, the comment apparently having been rhetorical. He made several adjustments to the controls before going swiftly through the inner door. "Don't mind me," she said to the closing door. "I'll just stay in the console room, shall I?'

Suddenly the Doctor popped his head back through the door. "On second thought, come with me, both of you."

As soon as Jason arrived at the sickbay he transmuted to his true Alterran form, which, as he had told Mel, was anything but human. His main body was large and bulbous in shape with sapphire blue crystals evenly spaced around the circumference. His appendages were tendrils, seemingly too numerous to count that snaked down to the floor, barely touching the surface as he hovered in the air. Normally Alterrans only appeared this way among their own people, since a human's reaction to their true form was usually one of abject terror. Over the years, however, Jason had grown accustomed to returning to his true form in the confines of the TARDIS, the Doctor being the only outsider he had ever encountered who had accepted his true appearance without batting an eye.

Now that he was able to utilize his numerous appendages, and with an extraordinary ability to multitask, Jason quickly prepared K'ell'k for surgery. He had just placed the boy under a sterile field generator when the Doctor appeared at the observation window.

"You got here fast," Jason remarked.

"Actually," the Doctor replied, "I made a quick change to the architectural configuration and put a door in the main corridor leading directly into the sickbay. I also brought l'X'el and Mel with me. They're in the waiting area. I had a feeling you'd be operating in your true form."

"Easier for me to work this way," the Alterran replied as he began the surgery.

"So I recall." The Doctor paused before asking, "Do you need any help in there?"

Jason did not even pause in his work. "I won't say no. As I said before, I'm still not back to one hundred percent. If you'd keep an eye on his vitals for me, I'd be much obliged."

The Doctor was already moving to the decontamination area. He changed from his long coat into surgical scrubs before entering the operating room, going straight to the monitors. "Ah, you've already got them programmed for his race's norm," he said admiringly. "I didn't realize you'd encountered the Wieonol before."

This remark was actually enough to cause Jason to momentarily stop his flurry of activity. "You really shouldn't do that while I'm working on someone's brain, Doctor," he admonished sharply.

"Sorry, force of habit," the Doctor said quickly. "l'X'el was rather forthcoming after you left us." Even though Jason did not reply, his crystalline sensors flared, an indication to the Doctor that he had gained his attention. "It seems we misjudged this young man and his brother."

"Oh? Are they acting for someone else?"

"It's a bit more complicated than that," the Time Lord replied. His attention was caught by one of the monitors and his voice became serious, "Jason, his pressure's dropped a bit."

"Yes, I see it. How are the other vitals?"

"Strong and steady."

"Good. Keep an eye on it. This is the tricky part. I have to tease this clot out very carefully."

The Doctor returned his attention to the monitors as the Healer worked in silence. After a few minutes, Jason announced, "That's done it. I'm closing now." His movements then slowed visibly. "Okay, Doctor, now that I don't have to concentrate so hard, will you please tell me what the Wieonol are doing manipulating our timelines."

The ancient race of the Wieonol had developed much in the way of other races, having gone through a period of upheaval, internal conflict and destruction. After many centuries of violence they eventually utilized their extensive technology to benefit their race rather than destroy it. Several more centuries of change saw the Wieonol becoming the most renowned race of stellar cartographers to ever exist. They later constructed a barrier around their world, rendering it invisible to all save those races as advanced as themselves. Only those possessing the technology capable of penetrating the barrier would even know the planet was there, which was how the Doctor managed to stumble across it during his travels. Something his former companion had yet to learn.

The Doctor gave his friend an admiring look. "I had no idea you'd even heard of them let alone knew their vital statistics."

"I did study medicine on Gallifrey, if you'll recall," Jason reminded.

"What has Gallifrey—?"

"It has a very extensive medical archive," the Alterran went on as he returned to his human form. "Wieonol were stellar cartographers, if I remember my facts correctly."

"And you always do."

"But that was centuries ago. Is this what they've gotten up to lately?"

"Not quite. But now I've seen that temporal manipulator, it does explain how they were able to make such detailed star charts," the Doctor said thoughtfully. "Just look backward or forward in time and note any changes."

Jason moved K'ell'k into the next room while the Doctor retrieved Mel and l'X'el from the waiting area. The Healer gave l'X'el a harsh look but did not interfere when he went to his brother's bedside.

"Don't let all the bandages frighten you," Jason said gently, seeing the boy's reaction to his brother's swaddled head. "He came through with flying colors. He won't wake up for awhile, though," he added, turning pointedly to the Doctor. "Which gives you plenty of time to finish telling me what the hell is going on."

The Doctor threw a quick glance in Mel's direction and held out a hand, indicating that they all be seated. Only Jason remained standing, not moving from his patient's bedside. The Doctor cleared his throat dramatically. "What is going on, Jason, is a very elaborate call for help," he said succinctly.

"Help?" Jason gasped in disbelief. "You must be joking?"

"Do you recall asking how the Gres-Fa-Raayn found those planets of yours?" the Doctor asked, knowing the answer would be yes. "Well, it seems it was one of the Wieonol star charts that led them there." Jason turned an accusing gaze in l'X'el's direction. "And before you go jumping to conclusions," the Time Lord said forcefully, holding up a hand, "there's a great deal more to it than that. Now, promise me you'll control yourself until you've heard all the facts."

The Alterran drew himself to his full height, meeting the Doctor's gaze steadily. "Alright," he said finally.

The Doctor gave a satisfied grunt and proceeded to tell his friends the story that l'X'el had told him, which began more than a year before…